CalTrout presented our Mount Shasta Spring Waters Report Monday night to a packed house of over 200 concerned residents. In response to Crystal Geyser’s proposed Mount Shasta bottling facility, the City of Mount Shasta hosted a series of presentations to provide information for the community.
The city asked CalTrout to present our report as a means to help inform the community and provide decision makers with existing scientific data.
Opponents of the project say that before launching operations, Crystal Geyser needs to complete an Environmental Impact Report (EIR). Others, however, including Siskiyou County, say that the site is already zoned for heavy industrial use pursuant to county codes and therefore does not need further environmental review. Additionally, the City of Mount Shasta is currently working to upgrade their waste water treatment plant and sewage infrastructure to meet state regulatory standards and build capacity for the new plant.
In 2009, CalTrout published the Mount Shasta Spring Water Report, which provides information on more than 22 spring systems located around the mountain, including Big Springs: the proposed water source for the plant.
Highlights of the study include the following findings about Big Springs:
- Average discharge: 20 cubic feet per second or 12,274,000 gallons per day
- Average temperature: 7.2°C/45°F (cold non-thermal)
- Estimated age of water: > 50 years (residence time to pass through aquifer)
- Discharge elevation: 3,567 feet
- Mean recharge elevation: 8,170 feet
- Total vulnerability index rating: 6 (see report of explanation)
CalTrout will continue to provide independent third party water quality and flow monitoring data to keep our community well-informed about the health and productivity of the Big Springs aquifer.
Please visit this link to access the full Mount Shasta Spring Waters Report.
