Grantee Research Project Results
2016 Progress Report: Identifying, Assessing and Adapting to Climate Change Impacts to Yurok Water and Aquatic Resources, Food Security and Tribal Health
EPA Grant Number: R835604Title: Identifying, Assessing and Adapting to Climate Change Impacts to Yurok Water and Aquatic Resources, Food Security and Tribal Health
Investigators: Fluharty, Suzanne , Cozzetto, Karen
Institution: Yurok Tribe Environmental Program , Northern Arizona University
Current Institution: Yurok Tribe Environmental Program , Northern Arizona University , Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium , Institute for Tribal Environmental Professionals
EPA Project Officer: Hahn, Intaek
Project Period: July 1, 2014 through June 30, 2017 (Extended to June 30, 2018)
Project Period Covered by this Report: July 1, 2015 through June 30,2016
Project Amount: $908,965
RFA: Science for Sustainable and Healthy Tribes (2013) RFA Text | Recipients Lists
Research Category: Tribal Environmental Health Research , Human Health
Objective:
To identify areas of water resource vulnerability and resiliency, assess impacts on Yurok food security and tribal health, and increase the Tribe’s adaptive capacity to climate change.
Research Question 1: What are the baseline conditions of Yurok Reservation water sources and aquatic resources?
Research Question 2: What are the currently occuring and probable areas of high vulnerability and alternately, high resiliance for Yurok resources, habitats, and ecosystems?
Research Question 3: What are potential risks and risk reduction strategies to protect tribal members from adverse impacts of climate change to water and food resources?
Research Question 4: What are the most cultural appropriate and applicable plans specific to the Yurok Tribe and Territory regarding probably impacts to climate change?
Progress Summary:
All work is progressing on schedule and the actual accomplishments have met the goals and objectives (outputs/outcomes) for the period.
Preliminary data includes:
- Locational and 16 months temperature data on 27 tributaries and 19 springs;
- Location information on public and private source water intakes;
- Sampling of domestic water sources for waterborne disease reveal a reportedly periodic, widespread level of high E.coli detections in private systems and low level Giardia in the primary public water system;
- Documentation of Tribal community observations and concerns regarding climate change through two workshops, community meetings, and directed staff interviews;
- Sampling and verification of safe levels of domoic acid in subsistence eels and paralytic shellfish poison in marine mussels indicating presence of algal toxins;
- Recording of significant drought impacts – i.e., reduced areas of ground water recharge; and
- Water quality data utilizing sonde technology that have provided standard water parameters of dissolved oxygen (% and mg/mL), pH, conductivity, and temperature in Klamath River tributaries.
Practical Applications: By establishing a monitoring network within the Reservation’s tributaries and identifying areas of water resource vulnerability and resiliency, the potential impacts on Yurok food and drinking water security and tribal health can be realistically assessed. The assessment has three practical applications and is based on local real time data that allow an increase in the Tribe’s adaptive capacity to prepare and respond to changes in their water resources.
First, the ongoing STAR-funded research, particularly the water quality, flow measurements, GIS data and mapping has helped in the understanding of how upslope anthropological demands on Lower Klamath River tributaries affect both water quality and quantity reaching those living downslope. For example, the tributary watershed boundary maps were used to isolate the creeks that were being impacted by illegal water diversions by marijuana growers as well as those creeks with Tribal Members’ domestic water intakes so that they can receive priority enforcement actions. Use of the grant generated research as a decision-making tool has directly helped the Tribal Council, Yurok Public Safety, and Membership ensure adequate supplies of freshwater for their health and well-being.
Second, the production of comparable, quality data generated in this grant results in a defensible basis for data integration across departments and agencies, comparisons across programs and jurisdictions, and allows larger-scale more complex assessments of local conditions within regional and national climate change modeling. This directly benefits and enables the development of comprehensive Tribal planning and policies for long term comprehensive safeguards for Tribal Members’ health and the stewardship of the Yurok environment and resources. For example, during the summer and fall of 2015, there were several Tribal Members who reported gastro-intestinal complaints. Upon review of our bacteria testing in their communities’ drinking source water, we were able to document the presence of high levels of coliform and E. coli and share this information with the Tribal Council, Yurok Planning Department, Yurok Indian Housing, US EPA Region 9 offices, and Indian Health Services. Immediate actions were taken to improve the water treatment. The grant generated data also provided the supporting documentation for the larger of the two communities (Wautec and Weitchpec) to obtain both funding and approval to upgrade their system and transfer one of the private community systems to a Public Utility.
Last, an additional benefit to the larger Yurok community has been educational opportunities including workshops on the science-based expected climate induced changes to the local environment as well as sharing of Yurok traditional ecological knowledge across staffing departments and divisions within the Tribe.
The research was mentioned in several articles and newscasts including:
- Welter, L. May 03, 2016. Tribe mapping environment’s health. Triplicate Newspaper (http://www.triplicate.com/News/Local-News/Tribe-mapping-environments-health)
- Spencer, A. February 09, 2016. Tribe plans for climate change. Triplicate Newspaper (http://www.triplicate.com/News/Local-News/Tribe-plans-for-climate-change)
- Miracle, M. February, 03, 2016. Yurok Tribe Hosts Climate Change Workshop. KIEM News Channel 3 Eureka, CA (http://kiem-tv.com/video/yurok-tribe-hosts-climate-change-workshop)
- Chen, J. April, 27, 2016 Yurok Tribe Holds CChange Workshop. KAEF News Channel 23 Eureka, CA (http://www.krcrtv.com/north-coast-news/news/yurok-tribe-holds-climate-change-workshop/39251762).
Future Activities:
The following activities are planned:
- Continue download of YTEP field generated GIS information as obtained and creation of layers and maps.
- Upload of Yurok data into USFS NorWest database; download of maps showing Lower Klamath River tributaries temperatures by reach.
- Download final temperature data and remove probes starting in March 2017.
- Measure complete season of low flows beginning September 2016.
- Continue water quality testing if indicators of contaminants are present.
- Analyze field data; include Public Health notices into LEO.
- Continue community engagement, Salmon festival outreach, and annual meeting.
- Measure fall's low flows in tributaries and document timing of when tributaries go subsurface and at what quantity of flow.
- Review and verify notes on community concerns and information.
- Select and finalize Request for Proposal for public health consultant and complete health risks report.
- Continue partcipating in Yurok Climate Change Team calls.
- Compile draft of Climate Change Plan and present it to the Culture Committee, Natural Resource Committee, and Tribal Council for review, comment, and approval.
- Compile notes and fact check information for inclusion in the final report.
- Generate Yurok Tribal profile (case study) and post it on the Tribes & Climate Change website.
- Make presentations at conferences.
Journal Articles:
No journal articles submitted with this report: View all 16 publications for this projectSupplemental Keywords:
Harmful algal blooms, HABs, microcystin, paralytic shellfish poison, PSP, domoic acid, salmon, sturgeon, Pacific lamprey, mussels, cyanobacteria, Cryptosporidium, Giardia lamblia;Relevant Websites:
Yurok Tribe Environmental Program (YTEP) Exit
Yurok Tribe Community and Ecosystems Division Exit
Yurok Tribe Community and Ecosystems Division Reports and Documents Exit
Progress and Final Reports:
Original AbstractThe perspectives, information and conclusions conveyed in research project abstracts, progress reports, final reports, journal abstracts and journal publications convey the viewpoints of the principal investigator and may not represent the views and policies of ORD and EPA. Conclusions drawn by the principal investigators have not been reviewed by the Agency.