Nestle Waters NA just announced that they're abandoning their plans to bottle McCloud River water.

Citing a poor economy and a new plant in the Sacramento area, Nestle said they will not pursue a new contract with the McCloud Community Services District and will leave the town of McCloud.

CalTrout staff, members and supporters have fought to protect the McCloud River and its fish since the first contract was signed in 2003.

Last August, Nestle announced the cancellation of the original contract that gave Nestle a 99-year right to bottle McCloud River water and ground water pumped from the 240-acre plot it had purchased in the town of McCloud.  It has since studied smaller options.

"We understand Nestle's decision to not continue the siting process of locating a bottling plant in McCloud," said Debra Anderson, President of the McCloud Watershed Council.  "With the Nestle project no longer an issue, we are looking forward to both assisting Nestle in any way we can to find a buyer for its 240 acre property in McCloud and in working with community members and other local organizations to develop plans for and to help bring about sustainable economical development in McCloud."

CalTrout was instrumental in forming the Protect Our Waters Coaltion with the McCloud Watershed Council and Trout Unlimited to protect the water, fish and the community's quality of life from the originally-proposed 1-million-square-foot plant.  After many years of negotiations, Nestle, CalTrout and the Coalition persuaded Nestle to abandon the original contract and conduct a two-year study of Squaw Valley Creek, a tributary of the McCloud River.

"The protection of the cold, clean spring waters that feed the McCloud River has been our primary objective throughout this process", said Curtis Knight, Mount Shasta Area Manager for California Trout.  "In particular, we were pleased by Nestle's commitment last year to undertake a two-year scientific study on Squaw Valley Creek.  The studies being implemented are cutting edge, comprehensive and the increased knowledge of the watershed is a benefit to the community."

This is an enormous victory for the McCloud River, its fish and the community. Its also a victory for you.  Without CalTrout's dedicated members and supporters, this wouldn't have happened.