The Box Canyon Run on California's Sacramento River is a favorite for locals and people from around the region. The water quality of the reach has been impacted by the wastewater treatment plant at Mt. Shasta, with the notable "Brown Trout" rapid immediately downstream from the outfall. This August, a tentative new NPDES permit under the Clean Water Act for the treatment plant was put out for comment, and American Whitewater supported provisions in the tentative permit that provide more stringent disinfection standards when flows are at a level that is runnable for boating (i.e., protective of contact recreation). Box Canyon is run year-round when there is enough water in the river, which is when the dam is spilling. American Whitewater and our members helped to let the Water Board know when people run the river and at what levels - offering a guide for when the additional protections are needed. We applaud the Water Board for writing a permit that is protective of whitewater recreation, and taking a unique approach to the NPDES permit.

For more information about the permit and to see the other comments that were received, visit the California Water Board's Tentative Orders page. (Scroll down to Siskiyou County, City of Mt. Shasta.) The Water Board is expected to release their response to comments soon.