Caltrans Encroachment Permit 02-25-N-MC-0513 for the Yurok Tribe’s Stream Gage Installation Project at the Weaver Creek Bridge

The Yurok Tribe has secured funding from the California Department of Water Resources (DWR) for the installation and operation of a surface water gage within the California Department of Transportation’s (Caltrans) right of way along State Route 299 in Trinity County at post mile 56.53 (Weaver Creek bridge) to monitor flow and temperature in Weaver Creek. The gage would consist of sensors, staff gage, data loggers, power supply, telemetry systems, solar panel accessories, pole mount, antenna, and weatherproof housing as well as hardware needed for proper and secure installation per manufacturer specifications and industry standards. This includes conduit and flex conduit. Components mounted to the Weaver Creek bridge would include two staff plates, a water level sensor, and conduit/flex conduit. Staff plates would be installed on two bridge piers. A water level sensor would be installed on the underside of the bridge. Conduit/flex conduit would be attached to the exterior of the bridge and would connect the water level sensor to a solar panel, which would be mounted away from the bridge to optimize solar exposure. Operation includes calibration, initial and subsequent flow measurements, other equipment testing, and maintenance needed to successfully establish and operate a gage that is able to transmit data to the CDEC online data portal. Construction is expected to take 3 to 5 days. The gage would be installed by the end of September 2026 in order to meet the DWR grant deadline that funds construction. The data collection end date of October 2031 reflects the ongoing annual flow measurements over about a 5-year period. The site location, a Caltrans bridge over Weaver Creek on State Route 299 in Trinity County at post mile 56.53, was selected by the Yurok Tribe because it enables monitoring downstream of a key tribal restoration project and several other restoration projects led by tribal partners. It also has easy access from Union Hill Road. Caltrans will issue an encroachment permit (02-25-N-MC-0513) for the proposed work.