NEW
American River Watershed
Portal Provides Information for Our Region!
Watershed
Information and Links
Watershed
is the term describing the land area that drains water to a particular
stream, river, or lake. It is a land feature that can be identified
by tracing a line along the highest elevations between two areas on
a map, often a ridge. Large watersheds, like the Mississippi River
basin contain thousands of smaller watersheds.
A
healthy watershed is an area of land having the structure
and density of forest stands necessary to support a diverse wildlife
population. The
current condition of a watershed is the culmination of all cumulative
past events and the ecosystem's response to those events, whether
natural or management induced.
Development
of streams and other resources of the Sierra Nevada over
the past 150 years has affected the quality and availability of water
for both ecological and social needs in many parts of the region.
As human
activities have altered characteristics of streams, aquatic and riparian
ecosystems have been forced to change. Other changes
(such as introduction of exotic species, conversion of streams to
lakes, and conversion of riparian zones to roads and structures) have
greatly simplified and impaired aquatic ecosystems.
To
insure these ecosystems are healthy and sustainable, both
public agency and private land owners must be able to exchange information.
This will provide resource managers, both public and private, the
information they need for economically and environmentally sound decision
making.
Watershed
groups are involved in sharing information, collaborating
on resource management strategies and techniques, and in providing
a public forum for watershed stewardship.
Watersheds
in Placer County:
American
River Watershed: The American
River Watershed Group (ARWG) focuses its efforts on water
quality and forest fire reduction (or fuel load reduction) efforts.
Auburn
Ravine/Coon Creek: Issues in this watershed include planning
and implementation of restoration, maintenance, and wildlife protection
measures, water quality, and sedimentation.
Bear
River Watershed: Water quality issues pertaining to the presence
of mercury and sedimentation.
Dry
Creek Watershed: Issues include wildlife preservation/enhancement,
water quality as it pertains to urban run-off and sedimentation, and
flooding concerns.
Truckee
River Watershed: Its mission is the development and implementation
of a watershed plan based on sustained environmental and economic health
and public safety issues.
Some
objectives of watershed stewardship are:
- Promote
stream stabilization using natural processes
- Promote
contiguous habitat
- Increase
biological diversity
- Increase
migratory and resident fish habitat
- Coordinate
natural resource protection and planning efforts
- Encourage
land stewardship
- Reduce
soil erosion
- Promote
sustainable land use concepts
- Promote
and improve water management
NEW
Watershed Portal
Link
Placer
County Resource Conservation District (RCD)
The
RCD has identified the following concerns:
1.
Watersheds (and their unique resource issues)
2. Reduction of Soil Erosion and Sedimentation
3. Water conservation (emphasis on Agricultural issues)
4. Wildlife Habitat Improvement/Enhancement/Preservation
5. Political communication
6. Public Education
Overview
of Placer County
Resource Conservation District
Watershed-Based
Analysis of Placer County
Watersheds
and Fire
Watersheds
- Fire Effects
US
Forest Service Watershed Web Site
