Balance Hydrologics, Inc. PERAZZO MEADOWS RESTORATION HYDROLOGIC MONITORING DATA REPORT: UPPER AND MIDDLE PERAZZO MEADOWS, SIERRA COUNTY, CALIFORNIA WATER YEAR 2015 Report prepared for: Truckee River Watershed Council Prepared by: Benjamin Trustman David Shaw Brian Hastings Balance Hydrologics, Inc. March 2017 Balance Hydrologics, Inc. A report prepared for: Truckee River Watershed Council P.O. Box 8568 Truckee, California 96162 (510) 550-8760 Perazzo Meadows Restoration Hydrologic Monitoring Data Report Upper and Middle Perazzo Meadows, Sierra County, California, Water Year 2015 © 2017 Balance Hydrologics, Inc. Project Assignment: 209116 by Benjamin Trustman David Shaw, P.G. Hydrologist Hydrologist/Geologist Brian Hastings, P.G. Geomorphologist/Hydrologist Data management and analysis also provided by: Jonathan Owens Peter Kulchawik 800 Bancroft Way, Suite 101 Berkeley, California 94710 (510) 704-1000 [email protected] March 29, 2017 209116 FINAL WY15 Perazzo Meadows Report 3-29-17 i Balance Hydrologics, Inc. TABLE OF CONTENTS 1. PROJECT PURPOSE AND INTRODUCTION ............................................................................................ 1 1.1 Acknowledgments .............................................................................................................................. 2 2. SITE DESCRIPTION .................................................................................................................................. 3 2.1 Perazzo Meadows ............................................................................................................................... 3 2.2 Restoration Activities ........................................................................................................................... 4 2.3 Groundwater Monitoring ................................................................................................................... 4 2.4 Streamflow Monitoring........................................................................................................................ 6 2.4.1 Description of the Streamflow Gaging Stations ............................................................... 6 2.4.1.1 Perazzo Creek above Perazzo Meadows (PCAP) ................................................................... 6 2.4.1.2 Little Truckee River above Perazzo Meadows (LTAP) ............................................................. 7 2.4.1.3 Little Truckee River below Upper Perazzo Meadow (LTUM) ................................................... 7 2.4.1.4 Cold Stream above Perazzo Meadows (CSAP) ...................................................................... 7 2.4.1.5 Little Truckee River below Middle Perazzo Meadow (LTPM) ................................................. 8 2.4.1.6 Little Truckee River at Lower Perazzo Meadow (LTLM) ........................................................... 8 2.5 Historical Streamflow Gaging ............................................................................................................ 8 2.6 Comparisons to Other Watersheds .................................................................................................. 9 3. WY2015 HYDROLOGIC SUMMARY AND DISCUSSION ...................................................................... 10 3.1 Annual Precipitation ......................................................................................................................... 10 3.2 Streamflow .......................................................................................................................................... 11 3.2.1 Perazzo Creek above Upper Perazzo Meadow (PCAP) ............................................... 11 3.2.2 Little Truckee River above Upper Perazzo Meadow (LTAP) .......................................... 12 3.2.3 Little Truckee River below Upper Perazzo Meadow (LTUM) .......................................... 13 3.2.4 Cold Stream above Middle Perazzo Meadow (CSAP) ................................................. 14 3.2.5 Little Truckee River below Middle Perazzo Meadow (LTPM) ......................................... 15 3.2.6 Little Truckee River below Lower Perazzo Meadow (LTLM) ........................................... 16 3.2.7 Little Truckee River below Sierra Valley Mutual Water Company Diversion (USGS Station 10341950) ............................................................................................................................ 17 3.2.8 Comparison of Streamflow and Annual Runoff during WY2015 .................................. 18 3.3 Groundwater ...................................................................................................................................... 19 3.3.1 Groundwater Conditions in the Upper Meadow ........................................................... 19 3.3.2 Groundwater Conditions in the Middle Meadow ......................................................... 21 3.3.3 Groundwater Conditions in the Lower Meadow ........................................................... 22 4. CONCLUSIONS .................................................................................................................................... 23 209116 FINAL WY15 Perazzo Meadows Report 3-29-17 ii Balance Hydrologics, Inc. 5. LIMITATIONS ......................................................................................................................................... 24 6. REFERENCES ......................................................................................................................................... 25 209116 FINAL WY15 Perazzo Meadows Report 3-29-17 iii Balance Hydrologics, Inc. LIST OF FORMS Form 1. Annual hydrologic record: Perazzo Creek above Perazzo Meadow (PCAP), WY2015 Form 2. Annual hydrologic record: Little Truckee River above Perazzo Meadow (LTAP), WY2015 Form 3. Annual hydrologic record: Little Truckee River, below Upper Perazzo Meadow (LTUM), WY2015 Form 4. Annual hydrologic record: Cold Stream above Perazzo Meadow (CSAP), WY2015 Form 5. Annual hydrologic record: Little Truckee River, below Middle Perazzo Meadow (LTPM), WY2015 Form 6. Annual hydrologic record: Little Truckee River, below Lower Perazzo Meadow (LTLM), WY2015 LIST OF TABLES Table 1. Streamflow gaging station summary (WY2015), Perazzo Meadows, Little Truckee River Watershed, Sierra County, California Table 2. Historical gaging summary, Little Truckee River below Diversion Dam near Sierraville, California, USGS Station #10341950, Water Years 1993 to1998 and 2012 to 2015 Table 3. Field Observer Log: Perazzo Creek above Perazzo Meadow (PCAP), WY2015 Table 4. Field Observer Log: Little Truckee River above Perazzo Meadow (LTAP), WY2015 Table 5. Field Observer Log: Little Truckee River below Upper Perazzo Meadow (LTUM), WY2015 Table 6. Field Observer Log: Cold Stream above Middle Perazzo Meadows (CSAP), WY2015 Table 7. Field Observer Log: Little Truckee River at Perazzo Meadow (LTPM), WY2015 Table 8. Field Observer Log: Little Truckee River at Lower Perazzo Meadow (LTLM), WY2015 209116 FINAL WY15 Perazzo Meadows Report 3-29-17 iv Balance Hydrologics, Inc. Table 9. Annual Runoff, Perazzo Meadows, Little Truckee River Watershed, Sierra County, California, WY2015 Table 10. Snowmelt recession runoff, Perazzo Meadows, Little Truckee River Watershed, Sierra County, California, May through September 2015 Table 11. Groundwater monitoring observations, Water Years 2010 to 2015, Perazzo Meadows Restoration, Sierra County, California LIST OF FIGURES Figure 1. Perazzo Meadows, Sierra County, California Figure 2. Location of groundwater and surface water monitoring stations, Upper Perazzo Meadow, Sierra County, California Figure 3. Groundwater and surface water monitoring stations, Middle Perazzo Meadow, Sierra County, California Figure 4. Lower Perazzo Meadow Monitoring Locations Figure 5. Stream gaging locations and contributing watersheds, Perazzo Meadows, Sierra and Nevada Counties, California Figure 6. Cumulative precipitation and daily minimum, maximum and mean temperatures, Independence Creek, Sierra County, California, WY2015 Figure 7. Snow water equivalent, Independence Lake and Independence Creek SNOTEL Station, Nevada County, California, water years 2010-2015 as compared to the long-term average Figure 8. Daily stage and water temperature: Perazzo Creek above Perazzo Meadow (PCAP), Sierra County, California, WY2015 Figure 9. Daily flow hydrograph, Perazzo Creek above Perazzo Meadow (PCAP), Sierra County, California, WY2015 Figure 10. Daily stage and water temperature: Little Truckee above Perazzo Meadows (LTAP), Sierra County, California, WY2015 Figure 11. Daily flow hydrograph, Little Truckee River above Perazzo Meadows (LTAP), Sierra County, California, WY2015 Figure 12. Daily stage and water temperature, Little Truckee River, below Upper Perazzo Meadows (LTUM), Sierra County, California WY2015 209116 FINAL WY15 Perazzo Meadows Report 3-29-17 v Balance Hydrologics, Inc. Figure 13. Daily flow hydrograph, Little Truckee River, below Upper Perazzo Meadow (LTUM), Sierra County, California, WY2015 Figure 14. Daily flow hydrograph, Little Truckee River above Perazzo Meadow (LTAP) and Perazzo Creek (PCAP), inflows to Upper Perazzo Meadow, compared with outflow from Upper Perazzo Meadow (LTUM), Sierra County, California, WY2015 Figure 15. Daily stage and water temperature, Cold Stream above Perazzo Meadows (CSAP), Sierra County, California, WY2015 Figure 16. Daily flow hydrograph, Cold Stream above Perazzo Meadow (CSAP), Sierra County, California,