Shasta County-CA — The public is invited to an educational panel presentation about the unique geo-hydro-ecological system of the Fall River. Water Talks: “Fall River’s unique geo-hydro-ecology” will be held Monday May 7th 2012 from 6:00 pm to 8:00 pm at the Fall River Lions Hall located at 44256 Hwy 299 East in McArthur.

The informational Water Talks are free and open to the public.
 
The first Water Talks to be held in Fall River Valley is on the topic “Fall River’s unique geo-hydro-ecology” and will feature presentations from:

• Andrew Braugh, Director of Programs for the Fall River Conservancy on “Fall River Valley: Who’s doing what and why”
• Michelle Berditschevsky, Conservation Director for Mount Shasta Bioregional Ecology Center on “Connectivity of Water Resources: Medicine Lake Volcano and the Fall River Springs,”
• Carson Jeffres, Staff Researcher for the UC Davis Center for Watershed Sciences on “From Subduction to Salmonids, How Geologically Derived Nutrients Fuel Aquatic Foodwebs,” and
• Erin Donley, Student Trainee for the USDA Agricultural Research Service on “Aquatic macrophytes and food webs of the Fall River,”

First Fall River Water Talks

“The purpose of our Water Talks program is to provide a place for people to learn about water-related topics from a diverse range of perspectives,” explained Curtis Knight, Conservation Director for California Trout.

“We look forward to working with the Fall River Conservancy and Fall River Resource Conservation District and expanding the program regionally with our first Water Talks program in the Fall River Valley,” Knight said.  

“We appreciate the partnership with California Trout and the Fall River Resource Conservation District to bring this educational Water Talks series to the Fall River,” said Andrew Braugh, Director of Programs for the Fall River Conservancy.

“Water Talks is a great opportunity for community members and landowners to learn about the ecology of the Fall River so that we can actively participate in future management decisions.  This is about empowering the people that live and work here, who actually depend on this remarkable water resource as part of their livelihood,” Braugh continued.

“Our stakeholder analysis report identified the need for public outreach forums that discuss forest health and natural resource management. We’re happy that CalTrout already has a model program with Water Talks to provide us a format for meeting our outreach needs,” said Todd Sloat, of the Fall River Resource Conservation District.”

“We started the Water Talks program in 2008 with presentations held in Weed, Mount Shasta, Dunsmuir and McCloud on Mount Shasta’s unique geology, hydrology and ecology,” said Water Talks program coordinator Meadow Barr.

“In 2011 we held a successful series of Water Talks in Mount Shasta on the topics of “Climate, Water and Forests,” “California Water Law and Policy,” “Local Fish and Fishing,” “Land Management and Restoration,” and “Agriculture in Siskiyou County.”

“To date, 33 presenters representing federal and state agencies, nonprofit conservation organizations, community groups, Tribes, local government, academic institutions, farmers, ranchers, and private business have volunteered their time to participate in Water Talks,” Barr said.

Water Talks Overview

Water Talks are an ongoing series of informational and educational presentations with local and regional experts sharing their knowledge with the public on a range of water related topics. The purpose of Water Talks is to provide a place to learn about water related topics. Water Talks is a project of California Trout. California Trout is a nonprofit organization dedicated to seeking workable solutions for fisheries restoration throughout California. For more information contact Meadow Barr, California Trout Outreach Coordinator at 530-859-1411 or mbarr@caltrout.org.

Fall River Water Talks scheduled for May 7