A daily compilation of significant news articles and comment
October 15, 2007
3. Watersheds
CALFED:
Delta agency's funds miss the mark - Associated Press
CalFed spent delta money statewide - Associated Press
DELTA RECREATION:
Promoting the Delta diversity; Efforts are gearing up to lure visitors to the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta with an extensive trail system and activities that tap into the area's farming history - Sacramento Bee
EROSION ISSUES:
Worries grow that deterioration of Mokelumne banks poses threat - Stockton Record
DELTA SMELT:
Longfin smelt fails to make endangered list; State regulators, however, will reconsider issue in February Longfin smelt kept off endangered species list - Inside Bay Area
INVASIVE SPECIES LEGISLATION:
Governor signs Wolk's invasive species legislation - Woodland Daily Democrat
AMERICAN RIVER SALMON FESTIVAL:
Salmon return celebrated - Sacramento Bee
CALFED:
Delta agency's funds miss the mark
Associated Press – 10/15/07
By Samantha Young and Erica Werner, staff writers
The ambitious venture launched seven years ago to restore and protect the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta has spent most of its budget on projects hundreds of miles away, according to an Associated Press review.
While many of those projects are regarded by environmentalists and policymakers as worthwhile in their own right, they have done almost nothing to achieve the main goals state and federal lawmakers laid out when they created the California Federal Bay-Delta Program, or CalFed.
Now
"In many respects, we're right back where we were," said Tina Swanson, a fish biologist with the San Francisco-based Bay Institute.
CalFed, as the program is known, has four objectives: increase the reliability of water deliveries; improve water quality; reduce the risks of a catastrophic breach in the delta's extensive system of earthen levees; and restore the delta's ecosystem for plants, animals and fish.
With those goals largely unrealized, a federal judge stepped in this summer to limit the state's water pumping operations to protect a native fish, prompting fears of a statewide water shortage next year. Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and state lawmakers, meanwhile, are considering plans to spend billions more on
The AP's review of CalFed spending reveals how the agency has been unable to deal with the delta's most basic problems, even as the ecosystem slides further toward collapse.
For example, CalFed agencies initially proposed spending $950 million to eliminate mercury, organic carbons and other contaminants from the water that flows to some 25 million Californians out of the delta. In reality, the agency has spent just 13 percent of that - about $125 million - and produced little if any improvement in water quality.
Joe Grindstaff, CalFed's director for the past two years, acknowledged the program's many shortcomings.
"Fundamentally, the system we devised didn't work," he said.
Instead of attacking the problems CalFed was intended to solve, the $4.7 billion allotted to the program acted like a grab-bag for the 14 state and federal agencies that have access to the money.
The vast majority has been spent on hundreds of relatively non-controversial projects outside the delta, due to a combination of political disputes, diffuse leadership and parochial money-grabs.
Meanwhile, native fish species have plummeted, pesticides, fertilizers and other pollutants are worsening water quality, invasive species are crowding the West Coast's largest estuary and inland delta, and scientists agree the delta's antiquated levees would not withstand a major earthquake that could cut off water supplies to millions.
CalFed was supposed to address all those issues.
In response to a request from the AP, CalFed provided a detailed accounting of projects funded during fiscal years 2005-06 and 2006-07, and, prospectively, 2007-08. CalFed officials said they could not account for projects funded from 2000-2004, but said they are finalizing a list that should be ready later this year.
The available data show an astonishing array of more than 300 projects in the last three years.
The spending ranges from $150,000 funneled to a
$40.2 million to tear down five dams along Battle Creek in rural Shasta County - about 160 miles from the northern point of the delta - to restore 42 miles of habitat for salmon and steelhead trout.
$483,669 to three educational programs, including $169,032 to a Los Angeles-area group called Amigos De Los Rios. That money was to design a 17-mile loop of parks and greenways through 10 cities in the
$118 million on studies in the last seven years to build or expand dams in Northern and
$5.7 million on government public affairs, communications, legal fees and human resources.
"Money was flying out the door all over the place," said Jeffrey Mount, chair of the CalFed science panel.
Consequently, there has been "low progress" protecting the native fish of the delta and eliminating invasive species in the Bay-Delta estuary - two goals stated in the Record of Decision that created CalFed, according to a draft performance review completed this summer by the agency.
"If you look at the big picture of CalFed, the macro picture, I would say CalFed's a dismal failure because - details aside - CalFed promised to restore the delta," said Steve Evans, conservation director of Friends of the River, an environmental group based in
http://www.presstelegram.com/news/ci_7165782
CalFed spent delta money statewide
Associated Press – 10/12/07
The California Federal Bay-Delta Program was formed primarily to improve water quality, strengthen levees and rejuvenate populations of native fish in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta.
More than $4.7 billion in state and federal taxpayer money has been spent through CalFed since 2000 on projects in every corner of the state. While water experts say many of the projects were worthwhile, a majority of the money was spent outside the region on projects that have not led to many improvements in the delta's health.
CalFed officials could not provide detailed spending for all seven years of the program. The Associated Press obtained a list of projects funded since 2005, however. That breakdown shows money flowing to a variety of peripheral programs, such as water treatment plants in
Here is how some of the money has been spent since 2005:
RESTORATION PROJECTS
— $40.2 million to tear down five dams along
— $15.1 million to poison northern pike in
— $7.3 million to monitor and improve habitat for salmon and steelhead trout in Lower Clear Creek near Red Bluff. About 200 Chinook salmon returned to the river during the latest spring run after the California Department of Fish and Game tore down a dam in 2000.
WATER GRANTS
— $113 million to install water treatment equipment to make the water imported from the delta taste better in
— $36 million in water recycling and wastewater reclamation projects in
— $21.2 million in grants for unspecified desalination projects around the state.
EDUCATION
— $150,000 to a
— $169,032 to a
— $164,637 for the state Department of Fish and Game and the community organization Yolo Basin Foundation. The money was to design a public education center at the Yolo Bypass, an expanse of farmland and wildlife habitat immediately west of
STUDIES
— $8.2 million to complete the governor's Delta Risk Management Strategy initiative, a study of the risks to the delta's water supply, roads, utility lines, agriculture, tourism and recreation industries.
— $4.2 million to pay for state and federal agencies to craft a Bay Delta Conservation Plan, launched to set parameters for water pumping that abides by federal and state wildlife laws.
— $3.3 million on Schwarzenegger's Delta Vision Blue Ribbon Task Force to analyze some of the very issues CalFed was designed to tackle.
— $118 million in the last seven years on studies assessing plans to build Sites Reservoir in a valley north of
STAFF
— $5.7 million for public affairs, communications, legal fees and human resources.
— $1.5 million to pay 46 local watershed coordinators around the state to develop county plans for local water supplies and flood control. #
http://www.mercurynews.com/news/ci_7161536
DELTA RECREATION:
Promoting the Delta diversity; Efforts are gearing up to lure visitors to the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta with an extensive trail system and activities that tap into the area's farming history
Sacramento
By M.S. Enkoji, staff writer
As autumn chilled the Sacramento Delta, Tim Neuharth steered his pickup truck down off a levee road, into a thick stand of pear trees, an orchard that rooted 100 years ago.
Pears here. Grapevines over there. Cherry trees ahead. After generations of farming, as much as $2 billion in bounty springs every year from the almost 323,000 acres of Delta farms, this levee-laced land that was once tidal marsh.
Neuharth would like nothing better than to show off his share to people who live and work in cities, viewing concrete and glass all day long.
"For me, it's about enlightening other people so they know what 'ag' is all about," said Neuharth, 58. "It's surprising how few people know the Delta is here. The Delta is the
Agritourism, the idea of luring city dwellers out to farms and ranches where they drop tourist dollars and gain an appreciation for agriculture, is growing in the Delta alongside the vineyards and pears and nearly as fast as Neuharth's alfalfa fields.
In other regions where agritourism flourishes, visitors can take cooking classes on a ranch, get married in a vineyard, paint a canvas in an orchard, pick their own strawberries or maybe impersonate a cowboy on a dude ranch.
"It's fun and enjoyable, and it's profitable," said Neuharth, who is contemplating hay rides and pumpkin patches as a way to directly sell his produce.
The Discover the Delta Foundation is already raising money to open near Rio Vista a $2.5 million visitors center, possibly next summer, that would promote the region's farms, its historical and ethnic heritage. Hordes of visitors already swarm to the Delta for annual festivals heralding the pear crop and crawfish.
State legislators have backed a bill that initiates planning for what will be called the Great California Delta Trail, an asset that could ignite another segment of the tourist industry for the Delta, already a fishing and boating haven.
The multi-use trail would meander on the Delta's levee tops through one of the state's richest agriculture and wildlife regions. Slicing through
State legislation passed last year gave the Delta Protection Commission the authority to plan the trail, though building the trail will largely be done by local governments in the region. Another companion piece of legislation that would have increased funding opportunities was vetoed by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger on Saturday, but won't significantly change the project's future, according to Delta planners.
Eventually, the trail would link to one encircling the Bay Area. The Bay Trail is about 300 miles so far, reaching into
A Delta trail for paddling, hiking, biking and horseback riding will draw more visitors into an agriculture showplace and ensure habitat preservation for wildlife, said Linda Fiack, executive director of the Delta Protection Commission.
The commission, a state agency that monitors the Delta and protects resources, is already canvassing Delta communities to see how they would like to shape the project, Fiack said.
A finished plan is probably 2 1/2 years away, she said.
It's not a slam-dunk, supporters concede. Getting funding and right-of-ways on private land and establishing a suitable route away from traffic remain the major challenges.
The payoffs warrant the effort, said Democratic state Sen. Tom Torlakson, who lives in
He carried both pieces of legislation for the trail because of his kinship to the West Coast's largest estuary and what he sees as the economic vitality of the slowly eroding agriculture lifestyle.
"When you look at growth, the outer Bay Area is growing so fast, you know this area is going to be vital," he said. As agriculture incomes grow less stable, the opportunity for complementary businesses, such as bed and breakfast places, becomes critical, Torlakson said.
"This effort should start now," he said.
Successful ventures could lead to more government support down the road, Torlakson said.
Agritourism is finally taking root in the
The idea of a multi-purpose trail as a conduit into farm country is among the newer innovations in the
Agritourism efforts heavily funded by European governments have been drawing visitors into the storied countrysides of
"That's why this is significant," he said of state legislation for the trail.
Neuharth has his own concerns about a trail, especially squeezing more traffic onto Highway 160, but he is undeniably interested in any benefits for Delta farmers.
He is related by marriage to the Peck family, who homesteaded in the Delta in 1848. He farms 300 acres on
Always the weather, lately global markets and sometimes politics continue to challenge farmers, Neuharth said.
What he wants is a legacy for his 23- and 21-year-old sons so they can inherit a venture with a future.
"You have to protect yourself and make yourself as viable as possible," Neuharth said.
A farmer miles away from the Delta first proposed the levee trail in hopes the idea would spread statewide -- and to the mile of levee running through his 620 acres.
Johnny Squire farms a flat, dusty stretch 30 miles east of Coalinga.
Unlike the verdant trees and vines of the Delta, the shadeless stretches of his farm seem to feature one attraction: a lone willow tree on the levee banks.
"It's the only willow tree for 10 miles," said Squire, 63. On Sundays, farmhands would build bonfires, shuck corn under the tree. The children swim in the canal.
"There's a lot of hours of recreation that goes on around that willow tree," he said. All he asks is that visitors leave his farm equipment alone and take home their garbage.
As the fourth generation on the land, Squire feels duty-bound to let others hike or birdwatch on his property, including another 10,000-acre cattle ranch in western
"It's always, 'Is there going to be enough money to buy the next pot of beans?' " he said.
The Delta was the logical incubator because of ongoing construction on the levees.
"Twenty years down the road," he said, "it might happen down here." #
http://www.sacbee.com/101/story/432961-p2.html
EROSION ISSUES:
Worries grow that deterioration of Mokelumne banks poses threat
By Daniel Thigpen, staff writer
Erosion here is natural and unavoidable. But along a roughly 500-foot stretch of bank that protects the park and its wildlife from the river, the deterioration is at critical levels,
Parks officials believe the wakes created by pleasure boaters seeking recreation along the Mokelumne have sped up nature's course.
The Mokelumne is like so many open spaces across the
The impact on national parks such as
Now, city engineers are scrambling to figure out how to fix, or at least slow down, the problem on the Mokelumne. If the riverbank fails, it's possible the Mokelumne could spill over into the forested, 58-acre Lodi Lake Nature Area, a landmark
"There's quite a bit of concern about all that," he said.
Boaters exacerbating erosion is not a problem isolated to
"I can tell you this: If boats were limited to about 5 mph everywhere in the Delta, we'd have a lot less damage on the levees," said Tom Rosten, an engineer for several local districts that oversee the upkeep of levees.
The impacts of boating on levees, however, have been greatly reduced, said
It's unclear if such protection would be an option for
In
City workers first noticed and attacked erosion there roughly 15 years ago, Dutra said. At the time, there was only about an 80-foot-long segment of riverbank that needed attention.
Crews back then used tree trunk stumps and strapped logs to the bank with cables to help slow down the process, in hopes that the work would help catch floating branches and sediment, rebuilding the riverbank.
But the problem has only gotten worse. And there may only be a small window to address it, Dutra said.
For years the river's edge has received an annual reprieve when the Woodbridge Irrigation District opens its dam and drains
But the water district may soon begin keeping
Dutra said city engineers now are exploring the problem and making a list of possible solutions. Whatever they come up with, it likely will be a struggle to fund because there is no money earmarked for the riverbank repairs, Dutra said.
Preliminary estimates run around $350,000, but it could be much more, he said. Grant money or the sale of excess city properties might help fund the project.
The future of boating in that section of the river is even less clear. It would be up to
Dan White, a
He said it's unclear whether boating should be further limited along the eroded portion of the river - especially when Mother Nature is just as culpable for the damage.
"We're in the recreation business, too. We don't want to limit opportunities," he said. "A lot of people think it's all just boat wakes (to blame). We have several factors that are doing this." #
http://www.recordnet.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20071014/A_NEWS/710140307
DELTA SMELT:
Longfin smelt fails to make endangered list; State regulators, however, will reconsider issue in February Longfin smelt kept off endangered species list
Inside Bay Area – 10/13/07
By Mike Taugher, staff writer
State regulators declined to add another Delta fish to the list of endangered species on an emergency basis Thursday but said they would give the issue consideration in February.
Longfin smelt are one of four Delta fish species in severe decline, and listing it as endangered has the potential to further clamp down on state water supplies that are already pinched.
The request came from environmentalists who noted longfin smelt populations have been in decline since the 1970s and dropped precipitously since about 2002.
Surveys for longfin smelt this summer found only four fish, a 96 percent drop from what were already record lows during the previous four years, said Tina Swanson, a scientist with the Bay Institute, one of the groups seeking the listing.
This is another species in the
Swanson was referring to its fate in the Delta and
The commission said it could not list longfin smelt on an emergency basis because such an action is allowable only if the fish could go extinct throughout its entire range.
But commissioners said they would reconsider the listing through its normal process, and they directed state biologists to complete their review of the longfin smelts status quickly.
I think we all understand how important it is to look at this issue, commissioner Cindy Gustafson said.
Longfin smelt, Delta smelt, threadfin shad and young striped bass all have declined precipitously since 2002. The reasons remain uncertain, but pollution, invasive species and massive water delivery projects are all likely to blame, according to scientists.
Of those imperiled fish, only Delta smelt are protected under state and federal laws.
The Delta smelts status has worsened to the point that a federal judge recently ordered changes that could cut the water supply from the Delta, which delivers water to two-thirds of the state, by as much as a third.
The addition of longfin smelt to the endangered species lists could add to water agencies worries.
Among the measures needed to protect longfin smelt is to increase the amount of water that flows from
B.J. Miller, a consultant for
Miller contends that for that reason, longfin smelt protections should not affect water deliveries. But, if biologists order increased flows in normal years or dry years, it could have a dramatic effect on water supplies. #
http://www.insidebayarea.com/oaklandtribune/ci_7169365
INVASIVE SPECIES LEGISLATION:
Governor signs Wolk's invasive species legislation
Woodland Daily Democrat – 10/13/07
Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger has signed legislation to provide the Department of Fish and Game with the authority needed to effectively combat highly invasive mussel species that threaten
Assemblywoman Lois Wolk's AB1683 provides the department with the authority needed to aid what DFG officials have called a "Herculean effort" to prevent the spread of zebra and quagga mussels, which have caused billions of dollars in damages in the Great Lakes, where they were first detected in the
Quagga mussels have since spread to at least 20 other states-including
"This legislation will enable the state to act quickly to control and eradicate these fast-spreading mussels," said Wolk, D-Davis.
"These mussels pose a serious threat to water delivery systems. They can clog intake pipes and other parts of
AB 1683 authorizes DFG to:
• Conduct inspections of boats and other vehicles that might contain mussels and to order that watercraft be drained, dried or decontaminated, and to quarantine boats as necessary to prevent the spread of invasive mussels.
• Conduct inspections of facilities that use or discharge water that may contain mussels, and to order the quarantine of waters, marinas, boat launch facilities and other areas where mussels are found, as necessary to detect and prevent the spread of the mussels.
• Authorize other state departments, such as the Department of Parks & Recreation, Department of Water Resources, Department of Food and Agriculture, and the State Lands Commission to exercise the authority granted to the department for these purposes.
Currently, the department has limited authority to order inspections for zebra or quagga mussels, or to mandate compliance with quarantines. The bill, which contains an urgency clause, takes effect immediately. #
http://dailydemocrat.com/news/ci_7170135
Desert Sun – 10/14/07
By Keith Matheny, staff writer
A lawsuit filed by a former
Desert
Larson, a board member for both the Coachella Valley Water District and the Salton Sea Authority, said she filed the suit as an individual with concerned friends, not as a representative of either agency.
At issue were the state's projections for how much water will flow into the sea each year over the restoration project's estimated 75 years. The state in its environmental report projects an average of 717,000 acre-feet of water per year flowing into the sea.
But the state's own environmental studies, Larson said, show an average of 922,000 acre-feet of annual inflow.
The state's estimated cost for its preferred alternative for restoring the sea is $8.9 billion over 28 years, with operation and maintenance costs of $6.1 billion over 43 years.
"Once you build that dam, that's permanently sized," Larson said. "Even if you spend half of that $8.9 billion, you've spent so much money you can't change it."
The possibility of "excess" water flowing into the
The law of the river places rankings on holders of its rights, and if the water is not put to its "highest and best use," the next-in-line rights holder can make a claim for it.
Waiting impatiently behind the Imperial Irrigation District and Coachella Valley Water District are the Metropolitan Water District and San Diego County Water Authority, serving more than 20 million residents in the
The state's water projections in its
"If that's your objective, then the project is clever. But if your objective is to use the water that's available to the sea for the sea, and to accommodate for a range of inflows, it makes no sense."
Assistant State Attorney General Marilyn Levin, who represents the state in the lawsuit, did not return a message seeking comment Friday afternoon.
Larson said the terms of the settlement will shelve her litigation for now, but will allow her to proceed if and when the state is ready to implement a sea restoration plan - which may take years. The state agrees not to fight the litigation based on a statute of limitations claim, Larson said.
"I'm pleased that we're able to come to a settlement that makes sense," she said. "It allows them to go forward as they want to go forward. It allows our area to take another look at the hydrology." #
http://www.mydesert.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=2007710140332
AMERICAN RIVER SALMON FESTIVAL:
Salmon return celebrated
By Alison Roberts, staff writer
The morning fishing report at
"I catched one," said Nicholas Mayo, who is 6, as he stood patiently, rod in hand, hoping to catch another.
"I did, too," said his big brother Christian, who is 7.
"Now we've got all the boys hooked on fishing," said their mother, Angelique Mayo, who was here with her husband, Angelo, and the couple's five sons, ages 3 to 10.
The boys had an advantage as about 400 trout had been dumped into one end of the
The Mayo family from
It is put on by the state Department of Fish and Game and the American River Natural History Association, along with many public and private organizations and hundreds of volunteers.
The guests of honor -- the salmon -- drew people to line the fish ladder as it cascaded down to the river. There were few fish that made it to their early welcome-home party, but those that did were rewarded with yelps of admiration from the audience, as they ascended with great splashes up the ladder.
"I don't get how they go up," said Dominic Davis, who is 14 and lives in
"There was a ginormous one," said Nick Nosal, who is 5, pointing down at the base of the ladder. The boy, who walked over to the festival with his family from their home in
At the top of the ladder, a tank held several mature salmon swimming around.
The return of the salmon -- which typically doesn't get going strong until next month -- is one of the surest signs of fall in Sacramento, when the fish make their great, thrashing, final return trip home to spawn and die, leaving their aromatic remains on riverbanks.
The chinook -- also known as king salmon -- start their lives in freshwater rivers. Typically, they linger for just a few months before heading out to the ocean for three or four years before returning.
Scott Barrow, a senior biologist with the state's Department of Fish and Game, doesn't recommend holding your breath -- or your bait -- for a bodacious fall run this year.
"It's bad looking at the past two or three years -- it is significantly surprising," Barrow said.
There are weather cycles and other factors that affect population counts, which jump up and down from year to year, without necessarily hewing to a straight-line trend.
Preliminary indicators, such as counts reported for sport and commercial fishing, suggest this season's return crowd may stay below the 500,000 forecast.
"My guess is it's going to come in somewhat less than that," Barrow said.
Barrow's guess is supported by current-season figures of salmon caught in the ocean.
This year, 43,000 Chinook were reported caught for sport in the waters off the
For commercial fishing, the number caught was 94,000 this year, which sounds pretty good compared with the dismal total of 45,000 caught in 2006. But it doesn't seem great if you consider the 256,000 caught in 2005.
The numbers of Chinook that make it 120 miles from the
That means the humans at the salmon festival probably outnumber the number of fish that will return home this season. At least 20,000 people are expected to come to the event, according to Bruce Forman, a naturalist with the state Department of Fish and Game and festival coordinator. #
http://www.sacbee.com/101/story/431825.html
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