Department of Water Resources
A daily compilation of significant news articles and comment
July 1, 2008
5. Agencies, Programs, People –
Salmon Symposium Draws Experts and Activists to the
Published on YubaNet.com- 6/30/08
Crews dig in on project to prevent San Jose
San Jose
Water company files plan to increase its rates 26 percent
San Bernardino
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Salmon Symposium Draws Experts and Activists to the
Published on YubaNet.com- 6/30/08
NEVADA CITY, Calif. June 30, 2008 -- A council of indigenous leaders, ecologists, scientists, community activists, healers and elders will present a Calling Back the Salmon Resolution, closing the first of a three day event at the 3rd Annual Spring-Run Chinook Symposium, held for the first time in Nevada City.
The Salmonid Restoration Federation (SRF) and South Yuba River Citizens League (SYRCL) are producing the event, which includes a full day Symposium on Thursday July 10th exploring the challenges and opportunities for recovering
As a feature of the "Salmon Social" that begins at 7:30pm on July 10th, the Calling Back the Salmon Committee will call for "the reintroduction of Wild Salmon into the upper Yuba River, as a cornerstone for the recovery of the ecology and spirit of our rivers," and call for several other actions by government and the people of "Salmon Nation." The presentation will be followed by a short film program from SYRCL's Wild & Scenic Film Festival.
Yuba Salmon Now! Wild Salmon Forever!
"There's no better place to restore native runs of Wild Salmon in
The purpose of the symposium is to promote knowledge and advance strategies that most effectively protect and restore threatened spring-run Chinook populations of
"We have coordinated with salmon recovery scientists, and those who were active in the former Spring-run workgroup to produce this dynamic event.
We're thrilled to take the symposium to the Yuba and bring focus to recovering spring-run Chinook," states Dana Stolzman, Executive Director for SRF.
The symposium format will include presentations, panel discussions and workshops to address the historic range and life history diversity of Spring-run Chinook Salmon, status of Spring-run Chinook populations in California and current and potential actions for recovery, salmon and water resources of the Sierra-Nevada, and evaluating options for providing new habitat and for improving freshwater survival.
Presentations will include an overview of the ecology and biology of Spring-run Chinook, Spring-run recovery efforts in the Central Valley,
Two days of field tours will highlight habitat enhancement, water conservation, and restoration opportunities afforded through the FERC relicensing process, including a Yuba River Float trip from Parks Bar to
Saturday's tours include Butte Creek in the
"We hope that this type of hands-on educational event will foster cooperation and be conducive to creating long-term solutions to balancing human water supply needs with instream flows required for salmonid recovery.," says Stolzman.
Bringing Spirit to a Scientific Symposium:
The Calling Back the Salmon Committee is based in the Yuba and Bear Watersheds and is responsible for the resurrection of an ancient Maidu Salmon Ceremony performed for the first time in over 150 years on the banks of the
The Tsi Akim Maidu Tribe brought back the "Calling Back the Salmon Ceremony" with the support from the "Calling Back the Salmon Committee."
Tribal Chairman Don Ryberg said, "We've brought Indians and non-Indians together to prepare ourselves for the Calling Back the Salmon Ceremony.
When Indian and non-Indian come together the healing process starts the healing action. Just apology isn't enough, doing a project together is where the healing comes from so that we might call the salmon home. We want to share our story with a wider community and invite people to join us Thursday evening."
A "Calling Back the Salmon Ceremony" held in January of 2005 brought together community members, SYRCL leadership and Tsi-Akim Maidu. This ceremony prompted broad community participation, and the Tsi-Akim Maidu then began performing a ceremony now held annually at
"Since our
And Wild & Scenic will bring a wider range of films to World Fest in
http://yubanet.com/regional/Salmon-Symposium.php
Crews dig in on project to prevent San Jose
San Jose
By Paul Rogers
Kicking off one of
The work represents the final stage of the project that created the Guadalupe River Park & Gardens in downtown
That stretch of river has flooded five times since 1982. In 1995, floodwaters submerged 150 homes near
"I'll never forget in 1995 standing on the
The project will progress in sections, finishing in 2016.
At a ceremony Monday along
"We are making the effort not to control Mother Nature, but to work with her," said Honda, who noted he swam in nearby creeks as a boy more than 50 years ago.
The work will remove nine concrete barriers in the river - things like old bridge abutments - to ease passage for Chinook salmon and steelhead. Thousands of native trees and other vegetation will be planted. And there will be corridors so the city can later extend hiking and bicycle trails along the river's edge from downtown to
In addition, the Upper Guadalupe will be widened in many places to hold more water during winter storms. Levees also will be raised.
Because of past development right up to the river's banks, it's not easy to widen the channel through more established neighborhoods, including Willow Glen.
As a result, for the past 20 years as it planned the project, the water district has been buying land along the river's edges. It has purchased 135 pieces of property so far from willing sellers, with about 35 more to go. In places, it has knocked down homes it purchased to make room for a wider channel.
When finished, the project will provide 100-year flood protection, significantly reducing risk for 7,200 homes, 230 businesses and 11 schools.
Currently the area only has 25-year flood protection in many places, meaning the river is only engineered to prevent flooding from waters that have a 1-in-25 chance of occurring in any year.
"I can't wait. I think it will really beautify and improve the area," said Jay Forderer, a resident who lives on
In 1998, the last time the Upper Guadalupe flooded, he watched nervously with neighbors as the waters rose.
"It was incredible. The river was brown and full of debris and branches. It nearly came to the bottom of the bridge," he said Monday. "I knew if it went over the banks that I'd be pumping water out of my house."
About 100 yards from his home, a newly vacant lot on the riverfront sat where a home once did. The water district bought it and tore it down last summer to widen the channel.
That kind of widening has won accolades from environmentalists. But some still have concerns.
"I applaud buying up homes to provide additional floodplain. That is innovative and deserves a lot of credit," said Mondy Lariz, a board member of the Santa Clara County Creeks Coalition. "But I feel that we are going to look back on it and say, 'We should have done this, this and this.' "
Lariz said that the water district's efforts on other sections of the
He also said that the current project could be improved if more bridges were replaced and widened. Last year, the district paid $3 million to build a longer, wider bridge at
The cost for the project is being split, with the Santa Clara County Water District paying $119 million and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers paying $137 million.
Local funding came from Measure B, a $39 per-home annual parcel tax approved by
http://www.mercurynews.com/ci_9750490
Water company files plan to increase its rates 26 percent
San Bernardino
Josh Dulaney, Staff Writer
The company plans to file a general rate case this week with the California Public Utilities Commission to cover increasing costs of operations and new projects, such as a $35 million treatment plant in Lytle Creek and new headquarters in the city, said President Michael Whitehead.
"We've done our best to minimize this increase," Whitehead said. "The PUC will ultimately decide what the increase will be."
The company, a division of the privately owned San Gabriel Valley Water Company, is required by law to file a case every three years. Rates will vary among customers, depending on the type of meter they have and how much water they use, officials said.
Meanwhile, they're about to pay a little more for water every month, as third-year rate increases from the last general case filing kick in.
Starting July 1, the average cost customers will pay goes from $52.69 to $54.01, according to officials.
The city fought past increases. It posts protest letters on its Web site for residents to download and mail to local representatives.
Councilwoman Janice Rutherford said Monday it was discouraging that the company proposes to spike charges to customers who, according the city, are paying 1.85 times those of water users in nearby communities.
"If I were running a company that saw a 26 percent increase in expenses without changes to the output or the product, I would think the board of directors would call me on the carpet,"
Whitehead said neighboring communities enjoy public water facilities, which receive tax subsidies while passing on connection fees to developers.
A ruling in 2007 by an administrative law judge allowed the company to start passing connection fees on to developers, Whitehead said. Future costs to residents will be mitigated as development picks up again in the city, he said.#
http://www.sbsun.com/sanbernardino/ci_9749095
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
No comments:
Post a Comment