Mountain/Foothill: decreased river flows, need study to look at well logs, changes in production,
quantity, well depth to understand areas and trends, study effect of new well on existing wells, and study recharge rates
of wells, need stream gauges on lower watershed streams, Don Pedro engineer has identified two deep intake projects needed
to provide water during low years (if drought continues Don Pedro in danger of having no water), no mandated groundwater management 11. Recycled Municipal Water (waste water recycling & reclaimed water)
Mountain/Foothill: no comments yet
13. Surface Storage – Regional/Local
(dam and off stream reservoir storage)
Mountain/Foothill: holding capacity, Saxon Creek
Improve Water Quality: 14. Drinking Water Treatment and Distribution (regulations for water and community systems)
Mountain/Foothill: Mariposa wastewater treatment
facility needs modifications to meet current discharge requirements (a. nitrate removal, b. metals removal, c. tertiary treatment/filters
requirement and d. alternative disinfection to chlorine), Coulterville has aging system and needs additional supply, Don Pedro
has aging system, water distribution and wastewater collection in Mariposa Planning Area (TPA) and all TPAs in Mariposa County,
Don Pedro is close to capacity of existing water system, if demand increases they need a treatment facility plant ($1 –
1.5M)
15. Groundwater Remediation/Aquifer Remediation (quality
of groundwater due to natural conditions & human activities – active or passive – for potable, irrigation,
& industrial use)
Mountain/Foothill: septic management & financial burden, natural contamination, nitrate pollution, cattle, septic,
mining contamination, natural erosion, health department’s role on new wells at sale of property
16. Matching Water Quality to Use (broaden water sources: consumptive vs. non-consumptive)
Mountain/Foothill: no comments yet
17. Pollution Prevention (land use management for sediments and pollution such as agriculture,
forestry, grazing, urban runoff, development, marinas, recreation, fire suppressants)
Mountain/Foothill: non-point source, sediment
reduction, effect of TMDL on our watershed region, Mariposa TPA water treatment (current problem with organics removal and
turbidity), storm water runoff carrying sediment & pollution to rivers, mercury and other chemicals from mining operations,
nitrates, petroleum products, address runoff resulting from inadequate grading and drainage guidelines, codes, and standards,
erosion and drainage resulting from no onsite impoundment requirements, grading during wet season, no standards for correlating
grading and drainage to soil types and slopes, no BMPs (best management practices), fire retardants, storm water treatment
and management in developed areas: Dettinger’s research (USGS)
19. Urban
Runoff Management (decrease pollution, increase nature resource benefits, decrease erosion & sedimentation, maintain pre-development
hydrological systems, protect groundwater, manage flooding, control pollution into riparian resources, view runoff as a resource)
Mountain/Foothill: development related erosion,
Many meadows on private lands in mid elevations are degraded and are not protected from future development.
Practice Resources Stewardship: 20. Agricultural Lands Stewardship (farms & ranches producing
public environmental benefits in conjunction with food & fiber, open spaces, rural characteristics)
Mountain/Foothill: poor management of farm/ranch
property, stock animals & runoff
21. Economic Incentives: Loans, Grants, and Water
Pricing (incentives/disincentatives to increase desirable water use, pricing to increase efficiency without metering water)
Mountain/Foothill: no comments yet
22. Ecosystem Restoration (improves condition of landscapes and biological communities)
Mountain/Foothill: invasive species, invasive
species in the river canyon, To what degree have illegal marijuana farms in the watersheds impacted riparian areas and water
quality? Can these areas be restored and defended?, Alpine and sub-alpine meadows are in need of restoration, and the Mountain
Yellow-legged Frog may become extinct in Yosemite in the next 5 to 10 years if steps are not taken immediately to restore
populations., Wildlife connectivity has not been evaluated., Consider the ecological impacts of the McClure re-licensing and
the need for restoration., Invasive, non-native species should be carefully assessed, documented, treated, monitored, and
maintained. The need to control invasives within the Telegraph fire area is pressing.
23. Forest Management (water, timber, fish, wildlife to improve water availability and quality)
Mountain/Foothill: forest management
24. Land Use Planning and Management (efficient and effective land use patterns considering: housing,
economic development, sustainability, transportation, air quality, agriculture, and climate change)
Mountain/Foothill: planning issues, land management,
global warming, change in weather patterns, ground water studies and applying them to land use regulation, integrate goals
with county planning and institutionalize goals with county plan and ordinances, identify and describe Army Corps projects
in the region – what is their jurisdiction in those project watersheds?, review/identify watershed sanitary surveys
prepared by domestic water suppliers (surveys required by California Department of Public Health), maintenance standards for
unpaved private roads in the county, population expansion, development near water bodies, integration of planning and water
availability, identify what is sustainable by watershed and limit to what is sustainable, The land use patters within the
County have resulted in a highly fragmented pattern of exurban development that is ecologically damaging (domestic predators;
wildlife movement; invasives; fragmentation of flora and fauna populations; fire exclusion; etc). The need to engage County
residents about these impacts and how to avoid and reduce them is significant., The development of such a large road network,
as a consequence of the exurban development pattern, in the County has created a large number of public road miles (and to
a lesser degree private) that must be maintained, which includes a large number of road crossing structures. Many of the County's
road crossing structures including bridges, culverts, Arizona crossings, etc. are undersized and badly in need of repair.
These defunct crossing structures impact hydrologic function; cause erosion; flooding; provide inadequate crossing needs for
fish and wildlife; and degrade aquatic and riparian habitat.
25. Recharge Area Protection
(primary means of replenishing groundwater: 1) ensure recharge continues and 2) prevent pollutants from entering groundwater)
Mountain/Foothill: many Don Pedro projects related
to water quality have been held up due to lack of funding, for example, completion of project to cover basin, mercury and
other chemicals from mining operations, nitrates, petroleum products
26. Water-Dependent Recreation (also includes activities enjoyed near water)
Mountain/Foothill:
Expansion of Mariposa Creek Parkway
27.
Watershed Management (increases and sustains a watersheds ability to provide for the diverse needs of a community)
Mountain/Foothill: improve watershed management, Floodplains along many of the intermittent and
perennial streams in Mariposa have been altered and could be restored. Many of the streams could be restored in concert with
repairing crossing structures (and restoring the habitat adjacent to these structures) to improve flood attenuation as climate
change alters the flooding regime and flows., Research regarding the ecological status of watersheds in the Mariposa area
is fairly well represented in the upper portion of the Tuolumne and Merced watersheds because of Yosemite. Outside of the
Park, studies regarding ecological condition have occurred, but they have been smaller in spatial scale and piecemeal. None
of the research efforts has been watershed wide. The need for understanding general ecological condition within the watershed
would be beneficial in attempting to identify and prioritize ecological restoration needs.
Improve Flood Management: 28. Flood Risk Management (enhance protection regarding preparation,
response, and recovery while recognizing ecosystem benefits from periodic funding)
Mountain/Foothill: increased flooding due to climate change, increased
frequency of flooding, relationship of snow line to soils (thinner soils at higher elevations that are more suited for snow
pack not rain), now that the snow elevation is rising more rain is falling on thin soils causing flash floods, predicted increases
in flooding
Resource Management Strategies not currently included in the state’s current public review
draft:
Fire/Flood/Mud Management
Mountain/Foothill: fuel load reduction, fire related
erosion, Coulterville and Greeley Hill needs additional supply for fire suppression, Telegraph and Oliver Fire restoration,
heavy unnatural fuel load, climate change increases fire frequency, temperate, severity, and size, moonscape = erosion, large
fire lines, Westerling’s research (UC Merced), Fire suppression: install cisterns as proposed by former CalFire rep
in 12 locations throughout County to fight fires?, Fire exclusion and development have created a large fuel load within all
watersheds in Mariposa County outside of Yosemite. Fuel management practices should include control burning to restore ecological
function within these watersheds including nutrient cycling; erosion reduction; and natural disturbance cycles., The Telegraph
fire resulted in large areas of scorched soil, and the BLM most likely does not have the resources to significantly improve
the ecological functions of these areas and adequately reduce erosion.
Public Outreach/Involvement/Education
Mountain/Foothill: public education, youth, public
awareness regarding watershed health and proper use of on site & public water and sewer disposal
Cultural Resources
Mountain/Foothill: confidential information, protection of native plants, fisheries, and archeological sites, using
trained monitors, burial grounds, cultural sites in floodplains, runoff from improperly drained dirt and gravel roads damage
cultural resources, gathering areas for baskets, medicine, food, & staples, Job creation: train locals and tribal members
similar to the CHIPS program in Calaveras County (ask Brandon) to conduct environmental (including cultural resources) assessments
for future fuel treatment and restoration activities; implement these actions; monitor; and maintain. In line with this thought,
Miwok tribal members expressed the need to protect their important cultural resource sites. They felt education and proper
restoration work could help alleviate degradation of these important sites.
Resource Management Strategies not relating as much to our rural mountain foothill area:2. Agricultural Water Use Efficiency
(reusing recoverable flows, net water savings by reducing agricultural use to increase water for other purposes while maintaining
or improving crop yield)4.
Conveyance – Delta9.
Desalination10. Precipitation
Enhancement (cloud seeding & fog)12. Surface Storage – CALFED (five specific surface sites – none are in the Mariposa region)18. Salt and Salinity Management (salt,
lime, gypsum, and other slowly dissolving soil minerals)29. Other Strategies (crop idling, dewvaporization, fog collection, irrigated land retirement,
rainfed agriculture, waterbag transport/storage technology)