Department of Water Resources
A daily compilation of significant news articles and comment
June 5, 2009
5. Agencies, Programs, People –
Federal plan would return salmon to the upper Sacramento River
Redding Record Searchlight
Water agency may have to use reserve funds
The Desert Sun
Be safe while boating on the Sacramento River
Redding Record Searchlight
Officials keep eye on water
500,000 salmon start life in strait
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Federal plan would return salmon to the upper Sacramento River
Redding Record Searchlight-6/05/09
A federal plan to revive salmon in the
The National Marine Fisheries Service made the two recommendations in its 800-page biological opinion for the Central Valley Project released Thursday.
The Bureau of Reclamation, which operates Shasta Dam and the Red Bluff Diversion Dam, has tentatively approved the federal court-ordered plan while it reviews the lengthy document.
The Keswick and Shasta dams have blocked spawning beds on the
Federal and state scientists will develop a pilot project to truck fish trapped in the lower
Shasta Dam consists of 6,270,000 cubic yards of concrete, making it the second most voluminous in the country. Just below it, Keswick Dam regulates the flows from Shasta into the
Downriver, the agency recommends that the bureau block off the Red Bluff Diversion year-round after 2012, Rea said. The change would end the seasonal formation of Lake Red Bluff.
After the bureau built the dam in the 1960s, the agency kept the eleven 18-foot-tall gates down year-round, forming the shallow, six-mile-long lake. The dam kept salmon and other migrating fish from swimming up the
Starting in late 1986, the bureau opened the gates intermittently to help salmon. Since 1993, the gates have been up from mid-September to mid-May.
As the lake became a fixture for Red Bluff, so did drag boat races held each Memorial Day weekend on its flat water. But the fisheries service has advised the bureau to shorten the lake's season this year to June 15 to September 15.
Ali Abassi, whose company ran the Nitro Nationals Drag Boat Festival, canceled the event for the first time in more than 30 years this year.
He said he's still hoping to talk to federal officials about the possibility of temporarily lowering the gates to form the lake for the race.
"We'll have to see," he said.
But the fisheries service recommends that the bureau keep the gates up throughout the year.
Rea said May is a crucial time for salmon in the
"Our analysis found that that is really at the height of the spring spawning season," she said.
The dam existed to supply water for farmers supplied by the
Without Lake Red Bluff, the city will have to find a way to make up for the influx of visitors that had been drawn annually by the boat races, said Martin Nichols, Red Bluff's city manager.
The event brought about 30,000 spectators to town each year. This Memorial Day weekend was different, he said.
"It was quiet," he said.#
http://www.redding.com/news/2009/jun/05/federal-plan-would-return-salmon-to-the-upper/
Water agency may have to use reserve funds
The Desert Sun-6/05/09
By Rasha Aly
Desert Water Agency officials are feeling the pinch of the economic downturn.
The agency may have to use as much as $6 million of its reserves this year to help pay expenses, they said Tuesday during a meeting.
But that preliminary figure is subject to change as a result of incoming revenue and bills.
“These are bad economic times for anybody,” General Manager David Luker said.
Budget figures show the agency projected its annual expenditures at about $43 million for the 2008-09 fiscal year.
Luker said an exact number of how much was overspent will not be known until the books for the 2008-09 fiscal year are closed on June 30.
The agency, which serves parts of
general fund, which mostly pays the state for water the agency purchases as a part of the State Water project.
wastewater budget, which deals with sewage collection in
The agency plans to dip into the reserves of two budgets.
Luker said $2.8 million may be taken out of the operating budget reserves, and $3.4 million may be taken out of the general fund reserves.
The agency also has cut costs, Luker said.
Two jobs in its engineering department have not been filled, employee benefits were cut during the past two years, and this year's employees cost of living expenses were eliminated, he said.
http://www.mydesert.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=2009906040352
Be safe while boating on the Sacramento River
Redding Record Searchlight-6/05/09
Members of the Shasta County Sheriff's Dive Team, Boating Safety Unit, and California Highway Patrol participated in a swift water training Wednesday, part of a three-day rescue exercise at bridge sites along the
The Sheriff's office received a grant through the California Department of Boating and Waterways for the training.
The California Department of Boating and Waterways offers the following tips and warnings for the Sacramento River: When water flows reach 7,000 cubic feet per second, boat traffic is cut off within the city of
The closure affects motorboats, kayaks, rowboats, drift boats and motorized rafts.
The 43-mile stretch between Mount Shasta and
From the Keswick Dam to Colusa, water may be swift and the depth changes continually. Boaters should monitor the riverbed cautiously to find the channel.
Motorboats may have difficulty navigating portions of the river due to shifting channels, submerged debris and shallowness.
Boaters should be aware of the diversion dam in
http://www.redding.com/news/2009/jun/05/be-safe-while-boating-on-the-sacramento-river/
Officials keep eye on water
Vacaville
By Kimberly K. Fu
With summer just around the corner and temperatures beginning to rise, Solano's waterways are looking mighty tempting right about now.
Which is why the Sheriff's Marine Patrol is out en masse, enforcing safety guidelines and dispensing the same.
Though patrolling Solano's 180 miles of the delta -- which spans portions of the Sacramento River to
"There were a record number of deaths in the delta last year," said Solano Sheriff's Deputy Jonathan Mazer. "Solano had five deaths.
So far, so good this year, he said, with no water-related fatalities to date.
If Memorial Day weekend was any indication, law enforcement officials might be able to rest a bit easier.
"There seemed to be fewer people on the water this year than last year," Mazer said. "Probably due to the economy."
Aside from safety inspections, deputies are also checking to ensure that everyone out on the water is equipped with a life vest. Though the vests don't have to be worn 24/7, the law does state that each person on the water must have one.
In recent outings, deputies have made sure to carry loaner life jackets and distribute them to boaters whose own vests are ill-fitting or in disrepair. Battered equipment, or those too large or small for occupants, pose health hazards, he said.
Deputies have also engaged children in water safety, passing out goodies such as coloring books and T-shirts as rewards for complying with safety laws. These items and more, including booklets on boating safety, are provided at no cost by the state Department of Boating and Waterways.
"By and large, we don't handle it like the CHP (California Highway Patrol) handles traffic," Mazer emphasized. "We believe in education over enforcement."
Citations are an option, as is letting a boater know what he did wrong so that it doesn't happen again.
"If we can fix the problem, we prefer to do it that way," he said.
A priority for the Marine Patrol is making youths more aware of water safety, with issues ranging from prevention to getting yourself out of a sticky situation.
Deputies are available to provide presentations at schools throughout the county.#
http://www.thereporter.com/ci_12526320
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