Etna water users face continued Scott River restrictions
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A July 2, 2026 action by the California State Water Resources Control Board conditionally suspended curtailments for a defined group of groundwater users in the Scott River watershed. The action did not reopen all pumping or lift the watershed’s surface-water restrictions.
The decision matters in Etna because the city relies solely on Etna Creek for its municipal water supply. Local monitoring above the city’s diversion provides a direct connection between watershed conditions and residents, agricultural water users and stream habitat.
What the July 2 addendum changed
Addendum 1 to Order WR 2026-0008-DWR applies only to specified Priority Group 9 overlying and adjudicated groundwater rights listed in the order’s attachment. Those eligible users may pump only if they meet all of the addendum’s conditions.
The State Water Board’s current status page says curtailments remained in effect for all surface-water rights in the Scott River watershed. Other water rights also remain curtailed unless a separate order or amendment changes their status.
Conditions on eligible groundwater pumping
Eligible groundwater users must notify the State Water Board in advance of the amount they plan to divert or pump. They must check the Fort Jones United States Geological Survey gage before pumping and at least every 12 hours while pumping.
They must stop when the instantaneous flow approaches the applicable monthly minimum and may not pump at or below that threshold. The minimum-flow requirements identified in the addendum are 50 cubic feet per second for July, 30 cfs for August and 33 cfs for September. These are regulatory thresholds, not reports of current measured flow.
Users must also stop immediately if directed by the State Water Board and may divert only in a manner consistent with their water rights.
Why the decision matters in Etna
The Scott River Watershed Council says its monitoring station measures flow in Etna Creek above the City of Etna’s diversion. The council cautions that the local measurements are provisional. The monitoring does not replace the State Water Board’s legal flow determinations, but it provides a direct local connection to the creek conditions behind the broader watershed rules.
The State Water Board’s June 10 order cited declining flows, very low snowpack and high summer water demand. The May 2026 snow survey found snowpack at about 1% of the historical average, and the order said minimal to no significant snow cover remained as of May 13.
As of June 3, the order reported that Etna Creek was among Scott Valley tributaries that were disconnected or had isolated pools. The State Water Board linked those low-flow conditions to habitat fragmentation and delays in fall salmonid migration.
What happens next
The State Water Board said it will continue monitoring flows, precipitation, temperature forecasts and watershed conditions and may adjust curtailments. The July 2 addendum remains in effect unless modified or replaced by a later addendum.
For Etna residents, the immediate takeaway is that the change applies to specified groundwater rights, not to household water use generally. The action is not a city water shutoff, and it does not mean all Scott River pumping has reopened.
Municipal water customers, agricultural water-right holders, groundwater pumpers and stream habitat are affected in different ways. Etna’s sole municipal source is Etna Creek, however, so the creek’s flow conditions remain relevant to local water planning even though the State Water Board action is a watershed-wide regulation rather than an Etna city ordinance.
Sources
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