Summer Edition 2018 Quartz Valley
Indian Reservation
Environmental Department
OUR STAFF
We currently employ 4 full-time positions at the QVIR Environmental Department. Here is an
introduction to our staff:
Director, Crystal Robinson
Program Manager, Marla Bennett Field
Technicians, Alex Case and Isaiah Williams
Summer Staff:
Sean Ryan, Intern Supervisor/Forestry Specialist
Kohl Williams, Kasydi Bennett, and Lincoln McCloud —High School Interns
SUMMER INTERNSHIP
Our summer interns were employed with us for 6 weeks during the summer months. The three
high school -aged students worked doing various tasks both in and out of the office. Some of the
tasks included tree identification & measurements, hiking mountain trails to collect water sam-
ples for analysis, solid waste clean-up, noxious weed removal, and swim site sample collection.
In the office the interns worked on the computer doing forestry related activities, processed
water samples in the lab, and helped to organize our unorganized garage.
INSIDE THIS ISSUE
Water Quality ....................................2
Education & Outreach ......................2
Grants ................................................3
Conferences & Meetings...................3
Solid Waste & Recycling...................4
UPCOMING DATES TO OBSERVE:
• September 3—Labor Day
• September 15—National Clean
up Day
• September 22—National Hunt-
ing & Fishing Day
• September 28—Native Ameri-
can Day
• October 31—Halloween
• November 4—Daylight Saving
Time
• November12—Veteran’s Day
During theses summer months we have conducted activities with the kids both in and out of school.
During the Spring we did the trout in the classroom project with the 4th grade students from both
Etna and Fort Jones Elementary School, the 7th grade science class at Scott Valley Junior High, and
the Freshman Ag class at Etna High School. This project included six classroom lessons, fish dissec-
tions, water quality testing, and the rotary screw trap fieldtrip on the Shasta River. Before school let
out for Summer we hosted a booth on macro invertebrates (aquatic “bugs”) at the Jackson Street,
Hornbrook, and Etna Elementary School Science Days. Since school has been released for summer
vacation we hosted a booth on TICKS at the annual QVIR Bike Rodeo (the tick races were a success)
and hosted our annual QVIR Community Water Festival. Our summer interns conducted trash
removal as part of our adopt a highway clean up and the YESS program interns (who spent 1 week
working at QVIR) conducted clean-up of our local swim sites.
WATER QUALITY
EDUCATION & OUTREACH
Our field technicians continue to collect
water samples from our local streams and
river to test for total coliform and E.coli
bacteria. The sampling events occur once
each month and will continue throughout
the year. We continue to track stream
temperatures and ground water levels.
Testing of QVIR residential drinking wells
is occurring monthly also. We are glad to
report that we haven’t seen any recent
positive results for Total Coliform or E.coli
in Quartz Valley.
New Monitoring
Our department received funding from
BIA to install 2 flow measurement sta-
tions. One will be installed on Shackleford
Creek and the other on Mill Creek. These
stations will be on a real-time data trans-
mitter. This means if anyone is ever curi-
ous about the flow measurement on either
creek they could access the information
online. With this funding we also drilled
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GRANTS
Our Department is currently operating on funding from 5 agencies:
EPA PPG (GAP, CWA106, CWA 319)
EPA PPG Consortium
Bureau of Indian Affairs
US Fish & Wildlife Service
Board of Reclamation
We recently received some new funding from BIA to compile all of our data (12 years
worth) into a water model for QVIR.
Other Updates
We are awaiting word from US EPA regarding our Treatment as a State application
which was recently submitted. If this application is approved, QVIR would be able
to regulate water quality in the same manner as the State of California.
The QVIR Solid Waste Management Plan has been updated and a Solid Waste Ordi-
nance and citation have been developed to enforce the issue of illegal dumping on
QVIR lands.
Development of an instruction manual for sediment sampling is being developed by
our department. This will allow QVIR to sample for sediment discharge in the trib-
utaries of the Scott River.
Spread the Word!
QVIR has a state certified Microbiology Lab. We are
certified to test drinking water for E. coli and Total
Coliform. The cost is only $35.00 per sample! If you
would like more information please contact our depart-
ment at (530) 468-5907.
Our Department is currently accepting used
motor oil at our certified oil recycling station,
batteries, cardboard, aluminum, glass, and
plastic. We have our recycling trailer available if
you are interested in using it for a party or event.
You may bring your unwanted electronics or
appliances to the QVIR Environmental Office
and store them in our NEW recycling shed.
In addition to the many recycling opportunities
that we offer to our residents, the Fort Jones
Lumber Yard accepts unwanted paint.
Recycling
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CONFERENCES & MEETINGS
Common symptoms from wildfire smoke include burning eyes, coughing, scratchy throat, irritated sinuses, headache and shortness of breath. The good news is the symptoms are often temporary and there are things that can be done to minimize the effects.
• Drink plenty of water to stay hydrated.
• While driving use the air conditioner and the recirculate function rather than drawing in
air from the outside.
• Stay indoors and close all doors and windows.
• Use an air conditioner if you have one and also check the filter.
Here is al list of some recent meetings and
conferences that our staff has attended:
Annual Tribal EPA Conference
Quarterly Regional Tribal Operations
Committee (RTOC)
Cal EPA meetings
Tribal Lands & Environment Forum
Eco Trust Forestry Management
Bureau of Reclamation
N. Cal Water Quality Control Board
Natural Resource Conservation Ser-
vice (NRCS)
National Oceanic & Atmospheric
Administration ( NOAA)
Local Meetings include: SisQ Groundwa-
ter Users, Klamath Basin Monitoring Pro-
gram (KBMP), Klamath River Renewal
Corp (KRRC), US Fish & Wildlife Service,
Scott River Watershed Council, Siskiyou
County Board of Supervisors, and the
Scott Watershed Informational Forum
SWIF)
CONTACT US
EFFECTS OF WILDFIRE SMOKE
Phone: (530) 468-5907
Director: ext. 318
Program/Outreach Manager: Ext. 317
Field Technicians: Ext. 319
Fax: (530) 468-2108
Email: [email protected]
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