Stream Care Guide:

Management Tips for Streamside Property Owners

Water Diversion

Avoid diverting water from the stream unnecessarily.

With the proper permits, some residents may draw water directly from a stream for various uses. A small stream can be heavily impacted by even a small water diversion during the summer when streamflow is already at its lowest. During that time, the amount of life a stream can support is directly related to the amount of water in it.

If you must pump from the stream, then cover the intake diversion pipes with a 1/8-inch mesh hardware cloth screen to prevent fish and other creatures from being sucked in. Each year large numbers of juvenile fish are lost to unscreened water diversions. Screening also reduces the cost of cleaning out the diversion if fish or other debris plug them up.

Practice water conservation. Every drop of water you save, whether by landscaping with drought-tolerant plants, reducing personal consumption, installing drip irrigation, or other strategies, directly contributes to maintaining a viable stream environment.

Legally, you must obtain a water rights permit through the proper regulatory agency and leave enough water to fulfill the needs of legitimate downstream water users.

In any case, it is illegal to pump a stream dry for any reason.

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