A daily compilation of significant news articles and comment
November 26, 2007
3. Watersheds
DELTA ISSUES:
Canal idea best, biologists say; A more general conservation plan doesn't favor the river, environmentalists say - Inside Bay Area
Session on Delta blueprint; Supes to weigh in on visionary plan that will identify a strategy for managing the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta - Vacaville Reporter
Editorial: New water plan a good first step - Contra Costa Times
SIERRA WATERSHEDS:
Watershed tug of war; Water needs, conservation efforts put interests at odds - Stockton Record
Stranding of fish probed; State asks why thousands were left after repairs to Delta island; private rescue effort is pursued - Sacramento Bee
Assessment would pump up American River Parkway - Sacramento Bee
NATHANSON CREEK RESTORATION:
Plan launched to restore creek; $784,000 grant to bolster salmon population in urban waterway, create recreational opportunities - Santa Rosa Press Democrat
GOVERNMENT PARTNERSHIP:
Feds, locals partner for fish, wildlife - Eureka Times Standard
CLEAR
Dead and rotting shad have parts of Clear Lake smelling bad - Lake County Record Bee
KLAMATH DAMS:
Report favors leaving Klamath dams alone - Santa Rosa Press Democrat
QUAGGA MUSSELS:
Guest Column: Mussel imperils
STEELHEAD STOCKING:
Guest Opinion: Study of fish-stocking under way -
Guest Column: We must learn from lessons of oil spill - San Jose Mercury News
San Joaquin River research to be discussed at community meeting; San Joaquin Valley Drainage Authority presenting information on dissolved oxygen - News Release, California Water Institute
DELTA ISSUES:
Canal idea best, biologists say; A more general conservation plan doesn't favor the river, environmentalists say
Inside Bay Area – 11/23/07
By Mike Taugher, Media News
Government biologists have concluded the most promising way to save the Delta is to divert water around it through a canal - an idea often derided as a
Wildlife agencies recently told planners that a
Voters rejected the canal in 1982.
By siphoning water out of the
If built, however, a new canal probably would be operated and managed in conjunction with the existing state and federal intakes near
The call for in-depth study of a
If the biologists and the state's largest water users agree on a deal, it could carry more weight than several other initiatives to fix the state's vexing water problems because the other plans, by themselves, cannot change the way California's water supply is managed.
The Bay Delta Conservation Plan is different. If adopted - and state officials are shooting for a target date of 2009 - it would set the ground rules for how water will be delivered and how Delta fish will be protected for the next 50 years.
"This is the only one that will allow the state to move forward," said John Engbring, assistant manager for water and fish in the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's regional office in
Negotiations for the plan have been under way for a year as officials seek ways to reverse the Delta's ecological decline, stabilize the water supply, bolster the region's crumbling levees and, more generally, straighten out the mess that is the state's water policy.
Delta fish populations are plummeting, and courts this year put water agencies on notice that they are violating endangered species laws by overpumping and operating without proper permits. A federal judge soon will order limits on water deliveries that could cut Delta water supplies by as much as a third, even as much of the state is weathering a drought.
For the state's biggest water agencies, the conservation plan negotiations hold the promise of solving their two biggest problems:
A pact would remove the threat that water supplies would be cut to conserve protected fish species while also giving a major boost to their campaign to build an aqueduct to deliver cleaner, more reliable water.
In theory, the plan would also have wide-ranging benefits for the environment, but some environmentalists are skeptical.
Hundreds of such habitat conservation plans have been developed across the country, and few, if any, are as complex as the one being proposed for
And the results from habitat conservation plans are mixed. Environmentalists say they provide guarantees for developers but often fail to deliver the environmental gains they promise.
"It is very difficult to measure the performance of these plans," said John Kostyack, director of wildlife conservation and global warming for the National Wildlife Federation.
"These plans are not purely conservation plans. They are plans to balance conservation needs with development needs," said Kostyack, who sued to overturn a similar plan for the Natomas basin near
Most observers say it is unlikely that permits could be written in a way that would restore Delta water supplies to the levels they were at before U.S. District Judge Oliver Wanger ordered the cutbacks.
The conservation plan, which would replace the permit system, is a new approach to the problem.
In essence, water users would pay for measures such as the aqueduct, wetlands restoration or other projects in return for a guaranteed stable water supply.
Once the broad outlines of a plan are in place, government biologists, water users, environmentalists and others would turn their attention to how a new system would operate, how much water could be taken from the Delta and how much it would cost to build and maintain.
"We wouldn't be at the table unless we thought there was hope to find a long-term solution to the ecosystem and water supply challenges facing the Bay-Delta," said Ann Hayden, a water policy analyst with Environmental Defense who is participating in the talks.
Although it is in its early stages, development of the Bay-Delta plan is moving fast, and negotiators are coalescing around an approach that would include a
"We think Option 4 (the
McCamman noted that the state wildlife agency has favored a
The compromise approach under consideration, called "dual conveyance," would use a canal in conjunction with the existing delivery system for a couple of reasons.
First, early studies show that a
Second, having two locations to take Delta water from adds flexibility that could make it easier for government biologists to protect fish. For example, if a school of fish is congregating near one intake, officials could order a switch to pump water from another intake.
But government fish biologists like the idea because tapping into the
Regulators are noncommittal, saying that question cannot be answered until more studies are done.
At least some water agencies insist that water supplies must increase under the plan.
"The notion of less exports is entirely inconsistent" with the plan's goals, said Jason Peltier, assistant general manager of the Westlands Water District, a sprawling farm district in the
But some environmentalists and others say cutting water exports is the only way to maintain water quality standards and protect the environment.
No one has actually endorsed the plan. But participants in the negotiations, including environmentalists, say dual conveyance - the canal and the pumps - is the most promising approach and that it should be studied further.
"We are not supporting any particular solution at this point," said Hayden, of Environmental Defense. "We are supporting evaluation of this dual conveyance approach."
But what if the plan does not work and the ecosystem continues to decline while water agencies continue to draw unabated on a guaranteed supply?
Engbring said the plan will contain flexibility through something called "adaptive management," which would allow officials to change course in response to a decline.
"That is the line that they give in all these plans," said Kostyack.
It was the adaptive management provisions in the federal endangered species permit for Delta smelt that led Wanger to find that the permit was illegal. Those provisions gave water agencies too much authority and environmental regulators too little, he ruled.
But supporters of the plan say that even if it is not perfect, it is likely to be better than the status quo.
"Even if it's not 100 percent successful, it's going to be better than not doing anything at all," said Laura King Moon, assistant general manager of State Water Contractors, an association of water agencies that includes some of the state's largest.
"Maybe we have a chance of getting it right this time," she said. #
http://www.dailydemocrat.com//ci_7539442?IADID=Search-www.dailydemocrat.com-www.dailydemocrat.com
Session on Delta blueprint; Supes to weigh in on visionary plan that will identify a strategy for managing the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta
By Robin Miller, City Editor
Concerns about the future of the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta will be in focus Tuesday when the Solano County Board of Supervisors meets.
Specifically, the board will discuss issues surrounding a state Delta Vision Blue Ribbon Task Force report on the future of the Delta.
The blue-bibbon panel's "visioning" effort for the Delta was designed to develop a lasting vision for management of the Delta and its resources.
A draft of the panel's efforts is out and the supervisors will be offering their comment.
Supervisors have expressed concern about the future of the Delta and the effort to create a long-term management plan for it. In a letter to the task force last month, Board Chairman Mike Reagan outlined several local concerns.
In particular, Reagan said, the county has concerns "about emerging proposals involving the delta and its levees, existing flooding risks, new water conveyance concepts (including a
Among the key issues of concern, he noted, is flooding.
"Our board is extremely concerned about the consequences of degrading the existing federal flood control levees and project levees, resulting in expanded tidal and seasonal flooding," the letter noted. "Additionally, there is concern that alterations to expand the capacity of the Yolo Bypass could result in impacts to downstream property owners and the city of
Solano also is concerned about the potential impact on salinity levels in the Delta and wants any future projects or changes to be consistent with the Suisun Marsh Preservation Act, which covers marshlands, bays and sloughs in the waters surrounding the marsh.
"This means providing for adequate water quality, exercising sound water management practices including drainage within the Marsh, providing for the production of valuable waterfowl food plants and future supplemental fresh water supply," Reagan noted.
The Delta visioning task force hopes to have its final vision plan in place by January with a strategic plan on how to implement it in place by October 2008.
In addition to the visioning plan, Supervisors will discuss issues regarding a statewide water bond, including identifying potential items that should be included in any future legislation for
The Board of Supervisors meets at 8:30 a.m. in the Board Chamber,
http://www.thereporter.com/ci_7555878?source=most_emailed
Editorial: New water plan a good first step
Contra Costa Times – 11/25/07
THE LATEST PROPOSAL to save the Delta ecosystem and deliver dependable supplies of fresh water to users offers some promising ideas on the control and financing of water. It also has the advantage of tentative support of large water users and biologists. But it also appears to be missing a major essential element -- storage.
The Bay Delta Conservation Plan would change the way much of
The conservation plan seeks to replace the current permit system. Water users would pay for new infrastructure, wetlands restoration and other related projects in return for guaranteed stable water supplies.
Certainly, users should pay the full price for water supplies and delivery systems. However, part of the infrastructure called for by the conservation plan is a controversial aqueduct around the Delta.
This is a smaller version of the
A canal by itself is not workable because it would not be able to take more water without violating environmental standards in the Delta.
However, with two intakes, a new one in the Sacramento River and the existing pumps in
By using two spigots instead of one, water supplies could increase temporarily and fish could be more easily protected by using a second intake if fish congregated at the first one.
Biologists like the idea of being able to pump water from the
With a coordinated control of the aqueduct pumps on the
So far so good, as far as water control and payment are concerned. But having two sources of intake taking water from the same Sacramento-San Joaquin system does not create dependable new supplies in dry periods, when it is most needed. Only a significant increase in storage capacity can accomplish that.
It has been nearly three decades since a major new reservoir was built. In the meantime
More efficient use of water and less water-intensive agriculture have served the state well. But there are limits to such measures, especially if we experience another drought and add a half million people a year to the state's population.
If sufficient water supplies are to be guaranteed for agriculture, urban users and the Delta environment, at least one major new reservoir will be needed. Without new storage, farmers are not likely to have sufficient supplies in dry years.
Also, higher salinity levels in the Delta could adversely affect the water quality for the 500,000 people in the Contra Costa Water District.
The Bay Delta Conservation Plan should be seen as a major first step in reforming the way water is allotted, delivered and financed.
There is good reason to move ahead with it, particularly if major water users, biologists and environmentalists concur.
However, there has to be a second step, one that also should advance as soon as possible, and that is construction of a reservoir large enough to provide sufficient volumes of fresh water to keep the Delta healthy and adequately supply all users in dry months and droughts. #
http://www.contracostatimes.com/opinion/ci_7555330?nclick_check=1
SIERRA WATERSHEDS:
Watershed tug of war; Water needs, conservation efforts put interests at odds
By Dana Nichols, staff writer
SAN ANDREAS - The waters that rush from the Sierra to
Water managers for all the region's counties are calling for more projects to catch water for human use; conservationists are calling for limits on how much water is taken from rivers; and scientists are warning that climate change may reduce the average flow of those rivers.
But some of the complex interests in the watersheds are at odds with each other.
Dams could catch more water upstream that would recharge
Meanwhile, new groups have sprung up locally to guard watersheds and regionally to work out cooperation on major projects, such as the proposed Duck Creek Reservoir, which would capture flood-year waters to be used to recharge
The 16 agencies that make up the Mokelumne River Forum, for example, may ultimately serve as a model for how other regions in California can make peace between flatland and foothill interests and cooperate on water projects, said Mel Lytle, the water resources coordinator for San Joaquin County.
"Before the forum actually got started, we had very little communication with the foothill agencies," Lytle said.
But don't expect full peace to break out anytime soon in the region's endless water wars. Officials in foothill counties still campaign for office on platforms that including protecting the area's water rights against what they consider grabs by Valley interests. And conservationists are pushing for measures - such as designating a 37-mile stretch of the upper
Scientists and technicians are also building computer models and taking more frequent samples from area rivers to get a handle on everything from bacteria pollution caused by leaky septic tanks to how catastrophic forest fires would affect river flows and water quality.
"The problem with engineers is they want to build things," said Pete Bell, vice president of the Foothill Conservancy and a member of the Mokelumne River Forum.
The conservancy is campaigning for the federal government to designate 37 miles of the Mokelumne below Salt Springs Dam as wild and scenic.
Some water agency officials are agreeing that conservation should be a priority.
"In the long run, I think surface storage (dams) should be No. 3 behind conservation and groundwater recharge," said Bob Dean, who represents the
Dean said he believes county and water district elected officials in the region are beginning to be stewards of area watersheds and not just partners in real estate development.
Having mountain agencies take care of the land is important these days to water agency officials miles away in the
The proliferation of foothill and mountain homes with leaky septic systems that could pollute rivers is a top concern for the East Bay Municipal Utility District, which pipes
"It is not out of control right now, but there is a vulnerability out there," White said.
Several water agency officials said they are also worried that neglect of mountain forests has created overgrown conditions that could allow catastrophic wildfires, which could put polluted runoff into reservoirs and rivers, and reduce the ability of the land to hold water.
A 2002 assessment of the Stanislaus River watershed done by the Stanislaus National Forest expressed similar concern, saying that much of the watershed below 7,000 feet was at risk from catastrophic fires.
The Stanislaus analysis also mentioned another issue relevant to all the region's rivers: Dams and their operations have radically shifted water flows, leaving many streams unnaturally dry, while some other areas get more than their share of flow.
One of the toughest issues is that many current proposed projects rely on storing so-called "surplus" or floodwater flows that are only available in wet years.
"Surplus flows is in the eye of the beholder," said Jeffrey Mount, an expert on rivers and climate at the
"The functional integrity of these rivers require occasional high flows. That is when rivers do their work. That is erosion, transport and deposition of sediment."
That sediment, for example, once made the beds that salmon and steelhead needed to spawn. In rivers with major dams, humans must now construct those beds because the dams block the flow that creates sediment.
Mount said scientists are only now studying what has happened to rivers because dams remove the heavy pulse of spring snow-melt flows.
Mount also said that climate-change models are showing total flows will be reduced over time, with smaller Sierra rivers hardest hit, while major reservoirs like New Melones still have fairly solid supplies. Earlier springs will also mean a longer irrigation system for farmers and more water lost to evaporation, putting further strains on the water system.
Lytle, however, said climate change is exactly why some new projects should be built, like the
And he rejected the idea that diverting some of the flood flows on the Mokelumne would damage the river.
"When the Mokelumne is flowing hard, our diversion looks like it would be 1,000 cfs (cubic feet a second), yet the Mokelumne would be flowing at 5,000 or 10,000 cfs. There would still be plenty of water in the river to flush the beds," Lytle said. #
http://www.recordnet.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20071124/A_NEWS/711240311
Stranding of fish probed; State asks why thousands were left after repairs to Delta island; private rescue effort is pursued
Sacramento
By Matt Weiser, staff writer
State wildlife officials said Friday they are conducting a criminal investigation into the stranding of thousands of fish on
State Fish and Game Department spokesman
Water remaining on the island was pumped out over the past two weeks, but no effort was made to relocate the fish that previously swam through the breaks and were left behind when the pumping began.
"We know we have a lot of dead fish," Martarano said. "Any time you have a large number of dead fish like this, you have to investigate the reasons why."
He would not say who is the target of the investigation, or what charges might be involved. He also didn't know how many fish have died or what kinds.
But one provision of the state Fish and Game Code forbids the "wanton waste" of a sport fish. Most of the fish seen trapped on the island are striped bass, a popular sport fish.
A contractor working for the bureau last month began repairing two levee breaks on the island from storm damage in 2006.
About two weeks ago, after the breaks were patched, it began pumping water off the island.
Federal wildlife officials told the bureau it was unlikely that any protected fish species were present on the island. So no plan to relocate the fish was required, nor was any detailed survey of the fish conducted.
But after the pumping began, citizens became concerned.
Bob McDaris, owner of Cliff's
"There are thousands of fish out there. You cannot walk and not trip over them," he said.
Jeff McCracken, spokesman for the Bureau of Reclamation, said Friday his agency has held talks with Fish and Game about finding a way to rescue the surviving fish. When and how this might occur is still unclear.
"We're going to talk to them about what's out there and what can be done – if there's a way to salvage the fish that remain," said McCracken. "But most of the fish are in areas where the water is so poor that they've become distressed by now, and there's probably not much you can salvage."
Meanwhile, McDaris continues to organize his own rescue effort.
On Friday, he said he will put up $1,000 to hire a helicopter to fly the fish off the island, and he welcomed other donations. A helicopter is needed, he said, because the stranded pools of water are too far from the river's edge to carry fish by hand.
He has received hundreds of calls from other fishermen eager to help. But he is waiting to rescue the fish until he gets permission to gain access to
McDaris said anyone who wants to help can call him at Cliff's
Money left over from a rescue attempt, he said, will be donated to a fishing charity.
"I think we can save a thousand fish," McDaris said. "I don't know what I'm doing, but I'm trying." #
http://www.sacbee.com/101/story/516194.html
Assessment would pump up American River Parkway
By Ed Fletcher, staff writer
An assessment district benefiting the
Depending on the assessment amount chosen by area elected officials – and assuming property owners approve it – the district could nearly double the money available for maintaining and improving the parkway.
"The funding in the past has barely been enough. It hasn't been enough for capital improvements," said Frank Cirill, president emeritus of the Save the American River Association. "The costs keep going up. The population keeps going up."
The parkway's annual budget of $6.2 million could jump to between $8.1 million and $11.6 million, depending on the amount chosen by lawmakers and approved by property owners.
The parkway is currently funded through Sacramento County's general fund (about $4.5 million) and revenue generated from parking fees, parkway passes and other programs ($1.7 million).
Under the plan being formed by local governments along the river, residents within a half mile of the parkway would pay somewhere between $18 and $48 annually. Property owners between a half mile and 3 miles of the parkway would pay half that amount annually.
The proposed area includes the 23-mile county-maintained parkway and the state-controlled territory from the Nimbus Fish Hatchery to Folsom Lake.
The proposed assessments are still being discussed. Before owners could be assessed, county supervisors would have to settle on the district boundaries and the amount to be assessed. Property owners would then vote by mail – similar to the recent vote to increase flood protection.
A recent survey, conducted on behalf of
Those opposed objected on a number of fronts. Some said everyone should share the costs, while others said taxpayers are already paying for parks through existing taxes.
County officials said the money would help them tackle overdue maintenance, improve safety and further protect the environment.
The parkway has long been underfunded, according to a financial needs study conducted in 2000 and updated in 2006.
The study, conducted by the Dangermond Group, compared the county's parkway funding with its funding of other regional parks. It said the
It also found that the parkway doesn't have enough funding to purchase equipment, do maintenance, make capital improvements and acquire land. It found the parkway would need about $8.5 million of additional funding a year for the next 10 years to meet those needs.
John O'Farrell, a consultant for local governments, said it may not be feasible to meet all the needs outlined by the study, but he said the extra money would help.
"There is a whole lot that can be done with the $2 million to $3 million that would be generated," O'Farrell said.
Among the items on the county parks department's deferred maintenance list: resurfacing 12 miles of roads; resurfacing parking lots, 26 acres; replacing three bridges; and stabilizing river banks.
O'Farrell said the assessment would supplement, not replace, existing county spending.
The county would be required to maintain its existing parkway spending. That level would be based on the average spending over the last eight years, then adjusted based on the growth or shrinkage of the general fund, O'Farrell said.
Folsom's parks system also stands to benefit. Folsom officials have proposed that revenue generated from its residents benefit the Folsom area of the parkway. They want the majority of the Folsom revenues to go to projects that would connect the city to the parkway and to the local state parks district to improve the state-run portion of the parkway.
Revenue from Rancho Cordova,
O'Farrell said it made sense for Folsom's money to be treated differently because the city has never been part of the county parkway.
Robert Goss, Folsom's parks director, said the money will help Folsom residents connect to the "interconnected gem."
He said it's important that Folsom play a role while also helping its area of the parkway and trails system.
State funding for the Folsom Lake State Recreational Area has sagged in recent years, said Scott Nakaji, superintendent for the local state parks district.
Over the last several years, the budget has ranged from $638,000 to $840,000 for the state parks surrounding Folsom Lake, Nakaji said.
"As with all state agencies, our budgets go up and down. Lately, it hasn't been a great budget time," Nakaji said. "We are doing the best we can. We have a big area here, and we are just trying to stretch our budget as best we can." #
http://www.sacbee.com/101/story/515798.html
NATHANSON CREEK RESTORATION:
Plan launched to restore creek; $784,000 grant to bolster salmon population in urban waterway, create recreational opportunities
Santa Rosa Press Democrat – 11/25/07
By Laura Norton, staff writer
Empty water bottles and coffee cups litter the banks, a mountain bike is partially submerged mid-stream and blackberry brambles grow stubbornly in the mud.
The thumps and whistles of soccer games echo down the creek from nearby
This is where endangered Chinook salmon have been spotted each fall since 2003.
Environmentalists of old may have simply fenced off the area, prohibited access and carefully monitored the creek. Today there's a different plan.
"We're going to completely change the nature of the site," said Sonoma Ecology Center Project Manager Mundo Murguia, whose organization is spearheading the Nathanson Creek Preserve Project.
The center launched plans last week to create an ecology preserve along a milelong stretch of the creek, encompassing 2.4 acres of city and school district land filled with invasive blackberry brambles, periwinkle branches and grapevines.
A city-maintained jogging path already hugs the creek, but Murguia envisions more pathways, picnic tables and benches, along with a demonstration garden showing off native
It is a public-centered approach to environmental conservation.
That distinction earned the
"It helps to have people go out and be in contact with nature; to see what is there," Cash said. "It is really beneficial when there are multiple benefits, like recreation and habitat restoration. That made this project really feasible."
The first step is to clear the creek of the brambles and periwinkle plants. These plants are invasive and can choke the creek, endangering salmon, Murguia said.
A demonstration garden with native plants at the corner of East MacArthur and East Second streets could be built over the winter. Picnic tables could be in place by next fall and the informational kiosks built by 2010.
"It's a critical habitat and it's right here in town," Murguia said. "It's not strictly about habitat restoration, but also increasing human interaction."
Since 2003 middle school and high school environmental education programs have used the creek as an outdoor classroom. With help from their teachers and
"There's a lot of just regular trash that you would find in the trash can, but you find it in the creek and it's really sad because there are a lot of native fish species that spawn there," said Sonoma High junior Melissa Carlson, who co-chairs the school's environment club.
Carlson first came to the creek in her freshmen science class. When she conducted health tests on the creek she determined that it "wasn't the healthiest creek it could be."
She is hoping the plans for the creek's development will encourage more people to visit and protect the preserve.
"The more people connect with the creek the more they will go there and realize how valuable it is and maybe then they will want to know how to protect it, especially when they see the state it is in," she said.
Local businesses are supportive of the development plans, too. Stacey Ward, a financial analyst at
"I think it's a great idea to improve that triangle of land," she said. "It's just sitting there overrun with weeds. It will be nice to bring a community place where people can admire the creek." #
http://www1.pressdemocrat.com/article/20071125/NEWS/711250308/1033/NEWS01
GOVERNMENT PARTNERSHIP:
Feds, locals partner for fish, wildlife
By John Driscoll, staff writer
A federal program quietly operating locally for the past seven years is focused on improving fish and wildlife habitat through cooperation instead of regulation.
It may put a new twist on the phrase, “I'm from the government and I'm here to help.”
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Partners Program is a kind of bottom-up approach to conserving sensitive species, bringing substantial expertise to landowners who don't have the time, the know-how or the patience to wade through paperwork and project designs.
Rio Dell rancher Steve Hackett was presented an award in
”They have absolutely the right approach,” Hackett said of the partners program.
The program thrives on mutual respect and personal relationships, Hackett said, and gets far more done with less money than other efforts. While the program at its local inception got off the ground slowly, he said, it is now in demand.
Hackett also works with the North Coast Regional Land Trust, whose Six Rivers to the Sea program has helped a number of local ranchers put conservation easements in place with the intent of allowing them to continue working on the land.
Landowners, cities and land trusts can use the program to help with permitting, design and funding, taking advantage of its two biologists, Paula Golightly and Greg Gray. They have helped landowners put in livestock fencing along creeks, designed stream improvement projects, and found other state and federal funding to assist.
”What we're trying to do is make it as simple as possible to do these projects,” Golightly said.
It's not a program administered from afar. Golightly and Gray have wide latitude to run the program in
Golightly said that involvement makes them mindful of what's happening on properties they've worked on. It's also begun to gain the program traction among landowners, earning trust uncommon for a government effort.
The partners program stretches back 20 years to a group of biologists in the
Landowners share the costs of a project with Fish and Wildlife, and agree to maintain the project for at least 10 years.
For more information, go to http://www.fws.gov/arcata/restoration/partners/default.htm, or call 822-7201. #
http://www.times-standard.com/ci_7560047
CLEAR
Dead and rotting shad have parts of
By Mandy Feder and Terry Knight, staff writers
Dead shad float to the surface of
The die-off will last through December, but the fish will eventually sink to the bottom of the lake.
Carolyn Ruttan,
Though the odor is extremely unpleasant, there is no real danger to humans or pets as a result of the die-off.
Anywhere there are channels, the fish can be found belly-up. The Lagoons in Lakeport, Clearlake Oaks port and
For more information on this subject, read Terry Knight's Nov. 23 column as follows:
A number of lakeside residents are wondering where all the dead fish have come from. The dead fish are threadfin shad and in some of the channels the dead shad can be seen from bank to bank. Along with the dead shad come the water birds that feed on them, including pelicans, seagulls and cormorants. In one channel the pelicans have been gobbling up the shad and even getting sick from eating too many.
Several lakeside residents are asking the county to pick up the dead fish because they stink. Carolyn Ruttan, Lake County Water Resource Coordinator, said the county normally doesn't pick up dead fish unless they pose a health hazard.
There also has been a concern that pets such as cats and dogs are eating the dead shad. Local veterinarians advise keeping pets away from the dead fish. The decaying fish contain bacteria that could cause digestive problems for the pets.
The dead shad should disappear after a few days as the birds clean them up and the fish sink to the bottom. The reason the shad float is because after they die a gas forms in their carcasses, keeping them on top of the water. As their body decomposes the gas evaporates and the fish sink. Because the shad are small (most are only about 2 inches long) they decompose rapidly.
There are several factors causing the massive shad die-off. Threadfin shad are an extremely delicate fish and any rapid change in water temperature kills thousands of them. They also have a life span of only about two years. Another reason they could be dying back in the channels is because of a lack of oxygen.
Threadfin shad are plankton eaters and
The shad also attract thousands of fish-eating birds. Presently there are approximately 1,000 white pelicans on the lake and more are arriving. A pelican consumes about 5 pounds of shad per day. A shad weighs approximately one-quarter of an ounce.
That means each pelican consumes approximately 320 shad per day. When you multiply that by the number of pelicans on the lake it adds up to to more than 300,000 shad eaten just by the pelicans each day. In addition, the seagulls, grebes, cormorants and other water birds also feed of the fish, which adds up to millions of shad.
Threadfin shad aren't native to
http://www.record-bee.com//ci_7537161?IADID=Search-www.record-bee.com-www.record-bee.com
KLAMATH DAMS:
Report favors leaving Klamath dams alone
Santa Rosa Press Democrat – 11/23/07
By Mike Geniella, staff writer
A final federal environmental report recommends four hydroelectric dams remain on the upper Klamath River, brushing aside concerns of
The report, prepared by staff for the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, also is urging adoption of a controversial plan to trap returning salmon and truck them around
The FERC staff conclusions, released last weekend, are under attack from fishing representatives and tribal leaders who contend they ignore licensing requirements ordered last year by two federal fish and wildlife agencies. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the National Marine Fisheries Services demanded that at the very least fish ladders be installed at each of the four dams.
Glen Spain of the Pacific Coast Federation of Fishermen's Associations said the federal energy commission can't legally ignore the fish ladder mandates despite the staff recommendations.
Besides, said
Neither representatives for Pacificorp, a Portland, Ore.-based utility that owns the disputed dams, nor FERC could be reached Friday for comment on the final staff report.
The FERC staff report contends that the "truck-and-haul" operation and other environmental requirements, including new fish screens, can lead to long-term recovery of the Klamath salmon runs.
The staff stance is rekindling a five-year-old controversy that stems from the Klamath's sharp decline as one of the West Coast's historic top three salmon-producing rivers. The Klamath is the
At odds are fishing interests, environmentalists and
The Klamath project's net power benefits are currently estimated at $17 million annually. Even with the less stringent FERC staff recommendations, the power benefit is predicted to tumble to $2 million a year.
Critics, however, argue that the utility and its ratepayers could actually save $7 million annually if the dams were removed. A California Public Utilities Commission study last year also concluded that tearing down the dams would be cheaper for ratepayers than the potential costs of meeting federal relicensing requirements.
A consortium of tribal leaders, conservation groups, fishing interests, farmers and state and federal regulators continue to meet with Pacificorp in an attempt to negotiate an agreement prior to final FERC hearings. #
http://www1.pressdemocrat.com/article/20071124/NEWS/711240337/1033/NEWS01
QUAGGA MUSSELS:
Guest Column: Mussel imperils
By Russ Baggerly, of Ojai, is president of the Casitas Municipal Water District board of directors, but his comments are his own and he does not write on behalf of the board
The Russians are coming. Wait. There's no sneak attack. In this case, it's our water resource at
The Ukrainian mollusk probably arrived in the ballast water of ocean-going ships and made its first appearance in the
The mussel has now been found west of the Rocky Mountains in the
How does this aquatic troublemaker get around? Without a doubt, the Quagga mussel hitchhikes on recreational boats that carry the animal attached to the hulls of watercraft, anchors, trailers and in with live bait. The microscopic larva can also be found in various parts of a boat's equipment such as the bilge, cooling system and wet wells for bait.
What does the invasion of the Quagga mussel mean to us and our water resource? Well, to start, if the invader is deposited into
After being introduced to a body of water, the Quagga mussel feeds on plankton and algae in the water (except blue-green algae) and makes the water clearer. The plankton and algae that the mussels eat is the exact same food that is needed by fish fry and as the water gets more clear, sunlight penetrates deeper into the lake causing excessive weed growth. As the algae disappear, the fishery will also diminish rapidly. Lastly, the algae that is left is the blue-green algae and this is well-known for causing severe odor and taste problems. Along with these negative impacts, the Quagga mussel also excretes a high concentration of phosphorus that has a negative effect on water quality. In conclusion, once established, the entire ecology of the lake will be forever altered, the fishery will be lost and water rates will increase dramatically.
The time for action is right now to defend our water resource against this threat. We have no time to lose. #
http://www.venturacountystar.com/news/2007/nov/26/mussel-imperils-lake-casitas/
STEELHEAD STOCKING:
Guest Opinion: Study of fish-stocking under way
By Dana Wisehart, of Santa Paula, general manager of the United Water Conservation District
Re: John Krist's Nov. 8 essay, "Flunking the fitness test":
Anyone who has studied steelhead trout will not be surprised by the report that hatcheries weaken native fish stocks, as cited by Krist in his essay. Few people realize the extent to which trout and steelhead have been stocked in
In 1881, the U.S. Fish Commission bought its first "fish car," a railroad car built to transport fish. As early as 1887, non-native juvenile steelhead and trout were planted in our streams. Adult steelhead would be caught in the
By the 1930s, hatchery managers learned to breed rainbow trout — the same species as steelhead — that would grow quickly in warm-water hatcheries. Planting steelhead fry gave way to hatcheries devoted to "put and take" fisheries. The Fillmore fish hatchery was built to raise catchable-sized rainbow trout. Those trout were beyond the size when they would imprint on a stream and migrate to the ocean, to return as large steelhead. The number of steelhead declined.
By 1964, the California Department of Fish and Game wrote, "Steelhead runs are no longer of major significance in Sespe Creek and we might as well be realistic and acknowledge that it is certainly impractical if not impossible to expect the steelhead to return." That was more than 40 years ago.
United Water Conservation District hired a part-time historian to compile historic information on steelhead in our area. She has found more than 500 newspaper articles written before 1920. We plan to post a draft report on our Web site in the next few months, followed by a public meeting to present her results. What is really amazing are the numbers of rainbow trout formerly caught in local streams on the opening day of fishing season. Although today's recovery efforts are focused on the steelhead form of rainbow trout, the historical information leads to the question — what happened to the trout? We suspect that hatchery practices have been part of the problem. #
http://www.venturacountystar.com/news/2007/nov/23/study-of-fish-stocking-under-way/
Guest Column: We must learn from lessons of oil spill
By Richard Charter, member of the Defenders of Wildlife Government Relations Program
We can all agree that we never want another oil spill to happen here on the
But we also know that another spill will eventually happen again. So we owe it to the magnificent marine ecosystems all around us - and to ourselves - to make sure that we do a better job of responding next time.
We can point fingers about what obviously went wrong with the initial response to this spill, or we can look toward the future and diligently improve our spill prevention measures. We must make sure that there is no dithering in the critical first 60 minutes of any spill response, that all agencies with a need to know are notified immediately instead of hours later, and that information provided to responders and the public is accurate and verifiable.
We can make sure we know the specific location of cargo, chemical and tanker vessels, and where all fixed and moving obstacles are located, at all times. We clearly need to provide all container ships with tug escorts, and we need to seriously consider a single centralized state-of-the art loading terminal for the mammoth oil tankers entering and leaving our bay, so that hazardous shipping is not heading in all directions at once, as it is today.
We can also ensure an immediate full-scale response to future spills, enhanced by pre-trained volunteers. This spill was bad enough, but next time, the mess could well be a lot bigger. We could easily need skimmers and containment booms deployed on the water from
Dedicated workers who have persevered through the heart-breaking task of hand-cleaning oiled seabirds deserve our sincere thanks, but next time they may need to accommodate larger numbers of patients. Next time, damaged seabirds could easily number into the many thousands, even into the tens of thousands.
We have fragile estuaries and bays containing nurseries for our marine life spread out all along our coast, each facing the open ocean and with no present capability in place for deploying protective oil spill containment booms. We know that any oil spilled into those pristine estuarine environments can continue to poison marine life for decades, even for a century or more. An oil spill of significant scale that reached the
We can also expand the small area of permanent protection from offshore drilling rigs provided within our existing national marine sanctuaries by extending their boundaries farther northward to shelter more of our coast from the potential for exponentially bigger spills from drilling operations. A bipartisan bill ensuring this needs to be passed by Congress and signed into law this year.
Meanwhile, we should take better care of our coastal environment so that we maintain a vital, healthy and resilient ocean ecosystem that will be better able to withstand future man-made stresses of all kinds. We can create a network of marine reserves along our coast to the north, as has already been done on the central coast, so that similar ocean habitats are able to rebound and ensure a vital genetic reservoir from which to restore our most sensitive marine populations after a spill. The existing California Marine Life Protection Act provides us with the existing law and planning mechanism necessary to bring about healthier fish stocks and vibrant ecosystems that will better survive future accidents.
Or we can pretend this spill did not happen, ignore what we should have learned, and go back to sleep. The awakening next time, however, would likely be a lot worse, and the damage even more severe. #
http://www.mercurynews.com/opinion/ci_7547441?nclick_check=1
News Release, California Water Institute – 11/20/07
Contact: Theresa Sebasto, (559) 298-6072 ext. 212, Joe McGahan, (559) 582-9237
The San Joaquin Valley Drainage Authority is inviting all interested parties to learn about research currently underway on the
“This second in a series of community meetings is intended to discuss with the public the various scientific studies we have been conducting on the river over the past several years. At this meeting we will discuss the changes we have seen particularly over the last year”, said Dr. Will Stringfellow of University of the Pacific, lead researcher on the project. “Previously our studies have been conducted in rather wet years and 2007 was an exceedingly dry one. We will discuss the contrasts we have discovered in the health of the San Joaquin River in these wet vs. dry years as well as overview of the total maximum daily load (TMDL) scientific effort and share with the public our findings concerning river water quality and discuss how sound science can support the development of an effective TMDL plan”, added Stringfellow.
For many years, the Deep Water Ship Channel (DWSC) on the
Anyone interested in attended this free event can register online by visiting www.californiawater.org or by calling (559) 298-6072 ext. 212. The meeting will be held from
9:30 am to 12:30 pm.
Researchers from many institutions and organizations are collaborating in this effort including: University of the Pacific, Lawrence-Berkeley Labs, Turlock Irrigation District, Modesto Irrigation District, US Geological Survey and the Central Valley Regional Water Quality Control Board. This project is funded by the California Department of Fish & Game (formerly under the auspices of the California Bay-Delta Authority) and is being administered by the San Joaquin Valley Drainage Authority.
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