Department of Water Resources
A daily compilation of significant news articles and comment
June 18, 2007
3. Watersheds -
Tahoe water trail in works
The route exists, but a proposed law would get the word out to paddlers.
The Sacramento
By M.S. Enkoji - Bee Staff Writer
A water trail that hugs the 72-mile shoreline of
The water trail would provide a designated recreational path for non-motorized boaters -- much like a land trail for hikers. The hope is that having an official water trail would encourage paddling along the shore on a days-long journey that includes camping, picnicking or hiking along the way, said Sue Rae Irelan, a recreational analyst with the California Tahoe Conservancy.
The proposed law, which swept through the state Assembly and is under scrutiny by state Senate committees, could reach the governor's desk by the fall, said Ted Gaines, the Republican assemblyman from
"It expands recreational activity in a unique way, and it's an opportunity to view the lake from non-motorized watercraft," he said.
Gaines' bill would designate the California Tahoe Conservancy, the agency responsible for protecting the lake, as the leader in planning amenities along the trail.
A completed trail plan would have to be submitted to the state Legislature by January 2009.
At least a third of the lake's shoreline is in neighboring
The route for the water trail exists on a map sold by Adventure Maps Inc. But supporters say more formal planning is needed to improve lake access for paddlers, promote safety and get the word out to tourists, Gaines said.
It would be the second official water trail in the state, he said.
Planning is moving along on the San Francisco Bay Area Water Trail created by a similar state law in 2005. That trail will circle the bay with the possibility of more than 80 locations for paddle watercraft to get in and out of the bay.
An increase in kayaking and canoeing along
"Kayaking is exploding, but nobody is managing it," she said.
Signs that point out campsites and shore access to restaurants and restrooms would help alleviate conflicts, Irelan said. The plan also could address a way to better reserve campsites and room accommodations, she said.
"That's all good," said Bill Griffith, a veteran kayaking and canoeing instructor in
Griffith, 80, who steps out of his backyard 265 days of the year to paddle the
The high volume of motorboats on
A group of 1,800 property owners on the lakefront opposes the legislation because its long-range effects are unclear, said Jan Brisco, executive director of the Tahoe Lakefront Owners Association.
Trespassing and the effects of increased boat traffic on shore erosion are among the concerns that property owners have raised, Brisco said.
"It's just the tip of the iceberg. That's what we are certainly concerned about," she said.
The bill also could unnecessarily increase the bureaucracy guiding the lake's destiny, she said.
Gaines said he is aware of the property owners' objections but that he believes his proposal is transparent in its objective.
"I'm not trying to create a big bureaucracy. I'm just trying to get information out," he said.#
http://www.sacbee.com/101/story/225958.html
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