[Water_news] 5. DWR'S CALIFORNIA WATER NEWS: AGENCIES, PROGRAMS, PEOPLE - 5/23/08

Department of Water Resources

California Water News

A daily compilation of significant news articles and comment

 

May 23, 2008

 

5. Agencies, Programs, People -

 

River safety on minds of many for holiday weekend

Sacramento Bee

 

DWR Press Release

DWR Reminds Boaters & Water Users: Don’t Move a Mussel

 

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River safety on minds of many for holiday weekend

Sacramento Bee – 5/23/08

By Niesha Lofing, staff writer

 

Sacramento County officials are urging residents to use caution while in and around area waterways Memorial Day weekend.

An alcohol ban will be in place along the shore and on the river within the American River Parkway between Hazel and Watt avenues during the holiday weekend.

Rope swings and jumping off bridges into the river also are prohibited.

 

Officials caution that the water remains very cold and contains hazards below the water's surface.

 

The average temperature of the American River at the Hazel Avenue bridge for the majority of May was 58.2 degrees, according to the state Department of Water Resources' Web site.

 

And while partly sunny conditions will grace Sacramento skies over the weekend, the sunshine won't provide too much warmth. High temperatures are only anticipated to reach the low 70s, according to National Weather Service forecasts.

 

But the most thing to remember before heading off to the river this weekend could be life jackets.

 

Life jackets are mandatory for people using rafts or other watercrafts, according to a county regional parks news release.

There are numerous life jacket programs available. Sacramento County's "Kids Don't Float" program has placed life jackets for temporary loan along the river at several locations, including the American River Parkway South; Ancil Hoffman Park; Discovery Park; Howe Avenue; Folsom Point; Negro Bar; Nimbus and Watt Avenue.

 

The California Department of Boating and Waterways has paired with fire departments and the CSU Sacramento Aquatic Center to loan life jackets to children and adults. Life jackets also are available at several fire departments in the region. For a complete list, go to http://www.dbw.ca.gov/boaterinfo/lifejacket.aspx.

Cal Boating also is partnering with Sam's Club stores and is holding a life jacket trade-in event from 2 to 4 p.m. Friday at six Sacramento area locations.

Parents can bring their children's life jackets for inspection by boating safety professionals. If a life jacket is found to be unsafe, a new one will be given in exchange while supplies last. Only one new jacket will be given per family, states a Cal Boating news release.

 

Boating safety professionals also will be able to answer questions and provide safety information.

 

The event will be held at the following Sam's Club stores: 7417 Greenback Lane, Citrus Heights; 2495 Iron Point Road, Folsom; 904 Pleasant Grove Blvd., Roseville; 7660 Stockton Blvd., Sacramento; 3671 N. Freeway, Sacramento; and 3360 El Camino Ave., Sacramento.

 

The Sacramento Metropolitan Fire District also is trying to prevent drownings. The district will kick off its fifth annual Operation River Safe program at 10 a.m. Monday at the Sunrise footbridge in Rancho Cordova.

 

Metro Fire employees, along with Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) members, will be loaning life jackets. The district has an assortment of sizes of life jackets, which are purchased through donations from the UC Davis Medical Center's trauma and outreach programs and Kaiser Permanente.#

http://www.sacbee.com/101/story/961995.html

 

DWR Press Release

DWR Reminds Boaters & Water Users: Don’t Move a Mussel

 

SACRAMENTO - As California's water recreation season begins, a state multi-agency taskforce reminds boaters to do their part to help thwart invasive Quagga and Zebra mussels. Boats are the primary transporters of the aquatic species and recreationalists on State Water Project water bodies should take special care to properly clean, drain and dry vessels.

 

“Invasive mussels pose a serious threat to our water systems and recreational facilities,” said California Secretary for Resources Mike Chrisman.  “Over the Memorial Day holiday and throughout this boating season we ask for the assistance of water users to prevent the spread of Quagga and Zebra mussels in California.”

 

The taskforce – comprised of California’s Department of Fish and Game, Department of Water Resources, Department of Parks and Recreation and Department of Boating and Waterways – urges boaters to take action to protect the state’s many water bodies from Quagga and Zebra mussel infestation.

 

Invasive aquatic mussels are primarily transported by watercrafts and boaters should follow these steps to inhibit their spread:

 

-Inspect all exposed surfaces - small mussels feel like sandpaper to the touch.

 

-Wash the hull of each watercraft thoroughly, preferably with high-pressure hot water.

 

-Remove all plants and animal material.

 

-Drain all water and dry all areas.

 

-Drain and dry the lower outboard unit.

 

-Clean and dry all live-wells.

 

-Empty and dry any buckets.

 

-Properly dispose of all bait.

 

-Wait five days and keep watercraft dry between launches into different fresh waters.

 

These steps are designed to thwart spread of the invasive mussels, safeguard boats and preserve high-quality fisheries.

 

Quagga mussels were first detected in the Great Lakes in 1989, resulting in hundreds of millions of dollars in damage to water delivery systems.  They were first detected in the Colorado River system in January 2007 and were later found in San Diego and Riverside counties by state and local water agencies. Zebra mussels were discovered in San Justo Reservoir in San Benito County in January 2008.

 

Thus far, no Quagga or Zebra mussels have been found in the State Water Project, which is closely monitored for these species by environmental scientists.

 

Both species of mussel are non-native aquatic mollusks that wreak havoc on the environment by disrupting the natural food chain and releasing toxins that affect other aquatic species. Although they range in size from microscopic to the size of a fingernail, they are prolific and attach themselves to hard and soft surfaces.

 

In addition to devastating the natural environment, Quagga and Zebra mussels pose a dramatic economic threat to California. The mussels can colonize on hulls, engines and steering components of boats, other recreational equipment, and can damage boat motors and restrict cooling. The invasive species also attach to aquatic plants, and submerged sediment and surfaces such as piers, pilings, water intakes, and fish screens. In doing this, water intake structures can be clogged, hampering the flow of water. The mussels frequently settle in massive colonies that can block water intake and threaten municipal water supply, agricultural irrigation and power plant operations.

 

Zebra mussels inhabit water depths from four to 180 feet, while Quagga can reach depths more than 400 feet. Both mollusks can attach to and damage boat trailers, cooling systems, boat hulls and steering equipment. Mussels attached to watercraft or trailers can be transported and spread to other water bodies. Water in boat engines, bilges, live wells and buckets can carry mussel larvae (called veligers) to other water bodies as well.

 

The taskforce is currently working to determine the extent of the Quagga and Zebra mussel threat and to educate watercraft users and water managers about what they can do to help. As part of the public education effort, the state has facilitated nearly a dozen Quagga/Zebra inspection and decontamination trainings for more than 350 individuals in San Diego, Redding, Fresno, Stockton, Monterey, Los Alamitos, Ontario, Lake County, Sacramento and Yountville.

 

To date, the taskforce has distributed more than 1.75 million information cards and 1.2 million letters to registered boaters and other water users around the state about the Quagga and Zebra mussel danger.

A public toll-free hotline – 1-866-440-9530 – has also been established for information about destructive Quagga and Zebra mussels. The toll-free number is available Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

 

For more information on the Quagga/Zebra mussel response, please visit the DFG Web site at www.dfg.ca.gov/invasives/quaggamussel.

http://www.water.ca.gov/news/newsreleases/2008/052208quaggarelease.pdf

 

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DWR's California Water News is distributed to California Department of Water Resources management and staff, for information purposes, by the DWR Public Affairs Office. For reader's services, including new subscriptions, temporary cancellations and address changes, please use the online page: http://listhost2.water.ca.gov/mailman/listinfo/water_news. DWR operates and maintains the State Water Project, provides dam safety and flood control and inspection services, assists local water districts in water management and water conservation planning, and plans for future statewide water needs. Inclusion of materials is not to be construed as an endorsement of any programs, projects, or viewpoints by the Department or the State of California.