Deer Creek Water Flow Enhancement Program

Deer Creek Water Flow Enhancement Program

The pilot production well was installed in 2003 and was pumped during 2003 and 2004 seasons. Deer Creek Irrigation District is expected to use the well again during 2009. The extraction well is part of the Deer Creek Flow Enhancement Program (formally the "deer Creek Water Exchange Pilot Program") designed to test the effectiveness of increasing the fish transportation flows in Deer Creek by seasonally substituting bypassed surface water for groundwater. A secondary element of the pilot program in 2003 and 2004 was to implement and test the effectiveness of newly developed guidelines for program operations and management. The guidelines, or Groundwater Management Objectives, were designed to eliminate third party impacts by combining a rigorous program of groundwater monitoring with a clear set of groundwater level and groundwater quality criteria for groundwater pumping operations. Results from the well pumping during 2003 and 2004 showed no adverse impacts to groundwater level or to water quality. Additional goals of the proposed project include collection of basic data on groundwater level fluctuations, monitoring changes in groundwater quality, and geologic exploration. Project beneficiaries include Deer Creek Irrigation District, Tehama County, California Department of Water resources, California Department of Fish and Fame, public trust resources including Chinook salmon and steelhead. Groundwater extraction from the well during 2009 will not exceed 500 acre feet.

Tehama