A daily compilation of significant news articles and comment
January 16, 2008
3. Watersheds
ZEBRA MUSSELS:
Zebra mussel found in
Zebra Mussel Discovered in
Invasive zebra mussels found in Hollister reservoir; first known discovery of species in California - Gilroy Dispatch
RECREATION REPORT:
Casting for dollars; State reels in big bucks from anglers - Woodland Daily Democrat
DELTA ISSUES:
Guest Column: Delta task force report isn’t visionary; A Manteca-area farmer and engineer takes a state-sponsored November report to task - Tracy Press
Commission eyes defensible space - North Lake Tahoe Bonanza
AMERICAN RIVER RELICENSING:
Agency to put $5.7 million in river project this year - Auburn Journal
ZEBRA MUSSELS:
Zebra mussel found in
By Deborah Schoch, staff writer
The zebra mussel that has wreaked havoc in waterways around the nation has been found in
State officials do not know how the mussel traveled west of the
Dozens of zebra mussels turned up in the last 10 days in a Hollister-area reservoir that serves growers and residents in San Benito County, known for its walnut and apricot orchards. County officials there worry that the mussel will clog irrigation lines and pumps in a region that has already been hit hard by state water shortages.
The zebra mussel, like its close relative the quagga mussel, is a European native that infested the
The quagga mussel, which made its first western appearance in Lake Mead last January, has already spread through the Colorado River Aqueduct to reach several
"It's not good news. If they're as invasive as they say, it could be a nightmare for our infrastructure," said Arman Nazemi, assistant
There is no definitive way to eradicate the zebra or quagga mussel, state officials said.
"Once they're in a waterway, there's not much we can do," said
Myriad questions surround the zebra mussel's discovery in San Justo Reservoir, which is normally open to recreational boaters but has been closed to them since the mussel was found.
"We want to know how widespread are they. Is this an isolated occurrence, or is the reservoir full of them?" Retallack said.
State, federal and county officials are investigating the finding because the reservoir is the terminus of a gravity-flow pipeline from San Luis Reservoir, used jointly by the federal Central Valley Project and the California State Water Project, state officials said. Water flows into the terminal reservoir, making it unlikely that the mussels could gravitate upstream into the projects, said Pete Weisser, spokesman for the California Department of Water Resources.
Neither type of mussel has been found in the California Aqueduct or other State Water Project facilities that deliver water throughout
The zebra mussel is a Russian native that is believed to have traveled to the
http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-mussel16jan16,1,3550463.story
Zebra Mussel Discovered in
Associated Press – 1/15/08
HOLLISTER, Calif. (AP) — State wildlife officials say a destructive species known as the zebra mussel has been discovered in California for the first time.
Department of Fish and Game spokeswoman
Lab tests conducted Monday confirmed that the creatures were zebra mussels, which are known to clog water pipes and boat engines and alter the chemistry of marine ecosystems.
State officials plan to conduct further surveys to determine the extent of the infestation and develop a plan to stop its spread.
They're asking fishermen and boaters to keep an eye out for zebra mussels and notify authorities if they find any. #
http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5gbRL9t8INuVcxvEEt4D5PP1lwofQD8U6K1G02
Invasive zebra mussels found in Hollister reservoir; first known discovery of species in California
By Anthony Ha and Michael Van Cassell, staff writers
State officials confirmed today the first known discovery in
The California Department of Fish and Game confirmed today it's the first known presence of the species in state waters.
Aside from local impacts to the environment and recreational offerings, what makes it worrisome on a broader level is that the San Justo Reservoir is connected to the state's
"This has major implications to it," Johnson said.
Santa Clara Valley Water District officials have taken notice of the outbreak and are taking steps toward identifying whether zebra mussels are present in any
"At this point there's no indication that there are zebra muscles in any of the county's 10 reservoirs, however... we'll be doing an inspection of the San Felipe division intakes in San Luis Reservoir," which is a source of the San Justo Reservoir, next week, she said. In addition, "We're going to temporarily stop bringing water from San Luis Reservoir to Calero to
Water district staff will install and monitor test plates at the intake pipes of Calero and Anderson reservoirs, Siravo said. These test plates will show whether the mussels are coming to the reservoirs from the San Luis Reservoir.
Zebra mussels are also extremely efficient filter feeders that can destroy the food base for indigenous water ecosystems. And a county supervisor today expressed concerns that the discovery could harm local farmers, too.
The U.S. Bureau of Reclamation, which owns San Justo Reservoir, suspects the zebra mussels found there are 1 to 3 years old, said Jeff McCracken, spokesman for the bureau office in
It means they likely have been there for a long time, he noted.
"So this isn't like one just showed up," he said.
Dr. B.J. Miller, a civil engineer who has worked with invasive species' in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta for more than a decade, said today the farther away from the reservoir the zebra mussel was introduced, the larger the problem.
Miller said larvae are buoyant and can float, but most likely would not travel against the flow of water from the reservoir into the delta system.
"It will be interesting to find out how they think it got into this little reservoir," Miller said.
Retallack said a fisherman pulled up a clump of the mussels Jan. 5 and took them to fish and game officials. The agency had the California Department of Food and Agriculture test the mollusks to determine they are the zebra mussel species, Retallack said.
The spokeswoman added that the California Department of Water Resources searched for the mussel in the
Bureau of reclamation officials first contacted Johnson on Wednesday about samples from the reservoir believed to be the invasive species, he said.
The discovery will affect recreational activities there, Johnson said, but it is too early to tell whether it has broader implications.
"There's a lot more work that needs to be done," Johnson said. "We don't go hitting the panic button yet."
The nickel-sized mussel can spread easily through larvae on the hulls of boats and in the cooling systems of motors.
Adult mussels also can be carried on the shoes of recreation area users and spread that way.
Nationally, zebra mussels have caused billions of dollars in damage, according to the Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries. Zebra mussels cost industries, businesses and communities more than $5 billion from 1993-1999, according to the department.
The state's fish and game department on Thursday collected more samples, which were sent to
San Benito County Supervisors Anthony Botelho, Don Marcus and Reb
"I just have my fingers crossed that this zebra mussel came from another area," Botelho said. "Nobody has said, once it's there, what you do about it."
Anything that threatens water from the reservoir could deal a blow to local agriculture, he said.
"I'm very concerned about irrigation water," Botelho said. "This is really, really bad news - it could be the straw that broke the camel's back for farmers (who are already facing a water shortage)."
The county is just following directions from the fish and game department and water district, Thompson said. But she added: "It's concerning, obviously. Otherwise we wouldn't have closed it down."
Johnson said a conference had been scheduled for today with the bureau of reclamation, the department of fish and game, the county's water district and other government agencies.
"We don't know yet where they came from, how they got here," Johnson said.
Officials did not know when the reservoir would re-open. #
http://www.gilroydispatch.com/news/contentview.asp?c=234033
RECREATION REPORT:
Casting for dollars; State reels in big bucks from anglers
Woodland Daily Democrat – 1/15/08
By Robin Hindrey, staff writer
Recreational fishing boosts
The report, released Thursday by the San Francisco-based conservation group California Trout, provides a detailed analysis of the fishing activities in each of three regions: Northern, Central and Southern. The report was written by Carolyn Alkire of Environmental Economics and Policy Consulting.
The take-away message was clear: Healthy aquatic ecosystems are important to the state's overall economy and particularly to communities that rely on recreational activities and tourism.
"The findings of this report make it abundantly clear that people all over the state depend on the financial infusion caused by recreational fishing," said California Trout CEO Brian Stranko. "This beneficial effect could be increased even further by better protecting and maintaining the streams and surrounding habitats that make fishing possible."
Anglers' expenses include not only bait and tackle, but also fishing-related items and services such as boats, license fees, food and lodging. In 2006, the average angler's fishing expenditure was $1,365, the report calculated.
In order to highlight the importance of maintaining aquatic habitats, the report estimated the value of various fish populations - and, in some instances, individual fish - in certain popular recreational fishing areas.
In the
Salmon from Clear Creek caught recreationally along the
In addition, the report said, at the 35,000-acre Sacramento River National Wildlife Refuge, located about 90 miles north of
The Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta is one of the state's most popular - and therefore profitable - destinations for anglers, bringing in nearly 170,000 fishing groups each year for an average stay of 24 days, the report said. That translates into about $186 million in direct fishing expenses, and another $206 million in outside expenses such as accommodations - for a grand total of $392 million per year.
"The economic power of fishing and related recreational activity in
In order to harness that power, she said, the state must commit to "the long-term and systematic protection of aquatic habitat, which forms the basis of the economic benefits." #
http://www.dailydemocrat.com/news/ci_7976647
DELTA ISSUES:
Guest Column: Delta task force report isn’t visionary; A Manteca-area farmer and engineer takes a state-sponsored November report to task
Tracy Press – 1/15/08
By Alex Hildebrand, longtime
The November report to Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger by the Delta Vision Task Force contains a wealth of information and an extensive analysis of Delta protection needs and water supply issues. It correctly states that the present method of exporting
Unfortunately, however, some of the report’s basic conclusions and tentative recommendations are based on assumptions that are not physically feasible.
Prior to the vision process, the task force members and Schwarzenegger apparently decided that a peripheral canal of some sort was necessary for water supply and that the Delta could be protected better than it is while operating an isolated conveyance canal. These assumptions are wrong, but the task force did not discover this, because it ignored the reasons why a canal is not necessary for water supply and the reasons why the Delta would be trashed if
The plan also fails to explain that the basic problem is that the state’s population has already outgrown the developed water supply. It ignores a plan that was submitted and could meet objectives without a canal.
Isolated versus in-channel conveyance
The report seems to build on the preconception that exporting water through an isolated conveyance facility (aka a peripheral canal) is necessary for water supply reliability and that it can also be compatible with protection of the Delta. This apparent pro-peripheral canal bias led to a failure to address either the impacts of a canal or alternatives that would meet the vision’s goals.
It is acknowledged that “there is not sufficient information” to ensure that a canal is a viable solution. Then the report refers to “an assessment of a dual conveyance system as the preferred direction.” The report does not call for analysis of the effect that any isolated conveyance would have on salinity in Delta channels, including in the south and central Delta during months and years when the river flow is low. A technical analysis will soon be available that demonstrates the inevitable rise in salinity. This rise would be a disaster.
Dual-facility proposals
The report ignores the fact that exporting water through the isolated portion of a “dual conveyance facility” would increase salinity in the through-Delta portion above acceptable levels for Delta water users. A dual conveyance system is therefore unsustainable.
The report does not make it clear that a canal would have to go through the Delta, not around it, due to development on the east side. It would sever waterways, roads, farm fields, irrigation and drainage systems and interrupt the circulation of channel waters. It would create blind sloughs where salinity, dissolved oxygen and invasive water hyacinth would not be controlled. It would be a barrier to major flood flows from south and east of the canal and cause increased flooding.
Analysis of a through-Delta plan
The report does not call for assessment of an improved system of export through existing Delta channels that could achieve the goals of the vision plan. It does not even mention the plan submitted to the task force by the South Delta and Central Delta water agencies, which incorporates the Delta Corridor Plan.
It would separate and protect the
The task force report also does not mention that endangered Delta fish species thrive best in water with low salinity.
Putting Delta farmers out of business
Delta farmers are the primary maintainers of the rural levees that preserve the basic pattern of channels and lands that constitute the Delta.
The report does not acknowledge that these farmers would be put out of business by the salinity rise caused by isolated conveyance of export water. It does not propose another means of levee maintenance. It does not discuss the consequences if levees are abandoned. It does not discuss the fact that an acre of wetlands consumes significantly more water by evaporation than is consumed by an acre of farmland. It does not discuss the consequence of conversion of farmland to wetlands, due either to the rise in salinity or to direct conversion to wetlands.
Overall, the report proposes protection of Delta agriculture and then makes proposals that would adversely impact agriculture.
Outgrowing developed water supply
The report discusses the need for more developed water. However, its discussion of this does not make it clear that the underlying problem pitting export proponents against Delta protectors is the inadequacy of the developed water supply.
It does not make it clear that no conveyance facility can increase the overall water supply. It does not mention the fact that
The 2005 California Water Plan makes no provision for providing the increasing need for consumptive water use. The task force report does not do much better. The primary potential source for that water is to capture and use beneficially the water that flows from the Central Valley through the Delta to
Compliance with existing laws and regulations
The report does not discuss compliance with the Delta Protection Statues, priority of water rights, Delta outflow requirements, salinity and dissolved oxygen standards, Agricultural Code 411 and so forth. The task force apparently intends that these protections be disregarded. This will have implications regarding legal and regulatory protections for water users everywhere.
The report should be reconsidered. #
http://tracypress.com/content/view/13120/2244/
Commission eyes defensible space
By Kyle Magin, staff writer
The California-Nevada Tahoe Basin Fire Commission addressed ways to streamline the permit process for landowners to create defensible space on their property.
At Monday's meeting a report was presented to the Commission's Wildland Fuels Committee, which is made up of members of the full commission including the North Lake Tahoe Fire Protection District's Chief Mike Brown and Division Chief Norb Szczurek.
Lauri Kemper, the supervising water resource control engineer for the California Regional Water Quality Control Board, presented a report to the commission's Wildland Fuels Committee.
The report looked at possible ways to shorten the permit process for home ownders to create defensible space.
"We want to get rid of overlapping permits and possibly try to get a single permit so people can avoid confusion," Kemper said. "Right now they may have to go through this agency or that agency to clear defensible space, and we'd like it if people would only have to apply once to clear defensible space."
Kemper added that a single permit would benefit federal and state agencies which own land in the basin to expedite the permit process. Likely, Kemper said, the permit would carry the blessing of the Lahontan Region of the
The Wildland fuels committee also heard an update from its air quality working group.
The group is charged with evaluating information used by the basin fire chiefs to decide what days are good prescribed burn days for piles made while creating defensible space.
Prescribed burns are necessary because vegetation debris accumulate after hand crews clear a wildland area for defensible space. Afterward, the debris must be burnt in order to make room for future clearings.
Szczurek said he hoped the group would address what he saw as a problem with the prescribed-burn system. Currently the California Air Resources Board, located in
Szczurek said the Board sometimes fails to allow agencies on the
Ann Hobbs, an official with the Placer County air pollution control district, said that is because the Board bases its burn or no-burn system on "meteorology which may not be advanced enough" originating from the Tahoe basin.
"I've found that on some days we'll burn with good success when they don't burn," Szczurek said. In effect, Szczurek said, agencies on the
Szczurek said one of the working groups top priorities should be to burn piles as often as possible while remaining sensitive to air quality in the basin.
"If there is great air movement, all of the basin agencies should be burning so we can get that smoke up and out of the basin," Szczurek said. "But, we need to be sensitive to our communities, so if the air isn't moving so well we need to make sure we aren't having a negative impact." #
http://www.tahoebonanza.com/article/20080116/Nevada/360479946
AMERICAN RIVER RELICENSING:
Agency to put $5.7 million in river project this year
Auburn Journal – 1/15/08
By Gus Thomson, staff writer
The Placer County Water Agency is planning to spend $5.7 million on its Middle Fork American River Project relicensing efforts this year.
Entering the fourth year of a an eight-year, $30 million administrative-and-environmental review, the agency is moving toward a 2013 renewal of its Federal Energy Regulatory Commission permit.
The agency's board of directors approved task orders at a recent meeting to continue work of six environmental consulting firms through the coming year. The 2008 task orders total $5.7 million.
"There is going to be a lot of intensive field work this year," said Mal Toy, director of resource development.
The middle fork project combines reservoirs, powerhouses and water conveyance facilities on the middle fork
The Auburn-based water agency built the project under a federal power license granted in 1963. It's up for renewal in five years.
The agency filed a formal pre-application document in December with the federal commission, with an eye on maintaining public ownership of the project, assuring a continued water supply, and maintaining a project for the benefit of
A year ago, the agency board and the
http://www.auburnjournal.com/articles/2008/01/16/news/top_stories/08middleforkproject16.txt
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