Native American Culture Beneficial Uses – Tribal Cultural Uses of Water

Background

Since time immemorial, Indigenous people have used water to support their cultural, spiritual, ceremonial, and/or traditional lifeways and rights. The North Coast Water Board acknowledged these uses of water in 2003 by adopting a region-specific beneficial use definition into the Basin Plan, through a Basin Plan amendment process largely informed by Native American Tribes indigenous to the North Coast Region.

Chapter 2 of the Basin Plan identifies the Native American Culture (CUL) beneficial use along with others to be protected across the North Coast Region. These beneficial uses include the uniform statewide list of beneficial uses and descriptions adopted by the State Water Board in 1972, as updated in 1996, as well as five region specific beneficial uses including Native American Culture (CUL). 
The North Coast Native American Culture (CUL) beneficial use is defined as follows:

Native American Culture (CUL): Uses of water that support the cultural and/or traditional rights of indigenous people such as subsistence fishing and shellfish gathering, basket weaving and jewelry material collection, navigation to traditional ceremonial locations, and ceremonial uses.

Current Project

The North Coast Water Board approved the 2023 Triennial Review at a Board Hearing in June 2024.  As part of that process, the Native American Culture Beneficial Uses project was prioritized for consistent staffing throughout the triennial review workplan period (Fiscal Years 2024-2027). The current project will consider new designation requests from Tribes and confirm applicability of water quality objectives for prior designations.

Designating the Native American Culture (CUL) beneficial use elsewhere in the region as appropriate is an important step in recognizing and protecting Tribal uses of water.

As part of this project, the North Coast Water Board seeks to build and strengthen respectful relationships with Tribes in the North Coast Region. Letters inviting Tribal consultation on the scope of the Native American Culture Beneficial Uses project were mailed in 2025 to all California Native American Tribes with ancestral connections to the North Coast Region, regardless of federal recognition status. Consultation is open and ongoing. Tribes are encouraged to contact staff to discuss this project and ensure Tribal contact information is current.

This webpage will be updated regularly with project information for all interested parties. An email subscription list has also been created for the project (North Coast Water Board email subscription link).
North Coast Water Board staff would like to meet with Tribes early in the project to share information, answer questions, and hear initial feedback. A designation request template is being developed to streamline the request process and clarify what information is required. Financial and technical support will be available to support Tribal work and participation in the process. New designation requests will be solicited in 2027, and various forms of support will be made available.

The State Water Board also adopted Tribal Beneficial Use definitions, in 2017. These do not supersede the North Coast Water Board’s existing beneficial uses definition for Native American Culture. Information about the State Water Board’s Tribal Beneficial Uses project, as well as information about tribal beneficial uses in other regions across the state can be found on the State Water Board's Tribal Affairs website.

There will be several opportunities for public input during the project, including the CEQA scoping workshop and comment period, as well as the project Draft Staff Report comment period and Board Workshop planned during that timeframe. Announcements of public input opportunities will be shared on this webpage and through the project email subscription list.