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Scott River Watershed Forum: Bryan McFadin of the North Coast Regional
Water Quality Control Board (NCRWQCB) recently
announced an upcoming workshop that will include
members of the regional board scheduled for Fort Jones at the city hall on April 20-21. The
first day will include a discussion of Scott Valley
groundwater and the second day, reissuance of a
conditional waiver for discharge under the Scott
River TMDL (Total Maximum Daily Load.) http://users.sisqtel.net/armstrng/TMDL%20water%20quality.htm
The Scott River was originally listed as “impaired”
for sediment and temperature pollutants. The lists
now include “water” as connected to temperature. http://www.waterboards.ca.gov/northcoast/
The Clean Water Act Section 303(d) list and 305(b)
report identify sediment sources to include:
irrigated crop production; mining tailings; pasture
grazing (riparian and upland); silviculture
(forestry); resource extraction (mining); non-point
and natural sources. The list identifies sources of
temperature/water pollution as: agricultural return
flows; drainage and filling of wetlands; flow
modification; habitat modification; irrigated crop
production; pasture grazing (riparian and upland);
removal of riparian vegetation; silviculture
(forestry); streambank modification/destabilization;
water diversions; non-point source and other.
The current Scott River
TMDL
Implementation Workplan has relied heavily on
efforts of landowners, with grant, technical and
education assistance through the Siskiyou Resource
Conservation District (RCD,) the Scott River
Watershed Council, the federal Natural Resource
Conservation Service (NRCS) and the University of California Farm
and Ranch Advisors to voluntarily address sources of
pollution.
One
aspect of the Workplan included the Scott River
Groundwater Study Plan, which was assigned to Siskiyou County and the RCD. An expert in
groundwater, Thomas Harter, PhD. from U.C. Davis,
has been working with valley residents on a static
well level study for many years. He was also
selected to write the Scott River Groundwater Study
Plan. http://groundwater.ucdavis.edu/ScottValley.htm
The NCRWQCB recently provided a grant for Dr. Harter
to begin implementation of the study. The static
well study continues under separate private,
non-government funding and agreements with
landowners and will continue to contribute general
data to inform the new study.
It is
anticipated that, at the April 20th
workshop, Dr. Harter will present a rough initial
groundwater model that has been created from the
data collected. Recently, Siskiyou County appointed a local Scott Valley
Groundwater Advisory Board to become informed about
what is known about groundwater in the Valley and to
work with Dr. Harter. It is anticipated that the
Advisory Board will advise the Board of Supervisors
as to findings and recommendations on any actions to
be taken. It is possible that, once more information
is known, a voluntary groundwater management plan
can be created to inform individual management
decisions to improve groundwater recharge and
surface water flow.
The
California Porter Cologne Water Quality Act requires
either an absolute prohibition on pollution
discharge or a permit. “Conditional Waivers of Waste
Discharge Requirements” can be allowed for a period
of five years, at which time they are renewed or
replaced. The “waiver” covers actions listed as
sources of pollution as long as they comply with the
conditions. (The exceptions are timber,
construction, storm water discharge, dredge and fill
and rip rap, which need permits.) The current Scott
Valley Conditional Waiver is self-directed – in the
hands of the community. This was largely
accomplished through RCD programs to reduce
sediment, cool stream temperature and plant riparian
vegetation. This waiver expires in August of this
year.
The April
21 workshop will discuss the new waiver conditions
for Scott Valley. It is anticipated that there will
be a requirement for landowners to monitor and
report their actions taken in compliance with the
waiver, similar to what is currently done in Shasta Valley. Recently, the Klamath River TMDL
was approved by the federal Environmental Protection
Agency (EPA.) Aspects of this regulatory action will
apply to activities in the entire Klamath system.
According to Ben Zabinsky of the NCRWQCB, he is
currently working on a Conditional Waiver for
grazing and irrigated land use. Scoping is scheduled
for this summer and the waiver is anticipated to be
ready for adoption in 2012. http://www.waterboards.ca.gov/northcoast/water_issues/programs/grazing_and_irrigated_agriculture/.
McFadin stated that Ag waivers are prevalent in the
central Valley and Coast. Conditions will apply to
activities such as riparian management, streamside
management, sediment discharge, roads, manure
management and tailwater. Agriculturalists would
have to fill out a questionnaire, enroll in the
waiver program, comply, monitor and report. Those
who do not enroll would be contacted. The County has
questioned whether it would not be better to go the
“prohibition” route, requiring a permit only when
there is an actual discharge and not just a blanket
requirement for entire categories of economic
activity. McFadin stated that the Klamath TMDL
specifically prohibits violation of the Basin Plan.
He stated that individual permits would not “work on
a grand scale,” however group permits could be
possible |
