|
Little information exists about the Mount Shasta springs or groundwater. The collection of monitoring data will assist decision makers to make informed policies regarding groundwater resources of this area to protect them from threats including, but not limited to: climate change, new development pressures, land use practices and water export.
To begin the process of better understanding Mount Shasta’s water resources, California Trout initiated an initial springs study in coordination with UC Davis and AquaTerra.
See Springs Monitoring Plan. (PDF | 26 KB)
"Geo-hydro-ecology" (aka "rocks to fish") term reflects the overlapping hierarchy of landscape dynamics shaping ecosystems. The geology of the Mount Shasta headwaters region (together with climate) shapes its surface and groundwater dynamics which in turn shape the ecosystems its water supports. The relationship between ecologies of the Mount Shasta watersheds flows from similarities and differences in their underlying geography, hydrology and climate. View Dr. Rene Henery's "Geo-Hydro-Ecology of the Mount Shasta Headwaters Region" Presentation.
Check back soon for a Google Earth link with the initial data overlay.
California Trout in coordination with UC Davis installed two stream gauges on Squaw Valley Creek. See the first year’s data:
Gauge 1 (PDF | 5.46 MB)
Gauge 2 (PDF | 6.15 MB)
|
Rainfall and snowmelt percolate through layers of volcanic rock and emerge as numerous springs feeding surface flows and recharging groundwater. The flow path is complex and poorly understood. Comprehensive studies have not been done to characterize where the water goes, how much there is or how long it takes to come out. |
| 120 cubic miles, Mount Shasta is the largest Cascade volcano by volume. There are seven glaciers on Mount Shasta. The ice volume measured in 1986 was 4.7 billion cubic feet. Glacial melt supplies a steady source of water during the summer. Mount Shasta receives an annual average of 60 inches of precipitation at higher elevations. |
 |
|
