Upper Feather River Watershed Group About Us

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 and promote
effective management practices (BMPs) to maintain the high water quality of the upper
feather river region.

    The Upper Feather River Watershed Group (UFRWG) is one of twelve 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 ten subcoalitions and presented to the Regional Water Quality Control Board
                                                                          www.waterboards.ca.gov/centralvalley/ .

Members are key to the success of the coalition.
   Achievement of our coalition goal, to maintain the high water quality in the Upper Feather
River watershed region, depends on the efforts of individual members and landowners.
Good resource stewardship and implementation of sound management practices to
maintain high water quality requires the efforts of every landowner and operator.   With
combined resource efforts we can be proud of the water that is delivered to the downstream
users of this valuable resource.

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 state approved Environmental Labs 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 enabled the UCCE to assist the UFRWG in monitoring activities and
special project studies during the initial years 2006, 2007 and 2008.
   More Prop 50 project monitoring information can be obtained at:
                           http://ucce-plumas-sierra.ucdavis.edu

Monitoring Team
Seasonal monitoring of local creeks
& streams receiving irrigation discharges

Field Visits
UCCE and UC Davis Rangeland
Watershed Specialists discuss monitoring
strategies with landowners

Coalition Membership
is offered to watershed landowners
and interested partners

Ken Tate UCDavis & Holly George UCCE train monitoring teams

Ranchers share expertise on irrigation systems

Indian Valley spring 2009
by UFRWG member Heather Kingdon

Upper Feather River Watershed Group
PO Box 975 Loyalton, Ca 96118
Plumas and Sierra Counties

Coalition Activities

		Irrigation and Storm Season Monitoring of Creeks and Streams
		Regular Membership Meetings
		Year End Stakeholder Meeting to Review Seasonal Monitoring Result
		Annual Ranch Tour featuring member BMPs
		Distribute Educational and Outreach Materials on Agriculture and Water Quality
		Funding Partnerships identified for Water Quality Implementation Projects
		Group Option for Irrigated Lands Regulatory Program (ILRP) Compliance