California Marijuana Cultivation Diverting Stream Resources

In 2015, CDFW biologists and enforcement staff began operations for the newly formed Watershed Enforcement Team (WET). The program's goal is to reduce the environmental impacts associated with illegal marijuana cultivation.

 

Staff and local enforcement agencies inspected more than 200 marijuana cultivation sites on properties in Humboldt, Trinity, Mendocino, Shasta, Tehama and Butte counties.

 

At least 500 violations of the Fish and Game Code were documented, including unauthorized water diversions, streambed alteration, water pollution and trash deposition in streams. CDFW scientists also published a groundbreaking study on marijuana's effect on the environment, titled "Impacts of Surface Water Diversions for Marijuana Cultivation on Aquatic Habitat in Four Northwestern California Watersheds."

 

The study confirmed that diminished stream flow from water-intensive activity is likely to have lethal impacts on state and federally listed salmon and steelhead trout as well as cause further decline of sensitive amphibian species.