Header link June 22, 2020

LinkedIn

  • Read more
Header link September 15, 2014

Cart

  • Read more
Header link November 3, 2015

Donate Now

  • Read more
Header link May 15, 2014

Twitter

  • Read more
Header link May 15, 2014

Facebook

  • Read more
Instagram
Header link May 15, 2014

Instagram

  • Read more
Header link May 15, 2014

Contact Us

  • Read more
More options
Water Education Foundation
Home
Water Education Foundation
Everything about California water that matters
  • Water Academy
    • Agriculture
      • Agricultural Conservation
      • Agricultural Drainage
    • Background Information
      • Legislation — California and Federal
      • Regulations — California and Federal
      • Water History
      • Water Rights
    • Bay-Delta
      • Bay Delta
      • Bay Delta Conservation Plan
      • Delta Issues
      • Delta Smelt
      • Sacramento San Joaquin Delta
      • San Francisco Bay
      • Suisun Marsh
    • Dams, Reservoirs and Water Projects
      • California Aqueduct
      • Central Valley Project
      • Folsom Dam
      • Friant Dam
      • Hetch Hetchy
      • Hoover Dam
      • Infrastructure
      • Lake Mead
      • Lake Powell
      • Oroville Dam
      • San Luis Dam
      • Shasta Dam
      • State Water Project
    • Environmental Issues
      • Anadromous Fish Restoration
      • Ecosystem
      • Endangered Species Act
      • Invasive species
      • Lake Tahoe
      • Mono Lake
      • Public Trust Doctrine
      • Salmon
      • San Joaquin River Restoration
      • Watershed
      • Wetlands
    • Leaders and Experts
    • Regions
      • Central Coast
      • Central Valley
      • Mexico
      • Nevada
      • North Coast
      • Pyramid Lake
      • Sacramento Valley
      • Salton Sea
      • San Joaquin Valley
      • Sierra Nevada
      • Southern California
      • Tulare Lake Basin
    • Rivers
      • Carson River
      • Colorado River
      • Klamath River
      • New River
      • North Coast Rivers
      • Russian River
      • Sacramento River
      • Truckee River
      • San Joaquin River
    • Water Issues
      • Climate Change
      • Coronavirus
      • Drought
      • Earthquakes
      • Energy and Water
      • Flood Management
      • Fracking
      • Growth
      • Hydropower
      • Levees
      • Tribal Water Issues
      • Water Conservation
      • Water Equity
    • Water Quality
      • Drinking Water
      • Nitrate contamination
      • Pollution
      • Stormwater
      • Wastewater
      • Water Quality
    • Water Supply and Management
      • Acre Foot
      • Aquifers
      • California Water Plan
      • Conjunctive Use
      • Desalination
      • Gray water
      • Groundwater
      • Integrated Regional Water Management
      • Recreation
      • Surface Water
      • Water Marketing and Banking
      • Water Rates
      • Water Recycling
      • Water Supply
      • Water Transfers
  • Tours & Events
    • Water Tours
      • 2022 Tour Sponsors
    • Events
    • Event Calendar
    • Past Tours & Events
      • Anne J. Schneider Fund Lecture Series
  • Specialized Programs
    • Water Leaders
      • Class Rosters
      • Yearly Class Reports
      • Your Alumni Network
      • Alumni Profiles
    • Project WET
      • Workshops
      • Special Workshops & Events
      • Supplementary Materials
      • California Content Standard Correlations
      • Facilitator's Trainings
      • Foundation School Programs
        • Elementary Programs
        • Secondary Programs
      • Water Kids
      • California Project WET Gazette
      • Gazette Archives
    • Colorado River Project
    • GRA Scholastic Fund Program
  • Maps & Guides
    • Maps & Posters
    • Layperson's Guides
    • Map & Guide Bundles
    • Books
    • Colorado River Materials
    • California Runoff Rundown
    • Other Publications
    • Water Awareness Materials
    • Downloadable Publications
    • Videos and DVDs
      • Video Clips
    • School Age Publications
    • Stickers
    • Free Programs and Publications
  • Newsroom
    • Western Water News
    • Aquafornia
      • About Aquafornia
    • Information Desk
    • Western Water Magazine Archive
      • Full Print Edition
      • Print Edition Excerpts
    • River Report Archive
  • Aquapedia
    • Alphabetical List of Subjects
      • A
      • B
      • C
      • D
      • E
      • F
      • G
      • H
      • I
      • J
      • K
      • L
      • M
      • N
      • O
      • P
      • Q
      • R
      • S
      • T
      • U
      • V
      • W
      • X
      • Y
      • Z
    • Historical Water People
    • Where Does My Water Come From?
      • Northern California
      • Sacramento
      • North Bay
      • South Bay
      • Central Valley
      • Los Angeles
      • Inland Empire
      • San Diego
      • All California Water Sources
    • Timelines
    • Videos
    • Image Gallery
    • Water Directory
      • Federal Agencies
      • State Agencies in California
      • Environmental Organizations
      • Other California Organizations
      • State and Federal Legislative Committees
      • Water Associations and Groups
      • Western States Water Agencies and Districts
    • Online Resources
    • Useful Acronyms
    • About Aquapedia
  • About
    • About Us
      • Board of Directors
      • Staff Biographies
      • Job Openings
    • Announcements
    • Support Our Mission
      • Become a Member
      • Donate in Honor/Memory
      • Donate to Aquapedia or Aquafornia
      • Shop Amazon
      • Planned Giving
    • Contact Us

Topic: North Coast Rivers

Overview April 24, 2014

North Coast Rivers

Eel RiverThe Klamath, Trinity, Eel, Russian and Smith rivers are the major northern streams that drain this sparsely populated, forested coastal area that stretches from San Francisco to the Oregon border. These rivers and their tributaries flow west to the Pacific Ocean and account for about 40 percent of the state’s total runoff.

  • Read more
Aquafornia news August 1, 2022 Axios

California’s McKinney Fire explodes in size amid heat, drought

A wildfire in far northern California, near the border with Oregon, grew from ignition on Friday afternoon to become the state’s biggest fire so far this year, at nearly 52,500 acres by Sunday evening. The latest: At least two people were found dead in a car in a residential driveway on Sunday morning in the town of Klamath River, the Siskiyou County Sheriff’s Office wrote on Facebook on Monday. … The big picture: The McKinney Fire is affecting an area that is experiencing a drought, heat wave and dangerous weather conditions with dry thunderstorms Sunday and Monday. These storms will spark lightning strikes but little rain.

Related articles: 

  • CBS: McKinney Fire, California’s biggest of year, turns deadly
  • ABC 10 – Sacramento: Chance of thunderstorms, new fire starts and a humid start to the week
  • Marin Independent Journal: Bay Area weather - Lightning could raise wildfire risk
  • Los Angeles Times: Two California fires in the Sierra Nevada have very different outcomes. Why? 
  • San Francisco Chronicle: August used to be the perfect month for California’s High Sierra. It’s all different with climate change
  • KGW 8: Western flames spread, California sees its largest 2022 fire
  • Read more
  • View Original Article
Aquafornia news July 28, 2022 California Trout

Blog: Recovery plan released for Elk River

Land use changes in watersheds often lead to ecological degradation, but with degradation comes great opportunity for restoration. With the release of a new recovery plan, California Trout and our partners are actively pursuing restoration opportunities in the Elk River watershed. … Once a complex tapestry of forest, wetland, and aquatic ecosystems, the watershed has since been transformed into a patchwork of working landscapes providing timber resources, agricultural and grazing lands, and homes to many residents.

Related article: 

  • American Rivers: The Sierra Meadows Partnership and the journey to 30,000 acres
  • Northern California Public Media: Fates of fish and flow of the Eel River still uncertain
  • Read more
  • View Original Article
Aquafornia news July 15, 2022 Lost Coast Outpost

Conservation groups blast PG&E for ’slow-walking’ dam removal, refusing fish protection measures in Eel River

North Coast conservation groups are offering renewed criticism of Pacific Gas & Electric this week after the utility argued against a request from the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) aimed at protecting threatened fish in the Eel River. Three species of fish in the Eel — coho salmon, California Coastal Chinook salmon and Northern California steelhead — are listed as threatened under the Endangered Species Act (ESA). Their populations have been impacted by PG&E’s Potter Valley Project, a hydroelectric facility that diverts water from the Eel to the Russian River.

  • Read more
  • View Original Article
Aquafornia news July 13, 2022 Redheaded Blackbelt

Fish fight: Two new developments in the ongoing damming of the Eel via the Potter Valley hydropower project

There have been two developments in the ongoing saga of the Potter Valley hydropower project this week. The 20-year license has expired, but PG&E still owns and operates the project on an annual license. On Monday, PG&E submitted a rough schedule to surrender the license to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC). In a separate filing, PG&E argued that it should be allowed to continue operating the project under the biological protections that were attached to the license when it was issued in 2002.

Related article: 

  • California Trout: News release - CalTrout & TU statement on PG&E’s Potter Valley Project
  • Read more
  • View Original Article
Aquafornia news July 7, 2022 Press Democrat

Eleven miles of Eel River corridor, Lake Pillsbury basin protected under conservation easement

Between talk of a widely reviled Coal Train and continued uncertainty over Pacific Gas & Electric’s Potter Valley hydroelectric plant, the future of the Eel River has been a source of profound anxiety over the past year. But there’s some good news with the announcement that 5,620 acres of remote wilderness along 11 miles of the river between Lake Pillsbury and the Potter Valley Project are now permanently under a conservation easement held by the Mendocino Land Trust. 

  • Read more
  • View Original Article
Aquafornia news July 6, 2022 High Times

California Dept. of Fish and Wildlife announces enforcement for illegal cannabis growing season

The California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW), Department of Cannabis Control (DCC) and State Water Resource Board (SWRCB) announced in a press release on July 1 that it would be collectively authorizing enforcement teams for the 2022 cannabis growing season. … This effort is funded by Proposition 64 which enables these government agencies to focus on protecting “priority watersheds and areas with sensitive habitat and/or threatened or endangered species.” … The water streams of California, and the wildlife that depends on them, suffer when illegal cannabis grow operations divert water. 

  • Read more
  • View Original Article
Aquafornia news June 28, 2022 Los Angeles Times

California lumber company to close public access to forest

California’s largest lumber company is closing public access to its vast holdings of forestland in the state, citing wildfire concerns. Sierra Pacific Industries last week said concerns over extreme drought conditions and increasing wildfire risks are prompting the company to close its forests to public access starting July 1. The closures could last through fall 2022. … California is currently under drought emergency orders, as the state recently saw its driest January, February and March on record in 100 years, according to state officials.

Related article: 

  • CBS 13- Sacramento: California’s Largest Landowner Closes Forests To Public Access
  • Read more
  • View Original Article
Aquafornia news June 27, 2022 North Coast Regional Water Quality Control Board

News release: Fine proposed against cannabis cultivators for runoff that threatens Mad River water quality

Three cannabis cultivators in Humboldt County are facing a $209,687 fine in connection with sediment discharged into tributaries of the Mad River that posed a risk to water quality and aquatic life, according to a formal complaint signed last week by staff of the North Coast Regional Water Quality Control Board. Szagora LLC, Toshko Toshkoff and Rudy Chacon (the “cultivators”) commercially cultivated cannabis on a 100-acre property along the Humboldt-Trinity County line between the towns of Dinsmore and Mad River. 

  • Read more
  • View Original Article
Western Water October 24, 2019 California Water Map Gary Pitzer

Understanding Streamflow Is Vital to Water Management in California, But Gaps In Data Exist
WESTERN WATER NOTEBOOK: A new law aims to reactivate dormant stream gauges to aid in flood protection, water forecasting

Stream gauges gather important metrics such as  depth, flow (described as cubic feet per second) and temperature.  This gauge near downtown Sacramento measures water depth.California is chock full of rivers and creeks, yet the state’s network of stream gauges has significant gaps that limit real-time tracking of how much water is flowing downstream, information that is vital for flood protection, forecasting water supplies and knowing what the future might bring.

That network of stream gauges got a big boost Sept. 30 with the signing of SB 19. Authored by Sen. Bill Dodd (D-Napa), the law requires the state to develop a stream gauge deployment plan, focusing on reactivating existing gauges that have been offline for lack of funding and other reasons. Nearly half of California’s stream gauges are dormant.

  • Read more
Aquapedia background September 1, 2016

Eel River

Eel River in Northern CaliforniaThe Eel River flows from the Mendocino National Forest to the coast a few miles south of Eureka, traversing a topographically diverse area of mountains, canyons and redwood forests in Northern California. Including its tributaries, it drains more than 3,500 square miles and is the state’s third largest watershed.

  • Read more
Video May 27, 2014

The Klamath Basin: A Restoration for the Ages (60 min. DVD)

For over a century, the Klamath River Basin along the Oregon and California border has faced complex water management disputes. As relayed in this 2012, 60-minute public television documentary narrated by actress Frances Fisher, the water interests range from the Tribes near the river, to energy producer PacifiCorp, farmers, municipalities, commercial fishermen, environmentalists – all bearing legitimate arguments for how to manage the water. After years of fighting, a groundbreaking compromise may soon settle the battles with two epic agreements that hold the promise of peace and fish for the watershed. View an excerpt from the documentary here.

  • Read more
Video May 27, 2014

A Climate of Change: Water Adaptation Strategies

This 25-minute documentary-style DVD, developed in partnership with the California Department of Water Resources, provides an excellent overview of climate change and how it is already affecting California. The DVD also explains what scientists anticipate in the future related to sea level rise and precipitation/runoff changes and explores the efforts that are underway to plan and adapt to climate.

  • Read more
Maps & Posters May 20, 2014

California Water Map, Spanish

Spanish language version of our California Water Map

Versión en español de nuestro mapa de agua de California

  • Read more
Maps & Posters April 17, 2014 California Water Bundle

California Water Map
Updated December 2016

A new look for our most popular product! And it’s the perfect gift for the water wonk in your life.

Our 24×36 inch California Water Map is widely known for being the definitive poster that shows the integral role water plays in the state. On this updated version, it is easier to see California’s natural waterways and man-made reservoirs and aqueducts – including federally, state and locally funded projects – the wild and scenic rivers system, and natural lakes. The map features beautiful photos of California’s natural environment, rivers, water projects, wildlife, and urban and agricultural uses and the text focuses on key issues: water supply, water use, water projects, the Delta, wild and scenic rivers and the Colorado River.

  • Read more

Water Academy

  • Agriculture
  • Background Information
  • Bay-Delta
  • Dams, Reservoirs and Water Projects
  • Environmental Issues
  • Leaders and Experts
  • Regions
  • Rivers
    • Carson River
    • Colorado River
    • Klamath River
    • New River
    • North Coast Rivers
    • Russian River
    • Sacramento River
    • Truckee River
    • San Joaquin River
  • Water Issues
  • Water Quality
  • Water Supply and Management
Footer pod May 20, 2014

Water Education Foundation

Copyright © 2022 Water Education Foundation. All rights reserved.

The Water Education Foundation is a nonprofit, tax-exempt, 501(c)3 organization, federal tax ID #942419885.

Privacy Policy

Donor Privacy Policy

  • Read more
Footer pod May 20, 2014

Contact Information

2151 River Plaza Drive, Suite 205
Sacramento CA 95833

Telephone (916) 444-6240

Contact Us via email

  • Read more

Quicklinks

Footer quicklink May 20, 2014

Contact Us

  • Read more
Footer quicklink May 20, 2014

Donate Today

  • Read more
Footer quicklink May 20, 2014

Tours

  • Read more
Footer quicklink May 20, 2014

Newsletter Signup

  • Read more
Footer quicklink May 20, 2014

Foundation News

  • Read more
Footer quicklink May 20, 2014

Calendar

  • Read more

Log in

  • Create new account
  • Request new password

Commands

  • Support portal
  • Log in