Upper Sacramento River IRWM (implementation stage)
Not technically part of the Sierra Nevada region, the Upper Sacramento IRWM area, also headwaters, faces similar challenges and opportunities to our Sierra regions. We are pleased to invite them to join our mission.
Funded by a grant from the California Department of Water Resources, stakeholders in the Upper Sacramento, McCloud, and Lower Pit watersheds have collaborated on the development of an Integrated Regional Water Management Plan (IRWMP). The IRWMP is a comprehensive, non-regulatory planning document that identifies critical issues and needs and broadly-supported objectives pertaining to management of water resources. The Plan also includes projects brought forward by stakeholders to address regional issues including water supply, water quality, forest management, tribal water resource interests, ecological health, and education and outreach, among others.
For more information about the Upper Sacramento River IRWM projects and its IRWMP, please visit the Upper Sacramento River IRWM website.
2014 Accomplishments
2015 Goals
REGIONAL DESCRIPTION
The Upper Sacramento, McCloud and Lower Pit River IRWM Region is located within northern California's Cascade Range, including Mount Shasta and the Medicine Lake Volcano. The region provides source water that supplies a sizable portion (40 to 60% by different estimates) of all the water that the rest of the State relies upon. There are four tribes active in the USR IRWM process: the Pit River Tribe, the Winnemum Wintu, the Modoc Nation, and two bands of the Shasta Tribe. The Pit River Tribe is a federally recognized tribe that maintains three rancherias in the region: Big Bend, Montgomery Creek, and Roaring Creek.
The Upper Sacramento-McCloud-Pit River IRWM Region (USR) includes entire watersheds of the Upper Sacramento River and the McCloud River, from the headwaters to where the rivers flow into Shasta Lake Reservoir. This planning region also includes the watershed area that flows directly into the Lower Pit River, which is the portion of the Pit River below Lake Britton to the surface of the reservoir; but does not include the watershed above and draining into Lake Britton. The USR also includes the area commonly known as the Medicine Lake Highlands. Surface waters of the Medicine Lake Highlands flow into the USR via the Lower Pit River, and the groundwater resources represent a significant recharge area via springs into Fall River, which is a tributary to the Upper Pit River and, ultimately, to the Lower Pit. The region was identified by the three main watersheds due to their unity as tributaries to Shasta Lake Reservoir, as well as the common challenges and opportunities faced throughout these three watersheds. The Medicine Lake Highlands were identified as an important source water area and spiritual and cultural region for both the USR and the Upper Pit IRWMP. It was included in the USR boundaries because of the surface water flow contributions to the McCloud River (ground water flows contribute to Fall River, which is a tributary to the Upper Pit River). Below Shasta Dam and Keswick Dam, the waters that originated from the USR subsequently contribute in part to the greater Sacramento River.
The USR is located within southern Siskiyou County and northern Shasta County. Two incorporated cities in Siskiyou County are the City of Dunsmuir, located along the banks of the Upper Sacramento River, and the City of Mt. Shasta located just to the north. Both cities are located along Interstate 5 and the Union Pacific Railroad. The McCloud Community Services District (CSD) serves the unincorporated community of McCloud in Siskiyou County, located off of State Highway 89. Siskiyou County maintains a countywide Flood Control and Water Conservation District. Siskiyou County also owns and manages water resource and flood management facilities in the region, including Box Canyon Dam and Lake Siskiyou on the Upper Sacramento River. The Shasta County Water Agency was established in 1957 to develop water resources for the beneficial use of the people of Shasta County. The Water Agency’s governing body is the Shasta County Board of Supervisors. Shasta County also maintains three county service areas (CSAs), all located in the Upper Sacramento River watershed.
Approximately half of the land in the region consists of federal land managed by the U.S. Forest Service. This land is mostly within the Shasta-Trinity National Forest with a small area in the northeast corner managed by the Modoc National Forest. Lands managed by the Forest Service include Castle Crags Wilderness (10,500 acres) and a large part of the Mt. Shasta Wilderness (30,200 acres, not all of which are in the planning region). In the vicinity of Shasta Lake Reservoir, much of the federal land is managed as the Shasta Unit of the Whiskeytown-Shasta-Trinity National Recreation Area. The Federal Bureau of Land Management also manages some land in this IRWM region, as well as several non-corporate entities such as The Nature Conservancy. State lands within this region include Castle Crags State Park and several tracts of land acquired by the CA Dept. of Fish and Wildlife along the Upper Sacramento River. The majority of the remaining land in the region is privately owned. The USR IRWM region is located within the jurisdiction of the Central Valley Regional Water Quality Control Board.
Adjacent to the north and west of the USR is the North Coast IRWM Region, which includes the watersheds of the Klamath and Trinity Rivers, among others. Adjacent to the east of the USR is the Upper Pit IRWM Region. The Upper Pit River watershed is divided from the Lower Pit River at the Lake Britton dam. The Upper Sacramento River flows into Shasta Lake Reservoir, which flows via Shasta Dam to Keswick Reservoir. At that point the river is within the Northern Sacramento Valley IRWM Region, the adjacent IRWM region to the south of the USR. There are no overlapping boundaries for the USR. Staff working with the USR RWMG regularly consults with the three adjoining regions on common issues, though no joint inter-regional projects have yet been proposed.
Upper Sacramento River Watershed
The Upper Sacramento River watershed is approximately 600 square miles in size with flows originating on the western slopes of Mount Shasta and eastern side of the Eddy and Trinity Mountains. The Upper Sacramento River has significant flows year-round due to abundant spring water fed by Mount Shasta’s glaciers. Many small natural alpine lakes are scattered along the crest of the Upper Sacramento and Trinity River watershed divide, including Castle Lake, Grey Rock Lake, Cliff Lake, Toad Lake and others. The most significant reservoir in this watershed is Lake Siskiyou, which lies behind Box Canyon Dam and represents the only impoundment on the Upper Sacramento River between the headwaters and Shasta Lake. The Upper Sacramento includes the majority of the Region’s population including the cities of Dunsmuir and Mt. Shasta, as well as a number of small communities along the river south of Dunsmuir including Cragview, Castella, Sweetbrier, Pollard Flat, and Lakehead.
McCloud River Watershed
The McCloud River Watershed covers approximately 800 square miles draining the south and east sides of Mount Shasta as well as the range to the south of the volcano. Like the Upper Sacramento River, the McCloud has steady year-round flows due to numerous productive springs feeding into the system, most notably McCloud Big Springs, with an average discharge of 600 cubic feet per second. The McCloud is world-renowned as a fly fishing destination with abundant rainbow trout. The watershed also supports populations of endemic McCloud redband trout, which is found in isolated populations in a few tributaries in the upper watershed.
As part of the PG&E McCloud-Pit Hydropower Project, the McCloud River is partially diverted at the McCloud Dam into the Pit River via the McCloud-Iron Canyon diversion tunnel. As much as 90 percent of water flowing in the Upper McCloud River has been diverted to the Lower Pit River watershed in this manner. The McCloud reservoir is the most significant surface water body in the McCloud watershed. Human populations in this watershed are concentrated in the town of McCloud. Prior to European settlement, the McCloud watershed was home to significant tribal populations, and many cultural sites used by local tribes to this day are located within the watershed.
Lower Pit River Watershed
For the purposes of the IRWM Plan, the Lower Pit watershed extends from directly below Lake Britton to the edge of Shasta Lake, covering approximately 700 square miles. (The watershed above Lake Britton is included in the adjacent Upper Pit IRWM Planning region.) To the west and north, this area in bordered by the McCloud River watershed described above. Major boundary features to the east include the dam at Lake Britton, Hatchet Mountain and Hatchet Mountain Pass. For the purposes of the IRWM Plan the “Lower Pit River” area also includes the watershed of Squaw Creek which flows directly into Lake Shasta between the outlet of the Pit River and the McCloud River arm of the lake.
As noted in the description of the McCloud River watershed, a considerable amount of water is diverted from the McCloud River to the Pit River via the McCloud-Iron Canyon diversion tunnel. In addition to Iron Canyon Reservoir PG&E operates a series of dams on the Lower Pit River forming several additional reservoirs along the river. Human populations in this watershed reside primarily on Pit River Tribe reservation lands clustered around the community of Big Bend on the Pit River.
Medicine Lake Highlands
The Medicine Lake Highlands, which is the northeastern-most area of the Upper Sac IRWM region, is an area comprised of a massive shield volcano. The broad, gently sloping mass of this volcanic feature covers approximately 200 square miles. While not recognized as a typical watershed due to the lack of streams, much of the area of the Medicine Lake Highlands is considered to be a significant recharge area, via subsurface flows as opposed to surface drainage, to springs that feed Fall River. Fall River, which is outside this IRWM region, is a tributary to the Upper Pit River. The area of the Medicine Lake Highlands that is in the Upper Sac IRWM region includes the caldera in which Medicine Lake itself is located, and the south and southwesterly slopes of the highlands to where it converges with the McCloud River watershed. Medicine Lake, from which this area derives its name, lies in a caldera near the top of the highlands at an elevation of approximately 6,680 feet. The Medicine Lake Highlands is predominantly comprised of public land managed by the U.S. Forest Service, and there is no resident human population. The area is of cultural significance to many local tribal groups.
Contact:
Mark Miyoshi, Interim Chair
Mount Shasta District Represenative
Winnemem Wintu Tribe
530-926-4408
Funded by a grant from the California Department of Water Resources, stakeholders in the Upper Sacramento, McCloud, and Lower Pit watersheds have collaborated on the development of an Integrated Regional Water Management Plan (IRWMP). The IRWMP is a comprehensive, non-regulatory planning document that identifies critical issues and needs and broadly-supported objectives pertaining to management of water resources. The Plan also includes projects brought forward by stakeholders to address regional issues including water supply, water quality, forest management, tribal water resource interests, ecological health, and education and outreach, among others.
For more information about the Upper Sacramento River IRWM projects and its IRWMP, please visit the Upper Sacramento River IRWM website.
2014 Accomplishments
- The City of Mt Shasta received $4.3 million from Prop 84 funding. $1.7 will replace an 80+ yr old water main, the sole transportation line between the city’s primary water source and it’s storage tanks. $2.6 will be used to install 1,700 water meters in the City of Mt Shasta. Both projects are on track for completion in the fall of 2015.
- A portion of the above award is being managed by CalTrout, another USR IRWM member, to educate citizens of Mt Shasta and the neighboring communities about both projects.
- The award was only possible with the full dedication of USR IRWM members, particularly the River Exchange, whose commitments and sacrifices were pinnacle to forming the RWMG and receiving this award.
- The Crystal Geyser Waste Discharge Permit Resolution to Central Valley Regional Water Quality Control Board. The resolution was created due to the USR IRWM responding to community needs and in protection of our waters. Both actions are primary objectives of this Plan and Group, and the resolution reinforced the sucess of the RWMG process, despite controversy.
2015 Goals
- Continuing our stewardship of the waters of this Region.
- Helping our communities navigate the labyrinth of State project funding while maintaining our respect for all of our citizens.
- Protecting and enhancing the environment of our Region.
- Applying for round 3 implementation funding August 2015.
REGIONAL DESCRIPTION
The Upper Sacramento, McCloud and Lower Pit River IRWM Region is located within northern California's Cascade Range, including Mount Shasta and the Medicine Lake Volcano. The region provides source water that supplies a sizable portion (40 to 60% by different estimates) of all the water that the rest of the State relies upon. There are four tribes active in the USR IRWM process: the Pit River Tribe, the Winnemum Wintu, the Modoc Nation, and two bands of the Shasta Tribe. The Pit River Tribe is a federally recognized tribe that maintains three rancherias in the region: Big Bend, Montgomery Creek, and Roaring Creek.
The Upper Sacramento-McCloud-Pit River IRWM Region (USR) includes entire watersheds of the Upper Sacramento River and the McCloud River, from the headwaters to where the rivers flow into Shasta Lake Reservoir. This planning region also includes the watershed area that flows directly into the Lower Pit River, which is the portion of the Pit River below Lake Britton to the surface of the reservoir; but does not include the watershed above and draining into Lake Britton. The USR also includes the area commonly known as the Medicine Lake Highlands. Surface waters of the Medicine Lake Highlands flow into the USR via the Lower Pit River, and the groundwater resources represent a significant recharge area via springs into Fall River, which is a tributary to the Upper Pit River and, ultimately, to the Lower Pit. The region was identified by the three main watersheds due to their unity as tributaries to Shasta Lake Reservoir, as well as the common challenges and opportunities faced throughout these three watersheds. The Medicine Lake Highlands were identified as an important source water area and spiritual and cultural region for both the USR and the Upper Pit IRWMP. It was included in the USR boundaries because of the surface water flow contributions to the McCloud River (ground water flows contribute to Fall River, which is a tributary to the Upper Pit River). Below Shasta Dam and Keswick Dam, the waters that originated from the USR subsequently contribute in part to the greater Sacramento River.
The USR is located within southern Siskiyou County and northern Shasta County. Two incorporated cities in Siskiyou County are the City of Dunsmuir, located along the banks of the Upper Sacramento River, and the City of Mt. Shasta located just to the north. Both cities are located along Interstate 5 and the Union Pacific Railroad. The McCloud Community Services District (CSD) serves the unincorporated community of McCloud in Siskiyou County, located off of State Highway 89. Siskiyou County maintains a countywide Flood Control and Water Conservation District. Siskiyou County also owns and manages water resource and flood management facilities in the region, including Box Canyon Dam and Lake Siskiyou on the Upper Sacramento River. The Shasta County Water Agency was established in 1957 to develop water resources for the beneficial use of the people of Shasta County. The Water Agency’s governing body is the Shasta County Board of Supervisors. Shasta County also maintains three county service areas (CSAs), all located in the Upper Sacramento River watershed.
Approximately half of the land in the region consists of federal land managed by the U.S. Forest Service. This land is mostly within the Shasta-Trinity National Forest with a small area in the northeast corner managed by the Modoc National Forest. Lands managed by the Forest Service include Castle Crags Wilderness (10,500 acres) and a large part of the Mt. Shasta Wilderness (30,200 acres, not all of which are in the planning region). In the vicinity of Shasta Lake Reservoir, much of the federal land is managed as the Shasta Unit of the Whiskeytown-Shasta-Trinity National Recreation Area. The Federal Bureau of Land Management also manages some land in this IRWM region, as well as several non-corporate entities such as The Nature Conservancy. State lands within this region include Castle Crags State Park and several tracts of land acquired by the CA Dept. of Fish and Wildlife along the Upper Sacramento River. The majority of the remaining land in the region is privately owned. The USR IRWM region is located within the jurisdiction of the Central Valley Regional Water Quality Control Board.
Adjacent to the north and west of the USR is the North Coast IRWM Region, which includes the watersheds of the Klamath and Trinity Rivers, among others. Adjacent to the east of the USR is the Upper Pit IRWM Region. The Upper Pit River watershed is divided from the Lower Pit River at the Lake Britton dam. The Upper Sacramento River flows into Shasta Lake Reservoir, which flows via Shasta Dam to Keswick Reservoir. At that point the river is within the Northern Sacramento Valley IRWM Region, the adjacent IRWM region to the south of the USR. There are no overlapping boundaries for the USR. Staff working with the USR RWMG regularly consults with the three adjoining regions on common issues, though no joint inter-regional projects have yet been proposed.
Upper Sacramento River Watershed
The Upper Sacramento River watershed is approximately 600 square miles in size with flows originating on the western slopes of Mount Shasta and eastern side of the Eddy and Trinity Mountains. The Upper Sacramento River has significant flows year-round due to abundant spring water fed by Mount Shasta’s glaciers. Many small natural alpine lakes are scattered along the crest of the Upper Sacramento and Trinity River watershed divide, including Castle Lake, Grey Rock Lake, Cliff Lake, Toad Lake and others. The most significant reservoir in this watershed is Lake Siskiyou, which lies behind Box Canyon Dam and represents the only impoundment on the Upper Sacramento River between the headwaters and Shasta Lake. The Upper Sacramento includes the majority of the Region’s population including the cities of Dunsmuir and Mt. Shasta, as well as a number of small communities along the river south of Dunsmuir including Cragview, Castella, Sweetbrier, Pollard Flat, and Lakehead.
McCloud River Watershed
The McCloud River Watershed covers approximately 800 square miles draining the south and east sides of Mount Shasta as well as the range to the south of the volcano. Like the Upper Sacramento River, the McCloud has steady year-round flows due to numerous productive springs feeding into the system, most notably McCloud Big Springs, with an average discharge of 600 cubic feet per second. The McCloud is world-renowned as a fly fishing destination with abundant rainbow trout. The watershed also supports populations of endemic McCloud redband trout, which is found in isolated populations in a few tributaries in the upper watershed.
As part of the PG&E McCloud-Pit Hydropower Project, the McCloud River is partially diverted at the McCloud Dam into the Pit River via the McCloud-Iron Canyon diversion tunnel. As much as 90 percent of water flowing in the Upper McCloud River has been diverted to the Lower Pit River watershed in this manner. The McCloud reservoir is the most significant surface water body in the McCloud watershed. Human populations in this watershed are concentrated in the town of McCloud. Prior to European settlement, the McCloud watershed was home to significant tribal populations, and many cultural sites used by local tribes to this day are located within the watershed.
Lower Pit River Watershed
For the purposes of the IRWM Plan, the Lower Pit watershed extends from directly below Lake Britton to the edge of Shasta Lake, covering approximately 700 square miles. (The watershed above Lake Britton is included in the adjacent Upper Pit IRWM Planning region.) To the west and north, this area in bordered by the McCloud River watershed described above. Major boundary features to the east include the dam at Lake Britton, Hatchet Mountain and Hatchet Mountain Pass. For the purposes of the IRWM Plan the “Lower Pit River” area also includes the watershed of Squaw Creek which flows directly into Lake Shasta between the outlet of the Pit River and the McCloud River arm of the lake.
As noted in the description of the McCloud River watershed, a considerable amount of water is diverted from the McCloud River to the Pit River via the McCloud-Iron Canyon diversion tunnel. In addition to Iron Canyon Reservoir PG&E operates a series of dams on the Lower Pit River forming several additional reservoirs along the river. Human populations in this watershed reside primarily on Pit River Tribe reservation lands clustered around the community of Big Bend on the Pit River.
Medicine Lake Highlands
The Medicine Lake Highlands, which is the northeastern-most area of the Upper Sac IRWM region, is an area comprised of a massive shield volcano. The broad, gently sloping mass of this volcanic feature covers approximately 200 square miles. While not recognized as a typical watershed due to the lack of streams, much of the area of the Medicine Lake Highlands is considered to be a significant recharge area, via subsurface flows as opposed to surface drainage, to springs that feed Fall River. Fall River, which is outside this IRWM region, is a tributary to the Upper Pit River. The area of the Medicine Lake Highlands that is in the Upper Sac IRWM region includes the caldera in which Medicine Lake itself is located, and the south and southwesterly slopes of the highlands to where it converges with the McCloud River watershed. Medicine Lake, from which this area derives its name, lies in a caldera near the top of the highlands at an elevation of approximately 6,680 feet. The Medicine Lake Highlands is predominantly comprised of public land managed by the U.S. Forest Service, and there is no resident human population. The area is of cultural significance to many local tribal groups.
Contact:
Mark Miyoshi, Interim Chair
Mount Shasta District Represenative
Winnemem Wintu Tribe
530-926-4408
