Talent Station 11: Fresh Water in Quality and Quantity
VISIT THIS SPOT at different times of the year and you will see the water level change dramatically as a result of human use. This has always been the case with Bear Creek. People settled along Bear Creek not only because it was a source of water in an area that annually gets less than 20 inches of rain, but in order to be next to the Siskiyou trail which ran beside it.
In the early 1900's, as population grew, irrigation needs and the water demands on Bear Creek also grew. In the 1920's the creek often became dry and stagnant in the summer. People built storage facilities when the need arose.
Around 1925, the Bureau of Reclamation assisted local irrigation districts in building Hyatt Reservoir. In the 1960's, Howard Prairie Reservoir was constructed. These facilities were connected to Emigrant Lake, at the head of the Bear Creek Valley; they currently supply water to Bear Creek. Over half of Bear Creek's water is now imported from the Klamath Basin through the Hyatt/Howard storage system.
Maintaining the quality of Bear Creek's water is very important because of its intense use by cities and agricultural interests. For example, the city of Talent draws a portion of its drinking water from Bear Creek. Irrigation water is reused many times along its course. Fish and wildlife also depend on clean, cool water for their health.
Prior to development of sewage treatment plants, cities dumped untreated waste water into Bear Creek. Storm drains still flow directly into Bear Creek; increased public awareness of this fact is necessary to prevent pollution from this source.
Funded by the Clean Water Act, the Rogue Valley Council of governments (RVCOG) Water Quality Program began in the mid-70's. Federal funding ended in the mid-1980's, but local agencies were able to fund a minimum level of effort to improve and maintain water qualtiy in Bear Creek.
The quality of Bear Creek has improved greatly over the years. To maintain this valuable resource in a safe condition, the diligence of many state and local agencies and informed citizens in necessary.
Photo by D.L. Mark.