Section 3: Past Inventory, Monitoring, and Research Activities in the Klamath Network Park Units

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Whiskeytown National Recreation Area (WHIS)

Figure 9: Aquatic Resources and Watershed Boundaries of Whiskeytown National Recreation Area, California, NPS Klamath Network

General Summary of Past Activities: Aquatic resource inventory, monitoring and research activities at Whiskeytown National Recreation Area have focused on the water quality of Whiskeytown Lake and its inlet and outlet streams. Water quality sampling has emphasized documentation of potential resource perturbation due to: (1) human recreation activities and waste disposal; (2) point source pollution due to past mining activities and practices; (3) point source pollution due to clandestine-illegal marijuana cultivation; and (4) impacts due to logging and road building. Additional projects have been initiated or completed to: (1) assess the baseline water quality, biology and habitat conditions of the major Whiskeytown watersheds; (2) demonstrate the potential for watershed restoration; (3) determine the status of amphibians and turtles; and (4) survey the status of and potentially restore anadromous salmonids in Clear Creek.

Whiskeytown National Recreation Area (Figure 9) was authorized by Congress on November 8, 1965 (“…to provide…for the public outdoor recreation use and enjoyment of Whiskeytown reservoir and surrounding lands…”) and established on October 21, 1972. Whiskeytown is the only unit of the Whiskeytown-Shasta-Trinity National Recreation Area administered by the National Park Service; the Shasta and Trinity units are administered by the US Forest Service. The Whiskeytown unit (17,198 ha; 42,497 ac) is located at the northern end of the Sacramento Valley, eight miles west of Redding, California, and Whiskeytown Lake is surrounded by shrubland, oak woodland, and montane forests.

Whiskeytown Lake was created by the Bureau of Reclamation in 1962, when the Clair A. Hill Whiskeytown Dam, blocking Clear Creek, was completed. The reservoir at full capacity contains 29,604 ha-m (240,000 ac-ft) of water and serves as the domestic water supply for the California cities of Redding, Old Shasta, Centerville, Keswick, and Happy Valley. It is also one of several reservoirs that store water for the Central Valley Project
Seven major streams empty directly into the reservoir: Clear, Mill, Brandy, Crystal, Boulder, Willow and Whiskey Creeks. Intermittent streams abound throughout the park unit, and many springs are found at higher elevations.

Whiskeytown has approximately 850,000 visitors annually, with the majority of visitation concentrated in and around the reservoir. Sailing, skiing, fishing, swimming, and kayaking are popular recreational activities. There are two permanent marinas, one additional boat launch site, three designated campgrounds, two developed day use beaches, and numerous smaller beaches along the reservoir. The reservoir is stocked annually with both native and non-native fishes by the California Department of Fish and Game.

Horizon Report

Surface water quality data for Whiskeytown were collected by eight agencies (i.e., California Department of Fish and Game, California Department of Health Services, California Department of Water Resources, California Water Resources Control Board, National Park Service [WHIS and Water Resources Division], UC Davis, USDI Bureau of Reclamation, and US Geological Survey), between 1962-1998 (NPS-WRD, 2000). Numerous sites throughout the reservoir (Whiskeytown Lake), as well as 12 streams, 4 springs, and 2 mines (NPS-WRD 2000, pages 45-47) were sampled during this time period. A total of 128 stations were sampled and all but 17 stations were either sampled once or intensively for a single-year (NPS-WRD 2000). The 17 relatively long-term stations were located at numerous sites around the reservoir, or on Clear and Willow Creeks. Many of the 203 parameters assessed between 1962-1998 (NPS-WRD 2000, pages 48-51) were potential indicators of water quality problems associated with (1) human recreational activities and waste disposal, and (2) point source pollution due to past mining activities and clandestine-illegal marijuana cultivation. These water quality parameters continue to be monitored (1999-present). A Horizon Report for WHIS is available at: (http://nrdata.nps.gov/WHIS/nrdata/water/baseline_wq/docs/WHISWQAA.pdf).

Additional Activities

Water quality related activities at Whiskeytown also include four recent projects not covered by the NPS-WRD (2000) Report. In 1996, Whiskeytown began a cooperative watershed restoration partnership with Shasta College and Salix Applied Earthcare, a natural resource consulting firm, both located in Redding, California. The cooperative project was titled “Watershed Restoration and Logging Road Removal Project in the Paige Bar Demonstration Watershed” and was designed, in part, to demonstrate the capacity for restoring watershed water quality and fish habitat. The project received the National Park Foundation Environmental Conservation Award in 1999. USGS Project CA598 was designed to identify and characterize contaminant “hot spots” in Whiskeytown due to past mining activities, and to examine the potential adverse effects of mercury and other heavy metals on aquatic biota. This project, begun in April, 2002, examined 15 sites throughout Whiskeytown and concluded in September, 2004 (Hothem et al. 2002-2004). In February, 2004, USGS Project 9VL22 was initiated to assess the aquatic biology, habitat, and water quality conditions of the major Whiskeytown watersheds (May and Brown 2004-2006). This project will conclude in September, 2006. In 2002, USGS personnel surveyed and inventoried the presence of amphibians and turtles in 12 Whiskeytown streams and one pond. Amphibians and turtles were again surveyed and inventoried in 2004, in nine Whiskeytown streams and one pond, and in five arms of the reservoir. Fisheries activities in Clear Creek at Whiskeytown have been associated with a larger effort concerning the restoration of anadromous fish in the Sacramento River drainage area (NMFS 1997, USFWS 2001, CDFG 2002).

Resource Management Water Quality Concerns

1) ArcGIS feature datasets of aquatic resources within the park unit boundary have yet to be completed

2) Disturbance and contamination of stream habitats due to clandestine-illegal marijuana cultivation

3) Introduction of nonnative fish and wildlife (particularly bullfrogs) species

4) Spread of exotic plant species within Whiskeytown Lake

See Attachment I for WHIS water quality and fisheries inventory, monitoring and research study references.