Snow Water Equivalence Station

The Shasta Valley Resource Conservation District is leading a project to construct a Snow Water Equivalence (SWE) station in the southern portion of the upper Butte Valley Watershed, specifically located in the Haight Mountains near Tennent, California. This project, proposed by the Groundwater Sustainability Agency for the Butte Valley Groundwater Basin, aims to improve the accuracy of climatological modeling and water resource management. The station will be designed according to the California Department of Water Resources Hydrologic Data Acquisition System guidelines to ensure long-term modularity. Technical specifications include a thirty-foot self-supporting open lattice tower mounted on a five-foot concrete foundation, along with a snow pillow or load scale installed on a six-foot by eight-foot graded gravel pad for proper drainage. The project has received a Notice of Exemption under Categorical Exemption Class 4, as it involves minor land alterations with minimal ground disturbance and no impact on endangered species. Administrative oversight is provided by the Shasta Valley Resource Conservation District, with Renee Main serving as the Project Coordinator and Rod Dowse as the District Manager. While the specific contract value is not disclosed, environmental filing records indicate a fifty-dollar fee was paid to the Siskiyou County Clerk to confirm the project's exemption status. The performance area is legally described within the Haight Mountains at T43N, R01W sections 19 and 30, and T42N, R01W section 8.