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.
