Upper Pit River Watershed 

The Upper Pit River Watershed is located in northeastern California at the eastern edge of the Great Basin Province. The north and south forks of the Pit River drain the northern portion of the watershed. The North Fork of the Pit River originates at Goose Lake, an enclosed basin except during rare events when it spills over into the Pit River. The North Fork headwaters include a number of tributaries in the Warner Mountains. The South Fork of the Pit River originates in the south Warner Mountains at Moon Lake in Lassen County. The north and south forks of the Pit River converge in the town of Alturas flows in a southwesterly direction into Shasta Lake in Shasta County and into the Sacramento River. The southern limit of the Upper Pit River is marked by the confluence of the Pit River and Fall River in eastern Shasta County. The Upper Pit River Watershed includes approximately 3, 415 square miles or 2, 767,000 acres, 21 named tributaries totaling about 1,050 miles of perennial stream, and 4,054 river miles. The Upper Pit River Watershed, from the headwaters to the historical confluence with Fall River, is within the Modoc Plateau Geomorphic Province. The Modoc Plateau is bordered on the west by the Cascade Range, to the south by the Sierra Nevada, and the east by the Basin and Range geomorphic provinces. The Upper Pit River is a run off dominated river with substantial snowmelt from the Warner Mountains. Flows are augmented by spring discharge in some reaches. As the Upper Pit River crosses the Modoc Plateau, it loses water through its stream channel to the underlying groundwater. According to Norris and Webb (1990), they concluded that the Upper Pit River and its tributaries lose water to groundwater from Goose Lake to Fall River. Springs associated with the Fall River system collectively produce a nearly constant discharge of approximately 1,100 to 1,200 cubic feet per second (USDA, 2002). This system is among the largest freshwater spring systems in the United States (Meinzer, 1972).

Community Collaboration

Sierra Water Workgroup Summit

Collaboration LeaderAbility to guide the group towards the

collaborations goals while seeking to include and explore all points of view

Comfort with consensus building, and small group process

Respect in the community and knowledge about the issues the collaboration will address

Skill in negotiating turf issuesBelief in process of collaboration

Collaboration Leader cont.Knowledge about the community and

organizations in the communitySkill and persuasiveness in oral and written

communicationTime to commit to leadership

CollaborationShared VisionSkilled LeadershipProcess OrientationDiversityMember Driven AgendaMultiple SectorsAccountability

Collaboration cont.This is a style of work that builds a sense of

community with stakeholders as participating members

The process includes a shared vision, mission, operating procedures, protocols and strategies

Identify stakeholder roles and responsibilities including communications system. Strive to gain a sense of “common ground”.

Collaboration cont.A collaborative will decide what they will

provide, who needs to be “at the table” the structure, focus and resources available

This entity will take on a life of it’s own and will accomplish the vision, mission and project within a timeline and budget

Community MobilizationIdentify IssueCommunity Collaboration:Identify Coordination and Collaboration of

human and financial resourcesCommunity Action:Identify plan, project, team, workplan,

timeline and budget. Task team into “ground operations”.

Components of CollaborationAgency level involvement Practice level involvementProgram/Project level involvementCoordination/Collaboration and Integration

Supportive EnvironmentCulturally/linguistically appropriateEngagingHigh standards/expectationsAppropriate educational materialOpportunities to learn (realistic)Support for education/participation

Characteristics of EffectivenessProblem solve openlyBroad agreement on values (common ground)High expectationsRespect InterdependenceLeadership is dispersedContinuous learning and opportunities

Characteristics of Community Collaboration

Shared ownership and accountabilityMember drivenStrategicData drivenCulturally competentBuilt capacity, sustainabilityCombined goalsSupportive infrastructureProblem solving approach

Community Collaboration cont.Clear , consistent guidelines/expectationsRealistic integration, including shared power,

money, resources etc. Memorandum of Agreement/Memorandum of

Understanding documents drafted when appropriate.

Characteristics of State LevelCollaborations

Active role of memberSustained over timeStrategic and data drivenIndividual and collective accountabilityInstitutionalized through policy, leadership

management, protocols, procedures, practices, monitoring and evaluation

Effective CollaborationTalking the talkWalking the talkWalking the walk

Happy Collaborating!It is a rewarding process for getting things

done the old fashioned way, with good hearted people and a lot of “elbow grease” and hard work.

Thought: Be the change you want to see in the world. -Gandhi