Tenmile Creek Gage Re-initiation
2 Documents in Project
Summary
SCH Number
2025091043
Public Agency
California Department of Fish and Wildlife, Cannabis Program
(CDFW)
Document Title
Tenmile Creek Gage Re-initiation
Document Type
NOE - Notice of Exemption
Received
Posted
9/23/2025
Document Description
The purpose of this project is to reactivate a historic United States Geological Survey (USGS) surface water gage (#11475700) at Tenmile Creek near Laytonville, CA, and record high-quality stream gage data and water temperature in real-time and available for the public on the California Data Exchange Center (CDEC). This gage was active from October 01, 1957, to December 14, 1977 and recorded daily discharge (cubic feet per second) for a drainage area of 50.3 square miles in Mendocino County (Hydrologic Unit Code 18010106). Tenmile Creek supports all three ESA-listed Pacific salmon species including Chinook Salmon, Southern Oregon/Northern California Coho (SONCC) Salmon and steelhead trout, and the National Marine Fisheries Service’s intrinsic potential habitat maps indicate that Tenmile Creek had more historically suitable habitat than the upper South Fork Eel River, which currently has one of the last functioning SONCC Coho Salmon meta-populations (NMFS 2014). This project is crucial for a wide range of stakeholders—including resource managers, restoration practitioners, natural resource agencies, and cannabis cultivators—because it provides reliable, long-term hydrologic data essential for informed decision-making. For managers and restoration practitioners, continuous flow data supports efforts to assess watershed health, track timing and magnitude of instream flow relative to restoration (e.g. the recent Wildlife Conservation Board-funded Black Oak Ranch Water Conservation and Flow Enhancement Project), and plan projects that enhance stream function and resilience. Natural resource agencies rely on gage data to protect aquatic habitats and species, particularly during low-flow periods critical to fish survival. For permitted cannabis cultivators, access to accurate streamflow records helps ensure compliance with water diversion regulations, align operations with environmental flow needs, and demonstrates responsible water use. Overall, restoring this data stream bridges scientific knowledge gaps and supports sustainable land and water management across the region.
Contact Information
Name
Kelly Souza
Agency Name
CA Dept of Fish and Wildlife
Job Title
Senior Environmental Scientist, Supervisor
Contact Types
Lead/Public Agency
Phone
Name
Dana Stolzman
Agency Name
Salmonid Restoration Federation
Job Title
Executive Director
Contact Types
Project Applicant / Parties Undertaking Project
Address
Phone
Email
Location
Coordinates
Cities
Laytonville
Counties
Mendocino
Regions
Northern California, Unincorporated
Cross Streets
Highway 101
Zip
95454
Total Acres
<1
Jobs
1
Parcel #
013-560-42
State Highways
US HWY 101
Railways
0
Airports
0
Schools
0
Waterways
Streeter Creek, Steep Gulch, plus several short, intermittent blue-line gullies
Township
T22N
Range
R15W
Other Location Info
The township/range grid around Tenmile Creek north of Laytonville is roughly T22N R15W MDB&M (Laytonville proper straddles T21N–T22N, R15W)
Notice of Exemption
Exempt Status
Categorical Exemption
Type, Section or Code
CA Code of Regulations, Title 14, Article 19; Sections 15306, 15301 and 15304
Reasons for Exemption
There are no adverse impacts to sensitive plant or wildlife species. Specifically, section 15306: Installing and retrieving data from a data logger attached to a metal stake is basic data collection/resource evaluation and avoids substantial disturbance; 15301: The radar will be affixed to an existing bridge, not expanding use; and 15304: Only minor and temporary disturbance to the stream bed is unavoidable and no mature or scenic trees will be removed.
County Clerk
Sacramento
Attachments
Notice of Exemption
Disclaimer: The Governor’s Office of Land Use and Climate Innovation (LCI) accepts no responsibility for the content or accessibility of these documents. To obtain an attachment in a different format, please contact the lead agency at the contact information listed above. For more information, please visit LCI’s Accessibility Site.