Summer Edition 2018 Quartz Valley

Indian Reservation

Environmental Department

OUR STAFF

We currently employ 4 full-time positions at the QVIR Environmental Department. Here is an

introduction to our staff:

Director, Crystal Robinson

Program Manager, Marla Bennett Field

Technicians, Alex Case and Isaiah Williams

Summer Staff:

Sean Ryan, Intern Supervisor/Forestry Specialist

Kohl Williams, Kasydi Bennett, and Lincoln McCloud —High School Interns

SUMMER INTERNSHIP

Our summer interns were employed with us for 6 weeks during the summer months. The three

high school -aged students worked doing various tasks both in and out of the office. Some of the

tasks included tree identification & measurements, hiking mountain trails to collect water sam-

ples for analysis, solid waste clean-up, noxious weed removal, and swim site sample collection.

In the office the interns worked on the computer doing forestry related activities, processed

water samples in the lab, and helped to organize our unorganized garage.

INSIDE THIS ISSUE

Water Quality ....................................2

Education & Outreach ......................2

Grants ................................................3

Conferences & Meetings...................3

Solid Waste & Recycling...................4

UPCOMING DATES TO OBSERVE:

• September 3—Labor Day

• September 15—National Clean

up Day

• September 22—National Hunt-

ing & Fishing Day

• September 28—Native Ameri-

can Day

• October 31—Halloween

• November 4—Daylight Saving

Time

• November12—Veteran’s Day

During theses summer months we have conducted activities with the kids both in and out of school.

During the Spring we did the trout in the classroom project with the 4th grade students from both

Etna and Fort Jones Elementary School, the 7th grade science class at Scott Valley Junior High, and

the Freshman Ag class at Etna High School. This project included six classroom lessons, fish dissec-

tions, water quality testing, and the rotary screw trap fieldtrip on the Shasta River. Before school let

out for Summer we hosted a booth on macro invertebrates (aquatic “bugs”) at the Jackson Street,

Hornbrook, and Etna Elementary School Science Days. Since school has been released for summer

vacation we hosted a booth on TICKS at the annual QVIR Bike Rodeo (the tick races were a success)

and hosted our annual QVIR Community Water Festival. Our summer interns conducted trash

removal as part of our adopt a highway clean up and the YESS program interns (who spent 1 week

working at QVIR) conducted clean-up of our local swim sites.

WATER QUALITY

EDUCATION & OUTREACH

Our field technicians continue to collect

water samples from our local streams and

river to test for total coliform and E.coli

bacteria. The sampling events occur once

each month and will continue throughout

the year. We continue to track stream

temperatures and ground water levels.

Testing of QVIR residential drinking wells

is occurring monthly also. We are glad to

report that we haven’t seen any recent

positive results for Total Coliform or E.coli

in Quartz Valley.

New Monitoring

Our department received funding from

BIA to install 2 flow measurement sta-

tions. One will be installed on Shackleford

Creek and the other on Mill Creek. These

stations will be on a real-time data trans-

mitter. This means if anyone is ever curi-

ous about the flow measurement on either

creek they could access the information

online. With this funding we also drilled

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GRANTS

Our Department is currently operating on funding from 5 agencies:

EPA PPG (GAP, CWA106, CWA 319)

EPA PPG Consortium

Bureau of Indian Affairs

US Fish & Wildlife Service

Board of Reclamation

We recently received some new funding from BIA to compile all of our data (12 years

worth) into a water model for QVIR.

Other Updates

We are awaiting word from US EPA regarding our Treatment as a State application

which was recently submitted. If this application is approved, QVIR would be able

to regulate water quality in the same manner as the State of California.

The QVIR Solid Waste Management Plan has been updated and a Solid Waste Ordi-

nance and citation have been developed to enforce the issue of illegal dumping on

QVIR lands.

Development of an instruction manual for sediment sampling is being developed by

our department. This will allow QVIR to sample for sediment discharge in the trib-

utaries of the Scott River.

Spread the Word!

QVIR has a state certified Microbiology Lab. We are

certified to test drinking water for E. coli and Total

Coliform. The cost is only $35.00 per sample! If you

would like more information please contact our depart-

ment at (530) 468-5907.

Our Department is currently accepting used

motor oil at our certified oil recycling station,

batteries, cardboard, aluminum, glass, and

plastic. We have our recycling trailer available if

you are interested in using it for a party or event.

You may bring your unwanted electronics or

appliances to the QVIR Environmental Office

and store them in our NEW recycling shed.

In addition to the many recycling opportunities

that we offer to our residents, the Fort Jones

Lumber Yard accepts unwanted paint.

Recycling

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CONFERENCES & MEETINGS

Common symptoms from wildfire smoke include burning eyes, coughing, scratchy throat, irritated sinuses, headache and shortness of breath. The good news is the symptoms are often temporary and there are things that can be done to minimize the effects.

• Drink plenty of water to stay hydrated.

• While driving use the air conditioner and the recirculate function rather than drawing in

air from the outside.

• Stay indoors and close all doors and windows.

• Use an air conditioner if you have one and also check the filter.

Here is al list of some recent meetings and

conferences that our staff has attended:

Annual Tribal EPA Conference

Quarterly Regional Tribal Operations

Committee (RTOC)

Cal EPA meetings

Tribal Lands & Environment Forum

Eco Trust Forestry Management

Bureau of Reclamation

N. Cal Water Quality Control Board

Natural Resource Conservation Ser-

vice (NRCS)

National Oceanic & Atmospheric

Administration ( NOAA)

Local Meetings include: SisQ Groundwa-

ter Users, Klamath Basin Monitoring Pro-

gram (KBMP), Klamath River Renewal

Corp (KRRC), US Fish & Wildlife Service,

Scott River Watershed Council, Siskiyou

County Board of Supervisors, and the

Scott Watershed Informational Forum

SWIF)

CONTACT US

EFFECTS OF WILDFIRE SMOKE

Phone: (530) 468-5907

Director: ext. 318

Program/Outreach Manager: Ext. 317

Field Technicians: Ext. 319

Fax: (530) 468-2108

Email: crystal.robinson@qvir-nsn.gov

marla.bennett@qvir-nsn.gov

isaiah.williams@qvir-nsn.gov

alex.case@qvir-nsn.gov

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