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Watershed
FAQ’s – Frequently Asked Questions What is the Millerton Area Watershed Coalition? The
Coalition is a collaborative organization consisting of private land owners and
public agencies with management responsibilities within the San Joaquin
watershed area between Friant and Kerckhoff dams. Why was it formed? The
Coalition was formed to improve communications and to collaborate among each
other regarding issues and opportunities that may be within the watershed area. When was it formed? The
Coalition was formed in 1998 Who are the current participants? Current
participants include the Sierra Foothill Conservancy, Topping Ranch, California
Department of Parks and Recreation, California Department of Fish and Game,
US Bureau of Land Management, US Bureau of Reclamation and the US Forest
Service. More recently, the State
Water Resources Control Board and Department of Water Resources have become
participants. What have they done so far? Land
assessments and studies of land management practices such as cattle grazing, and
the enhancement of recreational opportunities have been the primary focus of the
coalition. Why am I being notified? Recently
the Coalition received funds from the CALFED Bay-Delta Watershed Program
specifically to build the organization to include local property owners and the
public’s participation regarding future studies or activities within the
watershed area. What is CALFED? The
CALFED Bay-Delta Program is a State and Federal organization that is focused on
improving California’s water quality and quantity.
The Watershed Program is part of the effort to protect and enhance
watershed areas which are a major source of water for various uses. What funds have been provided? To-date,
funding has come from the CALFED Watershed Program for expanding the Coalition
to include critical public participation – and the US Bureau of Reclamation
funding for watershed assessment activities. Is this just going to create another set of regulations? No.
This is a participative and educational organization that involves the
public. The group will not be
involved in any regulatory enforcement activities. Why should I participate? Your
participation is a way in which to assure that the coalition receives as much
community input as possible. The
level of participation can assure that the community is heard – and that their
concerns and recommendations are taken into consideration regarding any future
plans affecting the watershed. Who else has been notified? All
known Individual property owners, homeowner associations, business associations,
Native American entities, local government representatives, school districts,
recreational organizations and environmental organizations have been notified.
Additionally, public notification has occurred in local newspapers such
as the Fresno Bee, Madera Tribune, Sierra Star and Mountain Press. Why expand the Coalition? Watersheds
are complex in nature. By expanding
the coalition, additional information about the watershed can be obtained
through individual experiences. An
open and public process can assure that all segments of a community are given
fair and ample opportunity to provide input. How will it be organized? The
Coalition’s first major task is to form a Steering Committee that is
representative of the varied interests within the watershed area.
They will have to select a Chair who will then preside over the
coalition. There will be
sub-committees formed as determined necessary. Who is expected to participate? Participation
is expected from interested residents, property owners, and business owners
within the watershed area – along with local government representatives,
resource management agencies, recreational interests and environmental
organizations. What kind of meetings will there be? Monthly
Steering Committee meetings, Sub-committee meetings and quarterly general
meetings will occur for over a year. All
meetings will be open to the public. Will there be workshops? Yes,
there will be educational workshops each year.
These will focus on the technical and scientific aspects of a watershed
– and, land management techniques of practical use for landowners. How long will the Coalition exist? The
organization is funded for over a year. However,
it is expected that the coalition could exist longer as additional funding
becomes available. What will be the activities of the group? Major
activities include: Community Outreach and Education, Comprehensive Watershed
Assessment, Planning for watershed projects, and Collaboration with other
similar organizations. What will be the benefits of the Coalition? The
Coalition will be a good opportunity for various groups and individual property
owners to participate in a process that will involve anyone who has an interest
in the future of the Millerton Area Watershed.
Each will have the opportunity to contribute to the process and provide
input as it relates to possible activities and projects directed towards the
watershed’s protection, enhancement and usage. Is this a duplication of other groups? At
first glance, it may appear to be duplicating the effort of other groups.
However, this is the only organization fully focused on the Millerton
area watershed. It is also the only
group that includes the participation of local property owners and others who
have a strong interest in the future of the watershed area. Are there other organizations similar to this one? Yes,
the Upper Merced River Watershed Council and the Central Sierra Watershed
Committee are two neighboring organizations. What is a watershed assessment? A
watershed assessment looks at the hydrology, biology, geology and other
scientific aspects of the dynamics of a watershed’s ecosystem.
Just as important, other aspects addressing socio-economic activities
within the watershed will be studied. Who will conduct the assessment? Initially,
the Coalition participants will be responsible for gathering relevant
information regarding the various aspects of the watershed.
However, the group may receive funding to conduct a much more
comprehensive and thorough study. Haven’t assessments been performed before? Yes,
studies have been performed in the past – and are currently underway.
However, these have been predominately isolated to individual properties
– and not area-wide throughout the complete watershed. How many properties and owners are within the watershed? There
are approximately 4,040 parcels of which 2,052 parcels are in Madera County,
with 1,978 parcels in Fresno County, and with about 2,500 owners. What are the sizes of these properties? The
properties range from very insignificant to over 737 acres in Madera County to
over 1530 acres in Fresno County. The
average acreage based on the number of parcels is 56 acres in Madera County and
24 acres in Fresno County. What is the total area of the watershed? The
total watershed study area is approximately 163,000 acres or 253 square miles
– 115,000 acres (179 square miles) in Madera County and 48,000 acres (74
square miles) in Fresno County. How many miles of watershed streams are there? There
are approximately 300 miles of streams within the watershed – including
man-made diversions. How much water flows through the watershed? It
is estimated that each year, 1.8 million acre feet of water flows through the
watershed of which a maximum of 525,000 acre ft of water may be stored at
Millerton Lake. However, nearly 98%
of that water is allocated and diverted through the Friant-Kern and Madera
canals at Friant Dam. |
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