SISKIYOU COUNTY — Flows in the Scott River are dropping fast, and state regulators are warning water users that without immediate conservation and coordination, mandatory curtailments are coming — along with fines that just got a lot steeper.
The California State Water Resources Control Board issued a notice Monday to Scott River watershed water users stating that flows have been declining since April 13 and are now approaching the minimum instream flow requirement of 150 cubic feet per second (cfs) for May. As of 3:30 p.m. Monday, the Fort Jones U.S. Geological Survey gage recorded flows at 211 cfs — down roughly 15 cfs per day in recent days.
With no significant precipitation in the forecast, warmer-than-average temperatures expected, and virtually no snowpack left in the watershed, the State Water Board anticipates flows will continue their downward slide and could fall below the 150 cfs threshold absent voluntary cutbacks.
