District Size: 190,840 acres Year Formed: 1997 Projects: The long-range plan has identified the Merced River Watershed as a high priority for water quality concerns. The EMRCD will continue its efforts to provide the best information possible on best management practices through workgroups and field days and will strive to develop a program specifically for the Merced River Watershed. The following goals are set:
Apply for grants to hire a Watershed Coordinator for the Merced River Watershed to develop a program to establish a Coordinated Resource Management Plan for the Merced River.
Hold joint RCD meetings with the Mariposa RCD to discuss a joint application for a Watershed Coordinator and application for 205(J) funds to begin a resource inventory within the Merced River Watershed.
Continue to sponsor and support BIOS field days delivered through the California Alliance with Family Farmers in Merced County and the Fall CHIP OFF.
Assist with the development of information on Comprehensive Nutrient Management Plans on livestockoperations in conjunction with NRCS and the RWQCB.
An EMRCD goal is to promote long-term sustainability and improvement of the soil resource through various information and education activities and the implementation of soil improving practices. There is great need for the Merced Area survey to be modernized and updated, especially with the development of UC Merced, this information is vital to good planning. The County is moving forward with plans to digitize the old survey so that they will have some information to utilize. It is of utmost importance that local and state funds be leveraged with federal dollars to put this soil survey to the top of the priority list. The following goals have been set:
Secure local match for soils survey digitizing at the Merced County of Governments.
Secure local, state and federal support and possibly funding for modernizing the Merced Area Survey.
Support and sponsor information regarding "carbon sequestration" technology and provide to landowners within the district. Overview: Topography varies from rolling foothills in the east to gently sloping alluvial fans and terraces on the valley floor. Land use within the 659,000 acres of EMRCD's sphere of influence includes rangeland, dry farmed land, irrigated agriculture, wildlife habitat, rural, and urban.
Valley summer temperatures are hot, averaging 101 days per year with temperatures above 90 degrees. Valley winter temperatures are cool at just above 32 degrees with an occasional dip to 15 degrees. Soils vary from hardpan to deep sandy loam. The water table is shallow in some areas, approximately 20 to 60 feet below the surface.
Rainfall averages 11 inches per season. In most areas, water systems provide potable water to cities and waster water treatment plants provide sewage treatment. Private wells and septic systems are used in outlying areas. In some areas ground water quality is unsuitable for human consumption. Canals transport irrigation water to agricultural lands in and through EMRCD. There are, however, some areas within the RCD, that do not have access to surface water supplies.
EMRCD is located in a serious, non-attainment area for air quality. Air pollution can be high in the valley, with automobiles and agriculture being the main sources of particulate matter. An inversion layer frequently occurs at the 3500' elevation during the summer months, and 1500' in winter, trapping pollution in the San Joaquin Air Basin.
