Department of Water Resources
A daily compilation of significant news articles and comment
June 7, 2007
3. Watersheds
Senate OKs Salton Sea bill; Restoration effort backed by Dems - Desert Sun
Officials monitoring die-offs of tilapia fish; Scarcity of rotting tides no immediate indication of whether odious cleanup in sea's future - Desert Sun
Salton Sea fish die-off common - Imperial Valley Press
‘Drying Up and Dwindling Away’; The Salton Sea, once known as California’s Riviera, is dying. Inside a new plan to save it – Newsweek
Editorial: Keep pushing
LAKE DAVIS PIKE:
Pike workshop raises questions - Plumas County News
HETCH HETCHY:
Yosemite's Lost Valley -
Editorial: A deal's a deal; Hey, Feds! American River needs its water - Sacramento Bee
Senate OKs
Desert Sun – 6/7/07
By Jake Henshaw and Erica Solvig, staff writers
Without fanfare or debate, state senators on Wednesday gave the green light to launch the restoration effort at the
After a brief introduction by sponsor Sen. Denise Ducheny, a San Diego Democrat, senators voted 21-11 to approve Senate Bill 187.
The bill sets aside $47 million for the initial stages of the restoration, of which $13 million is expected to be available if it's also approved in the state budget. The measure also will create a local-state-federal agency to run the restoration.
This marks the beginning of the long effort to get lawmakers to buy into - and eventually fund - the $8.9 billion restoration effort the state secretary of resources unveiled last month.
"We really are in a position where we must safeguard this valuable resource," Ducheny said.
"It is a huge resource to the state of
Because of a 2003 water deal, less water will flow into the Salton Sea,
Without restoration, the aquatic food chain will die and the exposed lake bed could cause massive air quality issues for the region.
The money in Ducheny's bill will be used to create early start habitat to start protecting fish and birds at the state's largest lake. 
"We're elated," said Rick Daniels, executive director of the La Quinta-based Salton Sea Authority. "It's a major milestone into the funding of the actual activities out there. We'll be able to start building."
The restoration effort will next go to the Assembly, where many of the details on the plan will be worked out in committees.
Wednesday's Senate vote fell along party lines. Sen. Jim Battin, R-La Quinta, didn't vote because he was out ill.
Battin said the bill would have had "more Republican support if I had had time to talk to my colleagues."
"We'll do better in the Assembly,'' he predicted. #
http://www.thedesertsun.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070607/NEWS0701/706070327/1006
Officials monitoring die-offs of tilapia fish; Scarcity of rotting tides no immediate indication of whether odious cleanup in sea's future
Desert Sun – 6/7/07
By Erica Solvig, staff writer
Few tilapia floated to the east shore of the
If the fish sink to the bottom and decompose, a large cleanup of the beach will be averted. However, the smell of the rotting fish underwater has been known to reach the
"We didn't end up with many on the east side," Salton Sea Authority's analyst Dan Cain said Wednesday.
"The wind may have been hard enough. They might have sank."
Sea officials since Monday have been monitoring a die-off of tilapia, the sea's most common fish. Officials aren't sure how many of the fish have died.
Officials haven't determined what caused - or is causing - the die off.
Such die-offs are common when the weather is warm or high winds kick up something in the water. Fish also have died off after large bursts of hydrogen sulfide gas in the sea.
Last August, about 3 million tilapia died. It was the largest die-off since 1999, when some 10 million died in separate incidents.
It's possible some of the fish killed in this week's die-off could still be in the middle of the vast lake, the size of the
Cain expects future die-offs this summer because the tilapia population is so high. Officials have estimated as many as 200 million are in the sea.
"This is going to be an all-summer thing," Cain said. "What the magnitude will be, it's hard to say." #
http://www.desertsunonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070607/NEWS0701/706070348/1006/news01
Salton Sea fish die-off common
Imperial Valley Press – 6/7/07
By Jonathan Athens, staff writer
SALTON SEA — Authorities are not certain what caused an unspecified number of fish in the
One expert speculated the high winds may have churned the sea’s oxygen-poor lower layer up to the oxygen-rich layer causing the freshwater tilapia fish that inhabit the sea to die.
“I just know I had a lot of fish out there. You could see them as far as the eye could see,” said Dan Cain, development specialist for the Salton Sea Authority.
Cain said he saw the dead fish on Monday but high winds, he speculated, may have pushed their carcasses beneath the surface.
Cain said he is uncertain how many fish died.
Fish die-offs at the Salton Sea are common and have been going on for decades, said Jack Crayon, a biologist for the California Fish and Game Department.
An estimated 3 million tilapia died in August at the sea but the population is not threatened, Crayon said because their numbers in the past two years have been making a comeback.
Cold temperatures have been known to kill off the tilapia but the recent die-off could have been caused by oxygen deprivation brought on by algae decay, he said.
Decaying algae release hydrogen sulfide and ammonia into the sea’s lower levels, reducing oxygen content in that level, he said.
High winds stir up the sea, mixing the lower levels to the upper level where tilapia live, he said.
On Wednesday, millions of dried out tilapia carcasses from past die-offs ringed the west shore of the Salton Sea and some fresh carcasses could be seen closer to the water’s edge. #
http://www.ivpressonline.com/articles/2007/06/07/news/news04.txt
‘Drying Up and Dwindling Away’; The Salton Sea, once known as California’s Riviera, is dying. Inside a new plan to save it
Newsweek – 6/6/07
By Terry Greene Sterling
June 6, 2007 - Norm Niver is old enough to remember when
Niver recalls pleasant vacations fishing for saltwater species like orange mouth corvina, sargo and gulf croaker. Millions of migratory birds used the lake as substitute wetlands as development destroyed the state’s natural marshes. Humans flocked to the lake, too. In the 1950s, the Salton Sea was in vogue as “
But now, Niver says his paradise is "drying up and dwindling away." Increasing salinity, thanks to evaporation, salty agricultural runoff and lack of an outlet, has made the water 25 percent saltier than the Pacific, killing off marine fish introduced in the 1940s. “Now we have nothing but wall-to-wall tilapia,” Niver complains—and even those salt-loving fish lie rotting on the shoreline thank to stepped-up salinity and giant algae blooms that rob the water of oxygen. Well-heeled tourists stopped coming decades ago (though birders still come), replaced by a working-class culture of snowbirds, retirees and renegades. Without help, Niver and other locals now believe the sea’s days are numbered. “We are afraid the sea could die at any time; there’s a serious sense of urgency,” says Rick Daniels, executive director of the Salton Sea Authority, a group of local and tribal governments formed in 1993 to push for a rescue plan. The sea’s pressing environmental problems and offbeat characters are even the focus of a recent documentary narrated by underground film director John Waters, “Plagues and Pleasures on the Salton Sea,” which airs June 26 and 29 on the Sundance Channel.
Help may be on the way. Late last month, California Secretary of Resources Mike Chrisman unveiled an ambitious $8.9 billion, 75-year plan to revive the dying sea. Chrisman’s plan, mandated by law, calls for saving the sea by reducing it to about one fifth of its current size. The proposal calls for the building of a 45,000-acre recreational marine lake—shaped like a horseshoe, held in place by a rocky walled shoreline and intended for fishing, boating and waterskiing. Engineers would lower the salt levels of the rejiggered sea to Pacific levels, so the marine species Niver loved could thrive again. The plan also calls for an additional 62,000 acres of wetlands—like habitat for other fish and millions of birds. Chrisman's proposal aims to improve water quality and, on the new shoreline, prevent dust storms by stabilizing the soil with salt-loving plants. The plan, which Chrisman calls a “75-year vision” to avert ecological disaster, was chosen from hundreds of alternatives, including piping water from the
Environmentalists and locals applaud the call for early construction of habitat for birds and fish. But the Salton Sea Coalition, a group of 13 environmental organizations, complains that the current plan spends billions needlessly on a recreational lake that will only benefit developers anxious to erect more subdivisions near the sea. "Let developers pay for the lake since they are the ones that will benefit," says Julia Levin, a policy director for the National Audubon Society. The Coalition favors a scaled-down $2 billion plan that would restore wetlands and improve water and air quality. But Daniels of the Salton Sea Authority, which represents local interests including developers, counters that the lake will provide additional habitat for birds and fish. Still, he worries that the horseshoe shape may not be attractive to boaters and other recreational users. And many locals don't want the lake shrunk at all.
Everyone agrees on one thing: the
“We’re very hopeful we’ll get the funding, there are no guarantees,” he says. But there are signs some money may flow. State Sen. Denise Ducheny, a San Diego Democrat, says about $90 million in state and federal funds are now earmarked for the first five years of the restoration project—in part to pay for desperately needed "early habitat" for fish and birds. Money to build the new lake, estimated to cost from $4 billion to $7 billion, would be harder to come by. Daniels says local governments figure they can raise about $1 billion to foot part of the bill. And Senator Ducheny says it’s not crucial to find all the money now. “We don’t need all of the money ($8.9 billion) to start restoring the sea,” says Ducheny. “I don’t think we need to panic. Some of the money won’t be necessary for 10 or 15 years.”
Most agree with Ducheny that some restoration should begin immediately. That’s because the Sea’s water is about to disappear more rapidly. In 2003, a series of agreements laid out a 75-year plan that commits some Colorado River water to be transferred from Imperial Valley farms to
Niver, who is profiled in the “Plagues and Pleasures” documentary, is glad that the sea’s problems are finally being addressed. He would love the sea to be restored to its heyday in the 1950s, but he calls himself a “realist” and believes the Chrisman plan is better than no plan at all. “I have thousands of big white pelicans in front of my house,” he says. “I keep a light on at night so they can feed. I have my own habitat here.” Niver hopes his habitat—and that of the fish and birds—can make a comeback. Perhaps he may soon get his wish. #
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/19074480/site/newsweek/page/2/
Editorial: Keep pushing
Desert Sun – 6/7/07
The
The good news came Tuesday when Senate Bill 187 passed. The bill, sponsored by Sen. Denise Ducheny, D-San Diego, is intended to get restoration underway by creating the consortium that will oversee the work. The bill's next stop is the state Assembly.
We all must keep the momentum going by contacting our state assembly members. Call the governor's office and let him know you want the
It's important that you do this and spread the word as much as possible because there are other projects around the state that need attention and funding. We must continue to work to push the
Public health and environmental wellbeing depend on it. #
http://www.thedesertsun.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070607/OPINION01/706070323/1004/opinion
LAKE DAVIS PIKE:
Pike workshop raises questions
By Diana Jorgenson, Portola Editor
The Pike Project Economic Impacts Workshop given in Portola on May 22 was better attended than most Department of Fish and Game workshops and was the sequel to an economic impact workshop given last summer that also drew interest - and criticism.
The
During that previous workshop, Dr. David Gallo of
The study also compared three of the five alternative projects under consideration and made comparison studies of scenarios culminating in successful eradication, unsuccessful eradication, and 11-year cycles of repeated chemical treatments.
Project Manager Ed Pert agrees with the assertion put forth in the environmental impact report/environmental impact statement drafted by the DFG that there are no plans for repeated poisonings of
Public participants at the 2006 meeting were also less than supportive of the study itself and questioned almost every supposition underlying its conclusions.
Among those critical of the study's perspective, Fran Roudebush objected to the fact that only out-of-county anglers were interviewed and that the impact on local users of
The study was built upon the foundation of a series of questions directed at 198 visitors to four boat ramps on
The final group of 40 interviewees must have been a frugal group, for their responses lowered the average daily expenditure of each of the 198 tourists by $4.50, from $35.60 to $31.06. Because these expenditures were the basis for local income estimates as well as for the baseline evaluation, this $4.50 difference extrapolated out for 22 years made huge differences in the final tallies- as much as $2 million in some of the charts.
All of the conclusions and monetary tabulations in the final version of the
In addition to criticisms about who was interviewed and how many responses formed the database, criticism was directed at the timing of the interviews. In the seasonal tourism industry, July and August is the peak of the season. Income in either of these months can more than double income from either of the bookend months, June or September.
Had the interviews been conducted during peak season, not only would there be more people to interview, but these same people were likely to differ in their spending habits and skew the financial conclusions in an entirely different direction.
There were other problems with the study. The
According to Gallo, the smaller the population focus, the less reliable the result. Portola was too small to be applied to the IMPLAN matrix, so the whole of
The study was also criticized for its low estimation of "Annual Visitor Days," which were based on U.S. Forest Service campground records, DFG's own angler surveys in 1986, 1998 and 2001, and Center for Economic Development counts during September and October of 2005.
EIR/EIS conclusions
In the face of these (and other) criticisms of the Chico study examining economic impact to the Lake Davis surround, the final draft of the EIR/EIS used the higher cost findings of the earlier computations. DFG also found the study useful in deciding between alternatives.
The
The EIR proposes: "Over the next 20 years, the indirect economic benefits attributed to projected levels of recreation activity and associated spending in Plumas County (under Alternative chosen) is estimated to average approximately $2.28 million in annual economic output, $1.33 million in annual income and 52 annual jobs.
"In the short term, however, Alternative D would result in adverse economic impacts in
The EIR/EIS foresees no significant impact on property values around
While the
During this past meeting, community members brought these caveats along with their other concerns. Property owners remain unconvinced that their property will not suffer economic loss because of the poisoning.
Response to community
In response to these concerns, the DFG hired forensic accountant Jim McCurley of RGL Forensic Accountants and Consultants to work with local businesses. In his presentation, he solicited businesses that wished to participate in an assessment of short-term loss.
Also in answer to ongoing concerns regarding property values, the DFG hired Reese Perkins of Johnson-Perkins and Associates to study local property values and circumstances.
Both of these men will establish a baseline of values and statistics prior to chemical treatment in September 2007, and gather data following treatment to measure differences.
Reports generated by this process will go to the DFG who will use this information to inform the Legislature.
Natalie Sablan, field representative for Assemblyman Rick Keene, was on hand to explain the yearly legislative process. (Senator Dave Cox's field representative was unable to attend.) Because bills need to be introduced into committee this fall, which may allow insufficient time to determine impact, Sablan explained that the process could be delayed until the following year until all data had been gathered.
The Lake Davis Steering Committee has now formed an Economic Working Group as the pike project nears implementation. Fran Roudebush, Steve Clifton, John Williamson and B.J. Pearson form the membership of that group.
In addition to redress by legislation, citizens can at any time file a claim against the government for perceived injury. This avenue is completely different and available to individuals. Roudebush brought forms to the meeting and explained the process.
In addition to the questions and concerns carried over from the first economic impact meeting, the public had still other issues they felt needed addressing.
Several businesses felt that they had never recovered from the 1997 poisoning.
"It's been a downward spiral ever since that peak in 1997," said one business owner.
Pike project spokespersons attribute that downturn in tourism to the fact that pike are still in the lake. Because the 1997 treatment was a failure, it is not possible to separate the pike influence from the poisoning reaction.
The Pike Eradication Project is expected to cost $16.7 million - $5 million for EIR/EIS preparation and planning and $11.7 million for implementation. These figures include known mitigation measures and their costs.
The bulk of the project will be paid for with Proposition 50 funds under CALFED.
"This is appropriate, said Pert, "because one of the CALFED Ecosystem Restoration Program's strategic objectives is to halt the unauthorized introduction and spread of potentially harmful non-native introduced species of fish, such as northern pike in
http://plumasnews.com/news_story.edi?sid=5175
HETCH HETCHY:
Yosemite's Lost Valley
Much of the glacially carved valley now lies under 300 feet of water. It was dammed and flooded more than 80 years ago to supply drinking water and hydropower to the
For years, environmentalists have advocated draining the Hetch Hetchy Reservoir and returning the valley to its original splendor, while opponents say that would cost a bundle at a time when
A recent study by the state Department of Water Resources has intensified the debate.
It found the project was “technically feasible” — and backers of the dismantling cheered. But opponents pounced on the report’s estimated price tag of $3 billion to $10 billion — a figure supporters dispute as inflated.
Conservationists see an opportunity to restore what Muir called a “wonderfully exact counterpart” to Yosemite Valley, the national park’s most famous attraction, known for towering granite monuments like
They say it’s possible to dismantle the O’Shaughnessy Dam, replace the lost water storage downstream on the
“We could create a better
But the campaign faces stiff resistance. Opponents say the project would compromise the Bay Area’s water supply and there are more pressing infrastructure needs. What’s more, they say, visitors today can still enjoy the 7-mile-long reservoir and its dramatic landscape.
Two state Assembly members — Democrats Lois Wolk and Joe Canciamilla — are looking for ways to fund more in-depth studies.
“We need to move forward with the next level of analysis,” Canciamilla said. “This is a unique part of
But officials in
Susan Leal, the commission’s general manager, said
“The proposal doesn’t make sense,” Leal said. “I think it’s a real misplaced priority.”
Restoring Hetch Hetchy also would require
Sen. Dianne Feinstein, a former
An earlier generation of conservationists fought the damming of Hetch Hetchy. Muir led the opposition in one of the country’s first major environmental battles — a struggle that transformed the Sierra Club into a political force.
The Sierra Club founder was reportedly heartbroken when President Wilson signed the 1913 Raker Act allowing
“It’s a piece of unfinished work that John Muir left to his heirs,” said Bruce Hamilton, the Sierra Club’s conservation director. “We realize this is a campaign that will take a long time because there is such fierce political opposition to it.”
In 1988, President Reagan’s interior secretary, Don Hodel, ordered the first government study into restoring Hetch Hetchy as a way to relieve overcrowding in neighboring
“The park is a million acres, but Yosemite Valley, where everyone wants to go, is 5,400 acres,” said Hodel, who now runs a consulting firm in
That federal study found it was possible to restore the valley, but the idea ran into fierce opposition from
Deborah Huber, a retired
“I think it’s beautiful with the lake, but I bet it was beautiful without it,” Huber said, standing on the giant dam. “(But) if it was restored to something like
The latest push for restoration began in 2001 when
A 2003 study by the University California, Davis, and a 2004 report by Environmental Defense each argued that it was possible to drain the reservoir and replace most of the water storage capacity with expanded reservoirs downstream. Water transfers and purchases from other districts would make up the difference. They project that native grasses, plants, trees and animals would return to the valley floor within several years.
Those studies — and a series of Pulitzer Prize-winning editorials by the Sacramento Bee — prompted Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger to order the state Department of Water Resources to review the previous restoration studies.
The state report concluded that more extensive studies were needed to get a better cost estimate, but any further exploration must involve local, state and federal agencies and stakeholders.
Despite the opposition, environmentalists insist their campaign is slowly gaining momentum as more people learn about Hetch Hetchy and the opportunity to restore it.
“The genie is out of the bottle,” said Ron Good, who heads the advocacy group Restore Hetch Hetchy. “The American people have awakened to the fact that Hetchy Hetchy is available to us as it should be.” #
http://www.tahoebonanza.com/article/20070606/ENVIRONMENT/70606001
Editorial: A deal's a deal; Hey, Feds!
Nearly two years ago, federal and local officials ended a decades-long dispute about the lower
That plan was to be cemented in place through a document known as a flow standard. That standard has yet to materialize. And recent events raise the possibility that progress on finishing this flow standard could be threatened by the massive water problems facing the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta.
The coming weeks and months will reveal whether the deal on the
The
Because water from the
The Bureau of Reclamation has been doing the right thing by providing those flows. But it is one thing to do it year by year. It is another to etch the protocols in stone. And this is where some recent twists and turns come in.
The bureau's plan to provide the necessary flows for the
There is a local strategy to prevent the
Unless every layer of government follows the plan, the arrangement could unravel, and the
The river needs a better flow standard. Now more than ever. #
http://www.sacbee.com/110/story/208706.html
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