This week’s watershed report, brought to you by Scott Valley Agriculture Water Alliance. The report includes Scott River flow records and how they compare to historical records; Monthly precipitation totals for this water year (Oct 2022-Sept 2023) to date; Current fish population estimates for Scott; and more. Note, this report doesn’t account for last night’s rain and snow—or the resulting bump in flows.

A little late, but here it is: last week’s Scott River Watershed Conditions Report, brought to you by Scott Valley AgWA.

Here’s this week’s watershed report, brought to you by Scott Valley Agriculture Water Alliance. The report includes Scott River flow records and how they compare to historical records; Monthly precipitation totals for this water year (Oct 2022-Sept 2023) to date; Current fish population estimates for Scott; and more. Note: check next week’s report for spawning survey updates. Outmigrant traps should be installed soon, as well.

Check out this week’s report, brought to you by Scott Valley Agriculture Water Alliance. The report includes Scott River flow records and how they compare to historical records; Monthly precipitation totals for this water year (Oct 2022-Sept 2023) to date; Current fish population estimates for Scott; and more.

Scott Valley farmers and ranchers, please take a look at this funding opportunity of up to $20,000 in drought relief: California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) Small and Underserved Producers drought relief grants, administered by CARCD – California Association of Resource Conservation Districts.

It could help cover some of your costs incurred over the drought years of 2020-2022, such as replacing nozzles on pivots or wheellines. The deadline to apply has recently been extended to February 15, 2023.

Today, the Water Board temporarily lifted a ban on “leaky” ditches in Scott Valley—good news for ranchers who need a steady water supply for their livestock, and good news for the health of our aquifer. For two full weeks, flows in the Scott River have exceeded the “minimum” flow (200 cfs) required in the Emergency Drought Regulation imposed by the State Water Resources Control Board.

You probably know that alfalfa is a foundational food chain crop, bringing us essentials such as beef and milk. But did you know it’s good for the soil, with its deep roots and nitrogen-adding qualities—leading to less chemical fertilizer use? Or that it helps bees because of its prolific flowering, making it the #1 source of honey in the U.S.? Or that it’s home to abundant wildlife, including several protected species? Or that it’s an efficient water user compared to many other crops?

Did ranchers kill tens of thousands of fish by diverting water from the Shasta River last month? No. There seems to be confusion between two wholly separate events that took place in August.

The first happened around August 6, when aftermath from the McKinney Fire killed tens of thousands of fish—primarily suckers—in the Klamath River.

Two weeks later, a wholly separate event took place on a different river…

“The truth is like a lion; you don’t have to defend it. Let it loose; it will defend itself.” Some people credit St. Augustine of Hippo for this quote. Whoever said it, small family farmers and ranchers in far-northern California are sure hoping it’s true. A group of them have banded together to tell their story: the State of California is turning off these farmers’ and ranchers’ irrigation pumps.

Flows in the Scott River at the primary monitoring gage appeared to have doubled overnight last week. What happened? It certainly didn’t rain. The answer? The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) finally recalibrated the flow gage. The gage was corrected on August 24th, after two months of no on-site field-checks by USGS. This gage, located below Scott Valley at river mile 21, is the flow measurement site that is used by the State Water Resources Control Board (State Water Board) to determine whether its “Drought Emergency Minimum Flows” are being met on the Scott.

Siskiyou County, CA—Family farmers and ranchers in Scott Valley, far-northern California, were forced to turn off their irrigation pumps on Thursday, July 14, due to emergency drought regulations imposed by the State Water Resources Control Board. A local grassroots communication group, Scott Valley Agriculture Water Alliance (AgWA), is warning farmers and ranchers across the state of the precedent-setting nature of this legal action that could affect all agricultural well users in other regions of the state.

At noon on July 2, all surface water rights in Scott Valley were curtailed by the State Water Resources Control Board. Four days later, on July 6, a minor change was made to the curtailment: first-priority diverters are now allowed 15% of their water right.

AgWA questioned Water Board staff as to why 100% of surface water had been curtailed on 7/2, when the flow rate at the USGS gage in the Scott River was at 70 cubic feet per second (cfs) that morning—20 cfs above the minimum mandated level for July under the Emergency Drought Regulation.

Family farmers and ranchers in Siskiyou County, far-northern California, continue to face unprecedented groundwater and surface water curtailments this summer and next, if the drought continues. On Tuesday, June 21, California State Water Resources Control Board re-adopted a Drought Emergency Regulation (Regulation) for the Scott River and Shasta River watersheds that continues severe curtailments based on new minimum flow requirements in the Scott and Shasta rivers.

The State Water Resources Control Board will be voting on re-adoption of the Emergency Drought Regulations for Scott and Shasta valleys this coming Tuesday, June 21. The Board members will hear verbal public comments at that meeting. Those affected by the Regulation should make their voices heard at the June 21 online meeting. There’s a process to get signed up to speak. Go to Remote Meeting | California State Water Resources Control Board or contact Theo (theo@scottvalleyagwa.org) for more info.

It’s easy to get bogged down in the 24-page Regulation. Our primary concerns remain, although SWB staff has shown a willingness to listen to us and has made some small language changes that could make the Regulation more manageable. What Scott Valley farmers and ranchers need to know:

Scott Valley Agriculture Water Alliance and the Siskiyou County Farm Bureau worked together last week to co-host a tour of Scott Valley by staff from the State Water Resources Control Board (SWB), North Coast Regional Water Board (RWB), and the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW). Our goal was to share on-the-ground knowledge with the staff who are working on the next iteration of the emergency drought regulations for Scott and Shasta valleys.

Today, the State Water Board (SWB) is due to release its draft “emergency” regulations for the Scott and Shasta watersheds for next year. Scott Valley AgWA has been communicating with SWB and the Calif. Dept. of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) in hopes that share facts will educate the next round of regulations. We provided written and oral comments over the past two weeks, and met with CDFW staff last week.

Scott Valley AgWA participated in a zoom meeting hosted by the State Water Resources Control Board on May 4. We shared vital information as the Board considers re-adopting the current “emergency” drought regulations, with some amendments, for next year.

Precedent-setting groundwater regs get pushback in northern CA
—Grassroots alliance calls regs ‘unfair’ and ‘dangerous’

In the midst of water turmoil West-wide, one small mountain valley in far northern California is sounding the alarm about state-mandated groundwater curtailments that could set a precedent for the whole state.

Farmers and ranchers in Scott Valley, situated in western Siskiyou County, are facing the potential loss of 100 percent of their irrigation water this summer—including both groundwater and surface water—if the State Water Resources Control Board’s (SWRCB) new “emergency” flow levels are not met in the Scott River.

State Again Threatens Scott Valley’s Ag Wells Despite Coho Salmon Success

—Water curtailment re-adoption not supported by State’s own data on Scott River salmon

All ag well use in Scott Valley is being threatened again for 2022-2023 as the State Water Board considers re-adopting its current “emergency” regulations. Scott Valley is the only place in the state where all ag wells are being threatened, an unprecedented action by the Board. The Board has announced it will be taking public comments on a zoom call May 4th (2 pm - 4 pm) as it considers the re-adoption of curtailments for the Scott River and Shasta River watersheds.