Shasta River
Watershed
Stewardship
Approach:
A Water Quality
Partnership
CARCD Annual
Conference
November 14, 2014
Ventura, CA
Adriane Garayalde – Shasta Vly RCD
Clayton Creager - NCRWQCB
Presentation Overview
 The Shasta River Watershed
 Shasta Valley RCD mission and purpose
 Shasta River TMDL – Temperature & DO
 The Watershed Stewardship Approach
 Shasta Valley Watershed Stewardship Partners
 Shasta Valley Watershed Management Issues
 Watershed Stewardship Projects
 Will the Stewardship Approach Work for Other
RCDs?
Shasta Valley RCD
Mission and Purpose
Mission Statement
To work with interested landowners on a voluntary basis to enhance the
management and sustainable use of natural resources in order to ensure the
long term economic viability of the community.
Vision Statement
We believe that by working together with landowners we can help the people
within the District to meet the environmental and economic challenges they face.
Value Statement
The Shasta Valley Resource Conservation District will approach all interactions
with funders, partners, agencies and members of the public with
professionalism, integrity, fairness, respectfulness and an open mind.
Klamath Basin TMDLs
 Sprague, Williamson, Upper Klamath
Lake, 2002 (temp, DO, pH, Chl(a))
 Lost River, 2010 (pH, NH3, DO, temp)
 Klamath, 2010 (pH, nutrients, DO,
temp, Chl(a), microcystin)
 Trinity S. Fork, 1998 (sed)
 Trinity, 2001 (sed)
 Salmon, 2005 (sed, temp)
 Scott, 2005 (sed, temp)
 Shasta, 2006 (DO, temp)
 Lost, 2008 (nutrients, pH)
2010
Shasta River
Sub-Basin
And Tributaries
Watershed
Stewardship
Area
Shasta River Watershed
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Shasta River watershed is approximately 800 square
miles
Shasta River is a spring-fed river (cold, nutrient rich
water)
Dwinnell Dam was constructed in 1928
Shasta Basin - 11% (60,000 acres) of land in irrigated
production and 23% (120,000 acres) in grazed ranchland
Surface water resources are over allocated during the
summer months
Challenges managing resource needs of threatened coho
salmon (Oncorhynchus kisutch)
Why Watershed Stewardship Approach?
Watershed Stewardship Framework  Shared environmental
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Landowners
Siskiyou
County
NOAA NMFS
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CA Trout
NCRWQCB
CDFW
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outcomes
Common management
strategies
Leverage available
resources
Streamline
requirements and
process
Forum to resolve
misunderstandings and
conflicts
Watershed Stewardship Approach
Goals and Objectives:
 Broader participation;
 Comprehensive assessments to support
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problem identification and project priorities;
Increased transparency and distribution of
watershed stewardship information;
Coordinated funding and activities;
Improved tracking and documentation;
Use of adaptive management principles; and
Improved and optimized monitoring networks;
Watershed Stewardship Framework
An approach
that supports
collaborative
outcomes
Adaptive Management Framework
Implement
Actions
(All)
Watershed
Stewardship
Teams
Adjust
(All)
Evaluate
(All)
Certifies & Registers
Projects
Track &
Account
(KTAP)
Monitor
(KBMP)
Water
Quality
Conditions
Klamath Basin
Monitoring Program
 Monitoring coordination
 Common analytical
methods and sampling
protocols
 Data management
 Membership organization
 Watershed stewardship
assessment reports
 Web Information Portal
(Blue-green Algae Tracker)
 www.kbmp.net
Klamath Tracking & Accounting
Program (KTAP)
KTAP - Program Components
Quantification
Methods
October 2014
Consistent
Protocols
Tracking/
Registration
Klamath Tracking and Accounting Program
Shasta Valley Watershed Stewardship Partnership
Contributors
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Shasta Valley RCD
Klamath Basin Monitoring
Program
Regional Water Board
CA Fish & Wildlife
The Nature Conservancy
US Fish & Wildlife Service
City of Yreka
NOAA Fisheries
Karuk Tribe
Cal Trout
US EPA Region 9
SWRCB Water Rights Division
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USFS – Klamath & Shasta Trinity
USGS
Individual Landowners /
Ranchers
Montague Water Conservation
District
Pending or Planned Outreach
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City of Weed
US BLM
CalTrans
City of Montague
Local Interest Groups
Community of Edgewood
Community of Shastina
Stewardship Priorities
Water Quality Issues of Concern
 Grazing impacts
 Riparian vegetation
management
 Minor impoundments
 Water Use / TMDL flow
objective
 Irrigation / Tailwater
management
 Lake Shastina
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management
Stormwater
Roads
Timber harvest
Yreka Waste Water
Treatment Plant
Spring rehabilitation
Stewardship Activities
 Water Quality Ranch Plans (TMDL Waiver)
 Riparian protection / fencing
 Tailwater management
 Riparian planting
 Irrigation management
 Water conservation / flow enhancements
 Small impoundment mitigation / fish barrier
removal
Watershed Stewardship Report
http://www.kbmp.net/stewardship
Tracking Stewardship Activities
Stewardship Project Inventory
 Tributary Reach
 Project Implementation date
 Source Category Addressed
 Water Quality Improvement
 Project Sponsor
 Project Description
Water Quality Ranch Planning
 Important tool for landowners to
manage for
improved water quality
 31 ranchers have completed plans
 24 water quality ranch plans developed by
SVRCD for TMDL purposes
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Continue to develop additional water quality
ranch plans
TMDL Grants and Contracts
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Phase I: Grant for tailwater analysis, project priority
setting, tailwater reduction projects, and minor
impoundment removal (2006-2007)
Phase II: Tailwater Reduction (2009)
Riparian Protection and Restoration (2011)
Assessment and Planning Analysis in High Priority
Area (2013)
Phase III: Irrigation Water Management and
Watershed Stewardship Project (2013)
Annual small contracts to SVRCD (2006 – 2013 for
coordinating work supportive of the TMDL)
Watershed
Stewardship
Project
Example
Riparian
Protection
Shasta River at Louie
Rd Bridge (RM 33.9).
Fenced 2009
1997
2011
Watershed
Stewardship
Pilot Project
Example
Riparian Planting
Watershed
Stewardship
Pilot
Project
Example
Tailwater
Projects
465 ac-ft
Hidden
Valley
Ranch
Tailwater
Project
126 ac-ft
Watershed
Stewardship
Pilot
Project
Example
Minor
Impoundment
Removal
Watershed Stewardship Monitoring Plan
Existing Monitoring Entities:
 Shasta Valley RCD
 The Nature
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Conservancy / UC
Davis
US Forest Service
CDFW
McBain and Trush
(CA SCC)
Sierra Pacific
Industries Emmerson
 NOAA Fisheries
 Watercourse Engineering
 Montague Water
Conservation District
 Karuk Tribe
 Regional Water Board /
US EPA IX
 City of Yreka
Reach Breakpoints
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Shasta River
1) Mouth to Yreka Creek
2) Yreka Creek to Little Shasta River
3) Little Shasta River to Willow Creek
4) Willow Creek to Big Springs Creek
5) Big Springs Creek to Parks Creek
6) Parks Creek to Dwinnell Outlet
7) Lake Shastina
8) Lake Shastina to Headwaters
Yreka Creek
Oregon Slough
Little Shasta River
Big Springs / Little Springs Creek
Parks Creek
Water Quality
Monitoring
Sites
Existing and
Proposed
Lessons Learned
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Resources to support outreach, coordination and
communication activities are critical to success
Working in a basin that is very polarized has challenges
Integrating regulatory requirements into partnership is still
a work in progress
Documenting project implementation takes resources but
has real value
Adaptive management criteria remains to be completed
Tracking status and trends takes several years of
monitoring data
The pilot project is generally viewed as a success in the
watershed
Questions?