Scott River Valley Managed Aquifer Recharge
Project Overview
Basics
Scott River Valley Managed Aquifer Recharge
- Address Climate Change and Extreme Event Effects, Impacts and Vulnerabilities
- Conserve, Enhance and Restore Watersheds and Ecosystems that Support Biological Diversity
- Develop, Collect and Analyze Data at a Variety of Spatial Scales to Inform Priority Projects/Actions
- Document and Share the Sustainable Economic Benefits of Working Landscapes and Natural Areas
- Ensure that Disadvantaged and Underrepresented Communities Benefit from Initiatives
- Ensure Water Supply Reliability and Quality
- Integrate Traditional Ecological Knowledge in Collaboration with Tribes
- Protect and Enhance Groundwater Resources
- Respect Local Autonomy and Local Knowledge in NCRP Planning and Implementation
Project Addition to NCRP Plan
Deferred/Unfunded
The Scott Valley Managed Aquifer Recharge Project will augment groundwater conditions to enhance flow and improve water quality at critical habitat on the mainstem Scott River. Utilizing the Scott Valley Irrigation Dirstrict (SVID) canal system, approximately 20 to 30 cfs will be diverted and applied to identified agricultural fields, during the non-irrigation season, from Dec 1st through Feb 15th using existing flood irrigation turnouts and mobile pumping methods.
2021
2022
1/10/2025
Project Attributes
General Information
Project Description Narrative (1,000 character limit)
The purpose of the project is to recharge the aquifers in the Scott Valley basin to improve instream flow and water quality for downstream users and threatened SONCC coho. Increased summer flows in the mainstem Scott will alleviate temperature impairments and improve seasonal salmonid escapement and juvenile rearing.
Implementing the community plan’s Managed Aquifer Recharge objective – the project uses the SVID canal system to apply off-season floodwater for groundwater recharge and instream enhancement purposes.
Project data gathered will inform regional water management – describing a model practice and correlating winter flood irrigation, groundwater recharge and instream flow for listed salmonids. Specifically, we propose to flood farms in winter, quantify the groundwater recharge and benefits to streamflow, temperature, water quality, and biotic response.
Solutions
Capacity - Year-round Local Capacity, Climate Action - Adaptation, Ecosystem Conservation and Restoration - Water
Spatial Information
Tribal Region
None
Project Size (Acres)
None
Location
Organizations
| Funder | |
| Project Sponsor | |
| Local and/or Political Support | C Davis Dept. of Land, Air, and Water Resources, Scott Valley Irrigation District, Siskiyou County Flood Control and Water Conservation District (GSA), Siskiyou Resource Conservation District, and the Scott Valley Groundwater Advisory Committee including tribal representation from the Quartz Valley Indian Reservation |
Contacts
Project Benefit Performance Measures
Expected Project Benefit Performance Measures
No expected Project Benefit Performance Measures set for this Project.
Reported Project Benefit Performance Measures
No annual Project Benefit Performance Measure accomplishments entered for this Project.
Financials
Budget
| Comment: | None provided |
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Reported Expenditures
No Expenditures have been reported for this Project.
| Note: | None provided |
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Project Types
Project Types
This project has a monitoring component to inform adaptive management and similar projects.
NMFS (2014) identifies agricultural practices and altered hydrologic function as “very high” threats to endangered salmonids in the Scott River. This project will establish the methodologies, water delivery infrastructure, and landowner partnerships to flood dormant fields in the winter, recharge groundwater and restore summer flows - improving aquatic habitat within the critical habitat boundary for SONCC coho and other salmonid species.
Climate change is cited as the greatest threat to North Coast salmonids. NMFS (2014) expects average summer temperatures in the region to increase 2.7 °C and explains: “Climate change will likely decrease summer base flow, reduce summer rearing habitat for fish, and increase irrigation demand in the Scott River basin.” Climate change demands new groundwater management strategies to maintain reliable water supply for irrigation and adequate instream flows for fish, wildlife, and recreation.
Project Details
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Notes
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External Links
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Photos
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