Embed Size (px)
Citation preview
Butte CreekSources to Chico
T. E. ChapmanCE 296B
Assignment #4
CE 296B, May 12, 1998CE 296B, May 12, 1998
Butte Creek - Sources to ChicoButte Creek - Sources to Chico
Upper Butte Creek Watershed Watershed Overview Waterbodies & Water Use Land Use Beneficial Uses Nonpoint Source Pollution Sources Management of Nonpoint Source Pollution
CE 296B, May 12, 1998CE 296B, May 12, 1998
Butte Creek - Sources to ChicoButte Creek - Sources to Chico
Watershed Overview Upper Butte Creek
Western slope of Sierra Nevada range
~ 130,600 acres Butte, Tehema, Plumas counties
Mountainous, sparsely developed region
Rugged terrain– 47% less than 7% slope – 30% between 7-15% slope– 23% over 15% slope
CE 296B, May 12, 1998CE 296B, May 12, 1998
Butte Creek - Sources to ChicoButte Creek - Sources to Chico
Watershed Overview (cont.) Population
~ 35,000 “Main” Cities
– Paradise, Magalia, Centerville, Butte Meadows
Average precipitation 59.62 in/yr
Sources of water drainage from western slope
of Sierra Nevada
CE 296B, May 12, 1998CE 296B, May 12, 1998
Butte Creek - Sources to ChicoButte Creek - Sources to Chico
Waterbodies & Water Use Primary Streams
Butte Creek, Middle Butte Creek, Little Butte Creek
296 linear miles of streams avg. 275,200 acre-ft/yr surface water flow ~ 127,000 acre-ft/yr surface water withdrawl for
agricultural use
Man-made waterbodies Hydroelectric
1 dam & 2 canals
CE 296B, May 12, 1998CE 296B, May 12, 1998
Butte Creek - Sources to ChicoButte Creek - Sources to Chico
Waterbodies & Water Use (cont.) Man-made waterbodies (cont.)
Irrigation 57 dams
Major Reservoirs Paradise (irrigation) - 11,500 acre-ft Magalia (irrigation) - 2,900 acre-ft
Butte Creek flow from watershed 406 cfs average daily mean flow 911 cfs daily mean wet weather flow 81 cfs daily mean dry weather flow
CE 296B, May 12, 1998CE 296B, May 12, 1998
Butte Creek - Sources to ChicoButte Creek - Sources to Chico
Average Daily Mean Flow by Year
100.0
200.0
300.0
400.0
500.0
600.0
700.0
800.0
900.0
1000.0
1930 1940 1950 1960 1970 1980 1990
cfs
CE 296B, May 12, 1998CE 296B, May 12, 1998
Butte Creek - Sources to ChicoButte Creek - Sources to Chico
Land Use 7,600 acres residential
urban, suburban, sprawling rural residential
10,500 acres agricultural grazing and animal husbandry
111,900 acres undeveloped forest former mining areas undeveloped lands
CE 296B, May 12, 1998CE 296B, May 12, 1998
Butte Creek - Sources to ChicoButte Creek - Sources to Chico
Land Use (cont.) Mining
13 inactive mines mine tailings common feature of
streams
Habitat 476 riparian species
6 special status species 35 potential fish species
11 native species throughout watershed
CE 296B, May 12, 1998CE 296B, May 12, 1998
Butte Creek - Sources to ChicoButte Creek - Sources to Chico
Beneficial Uses Primary
Water supply Agricultural
– Paradise Irrigation District
– Durham Mutual Irrigation District
– Ranchers Municipal
Habitat Riparian Aquatic
Secondary Recreation
Contact – Rafting, boating
Non-contact– Fishing
– Hiking Hydroelectric
power
CE 296B, May 12, 1998CE 296B, May 12, 1998
Butte Creek - Sources to ChicoButte Creek - Sources to Chico
Nonpoint Source Issues Primary nonpoint sources of pollution
Animal waste biostimulants, pathogens
Surface run-off Developed areas Historical human uses
– Mining & logging Toxic inorganics, biostimulants, sediments
Septic tanks biostimulants, pathogens
CE 296B, May 12, 1998CE 296B, May 12, 1998
Butte Creek - Sources to ChicoButte Creek - Sources to Chico
Nonpoint Source Issues (cont.) Impaired Existing Beneficial Uses
Habitat Aquatic habitat
– biostimulants, sedimentssediments Riparian habitat
– biostimulants, toxic inorganics
Recreation depleted fisheries
CE 296B, May 12, 1998CE 296B, May 12, 1998
Butte Creek - Sources to ChicoButte Creek - Sources to Chico
Primary Nonpoint Source Pollutant Problems
Little Butte Creek Pollutants
Biostimulants– “Suburban” run-off– Animal waste– Septic systems
Sediments– Upstream erosion– Development– Dam operations
Other Streams Pollutants
Biostimulants– Animal Waste
– Septic systems Sediments
– Upstream erosion
– Development
– Dam & power operations
CE 296B, May 12, 1998CE 296B, May 12, 1998
Butte Creek - Sources to ChicoButte Creek - Sources to Chico
Management of Nonpoint Source Pollution
Reducing Sedimentation Maintain healthy groundcover on steep slopes
restrict further logging “buy back” lands along creek for preservation
Implement BMPs for suburban and sprawling residential areas
small detention basins construction & livestock erosion control limit further creek side development
CE 296B, May 12, 1998CE 296B, May 12, 1998
Butte Creek - Sources to ChicoButte Creek - Sources to Chico
Management of Nonpoint Source Pollution (cont.)
Reducing Sedimentation (cont.) Remove dams and diversions in “key” spawning
areas probably not socioeconomically feasible
Require minimum flows along creeks also needed for restoring fisheries
CE 296B, May 12, 1998CE 296B, May 12, 1998
Butte Creek - Sources to ChicoButte Creek - Sources to Chico
Management of Nonpoint Source Pollution (cont.)
Reducing biostimulants implement BMPs for suburban and sprawling
residential areas improved septic systems or switch to sanitary sewers
– probably not socioeconomically feasible other BMPs
– green waste
– stormwater collection (towns)
BMPs for animal waste– difficult due to large number of small holding areas
