A daily compilation of significant news articles and comment
September 25, 2007
3. Watersheds
MATILIJA DAM:
Matilija Dam removal OK'd; Senate sends bill to Bush for signature - Ventura County Star
LAKE DAVIS PIKE:
Officials hope poison will erase Davis pike - Reno Gazette Journal
CONFERENCE ANNOUNCEMENT:
8th
A Greener Shade of Blue - October 16, 17 and 18, 2007
MATILIJA DAM:
Matilija Dam removal OK'd; Senate sends bill to Bush for signature
By Michael Collins, staff writer
The Senate voted 81-12 on Monday to authorize spending $144.5 million for the dam removal and restoration of the
The project was included in a $23 billion package that contains scores of water- and flood-control projects across the country.
The bill is now headed to President Bush for his signature.
Bush has threatened to veto the legislation, citing the huge expense of the projects, but Democratic and Republican leaders predicted the Senate and the House would both be able to override a veto.
An aide to Rep. Lois Capps, D-Santa Barbara, noted the House passed the bill in August by a 381-40 vote and said the congresswoman's office feels confident that Bush's threat of a veto "is just talk."
Even if Bush signs the bill into law, funding for the Matilija Dam project is not guaranteed.
The bill doesn't provide money for the dam removal; it merely authorizes Congress to spend federal money on the project. The actual funding would be subject to an annual appropriation by Congress.
Still, getting the federal government's approval is a necessary hurdle that must be cleared before the dam removal can begin.
County Supervisor Steve Bennett says the project has strong support in Congress and actual funding will eventually be forthcoming.
"It wouldn't be in the water bill right now if there wasn't good support," Bennett said. "I think there will be challenges; some years you may get a little less than you hope; the timing may be stretched out a little longer than we would like. But I feel confident there will be funding after authorization."
The project has been a long time coming. It has been talked about for at least a decade, and it has been six years since the county signed an agreement with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to conduct a feasibility study.
The county appeared close to winning approval for the Matilija Dam removal last year when the House and the Senate passed a water bill that included the project. However, the bill died before negotiators for the chambers could resolve differences in the two versions.
Matilija Dam was built more than five decades ago and is now considered obsolete, with 95 percent of its water capacity choked by 6 million cubic yards of sediment.
The dam removal project is currently in the design phase. Actual removal of the dam is slated from 2010 to 2012, said Sue Hughes,
Total cost of the project is projected at $144.5 million. The federal government's share is projected at $89.7 million. Local agencies would have to pick up the rest of the project costs.
The county already has received $7 million in state grants for design work, the construction of wells near
The state funding came from voter-approved bonds. #
http://www.venturacountystar.com/news/2007/sep/25/matilija-dam-removal-okd/
LAKE DAVIS PIKE:
Officials hope poison will erase
By Frank X. Mullen, staff writer
California Department of Fish and Game officials said Monday the poisoning of the streams around
Pike is an invasive, predatory species of fish that threatens to destroy
"We're not sure if a few survived and reproduced or if someone reintroduced them into the lake," said
Officials also have tried nets, explosives and other methods to rid the lake of pike, but the species has thrived as the trout population dwindled.
This time, the state is investing more than $16 million in the effort.
The poisoning will kill not only the pike, but every other fish in the lake and surrounding tributaries. Officials say the poison is deemed safe for mammals, including humans.
"If we don't get rid of them this time, then we'll have to start thinking about whether the pike can be eradicated at all," Martarano said.
Crews have poured and sprayed 150 gallons of the poison rotenone in 137 miles of streams and tributaries of the lake and spent last week collecting dead fish. The streams will be treated with another 150 gallons next week.
They will use 25 boats to pour 16,000 gallons into the 7-mile-long lake today.
When the poison has dissipated, trout will be reintroduced in the lake and tighter controls will be used to prevent pike from re-entering the ecosystem, officials said.
The dead fish will be trucked to the Lockwood Landfill near
http://news.rgj.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070925/NEWS16/709250337/1321/NEWS
CONFERENCE ANNOUNCEMENT:
8th
A Greener Shade of Blue
October 16, 17 and 18, 2007
The State of the Estuary Conference provides a biennial assessment of the ecological health of the San Francisco Bay-Delta Estuary. This conference will present the latest information about the estuary's changing condition including impacts from major stressors, recovery programs for species and habitats, and an examination of emerging issues.
The morning session on October 16th will highlight the theme: A Greener Shade of Blue. The session will focus on recognizing the value a healthy estuary brings to the local economy, and the importance of integrating environmental, economic, and social equity goals to advance regional sustainability.
Throughout the conference, presenters will focus on the value of the estuary as a natural resource noting recent successes and current challenges, and challenges for the future (population growth, emerging contaminants, invasive species, global warming, and sea level rise, etc.) A number of talks will highlight the Estuary project's recent update of its management plan, the Comprehensive Conservation and Management Plan for the San Francisco Bay-Delta Estuary.
The late afternoon poster session receptions offer an opportunity to talk informally with those involved in current research and restoration activities, and allow presentation of detailed, technical information on individual topics and studies not covered in depth in the oral presentations.
EARLY BIRD Registration Deadline: Wednesday, September 26th at 5 PM.
http://sfep.abag.ca.gov/soe/soe_register.html
PRE-REGISTRATION Deadline: Thursday, October 11th at 5 PM
VISIT THE CONFERENCE WEBSITE FOR ON LINE REGISTRATION, THE CONFERENCE PROGRAM, AND ADDITIONAL INFO: http://sfep.abag.ca.gov/soe/
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