Department of Water Resources
California Water News
A daily compilation of significant news articles and comment
July 15, 2009
3. Watersheds –
State lawmakers OK temporary dredging ban targeting salmon habitat
Sacramento Bee
Local push to ban krill fishing embraced by federal regulators
Santa Cruz Sentinel
Klamath Dams: Sediment studies being formulated
Siskiyou Daily News
Sea lions are flooding into Bay Area rescue centers
L.A. Times
Fishermen say they found alligator in Butte Creek
Chico Enterprise-Record
Restored Bixby Marshland to open in Carson
Torrance Daily Breeze
Kulongoski signs bill to pay for removal of dams
S.F. Chronicle
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State lawmakers OK temporary dredging ban targeting salmon habitat
Sacramento Bee-7/14/09
By Matt Weiser
The state Legislature has approved a bill to temporarily ban suction dredge mining in the state's rivers, a largely recreational practice blamed for harming salmon spawning habitat.
The state Senate on Monday voted 28-7 to approve the bill, SB 670 by Sen. Patricial Wiggins, D-Santa Rosa. It was approved by an even wider margin in the Assembly last week.
The bill contains an urgency clause, meaning it becomes law immediately upon signing by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger. It would ban suction dredge mining until the Department of Fish and Game completes a court-ordered update of regulations governing the practice.
"In addition to being essential to saving salmon and steelhead fisheries," Wiggins said in a statement, "this bill will save the department an estimated $1 million in costs to administer a program that does not pay for itself."
The regulatory review was supposed to be finished by July 2008, but Wiggins said the department has yet to begin. As a result, a new court order last week prevents the department from using general fund money to operate the dredge permitting program.
Supporters say the bill includes language negotiated with the Schwarzenegger administration, so they expect him to sign it. Those negotiations followed a February confirmation hearing for Fish and Game Director Don Koch, during which the administration's handling of suction dredge mining came under attack.#
http://www.sacbee.com/capitolandcalifornia/story/2025063.html?mi_rss=Capitol%20and%20California
Local push to ban krill fishing embraced by federal regulators
Santa Cruz Sentinel-7/15/09
By Kurtis Alexander
The tiny shrimp-like krill is not a seafood delicacy. In fact, it's not even commercially fished in U.S. waters. Yet, federal regulators this week took the unusual step of banning krill fishing along the entire West Coast.
The proactive measure, which takes effect Aug. 12, comes at the urging of a handful of scientists along the Monterey Bay who nearly a decade ago launched efforts here to protect the small crustaceans, a dietary staple on the high seas.
The proposed restrictions, needless to say, caught on and instead of embracing just local waters are now slated to include the 200 miles of offshore waters from Mexico to Canada.
"It really gained momentum," said Don Croll, a professor of ecology and evolutionary biology at UC Santa Cruz and one of the ban's architects. "Now we'll be protecting one of the key forage species along the whole coastline."
Krill is a roughly half-inch-long crustacean that exists plentifully across the globe. Though large fisheries exist only in Japan and Antarctica, krill's use as bait and increasingly in aqauculture have had marine scientists paying closer attention to its numbers.
Giant humpbacks and blue whales as well as salmon and many ocean-going birds are just a few of the animals nourished by the invertebrate.
"In a lot of ways," said Croll, "it's the reason we have such diversity of seabirds and marine life here in the Monterey Bay."
Earlier this decade, the decline of rockfish along the Central Coast fueled the initiative by Croll and other academics, joined by ocean advocacy group Oceana and managers with the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary, to restrict krill fishing locally to stabilize the wide-reaching food source.
The idea, in 2004, was pressed before the Pacific Fishery Management Council, which advises federal regulators on sanctuary matters as well as broader ocean issues. The agency responded with a recommendation to bar krill fishing across the entire western seaboard.
On Monday, the ban was approved by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
William Douros, NOAA's regional director of West Coast sanctuaries, called the measure a positive step for marine life and for science.
"There's a lot of bad news about oceans," Douros said. "Sometimes there are complaints that fishery managers are late. This is an example of action before there's a problem."#
Klamath Dams: Sediment studies being formulated
Siskiyou Daily News-7/15/09
By David Smith
The sediment behind dams along the Klamath River should soon be tested to answer questions from all sides of the issue on whether or not the dams will be taken out as part of an agreement in principle reached by dam owner PacifiCorp and a number of stakeholders and stakeholder groups, according to Dave Gore, project manager for the Klamath with the Bureau of Reclamation.
Gore said in an interview Tuesday that the sediment studies are still in the formative phase, during which he will work with PacifiCorp, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and others to develop a framework, which will determine the substances that will be tested for and the areas that will be tested, along with other details.
Although the studies are not yet finalized, Gore described general protocols for sediment studies. He said that the sampling essentially involves taking a barge over the area being tested and "core" samples are taken from the sediment. He added that the substance being tested for will dictate how it must be handled; for example, some samples may have to be frozen on site with dry ice before being sent to the lab.
Asked what the number and distribution of samples would be, Gore said that he and his agency will be working with the EPA and its Corps of Engineers to determine those aspects of the study, but those have not yet been determined.
"We'll be trying to distribute the sampling so it is representative of where the sediment is," Gore said, explaining that while the sampling can show the spatial locations of toxins if they exist, it will not be possible to determine everywhere the toxins may be.
Gore stated that even though the testing can not give a complete picture of where the toxins may be, it can reveal what possible problems exist if the sediment is released. He also said that determining where the toxins are also depends on the type of toxin, as some may latch on to sediment particles, while others disperse naturally.
Asked how accurate the sampling is for showing whether or not toxins are present, Gore said that that number typically depends on the type of toxin tested for because different tests have differing levels of accuracy.
Gore said that toxins will not be the only aim of the study, which will also include an approximation of the volume of sediment behind the dams.
According to Gore, the group will be using bathymetry, the measurement of the depth of large bodies of water, in its attempt to calculate the volume. He explained that in order to get a more accurate estimate, an attempt must be made to differentiate the accumulated sediment from the alluvial material that makes up the original lake bed.
Gore said that once the sediment level and the alluvial level have been determined, a computer model can be used to calculate the volume, and he said that he would like to make three-dimensional models for a visual image of what the sediment buildup might actually look like.
Ultimately, Gore said, the studies are to determine what will happen to the river during dam removal. As the studies become more clearly defined, the Siskiyou Daily News will cover the aspects that have yet to be determined.#
http://www.siskiyoudaily.com/homepage/x931233786
Sea lions are flooding into Bay Area rescue centers
L.A. Times-7/15/09
By Julie Anne Strack
The sea lion was lying on a rock near the shore at Crissy Field, looking exhausted. A green fishing lure stuck out of its bottom lip, and a row of ribs showed when it breathed.
It didn't put up a fight when two volunteers from the Marine Mammal Center in Sausalito approached it from behind and threw a net over its head. The volunteers nudged the sea lion into a dog kennel, carried it off the rocks and took it to Sausalito for treatment.
Most are malnourished, some are injured. It has taken in almost three times as many as usual for this point in the year, said center spokesman Jim Oswald. On Monday, it was housing 93.
It's not alone. Most rescue centers on California's coast are treating a record number of sea lions this summer.
"We're loaded with sea lions right now," said Dr. Richard Evans, medical director of the Pacific Marine Mammal Center in Laguna Beach. "Normally, we spend $30,000 on food per year. This year, we've already spent $48,000."
The distressed animals generally fit the same profile. They're young sea lions who can't find enough food in waters where squid, anchovies and sardines are usually plentiful. They climb out of the ocean, exhausted. Volunteer crews find them stranded on beaches and piers, and occasionally wandering on the freeway.
Marjorie Boor, who has rescued more than 100 sea lions in her four years as a volunteer, recently helped save one on Interstate 880 in Oakland just before morning rush hour traffic began.
"The policeman opened the cruiser, and he jumped right in," she said. "It could have been a disaster."
Scientists think El Niño could be responsible. The El Niño weather pattern brings warm water currents to the California coast about every five years.
Fish follow colder currents farther out into the ocean, depleting the sea lions' food supply near the coast. Young sea lions tend to be more affected because they are not experienced hunters.
Scientists on Thursday announced the arrival of El Niño in the tropical Pacific Ocean, but a complete transition has not occurred off California, said Joe Cordaro, a biologist with the National Marine Fisheries Service.
El Niño conditions usually last for about 12 months, he said.
Water temperatures have increased since the end of May, a change that coincided with an increase in sea lion deaths, said Bill Sydeman, president and senior scientist with the Farallon Institute.
"We're due for a strong one," he said. "It looks like an El Niño is brewing, and the effects will depend on how much it spreads."
The last severe El Niño was in 1998. About 3,000 sea lions were stranded that year, twice the normal number. If the state experiences a severe El Niño, a large number of sea lions and other marine animals could starve during the next year.
However, the recent increase in stranded sea lions is not threatening the entire population. There are 250,000 California sea lions in the state, and the population is considered healthy.
Marine rescue centers try to save as many animals as possible for humane reasons and for research. Scientists who study endangered marine mammals benefit from looking at tissue samples from the California sea lion, said Jeff Boehm, executive director of the Marine Mammal Center. The center keeps 20 years' worth of samples and has dealt with an assortment of disorders and diseases.
The centers try to save every sea lion because people connect emotionally with them, Boehm said. People often call rescue centers, upset because they see a hurt animal, and stay with the animal until help arrives.
"We're inundated with animals," Boor said. "But people get upset if they aren't taken almost immediately."
Crowds gathered at Crissy Field on July 1 to watch the rescue of two sea lions. Both were taken to the center in Sausalito and placed in pens.
Operations Manager Deb Wickham tended to the sea lion with the fish hook in its mouth, now called Taiko.
She cut the lure with wire cutters and said the animal would have to be sedated before the rest of it could be removed. Afterward, staff members would feed it fluids and ground fish, she said.
About half of the center's sea lions survive and are released back into the ocean.
"His ribs are showing, but some come in a lot skinnier," Wickham said. "It's hard to tell which ones will make it."#
http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-sea-lions15-2009jul15,0,4663405.story?track=rss
Fishermen say they found alligator in Butte Creek
Chico Enterprise-Record-7/15/09
By Roger H. Aylworth
Shawn Anderson and his buddy Jared McCall, were fishing along Butte Creek Sunday, when they say they discovered something they really hadn't expected — an alligator.
The two Durham residents were on the creek between Durham Bridge and Oro-Chico Highway, looking for a deep hole that might be sheltering some larger fish.
"We were looking at a hole to see if there was any fish. My buddy said, 'There's an alligator.'"
Anderson said his immediate and understandable response was "No way!" but on further examination he realized there was a gator — a 41-inch-long one — sunning itself on a small beach.
As the fishermen approached the reptile, which "really wasn't afraid," it retreated into some creekside bushes, according to Anderson.
The pair successfully captured the alligator without any real trouble and then, for safety sake, used some duct tape to bind the animal's mouth shut, he said.
Anderson said he held the long, slender gator, festooned with yellow vertical stripes, over the handle bars of his all-terrain vehicle as he drove home.
Once there, they put some water into an ice chest, put the gator inside, and called the state Department of Fish and Game.
DFG Lt. Lisa Stone, who is in charge of wardens in Lassen, Plumas and Butte counties, confirmed Tuesday one of her wardens took the reptile into "protective custody."
The animal has since been temporarily placed with an "animal rehabber," said the lieutenant.
She said at this point the department is unsure of the animal's future. For the time being, the DFG is holding the gator while it tries to identify the owner.
Both the young fishermen and the DFG are convinced this animal had been somebody's pet.
Stone said while it is illegal to own or even possess an alligator in California without a permit, people do smuggle baby gators a foot long or less into the state.
Once the animals outgrow the spare bathtub or some such arrangement, owners often release them into the wild.
"With a three-foot-long alligator, I'm sure it belonged to somebody," said Stone.
She had no idea of the age of the reptile, but an Audubon Society web site says gators keep the sort of yellow stripes this one had until they are 3 to 4 years old.
Stone said ultimately the gator could be placed with a zoo or some other permitted facility, or it could be euthanized.
Anderson said the gator seemed pretty well fixed in Butte Creek where it had a supply of fish and other small animals as a food source.
"He was like a dog, a really mean dog," said Anderson.#
http://www.chicoer.com/advertise/ci_12839667?IADID=Search-www.chicoer.com-www.chicoer.com
Restored Bixby Marshland to open in Carson
Torrance Daily Breeze-7/14/09
By Kate Mather
The din of cars whizzing by on the Harbor Freeway is a little quieter in one area of Carson.
Tucked just off the 110 near the intersection of Sepulveda Boulevard and Figueroa Street is the Bixby Marshland, a 17-acre habitat teeming with chirping birds and native plants that is set to open to the public Thursday.
The area has recently been restored by the Sanitation Districts of Los Angeles County.
Sanitation officials have spent nearly 15 years working to improve the area - which is part of the Joint Water Pollution Control Plant, the districts' largest wastewater treatment facility - after concerns were raised in 1995 that the construction of additional facilities would damage the existing marshland.
Shade pavillions provide shelter from the sun for visitors at the Bixby Marshland, a restored wetland habitat in Carson. (Sean Hiller/Staff Photographer)"We were making some changes at that plant and in an accompanying environmental impact report one of the things that was recommended was the idea of enhancing and rejuvenating the marshland," said Basil Hewitt, a senior engineer in the public information office for the Sanitation Districts.
After realizing the existing marshland needed improvement because the water - which comes from the Wilmington drain and is treated at the plant - was not being evenly distributed, an outside company was hired to create a design for the area, said Mary Jacobs, a civil engineer in the planning section who has worked on the project since 2001.
Construction, including the redirection of the existing water and creation of several pond areas, began after the bidding process ended in 2007. While the construction was finished the following year, the $2.3 million marshland was not yet complete.
"We gave the plants more than a year to establish themselves before having our grand opening," Jacobs said. "Now things are pretty well established and looking pretty green."
At Thursday's opening, Carson Mayor Jim Dear, along with officials from the Sanitation Districts, will dedicate the marshland before tours are given from 10 a.m. to noon.
Visitors will be able to walk pathways dotted with informational signs in both English and Spanish that identify the native plants in the habitat and can watch wildlife from many of the shaded observation areas. While tours will only be scheduled for the first Saturday of every month, those hoping to catch a glimpse of the marshland can arrange a tour with the Sanitation Districts at any time.
"Mary is trying to develop educational programs with local schools," Hewitt said. "That's one of the things we'd like to see down the road so kids can come and learn about the different habitats."
Officials are also asking for volunteers to be trained as docents to lead tours.
"A lot of it depends on how much interest we get from the community," Jacobs said. "If we get interest and we get volunteers, we might adjust our programs and open it more days."
The community, Hewitt said, is always one of the primary concerns for the Sanitation Districts, especially at the Carson facility.
"We own 400 acres there and 200 of that we use for the treatment plant," he said. "The rest is buffer property. We've been proactive in making sure the buffer property enhances the community. The marshland is really consistent with our belief that the buffer property should do something for the community."
Jacobs said she believes the property has been put to good use.
"Protecting the environment is important to the Sanitation Districts and sharing the natural wonders of the marshland with the community is a goal of the district. This became a bigger project than we envisioned at the beginning because we wanted to do it right," she said. "I think we did a very good job."#
http://www.dailybreeze.com/ci_12838035?IADID=Search-www.dailybreeze.com-www.dailybreeze.com
Kulongoski signs bill to pay for removal of dams
S.F. Chronicle-7/14/09
By Jeff Barnard
The state of Oregon will finance most of the cost of removing four Klamath River dams to help salmon under a bill signed by Gov. Ted Kulongoski Tuesday.
Meanwhile, federal officials met in Klamath Falls with representatives of Pacificorp and the states of California and Oregon. The parties must have a binding agreement by September to restore 300 miles of spawning habitat on what was once the third biggest salmon producer on the West Coast.
A preliminary agreement that serves as a framework for the negotiations both guarantees and limits the amount of irrigation water that will be available to farmers in the Klamath Basin, and offers hundreds of millions of dollars for salmon restoration work and research.
In recent decades, the needs of farms and fish in the area have been pitted against each other while declining salmon runs have triggered cutbacks in commercial and recreational fishing.
"Signing this bill into law is a critical step in ensuring that all of the Klamath's diverse rural communities have an economically viable future," Kulongoski said in a release. "Every farmer and fisherman whose livelihood depends on a healthy river system will benefit from the restoration of the Klamath Basin."
Long an opponent of dam removal, PacifiCorp shifted after it became clear the idea had strong public support and the utility could end up paying far more to continue trying to relicense the aged dams.
"We said all along if public policy dictates dam removal, we need to do everything we can to provide our customers with legal and financial protection," Pacificorp spokesman Art Sasse said.
Sasse, as well as representatives of Indian tribes, farmers, and salmon fishermen, who have long battled over balancing scarce water in the Klamath Basin between fish and farms, all praised the governor for his work to make dam removal a reality.
Oregon Wild, however, continues to oppose the deal. The conservation group argues that it gives too much to farmers and too little to fish and wildlife.
Water wars have long simmered in the Klamath Basin, where the first of the dams and a federal irrigation project built in the early 20th century turned the natural water distribution upside down, draining marshes and lakes and tapping rivers for electricity to put water on dry farmland that grows potatoes, horseradish, grain, alfalfa and cattle.
A drought in 2001 forced a shut-off of irrigation water to sustain threatened and endangered fish, and when the irrigation was restored the next year, tens of thousands of salmon died trying to spawn in the Klamath River, which was too low and too warm to sustain them.
Besides blocking salmon from the upper basin, the dams raise water temperatures to levels unhealthy for fish. Their reservoirs produce toxic algae. The fish are beset by parasites.
The law calls for building up a trust fund of $180 million over the next 10 years through a surcharge on PacifiCorp costumers in Oregon, which amounts to about $1.50 a month for a residential customer. California pays $20 million. If dam removal falls through, the money goes back to ratepayers.
If a federal feasibility study shows the dams can be safely torn down, work begins around 2020.#
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/n/a/2009/07/14/state/n125257D02.DTL
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