The Hart Ranch is a cattle ranch that has water rights from the Little Shasta River (LSR) and to Evans Spring. The Harts have entered into an agreement with State and Federal agencies to permanently dedicate approximately 0.5 cfs to in-stream uses under California Water Code Section 1707. This water will enhance LSR flows in the LSR with specific benefit to the outmigration of juvenile coho salmon. To facilitate this dedication while also maintaining agricultural viability, California Trout secured funding for on-farm water efficiency and water management improvements.
The Water Supply Consolidation and Distribution System Improvement Project was developed in close collaboration with the Harts and included the installation of 7,500 linear feet of 12”, 18” and 21” diameter PVC pipeline to replace earthen ditches and improve irrigation distribution and delivery efficiency on the Ranch. The design included a reinforced concrete inlet structure for surface water (Evans Spring) inflow and several strategically placed open-topped standpipes for pressure regulation and connection of three on-ranch groundwater wells. Design services required hydraulic modeling to evaluate and estimate the capacity and capability of the system to meet various supply scenarios with different outflow location scenarios. Construction was completed in December 2017 and performance monitoring and testing was performed during the 2018 irrigation season.
The project serves as a critical ‘backbone’ conveyance feature that has improved irrigation flexibility and water use efficiency. Additional planning and design phases are currently underway to extend the system for additional benefit.
The Water Supply Consolidation and Distribution System Improvement Project was developed in close collaboration with the Harts and included the installation of 7,500 linear feet of 12”, 18” and 21” diameter PVC pipeline to replace earthen ditches and improve irrigation distribution and delivery efficiency on the Ranch. The design included a reinforced concrete inlet structure for surface water (Evans Spring) inflow and several strategically placed open-topped standpipes for pressure regulation and connection of three on-ranch groundwater wells. Design services required hydraulic modeling to evaluate and estimate the capacity and capability of the system to meet various supply scenarios with different outflow location scenarios. Construction was completed in December 2017 and performance monitoring and testing was performed during the 2018 irrigation season.
The project serves as a critical ‘backbone’ conveyance feature that has improved irrigation flexibility and water use efficiency. Additional planning and design phases are currently underway to extend the system for additional benefit.
