A daily compilation of significant news articles and comment
August 13, 2007
3. Watersheds
KLAMATH RIVER :
Discord threatens Klamath River water talks; Klamath: Refuge farms 'a deal-killer' - Sacramento
QUAGGA MUSSELLS:
Officials Fear Spread of Invasive Mussel - Associated Press
Destructive mussels reach lake - Arizona Republic
Editorial: Salton sink; A plan to manage lake's demise makes sense -
DELTA ISSUES:
Letters to the Editor: Act fast to sustain the Delta - Sacramento Bee
INVASIVE WEEDS:
Invasive arundo plant to be removed in Stillwater - Redding Record Searchlight
HETCH HETCHY:
‘Raise Hetchy’ stickers raise ire -
KLAMATH RIVER :
Discord threatens Klamath River water talks; Klamath: Refuge farms 'a deal-killer'
Sacramento
By David Whitney, staff writer
"Let's do what's best for the fish, farmers, the tribes and the fishermen," Rep. Greg Walden, R-Ore., pleaded, with fellow GOP Reps. John Doolittle of Roseville and Wally Herger of Marysville sitting in solidarity with him at the witness table. "Let's encourage them to find common ground, not rub salt in old wounds when they are so close to an historic agreement of enormous significance."
But as the projected November deadline for a deal moves steadily nearer, environmental and Indian tribal leaders are raising concerns that the pact that everyone so desperately wants is in danger of slipping away because of what they see as political manipulation.
"Whatever comes out of these negotiations has to have a scientific basis, rather than a political basis," said Clifford Lyle Marshall, Hoopa Valley Tribe chairman. "There were political strings being pulled before the negotiations started -- and they are still in play."
Critics warn that the evolving 60-year agreement is being shaped by Bush administration officials and is looking more and more like a $250 million-plus gift to irrigators, assuring them of ample water and subsidized power to pump it in exchange for a huge but possibly elusive environmental victory -- knocking down four dams on the river.
The hydroelectric dams are owned by Portland, Ore.-based PacifiCorp, which is no longer involved in the talks.
"PacifiCorp hasn't committed to anything," said Steve Pedery, spokesman and conservation director for Oregon Wild, an environmental group now excluded from the talks because it wouldn't sign on to a binding 23-page "settlement framework" in January.
"The framework is what we had to agree to in order to get a seat at the table with PacifiCorp," Pedery said.
Greg Addington, director of the Klamath Water Users Association and a strong advocate of a negotiated settlement, said he was disappointed that critics are beginning to go public before a deal is done. "I'd hope that we could work these things out amongst ourselves and not in the media," he said. But he added that even among irrigators there are "big concerns," despite assurances of water and subsidized power.
"The certainty to irrigators is a value to us," he said. "But it comes at a cost to us. It is not all roses for us. The settlement, if implemented as it is today, will be painful for us."
Alex Pitts, a U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service official, declined comment, other than to say the talks are not being directed by the administration.
Some 26 groups are involved in the secret talks, including representatives of state and federal agencies, local governments, Indian tribes, environmental groups, irrigators and fishing organizations. Participants have signed confidentiality pledges.
The fight over Klamath water is a textbook example of a conflict so complex and long-standing that the best promise for success is a negotiated settlement.
Farmers rely on the same water for irrigation that fishermen and Indian tribes need for the health of fish, and in many years there is too little of it.
Complicating the tensions are federal laws protecting endangered fish and nearly a century of federal policies that drained once-rich wetlands for migratory birds and converted them into irrigation-dependent farmland for homesteaders.
The problems came to a head in 2001 when outraged farmers had their water supply turned off during a prolonged drought to save water for salmon runs.
The tables turned in 2002 when water was restored to farmers while reduced downriver flows of sun-heated water created ideal conditions for the spread of a pathogen that killed an estimated 70,000 salmon.
That massive die-off, the worst in
Settlement talks began in 2005, about the time PacifiCorp applied to relicense its dams for up to 50 years. Environmentalists want the dams removed to reopen the upper Klamath to salmon.
Several participants said hopes for a balanced agreement began to fade last fall and accelerated with the settlement group's release of the January framework. Among its many principles, the details of which are now being negotiated, is a pledge to increase minimum water supplies for irrigators, and protect farming operations on the 39,000-acre Tule Lake National Wildlife Refuge, where costly pumping drains rich lake-bottom lands for farming.
Environmentalists long have opposed refuge farming, saying places like
Felice Pace of the Klamath Forest Alliance said the deal is looking more and more like a bargain with the devil -- the promise of dam removals in exchange for binding water rights for farmers. Also troubling is the decision to virtually exclude
"When and if this settlement happens, the governors of
http://www.sacbee.com/111/story/321042.html
QUAGGA MUSSELLS:
Officials Fear Spread of Invasive Mussel
Associated Press – 8/10/07
By Moises D.
The thumb-sized quagga mussels, which can clog pipes and gum up waterworks, have already been discovered in lakes Mead, Havasu and Mojave on the Colorado River and in two major aqueducts that supply water to Southern California and
Officials announced this week that they had also found tiny quagga larvae in
Quagga mussels, close cousins of the better known zebra mussels, are almost impossible to totally exterminate. The small clam-like creatures damage local aquatic life and can cause millions of dollars in damage to water facilities. They also damage marinas and boat motors.
The big fear is that the mussels will infiltrate canals and pipelines feeding the Southwest's vast system of reservoirs and water treatment plants, sending maintenance costs skyrocketing.
And, already, the mollusks are making water treatment managers squirm.
In March about 800 mussels were found in the 242-mile Colorado River Aqueduct, which supplies water to 18 million people, said Bob Muir, a spokesman with the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California.
Portions of it were closed for 10 days in July to inspect the system and destroy larvae.
Officials are spending $5 million for a special control system that includes increased water chlorination and equipment that will help them evaluate quagga infestations, Muir said.
"It's a matter of controlling and containing them. We'll never be able to truly eradicate quaggas from our system," he said.
"We've seen in the
A few mussels have also been discovered in the Central Arizona Project aqueduct, which draws water from
The quasi-public agency is trying to prevent their spread by stocking the aqueduct with redear sunfish, which are thought to eat the mussels, said John Newman, an assistant general manager.
"We just really don't know what will happen at this point," Newman said.
Other agencies are quickly creating plans to deal with their spread.
The Salt River Project, which provides water and power to the
Prevailing wisdom is that ships emptying ballast water are responsible for introducing quagga mussels to the
In 2006, authorities exterminated zebra mussels at a quarry in
Once quagga mussels arrive, they're usually there to stay, he said.
"The best way to avoid these problems is to prevent them in the first place," McMahon said. "There are all sorts of non-indigenous species that have been introduced to the
In an attempt to prevent the mussels' spread, authorities are urging boat owners to thoroughly inspect and wash their vessels before putting them in the water. At some lakes, including
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/08/10/AR2007081001685.html
Destructive mussels reach lake
By Shaun McKinnon, staff writer
Attempts to contain the spread of exotic shellfish on the lower Colorado River suffered a setback this week with the discovery of mussel larvae in
Biologists couldn't confirm from initial tests whether the tiny mollusks were quagga mussels, the type found in
Either way, the news isn't good. The invasive mollusks can inflict serious damage on the ecosystem of a lake or reservoir and can clog pipes and other mechanical equipment, costing millions of dollars to clean up.
"They will change the environment, but we don't know yet how it will change," said Mark Dahlberg, a fisheries biologist for the Arizona Game and Fish Department. "We have a lot of work ahead of us."
Because
Quagga mussels have already been found on intake valves and in water-delivery canals at
If the mussels found at Powell match those downstream, it means they were likely carried in on a boat or other watercraft.
Scientists believe quagga mussels landed in Lake Mead the same way, hitching a ride on a craft that was contaminated in the
Authorities will impose stricter rules on boaters at Powell, a popular recreation spot about 280 miles north of
"We need people to be aware, not just of quagga mussels, but of any kind of organism they might bring out," he said. "This is still a new science for us."
The mussel larvae were discovered at
"Much uncertainty remains," said David Britton, a mussel expert for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. "We do not know at this point if an established population is present. We also do not know for certain how quagga or zebra mussels will affect
The invasive mussels are native to Eastern Europe and were brought to the
http://www.azcentral.com/arizonarepublic/local/articles/0811quagga-powell0811.html
Editorial: Salton sink; A plan to manage lake's demise makes sense
The encouraging news is that the Schwarzenegger administration has sensibly rejected the grandiose schemes to “save” the shrinking
But even this scaled-down approach would cost
Despite its name, this 375-square-mile body of water, the largest in
Today the
Motels and docks that once sat at the water's edge now stand abandoned hundreds of yards from the retreating shoreline. As the lake gets smaller, its salinity steadily increases, making it less and less habitable for fish or fowl. Regular fish kills, prompted by algae blooms, create a stench for miles. Even without the fish kills, the lake can emit an offensive odor that only the locals have learned to overlook.
This situation cannot simply be ignored, because the declining lake creates a host of new environmental issues. A major one is that polluted dust clouds generated by the disappearing water pose a genuine health hazard to
It makes sense, then, to proceed with limited habitat improvements, which the $47 million would finance. Any further measures, such as Chrisman's plan for 158 miles of berms and a separate 52-mile barrier to divide the sea – at a cost of at least $6 billion – must be extensively evaluated before it can be determined whether they make environmental and economic sense. We are skeptical, to put it mildly, that these initiatives can be shown to be feasible and worth the staggering cost.
With a phased approach, however, decisions on the larger elements of Chrisman's plan can be made by the Legislature in future years. Honest evaluations of each step can be done later. For now, the Legislature should abandon any notion of preserving the
http://www.signonsandiego.com/uniontrib/20070813/news_mz1ed13top.html
DELTA ISSUES:
Letters to the Editor: Act fast to sustain the Delta
Sacramento
By Tim Quinn, Executive Director, Association of California Water Agencies
Re "Arguments against building a 'peripheral canal,' " Aug. 5: Writer Jonas Minton overlooked some key points in his commentary. The Association of California Water Agencies certainly agrees that additional study is required to refine a course of action to save the Delta. But it is action -- and action now -- that is required.
We urge the Delta Vision process to complete its work this year. The governor and Legislature must then act to sustain the Delta.
Among the data being reviewed is a recent report by the Public Policy Institute of California that concluded a canal would benefit fish by eliminating reverse flows and returning the Delta to a more natural, variable state. A variable Delta has a better chance of supporting native species while curbing non-natives that have altered the food web.
"Outdated" information? Not by a long shot. It's new thinking that reflects improved understanding of the Delta as an ecosystem subject to tidal influence and fluctuating flows and salinity.
The current system doesn't work. Conservation, recycling and groundwater are part of the solution but not the end-all. We must find a way to convey water across the Delta that works for water users and species. We must proceed with a strong commitment to protect the environment, improve water quality and respect Delta farmers. #
http://www.sacbee.com/110/story/319722-p2.html
INVASIVE WEEDS:
Invasive arundo plant to be removed in Stillwater
Redding Record Searchlight – 8/11/07
By Dylan Darling, staff writer
Time is short for invasive arundo on the banks of Stillwater Creek.
A crew of about 20 will start a two-week assault on the fast-growing, non-native plant that is similar to bamboo Monday along a 16-mile stretch of the creek.
Arundo is a scourge to streams and other waterways around the north state, said Randy "Creeky" Smith, who has led efforts to eradicate it since fall 2004. The plant was introduced in the 1960s as erosion control.
"It turned out to be quite the opposite," he said.
Smith, who is co-chairman of the Rotary Club of Redding Environment Committee, had been focused on ridding
As the plant -- also known as giant reed -- grows as tall as 30 feet, its roots form a ball in the riverbank, Smith said. High water in winter can uproot the plants, which take a big piece of the riverbank with them.
In clearing arundo from Stillwater Creek, from north of Shasta College to where the creek flows into the Sacramento River, 18 members of the California Conservation Corps will use backpack sprayers to douse the plants with herbicide, he said.
Cost of the work is being covered by a $42,000 grant from the state Department of Food and Agriculture, Smith said.
The department has funded anti-arundo projects around the state because of the effect it can have on streams, creeks and ponds.
Arundo is native to
There animals and other plants keep its growth in check.
Here it has no such competition.
"Nothing touches arundo," Kjos said.
Along with arundo's effect on waterways, it also is flammable even when it's green because of a wax it secretes, said Lee Delaney, watershed coordinator for the Western Shasta Resource Conservation District.
"There's hardly any good you can say about the plant," Delaney said. #
http://redding.com/news/2007/aug/11/invasive-arundo-plant-to/
HETCH HETCHY:
‘Raise Hetchy’ stickers raise ire
By Mike Morris, staff writer
At first glance they may look the same, but a closer study shows they couldn't be any more different: One advocates draining Hetch Hetchy Reservoir while the other suggests filling it with more water.
Restore Hetch Hetchy, the Sonora-based group wanting to drain the eight-mile-long mountain reservoir and restore the
In response, Ed Kitchen — a Sonora man who does maintenance work on the Hetch Hetchy Water and Power system — has made a nearly identical sticker except for one important change: He replaced the word "restore" with "raise."
"If it stirs up a controversy, that's good," the 58-year-old said from a
The "Raise Hetch Hetchy" bumper stickers actually evolved from T-shirts Kitchen started having printed about three years ago.
He later added the phrase "50 to go," referring to raising Hetch Hetchy — in the
"I'm not an engineer, but just standing there looking at it, it's pretty obvious the dam could be raised," he said.
Tony Winnicker, a spokesman for the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission — the agency that operates Hetch Hetchy — said there are no plans to raise the reservoir.
"What our employees do on their own time to advocate their opinions is their right, but that's not something that we are formally studying or investigating at this time," he said.
Kitchen said his T-shirts have drawn comments from
"Out of 1,000 people who have probably asked about them, only one person said they would have to think about it and do some study before they go along with what I'm saying," he said.
His latest T-shirt, which he started selling in June, asks "Got Water?" on the front, while the back says "Save a dam" and lists Hetch Hetchy and O'Shaughnessy Dam as No. 1.
"The extra two lines are for write-ins," he said. "If you have another dam you want to save, feel free to write it in."
Kitchen has received requests to print shirts in colors ranging from red to neon green.
"There's a lot of women who really didn't care for the gray," he said of the original T-shirt. "There have been some requests to get some pastel pinks for them."
Kitchen said he's not actively marketing the shirts or stickers. Instead, he sells them mainly through word of mouth.
"Quite a few people have asked about them," he said. "The Hetch Hetchy softball team (from Moccasin) wore the shirts as their uniforms, friends pass them out as gifts."
Even leaders of the Tuolumne County Chamber of Commerce and Tuolumne County Alliance for Resources and Environment — both groups opposed to restoring the valley — said they didn't know who was responsible for the stickers.
"It's not like I got a store or anything like that," Kitchen said.
But he does have a car, where he keeps bags of the shirts, sweatshirts and stickers in the trunk.
Never knowing when a potential customer may stop him, he's even made business cards so people can reach him at any time to place an order.
Kitchen, who wears the shirts most days — both on and off the clock — estimates he has sold roughly 200 T-shirts, 20 hooded sweatshirts and about 150 bumpers stickers.
"It's mainly for conversation," he said. "I'm not doing it for profit."
Ron Good, executive director of Restore Hetch Hetchy, said he finds the new bumper stickers "a little cheeky."
"It's kind of too bad he's taken our idea, our bumper stickers, and used it for his purposes," Good said. "It's not too creative, I suppose, to use someone else's work, but it is a free country."
Those wanting to restore the
Kitchen said his intent is not to cause friction between opposing groups.
"I understand where they're coming from and I appreciate what they're trying to do," he said of those wanting to tear down the dam. "But it's ridiculous when I see somebody wanting to spend billions of dollars for a few people as opposed to the magnitude (the water system) serves."
The Hetch Hetchy system, which stretches all the way from Yosemite to
Kitchen said tearing down the 312-foot O'Shaughnessy Dam and draining the reservoir doesn't make much sense to him because of the huge cost associated with it and the idea of having to build other water storage to compensate.
"It's a peaceful lake and hiking zone," he added.
The debate over whether the valley should be restored has been around since the days of famed conservationist John Muir.
Interest was renewed last year when a California Department of Water Resources study, released at the request of Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, said restoring the valley is possible but would cost between $3 billion and $10 billion.
Weeks later, movie star Harrison Ford showed up at Hetch Hetchy to narrate a documentary advocating its restoration.
And earlier this year, President Bush proposed spending $7 million to further study the idea. Congress chose not to include the funding in the 2008 budget.
Congress approved damming the
Winnicker, with the SFPUC, said he had heard a rumor that one of the SFPUC's employees was responsible for the "Raise Hetch Hetchy" bumper stickers.
"It's certainly not an SFPUC publication," he said. #
http://www.uniondemocrat.com/news/story.cfm?story_no=24113
####
No comments:
Post a Comment