SACRAMENTO, California — The Stockton East Water District received funding on Wednesday from the California Department of Water Resources (DWR) for the Bellota Weir Modifications Project.
The project will include numerous improvements to the weir, located east of Linden on the Calaveras River.
Project components include construction of a new screened diversion intake and associated conveyance improvements, construction of “fishways” comprised of a roughened channel and fish ladder to improve upstream anadromous fish migration from Mormon Slough, and construction of a fish exclusion structure on the Old Calaveras River to prevent entrainment of juvenile salmonids, according to ca.gov.
“This is part of the Calaveras Habitat Conservation Plan, and it's one of the ways in which local communities here adjust their water systems to protect fish species that are native to California,” said Karla Nemeth, director of the DWR.
The funding issued to the water district from DWR for the project totals just over $12 million. The construction of the new weir and dam will replace the existing infrastructure, maintain existing flood conveyance, and protect native fish species from getting funneled into the conveyance pipelines through the use of fish netting and ladders.
The water in this portion of the Calaveras River is drawn from New Hogan Lake. Excess water released from the dam at New Hogan will go through the Calaveras and eventually funneled through the conveyance pipes and pumped underground to recharge the aquifer.
"When water is diverted to enable groundwater recharge, we're putting screens on those diversion pipelines so that fish don't become part of that become part of the water diversion project and find themselves, you know, pushed underground," said Nemeth.
The project is expected to improve water delivery and groundwater availability along with protecting native fish species.
"I am sure today's investment will improve water delivery for 322 thousand people, and groundwater availability for over 6 thousand wells in the region," according to a statement from Representative Josh Harder's office.
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