Scott Valley
Groundwater Study: The Scott River Watershed Council (SRWC, a sub-committee of the
Siskiyou Resource Conservation District,) in cooperation with the Natural Resource
Conservation Service (NRCS) and U.C. Davis, will proceed with its local Community
Groundwater Measuring Program (CGMP) in Scott Valley with the full blessing of the Board
of Supervisors. Siskiyou County has jurisdiction over groundwater use within the county.
It currently regulates the extraction of groundwater for use outside the basin from which
it was extracted under County code, Title 3. Public Safety, Chapter 13. Groundwater.
Last year, the North Coast Regional Water Quality Control Board
(NCRWQCB) approved an Action Plan to reduce temperature in the Scott River system. In that
plan, the Regional Water Board requested that the County cooperate with others to “study
the connection between groundwater use on surface flow and beneficial uses, and the
impacts of groundwater levels on the health of riparian vegetation in the Scott River
watershed.” The Action Plan stated that the study should: (1) consider groundwater
located both within and outside of the interconnected groundwater area delineated in the
Scott River Adjudication; (2) the amount of water transpired by trees and other
vegetation; and (3) if deleterious impacts to beneficial uses are found, identify
potential; solutions including mitigation measures and changes to management plans.”
The Groundwater Program has been developed as a big step in response to the Action Plan.
First and foremost, the CGMP WILL
NOT measure or report anyone’s pumping or extraction. Nor will it
answer immediate questions about the impacts of groundwater use. It will measure only the
“static water levels,” (depth of groundwater from a fixed point on the surface,)
of wells that are not in use at the time of measurement. The objective of this study will
be to characterize monthly fluctuations in the Scott Valley water table over an extended
period of time (at least 5-10 years.) This will help to establish “baseline”
data. The data will help the community answer
questions such as: (1) What is the relationship of groundwater storage to discharge and
recharge?; (2) Is there evidence of multiple aquifer layers?; and (3) What is the seasonal
variation in groundwater levels?; and (4) Are there any trends? It will show how
groundwater moves through the entire Scott River system over time.
A monitoring grid of at least
30 wells to cover most of the valley is proposed for the field study. Using a successful
model from Glenn County, a small local advisory council of landowners has been
established to oversee the project and to bring forward the need for any future studies.
Currently, 21 landowners have volunteered domestic or inactive wells for the monitoring
project. Additional wells are needed. (Call 468-2487 for additional information.)
Collection of monthly measurements will be done by the
Siskiyou RCD and SRWC starting in April. NRCS will contribute the technical and training
component of the project. U.C Davis will receive the data and store it in a form that can
be used for future analysis and modeling. There is currently sufficient funding through a
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service grant to the Siskiyou RCD to get through the first year of
the study. The RCD will be seeking additional funds to ensure the future of the study
program.
I am, personally, very pleased with the development of
this project and the considerable outreach done by the SRWC to local landowners. It is
another example of how the communities in Siskiyou County have developed a reputation throughout the State as
leaders in the area of retaining “local control,” taking proactive approaches to
issues, and promoting voluntary incentive- based conservation.
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