Shasta River Tailwater Reduction Plan

The Shasta River watershed, is located 22 miles south of the California/Oregon border. Shasta River is located in the Klamath River Basin and is considered an important tributary to the Klamath River. The extent of this project within the Shasta River Watershed, includes the irrigated acreage along the mainstem of the Shasta River from the mouth to Dwinnell Reservoir, as well as irrigated acreage along Parks Creek, Big Springs Creek, Little Shasta River, Oregon Slough, and Willow Creek. Tailwater and Tailwater Neighborhoods Tailwater can be defined as run-off from agricultural irrigation practices, usually related
to flood irrigation. If tailwater returns to the river, it can contribute to poor river water quality, potentially increasing temperatures and nutrient loading. Tailwater can also run onto a neighboring property, from where it may eventually return to the river. In terms of management, a discrete area contributing to a single tailwater stream has been given the name “Tailwater Neighborhood”, which can be defined as a geographic area, mini-basin or watershed that produces tailwater; where several landowners contribute to a single tailwater return to the river. Approaching tailwater reduction efforts from a “neighborhood” perspective shares the responsibility of reducing tailwater impacts and can assist in developing the most efficient reduction effort of significant tailwater returns. The following figure is the general concept of a tailwater neighborhood, the colors illustrate the mini-basin (“tailwater neighborhood”), which contributes tailwater to a single return point and the white lines represent property boundaries.