Findings indicate watershed function, already severely degraded, cannot be relied upon to sustain California’s water needs without significant repair and maintenance. 

A Risk Assessment of California’s Key Source Watershed Infrastructure evaluates conditions, repair and maintenance needs for the Feather, Pit, McCloud, Upper Sacramento, and Upper Trinity River watersheds. These five sources feed the Oroville and Shasta reservoirs, which provide drinking water for over 28 million Californians and supply the large majority of the water for the State Water Project. 

Climate change has significantly elevated existing threats to forest watersheds and downstream water supplies, especially from fire, drought, pest infestations and disease,” said Malcolm North, Research Forest Ecologist with the U.S. Forest Service Pacific Southwest Research Station. “Restoring forests and managing them to be more resilient is key to protecting water quality and security.” 

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