Salmonid Restoration Federation

Trinity County Water Rights Workshop to be hosted in Weaverville, January 28

Salmonid Restoration Federation (SRF), Five Counties Salmonid Conservation Program, and Trout Unlimited will be hosting a water rights workshop for rural residential landowners at the Weaverville Library Meeting Room on Thursday, January 28 from 5:30 to 7:30pm.

The registration fee is $20 and advanced registration is recommended. You can also register at the door. No one will be turned away for lack of funds.

The workshop will highlight California water law, including riparian and appropriative rights and related water laws. Landowners, realtors, planners, and Trinity County residents who want to learn about water rights and options for improving water security are encouraged to attend. There will be a clinic component to help landowners fill out Small Domestic Use or other water use permitting paperwork.

SRF is a statewide non-profit organization that promotes restoration and recovery of wild salmon populations through education, outreach, and advocacy. In recent years, we have focused on building capacity for water conservation pilot projects in rural areas where communities lack municipal resources to have coordinated water planning efforts. Our goal is to offer water conservation and water rights education so that citizens can be empowered to make informed choices that help them to legally and responsibly steward their land.

This workshop is designed to assist residents to plan for winter water storage to get through the dry summer months when cold water refugia is most important for threatened salmon populations.

“Despite the El Nino conditions in the Pacific Northwest, California is recovering from an extended drought that has fundamentally changed the way the state thinks about and plans for water security. The counties that have the highest precipitation and high-quality water sources are often in locations where most residents are not in compliance with water law. In this era of over-allocation of precious water resources, it is more important than ever for rural landowners and communities to understand their water usage,” stated Dana Stolzman, Executive Director of Salmonid Restoration Federation.

The workshop instructor is Matt Clifford, JD who is a staff attorney with Trout Unlimited and has provided water rights assistance throughout California to landowners who are developing water conservation projects that benefit fish.