Eureka Plains Watershed Report

Abstract:
This report presents the results of Eureka Plains Watershed usage to determine if the
areas water consumption is sustainable or if there is a deficit. Eurekas domestic,
agricultural and industrial water usage was calculated and then subtracted from the total
water collected in the shed. The water intake of the Eureka Plains Watershed was greater
than the water expenditure committed by people living within that watershed. Eureka has
a surplus of water per year, which refuted our hypothesis.

Introduction:
This report is a comprehensive assessment of Eurekas access and management of
water. Water is quickly becoming a limited commodity in California and it is important to be
efficient in all usages and applications of water as a resource. If this resource is not managed
properly it could very easily disappear from California all together. The goal of this report is to
examine how water is being managed within Eureka, and to determine if our individual
watershed is part of the growing drought in California.
This report will be broken down into six sections. The first is an introductory section
explaining the water problem in the state of California. The next section will serve as an
introduction to the area of Eureka, including geographic make up as well as man-made
contributions. The next three sections will give detailed analysis of how Eureka receives its
water, how it uses its water, and how it could be more efficient in preserving water. Data
analysis and statistical examination are included and described throughout the document,
giving the reader an inclusive look at the procedures as well as methodology that went into the
findings of this report. The final section will include conclusions and analysis of the drought in
relation to Eureka. This section will contain how the findings of this report should be
interpreted and utilized in the growing effort to manage California water.

Water Crisis in California

California is currently experiencing the worst drought in modern history. The droughts
area of effect spans much of the western United States, but has hit California especially hard.
The conditions are so bad that the American Geophysical Union (AGU) stated in their 2014
report that the conditions currently being experienced are the worst recorded in over 1200
years. The drought is a product of cumulative severity, meaning that these conditions are
reached through a combination of current factors as well as environmental damage that has
occurred and been sustained over time. The drought is worse than it should be now because of
poor water management practices that span the last 150 years. These water practices have

caused significant damage to the environmental balance of water within the state of California.
These damages need to be accounted for and processed in order to avoid permanent loss of
water.
Californias lack of water has always been a concern and residents of the area have had
to deal with droughts throughout history. Dry seasons have continually caused issues of
sustained water for the population. These issues inhibit profitable industry as well as
comfortable domestic living within the area. This is why California has one of the largest water
infrastructure systems in the world. Californias interconnected water system serves over 30
million people residing in the state and the state manages over 40,000,000 acre-feet of water
per year. This management of water is crucial in ensuring that the industrial and domestic
water needs of California are met. The California usage and management of water is now under
heavy scrutiny due to the growing shortage of water within the state.

The Drought: How it got started

The current drought is a result of natural as well as man-made changes to the
environment that makes up California. This initial section will look at the natural side of the
issue. These natural changes are not free of human influence, but are the resultant actions
nature has taken against human exploitation of the land. These reactions do not coincide with
the envisioned layout of California, which has been consistently reworked to fit the needs of a
growing population.
The signs of this current drought slowing down are nowhere in sight. This drought has
reached such a level of severity over a widespread land base that it now has the capacity to

spread itself through the surrounding area. The lack of rain has made portions of the land
very dry. Areas that are extremely dry are not able to sustain vegetation. Vegetation is required
in helping retain water that comes down as precipitation, otherwise it is scorched and
evaporates, thus failing to replenish groundwater reserves. The drought has continued in
California in part because the parched ground is losing its vegetation and therefore cannot
retain any of the precipitation. Ground that becomes dry and lifeless is bound to stay that way
because the sparse water that enters the environment is quickly lost. The plant and animal life
that lives within these areas are evolved to survive within a water-rich environment, if that
dynamic cannot be reestablished then new forms of life will have to take over these areas, or it
will eventually lose the ability to sustain life.
Vegetation loss due to dehydration is only half of the equation. As the drought
continues the strain on water makes these areas increasingly dry which heightens the chance of
fire. These increasingly dry areas burn quickly and are prone to spread their flames to
neighboring dry patches if not monitored. Not only are these fires dangerous to the people and
the environment alike, the more area that is burned down more the cumulative water
retention rates drop. Water which is needed to put out and prevent these fires is being lost as
these fires spread, exponentially increasing the rates for neighboring areas to catch fire. More
fire leads to less vegetation which leads to less retained water which leads to more fire. The
cycle is accelerating and could consume massive percentages of California territory if not dealt
with properly.

Drought, or something much worse?

This process is leading to a subtraction of water from the California ecosystem, and is
serving as an agent of increased aridity. The water issue in California is not just continuing but it
is growing because the individual factors chain react with one another. The effects of the
drought are now self-sustaining, and do not appear to have a cyclical end that does not include
massive environmental reform. The synergy of these dilemmas is not only removing water from
Californias ecosystem but it is also accelerating the water loss rate. The changes that have
been made to California in an effort to tame the land have essentially enacted a natural cycle
which transforms moist climates into arid ones.
This cycle begins with a shift in precipitation, but ultimately could lead to massive
climate and ecological change in California. A portion of the cycle was explained earlier in this
report in relation to fires and vegetation loss. This is only a segment of the overall process that
California is experiencing. As of now California is only experiencing the first phases of the water
removal cycle, but this cycle could easily spiral out of control if not held in check. The full cycle
is much more dramatic and goes as follows
1. Less rain is falling than normal, which increases the dryness of the area.
2. The dry climate causes a loss of vegetation. Vegetation is one of the factors that
helps land retain its water.
3. The lack of vegetation means that the land does not retain precipitation. In a time of
drought this means that less water is falling, but also less water is actually remaining
within the soil on which it fell.
4. Less water retention means that the dryness of the area continues to increase.

5. The dryer the area the more prone to forest fire it becomes.
6. Forest fires consume vegetation. The land left in the wake of forest fires was dry to
begin with, but now with no anchoring of vegetation to retain water those areas are
prone to stay dry.
7. The sustained loss of vegetation begins to have adverse effects on the hydrologic
cycle. Not only is vegetation important for retention, but plants also are vital in
sustaining water within the ecosystem. Plants reinsert moisture into the atmosphere
through evapotranspiration. This constant intake of moisture increases the
precipitation rates of an area. Without plant life, a dry season starts to become a
more long-term or potentially permanent climate shift.
8. The increasing loss of vegetation within an area begins to have larger effects on the
overall water retention rate of the land. The lack of retention begins to effect
groundwater levels. These levels drop because less water is retained long enough to
replenish the natural usages of the groundwater.
9. The dropping level of groundwater means that small streams and tributaries become
at risk of drying up. The removal of this water from the ecosystem continues to add
to the dryness of the landscape.
10. As the cycle continues the effects become more dramatic. The dried up streams
mean more dead vegetation, more fires and less retained water. The larger bodies of
water begin to shrivel and groundwater aquifers decrease in volume.
11. The larger bodies of water are now being recharged at a diminished rate due to lack
of precipitation and loss of groundwater. These bodies decrease in size. Ecological
zones that depend on flooding for water now become deprived of that intake
source. These areas follow the trend and become dry and void of vegetation, further
adding to the drought.
12. The diminishing presence of water leads to wide-scale temperature change. In-land
bodies of water as well as vegetation based moisture serve as agents of temperature
regulation. The absence of these agents means the variance in temperature
increases. Daytime temperatures increase and the drop in temperature once the sun
goes down becomes more dynamic. This climate change can lead to further loss of
wildlife and vegetation. The increased daytime temperatures will scorch the land

and increase evaporation rates. Further removing water and also increasing chances
of fire.
13. Increased temperatures result in a loss of snowpack. This snowpack typically melts in
the spring and the waters recharge local waterways. Without the melting snow
these waterways dry up.
14. The enduring changes to the environment take its toll on the soil quality. Without
plant and animal waste being constantly recycled into it, the soil comes to lack
nutrition. The increased temperature and lack of water leads the ground to become
baked and it eventually hardens. This soil transformation ends any chance of water
retention.
15. The once moist climate has now become deprived of consistent rain, vegetation and
regulated temperature. Wildlife diminishes and the groundwater depletes. The land
continues until full desert status is achieved.

The way the trend is moving now, Californias climate is becoming increasingly arid and desert
like. As this trend continues the changes it brings become harder to reverse, which means that
this arid climate might become a permanent fixture unless water levels can be restored.

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Human Contribution to the Drought

The cycle provided above only lists the reactions of the actual environment in relation to
the drought. The forces that drive that cycle are natures own equalizing mechanics. The thing
that can not be forgotten, and is not included in that cycle, is the direct effect humans are
having on the phenomenon of Californias disappearing water. Human factors to climate
change have shifted the environment, and are a factor of the initial precipitation loss in the first
place. The cycle of water loss described above, is a natural response to the manipulation of the
land by humans. The people and infrastructure of California caused that cycle to begin, and are
now responsible for the land damage committed by that cycle.
Californians role in water loss is not limited to the natural cycle that they have
unleashed. On top of that, the operations of California, both domestic and industrial, simply
pull more water from the environment than they put back. California has a long history of
overusing water resources long before this drought became such a large and imminent threat.
As more people moved west, California became more populated and with that more
developed. The growing mass of people had a growing need for water, and that water was
pulled from the earth without regard. The natural cycle of desertification coupled with human
taxing of the groundwater has served as a two-pronged strike that has diminished water
immensely.
California has no one to blame for this water crisis than themselves. The land that
makes up the state has been environmentally manipulated since the very beginning of
American occupation. Groundwater taps, wells, dams and extensive irrigation networks have
diverted water flow from its naturally allocated destinations. Once moved, this water has been

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tapped and expended at a rate that exceeds the replenishment rates. Water is constantly being
taken out of the ground faster than it goes in. This overtaxing of natural water reserves has
aquifers in California at historically low levels. The USGS findings on aquifer water content
conducted in January of 2013 showed a massive loss of accessible water. The USGS was quoted
in their report saying since about 1960, groundwater has been depleted by almost 60 million
acre-feet, which is, on average, enough to supply every resident of California with water for 8
years. There is an imminent threat of these aquifers being fully tapped if solutions are not
found.
Californians water issue is not a new problem. There are records and studies showing
the dropping water levels over the last 50 years. California has historically neglected these
issues, allowing the stemming of water to go unchecked. This neglect has led to an opening of
the groundwater system by a factor of six according to the USGS. This massive burden on the
hydrologic cycle has drained thousands of years of accumulated ground water out of California,
water that California can no longer get back. This shows that California has been using its water
inefficiently and should have taken more of a precaution in previous years to ensure it never
reached the state it is in now. Today more than ever, innovative water-preserving strategies are
needed to close the gap between Californias water supply and how much water Californians
consume.

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Effects of the drought on the State

Currently 80% of the state is in an extreme or exceptional drought. This poses massive
economic and social ramifications on California if water resources can not be reestablished.
Without available water, businesses that use water as a resource will be challenged to continue
operation. The industry that warrants the biggest concern is agriculture. Agriculture in
California will suffer tremendously if water continues to be removed from the area, and the
economy as a whole would quickly follow. Agricultural needs for water are a big reason that the

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water shortage exists in the first place, but the agriculture industry is a vital part of the
economic make-up of the state. According to the California Department of Food and
Agriculture, "California agriculture is nearly a $36.6 billion dollar industry that generates $100
billion in related economic activity." The states agricultural sales first exceeded $30 billion in
2004 making it more than twice the size of any other state's agriculture industry.

The droughts effects can be felt in agriculture, but other side effects are causing
major problems for the Californian economy

The backbone of the Californian economy is the produce yielded by the Californian land.
Without the water to develop that land millions of people would be out of work, and billions of
dollars in revenue would be lost. The economy would plummet if this agricultural revenue and
buying power was removed from the current model. This is an economic blow that would bring

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the state to its knees, massive amounts of Federal aid would be required in order to reestablish
a working economy in California. The amount of social upheaval caused by such a collapse
would lower the immediate population to a level not seen in the United States since the 1930s.

Reactions
In January 2014, Governor Jerry Brown of California asked Californians to reduce their
water usage by 20% due to the states drought emergency status. Governor Brown has also
been instrumental in getting the senate to write and approve two laws that are being
implemented in the regulation of groundwater resources. Resultant laws and other response
efforts to the water crisis will be further discussed in the conclusions section, they are brought
up here only to bring attention to the much deserved political movement in Californias state
government. Political responsibility is finally being taken for the management and preservation
of water in California.

The Governors call to action and initiative to save water are the inspirations for this
report. The following sections of analysis will focus on Eureka Plains as an individual portion of
the hydrological body of California. The Eureka Plains Watershed was examined separately, free
of all outside factors and contributions. There were two main objectives when conducting this
research. The first was to see how the watershed was handling the climate factors of the
drought, and if so what changes were occurring. The second was to see if Eurekas human
impact was contributing to the drought. Human usage of water was calculated and measured to
determine if Eureka followed the trend of Californias poor water management.

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The Eureka Plains Watershed:

The Eureka Plains Water Shed is part of the larger watershed known as the Humboldt
Bay Watershed. The watershed is relatively small, only 233 square miles in total. The climate is
heavily influenced by the red wood forests within the shed, as well as the heavy annual
precipitation of 38.2 inches per year. The average temperature is 53 F. The main hydrological
influences on the watershed are the proximity to the Pacific Ocean as well as the major water
bodies that run through the shed. The Mad, Little and Elk Rivers provide the majority of the
water movement through the shed. These rivers feed a vast network of creeks, streams and
tributaries which weave through the entirety of the watershed. A majority of these waterways
flow toward the ocean and empty there. The largest form of standing water within the shed is
Blue Lake.

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The Eureka Plains Watershed contains the city of Eureka as well as many suburban and
rural communities that surround the city. The total population of people residing within the
Eureka plains watershed is 134,492 people. The city of Eureka residents account for 27,000
people.
The economy of the area is diverse, and is heavily influenced by geography. A large
portion of labor and revenue is associated with agriculture, forestry, hunting and fishing within
the area. The fertile lands and plentiful waterways are great assets to the outdoor tradesman
who make a living off of the resources within the watershed. The local and state governments
are diligent at protecting these natural resources and preserving them for future generations
use.
The Eureka Plains Watershed area is a sustained and healthy environment. Plant and
animal life is thriving and human interaction with these elements does not appear to have
pushed this ecosystem past its limits. This environment is conducive to the retention and
preservation of water, and there are no immediate threats to the groundwater or precipitation
levels. This watershed environment seems an oasis compared to the dried up regions that have
been significantly affected by the drought. Initial analysis warranted an end to further
investigation of water problems within the Eureka Plains Watershed, because there arent any
issues present within this watershed currently.
This being said water usage, intake and management figures have still been collected
and assessed within this report. Eureka is not faced with water issues for the time being, but
water continues to be a scarce resource for neighboring counties. As the drought continues

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water will become increasingly valuable. Growing populations require increased water use, but
for much of the state this water is nowhere to be found.
Eureka as a watershed area is comfortable with its current water resources. The original
objective of this report was to examine how the drought has affected Eureka Plains, as well as
the influence of human needs for water on the overall water use within the watershed. The
drought has brought very little change to the area, which still receives almost 40 inches of
water a year. Along with this abundance of water, the individual population needs of Eureka
citizens do not place the environment at risk of losing its water resources.
The following sections will go in depth to the analysis of the water situation within
Eureka Plains. All sources of incoming water as well as all uses of that water have been analyzed
and quantified. Looking forward, knowing now that Eureka has a healthy water supply, focus
now shifts to increasing the efficiency of that water use.

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Methods, Data and Analysis

Hypothesis:
It is hypothesized that the Eureka Plains Watershed will have a water deficit. The
combination of drought as well as human consumption of water will prove to be more than
the watershed can handle. The annual human water usage within the watershed will be
greater than the overall water that enters the watershed.
Procedure and Methods:
Step Find Average
1
Precipitation
per year
Step Find Total of
2
Water Used by
population per
year
Step Find How much
3
of the
Population is
on septic
Step Find How much
4
Water is used
on Farm
Animals
Step Find How much
5
Water is Used
for Crops
Step Find
6
Commercial
Water Usage
Step Find Industrial
7
Water Usage

Average Precipitation Per Year in watershed =

Average Precipitation in Gallons per mile
Area of Watershed in Square Miles
=
521356800gd*233 square miles = 116262.5664mgd
Water used by population per year =
365.25
=
134492 * 90 * 365.25 = 4421.08827mgd
Average water used by septic per year =
Population on Septic * Water Discharge
=
83434 * 68.2 = 5.6901988mgd
Average Farm Animal Water Usage per year =
(Farm Animal Population per animal * Animal Water Use per
Day per animal)= All animal Water Usages per day * 365.25)
=
710,947.00*365.25 = 259.50mgd
Average Crop Water Usage per year=
Crop Acres * Water use per Acre per day* 365.25 =
1045.656466 * 6 * 365.25
=
261.79mgd
Average Commercial Water Usage per Year =
20mgd
Average Industrial Water Usage per Year =
60mgd

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Step Calculate Net

8
Water Use

Step Calculate Water

9
Surplus or
Deficit

Step 1 Total Step 2 Total + Step 3 Total Step 4 Total Step 5

Total-Step 6 Total Step 7 Total =
116262.5664 - 4421.08827 + 5.6901988 - 259.50 261.79
20 60
=
111,505.38mgd
Average Precipitation per year Total Net Water Use = Water
Amount left over in the Watershed
=
116,262.5664mgd - 111,505.38 = 4,757.186mgd

Results
The calculations shown in the previous section are the results of many different
equations that ultimately led to the determination that the Eureka Plains Watershed does
not have a water deficit. To determine the average precipitation per year in the watershed,
we multiplied the square mileage of the watershed by the average precipitation in gallons
per each mile. This came out to 116262.5664mgd per year. The next step was to find the
total amount of water used by the population per year. This was calculated by multiplying
the watersheds population by their water use per day by the number of days in a year. The
total was 4421.08827mgd. Next, we used how much of the population uses a septic system
multiplied by water discharge to determine the average water used by a septic each year,
5.6901988mgd. The fourth step was calculating an average water usage of farm animals
per year. To do this, it was necessary to multiply farm animal population per animal, by
animal water usage per day per animal to get all animal water usages per day. Then we
multiplied this average by 325.25 days in a year to ultimately determine that 259.5mgd are
used on farm animals per year. This is an extremely high number but is necessary to give
animals the proper care because our nation depends on them for a source of good
nutrition. Next, we used a similar method to determine the average water used on crops

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per year. Multiplying the number of acres used for crops by the water use per acre per day
and then multiplied by the number of days in a year did this. This number was similar, but
higher than the water used on farm animals, 261.79 mgd. Again, it is important to keep
crops nourished properly to produce the best and most nutritious food for people. Our next
two calculations were already found online, the average commercial water usage (20mgd)
and average industrial water usage (60mgd). Then, we calculated the net water usage of
Eureka to be 111,505.38 mgd. Lastly, we used this number to determine if there is a water
deficit or surplus. Fortunately for Eureka, there was a 4,757.186mgd surplus in the area.

Recommendations to Conserve Water

Even though Eureka has a water surplus of 4,757.186mgd, there are
recommendations the people of Eureka could use to reduce their water usage. This will
lead to even more water conservation and surplus for Eureka in the future. They could
even sell their water to water-deficit watersheds and create a new business market. The
following section will address what Eureka as a city could do, and then what the citizens
can do inside and outside of their homes. There are also charts to show how much water is
used, on average, in homes and more tips to conserve water.

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First, Eureka as a city could implement a water quota for households and businesses
residing in Eureka. Based on the size and occupants of each home and business, Eureka
would assign a water quota for the year. If the household or business stays under or equal
to the quota, they could receive a tax break or cash incentive. If they went over, they would
not get any incentive. This could be added to a commonly used tax system, such as

TurboTax to make it even more user friendly. Having this type of tax incentive would give
people a monetary benefit of conserving water, along with the satisfaction of helping out
their environment and population.

For inside the home, homeowners should check all of their pipes and sinks to make
sure there are no leaks. A small drip from a worn faucet washer can waste 20 gallons of
water per day when it is easily preventable. Large leaks can waste hundreds of gallons. And
cost homeowners a lot of money for an unnecessary waste. Next, homeowners should
install water-saving showerheads and low flow faucet aerators. Water saving showerheads
is very inexpensive and easy to install, and they save 2.5 gallons of water per minute. Think
of how much water you could save in a year! Aerators will save about 1.2 gallons of water

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per person per day. Also in the bathroom, homeowners and even businesses could invest
in high-efficiency toilets. High-efficiency toilets can save about 19 gallons of water a day
per person. So far, if a household took advantage of just these three recommendations, they
could save about 52.7 gallons of water a day per person.

When it comes to laundry, homeowners should only use the washing machine for
full loads only. They could also invest in water-efficient washer, which could save them
about 16 gallons of water. This could also go for dishwashers by only running them when
they are full.

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Outside, homeowners should only water their grass when it is needed. If they need
to water the grass, the best time to do so would be at night or early morning when the
temperature is cooler so there would be less humidity and evaporation in the air. This
could save 25 gallons of water each time you water your lawn. Also when you water your
lawn, do it long enough for it to soak down into the roots, so you dont have to water as
frequently and it also creates healthier and stronger landscapes. Homeowners can also buy
drought-resistant trees and plants to save 30 to 60 gallons of water each time they water
their lawns. Also placing mulch around trees and plants will reduce evaporation, keeping
the soil cool and moist longer underneath. This can save 20 to 30 gallons of water each time
a person waters their lawn.

As you can see, there are many options to help decrease water waste. If all people
took these steps seriously, we could significantly help decrease the water shortage in the
world before it is too late.

Conclusion.
Eureka Plains Watershed is blessed for being within an area that is in abundance of
water when so much of the surrounding area is in severe drought. Eurekas balanced

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economy as well as naturally high precipitation keep the water levels healthy and
recharged. The human expenditure of water does not exceed the capacity of the area, which
means that the infrastructure and resource matches the needs of its civilian population.
Eureka would benefit in implementing water saving procedures. This report has
offered numerous suggestions that could aid in this process. California has let this problem
of water blow up before reacting. Eureka Plains should aim for a policy of prevention, not
reaction. Saving water could save the population from future droughts as well as conserve
water for the struggling areas of the state.

Works Cited
2014. Mad-Redwood Watershed. Watershed Profile. Retrieved from
http://cfpub1.epa.gov/surf/huc.cfm?huc_code=18010102
2013. California Data Exchange Center, Precipitation. Department of Water Resources.
Retrieved from http://cdec.water.ca.gov/snow_rain.html
2012. U.S. census data on small community housing and wastewater disposal and plumbing
practices. United States Environmental Protection Agency. Retrieved from
http://water.epa.gov/infrastructure/wastewater/septic/census_index.cfm
2014. Census Publications. United States Department of Agriculture. Retrieved from
http://www.agcensus.usda.gov/Publications/2012/
2014. Water and Sewer Billing. The City of Eureka. Retrieved from
http://www.ci.eureka.ca.gov/depts/finance/utility.asp
Potyondy, John P. 2010. Watershed Condition Classification Technical Guide. United States
Department of Agriculture, Forest Service. Retrieved from
http://permanent.access.gpo.gov/gpo41782/watershed-classification-guide.pdf