A daily compilation of significant news articles and comment
August 27, 2007
3. Watersheds
Santa Clara River could flow again; Plan would pump treated water to upstream areas - LA Daily News
On course for change; Views vary as river restoration nears - Auburn Record
ARUNDO WEED:
County to launch $5 million arundo plan -
State gives $2.7 million to preserve
Editorial: Salton snub? - Riverside Press
BAY AREA RESTORATION:
On Water; Saving the bay, again - San Francisco Chronicle
LA Daily News – 8/26/07
By Judy O’Rourke, staff writer
SANTA CLARITA - On one side of an eight-lane bridge in
The difference is from the treated wastewater pumped into the riverbed just west of the bridge, feeding the
Now a $10 million plan has been proposed to take on Mother Nature and pump water upstream, all in the interest of greening up the river expanse through the community of Canyon Country.
It's not yet known how far water would flow on the sandy surface before disappearing into the ground, but Santa Clarita officials hope it's enough to create a wetland that could foster habitats, provide an outlet for water sports and woo eateries seeking a scenic view for patrons.
"It would be a really nice amenity for the community," said David Peterson, a management analyst in the city's Community Development Department.
About five years ago, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers began studying the possibility of pumping water eastward from a wastewater treatment plant near Six Flags California's
But funding dried up, and so did the project.
Now it's sprung back to life since U.S. Rep. Howard P. "Buck" McKeon, R-Santa Clarita, earmarked $500,000 in the House Energy and Water Appropriations Bill for the corps to conduct a $3 million feasibility study. The bill faces a Senate hearing after being approved last month by the House of Representatives.
If the project is ever approved and enacted, federal dollars would pay 65 percent of the cost and local dollars would pay the rest, said Brian Whelan, a senior water resources planner for the Corps.
Forcing some of the 17 million gallons of water treated daily at the
But environmentalists say the project could quench a thirsty water table.
"On the face of it, it looks like a reasonable way to spread water out over a larger area and help out the vegetation," said Ron Bottorff, chairman of Friends of the
Bottorff said the arid nature of the riverbed in Canyon Country is man-made: Local water companies with wells tapping the underground aquifer that follows the river are overpumping.
But Dan Masnada, general manager of the Castaic Lake Water Agency, which manages the local imported supply and operates a municipal service, said that isn't so.
"Before there was groundwater pumping on the east side of town, the river looked no different than it does today," Masnada said.
If the city goes ahead with the project, a hydrologist would have to pinpoint areas of the sandy riverbed that could actually hold water.
"He or she would say, `This is the best place that gets you the biggest bang for the buck,"' he said, noting that long sandy stretches must be saturated before water will flow on the surface. Steeper slopes on the east could pose a challenge, because water flows downhill both on the surface and underground.
Besides the municipal wells serving the ever-growing Santa Clarita Valley, hundreds of private wells line the riverbed. Bob Fleck, acting president of the Santa Clarita Valley Well Owners Association, said his group would be interested to learn the project's overall impact on the watershed.
His concern is the chlorides - salt - found in Santa Clarita's treated wastewater, a problem noted downstream by
Another issue is the habitat change to the parched stretch of river. The California Department of Fish and Game would study the project's biological survey to make sure wetlands would do no harm to critters, said Scott Harris, an environmental scientist for the agency.
Some question whether the call for green is spurred by developments along the river, but Peterson said no.
A more verdant stretch of riverbed likely would be welcomed by developers building along the sandy stretch of the
The
http://www.dailynews.com/news/ci_6721360
On course for change; Views vary as river restoration nears
By Gus Thomson, staff writer
With the
On Sunday, the one day of the week the trails down to the dam site on both the
Auburn teacher Larry Alberts was mountain biking through the site, excited about the imminent re-channeling of the river.
"I'm for getting rid of the diversion tunnel and putting the river back to where it belongs," Alberts said. "I saw the river here before there was a diversion dam, before the scar."
Alberts said he recently traveled to
"
Bailey said that his options in the canyon would be limited after that - until a bridge over the river at or near the site is built.
"We've found this a pleasant place to ride," Bailey said.
The road down to the canyon off
"It's nice to walk in what's really an abandoned place and not have to worry about traffic," Jenkins said.
Jenkins said he's still concerned about the fire danger vehicle traffic threatens to bring to the wildlands of the canyon. "If someone flicks a cigarette out at the bottom, the fire would go quickly to the top of the canyon," he said.
Since the early 1970s, a half-mile-long tunnel has re-channeled the
With a target of restoring the river channel at the dam site by January, the $50 million U.S. Bureau of Reclamation-Placer County Water Agency project is moving into the final stages of construction.
Rocks and boulders are piled up at the inflow and outflow ends of the tunnel ready to seal it shut and send the water pouring into a daylighted course that takes the flow past the water agency's new multi-million-dollar pumping station built on a ledge above, and crashing over a man-made course of rapids.
The rapids are constructed of boulders set in concrete with five dips into pools providing more than a lazy float on the river through the old dam construction site.
While the pump station itself had been the initial focus of the project, the recreational component has taken on a heightened importance following the state Attorney General's 1999 threat to stop the agency's plans in its tracks if closure of the tunnel and plans to include recreational boating on the newly restored stretch of river weren't provided for.
The tunnel closure and recreational component was included in an environmental report approved in June 2002 by the bureau and the agency. Approval came despite protests over increased activity in the canyon that raised concerns about greater fire danger, traffic buildup on side streets and parking congestion.
The environmental report built several compromises into recreational use plans but held firm on providing vehicular access into the canyon off
A new pedestrian-equestrian trail route has been constructed between the
Construction is also taking place at the entrance off
Other restrictions include only day use of the canyon area, no camping, no fires, no picnic facilities and no alcohol. The area would be closed and gated at night.
Vehicle access would only be permitted when the station is staffed.
Jim Micheaels, project manager on a state Parks Department general plan now being prepared, said that with budgetary restrictions, it's probable that staffing would be on a seasonal basis - leaving the area closed to traffic for much of the year. A report by State Parks estimates that river use would primarily occur in April through September.
While the general plan will tackle subjects such as whether to have kayak and boat rental concessions at the confluence, much of the groundwork for recreation was established in the 2002 environmental documentation approval, Micheaels said. The general plan is about a year from completion and covers all of the 40 miles of river canyon the Auburn State Recreation Area takes in. #
http://www.auburnjournal.com/articles/2007/08/27/news/top_stories/01river27.txt?pg=3
ARUNDO WEED:
County to launch $5 million arundo plan
By Tamara Koehler, staff writer
The county's massive$5 million counter-attack on arundo and other invasive weeds destroying native habitat in
With the Zaca fire lapping at the borders of the Matilija wilderness as recently as Wednesday, project managers had feared the project would be delayed. But fire officials have given the go-ahead.
"We're ready to begin," said Tom Lagier, project manager with the Ventura County Watershed Protection District.
The yearlong arundo-removal project will be the county's largest effort yet to eradicate the giant cane that clogs riverbeds, poses a significant fire risk and chokes native plant growth in local habitats.
Crews will spray herbicide on dense thickets of the giant reed infesting 208 acres of flood plain along the Matilija Creek and
The herbicide glyphosate, which breaks down quickly and is approved for use in water, will be used to kill the invasive plants, said Pam Lindsay, a watershed ecologist with the district. Glyphosate, which is sold under brand names Roundup and Aquamaster, blocks the plant's ability to grow by disrupting protein production.
Plants close to water or homes will be cut by hand, then daubed with concentrated herbicide, Lindsey said.
A county survey of 72 properties in the canyon found 24 had arundo or other invasive species. Residents have agreed to allow crews onto their land for the project.
Other invasive species — including tamarisk, the yellow-flowering Scotch broom, Peruvian pepper trees and castor bean — also will be sprayed and removed.
Six sampling sites will be set up to monitor the water for contamination along the entire project area — 1,274 acres from the Highway 150-Baldwin Road bridge north to 2,000 feet upstream of the Matilija Creek falls.
Spraying will not be conducted on windy days or before a forecasted rainstorm, Lindsay said.
Work will begin in an area above Matilija Dam where thickets of arundo are most dense. As required by state and federal regulations, the area was surveyed this week and determined to be clear of endangered red-legged frogs. Monitoring is also ongoing for steelhead trout.
Under terms of the state grant that is funding the project, work must be completed by August 2008, Lagier said. Nature's Image of Forest Lake was awarded a $3.5 million contract to spray and remove the weeds.
The project is part of the larger Matilija Dam Ecosystem Restoration that will eventually remove the 60-year-old dam and replenish the habitat of native plants and animals in the watershed.
The dam's removal also will allow sediment to flow once more to the beach, which has eroded since the structure was built. #
http://www.venturacountystar.com/news/2007/aug/25/county-to-launch-5-million-arundo-plan/
State gives $2.7 million to preserve
Associated Press – 8/27/07
MOSS LANDING,
The grant approved this week by the California Wildlife Conservation Board will pay for 144 acres of the Elkhorn Slough, home to more than a dozen rare, threatened or endangered species, officials said.
The newly protected land in the
The government agency and private foundation did "an outstanding job of engaging the community in conservation of these amazing resources," Fish and Game director Ryan Broddrick said. #
http://www.sacbee.com/114/story/346366.html
Editorial: Salton snub?
Riverside Press
Time is quickly running out for the
The Assembly Appropriations Committee on Wednesday placed a hold on SB 187 by Denise Moreno Ducheny, D-San Diego. The bill would allocate $47 million to pay for air- and water-quality and habitat tests and geological surveys to precede the $8.6 billion restoration that state officials propose for the sea.
Failing to allocate this money now is a step toward environmental catastrophe. The
Passing SB 187 would honor the intent of
Yes, the state has other needs, as an Assembly analysis of SB 187 notes. But the project is crucial to preventing ecological collapse in the
Every year that passes without state action makes the
BAY AREA RESTORATION:
On Water; Saving the bay, again
San Francisco Chronicle – 8/27/07
By Sylvia McLaughlin, one of Save The Bay's co-founders
"Saving the bay again" implies it needs to happen again. It seems to me the process of eternal vigilance and advocacy just needs to continue.
Forty-five years ago, the filling of
In 1959, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers' 2020 report to the U.S. Chamber of Commerce stated that 70 percent of the Bay was shallow enough to be filled. The Oakland Tribune printed the Corps' diagram showing that
Kay Kerr, Esther Gulick and I were appalled with the potential destruction of this beautiful natural resource. Our concern was shared by the then leading conservationists. However, they were too busy trying to save wilderness, birds and redwoods to take on anything more and suggested that there be a new organization.
So the three of us immediately began to organize Save San Francisco Bay Association, now best known as Save The Bay. Our goals were to stop the filling of the bay, to provide public access and shoreline parks for open space and recreation. We reprinted the Corps' diagram on a flyer entitled "Bay or River" and sent it out to friends with a letter of invitation to join (for $1) this effort to save the bay. There was a 90 percent response rate and we quickly had many informed members.
Although
This legislation was timely, as the railroads, Caltrans and developers had plans for inner bay freeways and bridges. Santa Fe Railroad proposed a fill including three large islands from Emeryville to
Meantime, attitudes were changing and cities began to realize that their waterways were economic and aesthetic assets. Health issues became important and sewage treatment plants were required.
Today, thanks to BCDC and federal regulators, the bay is larger and cleaner.
But there is still much to be done to realize our vision of a toxic-free, swimmable, fishable bay - a bay that is encircled by a necklace of shoreline parks linked together by the Bay Trail.
Individuals can make a difference and groups of individuals can make an even greater difference. It is important for each of us to be responsible stewards of the bay and its shoreline and to advocate to decision-makers on behalf of this great natural resource.
The bay will always need an informed and dedicated stewardship. As Kay Kerr once said, the bay is never saved; it is always in the process of being saved.
Sylvia McLaughlin is one of Save The Bay's co-founders. She will be speaking about "Saving the Bay Again" along with Paul N. (Pete) McCloskey, former U.S. representative; Jared Blumenfeld, director, San Francisco Department of the Environment and David Lewis, executive director, Save The Bay, on August 29, as part of the Commonwealth Club's Cool, Clear Water series. #
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2007/08/27/EDDMRP2T9.DTL&hw=water&sn=013&sc=157
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