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PLACER-NEVADA-SO. SUTTER-NO. SACRAMENTO

SUBWATERSHED GROUP

We are one of ten subwatersheds within the Sacramento Valley Water Quality Coalition.  Our members include large and small farms, rural property owners, organic farmers, ranches/ranchettes with poultry, horses, cattle, orchards, vineyards, nature and hunting preserves, country clubs, water districts and some who simply support self-monitoring to keep our waters clean.  In 2003 we formed a non-profit 501C3 organization authorized by the Central Valley Water Quality Control Board to provide its members a state required conditional discharge waiver.

Our membership dues cover the cost of administering the subwatershed activities required to fulfill the conditional waiver.  Approximately 70% of dues goes towards water monitoring and testing.  Recent test results are posted below.

If you wish to join or have questions or concerns regarding the subwatershed, please call 916-645-1774 or email cleanwaters@netscape.com

Subwatershed News……. Water Monitoring Results

May/June 2007

As a Subwatershed within the Sacramento Valley Water Quality Coalition (Coalition), 74% of your membership fees pay for water quality testing in the rural areas of Placer, Nevada, South Sutter, and North Sacramento counties.  Under the Regional Water Quality Control Board’s (Regional Board) Irrigated Lands Program (ILP), the Coalition is required to monitor 2 storm season and 6 irrigation season events, weather and flow permitting.  Collection of storm event samples is typically based on receiving at least 1/2 inch of rain (although this amount may vary depending on soil saturation), the estimated amount needed to generate runoff.

The PNSSNS Subwatershed monitored one site in 2006, Coon Creek at Striplin Road.  Results showed clean waters, with the exception of E. coli exceedances.   In fact, five E. coli exceedances occurred in 2006.Potential human E. coli sources include leaky sanitary sewer lines, leaky rural septic systems, illegal dumping of human waste, water treatment plant discharges or direct deposition of fecal material in the water from a human.  Potential agricultural sources include manure applications and allowing livestock in or near creeks.  Other natural sources such as wildlife migration may also be a source.

Actually, E. coli exceedances were seen in multiple areas throughout the Valley.  Due to this Valley wide problem, in September the Coalition initiated a Bacterial Source Identification Study (Study).  The primary objective of this Study is to identify which species are contributing to the fecal contamination.

Exceedances of the E. coli objective were observed at nineteen locations within the Coalition area in 2006.  Of the nineteen sites, nine sites (one of which was Coon Creek at Striplin Road) were selected for the study based on two main criteria: (1) a history of multiple exceedances of the E. coli objective; and (2) broad representation of regional differences in hydrology, predominant crop types and cultural practices.

This Study will quantify the amount of species-specific Bacteroidales.  This is not E. coli, but also live in the intestines and can be used to identify human, cows, and chickens.  This study will also quantify E. coli bacteria at these same locations.

The results of the study will be used to quantify the proportion of bacterial contamination from different sources in the subwatershed.  The results will also support the second objective of the study, which is to evaluate whether contributing sources of bacterial contamination are agricultural.   If determined to be a result of agriculture, the Coalition will implement specific actions as determined by the bacteria contributing to exceedance, and by the cultural practices, crops, and other drainage-specific factors.

For this Study, two samples were collected (September 2006 and February 2007) and one additional sample will be collected in the irrigation season (May 2007).  Preliminary results for Coon Creek at Striplin Road for September indicate that there were no contributions from cows, a small amount from chicken and ~50 percent from human.  If sources are a result of humans, the Regional Board will be responsible for looking at upstream sources.

A final report will be released in September 2007. 

2007 Monitoring:  Due to a drier than usual winter, only one sample was collected during the 2007 storm season and crews collected the Coalition’s first irrigation samples in April.  In the storm season, both Coon Creek at Striplin Road and Coon Creek at Brewer Road (new 2007 site) showed E. coli exceedances.  Initial information for April 2007 has also shown a water column toxicity exceedance at Coon Creek at Brewer Road.  The source is currently unknown; however the Coalition is looking into potential sources including pesticides used by agriculture.

To keep you informed, we will publish and update our website with a Subwatershed Group Newsletter with details from the Coalition and  the Regional Board, as well as management practices to avoid putting further pollutants into our waters.  Please call 916-645-1774 or email cleanwaters@netscape.comwith any questions or concerns. 

We extend a special thank you to Placer County Supervisor Robert Weygandt for funding the printing and distribution of this news flyer.