Who We Are
The Upper Feather River Watershed Group is a nonprofit agriculture based group
formed to address state water quality goals related to irrigated agricultural lands. The group
organized in 2004 and is led by volunteers in outreach efforts to organize, educate and
direct individual landowners as they strive to meet state and regional water quality goals set
by the Porter-Cologne Clean Water Act.
The Upper Feather River Watershed Group was formed to organize irrigated
landowners and operators and promote educational outreach on topics related to
agricultural discharges and rural water quality. Our goal is to distribute, promote and foster
effective management practices to protect and enhance water quality of the upper feather
river region.
The Upper Feather River Watershed Group (UFRWG) is one of nine subcoalitions of the
Sacramento Valley Water Quality Coalition (SVWQC) www.svwqc.org . SVWQC represents
agriculture water users within the Central Valley Region of California under the Irrigated
Lands Program. Monitoring Plans and Reports are developed and compiled by SVWQC for
the subcoalitions and presented to the Regional Board
www.waterboards.ca.gov/centralvalley/ .
Monitoring Activities
Monitoring activities began in 2005 to determine the potential impacts of local irrigated
agricultural operations on water quality in the upper feather river watershed region.
Ambient stream monitoring is conducted at numerous sites bracketing agriculture in Sierra
Valley, American Valley and Indian Valley. Monitoring teams collect grab samples and
record field data once a month during the irrigation season ( May - October). In addition to
the six monthly sample collections, two storm event collections are made each year in early
spring and early winter.
The samples are analyzed in the Tate Lab at UC Davis and the EcoRisk Environmental Lab
for a variety of constituents. Lab results are compiled in a Monitoring Report by the
Sacramento Valley Water Quality Coalition and sent to state and regional water quality
control boards.
Annual monitoring results are shared with stakeholders and interested members of the local
community at annual outreach meetings. UCCE Resource Specialists and the local
monitoring team present the seasonal data and assist landowners in evaluating the impacts,
if any, of their irrigated agricultural operations in the upper feather river watershed.
Prop 50 Grant
Plumas-Sierra County UC Cooperative Extension Livestock and Resource Specialist, Holly
George, obtained a grant through Prop 50 to assist in the monitoring efforts of the group.
She and UC Davis Rangeland Watershed Specialist Ken Tate PhD, have trained and led a
local monitoring team consisting of UFRWG members, local RCD staff (Resource
Conservation District) and Feather River College students to aid in monthly water sampling
and data collection within the watershed area.
This funding source enable the UCCE to assist the UFRWG in monitoring activities and
special project studies during the years 2006, 2007 and 2008.
More Prop 50 project monitoring information can be obtained at:
http://ucce-plumas-sierra.ucdavis.edu
| Upper Feather River Watershed Group PO Box 975 Loyalton, Ca 96118 Plumas and Sierra Counties |
| Monitoring Team A plan is developed to monitor local creeks & streams receiving irrigation discharges. |
A Water Quality Coalition
Irrigated Lands meeting water quality goals
Irrigated Lands meeting water quality goals
| Field Visits UCCE and UC Davis Watershed Rangeland Specialists discuss monitoring strategies with landowners. |
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| Membership Extended to all irrigated affiliates. affiliates. |
Copyright 2009 Upper Feather River Watershed Group
Indian Valley spring 2009
by UFRWG member Heather Kingdon
by UFRWG member Heather Kingdon
