A daily compilation of significant news articles and comment
January 7, 2008
3. Watersheds
Beaver dams stir flood controversy - Vacaville Reporter
MORRO BAY WATERSHED:
Volunteers help make Morro Bay estuary one of state's most studied ecosystems - San Luis Obispo Tribune
DELTA ISSUES:
Editorial: Delta task force goals must not be ignored -
Beaver dams stir flood controversy
By Danny Bernardini, staff writer
When it comes to dealing with beavers in
Because
Also calling the department are those who love watching the animals and who are benefiting from the beaver's work.
The requests to destroy the dams increase during the winter months as residents worry about the obstructions adding to the possibility of flooding, said Craig Isham, Vacaville Public Works maintenance superintendent.
The problem, Isham said, is that as soon as crews leave the creek beds after destroying a dam, the beavers already are creating a new one.
"They live up to their name, busy beavers. A lot of times there is another one built the next day," he said. "It's an ongoing problem."
Isham maintains he has no scientific background, claims the small dams aren't likely to stop high-powered water during a storm, but he said the city has a responsibility to help those who call for them to be taken out.
"When you get the big storms, it will take the beaver dam out, but that's hard for people to believe. To make some of the people happy, you take them out. The heavy winter rains will wash them out," Isham said. "It's a no-win situation."
The problem for Isham however, is for every person who complains about the beavers, there is someone angry at the department for disrupting the habitat.
"We get a lot of calls. The thing that is ironic, is a lot of people like them," he said. "Dealing with the public, there are some people you are never going to make happy. They seem to accept the answer, but I don't know if they like it."
One of those who has made calls in favor of the beavers is
She and her husband Dennis have lived in their house for more than 30 years, and in the last five years have enjoyed watching beavers play in Alamo Creek in the evening time.
Besides being fun to watch, she said, the small waterfall created by the dam helps create a current that moves water that is usually still.
"It makes a big difference to have it flowing and clean. Without (the dam), the creek is backed up, smelly and stagnant," Fogleman said while standing near the creek bed. "Otherwise, it's a breeding ground for mosquitos."
She said she understands why some neighbors are cautious about anything that may lead to a flood, but Fogleman said the size of the dams don't pose a threat.
She said larger dams built by beavers do cause problems, but not those in
"Back on the East Coast, they build them 12 or 14 feet tall, but not these," Fogleman said. "It's not enough to holler about. Try as I might, I don't see it as a problem. Leave them alone."
Dennis Fogleman said the crews coming out to destroy the dams are a waste of money because they are remade in a day or two.
"The first time crews came out, we said 'What are they doing?' We were actually laughing at them," Dennis said. "Something like this isn't going to be a problem."
That's where Isham and his department are. Stuck between two groups of phone calls, each wanting different results.
He doesn't seem to think the problem is going away either.
"They're in just about every creek we have," he said. "Just talking to people, they've noticed more wildlife in the creeks than ever before." #
http://www.thereporter.com//ci_7902542?IADID=Search-www.thereporter.com-www.thereporter.com
MORRO BAY WATERSHED:
Volunteers help make
By David Sneed, staff writer
In the shadow of
Over the next half hour, the pair will record a detailed snapshot of the quality of the water flowing down the creek to the
The same procedure is repeated at 15 other creek sites in the 48,000-acre
It’s all part of the Morro Bay National Estuary Program’s volunteer monitoring program designed to improve coastal water quality.
The
Kitajima manages the program, and Robinson is one of about 100 volunteers who make the program work by donating 1,500 hours of their time each year.
In all, the estuary program has 10 ongoing and seasonal monitoring efforts, making the 2,300-acre Morro Bay estuary and its watershed that stretches from Morro Rock to the outskirts of San Luis Obispo one of the most studied ecosystems in the state.
‘A sense of ownership’
The data the volunteers are compiling is available to anyone who asks for them but are particularly useful for state and federal regulators and local land managers.
“It’s pretty exciting,” Kitajima said. “Without the volunteers the data wouldn’t exist.”
Estuary program managers say they are amazed at the dedication and diversity of their volunteers. Most are college students and retirees, but some are working professionals.
Some volunteer for as little as a day to participate in a bird count, while others, like Robinson, contribute their time every month. Robinson said he began volunteering in October 2006 as an educational experience.
“I’m really interested in water quality and conservation,” he said. “It just seemed like a real good opportunity to learn more about monitoring.”
Many of the volunteers say they get involved in the program because they want to conserve the environment and natural beauty of the area, said Dan Berman, estuary program director.
“Monitoring gives our volunteers a sense of ownership of where they live,” he said. “They want to be a part of protecting it and understanding it.”
Improving water quality
The monitoring and the other work of the estuary program are part of a larger trend in the state to improve coastal water quality. More than 10 years of monitoring by state water officials, Cal Poly and the estuary program show that the
The biggest problem is accelerated sedimentation of the bay. The watershed also suffers from high bacteria levels, making bodily contact with creek water unsafe in some areas.
Other creeks are overloaded with nutrients and are losing freshwater flows. Too many nutrients cause some creeks and parts of the bay to become choked with green and brown algae mats that smother fish and cause wild fluctuations in dissolved oxygen levels.
The estuary program is addressing these problems by restoring creeks to their natural state and encouraging farmers and ranchers to fence off creeks to keep livestock out. Livestock are suspected to be a main source of bacteria in creeks.
The monitors also urge farmers and ranchers to employ the “best management practices,” such as rotational cattle grazing. By using resource-friendly techniques, farmers can reduce erosion and limit the pollutants that enter creeks.
The monitoring program is an important tool in helping land managers and government officials measure whether these efforts are working, and it helps them spot problems as soon as they arise.
“We can’t protect the bay if we don’t know what’s going on, what’s working and what’s not,” Berman said.
A $550,000 grant from a voter-approved state water quality initiative pays for the monitoring program for three years.
Estuary program managers plan to get additional grants to keep the program going.
Berman said he hopes the lessons the estuary program is providing will help other parts of the country that have similar water quality problems.
“It’s a model system that can be applied elsewhere,” he said. #
http://www.sanluisobispo.com/429/story/238849.html
DELTA ISSUES:
Editorial: Delta task force goals must not be ignored
The battles over the delta are heating up, and it has nothing to do with climate change. The Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta is the heart of
Unfortunately, our watery heart is quite sick. The delta smelt are said to be near extinction. The salmon that once migrated through the delta into the Tuolumne,
Polluted urban runoff is poisoning fragile ecosystems. Many scientists agree, the delta is on the verge of collapse.
There are conflicting explanations for every crisis, but there are few solutions. While everyone wants to fix the delta, no one wants to admit they are part of the problem. Judges have stepped in, ordering reductions in pumping from the delta this year.
Last year, Gov. Schwarzenegger appointed a Blue Ribbon Task Force to investigate what bedevils the delta and to suggest how to remedy its ills. Headed by former legislator Phil Isenberg, the panel included former
The task force released its report in early December, outlining 12 recommendations or goals. The most important was making the restoration of the delta's ecology "co-equal" in importance to providing reliable water supplies.
That would reverse decades of treating the delta like a plumbing fixture or a real estate venture.
The task force notes that revitalizing the delta "will require reduced diversions, or changes in patterns and timing of those diversions ... at critical times." The task force also said that two things were essential tools for fixing the delta: more water storage and a more reliable "conveyance facility" for moving water out of the delta.
Now you can see why the water is getting warmer. Farmers can't tolerate talk of reduced pumping while environmentalists deplore the idea of new dams. And those who live around the delta abhor even the hint of a canal.
The problem is that these solutions must work together, or they won't work at all.
Too many rely on delta water to just stop pumping. Yet, most agree that too much pumping is killing the delta and its fish. To reduce pumping, another way of moving the water to those who depend on it is needed. A "conveyance facility" (i.e., peripheral canal) would carry part of the
That's where additional storage comes in. During critical times, releases from dams would keep water flowing through the delta. Dams also could generate electricity and provide water for other uses.
The task force won't offer specific solutions until June, but already opposition is mounting. Water agencies don't like the thought of any reduction in flow. And environmentalists who decry the effects of climate change elsewhere appear content to ignore them closer to home. Unfortunately, many environmentalists prefer to believe that dams are built only to enrich a few farmers, so they are lobbying against bonds to build surface storage.
This fails to recognize that as
While some environmentalists hate dams, they can tolerate a canal. Those who live in the delta region are blasé about dams, but abhor the thought of a canal. Early this week, The Record in
The task force is in the middle of all this, yet it has provided an excellent starting point for discussion when it proposes solutions in June. It emphasized the equal goals of protecting the delta while assuring sufficient water for the state.
Schwarzenegger must make certain that the recommendations of his task force -- all of them -- are given a fair hearing. If the Delta Vision report ends up collecting dust, or getting picked apart, it will mean business as usual in the water world. And the delta will remain in peril. #
http://www.modbee.com/opinion/story/171700.html
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