Upper Sacramento River Watershed Surface Water Ambient Monitoring Program

Upper Sacramento River Basin

To date, SWAMP activity in the northern sector of the Sacramento River watershed have focused on establishing and implementing long term water quality and watershed monitoring in the Upper Feather River and Pit River watershed areas. The program objectives are similar in both cases:

1. Document existing water quality/watershed condition.
2. Evaluate what beneficial uses may be limited or impaired by existing conditions.
3. Track long term trends in water quality/watershed condition.
4. Document improvements in water quality/watershed condition which are expected to result from local watershed program activities (i.e. restoration, BMP promotion, and education).

Upper Feather River Watershed

Monitoring started in 1999 and is continuing under the direction of the Feather River Coordinated Resource Management Program (CRMP). The monitoring program includes 26 sites (in a 3,000 sq. mi. watershed) where continuous recording and discrete samples and measurements are taken. Monitoring parameters include stream flow, channel morphology, aquatic habitat quality, chemical/physical/biological water quality constituents, macroinvertebrate and fish populations. A report on the monitoring program can be found on www.feather-river-crm.org.

Pit River Watershed

Monitoring started in 2001 and will continue at least through 2005. The program was started by the RWQCB and is now under the direction of the Pit River Alliance, a collaborative group of resource agencies, landowners, private industry, and resource advocates. The program includes sites on the Pit River (11 sites), Fall River (12 sites), and major tributary streams (36 sites) in this 3,000 sq. mi. northeastern CA watershed. The Pit River is currently 303(d) listed for temperature, nutrient loading, and low dissolved oxygen. The monitoring program includes stream flow, various water quality constituents (consistent with the requirements of the Ag Waiver program), channel morphology and habitat measurements, and macroinvertebrate populations. A report on the monitoring program can be found on www.pitriveralliance.net.

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