Watersheds, Climate and Water Conservation

1. Watersheds, Climate
and Water Conservation

2. Weaverville Climate Variability
-100%
-50%
0%
50%
100%
1895
1898
1901
1904
1907
1910
1913
1916
1919
1922
1925
1928
1931
1934
1937
1940
1943
1946
1949
1952
1955
1958
1961
1964
1967
1970
1973
1976
1979
1982
1985
1988
1991
1994
1997
2000
2003
2006
2009

3. Weaver Creek Rainfall Totals: 1976 & 1977- 39.4” vs. 2012 & 2013-61.9”
2010

5. From: Climate Change and the EPA National Water Program By Karen Metchis, EPA

6. Effects of Climate Variability

7. Effects of Climate Variability

8. Effects of Climate Variability

9. December, 2011
March, 2012
May, 2012
Effects of Climate Variability

12. REPAIR
REDUCE
RECLAIM
RETHINK
RESTORE

13. RETHINK WATER WITHDRAWALS
0.5 Gallon/Minute= 720 Gallons
Per Day (Average daily water
consumption is <500 gallons/day).
Pumps can draw from 3-300
gallons/minute and more than one
pump on at the same time in a
stream can result in fish kills.
Little Browns Creek, 2010
Pumps draining water tanks do not rapidly draw
down a creek and do not require coordination
with other water diversions in the stream.

14. 16.8
15.7
21.713.7
5.3
26.7
Howdoesyour householdusewater?
Shower
Faucet
Clothes Washing
Leaks
Other
ToiletSource:AmercianWater Works
Gallons Lost To
Leaks Over a
Person’s Lifetime
(75 years) =
258,370
REPAIR

15. RECLAIM USED WATER
“It's easy to follow the guidelines required for a no-permit system
from the new California plumbing code. The system needs to have a
way to switch back to the sewer/septic, not have any pooling of
greywater, be discharged under 2 inches of mulch, and a few more
basic guidelines.” http://greywateraction.org/projects/greywater-recycling

16. RECLAIM USED WATER

17. RECLAIM USED WATER

18. RECLAIM USED WATER

20. RECLAIM USED WATER

21. http://milkwood.net/2010/05/11/how_to_make_a_wicking_bed/
REDUCE WATER DEMAND

22. http://milkwood.net/2010/05/11/how_to_make_a_wicking_bed/
REDUCE WATER DEMAND

23. http://milkwood.net/2010/05/11/how to make a wicking bed/
REDUCE WATER DEMAND

24. Landscape:
Plant Drought Tolerant Species
Kill The Lawn Entirely
Skip the Annuals In the Garden This Year
Switch From Sprinkler To Drip Irrigation
REDUCE WATER DEMAND

25. REDUCE WATER DEMAND

26. REDUCE LAWNS AND ANNUAL PLANTINGS
Sept-13 1.43 0.69
Oct-13 0.01 2.39
Nov-13 1.42 5.19
Dec-13 0.00 6.78
Jan-14* 0.64 7.10
3.50* 22.22
Weaverville Rainfall Average
If the winter rainfall is well
below average reduce crop size,
install rainwater catchments,
use conservation techniques.
Don’t truck water in to
supplement. You are just
robbing “Peter to pay Paul”* As of January 20th

27. RETHINK WATER DEMAND

28. RETHINK WATER DEMAND

29. Time stream pumping to match
natural diurnal flow patterns.
A single mature Douglas-fir tree can
transpire (pump) up to 100 gallons of
water from the soil per day. Most of
this pumping occurs during the
afternoon hours
An acre of mature conifer forest can
transpire up to a million gallons per
growing season.
Mountain streams flow goes down in
response to soil water pumping
actions (at the same time that
temperatures go up).
http://kula.geol.wwu.edu/rjmitch/L1
0_evapotranspiration.pdf
RETHINK WATER
WITHDRAWALS

30. RETHINK WATER DEMAND

31. Living With Climate Change: Forest Thinning

32. Living With Climate Change: Forest Thinning

33. Living With Climate Change: Fire Restoration

34. Living With Climate Change: Road Decommissioning