Bonanza STP - Secondary Wastewater Treatment in Bonanza, Oregon

Bonanza STP is a municipal wastewater treatment plant located in Bonanza, Klamath County, Oregon, serving a small population of 897 residents. The facility is situated in the Klamath Basin, an arid region of southern Oregon near the California border. The plant provides secondary treatment, which is the standard level required by the U.S. Clean Water Act for municipal wastewater. It has a designed capacity of 264.98 million gallons per year and discharges an annual volume of 37.85 million gallons. As a small facility, it operates under a National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit issued by the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality, ensuring compliance with water quality standards. The treated effluent is discharged into a local water body within the Klamath River watershed. The Klamath River flows through Oregon and California before reaching the Pacific Ocean. The plant's operations help protect downstream aquatic habitats, including those supporting endangered fish species such as the Lost River sucker and shortnose sucker.

Bonanza STP discharges into a tributary of the Klamath River, which flows through the Klamath Basin and ultimately empties into the Pacific Ocean in northern California. The Klamath Basin is a semi-arid region with significant agricultural and ecological importance. The river supports diverse aquatic life, including salmon and trout populations, and is subject to water quality and flow management due to competing demands. The plant's secondary treatment helps reduce nutrient and pathogen loads, protecting downstream water quality in this sensitive watershed.