Lower feather watershed

Lower near Verona and confluence with

Lower Feather River Meander

Lower Feather River north of Marysville

Burney Mt. The Watershed at a Glance 299 The Lower Feather River Watershed 89 Fredonyer Pk. begins downstream of Shasta Lake Latour Bt. and includes that area tributary to the

Redding A I N R O F I L A C Feather River as it flows approximately 60 139 miles north to south before entering the Lassen Pk. A D A V E N 44 Sacramento River at Verona. The Lower 44 Yuba and Bear also join the Lower 5 Feather within this river reach; however, Inskip Hill 36 Turner Mt. Diamond Mt. these two watersheds are discussed in Chester 36 the Subregion section Dyer Mt. because of their similarities. The Lower Onion Bt. Red Bluff Feather River Watershed encompasses Humboldt Summit 89 approximately 803 square miles of Sutter, Yuba, and Butte Counties. River 395 flows are regulated for water supply and Mt. Ingalls flood control by the State Water Project Corning Bald Eagle Mt. through releases at Oroville . The 32 river is almost entirely contained within 70 a series of levees as it flows through Mt. Ararat 70 Pilot Pk. the fertile agricultural lands of the Eureka Pk. 70 . The watershed is rich in water, farmland, fishery resources, Chico Bloomer Hill 49

99 Saddleback Mt.

S and recreation opportunities. Significant a

c Sierra Bt.s

r a

management issues include concerns m

Willows e n over growth (farmland conversion to t

o Oroville

Pike County Pk.

49

urbanization), demands on water supply,

89

Bowman Mt.

preservation of water quality and habitat,

Oregon Pk.

and potential risksfrom fire and floods. Castle Pk. R Gridley

i Signal Pk. v

5 e r Mt. Lincoln Nevada City Banner Mt. Snow Mt. Watershed Statistics Colusa Whisky Hill Sutter 20 Grass Valley Watershed Size: 803 square miles Little Bald Mt. (514.000 acres) Williams Yuba City Channel Length: ~60 miles 99 80 Annual Average Precipitation: 50 70 inches (eastside foothills) to 20 inches Auburn Lookout Mt. (valley floor) Big Hill Elevation: Placerville 50 Highest–3,700 feet (eastside foothills) Woodland Lowest–20 feet (Sacramento River Esparto 50 confluence) Sacramento Davis Population: ~100,000 Mokelumne Pk. 80 Lower Feather Watershed Counties: Sutter, Yuba, Butte Feather Subregion Dixon 0 20 Miles Vacaville Management Issues: growth (farmland 0 20 Miles conversion to urbanization), water supply, 5 water quality, preservation of habitat, risk from fire and floods Lower Feather River Watershed within the Feather River Subregion

PAGE 139

k r

r e o r

v e Paradise i F

h

R FEATHER RIVER SUBREGION: Lower Feather River Watershed t

a

e r

e F

h

t 32 h

a e t l

e

r d

Orland F

. d o Cr i t h M

s N c

e n re Chico W 70 F

Durham Bloomer Hill 45 70 Lake

Sly Creek Oroville e t

a Res l

S W and Lake Oroville i llo w

C Hydrology Willowsr. Thermalito Oroville The Lower Feather River Watershed begins from the Aftr Bay Pike County Pk. 162 waters behind the Oroville Dam, the tallest dam in New Bullards

the . The dam creates Lake Oroville, Princeton r

e . v r Bar

i C

99 R t generates electricity, and provides drinking and u c Oregon Pk. . n r o H C

Gridley irrigation water for central and southern . h t r

o

N r. The dam, lake, and other facilities are owned and e C Merle t t

u 49 B Collins operated by DWR and are part of the State Water ub r Y e t Res cu h on th t H r ou Project. There are approximately 190 miles of major a South e S e iv F R creeks and rivers, 695 miles of minor streams, and Englebright 1,266 miles of agricultural water delivery in Sutter Buttes Lake Cr. Lake the Lower Feather River Watershed. Hydrology also ine Colusa Wildwood a is influenced by operation of the Sutter Bypass, Cr. ub Y Grass Valley which brings Sacramento River water through Sutter Butte Slough and into the Lower Feather River. This Williams S a 20 c system is designed, in part, to relieve floodflows r a m Yuba City r. C e Sutter in the Sacramento River. The USGS gaging station n

y t r 5 o r D e

v at Oroville shows daily flows in the Lower Feather i R Camp River (post–Oroville Dam) are held at about 300 cfs. Far West Res 99 R Periodic high flow releases from Lake Oroville are in iver Colusa Bear the 50,000 to 100,000 cfs range with an all-time high 45 Bear of 150,000 cfs in 1986. B

y R p a

i s v s e There are four major groundwater subbasins within r . Cr N

n the larger Sacramento Valley Groundwater Basin: o o C r Auburn East Butte, North Yuba, South Yuba, and Sutter e 70 h t over 25’ a e Subbasins. In this area, groundwater is an important C F r . Dra ina component of overall agricultural water supply. 0 10 Miles ge Pleasa nt Gr ove Cr. Water Quality 80 Water quality in the Lower Feather River Watershed Hydrology in the Lower Feather River Watershed is heavily influenced by agricultural and municipal land and water use in the watershed. The Lower Feather River is listed on the Clean Water Act unknown toxicity. Constituents of concern for groundwater are total dissolved solids, nitrate, and several Section 303(d) list of impaired water bodies for other individual chemical constituents. Surface and groundwater quality is a concern for both fisheries and temperature, chlorpyrifos, diazinon, mercury, and agricultural supply use. In October 2003, the Central Valley RWQCB established TMDL regulations for diazinon in the Lower Feather River. That document recommended three strategies for reducing diazinon loading: (1) reducing diazinon use, (2) reducing surface water runoff from sprayed orchards, and (3) delaying and/or filtering orchard runoff containing diazinon. Recent monitoring (2006 and 2007) indicated diazinon loading to the Lower Feather has been reduced significantly.

Lake Oroville — 68% full (July 2010)1

Lower Feather River at confluence with near Marysville

Irrigated orchard

Lower Feather River at confluence with Sacramento River near Verona2 Sutter Buttes and wetland

PAGE 140 FEATHER RIVER SUBREGION: Lower Feather River Watershed

k r

r e o r

v e Paradise i F

h

R t

a

e r L

e F

h

t h

a e V t l

e

Orland r d

F

. d o Cr i t h M

s N c

e n re Chico W 70 F

Durham Bloomer Hill Annual Grass Lake

Barren Oroville Sly Creek Lower Feather River landscape e t

a Res l

S W Blue Oak Woodland il lo w 99 Vegetation Mixed Chaparral

The watershed supports several primary terrestrial Cr. Mixed Conifer communities interspersed with wetland habitat Thermalito Oroville Montane Hardwood Afterbay Pike County Pk. types. The foothills in the north and east portions of the watershed generally consist of blue oak Urban-Agriculture New Bullards

Princeton r

woodlands with scattered chaparral and other e . v r Bar i C R 0 10 Miles t u shrub-dominated communities. The Central Valley c Oregon Pk. . n r o H C

Gridley h portions of the watershed are mostly in irrigated t r

o

N

e . Merle agriculture, including orchards, vineyards, and row t r t C

u 49 B Collins crops. Annual grasslands dominate areas where ub r t cu Y e Res on h H th t h ut r ou land is not being farmed. Valuable riparian, vernal a So e S e iv F R pool, and wetland habitat is located along river corridors and in annual grassland depressions. Cr. Sutter Buttes Lake Wildwood ne Wildfire is a natural part of conifer, chaparral, and Colusa Grass Valley a oak woodland ecosystems and is now a major Cr. Yub 20 management concern, partly because of expanding Sutter residential land use and the many years of fire Williams S 20 a c suppression policies. r a m Yuba City r. C e Sutter n

y t r 5 o r D e

v i R Camp Far West 99 Res R iver

Bear Bear

B

y R p a

i s v s e

r . Cr N

70 n o o C r Auburn e h t a e C F r . Vegetation in the Lower Feather River Watershed

Pleasa nt Gr ove Cr. 80 Fish and Wildlife The watershed supports a variety of native and nonnative fish species, including some federally and state- listed species of concern. Common fish species include sturgeon, salmon and steelhead, Sacramento pikeminnow, catfish, carp, and six species of bass. Special-status fish include Central Valley Chinook salmon, Central Valley steelhead, green sturgeon, hardhead, and Sacramento splittail. The Central Valley Chinook salmon’s commercial, recreational, and cultural value has made it one of the most important watershed resources. Recent data estimate that the number of adult Chinook salmon returning to spawn in the Lower Table Mountain near Oroville Feather fell below 20,000 in 2008, down from 60,000 in 1998 and almost 200,000 in 2001. (don’t have 09 data, just go with the #s you have – in most waters, 09 was similar to 08) The Feather River Fish Hatchery located below the Oroville Dam was built in 1967 in an effort to mitigate for loss of salmon and steelhead habitat eliminated by the construction of Oroville .

Almond orchard

Flock of snow geese Salmon making their way up the Feather River Fish Hatchery ladders

PAGE 141 FEATHER RIVER SUBREGION: Lower Feather River Watershed

k r

r e o r

v e Paradise i F

h

R t

a

e r

e F

h

t h

a e t l

e

r d

F

. d o Cr i t h M

s N c

e n Water re Chico W 70 F Snow & Ice Urban Durham Bloomer Hill Barren Lake

Sly Creek Deciduous Forest Oroville e t

a Res l

S W Evergreen Forest il lo w 99 Shrubland

Cr. Grassland Thermalito Oroville Yuba County rice fields (Photo: Zeke Lunder) Pasture Afterbay Pike County Pk. Cropland New Wetland Bullards

Princeton r e Life in the Watershed

. v r Bar i C R t 0 10 Miles u Oregon Pk. c Expanding urban centers in the watershed include . n r o H C

Gridley h t r

Yuba City (population 58,400), Marysville (population o

N r. e C Merle t t 12,600), and Oroville (population 13,300). Population u 49 B Collins

ub r Y e t Res cu h in this tri-county area is expected to double in the on th t H r ou a South e S e iv F R next 40 years. Agriculture is a significant source

Englebright of jobs and revenue; income from agriculture Sutter Buttes Lake Cr. Lake and timber production exceeded $1.3 billion in ne Colusa Wildwood a 2005. Rural outdoor recreation is important in the Cr. Yub 20 Sutter Grass Valley watershed, with most activities centered around Williams rivers, creeks, and lakes. Multiple private and public S 20 a c r entities provide campgrounds, marinas, hunting a m Yuba City r. C e Sutter n clubs, and resorts to the general public. y t r 5 o r D e

v i R Camp Far West 99 Res R iver Bear Bear

B

y R p a

i s v s e

r . Cr N

70 n o o C r Auburn e h t a e C F r .

Pleasa nt Gr ove Cr. 80 Yuba City sign on California State Route 99 Land use in the Lower Feather River Watershed

Verona Farm

Boats on Lake Oroville

PAGE 142 FEATHER RIVER SUBREGION: Lower Feather River Watershed

k r

r e o r

v e Paradise i F

h

R t

a

e r

e F

h

t h

a e t l

Orland e

r d

F

. d o Cr i t h M

s N c

e n re Chico W F

Durham Bloomer Hill BLM Lake

Sly Creek Oroville City, Co. or Reg. Park e t

a Res l

S W il Land Trust lo w

99

Open Space

C Willows r. State Thermalito Oroville Confluence of Lower Feather River and Sacramento River Wildlife Area Afterbay Pike County Pk. Private New Bullards

Princeton r

e . v r Bar i C R Management Objectives 0 10 Miles t u c Oregon Pk. . n r o H C

In February 2010, a partnership of Sutter, Yuba, and Gridley h t r

o

N . Butte County RCDs, together with the City of Yuba r e C Merle t t

u B Collins City and other watershed stakeholders, completed ub r Y e t Res cu h on th a Lower Feather River/ Watershed t H r ou a South e S e iv Existing Conditions Assessment. That report, in part, F R was meant to lay the groundwork for development Englebright Sutter Buttes Lake of a Lower Feather River Management Plan. Cr. Lake ne Colusa Wildwood Efforts are underway to establish a more formal a Cr. Yub 20 Lower Feather River planning partnership, and it is Sutter Grass Valley expected that a watershed management plan will Williams

S 20 evolve from the IRWM Program. a c r a m Yuba City r. C e Based on the Existing Conditions Assessment and Sutter n

y t r 5 o r D e stakeholder input received by the partnership, the v i R Camp Watershed Management Plan will likely focus on the Far West following issues: 99 Res R iver Bear »»surface and groundwater quality and quantity Bear

B

(i.e., 303(d) listings and supply needs of y R p a

i s v s agriculture and urban use); e

r . Cr

70 n »»river hydrology (flood management, instream o o C r Auburn flow requirements for anadromous fish e h t a and other aquatic life, and protection/ e C F r enhancement of the riparian corridor)) . Land Ownership in the Lower Feather River Watershed Pleasan better management of fuel loading and risk t Gro »» ve C r. Folsom of catastrophic wildfire in the urban/rural 80 Lake interface area; and Management Organizations Active »»population growth and agricultural land in the Watershed conversion. Because of the watershed’s valuable water, farmland, and fish and wildlife resources, many agencies and local organizations have been actively involved in management of the Lower Feather Watershed. Most notably these include DFG, DWR, CAL FIRE, NRCS, USFWS, and the City of Yuba City. The following RCDs also have an active role in Lower Feather River Watershed management activities.

Sutter, Butte, and Yuba County RCDs The three county RCDs have joined to establish the Lower Feather River Partnership for the purpose of developing a well-defined and achievable set of management goals and needed actions for this watershed area. The recently completed Existing Conditions Report was the first step in that process. The partnership will be expanded to include other key stakeholders to guide the preparation of a watershed management plan. This effort will interface with other planning processes in the watershed including: The Sacramento Valley IRWM Program, CABY IRWM Program, Five Counties IRWM Program, city and county general plans, fire hazard mitigation plans, and habitat conservation plans.

Sutter Bypass1

PAGE 143 FEATHER RIVER SUBREGION: Lower Feather River Watershed

This page intentionally left blank

PAGE 144