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Water & Soil
The Sierra-Nevada and Cascade Mountain Ranges are
the heart of our state's watershed system. The lakes, rivers, streams
and seasonal watercourses are the veins. These watersheds supply the
majority of the state's water. Without the canopy cover and root
systems that mature trees provide, rainwater runs off the barren land
of a clearcut, instead of replenishing the groundwater.
Snow melts earlier in the season causing the soil to dry out earlier, exposing the trees and other plants to more stress from the hotter, drier conditions, and decreasing the water supply when it is needed most.
". . .the topsoil on earth is incredibly thin and yet it supports hundreds of millions of different species that live in the very top 6 inches. This thin skin that has given us life is greatly threatened. As we lose biodiversity, especially with fungi, we begin to unravel the very food networks that have given rise to us."
Snow melts earlier in the season causing the soil to dry out earlier, exposing the trees and other plants to more stress from the hotter, drier conditions, and decreasing the water supply when it is needed most.
". . .the topsoil on earth is incredibly thin and yet it supports hundreds of millions of different species that live in the very top 6 inches. This thin skin that has given us life is greatly threatened. As we lose biodiversity, especially with fungi, we begin to unravel the very food networks that have given rise to us."
Paul Stamets, "Mycelium Running"
Streams
near clear cuts are full of sedimentation due to lack of vegetation on
surrounding slopes and the many miles of logging roads.
Battle Creek is one of the largest tributaries of the Sacramento River.
The water that flows from the Sacramento and San Joaquin watersheds supply the Delta.
96% of California's population either lives in the Delta watershed or uses water from the Delta watershed.
The headwaters of the rivers that start in the mountain ranges sustain life in California.
Our Citizen's Water Monitoring Project
Our project began in December of 2009.
We sample 10-12 sites weekly throughout the year. (2 sites dry out in the summer.) We measure turbidity, pH and temperature.
Turbidity (sedimentation) is measured in NTU units. Following are some examples of what we are finding:
Above is one of our sites in an uncut area. On 3/6/11 it had a reading of 6.4 NTU.
Below is another of our sites that is next to a clearcut that was cut in 2008. On 3/6/11 it had a reading of 30.2 NTU or nearly 80% more than the uncut site.
The following picture was taken on 3/12/11 of Rock Creek, a tributary of Battle Creek. Many clearcuts were done near this creek in 2008.
Battle Creek is one of the largest tributaries of the Sacramento River.
The water that flows from the Sacramento and San Joaquin watersheds supply the Delta.
96% of California's population either lives in the Delta watershed or uses water from the Delta watershed.
The headwaters of the rivers that start in the mountain ranges sustain life in California.
Our Citizen's Water Monitoring Project
Our project began in December of 2009.
We sample 10-12 sites weekly throughout the year. (2 sites dry out in the summer.) We measure turbidity, pH and temperature.
Turbidity (sedimentation) is measured in NTU units. Following are some examples of what we are finding:
Above is one of our sites in an uncut area. On 3/6/11 it had a reading of 6.4 NTU.
Below is another of our sites that is next to a clearcut that was cut in 2008. On 3/6/11 it had a reading of 30.2 NTU or nearly 80% more than the uncut site.
The following picture was taken on 3/12/11 of Rock Creek, a tributary of Battle Creek. Many clearcuts were done near this creek in 2008.
