The Impacts of Marijuana Activity on Fish (AFRP/Short Title) or
Assessing the Effect of Marijuana Activity on the Biotic Integrity of Streams in Northern California
A Quick! Review of Anadromous Fish, Marijuana Growing, and the Watersheds At Risk
THE POTENTIAL IMPACTS OF MARIJUANA
CULTIVATION
BACKGROUND: Chinook salmon populations have been severely reduced in the
Sacramento-San Joaquin system during historical times. In addition, even though
there is no estimate of what historic steelhead (Oncorhynchus mykiss) populations
might have been, the Central Valley Evolutionary Significant Unit (ESU) has been
determined to be at risk of extinction.
The Central Valley spring-run Chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha) ESU is
currently faced with three primary limiting factors and threats:
(1) loss of most historic spawning habitat;
(2) degradation of the remaining habitat; and
(3) genetic threats from the Feather River Fish Hatchery (FRFH) spring-run Chinook
salmon program (NMFS 2009).
Locally, Tehama County is particularly known for illegal marijuana
cultivation. In August 2010, law enforcement officials on the
Lassen National Forest found 27 growing sites. These sites
(harvested and burned by law enforcement) contained an
estimated 98,000 plants, with a street value of nearly half a billion
dollars.
BUT FIRST, SOME BACKGROUND ON MARIJUANA
TERMS
“Cannabis”: Cannabis sativa, the scientific name of the plant.
“Marijuana”: cannabis grown for its THC content.
“Hemp”: cannabis with low levels of THC.
THC: tetra-hydro-cannabinol , the pharmacologically active ingredient in marijuana is
“Grow” (noun): an agricultural operation producing marijuana.
“215 Grow” – claims to be producing medical marijuana, usually on private land.
“Cartel Grow” - refers to suspected connection to an illegal drug trafficking organization.
“Trespass Grow” – without landowner permission, often on public land.
TYPES OF CULTIVATORS
Trespass Growers • Drug Trafficking Organizations
(DTO)—cartel
• Proposition 215 -215 growers exceeding local
ordinances for profit
-DTO growing for profit under 215 guise
PRIVATE LANDS: A NEW FRONTIER FOR
MARIJUANA GROWERS
California’s private property fences and
property lines violated daily
Trespassing marijuana growers are setting
booby traps, resorting to violence and
vandalism
And, spoiling the land by stealing water and
spraying dangerous chemicals that leach
into streams and harm wildlife
IMPACTS: TWO CATEGORIES
1. Development 2. Operational
REFUSE
Spring
Tributary to Marshall
Crossing Ck, trib to
Mill Ck, thence Trinity
River
NUTRIENTS / AMMONIA
LEADING TO EUTROPHICATION/TOXICITY
Fertilizers
Yellow Legged Frog at Red Mountain Grow
POLLUTION
Up to one pound of fertilizer is used for six marijuana plants throughout the season
Growing 12,000 plants equates to approximately 2,000 lbs. of fertilizer applied
Pesticides are used in large quantities
Bioaccumulation: Rodent killers keep on killing
Plant hormones seep into streams/groundwater
Human waste/garbage is typically not remediated
FERTILIZERS
DEFORESTATION
Hoopa, September 2010
GRADING AND ROAD CONSTRUCTION
TYPES OF PESTICIDES
Insecticides Organochlorine
(Lindane, Chlordane, Toxaphene)
Organophosphate (malathion, diazinon, dursban)
Carbamate (carbofuran, aldicarb, carbaryl)
Pyrethroid (Permethrin)
TYPES OF PESTICIDES
Rodenticides Zinc Phosphide
(rat/mouse bait)
Strychnine (gopher bait)
AntiCoagulants
Herbicides Glyphosate
(Roundup®)
2,4-D (Weed B Gon®)
NO BMP’S OR STREAM PROTECTION
NO BMP’S OR STREAM PROTECTION
WATER USE/STREAM DIVERSIONS
MARIJUANA PLANT WATER DEMAND
≈ 150 day watering period
Up to 5 gallons to 15 gallons per plant per day
Streams cannot support fish and provide large amounts of water to growers during low flows
DEWATERING STREAMS
August 2010
L A N D C O N V E R S I O N
July 2011
POST MOUNTAIN 2005
POST MOUNTAIN 2012
AFRP AREA OF COVERAGE
Photo by Doug Killam
Photo by Thomas Dunklin
Central Valley Chinook
and Steelhead
SPRING-RUN CHINOOK HISTORIC AND CURRENT
DISTRIBUTION, NORTHERN SACRAMENTO VALLEY
Excerpt, NMFS 2014 Draft Recovery Plan
human activity
source
additional step in causal pathway
proximate stressor
response
modifying factor
LEGEND
mode of action
Simple conceptual diagram for TOXIC CHEMICALS
Developed 7/2007 by Kate Schofield, Suzanne Marcy & Glenn Suter; modified 6/2010
mining & resource
extraction
↑ bioavailability, uptake, or toxicity
Road-related
channel alteration
agriculture Mariuana production
environmental conditions
↑ delivery of toxics to streams
watershed & riparian
devegetation
↓ condition
↑ toxic chemicals
↑ episodic exposures ↑ sustained exposures
↑ mortality
∆ ecosystem processes ∆ population & community structure
↓ reproductive success
∆ behavior ↑ susceptibility to
other stressors ↓ growth
↑ toxics in soil
↑ toxics in subsurface
waters
↑ toxics in surface runoff
↑ toxics in wet or dry deposition
↑ toxics in discharged
waters
THE AFRP-FUNDED STUDY Current legal marijuana cultivation is relatively unregulated with regards to the effect on natural resources,
although efforts by certain state agencies and county governments have been initiated (e.g. North Coast
Agricultural Lands Discharge Program).
Illegal/Cartel growing is a chronic, if not increasing , problem. If deemed significant, this perturbation could
suppress wild fish populations for an indeterminate period and further hamper recovery of listed species
and/or populations.
There is a need to assess this potential impact on anadromous fish populations, particularly special status
species, and identify the significance of its impact. This will allow resource agencies involved with species
recovery and restoration to more effectively address a prioritized set of impacts and focus the restoration
efforts accordingly.
Steps in the study:
Step 1. Develop the information and tools needed to define the potential stressors caused by marijuana
production using the EPA’s Causal Analysis or another comparable procedure to analyze all available data in
specific northern California stream systems. Ultimately, the study plan including this non-biased analysis will
compare the threats of marijuana cultivation relative to historic and present land-use activities in the
watershed.
Step 2. Conduct monitoring activities within the selected watershed and at secured marijuana fields following
law enforcement activities.
Step 3. Finalize two sampling protocols; one for evaluating targeted reaches and watershed condition affected
by MCSs and one for determining impacts of marijuana cultivation on specific sites. The later protocol will
provide data for prosecuting individual cultivators committing environmental crimes.
Step 4. Produce a report to communicate the effects of marijuana cultivation on biotic integrity and
anadromous fish; identify and prioritize areas to protect and/or restore; and develop a process and/or data
that can be used to quantify those effects.
MF Cottonwood Creek
Study Site
Antelope Creek Study Site(s)
CONTACT INFORMATION
NORTHERN AREA AFRP
Tricia Parker Hamelberg, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, (530) 527-3043, [email protected]
Brenda Olson, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, (530) 527-3043, [email protected] or Tricia Bratcher, CA Dept. of Fish and Wildlife, (530) 225-3845, [email protected] Mike Healey (Butte Cr), CA Dept. of Fish and Wildlife, (916) 358-4334, [email protected] Also visit the AFRP website at: http://www.fws.gov/stockton/afrp/ Photos courtesy of OSPR, D. Bickford and P. Bratcher
WHO CAN YOU REPORT TO?
Determine Jurisdiction County Sheriff, CDFW, DOJ, Federal Agency
Roles and Responsibilities Sheriff: Usually the lead agency on private land CDFW: Lead agency for state and CDFW land
Supports allied agencies Lead agency for environmental issues WET TEAM!
DOJ: Usually handles cases where county boundaries are crossed
Federal Agencies: US Forest Service, BLM and Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA)
AGENCY CONTACTS Shasta County Sheriff’s Office- Sgt Barry Powell
phone (530) 351-5240
email: [email protected]
Tehama County Sheriff’s Office- Detective Chris Benson
Phone: (530) 529-7920
email: [email protected]
CA Dept. of Fish and Wildlife- Lt. DeWayne Little , WET Team
phone: (530) 604-9789
email: [email protected]
U.S. Forest Service- Captain Chad Krogstad
phone: (530) 226-2591
email: [email protected]
U.S. Bureau of Land Management- Supervising Ranger Kenyon Riley
phone: 530-224-2100
email: [email protected]