there are:
90,000 acres
of degraded Sierra meadows
30,000 acres
that CalTrout and Sierra Meadows Partnership will restore by 2030
700 miles
of State Water Project pipes and canals
2,882 feet
water pumped over the Tehachapi Mountains
700 billion gallons
of water from Shasta area springs contributed to Shasta Reservoir
3000 cubic foot per second (cfs)
total discharge water from Shasta area springs
$1 billion
value of water deliveries from Shasta Reservoir
14 – 75 days
it takes water to travel the CA aqueduct to LA metro area
(depending on how many pumps are operating)
100,000 number of cars
effectively taken off the road per year
with carbon sequestered in
30,000 acres of restored meadows
40%
of the state’s hydroelectric power comes
from Shasta aquifers spring fed water
Did you
know...
SOURCE #2 - SHASTA AREA SPRINGS
The other important source water region is the Mt. Shasta area springs. Storing and releasing large amounts of groundwater, these springs sustain some of the most iconic trout streams in the world - such as the Upper Sacramento, McCloud, Pit, Fall Rivers and Hat Creek. These spring rivers flow even when there is little rain or snow to generate runoff. This steady supply of cold, clean water could potentially be even more important as climate change diminishes snowpack in the Sierra.
For fish and people, these abundant spring waters are like the fountain of youth – eternal and life giving. The area’s landscape and geology is shaped by volcanic eruptions over the last several million years. Those volcanic eruptions formed vast expanses of contiguous permeable rock that filters water into the earth forming these ancient aquifers.
Some estimates suggest that there are 20 – 40 million acre feet of water stored in these aquifers. That’s more than California’s top 100 reservoirs combined. That water is essential for agriculture, for hydropower, water for people and of course water for fish and wildlife.
However, we don’t fully understand these important source waters. We don’t understand the recharge zones, we don’t understand the total storage capacity and we really don’t understand the human impact. It’s impossible to manage what you don’t understand so California Trout is forming partnerships and developing a foundation of science to inform management and policy for long-term protection.
Photo by Keith Brauneis