KRIS Shasta River Tour

General Introduction

Restoration: Water Use

Water is diverted from the Shasta River to irrigate crops and provide for livestock. The irrigation water becomes very warm as it flows over the open, exposed fields. When this water flows back into the river, it warms the river water. A pilot project is attempting to prevent hot irrigation run-off water from directly entering the river. Catchment basins hold the water coming off the fields, allowing it to percolate into the ground, where it cools before entering the river.

Ranchers have helped salmon and steelhead by voluntarily opening their diversion dams on two days in May and June annually since 1993, so that flows in the Shasta River will flush young fish out to the Klamath River and to the ocean.

Coho salmon usually stay in fresh water for a year, and steelhead for several years, before migrating to sea. But in the summer, Shasta River water quality conditions are unfavorable to young fish so they are encouraged to swim down river during these "pulse flows".

Boards are put back into place in a Shasta River diversion dam after the annual "pulse flow", when ranchers all open up their dams to let the river flush out salmon and steelhead.

In 1994, the Everett Fiock diversion dam was replaced with an electric pump. The dam had been a problem because it stopped salmon fry from migrating downstream and impeded the upstream migration of adult spawners. The dam had also caused water quality problems. It stilled the flow of the river and exposed the water to the sun, which made it too warm for salmon and steelhead. Organic matter moving down the river got trapped behind the dam, and as it decayed it used up oxygen in the water. At certain times of the day, the depressed dissolved oxygen levels were dangerous for fish.

One irrigation dam, like this one, was replaced by an electric pump to supply water for irrigation. The California Department of Fish and Game paid for the pump.

Shasta River Guided Tour

Contents

Restoration Topics:

Introduction

Fencing Riparian Areas

Replanting Trees in the Riparian Zone

Water Use

Other Topics:

Guided Tour Introduction

Water Quality

Geology

Hydrology

Economy

Fisheries

KRIS Klamath Resource Information System

Shasta River Guided Tour Contents

Fisheries	Introduction / Species & Ranges / Life Cycle / Habitats / Monitoring / Population Trends
Water Quality	Introduction / Water Temperature / Dissolved Oxygen
Geology	Introduction / The Cascade and Klamath Provinces
Hydrology	Introduction
Economics	Introduction
Restoration	Introduction / Fencing Riparian Areas / Replanting Trees In the Riparian Zone / Water Use

KRIS Klamath Resource Information System