Come learn about:

• Building a Community Water Program
• Groundwater Recharge
• Water Rights
• Beaver Dam Analogues

Presenters include:

• Brock Dolman, Occidental Arts & Ecology Center
• Tasha McKee, Sanctuary Forest
• Matt Clifford, Trout Unlimited
• Elijah Portugal, Redwood Community Action Agency

Salmonid Restoration Federation (SRF) is hosting a North Coast Water Conservation workshop in conjunction with Humboldt Steelhead Days. Partnering organizations include Sanctuary Forest, Trout Unlimited, Cal Trout, and Occidental Arts & Ecology Center.

This workshop will feature leading water conservation speakers and planners presenting on a spectrum of water conservation issues that could benefit communities throughout the North Coast. Inspiring speaker, Brock Dolman of the Water Institute of Occidental Arts and Ecology Center will present on climate change, permaculture and building community-based water conservation programs. Tasha McKee of Sanctuary Forest will discuss groundwater recharge projects and water storage and forbearance techniques where landowners store enough water in the winter to forbear from diverting water during the dry summer months. Matt Clifford, an attorney with Trout Unlimited’s Water Project, will provide guidance on navigating water rights and other regulatory requirements. Elijah Portugal of Redwood Community Action Agency will present on beaver dam analogues to slow water down, sink it, and reduce sediment.

This water conservation workshop is the last in a series of Best Management Practices workshops and water rights clinics that SRF has offered in the Five County region including Humboldt, Mendocino, Siskiyou, Trinity and Del Norte County. Since the beginning of the recent California drought, SRF has provided technical education for rural landowners, realtors, planners, engineers, and residents in order to teach best management practices for water conservation planning and implementation.

With the support of the California Department of Fish and Game, North Coast Regional Water Quality Control Board, and multiple restoration partners, SRF has offered a series of water conservation workshops and water rights clinics through California’s extended drought years. “We are excited to host this upcoming water conservation workshop with water conservation leaders to empower and inspire residents in Northern California to better plan for resilience,” stated Dana Stolzman, SRF Executive Director. “We envision that this workshop will serve a broad audience of planners, residents, landowners, and fisheries professionals who are collaborating on water conservation efforts to improve instream flows and protect our precious salmon.”

SRF has been doing community outreach and building capacity for water conservation strategies that would improve flows and serve as pilot projects for other rural communities. SRF is also providing technical assistance for landowners who are navigating pathways to environmental compliance on a county and state level. We have developed an online webinar to walk citizens through the Initial Filing for Water Rights and Small Domestic Use applications.

http://www.calsalmon.org/programs/water-rights-education/resources

Additionally, in collaboration with Trout Unlimited, SRF has developed an online resource for small landowners in Coastal California called “Guidance on Complying with California’s Water Laws”. This new series of web pages provides an overview of state regulatory requirements overseen by the State Water Resources Control Board and the California Department of Fish and Wildlife, as well as information on regional and Humboldt County-specific ordinances. “As water becomes more scarce in California, ensuring compliance with state water laws offers many important benefits for local rural communities and native salmon populations.

http://www.calsalmon.org/programs/guidance-complying-californias-water-laws