Smith River Plain

Basin Name

Smith River Plain

Basin Number

1-001

SGMA Basin Priority

Very Low

Critically Overdrafted

Hydrologic Region Name

North Coast

Counties

Del Norte

Adjacent Basins

No items found

1957: Geology and Features of the Smith River Plain, Del Norte County, CA, by William Black, USGS

1970: A Study of the Smith River Basin and Plain, California Department of Water Resources

2003: Bulletin 118 basin description

2016: Basin prioritization comment – Groundwater levels: 1)CASGEM/WDL/GWIDS: Stable hydrographs. Source: DWR 2) Generally, groundwater level data show a seasonal fluctuation of approximate five to 15 feet for normal and dry years. Source: Draft Environmental Assessment, Smith River Rancheria Water Resource Development Project, U.S. Bureau of Reclamation (USBR) Salt intrusion: Salinity monitoring found salt water intrusion to reach 7.65 km upstream of the mouth during summer low flow conditions. Comparatively the salt water intrusion was minimal during the winter season indicating the majority of the lower Smith River estuary is freshwater during the winter months. (Saline intrusion most likely due to seasonal variations and not from pumping groundwater). Source: Distribution of Juvenile Salmonids and Seasonally Available Aquatic Habitats Within the Lower Smith River Basin and Estuary, Del Norte County, California, Smith River Alliance, 2015

2018 Basin Prioritization (Dec 2018): priority changed from medium to very low

2019: Basin prioritization: Very Low

Source: CA DWR