From bwl3 at comcast.net  Thu Jan  6 22:21:47 2005
From: bwl3 at comcast.net (Byron )
Date: Thu, 6 Jan 2005 22:21:47 -0800
Subject: [env-trinity] FW: Geological Society of America conf. abstracts call
Message-ID: <20050107062207.05E6B2000988@mx.dcn.davis.ca.us>



-----Original Message-----
From: EarleC at starband.net [mailto:EarleC at starband.net] 
Sent: Thursday, January 06, 2005 8:26 PM
To: aaguilar at winfirst.com
Subject: Geological Society of America conf. abstracts call

Just thought I'd share this with people interested in fluvial processes
and the things that depend on them. They seem to be overlooking vegetation
interactions, but hey, they're just Geologists! Please pass it on. Contact
Doug for details. Earle

-------- Original Message --------
Subject: Geological Society of America conf
From: "Joan Florsheim" <florsheim at geology.ucdavis.edu>
Date: Thu, January 6, 2005 1:43 am
To: EarleC at starband.net

Happy New Year Earle!

Could you post the following announcement?  Many thanks--Joan

Call for Abstracts
Watershed Symposium at 2005 Cordilleran-Section GSA!
When April 29 to May 1 (2005)
Where: San Jose California
Abstracts Due: February 1, 2005
Submit Abstracts Electronically:  www.geosociety.org

Recent advances in the Science of Floodplain and Channel Processes and
Restoration

Effective watershed management depends on sound scientific assessment of
dynamic physical and ecological processes.  Geomorphology, hydrology,
and sediment transport are among the factors that lie at the heart of
fluvial system restoration.  We invite submissions from scientists whose
research in surficial processes can improve restoration strategies and
watershed management decisions.  We expect to attract abstract
submissions with a diverse range of topics within the general framework
of applied fluvial geomorphology, hydrology, and linked
physical-ecological systems that coexist in fluvial systems.

Questions?
Doug Smith, CSU-Monterey Bay, douglas_smith at csumb.edu
Joan Florsheim, UC Davis, florsheim at geology.ucdavis.edu






From windhorse at jeffnet.org  Thu Jan  6 15:39:54 2005
From: windhorse at jeffnet.org (Jim Carpenter)
Date: Thu, 6 Jan 2005 15:39:54 -0800
Subject: [env-trinity] running for water
Message-ID: <MEBBKMBEKHNJAMLFMAHFAEIDCDAA.windhorse@jeffnet.org>

Raising the water issue. Check out this website:
http://www.blueplanetrun.org  Jim+Steph


llllllllllllll
Carpenter Design Inc.
Consulting & Construction
CCB# 93939
ph. 541 885 5450
fx. 443 337 2379
www.CarpenterDesign.com




From bwl3 at comcast.net  Mon Jan 10 17:11:02 2005
From: bwl3 at comcast.net (Byron )
Date: Mon, 10 Jan 2005 17:11:02 -0800
Subject: [env-trinity] Plan to Slash Fish Habitat
Message-ID: <20050111011615.31A0B2001BD5@mx.dcn.davis.ca.us>

As the result of a substantial public outcry, NOAA is going to hold four
public hearings in different parts of the state on the proposal to slash
critical habitat designations for salmon.  Below is link to its press
release:

http://swr.ucsd.edu/news/Hearings_CriticalHabitat_nr.pdf  

 

Byron Leydecker

Chair, Friends of Trinity River

Consultant, California Trout, Inc.

PO Box 2327

Mill Valley, CA 94942-2327

415 383 4810 ph

415 519 4810 ce

415 383 9562 fx

bwl3 at comcast.net

 <mailto:bleydecker at stanfordalumni.org> bleydecker at stanfordalumni.org
(secondary)

http://www.fotr.org

http://www.caltrout.org

 

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From tstokely at trinityalps.net  Wed Jan 12 06:59:51 2005
From: tstokely at trinityalps.net (Tom Stokely)
Date: Wed, 12 Jan 2005 08:59:51 -0600
Subject: [env-trinity] Klamath coho listing ruled illegal but protection
	stays for now 
Message-ID: <008301c4f8b8$0ad022e0$7a6b3940@trinitycounty.org>

http://www.oregonlive.com/printer/printer.ssf?/base/news-9/1105490945268780.xml&storylist=orlocal 
Klamath coho listing ruled illegal but protection stays for now 

By JEFF BARNARD 
The Associated Press 
1/11/2005, 4:42 p.m. PT 

GRANTS PASS, Ore. (AP) - A federal judge ruled Tuesday that coho salmon in the Klamath 
River should not have been listed as a threatened species without taking into account 
hatchery fish along with wild, but let stand the Endangered Species Act protection pending a 
federal review. 

In a repeat of his 2001 finding that struck down protection for Oregon coastal coho over the 
lack of genetic distinction between hatchery and wild salmon, U.S. District Judge Michael 
Hogan ruled from the bench in Eugene in favor of a lawsuit brought by property rights 
advocates challenging threatened species status for coho salmon in a region of Northern 
California and Southern Oregon that includes the Klamath and Rogue rivers. 

However, he granted a motion from NOAA Fisheries to let stand the threatened species listing 
until the agency completes a comprehensive review of 26 West Coast salmon listings 
prompted by the Oregon coastal coho ruling. 

That review, which considers hatchery fish along with wild, is expected to be finished this 
June, said NOAA Fisheries spokesman Brian Gorman. 

The ruling affects coho in the Klamath River, where agricultural and fishing groups and 
Indian tribes have been fighting over scarce water since the Bush administration was forced 
by the Endangered Species Act in 2001 to shut off water to farmers on the Klamath 
Reclamation Project to assure water for threatened and endangered fish. 

NOAA Fisheries has already said it expects Klamath coho to retain threatened species listing. 

Hogan allowed the plaintiffs, the California State Grange and Oregon State Grange, to return 
to court if they are harmed by any actions based on the listing, such as a repeat of the 2001 
irrigation water cutbacks, said Russell Brooks, an attorney for the Pacific Legal Foundation, a 
property rights public interest law firm that represents them. 

Brooks said the ruling left plaintiffs well situated to resume their challenges of Endangered 
Species Act protections for salmon after the new listings are issued this June. 

Glen Spain of the Pacific Coast Federation of Fishermen's Associations, which represents 
California commercial fishermen and was an intervener in the case, said it was an empty 
victory for property rights advocates. 

"I would say this is a victory of common sense over denial and efforts to grab more water in 
the river," Spain said. 

Brooks added that they were considering appealing the case in hopes of winning a U.S. 
Supreme Court ruling that would leave judges with no option to let the threatened species 
status stand in future cases. A rule in force in the West Coast jurisdiction of the 9th U.S. 
Circuit Court of appeals allows that option. 
  

Copyright 2005 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be 
published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. 
  

Copyright 2005 Oregon Live. All Rights Reserved. 

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From tstokely at trinityalps.net  Thu Jan 13 07:40:50 2005
From: tstokely at trinityalps.net (Tom Stokely)
Date: Thu, 13 Jan 2005 07:40:50 -0800
Subject: [env-trinity] Times-Standard -Judge won't pull coho protections 
Message-ID: <009301c4f986$438155e0$8a6b3940@V51NH>

http://www.times-standard.com/Stories/0,1413,127~2896~2648770,00.html# 
Judge won't pull coho protections 

By John Driscoll The Times-Standard 

Wednesday, January 12, 2005 - 

An Oregon judge on Tuesday denied a request by the Pacific Legal Foundation to remove 
protections for coho salmon in the Klamath River Basin. 

With roots in the wrangling over water for fish and farms in the basin, it's the second case of its 
kind recently brought against the federal government. The ruling is being hailed as a victory for 
American Indian tribes and fishing interests in the lower basin. 

Judge Michael Hogan ruled from the U.S. District Court bench in Eugene, Ore., that although the 
Endangered Species Act listing of the region's coho salmon was legally deficient, the protections 
should remain until the federal government issues its new policy on hatchery born salmon. 

That final decision is expected this summer. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric 
Administration has recommended reinstating protection for the coho. 

Yurok Tribe Executive Director Troy Fletcher said he believes the tribe's attorneys were able to 
show that the Indian fishery in the Klamath would be harmed by removing protection for the 
coho. 

"The judge properly left the listing in place, partly because of the effect it would have on tribal 
fisheries," Fletcher said. 

He said the Endangered Species Act protections are an important tool in holding the line against 
further degradation of the river. 

The Yurok Tribe intervened in the case. 

The U.S. Bureau of Reclamation operates its central Oregon-California border irrigation project in 
a balancing act between endangered species, irrigators and wildlife refuges. 

In 2001, the bureau for the first time shut off water to many of the Upper Klamath Basin's farms 
to provide water to salmon and endangered suckers, prompting protests from irrigators. The 
following year the bureau crimped water to the river to deliver full supplies to farms, and 
34,000 to 68,000 salmon died -- including some coho. 

Glen Spain with the Pacific Coast Federation of Fishermen's Associations -- which also intervened 
-- called the suit an attempt by irrigators to grab more water from the river without regard to 
threatened fish. 
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From danielbacher at hotmail.com  Fri Jan 14 10:50:05 2005
From: danielbacher at hotmail.com (Daniel Bacher)
Date: Fri, 14 Jan 2005 10:50:05 -0800
Subject: [env-trinity] Cold, Dead Fish And Shiny Steelhead Awards For 2004
Message-ID: <BAY16-F138225E51288A728625288DB8B0@phx.gbl>

Cold, Dead Fish And Shiny Steelhead Awards For 2004

by Dan Bacher

2004 was one of the strangest years for fishery conservation I can remember. 
The Klamath River tributaries, such as the Scott, Salmon and Shasta, saw 
record low returns of wild chinooks in the fall, the legacy of the juvenile 
fish kill of 2002 that preceded the adult fish kill in September 2002.

In contrast, the Sacramento, Feather and American saw big returns of adult 
king salmon ? and Mother Nature prevented a potential fish kill from 
happening on the low, warm waters of the American when the American 
watershed received early, cold rains in October.

On the legislative front, the signing of anti-trawl legislation and the 
California Ocean Protection Act by Governor Schwarzenegger in September 
highlighted the year. Tom Raftican, president of United Anglers of Southern 
California said, ?When it comes to major victories for recreational anglers, 
2004 may go down as the best year ever.?

While California marine fisheries received increasing protection, the Bush 
administration seemed to do every thing on the federal level to stop 
fisheries recovery. The administration, together with the State Department 
of Water Resources, proposed increasing water diversions from the Delta. The 
federal government released a plan to slash up to 90 percent of ?critical 
habitat? for endangered and threatened salmon in California and included 
both hatchery fish and wild fish under the same Endangered Species listing.

Now for the ?Cold, Dead Fish? awards to those who did their best to thwart 
fishery restoration and destroy the environment.

In March, over 100 members of the Hoopa Valley Tribe joined local supporters 
to march on the offices of the Northern California Power Agency (NCPA) in 
Roseville to pressure them to pull out of a lawsuit blocking Trinity River 
restoration. In spite of the protest and a ?peace offering? of kippered 
salmon by tribal leaders, NCPA stayed in the lawsuit with the Darth Vader of 
California water policy, the Westlands Water District. To ?honor? their 
refusal to budge from the lawsuit, the NCPA receives a ?Rotting Coho? award.

NOAA Fisheries, the federal agency supposedly ?dedicated to providing and 
preserving the nation?s living marine resources and their habitat,? on 
October 22 released a report giving the  "scientific" green light for more 
Delta water to be exported from Northern California to Southern California. 
Higher-ups in the agency overruled biologists to change the biological 
opinion from ?no-jeopardy? to a ?jeopardy? opinion for five species, 
including the endangered Sacramento River winter-run chinook salmon, 
threatened spring-run chinook and threatened Central Valley steelhead.

To make things worse, the same agency in December released a proposal that 
would slash habitat protection for endangered and threatened salmon stocks 
in California and the Northwest. The proposals could reduce up to 90 percent 
of ?critical habitat? set aside for the fish in California and as much as 80 
percent of the habitat in the Pacific Northwest, according to Jim Lecky, the 
assistant regional manager for the agency?s Southwest Region. For this 
reason, Lecky and Bill Hogarth, NOAA Fisheries administrator, gets the 
?Political Science, Not Natural Science? award.

The U.S. Bureau of Reclamation receives a ?Wild and Wacky Scheme? award for 
proposing in 2004 to raise Shasta Dam anywhere from 6 to 200 feet. This 
would result not only in the loss of precious cultural resources to the 
Winnemem Wintu Tribe, but would inundate marinas and facilities in place for 
decades on the lake. And the dam expansion, designed to divert more water to 
Southern California and San Joaquin county growers, would result in less 
water for salmon, steelhead, and other fish.

Although NOAA Fisheries and Bureau outdid themselves this year, the most 
?prestigious? ?anti-fish? award; the ?Cold, Dead Fish award.? is presented 
to the U.S. Department of Justice. The Bush Administration on Tuesday, 
December 21 agreed to pay San Joaquin Valley farmers ? the Tulare Basin 
Water District - $16.7 million as ?compensation? for water diverted for 
endangered salmon and Delta smelt.  Senator Diane Feinstein, State Attorney 
General Bill Lockyer and fishery conservation groups adamantly opposed the 
ruling, since it establishes bad precedent requiring taxpayers to compensate 
water users with millions of dollars for a public trust resource that they 
don?t own!

On the positive side, we have the annual ?Shiny Steelhead? awards, designed 
to award those who did great things for our fisheries. In July, the Hoopa 
Valley Tribe, Friends of the River and Friends of the Trinity River 
celebrated one of the most significant legal victories of the year when the 
Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals ordered the release of flows mandated under 
the Trinity River Record of Decision.
They receive the ?Bright King Salmon? award for 2004 for fighting this 
battle, both in court and by successfully urging communities around the 
state ?including Healdsburg, Alameda, the Port of Oakland, Palo Alto and 
SMUD ? to pull out of the lawsuit.

The Environmental Working Group receives the ?Corporate Welfare Exposed? 
award for writing a groundbreaking study, released on December 15, on the 
cost to taxpayers and the environment of agricultural subsidies in the 
Central Valley.  The investigation concludes that the CVP is providing up to 
$416 million of subsidized water at the expense of fish and the environment.

Randy Fry, the Western Regional Director of the Recreational Fishing 
Alliance, posthumously receives the ?Passionate Activist? award for his 
dedication to fighting for the rights of recreational anglers in California. 
To the shock of anglers throughout the state, a great white shark fatally 
attacked Fry the day after a RFA fundraiser in Fort Bragg in September.

Senator Dede Alpert (D-San Diego), Oceana, United Anglers of Southern 
California, United Anglers of California and the National Resources Defense 
Council pushed through legislation curtailing the impact of trawling in 
California, signed by the Governor in September. Alpert and these 
organizations also successfully lobbied for passage of the California Ocean 
Protection Act (COPA),which gives priority to access by recreational 
anglers. For these big legislative successes, Alpert and all four groups are 
granted  the ?Clean Healthy Ocean? award.

Zeke Grader, executive director of the Pacific Coast Federation of 
Fishermen?s Associations, is known for his hard-hitting, colorful statements 
when speaking before state and federal agencies. At an October 7 meeting in 
Sacramento, he drew lots of laughter from the audience when he nicknamed 
NOAA Fisheries as ?No Fisheries,? earning him the ?Fish Quote of 2004? 
award.

Fish advocates and environmental groups won a huge legal victory on August 
27 when Judge Lawrence Karlton of the Eastern Federal District Court ruled 
that the Bureau of Reclamation illegally dried up the San Joaquin River when 
Friant Dam was built in the 1940's. The ruling means that the bureau will 
have to release water from Friant for the first time in 55 years. For this. 
Karlton, is given the ?Let The River Flow? award.

Calleen Sisk-Franco and the Winnemem Wintu Tribe in September held a ?war 
dance?at Shasta Dam to protest the Bureau of Reclamation plans to raise the 
dam level, which would have dramatic impacts on their sacred cultural sites 
and fishery resources. They did what others have wished to do for a long 
time ? declare war on the Bureau of Reclamation!  For this reason, they 
receive the ?Shiny Steelhead? of 2004 award.

In addition, I have two special awards for 2004.  The first goes to 
Coastside Fishing Club for writing a concise, hard hitting press statement 
on the threat to fisheries by proposed water diversions by the state and 
federal governments ? the best I?ve seen on this complex and difficult 
topic. Coastside is bestowed the ?Stand Up to the Diverters? award.

And the second special award, the ?Fearless Whistleblower? trophy, goes to 
retired federal biologist Felix Smith of the Save the American River 
Association and Mike Healey, DFG biologist, to bringing to my attention the 
deaths of over 181,000 salmon before spawning in the American River in 2001, 
2002 and 2003. Thanks, guys!




From bwl3 at comcast.net  Tue Jan 18 15:09:52 2005
From: bwl3 at comcast.net (Byron )
Date: Tue, 18 Jan 2005 15:09:52 -0800
Subject: [env-trinity] CC Times - More on Judge's Water Payment Decision
Message-ID: <20050118230956.1CEEB2000B65@mx.dcn.davis.ca.us>

LEGAL CASES

U.S. water pact makes big waves

Contra Costa Times - 1/18/05

By Mike Taugher, staff writer

A multimillion-dollar settlement reached quietly during Christmas week
between California farmers and the Bush administration is likely to lead to
more lawsuits seeking big payouts from taxpayers.

The $16.7 million settlement cements, for the first time, a court finding
that government efforts to protect endangered species violate the
constitutional protection of property rights.

Rather than appeal, as California state officials and some federal
government lawyers urged, the Bush administration decided to accept defeat
and pay farmers for water diverted to help endangered salmon.

In doing so, the administration signaled its approval of the idea that
farmers served by government water projects own the water delivered through
those projects.

"I think it was a terrible thing that the government didn't appeal it,
partly because it's wrong and partly because the government is usually quite
zealous about trying to protect the Treasury against claims that are
disputable," said Joseph Sax, a law professor emeritus at the University of
California.

"It's obvious that the case is seen as a green light by property rights
advocates," added Sax, who was a counselor to the Clinton administration on
water and other environmental issues.

The case, known as Tulare Lake, marks the first time a court has found the
government's enforcement of the Endangered Species Act a violation of the
Fifth Amendment prohibition against taking private property without
compensation, according to the farmers' lawyer in the case, Roger Marzulla.

Several similar lawsuits are already on deck: The city of Stockton and other
surrounding agencies seek $500 million for water they say the federal
government failed to deliver from New Melones Dam over a 10-year period;
Klamath farmers want $100 million for water diverted to protect endangered
salmon and suckers; and a small Ventura County water district is expected
soon to file a claim for about $8 million for water released in the Ventura
River for steelhead.

The success of the Tulare case is expected to bring even more lawsuits.

"I think this fight is going to get a lot meaner before it gets nicer.
There's tens of billions of dollars at stake," said Andrew Lloyd, a lawyer
for the Sacramento-based property rights law firm, the Pacific Legal
Foundation.

At issue is whether water users actually own property rights to the water
they use. If so, the Constitution protects them from governmental "taking"
of that water without compensation.

That could make protecting endangered species very expensive, and might
eventually make it too costly for government agencies to protect endangered
fish and other aquatic species.

In a March 2004 memo urging the Department of Justice to appeal the case,
lawyers for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration said the
legal threat presented by the Tulare Lake case was already making it more
difficult for the agency's biologists to enforce endangered species
protections for salmon.

Environmentalists and others contend water is a public resource and that,
with a few exceptions, farmers and urban water agencies do not own it.

The Tulare Lake case says they do. The ruling is not binding on other
courts, but the fact that the government declined to appeal the case leaves
the door open for other water districts to file similar claims, according to
lawyers on both sides of the issue.

Other judges could rule differently, or they could follow the lead of the
Tulare Lake judge, Judge John Paul Wiese of the U.S. Court of Federal Claims
in Washington, D.C.

"It (the settlement) sends a clear message that the Bush administration
wants to encourage lawsuits against the government," said Hal Candee, a
lawyer for the Natural Resources Defense Council.

A spokesman for the U.S. Department of Justice did not return phone calls.

But Lloyd, the property rights lawyer, suggested the government may be
waiting to appeal until it has a case it is sure to win.

Candee dismissed that argument, saying that many experts believe the
government could have won an appeal of the Tulare Lake case. Water users
with long-term water contracts have tried for years to force the government
to pay them when some of their contracted allotment of water is shifted to
endangered species.

Some have sued for breach of contract, while others, like those in the
Tulare Lake case, have gone further by claiming to be deprived of private
property.

Neither legal course has been successful until now.

In the Tulare Lake case, the federal claims court found that even though the
water rights were held by the California Department of Water Resources,
their customers gained a property right to the water through their
contracts. Marzulla, a Washington, D.C. lawyer for several water users,
successfully argued that his clients owned rights to their contracted water
because the state water department exists to deliver water to them.

The state Department of Water Resources "has only one right to the use of
that water, and that is to put it in the California Aqueduct and send it
south," he said.

The water users are customers of the state-owned State Water Project, which
includes Lake Oroville, massive pumps at Byron and the 444-mile California
Aqueduct, which ends in Riverside County.

"The government is certainly free to protect the fish as long as it is
willing to pay for it," Marzulla said.

To environmentalists and others, the contracts do not amount to ownership of
water. They also say the possibility of shortages is spelled out in the
contracts.

If the ruling stands, government agencies may decide they can no longer
afford to take actions aimed at protecting endangered fish and other aquatic
species, said Sax, the Berkeley professor emeritus.

"If it (the Tulare Lake case) is followed in other cases and by other
judges, it could have a very powerful, adverse effect on enforcement of the
Endangered Species Act," Sax said.

 

 

Byron Leydecker

Chair, Friends of Trinity River

Consultant, California Trout, Inc.

PO Box 2327

Mill Valley, CA 94942-2327

415 383 4810 ph

415 519 4810 ce

415 383 9562 fx

bwl3 at comcast.net

 <mailto:bleydecker at stanfordalumni.org> bleydecker at stanfordalumni.org
(secondary)

http://www.fotr.org

http://www.caltrout.org

 

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From danielbacher at hotmail.com  Tue Jan 18 15:04:58 2005
From: danielbacher at hotmail.com (Daniel Bacher)
Date: Tue, 18 Jan 2005 15:04:58 -0800
Subject: [env-trinity] Mad River Hatchery Back In the Steelhead Business
Message-ID: <BAY16-F35C6B8AA3DE4C0B25B1B56DB8F0@phx.gbl>

Mad River Hatchery Back In The Steelhead Business

by Dan Bacher

The Mad River Fish Hatchery is again spawning and raising steelhead this 
year, due to a unique state-private partnership, according to Ryan 
Broddrick, Department of Fish and Game Director.

Broddrick was one in a lineup of star speakers at the Anglers Caucus on 
January 15 at the Fred Hall Fishing Tackle & Boat Show at the Cow Palace in 
Brisbane.

?I just got back from Blue Lakes, where I spawned the first steelhead to be 
spawned under the new partnership,? said Broddrick. ?After the hatchery was 
mothballed because of budget cuts in 2003, I made a challenge to the locals 
to raise the funds for the hatchery. They met the challenge and raised the 
funds necessary to put the hatchery back in business.?

Under a memorandum of agreement signed in December, the DFG and Friends of 
the Mad River Fish Hatchery will provide the necessary funding, personnel, 
and volunteers to operate the hatchery this year.

Because of severe budget cuts, the Mad River Fish Hatchery took its last 
adult steelhead in the winter of 2002 and released its last yearlings in 
April 2003.

?This partnership allows the communities around Mad River Hatchery, through 
their participation, to provide significant economic, educational, and 
recreational benefits,? said Broddrick.  ?I am truly impressed with the 
dedication of the local communities to make this partnership a reality.?

This is not the first time that the Mad River Hatchery has faced a crisis. 
In 1994, the hatchery was put on the chopping block by then DFG Director 
Boyd Gibbons.

However, Larry Williams of the Northern California Association of River 
Guides, Howard Bailey, a board member of United Anglers, myself and other 
anglers waged a campaign to keep the hatchery open. Pressured by an 
outpouring of phone calls and letters from dedicated steelhead anglers, the 
DFG management decided to keep the facility open, although they reduced the 
numbers of steelhead produced.

At a news conference at the hatchery, on January 12, Dave Varshock of the 
Friends of Mad River, state Senator Wesley Chesbro (D-Arcata) and Humboldt 
County Supervisor Jill Geist joined Broderick in spawning some of the 
steelhead that had entered the facility.

Under the agreement, the Friends of the Mad River Hatchery will provide 
funding through a tax-exempt, non-profit corporation. The group also will 
provide volunteers and additional resources necessary to operate and 
maintain the hatchery.

The group will assure the DFG by the beginning of each December that 
sufficient funds have been raised to produce a minimum of 150,000 yearling 
steelhead before spawning any fish that year The conservation group has 
raised $83,000 to date and plan to raise another $40,000 by December 2005 
according to Friends president Dave Varshock.

DFG will assign a full time fisheries employee to oversee day-to-day 
operation of the hatchery. This person will be based on-site and will train 
and supervise volunteers, and respond to emergencies. DFG also will provide 
additional staff to assist during peak activity periods, such as fish 
spawning.

During the Caucus, Tim Alpers, producer of the unique strain of Alpers 
trophy rainbow trout that is stocked in lakes and streams throughout the 
Eastern Sierra, also spoke about a public-private partnership formed in the 
battle to keep the DFG's Hot Creek Fish Hatchery open. He emphasized the 
importance of the hatchery in the national tradition of recreational 
fishing.

?California is the largest market for recreational fishing in the U.S.,? 
said Alpers. ?When we heard the word two years ago about the state?s plans 
to close the hatchery because of budget cuts, I got drafted by the locals to 
keep the facility open.?

Local business leaders and anglers decided to start a non-profit 5013C 
private non-profit organization so that individuals, civic leaders and 
organizations could donate to the group. ?With the non profit corporation, 
we can embrace the best of both the private and public sectors,? said 
Alpers.

Alpers emphasized the key role of Hot Creek Hatchery in California?s trout 
fishery. The hatchery provides 13 million fertile eggs per year ? 60 percent 
of the fertile eggs needed for trout production in DFG hatcheries throughout 
California. It provides 1.7 million catchable rainbows, 500,000 super trophy 
brood stock trout, 700,000 subcatchable Kamloops trout and 500,000 
fertilized Kamloops eggs to be distributed to the entire U.S.

Alpers also plans to expand the facility?s potential, making into a 
beautiful tourist attraction. ?Hatcheries like Hot Creek are located at some 
of the most beautiful places in the state, so we need to take advantage of 
this,? he explained.

Among other plans, he plans to convert some of the ponds at the facility to 
kids? fishing ponds to introduce more anglers to the joys of fishing. ?The 
importance of the fisheries to our civilization ? to Americana and our 
family traditions - is so important,?

Roger Thomas, a member of the Pacific Fisheries Management Council and 
president of the Golden Gate Fishermen?s Association, reviewed some of the 
latest salmon fishery data from the council and the outlook for the upcoming 
ocean season.

Recreational ocean anglers in 2003 landed 220,000 salmon in California 
waters in 2004, in contrast with 93,000 fish in 2003, according to Thomas. 
Adult chinook returns on the Sacramento this fall were 250,000 fish, meeting 
the natural spawning goal of 120,000 to 180,000 natural spawners. The winter 
run also continues to rebound, with 7,000 adults and 2,000 jacks recorded 
last year.

On the other hand, Klamath River king salmon returns were poor, the legacy 
of bad water management that favors subsidized agribusiness over fish, with 
the final tally just missing the target goal of 33,000 natural spawners.

The ocean recreational fishery from Point Arena to the Mexican border will 
open on April 2, with biologists predicting good fishing. However, the North 
Coast salmon fishery outlook is less optimistic.

?Because of the low adult returns, we could have problems with the salmon 
fishery north of Point Arena,? said Thomas. ?The only good thing is that the 
Klamath jack counts were way up this season.?

Other speakers at the event include Michael Kelly, Director of Constituent 
Services at NOAA Fisheries; Mike Nussman, President of the American 
Sportfishing Association; Phil Isenberg, Chairman of the Blue Ribbon Panel 
on the Marine Life Protection Act; Jim Kellogg, President of the California 
Fish & Game Commission, and Barry Broad, lobbyist. Tom Raftican, president 
of United Anglers of Southern California, emceed the event.

Over 300 people attended from a variety of organizations, including 
Coastside Fishing Club, United Anglers of Southern California, United 
Anglers of California and the Recreational Fishing Alliance and the Golden 
Gate Federation of Fishermen?s Associations (GGFA).




From tstokely at trinityalps.net  Tue Jan 18 13:45:01 2005
From: tstokely at trinityalps.net (Tom Stokely)
Date: Tue, 18 Jan 2005 13:45:01 -0800
Subject: [env-trinity] Press Releases on Dismissal of Klamath Fish Kill
	Lawsuit
Message-ID: <005e01c4fdba$c3d9ed00$8c6b3940@V51NH>

NEWS RELEASE

Contact:   Andrew T. Lloyd
                Attorney
                Pacific Legal Foundation
                (916) 419-7111


                Dawn Collier
                Media Director
                Pacific Legal Foundation
                (916) 419-7111
                (916) 718-8572 (Cell)



--------------------------------------------------------------------------------


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------


FEDERAL COURT DISMISSES TRIBE'S
SUIT TO USURP WATER RIGHTS OF
KLAMATH BASIN FARMERS

OAKLAND, CA; January 14, 2005: In the second major court victory for Klamath farmers this week, a federal court yesterday ruled in favor of the Klamath Water Uses Association when it dismissed the case brought by the Yurok Tribe to usurp the water rights of Klamath farmers. Pacific Legal Foundation successfully represented the Klamath Water Users Association as intervenors in the tribe's case against the federal government. (The case is PCFFA v. United States Bureau of Reclamation.)

"This is a great victory for Klamath farmers, and for all of the people who worked hard to put a balanced plan in place for the Klamath Basin," said Pacific Legal Foundation attorney Andrew Lloyd. "The farmers and the federal government understood that everyone needs to work together to manage scarce resources."

"Unfortunately, the Yurok Tribe used the Klamath crisis as a political opportunity to wrest operational control of the Klamath Project from the Bureau of Reclamation. The tribe wanted the Bureau to dedicate its stored water to them first, and only if there was water left over could any be used by the Klamath Project's farmers. The judge made it clear that the tribe does not have that authority," Lloyd said.

In 2001, Klamath Basin farmers lost their crops and farms when environmentalists forced a shutdown of water deliveries to the farmers to protect coho salmon and sucker fish in the Upper Klamath Lake. The federal government's decision to end water deliveries to hundreds of farming families who have lived and farmed in the basin for a century left many farmers bankrupt and severely damaged the community economically. Despite the devastation they suffered, the farmers have continued to work with the federal government to make more water available for in-stream flows through a water bank program. 

The Yurok Tribe, which lives nearly 200 miles downriver from the Klamath Project, claimed the operation of the Klamath Project and low water flow caused an unprecedented fish die off in 2002. They contended the bureau should have released more water, and that the low flows violated their fishing rights under federal law. They sued to force the federal government to give more water to them and less to the farmers, but failed to establish any legal basis for the court to do so. 

The court agreed with PLF's position that the 2002 fish die off occurred only once in recorded history, and found that the tribe could not establish that a similar fish die off was likely to occur in the future. Despite the fish die off, the California Department of Fish and Game reported that during the 2002 fishing season, the Yurok Tribe and the Hoopa Valley Tribe were able to catch more than 24,000 fish, which was well above the historical average harvest of 22,500. 

Earlier this week, Pacific Legal Foundation won another long-fought victory on behalf of Klamath farmers when a federal judge ruled that the Endangered Species Act listing of the coho salmon in the Klamath Basin rivers of southern Oregon and northern California was unlawful. (Grange v. Evans and National Marine Fisheries Service.) 

About Pacific Legal Foundation

Founded in 1973, Pacific Legal Foundation is a national leader in the effort to reform the Endangered Species Act and raise awareness of the Act's impact on people. More information on the Foundation can be found at www.pacificlegal.org.

# # #



For Immediate Release 

CONTACT:        
Tanya Augustson, (202) 347-0228, taugustson at beef.org 
Karen Batra, (202) 347-0228, kbatra at beef.org 



Judge's Decision Scores Victory for Klamath Ranchers' Water Rights
Common-sense management of fish and wildlife prevails

Washington, D.C. (Jan. 17, 2005) - Ranchers and farmers in the Klamath River area scored a major judicial victory Friday when a federal district court judge dismissed a lawsuit brought by the Pacific Coast Federation of Fishermen's Associations and the Yurok Tribe.  The case challenged the Bureau of Reclamation's management of water in the Klamath River.  The plaintiffs claimed the government's management of the Klamath Project violated their fishing rights in 2002 and resulted in a die-off of salmon on the lower Klamath River.

Oakland, Calif. Judge Saundra Armstrong agreed with motions put forth by the Klamath Water Users Association (KWUA) and the federal government that there was no evidence linking the bureau's management of water with the die-off.  

The Klamath Project delivers irrigation water to 220,000 acres of farm land in Oregon, Washington, and southern California.  The National Cattlemen's Beef Association (NCBA) is working to maintain the economic viability of agriculture and ranching communities throughout the West by minimizing undue regulatory burdens.  

"We are pleased Judge Armstrong recognized the absence of evidence to support the plaintiff's claims," says Jeff Eisenberg, NCBA director of federal lands.  "Producers need their operations to be viable while simultaneously caring for the environment and protecting fish and wildlife," Eisenberg continued.   "Obviously there are watershed issues in the Klamath area that need to be dealt with, but we look forward to addressing these needs outside the litigation process."

Dan Keppen, KWUA executive director explained, "We are sympathetic toward the tribe's needs, and our attorneys tried to work with all interested parties to reach a win-win position in this case. Still, litigation will not resolve their concerns.  There are other ways to constructively reach a remedy that addresses all watershed needs without needless lawsuits and divisive press attacks."  

A 2003 National Academy of Sciences (NAS) report "Endangered and Threatened Fishes in the Klamath River Basin: Causes of Decline and Strategies for Recovery," found no substantial scientific support linking irrigation in the Klamath basin to the welfare of endangered fish.  The scientific panel suggested a number of factors - other than water and flow levels -- could be to blame. These include water temperature, oxygen levels, algae population, the number and size of dams along the waterway and development in the area. 



~ visit our web sites at www.beefusa.org or http://hill.beef.org ~

 The National Cattlemen's Beef Association (NCBA) is the largest organization representing America's cattle industry.  Initiated in 1898, NCBA is the industry leader in education, influencing public policy to improve producer profitability and in preserving the industry's heritage and future.  Efforts are made possible through membership contributions. To join, contact NCBA at 1-866-BEEF-USA or membership at beef.org.



Karen Batra 
Director of Public Affairs 
National Cattlemen's Beef Association
1301 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW, Suite 300 
Washington, DC 20004-1701 
202-347-0228 
kbatra at beef.org 
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From tstokely at trinityalps.net  Wed Jan 19 17:23:55 2005
From: tstokely at trinityalps.net (Tom Stokely)
Date: Wed, 19 Jan 2005 17:23:55 -0800
Subject: [env-trinity] Trinity Water to Santa Cruz County
Message-ID: <011701c4fe8e$b712f2e0$6d6c3940@V51NH>

This is a very interesting development, and one that could affect the future disposition of some CVP water (Mercy Springs in the Delta-Mendota Unit) which was assigned to Pajaro in the late 1990's.  That water contract for 6,250 ac-ft is currently out for public comment (comments are due Feb 2, 2005).

TS


http://www.santacruzsentinel.com/archive/2005/January/19/local/stories/03local.htm 

INFRASTRUCTURE / SANTA CRUZ COUNTY
Farmers file suit to halt pipeline
Santa Cruz Sentinel - 1/19/05
By Tom Ragan, staff writer
WATSONVILLE - Nearly 100 farmers opposed to the construction of a $200 million 
freshwater pipeline they say would only benefit a few learned Tuesday there's hope 
on the horizon: Pending lawsuits could stop the funding and the project.

But the Pajaro Valley Water Management Agency is pushing ahead with the 23-mile 
pipeline, which would run from Hollister to the Pacific Ocean, despite the 
litigation. And that could potentially become a double-edged sword: The more the 
lawsuits slow the project, the more the agency will have to borrow money against 
higher interest rates to fund the pipeline.

At the heart of the three lawsuits now pending in Santa Cruz County Superior Court 
is whether the water agency broke California law when it started increasing the 
water rates to pay for the pipeline two years ago - to the tune of nearly $100 per 
acre-foot - without holding special elections.

Nearly $17 million of the pipeline has already been built along Beach Street from 
Highway 1 to the Pacific Ocean. At a meeting this afternoon, the agency and its 
board members plan to talk about the construction planned for 2005-06.

The water agency believes the new pipeline will solve the intrusion of saltwater, 
which has been hurting many coastal farmers where they are overdrawing in the 
basin.

But many of the people who attended a special meeting Tuesday at the Rod and Gun 
Club are inland farmers who feel they're already paying exorbitant fees to foot 
the bill for an expensive pipeline that isn't needed and will only benefit other 
farmers.

"Why, if I'm a farmer in Aromas, should I pay a fee to help deliver water to a 
farmer in Moss Landing?" said Dick Peixoto, an organic vegetable grower who has 
farms along the coast and inland and believes the problems of saltwater intrusion 
have been greatly exaggerated.

The agency, however, contends the invasion of saltwater is a reality and the 
pipeline will help all farmers in the 110-square-mile district because the 
aquifers in the basin are slowly being depleted.

"If we were to lose in court, we'd still have to find the same amount of money 
from the same people - but in a different manner," said Charlie McNiesh, general 
manager for the water management agency. But he's confident that alternative 
funding could be found and the pipeline would not have to be stopped.

The lawsuits, filed on behalf of a few inland farmers and John Eiskamp, a board 
member of the water agency, allege the water fees, known as "augmentation fees," 
are really taxes and the farmers, who make up 80 percent of the district, own the 
water and therefore should not be taxed on it.

And if farmers are to be taxed on their water, then at least they should be able 
to vote on it in a special election, which is something the water agency failed to 
hold, the lawsuits allege.

"This is a property rights issue," said Tom AmRhein, a strawberry farmer in the 
Pajaro Valley. 

So far, some farmers are having a hard time accepting the fees. Three years ago 
they were paying $60 per acre-foot. Today, they're paying $160 per acre-foot. And 
that's not the end. If the pipeline is to be constructed in its entirety, water 
rates are expected to rise as high as $220 per acre-foot by 2008.

An acre-foot equals 325,900 gallons. But farmers know the importance of an acre-
foot as this: It takes roughly two-three acre-feet to sustain one acre of crops 
per year.

The lawsuits are expected to be heard and resolved by the end of the year.#


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From bwl3 at comcast.net  Fri Jan 21 14:04:18 2005
From: bwl3 at comcast.net (Byron )
Date: Fri, 21 Jan 2005 14:04:18 -0800
Subject: [env-trinity] 
	Westlands, NCPA Will Not Appeal Trinity ROD Litigation
Message-ID: <20050121220937.DEB1920000A4@mx.dcn.davis.ca.us>

CENTRAL VALLEY PROJECT / TRINITY RIVER

Oh, Trinity! 

Eureka Times-Standard - 1/21/05

By John Driscoll, staff writer 

A long legal brawl with Central Valley water interests over the Trinity
River has taken a favorable turn for the Hoopa Valley Tribe and the North
Coast.

Westlands Water District and the Northern California Power Association won't
take its attempt to block restoration of the river to serve Central
California farms to the U.S. Supreme Court, the groups said Thursday. 

That clears the once murky path toward reviving fisheries that for 40 years
have languished from water diversions and a dam that blocks nearly 109 miles
of salmon spawning grounds. 

The bitter five-year legal battle was waged by Westlands following former
U.S. Interior Secretary Bruce Babbitt's approval of a restoration plan based
on nearly three decades of scientific study. 

"You don't run into a case and win it overnight," said Hoopa Valley Chairman
Clifford Lyle Marshall. "We were up against some very powerful opposition."

The tribe led the fight for the return of just under half the river's water.
In 2000, Babbitt cleared the plan, and Westlands -- the primary beneficiary
of the water -- sued. A U.S. District Court ruling in 2002 went Westland's
way, but a following U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals decision trumped the
lower court in the tribe's favor. 

Westlands spokesman Tupper Hull said the district still believes there are
flaws in the 9th Circuit decision, but has decided the odds of a Supreme
Court review are small. He said that since the suit was filed, Westlands has
worked with other water users and regulatory agencies toward more efficient
water use in the Central Valley Project, an effort he hopes will make up for
the loss of Trinity water. 

The water is key to reshaping the river to make conditions better for
salmon, and other elements of the plan are ongoing. Four bridges will have
been replaced and one modified by this summer, key to opening the
possibility of channel-changing flows in wet years. 

But some of that effort could be stymied by a reduction in federal funding.
The U.S. Interior Department has cut $1.4 million from the $10.8 million
program, which Marshall described as severely underfunded. 

Still, Trinity River proponents reveled in the victory, glad to refocus
attention from the courts to the river.

"Now we don't have to spend another 20 years preparing paperwork to tell us
that fish need water," said Trinity County Senior Planner Tom Stokely. 

Struggles may remain. The Trinity's water is diverted to the Sacramento
River, and irrigators get their water via canals leading from Sacramento
Delta pumps.

North Coast, fishing and environmental interests are concerned that ongoing
renewal of long-term water contracts isn't being conducted through the
National Environmental Policy Act, and won't meet obligations to the Trinity
River's fishery. 

"We have to maintain constant vigilance as it pertains to water issues
facing the North Coast," said Humboldt County Supervisor Jill Geist. "This
is a win for the moment."

Hupa people are also taking a longsighted view toward recovery of the river
and its salmon, sturgeon, steelhead and eels. Fishing and rafting guide
Chuckie Carpenter said the court victory will help the overall healing of
the Hoopa Valley.

"It's like this river is the bloodline of our people," Carpenter said. "Our
ancestors lived on it since time began. It's a way of transportation and a
way of life."

 

 

Byron Leydecker

Chair, Friends of Trinity River

Consultant, California Trout, Inc.

PO Box 2327

Mill Valley, CA 94942-2327

415 383 4810 ph

415 519 4810 ce

415 383 9562 fx

bwl3 at comcast.net

 <mailto:bleydecker at stanfordalumni.org> bleydecker at stanfordalumni.org
(secondary)

http://www.fotr.org

http://www.caltrout.org

 

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From bwl3 at comcast.net  Fri Jan 21 14:10:56 2005
From: bwl3 at comcast.net (Byron )
Date: Fri, 21 Jan 2005 14:10:56 -0800
Subject: [env-trinity] Fishery Restoration
Message-ID: <20050121221116.AD32A20000A4@mx.dcn.davis.ca.us>

FISHERIES PROTECTION / NORTH COAST 

Creed of cooperation

Eureka Times-Standard - 1/21/05

By John Driscoll, staff writer

One hundred miles.

With hazardous culverts replaced, that's how much habitat has been opened
for salmon in five Northern California counties since 1997. It's the result
of unprecedented cooperation among local, state and federal governments and
private groups celebrated Thursday by salmon lovers.

The Five Counties Salmon Restoration Program has launched over 40 barrier
removal projects, and worked to reduce smothering sediment through projects
and education. 

At the Bayside Grange, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
Fisheries Department Regional Administrator Rod McInnis lauded the effort
before about 100 people, and credited it for wise and efficient use of
public money.

"It's a risk we're all taking," McInnis said, "but not a major risk for the
payoff we're getting." 

Many of the culverts that have been replaced in Humboldt, Del Norte,
Mendocino, Trinity and Siskiyou counties have seen near instantaneous
results. In tributaries that haven't seen salmon in decades, surges of coho
and chinook salmon and steelhead and cutthroat trout have been witnessed. 

In Humboldt County alone, some 16 projects have been completed since 2001.
Program Director Mark Lancaster credited Chris Whitworth with the county
public works department for putting his shoulder behind the massive effort. 

Showing video of a big chinook salmon spawning in a stream narrower than the
fish was long, geologist and videographer Thomas Dunklin said there is more
spawning habitat available than perhaps was first envisioned. Biologist Ross
Taylor said a project to replace a culvert on Lindsay Creek also encouraged
landowners upstream to band together and replace shoddy culverts with
bridges, a boon to fish. 

The projects wouldn't have been possible without prioritizing the projects
and overcoming entrenched political differences between the counties and
between agencies, Lancaster said. 

"If you can get people around their political boundaries, you can do a lot
of great things," he said. 

Cooperation between NOAA, the California Department of Fish and Game -- and
coupled with the workhorse California Conservation Corps -- and politicians
came through, he said. People shared skills, knowledge, equipment and
materials vital for completing the projects, he said. 

Fish and Game Director Ryan Broddrick -- here for the second time in two
weeks -- said the backbone of the ongoing effort is community support. He
said it appears that people here are making personal investments in
restoring salmon.

"I'm always really impressed when I get up here to the North Coast ... it's
so community driven."

Another 10 projects are scheduled for 2005. Four are in Humboldt County.

 

 

Byron Leydecker

Chair, Friends of Trinity River

Consultant, California Trout, Inc.

PO Box 2327

Mill Valley, CA 94942-2327

415 383 4810 ph

415 519 4810 ce

415 383 9562 fx

bwl3 at comcast.net

 <mailto:bleydecker at stanfordalumni.org> bleydecker at stanfordalumni.org
(secondary)

http://www.fotr.org

http://www.caltrout.org

 

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From danielbacher at hotmail.com  Sat Jan 22 19:56:03 2005
From: danielbacher at hotmail.com (Daniel Bacher)
Date: Sat, 22 Jan 2005 19:56:03 -0800
Subject: [env-trinity] Article on Trinity River Victory
In-Reply-To: <20050121221116.AD32A20000A4@mx.dcn.davis.ca.us>
Message-ID: <BAY14-F12F6FFC1B05B3E30775D0CDB840@phx.gbl>

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From danielbacher at hotmail.com  Sun Jan 23 14:35:08 2005
From: danielbacher at hotmail.com (Daniel Bacher)
Date: Sun, 23 Jan 2005 14:35:08 -0800
Subject: [env-trinity] Trinity River Victory Article (Revised)
Message-ID: <BAY16-F422AD4628E0C3D1A568362DB840@phx.gbl>

Westlands Won?t Appeal Trinity River Legal Victory

by Dan Bacher

The Hoopa Valley Tribe won a huge victory in the legal battle to restore 
Trinity River fisheries when the Westlands Water District announced that 
they won?t take their attempt to block a restoration plan to the U.S. 
Supreme Court.

The massive Central Valley district and the Northern California Power Agency 
(NCPA) told U.S. District Judge Oliver Wanger on January 20 that neither 
party would seek review of last July?s 9th Circuit Court of Appeals ruling 
in favor of the Hoopa Valley Tribe concerning Trinity River restoration. The 
official deadline for petitioning the Supreme Court is Feb. 3.

Clifford Lyle Marshall, Hoopa Valley Tribal Chairman, hailed the plaintiff?s 
decision not to seek additional legal review of the Trinity River Record of 
Decision (ROD). ?This now clears one of the last remaining legal hurdles and 
opens the way for full restoration of the Trinity River to begin,? said 
Marshall, although he cautioned there are still challenges to be resolved.

?Westlands continues to believe that there are significant errors in the 
decision, including the legality of the environmental review conducted to 
justify the flows,? stated Tupper Hull, spokesman for the Westlands Water 
District. ?However, it is unlikely that the Supreme Court would review the 
case.?

The announcement by Westlands completes the July legal victory in the U.S. 
Ninth Circuit Court for the tribe and the U.S. Department of Interiors 
four-year legal fight against the plaintiffs, who sued to prevent the 
restoration of the river. The ROD, signed in December 2000 by then Interior 
Secretary Bruce Babbitt, allocates 47 percent of the river?s flow to fish 
and the other 53 percent to agricultural, hydroelectric and other water 
users.

This victory is the culmination of decades of legal and political battles by 
Indian Tribes, fishing groups and environmental organizations to restore the 
once vibrant salmon and steelhead fisheries on the Trinity River, the 
largest tributary of the Klamath River. A grassroots campaign over the past 
several years pressured many members of the NCPA, including the City of Palo 
Alto, Healdsburg, Alameda and the Port of Oakland, to withdraw from the 
litigation.

These cities pulled out after SMUD already withdrew from the litigation 
because of massive opposition by a coalition of groups, including 
Environmental Defense, Friends of the River, Friends of the Trinity River, 
United Anglers of California, the California Federation of Fly Fishers, the 
Pacific Coast Federation of Fishermen?s Associations and the Hoopa Valley 
Tribe.

Environmental Defense played a key role, including writing 10 expert 
declarations on behalf of the Hoopa Tribe for the district and appellate 
courts and taking the lead in asking SMUD, Palo Alto, Alameda and the Port 
of Oakland to withdraw from the lawsuit.

?Westlands and the NCPA saw the writing on the wall,? said Craig Tucker, 
outreach director of Friends of the River, who calls the Westlands Water 
District the ?Darth Vader of California Water Policy.? ?They finally 
realized that they can?t win in court.?

However, Tucker said that there is no doubt that Westlands will look to for 
other ways to ?quench their thirst for water.? These include the raising of 
Shasta Dam, the building of offshore storage reservoirs and sites through 
the Cal-Fed fiasco and increasing the pumping capacity from the Delta.

?I think they will be working all of the angles that they can,? he said, 
?but there is no doubt that this was a significant battle won by the Hoopa 
Tribe and the coalition of organizations working for steelhead and salmon 
restoration.?

Tupper confirmed that the district will be seeking other ways to get their 
water than from the Trinity. ?We don?t contemplate any other actions on the 
Trinity River. The ROD will cover the management of the Trinity River,? he 
stated. ?However Westlands is engaging in collaborative discussions with the 
Department of Interior and other water users to achieve our goals.?

Judge Wanger agreed with the Hoopa Valley Tribe that the Ninth Circuit Court 
ruled the National Environmental Policy Act was not violated.  He will enter 
an amended judgment supporting the plaintiffs' elimination of two of the 
Reasonable and Prudent Measures (RPMs) of the two biological opinions 
regarding the ROD. However, removal of these RPMs shall not affect 
implementation of the ROD.

?The federal government now needs to step up to the plate with renewed 
commitment to implement the Trinity ROD,? added Marshall. ?The Trinity River 
restoration program is severely under funded.?

Marshall said that the program faces a federal cutback of $1.4 million from 
$10.8 million in the next several weeks. A key component of the program is 
the removal of four bridges and the modification of one bridge by this 
summer so that the larger flows required for restoration can be released.

Marshall noted that the program needs at least $13.5 million annually for 
full implementation of the Trinity. Failure to achieve full funding shall 
result in further delays with ROD implementation, which includes an adaptive 
management element.

?The water will now be available for fishery restoration and the federal 
government should now fully fund all aspects of the ROD,? Marshall stated.

In the short term, the decision by Wetlands to not appeal is ?very 
positive,? added Byron Leydecker, chair of Friends of the Trinity River. 
However, Leydecker cautioned that the restoration program, which requires 
Trinity River naturally spawned salmon and steelhead to be recovered to 60 
percent of pre-dam populations, is well behind schedule.

?The river now has only 10 to 12 percent of its historical steelhead and 
king salmon populations and even less of the historical coho salmon 
numbers,? said Leydecker. ?I?m afraid that if we don?t make significant 
progress towards natural fish restoration in the next six to seven years, 
our opponents may revisit the ROD in court, claiming that Clair Engle, the 
Congressional sponsor of Trinity Dam, was right: the water is just being 
wasted to the sea.??




From tstokely at trinityalps.net  Mon Jan 24 08:33:49 2005
From: tstokely at trinityalps.net (Tom Stokely)
Date: Mon, 24 Jan 2005 08:33:49 -0800
Subject: [env-trinity] Fw: Professional Grantwriting Workshop (San Francisco
	State University)
Message-ID: <006601c50235$7419d760$c16c3940@V51NH>

Professional Grantwriting Workshop (San Francisco State University)
----- Original Message ----- 
From: Anthony Jones 
To: Administrator 
Sent: Sunday, January 23, 2005 7:42 PM
Subject: Professional Grantwriting Workshop (San Francisco State University)


The Grant Institute's Grants 101: Professional Grant Proposal Writing Workshop will be held at San Francisco State University, March 21 - March 23, 2005.  Interested development professionals, researchers, faculty, and graduate students should register as soon as possible, as demand means that seats will fill up quickly. Please forward, post, and distribute this e-mail to your colleagues and listservs.

All participants will receive certification in professional grant writing from the Institute. For more information call (888) 824 - 4424 or visit The Grant Institute website at http://www.thegrantinstitute.com.

Please find the program description below: 

THE GRANT INSTITUTE

GRANTS 101: 

Professional Grant Proposal Writing Workshop

held at

San Francisco State University

San Francisco, California

March 21-March 23, 2005

Towers Conference Center, Richmond Room

8:00 AM - 5:00 PM

The Grant Institute's Grants 101 Course is an intensive and detailed introduction to the process, structure, and skill of professional proposal writing. This course is characterized by its ability to act as a thorough overview, introduction, and refresher at the same time. In this course, participants will learn the entire proposal writing process and complete the course with a solid understanding of not only the ideal proposal structure, but a holistic understanding of the essential factors, which determine whether or not a program gets funded. Through the completion of interactive exercises and activities, participants will complement expert lectures by putting proven techniques into practice. This course is designed for both the beginner looking for a thorough introduction and the intermediate looking for a refresher course that will strengthen their grant acquisition skills. This class, simply put, is designed to get results by creating professional grant proposal writers. 

Participants will become competent program planning and proposal writing professionals after successful completion of the Grants 101 course. In three active and informative days, students will be exposed to the art of successful grant writing practices, and led on a journey that ends with a masterful grant proposal. 

Grants 101 consists of three (3) courses that will be completed during the three-day workshop. 
FUNDAMENTALS OF PROGRAM PLANNING 
This course is centered on the belief that "it's all about the program." This intensive course will teach professional program development essentials and program evaluation. While most grant writing "workshops" treat program development and evaluation as separate from the writing of a proposal, this class will teach students the relationship between overall program planning and grant writing. 

PROFESSIONAL GRANT WRITING 
Designed for both the novice and experienced grant writer, this course will make each student an overall proposal writing specialist. In addition to teaching the basic components of a grant proposal, successful approaches, and the do's and don'ts of grant writing, this course is infused with expert principles that will lead to a mastery of the process. Strategy resides at the forefront of this course's intent to illustrate grant writing as an integrated, multidimensional, and dynamic endeavor. Each student will learn to stop writing the grant and to start writing the story. Ultimately, this class will illustrate how each component of the grant proposal represents an opportunity to use proven techniques for generating support.

GRANT RESEARCH 
At its foundation, this course will address the basics of foundation, corporation, and government grant research. However, this course will teach a strategic funding research approach that encourages students to see research not as something they do before they write a proposal, but as an integrated part of the grant seeking process. Students will be exposed to online and database research tools, as well as publications and directories that contain information about foundation, corporation, and government grant opportunities. Focusing on funding sources and basic social science research, this course teaches students how to use research as part of a strategic grant acquisition effort.

REGISTRATION 
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From tstokely at trinityalps.net  Mon Jan 24 10:14:07 2005
From: tstokely at trinityalps.net (Tom Stokely)
Date: Mon, 24 Jan 2005 10:14:07 -0800
Subject: [env-trinity] State's water under new committee 
Message-ID: <00b701c50240$7f28ccf0$696b3940@trinitycounty.org>



http://www.fresnobee.com/local/story/9817411p-10677362c.html

State's water under new committee 


Leader of Senate group wants to know 'who's using what.' 

By Eric Stern
Bee Capitol Bureau 

(Updated Sunday, January 23, 2005, 6:23 AM)



SACRAMENTO -- When deciding the course of state water policy, the farm-friendly Senate Agriculture Committee has long placed irrigating crops at the top of the priority list. 


But under a committee shake-up, the conservation-minded Senate Natural Resources Committee now will divvy up the state's water. The move has raised eyebrows from some farm groups. Legislative leaders say that placing water policy decisions under the resource committee is aimed at balancing water use across the state.

The agriculture industry "has always been sort of the primary player when you look at water, but we did not want people to have an erroneous perception that agriculture had a higher entitlement to water," said Sen. Sheila Kuehl, D-Santa Monica, who is leading the hybrid resources-water committee. 

Kuehl laid out her goals for the committee's work on water issues. She's not calling for more reservoirs, a new canal to Southern California or any desalination plants. Instead, she's more interested in finding out "who's using what."

"I want a much more transparent ... set of information that gives us the whole picture on water in the state and gives everyone the tools that they need to do early planning," Kuehl said. She said spotty record-keeping has made it difficult to understand how much water is being used by some holders of century-old water rights. She wants to get tough on water agencies, farmers and other users who are required to send annual reports to the state.

"If you don't file the report, we'll assume non-use," she said. "And five years of non-use means you lose the rights."

Kuehl emphasized that agriculture needs will not be lessened. She tapped Sen. Mike Machado, D-Linden, to lead a subcommittee on the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta. Machado, a farmer, led the old agriculture-water committee.

"I didn't want to waste his knowledge and understanding of that issue," she said.

Kuehl's goals also include requiring water agencies to fully investigate how projects will affect the environment and to better determine the costs of transporting water across the state.

She also wants water agencies to implement "cost-effective conservation" measures to avoid wasting water.

The Assembly already bumped water policy decisions out of its agriculture committee years ago.

A committee is the first -- and possibly last -- stop for legislation. For example, a decade-long effort in the 1980s to post warnings to farmworkers about chemicals sprayed in the fields kept getting killed by the agriculture committee, said Tim Hodson, director of the Center for California Studies at California State University, Sacramento.

It wasn't until legislative leaders gave the bill to the natural resources committee that it passed through the Legislature, he said.

"That's the classic fate of a bill that can be determined simply by which committee it goes to," said Hodson, a former Capitol staffer. "An agriculture committee is going to look at the world differently than the natural resources committee, and that can have significant influence on policy."

The reporter can be reached at estern at modbee.com or (916) 326-5544.
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From tstokely at trinityalps.net  Mon Jan 24 18:27:58 2005
From: tstokely at trinityalps.net (Tom Stokely)
Date: Mon, 24 Jan 2005 18:27:58 -0800
Subject: [env-trinity] SF Chron- Strife over new Central Valley water
	allocation 
Message-ID: <027001c50285$7c6ea8a0$696b3940@trinitycounty.org>

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/chronicle/archive/2005/01/22/BAGG7AUH4M1.DTL&type=printable 
Strife over new Central Valley water allocation 
Farmers, fisheries, environmentalists all feel shorted 

- Glen Martin, Chronicle Environment Writer 
Saturday, January 22, 2005 

The U.S. Bureau of Reclamation has released preliminary 2005 federal water allocation 
projections for California, and the figures have made many of the stakeholders unhappy. 

Environmentalists and fisheries advocates claim the agency is ignoring key provisions 
mandated by federal legislation directing greater flows down the Sacramento River to restore 
depleted salmon runs. 

Farmers say the federal Central Valley Project -- which supplies 7 million acre-feet of water to 
farmers, wildlife refuges, fisheries and cities from the upper Sacramento Valley to Los Angeles 
-- was built specifically for agriculture, but ongoing diversions to cities and environmental 
restoration are coming unfairly at the farmers' expense. 

The disagreements highlight two decades of political and legal conflict directed at the Central 
Valley Project as agribusiness and environmental groups skirmish over disposition of water. 

The latest conflict arose Friday when the bureau released two projections on water supplies for 
the coming year. Although the projections were based on two criteria, "above normal" and 
"dry year," it said the probability of an above average year was higher because of the amount 
of precipitation and snowpack to date. 

If that turns out to be the case, water users north of the Sacramento River/San Joaquin River 
Delta -- agriculture, municipalities, wildlife refuges and farmers and other users who held 
water rights before the construction of the Central Valley Project in the 1930s and 1940s -- 
would receive 100 percent of their quotas. 

South of the delta, agriculture would receive 60 percent of their quotas; municipalities, 85 
percent; and refuges and historic water rights holders, 100 percent. 

If the year ends up being a dry one, the allocations would remain the same except that 
agriculture north of the delta would receive 60 percent of contractual quotas and cities north 
of the delta would receive 85 percent. 

Zeke Grader, executive director of the Pacific Coast Federation of Fisheries, said the bureau is 
ignoring basic tenets of the Central Valley Project Improvement Act of 1992. 

That legislation directed the agency to release 800 thousand acre-feet of water down the 
Sacramento River for salmon, to operate the Central Valley Project with fisheries and wildlife 
restoration as a goal, and to devise a plan that will double salmon and steelhead runs on the 
Sacramento River system. 

"They've basically ignored it all, with the exception of some extra water releases down the 
river," Grader said. "And even then, they're not letting the water run all the way down the 
system and out the Golden Gate, where it's needed to restore the health of the delta and San 
Francisco Bay." 

Instead, said Grader, the agency is capturing most of the flows at huge pumps in the delta 
near Tracy, and shipping the water south to farms and cities. 

Jeff McCracken, a spokesman for the bureau, acknowledged that some of the fisheries flows 
mandated by the 1992 project improvement act are recaptured at the delta and pumped 
southward. 

But McCracken noted that fisheries flows for both the Sacramento and Trinity rivers are 
given top priority by the agency, and all other allocations are secondary. 

"If we pumped everything we could, we wouldn't be giving farmers 60 percent of their 
(contractual) water," McCracken said. "We are following all the mandates of the CVPIA, we 
are meeting our requirements under the (U.S.) Endangered Species Act, and we are 
upholding water quality in the delta." 

Farmers aren't satisfied with the projected allocations, either. Michael Wade, the executive 
director of the California Farm Water Coalition, said cities and environmentalists consider 
farmers the default water supplier for the entire state. 

"When these (CVP) deliveries were first negotiated 60 years ago, people expected to get the 
amount of water that was agreed on," said Wade. 

"Now farmers are getting only 60 to 65 percent of their water," Wade said. "It's like 
encouraging a guy to go into the shoe business, and then giving him only half the leather he 
needs for the shoes." 

E-mail Glen Martin at glenmartin at sfchronicle.com. 
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From tstokely at trinityalps.net  Tue Jan 25 09:18:29 2005
From: tstokely at trinityalps.net (Tom Stokely)
Date: Tue, 25 Jan 2005 09:18:29 -0800
Subject: [env-trinity] Potato Glut
Message-ID: <009401c50301$e48095d0$ac6c3940@trinitycounty.org>

http://www.localnews8.com/home/1362151.html 
Joining the Coop Costs Potato Growers 

  Right now, spuds are selling $1.95 per hundredweight. That's about $3.25 below the cost of 
  production.
January 24, 2005 
In Idaho Falls, hundreds of spud farmers are meeting with United Fresh Potato Growers Cooperative to 
decide whether to become a member. 

The initial membership fee is pretty painful. United Fresh Potato Growers of Idaho are asking growers 
to dump a portion of their spud crop. 

Some will go for cattle feed, some for charitable organizations and some will just rot on the ground. 

It's a tough move, designed to get supply down and prices up. 

It's not easy. 

Bob Martin agreed to dump spuds and says, "When you go through all the sweat and effort of growing 
a crop and pull in to the dump, it makes you physically ill. We want to feed people, not dump a crop on 
the ground." 

But that is exactly what has to happen to get the prices back up to a profitable level. 

Right now, spuds are selling $1.95 per hundredweight. That's about $3.25 below the cost of 
production. 

David Beasely is on the board and says even potato growers in other states are joining in the effort. 

Beasely says, "Even as we speak, growers in Prince Edward Island are removing 1.5 million sacks from 
their supply. Growers in Maine are removing 4 million sacks, New Brunswick, too. Growers in 
Washington will remove some of theirs. Even though Klamath Basin doesn't have enough to finish out 
their season, they want to work and cooperate with us." 

Beasley says most of the excess spuds are in Idaho, so this state bears the burden of removing supplies. 

He hopes to have 400 million pounds of potatoes off the market. He says times have changed. 
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From bwl3 at comcast.net  Wed Jan 26 16:27:40 2005
From: bwl3 at comcast.net (Byron )
Date: Wed, 26 Jan 2005 16:27:40 -0800
Subject: [env-trinity] Draft SEIS/FONSI Comment Period Extended 
Message-ID: <20050127002744.387EB2002E67@mx.dcn.davis.ca.us>

Media Contact: Jeffrey McCracken  916-978-5100

                        jmccracken at mp.usbr.gov

 

For Immediate Release:  January 26, 2005

 

Extension of Public Review Period for the Renewal of Central Valley Project
Long-Term Water Service Contracts' Draft Environmental Documents

 

The Bureau of Reclamation has extended the public review and comment period
for the Draft Supplemental Environmental Assessment (SEA) and Finding of No
Significant Impact (FONSI) for the long-term water service contracts between
Reclamation and the eight Cross Valley Contractors.  The proposed contracts
are for delivery of up to 128,300 acre-feet of water per year for
agricultural and municipal and industrial purposes for 25 years.

 

On December 29, 2004, a 30-day public review and comment period was
initiated for the Draft SEA/FONSI for the long-term water service contracts.
Reclamation has determined additional time is needed to allow for public
review.  In addition, on December 28, 2004, a 60-day public review and
comment period was initiated for the eight Cross Valley contracts.  The
forms of contract are available at www.usbr.gov/mp/cvpia/3404c/index.html;
click on 2004 Forms of Contract and scroll to Cross Valley Contractors.

 

Written comments on the Draft SEA/FONSI must be received by close of
business on Friday, February 18, 2005, and should be sent to:  Ms. Lynne
Silva, Bureau of Reclamation, South-Central California Area Office, 1243 N
Street, Fresno, CA 93721.  Comments may also be faxed to 559-487-5397 or
e-mailed to lsilva at mp.usbr.gov.  For additional information or to request a
copy of the draft documents, please contact Ms. Silva at 559-487-5807.

 

Byron Leydecker

Chair, Friends of Trinity River

Consultant, California Trout, Inc.

PO Box 2327

Mill Valley, CA 94942-2327

415 383 4810 ph

415 519 4810 ce

415 383 9562 fx

bwl3 at comcast.net

 <mailto:bleydecker at stanfordalumni.org> bleydecker at stanfordalumni.org
(secondary)

http://www.fotr.org

http://www.caltrout.org

 

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From bwl3 at comcast.net  Thu Jan 27 14:01:54 2005
From: bwl3 at comcast.net (Byron )
Date: Thu, 27 Jan 2005 14:01:54 -0800
Subject: [env-trinity] Northern California Developed Water Resources
Message-ID: <20050127220209.7268C2001D61@mx.dcn.davis.ca.us>

Valley congressmen tapped for key posts 

Representatives will give region stronger voice on local issues.

Fresno Bee - 1/27/05

By Michael Doyle, staff writer

WASHINGTON - The San Joaquin Valley is gaining a stronger voice on some of
the region's signature issues, thanks to some new congressional leadership
positions. 

Yosemite National Park and other public lands now will be overseen by
Visalia Republican Devin Nunes, as he takes over his first House
subcommittee chairmanship. Mariposa Republican George Radanovich, meanwhile,
will have his hands on the tap of Western water policies, as chairman of the
House water and power panel.

"It really consolidates my efforts for infrastructure in California,"
Radanovich said in an interview Wednesday. "In some ways, I can really
target my efforts for water in California." 

With Tracy Republican Richard Pombo still chairing the full House Resources
Committee, the new moves mean San Joaquin Valley representatives dominate
congressional resource policy-making slots.

It also marks an unusual concentration of authority for one region. "It's
great for California," Radanovich said. "Any way we can benefit the Valley,
we'll do it."

When Californians want to build new dams- or stop them- they will now have
to go through Radanovich's office.

The conservative lawmaker, who has been critical of measures such as the
Endangered Species Act, also will be overseeing a $389million California
water bill passed last year. 

This Cal-Fed money is not guaranteed and must be negotiated each year; how
the law is put into practice also will bear close watching.

"This chairmanship was tailor-made for George," Pombo said.

In order to take the water and power job, Radanovich had to give up the
parks subcommittee he has chaired for several years.

That's fine with Nunes, though, because the musical chairs means the
sophomore lawmaker will get his own shot at running the parks panel.

His congressional district includes Sequoia and Kings Canyon national parks,
as well as other big chunks of federal land.

"I believe we need to look closely at the budgets of the National Park
Service and Bureau of Land Management," Nunes said. "There is a need to
address maintenance backlogs in our public lands as well as the
implementation of the Healthy Forests Initiative, among others."

Nunes added that he also wants to focus his attention on "oil, gas and
renewable energy development on public lands, including resources available
in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge." 

Like most other Western Republicans- and unlike most Democrats and Eastern
Republican moderates- Nunes backs drilling in a portion of the sprawling
Arctic refuge.

Radanovich and Nunes share many of the same political beliefs, particularly
on perennially controversial Western resource issues. The liberal League of
Conservation Voters gave both men a 5 out of 100 on votes scored in 2003,
while the U.S. Chamber of Commerce scored both men near the top in its own
vote rankings.

 

 

Byron Leydecker

Chair, Friends of Trinity River

Consultant, California Trout, Inc.

PO Box 2327

Mill Valley, CA 94942-2327

415 383 4810 ph

415 519 4810 ce

415 383 9562 fx

bwl3 at comcast.net

 <mailto:bleydecker at stanfordalumni.org> bleydecker at stanfordalumni.org
(secondary)

http://www.fotr.org

http://www.caltrout.org

 

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From tstokely at trinityalps.net  Sun Jan 30 20:38:52 2005
From: tstokely at trinityalps.net (Tom Stokely)
Date: Sun, 30 Jan 2005 20:38:52 -0800
Subject: [env-trinity] Washington Post-Karuks Trying to Regain Salmon
	Fisheries and Their Health 
Message-ID: <013401c5074e$c6ffe5f0$9f6c3940@trinitycounty.org>

  CLICK URL for images: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A47525-2005Jan29.html
Tribe Fights Dams to Get Diet Back 
Karuks Trying to Regain Salmon Fisheries and Their Health 
  (Kari's report in Tomorrow's Washington Post)
By Blaine Harden 
Washington Post Staff Writer 
Sunday, January 30, 2005; Page A03 

HAPPY CAMP, Calif. -- Centuries before federal nutritional guidelines told 
Americans how to eat healthfully, the Karuk Indians had figured it out. 

They ate wild salmon at every meal -- about 1.2 pounds of fish per person per day. 
Isolated here in the Klamath River valley in the rugged mountains of northwest 
California, the Karuk stuck with their low-carb, low-cholesterol, salmon-centered 
diet longer than perhaps any Indians in the Pacific Northwest. It was not until the 
late 1960s and the 1970s, when dams and irrigation ruined one of the world's 
great salmon fisheries, that fish mostly disappeared from their diet. 

Salmon are now too scarce to catch and too pricey to buy. The tribe caught 100 
chinook salmon last fall, a record low. Eating mostly processed food, some of it 
federal food aid, many Karuks are obese, with unusually high rates of heart disease 
and diabetes. 

"You name them, I got them all," said Harold Tripp, 54, a traditional fisherman for 
the tribe. "I got heart problems. I got the diabetes. I got high cholesterol. I need to 
lose weight." 

On his first day as a fisherman for the tribe in 1966, Tripp remembers catching 
86 salmon. Last fall, he caught one. "I mostly eat hamburger now," he said. 

To reclaim their salmon -- and their health -- the Karuks are using the tribe's 
epidemic of obesity-related illness as a lever in a dam re-licensing pending before 
the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission. In what legal experts say is an 
unprecedented use of the regulatory process, the tribe is trying to shame a major 
utility company and the federal government into agreeing that at least three 
dams on the Klamath River should be knocked down. 

The dams are quite literally killing Indians, according to a tribe-commissioned 
report that was written by Kari Marie Norgaard, a sociologist from the University 
of California at Davis. The report links the disappearance of salmon to increases in 
poverty, unemployment, suicide and social dissolution. 

"We can't exist without our fish," said Leaf Hillman, vice chairman of the Karuk, 
whose 3,300 members make up the second-largest Indian tribe in California. "We 
can only hope that this will be one of those rare instances where a true look at the 
cost and benefits of those dams will be a compelling argument." 

The tribe's demand for nutritional justice presents a prickly new problem to 
federal regulators at a time of major upheaval in the hydropower industry. 

Federal licenses for private dams, valid for 30 to 50 years, are expiring in droves, 
especially in the Northwest, where hydropower accounts for about 80 percent of 
the electricity supply. In the next decade or so, licenses are due to expire at more 
than half of the country's non-federal dams -- 296 projects that provide electricity 
to 30 million homes in 37 states. 

The Karuks "have raised something that is novel, and FERC commissioners will 
have to grapple with it," said Mary Morton, a legal adviser to Nora Mead Brownell, 
one of President Bush's four appointees to the commission that rules on license 
renewals for private dams. 

Politically, it is hardly a propitious moment for Native Americans to demand that 
dams come tumbling down. Power rates have soared in California and across the 
Northwest in recent years. Bush has repeatedly spoken out against the breaching 
of federal dams on the nearby Snake River, saying it would be bad for the 
economy. His appointees as FERC commissioners are considered unlikely to force 
any utility to remove a dam, and his administration recently granted dam owners 
a special right -- denied Indian tribes, environmental groups and local 
governments -- to appeal Interior Department rulings about how dams should be 
operated. 

Still, the aging dams on the Klamath River are, at best, marginal producers of 
power. They were built without fish ladders (unlike most major dams in the 
Northwest), and there is widespread scientific agreement that their removal 
would revive several salmon runs. 

California, which could block a renewed federal license for the dams under 
provisions of the Clean Water Act, seems decidedly unenthusiastic about keeping 
the dams in the river. The state Energy Commission has said removing them 
"would not have significant impact" on the regional supply of electricity and that 
replacement power is readily available. 

The State Water Resources Control Board, which regulates water quality and could 
veto a renewed license, blames warm, sluggish reservoirs behind the dams for 
"horrible" algae blooms in the river, said Russ Kanz, a staff scientist for the board. 

In addition, the National Academy of Science and local officials in Humboldt 
County agree that dam removal is an option that should be examined to bring 
salmon back to the Klamath. 

But PacifiCorp, the company that owns the dams, did not list dam removal as an 
option in its application last year for a new long-term license. 

In the Clinton era, when tribes and environmental groups used the re-licensing 
process to force utilities to pay hundreds of millions of dollars to retool or remove 
dams, PacifiCorp agreed to remove a hydro dam from the White Salmon River in 
Washington state -- at a cost of $20 million. The company, which is owned by 
Scottish Power, has 1.6 million electricity customers in six western states. 

As part of its re-licensing application for dams on the Klamath, PacifiCorp is trying 
to negotiate a separate settlement with the Karuks and other stakeholders along 
the river. Dam removal is now "on the table" in those talks, said Jon Coney, a 
company spokesman, adding that the tribe's health argument is part of the 
negotiations. 

Coney, though, said that the tribe's health claims are difficult to substantiate in a 
scientific or legal way. 

"How do you separate the health problems out from all the other societal things 
that have happened to the tribe?" Coney asked. 

To make their case, the Karuk Tribe offers tribal health statistics and stories of its 
people who have grown ill in the years without salmon. 

Diabetes and heart disease were rare among tribal members before World War II. 
Part of the reason was the super-abundance in their salmon-rich diet of omega-3 
fatty acids, which research has linked with reduced risk of heart disease, stroke 
and diabetes. 

"We do know that the nutritional values of subsistence fish are superior to 
processed foods and convenience foods," said William Lambert, an environmental 
epidemiologist at Oregon Health & Science University in Portland. 

With subsistence fish all but gone from the Karuk diet, the percentage of tribal 
members with diabetes has jumped from near zero to about 12 percent, nearly 
twice the national average, according to the tribe. The estimated rate of heart 
disease among tribal members is 40 percent, about triple the national average. 

A number of studies of Native Americans across the United States have shown that 
the loss of traditional foods is directly responsible for increasing rates of 
obesity-related illnesses. 

Steve Burns, a physician for three years in the tribal clinic in Happy Camp, said 
that diabetes and other obesity-related illness are "a huge and growing problem." 

"What is happening to the Karuk people is like something you would read about in 
a book on the destruction of a minority group in the old Soviet Union," he said. 

The change in the tribe's diet in the past generation has been so great that many 
Karuk concede that it will be difficult -- even if the dams are knocked down and 
salmon runs are revived -- for them to return to their traditional healthful diet. 

"Of course, we won't be able to eat salmon all the time like we did," said Ron Reed, a 
traditional fisherman and tribal representative to FERC hearings on the dams. But 
he said everyone in the tribe would eat vastly more than they do now and that 
children would once again be able to grow up with the staple food that has 
traditionally kept the bodies and spirits of the Karuk healthy. 

Last year, because of the record-low catch, tribal elders did not have enough 
salmon for religious ceremonies. So they bought some. 
  

? 2005 The Washington Post Company 

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From tstokely at trinityalps.net  Sun Jan 30 20:41:30 2005
From: tstokely at trinityalps.net (Tom Stokely)
Date: Sun, 30 Jan 2005 20:41:30 -0800
Subject: [env-trinity] Klamath Basin Coalition Letter on Klamath Water Bank
Message-ID: <014a01c5074f$22e019d0$9f6c3940@trinitycounty.org>

Forwarded by Glen Spain FISH1IFR at aol.com 

  The Klamath Basin Coalition
                                       PO Box 1375, Eugene, OR  97440

      (541) 689-2000  Fax:  (541)689-2500

      Email:  klamathcoalition at aol.com

        Web:  www.klamathbasin.info

 
 
January 27, 2005
 

Dave Sabo

Bureau of Reclamation

6600 Washburn Way

Klamath Falls, OR  96703

 

RE:  Comments on Klamath Basin Water Banking Program

 

Dear Mr. Sabo:

                                                                                                                                                                                                Via Email & Mail

This letter is on behalf of the Klamath Basin Coalition, an alliance of local, regional and national organizations dedicated to conserving and restoring the biological resources of the west's once-great Klamath Basin. Coalition membership includes American Rivers, Defenders of Wildlife, Earthjustice, Friends of the River, Headwaters, Institute for Fisheries Resources, Klamath Basin Audubon Society, Klamath Forest Alliance, Northcoast Environmental Center, Oregon Natural Resources Council, Pacific Coast Federation of Fishermen's Associations, the Sierra Club, Trout Unlimited, The Wilderness Society, Waterwatch of Oregon, and the World Wildlife Fund.  The Coalition appreciates the opportunity to comment on Reclamation's water banking program in the Klamath Basin.  

 

As Reclamation is painfully aware, water has been severely over-allocated and over-promised in the Klamath Basin.  Any meaningful long-term solution will require considerable downsizing of the Klamath Project and the retirement of many other water rights (both Project and non-Project) throughout the basin on a permanent basis.  In order to restore balance to the basin and avoid ongoing water crises, acquisitions must be on a permanent basis and the water saved or acquired must be dedicated to fish and wildlife and to meet Tribal water obligations.

 

The current water banking program is for too little water, is too limited in scope, is not properly managed, is not sustainable, is not a good long-term investment, and does not offer permanent protection. The Coalition first sets forth reasons the current water banking program is not a viable or sustainable long-term solution to the basin's problems and then offers some immediate and longer term recommendations for improvement.

 

 

 

Reasons the Water Bank Program is Not Viable or Sustainable 
1.  The Current Program is For Too Little Water 

The 100,000 acre-feet of water that is to be acquired and provided for instream flows below Iron Gate Dam under the current water bank program is not enough to bring water use in this over-appropriated basin back into balance with what is ecologically sustainable.   It will not add any water to Klamath Lake or the Klamath River over and above the inadequate and minimal amounts required simply to prevent jeopardy to ESA listed species under the existing biological opinions.  Recovery will likely require more water than merely preventing immediate jeopardy. 

 

Not only is the amount inadequate for ultimate recovery of ESA listed species, but it falls far short of what is needed to meet the federal government's Tribal trust responsibilities, to proactively meet the needs of other important fish and wildlife species so as to prevent them from later becoming ESA listed, and the needs of the basin's critically important national wildlife refuges (utilized by 80% of the birds in the Pacific Flyway and by the largest populations of wintering bald eagles in the lower 48 states, as well as a myriad of other species).  

 

The Secretary of Interior has a legal duty under the National Wildlife Systems Improvement Act to insure that the nation's wildlife refuges have adequate supplies of water.  That duty is not being met.  Upper Klamath National Wildlife Refuge is frequently completely drained because of current management of the Klamath Project by the Bureau, and many acres of Lower Klamath Lake and Tule Lake National Wildlife Refuge wetlands are also frequently dewatered and lost to wildlife each season.

 

Reclamation should be using the water bank only as a means of transitioning to permanent demand reduction, while it designs and phase in a permanent demand reduction program that will allow it to meet all of the federal governments legal obligations and that will actually restore balance to the basin between supply and demand.  If the Bureau does not accomplish this task, the basin will remain in crisis.

 

2.  The Current Program is Too Limited In Scope

As stated above the program should not just be focused on fulfilling the minimal water needs of ESA listed species, but additionally on meeting all of the federal government's other legal obligations, including the needs of the Tribes, the national wildlife refuges, and other fish and wildlife species.  

 

To the extent the current water bank program only applies to dry or critically dry water year types, the scope of the program is too limited to address the fact that there is simply not enough water to meet the needs of the Tribes, fish and wildlife, the refuges, or the federal government's other legal obligations even in wetter water year types.  Under the current program fish will still only be receiving survival flows (at best) even in good water years.  In essence what is happening is permanent drought conditions are being artificially institutionalized for fish and wildlife, especially in the lower river.  One way this happens for flows through Iron Gate Dam is that in its Annual Operations Plans the Bureau has in the past two years artificially distorted the "base flows" radically downward, based on a clear misreading of the NRC report, so that base flows are now sometimes at or near historic lows.  Then the water bank water is added "on top" of these already artificially low base flows, eventually bringing the water flow levels below Iron Gate Dam back within the range of where they should originally have been set to begin with as base flows - though this time at great taxpayer expense. 

 

In other words, in several recent instances the Bureau appears to simply be holding back too much water from the river at the onset (including during recent winter flows), then putting the same water it artificially withheld back into the river and calling that water the "water bank".  This is bogus bookkeeping at best, and will never achieve the purposes for which the water bank was established.

 

We remind you that the water bank was established to assist the Bureau in meeting its legal obligations under the Coho Biological Opinion (BiOp) t achieve long-term flows pursuant to Table 9 (pg.70) of that BiOp, including minimum flows at Iron Gate Dam of no less than 1,000 cfs throughout July, August and September as well as minimum flows of no less than 1,300 cfs in October of each year.  This water level is essential to prevent another disastrous fish kill like the two fish kills (spring and fall) of 2002 as well as to meet ESA, Clean Water Act and Tribal trust obligations.  The Bureau will never achieve those water targets by simply first taking too much water out to begin with, then returning that same water and calling that returned water the "water bank" addition.  When combined together, one way or another, the total flow has to meet those long-term targets.  To do that must include reducing the net demand for water in the upper basin, on both Project and non-Project lands, through phased in willing seller water purchases.

 

The water bank was intended merely to be the first phase toward that type of permanent demand reduction program.  The current program should be redesigned to start the process of purchasing land and/or water rights from willing sellers and permanently retiring the water use so that the demand reduction benefits can be realized every year.

 

3.  The Current Program is Not Properly Managed 

A. Lack of Accountability and Monitoring.  Reclamation does not measure or monitor water use in the Klamath Project closely enough to ensure that the water being acquired at taxpayer expense is in fact going to supplement river flows as intended.  In fact Reclamation's capacity to do so is limited, because of inadequate or nonexistent measurement and flow control capacity throughout the Project.  Reclamation does not have the ability to shepherd acquired water through the Project back to the river or enough information to know to what extent that is actually occurring.  Although flows through Iron Gate Dam can be measured with some accuracy, at present the "error bars" on the Bureau's measurement systems within the Project can exceed 50% error.  Thus it is nearly impossible to ascertain whether projected water bank savings within the Project actually exist. These contentions are supported by a 2003 "Technical Memorandum" prepared for the Bureau by Dr. Burt.

 

This lack of accountability leads to covert water use by individuals paid not to use water and/or use of the acquired water bank water by other irrigators within the Project.  Dr. Burt also noted a lack of enforcement by the Bureau, with some "fallowed" lands still being irrigated and grazed during 2003, in effect allowing some landowners to double-dip, getting income from both the water bank fallowing program as well as irrigated crop production.  This means that to an unknown but potentially large extent the water acquired from irrigators or from groundwater for fish is actually being used for irrigation instead.  To make up the difference more water than should be is taken from Upper Klamath Lake, the national wildlife refuges, or from other parts of the Project.

 

Reclamation needs to establish a better internal measuring, monitoring, headgate and enforcement program that ensures the purchased water actually goes to fish and wildlife. Water users need to be held accountable to ensure that the money spent provides the public benefits intended.  Reclamation might also consider blocking acquisitions to make it easier to manage and account for the acquired water.

 

B.  Inappropriate Flow Regulation.  Reclamation should be regulating diversions into the Project at the front end to account for the water acquired in the water bank rather than just hoping it will come out the pipe at the other end.  This is especially important because of the lack of internal monitoring capacity within the Project itself.

 

In other words, the acre-feet of water acquired within the Project for the water bank should be converted to cubic-feet per second (cfs) over the course of the irrigation season, and diversions at the A-canal or other diversion points to the Project should be reduced throughout the irrigation season by the number of cubic-feet per second acquired.  In other words, Reclamation should be regulating the rate of diversions not just the overall duty.  The best way to ensure that Project users do not exceed their overall duty is to regulate the rate of diversion into the Project at the front end throughout the irrigation season. 

 

The diversions approved in the Bureau's Annual Operations Plan should be limited to the average diversion level for the Project for similar water year types and then further reduced by the cfs purchased for the water bank.  This procedure would also ensure that the water actually purchased is not lost in the black box of the Project and is therefore available for its intended purpose. Unfortunately, Reclamation is regulating water diversions to the Project in a manner that undercuts the intended benefits of the water bank. 

 

For example, instead of using average Project water diversions in similar water year types as a baseline and then reducing the rate and duty of diversions from there by the amount of water secured within the Project for the water bank, in its 2004 Operations Plan, the Bureau allocated 335,000 AF of water to the Project for that year, far above the average of 299,000 AF of water for every other similar water year over the past 41 years of record, and 5,000 AF higher than in any prior such water year in the past 41 years.  In other words, the Bureau completely offset the 23,893 AF of Project demand reduction achieved due to the 2004 water bank, simply by raising the allocation to the Project to 36,000 AF above annual average for all prior similar water years - all at taxpayer expense.  In fact, the net Project water demand reduction was thus NEGATIVE in 2004, at a cost to the taxpayers of $2,339,365.79, according to the Bureau's own Fact Sheet summarizing the 2004 water bank program.  To make up the difference and meet the water bank requirements Reclamation then reduced water deliveries to the refuges well below their needs, had to take more water from Upper Klamath Lake then it would otherwise have had to, and/or had to resort to water bank flow accounting tricks that are unfair to downstream interests.  Instead of being transparent and understandable, management of the water becomes a sophisticated sort of shell game where it's difficult to tell who is getting what water and where it is coming from.  This greatly erodes trust in the Bureau and in the water bank program itself.

 

C.  Unreasonable Reliance on Ground Water Substitution and Supplementation.  We are very concerned about the growing reliance of the water banking program on groundwater.  It is well known that groundwater is connected to surface water in the basin in many ways, especially above Upper Klamath Lake and in the Lost River Basin where a great deal of surface water inflow is from springs.  Paying irrigators to switch from surface water to groundwater is no more than robbing Peter to pay Paul. 

 

There are many signs that the groundwater aquifer is declining and connected to declining surface flows.  USGS and others are developing more information on the groundwater aquifer, and before those studies are completed, it doesn't make sense to rely so heavily on groundwater as a component of the water bank.  In a basin with an already overdrawn aquifer, more reliance on groundwater for the water bank not only exacerbates the depletion of that aquifer, but simply causes more surface water to be absorbed into the aquifer, reducing the effective inflow to Upper Klamath Lake and the Lost River, two sources which the Project already draws from.  This is confirmed by 2004's Upper Klamath Lake inflow figures, which were far less than predicted based on actual precipitation and prior experience.  The missing inflow probably was absorbed into an exceptionally dry aquifer.  Thus, taking water from the aquifer to feed the Project would be offset by less inflow to the Project - the functional equivalent of a transfusion from one arm to the other arm of the same patient.

 

There are also some indications that by paying irrigators to shift to groundwater, there is an actual increase in irrigation because some irrigators are able to irrigate lands with ground water that they could not effectively irrigate with surface water, and because of the federal payments to shift to groundwater they now find it economically viable to irrigate lands that didn't get much, if any, irrigation before.  This ultimately increases the demand on the basin's overstretched water resources rather than reduces it.  

 

The increased reliance of the water banking program on groundwater pumping out of an aquifer that is already overdrawn and dropping rapidly - all to maintain Project water demand that is clearly excessive - is not responsible.  Without real demand reduction, no net water saving is actually achieved, only a shifting of water from one place to another at enormous taxpayer expense. 

 

D.  Lack of Multiple Year Participation Requirement.  Single-year participation in the water bank promotes excess water use at the end of the prior years' irrigation season and at the commencement of the succeeding-years irrigation season thereby diminishing the return from water bank acquisitions.  The program should be structured to limit irrigation on the same lands for more than a single irrigation season.  This would also make enrollment in the program easier to predict year to year and cut down on some of the paperwork.  

 

Frankly, the program, as currently structured and managed, appears to mainly serve the function of propping up an unsustainable level of irrigation and risks being subverted into another government subsidy to support over-appropriation in the basin at high taxpayer expense, while not providing the intended public benefits. 

 

4.  The Current Program is Not Sustainable 

The year-to-year water-banking system is not a permanent solution and is not sustainable in the long-term.  Any gains or improvements that might accrue through implementing the program would be lost if the program cannot be sustained because of lack of Congressional funding or lack of participants in any future year.  It also becomes a gigantic game of "musical chairs" with many willing participants left out of the program each year through lack of funds.  This make it very hard for landowners who would like to plan their finances based on greater certainty.  Worse, it could set up a massive new entitlement program for irrigators, serving only to compensate participants during the few times they may not receive full water deliveries under the existing biological opinions, and actually end up discouraging permanent demand reduction in the long run..

 

The ground water component of the water bank is also not sustainable for additional reasons.  We are already seeing serious declines in the ground water table making it necessary to drill deeper and deeper wells.  Increased groundwater development has been affecting domestic water supplies and has caused pollution of the City of Bonanza's domestic water supply.  It should also be noted that groundwater pumping in the basin is currently greatly subsidized by power rates many times lower than typical for agricultural users.  This subsidy will end in 2006, making it economically unfeasible for Reclamation to maintain the current level of reliance on groundwater for meeting its water bank goals.

 

5.  The Current Program is Not a Good Long-Term Investment 

The water-banking concept is likewise not a good use of taxpayers' dollars over the long term.  A century from now US taxpayers should not be forced to continually pay water users in the Klamath Basin to not harm threatened fish and wildlife. The water bank program is far more expensive, in the long run, than outright purchase of and retirement of both land and water rights.  

 

Approximately 20% of the lands that are dependent on the Project's water system are now or have recently been offered for sale.  Permanent acquisitions could be obtained from willing sellers that would give benefits every year at a one-time cost that is far cheaper to the taxpayer than a year-to-year water banking system that would have to last forever and would need perpetual funding.  Over time, the water bank could easily cost taxpayers between 2.5 and 3.5 times the present fair market value of the lands and all the water rights associated with those lands.

 

It is also important to note that by simply phasing out the commercial farming leases on the national wildlife refuges, irrigation season Project water demand could be permanently reduced by about 10% at no cost to the taxpayer.  In fact each year the federal government pays more per acre to idle land in the Project than it receives from leasing out land on the national wildlife refuges that shouldn't as a policy mater be leased for commercial farming purposes in the first place.

 

The taxpayer is actually paying more for less under the current program.  The current program simply doesn't increase natural storage, pollution abatement, or fish and wildlife habitat opportunities like a focused permanent demand reduction program could.  

 

6.  The Current Program is Not a Permanent Solution to the Water Crisis

In short, the current water bank program only makes sense as a short-term fix while a permanent demand reduction program is funded and implemented.  If not coupled with a permanent demand reduction program it risks becoming little more than another expensive and unnecessary subsidy to irrigators, with very little or no actual benefits to fish and wildlife.  It will not solve the water crisis in the basin and as currently managed could end up exacerbating it over the long-term.

 

 

SUMMARY OF RECOMMENDATIONS
 

Short-Term Recommendations
1. Decrease Reliance on Groundwater and Increase Crop Idling

Reclamation should consider immediately eliminating payments for groundwater substitution as this is just paying irrigators to use a different straw from the same source and has nebulous benefits. Groundwater Supplementation should also be eliminated or at least decreased as this is not really a new source of water from which to draw and is not sustainable.  A larger emphasis should be put on the crop idling portion of the program.

 

2. Regulate Diversions to the Project Based on Water Year Types and Water Bank Acquisitions

Though its difficult to regulate water use within the Project, there is no reason Reclamation could not regulate diversions into the Project at this time.  However, before Reclamation can regulate it needs to determine how much water should be delivered to the Project each year.  Much in the manner the lake and the river are allocated so much water in different water year types, the Project should also only be allocated so much water in various water year types.  The baseline should be based on the average diversions for various water year types over the last 41 years of record.  This baseline should then be reduced by the amount of water acquired within the Project for the water bank, and Reclamation should then regulate the rate and duty of diversions into the Project at the A canal and other diversions accordingly.  This would bring immediate accountability to the water bank and assure taxpayers that their dollars are actually providing the intended benefits.

 

3.  Encourage Multiple-Year Participation

Reclamation should encourage multi-year participation in the crop idling program by maintaining an option to idle the same land over at least a three-year period at the same price.  This would give more certainty to the program and would increase program benefits because there would be less of an increase in irrigation from those about to enter or go out of the program.

 

4.  Phase-out Commercial Farming on The National Wildlife Refuges  

Reclamation should consider not auctioning off the national wildlife refuge lands that come up for auction this year for commercial farming.  This would be a very inexpensive way to meet a portion of the water bank requirements at no cost to the taxpayer. 

 

5. Develop a Permanent Demand Reduction Program

Reclamation should develop a permanent demand reduction program this year and make it a priority for the CIP process.

 

Long-Term Recommendations 

1.  Develop and Implement a Permanent Demand Reduction Plan

Water has been severely over-allocated and over-promised in the Klamath Basin.  Any meaningful long-term solution will require considerable downsizing of the Klamath Project and the retirement of many other water rights throughout the basin (e.g. the Wood, Williamson, and Sprague Rivers in Oregon and the Shasta and Scott Rivers in California) on a permanent basis.  There are currently tens of thousands of acres for sale in the Klamath Basin.  A federally funded, voluntary program to give financial assistance to the farmers, who want to sell their land or water, by buying their land or water at a fair price would be an equitable way to reduce agricultural demand, while giving more security to those who want to stay in business.  In order to commence restoring some balance to the basin and avoid ongoing water crises, acquisitions must be on a permanent basis and the water saved or acquired must be dedicated to fish and wildlife.

 

Other benefits could also be achieved by a demand reduction program that focused on reclaiming and restoring wetlands, especially in the Lower Klamath and Tule Lake Wildlife Refuge areas and around Upper Klamath Lake.  These benefits would include providing for natural water storage, improving and increasing fish and wildlife habitat, and improving water quality. The recent report by the National Research Council highlighted the need to establish a massive wetlands restoration program in the Klamath Basin, and to re-flood portions of Lower Klamath and Tule Lake that were drained by the Klamath Project. 

 

2. Phase-out Commercial Farming on the National Wildlife Refuges.

Over 22,000 acres of federal refuge land in the Tule Lake and Lower Klamath National Wildlife Refuges is leased for commercial agriculture.  These leases should be phased-out by allowing the leases to expire at the end of their existing lease terms. This would not only allow management of these refuge lands for fish and wildlife, eliminate the use of pesticides on the refuges, allow refuge personnel to devote more time to refuge management, and help secure a reliable source of water for refuge purposes by allowing for the storage of approximately 30,000 to 40,000 acre-feet of water, but it would ease the irrigation season water demands of the Klamath Project.  Water demand in the Klamath Project could be reduced by approximately 10% just by phasing out commercial farming on land already owned by the federal government.  It's the right thing to do for the refuges, is cheaper than idling land through the water bank, and is an important step in solving the water crisis in the basin.  

 

Thanks for the opportunity to comment.

 

Sincerely,

 

 

Robert G. Hunter

Staff Attorney, WaterWatch

On Behalf of The Klamath Basin Coalition

 
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From tstokely at trinityalps.net  Mon Jan 31 06:56:21 2005
From: tstokely at trinityalps.net (Tom Stokely)
Date: Mon, 31 Jan 2005 06:56:21 -0800
Subject: [env-trinity] Record Searchlight- With lawsuits done and projects
	begun, the Trinity River will rise again
Message-ID: <01d501c507a5$076672c0$9f6c3940@trinitycounty.org>

URL: http://www.redding.com/redd/nw_local/article/0,2232,REDD_17533_3510925,00.html 
  
Lucas Mobley / Record Searchlight

BUILDING BRIDGES: Workers Layne LaFountain of Lewiston, left, Mike Walker of Redding, right, and Scott Dunton of Anderson, in the background, work on a bridge over theTrinity River at Poker Bar Road on Thursday. Four bridges are being replaced or upgraded to withstand higher flows expected on the river this spring and summer.
 
Free to Flow
With lawsuits done and projects begun, the Trinity River will rise again

By Alex Breitler, Record Searchlight
January 31, 2005

TRINITY RIVER -- Before the lawsuits, attorneys and appeals, before the settlement talks and the sound bites, water managers here had a simple enough goal. 

It's imprinted on a plaque at Trinity Dam: "Built for and by the people of the United States to conserve and wisely use the waters of these mountains." 
 
Problem is, no one's been able to agree on what that wise use should be. 

This spring, the debate will cease -- at least, in the courtroom. In the coming months, the once-mighty Trinity River may rise to its highest planned levels since the dam was built more than 40 years ago, as officials finally implement a Clinton-era plan to resurrect the river. 

Restoring a river

The Trinity River may rise to its highest planned levels in more than 40 years this spring when officials implement a Clinton-era plan to restore the river. Here's what will happen: 

As soon as this week, officials will make public an estimation of what type of water year it will be in the Trinity system, from "critically dry" to "extremely wet." 

A final decision on the volume of this year's release will be made in April. Ramped-up flows will begin in late April and peak in early May, dropping back down in July. 

As many as 8,500 cubic feet per second of water will be released from Trinity Lake. That's 63,750 gallons per second. Releases from the lake have been limited to 6,000 cfs for decades. The Clinton plan ultimately allows up to 11,000 cfs for extremely wet years. 

Depending on precipitation, the Trinity River will ultimately get between 368,600 and 815,200 acre-feet of water each year. One acre-foot is enough for a family of four for a year. 
 

It won't be as simple as cranking a faucet. Adding water is just the first step to bringing back the Trinity, long diminished by diversions for agriculture and power production. 

Crews are rebuilding or strengthening four bridges to withstand faster, higher currents. And the government is negotiating the purchase of one Douglas City home that would be inundated in the flood. 

Ultimately, 47 projects are planned to improve the streambed by yanking out trees, brush and gravel buildups that turned this once winding, broad channel into a thin band. 

The goal is to someday let the Trinity take care of itself. 

"It's going to be quite a few years," said Tom Stokely, a Trinity County planner and river advocate. 


Glad it's over 

Not that Stokely is complaining. Supporters of river restoration are relieved that Westlands Water District and the Northern California Power Agency recently decided not to take their case to the U.S. Supreme Court. 

Historically, as much as 90 percent of the river has been diverted for crops in the San Joaquin Valley, more than 200 miles south, as well as for power generation. Irrigators successfully sued in 2000 to stop the Clinton plan, but the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals last summer sided with American Indians who called for more water down the Trinity. 

The plan calls for diverting 52 percent of the river's flow. 

That's good news for the Hoopa Valley Tribe, which depends on the Trinity's salmon runs. Those runs have declined up to 80 percent after decades of mining, logging and, most recently, diversions. 

The problem wasn't just a lack of water, experts say. It was how the water was managed. 

Steady but small releases from Trinity Lake allowed brush and trees to grow closer to the river's banks downstream. In the past, natural floods had kept those banks clear. 

The encroaching vegetation trapped sand and sediment, causing berms to grow like levees up to 12 feet high. This kept the river narrow and gave fish less room to spawn. 

In essence, the river was becoming a canal. 

Future projects include using heavy machinery to rip out those berms and open up the Trinity. 

"The common phrase is that we take the handcuffs off the river," said Doug Schleusner of the federal Trinity River Restoration Program. "Then we let the river do the work." 

Officials also will inject gravel into the Trinity for salmon, which spawn in the rocky deposits at the bottom of the channel. There's gravel in the upper river, but Trinity Dam blocks it from being swept downstream. 

"What we're trying to do is create opportunities for brooding habitat for the young fish," Schleusner said. "We need to see a really sizable increase in habitat before we can expect to see a sizable increase in fish." 


Problems linger 

Things will never be the way they once were on the Trinity. The dam has, after all, blocked off 100 miles of fish habitat upstream. 

Instead, the plan is to mold a river system that is a smaller version of its former self. 

The Hoopa tribe has waited long for this day. From where their valley reservation 75 miles west of Trinity Dam now lies, tribal members have harvested fish for thousands of years for subsistence and ceremony. 

"We are extremely pleased that Westlands did not choose further litigation," said Mike Orcutt, the tribe's fisheries director. "Resources and people's time can be devoted to some other things." 

But the tribe remains leery. 

Work is behind schedule, due in no small part to the litigation. The bridges were supposed to have been replaced by 2003, about the same time the bank improvement projects were to begin. 

And, the tribe says, Schleusner's $10.8 million program is underfunded, with cuts of $1 million or more likely in the coming weeks. Those reductions could lead to further delays, Orcutt said. 

Schleusner acknowledged that budget cuts might slow things down. 

"We still have a really healthy program here, whether its $9 million or $10 million," said Schleusner, who oversees 13 staffers in a Weaverville office. He says the program is one of a "relatively small number" of similar efforts in the country. 


Klamath concerns 

Whatever work is ultimately completed on the Trinity, the river's health still depends in part on another beleaguered waterway -- the Klamath River. 

The Trinity pours into the Klamath upstream from the Pacific Ocean. Thousands of fish died on the Klamath below the Trinity merger in 2002 partly because of low flows, and many of those fish were likely heading to the Trinity to spawn. 

The Klamath has seen water wars of its own with farmers in the upper Klamath Basin clashing with conservationists, American Indians and commercial fishermen over a limited amount of water. 

"These are challenges," Orcutt said. "We have a large problem with the Klamath system as a whole." 

In central California, reduced Trinity diversions will cost Westlands about 5 percent of its water supply and eliminate hundreds of farm jobs. The state's energy supply will drop by one-tenth of 1 percent. 

"While Westlands continues to believe the 9th Circuit Court erred in its decision, judicial errors are not one of the reasons the Supreme Court typically hears a case," said Westlands spokesman Tupper Hull. 

That means victory for the Hoopa tribe and groups such as Friends of the Trinity River, which has long fought for the higher flows. 

The group's frustration on this point is evident on its Web site, where viewers are asked to click on a link "to receive updated news affecting Trinity River restoration, or lack of it." 
===========================================================================================================================

Reporter Alex Breitler can be reached at 225-8344 or at abreitler at redding.com. 

Copyright 2005, Redding. All Rights Reserved.
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From leverest at fs.fed.us  Tue Feb  1 07:36:05 2005
From: leverest at fs.fed.us (Loren Everest)
Date: Tue, 1 Feb 2005 07:36:05 -0800
Subject: [env-trinity] Coarse sediment project 
Message-ID: <OFFE996CF4.C3170CE1-ON88256F9B.00555BB7-88256F9B.0055B398@notes.fs.fed.us>

Dear Interested Party

The Shasta-Trinity National Forest is proposing to place about 5,100 cubic
yards of coarse sediment in a 1,200-foot reach of the Trinity River near
the Trinity River Fish Hatchery.  Forest Service personnel are preparing to
conduct National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) analysis of the proposed
project within the Trinity River watershed about two miles north of the
community of Lewiston. The legal location is: Township 33 North, Range 8
West, Section 8.

YOUR INVOLVEMENT
The purpose of this letter is to invite you to participate in the NEPA
analysis by providing your comments about this proposal during what is
referred to as the public scoping process.  If you have information you
feel the Forest Service may not be aware of, or feel you have issues
(points of dispute, debate, or disagreement) regarding potential effects of
this proposed action, please send those issues in writing to project leader
Loren Everest, Trinity River Management Unit, P.O. Box 1190, Weaverville,
CA 96093 (530) 623-1754 on or before February 25, 2005.

PROPOSED ACTION
The Forest Service proposes to place about 5,100 cubic yards of coarse
sediment in a 1,200-foot reach of the Trinity River near the Trinity River
Fish Hatchery during the summer of 2005 or 2006. A 20-foot strip of willows
and alders will be removed along the west bank of the river to allow for
additional channel width.

PURPOSE AND NEED FOR ACTION
The purpose of this project is to improve geomorphic function of the
Trinity River.  High river releases since 1993 have caused channel
degradation to a depth of about 2 feet. This project proposes to replace
lost channel bed material in a manner that maintains or increases the
quality of fish habitat.  The Bureau of Reclamation, through the Trinity
River Restoration Program, has contracted with Dr. Greg Pasternack of UC
Davis to provide designs for the project. The proposed design can be viewed
at http://shira.lawr.ucdavis.edu/trinity_design_06.htm.

DECISION TO BE MADE
The decision to be made is whether to implement the project as proposed, to
implement a modified project analyzed under an alternative that addresses
significant issues and meets the purpose and need statement, or take no
action at this time.


JOYCE ANDERSEN
District Ranger
Weaverville Ranger District






From tstokely at trinityalps.net  Tue Feb  1 08:49:52 2005
From: tstokely at trinityalps.net (Tom Stokely)
Date: Tue, 1 Feb 2005 08:49:52 -0800
Subject: [env-trinity] Klamath Herald and News- Water bank applications
	flood Bureau 
Message-ID: <006f01c5087e$0d902860$776c3940@trinitycounty.org>

Water bank applications flood Bureau 
Published January 31, 2005 

http://www.heraldandnews.com/articles/2005/01/31/news/top_stories/atop2.txt 

By DYLAN DARLING 
Herald and News 
A late surge of applications from irrigators who want to take part in the U.S. Bureau 
of Reclamation's water bank has left the Bureau "cautiously optimistic" that it will 
meet its goal. The Bureau wants to idle enough land in the Klamath Reclamation 
Project to set aside 50,000 acre-feet to benefit coho salmon in the lower Klamath 
River. 

After seeing a meager initial response to a request for applications, Bureau officials 
became concerned they might not be able to set aside enough water. But business 
picked up last week, officials said. 

In all, 234 applications were turned in to the Bureau's Klamath Falls office by the 
deadline Thursday. 

In the program, irrigators submit bids on what they'd be willing to accept, and the 
Bureau picks from among them. 

Last year, the Bureau received bids ranging up to $702 per acre-foot, and accepted 
bids ranging from $63.75 to $200. The average bid accepted per acre-foot was $146 
for 75,000 acre-feet, and 4,364 acres in the Project were idled. Most of the water for 
the water bank came from wells, rather than the Project's irrigation system. 

The Bureau plans to get 50,000 acre-feet of its federally required 100,000 acre-foot 
water bank by paying to have about 25,000 acres lie fallow this year. 

"I would say that we are cautiously optimistic that the response from the irrigator 
community will help us make our 100,000 acre-foot requirement," Olsen said. 

In late December, Bureau officials announced the deadline for the land idling 
applications was Jan. 27. Officials expected a response of 400 to 500 applications, but 
about a week before the deadline they'd gotten only 20. 

Bureau staffers went to the Tulelake and Klamath irrigation district offices to help 
farmers and ranchers with their applications, which boosted numbers, officials said. 
There also was a rush of applications in the days just before the deadline. 

Now the Bureau will evaluate the applications, weighing crops, soil types and costs to 
determine if it will make its goals for the land-idling program, Olsen said. 

The water bank program is required by the National Marine Fisheries Service to boost 
flows down the Klamath River for threatened coho salmon. The rest of the water bank 
would come from 25,000 acre-feet of well water, 10,000 acre-feet from land idling 
above Upper Klamath Lake and 15,000 acre-feet from storage on national wildlife 
refuges. 

Water set aside in the water bank needs to be available for use by April 1. 

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From TDunbar at waterboards.ca.gov  Tue Feb  1 11:28:47 2005
From: TDunbar at waterboards.ca.gov (Tom Dunbar)
Date: Tue, 01 Feb 2005 11:28:47 -0800
Subject: [env-trinity] Coarse sediment project
Message-ID: <s1ff67fc.059@gwgate.waterboards.ca.gov>

This project will require obtaining a federal Clean Water Act Section 404 permit from the USCOE and a Section 401 Water Quality Certification from this office.  Our staff person Dean Prat has been working on these types of projects in the Trinity River.

>>> Loren Everest <leverest at fs.fed.us> 02/01/05 07:36AM >>>
Dear Interested Party

The Shasta-Trinity National Forest is proposing to place about 5,100 cubic
yards of coarse sediment in a 1,200-foot reach of the Trinity River near
the Trinity River Fish Hatchery.  Forest Service personnel are preparing to
conduct National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) analysis of the proposed
project within the Trinity River watershed about two miles north of the
community of Lewiston. The legal location is: Township 33 North, Range 8
West, Section 8.

YOUR INVOLVEMENT
The purpose of this letter is to invite you to participate in the NEPA
analysis by providing your comments about this proposal during what is
referred to as the public scoping process.  If you have information you
feel the Forest Service may not be aware of, or feel you have issues
(points of dispute, debate, or disagreement) regarding potential effects of
this proposed action, please send those issues in writing to project leader
Loren Everest, Trinity River Management Unit, P.O. Box 1190, Weaverville,
CA 96093 (530) 623-1754 on or before February 25, 2005.

PROPOSED ACTION
The Forest Service proposes to place about 5,100 cubic yards of coarse
sediment in a 1,200-foot reach of the Trinity River near the Trinity River
Fish Hatchery during the summer of 2005 or 2006. A 20-foot strip of willows
and alders will be removed along the west bank of the river to allow for
additional channel width.

PURPOSE AND NEED FOR ACTION
The purpose of this project is to improve geomorphic function of the
Trinity River.  High river releases since 1993 have caused channel
degradation to a depth of about 2 feet. This project proposes to replace
lost channel bed material in a manner that maintains or increases the
quality of fish habitat.  The Bureau of Reclamation, through the Trinity
River Restoration Program, has contracted with Dr. Greg Pasternack of UC
Davis to provide designs for the project. The proposed design can be viewed
at http://shira.lawr.ucdavis.edu/trinity_design_06.htm.

DECISION TO BE MADE
The decision to be made is whether to implement the project as proposed, to
implement a modified project analyzed under an alternative that addresses
significant issues and meets the purpose and need statement, or take no
action at this time.


JOYCE ANDERSEN
District Ranger
Weaverville Ranger District




_______________________________________________
env-trinity mailing list
env-trinity at mailman.dcn.org 
http://www2.dcn.org/mailman/listinfo/env-trinity




From danielbacher at hotmail.com  Wed Feb  2 13:38:04 2005
From: danielbacher at hotmail.com (Daniel Bacher)
Date: Wed, 02 Feb 2005 13:38:04 -0800
Subject: [env-trinity] Klamath Basin Farmers Win Technical Victory,
	But Coho Listing Stays
Message-ID: <BAY16-F24D7F3C7D82A80FAE6410CDB7E0@phx.gbl>

Klamath Basin Farmers Win Technical Victory, But Coho Listing Stays

by Dan Bacher

Judge Michael Hogan, in U.S. District Court in Eugene, Oregon, ruled in 
January that coho salmon in the Klamath Basin were incorrectly listed as a 
?threatened? species because of the way the federal government treated 
hatchery and wild fish in the same Evolutionarily Significant Unit (ESU).

At the same time, Hogan thwarted an attempt by basin growers to collect 
?damages? resulting from coho protections. He also left the listing intact, 
subject to a major policy change by the National Marine Fisheries Service 
expected to be finalized in June 2005.

?This was a thinly veiled water grab to take more water and make the fish go 
extinct,? said Glen Spain, Northwest Director of the Pacific Coast 
Federation of Fishermen?s Associations. ?It was a technical victory, but 
they lost the war.?

The case, being litigated by the Pacific Legal Foundation, is very similar 
to the Alsea Valley Alliance case it previously brought. The previous case 
turned on fine legal and biological distinctions between wild and hatchery 
fish ? and resulted in a ruling by the same Judge in September 2001 
judicially delisting the Oregon Coho, according to Spain.

PCFFA, the Yurok Tribe and other groups intervened in this case in order to 
continue minimal protections for coho salmon. Wild coho salmon populations 
have declined dramatically in the Klamath River and throughout the Northwest 
in recent decades, due to bad logging and other land management practices, 
water diversions and the construction of dams.

The diversion of water to subsidized agribusiness in the federal Klamath 
Project of southern Oregon has resulted in dramatic declines of coho salmon, 
king salmon, steelhead and other species. Because of a change in Bureau of 
Reclamation water policy that favors farmers over fish, over 200,000 
juvenile salmon died in the spring of 2002 and over 68,000 adult fish 
perished in September 2002. These fish kills have resulted in record low 
returns of wild salmon, including coho, in Klamath River tributaries such as 
the Scott and Salmon rivers this fall.

In spite of the attempts by the Pacific Legal Foundation (PLF) and other 
extreme property rights groups to strip salmon protections, NMFS has 
recommended relisting the coho under that new hatchery listing in June 2005.

The PLF praised the judge for saying that fish were ?illegally listed,? but 
threatened further legal action if NOAA continues to keep the coho listing 
after the review of 26 West coast salmon stocks is completed this June.

?This ruling should send a message to NOAA Fisheries that they cannot 
continue to circumvent the ESA to keep salmon listed when the prolific 
number of hatchery fish means salmon are not endangered,? Russell Brooks, 
PLF spokesman said. ?If NOAA does not accept the reality that the ESA does 
not distinguish between wild and hatchery fish before it issues its new 
hatchery policy, we will wind up back in court.?

Judge Hogan had stayed the case, Grange v. National Marine Fisheries 
Service, pending the tribe?s and PCFFA?s appeals of the PLF? victory in 
Alsea Valley Alliance v. Evans (2001).

In June 2004, NOAA Fisheries proposed a new hatchery policy while 
simultaneously announcing that it would result in the re listing of west 
coast salmon and steelhead populations.

?As long as the federal government complies with Judge Hogan?s ruling that 
the listing is illegal, there won?t be a problem. But if they try to cut off 
the water again or take some other similar action, we?ll be back in court,? 
Brooks explained.

In November 2004, PLF said it would file a lawsuit challenging all 26 
listings if NOAA enacts the proposed policy and ?continues to distinguish 
between hatchery and naturally spawned fish, according to Brooks.

However, Spain noted that the difference between hatchery and wild fish is 
virtually ?irrelevant? on the Klamath River and its tributaries. ?Whether 
you put wild or hatchery fish into the Klamath, there is a high risk of a 
fish kill taking place,? he quipped.

Also, although the court left the door open for farmers to show damages for 
relief, ?It is unclear that they could ever show damages, given the way the 
water management has been restructured in favor of farmers,? he said.

?The farmers received more water in 2004 than any similar dry to critically 
dry year in the last 41 years,? emphasized Spain. ?They received their full 
delivery of 310,000 acre feet of water.?

The Alsea case and the latest ruling aren?t? really about hatchery versus 
wild fish, according to Spain. ?This case is really about water and about 
whether landowners have any obligation at all to prevent the death of an 
entire river system and all of the fish within it by putting water they have 
taken in the past back into the river,? noted Spain.

?While farmers claimed that this was a victory for them, it was really a 
victory for the fish,? said Troy Fletcher, executive director of the 
YurokTribe. ?Although the listing was deficient, Judge Hogan still left the 
coho listing in place.?

He emphasized that while alleged damages to the farmers were ?only 
speculative? because the farmers received their full water deliveries, the 
tribe and the PCFFFA in court demonstrated actual damages to the tribe and 
the North Coast economy caused by the fish kill. ?This is one of a long 
series of long battles to restore the Klamath River,? added Fletcher.

Tribal communities and commercial and recreational fishing communities up 
and down the coast have depended upon fall chinook for their livelihoods and 
sustenance. Yurok and Karuk Tribal people, who have lived on the river for 
thousands of years, depend on salmon as a main part of their diet and for 
their culture, their livelihoods and their health.

A Karuk Tribe-commissioned report written by Kari Marie Norgaard, a UC Davis 
sociologist, shows that lack of customary salmon in the tribal members? diet 
has had devastating impacts on community health. ?The report links the 
disappearance of salmon to increases in poverty, unemployment, suicide and 
social dissolution,? wrote Blaine Harden in the Washington Post on January 
30. The same water problems forcing the coho toward extinction affect all 
other salmon, including fall chinook.

With an administration in Washington that favors a small group of subsidized 
Klamath Basin farmers over thousands of tribal members, recreational anglers 
and commercial fishermen, the courts will be increasingly crucial as an 
arena for defending the gains made by fish advocates in recent years and 
defeating the ?wise use? movement and their allies.




From samickelson at snowcrest.net  Wed Feb  2 20:47:08 2005
From: samickelson at snowcrest.net (Sid & Arline)
Date: Wed, 2 Feb 2005 20:47:08 -0800
Subject: [env-trinity] Coarse sediment project 
References: <OFFE996CF4.C3170CE1-ON88256F9B.00555BB7-88256F9B.0055B398@notes.fs.fed.us>
Message-ID: <002b01c509af$1f71b6c0$a8b93542@samcklsndoc>

Dear Loren

Thanks for the info - and that the fifty one truckloads of course sediment
is coming from the beautiful Trinity River.
There is a great need to remove some of this material west of Indian Creek,
this would help the Trinity River and also and the current Trinity River
Restoration Project, being done at this reach of the river.
The Trinity doesn't need the possible diseases from the Sacramneto River
system. It doesn't take that much effort to screen the sediment to size.

Thank you,

Sid Mickelson

----- Original Message -----
From: "Loren Everest" <leverest at fs.fed.us>
To: <env-trinity at velocipede.dcn.davis.ca.us>
Sent: Tuesday, February 01, 2005 7:36 AM
Subject: [env-trinity] Coarse sediment project


> Dear Interested Party
>
> The Shasta-Trinity National Forest is proposing to place about 5,100 cubic
> yards of coarse sediment in a 1,200-foot reach of the Trinity River near
> the Trinity River Fish Hatchery.  Forest Service personnel are preparing
to
> conduct National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) analysis of the proposed
> project within the Trinity River watershed about two miles north of the
> community of Lewiston. The legal location is: Township 33 North, Range 8
> West, Section 8.
>
> YOUR INVOLVEMENT
> The purpose of this letter is to invite you to participate in the NEPA
> analysis by providing your comments about this proposal during what is
> referred to as the public scoping process.  If you have information you
> feel the Forest Service may not be aware of, or feel you have issues
> (points of dispute, debate, or disagreement) regarding potential effects
of
> this proposed action, please send those issues in writing to project
leader
> Loren Everest, Trinity River Management Unit, P.O. Box 1190, Weaverville,
> CA 96093 (530) 623-1754 on or before February 25, 2005.
>
> PROPOSED ACTION
> The Forest Service proposes to place about 5,100 cubic yards of coarse
> sediment in a 1,200-foot reach of the Trinity River near the Trinity River
> Fish Hatchery during the summer of 2005 or 2006. A 20-foot strip of
willows
> and alders will be removed along the west bank of the river to allow for
> additional channel width.
>
> PURPOSE AND NEED FOR ACTION
> The purpose of this project is to improve geomorphic function of the
> Trinity River.  High river releases since 1993 have caused channel
> degradation to a depth of about 2 feet. This project proposes to replace
> lost channel bed material in a manner that maintains or increases the
> quality of fish habitat.  The Bureau of Reclamation, through the Trinity
> River Restoration Program, has contracted with Dr. Greg Pasternack of UC
> Davis to provide designs for the project. The proposed design can be
viewed
> at http://shira.lawr.ucdavis.edu/trinity_design_06.htm.
>
> DECISION TO BE MADE
> The decision to be made is whether to implement the project as proposed,
to
> implement a modified project analyzed under an alternative that addresses
> significant issues and meets the purpose and need statement, or take no
> action at this time.
>
>
> JOYCE ANDERSEN
> District Ranger
> Weaverville Ranger District
>
>
>
>
> _______________________________________________
> env-trinity mailing list
> env-trinity at mailman.dcn.org
> http://www2.dcn.org/mailman/listinfo/env-trinity



From kjwolf at dcn.davis.ca.us  Wed Feb  2 22:17:30 2005
From: kjwolf at dcn.davis.ca.us (Kevin Wolf)
Date: Wed, 2 Feb 2005 22:17:30 -0800
Subject: [env-trinity] Coarse sediment project
In-Reply-To: <002b01c509af$1f71b6c0$a8b93542@samcklsndoc>
References: <OFFE996CF4.C3170CE1-ON88256F9B.00555BB7-88256F9B.0055B398@notes.fs.fed.us
	> <002b01c509af$1f71b6c0$a8b93542@samcklsndoc>
Message-ID: <p06002033be27717dc03e@[192.168.1.102]>

Hi all
I hope the gravel for the Trinity is coming from the Trinity or at 
least one of its tribs.  Carl Mesick, a fishery biologist has strong 
evidence that salmon don't spawn in gravels from another system. 
Carl now works with the USFWS.  He can bring people up to date on the 
literature and studies on the importance of using gravel from the 
same river system.

Kevin

At 8:47 PM -0800 2/2/05, Sid & Arline wrote:
>Dear Loren
>
>Thanks for the info - and that the fifty one truckloads of course sediment
>is coming from the beautiful Trinity River.
>There is a great need to remove some of this material west of Indian Creek,
>this would help the Trinity River and also and the current Trinity River
>Restoration Project, being done at this reach of the river.
>The Trinity doesn't need the possible diseases from the Sacramneto River
>system. It doesn't take that much effort to screen the sediment to size.
>
>Thank you,
>
>Sid Mickelson
>
>----- Original Message -----
>From: "Loren Everest" <leverest at fs.fed.us>
>To: <env-trinity at velocipede.dcn.davis.ca.us>
>Sent: Tuesday, February 01, 2005 7:36 AM
>Subject: [env-trinity] Coarse sediment project
>
>
>>  Dear Interested Party
>>
>>  The Shasta-Trinity National Forest is proposing to place about 5,100 cubic
>>  yards of coarse sediment in a 1,200-foot reach of the Trinity River near
>>  the Trinity River Fish Hatchery.  Forest Service personnel are preparing
>to
>>  conduct National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) analysis of the proposed
>>  project within the Trinity River watershed about two miles north of the
>>  community of Lewiston. The legal location is: Township 33 North, Range 8
>>  West, Section 8.
>>
>>  YOUR INVOLVEMENT
>>  The purpose of this letter is to invite you to participate in the NEPA
>>  analysis by providing your comments about this proposal during what is
>>  referred to as the public scoping process.  If you have information you
>>  feel the Forest Service may not be aware of, or feel you have issues
>>  (points of dispute, debate, or disagreement) regarding potential effects
>of
>>  this proposed action, please send those issues in writing to project
>leader
>>  Loren Everest, Trinity River Management Unit, P.O. Box 1190, Weaverville,
>>  CA 96093 (530) 623-1754 on or before February 25, 2005.
>>
>>  PROPOSED ACTION
>>  The Forest Service proposes to place about 5,100 cubic yards of coarse
>>  sediment in a 1,200-foot reach of the Trinity River near the Trinity River
>>  Fish Hatchery during the summer of 2005 or 2006. A 20-foot strip of
>willows
>>  and alders will be removed along the west bank of the river to allow for
>>  additional channel width.
>>
>>  PURPOSE AND NEED FOR ACTION
>>  The purpose of this project is to improve geomorphic function of the
>>  Trinity River.  High river releases since 1993 have caused channel
>>  degradation to a depth of about 2 feet. This project proposes to replace
>>  lost channel bed material in a manner that maintains or increases the
>>  quality of fish habitat.  The Bureau of Reclamation, through the Trinity
>>  River Restoration Program, has contracted with Dr. Greg Pasternack of UC
>>  Davis to provide designs for the project. The proposed design can be
>viewed
>>  at http://shira.lawr.ucdavis.edu/trinity_design_06.htm.
>>
>>  DECISION TO BE MADE
>>  The decision to be made is whether to implement the project as proposed,
>to
>>  implement a modified project analyzed under an alternative that addresses
>>  significant issues and meets the purpose and need statement, or take no
>>  action at this time.
>>
>>
>>  JOYCE ANDERSEN
>>  District Ranger
>>  Weaverville Ranger District
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>  _______________________________________________
>>  env-trinity mailing list
>>  env-trinity at mailman.dcn.org
>>  http://www2.dcn.org/mailman/listinfo/env-trinity
>
>_______________________________________________
>env-trinity mailing list
>env-trinity at mailman.dcn.org
>http://www2.dcn.org/mailman/listinfo/env-trinity



From bwl3 at comcast.net  Wed Feb  2 23:02:41 2005
From: bwl3 at comcast.net (Byron )
Date: Wed, 2 Feb 2005 23:02:41 -0800
Subject: [env-trinity] Coarse sediment project
In-Reply-To: <p06002033be27717dc03e@[192.168.1.102]>
Message-ID: <20050203070313.364D22001D60@mx.dcn.davis.ca.us>

Gravel used to come from Clear Creek below Redding.  It was contaminated
with mercury, but was washed a couple of times (or whatever) and was said to
be "clean."   Trinity gravel has been used most recently. 

 

It was obvious that it took anadromous fish several years, if then, to spawn
or otherwise to inhabit areas where imported gravel was located within the
river.  That, however, also was in the days when gravel was dumped and no
high flows were available to move it, to spread it and/or to send it
downstream.  The gravel would just sit where it was dumped until flows
ultimately increased and moved it. 

 

The same situation prevailed in constructed "side channels," although only
one of those ultimately was functional from what I've seen.  The side
channel above Bucktail Bridge was interesting - loaded with fish in the
normal channel and none in the constructed side channel.  Most side channels
now are dry, choked closed and/or up to 50 or more feet from the river
channel.  Check out the Sky Ranch "side channel," for example. 

 

Also in those days, gravel was dumped in whatever location was most
convenient for dumping.  That was the only criterion for placement.  There
was no scientific input, to say nothing of "before the action" assessments -
just dump some gravel.  

 

Current gravel introductions are based upon some scientific analysis by
staff and also by science consultants from U. C. Davis, if I recall
correctly.  In addition, we now have the Science Advisory Board in place -
but no independent peer review groups yet.  The SAB presumably will review
results of actions such as gravel introductions.

 

Byron Leydecker

 

-----Original Message-----
From: env-trinity-bounces at velocipede.dcn.davis.ca.us
[mailto:env-trinity-bounces at velocipede.dcn.davis.ca.us] On Behalf Of Kevin
Wolf
Sent: Wednesday, February 02, 2005 10:18 PM
To: Sid & Arline; env-trinity at velocipede.dcn.davis.ca.us; Loren Everest
Cc: Carl Mesick
Subject: Re: [env-trinity] Coarse sediment project

 

Hi all

I hope the gravel for the Trinity is coming from the Trinity or at 

least one of its tribs.  Carl Mesick, a fishery biologist has strong 

evidence that salmon don't spawn in gravels from another system. 

Carl now works with the USFWS.  He can bring people up to date on the 

literature and studies on the importance of using gravel from the 

same river system.

 

Kevin

 

At 8:47 PM -0800 2/2/05, Sid & Arline wrote:

>Dear Loren

> 

>Thanks for the info - and that the fifty one truckloads of course sediment

>is coming from the beautiful Trinity River.

>There is a great need to remove some of this material west of Indian Creek,

>this would help the Trinity River and also and the current Trinity River

>Restoration Project, being done at this reach of the river.

>The Trinity doesn't need the possible diseases from the Sacramneto River

>system. It doesn't take that much effort to screen the sediment to size.

> 

>Thank you,

> 

>Sid Mickelson

> 

>----- Original Message -----

>From: "Loren Everest" <leverest at fs.fed.us>

>To: <env-trinity at velocipede.dcn.davis.ca.us>

>Sent: Tuesday, February 01, 2005 7:36 AM

>Subject: [env-trinity] Coarse sediment project

> 

> 

>>  Dear Interested Party

>> 

>>  The Shasta-Trinity National Forest is proposing to place about 5,100
cubic

>>  yards of coarse sediment in a 1,200-foot reach of the Trinity River near

>>  the Trinity River Fish Hatchery.  Forest Service personnel are preparing

>to

>>  conduct National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) analysis of the
proposed

>>  project within the Trinity River watershed about two miles north of the

>>  community of Lewiston. The legal location is: Township 33 North, Range 8

>>  West, Section 8.

>> 

>>  YOUR INVOLVEMENT

>>  The purpose of this letter is to invite you to participate in the NEPA

>>  analysis by providing your comments about this proposal during what is

>>  referred to as the public scoping process.  If you have information you

>>  feel the Forest Service may not be aware of, or feel you have issues

>>  (points of dispute, debate, or disagreement) regarding potential effects

>of

>>  this proposed action, please send those issues in writing to project

>leader

>>  Loren Everest, Trinity River Management Unit, P.O. Box 1190,
Weaverville,

>>  CA 96093 (530) 623-1754 on or before February 25, 2005.

>> 

>>  PROPOSED ACTION

>>  The Forest Service proposes to place about 5,100 cubic yards of coarse

>>  sediment in a 1,200-foot reach of the Trinity River near the Trinity
River

>>  Fish Hatchery during the summer of 2005 or 2006. A 20-foot strip of

>willows

>>  and alders will be removed along the west bank of the river to allow for

>>  additional channel width.

>> 

>>  PURPOSE AND NEED FOR ACTION

>>  The purpose of this project is to improve geomorphic function of the

>>  Trinity River.  High river releases since 1993 have caused channel

>>  degradation to a depth of about 2 feet. This project proposes to replace

>>  lost channel bed material in a manner that maintains or increases the

>>  quality of fish habitat.  The Bureau of Reclamation, through the Trinity

>>  River Restoration Program, has contracted with Dr. Greg Pasternack of UC

>>  Davis to provide designs for the project. The proposed design can be

>viewed

>>  at http://shira.lawr.ucdavis.edu/trinity_design_06.htm.

>> 

>>  DECISION TO BE MADE

>>  The decision to be made is whether to implement the project as proposed,

>to

>>  implement a modified project analyzed under an alternative that
addresses

>>  significant issues and meets the purpose and need statement, or take no

>>  action at this time.

>> 

>> 

>>  JOYCE ANDERSEN

>>  District Ranger

>>  Weaverville Ranger District

>> 

>> 

>> 

>> 

>>  _______________________________________________

>>  env-trinity mailing list

>>  env-trinity at mailman.dcn.org

>>  http://www2.dcn.org/mailman/listinfo/env-trinity

> 

>_______________________________________________

>env-trinity mailing list

>env-trinity at mailman.dcn.org

>http://www2.dcn.org/mailman/listinfo/env-trinity

 

_______________________________________________

env-trinity mailing list

env-trinity at mailman.dcn.org

http://www2.dcn.org/mailman/listinfo/env-trinity

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From Jay_Glase at nps.gov  Thu Feb  3 08:09:27 2005
From: Jay_Glase at nps.gov (Jay_Glase at nps.gov)
Date: Thu, 3 Feb 2005 11:09:27 -0500
Subject: [env-trinity] Coarse sediment project
Message-ID: <OF4F58D4DE.8E8AF895-ON87256F9D.0054084C-85256F9D.0058A6A6@nps.gov>

Hi everybody - how are things out there these days?  Hope you're all
staying dry, although it's a great time of year to put on a mask and
snorkel and get in the river!

Sorry, but I just have to chime in and clarify a couple of things re the
message below.  I hope that folks have learned that the so called "side
channels" were in large part a construction experiment with varying degrees
of what some might call success and others failure.  We shouldn't have
expected that all those channels would flow year round, just as we wouldn't
expect the floodplain of the river to be flooded year round - and some
people didn't expect that.   Many of the side channels ended up functioning
similar to the way they would in a naturally flowing river - as high flow
channels, during the time when limited habitat is most needed.  Some of
them actually performed well as both spawning and rearing channels, if only
for a short time before reverting back to high flow channels.  But at least
they were once again functioning as high flow channels during moderate
floods.  A lot was learned during the time that Byron is talking about
below.

And there were more than a few projects that had some design and thought
put into them with gravel and cobble actually placed in specific areas to
take advantage of channel meander and expected thalweg flow.  The second
channel upstream of the one Byron mentioned below had spawning adults in it
three to four months after it was constructed.  It also had the highest
population estimate for chinook fry of any side channel we ever monitored.
This was most likely because of the gravel and cobble that was placed
there.  And yes, it was rock from the Trinity basin.  Of course, the river
decided to add another six feet or so of gravel to the channel during the
winter of 1995, so it only had water during high flows after that.  But
with an estimate of somewhere around 13,000 fry produced in that channel
the previous spring, and with moderate flows once again able to flood that
area, I wouldn't call it a complete failure.  It just performed differently
than some folks wanted it to.  Which is pretty much what that river always
does.  It doesn't want to do what you want it to do, so be prepared to be
disappointed with whatever projects you take on, but don't forget to look
for some of the positive things that will undoubtedly be there too and take
the opportunity to learn from that.  And Byron, keep on questioning things
like you do so well to keep people on their toes!
Finally, if anyone is interested in seeing chinook, coho and steelhead
juveniles at the same time and in the same place, put on a mask and snorkel
next spring and swim through the salt flat side channel.  They'll be there
- that is, if that channel is flowing.

cheers,
jay

Jay Glase
Great Lakes Area Fishery Biologist
Isle Royale National Park
800 E. Lakeshore Dr.
Houghton, MI 49931
906/487-9080



|---------+---------------------------------------------->
|         |           "Byron " <bwl3 at comcast.net>        |
|         |           Sent by:                           |
|         |           env-trinity-bounces at velocipede.dcn.|
|         |           davis.ca.us                        |
|         |                                              |
|         |                                              |
|         |           02/02/2005 11:02 PM PST            |
|         |                                              |
|---------+---------------------------------------------->
  >-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
  |                                                                                                                               |
  |       To:       "'Kevin Wolf'" <kjwolf at dcn.davis.ca.us>, "'Sid & Arline'" <samickelson at snowcrest.net>,                        |
  |        <env-trinity at velocipede.dcn.davis.ca.us>, "'Loren Everest'" <leverest at fs.fed.us>                                       |
  |       cc:       "'Carl Mesick'" <cmcfish at innercite.com>, (bcc: Jay Glase/Omaha/NPS)                                           |
  |       Subject:  RE: [env-trinity] Coarse sediment project                                                                     |
  >-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|




Gravel used to come from Clear Creek below Redding.  It was contaminated
with mercury, but was washed a couple of times (or whatever) and was said
to be "clean."   Trinity gravel has been used most recently.

It was obvious that it took anadromous fish several years, if then, to
spawn or otherwise to inhabit areas where imported gravel was located
within the river.  That, however, also was in the days when gravel was
dumped and no high flows were available to move it, to spread it and/or to
send it downstream.  The gravel would just sit where it was dumped until
flows ultimately increased and moved it.

The same situation prevailed in constructed "side channels," although only
one of those ultimately was functional from what I've seen.  The side
channel above Bucktail Bridge was interesting - loaded with fish in the
normal channel and none in the constructed side channel.  Most side
channels now are dry, choked closed and/or up to 50 or more feet from the
river channel.  Check out the Sky Ranch ?side channel,? for example.

Also in those days, gravel was dumped in whatever location was most
convenient for dumping.  That was the only criterion for placement.  There
was no scientific input, to say nothing of "before the action" assessments
- just dump some gravel.

Current gravel introductions are based upon some scientific analysis by
staff and also by science consultants from U. C. Davis, if I recall
correctly.  In addition, we now have the Science Advisory Board in place ?
but no independent peer review groups yet.  The SAB presumably will review
results of actions such as gravel introductions.

Byron Leydecker

-----Original Message-----
From: env-trinity-bounces at velocipede.dcn.davis.ca.us
[mailto:env-trinity-bounces at velocipede.dcn.davis.ca.us] On Behalf Of Kevin
Wolf
Sent: Wednesday, February 02, 2005 10:18 PM
To: Sid & Arline; env-trinity at velocipede.dcn.davis.ca.us; Loren Everest
Cc: Carl Mesick
Subject: Re: [env-trinity] Coarse sediment project

Hi all
I hope the gravel for the Trinity is coming from the Trinity or at
least one of its tribs.  Carl Mesick, a fishery biologist has strong
evidence that salmon don't spawn in gravels from another system.
Carl now works with the USFWS.  He can bring people up to date on the
literature and studies on the importance of using gravel from the
same river system.

Kevin

At 8:47 PM -0800 2/2/05, Sid & Arline wrote:
>Dear Loren
>
>Thanks for the info - and that the fifty one truckloads of course sediment
>is coming from the beautiful Trinity River.
>There is a great need to remove some of this material west of Indian
Creek,
>this would help the Trinity River and also and the current Trinity River
>Restoration Project, being done at this reach of the river.
>The Trinity doesn't need the possible diseases from the Sacramneto River
>system. It doesn't take that much effort to screen the sediment to size.
>
>Thank you,
>
>Sid Mickelson
>
>----- Original Message -----
>From: "Loren Everest" <leverest at fs.fed.us>
>To: <env-trinity at velocipede.dcn.davis.ca.us>
>Sent: Tuesday, February 01, 2005 7:36 AM
>Subject: [env-trinity] Coarse sediment project
>
>
>>  Dear Interested Party
>>
>>  The Shasta-Trinity National Forest is proposing to place about 5,100
cubic
>>  yards of coarse sediment in a 1,200-foot reach of the Trinity River
near
>>  the Trinity River Fish Hatchery.  Forest Service personnel are
preparing
>to
>>  conduct National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) analysis of the
proposed
>>  project within the Trinity River watershed about two miles north of the
>>  community of Lewiston. The legal location is: Township 33 North, Range
8
>>  West, Section 8.
>>
>>  YOUR INVOLVEMENT
>>  The purpose of this letter is to invite you to participate in the NEPA
>>  analysis by providing your comments about this proposal during what is
>>  referred to as the public scoping process.  If you have information you
>>  feel the Forest Service may not be aware of, or feel you have issues
>>  (points of dispute, debate, or disagreement) regarding potential
effects
>of
>>  this proposed action, please send those issues in writing to project
>leader
>>  Loren Everest, Trinity River Management Unit, P.O. Box 1190,
Weaverville,
>>  CA 96093 (530) 623-1754 on or before February 25, 2005.
>>
>>  PROPOSED ACTION
>>  The Forest Service proposes to place about 5,100 cubic yards of coarse
>>  sediment in a 1,200-foot reach of the Trinity River near the Trinity
River
>>  Fish Hatchery during the summer of 2005 or 2006. A 20-foot strip of
>willows
>>  and alders will be removed along the west bank of the river to allow
for
>>  additional channel width.
>>
>>  PURPOSE AND NEED FOR ACTION
>>  The purpose of this project is to improve geomorphic function of the
>>  Trinity River.  High river releases since 1993 have caused channel
>>  degradation to a depth of about 2 feet. This project proposes to
replace
>>  lost channel bed material in a manner that maintains or increases the
>>  quality of fish habitat.  The Bureau of Reclamation, through the
Trinity
>>  River Restoration Program, has contracted with Dr. Greg Pasternack of
UC
>>  Davis to provide designs for the project. The proposed design can be
>viewed
>>  at http://shira.lawr.ucdavis.edu/trinity_design_06.htm.
>>
>>  DECISION TO BE MADE
>>  The decision to be made is whether to implement the project as
proposed,
>to
>>  implement a modified project analyzed under an alternative that
addresses
>>  significant issues and meets the purpose and need statement, or take no
>>  action at this time.
>>
>>
>>  JOYCE ANDERSEN
>>  District Ranger
>>  Weaverville Ranger District
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>  _______________________________________________
>>  env-trinity mailing list
>>  env-trinity at mailman.dcn.org
>>  http://www2.dcn.org/mailman/listinfo/env-trinity
>
>_______________________________________________
>env-trinity mailing list
>env-trinity at mailman.dcn.org
>http://www2.dcn.org/mailman/listinfo/env-trinity

_______________________________________________
env-trinity mailing list
env-trinity at mailman.dcn.org
http://www2.dcn.org/mailman/listinfo/env-trinity
_______________________________________________
env-trinity mailing list
env-trinity at mailman.dcn.org
http://www2.dcn.org/mailman/listinfo/env-trinity




From Jay_Glase at nps.gov  Thu Feb  3 08:19:35 2005
From: Jay_Glase at nps.gov (Jay_Glase at nps.gov)
Date: Thu, 3 Feb 2005 11:19:35 -0500
Subject: [env-trinity] Coarse sediment project
Message-ID: <OF7E3B51AC.AEE9E855-ON87256F9D.00598EA5-85256F9D.00599450@nps.gov>

My apologies if this already posted.
----- Forwarded by Jay Glase/Omaha/NPS on 02/03/2005 11:16 AM -----
|---------+---------------------------->
|         |           Jay Glase        |
|         |                            |
|         |           02/03/2005 11:09 |
|         |           AM EST           |
|         |                            |
|---------+---------------------------->
  >--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
  |                                                                                                                                |
  |       To:      "Byron " <bwl3 at comcast.net>                                                                                     |
  |       cc:      "'Carl Mesick'" <cmcfish at innercite.com>, env-trinity at velocipede.dcn.davis.ca.us,                                |
  |       env-trinity-bounces at velocipede.dcn.davis.ca.us, "'Kevin Wolf'" <kjwolf at dcn.davis.ca.us>, "'Loren Everest'"               |
  |       <leverest at fs.fed.us>, "'Sid & Arline'" <samickelson at snowcrest.net>                                                       |
  |       Subject: RE: [env-trinity] Coarse sediment project(Document link: Jay Glase)                                             |
  >--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|



Hi everybody - how are things out there these days?  Hope you're all
staying dry, although it's a great time of year to put on a mask and
snorkel and get in the river!

Sorry, but I just have to chime in and clarify a couple of things re the
message below.  I hope that folks have learned that the so called "side
channels" were in large part a construction experiment with varying degrees
of what some might call success and others failure.  We shouldn't have
expected that all those channels would flow year round, just as we wouldn't
expect the floodplain of the river to be flooded year round - and some
people didn't expect that.   Many of the side channels ended up functioning
similar to the way they would in a naturally flowing river - as high flow
channels, during the time when limited habitat is most needed.  Some of
them actually performed well as both spawning and rearing channels, if only
for a short time before reverting back to high flow channels.  But at least
they were once again functioning as high flow channels during moderate
floods.  A lot was learned during the time that Byron is talking about
below.

And there were more than a few projects that had some design and thought
put into them with gravel and cobble actually placed in specific areas to
take advantage of channel meander and expected thalweg flow.  The second
channel upstream of the one Byron mentioned below had spawning adults in it
three to four months after it was constructed.  It also had the highest
population estimate for chinook fry of any side channel we ever monitored.
This was most likely because of the gravel and cobble that was placed
there.  And yes, it was rock from the Trinity basin.  Of course, the river
decided to add another six feet or so of gravel to the channel during the
winter of 1995, so it only had water during high flows after that.  But
with an estimate of somewhere around 13,000 fry produced in that channel
the previous spring, and with moderate flows once again able to flood that
area, I wouldn't call it a complete failure.  It just performed differently
than some folks wanted it to.  Which is pretty much what that river always
does.  It doesn't want to do what you want it to do, so be prepared to be
disappointed with whatever projects you take on, but don't forget to look
for some of the positive things that will undoubtedly be there too and take
the opportunity to learn from that.  And Byron, keep on questioning things
like you do so well to keep people on their toes!
Finally, if anyone is interested in seeing chinook, coho and steelhead
juveniles at the same time and in the same place, put on a mask and snorkel
next spring and swim through the salt flat side channel.  They'll be there
- that is, if that channel is flowing.

cheers,
jay

Jay Glase
Great Lakes Area Fishery Biologist
Isle Royale National Park
800 E. Lakeshore Dr.
Houghton, MI 49931
906/487-9080



|---------+---------------------------------------------->
|         |           "Byron " <bwl3 at comcast.net>        |
|         |           Sent by:                           |
|         |           env-trinity-bounces at velocipede.dcn.|
|         |           davis.ca.us                        |
|         |                                              |
|         |                                              |
|         |           02/02/2005 11:02 PM PST            |
|         |                                              |
|---------+---------------------------------------------->
  >-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
  |                                                                                                                               |
  |       To:       "'Kevin Wolf'" <kjwolf at dcn.davis.ca.us>, "'Sid & Arline'" <samickelson at snowcrest.net>,                        |
  |        <env-trinity at velocipede.dcn.davis.ca.us>, "'Loren Everest'" <leverest at fs.fed.us>                                       |
  |       cc:       "'Carl Mesick'" <cmcfish at innercite.com>, (bcc: Jay Glase/Omaha/NPS)                                           |
  |       Subject:  RE: [env-trinity] Coarse sediment project                                                                     |
  >-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|




Gravel used to come from Clear Creek below Redding.  It was contaminated
with mercury, but was washed a couple of times (or whatever) and was said
to be "clean."   Trinity gravel has been used most recently.

It was obvious that it took anadromous fish several years, if then, to
spawn or otherwise to inhabit areas where imported gravel was located
within the river.  That, however, also was in the days when gravel was
dumped and no high flows were available to move it, to spread it and/or to
send it downstream.  The gravel would just sit where it was dumped until
flows ultimately increased and moved it.

The same situation prevailed in constructed "side channels," although only
one of those ultimately was functional from what I've seen.  The side
channel above Bucktail Bridge was interesting - loaded with fish in the
normal channel and none in the constructed side channel.  Most side
channels now are dry, choked closed and/or up to 50 or more feet from the
river channel.  Check out the Sky Ranch ?side channel,? for example.

Also in those days, gravel was dumped in whatever location was most
convenient for dumping.  That was the only criterion for placement.  There
was no scientific input, to say nothing of "before the action" assessments
- just dump some gravel.

Current gravel introductions are based upon some scientific analysis by
staff and also by science consultants from U. C. Davis, if I recall
correctly.  In addition, we now have the Science Advisory Board in place ?
but no independent peer review groups yet.  The SAB presumably will review
results of actions such as gravel introductions.

Byron Leydecker

-----Original Message-----
From: env-trinity-bounces at velocipede.dcn.davis.ca.us
[mailto:env-trinity-bounces at velocipede.dcn.davis.ca.us] On Behalf Of Kevin
Wolf
Sent: Wednesday, February 02, 2005 10:18 PM
To: Sid & Arline; env-trinity at velocipede.dcn.davis.ca.us; Loren Everest
Cc: Carl Mesick
Subject: Re: [env-trinity] Coarse sediment project

Hi all
I hope the gravel for the Trinity is coming from the Trinity or at
least one of its tribs.  Carl Mesick, a fishery biologist has strong
evidence that salmon don't spawn in gravels from another system.
Carl now works with the USFWS.  He can bring people up to date on the
literature and studies on the importance of using gravel from the
same river system.

Kevin

At 8:47 PM -0800 2/2/05, Sid & Arline wrote:
>Dear Loren
>
>Thanks for the info - and that the fifty one truckloads of course sediment
>is coming from the beautiful Trinity River.
>There is a great need to remove some of this material west of Indian
Creek,
>this would help the Trinity River and also and the current Trinity River
>Restoration Project, being done at this reach of the river.
>The Trinity doesn't need the possible diseases from the Sacramneto River
>system. It doesn't take that much effort to screen the sediment to size.
>
>Thank you,
>
>Sid Mickelson
>
>----- Original Message -----
>From: "Loren Everest" <leverest at fs.fed.us>
>To: <env-trinity at velocipede.dcn.davis.ca.us>
>Sent: Tuesday, February 01, 2005 7:36 AM
>Subject: [env-trinity] Coarse sediment project
>
>
>>  Dear Interested Party
>>
>>  The Shasta-Trinity National Forest is proposing to place about 5,100
cubic
>>  yards of coarse sediment in a 1,200-foot reach of the Trinity River
near
>>  the Trinity River Fish Hatchery.  Forest Service personnel are
preparing
>to
>>  conduct National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) analysis of the
proposed
>>  project within the Trinity River watershed about two miles north of the
>>  community of Lewiston. The legal location is: Township 33 North, Range
8
>>  West, Section 8.
>>
>>  YOUR INVOLVEMENT
>>  The purpose of this letter is to invite you to participate in the NEPA
>>  analysis by providing your comments about this proposal during what is
>>  referred to as the public scoping process.  If you have information you
>>  feel the Forest Service may not be aware of, or feel you have issues
>>  (points of dispute, debate, or disagreement) regarding potential
effects
>of
>>  this proposed action, please send those issues in writing to project
>leader
>>  Loren Everest, Trinity River Management Unit, P.O. Box 1190,
Weaverville,
>>  CA 96093 (530) 623-1754 on or before February 25, 2005.
>>
>>  PROPOSED ACTION
>>  The Forest Service proposes to place about 5,100 cubic yards of coarse
>>  sediment in a 1,200-foot reach of the Trinity River near the Trinity
River
>>  Fish Hatchery during the summer of 2005 or 2006. A 20-foot strip of
>willows
>>  and alders will be removed along the west bank of the river to allow
for
>>  additional channel width.
>>
>>  PURPOSE AND NEED FOR ACTION
>>  The purpose of this project is to improve geomorphic function of the
>>  Trinity River.  High river releases since 1993 have caused channel
>>  degradation to a depth of about 2 feet. This project proposes to
replace
>>  lost channel bed material in a manner that maintains or increases the
>>  quality of fish habitat.  The Bureau of Reclamation, through the
Trinity
>>  River Restoration Program, has contracted with Dr. Greg Pasternack of
UC
>>  Davis to provide designs for the project. The proposed design can be
>viewed
>>  at http://shira.lawr.ucdavis.edu/trinity_design_06.htm.
>>
>>  DECISION TO BE MADE
>>  The decision to be made is whether to implement the project as
proposed,
>to
>>  implement a modified project analyzed under an alternative that
addresses
>>  significant issues and meets the purpose and need statement, or take no
>>  action at this time.
>>
>>
>>  JOYCE ANDERSEN
>>  District Ranger
>>  Weaverville Ranger District
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>  _______________________________________________
>>  env-trinity mailing list
>>  env-trinity at mailman.dcn.org
>>  http://www2.dcn.org/mailman/listinfo/env-trinity
>
>_______________________________________________
>env-trinity mailing list
>env-trinity at mailman.dcn.org
>http://www2.dcn.org/mailman/listinfo/env-trinity

_______________________________________________
env-trinity mailing list
env-trinity at mailman.dcn.org
http://www2.dcn.org/mailman/listinfo/env-trinity
_______________________________________________
env-trinity mailing list
env-trinity at mailman.dcn.org
http://www2.dcn.org/mailman/listinfo/env-trinity





From bwl3 at comcast.net  Thu Feb  3 15:09:39 2005
From: bwl3 at comcast.net (Byron )
Date: Thu, 3 Feb 2005 15:09:39 -0800
Subject: [env-trinity] (no subject)
Message-ID: <20050203231452.6F1EA20026F8@mx.dcn.davis.ca.us>

GROWTH ISSUES / FRESNO COUNTY

Comment: Valley rush now on for liquid gold 

Fresno Bee - 2/3/05

By Bill McEwen, staff columnist 

I've always been fascinated by water. On family trips as a kid, I was on the
lookout for river and creeks, and few things were better than traveling on a
road alongside a mighty river like the Columbia or the Rhine. 

Now when I see the San Joaquin River or even a creek tumbling stone to stone
in the Sierra, I see something else: liquid gold.

Whoever came up with "follow the money" as the key to understanding politics
and business got it half right. In the San Joaquin Valley, you have to
follow the water, too. 

And if you follow the water, you'll run smack into a fight that makes the
Royal Rumble look like a friendly game of tag. What used to be a battle
between farmers and environmentalists has been joined by developers hoping
to cash in on the Valley's building boom.

Today's reality is that politicians, government planners and civic watchdogs
can try to direct growth, but water trumps everything else. A developer with
water is king. And while he might have to raise the rent to mitigate
concerns about air pollution, traffic congestion and the ability of local
governments to pay for police and fire services, he's going to build.

Another reality is that farmers with San Joaquin River water rights are
hoping to take water now designated for growing crops and use it to build
upscale housing tracts along the river.

As Fresno County Supervisor Phil Larson says, "If you dig deep enough into a
farmer, you'll find a developer."

Events of this week illustrate how important water has become as people
flock to a desert turned agricultural empire by the construction of an
amazing network of dams, pumps and canals.

On Tuesday, proponents of a 161-lot subdivision in Millerton New Town tabled
their request for approval from the Fresno County Board of Supervisors.

The reason for the delay?

A Los Angeles Times investigation revealed that water the developers planned
to use for the project was restricted to farm use. That sent Ben Ewell, who
has worked on Millerton New Town for more than 20 years, scrambling to
obtain permits needed to divert the water to development.

The same day, the Board of Supervisors approved a 91-home gated subdivision
on the other side of the ridge at Auberry and Millerton roads. The 3-2 vote
reflected the political maelstrom created by a clash of developer interests,
water scarcity and concerns about the public costs of growth.

Homes in the tract will be on 2-acre lots, and the developers -- a company
controlled by Granville Homes -- have agreed to set aside 75 acres of open
space to be managed by the Sierra Foothill Conservancy. The board also
approved a requirement that homeowners pay $350 a year for extra sheriff's
patrols.

Even though the subdivision will bring more people, traffic and air
pollution to the foothills, it got a green light because it has water --
three big wells that passed county testing.

Supervisor Henry Perea voted for the project but then called for a
moratorium on development until plans for the area from Friant to Shaver
Lake are reviewed and updated.

A moratorium makes sense, but it has little chance.

Water, now more than ever, is king.

Say a prayer for anyone that stands in its way.

 

 

Byron Leydecker

Chair, Friends of Trinity River

Consultant, California Trout, Inc.

PO Box 2327

Mill Valley, CA 94942-2327

415 383 4810 ph

415 519 4810 ce

415 383 9562 fx

bwl3 at comcast.net

 <mailto:bleydecker at stanfordalumni.org> bleydecker at stanfordalumni.org
(secondary)

http://www.fotr.org

http://www.caltrout.org

 

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From BGUTERMUTH at mp.usbr.gov  Thu Feb  3 15:24:51 2005
From: BGUTERMUTH at mp.usbr.gov (Brandt Gutermuth)
Date: Thu, 03 Feb 2005 15:24:51 -0800
Subject: [env-trinity] Coarse sediment project
Message-ID: <s2024252.006@ibr2mprogw.mp.usbr.gov>

Hello Kevin- 

I assisted in getting 2,000 yd3 of coarse sediment placed into the
Trinity during the Trinity River Restoration Program's September 2003
gravel introduction.  At that time we required the use of Trinity basin
coarse sediment only within our construction specifications.  The
gravels that we placed were very clean and locally derived but they were
substantially more expensive than coarse sediment that could have been
trucked over from the Central Valley.  Obviously there are limited
suppliers here.

Could you please pass contact information to us on the list serve for
Carl Mesick - concerning use of spawning materials from other systems? 
If you have any references (websites or literature citations) that
address this subject, we would like to see these, as well.

Thanks for your help.
Brandt  



___________________________________
Brandt Gutermuth, Environmental Specialist
Trinity River Restoration Program
PO Box 1300 (mailing) 
1313 Main Street (physical address)
Weaverville, CA  96093
(530) 623-1806 voice; (530) 623-5944 fax
Bgutermuth at mp.usbr.gov
___________________________________

>>> Kevin Wolf <kjwolf at dcn.davis.ca.us> 2/2/2005 10:17:30 PM >>>
Hi all
I hope the gravel for the Trinity is coming from the Trinity or at 
least one of its tribs.  Carl Mesick, a fishery biologist has strong 
evidence that salmon don't spawn in gravels from another system. 
Carl now works with the USFWS.  He can bring people up to date on the 
literature and studies on the importance of using gravel from the 
same river system.

Kevin

At 8:47 PM -0800 2/2/05, Sid & Arline wrote:
>Dear Loren
>
>Thanks for the info - and that the fifty one truckloads of course
sediment
>is coming from the beautiful Trinity River.
>There is a great need to remove some of this material west of Indian
Creek,
>this would help the Trinity River and also and the current Trinity
River
>Restoration Project, being done at this reach of the river.
>The Trinity doesn't need the possible diseases from the Sacramneto
River
>system. It doesn't take that much effort to screen the sediment to
size.
>
>Thank you,
>
>Sid Mickelson
>
>----- Original Message -----
>From: "Loren Everest" <leverest at fs.fed.us>
>To: <env-trinity at velocipede.dcn.davis.ca.us>
>Sent: Tuesday, February 01, 2005 7:36 AM
>Subject: [env-trinity] Coarse sediment project
>
>
>>  Dear Interested Party
>>
>>  The Shasta-Trinity National Forest is proposing to place about
5,100 cubic
>>  yards of coarse sediment in a 1,200-foot reach of the Trinity River
near
>>  the Trinity River Fish Hatchery.  Forest Service personnel are
preparing
>to
>>  conduct National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) analysis of the
proposed
>>  project within the Trinity River watershed about two miles north of
the
>>  community of Lewiston. The legal location is: Township 33 North,
Range 8
>>  West, Section 8.
>>
>>  YOUR INVOLVEMENT
>>  The purpose of this letter is to invite you to participate in the
NEPA
>>  analysis by providing your comments about this proposal during what
is
>>  referred to as the public scoping process.  If you have information
you
>>  feel the Forest Service may not be aware of, or feel you have
issues
>>  (points of dispute, debate, or disagreement) regarding potential
effects
>of
>>  this proposed action, please send those issues in writing to
project
>leader
>>  Loren Everest, Trinity River Management Unit, P.O. Box 1190,
Weaverville,
>>  CA 96093 (530) 623-1754 on or before February 25, 2005.
>>
>>  PROPOSED ACTION
>>  The Forest Service proposes to place about 5,100 cubic yards of
coarse
>>  sediment in a 1,200-foot reach of the Trinity River near the
Trinity River
>>  Fish Hatchery during the summer of 2005 or 2006. A 20-foot strip
of
>willows
>>  and alders will be removed along the west bank of the river to
allow for
>>  additional channel width.
>>
>>  PURPOSE AND NEED FOR ACTION
>>  The purpose of this project is to improve geomorphic function of
the
>>  Trinity River.  High river releases since 1993 have caused channel
>>  degradation to a depth of about 2 feet. This project proposes to
replace
>>  lost channel bed material in a manner that maintains or increases
the
>>  quality of fish habitat.  The Bureau of Reclamation, through the
Trinity
>>  River Restoration Program, has contracted with Dr. Greg Pasternack
of UC
>>  Davis to provide designs for the project. The proposed design can
be
>viewed
>>  at http://shira.lawr.ucdavis.edu/trinity_design_06.htm.
>>
>>  DECISION TO BE MADE
>>  The decision to be made is whether to implement the project as
proposed,
>to
>>  implement a modified project analyzed under an alternative that
addresses
>>  significant issues and meets the purpose and need statement, or
take no
>>  action at this time.
>>
>>
>>  JOYCE ANDERSEN
>>  District Ranger
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From tstokely at trinityalps.net  Sat Feb  5 13:18:02 2005
From: tstokely at trinityalps.net (Tom Stokely)
Date: Sat, 5 Feb 2005 13:18:02 -0800
Subject: [env-trinity] Water Supplies- Bad News on the Klamath,
	Good News on the Trinity
Message-ID: <029901c50bc8$2dd0f1c0$806c3940@trinitycounty.org>

From:

California Water News

A daily compilation for DWR personnel of significant news articles and comment

February 4, 2005

Top Item - Water Outlooks

Klamath region grows more desperate; Paltry snowfall may lead to conflicts over water - San Diego Union-Tribune

North state water outlook optimistic; Deep snowpack expected to bring higher allotments - Redding Record Searchlight


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------


Klamath region grows more desperate
Paltry snowfall may lead to conflicts over water
San Diego Union-Tribune - 2/4/05
By Michael Gardner, staff writer, Copley News Service
SACRAMENTO - California's record-setting storms bypassed the thirsty Klamath River Basin, threatening to incite another farmer rebellion over water deliveries and imperiling a vital salmon fishery and bald eagle habitat. 

While February and March still hold the possibility of a reprieve, the immediate outlook is grim for the region, which straddles the California-Oregon border from Tule Lake to Klamath Falls. 


The snowpack is slightly less than half the normal amount, an unsettling contrast to the ample snowfall that buried much of California after Christmas. More than three weeks have passed since the last significant snow fell in the basin, and that was just an inch. 

"If this is all we get, we're all in big trouble," said Bob Gasser, a businessman active in the water uprising four years ago. 

Many say the stressed Klamath River is relied on for too much. Its 190-mile run to the Pacific is tapped by hundreds of farmers, American Indians, commercial fishermen and recreational anglers. Upper Klamath Lake was once brimming with suckerfish, the river full of salmon and the skies crowded with waterfowl, but the basin wildlife has been seriously depleted because of the water shortage. 

"The real problem is the feds and states have promised more water than what's available," said Steve Pedery, a wildlife advocate with the Oregon Natural Resources Council. "There's not enough to go around." 

Officials say one long, heavy snowfall could erase fears of a repeat of 2001, when the federal Bureau of Reclamation was forced to temporarily turn off irrigation water to farmers to protect a fishery that helps sustain tribes in the basin. 

"We don't want to go there again," said Jeff McCracken, a spokesman for the Bureau of Reclamation. 

That's when defiant farmers used chain saws to force open taps that had been closed by a federal court order. Tribes protested the loss of salmon and suckerfish. To meet tribal demands, the government sacrificed water meant for wildlife refuges, driving away waterfowl. 

More recently, tribal leaders and environmentalists have argued that Bush administration policies favor farmers by drawing down the Klamath River, which they say has led to scores of salmon deaths. 

The Klamath water quarrels have continued to fester, even in the wake of the creation of a pilot program that paid farmers $2.3 million last year to idle land or pump groundwater. The move saved 80,000 acre-feet for fish and wildlife. 


Under a federal decree, the Bureau of Reclamation must increase that water bank program to 100,000 acre-feet this year. Officials say sufficient growers have signed up, lured by promises of between $62 to $156 for every acre-foot they relinquish by fallowing land or pumping groundwater. 

The water bank has drawn some protest. Environmentalists are opposed to tax dollars being spent annually to keep farmers from harming fish and wildlife instead of the government permanently buying the rights to the water. Tribes fear that an explosion of groundwater pumping could dry up springs that feed streams flowing into Upper Klamath Lake. 

The Bush administration plans to announce in mid-April how it will divide the pool of water available in the basin. The decision will be guided by environmental law, tribal rights and a dose of political philosophy that sides with farmers over fish. 

"I'm optimistic they will deal with a fair hand," said Allen Foreman, chairman of the 3,500-member Klamath Tribes. 

The tribes, which consider the Klamath fishery sacred, receive priority thanks to earlier federal water rights and the Endangered Species Act. 

Farmers would usually receive 400,000 acre-feet in a normal year for their cattle pastures, potatoes, hay, spearmint and horseradish crops. An acre-foot is about 326,000 gallons, enough for the household needs of two families of four for a year. 

Wildlife refuges are last in line for water under the federal allocation system. In the best of times, only 75,000 acre-feet go to those marshes - a summertime mecca for egrets, herons and grebes. The largest concentration of wintering bald eagles in the lower 48 states can be found at the Tule Lake National Wildlife Refuge. 

"We've got some real challenges," said McCracken, the bureau spokesman. "We don't know how much of the resource is going to be available." 

The uncertainty is feeding apprehension across the basin. 

"If we don't get any snow, there's always the possibility of things erupting," warned Zeke Grader, who represents commercial fishermen. 

Farmers remain frustrated, wondering why they might be forced to sacrifice even more after selling 25 percent of their entitlement to create the water bank for fish. 

"The mood is very guarded," said Tracey Liskey, who runs cattle and farms hay on a spread just inside the Oregon border. 

Liskey said he is confident the pro-agricultural policies of the Bush administration will prevail if there are cutbacks. Nevertheless, there might be only so much water available if the dry spell persists, he said. 

"It then becomes a question of how do I keep my cows? Where do I get my pasture? How do I survive until the next year?" Liskey said. 

Foreman, the tribal chairman, said times have changed since 2001. "Certainly there's more cooperation and understanding," he said. 

But he knows the tug of war will be magnified if the snow doesn't come. 

"There's a potential for water shutoffs," Foreman said. 

Gasser, the businessman, agreed. "There could be a wreck coming" unless Mother Nature saves the day, he said. 

The immediate forecast is not promising - it calls for continued dry and warmer-than-usual weather. With the mercury approaching 50 degrees on some days, early snowmelt is also becoming a concern. 

"It's not looking good at this point for getting all the water they need for the competing needs," said Jolyne Lea, a federal hydrologist in Portland, Ore. "They have a big demand on a river system that isn't doing too well so far." 

Nevertheless, she cautioned that winter is far from over. 

"People should not panic yet," Lea said. "We still have February and March - and even April yet to go." #

http://www.signonsandiego.com/uniontrib/20050204/news_1n4klamath.html



Water outlook optimistic
Deep snowpack expected to bring higher allotments
Redding Record Searchlight - 2/4/05
By Alex Breitler, staff writer
All this sunshine is deceiving. 

It's still winter, and the mountains surrounding Redding have a generous snowpack to prove it. 


Surveys in seven regional watersheds over the past week show a snowpack up to 142 percent of normal for this time of year. Just one, the Pit River basin, was below average, at 84 percent. 

Overall, the figures are good news for the state's sought-after water supply. 

But managers need look no further than last year for a reminder not to get too excited. 

At this time in 2004, the numbers were even better than they are now. The Trinity River basin, for example, already boasted as much snow as it would normally have at the beginning of April. And the Sacramento River basin was 133 percent of average, compared with 129 percent this year. Then the rain and snow stopped. By April the snowpack had dwindled to near normal. 

Crews recently completed early snow surveys of river basins throughout California, including: 

Sacramento River basin (129 percent of normal) 
Trinity River basin (130 percent of normal) 
McCloud River basin (137 percent of normal) 
Pit River basin (84 percent of normal) 
Shasta River basin (142 percent of normal) 
Scott River basin (113 percent of normal) 
Feather River basin (128 percent of normal) 

A repeat isn't likely, said Dave Hart of the state's Department of Water Resources in Sacramento. 

"To turn around and do it again for the second year in a row, with all the snow we have, would really be against the odds," Hart said Thursday. 

Officials are optimistic that there will be more water to go around this summer for farms, cities and wildlife. 

In the north state, peaks over 6,000 feet are buried in anywhere from 70 to 110 inches of snow. The north state's most prominent snow-capped feature, Mt. Shasta, has been loaded down with 264 inches of powder so far this season - about 22 feet. 

In some areas, strong winds have scoured away that snow, leaving only rock and ice and creating huge drifts elsewhere. 

On the lower flanks of Lassen Peak, 116 inches of snow have been recorded, according to snow survey data. 

Surveys typically take place once a month from December or January through April. Crews from the U.S. Forest Service or other agencies trek into remote basins on snowshoes or catch a ride on a helicopter if weather allows. 

Farmers pay close attention to the results. 

"The numbers we're seeing right now are excellent," said Mike Wade, executive director of the California Farm Water Coalition. 

Normal or above normal precipitation for the rest of the season will yield a better than average water year - something California "sorely needs," he said. 

Still, he continued to call for increased water storage in California through projects such as the raising of Shasta Dam. 

"There are unmet needs every year," Wade said Thursday. 

In an unusual twist, Southern California peaks are blanketed with more snow than the ranges of the north. The southern Sierra Nevada, for example, is at 200 percent of normal; the northern Sierra is 143 percent of normal; and the state as a whole sits at 163 percent. 

With nearly 23 inches of rain in the valley, Redding's precipitation is about 128 percent of normal. And Lake Shasta is rising more each day after reaching its lowest levels in a decade last fall. 

The only gloomy outlook is for the upper Klamath Basin in southern Oregon, where the snowpack is 42 percent of average and total precipitation just 71 percent. Officials there already have asked the governor for a drought declaration, fearing there won't be enough water to nourish crops and protect endangered species. 

Farmers in the Sacramento Valley likely won't have that problem. The Bureau of Reclamation already has predicted full deliveries for those farms this summer. 

Depending on the weather, of course. 

"As far advanced as meteorology is, we still can't predict the future," Hart said.# 

http://www.redding.com/redd/news/article/0,2232,REDD_17523_3522895,00.html



###
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From danielbacher at hotmail.com  Sat Feb  5 13:17:21 2005
From: danielbacher at hotmail.com (Daniel Bacher)
Date: Sat, 05 Feb 2005 13:17:21 -0800
Subject: [env-trinity] Big Steelhead Runs Return to Trinity River Hatchery
In-Reply-To: <6.1.2.0.2.20050205101155.0241ebb8@postoffice.pacbell.net>
Message-ID: <BAY16-F33EC71C7808513B04C7BF3DB710@phx.gbl>

Big Steelhead Runs Return to Trinity River Hatchery

by Dan Bacher

The Trinity River Fish Hatchery received its largest return ever of 
steelhead in 2003-2004 ? and this is shaping up to be another good season, 
though not as spectacular as last year.
The hatchery took in an amazing 10,283 fish last winter. This is 
dramatically higher than the previous high run, 6,941 fish in 1964-65.
?We?ve seen 4,486 fish this season and are still expecting more to arrive in 
the coming weeks,? said Laird Marshall, hatchery manager. ?This is five 
times our normal run. The run was also very good in 2002-2003, when we took 
in 6,193 fish, our third largest run ever.?
Possible reasons for the high numbers of returning steelhead include 
favorable ocean water and forage conditions and in river rearing conditions. 
Although 2001 was a dry year, the river in 2002, 2003, and 2004 saw flows 
nearing those mandated under the Trinity River Record of Decision (ROD) for 
wet or normal years, according to Mike Orcutt, fisheries director of the 
Hoopa Valley Tribe.
This is great news for a river that has seen steelhead counts as low as 13 
fish (1976-77), caused by low flows resulting from the export of up to 90 
percent of the river?s water to the Westlands Water District and other 
agricultural and hydroelectric water users since Trinity Dam was completed 
in 1963.
The future of wild and hatchery fish on the Trinity River looks even better, 
due to a long legal battle that culminated in victory for the tribe, 
recreational anglers, commercial fishermen and environmental groups in 
January. The Westlands Water District and Northern California Power Agency 
(NCPA) on January 20 told U.S. District Judge Oliver Wanger that neither 
party would appeal last July?s 9th Circuit Court of Appeals ruling in favor 
of the Hoopa Valley Tribe to keep the Trinity River Record of Decision in 
place.
The Decision by Secretary of Interior Bruce Babbitt in December 2000 gives 
47 percent of Trinity water to fish and the other 53 percent to agricultural 
and hydroelectric users.  The ROD provides a variable flow regime based on 
hydrological conditions, ranging from 369,000 acre feet of water in a 
critically dry year to 815,000 acre feet in an extremely wet year, said 
Orcutt.
?We will see the benefits of the decision to the steelhead and salmon 
fishery in another 3 years,? forecasted Steve Huber, fishing guide, whom 
Allen Bonslett, Fish Sniffer publisher, and I fished with for steelhead on 
Monday, January 31. ?Although some landowners are concerned about the higher 
flows, this is fantastic for the fish.?
Huber has been experiencing good steelhead fishing this season on most 
trips.  On a drift boat trip I made with Huber and his father in October 
2003, we found top-notch fishing for both salmon and steelhead. We landed 3 
steelhead to 8 pounds and two salmon to 20 pounds.
?We?ve had a consistent plug bite for steelhead this season,? said Huber 
when Allen and I got in the boat at the put-in. ?We caught and released a 12 
pound wild steelhead and two browns to 2 pounds on Saturday.?
We fished the stretch from the Bucktail Access to Steel Bridge. However, we 
never hooked a fish while using a variety of plugs. Nor did we see any fly 
or spin fishermen on the river hook fish, either.
After a series of trips that yielded 2 to 6 fish per day for Huber and 
clients, the action had definitely dropped off dramatically. The water was 
cold and crystal clear ? and another storm was needed on this upper stretch 
of river to perk up the action.
?We had three hook-ups and didn?t land any on the day after we fished and we 
landed one down runner the following day,? Huber stated several days later.
Besides the hatchery fish, large numbers of wild steelhead have returned to 
the Trinity and its tributaries to spawn in the past few years. This year, 
Huber estimates that his fish have been 50 percent hatchery and 50 percent 
wild. ?The fish come in batches,? he noted. ?One day you?ll get hatchery 
fish and next day all wild steelhead.?
Because of the clear water of the upper stretch we fished, Huber believes 
that the best time to fish the river for steelhead is two days after a storm 
when the water is still colored. Although steelhead can be taken in the 
Trinity all year round, he finds October through the beginning of March the 
top time to fish them.
His favorite plugs for back trolling are Hot Shots and Little Wiggle Warts 
in black and sliver, copper and gold and orange. The fish on the Trinity 
average 3 to 5 pounds, but larger 7 to 12 pound adults and even bigger fish 
are taken.
Although a few half pounders ? fish that summer at sea and then go back 
upriver ? are found in the Lewiston area ? the greatest concentration of 
these fish is found in the lower river from Del Loma to the junction with 
the Klamath.
The section of the river that we fished also has a good number of brown 
trout. Although these Loch Leven-strain browns will occasionally go to sea, 
most of the fish are believed to be resident fish.
While we drifted, we saw a construction crew on a bridge below the Bucktail 
Access working on the bridge to accommodate higher flows. Four bridges must 
be constructed and one bridge modified before summer so that the higher 
flows required for restoration can be released.
In addition to the steelhead, the Trinity features good spring and fall runs 
of chinook salmon and fall runs of coho salmon. The bag limits and in river 
quotas are different ever year, depending upon fishery population estimates 
by the Pacific Fishery Management Council.
The fish hatchery received good runs of spring and fall chinooks last 
season, with 6563 fish in the spring and 13,389 fish in the fall. However, 
this coming fall, biologists fear the impact of the huge fish kill on the 
Klamath River in September 2002, when over 68,000 adult fish perished 
because of mismanagement of the water by the Bush administration that 
favored subsidized farmers in the Klamath Basin over fish. The majority of 
these fish were destined for the Trinity River.
The bright spot in the picture is the good numbers of jacks that returned to 
the Trinity and other Klamath tributaries this fall. Fishery managers use 
jack counts as a key indicator in developing run estimates for the following 
season.
Hatchery coho numbers continue to be very good, with 10,098 fish returning 
last fall. Even though these are hatchery fish, anglers cannot take these 
?threatened? fish under state and federal fishing regulations.
Steve Huber of Steve Huber's Drift Boat Guide Service can be contacted at 
(707) 449-0258 or 1 (866) 531-FISH (3474). For fishing information and 
guided trips, you can also call Jamie Munro, Trinity River Guide Service at 
Bigfoot Campground, (530) 623-6088; Tim King of King's Guide Service, (530) 
623-3438; and Trinity Fly Shop, (530) 623-6757. For lodging and camping, 
call the Trinity County Chamber of Commerce, (800) 487-4648.




From tstokely at trinityalps.net  Mon Feb  7 09:59:26 2005
From: tstokely at trinityalps.net (Tom Stokely)
Date: Mon, 7 Feb 2005 09:59:26 -0800
Subject: [env-trinity] OPINION Jim McCarthy -End the electricity rate
	subsidy in the Klamath Basin 
Message-ID: <00ed01c50d3e$c5411f40$ab6c3940@trinitycounty.org>

http://www.oregonlive.com/printer/printer.ssf?/base/editorial/1107522358244970.xml 
IN MY OPINION Jim McCarthy 
Friday, February 04, 2005 

End the electricity rate subsidy in the Klamath Basin 

This September, the Oregon Public Utility Commission will decide whether irrigators in 
the Klamath Basin will see the first increase in their electricity bills since 1917. Much 
has changed since then, but while pumping rates for other Oregon farmers have risen 
to about 5.5 cents a kilowatt-hour, Klamath irrigators have continued to enjoy rates 
between 0.3 cents and 0.7 cents per kilowatt-hour -- prices their 
great-great-grandfathers would have envied. 

This exclusive subsidy costs an estimated $10 million annually and comes directly out 
of Oregonians' pockets. When PacifiCorp customers pay their bills each month, they also 
pick up part of the tab for Klamath irrigation. Ironically, farmers along the Rogue and 
Deschutes pay more to ensure that Klamath irrigators pay next to nothing. 

To be sure, the subsidy isn't just for irrigators: Some of the area's wealthiest residents 
are in on the deal. Families in Pendleton pay higher electricity bills so an elite Klamath 
Falls country club with $3,000 membership fees and $2,500 in annual dues can enjoy 
perhaps the lowest golf course watering costs in America. 

The sweetheart deal is a relic of the Klamath Irrigation Project, a Bureau of 
Reclamation mega-development in Oregon's high desert. The subsidy began with a 
World War I-era agreement by PacifiCorp's predecessor to provide cheap electricity to a 
handful of farmers in exchange for operational control of a federal dam built to drain 
water from Upper Klamath Lake. 

Over the years, the Klamath Project burgeoned into a massive complex of canals and 
pumping stations sprawling across 220,000 acres. The power subsidy, intended as a 
temporary spur to development, ballooned into a multimillion-dollar burden for 
Oregon ratepayers that discriminated against other farmers. Though the sweetheart 
deal was originally set to expire in 1967, the political muscle of Klamath agribusiness 
interests won an extension, plus expansion of the irrigation subsidy throughout 
Klamath County. 

This subsidy lies at the root of the Klamath Basin's thorniest problem: the conflict over 
water. Certainly, some irrigators have worked to reduce water consumption. But for 
most, when water from area lakes and streams is free and electricity for pumping costs 
almost nothing, there is no incentive to conserve either resource. 

Water demand has grown far beyond what the system can support. Irrigation 
withdrawals have crippled the river, and low flows regularly spark salmon kills. This 
year, fishermen expect a closure of their Klamath-dependent salmon fishery from Coos 
Bay to Fort Bragg, a consequence of a devastating adult fish kill in 2002 that claimed 
some 70,000 salmon. Since 2001, heavy demand has also drained the wetlands of the 
Klamath Basin's national wildlife refuges during peak waterfowl migrations, leaving 
both birds and hunters high and dry. 

But relief is in sight for Oregon's ratepayers and the communities dependent on a 
healthy Klamath: The subsidy may soon expire. PacifiCorp has signaled it will cease 
operating the federal dam on Upper Klamath Lake and has moved to normalize 
Klamath power rates. Klamath agribusiness interests are again fighting against the 
change. 

The PUC should refuse demands to continue this discriminatory subsidy. Instead of 
asking others to subsidize water use and the accompanying economic and 
environmental damage, Klamath irrigators should support a federally funded golden 
parachute for subsidy-dependent farmland owners who wish to sell, and should reserve 
water saved in the process to support struggling fish and wildlife. 

Then all of the Klamath Basin's communities can equitably share the water they need 
to prosper. 

Jim McCarthy is a policy analyst with the Oregon Natural Resources Council in 
Ashland. 

Copyright 2005 Oregon Live. All Rights Reserved. 
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From tstokely at trinityalps.net  Tue Feb  8 07:02:25 2005
From: tstokely at trinityalps.net (Tom Stokely)
Date: Tue, 8 Feb 2005 07:02:25 -0800
Subject: [env-trinity] TAMWG Meeting March 1
Message-ID: <004801c50def$33ea38e0$1c6b3940@trinitycounty.org>

If anybody wants to hear my "Brief History of the Trinity River" presentation, I'll be on the agenda.

See you there!

Tom Stokely
Principal Planner
Trinity County Planning/Natural Resources
530-628-5949

*****************************************

Date: Tue, 1 Feb 2005 17:27:32 -0800
Subject: Federal Register - Trinity River Restoration

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Fish and Wildlife Service

Notice of Meeting of the Trinity Adaptive Management Working
Group

AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service, Interior.
ACTION: Notice of meeting.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: Pursuant to section 10(a)(2) of the Federal Advisory Committee
Act (5 U.S.C. App. I), this notice announces a meeting of the Trinity
Adaptive Management Working Group (TAMWG). The TAMWG affords
stakeholders the opportunity to give policy, management, and technical
input concerning Trinity River restoration efforts to the Trinity
Management Council. Primary objectives of the meeting will include:
Introduce new members; historical overview; program orientation; how to
make TAMWG more effective; TAMWG organization, operations, and
effectiveness; and election of officers. The agenda items are
approximate and are dependent on the amount of time each item takes.
The meeting could end early if the agenda has been completed. The
meeting is open to the public.

DATES: The Trinity Adaptive Management Working Group will meet from 9
a.m. to 5 p.m. on Tuesday, March 1, 2005.

ADDRESSES: The meeting will be held at the Veteran's Memorial Hall, 101
Memorial Lane, Weaverville, CA 96001. Telephone: (530) 623-3975.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mike Long of the U.S. Fish and
Wildlife Service, Arcata Fish and Wildlife Office, 1655 Heindon Road,
Arcata, California 95521, (707) 822-7201. Mike Long is the committee's
Designated Federal Official.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: For background information and questions
regarding the Trinity River Restoration Program, please contact Douglas
Schleusner, Executive Director, Trinity River Restoration Program, P.O.
Box 1300, 1313 South Main Street, Weaverville, California 96093, (530)
623-1800.

    Dated: January 20, 2005.
Paul Hanson,
Acting Manager, California/Nevada Operations Office , Sacramento, CA.
[FR Doc. 05-1792 Filed 1-31-05; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-55-P

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
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From danielbacher at hotmail.com  Wed Feb  9 22:04:46 2005
From: danielbacher at hotmail.com (Daniel Bacher)
Date: Wed, 09 Feb 2005 22:04:46 -0800
Subject: [env-trinity] Films/Panel Discussion at Crest 3/4 on Campaign
	Opposing Shasta Dam Plans 
Message-ID: <BAY16-F30F138A7E32010626F30B2DB760@phx.gbl>

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From bwl3 at comcast.net  Thu Feb 10 15:17:10 2005
From: bwl3 at comcast.net (Byron )
Date: Thu, 10 Feb 2005 15:17:10 -0800
Subject: [env-trinity] Los Angeles Times February 10, 2005
Message-ID: <20050210231720.1BF7C20017BD@mx.dcn.davis.ca.us>

 

 


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February 10, 2005

 
<http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-na-scientists10feb10,0,39
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THE NATION

U.S. Scientists Say They Are Told to Alter Findings

*  More than 200 Fish and Wildlife researchers cite cases where conclusions
were reversed to weaken protections and favor business, a survey finds.

 


 


 

 

 

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By Julie Cart, Times Staff Writer

 

More than 200 scientists employed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service say
they have been directed to alter official findings to lessen protections for
plants and animals, a survey released Wednesday says.

The survey of the agency's scientific staff of 1,400 had a 30% response rate
and was conducted jointly by the Union of Concerned Scientists and Public
Employees for Environmental Responsibility.




 

 

 


 

 

 

 

 


 

 

 


 


 

 

 

 

 

A division of the Department of the Interior, the Fish and Wildlife Service
is charged with determining which animals and plants should be placed on the
endangered species list and designating areas where such species need to be
protected. 

More than half of the biologists and other researchers who responded to the
survey said they knew of cases in which commercial interests, including
timber, grazing, development and energy companies, had applied political
pressure to reverse scientific conclusions deemed harmful to their business.

Bush administration officials, including Craig Manson, an assistant
secretary of the Interior who oversees the Fish and Wildlife Service, have
been critical of the 1973 Endangered Species Act, contending that its
implementation has imposed hardships on developers and others while failing
to restore healthy populations of wildlife.

Along with Republican leaders in Congress, the administration is pushing to
revamp the act. The president's proposed budget calls for a $3-million
reduction in funding of Fish and Wildlife's endangered species programs.

"The pressure to alter scientific reports for political reasons has become
pervasive at Fish and Wildlife offices around the country," said Lexi Shultz
of the Union of Concerned Scientists.

Mitch Snow, a spokesman for the Fish and Wildlife Service, said the agency
had no comment on the survey, except to say "some of the basic premises just
aren't so."

The two groups that circulated the survey also made available memos from
Fish and Wildlife officials that instructed employees not to respond to the
survey, even if they did so on their own time. Snow said that agency
employees could not use work time to respond to outside surveys.

Fish and Wildlife scientists in 90 national offices were asked 42 questions
and given space to respond in essay form in the mail-in survey sent in
November. 

One scientist working in the Pacific region, which includes California,
wrote: "I have been through the reversal of two listing decisions due to
political pressure. Science was ignored - and worse, manipulated, to build a
bogus rationale for reversal of these listing decisions."

More than 20% of survey responders reported they had been "directed to
inappropriately exclude or alter technical information."

However, 69% said they had never been given such a directive. And, although
more than half of the respondents said they had been ordered to alter
findings to lessen protection of species, nearly 40% said they had never
been required to do so. 

Sally Stefferud, a biologist who retired in 2002 after 20 years with the
agency, said Wednesday she was not surprised by the survey results, saying
she had been ordered to change a finding on a biological opinion.

"Political pressures influence the outcome of almost all the cases," she
said. "As a scientist, I would probably say you really can't trust the
science coming out of the agency." 

A biologist in Alaska wrote in response to the survey: "It is one thing for
the department to dismiss our recommendations, it is quite another to be
forced (under veiled threat of removal) to say something that is counter to
our best professional judgment."

Don Lindburg, head of the office of giant panda conservation at the
Zoological Society of San Diego, said it was unrealistic to expect federal
scientists to be exempt from politics or pressure.

"I've not stood in the shoes of any of those scientists," he said. "But it
is not difficult for me to believe that there are pressures from those who
are not happy with conservation objectives, and here I am referring to
development interest and others.

"But when it comes to altering data, that is a serious matter. I am really
sorry to hear that scientists working for the service feel they have to do
that. Changing facts to fit the politics - that is a very unhealthy thing.
If I were a scientist in that position I would just refuse to do it." 

The Union of Concerned Scientists and the public employee group provided
copies of the survey and excerpts from essay-style responses. 

One biologist based in California, who responded to the survey, said in an
interview with The Times that the Fish and Wildlife Service was not
interested in adding any species to the endangered species list.

"For biologists who do endangered species analysis, my experience is that
the majority of them are ordered to reverse their conclusions [if they favor
listing]. There are other biologists who will do it if you won't," said the
biologist, who spoke on condition of anonymity. 

 

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From bwl3 at comcast.net  Fri Feb 11 12:40:14 2005
From: bwl3 at comcast.net (Byron )
Date: Fri, 11 Feb 2005 12:40:14 -0800
Subject: [env-trinity] San Jose Mercury News February 11
Message-ID: <20050211204526.B547A2000464@mx.dcn.davis.ca.us>

STATE FISH AND GAME

Fish and Game commissioner withdrawn

San Jose Mercury News - 2/11/05

By Paul Rogers, staff writer

In a move that could tip California's powerful state Fish and Game
Commission more toward environmentalists' interests, Gov. Arnold
Schwarzenegger withdrew his nomination Thursday of commission member Marilyn
Hendrickson.

Schwarzenegger appointed Hendrickson, 66, a Vacaville Republican and
co-owner of Sep's Pro Fishing, a tackle supply business, in March. But she
had not been confirmed by the Senate.

She drew opposition from environmentalists during the past year for votes
opposing endangered protections for coho salmon, the tri-colored blackbird
and the tiger salamander. She voted no last week on a proposal to ban lead
bullets.

Senate Democrats, led by Oakland's Don Perata, refused to hold confirmation
hearings for her.

``This just shows you what environmentalists can do when they are running
rampant,'' said her husband, Joe ``Sep'' Hendrickson.

Environmentalists celebrated. ``Her record was consistently against
conservation,'' said Ann Notthoff, a lobbyist for the Natural Resources
Defense Council.

 

 

Byron Leydecker, 

Chair, Friends of Trinity River

Consultant, Californiua Trout, Inc.

PO Box 2327

Mill Valley, CA 94942-2327

415 383 4810 ph

415 383 9562 fx

415 519 4810 ce

bwl3 at comcast.net

bleydecker at stanfordalumni.org (secondary)

http://www.fotr.org

http://caltrout.org

 

 

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From bwl3 at comcast.net  Mon Feb 14 10:53:35 2005
From: bwl3 at comcast.net (Byron )
Date: Mon, 14 Feb 2005 10:53:35 -0800
Subject: [env-trinity] Klamath Falls Herald & News
Message-ID: <20050214185343.5D9BF20017B8@mx.dcn.davis.ca.us>

KLAMATH BASIN

Wet fall, dry winter ... wet spring? 

Klamath Falls Ore. Herald & News - 2/11/05

By Dylan Darling, staff writer

What's been a dry winter could make way for a wet spring if history holds
true, Oregon's state climatologist George Taylor says.

"Historically, dry winters preceded by a wet fall are very likely to be
followed by a wet spring," he said Thursday. 

It was wet last fall in the Klamath Basin.

October, the first month of the water year, saw 2.15 inches of precipitation
at the Kingsley Field weather station. The average for the month is .77 of
an inch. 

"There are always a lot of variables in rainfall for specific spots
throughout the region," said Taylor, who works at Oregon State University,
"but in general, August, September and October were wetter than average
throughout Oregon."

The winter has been dry, though. There was snow at the end of December and
the beginning of January. But save for scattered snow and bursts of rain,
that's been about it. 

The dry times and warm days have been typical throughout Oregon.
Southeastern Oregon has fared relatively better than the rest of the state,
Taylor said.

Statewide the snowpack is at 32 percent of average for this time of year. In
Klamath County it is at 53 percent. 

Even though the state's skimpy snowpack is worrisome, Taylor said, it isn't
necessarily ruinous. Snow typically keeps piling up in the mountains until
April 1.

"We still have time for it to build," Taylor said. "We certainly are not
going to make up our current deficit. But a wet spring accomplishes much the
same thing because it's coming closer to demand." 

Timing is the key, Taylor said. To make up for the light snowpack, Oregon
needs to receive the water just prior to demand, which rises in spring when
agricultural water use leaps.

A wet spring could help out the groundwater situation and fill up low
reservoirs, Taylor said. 

"It doesn't solve all the problems, but it certainly improves the
situation," he said.

With the urging of the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation, the Klamath County Board
of Commissioners has asked the governor to declare a drought year in Klamath
County. 

As a member of the Oregon Drought Council, Taylor is one of the people
involved with that decision. The council meets Feb. 22 to discuss water
supplies and possible drought declarations. Comprised of state and federal
representatives, the council will assess the issues and then advise Gov. Ted
Kulongoski.

 

 

Byron Leydecker, 

Chair, Friends of Trinity River

Consultant, Californiua Trout, Inc.

PO Box 2327

Mill Valley, CA 94942-2327

415 383 4810 ph

415 383 9562 fx

415 519 4810 ce

bwl3 at comcast.net

bleydecker at stanfordalumni.org (secondary)

http://www.fotr.org

http://caltrout.org

 

 

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From tstokely at trinityalps.net  Mon Feb 14 14:49:32 2005
From: tstokely at trinityalps.net (Tom Stokely)
Date: Mon, 14 Feb 2005 14:49:32 -0800
Subject: [env-trinity] Farm Subsidies and Chesbro Water Bond
Message-ID: <017401c512e7$73386bf0$1c6c3940@trinitycounty.org>

FEDERAL POLICY
Editorial: A welcome drought
Riverside Press-Democrat - 2/13/05
California agriculture can weather a drought in federal farm subsidies, and with a federal budget deficit nearing one-half trillion dollars, the nation needs to quit squandering money. 

President Bush wants to trim $587 million in farm subsidies nationally. The cut may sound large, but it's chicken feed given the absurd sum the government spends on farm subsidies: $16.4 billion in 2003, the latest figure available. 

But the cuts worry California rice and cotton farmers, who collect most of the state's federal farm subsidies. Those farmers harvested $562 million of the $758 million in total agriculture subsidies California received in 2003, according to the Environmental Working Group's database of farm payments. 

Yet these farms' operations accounted for just $1.1 billion of the state's $29.3 billion agricultural output that year. Most of the state's other farmers don't get federal crop payments, and thrive economically. 

It's never made much sense to grow rice -- a water-intensive crop -- in arid California, where water is a precious commodity. The president's plan might lead some farmers to switch crops, thus making more efficient use of the state's water supplies. Such a move would help nourish California, as well as U.S. taxpayers. #

http://www.pe.com/localnews/opinion/editorials/stories/PE_OpEd_Opinion_op_13_ed_subsidies3.58a1a.html



RELATED
Editorial: Subsidy program needs alterations 
Chico Enterprise-Record - 2/13/05
President Bush caused a stir this week, both locally and nationwide, by announcing his intention to cut farm subsidies. 

The political fallout has been fascinating. Red-state farmers are howling at the president and environmental groups are in what may be a first praising Bush. Or as close as they can come. The group Environmental Defense, for example, called Bush's proposal for farm subsidy reform "a small step in the right direction." 

Even the new federal agriculture secretary, Mike Johanns, a former governor of ag-rich Nebraska, says the cuts in farm subsidies are necessary. 

Among the targets are rice farmers, which is why Bush's proposal raised concerns in the north valley. 

After four years of Democrat-like spending, Bush finally realizes his spending habits didn't match his billing as a fiscal conservative. He proposed spending cuts in many programs and departments, including agriculture. We salute the president for trying to cut spending, and for daring to challenge his political base. 

Congress will now massage the proposal, and may eliminate it altogether. The lobbying has already begun. 

There are some aspects we like about Bush's proposal, and at least one major issue that concerns us. 

On the encouraging side, the subsidy program needs reform and Bush's proposal seems more fair. The Bush administration said the cuts would save $5.7 billion over the next decade. Large corporate farms get the most benefit from subsidies. According to the administration, the top 8 percent of subsidy recipients received 78 percent of total subsidies in 2003. We're all for helping small family farms. Any reform should find ways to make that happen. 

The proposal also would reduce the annual limit on payments to farmers from $360,000 to $250,000, and would eliminate loopholes that allow some growers to claim several times the limit. 

A 5 percent across-the-board cut would have wide repercussions in this area. According to the Farm Services Agency, Butte County growers received $31.6 million in subsidies in 2004 and Glenn County farmers received $29.9 million. 

And that's part of the big problem we see. A 5 percent cut would mean $3 million less in income in the two counties. The rice market is already in the tank, and a cut in government subsidies may give more rice farmers the easy out that many are taking selling water to Southern California or selling land to developers. 

The worse the economic climate for farmers, the more likely they are to become ex-farmers. We walk a delicate balance, trying to keep farming healthy without spending too much in government assistance. When farmers' land is worth more as a subdivision than a rice field, and when the water is worth more if it's sold than if it's used to grow crops, then the entire north state is in danger. 

Farming is critical to our area's economy and environment. The challenge is to encourage farming without too much dependence on the government. We wish the president luck.# 

http://www.chicoer.com/Stories/0,1413,135~25090~2709247,00.html



STATE BOND PROPOSALS
Chesbro proposes $3B bond for improving California parks 
Eureka Times-Standard - 2/12/05
SACRAMENTO -- Concerned about the restoration of North Coast rivers and protection of California's coastline, Sen. Wesley Chesbro, D-Arcata, Friday introduced a $3 billion act aimed at protecting a wide range of state and local park programs. 

Chesbro said the California Clean Water, Clean Air, Safe Neighborhood Parks, and Coastal Protection Act of 2006 (SB 153) "will provide California an opportunity to finish the Coastal trail, continue our work restoring salmon and steelhead habitat, and protecting the North Coast." 

He added: "The economic strength of coastal California is tied to environmental protection. The dramatic landscapes and recreational fishing opportunities draw visitors from throughout the world helping to make tourism one of our top industries. We need to continue our investments in California's natural assets." 

Included in the measure is more than $1 billion for forest protection, open space, coastal access and river restorations. 

In addition, the bond also allocates $700 million for new state parks and maintenance at existing parks, over $1 billion for local cities and counties for recreational programs, athletic fields and parks, $200 million for historic preservation, and a final $100 million for California senior center facilities. 

"It is time for the state to become a partner with local governments to assist preserving the state's historic treasures," Chesbro added. "Without our actions, thousands of treasures, public buildings and architectural gems will be lost to neglect." 

The new bond measure is a follow-up to Propositions 40 and 50, which Chesbro also authored. Those measures are beginning to run out of funding. Additional bonds will need to be approved by the voters if programs such as salmon restoration are to continue to be funded. 

Chesbro has organized a bipartisan coalition of state legislators who are supporting the Park Bond Act, including Assemblywoman Patty Berg of Eureka, Assemblywoman Noreen Evans of Santa Rosa and Assemblyman Joe Nation of San Rafael. 

SB 153 has to be in print for 30 days before it is heard by the Senate Natural Resources Committee. #

http://www.times-standard.com/Stories/0,1413,127~2896~2707876,00.html#




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From tstokely at trinityalps.net  Wed Feb 16 07:32:47 2005
From: tstokely at trinityalps.net (Tom Stokely)
Date: Wed, 16 Feb 2005 07:32:47 -0800
Subject: [env-trinity] Times-Standard- Trinity advocates watch Central
	Valley contracts 
Message-ID: <007f01c5143c$c54d7bf0$8f6b3940@trinitycounty.org>

Eureka Times-Standard 
http://www.times-standard.com/cda/article/print/0,1674,127%257E2896%257E2714403,00.html 
Trinity advocates watch Central Valley contracts 
By John Driscoll The Times-Standard 

Wednesday, February 16, 2005 - 

Northern California interests are lining up to protest the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation's 
plans to forge long-term water contracts with irrigators in the Central Valley -- pacts 
Trinity River advocates believe threaten the river's source of cold water. 

Humboldt and Trinity counties, fishing and environmental groups and the U.S. 
Environmental Protection Agency are among those who have lodged complaints about 
the environmental documents drafted for the 25-year contracts for the Central Valley 
Project. Specifically, the groups focused on contracts for the San Luis Unit, which 
include eight water contractors in the Western San Joaquin Valley. 

Essentially, the groups say that the document doesn't explore just how Reclamation 
will supply promised water to the unit while cutting exports from the Trinity River, as 
cleared in a case won by the Hoopa Valley Tribe in the U.S. 9th Circuit Court of 
Appeals. 

One longtime expert, Trinity County Senior Planner Tom Stokely, believes the water 
in part will have to be pulled out of Trinity Reservoir. If the lake were drawn down 
further than typical in the fall, more water from winter rains and snow could be 
stored before spilling over Lewiston Dam, he said. That could allow more water to be 
exported to the Sacramento River, from where water is sent to Central Valley 
irrigators. 

"It's the only way they can send more water to these districts," Stokely said. 

It could also deplete the cold water available in the fall for salmon in the Trinity and 
the Klamath River, which it flows into. 

Among the districts whose contract is up in 2007 is Westlands Water District, the 
nemesis of the Hoopa Valley Tribe during the five-year legal battle and 30-year war 
over the river's water. Westlands in January conceded its case to the tribe, clearing 
the way for higher flows and fish restoration efforts on the river. 

In recent years, the state and federal water pact called CalFed has provided Westlands 
with between 55 percent and 70 percent of its contracted deliveries. The 2000 federal 
decision to restore the river -- cleared through the circuit court -- calls for a reduction 
in that amount, to 50 percent. 

But a Dec. 23, 2004, letter to Congressman George Miller from Reclamation 
Commissioner John Keyes III suggests that the agency intends to deliver the full 
amount to its contractors by 2025. In Westlands' case, it's difficult to know where that 
water would come from. The district is the primary beneficiary of Trinity water as 
laid out in the 1955 legislation that authorized the Trinity project. 

Bureau spokesman Jeff McCracken said a number of studies are underway that look at 
increasing the yield of the Central Valley Project, a vast array of reservoirs and 
canals. The assumption that 100 percent of the water could be delivered is from 
projections that new or improved storage will come on line, McCracken said, and that 
increased yields can be gained from the system's reservoirs. 

"To meet all our environmental needs we use water from our reservoirs," McCracken 
said, "and in order to meet all our contractual needs we would use all of our reservoirs." 

But in allocations for 2005 released Tuesday, Reclamation is allowing for 65 percent of 
water deliveries for agriculture south of the Sacramento River Delta, including the 
San Joaquin Valley. 

Stokely can't see how that figure can be reached, since the Trinity restoration plan 
calls for a reduction in water exports to 50 percent. The water would have to come 
from storage -- including Trinity Lake, he said -- since none of the bureau's long-term 
projects have been realized. 

Nearly half of Westlands requires drainage service that it doesn't have, and some 
districts in the area are waterlogged and contaminated with boron and salt. Providing 
for drainage could cost billions. 

The draft document for the San Luis Unit doesn't look at a range of alternatives 
including not renewing the contracts; doesn't address reducing water deliveries to 
waterlogged lands; or consider how contaminated runoff will be drained from those 
areas, Humboldt County's letter to Reclamation reads. 

The EPA called the document "inadequate" since it doesn't deal with the 
environmental impacts of full water deliveries or those deliveries' effects on drainage. 

A slate of environmental groups like Friends of the Trinity River and California Trout 
ask that the draft document be tossed out. It never addresses the benefits of retiring 
land in the Central Valley, or deals with the toxic drainage issue, the groups wrote. 

It also only casually references the bureau's trust responsibilities to the Hoopa Valley 
and Yurok Tribes. 

In its comments, the Hoopa Tribe claims Reclamation is looking at the contract 
renewals in a vacuum, without considering the needs of the Trinity. Reclamation 
must consider reductions in water exports as a possibility, the tribe wrote. 

 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 

  (In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107, this material is distributed 
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From tstokely at trinityalps.net  Wed Feb 16 07:50:54 2005
From: tstokely at trinityalps.net (Tom Stokely)
Date: Wed, 16 Feb 2005 07:50:54 -0800
Subject: [env-trinity] Subsidy cuts face hard fight in Congress
Message-ID: <013001c5143f$557ae620$8f6b3940@trinitycounty.org>

http://www.sacbee.com/content/business/story/12367222p-13223441c.html
 

      
     
             
           
     
     
Move to pare ag support opposed
Subsidy cuts face hard fight in Congress
By Michael Doyle -- Washington Bureau
Published 2:15 am PST Wednesday, February 16, 2005
      Get weekday updates of Sacramento Bee headlines and breaking news. Sign up here. 

WASHINGTON - Legislation planted Tuesday will give the Bush administration a chance to show it's serious about cutting farm subsidies. 
Backed by rural reform and taxpayer advocacy groups, lawmakers introduced what may be a long-shot bid to limit the subsidies provided cotton, rice, wheat and corn growers. If successful, the bill could take a bite out of some big California farms. 

"Farm payments that were originally designed to benefit small-and medium-sized family farmers have contributed to their demise," said Iowa Republican Sen. Chuck Grassley, chairman of the powerful Senate Finance Committee. "Unlimited farm payments are driving many family farmers off the farm." 

The so-called Rural Preservation Act would impose a tough new cap of $250,000 on the subsidies that any one farm could receive. The current putative limit is $360,000. However, farms can obtain more by subdividing into various partnerships, and some forms of payments are exempt from the limits altogether. 

Federal farm payments in California, for instance, include the $1.5 million paid in 2003 to the Los Banos-based SJR Farming, according to a database maintained by the Environmental Working Group. Likewise, the compiled Agriculture Department records show Los Banos-based Wolfsen Land and Cattle Co. received $1.2 million and the Visalia-based C.J. Ritchie Farms received $1 million in 2003. 

Representatives of the three farms could not be reached or declined to comment Tuesday. 

All told, California farms received $672 million in federal commodity subsidies in 2003. Some 210 California farms received more than $360,000 in 2003, the Environmental Working Group database shows, and 428 received more than $250,000. Most grew rice in the Sacramento Valley or cotton in the San Joaquin Valley. 

"I think that cutting agricultural subsidies is OK with me, as I prefer a market-based program," said Fresno County rancher John Harris. "I haven't analyzed specific ideas, but most of the crops we raise are not involved in the subsidy crop sector." 

But by and large, the subsidy limit proposal draws scorn from politically influential farm organizations and their Capitol Hill allies. 

"It negatively impacts farms in California," said Tulare Republican Rep. Devin Nunes, a member of the House Agriculture Committee. 

"What people don't talk about is that a lot of these are small farmers who sell their cotton and who make up their losses through the federal payments." 

Nunes further dismissed the idea as a "cheap trick" that will almost certainly die in Congress, given the steadfast opposition of major farm groups. 

The new legislation would limit to $100,000 the amount of direct payments and counter-cyclical payments a single farmer could receive. 

These are two forms of subsidies, the latter tied to downturns in market prices. The bill also would impose a $150,000 cap on loan deficiency payments and marketing loan gains, which are two other forms of federal support that critics say are currently provided without effective limits. 

The Bush administration last week proposed similar subsidy changes as part of the fiscal 2006 budget proposal. That subsidy proposal, though, came without any of the fanfare or political buildup that usually accompanies the White House's top priorities. It is not yet clear how hard the administration will fight to overcome farmer resistance. 

"The president's budget gives us a lot more impetus," Grassley said, while adding that he would take whatever level of support Bush might choose to offer. 

Bush himself has mentioned the farm subsidy cut once since his budget was released, in a brief reference as part of a speech to Detroit businesspeople. 

In 2002, 66 senators - including California Democrats Dianne Feinstein and Barbara Boxer - voted in favor of subsidy limits similar to those being proposed. Feinstein and Boxer later reversed their positions, though, and the congressional negotiators dropped the proposal. 

"I don't think it will go anywhere," Nunes said. 

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From bwl3 at comcast.net  Wed Feb 16 08:58:46 2005
From: bwl3 at comcast.net (Byron )
Date: Wed, 16 Feb 2005 08:58:46 -0800
Subject: [env-trinity] Litigation to Halt Bureau's Operating Criteria and
	Plan
Message-ID: <20050216165856.DDB7920009AC@mx.dcn.davis.ca.us>

SAN FRANCISCO 
Lawsuit challenges plan to increase pumping from delta

 <mailto:begelko at sfchronicle.com> Bob Egelko, Chronicle Staff Writer

Wednesday, February 16, 2005

 


*
<http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/c/a/2005/02/16/BAGDLBBHO61.DTL&
type=printable> Printable Version 

*                                 Email
<http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/c/a/2005/02/16/BAGDLBBHO61.DTL&
type=friend&emailcolor=%23832003&origin=http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/articl
e.cgi%3Ffile%3D%2Fc%2Fa%2F2005%2F02%2F16%2FBAGDLBBHO61.DTL>  This Article 


 

Environmental groups sued the Bush administration Tuesday over a plan to
increase water shipments from the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta to Central
Valley farmers, saying it would harm the delta and threaten the delta smelt
with extinction. 

The suit, filed in U.S. District Court in San Francisco, challenges an
opinion issued in July by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service that said
planned changes in federal and state water project operations posed no risk
to the smelt, listed as a threatened species since 1993. 

The opinion, the suit said, failed to take into account plans by the U.S.
Bureau of Reclamation to sign new 25-year contracts with growers in the San
Joaquin and Sacramento valleys, starting as soon as this month, that would
greatly increase pumping out of the delta. It also said the population of
the delta smelt, a finger-size fish considered an indicator of the health of
the delta system, is at its lowest level in 35 years. 

The Fish and Wildlife Service opinion is "based on political expedience
rather than sound science'' and relies on speculation that unproven measures
will be taken to protect the delta, said the suit, which seeks to invalidate
the opinion and effectively block the new water contracts. 

"From delta smelt to Chinook salmon, fish in the delta and the Central
Valley are in serious trouble, and the federal and state governments are
making the problem worse,'' said Hal Candee, a lawyer with the Natural
Resources Defense Council. 

The other plaintiffs are California Trout, Baykeeper, Friends of the River
and the Bay Institute. 

Al Donner, spokesman for the Fish and Wildlife Service in Sacramento, said
the federal agency considered the effect of increased pumping from the delta
in its evaluation last July. 

"We think that the biological opinion is an adequate assessment of the
impacts and it sets a reasonable and prudent standard for protecting the
delta smelt,'' Donner said. 

The suit is the latest of several related disputes over Bush administration
water policy in California. Environmentalists have accused the
administration of trying to help farmers strip the delta smelt of its
Endangered Species Act protection and criticized the administration for
refusing to appeal a ruling that required the government to pay growers $26
million for water that was held back to protect the smelt and the Chinook
salmon in the early 1990s. 

Tuesday's suit involved the impact of new operating plans for the federal
Central Valley Project and the State Water Project, which control water
storage and north-south shipments. The suit alleged that the Bureau of
Reclamation, which operates the Central Valley Project, pressured the Fish
and Wildlife Service to issue a hasty opinion that would clear the way for
renewed long-term contracts providing increased volumes of subsidized water
to major farmers. 

"This was done to push through a multitude of ill-conceived water contracts
in an arbitrary rush to appease agricultural users,'' said Laura Robb, an
Earthjustice attorney representing the environmental groups. 

http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/c/a/2005/02/16/BAGDLBBHO61.DTL 

 

 

Byron Leydecker, 

Chair, Friends of Trinity River

Consultant, Californiua Trout, Inc.

PO Box 2327

Mill Valley, CA 94942-2327

415 383 4810 ph

415 383 9562 fx

415 519 4810 ce

bwl3 at comcast.net

bleydecker at stanfordalumni.org (secondary)

http://www.fotr.org

http://caltrout.org

 

 

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From bwl3 at comcast.net  Wed Feb 16 09:07:15 2005
From: bwl3 at comcast.net (Byron )
Date: Wed, 16 Feb 2005 09:07:15 -0800
Subject: [env-trinity] Modesto Bee - Read in Conjunction with SF Chron
	Article on Litigation
Message-ID: <20050216170727.0F37920009AC@mx.dcn.davis.ca.us>


Delta smelt meltdown indicates other problems


 


 


 


 


 


 



 
<http://ads.nandomedia.com/RealMedia/ads/click_lx.ads/www.modbee.com/opinion
/story/1588356283/Button20/Modbee/LomasRealtySuperBox/superbox(1).gif/343361
61643762333432313337633930> 

 
<mailto:metro at modbee.com?subject=Delta%20smelt%20meltdown%20indicates%20othe
r%20problems> 
Last Updated: February 14, 2005, 04:05:23 AM PST

The government has been tracking fish populations in the Sacramento-San
Joaquin Delta for 38 years, and never have the findings been as bleak and
disturbing as they are now. 

The population of the delta smelt, a particularly sensitive fish because of
its one-year life cycle, is at historic lows. Striped bass, shad and other
species aren't far behind. If these new population surveys are confirmed by
ones now under way, it will take some deft management by state and federal
agencies to avoid the kind of full-blown water crisis that plagued the delta
more than a decade ago. 

The dinky and unlovable smelt don't elicit the same emotional attachment or
interest as the runs of majestic salmon or silvery stripers that pulse in
and out of the delta. But the smelt serve as the proverbial canaries in a
coal mine. 

Smelt must reproduce or perish every single year. Due to their legal status
under state and federal laws as a threatened species, this little fish has a
big impact on the management of the delta. 

And anything that affects the management of the delta has effects felt
'round the state. The delta is the water supply for two-thirds of the
state's population and also is one of the hemisphere's most important (and
altered) estuaries. 

Unusually wet or dry years can trigger big drops in fish populations. But
the past few years have been just about average. So what's happening now - a
widespread multispecies die-off with no historic explanation - is new and
worrisome. 

Who or what is the culprit? 

There are many suspects, from an increasing number of non-native predators
to invasive plants to changes in pesticides finding their way into the
delta. None can be ruled out, and neither can the massive state and federal
pumps that carry millions of gallons of water south. 

In such a dynamic system, several reasons are more likely than just one.
Until more is known, the correct political response is to use extreme
caution. 

Metropolitan Water District and other water exporters have been aggressively
pushing officials to increase the rate of delta pumping, particularly in the
summer. A more flexible pumping regime may prove helpful, even though that
might not produce more water for exporters. 

But the delta is as complex and fragile as it is important. If new and
better science and changing environmental conditions are to guide water
policies, this is a time to pause and figure out what is really happening,
not a time to add any new stresses to it.

http://www.modbee.com/opinion/story/9954863p-10796080c.html 

 

Byron Leydecker, 

Chair, Friends of Trinity River

Consultant, Californiua Trout, Inc.

PO Box 2327

Mill Valley, CA 94942-2327

415 383 4810 ph

415 383 9562 fx

415 519 4810 ce

bwl3 at comcast.net

bleydecker at stanfordalumni.org (secondary)

http://www.fotr.org

http://caltrout.org

 

 

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From bwl3 at comcast.net  Wed Feb 16 09:24:48 2005
From: bwl3 at comcast.net (Byron )
Date: Wed, 16 Feb 2005 09:24:48 -0800
Subject: [env-trinity] Eureka Times Standard - Also Related to Litigation
	Filed Yesterday.
Message-ID: <20050216172458.1FCD820009B6@mx.dcn.davis.ca.us>

Trinity advocates watch Central Valley contracts 

By John Driscoll The Times-Standard 

Northern California interests are lining up to protest the U.S. Bureau of
Reclamation's plans to forge long-term water contracts with irrigators in
the Central Valley -- pacts Trinity River advocates believe threaten the
river's source of cold water. 

Humboldt and Trinity counties, fishing and environmental groups and the U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency are among those who have lodged complaints
about the environmental documents drafted for the 25-year contracts for the
Central Valley Project. Specifically, the groups focused on contracts for
the San Luis Unit, which include eight water contractors in the Western San
Joaquin Valley. 

Essentially, the groups say that the document doesn't explore just how
Reclamation will supply promised water to the unit while cutting exports
from the Trinity River, as cleared in a case won by the Hoopa Valley Tribe
in the U.S. 9th Circuit Court One longtime expert, Trinity County Senior
Planner Tom Stokely, believes the water in part will have to be pulled out
of Trinity Reservoir. If the lake were drawn down further than typical in
the fall, more water from winter rains and snow could be stored before
spilling over Lewiston Dam, he said. That could allow more water to be
exported to the Sacramento River, from where water is sent to Central Valley
irrigators. 

"It's the only way they can send more water to these districts," Stokely
said. 

It could also deplete the cold water available in the fall for salmon in the
Trinity and the Klamath River, which it flows into. 

Among the districts whose contract is up in 2007 is Westlands Water
District, the nemesis of the Hoopa Valley Tribe during the five-year legal
battle and 30-year war over the river's water. Westlands in January conceded
its case to the tribe, clearing the way for higher flows and fish
restoration efforts on the river. 

In recent years, the state and federal water pact called CalFed has provided
Westlands with between 55 percent and 70 percent of its contracted
deliveries. The 2000 federal decision to restore the river -- cleared
through the circuit court -- calls for a reduction in that amount, to 50
percent. 

But a Dec. 23, 2004, letter to Congressman George Miller from Reclamation
Commissioner John Keyes III suggests that the agency intends to deliver the
full amount to its contractors by 2025. In Westlands' case, it's difficult
to know where that water would come from. The district is the primary
beneficiary of Trinity water as laid out in the 1955 legislation that
authorized the Trinity project. 

Bureau spokesman Jeff McCracken said a number of studies are underway that
look at increasing the yield of the Central Valley Project, a vast array of
reservoirs and canals. The assumption that 100 percent of the water could be
delivered is from projections that new or improved storage will come on
line, McCracken said, and that increased yields can be gained from the
system's reservoirs. 

"To meet all our environmental needs we use water from our reservoirs,"
McCracken said, "and in order to meet all our contractual needs we would use
all of our reservoirs." 

But in allocations for 2005 released Tuesday, Reclamation is allowing for 65
percent of water deliveries for agriculture south of the Sacramento River
Delta, including the San Joaquin Valley. 

Stokely can't see how that figure can be reached, since the Trinity
restoration plan calls for a reduction in water exports to 50 percent. The
water would have to come from storage -- including Trinity Lake, he said --
since none of the bureau's long-term projects have been realized. 

Nearly half of Westlands requires drainage service that it doesn't have, and
some districts in the area are waterlogged and contaminated with boron and
salt. Providing for drainage could cost billions. 

The draft document for the San Luis Unit doesn't look at a range of
alternatives including not renewing the contracts; doesn't address reducing
water deliveries to waterlogged lands; or consider how contaminated runoff
will be drained from those areas, Humboldt County's letter to Reclamation
reads. 

The EPA called the document "inadequate" since it doesn't deal with the
environmental impacts of full water deliveries or those deliveries' effects
on drainage. 

A slate of environmental groups like Friends of the Trinity River and
California Trout ask that the draft document be tossed out. It never
addresses the benefits of retiring land in the Central Valley, or deals with
the toxic drainage issue, the groups wrote. 

It also only casually references the bureau's trust responsibilities to the
Hoopa Valley and Yurok Tribes. 

In its comments, the Hoopa Tribe claims Reclamation is looking at the
contract renewals in a vacuum, without considering the needs of the Trinity.
Reclamation must consider reductions in water exports as a possibility, the
tribe wrote. 

 

 

Byron Leydecker, 

Chair, Friends of Trinity River

Consultant, Californiua Trout, Inc.

PO Box 2327

Mill Valley, CA 94942-2327

415 383 4810 ph

415 383 9562 fx

415 519 4810 ce

bwl3 at comcast.net

bleydecker at stanfordalumni.org (secondary)

http://www.fotr.org

http://caltrout.org

 

 

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From bwl3 at comcast.net  Wed Feb 16 10:30:32 2005
From: bwl3 at comcast.net (Byron )
Date: Wed, 16 Feb 2005 10:30:32 -0800
Subject: [env-trinity] Modesto Bee on Litigation
Message-ID: <20050216183042.4686020026E7@mx.dcn.davis.ca.us>

Delta diversion killing off tiny fish, suit claims

By Dana Nichols
Stockton Record Staff Writer
Published Wednesday, February 16, 2005 

The giant pumps that send Delta water to Southern California are killing off
a tiny, translucent-blue fish that lives here, and federal wildlife
officials are letting it happen, according to a lawsuit filed Tuesday by
environmental groups. 

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service last year said increasing the amount of
water sent south from the pumps near Tracy would not hurt the Delta smelt. 

But the lawsuit filed Tuesday in U.S. District Court in Sacramento notes
that smelt populations continue to hover at their lowest levels in nearly
four decades. The lawsuit seeks to have the Fish and Wildlife Service ruling
-- and therefore the water exports it allowed -- overturned. 

Bill Jennings of DeltaKeeper, one of the plaintiffs in the lawsuit, blamed
pressure by Southern California water interests for influencing the Fish and
Wildlife Service. 

"In the Delta, political science has resulted in the lowest levels of Delta
smelt in 38 years of record," Jennings said. He noted that many other
species of fish, including striped bass and threadfin shad, are also at
record-low levels. 

"By almost every yardstick of ecosystem health, we find a continuing decline
in Delta fisheries," Jennings said. 

Fish and Wildlife Service officials responded to the lawsuit with a prepared
statement that defended the original ruling to allow extra water diversions
from the Delta. The statement said that the agency also reduced the number
of smelt that the export pumps near Tracy are allowed to kill. 

Fish and Wildlife Service spokesman Jim Nickles said officials would not
answer questions about the lawsuit. Also, he referred questions about
declining fish populations in the Delta to state biologists. 

Water exports from the Delta were boosted last year under a revised
operating plan for the federal Central Valley Project and the State Water
Project, the state's two major canal-and-pump systems that move Delta water
to the southern San Joaquin Valley and Southern California. 

Federal officials listed the smelt as a threatened species in 1993. The fish
were getting sucked into water pumps near Tracy and killed. 

The fish was also in trouble because reduced river flows and water exports
had shifted the line between fresh river water and salty Bay water. The
smelt likes to feed and breed in the mixing zone. Biologists said the fish
did best when the mixing zone was out toward Suisun Bay, where tidal marshes
offered lots of spawning habitat and food. 

Water exports and reduced river flows shift that line upstream into narrower
channels. 

Environmentalists and biologists say the smelt population usually drops
during drought years and flood years. Droughts stop water flows the fish
need, and floods wash the smelt and their food out of the Delta and into San
Francisco Bay. 

Yet the low populations the past two years have come during average water
years, at least in terms of rain and snow. Critics of the water exports say
the increased Delta pumping is to blame. 

"The Delta smelt remains at risk of extinction," said Bay Institute senior
scientist Tina Swanson. She also said that the Fish and Wildlife Service has
ignored available data on the smelt. 

Environmentalists worry about other fish species as well. State surveys last
summer found the lowest striped bass population in 45 years. 

Adding to concern is a simultaneous decline in the population of microscopic
animals called zooplankton that serve as food for fish, said Dan Odenweller
of Stockton, a retired fisheries biologist who has worked for both state and
federal agencies. 

Odenweller, who is now a volunteer for DeltaKeeper, said he sat in on a Feb.
7 meeting of state and federal biologists looking at the problem. Odenweller
said he believes politics is making it difficult for scientists to fairly
evaluate whether water exports are hurting the smelt. 

"There has been a reluctance to look at those factors," he said. "People who
bring the subject up get ostracized." 

But government biologists say that a number of factors could be causing the
fish population declines. 

"It is not clearly one thing or another, and most people I talk to have not
come to any conclusion about why these indices have been low the last couple
of years," said Patrick Coulston, supervising biologist at the state Fish
and Game's Central Valley Bay Delta branch office in Stockton. 

Mike Wintemute, a spokesman for the Fish and Game office in Sacramento, said
that it might be the timing of water pumping rather than the amount of
pumped water that is important. 

"It is hard to say whether this is another downward trend that is going to
trend upward over time and recover, or is this something we need to be
concerned or alarmed about," Wintemute said. "I think right now we are in
the concerned stage." 

Environmentalists say those concerns go beyond fish and show the failure to
restore the Delta and clean its waters. 

"People need clean water. Delta smelt need clean water," said Steve Evans,
conservation director for Friends of the River, one of the groups joining in
the suit. "And we still don't have clean water in the Delta."

 

Byron Leydecker, 

Chair, Friends of Trinity River

Consultant, Californiua Trout, Inc.

PO Box 2327

Mill Valley, CA 94942-2327

415 383 4810 ph

415 383 9562 fx

415 519 4810 ce

bwl3 at comcast.net

bleydecker at stanfordalumni.org (secondary)

http://www.fotr.org

http://caltrout.org

 

 

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From bwl3 at comcast.net  Wed Feb 16 14:00:37 2005
From: bwl3 at comcast.net (Byron )
Date: Wed, 16 Feb 2005 14:00:37 -0800
Subject: [env-trinity] Renewal Water Delivery Contracts and Related Issues
Message-ID: <20050216220059.D1FAB20026FA@mx.dcn.davis.ca.us>



Water Pacts Give State's Growers New Profit Stream

By Bettina Boxall
Times Staff Writer

February 16, 2005

The Bush administration plans this month to begin signing contracts that
will position Central Valley farmers to reap substantial profits for decades
by selling water to the state's expanding metropolitan areas.

The more than 200 contracts - governing most of the water from the massive
federal Central Valley Project - will give the valley's agribusiness
interests control over the single largest allotment of water in the state
for the next 50 years.

That will not directly affect how much urban users in places such as
Southern California pay for water. But by promising irrigation districts
more water than they may need - and at a relatively inexpensive price - the
agreements will virtually guarantee growers a dominant role in the state's
water markets.

The pacts will commit the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation to deliveries that have
harmed the environment in Northern and Central California. And they will
pledge to farmers the same amount of water that they received four decades
ago, despite projections that Central Valley agriculture will use less water
in the years to come because of more efficient irrigation and the spread of
cities into farm regions.

Environmental organizations, groups that monitor federal spending and
congressional critics contend that the Bush administration has crafted the
new contracts to benefit big farmers.

"Agriculture is important, but it's not the economic future of the state of
California," said Rep. George Miller (D-Martinez). "This isn't about
farming. It's about building an annuity for people who want to sell
government-subsidized water to Southern California or whoever needs it."

Bennett Raley, who oversaw negotiations for the new contracts as the
assistant secretary of Interior for water and science before resigning late
last year, defended the plans. The contracts were designed to "provide for
stability and functioning markets," he said, adding that they are the least
contentious, most efficient way to realign water use in the West. 

When cities go shopping for water, they will turn to sellers who can
guarantee a long-term supply, Raley said. To do that, sellers need long-term
control.

The Central Valley Project is the largest water-supply system in the
country. Reaching from the Cascades near Redding to the Tehachapis near
Bakersfield, the 450-mile-long network of dams, reservoirs and canals has
long been a polarizing symbol.

Conceived in the 1930s and built over the next several decades at a cost of
$3.2 billion to U.S. taxpayers, the project propelled the conversion of
California's dusty interior into a multibillion-dollar powerhouse of
industrial agriculture. It dried up stretches of one of the state's biggest
rivers, the San Joaquin, destroyed salmon runs and supplied Central Valley
growers with a vast quantity of cheap water. 

The valley remains the nation's biggest vegetable patch, producing $13
billion worth of crops a year.

But since the original contracts were written 40 years ago, California's
population has doubled to 36 million, its farm acreage has dropped by
roughly a quarter, and new environmental protections have set aside water
for fish and wildlife.

Critics such as Hamilton Candee, senior attorney and co- director of the
Western Water Project for the Natural Resources Defense Council, an
environmental group, say the contracts ignore those changes. "These
contracts offer this super-cheap water in quantities that go way beyond the
needs of the users," Candee said.

Irrigation districts will pay more for water under the new contracts. But it
still will be inexpensive relative to what other users pay - a projected $16
to $61 an acre-foot, compared with an average $500 an acre-foot paid by
Southern California's urban water agencies, which get their supplies
elsewhere. An acre-foot, the amount of water that would cover 1 acre to a
depth of 1 foot, is enough to supply roughly two households for a year. 

Kirk Rodgers, regional director of the reclamation bureau and the official
who will sign the contracts, said they "are in full compliance with laws and
statutes."

"We are not contracting for water where there is not a need," he said,
adding that irrigators had demonstrated they would be able to use the water
they get for agricultural purposes.

Despite those assurances, reclamation delivery records show some irrigation
districts consistently have failed to use all the water available to them. 

For instance, Reclamation District 108, one of the oldest districts in
California and the provider of water to 48,000 acres of rice and tomato
fields north of Sacramento, has in the last two decades never taken its full
allotment, according to bureau figures. All told, the district's unused
water amounts to more than 1 million acre-feet.

The Central Valley Project's biggest customer, the sprawling Westlands Water
District, also has failed several times in the last decade to take all the
water available to it.

Moreover, the district, which irrigates 570,000 acres of cotton, fruits and
vegetables on the San Joaquin Valley's west side, is shrinking
substantially. Westlands is taking 108,000 salt-laden acres out of
production with the help of a federal buyout. At times, the district has
discussed retiring an additional 100,000 acres that suffer from drainage
problems.

Westlands' new contract nonetheless will provide the same amount of water it
was promised in the past. Rodgers said that if Westlands' acreage drops
significantly, the bureau "would need to reevaluate what the needs are" but
that "it's too early" to decide now.

The managers of Reclamation District 108 and other districts also said
events in coming years could increase the amount of water they use. Farmers'
planting patterns could change, requiring more water, they said; in a
particularly dry year, they may need more water.

Because of its size and the enormous amount of water it delivers - more than
enough to supply every household in California - the Central Valley Project
has long been the target of reform efforts. The most notable was the 1992
Central Valley Project Improvement Act, sponsored by Miller.

That law set aside a large portion of water from the project for
environmental uses such as maintaining wildlife refuges and keeping enough
water in rivers to protect endangered fish. It shortened the length of
irrigation contracts from 40 years to 25 years, and allowed farmers to sell
their water to urban users outside the Central Valley.

But Miller and others complain that the new contracts skirt Congress' intent
in three major areas: their duration, the amounts of water involved and the
price the irrigators will pay.

"Every judgment call is a call for the current contractors," said Edward R.
Osann, who served as the Bureau of Reclamation's director of policy and
external affairs from 1993 to 1996 and now works as a water and energy
conservation consultant for utilities and environmental groups. "If you had
an umpire that called every ball a strike, sooner or later you'd wonder."

Although the 1992 law shortened contracts to 25 years, the new pacts can be
stretched to 50 years. The administration included a clause that provides an
automatic 25-year extension as long as contractors meet certain conditions.

Miller calls those near- automatic extensions "outrageous," and predicts the
contracts will be challenged in court. "They'll be sued, and we'll start all
over again," he said.

Environmentalists also argue that the amounts of water to be delivered under
the contracts should be smaller. The new agreements should reflect the fact
that the Central Valley Project frequently can't deliver full contract
quantities south of the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta because of
environmental restrictions, they say.

Rodgers, however, said proposed new storage and diversion projects should
make more water available. And he pointed out that the contracts contain a
clause warning irrigators that in times of shortage, they may not get all
the promised water.

Critics also question whether the price the irrigation districts will be
charged will be high enough to meet a deadline for farmers to repay the
government their $1.3-billion share of the cost of the Central Valley
Project. In 1986, Congress said farmers must pay that bill by 2030.

With project water costing as little as $2 an acre-foot under the expiring
contracts, irrigators have so far repaid just $122.6 million. Under the new
contracts, the price will be higher and adjusted each year. Reclamation
bureau officials say that will be enough to pay the debt. "We have made a
commitment to Congressman Miller," said John Davis, deputy regional director
and contract negotiator. "We know we owe $1.3 billion, and have said we will
[provide] him with yearly updates. We're not asking him to trust us." 

Water under the new contracts will still be subsidized: the price will be
less than what it costs the government to provide it. That is largely
because under century-old policies, the government has made what amounts to
a decades-long, interest-free loan to farmers. Although the farmers owe the
federal treasury a huge sum for their share of the cost of building the
water project, they are not required to pay any interest as part of their
irrigation bills. 

Farmers do have to pay interest to the government when they sell water to
urban users outside of the project, along with a surcharge of $25 an
acre-foot. 

But with urban water agencies now paying from $110 to more than $200 an
acre-foot for farm water - prices that can only go up with rising urban
demand - sellers can still look forward to hefty profits. 

California's water markets are just emerging, and many farmers remain
reluctant to sell. "There is a paranoia that exists in the community that if
we don't use the water, we'll lose it," said Van Tenney, general manager of
the Glenn-Colusa Irrigation District, which supplies water to 170,000 acres,
mostly planted in rice, in the Sacramento Valley.

But with 80% of California's water supply going to agriculture statewide,
farm-to-city sales are widely expected to become a permanent fixture in the
state. 

Glenn-Colusa just sealed a deal for a second round of water options to
Southern California's major urban wholesaler, the Metropolitan Water
District of Southern California. With the first transfer, in 2003, the
irrigation district reaped $4 million for fallowing rice fields and sending
water south.

This year, it could collect $10 million from the MWD for transferring up to
80,000 acre-feet. 

Looking at those kinds of figures, critics say the new federal water
contracts are positioning irrigation districts to make a bundle in the
coming decades. Said Aileen Roder, program director for Taxpayers for Common
Sense, a watchdog group: "We have set up a water-profiteering system here."


 

 

Byron Leydecker, 

Chair, Friends of Trinity River

Consultant, Californiua Trout, Inc.

PO Box 2327

Mill Valley, CA 94942-2327

415 383 4810 ph

415 383 9562 fx

415 519 4810 ce

bwl3 at comcast.net

bleydecker at stanfordalumni.org (secondary)

http://www.fotr.org

http://caltrout.org

 

 

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From bwl3 at comcast.net  Wed Feb 16 14:11:21 2005
From: bwl3 at comcast.net (Byron )
Date: Wed, 16 Feb 2005 14:11:21 -0800
Subject: [env-trinity] Long-Term Renewal Contracts from Bureau of Reclamation
Message-ID: <20050216221131.5F4C720009BF@mx.dcn.davis.ca.us>

Following is an analysis by a Natural Resources Defense Council staff member
of renewal contracts to Central Valley Project water beneficiaries.  It also
relates to the several print media articles I forwarded to you earlier
today.   It includes information regarding the lawsuit filed yesterday by
NRDC and EarthJustice.

 

Attached is a series of articles in today's papers related to the impending
renewal of CVP contracts, including a front page LA Times story.  These
articles, particularly in statements by BOR staff, confirm NRDC's concerns
regarding the far-reaching impacts these contracts could have on the
Bay-Delta ecosystem, CALFED, other water users and the state's economy.  In
particular, these stories confirm that:

 

*	The Sacramento Valley contracts are for far more water than these
contractors have historically used. The South of Delta contracts are for far
more water than the Bureau is currently capable of delivering. (LAT) 
*	The Bureau intends to make full deliveries during the life of these
contracts. (Eureka) 
*	These increased deliveries are expected to come from increased Delta
diversions and new surface storage projects. (LAT and Eureka) 
*	Westlands may not need all of the water in their contract if
significant land is retired.  However, BOR regional director Kirk Rodgers
states that although the Westlands contract quantity would remain unchanged
in a new contract, if Westlands retires land the bureau "would need to
reevaluate what the needs are".  Of course, once a new contract is signed,
it would be extraordinarily difficult for the Bureau to revisit these terms.
(LAT) 
*	The threatened Delta smelt, one of the dozens of species that could
be affected by these contracts, is at its lowest level in more than 30 years
of monitoring.  Striped bass are also at a historically low level. (SFC and
Stockton) 

 

Our new suit challenging the OCAP BO (Bureau's Operating Criteria and Plan
and Biological Opinion) is based in part on the failure of the Bureau and
FWS to study the impacts of full contract deliveries, such as the impacts of
surface storage facilities (e.g. raising Shasta Dam and upper San Joaquin
River storage), relaxed environmental protections and increased Delta
pumping.  NMFS and state agencies have not analyzed these impacts either.

 

No state or federal agency has evaluated the questionable water rights
claims upon which the Sacramento River settlement contracts are based.

 

The new CVP contracts also make no provision for implementing a "beneficiary
pays" financing plan for new dams.  CVP contractors have argued that the
capital costs for these projects should simply be added to their current tab
- giving them another interest free loan and decades to repay.  The
contracts and the Bureau's statements appear to reflect that position.

 

 

Byron Leydecker, 

Chair, Friends of Trinity River

Consultant, Californiua Trout, Inc.

PO Box 2327

Mill Valley, CA 94942-2327

415 383 4810 ph

415 383 9562 fx

415 519 4810 ce

bwl3 at comcast.net

bleydecker at stanfordalumni.org (secondary)

http://www.fotr.org

http://caltrout.org

 

 

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From tstokely at trinityalps.net  Wed Feb 16 15:08:49 2005
From: tstokely at trinityalps.net (Tom Stokely)
Date: Wed, 16 Feb 2005 15:08:49 -0800
Subject: [env-trinity] March 1 TAMWG Meeting Cancelled
Message-ID: <018301c5147c$79c63420$946c3940@trinitycounty.org>

The Trinity Adaptive Management Working Group (TAMWG) meeting scheduled for 
March 1 is cancelled; it appears that new membership appointments will not 
be made by the Interior Secretary by March 1.  The TAMWG is still scheduled 
to meet on April 13 in Weaverville, and an additional date may be scheduled 
prior to April 13 to replace the March 1 meeting.  I'd be happy to try to 
address any questions or concerns,

Arnold Whitridge, TAMWG Chair
(530) 623-6688

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From tstokely at trinityalps.net  Wed Feb 16 15:15:20 2005
From: tstokely at trinityalps.net (Tom Stokely)
Date: Wed, 16 Feb 2005 15:15:20 -0800
Subject: [env-trinity] 4 Appointments to NCRWQCB by the Governator
Message-ID: <01a101c5147d$64d75bb0$946c3940@trinitycounty.org>


3 are residents of the Klamath-Trinity basin!!  Yippee!

Incredible URL!
http://www.governor.ca.gov/state/govsite/gov_htmldisplay.jsp?BV_SessionID=@@@@1087020943.1108594315@@@@&BV_EngineID=ccchadddlifdidicfngcfkmdffidfof.0&sCatTitle=Press+Release&sFilePath=/govsite/press_release/2005_02/20050216_GAAS6305_NorthCoastRWQCB.html&sTitle=Governor+Schwarzenegger+Appoints+Four+Members+of+the+North+Coast+Regional+Water+Quality+Control+Board&iOID=61255

GAAS:63:05
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
02/16/2005 



Governor Schwarzenegger Appoints Four Members of the North Coast Regional Water Quality Control Board 



Governor Schwarzenegger today announced the following appointments to the North Coast Regional Water Quality Control Board:

Heidi Harris, 34, of Salyer, is a lecturer in range development and improvements at California State University, Humboldt and range consultant for the United States Department of Agriculture's Natural Resource Conservation Service. She holds a Bachelor of Science in rangeland resource science from California State University, Humboldt. Harris is a Republican.

Dennis Leonardi, 49, of Ferndale, is owner and manager of Leonardi Dairy and has been a member of the Humboldt Creamery Association since 1977. He holds a Bachelor of Science in dairy science and husbandry from California Polytechnic University, San Luis Obispo. Leonardi is a Republican.

Clifford Marshall, 48, of Orleans, is tribal chairman of the Hoopa Valley Tribe. Previously, he was a lecturer of law at the University of California, Los Angeles. He holds a Bachelor of Arts in social science from California State University, Humboldt and a Juris Doctorate from the University of Washington. Marshall is registered as decline to state.

Sari Sommarstrom, 55, of Etna, is principal of Sari Sommarstrom and Associates, a natural resource consulting company, and is also a co-owner of GrowPro, Inc. She is a member of the Watershed Management Council and the American Water Resources Association. She holds a Bachelor of Science in zoology from the University of California, Davis and a Ph. D. in resource planning and conservation of natural resources from the University of Michigan. Sommarstrom is a Democrat.

These positions require Senate confirmation and the compensation is $100 per diem.

The mission of the North Coast Regional Water Quality Control Board is to preserve, enhance and restore the quality of California's water resources, and ensure their proper allocation and efficient use for the benefit of present and future generations. 

###


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

GOVERNOR ARNOLD SCHWARZENEGGER ? SACRAMENTO, 
CALIFORNIA 95814 ? (916) 445-2841
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From tstokely at trinityalps.net  Wed Feb 16 19:34:58 2005
From: tstokely at trinityalps.net (Tom Stokely)
Date: Wed, 16 Feb 2005 19:34:58 -0800
Subject: [env-trinity] Trinity Journal- Harm to Trinity seen in renewed
	water contracts
Message-ID: <026201c514a1$a82849f0$946c3940@trinitycounty.org>

http://www.trinityjournal.com/default.asp?sourceid=&smenu=1&twindow=&mad=&sdetail=321&wpage=1&skeyword=&sidate=&ccat=&ccatm=&restate=&restatus=&reoption=&retype=&repmin=&repmax=&rebed=&rebath=&subname=

Harm to Trinity seen in renewed water contracts

By SALLY MORRIS 

The Trinity County Board of Supervisors is hoping to make noise about potential negative impacts on Trinity Lake recreation as well as long-term temperatures and flows for Trinity River fisheries from proposed long-term renewals of water contracts in the Central Valley. 

The board has sent a series of letters to the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation regarding the agency's proposed 25- and 50-year renewals of water contracts with hundreds of agricultural, municipal and industrial permit holders south of the San Francisco Bay Delta. 

The federal government is renewing multiple water contracts for 25 years and in many cases guaranteeing an automatic 25-year extension beyond that based on environmental analyses that Trinity County, among others, has found serious fault with. 

The board of supervisors has asked the Bureau of Reclamation to undertake a much more extensive environmental analysis for the proposed renewals through the preparation of a full environmental impact statement rather than the more limited environmental assessments that have so far been offered for public review. The environmental assessments have been accompanied by findings that the contract renewals will result in no significant impacts. 

"I believe these contracts will have substantial impacts on the Trinity River, Trinity Lake recreation and our economy, sending more water south of the delta. There are issues not being disclosed. They have never disclosed where the additional water is to come from," said the senior planner for Trinity County's Natural Resources Division, Tom Stokely. 

The proposed contract renewals involve recipients in the Delta - Mendota Canal Unit of the Central Valley Project, Westlands Water District, Pajaro Valley, Santa Clara Valley and the San Luis Unit. Although the total volume of water promised in the contracts is not increased from current amounts, the renewed contracts promise up to 100-percent delivery by the end of the contract periods. Most of the contractors now do not use all of what they are allocated. The Westlands Water District's annual use averages about 55 percent of the total amount of water it is contracted for. 

Where there is currently up to 6 million acre feet of water delivered per year to CVP contractors, the renewed contracts propose to deliver up to 1 million more acre-feet in a year. An acre-foot is generally considered enough to serve a family of four for a year. 

The proposed increase in deliveries is based on long-term proposals that include raising Shasta Dam and increasing water storage capacity at other reservoirs, along with improving the state's pumping facilities to increase capacity. "None of the actions have been taken and would require many years to accomplish, so the question is, where is the water coming from?" Stokely said, adding he believes it will come from draining Trinity and Shasta Lakes at the expense of recreational users, and cold-water temperatures needed for summer releases to the Sacramento, Trinity and Klamath river fisheries. 

He said he also believes there will be serious impacts to the Trinity Public Utilities District because if power plants are bypassed due to low reservoirs, the costs to purchase the power back will rise. 

The Trinity River flows decision, signed in 2000 during the Clinton administration, calls for an average yearly increase in river flows of 255,000 acre feet to aid in the restoration of the river's salmon and steelhead populations. Increased dam releases to the river are supposed to be offset by a 4-percent reduction in exports from Trinity to the CVP of 240,000 acre feet for a net decrease of 15,000 acre feet per year in Trinity Lake storage. The lake holds almost 2.5 million acre feet of water when full. The minimum level considered necessary to provide enough cold water to release for fish survival in the summer is 600,000 acre-feet at Trinity Lake. However, Stokely said the minimum pool is not enforceable and that even the flows decision acknowledged there will be drought years when there won't be enough water to meet the increased river flows called for in the plan as well as all contracted obligations. 

"My worst fear is they will exhaust the reservoirs going into the next drought cycle and there will not be enough cold water to keep the Trinity River cold, let alone the Sacramento and the Klamath," he said. 

"The problem with the Bureau's environmental documents is they don't disclose that. They provide no meaningful analysis. There is no disclosure on Trinity River basin impacts and I think it will be catastrophic," Stokely said. He added there are hundreds of contracts involved, splitting deliveries into numerous units, but there is no cumulative analysis of the impacts. The board of supervisors has submitted extensive comments challenging the documents and calling on the Bureau to develop a range of alternatives other than automatic renewals for consideration. Among them would be a plan for retiring a few hundred thousand acres of waterlogged, drainage-impacted lands high in selenium and other toxic contaminants to achieve water savings for environmental uses. 

The board's comments state, "It is likely that a thorough analysis of a reasonable range of alternatives will demonstrate that continued irrigation of lands subject to drainage problems is not in the best interests of California and its limited water resources." 

The board has also called for analysis of the direct and cumulative impacts to Trinity Lake from reduced carryover storage and associated impacts to recreation as well as impacts on Trinity power costs, tribal trust obligations to the Hoopa and Yurok Indians, and assurances that there are to be no adverse temperature impacts to the Trinity River's fishery from diversion of its water to the Sacramento River. 

The board voted 3-0 to send comments on the proposed long-term contract renewals, with Bill Chambers abstaining because he is employed by the Bureau of Reclamation.
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From Segep at aol.com  Thu Feb 17 07:28:21 2005
From: Segep at aol.com (Segep at aol.com)
Date: Thu, 17 Feb 2005 10:28:21 EST
Subject: [env-trinity] Re: The Passing of Ronnie Pierce
Message-ID: <1da.364ed5c7.2f461215@aol.com>

Ronnie M. Pierce, Tribal sovereignty and Klamath water rights leader, passed 
away in her home in McKinleyville Sunday afternoon Feb. 13, 2005. 
 
Born on May 12,1942 in Nevada City, CA. to May and Ronald Pierce; she is 
survived by her brother Terry  Pierce of Manhattan Beach Ca. and nieces Lisa and 
Susan Pierce and leaves behind her partner of 22  years, Elizabeth Finney.
 
Ronnie began her formal education at Healds Engineering College of San 
Francisco in 1959 where she was the first woman to receive a degree in structural 
engineering. She was responsible for overseeing  certain aspects of the  
construction for the Trans America building and several other  developments within 
the Bay Area. She then went to Old Dominion University , Virginia to  receive 
her Masters of Science in Marine Biology where she graduated Cum Laude in 1978.
 
Ronnie moved to Humboldt County in 1979 where she founded  Pierce Fisheries 
Consulting. For the past twenty years Ronnie has served as  a consulting 
biologist specializing in Klamath River Basin salmon management issues. She worked 
within all aspects of Native American salmon management in the Basin relating 
to Tribal rights issues in restoration, water, and harvest management. 
 
As a tireless leader for Tribal rights issues, Ronnie worked closely with the 
Karuk and Yurok Tribes, the Inter-Tribal Fish and Water Commission, Northern 
California Indian Development Council and such federal agencies as the Bureau 
of Indian Affairs and US Fish and Wildlife Service. The last years of her 
career were spent towards dam removal within the Basin and retaining essentially 
needed water for the Klamath River ecosystem.
 
As a descendant of Pender Harbor, Vancouver and native Squamish pioneers in 
British Columbia, Ronnie enjoyed researching family history and visiting family 
members. Besides her consulting work, Ronnie received awards for oil painting 
and will be remembered by those who commissioned her work. She enjoyed life 
to the fullest and spent many leisure hours working on restoring the classic 
Chryslers that her brother Terry helped to design in Detroit. When not cruising 
downtown, Ronnie could be seen cruising the tables in Reno or the slot 
machines at local casinos.
 
Ronnie never buckled under pressure and was uncompromising in her demand for 
truth. Her expertise was much sought after by Tribal leaders, legislators, 
environmental leaders, researchers, educators, legal officials and government 
officials just to mention a few. Always preferring to work behind the scenes, her 
tenacity and bold spirit will continue to impact and touch the lives of all 
of us on the North Coast. Though her work is still needed here, her memory will 
guide those left behind.
?Thank you Ronnie for your years of dedicated service to protecting the 
Klamath River and Tribal sovereignty..?
In Ronnie?s memory and dedication contributions may be made to the 
Ronnie Pierce Scholarship Fund
 c/o KRIFWC
PO Box 1449
Hoopa CA 95546 
 
 
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From Segep at aol.com  Thu Feb 17 07:37:43 2005
From: Segep at aol.com (Segep at aol.com)
Date: Thu, 17 Feb 2005 10:37:43 EST
Subject: [env-trinity] Re:The Passing of Ronnie Pierce
Message-ID: <142.3fa611ca.2f461447@aol.com>

Ronnie M. Pierce, Tribal sovereignty and Klamath water rights leader, passed 
away in her home in McKinleyville Sunday afternoon Feb. 13, 2005. 
 
Born on May 12,1942 in Nevada City, CA. to May and Ronald Pierce; she is 
survived by her brother Terry  Pierce of Manhattan Beach Ca. and nieces Lisa and 
Susan Pierce and leaves behind her partner of 22  years, Elizabeth Finney.
 
Ronnie began her formal education at Healds Engineering College of San 
Francisco in 1959 where she was the first woman to receive a degree in structural 
engineering. She was responsible for overseeing  certain aspects of the  
construction for the Trans America building and several other  developments within 
the Bay Area. She then went to Old Dominion University , Virginia to  receive 
her Masters of Science in Marine Biology where she graduated Cum Laude in 1978.
 
Ronnie moved to Humboldt County in 1979 where she founded  Pierce Fisheries 
Consulting. For the past twenty years Ronnie has served as  a consulting 
biologist specializing in Klamath River Basin salmon management issues. She worked 
within all aspects of Native American salmon management in the Basin relating 
to Tribal rights issues in restoration, water, and harvest management. 
 
As a tireless leader for Tribal rights issues, Ronnie worked closely with the 
Karuk and Yurok Tribes, the Inter-Tribal Fish and Water Commission, Northern 
California Indian Development Council and such federal agencies as the Bureau 
of Indian Affairs and US Fish and Wildlife Service. The last years of her 
career were spent towards dam removal within the Basin and retaining essentially 
needed water for the Klamath River ecosystem.
 
As a descendant of Pender Harbor, Vancouver and native Squamish pioneers in 
British Columbia, Ronnie enjoyed researching family history and visiting family 
members. Besides her consulting work, Ronnie received awards for oil painting 
and will be remembered by those who commissioned her work. She enjoyed life 
to the fullest and spent many leisure hours working on restoring the classic 
Chryslers that her brother Terry helped to design in Detroit. When not cruising 
downtown, Ronnie could be seen cruising the tables in Reno or the slot 
machines at local casinos.
 
Ronnie never buckled under pressure and was uncompromising in her demand for 
truth. Her expertise was much sought after by Tribal leaders, legislators, 
environmental leaders, researchers, educators, legal officials and government 
officials just to mention a few. Always preferring to work behind the scenes, her 
tenacity and bold spirit will continue to impact and touch the lives of all 
of us on the North Coast. Though her work is still needed here, her memory will 
guide those left behind.
?Thank you Ronnie for your years of dedicated service to protecting the 
Klamath River and Tribal sovereignty..?
In Ronnie?s memory and dedication contributions may be made to the 
Ronnie Pierce Scholarship Fund
 c/o KRIFWC
PO Box 1449
Hoopa CA 95546 
 
 
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From tstokely at trinityalps.net  Thu Feb 17 09:59:49 2005
From: tstokely at trinityalps.net (Tom Stokely)
Date: Thu, 17 Feb 2005 09:59:49 -0800
Subject: [env-trinity] Times-Standard -Klamath River icon dies 
Message-ID: <007a01c5151a$7a0443c0$246b3940@trinitycounty.org>

Ronnie Pierce was an insightful, bright, knowledgeable, no-nonsense person who worked on the Trinity River in the past, representing various Tribes and BIA at different times on the former Technical Coordinating Committee of the Trinity River Task Force.  She was really good at cutting through the baloney and getting down to the issues.  We'll miss her.

Tom Stokely

Eureka Times-Standard 
http://www.times-standard.com/Stories/0,1413,127~2896~2716685,00.html# 
Klamath River icon dies 
By John Driscoll The Times-Standard 

Thursday, February 17, 2005 - 

One of the great figures at the heart of Klamath River issues, Ronnie Pierce, died Sunday 
in her McKinleyville home. 

Known as a tireless advocate of salmon, the biologist and engineer put her shoulder into 
her work, winning the respect of friends and opponents alike. Her influence rarely 
surfaced in the media, but was greater than most of her more vocal counterparts'. 

Small, quiet and brilliant, Pierce was a realist, intolerant of laziness, underhandedness 
and classism, according to those who knew her. While often frustrated by the 
bureaucracy surrounding the Klamath River, she nonetheless worked doggedly on 
stubborn issues for years at a time. 

"She was absolutely tenacious," said Humboldt County Supervisor Jimmy Smith. 

Smith said it was Pierce who held people working on the Klamath -- especially in state 
and federal agencies -- accountable with her vast knowledge of the process. 

Pierce was born in Nevada City on May 12, 1942, to May and Ronald Pierce. She was a 
decedent of Russian and native Squamish pioneers in British Columbia, and moved 
constantly while she was growing up. 

Pierce graduated from Healds Engineering College in San Francisco, the first woman to 
earn a degree in structural engineering from the institution. She later earned bachelors 
and masters degrees from Old Dominion University in Virginia. 

Her father was also a structural engineer, who, ironically, helped build dams. 

"She said, 'My father built dams and I'm trying to tear them down,'" said Pierce's partner 
of 22 years, Elizabeth Finney. 

One of Pierce's great frustrations was how the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation and Klamath 
dam owner Pacificorp persistently said the other was responsible for meeting flow 
requirements to the lower Klamath and its struggling salmon. 

Pierce worked most closely with the Yurok and Karuk tribes on tribal rights and 
restoration efforts. 

Environmentalist Tim McKay of the Northcoast Environmental Center said Pierce was 
set apart by her long history on the river, and her understanding that most easy issues 
had been tackled, but the toughest struggles remain. 

"It's a great loss for all the people on the lower river," McKay said. "She was an icon, 
without a doubt." 

Even those she sometimes struggled with had high praise for Pierce. 

U.S. Bureau of Reclamation Area Manager Dave Sabo in Klamath Falls, Ore., called her 
a greatly respected institution with a gift for portraying what was valuable to her. 

"She certainly brought her own perspective," he said, "and no one can diminish the fact 
that she was very bright. She'll be thoroughly missed." 

Finney said Pierce's integrity was the same both on and off the job. Personally, Finney 
said, Pierce was loyal, insisted on honesty and liked people to have clear opinions. Those 
qualities, Finney said, were developed during a life during which she pulled herself up 
from her bootstraps, including recovering from alcoholism before moving to Humboldt 
County in 1979. 

"Ronnie was simple," Finney said. 

Another habit, though, led to her death. Pierce loved to smoke and was stricken with 
lung cancer. She refused treatment in light of a requirement that she would have to 
quit, Finney said. 

For many who knew her, Pierce's death came too soon. 

Local river advocate Denver Nelson said Pierce was a formidable force in the push to 
restore the Klamath, a no-nonsense conservationist who knew more about the Klamath 
than the legions of newbies who have recently joined the struggle. 

"She was one of the reasons people know how to spell Klamath," Nelson said. "If it weren't 
for her early efforts the Klamath would have been lost long ago." 
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From danielbacher at hotmail.com  Thu Feb 17 14:38:09 2005
From: danielbacher at hotmail.com (Daniel Bacher)
Date: Thu, 17 Feb 2005 14:38:09 -0800
Subject: [env-trinity] International Day of Action For Rivers on March 14 in
	Sacramento
Message-ID: <BAY16-F424A5453A7836C436F61DEDB6D0@phx.gbl>

The International Day of Action For Rivers on March 14 in Sacramento will 
focus on the battle to restore the Klamath River Basin.

Dan Bacher


Press Advisory: For Immediate Release, February 17

Join us for The 8th Annual International Day of Action for Rivers March 14 
in Sacramento
March 14 is the International Day of Action for Rivers. Friends of the 
River, the Pacific Coast Federation of Fishermens? Associations, and 
International Rivers Network will join the Karuk, Hoopa, Yurok, and Klamath 
Tribes in marking the day with a rally in Sacramento. Together, we will be 
urging Governor Schwarzenegger to lead the fight to Bring our Salmon Home to 
the Klamath Basin.

Our event will kick off on Sunday, March 13 with a film showing of ?Salmon 
on the Backs of Buffalo,? a film chronicling the plight of the Klamath River 
fishery and the fight to save it. Following the film, Tribal leaders will 
lead a question and answer session.? The show starts at 6:30 pm at the Crest 
Theater in Sacramento, tix are $10 at the door. Directions to the crest at: 
http://www.thecrest.com.

The march and rally will take place on Monday, March 14. The march will 
begin at River Front Park in Sacramento and begin at 12:30. We will rally at 
the West steps of the capital, featuring music, and speakers from the 
Tribal, fishing, and ranching communities.

For more information:
http://www.friendsoftheriver.org
or email ctucker at karuk.us

To learn more about the International Day of Action and events worldwide: 
http://www.irn.org
For more information about the Klamath River and efforts to save it:
http://www.klamathbasin.info

S. Craig Tucker, Ph.D.
Klamath River Campaign Coordinator
Karuk Tribe
916-451-8757
ctucker at karuk.us




From tstokely at trinityalps.net  Fri Feb 18 08:47:02 2005
From: tstokely at trinityalps.net (Tom Stokely)
Date: Fri, 18 Feb 2005 08:47:02 -0800
Subject: [env-trinity] Times-Standard Editorial- Fishermen should remain
	tight on the Klamath 
Message-ID: <036a01c515d9$79952070$246b3940@trinitycounty.org>

Eureka Times-Standard 
http://www.times-standard.com/Stories/0,1413,127~2896~2719111,00.html# 
Fishermen should remain tight on the Klamath 

Friday, February 18, 2005 - 

The Times-Standard 

There was a time not so long ago when the various fishers of salmon on the Klamath battled 
fiercely for their share. Thankfully, after years of work on everyone's part, commercial, sport 
and tribal fishermen enjoy near-complete peace over the allocation of the precious resource. 

Especially heartening has been the cooperation between the groups in some of the most 
contentious years -- and certainly during the horrific 2002 adult fish kill. 

For the most part, fishing has been decent for several years. But indications are that the 
2005 salmon season might not be too hot. It appears that no matter how the limited number 
of fish are parceled out, someone, maybe everyone, is going to lose a little. 

Next week's Klamath Fishery Management Council meeting will bear out recommendations 
for fish managers who will set seasons, bag limits and quotas. From the looks of it, drafting 
those recommendations won't be easy. Some heated discussion is anticipated. 

That's OK. People are passionate about salmon. 

But it should be remembered that the key issues that profoundly affect the health of Klamath 
salmon stocks today -- the river's dams, water quality and quantity and sediment problems -- 
need everybody's attention. While once that might have been blamed on over fishing, it's not 
possible to make that case today. 

As one fisherman said, "Fighting over the last fish is not a good long-term strategy." 

That's most certainly true. Fishermen and American Indians don't appear to be in the graces 
of the current federal administration, so it's more important than ever to present a united 
front on these issues. The problem is not "the other guy got all the fish," the problem is there 
aren't consistently enough fish. 

Those who fish the Klamath and the ocean that supports its fish would do well to come to the 
council meeting ready to make their case for salmon allocation, but come willing to accept 
some sacrifice, too -- in the name of unity. 
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From tstokely at trinityalps.net  Fri Feb 18 16:25:08 2005
From: tstokely at trinityalps.net (Tom Stokely)
Date: Fri, 18 Feb 2005 16:25:08 -0800
Subject: [env-trinity] Steelbridge Road Closure March 7-9
Message-ID: <008b01c51619$f848c800$776b3940@trinitycounty.org>

Weather permitting, the contractor at the Bigger's Road bridge 
site on Steel Bridge Rd is planning to place the bridge on March 8th 
with a big crane from the road. Intermittent temporary road closures 
are anticipated Monday afternoon (3/7/05), all day Tuesday, and 
Wednesday morning (3/9/05). As I understand it, the work will require 
closures of the road for approximately 4 - 1 hour closures on Tuesday. 
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From AKRAUSE at mp.usbr.gov  Fri Feb 18 17:04:31 2005
From: AKRAUSE at mp.usbr.gov (Andreas Krause)
Date: Fri, 18 Feb 2005 17:04:31 -0800
Subject: [env-trinity] Trinity River Flow Scheduling
Message-ID: <s2162031.033@ibr2mprogw.mp.usbr.gov>

Hello everyone,

The Trinity River Restoration Program (TRRP) maintains an email list to
keep people appraised of release changes from Lewiston Dam. You are
receiving this email because you are either involved with the TRRP flow
scheduling process or have expressed interest in being keep up to date
on release changes at Lewiston Dam. This is the first of approximately 3
emails that will be sent out over the course of the next few months.
Apologies ahead of time for any cross posting to other email lists that
you may belong to.

Based on the water year type, TRRP annually develops flow releases
recommendations to meet specific restoration objectives. The water year
type will be officially determined in early April based on a 50 percent
exceedence water forecast. TRRP then develops and presents flow
recommendations to the Trinity Adaptive Management Working Group and the
Trinity Management Council for consideration. The Trinity Management
Council will make the official flow release recommendation in the later
half of April and dam releases typically begin in late April.  

The preliminary water forecast for February projects 2005 to be a
"normal" water year. Peak releases for a normal year are
typically about 6,000 cubic feet per second (cfs). Please realize that
there is much uncertainty associated with preliminary water forecasts
and they can and do change. TRRP is continuing to work on infrastructure
improvements along the Trinity River that would allow for releases of up
to 8,500 cfs in 2005 and releases of 11,000 cfs in future years.

Please do not hesitate to contact me if you questions or concerns
regarding the flow release schedule for the Trinity River or if you
would like to be removed from this email list.

Regards,
Andreas


__________________________________
Andreas Krause, P.E.
Physical Scientist
Trinity River Restoration Program
P.O. Box 1300 (mailing address)
1313 South Main St. (physical address)
Weaverville, CA 96093
Phone:530-623-1807; Fax 530-623-5944
__________________________________


From danielbacher at hotmail.com  Tue Feb 22 14:42:27 2005
From: danielbacher at hotmail.com (Daniel Bacher)
Date: Tue, 22 Feb 2005 14:42:27 -0800
Subject: [env-trinity] New Campaign Opposes Shasta Dam Plans: Sacramento
	Film Showing 3/4
Message-ID: <BAY16-F35E3675A56E32B15722F38DB620@phx.gbl>

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Contact: Kathleen Russell

February 21, 2005 415-459-9211

New Campaign Opposes Shasta Dam Plans

Native Land & Water in Jeopardy

Entire Week of Benefits Unites
Winnemem, Hopi & Environmental Leaders

San Francisco/Oakland/Sacramento? March 1 - 4, 2005

Much has been written about California?s water and energy crises, yet the 
impact of these crises on Native American tribes remains an untold story. A 
week of events in early March will expose the impact of both crises on two 
Native American tribes whose struggle to preserve their sacred lands heated 
up recently with the passage of Senator Feinstein?s Cal-Fed legislation and 
the weakening of environmental protection regulations by the Bush 
administration.

The events mark the launch of a unique grassroots campaign that unites some 
of the state?s most effective environmental organizations with Native 
communities in an effort to stop the enlargement of Shasta Dam near Redding. 
The proposed dam raising would flood some of the Winnemem Wintu?s remaining 
sacred sites and destroy a stretch of what remains of the free-flowing 
McCloud River.

Film & Panel Events
The award-winning PBS documentary In the Light of Reverence will be coupled 
with a panel discussion with Native American leaders Caleen Sisk-Franco 
(Winnemem Wintu) and Vernon Masayesva (Hopi)
These events will also premiere a new seven-minute short, Winnemem Wintu War 
Dance at Shasta Dam, which depicts the Winnemem?s September 2004 ceremony 
against the Shasta Dam. Proceeds from the three benefits will support the 
Winnemem Wintu Tribe?s participation in the new campaign.

Screening details follow below:
San Francisco: Wednesday, March 2 at 7 pm ? Cowell Theater at Fort Mason 
Center ? Admission $15 ? with Julia Butterfly Hill ? 5:30 pm Reception $50

Oakland: Thursday, March 3 at 7 pm ? Grand Lake Theater, 3200 Grand Ave. ? 
Admission $15 ? with Julia Butterfly Hill

Sacramento: Friday, March 4 at 7 pm ? Crest Theater, 1013 K St. Admission 
$12

Academic Symposium
The week begins on Tuesday, March 1 at 1 pm, when the American Indian 
Studies Department of San Francisco State University will host an afternoon 
?Sacred Land & Water Symposium? featuring presentations by Native American 
leaders and a 4 pm screening of In the Light of Reverence. Professor Melissa 
Nelson (Anishinaabe/Metis) will moderate a panel with Caleen Sisk-Franco 
(Winnemem Wintu), Vernon Masayesva (Hopi) and Ann Marie Sayers (Mutsun 
Ohlone). The symposium and screening will be held in Humanities 133 on the 
San Francisco State University campus.

All four panel discussions will focus on creating a new relationship with 
water, finding alternatives to destructive projects that encourage 
increasing consumption, better management of existing water supplies and 
conservation. The evening panels after the film screenings will be moderated 
by Christopher ?Toby? McLeod, Director of Earth Island Institute?s Sacred 
Land Film Project and Director/Producer of In the Light of Reverence.

Environmental organizations participating in the campaign include: Alliance 
for Democracy, Cal Trout, Center for Biological Diversity, Circle of Life, 
Earth Island Institute, Ecology Center, Environmental Justice Coalition for 
Water, Environmental Water Caucus, Friends of the River, Indigenous 
Environmental Network, Natural Resources Defense Council, Northern 
California Council of the Federation of Fly Fishers, Public Citizen, Public 
Media Center, Public Trust Alliance, State Water Coordinating Committee, The 
Cultural Conservancy and others.

Sponsored by The Christensen Fund, Sacred Land Film Project and Kathleen 
Russell Consulting. Presented by arrangement with Fort Mason Foundation.

In the Light of Reverence is a presentation of the Independent Television 
Service in association with Native American Public Telecommunications with 
funding provided by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting Distributed by 
Bullfrog Films: 800-543-3764 ? A project of Earth Island Institute
For more information visit www.sacredland.org.




From truman at jeffnet.org  Wed Feb 23 10:29:32 2005
From: truman at jeffnet.org (Patrick Truman)
Date: Wed, 23 Feb 2005 10:29:32 -0800
Subject: [env-trinity] Suit goes to the USSC
Message-ID: <00ad01c519d5$9f9fb6e0$7a472a42@default>

Orff v. United States
Argued: 02/23/05
No. 03-1566
Court below: 358 F.3d 1137 (9th Cir. 2004)
Full text: http://caselaw.lp.findlaw.com/data2/circs/9th/0016922p.pdf

FEDERAL SOVEREIGN IMMUNITY (Farmers' Legal Capacity to Sue United States Bureau of Reclamation)

The issue in this case is whether farmers are intended third-party beneficiaries of a contract between the Westlands Water District and the United States Bureau of Reclamation.

The Westlands Water District (Westlands) receives water from the Central Valley Project (CVP) pursuant to a 1963 contract with the United States Bureau of Reclamation (Bureau).  After learning that continued operation of the CVP would threaten certain endangered species, the Bureau greatly reduced the Westlands' water supply pursuant to the Endangered Species Act (ESA), which requires federal agencies to avoid threatening endangered species.  Landowners and water users filed a lawsuit against Westlands in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of California (District Court), alleging that the water reduction violated the 1963 contract.  However, the District Court found that the government was not liable because the contract expressly absolved the government from liability for a breach of contract caused by statutory mandate.  The United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit (Court of Appeals) affirmed.  Subsequently, Westlands filed the present lawsuit in which numerous farmers intervened.  The District Court found that the farmers were not intended third-party beneficiaries of the 1963 contract and thus, were not a contracting entity with which the government had waived
sovereign immunity.  The farmers appealed.  The Court of Appeals affirmed the District Court's ruling, holding that sovereign immunity deprived the court of jurisdiction to hear the farmers' claims.  On appeal to the United States Supreme Court, the farmers argue that the text of the contract and surrounding circumstances imply that the farmers are intended third-party beneficiaries.  The farmers also argue that a stipulated judgment explicitly provides that they are intended third-party beneficiaries.  Finally, the farmers assert that prior judgments preclude the Bureau from challenging the farmers' right to sue for breach of
contract.  [Summarized by Krista N. Hardwick.]
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From awhitridge at snowcrest.net  Thu Feb 24 07:48:34 2005
From: awhitridge at snowcrest.net (Arnold Whitridge)
Date: Thu, 24 Feb 2005 07:48:34 -0800
Subject: [env-trinity] TAMWG meeting April 12-13
Message-ID: <5.1.0.14.2.20050224074616.00a7d220@mail.snowcrest.net>

Potentially interested parties,

The April meeting of the Trinity Adaptive Management Working Group is now 
scheduled to run from 12:30 to 5:00 on April 12 and all day on April 
13.  The meeting will be at the Veterans Memorial Hall (also known as the 
Civil Defense or CD Hall) in Weaverville;  a draft agenda will be 
circulated two weeks in advance.   Please don't hesitate to contact me with 
any questions or suggestions.

Arnold Whitridge, TAMWG chair
(530) 623-6688



From tstokely at trinityalps.net  Fri Feb 25 08:17:23 2005
From: tstokely at trinityalps.net (Tom Stokely)
Date: Fri, 25 Feb 2005 08:17:23 -0800
Subject: [env-trinity] Klamath council talks Trinity, hatcheries 
Message-ID: <003e01c51b55$7df36380$506b3940@trinitycounty.org>

 

 

KLAMATH ISSUES:

Klamath council talks Trinity, hatcheries 

Eureka Times Standard - 2/24/05

By John Driscoll, staff writer

 


EUREKA -- The near future of restoration on the Trinity River and talk of stepping up hatchery salmon tagging on the Klamath River were key topics on day one of a Klamath Fishery Management Council meeting. 

 

Trinity River Restoration Program implementation branch chief Ed Solbos said the closure of a suit pressed by Central Valley irrigators against the river's full restoration has cleared the way for major work to begin on the river. 

 

Four bridges will be replaced by April to make way for heavy flows during wet years. Heavy equipment will be used for the next several years to widen the river in places, allowing the river to reshape itself and increasing the area for chinook salmon to grow before migrating to the ocean. 

 

The earth-moving alone won't create ideal habitat, Solbos said. 

"What is the perfect habitat is what will happen after we've taken the handcuffs off the river," he said. 

 

Other issues remain. One house sits in a spot that would be inundated by big water, and the federal government is arranging to move its owner and level the house. 

 

This year is forecast to be a dry or normal year, and flows from Lewiston Dam would not rise above 6,500 cubic feet per second. In wet years, 8,500 cubic feet per second would be released. Solbos said flows that high would be increased in stages, while the river is monitored for possible effects to people and property. 

 

The council is an 11-member body of agencies, sport and commercial fishermen and tribes who recommend to regulators, among other things, how the river's fish might be divvied up among the fishing groups. During today's meeting, which begins at 9 a.m. at the Red Lion Inn, possible quotas and seasons for 2005 based on a predicted abundance of fish will be hashed over. 

 

Also on Wednesday, the council weighed possibilities for increasing the number of juvenile fish tagged at Iron Gate Hatchery on the Klamath. Neil Manji, senior biologist for the California Department of Fish and Game, said there is a disparity between the percentage of hatchery fish tagged in the Klamath and at the Trinity River Hatchery. 

 

About a quarter of Trinity chinook salmon are tagged before leaving the hatchery, compared to between 3 percent and 6 percent at Iron Gate. Some 6 million salmon are produced at Iron Gate, and funding a marking program that brings the number of fish tagged to 25 percent could be expensive. 

 

Hoopa Valley Tribe biologist George Kautzky said during the 2002 fall fish kill, the difference made it difficult to estimate the damage done to the Trinity versus Klamath stocks. 

 

Kautzky said a settlement agreement between the federal government and the tribe could provide seed money to boost the marking program. Building consensus among managers would be key to keeping the program at a consistent level beyond that, he said. # 

http://www.times-standard.com/Stories/0,1413,127%257E2896%257E2729870,00.html
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From tstokely at trinityalps.net  Fri Feb 25 09:05:21 2005
From: tstokely at trinityalps.net (Tom Stokely)
Date: Fri, 25 Feb 2005 09:05:21 -0800
Subject: [env-trinity] More on Water Quality Board Appointments- 
Message-ID: <00d001c51b5c$310e0230$506b3940@trinitycounty.org>

Regional water board vacancies filled; Governor appoints 4 to key North Coast panel that sets policy on rivers, logging
Santa Rosa Press Democrat - 2/19/05
By Mike Geniella, staff writer 

 

For the first time in years, the powerful North Coast Regional Water Quality Control Board will be functioning with all nine members.


Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger filled four vacancies this week, ending a long period in which the Santa Rosa-based water board struggled at times to maintain a quorum for meetings.


"It's been too long," said Jean Lockett, a chief administrative aide for the water board.


The new water board members are Heidi Harris, a Humboldt State University instructor; Dennis Leonardi, a Ferndale dairy owner; Clifford Marshall, tribal chairman of the Hoopa Valley tribe; and Sari Sommastrom, a natural resources consultant who lives in Siskiyou County.


They join William Massey, a Santa Rosa Junior College instructor; Beverly Wasson, a grape grower in the Alexander Valley; John Corbett, a Humboldt County attorney; Gerald Cochran, Del Norte County assessor; and Richard Grundy, a Sonoma County engineering consultant.


Water board decisions play a major role in shaping the environmental, political and economic fates of a region running from Sonoma to the Oregon border. The board frequently finds itself at the center of controversies over water quality, river flows, logging practices, and regulatory moves to protect the region's fisheries.


Currently, the North Coast board is engaged in a bitter struggle with Pacific Lumber Co. The regional agency has delayed 12 timber harvest plans sought by Pacific Lumber, citing concerns about landslides and flooding in the Elk River and Freshwaters watersheds in southern Humboldt County. Pacific Lumber has taken its fight to the state Water Resources Board, which oversees the state's nine regional boards, warning that it may have to lay off hundreds of workers and file bankruptcy if the North Coast agency doesn't bend.


While contentious timber harvest practices loom large on the water board's monthly agendas, the agency's scope is far-reaching.


In December, the board imposed a $250,000 fine on a Willits couple who allegedly clogged two salmon-bearing creeks with sediment while bulldozing their property for a vineyard.


Earlier in 2004, the Sonoma County Water Agency came under fire from the North Coast board for the amount of herbicide that was being used along creeks to kill grasses and small trees. The agency ended up replanting some of the creek banks to satisfy the board's concerns.


In another area, the state board is working with Sonoma County's Environmental Health Division to develop safe water standards for swimming in freshwater rivers and streams, a move that could expand to rivers and streams throughout Northern California and the state.#

http://www1.pressdemocrat.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20050219/NEWS/502190331/1033/NEWS01

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From tstokely at trinityalps.net  Fri Feb 25 09:16:06 2005
From: tstokely at trinityalps.net (Tom Stokely)
Date: Fri, 25 Feb 2005 09:16:06 -0800
Subject: [env-trinity] 3 Stories on Westlands Farmers' Takings Case at the
	Supremes
Message-ID: <00fb01c51b5d$b1aeab50$506b3940@trinitycounty.org>

The California State Water Resources Control Board, in Decision 1641 (Bay-Delta Hearings Phases 1-7) found that water contractors such as Westlands (and all CVP,SWP and other contractors) are not "legal users of water" under Section 1701 of the California Water Code because they don't actually hold a water right.  Therefore, a CVP water contract is not a property right, it's simply a contract to deliver water.



The Trinity County Board of Supervisors and the Hoopa Tribal Council have also sent comment letters to the Bureau of Reclamation requesting specific long-term water contract language identifying that water from the Trinity River has a priority right for use in the Trinity River basin so that there can be an end to these takings cases as it relates to use of Trinity River water.  Reclamation has not responded to the request and apparently intends to renew these long-term water contracts without specific language to protect Tribal Trust and County of Origin water rights that are already embedded in federal and State laws, decisions and orders.  



I can provide more information upon request.



Tom Stokely

Principal Planner

Trinity County Planning/Natural Resources

530-628-5949





WATER RIGHTS DISPUTE:

California farmers ask high court to help them get paid for water

Chico Enterprise Record - 2/23/05

By Erica Werner, AP

 

Supreme Court justices waded into the West's contentious water wars Wednesday, hearing arguments from Central Valley farmers who want the government to pay them for water they say they were due but never received. 

 

The government said the water had to be diverted to protect two threatened fish. Government lawyers also said the farmers don't have standing to sue the Bureau of Reclamation directly, because water districts, not individual land owners, negotiate government water deals. 

 

"The water doesn't belong to any one landowner or group of landowners, it belongs to the whole," said government attorney Jeffrey P. Minear. 

 

"It would be very disruptive to the system if a minority of farmers in the district were able to bring a suit," Minear said. 

 

But the farmers' attorney, William M. Smiland, told the court his clients should have the right to try to recoup their loss. 

 

"My clients have suffered massive losses, they've been litigating these claims for 25 years," Smiland said. "We think we should have a forum and a remedy and a right to our day in court." 

 

Justices sounded skeptical of Smiland's arguments. 

 

"The whole point of the district was to make it easier for the U.S. to know with whom it was dealing," said Justice Anthony Kennedy. 

 

Justice Stephen Breyer compared the farmers to children trying to sue to enforce a contract entered into by their parents. 

 

"I might buy a house with the idea of helping my child. ... That doesn't mean he can enforce the contract," Breyer said. 

 

At issue is a water service contract between the federal agency responsible for managing water in the West, and Westlands Water District, which encompasses 600,000 acres of farmland in western Fresno and Kings counties. 

 

In 1993 the Bureau of Reclamation announced it was reducing Westlands' water allocation by half because of federal requirements to protect the threatened winter-run Chinook salmon and delta smelt. Westlands and some farmers in the water district sued. After negotiations Westlands dropped its suit, but some two dozen individual farmers and property owners continued to pursue the matter. 

 

Wednesday's arguments focused on the relatively narrow question of whether the farmers had the right to sue at all. If the Supreme Court reverses lower courts and says they do, it could open the door for hundreds of individual farmers to take on the Bureau of Reclamation. 

 

But environmentalists and water experts were also watching the case because it touches on a bigger issue: whether the government must compensate property owners for irrigation water diverted for environmental purposes. 

 

The Endangered Species Act requires water to be used to protect species in some circumstances where food-growers also claim it, and traditionally no compensation has been given. Changing that could undermine the 

 

Endangered Species Act by making it too expensive to uphold, environmentalists say. 

 

But conservatives and property rights supporters are increasingly arguing that such diversions of water must be regarded as a government "taking" of private property like any other, and compensation must be made. 

 

That view got encouragement when the Bush administration spent $16.7 million in December to settle a lawsuit by four California water districts over water diverted a decade ago to help the winter-run Chinook salmon and the delta smelt. Environmentalists had hoped the government would appeal a ruling in favor of the water districts rather than settle. 

 

The case is Orff et al v. United States of America, 03-1566. #

http://www.chicoer.com/Stories/0,1413,135%257E29409%257E2728167,00.html





Farmers claim land rights in water fight against fish

Contra Costa Times - 2/23/05

By Dean E. Murphy, New York Times Staff writer

SAN FRANCISCO - In a series of lawsuits, including one to be argued before the U.S. Supreme Court today, farmers and water districts are pushing property-rights claims to the forefront of the debate over how to divvy up water among farms, cities and the environment.

In doing so, they are demanding compensation from the government for irrigation water diverted for environmental purposes, calling into question rules in the Endangered Species Act that favor the protection of fish over the growing of food when water is in short supply.

It is an approach that has won sympathy from the Bush administration, which in December agreed to pay $16.7 million to farmers in Tulare and Kern counties in one lawsuit to compensate for reduced water supplies. But the claims have alarmed California officials and many conservation groups, who fear that demands for payment for lost water could spread to other Western states and undermine protections for wildlife.

"This is hugely important, a growing storm cloud over the American West," said Richard M. Frank, California's chief deputy attorney general, who oversees water litigation and who opposes paying farmers for water diverted to endangered fish. "We will be seeing a lot more of these kinds of claims brought not only against the federal government, but state governments."

William S. Smiland, a Los Angeles lawyer representing the farmers in the Supreme Court case, Francis A. Orff v. United States, said they and farmers in the other lawsuits long had gotten the short end of the stick and were only demanding their due.

"Nobody really cares about them," Smiland said. "I don't mean to be melodramatic, but they have no political clout. So this is law against politics."

In the early 1990s, many farmers in the Central Valley had their irrigation water halved by federal officials because of severe drought. Flows that normally would have gone to crops were left in rivers for salmon and other fish struggling to survive.

The water shortage took a financial toll on the farmers, whose fields extend across an arid ancient seabed that is the country's most productive farmland owing to a system of dams and canals that brings snowmelt from distant mountains.

Some of the farmers, including Orff of Fresno County, sued the federal government for damages. The case has undergone changes over the years, and today the Supreme Court will consider only a narrow contract issue that focuses on whether farmers, rather than their irrigation districts, have legal standing to sue the federal government.

But the reverberations of the case are considered much broader because a victory for the farmers could open the door to many more lawsuits.

Environmentalists and some state officials worry that hard-won federal protections for endangered species could be weakened. They fear that the government will not make use of protections included in the Endangered Species Act because courts could make the protections too expensive by forcing the government to pay costly damages. # http://www.contracostatimes.com/mld/cctimes/living/science/10969581.htm

 
WATER RIGHT DISPUTE:

Valley farmers go before high court; Their bid to sue feds over undelivered water meets with supreme skepticism

Fresno Bee - 2/24/05

By Michael Doyle, staff writer

 

WASHINGTON - Some San Joaquin Valley farmers had a tough row to hoe Wednesday as Supreme Court justices showed skepticism over the farmers' bid to sue the federal government. 

 

The roughly two dozen Westlands Water District farmers and farming partnerships want money for undelivered irrigation water. It could add up to millions of dollars. But because the district already had settled its own suit against the government, the farmers first require a judicial green light in order to sue on their own. 

 

The result could be a legal and administrative mess, some justices suggested. 

"The whole point of the districts is to make it easier for the government to deal with the farmers," Justice Anthony Kennedy said, cautioning that allowing individual lawsuits would "undermine efficiency." 

 

Justice John Paul Stevens likewise noted that "the government probably thought it would be efficient for the district to represent all the farms," rather than allow dissident farmers to challenge the government in court. Westlands' managers agree, though they've often fought the federal government on other fronts. 

 

"How in the world are we going to be able to administer a water contract if at any given time, a [single] landowner is able to go into court?" 

 

Sacramento-based attorney Stuart Somach asked on Westlands' behalf during the hourlong oral argument Wednesday. 

 

But the individual farmers maintain that having lost both water and money, they deserve a chance to seek compensation. By one estimate, about $32million could be on the table for Francis Orff and the other farmers. 

 

"The United States breached the [irrigation] contract. The United States cut the water and doubled the charge," said William Smiland, the Los Angeles attorney for Orff and the other farmers. "My clients have suffered massive losses. We should have a forum, a remedy and our day in court." 

 

Now in his 80s, Orff began farming about 800 acres in the Westlands Water District following World War II. Like others in the 600,000-acre Wetlands district, he was unhappy when the federal government began cutting irrigation deliveries to preserve endangered species. 

 

Under the 1992 Central Valley Project Improvement Act, more than 1 million acre-feet of water was diverted away from farms and into environmental protection. Westlands and other water districts sued, adding their lawsuit to the long string of legal challenges that have dogged Western water decisions. 

 

In 1995, Westlands dropped its lawsuit as part of the newly adopted Cal-Fed program emphasizing state-and-federal collaboration on solving water problems. Orff and his allies, who represent a small fraction of the entire Westlands district, chose to press on. 

 

"We would have hoped the district would keep going," Smiland said. 

Although the federal government is customarily immune from lawsuits, the 1982 Reclamation Reform Act permitted some suits over water contracts. 

 

The legal question facing the court Wednesday was whether the individual farmers can be considered "intended third-party beneficiaries" of the Westlands water contract, and thus eligible to sue through the waiver of sovereign immunity granted under the 1982 law. 

 

"We don't give a broad construction to waivers of sovereign immunity," Justice Sandra Day O'Connor cautioned. 

 

Associate Solicitor General Jeffrey Minear, representing the Bush administration, likewise added that the water contract was "rendered to Westlands" rather than individual farmers, and that it was Westlands that had "the authority to act on behalf of all of its members." 

 

The one justice who sounded sympathetic to the farmers' position was Justice Antonin Scalia. Other justices wondered why the case wasn't simply brought in the U.S. Court of Federal Claims, where judges have previously issued million-dollar awards to aggrieved farmers. #

http://www.fresnobee.com/business/v-sl-opinion-stories/story/10019238p-10851472c.html




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From tstokely at trinityalps.net  Fri Feb 25 20:18:19 2005
From: tstokely at trinityalps.net (Tom Stokely)
Date: Fri, 25 Feb 2005 20:18:19 -0800
Subject: [env-trinity] CVP Contracts Renewed!!!!!
Message-ID: <00ce01c51bba$4ee20730$156b3940@trinitycounty.org>


Mid-Pacific Region
Sacramento, CA

MP-05-021

Media Contact: Jeffrey McCracken  916-978-5100
jmccracken at mp.usbr.gov 

For Release On:  February 25, 2005

Central Valley Project Water Contracts are Renewed for Farms and Cities
Water Service and Settlement Contracts Expiring After 40 Years

The Bureau of Reclamation's Mid-Pacific Region is nearing completion on contract negotiations with about 200 water districts and water contractors in the Central Valley Project (CVP), and starting today Reclamation will begin signing long-term contracts for 25 or 40 years, depending on contract type.  In addition, Reclamation has completed the required environmental compliance, including Endangered Species Act (ESA) and National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) for all but a few of the contracts.  ESA and NEPA compliance requirements will be completed prior to execution of any contract.

The contracts will provide water for 3.4 million acres of farmland in the Sacramento and San Joaquin Valleys that produce billions of dollars in gross farm revenue and provide municipal and industrial (M&I) water for more than 3 million people and businesses, including Silicon Valley.  Delivering this water also generates enough electricity for 2 million households.

"This has been a long, complex, and demanding process, and these contracts have been weighed and measured through two administrations," said Mid-Pacific Regional Director Kirk Rodgers.  "The results will bring continued economic stability to one of California's biggest industries - agriculture - and provide our growing cities, industries, and businesses with the water they need for tomorrow."

The signing of the contracts culminates years of public negotiations that began in the late 1980s.  Negotiations included opportunities for the public and interested parties to comment on negotiated terms and conditions in the contracts.  More than 190 public negotiating sessions took place throughout the process.

The Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement (PEIS) for the 1992 Central Valley Project Improvement Act (CVPIA), Public Law 102-575, was completed in 1999.  Subsequent environmental documents for contract renewal "tiered off" the PEIS and were made available for public review and comment.

The renewed contracts will see the cost of CVP water increase consistent with regional rate-setting policies.  These policies are designed to meet the congressional mandate to recover the cost of construction of the CVP main project features by the year 2030.  Water rates can be adjusted annually to ensure cost recovery is achieved.  The previous contracts had fixed water rates for irrigators.  The renewed contracts will charge a cost-of-service depending on location of the Contractor and the facilities used to deliver the water.  Contractors will also pay an initial restoration charge into a fund.  This Restoration Fund collects about $50 million a year which is used for environmental and fishery restoration purposes.

These contracts meet all the statutory requirements including CVPIA and State of California permits and licenses issued to Reclamation authorizing the diversion, storage, and use of water.

The water service contracts serving districts from Redding to Bakersfield account for approximately 5.6 million acre-feet of water annually.  These contracts are being renewed for a period of 25 years for farmers and 40 years for M&I users.  The CVPIA requires the Secretary to renew the existing CVP contracts.

The Sacramento River Settlement contracts, which provide about 400,000 acre-feet of "Project Water," are being renewed for a period of 40 years.  These contracts cover irrigators and water districts that were diverting from the Sacramento River under State water rights claims before the CVP was constructed.  As a result, these contractors receive 1.8 million acre-feet of "Base Supply" to satisfy their senior water rights.

Facts and Figures

The renewed contracts provide water for homes and businesses in Antioch, Applegate, Auburn, Avenal, Brentwood, Campbell, Citrus Heights, Clayton, Coalinga, Colfax, Concord, Cupertino, Fair Oaks, Folsom, Fresno, Fresno County, Gilroy, Granite Bay, Huron, Lindsay, Loomis, Los Altos, Los Altos Hills, Los Gatos, Martinez, Milpitas, Morgan Hill, Mountain View, Oakley, Orange Cove, Orangevale, Pacheco, Palo Alto, Penyrn, Pittsburg, Placer County, Pleasant Hill, Port Costa, Redding, Rocklin, Roseville, Sacramento, Sacramento County, San Jose, Santa Clara, Santa Nella, Saratoga, Shasta County, Shasta Lake, Sunnyvale, Tracy, Visalia, Walnut Creek, and West Sacramento.

The CVP irrigates 1/3rd of all farmland in California.
The CVP delivers 1/3rd of all the irrigation water used in California.
Counties irrigated by CVP water generate $13 billion in gross farm product.
California is the 4th largest agricultural region in the world behind the United States, Brazil, and China.
One of every 4 jobs in the CVP service area is related to agriculture.

# # #

Reclamation is the largest wholesale water supplier and the second largest producer of hydroelectric power in the United States, with operations and facilities in the 17 Western States. Its facilities also provide substantial flood control, recreation, and fish and wildlife benefits. Visit our Website at http://www.usbr.gov. 

***************************************************************************************************************************************


Editorial: Pending deal would undermine state's water solutions
Sacramento Bee - 2/25/05
By Peter H. Gleick, guest editorialist, president of the Pacific Institute in Oakland


The federal government is on the verge of destroying for decades any chance of peacefully and economically solving California's water problems.
 
Unless the governor and our U.S. representatives intervene immediately, the Department of Interior's Bureau of Reclamation will push through new long-term contracts to provide heavily subsidized water to a small number of powerful irrigation districts at the expense of California's cities, family farmers, environment and economy. 
 
The decisions are being made behind closed doors, with little or no public input or scrutiny. The consequences will be perpetuating waste and inefficiency, worsening conflict among water users and accelerating ecological destruction. 
 
For the past 50 years, federal water policy has encouraged a few farmers to consume vast quantities of California's water. The water delivered by the federal Central Valley Project (CVP), built for and paid for by taxpayers, is sold for pennies on the dollar. The price doesn't even cover the project's operating and maintenance costs, much less the cost of building it. This might have made sense when the West was young, but in the 21st century, we know that such subsidies encourage the waste of water, lead to the production of surplus crops and hurt, rather than help, job growth and our economy. 
 
Yet those original contracts are about to be renewed without the reforms or price increases needed to account for the new reality of water scarcity. According to a new analysis by the Congressional Budget Office, the cost to taxpayers of renewing these subsidies is at least $500 million over the next 10 years. In some cases, the new contracts offer water that may not be reliably available to irrigation districts that cannot prove they will actually use it. 
 
We can, and should, support a healthy and strong agricultural sector in the state but without the waste and inefficiency encouraged by these federal subsidies. We know that heavily subsidized water is wasted. This is as true in California - where we grow crops that can be grown more efficiently elsewhere - as it is in India or China or the Middle East, where inappropriate subsidies are leading to groundwater depletion and contamination and the destruction of ecosystems. 
 
The use of 1,000 acre-feet of water in California produces 9,000 jobs in the semiconductor industry, 2,500 jobs in commercial offices, 35 jobs in grape and wine production - but only three jobs growing cotton. The use of one acre-foot of water by the semiconductor industry produces gross state revenue of nearly $1 million; one acre-foot of water used to grow cotton and alfalfa produces just $60. 
 
This is another example of the federal government burdening California employers and taxpayers and worsening our water challenges. It has shunted onto state taxpayers the costs of fixing California Bay-Delta water problems that were caused in no small part by inappropriate federal projects built over the past century. Now, these new contracts will take water owned by Californians and use it as political patronage. 
 
The governor and our elected representatives in Washington must step in to protect California's interests, minimize taxpayers' costs and maximize economic growth. 
 
If the federal government pushes these contracts to satisfy special interests, they must be limited to a single renewal, as required by law. The contracts must not give away water not reliably available or truly needed. The price of water must reflect the true costs of building and operating projects as well as the costs of providing that water in order to encourage those few subsidized farmers to use water efficiently and effectively. 
 
These are the only ways to protect our critical supplies of freshwater for now and for the future. 
 
Peter H. Gleick is president of the Pacific Institute in Oakland, a MacArthur Fellow and a member of the Water Science and Technology Board of the U.S. National Academy of Sciences. Reach him at info at pacinst.org. #
http://www.sacbee.com/content/opinion/story/12451916p-13308069c.html
 
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From tstokely at trinityalps.net  Sun Feb 27 19:20:52 2005
From: tstokely at trinityalps.net (Tom Stokely)
Date: Sun, 27 Feb 2005 19:20:52 -0800
Subject: [env-trinity] SACBEE- Klamath farmers, fish at crossroads
Message-ID: <008801c51d44$82bca570$3f6c3940@trinitycounty.org>

Klamath farmers, fish at crossroads
A utility's plan to end a longtime power subsidy could mean less water going to agriculture.
http://www.sacbee.com/content/politics/story/12474256p-13330164c.html
By David Whitney -- Bee Washington Bureau
Published 2:15 am PST Sunday, February 27, 2005
WASHINGTON - Through sickness and health, drought and abundance, Klamath basin farmers have been wedded to dirt-cheap power for nearly nine decades. 
Electric pumps lift water from an underground aquifer, help pull it from lakes and canals, spray it over some 450,000 acres of crops and then push the agricultural overflow back uphill from Tule Lake to the Upper Klamath National Wildlife Refuge, to start the process again. 

But there's trouble afoot, and this once-happy union of power and water, in the largest battleground over the federal Endangered Species Act in the country, is on the brink of dissolution. 



 Portland, Ore.-based PacifiCorp, whose vast six-state service area includes the Klamath basin, overlapping southern Oregon and Northern California, wants to end subsidized power rates next year for 1,300 irrigators that have been virtually unchanged since the power started flowing in 1917. 
The impact will be costly to all, and devastating to many. 

Rates will go from 0.6 cents to more than 6 cents per kilowatt-hour - a tenfold increase. 

The Tulelake Irrigation District in Northern California, for example, has been told that its annual power bill is expected to rise from about $70,000 in 2003 to $1.05 million in 2006, said Ed Danosky, general manager. 

Farmers are screaming about economic disaster and broken promises. 

"People are going to suffer," said Steve Kandra, president of the Klamath Water Users Association, who said he believes many will resort to more wasteful irrigation flooding that uses a lot less juice. 

But others see market-based power rates for irrigators as the much-needed catalyst for resolving entrenched conflicts between agriculture and fish. The irony is that by leaving it to market forces rather than government, they say, fish and farmers could end up healthier. 

Especially in the hillier portions of the basin in Oregon, where sprinkler irrigation is dominant and flood irrigation impractical, high power rates can be an incentive to forgo farming on marginal lands. 

"If even 40,000 acres of these most marginal lands went out of production, using a rule of thumb of 2.5 acre-feet of water per acre, that's 100,000 acre-feet of water returned to the system," said Jim McCarthy of the Oregon Natural Resources Council. 

Oregon State University economist William Jaeger said salmon could be the beneficiary of weeding out the marginal operators. But the vast majority of farming operations should do just fine despite the high power rates, he said, and the payoff for them would be a reduced threat of losing water deliveries during dry years when fish need them more. 

"I see a potential for a compromise on a middle ground solution to problems in the upper basin," said Jaeger, who has extensively studied the Klamath basin and its intractable conflict over water. 

The dispute is over who should have priority to receive water when it's in short supply - farmers, who were lured to the basin nearly a century ago by government water policy, or endangered suckerfish and salmon whose declining health has devastated a cultural and economic way of life along the Klamath River all the way to the Pacific Ocean and beyond. 

Glen Spain, Northwest regional director of the Pacific Coast Federation of Fishermen's Associations, said the dispute is a classic supply-and-demand situation and that applying market-based rates for the power that runs the irrigation network could begin to even the scales. 

"Is this a magic bullet?" he asked. "No, but it will sure help." 

On the surface, these are not issues that concern PacifiCorp. Its decision to end the subsidies is a simple business issue, the company said, not some grand altruistic search for a solution to the Klamath basin's water wars. 

"Let's not pretend this is going to be easy on people," said Jon Coney, a PacifiCorp spokesman. "We are doing everything in our power to help these customer groups through this." 

But the timing of the company's decision to end the subsidies adds to the complexity, and the suspicions. 

The company's 50-year license to operate its Klamath hydroelectric projects expires next year, and in relicensing proceedings before the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission the company is under pressure to do more to protect downstream fish, including taking down dams. 

While cheap power has been associated with the relicensing, PacifiCorp regards them as separate processes, adding that state law now prohibits the renewal of the special irrigator rates. 

"We are a cost-of-service utility," he said, and the company can't offer one subset of customers a special deal that its 1.6 million other customers absorb. 

"We will come out of this financially neutral," Coney said. 

But Kandra, of the Klamath Water Users Association, charged that PacifiCorp is reneging on a commitment it made for the right to generate power in the basin. 

"It shouldn't be acceptable to anyone in the United States that a utility gets the run of a river and does not compensate the people who provide them that run," he said. 

Kandra also disputed claims that fish were going to benefit from the pain of irrigators, all of whom are family farmers rather than big industrial operations. It's the irrigators who pay to move water throughout the basin, he said, and its eventual return to the Upper Klamath National Wildlife Refuge helps fish and waterfowl. 

"Salmon and the wildlife refuges are going to suffer, too," he said. "If you're trying to strike at the heart by bankrupting a bunch of farmers, you will be disappointed in the results. This will make things worse, not better. It's a giant step backward." 

Jaeger, however, said the plan could hold more promise. 

An analysis he did for Oregon State University's extension service concluded that farmers who irrigate their lands by sprinkler could expect annual costs to rise by $40 an acre, perhaps encouraging more efficient low-pressure systems. 

But for marginal operations, he said in the report, loss of profitability would create new incentives for selling water rights, thus creating an important new tool to relieving the demand side of the equation. 

And that, he said, could mean "lower-cost solutions to the region's water conflicts, thereby reducing the potential harm to the region's overall agricultural economy." 

The Klamath Water Users Association and others are fighting the proposed rate increases before the Oregon Public Utility Commission in a rate case that has drawn environmentalists and fishermen to the utility's side. Soon a new rate case will begin in California. 

There's a chance that in the settlement talks over relicensing PacifiCorp's hydroelectric operations the rate increases would be modified. 

But Danosky, whose Northern California irrigation district could be hit the hardest, said he is convinced the good times are ending for irrigators. 

"This is a business deal," he said of PacifiCorp. "It's a contract. It has been 50 years. And it's been a heck of a deal." 


  About the writer:
    a.. The Bee's David Whitney can be reached at (202) 383-0004 or dwhitney at mcclatchydc.com. 
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From tstokely at trinityalps.net  Sun Feb 27 19:24:53 2005
From: tstokely at trinityalps.net (Tom Stokely)
Date: Sun, 27 Feb 2005 19:24:53 -0800
Subject: [env-trinity] SF Chronicle- Tribe sees dam plan as cultural
	genocide 
Message-ID: <009f01c51d45$1284f720$3f6c3940@trinitycounty.org>

http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2005/02/27/BAGSOBHKJI1.DTL 
Tribe sees dam plan as cultural genocide 
Raising lake level would drown sites sacred to the Winnemem Wintu 
- Glen Martin, Chronicle Environment Writer 
Sunday, February 27, 2005 

A plan to raise Shasta Dam could help ease California's water crisis, but a band of California Indians says the project will obliterate their culture and way of life. 

The dam proposal is a centerpiece strategy of CalFed, the joint federal and state agency empowered to distribute the state's water to its various stakeholders. 

The idea is to raise the dam 16 feet or more, vastly increasing the holding capacity of Shasta Lake -- and the state's water supply -- for a relatively small investment. Raising the dam by even 16 feet could boost Shasta's storage capacity by 300,000 acre-feet -- enough to supply 900,000 families with water for a year. 

Agriculture and municipalities are bullish on the proposal. California Democratic Sen. Dianne Feinstein, who was instrumental in securing recent key authorizing legislation for CalFed, is supporting feasibility studies for the plan. 

But fisheries advocates and environmentalists generally are opposed to the project, saying it would provide no benefit for downstream fisheries and wildlife. 

And for the Winnemem Wintu -- a tribe of about 125 members that historically occupied the McCloud River drainage -- a higher dam would be an unmitigated catastrophe. 

Raising the dam would submerge several sacred sites permanently, tribal members say. And because these sites are essential to the tribe's religious ceremonies, the project, they say, amounts to cultural genocide. 

"We feel like Catholics would feel if it was decided that flooding the Sistine Chapel was a good public works project," said Caleen Sisk-Franco, the tribe's leader. "To us, the project would be the worst kind of sacrilege." 

Sisk-Franco made her comments at Kaibai, an ancient Winnemem village site on the McCloud River arm of Shasta Lake. According to a U.S. Forest Service archaeologist in the area, the Winnemem may have lived here for more than 2, 000 years. 

Typically, Kaibai is underwater for much of the year, appearing only after the reservoir has been drawn down in the summer. But due to unusually heavy releases from Shasta Dam, the tribe has had access to Kaibai for months. The McCloud is running free and clear past the ancient village site. 

If Shasta Lake is raised by 16 feet, Kaibai probably will disappear forever. 

Sisk-Franco gently placed her hand on a large rock cratered with numerous mortar holes for grinding. 

"We hold the puberty rites for our kids here," Sisk-Franco said. "We use this rock every year for grinding medicinal plants -- just as our ancestors have done, for hundreds of years." 

She pointed to a huge boulder across the river and downstream from the grinding rocks. 

"That's Children's Rock," she said. "Our children are taught to climb there in our initiation ceremonies, to gain confidence for later observances, when they have to climb -- that." 

She turned, and nodded at a steep, rocky peak looming over Kaibai. 

"That's Hamaleokus," she said. "Our boys are taken up there to fast when they come of age. When the white men came into the McCloud drainage, we flew a flag at the top of Hamaleokus, to say, 'We're still here.' " 

Mark Franco, a tribal member and Sisk-Franco's husband, said the tribe has tried to contact CalFed, the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation and Feinstein about its concerns, but have received little substantive feedback. 

"It's clear they don't really want to be bothered with us," Franco said. 

But representatives of the agencies involved in the dam proposal say they have no intention of ignoring the Winnemem. 

Keith Coolidge, a spokesman for CalFed, said raising Shasta Dam is one of five new surface water storage projects contemplated for the state. 

"The participating agencies will look at the comparative merits (of the different projects) and should arrive at a decision by the end of 2006," Coolidge said. "I'm sure the concerns of the Winnemem will be addressed as the Shasta Dam proposal goes through the process." 

Jeff McCracken, a spokesman for the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation, the agency that administers the Shasta Dam and reservoir, said all stakeholders will be heard before a decision is made. 

"Where the Winnemem are concerned, we will do cultural surveys and look at the impacts that could arise," McCracken said. "This isn't 50 years ago, when whole towns were moved for water projects without a second thought." 

But Franco said the Winnemem generally have found government agencies unresponsive to their concerns over sacred sites -- not just the Bureau of Reclamation and CalFed, but also the U.S. Forest Service. 

He cited one recent point of conflict: Dekkas, a steep hillside site near the McCloud River used by the tribe for a variety of rites, including a spring ceremony honoring Winnemem elders who have survived the winter. 

On a tour of Dekkas, Franco and Sisk-Franco pointed out a large number of brush piles that had been stacked recently, a fuel reduction effort carried out by the Forest Service. The brush was all old-growth manzanita, Franco noted, and had been part of a grove sacred to the tribe. 

"This is where we get our wood for our ceremonial fires," he said. "Now - - it's all gone." 

Franco shook his head, visibly upset. "This has completely desecrated Dekkas," he said. "We had explicit agreements with the Forest Service that they would stay away from this site." 

Next to a gate blocking a rutted road that led to Dekkas, Sisk-Franco pointed out a rock that had been covered by manzanita, and was now ringed by stumps. 

"There was a rattlesnake that lived there," she said, "the guardian to Dekkas. I doubt he's there now -- it's too exposed. Dekkas is unprotected." 

Jennings Sharon Heywood, the supervisor for the Shasta-Trinity National Forest, said contract crews working for the agency cut the brush around Dekkas. 

"Our original information told us those bushes were far enough away from the ceremonial site to have no impact," Heywood said. "That said, it seems to me this was an obvious error, and I don't know why the tribe wasn't contacted, but we intend to get out there and work this out with them." 

Some government representatives suggest the tribe's problems could be solved if members were more responsive to federal procedure. Most significantly, they say, the tribe has refused to pursue official recognition from the U.S. Bureau of Indian Affairs, the federal agency that deals with tribal issues. 

Howard Gantman, a spokesman for Feinstein, said the senator's office has written to the bureau seeking a clarification of the Winnemem's status. 

"They informed us the tribe had provided insufficient documentation for recognition," said Gantman, who added that Feinstein understands the concerns of the Winnemem and wants to help. 

Franco said the tribe is not actively seeking recognition from the bureau. The federal government, he said, recognized the tribe in 1851, when Winnemem representatives signed the Cottonwood Treaty, an agreement that granted the tribe a 35-square-mile reservation on their traditional lands. Federal Indian agent O.M. Wozencraft, representing the United States, also signed the treaty. 

But the treaty was left unratified by Congress at the behest of the California delegation, Franco said. 

Tribal members ultimately received some land allotments in the McCloud River area, Franco said, but the holdings were condemned under later legislation that ultimately allowed for the construction of Shasta Lake. 

"We can document a history of federal recognition followed by broken promises," Franco said, "so we're standing by the original 1851 treaty. It's a valid document, and it's unrealistic to think we would get through any new process before our sacred sites go underwater forever." 
------------------------------------------------------------------------ 
Awareness about the Winnemem 

A series of Bay Area events this week will highlight the Winnemem Wintu tribe's opposition to the raising of Shasta Dam. 

Tuesday: The American Indian Studies Department at San Francisco State University will host the Sacred Land and Water Symposium at 1 p.m. in Room 133 of the Humanities Building. Caleen Sisk-Franco will participate in the panel discussion, which will be followed by two films about the Winnemem -- "In Light of Reverence" and "The Winnemem War Dance at Shasta Dam." Admission is free. 

Wednesday: The two films will be screened at 7 p.m. in the Cowell Theater at Fort Mason Center in San Francisco. Admission: $15. 

Thursday: The films will be shown at 7 p.m. at the Grand Lake Theater at 3200 Grand Ave., Oakland. Admission: $15. 

E-mail Glen Martin at glenmartin at sfchronicle.com. 

Page A - 17 

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From tstokely at trinityalps.net  Mon Feb 28 10:30:54 2005
From: tstokely at trinityalps.net (Tom Stokely)
Date: Mon, 28 Feb 2005 10:30:54 -0800
Subject: [env-trinity] Interesting Story on Termination of Klamath Tribes'
	Reservation
Message-ID: <00e201c51dc3$a4133e80$7f6b3940@trinitycounty.org>

http://www.tidepool.org/original_content.cfm?articleid=98011 
Restoring Klamath Heartlands 
Oregon's Unique Chance for Justice and Sustainability 

by EDWARD C. WOLF | posted 11.19.03 | 

In Oregon's Klamath Basin -- renowned for its water disputes -- a remarkable and little-noted story 
about land is unfolding. The current story begins 50 years ago, with a since-repudiated federal 
policy toward Indian tribes called "termination." 

It involves the chance to right a profound injustice, and an opportunity to achieve forest 
restoration on an unprecedented scale. However the story ends, it marks a profound moment in 
the history of Oregon and the West. 

When the Klamath Lake Treaty of 1864 reserved to the Klamath and Modoc Indians and the 
Yahooskin Band of the Snake Indians "the Klamath heartlands, including Upper Klamath and 
Agency lakes, as well as the Williamson and Sprague drainages," that two-million-acre territory 
contained one of the greatest ecological treasures of the American West. Despite survey errors and 
fraud that reduced the Tribes' reservation to 1.2 million acres, the Klamath Tribes retained an 
extraordinary estate of ponderosa pine watersheds protecting the integrity of the lakes and 
marshes that had been the keystone of tribal life for thousands of years. 

"The greatest stand" 

The park-like groves of yellow pine sheltered more mule deer than loggers until the early 20th 
century. In 1913, influenced by the ideas of progressive-era Forest Service chief Gifford Pinchot, 
the U.S. Indian Service (precursor to the Bureau of Indian Affairs) worked with the Tribes to begin 
a conservative program of sustained-yield logging on Klamath lands. Trees were milled locally 
and sold to produce income for the Tribes. At an annual cut of about 80 million board-feet, this 
harvest produced an annuity of roughly $1000 for each tribal member, helping to give the Tribes 
an important measure of stability and economic well-being. 

Two-thirds of the Klamath Reservation Forest were selectively cut over the next forty years, 
leaving nearly one hundred thousand acres of old-growth ponderosa pine untouched. At 
mid-century, the forest contained some 4.6 billion board-feet of timber, most of that on lightly-cut 
stands. Future Oregon governor Tom McCall, while working for a committee of the state 
legislature in 1957, described that forest simply as "the greatest single stand of Ponderosa pine to 
be found anywhere in the West." 

The era of termination 

In the early 1950s, U.S. Interior Secretary Douglas McKay (a former Oregon governor) and his 
Congressional allies advocated a policy of "termination" to dissolve Federal trust responsibilities to 
Indian tribes. Termination was adopted as national policy by an act of Congress in 1953. The first 
tribes chosen to demonstrate the policy included the only two in the country with extensive 
timber lands, the Menominee of Wisconsin and the Klamath Tribes of Oregon. 

The Klamath Termination Act, passed in August 1954, dissolved the Klamath Tribes and forced 
tribal members to make a choice: take their share of tribal assets in cash, or join a group 
arrangement that would administer their collective share of former tribal assets in trust. Misled 
about the implications of the vote they would cast, three-quarters of the enrolled tribal members 
voted to withdraw and accept their shares in cash. 

The cash-distribution provision contained in the law forced the public auction of tribal assets to 
raise the money needed to pay withdrawing members. The tribal estate, consisting almost 
entirely of land and timber, was privatized and would be liquidated to fulfill the law's intent. 
Congress had put the forested watersheds of the Klamath heartlands on the chopping block. 

A Rude Awakening 

With the termination of the Klamath Tribes a regrettable fait accompli, Oregon's political and 
opinion leaders awoke to the fact that an act of Congress was poised to annihilate one of the state's 
most beautiful and valuable landscapes. Why? Because public auction would unleash an 
accelerated clearcut of the Klamath forest that was certain to be economically and ecologically 
devastating. Tom McCall observed at the time that "'boom and bust' land speculators and lumber 
interests plotted to control the Klamath Basin," to the detriment of the Tribes, local communities, 
the regional timber market, and the entire state. 

To pay the $90 million appraised value of the Klamath forest, private timber operators would 
likely liquidate an estimated two-thirds of the standing volume of pine in a couple of seasons of 
frenzied cutting. This would require a cut forty times greater than the sustained-yield harvests of 
the pre-termination years. 

With unprecedented unity of purpose, Oregon politicians at every level, from the Klamath County 
Courthouse to the United States Senate, swung into action to prevent this catastrophe. The only 
feasible alternative appeared to be federal purchase of the Klamath forest lands for management 
under the multiple-use sustained-yield mandate then governing the National Forests. 

Oregon senator Richard Neuberger introduced a bill in 1957 to delay the auction of tribal assets 
and arrange the federal purchase of the Klamath Reservation lands. In a compromise with the 
Secretary of the Interior, Neuberger ultimately endorsed and secured passage of a bill that 
appropriated $90 million to purchase the land and required any private buyers of Klamath forest 
lands to log only according to the government's sustained yield restrictions ? a clause that made 
private purchase unattractive to nearly all buyers. 

>From reservation to national forest 

The array of the bill's supporters read like a "Who's Who" of post-war Oregon politics. The outcome 
allowed members of the Klamath Tribes to receive the cash distribution promised them by law, 
while creating the new Winema National Forest and adding acreage to the existing Fremont 
National Forest. The upland pine forests encircling the Klamath Basin were spared the 
consequences of a reckless act of Congress, a conservation victory that foreshadowed the forest 
protection battles of later decades. 

Neuberger's celebratory article in the April 1959 issue of Harper's, "How Oregon Rescued a 
Forest," failed to enumerate the costs of that rescue to the people of the Klamath Tribes. The 
termination policy proved to be a social and economic disaster for the tribes, a dark era in which 
the community's land and resource wealth was converted into money that quickly dissipated, 
given the obstacles to purchase of the former reservation lands by tribal members. Tribal identity 
suffered under the duress of the times. The minority of Klamath individuals who had agreed to 
have their share of tribal assets managed in private trust by U.S. Bank voted in 1970 to dismiss 
the trustee; the bank interpreted the vote as one to dissolve the trust itself. Senator Mark Hatfield 
overcame the opposition of the Nixon Administration to achieve federal purchase of the lands that 
had been held in that trust, adding 135,000 acres to the Winema National Forest. 

Slow steps toward sovereignty 

It took another decade and a half for the Klamath Tribes to petition successfully for the restoration 
of their status, finally accomplished and signed into law by President Reagan in 1986. Though the 
Klamath Reservation was not reconstituted at that time, the law did require a plan for the Tribes' 
economic self-sufficiency. The return of tribal lands became the natural centerpiece of that plan, 
submitted to U.S. Secretary of the Interior Bruce Babbitt in 2000. The Tribes' effort to build a 
secure future emphasized developing their capacity to manage the former reservation for 
ecological health and the economic well-being of Klamath members. 

Meanwhile, in the four decades since the creation of the Winema National Forest, the U.S. Forest 
Service replaced its historically conservative sustained-yield policy with an emphasis on 
even-aged management and elevated timber harvests. Unconstrained road-building and logging 
in the 1980s and early 1990s gave way to the near-shutdown of commercial logging on federal 
lands during the past decade. The forests of the former Klamath Reservation bear the scars of this 
policy whip-saw, though had the land been clear-cut as foreseen at termination, restoration would 
be far more challenging. 

More than 300,000 acres have been degraded by heavy cutting or recent clear-cuts. Another 
300,000 acres have been "structurally simplified" by logging and fire suppression. On roughly 
100,00 acres stand "structurally complex" forests with the big pines that characterized most of 
the Klamath Reservation Forest until the middle of the 20th century. More than half the forest is 
well-suited to restoration work that could generate modest timber revenues, reduce the risk of 
wildfire, and restore conditions conducive to the Tribes' treaty-protected subsistence hunting and 
gathering practices. 

A hopeful chapter 

Working with a team of nationally renowned forest scientists led by K. Norman Johnson of Oregon 
State University, the Klamath Tribes have developed a forest management plan anchored in the 
tribe's vision and values. 

In 2002, President Bush appointed a cabinet-level Klamath River Basin Federal Working Group 
chaired by Interior Secretary Gale Norton, which is due to make policy recommendations on a 
number of contentious Klamath Basin land and water issues this fall. Many people believe the 
Working Group is sympathetic to return of the Klamath Tribes' reservation -- which would 
constitute about 690,000 acres and would include forest lands within the Winema and Fremont 
National Forests that fall within the boundaries of the former reservation. The Klamath Tribes 
have begun an ambitious effort at community outreach, to explain their goals and vision for the 
former reservation to their Klamath Basin neighbors and others. 

Fifty years ago, the Klamath heartlands could easily have become a brushy, cut-over moonscape 
prone to flash floods and droughts that would have further destabilized the Klamath Basin's water 
situation. 

Instead, the forest stands diminished from its former grandeur but in a condition to respond to 
restoration efforts guided by the Tribes' values. Return of the forest to the Klamath Tribes under a 
sustainable management plan could fulfill a struggle toward justice and sustainability that is 
unique in Oregon's history. 

Feelings run high on all sides of the issue. But Klamath Tribes member and planning specialist 
Anna Bennett finds hope expressed best in the Tribes' vision for the forest: 

"When we heal the land, we also heal people." 

? 30 ? 

Edward C. Wolf is currently working on a book titled "Klamath Heartlands: A Guide to the 
Klamath Reservation Forest Management Plan," scheduled for publication in 2004 by the 
Klamath Tribes and Ecotrust. The views expressed here are his own. 
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From tstokely at trinityalps.net  Tue Mar  1 08:13:51 2005
From: tstokely at trinityalps.net (Tom Stokely)
Date: Tue, 1 Mar 2005 08:13:51 -0800
Subject: [env-trinity] Earthjustice-Court Allows Salmon Advocates To
	Participate in Case by Klamath Irrigators Seeking Taxpayer Money 
Message-ID: <02d901c51e7a$0e679540$7f6b3940@trinitycounty.org>

Court Allows Salmon Advocates To Participate in Case by Klamath Irrigators 
Seeking Taxpayer Money 
Court recognizes fishermen's stake in outcome of farmers' bid for federal 
compensation 

February 28th, 2005 

http://www.earthjustice.org/news/display.html?ID=961 
Contact Info: 
Todd True, Earthjustice, 206-343-7340 x 30 
Glen Spain, Pacific Coast Federation of Fishermen's Associations, 541-689-2000 

Washington DC-- In a case with a billion taxpayer dollars at stake, a federal claims court has 
ruled that commercial salmon fishermen have the right to fully participate and defend against 
Klamath irrigators seeking compensation for receiving less than 100 percent of federal water 
deliveries in 2001. The ruling marks the first time any group trying to protect fish and wildlife 
has been allowed to intervene as a full party in a case in the Court of Claims. The ruling from the 
United States Court of Federal Claims in Washington, DC, came late Friday and granted the 
Pacific Coast Federation of Fishermen's Associations full party status. The federal claims court 
deals with questions of monetary compensation from the federal government. 

During the summer of 2001, in a near-record drought year, government officials reduced 
diversions of the Klamath River to farmers in order to sustain federally protected coho salmon 
downstream. These irrigators claimed the lack of water caused them economic losses and 
subsequently filed suit seeking taxpayer compensation for an unconstitutional "taking." When 
commercial fishermen and conservation groups moved to participate in the case, the irrigators 
strenuously objected. In Friday's ruling, Judge Francis Allegra found that the salmon advocates 
have a legitimate stake in the outcome. 

"The irrigators argued that a billion dollar decision from the Court of Claims is about as 
significant as a withdrawal from an ATM," said Todd True, an attorney with Earthjustice. "The 
order of the court embraces the contrary common sense idea that a claim for a billion dollars has 
real world implications for fish, fishermen, and their families." 

Regulation of commercial salmon fishing in Northern California and Oregon is largely governed 
by the health of Klamath salmon stocks. In 2002, an estimated 70,000 adult salmon died in the 
river before they could spawn. Scientists identified extremely low flows caused by the upstream 
irrigation diversions as a primary cause of the fish kill. Fish surveys indicate salmon stocks in the 
Klamath will be low for years to come with a small number of adult salmon expected to return 
this year. Federal and state fishery managers have indicated that the commercial salmon season 
for 2005 is likely to be severely limited in order to rebuild the damaged salmon stocks. 

Farmers in California's Central Valley brought a similar constitutional "takings" claim that was 
successful in a lower court Instead of appealing that decision, the federal government recently 
settled the claim and paid the irrigators' $16 million, a development fraught with peril for those 
who commercially fish salmon from the Central Valley. 

The court here indirectly addressed such a situation, stating that the interests of PCFFA "give 
rise to the distinct possibility that a ruling against the United States would have significant 
impacts on the allocation of the water in the Klamath Basin and corresponding negative impacts 
on PCFFA's fishing interests." 

"Trying to resolve these claims without having a seat at the table for fish and wildlife is like 
having a three-way debate with only two people," said Glen Spain of PCFFA. "If fish and wildlife 
had a seat at the table in the California Central Valley litigation, it might have saved taxpayers 
$16 million dollars and ensured that water would be left in the river for fish." 
------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 

Earthjustice 
426 17th Street, 6th Floor 
Oakland, CA 94612-2820 
Phone: (510) 550-6700 
Fax: (510) 550-6740 
Email: eajus at earthjustice.org 
Earthjustice is a non-profit public interest law firm dedicated to protecting the magnificent 
places, natural resources, and wildlife of this earth and to defending the right of all people to a 
healthy environment. We bring about far-reaching change by enforcing and strengthening 
environmental laws on behalf of hundreds of organizations and communities. 
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From tstokely at trinityalps.net  Tue Mar  1 08:15:06 2005
From: tstokely at trinityalps.net (Tom Stokely)
Date: Tue, 1 Mar 2005 08:15:06 -0800
Subject: [env-trinity] Klamath Herald/News- Ranchers,
	tribes make water deal-above Upper Klamath Lake  
Message-ID: <02da01c51e7a$10cf6d80$7f6b3940@trinitycounty.org>

Friday, February 25, 2005 
http://www.heraldandnews.com/articles/2005/02/25/news/top_stories/top1.txt 

Ranchers, tribes make water deal-above Upper Klamath Lake 

Published February 25, 2005 

By TODD KEPPLE 

Ranchers who irrigate out of streams above Upper Klamath Lake have reached an agreement 
with leaders of the Klamath Tribes over how to resolve a longstanding dispute over water rights. 

Under the agreement, ranchers and other landowners will drop their opposition to the Tribes' 
claim for water rights that would maintain high streamflows in the Sprague, Williamson and 
Wood rivers and their tributaries. 

In exchange, the tribes have agreed to not exercise their water right in a way that would harm 
irrigators whose claims to water were established before July 1, 1961. 

The agreement announced today was described as a modest start to untangling a complex tangle 
of claims and protests among hundreds of water users in the Klamath Basin. 

Tribal Chairman Allen Foreman and Fort Klamath rancher Roger Nicholson announced the 
agreement this morning at the Herald and News. 

The state of Oregon is in the process of adjudicating several hundred claims for water rights in 
the Upper Klamath Basin. The Klamath Tribes were among many parties who filed claims for 
water in 1997. 

The adjudication process has been stalled since then by disputes over conflicting claims. An 
adjudication is a legal proceeding that quantifies how much water goes with a claim. 

Klamath Water Users hire director 

Greg Addington, a lobbyist for the Oregon Farm Bureau Federation in Salem, said today he has 
been selected as the executive director of the Klamath Water Users Association. 

He replaces Dan Keppen, who resigned from the position last month. 

Addington has worked for the Farm Bureau Federation for the past nine years, most recently as a 
lobbyist in the state Legislature and in Congress. 

He previously spent six years as a southwest Oregon regional manager for the Farm Bureau. 
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From Jay_Glase at nps.gov  Tue Mar  1 10:00:43 2005
From: Jay_Glase at nps.gov (Jay_Glase at nps.gov)
Date: Tue, 1 Mar 2005 13:00:43 -0500
Subject: [env-trinity] Earthjustice-Court Allows Salmon Advocates
	To	Participate in Case by Klamath Irrigators Seeking Taxpayer Money
Message-ID: <OFD21C663A.2465C559-ON87256FB7.0062DD89-85256FB7.0062D53A@nps.gov>

Since I've been away for a while, could someone please tell me when and how
the adult salmon mortality number from 2002 was revised up to 70,000 fish?
And which surveys are they referring to that           "indicate salmon
stocks in the Klamath will be low for years to come"?

Just trying to stay up to date.
thanks,
jay


*******************************************
Jay Glase
Great Lakes Area Fishery Biologist
Isle Royale National Park
800 E. Lakeshore Dr.
Houghton, MI 49931
906/487-9080



|---------+---------------------------------------------->
|         |           "Tom Stokely"                      |
|         |           <tstokely at trinityalps.net>         |
|         |           Sent by:                           |
|         |           env-trinity-bounces at velocipede.dcn.|
|         |           davis.ca.us                        |
|         |                                              |
|         |                                              |
|         |           03/01/2005 08:13 AM PST            |
|         |                                              |
|---------+---------------------------------------------->
  >-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
  |                                                                                                                               |
  |       To:       "env-trinity" <env-trinity at velocipede.dcn.davis.ca.us>                                                        |
  |       cc:       (bcc: Jay Glase/Omaha/NPS)                                                                                    |
  |       Subject:  [env-trinity] Earthjustice-Court Allows Salmon Advocates To       Participate in Case by Klamath Irrigators   |
  |        Seeking Taxpayer Money                                                                                                 |
  >-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|




Court Allows Salmon Advocates To Participate in Case by Klamath Irrigators
Seeking Taxpayer Money


Court recognizes fishermen's stake in outcome of farmers' bid for federal
compensation


February 28th, 2005


http://www.earthjustice.org/news/display.html?ID=961
Contact Info:
Todd True, Earthjustice, 206-343-7340 x 30
Glen Spain, Pacific Coast Federation of Fishermen?s Associations,
541-689-2000


Washington DC-- In a case with a billion taxpayer dollars at stake, a
federal claims court has
ruled that commercial salmon fishermen have the right to fully participate
and defend against
Klamath irrigators seeking compensation for receiving less than 100 percent
of federal water
deliveries in 2001. The ruling marks the first time any group trying to
protect fish and wildlife
has been allowed to intervene as a full party in a case in the Court of
Claims. The ruling from the
United States Court of Federal Claims in Washington, DC, came late Friday
and granted the
Pacific Coast Federation of Fishermen?s Associations full party status. The
federal claims court
deals with questions of monetary compensation from the federal government.


During the summer of 2001, in a near-record drought year, government
officials reduced
diversions of the Klamath River to farmers in order to sustain federally
protected coho salmon
downstream. These irrigators claimed the lack of water caused them economic
losses and
subsequently filed suit seeking taxpayer compensation for an
unconstitutional ?taking.? When
commercial fishermen and conservation groups moved to participate in the
case, the irrigators
strenuously objected. In Friday?s ruling, Judge Francis Allegra found that
the salmon advocates
have a legitimate stake in the outcome.


?The irrigators argued that a billion dollar decision from the Court of
Claims is about as
significant as a withdrawal from an ATM,? said Todd True, an attorney with
Earthjustice. ?The
order of the court embraces the contrary common sense idea that a claim for
a billion dollars has
real world implications for fish, fishermen, and their families.?


Regulation of commercial salmon fishing in Northern California and Oregon
is largely governed
by the health of Klamath salmon stocks. In 2002, an estimated 70,000 adult
salmon died in the
river before they could spawn. Scientists identified extremely low flows
caused by the upstream
irrigation diversions as a primary cause of the fish kill. Fish surveys
indicate salmon stocks in the
Klamath will be low for years to come with a small number of adult salmon
expected to return
this year. Federal and state fishery managers have indicated that the
commercial salmon season
for 2005 is likely to be severely limited in order to rebuild the damaged
salmon stocks.


Farmers in California?s Central Valley brought a similar constitutional
?takings? claim that was
successful in a lower court Instead of appealing that decision, the federal
government recently
settled the claim and paid the irrigators? $16 million, a development
fraught with peril for those
who commercially fish salmon from the Central Valley.


The court here indirectly addressed such a situation, stating that the
interests of PCFFA ?give
rise to the distinct possibility that a ruling against the United States
would have significant
impacts on the allocation of the water in the Klamath Basin and
corresponding negative impacts
on PCFFA?s fishing interests.?


?Trying to resolve these claims without having a seat at the table for fish
and wildlife is like
having a three-way debate with only two people,? said Glen Spain of PCFFA.
?If fish and wildlife
had a seat at the table in the California Central Valley litigation, it
might have saved taxpayers
$16 million dollars and ensured that water would be left in the river for
fish.?
------------------------------------------------------------------------------



Earthjustice
426 17th Street, 6th Floor
Oakland, CA 94612-2820
Phone: (510) 550-6700
Fax: (510) 550-6740
Email: eajus at earthjustice.org
Earthjustice is a non-profit public interest law firm dedicated to
protecting the magnificent
places, natural resources, and wildlife of this earth and to defending the
right of all people to a
healthy environment. We bring about far-reaching change by enforcing and
strengthening
environmental laws on behalf of hundreds of organizations and communities.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

_______________________________________________
env-trinity mailing list
env-trinity at mailman.dcn.org
http://www2.dcn.org/mailman/listinfo/env-trinity








From danielbacher at hotmail.com  Tue Mar  1 16:35:44 2005
From: danielbacher at hotmail.com (Daniel Bacher)
Date: Tue, 01 Mar 2005 16:35:44 -0800
Subject: [env-trinity] Bush Administration Renews Central Valley Contracts
	At Expense Of Fish
Message-ID: <BAY16-F36198F874B9AD46C21D4FDDB5A0@phx.gbl>

Bush Administration Renews Central Valley Contracts At Expense of Fish

by Dan Bacher

The U.S. Bureau of Reclamation announced its decision to perpetuate 
California?s fish and water problems for decades by beginning the signing of 
contracts with about 200 water districts and water contractors in the 
Central Valley Project last week.

Rather than heeding the pleas of fishermen, Indian tribes and environmental 
organizations to slow down the process so that the environmental impacts of 
these contracts could be properly reviewed with full public input, the Bush 
administration decided to proceed with a process that serves the Westlands 
Water District and other corporate water kings rather than the public trust.

On February 25, The Bureau began signing contracts for 25 or 40 years, 
depending upon the contract type. The contracts will provide water for 3.7 
million acres of farmland in the Sacramento and San Joaquin Valleys, 
including vast tracts of corporate farms on the San Joaquin?s west side that 
never should have been farmed because of the damage caused to fish, wildlife 
and the environment.

The water service contracts from Redding to Bakersfield account for 
approximately 5.6 million-acre feet of water annually. These contracts are 
being renewed for 40 years for growers and 25 years for municipal and 
industrial users. The Sacramento River Settlement contracts, which cover 
irrigators and water districts that were diverting from the Sacramento River 
under state water rights claims before the CVP was constructed, were renewed 
for 40 years. These contractors receive a total of 1.8 million-acre feet of 
water.

Rather than forcing water contractors to practice more environmentally 
friendly and sustainable practices, the signing of contracts gives the water 
contractors free reign to plunder California?s natural resources at the 
taxpayer?s expense as they have for over 50 years.

The contract renewals create a double whammy of environmental destruction. 
While increased diversions of water mandated by the contracts will result in 
declines of listed species such as winter run chinook, Delta smelt and 
steelhead, the farming of land laced with selenium and other toxic salts and 
minerals will result in increased drainage problems on the already ravaged 
west side of the San Joaquin Valley.

?This has been a long, complex and demanding process and these contracts 
have been weighed and measured through two administrations,? gushed 
Mid-Pacific Regional Director Kirk Rodgers upon announcing the signing of 
the first contracts. ?The results will bring continued stability to one of 
California?s biggest industries ? agriculture ? and provide our growing 
cities, industries and businesses with the water they need for tomorrow.?

However, the signing of the contracts, rather than bringing ?stability,? has 
only served to reignite California?s water wars and outrage those who are 
intimately acquainted with the Bureau of Reclamation?s policies and its 
impact upon fish and wildlife, such as Felix Smith of Carmichael.

Smith, a retired wildlife biologist with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, 
was a ?whistleblower? that brought to national attention the consequences of 
the farming of selenium-laced land on the San Joaquin?s west side in 1983. 
Smith documented the horror movie-style deformation of ducks and other birds 
resulting from selenium pollution in the Kesterson Wildlife Refuge caused by 
the drainage of toxic water from the Westlands Water District.

?The Bureau?s supposed seriousness about protecting California fisheries is 
just a fa?ade,? said Smith, a board member of the Save the American River 
Association. ?The only way now that we can make the federal government 
become serious about restoring fisheries is by suing them.?

A coalition of conservation organizations filed a suit in federal court on 
February 15 against the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, challenging the 
agency?s recent biological opinion concluding that increasing exports from 
the San Francisco Bay-Delta to the San Joaquin Valley would have no major 
impacts on the survival of the federally protected Delta smelt. The 
contracts are being renewed on the basis of increasing the capacity for 
exporting water out of the Delta through the combining of state and federal 
pumping operations.

Smith noted that the renewal of the contracts, without an extension of 
environmental review, as requested last year by Congressman George Miller 
and other Members of Congress, locks in this environmental destruction for 
decades. The renewal of contracts goes against the historic Mono Lake and 
Cal Trout court decisions, which mandate that water agencies protect 
fisheries before diverting water. It also violates state Fish and Game Code 
5939 requiring that fisheries below dams be kept in ?good condition.?

?Where is the water for these agricultural contracts going to come from in 
dry years when we don?t have much rain?? added Smith. ?Do we cut the water 
supply for the fish in order to grow subsidized cotton??

Not only is the renewal of these contracts damaging to the environment, but 
it doesn?t make any economic sense. Peter H. Gleick of the Pacific Institute 
in Oakland, in an Op-Ed story in the Sacramento Bee on February 25, noted 
that ?The use of 1,000 acre feet of water in California produces 9,000 jobs 
in the semiconductor industry, 2,500 jobs in commercial offices, 35 jobs in 
grape and wine production ? but only three jobs growing cotton.?

Rodgers and his cronies in the Department of Interior have not taken into 
account the severe impact that the signing of these contracts will have upon 
businesses and livelihoods that depend on fisheries and a healthy 
environment. The commercial and recreational fishing industries have been 
devastated by declines caused by water diversions ? but have yet to be 
compensated for the damage.

A key linkpin in the contract renewals ? and the expansion of the pumping 
capacity of the Delta water pumps ? is the raising of Shasta Dam. The 
Winnemem Wintu Tribe and a large coalition of fishing and environmental 
groups are opposing dam raising for the huge damage it would cause to 
cultural resources of the tribe and Central Valley fisheries. The raising of 
the dam 18-1/2 feet would flood the Winnemem Wintu?s (McCloud River) Tribe?s 
sacred cultural sites, causing ?cultural genocide,? according to Gary 
Hayward Slaughter Mulcahy of the Tribe.

Higher-ups in the Department of Interior last fall ordered a rewrite of the 
Biological Opinion by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to be changed from 
a ?jeopardy? to ?no jeopardy? opinion, giving a green light to proceed with 
the contracts in spite of their dramatic environment consequences.

The tribe, fishermen and environmental groups have been joined by 
Congressman George Miller, Senator Barbara Boxer, family farmers, the 
editorial boards of major metropolitan newspapers and millions of 
Californians in their opposition to the signing of the contracts.

?It?s obvious that the Bush administration is disregarding the views of the 
majority of Californians by signing these contracts,? said Mulcahy. ?For the 
Bureau to do this, after all of the feedback that they got from California 
citizens and the Winnemem Wintu opposing the contract renewals, amounts to a 
hijacking of the California public trust by the federal government.?

Since it is clear that the Department of Interior refuses to listen to the 
pleas of Californians fighting for water equity, the official signing of 
these contracts leaves decades of litigation, along with creative direct 
action campaigns, as the only alternatives to restoring our fisheries.




From tstokely at trinityalps.net  Wed Mar  2 07:34:48 2005
From: tstokely at trinityalps.net (Tom Stokely)
Date: Wed, 2 Mar 2005 07:34:48 -0800
Subject: [env-trinity] Record Searchlight- North state keeps dry while
	deluge hits south 
Message-ID: <006e01c51f3f$5b0b11e0$1d6b3940@trinitycounty.org>

North state keeps dry while deluge hits south 
By Scott Mobley, Record Searchlight
March 1, 2005 

West Coast weather flip-flopped in February. The farther south you went, the more it poured. 

Last month brought Redding nearly twice its typical February sun and about half its usual rainfall. High-country snow banks eroded. Mount Shasta's ice rink puddled. 

In the far northern Sacramento Valley, mild afternoons coaxed fruit trees from their brief hibernation. And the long winter nights could muster no frost to rebuff these early blooms. Redding's municipal airport sees six sub-freezing nights in a typical February. 

Meanwhile, another round of fierce downpours doused Southern California, where Los Angeles expects to wince through its wettest water year in history. And famously soggy Seattle saw less than an inch of rain in a month that usually brings at least seven. 

      February rainfall
      Here are preliminary February and season-to-date precipitation totals for selected north state locations, according to the California Department of Water Resources and the National Weather Service. The water season runs July 1 to June 30. Totals are in inches: 

      Mount Shasta 
      . February: 2.99 
      . Season to date: 28.44 

      Lakeshore 
      . February: 6.88 
      . Season to date: 45.41 

      Shasta Dam 
      . February: 5.68 
      . Season to date: 38.73 

      Brandy Creek 
      . February: 6.72 
      . Season to date: 48.61 

      Weaverville 
      . February: 3.16 
      . Season to date: 22.21 

      West Redding Fire Station 
      . February: 3.76 
      . Season to date: 30.93 

      Redding airport 
      . February: 2.97 
      . Season to date: 25.95 

      Shingletown 
      . February: 4.48 
      . Season to date: 21.68 

      Red Bluff airport 
      . February: 2.63 
      . Season to date: 19.88 
     

March promises more of the same mild, dry weather for the north state and the Pacific Northwest. Forecasters expect clouds to dissolve after tonight's fitful rain. Next week could bring 75-degree afternoons to the valley and more snow-melting, tepid afternoons to the mountains. 

Clouds could return before midmonth. But there's little chance they'll brew up the high winds, heavy rain and thick mountain snow that can make north state storms miserably memorable, long-range forecasts show. 

Indeed, the 2004-2005 water year in the north state seems to have peaked in December after roaring off to an early start in October. And yet those heavy early rains have kept far northern Sacramento Valley rainfall above normal for the season to date despite dry spells in January and February. 

Red Bluff has soaked up 19.88 inches of rain to date, well ahead of the 17.05 inches the city usually gets by the end of February. The Redding airport has received 25.95 inches, compared with the 23.81-inch normal to date. A gauge at the west Redding fire station, in the foothills just above downtown, has logged 30.93 inches since July 1 -- a bit wetter than the 28.93-inch March 1 normal. 

But the north state mountains that slake the valley through its hot, dry summer aren't sharing this bounty. 

The gauge at Shasta Dam collects 46.40 inches of rain by the end of a typical February. So far this season, the dam has recorded 38.73 inches. Though hardly a harbinger of drought, such rainfall doesn't promise to submerge Lake Shasta's bathtub ring in time for Memorial Day boating. 

The mountains around Los Angeles have received the kind of rain that would leave Lake Shasta marina owners salivating and dam operators sweating. Opids Camp, above Pasadena, has sopped up 107 inches of rain since October. Lytle Creek, in the San Bernardino Mountains, has received just more than 93 inches since the rains started this fall. 

Those Southern California spots usually get about as much rainfall as Seattle in a typical season -- around 40 inches. But a vast atmospheric umbrella has cut Seattle's rainfall so far to 15.70 inches. 

Forecasters often pin such quirks on El Nio, the periodic shifting of equatorial winds that sends tropical ocean waters sloshing into Peru and eventually up the California coast. These warm waters rev up the jet stream winds that feed Pacific storms while steering them farther south than usual. 

Climatologists noticed a weak El Nio early this season. But they're not blaming this year's rainfall reversal on the mysterious phenomenon, said George Kline, a National Weather Service forecaster in Sacramento. 

"The El Nio died away late this fall," Kline said. "I can't really explain what's going on now." 

Reporter Scott Mobley can be reached at 225-8220 or at smobley at redding.com. 
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From danielbacher at hotmail.com  Wed Mar  2 08:51:39 2005
From: danielbacher at hotmail.com (Daniel Bacher)
Date: Wed, 02 Mar 2005 08:51:39 -0800
Subject: [env-trinity] Bush Adminstration Declares War on Fish by Renewing
	Water Contracts
Message-ID: <BAY16-F40AB68C1D487A864A28A00DB5A0@phx.gbl>

Bush Administration Declares War on Fish By Renewing Water Contracts

by Dan Bacher

The U.S. Bureau of Reclamation announced its decision to perpetuate 
California?s fish and water problems for decades by beginning to sign 
contracts with about 200 water districts and water contractors in the 
Central Valley Project last week.

Rather than heeding the pleas of fishermen, Indian tribes and environmental 
organizations to slow down the process so that the environmental impacts of 
these contracts could be properly reviewed with full public input, the Bush 
administration decided to proceed with a process that serves the Westlands 
Water District and other corporate water kings rather than the public trust.

On February 25, The Bureau began signing contracts for 25 or 40 years, 
depending upon the contract type. The contracts will provide water for 3.7 
million acres of farmland in the Sacramento and San Joaquin Valleys, 
including vast tracts of corporate farms on the San Joaquin?s west side that 
never should have been farmed because of the damage caused to fish, wildlife 
and the environment.

The water service contracts from Redding to Bakersfield account for 
approximately 5.6 million-acre feet of water annually. These contracts are 
being renewed for 25 years for growers and 40 years for municipal and 
industrial users. The Sacramento River Settlement contracts, which cover 
irrigators and water districts that were diverting from the Sacramento River 
under state water rights claims before the CVP was constructed, were renewed 
for 40 years. These contractors receive a total of 1.8 million-acre feet of 
water.

The contract renewals create a double whammy of environmental destruction. 
While increased diversions of water mandated by the contracts will result in 
declines of listed species such as winter run chinook, Delta smelt and 
steelhead, the farming of land laced with selenium and other toxic salts and 
minerals will result in increased drainage problems on the ravaged west side 
of the San Joaquin Valley.

?This has been a long, complex and demanding process and these contracts 
have been weighed and measured through two administrations,? gushed 
Mid-Pacific Regional Director Kirk Rodgers upon announcing the signing of 
the contracts.. ?The results will bring continued stability to one of 
California?s biggest industries ? agriculture ? and provide our growing 
cities, industries and businesses with the water they need for tomorrow.?

However, the signing of the contracts, rather than bringing ?stability,? is 
only serving to reignite California?s water wars and outrage those who are 
intimately acquainted with the Bureau of Reclamation?s policies and its 
impact upon fish and wildlife, such as Felix Smith of Carmichael.

Smith, a retired wildlife biologist with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, 
was a ?whistleblower? that brought to national attention the consequences of 
the farming of selenium-laced land on the San Joaquin?s west side in 1983. 
Smith documented the horror movie-style deformation of ducks and other birds 
resulting from selenium pollution in the Kesterson Wildlife Refuge caused by 
the drainage of toxic water from the Westlands Water District.

?The Bureau?s supposed seriousness about protecting California fisheries is 
just a fa?ade,? said Smith, a board member of the Save the American River 
Association. ?The only way now that we can make the federal government 
become serious about restoring fisheries is by suing them.?

A coalition of conservation organizations filed a suit in federal court on 
February 15 against the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, challenging the 
agency?s recent biological opinion concluding that increasing exports from 
the San Francisco Bay-Delta to the San Joaquin Valley would have no major 
impacts on the survival of the federally protected Delta smelt. The 
contracts are being renewed on the basis of increasing the capacity for 
exporting water out of the Delta through the combining of state and federal 
pumping operations.

Smith noted that the renewal of the contracts, without an extension of 
environmental review as requested last year by Congressman George Miller and 
other Members of Congress, locks in this environmental destruction for 
decades. The renewal of contracts goes against the historic Mono Lake and 
Cal Trout court decisions, which mandate that water agencies protect 
fisheries before diverting water. It also violates state Fish and Game Code 
5939 requiring that fisheries below dams be kept in ?good condition.?

Not only is the renewal of these contracts damaging to the environment, but 
it doesn?t make any economic sense. Peter H. Gleick of the Pacific Institute 
in Oakland, in the Sacramento Bee on February 25, noted that ?The use of 
1,000 acre feet of water in California produces 9,000 jobs in the 
semiconductor industry, 2,500 jobs in commercial offices, 35 jobs in grape 
and wine production ? but only three jobs growing cotton.?

Rodgers and his cronies in the Department of Interior have not taken into 
account the severe impact that the signing of these contracts will have upon 
businesses and livelihoods that depend on fisheries and a healthy 
environment. The commercial and recreational fishing industries have been 
devastated by declines caused by water diversions ? but have yet to be 
compensated for the damage.

Rather than urging water contractors to retire unsustainable agricultural 
land, the Bureau is giving them free reign to plunder California?s natural 
resources at the taxpayer?s expense as they have for over 50 years. An 
analysis in the Draft Trinity River Fishery Restoration Supplemental EIS 
(2004) showed that land retirement could save 793,056 acre feet in total 
CVP-contracted water, which would have been an actual reduction in demand of 
568,373 acre feet in 2002, the same year as the unprecedented Klamath Fish 
Kill.

According to the Trinity County Board of Supervisors, permanent land 
retirement and dedication of water to other CVP project purposes would 
result in significant benefits from reduced pollution from drainage water, 
reduced CVP project power usage, increased ability to meet various water 
quality standards, increased water storage, increased municipal and 
industrial supplies, and more water for environmental needs such as Trinity 
River fishery flows and wildlife refuge.

A key linkpin in the contract renewals ? and the expansion of the pumping 
capacity of the Delta water pumps ? is the raising of Shasta Dam. The 
Winnemem Wintu Tribe and a large coalition of fishing and environmental 
groups are opposing raising the dam for the huge damage it would cause to 
cultural resources of the tribe and Central Valley fisheries. The proposed 
18-1/2 feet raise would flood the Winnemem Wintu Tribe?s sacred cultural 
sites, causing ?cultural genocide,? according to Gary Hayward Slaughter 
Mulcahy of the Tribe.

The tribe, fishermen and environmental groups have been joined by 
Congressman George Miller, Senator Barbara Boxer, family farmers, the 
editorial boards of major metropolitan newspapers and millions of 
Californians in their opposition to the contract renewals.

?It?s obvious that the Bush administration is disregarding the views of the 
majority of Californians by signing these contracts,? said Mulcahy. ?For the 
Bureau to do this, after all of the feedback that they got from California 
citizens and the Winnemem Wintu opposing the contract renewals, amounts to a 
hijacking of the California public trust by the federal government.?

Since it is clear that the Department of Interior refuses to listen to the 
pleas of Californians fighting for water equity, the official signing of 
these contracts leaves decades of litigation, along with creative direct 
action campaigns, as the only alternatives to restoring our fisheries.




From tstokely at trinityalps.net  Wed Mar  2 11:52:06 2005
From: tstokely at trinityalps.net (tstokely at trinityalps.net)
Date: Wed, 2 Mar 2005 14:52:06 -0500
Subject: [env-trinity] Klamath River Fiscal Year 2006 Request for Proposals
Message-ID: <273090-2200533219526521@M2W045.mail2web.com>



Original Message:
-----------------
From:  Darla_Eastman at r1.fws.gov
Date: Wed, 2 Mar 2005 10:56:24 -0800
Subject: Fiscal Year 2006 Request for Proposals


Attached is the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, Yreka Fish & Wildlife
Office's Fiscal Year 2006 Request for Proposals.



(See attached file: FY 2006 RFP.doc)




Darla N. Eastman
U. S. Fish & Wildlife Service
Contracting/Administration Supervisor
1829 South Oregon Street
Yreka, California 96097
Tel: (530) 842-5763/Fax: (530) 842-4517


--------------------------------------------------------------------
mail2web - Check your email from the web at
http://mail2web.com/ .

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From tstokely at trinityalps.net  Fri Mar  4 09:34:20 2005
From: tstokely at trinityalps.net (Tom Stokely)
Date: Fri, 4 Mar 2005 09:34:20 -0800
Subject: [env-trinity] Fresno Bee Editorial on Klamath Power/Record
	Searchlight- Mountain snowpack levels melting away
Message-ID: <00f801c520e0$b473d3a0$836b3940@trinitycounty.org>


KLAMATH:

Editorial: Costly cut-rate power; Klamath energy subsidy distorts economics of farming

Fresno Bee - 3/3/05

 

The West Coast's storm cycle hammered Southern California this winter but ended up missing Oregon. That has produced dry conditions that have set the stage for another farmers-vs.-fish drama on the Klamath River. 

 

On top of this looming fight over a limited water supply, a new debate is unfolding over electricity. This feud should be simpler to solve. Farmers - or any consumer, for that matter - should purchase electricity at 2005 prices, not those set in 1917.

 

Farmers throughout the Klamath basin have enjoyed the same rate for electricity since Woodrow Wilson was president. The going price is sixth-tenths of a cent per kilowatt of electricity. A Northern California farmer in the service territory of Pacific Gas and Electric, for a comparison, pays a rate that is about 20 times higher. 

 

PacifiCorp is proposing to raise the price tenfold. Still, the proposed price is a bargain compared with what many California farmers have to pay. And raising the price to reflect 2005 costs would bring a much-needed dose of economic forces to the debate.

 

If a marginal farming operation can only survive by keeping electricity prices frozen at 1917 levels, it's questionable whether it really should have the use of precious Klamath water. There is no choice but to use water efficiently for fish and farmers alike. Raising electricity prices to 2005 levels is one way to achieve that efficiency. #

http://www.fresnobee.com/opinion/story/10057166p-10886321c.html

####

 
WATER SUPPLY OUTLOOK: 

Mountain snowpack levels melting away

Redding Record Searchlight - 3/3/05

By Alex Brietler, staff writer

 

Surveyors have ventured into some of the north state's most rugged backcountry for the second time this winter, discovering a snowpack that has diminished to below average in some areas. 

 

Just one month ago, surveys revealed a thick blanket of snow up to 142 percent of normal. Now, the snowpack in some river basins has shrunk to about 90 percent. 

One exception was the McCloud River area, which measured a healthy 118 percent of average this month. 

 

Statewide, the numbers remain good. California already has more snow than it typically would at the beginning of April. 

 

The largest concern rests in the embattled Klamath River region in Northern California and southern Oregon. The snowpack there is just 43 percent of normal, painting a "pretty grim" picture for the coming agricultural season, said Bureau of Reclamation spokeswoman Rae Olsen. 

She noted that March has often been the basin's wettest month. "Perhaps we will revert to that pattern," she said. 

 

Snow certainly doesn't seem to be a problem on Mt. Shasta, where at least 320 inches of powder -- nearly 27 feet -- has dropped since fall. 

 

The most recent dumping came early Wednesday, when 8 inches of snow topped the mountain. The new flakes prompted the U.S. Forest Service to warn of considerable avalanche danger on Shasta's slopes. 

 

New snow falling in Trinity County earlier this week prevented snow surveyors from making their rounds there, a Forest Service official said. 

 

A variety of agencies and even private landowners like Pacific Gas and Electric Co. conduct snow surveys by skiing or snowshoeing into some remote basins, or using a helicopter to get to others. 

 

It's been an odd winter all over the West, with the Los Angeles area drowning in nearly 34 inches of precipitation. Normally sopping-wet Seattle has had just more than 16 inches, while Redding fits right in the middle, with 26.15 inches of precipitation to date. 

 

Back in the Klamath Basin, the Bureau of Reclamation recently extended an annual water bank in which farmers can voluntarily idle their land or use groundwater rather than taking water deliveries from snowmelt-fed Upper Klamath Lake. 

 

The extension gives more farmers a chance to participate this year, in light of the poor snowpack, Olsen said. 

 

Officials will receive one more weather report in the coming weeks, and will make a final decision about water allocations for irrigation by mid-April. 

 

Many Klamath farmers went without water in 2001 as the government protected sensitive fish in the lake and in the Klamath River downstream. American Indians, commercial and recreational fishermen, conservationists and farmers have been embroiled in a fierce battle for water ever since.  #

http://www.redding.com/redd/nw_local/article/0,2232,REDD_17533_3590759,00.html

 
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From tstokely at trinityalps.net  Fri Mar  4 09:31:08 2005
From: tstokely at trinityalps.net (Tom Stokely)
Date: Fri, 4 Mar 2005 09:31:08 -0800
Subject: [env-trinity] Felice Pace Editorial- Short-sighted Klamath
	Fisheries managers dismiss chinook plan
Message-ID: <00f701c520e0$b0b43390$836b3940@trinitycounty.org>

FISHERIES:

Editorial: Short-sighted Klamath Fisheries managers dismiss chinook plan

Eureka Times Standard - 3/3/05

By Felice Pace, former conservation director for the Klamath Forest Alliance

 

Last week the Klamath Fisheries Management Council (KFMC) meeting in Eureka considered but failed to endorse a management plan for Klamath River spring chinook salmon. Like its larger "uncle" -- the Pacific Fisheries Management Council -- the KFMC is dominated by interests which depend on salmon harvest. These interests fear the impact a plan to conserve and restore spring chinook would have on ocean and in-river commercial and sport salmon harvest quotas. 

 

The position of the KFMC is understandable. Who can fault someone for wanting to protect the income of her family and his industry? But the failure of the KFMC to muster the resolve to take on spring chinook conservation and restoration is short sighted. That's because it is likely to lead to renewed calls, petitions and litigation to list Klamath River spring chinook under provisions of the California and federal Endangered Species Acts. Such actions will raise tensions among constituencies that have made common cause in recent years on water management and dams. They may also result in a listing of springers as endangered. 

 

Skeptics will point out that federal fisheries officials have already considered whether spring chinook should be listed and concluded that in the Klamath River they are not a species or a distinct population because they are not sufficiently different than the more numerous fall chinook salmon. But this federal decision is based on political not real science and will not hold up under scrutiny. For example, federal fisheries managers refused to list Klamath springers because they said there was not evidence of genetic differences from the fall chinook. But, in fact, genetic studies showed more difference between spring and fall chinook in the Klamath as compared to spring and fall chinook in the Sacramento River. 

 

But Sacramento springers were found to be a distinct population and were listed under provisions of the federal ESA. The federal fish bureaucrats decision on Klamath springers is, therefore, arbitrary and can be successfully challenged. 

 

Is that what the members of the KFMC want to see? If not, they must bite the bullet and actively support real springer conservation before the Pacific Fisheries Management Council. 

 

The members of KFMC who are unwilling to support meaningful spring chinook conservation are among the same interests calling for removal of Klamath River dams to restore salmon to the Upper Basin. Springers are by far the main species which would benefit from restoration to the Upper Klamath River Basin. The calls for dam removal are weakened when interests refuse to support conservation and restoration when it affects their personal, member or industry bottom lines. The implications of KFMC inaction will not be lost on managers and stockholders of Scottish Power, owner of the Klamath River dams and may well come back to haunt KFMC members. 

 

In summary, the failure of KFMC members to support real spring chinook conservation is short-sighted and wrong headed. The individual members are all players with the Pacific Fisheries Management Council, the group which sets the salmon conservation agenda coast-wide. These interests need to look further ahead and actively support voluntary springer conservation. This will result in reduced salmon harvest in the short run but far greater harvests in the future when springers are restored. 

 

Felice Pace, formerly conservation director for the Klamath Forest Alliance, has worked for salmon conservation and habitat restoration in the Klamath River Basin and coast-wide since 1986. He lives in Klamath. 

 

The opinions expressed in this My Word piece do not necessarily reflect the editorial viewpoint of the Times-Standard. #

http://www.times-standard.com/Stories/0,1413,127~2906~2742354,00.html

 

 
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From danielbacher at hotmail.com  Mon Mar  7 19:33:16 2005
From: danielbacher at hotmail.com (Daniel Bacher)
Date: Mon, 07 Mar 2005 19:33:16 -0800
Subject: [env-trinity] March and Rally: International Day of Action for
	Rivers 3/14
Message-ID: <BAY16-F125F69805F8E101399D24CDB500@phx.gbl>

PR E S S A D V I S O R Y

ForImmediate Release: March 4, 2005

Contact:Craig Tucker, Klamath Campaign Coordinator,Karuk Tribe 916-207-8294

Tribes, Conservationists, and Fishermen Appeal to Governor:

Help Bring Salmon Home to the Klamath Basin

Groups hold march and rally, show film to celebrate International Day of 
Action for Rivers

The March and Rally:

WHAT: March and rally at the Capital led by Klamath Basintribes and joined 
by conservationists, commercial
fishermen, and social justiceadvocates. Speakers include tribal leaders and 
representatives of thecommercial fishing
and ranching communities.

WHERE: March begins at River Front Park in Old Sacramentoand ends at west 
steps of Capital.

WHEN: Monday, March 14. March begins at 12:30, rally begins at 2pm.

The film presentation:

WHAT: Salmon on the Backs of Buffalo documents theongoing struggle of 
Klamath basin tribes as they fight to
preserve thedwindling salmon runs. Following the film, ceremonial leaders 
from the tribeswill explain the spiritual
connection of native people to salmon and theircampaign to restore what was 
once the 3rd greatest salmon river in
United States.

WHERE: Crest Theater, 1013 J Street, Sacramento.

WHEN: 6:30 p.m., Sunday March 13. Tix are $10 at the door

DETAILS

March 14, 2005 marks the 8thannual International Day of Action for Rivers. 
To celebrate, the Klamath Tribesand their
allies are holding a rally at the capital to highlight the damagedone to the 
Klamath river by a complex of dams
owned by the international energygiant Scottish Power (NYSE- SPI). Thesix 
dams are currently being relicensed by
the Federal Energy RegulatoryCommittee, providing a once-in-a-lifetime 
opportunity to remove dams. The rallyat the
State capital is an appeal to the Governor to act as ?Conan theRiparian? and 
use the state?s authority to demand dam
removal of the lower fourdams.

Event Sponsors: Karuk Tribe, Yurok Tribe, HoopaValley Tribe, Klamath Tribes, 
Friends of the River, International
RiversNetwork, and Pacific Coast Federation of Fishermen?s Associations

For more information see: www.friendsoftheriver.org

and www.irn.org

?????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????? 
# # #
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Klamath Restoration Council
Our mission is to restore and protect the uniquely diverse ecosystem and 
natural resources of the entire Klamath River watershed.
We believe this will be accomplished with actions and legislation that 
integrate sound and proven techniques based on Tribal knowledge, local 
experience and the best of Western science.
http://www.pelicannetwork.net/krc.htm
Mail:? Box 214? Salmon River Outpost?????? Somes Bar, CA? 95568
Phone: 530 627 3054




From danielbacher at hotmail.com  Thu Mar 10 10:58:29 2005
From: danielbacher at hotmail.com (Daniel Bacher)
Date: Thu, 10 Mar 2005 10:58:29 -0800
Subject: [env-trinity] Klamath River Tribes Appeal To Governor: Help Bring
	the Salmon Home
Message-ID: <BAY16-F262CECDD08B4581E56E1BBDB520@phx.gbl>


For Immediate Release: March 10, 2005

?
For more information:

Craig Tucker, Klamath Campaign Coordinator, Karuk Tribe, 916-207-8294

Bill Olson, Media Relations, Yurok Tribe, 503-880-0680

Mike Orcutt, Director of Tribal Fisheries, Hoopa Valley Tribe, 530-625-4267 
x13

Taylor David, Media Relations, Klamath Tribes of Oregon, 541-783-2219 x147

?

Klamath River Tribes Appeal To Governor: ?Help Bring the Salmon Home?

March, Rally, and Film Mark 8th Annual International Day of Action for 
Rivers

?
Sacramento, CA ? On Monday March 14, 2005, over 200 members of the Karuk, 
Yurok, Hoopa and Klamath Tribes will rally at the state capital to urge 
Governor Schwarzenegger to serve as ?Conan the Riparian? and increase his 
efforts to restore Klamath River salmon. Fishermen, human rights advocates, 
and conservationists will be on hand to show their support of the Tribes? 
ongoing struggle to protect their native salmon.?

The Klamath River was once the third most productive salmon river in 
America, returning as many as 1.2 million adult salmon annually. After 
nearly a century of dam building, diversions, and logging in the watershed, 
only 1/10 that number return today.

The Tribes, along with their allies in the commercial fishing, human rights, 
conservation, and ranching communities hope to focus the governor?s 
attention on the Klamath River Dams, currently being relicensed by the 
Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC). The six dam complex is owned by 
PacifiCorp, a subsidiary of the multinational energy giant, Scottish Power 
(NYSE ? SPI), based in Galsgow Scotland.

Last summer, the Tribes visited Scottish Power?s shareholder meeting in 
Scotland to build support for dam removal and salmon restoration on the 
Klamath. This time they bring their message to Sacramento. According to Leaf 
Hillman, vice-chairman of the Karuk Tribe, ?We represent the three biggest 
Indian Tribes in California and the biggest in Oregon. We need the governor 
to take strong steps to restore the Klamath River to the benefit of not only 
the Tribes, but to all Californians and Oregonians.?

For the tribes, salmon represent an integral part of their cultures. Each 
tribe has unique ceremonies based on the annual return of salmon. As the 
salmon runs dwindle ceremonies are lost. In addition, commercial fishermen 
and communities dependant on the fishing economy struggle to survive as 
well. Hillman argues that, ?what?s at risk here is the region?s cultural 
heritage as well as the economy.?

According to a study by the Institute of Fisheries Resources, a restored 
Klamath Basin would be valued at $4.5 billion, providing a needed economic 
boost to struggling rural economies along the California and Oregon coasts.

Although several factors are blamed for the salmon?s decline, the Tribes are 
currently focused on the dams, which, according to tribal leaders, could be 
removed as part of the FERC relicensing process. According to Jeff Mitchell 
of the Klamath River Inter-tribal Fish and Water Commission, ?We know that 
dam removal won?t solve all of our problems, but re-opening the 350 miles of 
habit upstream of the dams is a prerequisite to any other restoration 
programs.? Dams create problems for salmon by blocking access to spawning 
grounds and degrading water quality. The current dam license expires in 
March 2006. Dam licenses typically last 50 years, therefore, river advocates 
view relicensing as a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to restore rivers.

Last summer, Scottish Power executives promised tribal members that dam 
removal is ?on the table? as a possible result of the relicensing. But a 
willingness on the part of the company will not likely be enough to make the 
tribes? goals a reality. Political support will be necessary as well.

So far, tribal leaders say that they are encouraged by the actions of the 
governor, but they hope their rally will prompt the governor to take bolder 
steps to bring the Klamath salmon home. The tribes say that state agencies 
can place strict conditions on any new license and that for removal to 
happen, state and federal funding will be needed.

March 14 marks the 8th annual International Day of Action for Rivers and 
this event is one of dozens being held around the world to bring awareness 
to the negative impacts that dams, diversions, and water pollution create 
for communities dependant on healthy rivers.

Groups marching in support of the Tribes include Friends of the River, 
International Rivers Network, and the Pacific Federation of Fishermen?s 
Associations.

For information log on to: www.friendsoftheriver.org and www.irn.org

?




From tstokely at trinityalps.net  Fri Mar 11 09:38:38 2005
From: tstokely at trinityalps.net (Tom Stokely)
Date: Fri, 11 Mar 2005 09:38:38 -0800
Subject: [env-trinity] California Process for 2005 USEPA Targeted Watersheds
	Grant Program 
Message-ID: <007501c52661$444d7fa0$6c6b3940@trinitycounty.org>

Message
Announcing California Process for 2005 USEPA Targeted Watersheds Grant Program 

 

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recently announced its third annual call for nominations for the "Targeted Watersheds Grant Program" (formerly called the Watershed Initiative).  This program may provide funds for support of community-based watershed partnerships to conduct activities that achieve measurable clean water goals.  

 

For fiscal year 2005, Congress has appropriated $10 million for projects competing on a nation-wide basis; an additional $8 million will be directed toward projects in the Chesapeake Bay watershed only. Typical grant awards for the selected watersheds are expected to range from $600,000 to $900,000.  The program will place special emphasis on water quality trading projects this year.  

 

Only those programs that have completed watershed assessments, developed technically sound watershed plans, and are ready for on-the-ground work will qualify.    Applicants must meet all criteria for eligibility (Section III), content and form of nomination package (Section IV B), and format (Section IV C) described in the "Targeted Watersheds Grant Program: Call for Nominations" document.  This document can be found at: http://www.epa.gov/fedrgstr/EPA-WATER/2005/February/Day-18/w3184.htm.  

 

The Watersheds Grant Program is very competitive.  Applicants should carefully read the evaluation criteria in the document referenced above before considering whether to put in the time and effort needed to apply. 

 

Nominations must be submitted to EPA by a governor or tribal leader.  Each state governor may submit up to 2 in-state watershed nominations but may submit an unlimited number of interstate nominations to EPA (Regional Office) for this competition.  Tribal leaders may submit nominations directly to EPA.   In order for the state of California to participate in this process, we must have all applications in by April 7, 2005.  If you are interested, please provide the following:

 

1)      Three (3) hard copies of your nomination to:

 

Cathy Bleier

California Resources Agency

1416 Ninth Street, Room 1311

Sacramento, CA  95814

 2)      One electronic file of the title page, abstract, project description, and budget form only to cathy.bleier at resources.ca.gov.  This file must be limited to 120 KB in size and must not include any maps, letters of support, match certifications, or pictures. 

Cathy Bleier, Deputy Assistant Secretary
California Resources Agency
1416 Ninth Street, Suite 1311
Sacramento, California  95814
Phone: 916-653-6598
Fax:    916-653-8102
Email: cathy.bleier at resources.ca.gov

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From tstokely at trinityalps.net  Fri Mar 11 17:14:15 2005
From: tstokely at trinityalps.net (Tom Stokely)
Date: Fri, 11 Mar 2005 17:14:15 -0800
Subject: [env-trinity] Save the date: Sat May 7 for California Water
	Symposium
Message-ID: <027801c526a0$cfdd5920$6c6b3940@trinitycounty.org>


----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Matt Kondolf" <kondolf at berkeley.edu>
To: <kondolf at berkeley.edu>
Sent: Friday, March 11, 2005 3:54 PM
Subject: Save the date: Sat May 7 for California Water Symposium


> Dear Colleagues,
> Please save the date:
> 
> Saturday 7 May
> the second annual
> CALIFORNIA WATER SYMPOSIUM
> UC Berkeley campus
> 
> presenting graduate student research projects in hydrology and river 
> restoration,
> and expert panel on current issues and challenges in the field
> 
> free and open to the public
> Further details to come!
> 
> best regards,
> Matt
> 
> G. Mathias Kondolf
> Assoc Professor of Environmental Planning
> Chair, Portuguese Studies Program
> Dept of Landscape Architecture and Environmental Planning
> 202 Wurster Hall, UC Berkeley  94720-2000
> tel: 510 642 2904, 510 644 8381  
> 


From tstokely at trinityalps.net  Fri Mar 11 17:21:08 2005
From: tstokely at trinityalps.net (Tom Stokely)
Date: Fri, 11 Mar 2005 17:21:08 -0800
Subject: [env-trinity] Letter from Hoopa Valley Tribe on Late Summer/Fall
	Flows
Message-ID: <028c01c526a1$c6446b50$6c6b3940@trinitycounty.org>

For your consideration, a letter from the Hoopa Valley Tribe to the Bureau of Reclamation.

In summary, the Hoopa Valley Tribe does not support redirecting Trinity River ROD flows to be used in late summer/fall to prevent another lower Klamath River fish kill. 


Tom Stokely
Principal Planner
Trinity Co. Planning/Natural Resources
530-628-5949
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From bwl3 at comcast.net  Sat Mar 12 18:11:03 2005
From: bwl3 at comcast.net (Byron )
Date: Sat, 12 Mar 2005 18:11:03 -0800
Subject: FW: [env-trinity] Letter from Hoopa Valley Tribe on Late
	Summer/FallFlows
Message-ID: <20050313021113.C704020009A6@mx.dcn.davis.ca.us>

Friends of Trinity River and California Trout, Inc., support totally and
without exception the position of the Hoopa Valley Tribe on late summer/fall
flows in the Trinity River.

 

If the Bureau attempts to use Trinity water as a band-aid to avoid dealing
realistically, rationally and permanently with the massive problems it has
created for the Klamath River, its culturally and economically dependent
Tribes, its fisheries and its wildlife, it will need to obtain water
elsewhere.  It should initiate action promptly, and it support the efforts
of many, many others to remedy for all time the problems it has created.

 

Byron Leydecker

 

  _____  

From: env-trinity-bounces at velocipede.dcn.davis.ca.us
[mailto:env-trinity-bounces at velocipede.dcn.davis.ca.us] On Behalf Of Tom
Stokely
Sent: Friday, March 11, 2005 5:21 PM
To: env-trinity; salmon at pelicannetwork.net
Cc: klamathstakeholders at lists.oregonstate.edu
Subject: [env-trinity] Letter from Hoopa Valley Tribe on Late
Summer/FallFlows

 

For your consideration, a letter from the Hoopa Valley Tribe to the Bureau
of Reclamation.

 

In summary, the Hoopa Valley Tribe does not support redirecting Trinity
River ROD flows to be used in late summer/fall to prevent another lower
Klamath River fish kill. 

 

 

Tom Stokely

Principal Planner

Trinity Co. Planning/Natural Resources

530-628-5949

 

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From tstokely at trinityalps.net  Sun Mar 13 21:06:08 2005
From: tstokely at trinityalps.net (Tom Stokely)
Date: Sun, 13 Mar 2005 21:06:08 -0800
Subject: [env-trinity] SF Chron- Fishing season will probably be cut in half
	to protect depleted Klamath River chinook 
Message-ID: <007801c52853$88e20e80$5c6c3940@trinitycounty.org>

Salmon prices expected to go up 
Fishing season will probably be cut in half to protect depleted Klamath River chinook 
Glen Martin, Chronicle Environment Writer 
Saturday, March 12, 2005 

There are plenty of salmon in the sea this year, but commercial fishermen won't be allowed to catch many of them -- and that's going to mean sky-high prices for Bay Area seafood lovers. 

The Pacific Fishery Management Council issued three alternatives for the approaching 2005 California and Oregon salmon season in a meeting in Sacramento on Friday, and all basically call for slashing the commercial fishing season in half. The council will make a final decision by April. 

Fishing industry representatives say any of the alternatives will mean a $100 million loss in projected profit to California's salmon fleet, and stratospheric prices for wild salmon at the retail fish counter. 

Consumers should expect to pay well more than $15 a pound, said Zeke Grader, the executive director of the Pacific Coast Federation of Fishermen's Associations. Last year, the cost ranged from $9 to $11 a pound. 

The proposed restrictions are a result of exceptionally low returns of mature chinook salmon to the Klamath River system. Government agencies typically reduce salmon seasons if they determine there aren't enough fish returning to ensure adequate spawning for future generations. Excluding the rivers of Alaska and British Columbia, the Klamath and its major tributary, the Trinity River, are second only to the Sacramento River as a producer of West Coast salmon. 

Fishery management council members could not be reached for comment Friday. A voice-mail message at the federal agency's Portland headquarters said officials would not be available for comment until Monday. 

Fishermen are particularly frustrated by the proposals because the waters off California are teeming with salmon. The Sacramento River will have abundant returns this year, said Grader -- probably the highest since Shasta Dam went up in 1945. 

"Unfortunately, the Sacramento fish mingle with the Klamath fish out in the ocean," Grader said. "Even though most of the salmon out there are Sacramento fish, the council is concerned that too many Klamath fish could be caught during a full season." 

The consequences of an excessive catch of Klamath salmon would be an even more drastic decline in the river's base population of fish. 

Dave Bitts, a commercial salmon and crab fisherman from Eureka and vice president of the federation of fishermen's associations, said fishermen will get to fish only about half as many days and probably land fewer than half as many salmon as last year. 

Last year, he noted, California and Oregon fishermen landed around 500, 000 salmon. "This year, 225,000 fish would be a best-case scenario under the shortened season," he said. 

"The season usually runs from May 1 to September 30, but most of the fish are caught by the end of August," Bitts said. "This year, we'll only get to fish about 60 days from May through August from Point Arena to Point Sur, the prime fishing grounds." 

Fishermen may be able to troll around the Fort Bragg area north of Point Arena in September, Bitts said, "but by then many of the fish are already heading up the rivers." Fishermen should also have full-season access to waters south of Point Sur, but "salmon only head there in numbers in maybe one out of every five to 10 years," Bitts said. 

Grader said the restrictions come at a particularly inopportune time for commercial fishermen because wild salmon have made great inroads in the seafood marketplace, and prices are high. 

"People prefer wild salmon over farmed salmon because of health and flavor issues," Grader said. "West Coast fishermen have finally started making a profit catching wild chinook salmon. Last year they got $3 to $4 a pound, which is very good." 

Farmed salmon are Atlantic salmon, cousins of the five species of Pacific salmon but not native to the West Coast. Health concerns have recently been raised about farmed fish: Some tests have shown they have higher levels of toxic chemicals, such as PCBs, than wild salmon. 

Luis Zuniga, a worker at the Tides Fish Market in Bodega Bay, said the restricted season would have a significant effect on the local seafood trade. 

"People really wait for the wild salmon," Zuniga said. "We sell very little farmed fish here. The prices are going to be very high this year, but people will pay them." 

The best bet for salmon enthusiasts this year may be to take matters -- and rods -- into their own hands. Sport anglers will face some restrictions in the northern part of the state, but they should be able to fish freely from charter boats based in Bay Area ports. 

"The only trouble they could run into is if the fish migrate northward," said Bitts. "And that could happen. There's quite a bit of warm water out there right now, and salmon like cold conditions." 

Fishermen and environmentalists generally blame the meager Klamath salmon returns on low downstream flows from federal dams. Much of the water from the Klamath and Trinity rivers is diverted for agriculture. 

In particular, they point to catastrophic incidents in 2002, when low flows and consequent warm water were suspected in massive die-offs of both adult and juvenile fish. 

Chinook salmon typically follow four-year cycles. The fish returning this year to the Klamath hatched in 2002. 

But Jeff McCracken, a spokesman for the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation, the agency that controls the dams, said the dams are operated with healthy fish populations in mind. 

"All of our downstream releases adhere to biological opinions issued by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service," McCracken said. 

Bitts said current flow schedules don't reflect biological realities. 

"We also had big juvenile fish kills in 2003," he said. "We're not going to fix this problem until we increase the flows down the Klamath." 

E-mail Glen Martin at glenmartin at sfchronicle.com. 

Page A - 1 
URL: http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/c/a/2005/03/12/MNGSMBOIKS1.DTL 
------------------------------------------------------------------------ 
?2005 San Francisco Chronicle 

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From danielbacher at hotmail.com  Mon Mar 14 07:14:26 2005
From: danielbacher at hotmail.com (Daniel Bacher)
Date: Mon, 14 Mar 2005 07:14:26 -0800
Subject: [env-trinity] Reminder: Klamath River Tribes March and Rally Today
	in Sacramento!
Message-ID: <BAY16-F317B870E7E20925288521DDB560@phx.gbl>

Reminder:

Don't miss the march and rally for dam removal on the Klamath today! The 
march will start at 12:30 pm at Riverfront Park in Old Sacramento, followed 
by a rally at the state capitol at 2 p.m.  The march will be a preceded by a 
press conference at 11:00 a.m. at Riverfront Park.

Dan


NEWS RELEASE

For Immediate Release: March 14, 2005

For more information:
Craig Tucker, Klamath Campaign Coordinator, Karuk Tribe, 916-207-8294
Bill Olson, Media Relations, Yurok Tribe, 503-880-0680
Mike Orcutt, Director of Tribal Fisheries, Hoopa Valley Tribe, 530-625-4267 
x13
Taylor David, Media Relations, Klamath Tribes of Oregon, 541-783-2219 x147


Klamath River Tribes Hold Press Conference to Discuss Dam removal on the 
Klamath
Today Marks the 8th Annual International Day of Action for Rivers, Tribes to 
hold march and rally

What: Press Conference, 11 a.m. today

Where: Water Front Park, Front Street , Old Sacramento

Why: Discuss the Tribes? march and rally at the Capital (rally on the west 
steps at 2 pm)
Who:  Leaf Hillman, vice-chairman of Karuk Tribe
Troy Fletcher, Relicensing Coordinator, Yurok Tribe
Mike Orcutt, Director of tribal fisheries for Hoopa Valley Tribe
Jeff Mitchell, spokesperson, Klamath Tribes
Zeke Grader, executive director, Pacific Coast Federation of Fishermen?s 
Associations

More Information: On Monday March 14, 2005, over 200 members of the 
Karuk,Yurok, Hoopa and Klamath Tribes will rally at the state capital to 
urge Governor Schwarzenegger to serve as ?Conan the Riparian? and 
increasehis efforts to restore Klamath River salmon. Fishermen, human rights 
advocates, and conservationists will be on hand to show their supportof the 
Tribes? ongoing struggle to protect their native salmon.

Starting at 12:30 p.m. over 200 tribal members and local river supporters 
will march from Water Front Park and rally at the west steps of the capital. 
Tribal leaders and commercial fishermen will address the group. The rally 
begins at 2 p.m.

For more press materials see http://www.friendsoftheriver.org/PressRoom.html
# #




From bwl3 at comcast.net  Mon Mar 14 11:57:23 2005
From: bwl3 at comcast.net (Byron )
Date: Mon, 14 Mar 2005 11:57:23 -0800
Subject: [env-trinity] Page One Sacto Bee
Message-ID: <20050314195738.B315F2001D54@mx.dcn.davis.ca.us>


Water worries never run dry; A battle rages once more over who gets what
from Central Valley Project


The Sacramento Bee - 3/14/05

By Dale Kasler, staff writer

 

Even torrential storms can't end California's water wars. 

 

While Southern California digs out from mudslides and much of the Sierra
Nevada lies beneath a heavy snowpack, an age-old dispute rages anew: how to
divvy up the spoils of the Central Valley Project. 

 

The U.S. Bureau of Reclamation, which operates the CVP's massive network of
dams, reservoirs and canals, has begun renewing long-term contracts that
ensure farmers will continue to control 70 percent of the project's water
for decades to come. 

 

The bureau says farmers are getting what they deserve and not one drop more.
But environmentalists and a prominent congressional critic are blasting the
renewals, which extend water allocations for 25 years and in some cases 40
years. They say the government is ignoring the crying need for water in
California's cities by allowing farmers roughly the same allotments they've
gotten for years. 

 

What's more, say critics, the new contracts perpetuate sweetheart pricing.
Although rates have risen, farmers will still pay less than cities for CVP
water - sometimes only half as much. Decades-old water rights mean some
farmers will continue getting water for free. 

 

Critics say the pricing lets agriculture make a killing: While rivers go
dry, farmers make money selling water they don't need to cities. 

 

Growers will "collect substantial personal profits" by reselling water, U.S.
Rep. George Miller says in a recent letter to Interior Secretary Gale
Norton. Miller, D-Martinez, who authored a landmark 1992 law that
reallocated a portion of CVP water to environmental uses, says the renewals
could be challenged in court. 

 

The criticism comes just as another farm-to-city water sale is in the
offing. The Metropolitan Water District of Southern California has just
signed options to buy water from three rice-growing irrigation districts in
the Sacramento Valley, its second such purchase in three years. If MWD
exercises the options, some 127,000 acre-feet of water would move south -
enough to irrigate tens of thousands of acres of rice. The farmers could
earn nearly $17 million combined. 

 

Farmers and the government defend the new CVP contracts. They say growers
are entitled to the allotments because they've shown they use all the water
in most years. The prices are in line with federal law, and while farmers do
make money selling water, the deals are occasional and limited in scope,
they say. 

 

"If anyone thinks we're getting a really good deal, they just need the
facts," said Mary Wells, a Colusa County rice farmer and president of the
Northern California Water Association. 

 

She said the price for CVP water on her farm is nearly tripling, to $28 an
acre-foot. An acre-foot is 326,000 gallons. 

 

"That may be cheap for Wilshire Boulevard, (but) that is not cheap for
agriculture," Wells said. "Our margin is very small in agriculture." 

 

The dispute underscores that the quest for water can be relentless in a
state that's largely irrigated desert. As experts cast nervous glances at
this year's anticipated water supply, few foresee a crisis - but no one's
feeling giddy, either. 

 

The Feather River watershed, which feeds Lake Oroville and is a key source
for much of the state, is drier than normal. The Colorado River, crucial to
Southern California, has benefited from rain but is still in a drought. 

 

"When you look at the extended drought we've been in, it's not like life is
good," said MWD chief operating officer Debra Man. 

The purchase options MWD signed with the Sacramento Valley ag districts
amount to "prudent water supply insurance," she said. 

The CVP, built over four decades at a cost of $3.2 billion, delivers about 7
million acre-feet of water annually. More than 70 percent goes to
agriculture, with the rest split between cities and environmental purposes. 

 

With 200 water contracts being renewed, just three farm districts north of
Sacramento will have allotments cut. A district near Redding, for example,
is getting less water because it's irrigating fewer acres due to creeping
urbanization. 

 

Otherwise, the renewals keep intact historic allocations. 

 

The Natural Resources Defense Council says "the contract renewals will
perpetuate an outdated status quo" that doesn't recognize the declining
relative importance of agriculture in California. 

 

While the value of ag production has nearly tripled in the past generation,
farming's share of the gross state product declined from about 2.2 percent
in 1977 to 1.2 percent in 2002, said economist Daniel Sumner of the
University of California, Davis. 

 

Meanwhile, farming's share of the job market has fallen to 2 percent from 3
percent in 1983, according to the state Employment Development Department. 

 

The NRDC says the most vivid example of the change is the Westlands Water
District near Fresno. The district is downsizing, taking more than 15
percent of its land out of production because of water-drainage issues. Yet
the Bureau of Reclamation is proposing to deliver its usual allocation of
more than 1.1 million acre-feet - 18 percent of the entire CVP. 

 

Bureau spokesman Jeff McCracken said Westlands deserves it, even with
reduced acreage, because Westlands wasn't getting the water it needed to
fully irrigate its farms to begin with. 

 

Price is another issue. While taxpayers paid for most of the project, CVP
customers were supposed to pay back more than $1.1 billion. But, 25 years
after the last dam was completed, less than $200 million has been repaid.
Ordered by Congress to accelerate repayment, the bureau is raising prices
for everyone. 

 

But farmers will still pay less than cities. Unlike cities, farmers don't
pay interest on the construction bill. That's federal law. 

"Farmers are paying for it at the price we're allowed to charge for it,"
McCracken said. 

 

Almost one-third of the CVP's water is doled out to Sacramento Valley
farmers for nothing. This is "settlement" water, delivered to farmers who
simply helped themselves to the Sacramento River before the CVP was built.
The settlement water compensates them for water now trapped behind Shasta
Dam. 

 

"That's not our water to charge for," McCracken said. 

 

Environmentalists say the pricing structure allows farmers to become
profiteers. 

 

"The farmers turn around and sell it and keep all the profit," said NRDC
lawyer Hal Candee. "Meanwhile, the endangered salmon species continue to
suffer." 

 

Certainly the state of farming makes a water sale tempting. 

 

Farmers will barely break even on a typical acre of rice this year, says the
California Rice Commission. Under the options agreement with MWD, three
Sacramento Valley districts would get paid $125 an acre-foot for letting
some water flow south. The deals would earn growers about $300 per acre
taken out of production. 

 

Farmers bristle at the suggestion of huge water profits. State law
discourages them from selling more than 20 percent of their water. So a sale
can help keep them afloat but won't make them wealthy, growers say. 

 

"It's not anything I can retire on," said Colusa rice and prune farmer Don
Bransford, president of the Glenn-Colusa Irrigation District. "I don't
understand where they're coming from in terms of this big windfall." 

 

Glenn-Colusa is one of three districts that signed options with MWD. Farmers
like Bransford are weighing whether to make a sale or simply plant their
entire crop. Though the ground is muddy and planting is several weeks off,
decision time is coming. 

 

Bransford, who sold some of his water four years ago to farmers near Fresno,
still wrestles with the idea of selling something that farmers consider
their birthright. 

 

"Farmers are in the farming business; they're not in the water transfer
business," said Bransford, who's been farming since 1980. "A farmer is
always going to farm if he thinks he can make a profit." 

 

CENTRAL VALLEY PROJECT

 

* History: Construction began in 1937; first water delivery in 1940. Shasta
Dam, the main cog, completed in 1945. Last dam, New Melones, finished in
1979. 

* Infrastructure: Includes 20 dams and reservoirs, 500 miles of major canals
and 11 power plants. 

* Water delivery: CVP provides about 7 million acre-feet of water each year,
or roughly 17 percent of all the water used in the state. (An acre-foot is
326,000 gallons - a year's water supply for one to two California
households.) 

* Allocations: Agriculture gets 5 million acre-feet, enough to serve about
one-third of California's farmland. More than 1 million acre-feet go to the
environment. About 600,000 acre-feet are delivered for municipal and
industrial uses.

 

 

Byron Leydecker, 

Chair, Friends of Trinity River

Consultant, California Trout, Inc.

PO Box 2327

Mill Valley, CA 94942-2327

415 383 4810 ph

415 383 9562 fx

bwl3 at comcast.net

bleydecker at stanfordalumni.org (secondary)

http://www.fotr.org

http://caltrout.org

 

 

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From tstokely at trinityalps.net  Mon Mar 14 15:26:57 2005
From: tstokely at trinityalps.net (tstokely at trinityalps.net)
Date: Mon, 14 Mar 2005 18:26:57 -0500
Subject: [env-trinity] Native Radio Documentary on Klamath River Now
	Available
Message-ID: <270000-220053114232657468@M2W079.mail2web.com>


Co-producers Northern California Cultural Communications and KIDE-FM,
Hoopa, California are proud to announce the release of "Dying for Water:
Indians, Politics & Dead Fish in the Klamath River Basin," a Native radio
documentary on the impact and aftermath of the 2002 Klamath River fish
kill. 

"Dying for Water" premiered on KIDE-FM March 11th, followed by a special
edition of Native America Calling, a national program, on the Klamath Dam
relicensing issue. Guests included Ron Reed, Glenn Spain and a PacifiCorp
representative. NAC programs are available from their audio archives at
www.airos.org 

We will be happy to send one or more CDs to list members at no charge,
however, the disks cost $3.87 to produce and mail, so donations would be
much appreciated. So would the names of policy makers or others who you
think should receive a copy. 

We will also be updating our website, www.flickerfeather.org within the
next two weeks. Please send me any sources of information and links to
include on the site. 

Suggestions for sources of potential funding to continue to distribute
"Dying for Water," and produce more documentaries of this kind, would also
be most welcome. 

Check with your local public radio station to see if or when they will be
airing "Dying for Water." Stations that will be scheduling the program
include KHSU & KHSR, (Arcata/Crescent City); KMUD, (Redway); KZYX & Z
(Philo/Ukiah), KZFR (Chico); KRBS (Oroville); KVMR (Nevada City); KPFZ
(Lakeport), KUSP (Santa Cruz), KALW (San Francisco) and KPFA (Berkeley).
"Dying for Water" will air nationally over the Public Radio Satellite
System on the AIROS Network in May. 

The hour long audio program features the voices and songs of the Native
people most affected by the fish kill and on-going Klamath water issues.
Narrated by Merv George, Jr. (Hupa) the program begins with interviews
collected during early October, 2002, and continues the story through the
political manuevering over water flows, the mission to Scottish power
headquarters, and community organizing efforts such as the Annual Salmon
Relay Run founded by students at Hoopa High School. The careful editing,
rich ambience and emotional impact of the storytelling set this production
apart from the usual radio fare. 

Thank you, 

Rhoby Cook, Director 
Northern California Cultural Communications 
P.O. Box 650 
Hoopa, CA 95546 
530-625-4222 
rhoby at pcweb.net 
www.flickerfeather.org  


--------------------------------------------------------------------
mail2web - Check your email from the web at
http://mail2web.com/ .





From bwl3 at comcast.net  Mon Mar 14 16:32:45 2005
From: bwl3 at comcast.net (Byron )
Date: Mon, 14 Mar 2005 16:32:45 -0800
Subject: [env-trinity] Glen Martin in SF Chron Sunday,
	March 13 on Reduced Salmon Harvest
Message-ID: <20050315003254.DFAF620009A9@mx.dcn.davis.ca.us>

 

Salmon prices expected to go up/Fishing season will probably be cut in half
to protect depleted Klamath River Chinook

San Francisco Chronicle - 3/12/05

By Glen Martin, staff writer

 

There are plenty of salmon in the sea this year, but commercial fishermen
won't be allowed to catch many of them -- and that's going to mean sky-high
prices for Bay Area seafood lovers.

   

The Pacific Fishery Management Council issued three alternatives for the
approaching 2005 California and Oregon salmon season in a meeting in
Sacramento on Friday, and all basically call for slashing the commercial
fishing season in half. The council will make a final decision by April.

 

Fishing industry representatives say any of the alternatives will mean a
$100 million loss in projected profit to California's salmon fleet, and
stratospheric prices for wild salmon at the retail fish counter.

   

Consumers should expect to pay well more than $15 a pound, said Zeke Grader,
the executive director of the Pacific Coast Federation of Fishermen's
Associations. Last year, the cost ranged from $9 to $11 a pound.

 

The proposed restrictions are a result of exceptionally low returns of
mature chinook salmon to the Klamath River system. Government agencies
typically reduce salmon seasons if they determine there aren't enough fish
returning to ensure adequate spawning for future generations. Excluding the
rivers of Alaska and British Columbia, the Klamath and its major tributary,
the Trinity River, are second only to the Sacramento River as a producer of
West Coast salmon.

 

Fishery management council members could not be reached for comment Friday.
A voice-mail message at the federal agency's Portland headquarters said
officials would not be available for comment until Monday.

 

Fishermen are particularly frustrated by the proposals because the waters
off California are teeming with salmon. The Sacramento River will have
abundant returns this year, said Grader -- probably the highest since Shasta
Dam went up in 1945.

 

"Unfortunately, the Sacramento fish mingle with the Klamath fish out in the
ocean," Grader said. "Even though most of the salmon out there are
Sacramento fish, the council is concerned that too many Klamath fish could
be caught during a full season."

 

The consequences of an excessive catch of Klamath salmon would be an even
more drastic decline in the river's base population of fish.

 

Dave Bitts, a commercial salmon and crab fisherman from Eureka and vice
president of the federation of fishermen's associations, said fishermen will
get to fish only about half as many days and probably land fewer than half
as many salmon as last year.

 

Last year, he noted, California and Oregon fishermen landed around 500, 000
salmon. "This year, 225,000 fish would be a best-case scenario under the
shortened season," he said.

 

"The season usually runs from May 1 to September 30, but most of the fish
are caught by the end of August," Bitts said. "This year, we'll only get to
fish about 60 days from May through August from Point Arena to Point Sur,
the prime fishing grounds."

 

Fishermen may be able to troll around the Fort Bragg area north of Point
Arena in September, Bitts said, "but by then many of the fish are already
heading up the rivers." Fishermen should also have full-season access to
waters south of Point Sur, but "salmon only head there in numbers in maybe
one out of every five to 10 years," Bitts said.

 

Grader said the restrictions come at a particularly inopportune time for
commercial fishermen because wild salmon have made great inroads in the
seafood marketplace, and prices are high.

 

"People prefer wild salmon over farmed salmon because of health and flavor
issues," Grader said. "West Coast fishermen have finally started making a
profit catching wild chinook salmon. Last year they got $3 to $4 a pound,
which is very good."

 

Farmed salmon are Atlantic salmon, cousins of the five species of Pacific
salmon but not native to the West Coast. Health concerns have recently been
raised about farmed fish: Some tests have shown they have higher levels of
toxic chemicals, such as PCBs, than wild salmon.

 

Luis Zuniga, a worker at the Tides Fish Market in Bodega Bay, said the
restricted season would have a significant effect on the local seafood
trade.

 

"People really wait for the wild salmon," Zuniga said. "We sell very little
farmed fish here. The prices are going to be very high this year, but people
will pay them."

 

The best bet for salmon enthusiasts this year may be to take matters -- and
rods -- into their own hands. Sport anglers will face some restrictions in
the northern part of the state, but they should be able to fish freely from
charter boats based in Bay Area ports.

 

"The only trouble they could run into is if the fish migrate northward,"
said Bitts. "And that could happen. There's quite a bit of warm water out
there right now, and salmon like cold conditions."

 

Fishermen and environmentalists generally blame the meager Klamath salmon
returns on low downstream flows from federal dams. Much of the water from
the Klamath and Trinity rivers is diverted for agriculture.

 

In particular, they point to catastrophic incidents in 2002, when low flows
and consequent warm water were suspected in massive die-offs of both adult
and juvenile fish.

 

Chinook salmon typically follow four-year cycles. The fish returning this
year to the Klamath hatched in 2002.

 

But Jeff McCracken, a spokesman for the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation, the
agency that controls the dams, said the dams are operated with healthy fish
populations in mind.

 

"All of our downstream releases adhere to biological opinions issued by the
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the U.S. Fish and
Wildlife Service," McCracken said.

 

Bitts said current flow schedules don't reflect biological realities.

 

"We also had big juvenile fish kills in 2003," he said. "We're not going to
fix this problem until we increase the flows down the Klamath."

 

Byron Leydecker, 

Chair, Friends of Trinity River

Consultant, California Trout, Inc.

PO Box 2327

Mill Valley, CA 94942-2327

415 383 4810 ph

415 383 9562 fx

bwl3 at comcast.net

bleydecker at stanfordalumni.org (secondary)

http://www.fotr.org

http://caltrout.org

 

 

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From tstokely at trinityalps.net  Tue Mar 15 09:37:14 2005
From: tstokely at trinityalps.net (Tom Stokely)
Date: Tue, 15 Mar 2005 09:37:14 -0800
Subject: [env-trinity] Cal Dept of Fish and Game Solicitation Notice
Message-ID: <010f01c52985$bfad6c10$a36c3940@trinitycounty.org>

Fisheries Restoration Grant Program 2005/2006 Project Solicitation
Notice (Solicitation)

To All Parties Interested in Fishery Restoration Work: I am pleased to
announce the release of the Fisheries Restoration Grant Program
2005/2006 Project Solicitation Notice (Solicitation). This year's
Solicitation and Application Form are available on our web page at
www.dfg.ca.gov/nafwb/fishgrant.html. We encourage you to download this
Solicitation as a reference document to assure compliance with the
Department of Fish and Game's proposal requirements. 
 
 In order to be considered for the 2005/2006 funding, proposals
submitted by mail must have a U.S. POSTAL SERVICE POSTMARK no later
than May 6, 2005. Proposals delivered by any other means (FEDEX, U.P.S.,
etc.), including hand delivery, must be delivered not later than May 6,
2005, at 3:00 p.m. 
 
In recognition of the need to respond to questions and to help guide
the preparation for sound restoration proposals, the Department has
scheduled the following workshops for your assistance:
At these workshops, Department staff will be available to discuss
contracting procedures, funding criteria within the various
restoration
funds, biological issues, restoration techniques, and address your
questions and concerns. 
 
Camarillo, March 29, 2005, 1:00pm - 3:00pm California Conservation
Corps On the California State University Channel Island Campus, at the
corner of Santa Barbara Avenue and Ventura Street Camarillo, CA 93010
Contact: Mary Larson, (562) 342-7186 Email: (mlarson at dfg.ca.gov) 
 
Orange County, March 28, 2005, 10:00am - 12:00pmCalifornia Department
of Fish & Game 4665 Lampson Avenue, Suite C Los Alamitos, CA 90720
Contact: Mary Larson, (562) 342-7186 Email: (mlarson at dfg.ca.gov) 
 
Yreka, April 5, 2005, 6:00pm - 7:00pm Yreka Community Center 810 North
Oregon Street Yreka, CA 96097 Contact: Chris Ramsey, (707) 725-1027
Email: (cramsey at dfg.ca.gov) 
 
Ukiah, April 8, 2005, 9:30am - 12:00pm California Conservation Corps
2600 Eastside Road Ukiah, CA 95482 Contact: Chris Ramsey, (707)
725-1027 Email: (cramsey at dfg.ca.gov) 
 
Santa Cruz, March 28, 2005, 10:00am - 12:00pmCalifornia Department of
Fish & Game 1451 Schaeffer Road Santa Cruz, CA 95060 Contact: Margaret
Roper, (650) 413-1501 Email: (mroper at dfg.ca.gov) 
 
San Luis Obispo, March 21, 2005, 1:00pm - 4:00pm California
Conservation Corps Camp San Luis Obispo San Luis Obispo, CA Contact:
John Kleinfelter, (831) 649-2885 or Margaret Roper, (650) 413-1501
Email: (jkleinfelter at dfg.ca.gov) or (mroper at dfg.ca.gov) 
 

(you may download the Solicitation at:
http://www.dfg.ca.gov/nafwb/fishgrant.html). Phone Number: 916-327-8849
for questions.
 


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From danielbacher at hotmail.com  Tue Mar 15 11:30:31 2005
From: danielbacher at hotmail.com (Daniel Bacher)
Date: Tue, 15 Mar 2005 11:30:31 -0800
Subject: [env-trinity] Klamath River Tribes Rally To Remove Klamath River
	Dams
Message-ID: <BAY16-F7D58FA217370BD8D23E0EDB570@phx.gbl>

Klamath River Tribes, Fishermen Rally To Remove Klamath River Dams

by Dan Bacher

In an unprecedented show of unity, hundreds of members of the Yurok, Hoopa 
Valley, Karuk and Klamath tribes rallied in support of the removal of dams 
on the Klamath in front of the State Capitol on March 14.

After marching from Riverfront Park in Sacramento, the group, including many 
attired in traditional tribal dress, converged on the capitol and urged 
Governor Schwarzenegger to serve as ?Conan the Riparian? by increasing state 
efforts to restore the Klamath River?s beleaguered salmon populations. The 
salmon runs are now blocked by six dams owned by Pacific Corp, a subsidiary 
of Scottish Power based in Glasgow, Scotland.

?We will continue to fight until we bring the salmon back,? said Jeff 
Mitchell of the Klamath River inter-tribal Fish and Water Commission and a 
member of the Klamath and Modoc tribes. ?We traveled to Scotland last summer 
to tell Scottish Power and the Scottish people that we need the salmon 
restored. We are bringing to the California leadership the same message 
today. We need ?The Terminator? to terminate the dams on the Klamath.?

Later this spring, Mitchell said the Klamath and other tribes plan to go to 
the Oregon State Capitol in Salem to urge Governor Kulongoski to pressure 
Pacific Corp to remove the dams. ?We know that dam removal won?t solve all 
of our problems, but re-opening the 350 miles of habitat upstream is a 
prerequisite to any other restoration programs,? he stated.

The six dams owned by the company on the Klamath include Iron Gate, Copco 
#1, Copco #2, J.C. Boyle, Keno and Link River. The dams generate 70,000 to 
80,000 megawatts of electricity most years, enough electricity to light up 
only 30,000 to 40,000 homes, although the power capacity on paper is 150,000 
megawatts, according to Troy Fletcher, executive director of the Yurok 
Tribe.

Historically, the Klamath produced up to 1.1 million adult fish annually, 
including chinook, coho, pink and chum salmon, as well as abundant 
steelhead, and was once the third most productive salmon river system on the 
west coast of the continental United States, according to Craig Tucker, 
Klamath Campaign Coordinator of the Karuk Tribe.

However, when Copco 1 Dam was constructed on the Klamath in 1918; it blocked 
access to more than 350 miles of salmon and steelhead habitat in the upper 
Klamath. Iron Gate Dam, constructed in 1964, blocked salmon and steelhead 
from accessing seven more miles of upstream habitat.

According to Tucker, the Klamath River fall run chinook salmon productivity 
is now less than 8 percent of its historical abundance. Coho salmon, once 
the ?workhorse? of the West Coast fishing industry, are less than one 
percent, while chum and pink salmon are extinct.

Although Southern and Central California received lots of rain this year so 
far; the Upper Klamath Basin  in southern Oregon is facing a drought. The 
fish returning to spawn this fall are the progeny of fish that spawned 
during the fall of 2002, when over 68,000 adult chinook salmon perished 
because of a change in water policy by the Bush administration that favor 
subsidized agribusiness over fish.

Confronted with a projected record low run, recreational and commercial 
ocean fishermen, in river fishermen and the tribes are faced with severe 
salmon fishing restrictions this year. Last year the Karuk Tribe, with over 
3300 members, harvested less than 100 fish in its traditional dip net 
fishery at Ishi Pishi Falls ? and the prospects are even dimmer this year.

?We only have two cold water tributaries, the Indian Creek and the Salmon 
River, left in the middle Klamath,? said Sandi Tripp, director of the 
Natural Resources Department of the Karuk Tribe. ?When the PacifiCorp dams 
are removed, we?ll have all of the tributaries of the dams opened up for the 
fish to spawn.?

The tribes were joined by 50 members of the Winnemem Wintu Tribe, now 
fighting Bureau of Reclamation plans to raise Shasta Dam, as well as 
commercial fishermen, recreational anglers, environmental activists and 
farmers. In front of the State Capitol, the Winnemem Wintu, arrayed in 
colorful tribal dress, performed for several minutes the war dance that they 
did at Shasta Dam last September

?We are here to support our Klamath brothers and sisters,? said Gary Mulachy 
of the Winnemem Wintu. ?We were horrified when we saw the reports on the big 
salmon kill on the Klamath in September 2002. It used to be that the BIA 
(Bureau of Indian Affairs) was the bad ?b? word to us. Now the ?b? word is 
the Bureau of Reclamation.?

?There are more of you here today that the numbers of salmon we expect to 
return to the Klamath this year,? quipped Zeke Grader, executive Director of 
the Pacific Coast Federation of Fishermen?s Associations.  ?The fish kill is 
not impacting just the Klamath watershed ? it?s hurting the fishery in the 
whole state of California, since commercial fishing for Sacramento Fish will 
be cut dramatically this year to protect the Klamath stocks. We need to tell 
the governor we want the dams out now.?

According to a study by the Institute of Fisheries Resources, a restored 
Klamath Basin would be valued at $4.5 billion, providing a needed boost to 
struggling rural and coastal communities along the California and Oregon 
coasts.

Last Summer, Scottish Power executives promised tribal members that dam 
removal is ?on the table? as a possible result of the FERC relicensing 
process. The current license by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission 
expires in 2006.

The State Water Resources Control Board has the authority to demand adequate 
measures for fish restoration in the licensing process. The Governor has the 
power to require a viable strategy, including a combination of fish ladders 
and dam removal, to return salmon to the upper Klamath Basin.

So far, the Governor has said some positive things regarding Klamath 
restoration and his staff has been warm to the ideal of dam removal, 
according to the tribes. Hopefully, the unprecedented march and rally send a 
strong message to Governor Schwarzenegger and Oregon Governor Kulongoski to 
do the right thing and mandate PacifiCorp to remove the dams.

Becky Hyde and her husband, who farm land on the Sycan River in the Klamath 
Basin, support the tribes and fishermen in their efforts to restore the 
Klamath.

?It?s not an issue of fish versus farmers,? she emphasized at the rally. ?We 
can have both. I support dam removal for fish passage ? and I also want 
affordable power for farmers to continue. Faced with drought conditions, it 
is imperative that we pull together to make it through this year.?

?If one river system can be fixed and restored, it is the Klamath,? 
concluded Jeff Mitchell. ?I haven?t met one person yet that doesn?t want 
clean water, to see the salmon survive and to have healthy rural 
communities. This fight won?t be over until we have fish returning into the 
Sprague, Chiloquin and other Upper Klamath Basin tributaries once again.?





by Dan Bacher

In an unprecedented show of unity, hundreds of members of the Yurok, Hoopa, 
Karuk and Klamath tribes rallied in support of the removal of dams on the 
Klamath in front of the State Capitol on March 14.

After marching from Riverfront Park in Sacramento, the group, including many 
attired in traditional tribal dress, converged on the capitol and urged 
Governor Schwarzenegger to serve as ?Conan the Riparian? by increasing state 
efforts to restore the Klamath River?s beleaguered salmon populations. The 
salmon runs are now blocked by six dams owned by Pacific Corp, a subsidiary 
of Scottish Power based in Glasgow, Scotland.

?We will continue to fight until we bring the salmon back,? said Jeff 
Mitchell of the Klamath River inter-tribal Fish and Water Commission and a 
member of the Klamath and Modoc tribes. ?We traveled to Scotland last summer 
to tell Scottish Power and the Scottish people that we need the salmon 
restored. We are bringing to the California leadership the same message 
today. We need ?The Terminator? to terminate the dams on the Klamath.?

Later this spring, Mitchell said the Klamath and other tribes plan to go to 
the Oregon State Capitol in Salem to urge Governor Kulongoski to pressure 
Pacific Corp to remove the dams. ?We know that dam removal won?t solve all 
of our problems, but re-opening the 350 miles of habitat upstream is a 
prerequisite to any other restoration programs,? he stated.

The six dams owned by the company on the Klamath include Iron Gate, Copco 
#1, Copco #2, J.C. Boyle, Keno and Link River. The dams generate 70,000 to 
80,000 megawatts of electricity most years, enough electricity to light up 
only 30,000 to 40,000 homes, although the power capacity on paper is 150,000 
megawatts, according to Troy Fletcher, executive director of the Yurok 
Tribe.

Historically, the Klamath produced up to 1.1 million adult fish annually, 
including chinook, coho, pink and chum salmon, as well as abundant 
steelhead, and was once the third most productive salmon river system on the 
west coast of the continental United States, according to Craig Tucker, 
Klamath Campaign Coordinator of the Karuk Tribe.

However, when Copco 1 Dam was constructed on the Klamath in 1918; it 
permanently blocked access to more than 350 miles of salmon and steelhead 
habitat in the upper Klamath. Iron Gate Dam, constructed in 1964, blocked 
salmon and steelhead from accessing seven more miles of upstream habitat.
According to Tucker, the Klamath River fall run chinook salmon productivity 
is now less than 8 percent of its historical abundance. Coho salmon, once 
the ?workhorse? of the West Coast fishing industry, are less than one 
percent, while chum and pink salmon are extinct.

Although Southern and Central California received lots of rain this year so 
far; the Upper Klamath Basin  in southern Oregon is facing a drought. The 
fish returning to spawn this fall are the progeny of fish that spawned 
during the fall of 2002, when over 68,000 adult chinook salmon perished 
because of a change in water policy by the Bush administration that favor 
subsidized agribusiness over fish.

Confronted with a projected record low run, recreational and commercial 
ocean fishermen, in river fishermen and the tribes are faced with severe 
salmon fishing restrictions this year. Last year the Karuk Tribe, with over 
3300 members, harvested less than 100 fish in its traditional dip net 
fishery at Ishi Pishi Falls ? and the prospects are even dimmer this year.

?We only have two cold water tributaries, the Indian Creek and the Salmon 
River, left in the middle Klamath,? said Sandi Tripp, director of the 
Natural Resources Department of the Karuk Tribe. ?When the PacifiCorp dams 
are removed, we?ll have all of the tributaries of the dams opened up for the 
fish to spawn.?

The tribes were joined by 50 members of the Winnemem Wintu Tribe, now 
fighting Bureau of Reclamation plans to raise Shasta Dam, as well as 
commercial fishermen, recreational anglers, environmental activists and 
farmers. In front of the State Capitol, the Winnemem Wintu performed for 
several minutes the war dance that they did at Shasta Dam last September.

?We are here to support our Klamath brothers and sisters,? said Gary Mulachy 
of the Winnemem Wintu. ?We were horrified when we saw the reports on the big 
salmon kill on the Klamath in September 2002. It used to be that the BIA 
(Bureau of Indian Affairs) was the bad ?b? word to us. Now the ?b? word is 
the Bureau of Reclamation.?

?There are more of you here today that the numbers of salmon we expect to 
return to the Klamath this year,? quipped Zeke Grader, executive Director of 
the Pacific Coast Federation of Fishermen?s Associations.  ?The fish kill is 
not impacting just the Klamath watershed ? it?s hurting the fishery in the 
whole state of California, since commercial fishing for Sacramento Fish will 
be cut dramatically this year to protect the Klamath stocks. We need to tell 
the governor we want the dams out now.?

According to a study by the Institute of Fisheries Resources, a restored 
Klamath Basin would be valued at $4.5 billion, providing a needed boost to 
struggling rural and coastal communities along the California and Oregon 
coasts.

Last Summer, Scottish Power executives promised tribal members that dam 
removal is ?on the table? as a possible result of the dam relicensing 
process. The current license by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission 
expires in 2006.

The State Water Resources Control Board has the authority to demand adequate 
measures for fish restoration in the licensing process. The Governor has the 
power to require a viable strategy, including a combination of fish ladders 
and dam removal, to return salmon to the upper Klamath Basin

So far, the Governor has said some positive things regarding Klamath 
restoration and his staff has been warm to the ideal of dam removal, 
according to the tribes. Hopefully, the unprecedented march and rally send a 
strong message to Governor Schwarzenegger and Oregon Governor Kulongoski to 
do the right thing and mandate PacifiCorp to remove the dams.

Becky Hyde and her husband, who farm land on the Sycan River in the Klamath 
Basin, support the tribes and fishermen in their efforts to restore the 
Klamath.

?It?s not an issue of fish versus farmers,? she emphasized at the rally. ?We 
can have both. I support dam removal for fish passage ? and I also want 
affordable power for farmers to continue. Faced with drought conditions, it 
is imperative that we pull together to make it through this year.?

?If one river system can be fixed and restored, it is the Klamath,? 
concluded Jeff Mitchell. ?I haven?t met one person yet that doesn?t want 
clean water, to see the salmon survive and to have healthy rural 
communities. This fight won?t be over until we have fish returning into the 
Sprague, Chiloquin and other Upper Klamath Basin tributaries once again.?




From danielbacher at hotmail.com  Tue Mar 15 11:37:08 2005
From: danielbacher at hotmail.com (Daniel Bacher)
Date: Tue, 15 Mar 2005 11:37:08 -0800
Subject: [env-trinity] Klamath River Tribes Rally To Remove Klamath River
	Dams
Message-ID: <BAY16-F2289086CC1488D080214BDB570@phx.gbl>

Klamath River Tribes, Fishermen Rally To Remove Klamath River Dams

by Dan Bacher

In an unprecedented show of unity, hundreds of members of the Yurok, Hoopa 
Valley, Karuk and Klamath tribes rallied in support of the removal of dams 
on the Klamath in front of the State Capitol on March 14.

After marching from Riverfront Park in Sacramento, the group, including many 
attired in traditional tribal dress, converged on the capitol and urged 
Governor Schwarzenegger to serve as ?Conan the Riparian? by increasing state 
efforts to restore the Klamath River?s beleaguered salmon populations. The 
salmon runs are now blocked by six dams owned by Pacific Corp, a subsidiary 
of Scottish Power based in Glasgow, Scotland.

?We will continue to fight until we bring the salmon back,? said Jeff 
Mitchell of the Klamath River inter-tribal Fish and Water Commission and a 
member of the Klamath and Modoc tribes. ?We traveled to Scotland last summer 
to tell Scottish Power and the Scottish people that we need the salmon 
restored. We are bringing to the California leadership the same message 
today. We need ?The Terminator? to terminate the dams on the Klamath.?

Later this spring, Mitchell said the Klamath and other tribes plan to go to 
the Oregon State Capitol in Salem to urge Governor Kulongoski to pressure 
Pacific Corp to remove the dams. ?We know that dam removal won?t solve all 
of our problems, but re-opening the 350 miles of habitat upstream is a 
prerequisite to any other restoration programs,? he stated.

The six dams owned by the company on the Klamath include Iron Gate, Copco 
#1, Copco #2, J.C. Boyle, Keno and Link River. The dams generate 70,000 to 
80,000 megawatts of electricity most years, enough electricity to light up 
only 30,000 to 40,000 homes, although the power capacity on paper is 150,000 
megawatts, according to Troy Fletcher, executive director of the Yurok 
Tribe.

Historically, the Klamath produced up to 1.1 million adult fish annually, 
including chinook, coho, pink and chum salmon, as well as abundant 
steelhead, and was once the third most productive salmon river system on the 
west coast of the continental United States, according to Craig Tucker, 
Klamath Campaign Coordinator of the Karuk Tribe.

However, when Copco 1 Dam was constructed on the Klamath in 1918; it blocked 
access to more than 350 miles of salmon and steelhead habitat in the upper 
Klamath. Iron Gate Dam, constructed in 1964, blocked salmon and steelhead 
from accessing seven more miles of upstream habitat.

According to Tucker, the Klamath River fall run chinook salmon productivity 
is now less than 8 percent of its historical abundance. Coho salmon, once 
the ?workhorse? of the West Coast fishing industry, are less than one 
percent, while chum and pink salmon are extinct.

Although Southern and Central California received lots of rain this year so 
far; the Upper Klamath Basin  in southern Oregon is facing a drought. The 
fish returning to spawn this fall are the progeny of fish that spawned 
during the fall of 2002, when over 68,000 adult chinook salmon perished 
because of a change in water policy by the Bush administration that favor 
subsidized agribusiness over fish.

Confronted with a projected record low run, recreational and commercial 
ocean fishermen, in river fishermen and the tribes are faced with severe 
salmon fishing restrictions this year. Last year the Karuk Tribe, with over 
3300 members, harvested less than 100 fish in its traditional dip net 
fishery at Ishi Pishi Falls ? and the prospects are even dimmer this year.

?We only have two cold water tributaries, the Indian Creek and the Salmon 
River, left in the middle Klamath,? said Sandi Tripp, director of the 
Natural Resources Department of the Karuk Tribe. ?When the PacifiCorp dams 
are removed, we?ll have all of the tributaries of the dams opened up for the 
fish to spawn.?

The tribes were joined by 50 members of the Winnemem Wintu Tribe, now 
fighting Bureau of Reclamation plans to raise Shasta Dam, as well as 
commercial fishermen, recreational anglers, environmental activists and 
farmers. In front of the State Capitol, the Winnemem Wintu, arrayed in 
colorful tribal dress, performed for several minutes the war dance that they 
did at Shasta Dam last September

?We are here to support our Klamath brothers and sisters,? said Gary Mulachy 
of the Winnemem Wintu. ?We were horrified when we saw the reports on the big 
salmon kill on the Klamath in September 2002. It used to be that the BIA 
(Bureau of Indian Affairs) was the bad ?b? word to us. Now the ?b? word is 
the Bureau of Reclamation.?

?There are more of you here today that the numbers of salmon we expect to 
return to the Klamath this year,? quipped Zeke Grader, executive Director of 
the Pacific Coast Federation of Fishermen?s Associations.  ?The fish kill is 
not impacting just the Klamath watershed ? it?s hurting the fishery in the 
whole state of California, since commercial fishing for Sacramento Fish will 
be cut dramatically this year to protect the Klamath stocks. We need to tell 
the governor we want the dams out now.?

According to a study by the Institute of Fisheries Resources, a restored 
Klamath Basin would be valued at $4.5 billion, providing a needed boost to 
struggling rural and coastal communities along the California and Oregon 
coasts.

Last Summer, Scottish Power executives promised tribal members that dam 
removal is ?on the table? as a possible result of the FERC relicensing 
process. The current license by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission 
expires in 2006.

The State Water Resources Control Board has the authority to demand adequate 
measures for fish restoration in the licensing process. The Governor has the 
power to require a viable strategy, including a combination of fish ladders 
and dam removal, to return salmon to the upper Klamath Basin.

So far, the Governor has said some positive things regarding Klamath 
restoration and his staff has been warm to the ideal of dam removal, 
according to the tribes. Hopefully, the unprecedented march and rally send a 
strong message to Governor Schwarzenegger and Oregon Governor Kulongoski to 
do the right thing and mandate PacifiCorp to remove the dams.

Becky Hyde and her husband, who farm land on the Sycan River in the Klamath 
Basin, support the tribes and fishermen in their efforts to restore the 
Klamath.

?It?s not an issue of fish versus farmers,? she emphasized at the rally. ?We 
can have both. I support dam removal for fish passage ? and I also want 
affordable power for farmers to continue. Faced with drought conditions, it 
is imperative that we pull together to make it through this year.?

?If one river system can be fixed and restored, it is the Klamath,? 
concluded Jeff Mitchell. ?I haven?t met one person yet that doesn?t want 
clean water, to see the salmon survive and to have healthy rural 
communities. This fight won?t be over until we have fish returning into the 
Sprague, Chiloquin and other Upper Klamath Basin tributaries once again.?





by Dan Bacher

In an unprecedented show of unity, hundreds of members of the Yurok, Hoopa, 
Karuk and Klamath tribes rallied in support of the removal of dams on the 
Klamath in front of the State Capitol on March 14.

After marching from Riverfront Park in Sacramento, the group, including many 
attired in traditional tribal dress, converged on the capitol and urged 
Governor Schwarzenegger to serve as ?Conan the Riparian? by increasing state 
efforts to restore the Klamath River?s beleaguered salmon populations. The 
salmon runs are now blocked by six dams owned by Pacific Corp, a subsidiary 
of Scottish Power based in Glasgow, Scotland.

?We will continue to fight until we bring the salmon back,? said Jeff 
Mitchell of the Klamath River inter-tribal Fish and Water Commission and a 
member of the Klamath and Modoc tribes. ?We traveled to Scotland last summer 
to tell Scottish Power and the Scottish people that we need the salmon 
restored. We are bringing to the California leadership the same message 
today. We need ?The Terminator? to terminate the dams on the Klamath.?

Later this spring, Mitchell said the Klamath and other tribes plan to go to 
the Oregon State Capitol in Salem to urge Governor Kulongoski to pressure 
Pacific Corp to remove the dams. ?We know that dam removal won?t solve all 
of our problems, but re-opening the 350 miles of habitat upstream is a 
prerequisite to any other restoration programs,? he stated.

The six dams owned by the company on the Klamath include Iron Gate, Copco 
#1, Copco #2, J.C. Boyle, Keno and Link River. The dams generate 70,000 to 
80,000 megawatts of electricity most years, enough electricity to light up 
only 30,000 to 40,000 homes, although the power capacity on paper is 150,000 
megawatts, according to Troy Fletcher, executive director of the Yurok 
Tribe.

Historically, the Klamath produced up to 1.1 million adult fish annually, 
including chinook, coho, pink and chum salmon, as well as abundant 
steelhead, and was once the third most productive salmon river system on the 
west coast of the continental United States, according to Craig Tucker, 
Klamath Campaign Coordinator of the Karuk Tribe.

However, when Copco 1 Dam was constructed on the Klamath in 1918; it 
permanently blocked access to more than 350 miles of salmon and steelhead 
habitat in the upper Klamath. Iron Gate Dam, constructed in 1964, blocked 
salmon and steelhead from accessing seven more miles of upstream habitat.
According to Tucker, the Klamath River fall run chinook salmon productivity 
is now less than 8 percent of its historical abundance. Coho salmon, once 
the ?workhorse? of the West Coast fishing industry, are less than one 
percent, while chum and pink salmon are extinct.

Although Southern and Central California received lots of rain this year so 
far; the Upper Klamath Basin  in southern Oregon is facing a drought. The 
fish returning to spawn this fall are the progeny of fish that spawned 
during the fall of 2002, when over 68,000 adult chinook salmon perished 
because of a change in water policy by the Bush administration that favor 
subsidized agribusiness over fish.

Confronted with a projected record low run, recreational and commercial 
ocean fishermen, in river fishermen and the tribes are faced with severe 
salmon fishing restrictions this year. Last year the Karuk Tribe, with over 
3300 members, harvested less than 100 fish in its traditional dip net 
fishery at Ishi Pishi Falls ? and the prospects are even dimmer this year.

?We only have two cold water tributaries, the Indian Creek and the Salmon 
River, left in the middle Klamath,? said Sandi Tripp, director of the 
Natural Resources Department of the Karuk Tribe. ?When the PacifiCorp dams 
are removed, we?ll have all of the tributaries of the dams opened up for the 
fish to spawn.?

The tribes were joined by 50 members of the Winnemem Wintu Tribe, now 
fighting Bureau of Reclamation plans to raise Shasta Dam, as well as 
commercial fishermen, recreational anglers, environmental activists and 
farmers. In front of the State Capitol, the Winnemem Wintu performed for 
several minutes the war dance that they did at Shasta Dam last September.

?We are here to support our Klamath brothers and sisters,? said Gary Mulachy 
of the Winnemem Wintu. ?We were horrified when we saw the reports on the big 
salmon kill on the Klamath in September 2002. It used to be that the BIA 
(Bureau of Indian Affairs) was the bad ?b? word to us. Now the ?b? word is 
the Bureau of Reclamation.?

?There are more of you here today that the numbers of salmon we expect to 
return to the Klamath this year,? quipped Zeke Grader, executive Director of 
the Pacific Coast Federation of Fishermen?s Associations.  ?The fish kill is 
not impacting just the Klamath watershed ? it?s hurting the fishery in the 
whole state of California, since commercial fishing for Sacramento Fish will 
be cut dramatically this year to protect the Klamath stocks. We need to tell 
the governor we want the dams out now.?

According to a study by the Institute of Fisheries Resources, a restored 
Klamath Basin would be valued at $4.5 billion, providing a needed boost to 
struggling rural and coastal communities along the California and Oregon 
coasts.

Last Summer, Scottish Power executives promised tribal members that dam 
removal is ?on the table? as a possible result of the dam relicensing 
process. The current license by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission 
expires in 2006.

The State Water Resources Control Board has the authority to demand adequate 
measures for fish restoration in the licensing process. The Governor has the 
power to require a viable strategy, including a combination of fish ladders 
and dam removal, to return salmon to the upper Klamath Basin

So far, the Governor has said some positive things regarding Klamath 
restoration and his staff has been warm to the ideal of dam removal, 
according to the tribes. Hopefully, the unprecedented march and rally send a 
strong message to Governor Schwarzenegger and Oregon Governor Kulongoski to 
do the right thing and mandate PacifiCorp to remove the dams.

Becky Hyde and her husband, who farm land on the Sycan River in the Klamath 
Basin, support the tribes and fishermen in their efforts to restore the 
Klamath.

?It?s not an issue of fish versus farmers,? she emphasized at the rally. ?We 
can have both. I support dam removal for fish passage ? and I also want 
affordable power for farmers to continue. Faced with drought conditions, it 
is imperative that we pull together to make it through this year.?

?If one river system can be fixed and restored, it is the Klamath,? 
concluded Jeff Mitchell. ?I haven?t met one person yet that doesn?t want 
clean water, to see the salmon survive and to have healthy rural 
communities. This fight won?t be over until we have fish returning into the 
Sprague, Chiloquin and other Upper Klamath Basin tributaries once again.?




From tstokely at trinityalps.net  Wed Mar 16 11:20:59 2005
From: tstokely at trinityalps.net (tstokely at trinityalps.net)
Date: Wed, 16 Mar 2005 14:20:59 -0500
Subject: [env-trinity] AP- Though land is poisoned,
	California water districts lock in supplies
Message-ID: <225110-220053316192059898@M2W055.mail2web.com>

Though land is poisoned, California water districts lock in supplies

 
 
 http://www.nctimes.com/articles/2005/03/15/news/state/31305142413.txt
 
 

 
 
 
By: JULIANA BARBASSA - Associated Press Writer 

MENDOTA, Calif. (AP) -- When Miguel Gonzalez looks out over the flat,
barren field that seems to stretch from his front door to the distant
Sierra Nevada, he sees 38 years of "eating dirt, night and day, behind a
tractor."

The hard work provided him with one in a row of tidy cream-colored houses
on the farm near Mendota where Gonzalez, his wife Maria, and other families
have lived for decades. But now they have to leave. The land is useless for
farming, poisoned by years of irrigation with salty water pumped in from
the San Joaquin-Sacramento river delta, more than 100 miles away. 

"It's the water here. It's bad, salty," said Sixto Rodriguez, who like
Gonzalez, has until August to uproot his family and find a new job. Reyes
Rodriguez, Sixto's nephew, also is being forced out.

On the west side of California's wide and thirsty Central Valley, salt
damage is inexorably taking tens of thousands of acres out of production.

Some see this as an opportunity to free up the water for other uses.
Instead, irrigation districts are quietly renegotiating contracts with the
federal government that lock in -- for at least 25 more years -- control
over the same amount of subsidized water they've received for 40 years.

What it amounts to, critics say, is a government giveaway, guaranteeing the
districts a stream of profits for decades to come -- perhaps even after the
land involved is no longer farmed.

The land Gonzalez and Rodriguez have worked since the late 1960s is owned
by the Murrieta Westlands Trust, a farm owned by a conglomerate of 23
individuals and trusts. Their representative, Ron Delforno, declined to
comment on this story.

But the slow poisoning of the fields near Mendota is neither unique nor
surprising. When the federal government built the Central Valley Project,
bringing Northern California water to the inhospitable desert west of the
San Joaquin River, officials knew about one-third of the nearly 600,000
acres served by Westlands Irrigation District had drainage problems.

In the decades since then, salt in the brackish water has gathered near the
soil's surface, gradually ruining land for farming and ultimately
eliminating some of the jobs it once created.

The irrigation district has taken 108,000 acres out of production, some of
it with the help of a federal buyout. That deal compensated the landowners,
let Westlands send the water to other more productive farms -- and is
leaving people like Gonzalez without homes or jobs.

Critics point out that in other areas, urban development, environmental
concerns and economic pressures are pulling farmland out of production, and
increasing the demand for water. It's time for the federal government to
reevaluate the old system of dividing up the region's water supply, they
say.

Critics like Barry Nelson, of the Natural Resources Defense Council, say
these contracts are "locking in Depression-era water policies" at a time
when the state's needs are changing.

Despite this, the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation in the last few weeks has
signed about 200 similar contracts with irrigation districts served by the
Central Valley Project, largely guaranteeing them the same deliveries
they've received for decades. None involve as much water as Westlands, the
largest irrigation district in the country.

Environmental advocates are protesting.

"It's pretty clear: If you're farming less land, you need less water," said
Rep. George Miller, D-Calif., who has tried to reform the Central Valley
Project. "The Bush administration is giving these water districts the same
amount of cheap water they've been getting for decades. These
agribusinesses get to turn around and sell the extra water and make a big
profit that really belongs to the taxpayers who own the water."

Westlands expects to sign its contract renewal by summer, locking in
deliveries of as much as 1.15 million acre-feet annually, enough to supply
about 2.3 million homes for a year.

Authorized in 1936, the Central Valley Project was built with $3.2 billion
in federal money to pump water from the delta of the San Joaquin and
Sacramento rivers and deliver it to the valley's wide-open fields. Back
then, farming led the state's economy, and large, expensive projects like
the CVP were justified by the need to create jobs and develop land.

The plan worked. Agriculture in the state now generates more than $27.8
billion a year. The Central Valley grows much of the fresh produce that
ends up on dinner tables across the United States, and farms served by
Westlands contribute to that bounty.

For several weeks during the spring and fall, most of the lettuce grown
domestically comes from farms served by Westlands, and the area produces
enough tomatoes in the average year to fill about 5 billion bottles of
ketchup. Farmers in the area take pride in supplying the country with safe,
domestically grown food.

Within Westlands, farms are also the largest employers, hiring up to 18,000
workers a season, even though 750 workers lost their jobs in the area when
land was taken out of farming between 2001 and 2003, and hundreds more,
among them Gonzalez, Sixto and Reyes Rodriguez and their families, are
still being pushed out.

So far, no water has been sold out of Westlands. In fact, the district has
to pump out of the ground or buy at market rates up to 400,000 acre-feet of
water a year. This supplements its deliveries from the CVP, which were
historically never enough to irrigate the entire district.

Some Westlands-area farmers, like Brad Gleason, say the answer to the
state's water shortage is not to push out agriculture, but to stabilize
water deliveries, and use water more efficiently, growing permanent,
higher-value crops like almonds instead of subsidized, surplus crops like
cotton.

"Reliability is a huge issue for the farms in Westlands," said spokesman
Tupper Hull. Farmers can't invest in long term improvements, such as
efficient drip irrigation technology, or in tree crops like nuts and stone
fruit, if there isn't a guaranteed water supply, Hull said.

Sitting outside his home in the soft morning sun, Sixto Rodriguez doesn't
know the details of deals being cut.

But he does know that this year, they're not seeding the cotton, tomatoes
and alfalfa he's harvested for so long. And he worries about the future.

"I left my life here," said Gonzalez. "I'm old now. If I can't work here,
what am I going to do?"



--------------------------------------------------------------------
mail2web - Check your email from the web at
http://mail2web.com/ .





From tstokely at trinityalps.net  Wed Mar 16 11:33:13 2005
From: tstokely at trinityalps.net (Tom Stokely)
Date: Wed, 16 Mar 2005 11:33:13 -0800
Subject: [env-trinity] Klamath Herald/News- Basin turns nervous eye to
	snowpack 
Message-ID: <000201c52b0b$246d88c0$386b3940@trinitycounty.org>

Basin turns nervous eye to snowpack 
Klamath Falls Herald and News (Oregon) ? 3/14/05 

By Dylan Darling, staff writer 

As the sun keeps eating away at the mountain snowpack, Klamath Basin farmers and ranchers are trying to digest a 
drought plan implemented Wednesday by the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation. 

Bureau officials dusted off the plan, crafted in 1991, because of continual dry conditions and dropping streamflow 
forecasts for the irrigation season, which runs from April to mid-October. 

In the drought plan, most parks, cemeteries and athletic fields will go dry, and smaller water user districts will have 
to figure ways to get by with less as water keeps flowing to the Klamath Irrigation District and Tulelake Irrigation 
District. Those two districts have the highest priority for water under the drought plan. 

Christine Karas, deputy manager of the Klamath Reclamation Project, said a dramatic change in weather could still 
make the plan unnecessary. 

"But we want to get out in front of it and not wait," Karas said. 

A dramatic change in weather doesn't seem to be coming any time soon. 

Unseasonably warm temperatures baked the Basin for the past week, shriveling the snowpack in the mountains. Jon 
Lea, a hydrologist with the Natural Resources Conservation Service, said March is usually a month when the 
snowpack is still building. 

Instead, it's shrinking - daily. As a result, the NRCS figures are going down fast. 

The Klamath Basin snowpack on Wednesday was measured at 38 percent of average. By Friday it was down to 34 
percent. Saturday it was 32 percent. 

"I guess it is just getting worse as far as percentages are concerned," he said. "Here we are sitting in June-like 
weather in March." 

Already bad at the beginning of the month, the snowpack is now in worse shape than it was in 2001, Lea said. In 
2001, Bureau officials didn't put water through the Project's canals because of a water shortage and endangered 
species regulations. 

Officials have said changes in management plans should make water deliveries in the project possible if the water 
situation is similar to 2001. But, with the every shrinking snowpack, there could be less water to go around this 
year. 

On March 13, 2001, the snowpack was at 53 percent of average for the date. 

To figure how divvy up water under the drought plan, Bureau officials plan to meet with representatives from the 
Project's irrigation districts in early April. 

The drought plan has been put into effect twice before - in 1992 and 1994. Response to the plan is those years was 
mixed. 

In spring 1992, the Bureau invited farmers and ranchers to ask questions about the plan in a meeting at the Midland 
Grange. The meeting was an "awakening," said Jim Bryant, retired chief of the project's water and land operations. 
Bryant was one of the Bureau officials who crafted the drought plan. 

Many farmers and ranchers didn't like the priority system because it pitted them against each other, he said, but the 
prioritization of Project water users was written into the more than 200 contracts irrigators signed with the 
government. Some didn't know they had a contract for water, Bryant said. 

He said there were difficulties in getting the plan to work on the ground. For example, some water normally would 
pass through a second-priority irrigation district on its way to a first-priority district. Some of those problems and 
questions linger today and could come up again with the implementation of the plan. 

The Project ended up getting through both 1992 and 1994 with relatively full water deliveries. Since then 
Endangered Species Act requirements have tightened, and the Bureau doesn't have the flexibility it did in those 
years. 

"It will take a lot of cooperation and work to get through this year if the weather does not change dramatically in 
the next moth or so," Bryant said in an e-mail. "The drought plan will provide the framework only, with the details 
to be worked out by the Basin community. I am sure that their will be many inequities in the distribution of the 
water if the dire forecasts are realized." 

Many in the agricultural community still don't like the plan, said Dave Solem, manager of the Klamath Irrigation 
District. 

"From a farmer's standpoint it doesn't make any sense," he said. "It doesn't have anything to do with the 
productivity of land. It just is based on the kind of contract." 

As a result, Solem said, a parcel of highly productive land planted with a crop that uses little water could go dry, 
while a less-productive parcel planted with a thirsty crop could get water because of the contract the land owner 
holds. 

Complicating matters this year is the wait for word on which landowners will be included in the Bureau's water 
bank, a program designed to boost flows down the Klamath River for threatened coho salmon, Solem said. The 
bank, in its third year, is made up largely of water gained from letting fields lie fallow, and from irrigators 
switching to well water. 

"We don't know how many acres will be idled in our district," Solem said. 

Although the Klamath Irrigation District is one of the groups getting top priority for Project water, Solem said its 
officials will need to be part of the planning process because it supplies many of the smaller districts in the Project. 

"The bottom line is we have to devise a system to get as many acres their water to the end (of irrigation season) - 
that's the goal," Solem said. 
  

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From danielbacher at hotmail.com  Thu Mar 17 08:12:04 2005
From: danielbacher at hotmail.com (Daniel Bacher)
Date: Thu, 17 Mar 2005 08:12:04 -0800
Subject: [env-trinity] Page One Sacto Bee
In-Reply-To: <20050314195738.B315F2001D54@mx.dcn.davis.ca.us>
Message-ID: <BAY16-F27F14D8FE395E6A4DD334DDB490@phx.gbl>

As usual, the Sacramento Bee didn't even consider calling the people most 
impacted by the water exports - Indian Tribes like the Winnemem Wintu, 
recreational anglers and commercial fishermen - for this story. But they 
always have lots of space for quotes from Jeff McCracken and Central Valley 
corporate ag water guzzlers. The Bee has some of the worst, most biased 
coverage of water issues of any major newspaper in the state. This contrasts 
with the great coverage that Glen Martin and other reporters at the S.F. 
Chronicle give to water issues.

Nearly 400 members of the Klamath River tribes and their supporters marched 
and rallied at the capitol on Monday - and the Bee didn't bother to send a 
reporter, though they were contacted with numerous emails and phone calls. 
That was a huge story!

Stuart Leavenworth did a fair job of covering water and fish issues at the 
Bee, but he's apparently been "kicked upstairs" into editorial.  Now they 
don't have anybody there that's familar with water issues.

I suggest that people write letters to the Bee about this article - I'm 
writing one today.

Dan Bacher




From bwl3 at comcast.net  Thu Mar 17 15:37:47 2005
From: bwl3 at comcast.net (Byron )
Date: Thu, 17 Mar 2005 15:37:47 -0800
Subject: [env-trinity] FW: Additional Final Env Doc for CVP Water Contracts
	Available
Message-ID: <20050317233800.4C70C2002715@mx.dcn.davis.ca.us>



-----Original Message-----
From: scervantes at mp.usbr.gov [mailto:scervantes at mp.usbr.gov] 
Sent: Thursday, March 17, 2005 3:33 PM
To: Byron Leydecker
Subject: Additional Final Env Doc for CVP Water Contracts Available

Reclamation issued the following press release today, Thursday, March 17,
2005.  The files have been sent to the server, it takes a few hours to go
live.  If you encounter problems accessing documents online, please give me
a call or send me an email.  Also, a number of additional executed contracts
will be posted to the contracting website on Friday at
www.usbr.gov/mp/cvpia/3404c/index.html; scroll to either 2005 Executed Sac
River Settlement Contracts or 2005 Executed Water Service Contracts.
Executed contracts will be posted as they are processed.  Please contact me
if you have any questions.


Thank you
Sam Cervantes
Public Affairs Office
Bureau of Reclamation
916-978-5104

------

Mid-Pacific Region 
Sacramento, CA

MP-05-031

Media Contact: Jeffrey McCracken  916-978-5100
		jmccracken at mp.usbr.gov

For Release On:  March 17, 2005

Additional Final Environmental Documents for CVP Water Contracts Available

The Bureau of Reclamation announces the availability of additional final
environmental documents related to the renewal of Central Valley Project
water contracts.  Reclamation has completed the required Endangered Species
Act and National Environmental Policy Act environmental compliance.  The
following Final Environmental Assessments (EA) and Final Findings of No
Significant Impact (FONSI) are available.

The Final EA/FONSI documents are available online at
www.usbr.gov/mp/cvpia/3404c/index.html; scroll to Final EAs/FONSIs and click
on the desired document(s).

The Contra Costa Water District Final EA and FONSI:  the Draft Revised EA
and FONSI were made available for a 30-day public review and comment period
on December 14, 2004.

The Shasta and Trinity River Divisions Final EA and FONSI:  the Draft
Updated EA and FONSI were made available for a 30-day public review and
comment period on August 31, 2004.  The FONSI covers seven of the ten
contracts analyzed in the EA.  The remaining three contract actions are
awaiting completion of ESA compliance.

Reclamation has also made available a Record of Decision on the Sacramento
River Settlement Contractors Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for the
Natomas Mutual Water Company.  The comment period on the Draft EIS ended on
November 15, 2004, and the Final EIS was made available on December 16,
2004.

For information or to request a copy of these final documents or for
questions on the status of other water contract-related environmental
documents, please contact Mr. Robert Eckart at 916-978-5051, TDD
916-978-5608.  If you encounter problems accessing documents online, please
contact Ms. Lynnette Wirth at 916-978-5102 or e-mail lwirth at mp.usbr.gov.

# # #

Reclamation is the largest wholesale water supplier and the second largest
producer of hydroelectric power in the United States, with operations and
facilities in the 17 Western States.  Its facilities also provide
substantial flood control, recreation, and fish and wildlife benefits. Visit
our Website at http://www.usbr.gov.



From bwl3 at comcast.net  Thu Mar 17 16:15:22 2005
From: bwl3 at comcast.net (Byron )
Date: Thu, 17 Mar 2005 16:15:22 -0800
Subject: [env-trinity] More Paper Water - Environmental Working Group Press
	Release
Message-ID: <20050318001526.E11442002E53@mx.dcn.davis.ca.us>

VIRTUAL FLOOD:

FEDS PROMISE CENTRAL VALLEY AGRIBUSINESSES WATER THAT'S NOT THERE

 

OAKLAND, March 17.The federal government has promised Central Valley
agribusinesses it will increase the amount of taxpayer-subsidized irrigation
water by 44 percent over the next 25 years, well beyond what the state's
infrastructure can reliably supply, according to Bureau of Reclamation
documents obtained by the Environmental Working Group (EWG).

 

In a report released today, EWG said the Bureau's contracts with Central
Valley Project (CVP) water districts, which are currently being renewed,
promise an additional 1.5 million acre-feet of water a year. The idea of
expanding the CVP is not new, but the documents reveal for the first time
the scope of the Bureau's plans.

 

This much additional water can't be supplied without costly new dams or
severe damage to fish and wildlife. But in blatant disregard of federal law,
the contracts are being extended for 25 to 50 years without consideration of
the environmental impacts of storing and delivering the extra water.

 

"The Bureau and its CVP contractors are rushing to sign contracts that will
commit the federal government to delivery of water that doesn't exist,
commit taxpayers to billions of dollars in construction costs, and commit
California to a future in which most of its water is controlled by, and
managed for the profit of, Central Valley agribusinesses," said EWG Senior
Analyst Renee Sharp, author of the report, available at www.ewg.org.

 

For each CVP district, the report lists the current amount of CVP water used
and the amount promised by 2030.

 

Some districts, including the huge Westlands Water District, have been
promised hundreds of thousands of additional acre-feet of water, even though
the amount of irrigated acreage is declining. This will hand the districts
windfall profits from reselling their subsidized water at a higher price.

 

The increased supplies promised in the contracts also mean a huge increase
in the value of taxpayer subsidies to CVP recipients. EWG calculated that if
the Bureau delivers 5.1 million acre-feet subsidized at roughly the same
rate as in 2002, the value of the water subsidy in 2030 could be as high as
$640 million.

 

EWG urges Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and other California elected officials
to call on the Bush Administration for an immediate moratorium on the
signing of new CVP contracts until their impacts on water supply, water
quality and wildlife are adequately considered and all legal requirements
are met.

 

Byron Leydecker, 

Chair, Friends of Trinity River

Consultant, California Trout, Inc.

PO Box 2327

Mill Valley, CA 94942-2327

415 383 4810 ph

415 383 9562 fx

bwl3 at comcast.net

bleydecker at stanfordalumni.org (secondary)

http://www.fotr.org

http://caltrout.org

 

 

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From danielbacher at hotmail.com  Thu Mar 17 16:01:17 2005
From: danielbacher at hotmail.com (Daniel Bacher)
Date: Thu, 17 Mar 2005 16:01:17 -0800
Subject: [env-trinity] FEDS PROMISE CENTRAL VALLEY AGRIBUSINESSES WATER
	THAT'S NOT THERE
Message-ID: <BAY16-F36089F737BFA706A59C0FDB4A0@phx.gbl>

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: March 17, 2005

CONTACT: Bill Walker or Renee Sharp, EWG, (510) 444-0973

VIRTUAL FLOOD:
FEDS PROMISE CENTRAL VALLEY AGRIBUSINESSES WATER THAT'S NOT THERE

OAKLAND, March 17 <caron> The federal government has promised Central Valley
agribusinesses it will increase the amount of taxpayer-subsidized irrigation
water by 44 percent over the next 25 years, well beyond what the state??s
infrastructure can reliably supply, according to Bureau of Reclamation
documents obtained by the Environmental Working Group (EWG).

In a report released today, EWG said the Bureau??s contracts with Central
Valley Project (CVP) water districts, which are currently being renewed,
promise an additional 1.5 million acre-feet of water a year. The idea of
expanding the CVP is not new, but the documents reveal for the first time
the scope of the Bureau's plans.

This much additional water can??t be supplied without costly new dams or
severe damage to fish and wildlife. But in blatant disregard of federal law,
the contracts are being extended for 25 to 50 years without consideration of
the environmental impacts of storing and delivering the extra water.

"The Bureau and its CVP contractors are rushing to sign contracts that will
commit the federal government to delivery of water that doesn't exist,
commit taxpayers to billions of dollars in construction costs, and commit
California to a future in which most of its water is controlled by, and
managed for the profit of, Central Valley agribusinesses," said EWG Senior
Analyst Renee Sharp, author of the report, available at www.ewg.org.

For each CVP district, the report lists the current amount of CVP water used
and the amount promised by 2030.

Some districts, including the huge Westlands Water District, have been
promised hundreds of thousands of additional acre-feet of water, even though
the amount of irrigated acreage is declining. This will hand the districts
windfall profits from reselling their subsidized water at a higher price.

The increased supplies promised in the contracts also mean a huge increase
in the value of taxpayer subsidies to CVP recipients. EWG calculated that if
the Bureau delivers 5.1 million acre-feet subsidized at roughly the same
rate as in 2002, the value of the water subsidy in 2030 could be as high as
$640 million.

EWG urges Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and other California elected officials
to call on the Bush Administration for an immediate moratorium on the
signing of new CVP contracts until their impacts on water supply, water
quality and wildlife are adequately considered and all legal requirements
are met.



Bill Walker, Vice President/West Coast
Environmental Working Group & EWG Action Fund
1904 Franklin St. #703 Oakland CA 94612
t: (510) 444-0973, ext. 301 | f: (510) 444-0982
bwalker at ewg.org | www.ewg.org

Sign up for EWG??s monthly newsletter:
http://www.ewg.org/about/addemail.php




From AKRAUSE at mp.usbr.gov  Fri Mar 18 13:43:01 2005
From: AKRAUSE at mp.usbr.gov (Andreas Krause)
Date: Fri, 18 Mar 2005 13:43:01 -0800
Subject: [env-trinity] Trinity River flow update for March
Message-ID: <s23adb01.042@ibr2mprogw.mp.usbr.gov>

The Trinity River flow update for March is as follows: 

The preliminary March water forecast for the Trinity basin is in the
middle of the range for a "normal" water year classification. There
has been a drying trend since February. Consequently, the official April
water forecast (used to determine the Trinity water year type) will most
likely remain 'normal' or possibly drop to 'dry'. This means
that there is a very low probability that Trinity River releases from
Lewiston Dam will exceed 6,000 cfs in 2005. The Trinity Management
Council will make the official flow release recommendation for 2005 in
the later half of April and dam releases typically begin in late April.
The Trinity River Restoration Program is continuing to work on
infrastructure improvements along the Trinity River that would allow for
dam releases of up to 11,000 cfs in future years, depending on the water
year type.

You are welcome to attend a public open house hosted by the Trinity
River Restoration Program to address flow scheduling, reservoir levels,
project status, and public concerns. The open house is scheduled on
Monday March 28, 2005 from 6 PM to 9 PM at the Trinity County Public
Library in Weaverville. Please do not hesitate to contact me if you
questions or concerns regarding the flow release schedule for the
Trinity River, or if you would like to be removed from this email list.

Regards,
Andreas


__________________________________
Andreas Krause, P.E.
Physical Scientist
Trinity River Restoration Program
P.O. Box 1300 (mailing address)
1313 South Main St. (physical address)
Weaverville, CA 96093
Phone:530-623-1807; Fax 530-623-5944
__________________________________


From tstokely at trinityalps.net  Fri Mar 18 16:31:14 2005
From: tstokely at trinityalps.net (Tom Stokely)
Date: Fri, 18 Mar 2005 16:31:14 -0800
Subject: [env-trinity] Water forecast poor for Klamath farmers, fish
Message-ID: <002801c52c1a$f756cd40$516c3940@trinitycounty.org>

 

 

Water forecast poor for Klamath farmers, fish

Napa Valley News - 3/17/05

By Jeff Barnard, Associated Press

 

GRANTS PASS, Ore. -- The water forecast for the Klamath Basin continues to worsen, with a skinny snowpack that is quickly melting and little rain in sight, but federal irrigation managers say they hope to meet most of their obligations for both farms and endangered fish.

Snowpack in the mountains above the Klamath Reclamation Project is 28 percent of normal, declining about 1 percent a day. The latest forecast for water running into the primary reservoir serving the federal irrigation system dropped by 20 percent the past two weeks to 210,000 acre-feet, Klamath project manager Dave Sabo said Wednesday.

"That is putting us down into one of the three or four driest years on record since 1961," Sabo said.

The Klamath Reclamation Project serves about 1,400 farms on 180,000 acres straddling the Oregon-California border south of Klamath Falls. It has been the focus of intense political and legal battles between farmers, commercial fishermen, Indian tribes, environmentalists and the Bush administration over allocating limited water.

A 2001 drought led the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation to shut off water to most of the project to meet Endangered Species Act demands for fish. Though water was restored later in the summer of 2001, the shutoff kicked off an uproar from farmers. Federal marshals were called in to guard headgates where water to the main canal was shut off.

"There will not be a shutoff this year," for the bulk of the project, Sabo said. "I can say that with some definition."

However, 30,000 acres served by the Gerber and Clear Lake reservoirs on the east side of the project may not get any water this year, though they got water in 2001. Forecasts call for no water out of Clear Lake and 50 percent of normal out of Gerber Reservoir, Sabo said.

He is asking farmers on the remaining 150,000 acres served by Upper Klamath Lake to suggest ways to cut their water use by up to 20 percent when irrigation season begins in April.

"Some farmers who may have been planning on planting new fields may want to hold off this year," Sabo said. "Some who want to expand production may not be able to."

The bureau is spending about $7.5 million dollars on a water bank to assure 100,000 acre feet of water for endangered suckers in Upper Klamath Lake and threatened coho salmon in the Klamath River under terms of the Endangered Species Act. The water bank is filled by buying water from private wells and paying people to leave their farmland dry.

Oregon Natural Resources Council spokesman Steve Pedery complained that in the four years since the 2001 shutoff, nothing has been done to significantly reduce water demand, such as buyouts or longterm leases to idle farmland.

"Every year is a drought year for fish and wildlife in the Klamath Basin," Pedery said. "As bad as it is this year for agriculture, it was just as bad last year for fish. We've promised too much water to too many interests."

But Sabo said buying farmland to permanently reduce water demand would not produce increased flows at the times they would benefit fish, such as the spring, when juvenile salmon swim to the ocean.

Bob Gasser, a fertilizer and pesticide supplier with the Klamath Water Users Association, said Clear Lake was down because water was sent down the Klamath River two years ago for salmon.

"It's going to be very tight," Gasser said. "... Drying up land is the last option we like to see. But it is going to happen this year." #

http://www.napanews.com/templates/index.cfm?template=story_full&id=65C82021-4F9D-43A8-84CB-94C124C1FC12

 

 
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From tstokely at trinityalps.net  Fri Mar 18 17:14:34 2005
From: tstokely at trinityalps.net (Tom Stokely)
Date: Fri, 18 Mar 2005 17:14:34 -0800
Subject: [env-trinity] Dan Keppen New Executive Director of Family Farm
	Alliance
Message-ID: <007301c52c21$03c67d90$516c3940@trinitycounty.org>



 

March 15, 2005
F o r         I m m e d i a t e         R e l e a s e
 

For More Information, Please Contact:

PAT O'TOOLE, PRESIDENT, (307) 380-8065, h2otoole at hotmail.com

DAN KEPPEN, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR,  (541) 892-6244, kep at cvcwireless.net

Copy by: RANDY McFARLAND,  (559)  896-4715, jrandallmcfarland at sbcglobal.net

 

 

Family Farm Alliance, New Leadership Will
Examine Storage Needs, Irrigated Ag's Future
 

 

      A
     
new Family Farm Alliance focus will be directed at Western water storage opportunities and a need for the nation to examine the nation's desire to support and sustain irrigated agriculture in the years to come. Leading the effort for the West-wide organization of family farmers and local water agencies will be a new President and Executive Director.

Patrick O'Toole, whose family operates a cattle, sheep and feed ranch in southern Wyoming and northern Colorado, was elected as the Family Farm Alliance's fifth President during the organization's Annual Meeting and Conference March 9-11 in Las Vegas. O'Toole succeeds Bill Kennedy of Klamath Falls, Oregon, as Alliance President. 

Most Alliance members are involved with using or delivering federal water supplies from the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation in 17 Western states. The Alliance is a grassroots-based organization that puts Congressional and Administration staff members into direct contact with water users and local water agencies.

"We believe strongly in the "family" part of the Family Farm Alliance," said O'Toole, a former member of Wyoming's House of Representatives and the federal government's Western Water Policy Review Advisory Commission. "It has so much to do with rural communities and is such an important part of American culture."

Named as Executive Director was Dan Keppen. Keppen recently stepped down after three years of managing and serving as spokesman for the Klamath Water Users Association and embattled farm families around Klamath Falls, Oregon, where Keppen lives and where the Family Farm Alliance's offices will soon be relocated. He has 16 years of experience in association management and water issues and also served as a special U.S. Bureau of Reclamation Assistant in the Mid-Pacific Region. Keppen succeeds Craig Smith. Smith is stepping down to pursue an expanded role with the Northwest Food Processors Association and a ministry in his Salem, Oregon, church.

"This Alliance is one of the most respected organizations representing Western water," Keppen said. "It is really one of the privileges of my life to be able to work with farmers throughout the West."

- M   O   R   E -

 

The Family Farm Alliance, as a grassroots-based organization, plans to focus on a few issues that are of critical importance to the West's irrigated agriculture. They include:

?             Water Storage. "Storage issues are huge," Keppen said. The Alliance for the past year has undertaken an extensive survey of new water supply projects, some large but most rather modest, that could be of enormous benefit in helping meet the West's future agricultural and urban water needs in the face of anticipated rapid population growth. "We have some ideas and options," Keppen said. "The work that has been done on storage by the Alliance is pivotal," said Alliance President O'Toole. Sounding a theme voiced by a speaker during the Annual Meeting, he added that the West faces a situation in which "it will be new water or agricultural water" used to supply urban growth or environmental restoration. Keppen added, "By default, agriculture is becoming the supply for other uses."

?             The Future of Agriculture. "We are facing a reality check," O'Toole said of critical conditions he said are facing irrigated agriculture throughout the West. He said the strength of American agriculture is not in its production. "It is in its redundancy," O'Toole said.  "Now, because of pressures on irrigated agriculture's water supplies, that redundancy is threatened." There is a need for the nation to consider the need for irrigated agriculture, he added, announcing that by 2006 the Alliance expects to conduct and complete an important survey of agricultural lands that are being taken out of production because of urbanization or removal of the land's water supply. "My canary in the mine story is that for the first time, our nation's balance of trade is negative," O'Toole said. "We are going to be the voice in Washington and to the public that agriculture is critical."

?             Use of Federal Resources. Keppen said there is a need to advocate for more efficient and wise use of scarce resources. The Alliance plans to compile experiences from around the West - both good and bad - to create a template that can be used constructively by the Bureau of Reclamation and other Interior Department agencies in dealing with the issues.

?             Title Transfers. Keppen said the Alliance will continue its efforts to assist in the transfer of titles of federal water projects whenever possible to local agencies and users.

Immediate Past President Kennedy said the Alliance also hopes to step up two of its most important programs - Farmer Lobbyist visits to the nation's capital by federal water users, and Congressional Outreach. The latter program brings Washington-based Congressional and administration staff members to the West to see farm and irrigation operations first hand.

Keppen said the Alliance is among the organizations asked by the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee to submit responses to six questions the committee plans to address during an April 5 water conference in Washington. "We are hoping we are selected to sit on that panel," Keppen said. 

In its paper, the Alliance said, "The themes expressed in our responses generally reflect our belief that streamlined federal regulation and decision making are the keys to sound Western water policy. Whenever possible, meaningful delegation of decision-making authority should be transferred to the local level with less federal intrusion in basin issues." What is needed, the Alliance said, is certainty to all water users, balanced solutions to resolve differences between water laws and environmental laws, deference to state law on water issues, support for development of new and environmentally sound water supply sources, and cost effective operation and maintenance of existing water supply infrastructure.


For more on the Senate Committee filing and about the Alliance, please visit  www.familyfarmalliance.org
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From tstokely at trinityalps.net  Sun Mar 20 19:03:15 2005
From: tstokely at trinityalps.net (Tom Stokely)
Date: Sun, 20 Mar 2005 19:03:15 -0800
Subject: [env-trinity] Fresno Bee- Water drain plan revives Kesterson
	pollution fears 
Message-ID: <003301c52dc2$8990f110$406c3940@trinitycounty.org>

http://www.fresnobee.com/local/story/10166203p-10983717c.html

Water drain plan revives Kesterson pollution fears 


Proposal would remove selenium blamed for 1980s wildlife disaster.

By Mark Grossi / The Fresno Bee 

(Updated Sunday, March 20, 2005, 9:33 AM)

           

            The Fresno Bee  
           


            
            
            
            
            
           
              

            
           

           
     

Jim Ganulin remembers the collective gasp at the Los Banos fairground on that March night 20 years ago. 


Federal authorities announced that shocking bird deformities and wildlife carnage would force them to shut off the flow of toxic irrigation drainage to Kesterson National Wildlife Refuge.

But there was a bigger surprise: They also intended to cut off irrigation supplies to 42,000 farming acres, the source of the bad drainage, in the Westlands Water District. Ganulin was Westlands' legal counsel at the time.

"I took off for Sacramento immediately to talk with our legal advisers," says Ganulin, who now has a private practice with Baker, Manock & Jensen in Fresno.

"It was March, and people needed water for the next season. It was emotional. Drainage was a concern, but we couldn't lose water service."

They didn't lose water deliveries, but the drainage headache has lingered 20 years. To this day, the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation gingerly works under court order on defusing this political booby trap.

The bureau, owner and operator of the Central Valley Project, expects to release in May a document with several alternatives for disposing of bad water for Westlands and other federal water customers on the San Joaquin Valley's west side. 

Surprisingly, at least for environmentalists, one option involves moving water into ponds where it would evaporate - the same strategy at Kesterson all those years ago.


      Advertisement

         

"It's the damnedest, dumbest thing I've ever seen," says lawyer and environmentalist Lloyd Carter, who covered the Kesterson story as a Fresno Bee reporter in the 1980s. "You wonder if they have learned anything." But in the current-day thinking, officials propose water treatment to remove a trace element called selenium, then the water would go to 5,000 acres of evaporation ponds.

The selenium, which occurs naturally on the Valley's west side, is what caused the poisonings at Kesterson.

Selenium-laced drainage from Westlands in west Fresno County went into the federal San Luis Drain, a concrete canal, and then to Kesterson ponds in western Merced County. The water evaporated, leaving a concentrated residue of selenium and a public relations nightmare.

An unhealthy place

At the time, nobody knew concentrated selenium was toxic. But shortly after Westlands began draining into Kesterson in 1979, biologists began noticing something was wrong.

Federal wildlife biologist Gary Zahm, now retired, remembers an odd smell at Kesterson in October 1980.

"I know what an alkaline marsh should smell like," Zahm says. "Kesterson was an alkaline marsh, and it was like nothing I'd ever smelled before. There were no frogs either. It was quiet. Something was definitely not healthy about this place."

In the following four years, Zahm and other biologists recorded chilling findings: widespread deformities, such as eyeless chicks, and thousands of dead birds - American avocets, black-necked stilts, eared grebes and many others.

Worse yet, Kesterson and a swath of surrounding land are part of an international flyway. Birds from thousands of miles away stop during migrations and nest in the area. They are supposedly protected by a migratory bird treaty.

The problems reached a higher political orbit when Jim Claus, a Kesterson neighbor, asked the state to stop Westlands drain water. The state Water Resources Control Board, the ultimate arbiter of water disputes in California, on Feb. 5, 1985, ordered the bureau to stop the flow.

On March 15, 1985, at a congressional hearing in Los Banos, the Interior Department announced the shutdown of Kesterson. The drainage stopped by summer 1986.

The media had a field day with selenium, the brand-new contaminant, and the 600,000-acre Westlands, the nation's largest federal irrigation district. The New York Times, CBS' "60 Minutes" and news outlets from around the globe came calling.

"It became pretty difficult to do your job for a while," Zahm says. "I had no daily schedule. I was conducting tours and talking to people on the phone."

Five years later, things calmed down a bit. Kesterson largely had been cleaned up, although it is still heavily monitored for elevated selenium levels and wildlife abnormalities.

Most of the 42,000-acre Westlands land has been purchased by the district, and officials say it is out of production. But federal officials estimate the district still has about 250,000 acres that will need to be drained by 2050.

An additional 81,000 acres in other west-side water districts receiving federal water will need drainage service as well.

Drainage problems happen all over the world - they are not new. Experts have tracked them for centuries. But Kesterson brought selenium toxicity into sharp, worldwide focus.

West-side drainage

In parts of the Valley's west side, irrigation water just won't percolate into the deeper ground water. An ancient layer of clay buried below the surface blocks it.

So the water, filled with salts from the soil, accumulates and rises from the clay layer until it begins to slowly poison the soil above. Crop yields diminish. At some point, the land can become sterile.

Federal officials clearly understood the dynamic when the San Luis Act was passed in 1960, authorizing delivery of Northern California river water and drainage of the affected west-side land.

They planned to build the San Luis Drain 188 miles through Westlands and up to the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta, which empties into the Pacific Ocean. But a political vise clamped down on the plan, and Kesterson became the fallback.

Contra Costa County, which would have been at the end of the drain, wanted no part of the bad water and blocked congressional funding. The bureau had enough money to begin building the first phase anyway - an 82-mile section of the drain from the Lemoore Naval Air Station area in Kings County to the Los Banos area.

Kesterson entered the picture in 1970. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, anxious to find water for reviving wetlands, joined the bureau in making holding ponds for the drainage at Kesterson National Wildlife Refuge.

Westlands growers then installed perforated pipes beneath their fields to capture the drain water and funnel it into the San Luis Drain. By 1979, the tainted water began arriving at Kesterson.

After the wildlife disaster was discovered and the drain was plugged in 1986, scientists, farmers and others tried, without much success, to find a disposal solution for water that nobody wanted.

"Not a drop of water leaves Westlands," says district spokesman Tupper Hull.

The dilemma is partially eased as land goes out of production. The latest figures show the district already has retired about 80,000 acres, and about 20,000 more are expected.

But the Bureau of Reclamation still needs a solution for other affected land cultivated by Westlands and other federal water customers on the west side.

One idea would include some combination of retiring land, using water as efficiently as possible and sending treated drainage to the evaporation ponds, so the water wouldn't have to leave the Valley.

Another option would move the dirty water to one of two places in the delta. A third choice would discharge the water into the Pacific Ocean near Point Estero, north of Cayucos Beach. Few observers seriously believe the drainage water will be sent to the delta or the ocean.

In a preliminary study three years ago, the bureau announced a preference for dealing with the drainage in the Valley. The announcement drew a firestorm from critics who worried about the evaporation ponds.

So in May, when the next generation of options is unveiled, there will be no preferred alternative.

Mike Delamore, chief of the San Joaquin Drainage Division for the bureau, said the No. 1 choice will be picked by July 2006.

"We're not required to have a preferred alternative on this draft," Delamore says. "We want to hear what the public thinks first." 


     

      The Fresno Bee  
     




The reporter can be reached at mgrossi at fresnobee.com or (559) 441-6316.
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From tstokely at trinityalps.net  Tue Mar 22 07:48:03 2005
From: tstokely at trinityalps.net (Tom Stokely)
Date: Tue, 22 Mar 2005 07:48:03 -0800
Subject: [env-trinity] Prop 50 IRWM Grant Program PSP Available
Message-ID: <007b01c52ef6$892f7b30$0e6b3940@trinitycounty.org>

                                                                            



 

Department of Water Resources and State Water Resources Control Board ANNOUNCE PROP 50 INTEGRATED REGIONAL WATER MANAGEMENT GRANT PROGRAM FINAL PROPOSAL SOLICITATION PACKAGES AVAILABLE FOR REVIEW SOON AND PUBLIC WORKSHOPS ARE SCHEDULED
 

The Department of Water Resources (DWR) and the State Water Resources Control Board (State Water Board) plan to issue the FINAL Proposal Solicitation Packages (PSPs) for the Proposition 50, Chapter 8 Integrated Regional Water Management (IRWM) Program no later than March 21, 2005.  The final PSPs for both the Planning Grants, and Implementation Grants, Step 1 programs will be available on the following web sites:

http://www.waterboards.ca.gov/funding/irwmgp/index.html    

http://www.grantsloans.water.ca.gov/grants/integregio.cfm

 

The intent of Chapter 8 is for projects to protect communities from drought, protect and improve water quality, and reduce dependence on imported water.  The final PSPs provide the instructions for potential applicants to apply for grants under the Chapter 8 Program, and have incorporated several comments received during the comment period held for the draft PSPs.

 

            A series of workshops will be held to provide potential grant applicants with assistance on preparing grant applications for Planning grants and Implementation grants.  All meetings will begin at 10:00 a.m.  These workshops are scheduled on the following dates and locations, and are anticipated to last until about 3:00 p.m., including a break for lunch:

                                                     

March 22, 2005 -         California Environmental Protection Building

                                    1001 I Street, 2nd Floor, Coastal Hearing Room

                                    Sacramento, CA 95814

 

This public workshop will be web broadcast for Internet access at http://www.calepa.ca.gov/broadcast.  

During the broadcast, listeners may e-mail comments or questions to: dfa_grants at waterboards.ca.gov.

 

 

March 30, 2005 -         Central Coast Regional Water Quality Control Board Office

                                    Watershed Room 1-3

                                    895 Aerovista Place

                                    San Luis Obispo, CA 93401

 

April 4, 2005 -                         California Towers Building

                                    3737 Main Street, Suite 200

                                    Riverside, CA 92501

 

April 7, 2005 -             Elihu Harris Building

                                    1515 Clay Street, Auditorium

                                    Oakland, CA 94612

 

For more information on the final PSPs and public workshops, contact Tracie Billington, DWR, at (916) 651-9226 or Sudhakar Talanki, State Water Board, at (916) 341-5434. If you received this copy in the mail, we don't have your e-mail address.  Please send your e-mail address to dfa_grants at waterboards.ca.gov, so we can add you to our e-mail list.
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From danielbacher at hotmail.com  Wed Mar 23 08:58:12 2005
From: danielbacher at hotmail.com (Daniel Bacher)
Date: Wed, 23 Mar 2005 08:58:12 -0800
Subject: [env-trinity] Big Ocean Abundance Points to Outstanding Bay Area
	Salmon Season
Message-ID: <BAY16-F1646FDDE7EA07B0D933D34DB4F0@phx.gbl>

Big Ocean Abundance Points To Outstanding Bay Area Salmon Season

by Dan Bacher

Ocean abundance estimates of Central Valley king salmon stocks point to 
top-notch recreational fishing on the ocean from Point Arena to Morro Bay 
this year. This abundance contrasts with the low numbers of Klamath River 
fish forecasted off California?s North Coast this year that have spurred 
severe restrictions on recreational and commercial fishing.

Boaters departing from Bodega Bay, the San Francisco Bay Area, Half Moon 
Bay, Santa Cruz, Monterey and Morro Bay will embark on the water in search 
of king salmon on the morning of Saturday, April 2. The ocean is absolutely 
loaded with Sacramento system fish, according to preseason estimates by the 
Pacific Fishery Management Council (PFMC).

The adult chinook abundance estimate this year is an amazing 1,678,300 fish, 
the largest forecast on record. This is over double the estimate of 831,800 
in 2004, a great salmon year. The highest previous estimate was 1,108,100 in 
2003, while the lowest was 452,000 in 1992.

The estimates were made on the basis of age 2 jack counts on Central Valley 
rivers by state and federal biologists last fall. Anglers fishing the 
Sacramento, Feather, Yuba and American rivers last fall reported catching 
huge numbers of jacks, along with adult chinooks.

A number of factors have contributed to the resurgence in the salmon 
population, including favorable ocean conditions, restrictions on Delta 
pumping, and fish restoration measures mandated under the Endangered Species 
and Central Valley Project Improvement acts.

The ocean salmon season and restrictions below Point Arena are based upon 
achieving winter run chinook recovery goals and a target of 122,000 to 
180,000 fall run adult spawners in the Sacramento River. Every March and 
April, the PFMC meets to develop the commercial and sport fishing 
regulations that go into effect May 1.

?We?re looking forward to a great salmon season, based on the abundance of 
Central Valley stocks,? said Roger Thomas, captain of the Salty Lady and a 
member of the PFMC.  ?However, there are always other factors to consider, 
such as a shift of fish to the north, as happened during the last two years, 
as well as the current warm water conditions.?

The ocean temperature off Half Moon Bay is 57 to 58 degrees, several degrees 
warmer than normal. ?All of the storms this season have been from the south 
to southwest. This keeps the water relatively warm, even though it provides 
a lot of rain to fill the state?s lakes and reservoirs,? said Thomas.

Thomas and other skippers are hoping for the arrival soon of a storm from 
the Gulf of Alaska that will bring the northwest winds. The northwest winds 
not only cool down the water, but also cause the upwelling of nutrients from 
the bottom necessary to sustaining the ocean food chain. The upwelling 
stimulates plankton blooms, providing forage for the krill that salmon and 
other sport fish feed upon.

While whale watching out of Half Moon Bay this winter, Thomas has seen a lot 
of bait down in deep water off the San Mateo Coast, as well as bait 
nearshore 3 to 4 miles out from Pillar Point. Whale watching boats on the 
north side of the Golden Gate have also seen big schools of bait.

Some anglers have been concerned about the possible impact of the invasion 
of jumbo (Humboldt) squid in northern and central California waters this 
year. However, A NMFS biologist testified at a recent meeting of the PFMC 
that the bellies of the squid he examined were filled with hake, lanternfish 
and short belly rockfish. Sport fish stocks such as rockcod, lingcod and 
salmon are apparently not being impacted.

Skippers down in Santa Cruz and Monterey are also getting ready for the 
opener. ?We?re excited about this year?s opener, based on the abundance 
estimates and reports of bait we?re hearing,? said Pete Bruno at Randy?s 
Fishing Trips. ?The salmon could be anywhere on the opener, including 
Cypress Point, Point Joe, the Soldier?s Club, Mulligan Hill, Moss Landing 
and the Soquel Hole.?
The season from Pigeon Point south will run through November 13, while the 
season from Pigeon Point to Point Arena will run through September 24.

The recreational salmon season between Horse Mountain and Point Arena (ports 
of Shelter Cove and Fort Bragg) already opened on February 12. Fishing has 
been slow so far this season, but the action is expected to pick up this 
spring.

Anglers are reminded that all of the open areas have a daily bag limit of 
two salmon of any species except coho salmon (also known as silver salmon). 
A minimum size of 20 inches total length is required. The retention of coho 
salmon is prohibited in any California ocean or river fishery. Make sure 
that you know how to identify the difference between coho and chinook salmon 
because a large number of anglers have been cited in recent years for 
unwittingly keeping the coho!

The regulations are subject to change after May 1 when the ocean salmon 
fishing regulations are determined by the PFMC and adopted by the California 
Fish and Game Commission and U.S. Department of Commerce.

Anglers may call the Ocean Salmon Hotline at (707) 576-3429 to hear the 
latest California ocean salmon sport regulations. The 2005 ocean salmon 
seasons and a Coho identification poster can be found on the Internet at 
http://www.dfg.ca.gov/mrd/oceansalmon.html. The web site will be updated as 
needed.




From danielbacher at hotmail.com  Wed Mar 23 09:41:04 2005
From: danielbacher at hotmail.com (Daniel Bacher)
Date: Wed, 23 Mar 2005 09:41:04 -0800
Subject: [env-trinity] North Coast Salmon Cutbacks Result Of 2002 Fish Kill 
Message-ID: <BAY16-F3383709BD81AAB418B5B37DB4F0@phx.gbl>

Cutbacks On North Coast Salmon Seasons Result From 2002 Fish Kill

by Dan Bacher

While the ocean abundance estimate for Sacramento River chinook salmon is 
the highest on record, recreational anglers on the Klamath River and 
commercial fishermen on California?s North Coast will be subject to severe 
cutbacks. The reason for the low abundance is the juvenile fish kill in the 
spring of 2002 that preceded the adult fish kill that September on the 
Klamath.

The fall run ocean abundance estimate is 239,700 fish, based on jack returns 
last year. The river and ocean fishing seasons are based on achieving a goal 
of 35,000 natural spawners on the Klamath. The fish are divided between the 
river recreational, tribal, recreational ocean and commercial ocean 
fisheries. The Pacific Fishery Management Council  (PFMC) will adopt its 
final salmon management measures at its April 3-8 meeting in Tacoma, 
Washington.

The California Fish & Game Commission, at its meeting in Oakland on March 
18, chose a 15% allotment for the fall salmon harvest for in river anglers. 
?This means that we will have to divide 1262 salmon as follows:  631 salmon 
to the Lower Klamath, 210 salmon to Upper Klamath, 210 to Lower Trinity and 
210 fish to Upper Trinity, ? said Ed Duggan, fishing guide. ?This fall looks 
like a very short salmon season on the river.?

Because of this, the in-river recreational fishery will be mainly a catch 
and release fishery for adult salmon. Although anglers will have to release 
adult chinooks after the quota are reached on the river, they can keep jack 
salmon and hatchery steelhead.

The Yurok Tribe on the Lower Klamath will also be constrained by the low 
abundance of Klamath River salmon. ?It is highly unlikely that we will have 
a commercial season at the mouth like we have had in the past,? said Dave 
Hillemeier, Yurok Tribe fishery biologist. ?We will not even have enough for 
our subsistence fishery ? probably 6800 to 7000 fish at best.?

North Coast ocean recreational anglers will also feel the impacts. In the 
Klamath Management Zone from Humbug Mountain to Horse Mountain, the Pacific 
Fishery Management Council (PFMC) is proposing a season of May 21 through 
July 4 and August 14 through September 11. Oregon anglers will be able to 
fish in a selective coho fishery, whereas anglers fishing California waters 
have to release all coho.

Commercial fishermen along the coast will face the surreal dilemma of being 
prevented from fishing the healthy stocks of Central Valley ocean salmon to 
protect Klamath fish. Commercial salmon troll seasons in California and 
Oregon are structured to protect the coast?s weakest salmon runs, which are 
those from the Klamath River this year. Because the Klamath fish intermingle 
in the ocean with healthy stocks, 50 or more fish from the Central Valley 
must be excluded from harvest this year in order to prevent the accidental 
capture of each Klamath-origin fall chinook.

?We don?t have a lot of choice,? said Zeke Grader, executive director of the 
Pacific Coast Federation of Fishermen?s Associations (PCFFA). ?We warned 
people about this after the fish kill happened and we wrote to the President 
last July to do something about it. Any one of the options proposed by the 
PFMC is a killer to our industry.?

The commercial fishing season will be particularly grim along the North 
Coast. From the OR/CA Border to the Humboldt south Jetty, the PFMC is 
proposing a limited salmon season of September 1 through the earlier of 
September 30 or 6,000 fish. The other option provides for the complete 
closure of the fishery.

Along the coast from Horse Mountain to Point Arena, traditionally one of the 
most heavily fished commercial areas, the options are a limited salmon 
season from September 1 to 30 or a complete closure.

A variety of closure options are proposed in the three commercial fishing 
zones from Point Arena to Pigeon Point and Pigeon Point to Pt. Sur. The most 
liberal season, from May 1 through September 30, is proposed for commercial 
fishermen from Point Sur to the U.S./Mexican Border.

How will this closure impact the economy? ?We could be looking at a $100 
million loss to California?s economy this year,? said Zeke Grader, executive 
director of the Pacific Coast Federation of Fishermen?s Associations 
(PCFFA). ?This is ironic when we?re looking at a record number of Sacramento 
River chinooks on the ocean.?

The impact upon commercial fishermen ? and recreational anglers as well ? 
will all depend upon where the fish go in response to ocean water and forage 
conditions. ?If the salmon go south from Point Arena to Point Sur and Point 
Sur south, we could have a good year,? said Grader. ?If the fish go north 
into the closed or restricted zones, we could miss nearly everything.?

The constraints on commercial harvest could result in the bizarre situation 
of the too many Sacramento system fish returning for the available habitat. 
?We could end up with a virtual train wreck, with too many fish for the 
available spawning gravel on the Central Valley rivers,? said Craig Stone, 
owner of the Emeryville Sportfishing Center. ?An overabundance of fish can 
be detrimental to the fishery.?

Regardless of whether the salmon go north or south, it is obvious that the 
Klamath River stocks are in great crisis. According to Glen Spain, northwest 
regional director of the PCFFA, flows in the spring of 2002 were kept so low 
that the water warmed up too much and the conditions either didn?t allow the 
fish to grow properly or killed them outright.

?This fish kill is different from the widely publicized fish kill that 
killed up to 70,000 adult salmon in 2002, but both were caused by the same 
thing ? low river flows,? said Spain. ?The spring 2002 juvenile fish kill is 
hitting the industry this year. The fall 2002 adult fish kill will hit us 
next year.?

Spain emphasizes that ?a deliberate act? of the federal government? appears 
to be primarily responsible for killing the young king salmon in 2002. In 
order for the Bush administration to curry the favor of agribusiness for the 
reelection of an Oregon Senator, the Department of Interior ordered a change 
in water policy that favored subsidized agribusiness over Klamath salmon and 
other species.

Even in a dry year like this one, many scientists have called for Iron Gate 
Dam flows of between 1450 and 1600 cfs in March to have healthy salmon 
populations. At press time, releases to the Klamath River below Iron Gate 
were only 800 cfs.

The dilemma the recreational, tribal and commercial fishermen are in this 
year will only be resolved when we succeed in convincing the federal 
government to restore the Klamath. Among the solutions are forcing the 
federal government to leave more water in the Klamath, stopping cheap 
electricity subsidies to Klamath Basin farmers and removing the six Klamath 
hydroelectric dams up for relicensing in 2006.

?All users of the river, including the Indian tribes, commercial fishermen, 
recreational fishermen and farmers, should get together and work things out 
or we?ll continue to face this crisis on an ongoing basis every year,? said 
Roger Thomas, president of the Golden Gate Fishermen?s Association and a 
member of the PFMC.

A march and rally held at the State Capitol on March 14 on the International 
Day of Action for Rivers points to the growing movement among diverse groups 
in tackling the complex problems of the Klamath. The four Klamath River 
Tribes ? the Yurok, Hoopa, Karuk and Klamath ? united with commercial 
fishermen, recreational anglers, environmental groups and farmers over the 
common goal of getting the Governor to use his power to pressure for the 
removal of the Klamath River dams.




From tstokely at trinityalps.net  Wed Mar 23 17:02:45 2005
From: tstokely at trinityalps.net (tstokely at trinityalps.net)
Date: Wed, 23 Mar 2005 20:02:45 -0500
Subject: [env-trinity] Trinity River Open House
Message-ID: <315930-2200534241245881@M2W089.mail2web.com>






Contact: Doug Schleusner, Executive Director 

March 14, 2005
For Immediate Release


TRINITY RIVER RESTORATION PROGRAM ANNOUNCES
PUBLIC OPEN HOUSE



(WEAVERVILLE, CA) ? Employees of the Trinity River Restoration Program are
hosting a public open house on Monday, March 28, 2005 to share information
and answer questions about current activities and future plans.  The
session will take place at the Weaverville Library, and members of the
public can drop in anytime between 6:00 to 9:00 p.m.  

Executive Director Doug Schleusner and members of his staff will make brief
presentations several times throughout the evening and be available to
answer questions on a variety of topics.  Photos and maps of current and
future projects will be on display.  

Topics of special interest include this spring?s flow schedule, recent
bridge construction, actions taken to minimize impacts to structures near
the river, resolution of the Trinity River litigation, and upcoming channel
rehabilitation projects.  Paul Fujitani, Project Manager at the Bureau of
Reclamation?s Central Valley Operations office will also be present to help
answer questions about the water year forecast and projected lake levels
throughout the summer. 

Local residents are encouraged to attend, especially those who live near
the Trinity River or use the Trinity River and Trinity Lake for recreation.


If you have questions or desire more information, contact Doug Schleusner,
Executive Director, by phone (623-1800) or mail (P.O. Box 1300,
Weaverville, CA 96093), or visit the Trinity River Restoration Program
office at 1313 South Main Street, Weaverville.


####


--------------------------------------------------------------------
mail2web - Check your email from the web at
http://mail2web.com/ .





From tstokely at trinityalps.net  Wed Mar 23 15:07:47 2005
From: tstokely at trinityalps.net (Tom Stokely)
Date: Wed, 23 Mar 2005 15:07:47 -0800
Subject: [env-trinity] Times Standard- Humboldt Supes ask for Trinity water,
	once again 
Message-ID: <000101c53022$d75e7400$a76c3940@trinitycounty.org>

KLAMATH WATER SUPPLY: 

Supes ask for Trinity water, once again - Eureka Times-Standard 



KLAMATH WATER SUPPLY: 

Supes ask for Trinity water, once again 

Eureka Times-Standard - 3/23/05 

By John Driscoll, staff writer 



As the Klamath River Basin edges ever closer to drought this year, the 
Humboldt County Board of Supervisors has repeated its request for cold, 
clean water from the river's largest tributary. 



In what has become an annual plea, supervisors Tuesday sent a letter to 
the U.S. Interior Department asking for 50,000 acre feet of Trinity 
River water that could be used to chill and raise the lower Klamath 
River during the fall salmon run. 



The county, supervisors wrote, is entitled to the water at no cost, and 
will make it available to the entire Klamath Basin for free, to help 
fish. 



"Time is of the essence if we are to protect the lower Klamath River on 
which so many of our citizens depend," the letter reads. 



The county was promised 50,000 acre feet each year -- 16.25 billion 
gallons -- in the 1955 act that authorized the damming and diversion of 
part of the Trinity River. 

The U.S. Bureau of Reclamation has said the water is under the purview 
of the State Water Resources Control Board; the Interior Department last 
year answered the county's request, but dodged the issue. 



In short, the county has had no luck. For now, that appears unlikely to 
change. 



"Our position has not changed," said Reclamation spokesman Jeff 
McCracken. 



But many -- including the National Research Council -- believe the water 
from the Trinity is the best ticket for holding off another fish kill, 
like that which claimed up to 68,000 salmon in the fall of 2002. 



Last year, the bureau bought 36,000 acre feet from farmers in the 
Central Valley -- beneficiaries of the Trinity project -- to send down 
the Trinity. 



Snowpack and rainfall in the basin are only about 40 percent of normal 
this year, and the bureau has asked its central Oregon-California border 
irrigation project contractors to plan to conserve water. At the same 
time, it's taking bids from farmers interested in fallowing land or 
pumping groundwater to produce 100,000 acre feet of water from the 
Klamath side for fish. 



A picture of how that program will be put together will be available at 
the end of March. # 

http://www.times-standard.com/Stories/0,1413,127~2896~2777785,00.html 
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From tstokely at trinityalps.net  Fri Mar 25 09:44:19 2005
From: tstokely at trinityalps.net (Tom Stokely)
Date: Fri, 25 Mar 2005 09:44:19 -0800
Subject: [env-trinity] Klamath Herald- Water forums build trust,
	communication
Message-ID: <00d101c53162$46412e40$b66c3940@trinitycounty.org>

http://www.heraldandnews.com/articles/2005/03/21/news/community_news/acit1.txt

     
     
        

      Water forums build trust, communication

      Published March 21, 2005

      By HOLLY OWENS

      A fourth in the series of meetings among parties to the Klamath Basin's water controversies ended last week in Tulelake with participants saying they'd made some progress.

      "Everyone sits as an equal. Everybody's vision for a better future is recorded; and trust is being built, respect is being established, communication is opening, certain barriers are starting to dissolve," said Marshall Staunton, a Tulelake area farmer.

      The meetings are held under the name of the Greater Klamath Basin Stakeholders. Last week's meeting was Wednesday through Friday at the home economics building on the Tulelake Fairgrounds. A fifth is tentatively scheduled for Chiloquin to bring in upper-Basin representatives.

      Staunton said more representation is also needed from environmentalists and wildlife refuge interests.

      "It's the best forum you'll ever imagine for solving these issues. We're going to find the best possible outcome," Staunton said. "There's enough energy and desire to solve this in the best possible way."

      At the workshop were members of the Klamath, Yurok and Hoopa Valley tribes, farmers, ranchers, loggers, commercial fishermen, biologists, personnel from federal and state government agencies and environmentalists.

      About 80 to 100 people participated. Journalists were admitted on the condition that they get permission from those they quote at the meeting.

      During the workshop, group members sit in a large circle, or groups of smaller circles, face to face and side by side throughout the session. In the center of the circle was a representation of the Klamath River watershed system, created on the floor of the home economics building with blue tape.

      "They're here to explore how to create a Basin with restored rivers and healthy economies," said Bob Chadwick of Consensus Associates, the facilitator for the workshops. "They believe they can make it happen."

      Klamath Tribal Council member Philip Jackson said he's been to other meetings on Basin issues and found they were much different. It was just people listening to someone speak, he said, no interaction.

      "Here, you have your say, and everyone has input," Jackson said.

      "People are trying to see how they can get everyone's needs met," said Garrick Jackson, Klamath Tribal Council member.

      Members of the group were conscious of this year's drought situation, with the current outlook for water worse than it was in 2001. They often invoked the analogy of a "perfect storm."

      "We are facing a severe drought. It's imperative that irrigators above Klamath Lake do whatever they can to help alleviate pressure in this drought year," said Becky Hyde, a rancher on the Sycan River. "We must join together with the Klamath Tribes, the downstream tribes and communities as well as with the Klamath Project and Scott and Shasta irrigators to survive this year."

      Yurok tribal members who fish for salmon at the mouth of the Klamath River in Klamath, Calif., are also looking for solutions. In September 2002 it was estimated that 34,000 salmon died because of a parasite and disease outbreak in the Klamath River.

      "We're very interested and anxious to work with people in this Basin, to resolve longstanding Basin issues. We think that this type of forum will provide all interested groups with a more real human understanding of each other," said Troy Fletcher, Yurok Tribe spokesman.
     

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From TBedros765 at aol.com  Fri Mar 25 16:30:42 2005
From: TBedros765 at aol.com (TBedros765 at aol.com)
Date: Fri, 25 Mar 2005 19:30:42 EST
Subject: [env-trinity] Klamath Herald- Water forums build trust,
	communication
Message-ID: <65.41e550fd.2f760732@aol.com>

Tom - Do you know where and when the next water forum will be?
Thanks, 
Tod Bedrosian
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From rocinante at pelicannetwork.net  Fri Mar 25 18:14:12 2005
From: rocinante at pelicannetwork.net (Pelican Network)
Date: Fri, 25 Mar 2005 18:14:12 -0800
Subject: [env-trinity] Klamath Herald- Water forums build trust, 
	communication
References: <65.41e550fd.2f760732@aol.com>
Message-ID: <4244C574.B94C9B87@pelicannetwork.net>

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From danielbacher at hotmail.com  Tue Mar 29 11:03:40 2005
From: danielbacher at hotmail.com (Daniel Bacher)
Date: Tue, 29 Mar 2005 11:03:40 -0800
Subject: [env-trinity] Karuk Tribe's Sacred Sites At Risk
Message-ID: <BAY16-F26D7DCB0C83BC22C95B3B2DB450@phx.gbl>

Karuk Tribe of California
P R E S S R E L E A S E

For Immediate Release: March 29, 2005

For more information:

Leaf Hillman , World Renewal Priest, Karuk Tribe: 530-493-5305 x2040

Sandi Tripp, Director of Natural Resources, Karuk Tribe  530-627-3446 x13

Craig Tucker, Klamath Campaign Coordinator, Karuk Tribe
916-207-8294

New Report cites Tribal Sacred Site as one of California?s ?Most Threatened 
Wild Places?
Klamath and Salmon Rivers Threatened by Logging, Dams, and Diversions

Happy Camp, CA ? A new report, released today by the California Wilderness 
Coalition, describes California?s 10 most threatened wild places. Based on 
surveys completed by conservation groups, scientists and other wild-land 
experts, ?Our Natural Heritage at Risk? includes forests, rivers, deserts 
and other landscapes throughout the state.

The report highlights what the Karuk Tribe has known for years, some of 
their most important cultural and natural areas are slowly but surely being 
destroyed.

The CWC report includes the Klamath and Salmon rivers. Both rivers serve as 
important habitat for salmon, including coho salmon, listed as threatened 
under the federal Endangered Species Act. The Klamath, one of the west?s 
largest rivers, reaches from northwestern California to southeastern Oregon.

At one time the Klamath was the third greatest salmon producing river in 
America, hosting over 1.2 million spawning salmon each year. Today dams and 
diversions have taken a dramatic toll on the salmon. Today the salmon runs 
are less than one tenth of what they once were.

The Salmon River is one of the Klamath?s most important tributaries. It 
serves as one of the last cold water refuges for spring run salmon. Once the 
most prolific run of salmon in the Klamath Basin, only hundreds return 
today. Poor logging practices and mining operations have contributed to the 
decline.

For the Karuk, the second largest Tribe in California, the destruction of 
the Klamath and Salmon rivers go beyond the loss of a pristine wilderness, 
it represents the loss of a subsistence fishery and the desecration of 
sacred sites.

The Karuk believe that the confluence of the Salmon and Klamath rivers is 
the center of the universe and call the area ?Katimin?. It is the site of 
the annual World Renewal Ceremony where the world is remade for the coming 
year.

?We gather at Katimin to remake the world as our ancestors have since time 
immemorial,? according to Leaf Hillman, vice-chairman of the Tribe and World 
Renewal Priest. ?We gather to pray for all people and things that make up 
this world, for their health and their success. The impact that dams, 
diversions, and logging has had on this place and on the people that depend 
on it for both their physical and spiritual well being is nothing short of 
desecration. For Christians, it would be like bulldozing the birthplace of 
Christ.?

The Karuk Tribe along with other tribes in the basin and a host of 
environmental and fishermen?s groups are currently working to protect and 
restore both rivers. This includes an effort to remove Klamath River dams 
through the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission?s relicensing process 
currently underway.

For view previous press releases on the Klamath dam removal campaign and a 
recent report on the impact that the decline in the salmon fishery has had 
on the health of Tribal members, log on to the press room at 
www.friendsoftheriver.org.

To download California Wilderness Coalition?s Our Natural Heritage At Risk, 
log on to:
http://www.calwild.org/resources/pubs/10most05.php
# # #




From jallen at trinitycounty.org  Wed Mar 30 16:30:00 2005
From: jallen at trinitycounty.org (Josh Allen)
Date: Wed, 30 Mar 2005 16:30:00 -0800
Subject: [env-trinity] US GAO AUDIT FINDS KLAMATH WATER BANK EXPENSIVE,
	POORLY MANAGED AND  SECRETIVE, 
Message-ID: <099F81D877F1044DA24BA95E0CE09263E18A71@mail2.trinitycounty.org>

From: Pelican Network [mailto:rocinante at pelicannetwork.net] 
Sent: Wednesday, March 30, 2005 4:10 PM
To: KRC at pelicannetwork.net
Subject: US GAO AUDIT FINDS KLAMATH WATER BANK EXPENSIVE, POORLY MANAGED
AND SECRETIVE,

 

US GAO AUDIT FINDS KLAMATH WATER BANK EXPENSIVE, 
POORLY MANAGED AND SECRETIVE, 
RECOMMENDS MANY IMPROVEMENTS 

NEWS FROM THE PACIFIC COAST FEDERATION OF FISHERMEN'S ASSOCIATIONS 
Northwest Regional Office 
PO Box 11170, Eugene, OR 97440-3370 
(541)689-2000   Fax: (541)689-2500 

 Web: www.pcffa.org   Email: fish1ifr at aol.com 
=========================================================== 

Contact:  Glen Spain, NW Regional Director 
30 March 2005 

Washington, DC -- Today the US Government Accountability Office (GAO)
released a long-awaited independent 
federal audit of the Bureau of Reclamation's (BOR) Klamath Irrigation
Project water bank program, and found it wanting 
in a number of areas.  Among the Report's findings, conclusions and
implications are: 

(1) Although the BOR is providing the water bank water downstream as
measured at Iron Gate Dam, the accounting for 
that water within the Project above Iron Gate Dam is so sloppy that it
is difficult to tell what taxpayer money is actually 
buying or whether it is buying the water paid for. 

(2) The Water Bank is still heavily dependent on aquifer pumping rather
than reduction of upper basin irrigation demand 
as originally intended, and now there are serious concerns about the
depletion of that aquifer. 

(3) The Report confirms that the BOR's whole process around developing
and managing the water bank has been 
secretive and closed to public scrutiny, and needs to be greatly
improved and opened up to assure accountability to the 
public. 

(4) The Water Bank water leasing program is frightfully expensive in the
long run compared to outright purchasing and 
retiring of water rights, could cost taxpayers more than $65 million
through 2011 (pg 16), its lottery process makes it 
inherently uncertain and it depends entirely on annual appropriations
from a cash-strapped U.S. Congress.   The report 
concludes "This uncertainty adds urgency to Reclamation and stakeholder
efforts to collaboratively identify and evaluate 
long-term solutions." (pg. 40)  Water banking is clearly a short-term
fix, but not a long-term solution. 

"The arid Klamath Basin's limited water supply is clearly over-drawn,
and the status quo is simply 
unsustainable," commented PCFFA's Glen Spain.  "Until irrigation demand
is reduced to meet actual supply, with 
enough left in the river to protect valuable fisheries, the whole
Klamath Basin will remain in crisis.  All the lawsuits, 
marches and politics in the world cannot create more rain. Even farmers
will eventually have to live within the 
rainfall they get." 

The Klamath River was once the third most productive salmon river system
in America.  Today its once abundant 
salmon runs are down to less than 10% of their historic numbers, with
coho salmon runs so damaged they are federally 
listed as "threatened with extinction" under the Endangered Species Act.
Diversion of water from the river to feed 
ever-expanding irrigation systems is a large part of the problem that
has devastated these valuable fisheries.  The Bureau 
of Reclamation diverts more than half of the summer flow of the whole
upper Klamath Basin each year to feed water to 
its federal Klamath Irrigation Project, and water system development has
greatly altered the hydrology of the basin. 

Poor Klamath water flows in most past years, particularly in 2002,
created several serious fish kills. Because of past fish 
kills caused by a river reduced by federal irrigation withdrawals to a
warm trickle, today too few fish are returning to the 
Klamath River as adults to support harvests, and these Klamath "weak
stock management" constraints are triggering 
industry-wide ocean salmon fishery closures that may cost
fishing-dependent California and Oregon communities and 
businesses as much as $100 million dollars in economic damages this year
alone. 

Poor flows that are damaging today's ocean salmon fisheries were
deliberately created by the Bureau of Reclamation in 
2002 when it took too much water from the river to feed a bloated upper
basin federal water project.  The water bank 
was intended to help reduce the size of that Project gradually, with
fair compensation to farmers willing to idle their lands 
on a year-by-year basis, but has been misused over the past few years to
prop that Project's excess demand up by 
drawing down the aquifer.  Today that aquifer is badly deleted when most
needed to alleviate a serious drought. 

The GAO audit request was originally made by Congressman Mike Thompson,
whose Congressional District has the 
longest coastline of any in the U.S., and includes many
fishing-dependent ports and communities greatly affected by 
Klamath fish losses.  For more information about the GAO report also
contact Matt Gerien, Press Officer for the Office 
of Rep. Mike Thompson, (202)225-3311. 

Here is the GAO website for the full report: 

http://www.gao.gov/new.items/d05283.pdf 

 
##### 
------------------------------------------------------------------------
--------------- 

	Klamath Restoration Council 

	Our mission is to restore and protect the uniquely diverse
ecosystem 
	and promote the sustainable management of natural resources in
the entire Klamath River watershed. 
	We believe this will be accomplished with actions and
legislation that integrate sound and proven techniques based on tribal
knowledge, local experience and the best of Western Science. 

	http://www.pelicannetwork.net/krc.htm 

	Mail:  Box 214  Salmon River Outpost       Somes Bar, CA  95568
Phone: 530 627 3054

	Visit our Salmon Gallery:
http://www.pelicannetwork.net/salmongallery.htm

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From bwl3 at comcast.net  Tue Apr  5 10:33:25 2005
From: bwl3 at comcast.net (Byron )
Date: Tue, 5 Apr 2005 10:33:25 -0700
Subject: [env-trinity] Trinity Water Would Further Contaminate San Joaquin
	River
Message-ID: <20050405173831.B05BD2001D4C@mx.dcn.davis.ca.us>

SAN JOAQUIN SALT LEVELS:

Group wants lower water standards;
San Joaquin River proposal is latest in fight over salt pollution 

Stockton Record - 4/4/05

By Dana Nichols, staff writer

 

STOCKTON -- A group of water districts along the San Joaquin River south of
San Joaquin County want the state to stop requiring that river water in
their area be good enough to drink.

 

Their proposal is the latest twist in a decades-old struggle over salt
pollution. The suggested change would lower standards for water in that part
of the San Joaquin, allowing farms to discharge saltier drainage into the
river.

 

San Joaquin County water-policy watchers fear such a change could cause more
problems here, where salt has already damaged crops irrigated with river
water. It could also mean less water for Stockton homes and businesses.

 

High salt levels in the San Joaquin River force the U.S. Bureau of
Reclamation to discharge water from New Melones Reservoir, sending it down
the Stanislaus River to dilute the salt levels where the two rivers meet.

 

The more water that gets dumped from New Melones to dilute salt, the less
chance that Stockton homeowners, businesses, or farmers in eastern San
Joaquin County will get water from the reservoir.

 

The San Joaquin River Exchange Contractors Water Authority, based in Los
Banos, is asking for the change. Officials there say no one drinks water
from the river in their area, and the river is dry in many places anyway, so
the strict drinking-water standards are meaningless.

 

Relaxing the standards would make it easier for farmers to discharge salt
from their fields, said Steve Chedester, executive director of the Exchange
Contractors Water Authority.

 

"It helps us manage what we have to deal with up in our section upstream of
the Merced River," he said.

 

Charles Burt, a professor of irrigation at California Polytechnic University
San Luis Obispo, is doing research for the Exchange Contractors.

 

He spoke last month before the State Water Resources Control Board in favor
of eliminating drinking water as a designated "beneficial use" of a section
of the river south of Merced.

 

He said that changing the standard farther south in no way means that he
wants the state to relax standards for the river in San Joaquin County.

 

"My talk was specifically on (the area) between the Mendota Dam and
Vernalis," Burt said.

 

Mendota is where the San Joaquin River turns north west of Fresno. Vernalis
is where the river enters San Joaquin County.

 

Board spokeswoman Liz Kanter said the board's staff will consider the
proposal as well as others made at the hearing. After the public comment
period ends on May 20, staff members will make a recommendation to the
board.

 

"The process for de-designating a beneficial use is lengthy and stringent,"
Kanter wrote in an e-mail. "Even if staff recommended this, there would be
many opportunities for public comment before it happened.

 

One of those likely to comment would be John Herrick, an attorney for South
Delta Water Agency, whose farmers have suffered salt damage to crops.

He blamed the Exchange Contractors for not doing all they could to dilute
their drainage.

 

"They want to be able to sell their water rather than being able to use it
to help clean up the river," Herrick said.

 

But the Exchange Contractors say they are working hard to manage their salt
problem. And history has put them in a difficult position.

 

The group is known as "Exchange Contractors" because of a deal that goes
back six decades to when Friant Dam was constructed.

 

The various water districts from Mendota and Firebaugh to Merced had rights
to San Joaquin River water. They cut a deal to allow the federal government
to keep their water behind Friant Dam.

 

They exchanged that water for water pumped out of the Delta near Tracy and
delivered via the Delta-Mendota Canal.

 

That exchange allows all the water behind Friant to feed farms and cities
from Fresno south.

 

But water from the Delta arrives with a lot more salt than there would be in
the sweet Sierra snowmelt stored behind Friant Dam. And soils in some parts
of the western San Joaquin Valley are naturally high in salts already.

 

That combination means the salt concentrations from farm drainage can
violate drinking water standards.

 

But the salt isn't a threat to farming, Chedester said.

 

"While our water quality isn't as good as it was when it was off of the San
Joaquin River 100 percent in the 1940s, the water quality we receive is fine
for ag use," Chedester said. "We grow fine crops. We have high yields. We
have salty soils and we are doing fine."

 

Complicating the problem is that the federal government never built a drain
promised decades ago to carry salt contamination away from the area.

 

Now, Chedester said area water officials are hoping to raise $100 million
from the state and federal governments for a complex program of salt
management that would include a plant to remove salt from water.

 

Nigel Quinn is a research group leader at Lawrence Berkeley National
Laboratory who has studied the San Joaquin's salt problems for 20 years.

 

He has been helping to develop a system for so-called "real time" management
of the salt problem. It would use sensors and electronic communication to
better coordinate the releases of fresh water with salty water and get
maximum use from the fresh water.

 

He said he was disappointed to hear that the Exchange Contractors wanted to
give up on the drinking water standard. He said his real time management
system might be a better way to solve their problems.

 

"I would like to try that experiment before going ahead and taking the more
drastic action of de-listing," Quinn said.

 

Bill Jennings of Deltakeeper, a water watchdog group based in Stockton, said
eliminating the drinking-water standard for part of the San Joaquin River is
the equivalent of giving up on the river

 

He said he was astonished when he heard the proposal at the hearing.

 

"The aggies were saying essentially there is nothing they can do to control
it."

 

 

Byron Leydecker, 

Chair, Friends of Trinity River

Consultant, California Trout, Inc.

PO Box 2327

Mill Valley, CA 94942-2327

415 383 4810 ph

415 383 9562 fx

bwl3 at comcast.net

bleydecker at stanfordalumni.org (secondary)

http://www.fotr.org

http://caltrout.org

 

 

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From awhitridge at snowcrest.net  Tue Apr  5 17:08:58 2005
From: awhitridge at snowcrest.net (Arnold Whitridge)
Date: Tue, 05 Apr 2005 17:08:58 -0700
Subject: [env-trinity] TAMWG meeting April 12
Message-ID: <5.1.0.14.2.20050405170053.02c44778@mail.snowcrest.net>

Here's the draft agenda for the April 12 meeting of the Trinity Adaptive 
Management Working Group.

Arnold Whitridge,  TAMWG chair
530 623-6688



Draft Agenda
TRINITY ADAPTIVE MANAGEMENT WORKING GROUP
Veterans Memorial Hall, Weaverville, CA
April 12-13, 2005



         Time           Topic - 
Purpose                                            Discussion Leader

Tuesday, April 12

1.      12.30   Introductions; Adopt agenda; Approve September 
minutes

2.      12:45   Open Forum; Public Comment

3.  1:00        Flow schedule for 2005          Rod Wittler

4.       2:00        Floodplain preparations for 8,500 and 11,000 cfs 
releases  Ed Solbos

5.       3:00   FY2006 Budget process and priorities            Doug 
Schleusner

6.       4:00   Executive Director's Report             Doug 
Schleusner
7.       4:30   Designated Federal Official's Report            Mike Long

8.   4:45       Open Forum; Public Comment

9.   4:55       Date and agenda topics for next meeting

          5:00   Adjourn


Wednesday, April 13 (if needed)

10.   8:30      New member orientation; TAMWG operations; election of officers



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From tstokely at trinityalps.net  Wed Apr  6 21:47:46 2005
From: tstokely at trinityalps.net (Tom Stokely)
Date: Wed, 6 Apr 2005 21:47:46 -0700
Subject: [env-trinity] Ronnie Pierce  memorial 4/23/05, 1 pm, Klamath
Message-ID: <003101c53b2c$f257b040$876b3940@trinitycounty.org>

There will be a memorial held to remember Ronnie Pierce at the Yurok Tribal Office, Klamath CA, on April 23 at 1:00 pm.  There will be a dinner following the gathering - potluck dishes are welcome.

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From tstokely at trinityalps.net  Fri Apr  8 06:45:29 2005
From: tstokely at trinityalps.net (Tom Stokely)
Date: Fri, 8 Apr 2005 06:45:29 -0700
Subject: [env-trinity] Draft agenda for April 14-15 TMC meeting in
	Weaverville
Message-ID: <007d01c53c41$3aadd9e0$186b3940@trinitycounty.org>


----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Doug Schleusner" <DSCHLEUSNER at mp.usbr.gov>
To: Sent: Thursday, April 07, 2005 5:35 PM
Subject: Draft agenda for April 14-15 TMC meeting in Weaverville


> Good afternoon,
> 
> The draft agenda and briefing papers for the three action items are
> attached, along with minutes for the December TMC meeting and January
> TMC conference call.  Minutes for the February TMC conference call will
> be sent separately. 
> 
> Thank you,
> Doug
> 
> 
> ___________________________________
> 
> Douglas P. Schleusner, Executive Director
> Trinity River Restoration Program
> P.O. Box 1300, 1313 South Main St.
> Weaverville, CA  96093
> (530) 623-1800  Fax: (530) 623-5944
> e-mail: dschleusner at mp.usbr.gov
> ___________________________________
> 
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From bwl3 at comcast.net  Mon Apr 11 14:37:06 2005
From: bwl3 at comcast.net (Byron )
Date: Mon, 11 Apr 2005 14:37:06 -0700
Subject: [env-trinity] Trinity Flows
Message-ID: <20050411214222.C203F2000982@mx.dcn.davis.ca.us>

The attached letter is an outrage.  It was received just this morning before
an essentially final meeting today to consider Trinity flows for 2005 that
staff, stakeholders and others have been considering based upon science and
water-type year for some time, and just a day before the Trinity Adaptive
Management Working Group was to consider 2005 flow recommendations to the
Trinity Management Council to finalize this year's flows.

 

It is exactly what I've been arguing against for months.  The Bureau is
attempting to apply a Trinity water band-aid to Klamath River problems to
avoid dealing with the basic and real problems of the Klamath.  It also
clearly is an attempt to provide political cover for the Administration in
the face of another potential fish kill in the Lower Klamath.  IT ALSO IS A
BLATANT VIOLATION OF THE TRINITY RECORD OF DECISION.

 

If political decisions are to supplant science based decisions and the
Trinity Record of Decision for restoration of Trinity River, then what
purpose is served by having a restoration program?  Scientific input,
informed agency and Tribal input, stakeholder input, and law simply can be
tossed aside to advance political ends.  This is totally unsatisfactory. 

 

Byron Leydecker, 

Chair, Friends of Trinity River

Consultant, California Trout, Inc.

PO Box 2327

Mill Valley, CA 94942-2327

415 383 4810 ph

415 383 9562 fx

bwl3 at comcast.net

bleydecker at stanfordalumni.org (secondary)

http://www.fotr.org

http://caltrout.org

 

 

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From danielbacher at hotmail.com  Sun Apr 10 13:49:12 2005
From: danielbacher at hotmail.com (Daniel Bacher)
Date: Sun, 10 Apr 2005 13:49:12 -0700
Subject: [env-trinity] Federal Agents Investigate Steelhead Poisoning at
	Monterey Bay Hatchery
Message-ID: <BAY16-F274933D1B2AFD9A127FA15DB310@phx.gbl>

Federal Agents Conduct Investigation Of Steelhead Poisoning At Monterey Bay 
Hatchery

by Dan Bacher

Federal law enforcement agents from NOAA Fisheries were called to the 
Monterey Bay Salmon and Trout Project?s Fish Hatchery near Davenport on 
March 18 to investigate the apparent poisoning of 12 steelhead trout in a 
freshwater holding tank.

Steelhead trout in central California are protected under the federal 
Endangered Species Act (ESA). Because of the killing of these fish, 
steelhead production at the volunteer-supported facility may be cut 50 to 60 
percent this year.

The NOAA Fisheries Office for Law Enforcement is seeking the public?s 
assistance and offering a $5,000 reward for information leading to the 
conviction of the person or persons responsible for the death of the 
federally-protected fish.

?This is more than just a minor act of vandalism or prank,? said Special 
Agent Joe Giordano, NOAA Fisheries Office for Law Enforcement - Southwest 
Division. ?This is a serious federal offense and we intend to apprehend and 
prosecute whoever committed this crime.?

At press time, NOAA Fisheries was in the process of investigating leads in 
the case, according to special Agent Steve Myer in Sacramento,

Anyone with information concerning this incident should call Special Agent 
Giordano at (707) 575-6073 or the Office for Law Enforcement hotline at 
toll-free, 1-800-853-1964.

?The steelhead were originally transported from San Lorenzo River to the 
hatchery to be used as a breeding stock in re-populating the native species 
to the various streams within the watershed,? according to NOAA.

Steelhead in the San Lorenzo River are listed as ?threatened? under the ESA. 
The penalty for ?taking? a listed threatened species under the ESA is up to 
$13,200 and up to six months in jail.?

The hatchery is still trapping steelhead at the inflated dam installed by 
the City of Santa Cruz on the San Lorenzo River, so hopefully the project 
will receive more fish this year. Instead of releasing 50,000 to 60,000 
steelhead smolts as they do every year, the project may release only 25,000 
to 30,000 steelhead.

The loss of the adult steelhead may also result in the elimination of the 
STEP Program?s steelhead program in Santa Cruz area schools this year. In 
this program, students in K through 12 schools raise eyed steelhead eggs in 
tanks for 45 days until they are ready to be released into the stream, 
according to Larry Wolf, board member of the Monterey Bay Salmon and Trout 
Project.

The hatchery is a state of the art facility that is the only private, 
non-profit hatchery south of Smith River. The organization releases 
approximately 80,000 steelhead trout, 60,000 endangered coho salmon and 
240,000 king salmon in Monterey Bay or local streams that flow into Monterey 
Bay.

?We?re the only hatchery certified to handle endangered coho salmon through 
a section 10 permit with the National Marine Fishery Service,? said Wolf.

The project also has the unique distinction of preventing the Carmel River 
steelhead run from becoming extinct by maintaining the fish in pens during 
the drought of the early 1990?s when the Carmel didn?t flow to the ocean.

Four years ago, the project began operating the Santa Cruz harbor salmon net 
pen. They also replaced the old net pen at Moss Landing Harbor with a new 
net pen identical to the one placed in Santa Cruz harbor.

?In the last 10 years, we have released over 2 million king salmon into 
Monterey Bay,? said Wolf. ?Reports coming in from Fish and Game on the 
harvest of ocean salmon indicate that our hatchery fish have a 800 percent 
higher survey rate than salmon fry released from large federal and state 
hatcheries directly into our rivers and streams.?

I find it appalling that anybody would attack the fine work of an 
organization such as the Monterey Bay Salmon and Trout Project. This project 
has done more on a shoestring budget to restore endangered salmon and trout 
populations in the Monterey Bay region than any other group.

The project, with the exception of the full time fishery biologist, Dave 
Streig, is completely run by volunteers. Streig, Wolf and the many project 
volunteers I?ve met over the years are some of the most dedicated people 
involved in salmon and steelhead restoration in California.

This year?s budget is only $105,000 ? and the project accomplishes 
tremendous work for such a small budget.  All of the fish raised in the 
hatchery are from wild stock obtained from trapping on the San Lorenzo 
River; so all of the fish they raise are wild in origin.  I hope the 
individuals who committed the vandalism are soon found and prosecuted.

Meanwhile, the killing of the brood stock steelhead in a detestable criminal 
act makes it even more crucial that the main fundraiser for the 
organization, the Annual Mammoth Monterey Bay Big Fish Derby, be a huge 
success.

The derby this year will take place on July 1, 2 and 3. As the result of 
budget cuts in Sacramento, the project has experienced the loss of the 
majority of its public funding, so the project is depending upon this 
fundraiser, its annual dinner and contributions to keep its great programs 
going.

For more information about the derby or how you can help the project, call 
Larry Wolf, (831) 688-4255 or by email at Mbstp at aol.com. You can visit their 
updated web site at www.mbstp.org.




From danielbacher at hotmail.com  Sun Apr 10 13:33:48 2005
From: danielbacher at hotmail.com (Daniel Bacher)
Date: Sun, 10 Apr 2005 13:33:48 -0700
Subject: [env-trinity] Report Lists Kllamath,
	Salmon Rivers Among State's Most Threatened Wild Places
Message-ID: <BAY16-F9FA6ABBF10D38CCA51A4EDB310@phx.gbl>

Report Lists Klamath, Salmon Rivers Among State's Most Threatened Wild 
Places

by Dan Bacher

A new report, released in Oakland on March 29 by the California Wilderness 
Coalition, features the Klamath and Salmon River watersheds among 
California?s 10 most threatened wild places.

The analysis, the fourth in a series of annual reports, considers the 
urgency and impact of threats to these landscapes, including water 
diversions, off road development, logging, and drilling. Several places 
included in this year?s report, such as the Klamath Basin, were listed last 
year.

It is hoped by fishermen?s groups, Indian Tribes and environmental activists 
that the report?s release will spur action by the federal and state 
governments to preserve and restore the Klamath and Salmon rivers and other 
California wild areas.

"California?s wilderness and wild rivers provide more than 60 percent of the 
state?s clean drinking water, and offer recreation opportunities to 
millions," said Coalition Executive  Director Mary Wells. "But once they?re 
gone, they?re gone forever."

The Klamath River serves as significant habitat for the coho salmon, 
currently listed as threatened under the federal Endangered Species Act 
(ESA), king salmon and steelhead. The Klamath, one of the west?s largest 
rivers, reaches from northwestern California to southeastern Oregon and 
historically sustained large and vibrant tribal, commercial and recreational 
fisheries.

The river was the third greatest salmon-producing river in America, hosting 
an average of 880,000 spawning salmon and steelhead each year, according to 
Glen Spain, Northwest Director of the Pacific Coast Federation of 
Fishermen?s Associations (PCFFA). Today dams and excessive water diversions 
have taken a dramatic toll on the salmon and steelhead of the Klamath Basin.

Today the salmon runs are less than one tenth of what they once were. The 
fish are subject to major fish kills in 5 out of 7 years, the most dramatic 
being the adult fish kill of September 2002 when over 70,000 salmon perished 
in the lower Klamath.

?The Klamath River is indeed endangered,? said Spain, ?and so are the many 
fishing-dependent communities that rely on the river for their livelihoods. 
However, the causes are largely man-made. These communities have been 
deliberately put at risk by short-sighted and biased federal water decisions 
that favor taking too much water out of the river at the expense of 
fishermen and fishing jobs.?

The gorgeous Salmon River is one of the Klamath?s most important tributaries 
and serves as one of the last cold water refuges for spring run chinook 
salmon. Once the most prolific run of salmon in the Klamath Basin, only 
hundreds of the ?springers? return today. The report documents how poor 
federal logging practices and mining operations have contributed to the 
declines in that watershed.

Past fish kills caused by federal agency water decisions have taken a 
tremendous economic toll on the ocean commercial and recreational fishing 
industry. The Bureau of Reclamation?s decision in 2002 to provide full water 
deliveries to Klamath Basin farmers at the expense of fish is driving major 
shutdowns of commercial and recreational fishing opportunities in California 
and Oregon this year, in spite of record runs from the Central Valley river 
system. Many salmon are ?simply missing in action? in the 2005 adult runs 
because they were killed in the river as juveniles in 2002, according to 
Spain.

?In the spring of 2002 the missing salmon hatched and spent their first few 
months in the low-flowing Klamath River,? explained Spain. ?That year flows 
in the river were deliberately kept so low by the Bureau of Reclamation that 
the water warmed up too much and conditions either didn?t allow the young 
fish to grow properly or killed them outright.?

The report highlights what the Karuk Tribe of the Middle Klamath has known 
for years; some of their most important cultural and natural areas are 
slowly but surely being destroyed. ?For the Karuk, the second largest Tribe 
in California, the destruction of the Klamath and Salmon Rivers go beyond 
the loss of a pristine wilderness  - they represent the loss of a 
subsistence fishery and the desecration of sacred sites,? according to the 
Tribe.

The Karuk believe that the confluence of the Salmon and Klamath rivers is 
the ?center of the universe? ? ?Katimin? ? and they hold their annual ?World 
Renewal Ceremony? there.

?We gather at Katimin to remake the world as our ancestors have since time 
immemorial,? according to Leaf Hillman, the Tribe?s vice-chairman. ?We 
gather to pray for all people and things that make up this world, for their 
health and their success. The impact that dams, diversions, and logging have 
had on this place and on the people that depend on it for both their 
physical and spiritual well-being is nothing short of desecration.?

The Karuk Tribe, along with other basin tribes and a host of environmental 
and fishermen?s groups, are currently working to restore both rivers. This 
includes an effort to remove Klamath River dams, owned by the Scottish Power 
subsidiary PaciCorp, through the FERC (Federal Energy Regulatory Commission) 
relicensing process now underway.

The growing movement to take down the dams was highlighted by an historic 
march and rally on March 14 at the State Capitol in Sacramento. The four 
Klamath Basin tribes - the Yurok, Hoopa, Karuk and Klamath - joined with 
their allies in the fishing, farming and environmental communities in an 
effort to convince the Governor to become ?Conan the Riparian? by calling 
for the removal of the six dams that block salmon and steelhead from 
migrating into their historic habitat.

The other ?threatened wild places? listed in the report are the Sierra 
Nevada Forests, Algodones Sand Dunes, White Mountains (Furnace Creek), 
Cleveland National Forest, Tejon Ranch, Los Padres National Forest, Giant 
Sequoia National Monument, Golden Trout Wilderness Addition and Medicine 
Lake Highlands.

?California's last wild places face increasing pressures from growth and 
development, yet we can act now to protect and preserve what remains," said 
wilderness outfitter and guide Dave Willis of Sierra Treks.

To download California Wilderness Coalition?s Our Natural Heritage At Risk, 
log on to: http://www.calwild.org/resources/pubs/10most05.php. For more 
information about the Report itself, contact Julie Dixon, Resource Media, 
at: 916/446-1058.




From jallen at trinitycounty.org  Mon Apr 11 16:36:18 2005
From: jallen at trinitycounty.org (Josh Allen)
Date: Mon, 11 Apr 2005 16:36:18 -0700
Subject: [env-trinity] FW: Local salmon season -- clarified
Message-ID: <099F81D877F1044DA24BA95E0CE09263E18C6E@mail2.trinitycounty.org>

From: Pelican Network [mailto:rocinante at pelicannetwork.net] 
Sent: Sunday, April 10, 2005 11:17 AM
To: Klamath at pelicannetwork.net
Subject: Re: Local salmon season -- clarified

 

All: Attached is a copy of a letter sent California Governor Arnold 
Schwarzenegger requesting a disaster declaration for the 2005 salmon
season 
(that resulted from the 2002 Klamath fish kills). A similar request will
be 
made of Oregon Governor Ted Kulongoski. - Zeke Grader 

  
  

Posted by Margie Whitnah

Eureka Times-Standard 
http://www.times-standard.com/Stories/0,1413,127~2896~2809182,00.html# 

Local salmon season -- clarified 

Sunday, April 10, 2005 - 

The Times-Standard 

Onerous management measures designed to protect weak Klamath River
salmon stocks have 
taken a chunk out of local salmon fisheries this year. 

The sport ocean fishery in the Klamath Management Zone will get only
four days of the usually 
hot fishing month of July. The season set by the Pacific Fisheries
Management Council last week 
for the Eureka, Trinidad and Crescent City areas runs from May 21
through July 4, then from 
August 14 to September 11. 

Anglers will still get to keep two chinook salmon over 24 inches long
every day. 

>From Horse Mountain to Point Arena, the Fort Bragg area, the season runs
from February 12 to 
July 10 and July 23 through November 13, and salmon over 20 inches can
be kept. 

Commercial fishermen from the Oregon border to the South Jetty of
Humboldt Bay can only fish 
September 3 to September 30 or until a 6,000 fish quota is met. That
means most local fishermen 
will probably spend most of their time far south of here. Tribal
fishermen also don't expect to meet 
subsistence limits. 

The decision, which will be adopted by the National Marine Fisheries
Service, has frustrated 
fishermen since Sacramento River stocks are strong this year. But
Klamath fish mix with the 
Sacramento salmon and to prevent too many from being caught, the season
was shortened. 
  

------------------------------------------------------------------------
------------- 
(In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107, this material is
distributed 
                    without profit to those who have expressed a prior
interest in receiving the 
                    included information for research and educational
purposes. 
                    PelicanNetwork has no affiliation whatsoever with
the originator of this 
                    article nor is PelicanNetwor endorsed or sponsored
by the originator.) 
------------------------------------------------------------------------
--------------- 

          Klamath Restoration Council 

          Our mission is to restore and protect the uniquely diverse
ecosystem 
          and promote the sustainable management of natural resources in
the entire Klamath River 
          watershed. 
          We believe this will be accomplished with actions and
legislation that integrate sound and 
          proven techniques based on tribal knowledge, local experience
and the best of Western Science. 

          http://www.pelicannetwork.net/krc.htm 

          Mail:  Box 214  Salmon River Outpost       Somes Bar, CA
95568          Phone: 530 627 3054 

          Visit our Salmon Gallery: 
http://www.pelicannetwork.net/salmongallery.htm 

	The Salmon Coalition is not a list serv.  It is an email list
moderated by Pelican Network for the Klamath Restoration Council.  The
web site is http://www.pelicannetwork.net/salmon.htm 
	We are an information network of information and conservation
advocacy.  We formed the 
	Salmon Coalition in December of 2002 at the Salmon Summit at the
Yurok Tribal offices.  If 
	you do not want to receive messages from Salmon Coalition, just
reply with "remove" in the 
	subject line. 

	Visit our Salmon Gallery: 
http://www.pelicannetwork.net/salmongallery.htm

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From jallen at trinitycounty.org  Mon Apr 11 16:36:38 2005
From: jallen at trinitycounty.org (Josh Allen)
Date: Mon, 11 Apr 2005 16:36:38 -0700
Subject: [env-trinity] FW: Klamath-Trinity stories - April 9
Message-ID: <099F81D877F1044DA24BA95E0CE09263E18C70@mail2.trinitycounty.org>

From: Pelican Network [mailto:rocinante at pelicannetwork.net] 
Sent: Saturday, April 09, 2005 12:32 PM
To: Klamath at pelicannetwork.net
Subject: Klamath-Trinity stories - April 9

 

	Posted by Margie Whitnah

http://www.mercurynews.com/mld/mercurynews/news/local/states/california/
northern_california/11348297.htm 

Trinity Lake mercury, security restrictions announced 

DON THOMPSON 
Associated Press 

SACRAMENTO - State and federal regulators announced new mercury and
security 
restrictions Friday for Trinity Lake, a popular destination in the
Klamath Mountains 
northwest of Redding. 
---------------------------------------- 

Dry as dust: Klamath plan for 2005 presents meager picture 
By John Driscoll The Times-Standard 

	The plan developed to parcel out limited water shows the need
for long-term cooperative 
	solutions, said Dave Hillemeier, senior fisheries biologist for
the Yurok Tribe. 

	"The plan definitely falls far short of meeting the needs of the
tribe's fishery," Hillemeier said, 
	"and we're concerned that we'll be facing juvenile and adult
fish kills with these sorts of 
	flows."

http://www.times-standard.com/Stories/0,1413,127~2896~2807845,00.html# 

Flows to the Klamath River will be a relative trickle this summer during
what appears 
certain to remain a drought year, with fish and farms likely to be
strained under a U.S. 
Bureau of Reclamation Plan released this week. 

The operations plan looks to increase bleak base flows from Iron Gate
Dam with 100,000 acre 
feet of water purchased from irrigators. But even with that measure --
which cost some $7.5 
million -- some worry that either young salmon or returning adults could
be at risk of 
another fish kill in a hot, low river. 
------------------------------------------------------------------------
- 
CounterPunch story by Felice Pace 
 http://www.counterpunch.org/pace04082005.html 

Decommissioning the Dams is Not Enough 
A Golden Opportunity for Justice on the Klamath 

By FELICE PACE 

Klamath, California 

The future of the Klamath River and the fate of the 20 year effort to
restore its 
salmon fisheries are now in the hands of negotiators meeting to hammer
out a 
deal on relicensing the Klamath's power dams. The details of those
negotiations 
are confidential but the Klamath Water Users Association--which
represents 
irrigators in the federal Klamath Project ? has announced publicly that
it wants 
the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (which must decide on the terms
of 
a new license) and PacifiCorp/Scottish Power (owner of the dams) to
include a 
power subsidy in any new license to operate the Klamath dams. The Water 
Users Association also claims that the 1957 Klamath Compact ?
legislation 
enacted by the federal government, Oregon and California--promises
irrigators 
a power subsidy. 

When the Klamath Fisheries Restoration Task Force sunsets along with the

Klamath Act in 2006, the Klamath River Compact Commission ? charged with

implementing the Klamath River Basin Compact--will once again be the 
Klamath's only basin-wide government entity. But the Klamath 
Compact--established by federal and state legislation--does not
acknowledge the 
Basin's federally recognized tribes and the Compact's Commission has no
seats 
for them. Nor does the Compact explicitly mandate restoration of aquatic

ecosystems. Furthermore, the legislation's language can be interpreted
as 
committing the Commission to agriculture as the pre-eminent use for
Klamath 
River water. 
--------------------------------------------------------------------- 

15-percent irrigation cutback sought 

http://www.heraldandnews.com/articles/2005/04/08/news/top_stories/top1.t
xt 

By DYLAN DARLING 

Irrigators throughout the Klamath Reclamation Project are being asked to
cut water use by 
15 percent this year due to low expectations for water supplies. 

The cutbacks will be even worse on the east side of the Project, where
farmers in the Bonanza 
area will receive only a fraction of their normal water supply, if
anything at all. 

And flows in the Klamath River below Keno will be about half of what
they would be in an 
average water year. 
--------------------------------------- 

Former judge slams Fisheries funding 

  Canadian Press 
http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/story/CTVNews/1112967957507_12/?hu
b=SciTech 
  VANCOUVER - A report on the disappearance last year of millions of 
  Fraser River salmon heaps more blame on the Department of Fisheries 
  and Oceans. 

  The review by Bryan Williams, a former B.C. Supreme Court judge, 
  points to inadequate funding in the department's Pacific region for a 
  lack of information about the shortfall. 

  Williams found Fraser salmon returns in 2004 were perhaps within 
  10.5 per cent of Fisheries estimate. But because of the lack of money,

  Williams said it's impossible to estimate the number of fish that were

  caught illegally or that died from high water temperatures. 

--------------------------------------- 
http://www.theolympian.com/home/news/20050408/topstories/121571.shtml 
Washington Coast's salmon season restricted 
------------------------------------------------------------------------
------------- 
(In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107, this material is
distributed 
                    without profit to those who have expressed a prior
interest in receiving the 
                    included information for research and educational
purposes. 
                    PelicanNetwork has no affiliation whatsoever with
the originator of this 
                    article nor is PelicanNetwor endorsed or sponsored
by the originator.) 
------------------------------------------------------------------------
--------------- 

          Klamath Restoration Council 

          Our mission is to restore and protect the uniquely diverse
ecosystem 
          and promote the sustainable management of natural resources in
the entire Klamath River 
          watershed. 
          We believe this will be accomplished with actions and
legislation that integrate sound and 
          proven techniques based on tribal knowledge, local experience
and the best of Western Science. 

          http://www.pelicannetwork.net/krc.htm 

          Mail:  Box 214  Salmon River Outpost       Somes Bar, CA
95568          Phone: 530 627 3054 

          Visit our Salmon Gallery:
http://www.pelicannetwork.net/salmongallery.htm 

	The Salmon Coalition is not a list serv.  It is an email list
moderated by Pelican Network for the Klamath Restoration Council.  The
web site is http://www.pelicannetwork.net/salmon.htm 
	We are an information network of information and conservation
advocacy.  We formed the 
	Salmon Coalition in December of 2002 at the Salmon Summit at the
Yurok Tribal offices.  If 
	you do not want to receive messages from Salmon Coalition, just
reply with "remove" in the 
	subject line. 

	Visit our Salmon Gallery:
http://www.pelicannetwork.net/salmongallery.htm

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From jallen at trinitycounty.org  Mon Apr 11 16:49:17 2005
From: jallen at trinitycounty.org (Josh Allen)
Date: Mon, 11 Apr 2005 16:49:17 -0700
Subject: [env-trinity] Trinity Lake Mercury Levels
Message-ID: <099F81D877F1044DA24BA95E0CE09263E18C73@mail2.trinitycounty.org>

http://www.mercurynews.com/mld/mercurynews/news/local/states/california/
northern_california/11348297.htm

 

MERCURY NEWS

 

Posted on Fri, Apr. 08, 2005 



 

Trinity Lake mercury, security restrictions announced

 
DON THOMPSON
 
Associated Press


SACRAMENTO - State and federal regulators announced new mercury and
security restrictions Friday for Trinity Lake, a popular destination in
the Klamath Mountains northwest of Redding.

The federal Bureau of Reclamation is closing, as of Sunday, its property
around Trinity Dam for security reasons, though limited fishing access
will still be provided.

The closure includes 700 feet downstream and on either side of the dam,
and from the dam crest to the upstream waterline, which varies depending
on the surface level of the reservoir also known as Clair Engle Lake.

"Generally people couldn't get there anyway" on the upstream side, said
bureau spokesman Jeff McCracken. Fishermen on foot and bicycles still
will be allowed to enter the area on the west side downstream, "which is
where they go anyway now. The average person won't notice the
difference, frankly."

Also Friday, the California Environmental Protection Agency's Office of
Environmental Health Hazard Assessment warned of mercury in fish in
Trinity Lake and the Trinity River watershed from decades-old gold and
mercury mining activities there dating to the Gold Rush. An interim
county advisory has been in effect since July 2002.

In addition to the lake and the river, the warning includes Lewiston
Lake, Coffee Creek, Canyon Creek, Eastman Creek, Eastman Dredge Ponds,
Carrville Pond, Crow Creek, Tamarack Creek, the New River and the East
Fork Trinity River and its tributaries.

The public can still eat fish, but especially children and women of
childbearing age should restrict how much fish they eat, the state
advised, with the frequency depending on the species.

The office is seeking public comments on a draft mercury warning and its
evaluation of the health threat. A hearing is set for 11:30 a.m. May 3
at the Victorian Inn Conference Room in Weaverville.

ON THE NET

Find Bureau of Reclamation project information: 
http://www.usbr.gov/mp/ncao/projects.html

Read a mercury fact sheet and draft report: www.oehha.ca.gov.

 

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From env-trinity-bounces at velocipede.dcn.davis.ca.us  Mon Apr 11 16:57:20 2005
From: env-trinity-bounces at velocipede.dcn.davis.ca.us (env-trinity-bounces at velocipede.dcn.davis.ca.us)
Date: Mon, 11 Apr 2005 16:57:20 -0700
Subject: [env-trinity] Trinity Lake Mercury Levels
Message-ID: <OF66416675.13BA9EDE-ON87256FE0.00835BD5-88256FE0.00839800@fws.gov>






http://www.mercurynews.com/mld/mercurynews/news/local/states/california/northern_california/11348297.htm

MERCURY NEWS

Posted on Fri, Apr. 08, 2005


                                 
                                 
                                 
                                 
                                 
                                 
                                                                            
                                                                            
                                                                            


(Embedded image moved to file: pic12859.gif)
Trinity Lake mercury, security restrictions announced
(Embedded image moved to file: pic08723.gif)
DON THOMPSON
(Embedded image moved to file: pic09741.gif)
Associated Press
(Embedded image moved to file: pic27529.gif)
SACRAMENTO - State and federal regulators announced new mercury and
security restrictions Friday for Trinity Lake, a popular destination in the
Klamath Mountains northwest of Redding.
The federal Bureau of Reclamation is closing, as of Sunday, its property
around Trinity Dam for security reasons, though limited fishing access will
still be provided.
The closure includes 700 feet downstream and on either side of the dam, and
from the dam crest to the upstream waterline, which varies depending on the
surface level of the reservoir also known as Clair Engle Lake.
"Generally people couldn't get there anyway" on the upstream side, said
bureau spokesman Jeff McCracken. Fishermen on foot and bicycles still will
be allowed to enter the area on the west side downstream, "which is where
they go anyway now. The average person won't notice the difference,
frankly."
Also Friday, the California Environmental Protection Agency's Office of
Environmental Health Hazard Assessment warned of mercury in fish in Trinity
Lake and the Trinity River watershed from decades-old gold and mercury
mining activities there dating to the Gold Rush. An interim county advisory
has been in effect since July 2002.
In addition to the lake and the river, the warning includes Lewiston Lake,
Coffee Creek, Canyon Creek, Eastman Creek, Eastman Dredge Ponds, Carrville
Pond, Crow Creek, Tamarack Creek, the New River and the East Fork Trinity
River and its tributaries.
The public can still eat fish, but especially children and women of
childbearing age should restrict how much fish they eat, the state advised,
with the frequency depending on the species.
The office is seeking public comments on a draft mercury warning and its
evaluation of the health threat. A hearing is set for 11:30 a.m. May 3 at
the Victorian Inn Conference Room in Weaverville.
ON THE NET
Find Bureau of Reclamation project information:
http://www.usbr.gov/mp/ncao/projects.html
Read a mercury fact sheet and draft report: www.oehha.ca.gov.
 _______________________________________________
env-trinity mailing list
env-trinity at mailman.dcn.org
http://www2.dcn.org/mailman/listinfo/env-trinity
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From bwl3 at comcast.net  Mon Apr 11 16:54:12 2005
From: bwl3 at comcast.net (Byron )
Date: Mon, 11 Apr 2005 16:54:12 -0700
Subject: [env-trinity] (no subject)
Message-ID: <20050411235952.0435020026E8@mx.dcn.davis.ca.us>

Please see attached letter on Trinity fall flows.

 

Byron Leydecker, 

Chair, Friends of Trinity River

Consultant, California Trout, Inc.

PO Box 2327

Mill Valley, CA 94942-2327

415 383 4810 ph

415 383 9562 fx

bwl3 at comcast.net

bleydecker at stanfordalumni.org (secondary)

http://www.fotr.org

http://caltrout.org

 

 

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From jallen at trinitycounty.org  Mon Apr 11 17:03:54 2005
From: jallen at trinitycounty.org (Josh Allen)
Date: Mon, 11 Apr 2005 17:03:54 -0700
Subject: [env-trinity] More Trinity lake Mercury Info from the Office of
	Environmental Health Hazard Assessment
Message-ID: <099F81D877F1044DA24BA95E0CE09263E18C76@mail2.trinitycounty.org>

Release No. 05- 03
April 8, 2005
OEHHA Releases Draft Advisory on Mercury in Fish in Trinity Lake and
Other Water Bodies in the Trinity River Watershed

Contact: Allan Hirsch
(916) 324-0995 

SACRAMENTO -- The California Environmental Protection Agency's Office of
Environmental Health Hazard Assessment (OEHHA) is seeking public
comments on a draft fish advisory concerning elevated levels of mercury
in fish in Trinity Lake and selected water bodies in the Trinity River
watershed in Trinity County.
<http://www.oehha.ca.gov/fish/so_cal/trinitycrnr.html>  

"The pristine ambience of Trinity County does not change the fact that
mercury from past mining activities and other sources was released into
the region's waterways, and has accumulated in the fish," OEHHA Director
Dr. Joan Denton said. "The public should still enjoy fishing in the
Trinity River watershed, but we recommend that people - especially women
of childbearing age and children - carefully monitor how much fish they
eat." 

A fact sheet and draft report
<http://www.oehha.ca.gov/fish/so_cal/TrinRiverF.html>  containing the
proposed advisory and OEHHA's evaluation of potential health threats in
the fish posed by methylmercury (the most prevalent and toxic form of
mercury in fish) are available for viewing and downloading on OEHHA's
Web site at www.oehha.ca.gov <http://www.oehha.ca.gov/> . 

OEHHA staff scientists will make a presentation, answer questions and
accept public comments on the draft advisory at a public workshop at
11:30 a.m. on May 3, 2005, at the Victorian Inn Conference Room, 1709
Main Street, Weaverville, California. 

Written comments on the draft advisory can be sent until May 9, 2005, to
OEHHA's Pesticide and Environmental Toxicology Section, P.O. Box 4010,
Sacramento, CA 95812-4010. OEHHA will review all comments, make any
appropriate revisions and issue a final advisory. 

The draft advisory contains proposed guidelines for consumption of fish
from the following Trinity County water bodies: Trinity Lake (also known
as Clair Engle Lake), the Trinity River, Lewiston Lake, Coffee Creek,
Canyon Creek, Eastman Creek, Eastman Dredge Ponds, Carrville Pond, Crow
Creek, Tamarack Creek, the New River and the East Fork Trinity River and
its tributaries. 

One set of proposed guidelines is for women of childbearing age and
children age 17 and younger, who are particularly sensitive to
methylmercury. A second set of proposed guidelines is for women beyond
their childbearing years and men. Until a final advisory is issued,
OEHHA recommends that the public follow the advice in the draft
advisory. This replaces the interim county advisory
<http://www.oehha.ca.gov/fish/so_cal/TrinRiver.html>  issued in July
2002. 

The draft advisory contains the following recommendations for women of
childbearing age and children age 17 and under: 

*	Limit consumption of all bass from all water bodies named above
to one meal a month, and also consumption of Chinook (king) salmon from
Trinity Lake, and rivers and creeks draining into the lake, to one meal
a month. With the exception of trout from Lewiston Lake and Carrville
Pond, consumption of all other sport fish species, including white
catfish from all water bodies and trout from any other water body,
should be limited to one meal a week. The one-meal-a-week recommendation
also applies to salmon from rivers and creeks below Lewiston Lake. Trout
from Lewiston Lake and Carrville Pond may be consumed up to three times
per week for this population group. 

The draft advisory contains the following recommendations for women
beyond childbearing years and men: 

*	Limit consumption of all bass from the water bodies named above
to one meal a week, and also consumption of Chinook (king) salmon from
Trinity Lake, and rivers and creeks draining into the lake, to one meal
a week. Consumption of all other sport fish species, including white
catfish and trout, should be limited to three meals a week. The
three-meal-a-week recommendation also applies to salmon from rivers and
creeks below Lewiston Lake. 

The draft advisory incorporates the results of fish sampling conducted
recently in the Trinity River watershed by the U.S. Geological Survey
and the State Water Resources Control Board. 

Mercury in fish from the Trinity River watershed originated from the
mining of mercury and gold, the majority of which took place from the
Gold Rush until approximately 1960. Miners used mercury to extract gold
from mined materials and discharged the waste into rivers and streams,
where mercury accumulated in the sediment. Bacteria converted the
mercury to the more toxic methylmercury, which fish take in from their
diet. Methylmercury can accumulate in fish to concentrations many
thousands of times greater than mercury levels in the surrounding water.


After entering rivers, streams, and estuaries, mercury accumulates in
the sediment. Bacteria convert the inorganic mercury to the more toxic
methylmercury, which fish take in from their diet. Methylmercury can
accumulate in fish to concentrations many thousands of times greater
than mercury levels in the surrounding water. 

Women can pass methylmercury on to their fetuses through the placenta,
and to infants through breast milk. Excessive exposure to methylmercury
may affect the nervous system in children, leading to subtle decreases
in learning ability, language skills, attention and/or memory. These
effects may occur through adolescence as the nervous system continues to
develop. In adults, the most subtle symptoms associated with
methylmercury toxicity are numbness or tingling sensations in the hands
and feet or around the mouth. Other symptoms at higher levels of
exposure could include loss of coordination and vision problems. 

The Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment is one of six
entities within the California Environmental Protection Agency. OEHHA's
mission is to protect and enhance public health and the environment by
objective scientific evaluation of risks posed by hazardous substances.

Draft Health Advisory for Fish from Trinity Lake and Selected Water
Bodies In the Trinity River Watershed (Trinity County)

A Fact Sheet

 

[04/08/05]





  _____  

Why has OEHHA developed a draft health advisory for fish from Trinity
Lake and selected water bodies in the Trinity River Watershed?

Recent studies by the U.S. Geological Survey and the State Water
Resources Control Board indicated that some species of fish in Trinity
Lake and other water bodies in the Trinity River watershed contain
elevated levels of mercury and could pose a health risk to people who
eat them frequently. The Office of Environmental Health Hazard
Assessment (OEHHA) has evaluated the health effects of eating fish from
Trinity Lake (also known as Clair Engle Lake), the Trinity River,
Lewiston Lake, Coffee Creek, Canyon Creek, Eastman Creek, Eastman Dredge
Ponds, Carrville Pond, Crow Creek, Tamarack Creek, the New River, and
the East Fork Trinity River and its tributaries and has issued a draft
report <http://www.oehha.ca.gov/fish/so_cal/trinitycrnr.html>  and
health advisory with guidelines for the consumption of fish from these
water bodies. 

OEHHA recommends that individuals limit their consumption of bass,
Chinook (King) salmon, white catfish, and other types of fish from
Trinity Lake and other listed water bodies in the Trinity River
watershed. One set of guidelines applies to women of childbearing age
and children age 17 and younger, who are particularly sensitive to
methylmercury (the most prevalent and toxic form of mercury in fish). A
second set applies to women beyond their childbearing years and men. 

Why is mercury found in fish from this region?

Mercury contamination of fish is a global problem. Emissions from
volcanoes and coal-burning power plants release mercury into the air
where it can be carried worldwide before being deposited in oceans,
lakes, and rivers. In northern California water bodies, however, mercury
is also a legacy of gold and mercury mining activities that began during
the Gold Rush and continued until approximately 1960. Both gold and
mercury were mined in the Trinity River watershed and some mercury
remains today. The inactive Altoona Mercury Mine is located along the
East Fork Trinity River and is reported to contribute significantly to
the mercury content of Trinity Lake. Gold miners used mercury to extract
gold from mined materials and discharged the waste into streams, where
the mercury accumulated in the sediment. Liquid mercury moves relatively
slowly through river systems and accumulates in places where sediments
are trapped, such as reservoirs. Bacteria convert this inorganic form of
mercury into a more toxic, organic form, known as methylmercury, which
fish take in from their diet. Methylmercury can accumulate in fish to
concentrations many thousands of times greater than mercury levels in
the surrounding water. Because methylmercury accumulates in fish slowly
over time, larger fish of a species usually have higher concentrations
of methylmercury than smaller fish from the same water body. Predatory
fish, such as bass, generally contain more methylmercury than
non-predatory fish, such as trout. 

What are the human health effects of methylmercury found in these fish? 

Developing fetuses and children are especially sensitive to
methylmercury. Pregnant women and nursing mothers can pass on
methylmercury to their fetuses or infants through the placenta and
through breast milk. Excessive exposure to methylmercury can affect the
nervous system in children, leading to subtle decreases in learning
ability, language skills, attention, and memory. These effects may occur
through adolescence as the nervous system continues to develop. For this
reason, a more conservative set of guidelines applies to women of
childbearing years and children up to and including age 17. 

In adults, the most subtle symptoms of methylmercury toxicity are
numbness and tingling sensations in the hands and feet or around the
mouth. Other symptoms at higher levels of exposure could include loss of
coordination and vision problems. 

The levels of methylmercury found in fish from these lakes and rivers
should not result in the health effects described above if the proposed
guidelines are followed. The extent of health effects depends on the
amount of methylmercury that people ingest from the fish that they eat
and is also related to a person's body weight. 

What are the next steps in OEHHA's evaluation?

OEHHA is seeking public comment on the draft report and advisory
guidelines. OEHHA staff scientists will make a presentation, answer
questions and accept comments on the draft advisory at a public workshop
at 11:30 a.m. on May 3, 2005, at the Victorian Inn Conference Room, 1709
Main Street, Weaverville, California. Written comments can also be sent
directly to OEHHA at the address below until May 9, 2005. OEHHA will
review all comments before issuing a final report and advisory. 

Should I stop eating all fish from these water bodies?

No. Fish are a nutritious part of your diet when eaten in moderate
amounts. By following OEHHA's guidelines for eating fish from this
region, you can reduce your risk of health effects from exposure to
methylmercury. 

Because of the increased sensitivity to methylmercury during periods of
neurological development, it is particularly important for women of
childbearing age and children age 17 and younger to follow the guidance
provided. OEHHA offers separate advice for women beyond their
childbearing years and adult men. 

Additionally, because virtually all ocean and freshwater fish contain
some level of methylmercury, OEHHA recommends that women of childbearing
age and children aged 17 and younger do not eat shark, swordfish, king
mackerel, or tilefish and limit their total consumption of any locally
caught sport fish to no more than one meal per week, unless more
restrictive advice is already in place. This advice is consistent with
recent federal guidance for consumption of commercial and sport fish. 

Where can I get more information?

For information on mercury and other contaminants in sport fish in
California, contact: 

Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment
Pesticide and Environmental Toxicology Section
P.O. Box 4010
Sacramento, CA 95812-4010 

(916) 327-7319 or http://www.oehha.ca.gov <http://www.oehha.ca.gov/> 

For information on mercury in commercial fish, contact: 

U. S. Food and Drug Administration
Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition
1 (888) SAFEFOOD or http://www.cfsan.fda.gov <http://www.cfsan.fda.gov/>


Address written comments to: 

Dr. Robert Brodberg
Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment
Pesticide and Environmental Toxicology Section
P.O. Box 4010
Sacramento, CA 95812-4010

  _____  

Draft Health Advisory for Fish from Trinity Lake and Selected Water
Bodies in the Trinity River Watershed (including Trinity River, Lewiston
Lake, Coffee Creek, Canyon Creek, Eastman Creek, Eastman Dredge Ponds,
Carrville Pond, Crow Creek, Tamarack Creek, the New River, and the East
Fork Trinity River and its tributaries)

Fish Consumption Guidelines*

Type of Fish

Women of childbearing age and children age 17 and younger 

Eat No More Than:

Women beyond childbearing years and men 

Eat No More Than:

All Sites, Except Specific Species at Sites Listed Below

 

 

All Bass

Once a Month

Once a Week

Chinook (King) Salmon

Once a Week

3 Times a Week

White Catfish

Once a Week

3 Times a Week

All Trout

Once a Week

3 Times a Week

Other Sport Fish Species including salmon from rivers and creeks below
Lewiston Lake

Once a Week

3 Times a Week

Trinity Lake (including rivers and creeks draining into Trinity Lake)

 

Chinook (King) Salmon

Once a Month

Once a Week

Lewiston Lake and Carrville Pond

 

 

All Trout

3 Times a Week

3 Times a Week

 

 

 

 

				

*MANY OTHER WATER BODIES ARE KNOWN OR SUSPECTED TO HAVE ELEVATED MERCURY
LEVELS. If guidelines are not already in place for the water body where
you fish, women of childbearing age and children aged 17 and younger
should eat no more than one sport fish meal per week and women beyond
childbearing age and men should eat no more than three sport fish meals
per week from any location. 

EAT SMALLER FISH OF LEGAL SIZE. Fish accumulate mercury as they grow. 

DO NOT COMBINE FISH CONSUMPTION ADVICE. If you eat multiple species or
catch fish from more than one area, the recommended guidelines for
different species and locations should not be combined. For example, if
you eat a meal of fish from the one meal per month category, you should
not eat another fish species containing mercury for at least one month. 

SERVE SMALLER MEALS TO CHILDREN. MEAL SIZE IS ASSUMED TO BE 8 OUNCES FOR
A 160-POUND ADULT. If you weigh more or less than 160 pounds, add or
subtract 1 oz to your meal size, respectively, for each 20-pound
difference in body weight. 

 

 

 

 

 

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From bwl3 at comcast.net  Mon Apr 11 19:19:47 2005
From: bwl3 at comcast.net (Byron )
Date: Mon, 11 Apr 2005 19:19:47 -0700
Subject: [env-trinity] More Trinity Fall Flows
Message-ID: <20050412021954.4417E2002F64@mx.dcn.davis.ca.us>

In the face of overwhelming scientific evidence that the Lower Klamath River
fish kill was a result of inadequate flows of water in the river, Interior
since has maintained that factors OTHER than inadequate water created that
devastation.

 

Now, Interior seems to believe by its actions that inadequate water in the
Lower Klamath this year could create a re-run of the fish kill.  It says, in
effect, water is needed to avert another disaster.  Further, it believes
Trinity water, in contradiction of the Record of Decision, should be used to
offset inadequate flows in the Klamath.

 

If Interior is to have credibility, it could achieve that by pursuing a
consistent position.  Fish either need water, or they don't.  If fish need
water, and clearly they do - although three species also are able to walk on
land - then the Bureau should obtain water needed by the Klamath other than
by the misuse of Trinity water.

 

 

Byron Leydecker, 

Chair, Friends of Trinity River

Consultant, California Trout, Inc.

PO Box 2327

Mill Valley, CA 94942-2327

415 383 4810 ph

415 383 9562 fx

bwl3 at comcast.net

bleydecker at stanfordalumni.org (secondary)

http://www.fotr.org

http://caltrout.org

 

 

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From tstokely at trinityalps.net  Tue Apr 12 09:16:25 2005
From: tstokely at trinityalps.net (Tom Stokely)
Date: Tue, 12 Apr 2005 09:16:25 -0700
Subject: [env-trinity] Fw: Water Update Fact Sheet 4-7-05
Message-ID: <017c01c53f7a$fac3e7b0$1b383fd1@trinitycounty.org>


----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Rae Olsen" <PR.686.916101 at prnews2.com>
To: <tstokely at trinityalps.net>
Sent: Monday, April 11, 2005 3:03 PM
Subject: Water Update Fact Sheet 4-7-05


> Dear Mr. Tom  Stokely  :
> Attached you will find the April 4, 2005, Water Update Fact Sheet for the
Klamath Project.  If you are unable to read the document, you can go to
http://www.usbr.gov/mp/kbao/pilot_water_bank/index.html and click on "Water
Data Updates" to view the current information.
>
> If you have any questions, please contact me at 541-883-6935 or
rolsen at mp.usbr.gov.
>
> Thank you,
>
> Rae Olsen
> Public Affairs Officer
> Bureau of Reclamation
> Klamath Basin Area Office
>
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From bwl3 at comcast.net  Tue Apr 12 14:15:24 2005
From: bwl3 at comcast.net (Byron )
Date: Tue, 12 Apr 2005 14:15:24 -0700
Subject: [env-trinity] Eureka Times Standard April 12
Message-ID: <20050412212035.C718F2000981@mx.dcn.davis.ca.us>

http://www.times-standard.com/Stories/0,1413,127~2896~2812024,00.html 

Trinity water shift condemned 

By John Driscoll The Times-Standard 

Tuesday, April 12, 2005 - 

The federal government wants to use water meant for restoring the Trinity
River 
to prevent a fish kill on the Klamath River this fall. 

By its own admission, such a decision would delay the goals of the Trinity
River 
Restoration Program -- which just received full clearance to proceed by a
federal 
appeals court this year. 

In a letter Monday, U.S. Bureau of Reclamation Mid-Pacific Region Director
Kirk 
Rodgers told restoration program chief Douglas Schleusner to craft a
schedule for 
using the water meant to flow down the Trinity River in the spring to raise
and 
cool the Klamath during the typically hot fall, when salmon migrate. 

The letter outraged some Trinity River advocates, like Byron Leydecker, who
saw 
it as ordering the theft of Trinity water from its intended purpose to cover

Reclamation for failed policies on the Klamath. 

California Trout's Leydecker said Reclamation has overcommitted water on the

Klamath, and now wants to prostitute a 16-year effort on the Trinity to make
up 
for it. 

"I've seen some gross political action in my time," Leydecker said, "but
this one is 
very near the top of the list." 

He said if Reclamation should buy water from Central Valley contractors like
it 
did two years ago. 

The Klamath River basin has received a tiny portion of its typical snow pack
-- 
around 30 percent -- this year. Reclamation's operations plan calls for
flows only 
slightly higher than those believed in part responsible for a massive salmon
die-off 
in the lower Klamath in 2002. While Reclamation has bought 100,000 acre feet

of water from farmers in its Klamath Irrigation Project, fall flows are
still 
anticipated to be paltry. 

"When combined with one of the lowest projected adult spawning escapements
in 
recent years, impacts to fisheries in both the Trinity and Klamath basins
could be 
severe," Rodgers wrote. 

Schleusner was directed to work with the Trinity Management Council and the 
Trinity Adaptive Management Working Group to develop a flow schedule, 
including options and tradeoffs. Those groups meet this week. 

Reclamation spokesman Jeff McCracken said the goal of the restoration
program is 
to restore the river and the fishery, and this approach fits that bill.
Asked if the 
agency could buy water from the Central Valley for the same purpose,
McCracken 
said competition for tight water supplies has grown tighter, making water
more 
difficult to buy. 

In a letter that predates Rodgers', the Hoopa Valley Tribe asserted that the

management council has no authority to use the water for anything other than

Trinity River restoration. It also addressed a lack of funding for the
effort. The 
council is at risk of dealing a "triple blow to restoration," by postponing
the effort, 
underfunding it, then withholding the water needed to reshape the river, the

tribe wrote. 

"Each of these actions is unlawful and potentially jeopardizes the fishery
that the 
United States holds in trust for our tribe," the March 4 letter reads.

 

Byron Leydecker, 

Chair, Friends of Trinity River

Consultant, California Trout, Inc.

PO Box 2327

Mill Valley, CA 94942-2327

415 383 4810 ph

415 383 9562 fx

bwl3 at comcast.net

bleydecker at stanfordalumni.org (secondary)

http://www.fotr.org

http://caltrout.org

 

 

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From danielbacher at hotmail.com  Tue Apr 12 16:58:26 2005
From: danielbacher at hotmail.com (Daniel Bacher)
Date: Tue, 12 Apr 2005 16:58:26 -0700
Subject: [env-trinity] Feds Propose Threatened Listing For Sacramento River
	Green Sturgeon 
Message-ID: <BAY16-F17357CDA68E1D7D9B65F0ADB330@phx.gbl>

Feds Propose Threatened Listing For Sacramento River Green Sturgeon

by Dan Bacher

NOAA Fisheries on April 5 released a proposal to list green sturgeon south 
of the Eel River as a threatened species under the Endangered Species Act, 
but refused to list the species in the northern portion of its range.

The proposed listing come in response to a petition filed in 2001 for ESA 
protection for the increasingly rare fish and a subsequent lawsuit filed by 
the Environmental Protection Center (EPIC), the Center for Biological 
Diversity and the Oregon Natural Resources Council.

?New information has become available about green sturgeon during the past 
year from our biological review team and from additional habitat assessment 
in California?s Central Valley,? said Bill Hogarth, NOAA Fisheries assistant 
administrator, in explaining the agency?s reversal of its previous decision 
in January 2003 that neither the northern or southern populations warranted 
listing.

The proposal confirms what environmental organizations and fishing groups 
have known for years ? the populations of green sturgeon (Acipenser 
medirostris) in the Sacramento and Feather Rivers have declined 
dramatically. Green sturgeon live up to 70 years, reach 7.5 feet in length 
and weigh up to 350 pounds.

The annual average estimate of the green sturgeon population of the 
Bay-Delta estuary is well under 1,000 fish, according to Jeff Miller, 
spokesman for the Center for Biodiversity. Anglers have also reported 
alarmingly low catches of green sturgeon ? in contrast with the relatively 
abundant white sturgeon that they pursue - in the Sacramento River and San 
Francisco Bay-Delta estuary over the past decade.

?Anglers used to catch a lot of green sturgeon in San Pablo and San 
Francisco bays,? said Keith Fraser, owner of Loch Lomond Bait and Tackle and 
the past president of Untied Anglers of California. ?In fact, there are 
photos of two sturgeon weighing 150 and 111 pounds, caught 30 years ago, on 
the wall of my shop. Now we hear of very, very few green sturgeon caught.?

Fraser himself has not reported catching a green sturgeon in the last 10 
years. Not only have the numbers of green sturgeon declined dramatically, 
but also keeper-size fish ? over the minimum length of 46 inches and under 
the maximum length of 72 inches? are even less common.

NOAA Fisheries biologists used previous studies of salmon in the Central 
Valley to examine the likelihood that spawning habitat has been lost within 
the range of the southern green sturgeon. The green sturgeon require similar 
habitat  as salmon for survival and reproduction. The white sturgeon 
generally spawn lower in the river system and in warmer water than the 
greens.

?It was determined that dams built in the upper Sacramento and Feather 
rivers likely blocked migration of green sturgeon, which led to significant 
reduction of the southern population?s historical habitat,? according to 
NOAA.

The listing is not expected to impact fishing regulations in the Sacramento 
River, and Bay-Delta estuary according to Jim Milbury of NOAA Fisheries. 
Anglers catching the fish while pursuing white sturgeon, striped bass and 
other species will have to release the fish back into the water unharmed if 
the fish is listed, but anglers already release the vast majority of the few 
greens caught because most are undersized.

In addition, green sturgeon have a reputation for being poor good table fare 
compared to the prized white sturgeon, so the rare legal greens caught have 
usually been released by anglers.

While proposing the southern population?s listing, the agency decided that 
the northern population of green sturgeon, extending from the Eel River in 
Humboldt County to the Columbia River in Washington, didn?t deserve 
threatened status.

?The presence of two spawning populations in the northern DPS (distinct 
population segment) and the likely continued spawning in other rivers 
reaffirms the previous determination that this population does not warrant 
listing under the ESA,? according to the agency. ?Due to concerns over the 
uncertainty and availability of data, the northern population will be placed 
on NOAA Fisheries Species of Concern list and its status will be re-assesses 
within five years, if information warrants.?

Environmental groups applauded the listing of the southern green sturgeon 
population, but criticized the agency for refusing to propose threatened 
status for the northern population.

?This decision is a leap toward recovery for this ancient fish in the 
Sacramento River and Bay-Delta, but we still have a long way to go,? said 
Jeff Miller. ?By leaving the northern population completely unprotected, the 
Bush administration is setting up the sturgeon and their river habitats to 
become further causalities in the Klamath Basin water war.?

Environmentalists emphasize that water agencies, agricultural interests, 
developers and the Bush administration have been working to strip habitat 
protections, endangering the health of the clean, flowing rivers that green 
sturgeon need to survive. Lawyers for water agencies opposing the listing 
went so far as to argue that green sturgeon do not need their spawning 
habitat protected because the fish could simply remain in the ocean instead 
? ignoring the biological reality that green sturgeon can only reproduce in 
cool, unpolluted freshwater streams!

?While the court rejected the outrageous arguments of the agricultural 
industry and water agencies, the Bush administration?s continual failure to 
address water withdrawals from critical fishery habitat smacks of political 
payback,? said Miller. ?These unsustainable water policies are a prime 
example of the administration?s subversion of science and rational policy to 
benefit campaign contributors over the public interest.?

The adult fish range in marine waters from Alaska to Mexico and feed in 
estuaries and bays from San Francisco Bay to British Columbia. Only three 
spawning populations are known to remain ? in the Sacramento and Klamath 
rivers in California and the Rogue River in Oregon. Of these systems, the 
most spawning is believed to occur in the Klamath-Trinity system, according 
to NOAA Fisheries.

Between four and seven spawning populations have already been lost in 
California and Oregon. The current population estimates for the Rogue and 
Klamath Trinity rivers aren?t known, though they are thought to contain 
?only a few hundred females of spawning age, at most,? said Miller.

If you are concerned about the restoration of the green sturgeon fishery, I 
urge you comment regarding your views on this proposal. Comments must be 
received within 90 days after date of the publication of the proposed rule 
in the Fedreal Register. Comments may be submitted by any of the following 
methods.
?  E-Mail:  GreenSturgeon.Comments at noaa.gov
?  Federal e-Rulemaking Portal: http://www.regulations.gov.  Follow the  
instructions for submitting comments.
?  Mail: Submit written comments to Chief, Protected Resources Division, 
Southwest Region, National Marine Fisheries Service, 501 West Ocean Blvd., 
Suite 4200, Long Beach, CA, 90802-4213.




From bwl3 at comcast.net  Thu Apr 14 10:06:30 2005
From: bwl3 at comcast.net (Byron )
Date: Thu, 14 Apr 2005 10:06:30 -0700
Subject: [env-trinity] Redding Record Serachlight April 14
Message-ID: <20050414171143.853AA20026EE@mx.dcn.davis.ca.us>

Diversion to Klamath possible 
Interior officials suggest plan will prevent fish kill 

By Alex Breitler, Record Searchlight 
April 14, 2005 

WEAVERVILLE -- A plan to restore the Trinity River will be undermined if the
river's water is used 
instead to boost flows downstream on the lower Klamath River,
conservationists said this week. 

The Clinton-era plan calls for added water releases into the Trinity in late
spring and early summer, 
flushing juvenile chinook salmon out to the ocean and mimicking the flows
that existed before the 
Trinity Dam was built. 

But Department of Interior officials said this week they'd like to save
those spring flows and use them 
instead in the fall to swell the Klamath below its merger with the Trinity. 

That would aid adult chinook salmon as they swim upstream, and might help
avert another fish kill 
like the one that claimed 33,000 fish in the lower Klamath in 2002, the
government says. The risk 
of a repeat is high this year because of drought conditions in the Klamath
Basin. 

But Trinity River advocates say the strategy ignores years of science
supporting higher spring flows. 

If the restoration plan is "prostituted" for political purposes, then the
government's efforts on the 
Trinity serve no purpose, wrote Byron Leydecker of the conservation group
Friends of the Trinity 
River. 

"Its existence is nothing more than a sham," he wrote this week in a letter
to the Bureau of 
Reclamation. "Ongoing science efforts and 15 years of scientific study would
have no meaning." 

Kirk Rodgers, regional director for the Bureau of Reclamation in Sacramento,
and U.S. Fish and 
Wildlife Service regional manager Steve Thompson sent a letter earlier this
week to the Trinity River 
Restoration Program suggesting some Trinity water be saved for the Klamath
this fall. 

Many fish killed in 2002 were Trinity River fish attempting to return to the
stream in which they 
were born, Rodgers and Thompson wrote. 

"We would like to consider options for reducing the potential for a serious
die-off ... by releasing an 
appropriate volume of water ... at the most effective time," they wrote. 

While precipitation in the Trinity Basin is normal, the snowpack in the
Klamath area has dwindled 
to as low as 30 percent of the norm, "significantly" increasing the chance
of another fish kill, they 
wrote. Such a disaster could cause delays in meeting restoration goals on
the Trinity. 

Leydecker wrote back, saying the Trinity shouldn't serve as a Band-Aid to
solve major problems in 
the Klamath Basin. The region has been under scrutiny since 2001, when many
farmers went 
without water deliveries to preserve fish in Upper Klamath Lake and the
Klamath River. 

Rather, the solution lies in retiring some irrigation land in the upper
basin, thereby reducing 
demand, Leydecker said. 

The Trinity flows into the Klamath just 40 miles from the ocean and cannot
be expected to fix the 
entire basin's plight, said conservationist Steve Pedery of the Oregon
Natural Resources Council. 

"You could pipe the Amazon down the Trinity and it's not going to make a bit
of difference for most of 
the (Klamath) river," he said Wednesday. "All you're doing is moving the
problem further upstream." 
  

Bureau spokesman Jeff McCracken said Wednesday that no decision on flows had
been made. The 
multiagency Trinity Management Council was expected to meet today to send a
flow 
recommendation to the bureau, and the Department of Interior will make the
ultimate decision. 

"We're just looking for the best use of this water," McCracken said. "This
is not an attempt to do 
anything that would overly modify" the restoration plan. 

For decades, up to 90 percent of the Trinity's flow had been diverted to
farms in the Central Valley. 
The restoration plan calls for closer to a 50-50 split. 

The plan was tied up in court after irrigators sued, but the 9th U.S.
Circuit Court of Appeals sided 
with conservationists and American Indians last July, ending a four-year
legal battle. 

 

Byron Leydecker, 

Chair, Friends of Trinity River

Consultant, California Trout, Inc.

PO Box 2327

Mill Valley, CA 94942-2327

415 383 4810 ph

415 383 9562 fx

bwl3 at comcast.net

bleydecker at stanfordalumni.org (secondary)

http://www.fotr.org

http://caltrout.org

 

 

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From jallen at trinitycounty.org  Thu Apr 14 10:28:54 2005
From: jallen at trinitycounty.org (Josh Allen)
Date: Thu, 14 Apr 2005 10:28:54 -0700
Subject: [env-trinity] FW: Plan Limits Water Use in Klamath Area - LA Times
	today
Message-ID: <099F81D877F1044DA24BA95E0CE09263E18D4C@mail2.trinitycounty.org>

From: Pelican Network [mailto:rocinante at pelicannetwork.net] 
Sent: Thursday, April 14, 2005 9:48 AM
To: Klamath at pelicannetwork.net
Subject: Re: Plan Limits Water Use in Klamath Area - LA Times today

 

	Posted by Eric Wiseman

Guys and Gals- 
     The latest plan to steal water from the Trinity to help the sick
Klamath River is illegal 
as well as irresponsible. We must pause to consider what types of
biological triggers and 
cues are induced by shipping 35,000 - 50,000 AF of water down the
Trinity in August and 
September. I propose a solution...STOP MITIGATING WITH FALL-RUN CHINOOK
SALMON. The 
spring-run kings were historically the most abundant run, taste better,
and are not in the 
lower Klamath system in substantial numbers during August and September.
Kindest Regards, 
Eric Wiseman 
  

Posted by Steve Pedery 
The 2002 fish kill was not a result of low flows in the Trinity, it was
the result of the terrible conditions that the Bush administration and
the federal government continue to inflict on the Klamath.  We should be
extremely dubious of any band-aid fix that ignores the Klamath's
problems and tries to limp through the year solely with Trinity water as
the solution.  Robbing the TROD water is outrageous, but the Humboldt
water isn't a long-term solution either. 
  

Posted by Jill Geist

All, 

I continue to be astounded by the ability of DOI (BOR) to continue
ignoring Humboldt's contract water and our willingness to have that
water available for late summer/early fall release for the protection of
Trinity and Klamath fisheries! We have, and likely will continue,
submitting correspondence to the DOI that we are willing to make with
water available.  There is absolutely no need to go after TROD water. 

Jill Geist 

	Posted by Margie Whitnah

http://www.latimes.com/news/local/state/la-me-klamath11apr11,1,6252577.s
tory?coll=la-news-state 

Plan Limits Water Use in Klamath Area 
Farmers will get 70% of their normal allotment for irrigation during the

drought but fishermen and environmentalists fear ecological calamity. 

By Eric Bailey 
Times Staff Writer 

April 11, 2005 

SACRAMENTO - Facing what is shaping up to be the third-driest year on
record along the 
Klamath River, the federal government has unveiled a plan of water
releases that hits both 
fish and farmers. 

Irrigators in the fertile Klamath Basin, an agricultural swath
straddling the Oregon-California 
border, will get about 70% of their usual water allotment and are being
asked to cut use by an 
additional 15%. The plan was released Friday. 

"We're hopeful we can get everyone through the year," said Jeff
McCracken of the U.S. Bureau 
of Reclamation, which operates the sprawling network of dams and
irrigation canals in the 
West. "We're asking everyone to tighten up water usage." 

But fishermen and environmentalists say the cutbacks are
disproportionately steep for the 
river, raising the prospect of the sort of ecological calamity that in
2002 resulted in the die-off 
of 70,000 adult salmon in the lower Klamath. Low flow caused poor water
quality, which 
helped lead to an outbreak of disease. 

"Here we go again," said Steve Pedery of the Oregon Natural Resources
Council. "They're going 
through some amazing contortions to provide as much water to irrigators
as they can." 

Pedery said the Klamath National Wildlife Refuges will be particularly
hard hit. The vast 
expanse of wetlands, a major stop for rare bald eagles and migratory
birds on the Pacific 
Flyway, will receive about half what is typically needed, he said.
Meanwhile, the river - home 
to the endangered coho salmon - will see water levels sag through the
summer. 

McCracken, however, said federal water managers were well aware of
potential problems and 
would act quickly if needed to ensure fish survive as they make their
way upriver this fall. 

"We haven't had any problems for a couple of years and we're going to
continue to operate the 
system to meet everyone's needs," he said. 

Rob Crawford, a Klamath farmer in Tule Lake, Calif., took exception to
complaints by 
environmentalists. He said farmers are cooperating to conserve in every
way possible: holding 
off early irrigation, installing more efficient water systems, planting
less-thirsty crops. 

In addition, a federal program is expected to idle about 30,000 acres of
farmland, roughly 
one-tenth of the Klamath Basin agricultural acreage, this year. 

"Everyone understands how tight a water year it is," Crawford said,
adding that some 
environmentalists and fishermen remain intent on "poisoning the
process." 

Rains drenched Southern California through the winter, but the Pacific
Northwest is 
experiencing a steep drought, and the Klamath region hasn't been spared.
Snowpack, which 
provides water to the river during the summer and fall, is running about
one-third of normal. 
------------------------------------------------------------------------
------------- 
(In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107, this material is
distributed 
                    without profit to those who have expressed a prior
interest in receiving the 
                    included information for research and educational
purposes. 
                    PelicanNetwork has no affiliation whatsoever with
the originator of this 
                    article nor is PelicanNetwor endorsed or sponsored
by the originator.) 
------------------------------------------------------------------------
---------------


          Klamath Restoration Council 

          Our mission is to restore and protect the uniquely diverse
ecosystem 
          and promote the sustainable management of natural resources in
the entire Klamath River 
          watershed. 
          We believe this will be accomplished with actions and
legislation that integrate sound and 
          proven techniques based on tribal knowledge, local experience
and the best of Western Science. 

          http://www.pelicannetwork.net/krc.htm 

          Mail:  Box 214  Salmon River Outpost       Somes Bar, CA
95568          Phone: 530 627 3054 

          Visit our Salmon Gallery:
http://www.pelicannetwork.net/salmongallery.htm

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From bwl3 at comcast.net  Thu Apr 14 12:17:26 2005
From: bwl3 at comcast.net (Byron )
Date: Thu, 14 Apr 2005 12:17:26 -0700
Subject: [env-trinity] Various Postings on Breaking Trinity Record of
	Decision
Message-ID: <20050414192234.5720C2001BB2@mx.dcn.davis.ca.us>

Posted by Eric Wiseman

Guys and Gals- 
     The latest plan to steal water from the Trinity to help the sick
Klamath River is illegal 
as well as irresponsible. We must pause to consider what types of biological
triggers and 
cues are induced by shipping 35,000 - 50,000 AF of water down the Trinity in
August and 
September. I propose a solution...STOP MITIGATING WITH FALL-RUN CHINOOK
SALMON. The 
spring-run kings were historically the most abundant run, taste better, and
are not in the 
lower Klamath system in substantial numbers during August and September.
Kindest Regards, 
Eric Wiseman 
  

Posted by Steve Pedery 
The 2002 fish kill was not a result of low flows in the Trinity, it was the
result of the terrible conditions that the Bush administration and the
federal government continue to inflict on the Klamath.  We should be
extremely dubious of any band-aid fix that ignores the Klamath's problems
and tries to limp through the year solely with Trinity water as the
solution.  Robbing the TROD water is outrageous, but the Humboldt water
isn't a long-term solution either. 
  

Posted by Jill Geist

All, 

I continue to be astounded by the ability of DOI (BOR) to continue ignoring
Humboldt's contract water and our willingness to have that water available
for late summer/early fall release for the protection of Trinity and Klamath
fisheries! We have, and likely will continue, submitting correspondence to
the DOI that we are willing to make with water available.  There is
absolutely no need to go after TROD water. 

Jill Geist 

Posted by Margie Whitnah

http://www.latimes.com/news/local/state/la-me-klamath11apr11,1,6252577.story
?coll=la-news-state 

Plan Limits Water Use in Klamath Area 
Farmers will get 70% of their normal allotment for irrigation during the 
drought but fishermen and environmentalists fear ecological calamity. 

By Eric Bailey 
Times Staff Writer 

April 11, 2005 

SACRAMENTO - Facing what is shaping up to be the third-driest year on record
along the 
Klamath River, the federal government has unveiled a plan of water releases
that hits both 
fish and farmers. 

Irrigators in the fertile Klamath Basin, an agricultural swath straddling
the Oregon-California 
border, will get about 70% of their usual water allotment and are being
asked to cut use by an 
additional 15%. The plan was released Friday. 

"We're hopeful we can get everyone through the year," said Jeff McCracken of
the U.S. Bureau 
of Reclamation, which operates the sprawling network of dams and irrigation
canals in the 
West. "We're asking everyone to tighten up water usage." 

But fishermen and environmentalists say the cutbacks are disproportionately
steep for the 
river, raising the prospect of the sort of ecological calamity that in 2002
resulted in the die-off 
of 70,000 adult salmon in the lower Klamath. Low flow caused poor water
quality, which 
helped lead to an outbreak of disease. 

"Here we go again," said Steve Pedery of the Oregon Natural Resources
Council. "They're going 
through some amazing contortions to provide as much water to irrigators as
they can." 

Pedery said the Klamath National Wildlife Refuges will be particularly hard
hit. The vast 
expanse of wetlands, a major stop for rare bald eagles and migratory birds
on the Pacific 
Flyway, will receive about half what is typically needed, he said.
Meanwhile, the river - home 
to the endangered coho salmon - will see water levels sag through the
summer. 

McCracken, however, said federal water managers were well aware of potential
problems and 
would act quickly if needed to ensure fish survive as they make their way
upriver this fall. 

"We haven't had any problems for a couple of years and we're going to
continue to operate the 
system to meet everyone's needs," he said. 

Rob Crawford, a Klamath farmer in Tule Lake, Calif., took exception to
complaints by 
environmentalists. He said farmers are cooperating to conserve in every way
possible: holding 
off early irrigation, installing more efficient water systems, planting
less-thirsty crops. 

In addition, a federal program is expected to idle about 30,000 acres of
farmland, roughly 
one-tenth of the Klamath Basin agricultural acreage, this year. 

"Everyone understands how tight a water year it is," Crawford said, adding
that some 
environmentalists and fishermen remain intent on "poisoning the process." 

Rains drenched Southern California through the winter, but the Pacific
Northwest is 
experiencing a steep drought, and the Klamath region hasn't been spared.
Snowpack, which 
provides water to the river during the summer and fall, is running about
one-third of normal. 

 

Byron Leydecker, 

Chair, Friends of Trinity River

Consultant, California Trout, Inc.

PO Box 2327

Mill Valley, CA 94942-2327

415 383 4810 ph

415 383 9562 fx

bwl3 at comcast.net

bleydecker at stanfordalumni.org (secondary)

http://www.fotr.org

http://caltrout.org

 

 

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From bwl3 at comcast.net  Thu Apr 14 18:45:26 2005
From: bwl3 at comcast.net (Byron )
Date: Thu, 14 Apr 2005 18:45:26 -0700
Subject: [env-trinity] TMC Votes Down Fall Flows
Message-ID: <20050415014530.E69B1200098E@mx.dcn.davis.ca.us>

Trinity Management Council action today on fall flows.  The vote was 7-1
against fall flows.

 

Recommendation: In response to letters from the Bureau of Reclamation and
Fish and Wildlife Service, dated April 11 and April 13, 2005, based upon
present knowledge and data available on 14 April 2005, the TMC does not
recommend a fall, 2005, pulse flow.

 

Diverting ROD flows from their planned purposes in order to provide water
for a fall pulse flow will result in not fully meeting ROD objectives.
Therefore, the TMC does not support use of ROD water for fall, 2005, flow
releases.

 

Flow Schedule - Option 4 (no-delay for start of fishing season) The purpose
of increasing the peak flow to 7,000 cfs in water year 2005 is to accelerate
implementation of the ROD by facilitating floodway clearing actions.

 

If conditions develop over the next several months, or in any given year,
the TMC recommends that scientists from the Klamath and Trinity coordinate
the establishment, monitoring, and assessment of criteria for determining
the onset of fish die-off conditions in the Klamath River. The TMC will
convene and recommend emergency actions should those conditions develop.  In
the meantime the TMC believes it prudent for Reclamation to explore the
potential for acquiring 'outside sources' of water, i.e. supplemental to the
ROD specified volumes, should the need arise.

 

Seven votes for the recommendation and 1 against.  Trinity County voted no
on the grounds that a three-day delay should be implemented for fly-fishing
season, but agreed with all other elements of the recommendation. 

 

 

Byron Leydecker, 

Chair, Friends of Trinity River

Consultant, California Trout, Inc.

PO Box 2327

Mill Valley, CA 94942-2327

415 383 4810 ph

415 383 9562 fx

bwl3 at comcast.net

bleydecker at stanfordalumni.org (secondary)

http://www.fotr.org

http://caltrout.org

 

 

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From bwl3 at comcast.net  Thu Apr 14 20:18:47 2005
From: bwl3 at comcast.net (Byron )
Date: Thu, 14 Apr 2005 20:18:47 -0700
Subject: [env-trinity] Trinity Fall Flow Clarification - Unanimous Vote
	Really
Message-ID: <20050415031851.C388C2002705@mx.dcn.davis.ca.us>

Essentially, the vote was unanimous on NO Trinity water (no breach of Record
of Decision) for fall flows.  The Trinity County vote, as explained at the
bottom of last message was not for fall flows, but rather it was opposed to
fall flows and merely sought a three day delay in onset of higher spring
flows to accommodate the opening of fishing season.

 

Byron Leydecker, 

Chair, Friends of Trinity River

Consultant, California Trout, Inc.

PO Box 2327

Mill Valley, CA 94942-2327

415 383 4810 ph

415 383 9562 fx

bwl3 at comcast.net

bleydecker at stanfordalumni.org (secondary)

http://www.fotr.org

http://caltrout.org

 

 

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From bwl3 at comcast.net  Fri Apr 15 19:07:45 2005
From: bwl3 at comcast.net (Byron )
Date: Fri, 15 Apr 2005 19:07:45 -0700
Subject: [env-trinity] Article on Trinity Fall Flows
Message-ID: <20050416021253.796422001BB6@mx.dcn.davis.ca.us>

This battle is over, happily.  Trinity Restoration won.  

Byron

 

Department of Interior Attempts Raid On Trinity River Water 

By Dan Bacher 

Fishing groups, the Hoopa Valley Tribe and environmental organizations are 
outraged over a plan by the Department of Interior to shift water designated

for Trinity River salmon restoration to the Klamath River to avoid another 
fish kill in the drought-hammered watershed. 

Kirk Rodgers, Mid-Pacific Region Director of the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation,

outlined the plan in a letter to Douglas Schleusner, Executive Director of 
the Trinity River Restoration Program, on April 11. 

Rodgers asked the restoration program, along with representatives of the 
Trinity Management Council and the Trinity Adaptive Management Group, to 
develop flow schedule options to prevent a "serious die-off" of adult salmon

in the lower Klamath River by releasing an "appropriate volume of water into

the Trinity River at the most effective time in late summer or early fall." 

Rodgers argued that since most of the fish killed in the 2002 fish kill were

Trinity River fish, this water would be proper use of the water under the 
Central Valley Project Improvement Act, which authorizes the restoration of 
the Trinity's anatropous fish. 

Byron Leydecker, chair of Friends of the Trinity River and consultant to 
California Trout, immediately blasted Rodgers' letter as being "absolutely 
outrageous," saying that the letter's proposal totally undercuts the Trinity

River Restoration Plan and the Record of Decision of 2000. 

"The Bureau is attempting to apply a Trinity water band aid to Klamath River

problems to avoid dealing with the basic and real problems of the Klamath," 
he stated. "It is clearly an attempt to provide political cover for the 
Administration in the face of another potential fish kill in the Lower 
Klamath. It is also a blatant violation of the Trinity Record of Decision." 

Leydecker pointed out the hypocrisy of the Bureau of Reclamation proposing 
use of the Trinity water to avert another 2002-style fish kill when the 
Department of Interior has maintained that factors other than inadequate 
flows created the disaster, in spite of overwhelming scientific evidence 
that the fish kill was a result of low, warm flows. 

"If Interior is to have credibility, it could achieve that by pursuing a 
consistent position," said Leydecker. "Fish either need water or they don't.

If fish need water, then the Bureau should obtain water needed by the 
Klamath other than by the misuse of Trinity water." 

Leydecker said the Department could purchase water from Central Valley 
contractors, as it did two years ago. 

Jill Geist, Humboldt County Supervisor, said she was "astounded" by the 
ability of the Department of Interior to continue to ignore ignoring use of 
the county's 50,000 acre feet of contract water ? and the county's 
willingness to have that water available for late summer/early fall release 
for the Trinity and Klamath fisheries. 

"There is absolutely no need to go after Trinity River ROD water," she 
emphasized. "We have, and will likely continue, submitting correspondence to

the DOE that we willing to make this water available." 

While this has been will be a normal year in the Trinity, most of the 
Klamath Basin is experiencing another drought year  in a series of dry 
years. 

"Snow pack in the upper Klamath Basin is estimated at 30 percent of normal, 
significantly increasing the possibility that low flows and high 
temperatures could lead to another die-off similar to the one that occurred 
in 2002," said Rodgers. "When combined with one of the lowest projected 
adult spawning escapements in recent years, impact to fisheries in both the 
Trinity and Klamath Basins could be severe." 

However, Rodgers neglected to mention in his letter that subsidized Klamath 
Basin farmers would receive 70 percent of the normal irrigation water, in 
spite of the fact that this year is the third driest year on record! 

The Hoopa Valley Tribe, in a March letter, said the Trinity Management 
Council had no authority to redirect Trinity River Record of Decision (ROD) 
flows to be used in late summer/fall to prevent another lower Klamath River 
fish kill. The ROD, issued by then Secretary of Interior Bruce Babbitt, 
provides 53 percent of Trinity River water for irrigation and hydroelectric 
uses and the other 47 percent for Trinity fisheries. 

Clifford Lyle Marshall, chairman of the Tribe, said the Council risked 
dealing a "triple blow" to restoration by postponing the ROD, underfunding 
it and then withholding the water needed to restore the river's 
geomorphology.  "Each of these actions is unlawful and potentially 
jeopardized the fishery that United States holds in trust for our tribe," he

stated. 

The Trinity Management Council in its meeting on April 15, in response to 
the Bureau's letter, voted 7 - 1 against a fall 2005 pulse flow. 

"Diverting ROD flows from their planned purposes in order to provide water 
for a fall pulse flow will result in not fully meeting ROD objectives," said

the Council. "Therefore, the TMC does not support use of ROD water for fall,

2005, flow releases." 

The Council also recommended that scientists from the Klamath and Trinity 
coordinate the "establishment, monitoring, and assessment of criteria for 
determining the onset of fish die-off conditions" in the Klamath River this 
year and in coming years. 

The TMC said it will convene and recommend emergency actions should those 
conditions develop. In the meantime, they advised the Bureau of Reclamation 
to explore the potential for acquiring "outside sources" of water should the

need arise. 

It's great that Friends of the Trinity, the Hoopa Valley Tribe, the Trinity 
Management Council and others have taken a strong stand against this 
attempted raid on Trinity River water by the Bush administration. This 
request from Interior is appalling, considering that the Bureau is giving 
Klamath Basin farmers 70 percent of their irrigation water when this is the 
third driest year on record. 

The Bureau should have considered the precarious situation that Klamath 
salmon and steelhead would be in this year BEFORE allocating near-normal 
water allocations to Klamath agribusiness. The Klamath fishery, faced with a

projected record low spawning escapement this year, cannot afford another 
taxpayer-subsidized fish kill this fall. 

However, the restoration of the Trinity River, whose fall chinook run bore 
the brunt of the September 2002 fish kill, cannot be sacrificed because of 
the Bureau's abysmal management of Klamath Basin water. 

 

 

Byron Leydecker, 

Chair, Friends of Trinity River

Consultant, California Trout, Inc.

PO Box 2327

Mill Valley, CA 94942-2327

415 383 4810 ph

415 383 9562 fx

bwl3 at comcast.net

bleydecker at stanfordalumni.org (secondary)

http://www.fotr.org

http://caltrout.org

 

 

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From DSCHLEUSNER at mp.usbr.gov  Mon Apr 18 08:34:33 2005
From: DSCHLEUSNER at mp.usbr.gov (Doug Schleusner)
Date: Mon, 18 Apr 2005 08:34:33 -0700
Subject: [env-trinity] TMC Votes Down Fall Flows
Message-ID: <s263712e.029@ibr2mprogw.mp.usbr.gov>

Good morning, Byron and others,

While the substance of what you reported last Thursday afternoon is
correct, there are several differences in the text of your message.  The
actual motion approved by the TMC that will be included in the minutes
(as recorded by Rod Wittler on the projector for real-time edits) is as
follows:

Moved (California Resources Agency): In response to letters from the
Bureau of Reclamation and Fish and Wildlife Service, dated April 11 and
April 13, 2005, based upon present knowledge and data available on 14
April 2005, the TMC does not recommend a fall, 2005, pulse flow.

Diverting ROD flows from their planned purposes in order to provide
water for a fall pulse flow will result in not fully meeting ROD
objectives. Therefore, the TMC does not support use of ROD water for
fall, 2005, flow releases.

<Flow Schedule ? Option 4 (no-delay)> The purpose of increasing the
peak flow to 7,000 ft3/s in WY2005 is to accelerate implementation of
the ROD by facilitating floodway clearing, specifically realty actions.

Due to conditions that may develop over the next several months, or in
any given year, the TMC recommends that scientists from the Klamath and
Trinity coordinate the establishment, monitoring, and assessment of
criteria for determining the onset of die-off conditions in the Klamath
River. The TMC will convene and recommend emergency actions should those
conditions develop. In the meantime the TMC believes it prudent for
Reclamation to explore the potential for acquiring ?outside sources?
of water, i.e. supplemental to the ROD volume, in the case the need
arises.

Seconded by (NOAA Fisheries)

Carried 7:1 (Trinity County because of lack of a delay for the opening
of fly-fishing season)


Thank you,
Doug



___________________________________

Douglas P. Schleusner, Executive Director
Trinity River Restoration Program
P.O. Box 1300, 1313 South Main St.
Weaverville, CA  96093
(530) 623-1800  Fax: (530) 623-5944
e-mail: dschleusner at mp.usbr.gov
___________________________________

>>> "Byron " <bwl3 at comcast.net> 4/14/2005 6:45:26 PM >>>
Trinity Management Council action today on fall flows.  The vote was
7-1
against fall flows.

 

Recommendation: In response to letters from the Bureau of Reclamation
and
Fish and Wildlife Service, dated April 11 and April 13, 2005, based
upon
present knowledge and data available on 14 April 2005, the TMC does
not
recommend a fall, 2005, pulse flow.

 

Diverting ROD flows from their planned purposes in order to provide
water
for a fall pulse flow will result in not fully meeting ROD objectives.
Therefore, the TMC does not support use of ROD water for fall, 2005,
flow
releases.

 

Flow Schedule - Option 4 (no-delay for start of fishing season) The
purpose
of increasing the peak flow to 7,000 cfs in water year 2005 is to
accelerate
implementation of the ROD by facilitating floodway clearing actions.

 

If conditions develop over the next several months, or in any given
year,
the TMC recommends that scientists from the Klamath and Trinity
coordinate
the establishment, monitoring, and assessment of criteria for
determining
the onset of fish die-off conditions in the Klamath River. The TMC
will
convene and recommend emergency actions should those conditions
develop.  In
the meantime the TMC believes it prudent for Reclamation to explore
the
potential for acquiring 'outside sources' of water, i.e. supplemental
to the
ROD specified volumes, should the need arise.

 

Seven votes for the recommendation and 1 against.  Trinity County voted
no
on the grounds that a three-day delay should be implemented for
fly-fishing
season, but agreed with all other elements of the recommendation. 

 

 

Byron Leydecker, 

Chair, Friends of Trinity River

Consultant, California Trout, Inc.

PO Box 2327

Mill Valley, CA 94942-2327

415 383 4810 ph

415 383 9562 fx

bwl3 at comcast.net 

bleydecker at stanfordalumni.org (secondary)

http://www.fotr.org 

http://caltrout.org 

 

 



From danielbacher at hotmail.com  Fri Apr 15 17:40:02 2005
From: danielbacher at hotmail.com (Daniel Bacher)
Date: Fri, 15 Apr 2005 17:40:02 -0700
Subject: [env-trinity] Bush Administration Attempts Raid on Trinity River
	Water
Message-ID: <BAY16-F16144153AA2EF2EA8CBB75DB370@phx.gbl>

Department of Interior Attempts Raid On Trinity River Water

By Dan Bacher

Fishing groups, the Hoopa Valley Tribe and environmental organizations are 
outraged over a plan by the Department of Interior to shift water designated 
for Trinity River salmon restoration to the Klamath River to avoid another 
fish kill in the drought-hammered watershed.

Kirk Rodgers, Mid-Pacific Region Director of the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation, 
outlined the plan in a letter to Douglas Schleusner, Executive Director of 
the Trinity River Restoration Program, on April 11.

Rodgers asked the restoration program, along with representatives of the 
Trinity Management Council and the Trinity Adaptive Management Group, to 
develop flow schedule options to prevent a "serious die-off" of adult salmon 
in the lower Klamath River by releasing an ?appropriate volume of water into 
the Trinity River at the most effective time in late summer or early fall.?

Rodgers argued that since most of the fish killed in the 2002 fish kill were 
Trinity River fish, this water would be proper use of the water under the 
Central Valley Project Improvement Act, which authorizes the restoration of 
the Trinity?s anatropous fish.

Byron Leydecker, chair of Friends of the Trinity River and consultant to 
California Trout, immediately blasted Rodgers? letter as being ?absolutely 
outrageous,? saying that the letter?s proposal totally undercuts the Trinity 
River Restoration Plan and the Record of Decision of 2000.

?The Bureau is attempting to apply a Trinity water band aid to Klamath River 
problems to avoid dealing with the basic and real problems of the Klamath,? 
he stated. ?It is clearly an attempt to provide political cover for the 
Administration in the face of another potential fish kill in the Lower 
Klamath. It is also a blatant violation of the Trinity Record of Decision.?

Leydecker pointed out the hypocrisy of the Bureau of Reclamation proposing 
use of the Trinity water to avert another 2002-style fish kill when the 
Department of Interior has maintained that factors other than inadequate 
flows created the disaster, in spite of overwhelming scientific evidence 
that the fish kill was a result of low, warm flows.

?If Interior is to have credibility, it could achieve that by pursuing a 
consistent position,? said Leydecker. ?Fish either need water or they don?t. 
If fish need water, then the Bureau should obtain water needed by the 
Klamath other than by the misuse of Trinity water.?

Leydecker said the Department could purchase water from Central Valley 
contractors, as it did two years ago.

Jill Geist, Humboldt County Supervisor, said she was ?astounded? by the 
ability of the Department of Interior to continue to ignore ignoring use of 
the county?s 50,000 acre feet of contract water ? and the county?s 
willingness to have that water available for late summer/early fall release 
for the Trinity and Klamath fisheries.

?There is absolutely no need to go after Trinity River ROD water,? she 
emphasized. ?We have, and will likely continue, submitting correspondence to 
the DOE that we willing to make this water available.?

While this has been will be a normal year in the Trinity, most of the 
Klamath Basin is experiencing another drought year  in a series of dry 
years.

"Snow pack in the upper Klamath Basin is estimated at 30 percent of normal, 
significantly increasing the possibility that low flows and high 
temperatures could lead to another die-off similar to the one that occurred 
in 2002,? said Rodgers. ?When combined with one of the lowest projected 
adult spawning escapements in recent years, impact to fisheries in both the 
Trinity and Klamath Basins could be severe.?

However, Rodgers neglected to mention in his letter that subsidized Klamath 
Basin farmers would receive 70 percent of the normal irrigation water, in 
spite of the fact that this year is the third driest year on record!

The Hoopa Valley Tribe, in a March letter, said the Trinity Management 
Council had no authority to redirect Trinity River Record of Decision (ROD) 
flows to be used in late summer/fall to prevent another lower Klamath River 
fish kill. The ROD, issued by then Secretary of Interior Bruce Babbitt, 
provides 53 percent of Trinity River water for irrigation and hydroelectric 
uses and the other 47 percent for Trinity fisheries.

Clifford Lyle Marshall, chairman of the Tribe, said the Council risked 
dealing a ?triple blow? to restoration by postponing the ROD, underfunding 
it and then withholding the water needed to restore the river?s 
geomorphology.  ?Each of these actions is unlawful and potentially 
jeopardized the fishery that United States holds in trust for our tribe,? he 
stated.

The Trinity Management Council in its meeting on April 15, in response to 
the Bureau?s letter, voted 7 - 1 against a fall 2005 pulse flow.

?Diverting ROD flows from their planned purposes in order to provide water 
for a fall pulse flow will result in not fully meeting ROD objectives,? said 
the Council. ?Therefore, the TMC does not support use of ROD water for fall, 
2005, flow releases.?

The Council also recommended that scientists from the Klamath and Trinity 
coordinate the ?establishment, monitoring, and assessment of criteria for 
determining the onset of fish die-off conditions" in the Klamath River this 
year and in coming years.

The TMC said it will convene and recommend emergency actions should those 
conditions develop. In the meantime, they advised the Bureau of Reclamation 
to explore the potential for acquiring ?outside sources? of water should the 
need arise.

It?s great that Friends of the Trinity, the Hoopa Valley Tribe, the Trinity 
Management Council and others have taken a strong stand against this 
attempted raid on Trinity River water by the Bush administration. This 
request from Interior is appalling, considering that the Bureau is giving 
Klamath Basin farmers 70 percent of their irrigation water when this is the 
third driest year on record.

The Bureau should have considered the precarious situation that Klamath 
salmon and steelhead would be in this year BEFORE allocating near-normal 
water allocations to Klamath agribusiness. The Klamath fishery, faced with a 
projected record low spawning escapement this year, cannot afford another 
taxpayer-subsidized fish kill this year.

However, the restoration of the Trinity River, whose fall chinook run bore 
the brunt of the September 2002 fish kill, cannot be sacrificed because of 
the Bureau?s abysmal management of Klamath Basin water.




From jallen at trinitycounty.org  Mon Apr 18 09:11:37 2005
From: jallen at trinitycounty.org (Josh Allen)
Date: Mon, 18 Apr 2005 09:11:37 -0700
Subject: [env-trinity] Feds 'clarify' Trinity water request 
Message-ID: <099F81D877F1044DA24BA95E0CE09263E18DBC@mail2.trinitycounty.org>

Feds 'clarify' Trinity water request 

http://www.times-standard.com/cda/article/print/0,1674,127%257E2896%257E
2821446,00.html 

By John Driscoll The Times-Standard 

Sunday, April 17, 2005 - 

The U.S. Bureau of Reclamation and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
sought to clarify their position on using 
Trinity River restoration water for staving off another Klamath fish
kill in a letter to the restoration program 
director this week. 

Even as agencies and stakeholders met to map out how restoration would
proceed this year, the Wednesday 
letter was sent insisting no decision had been made to use the Trinity
water for anything other than restoration. 
The federal agencies were only asking whether the Trinity Management
Council believes a minor reduction in 
Trinity releases in the spring is viable, and whether it's
scientifically sound to store it for release to the Klamath 
in the fall instead. 

In an April 11 letter, Reclamation Regional Director Kirk Rodgers and
Fish and Wildlife California-Nevada Office 
Manager Steve Thompson wrote Trinity Restoration Program Director Doug
Schleusner: 

"Given our previously stated responsibilities and limited management
flexibility, we would like to consider 
options for reducing the potential for a serious die-off of adult salmon
in the lower Klamath River by releasing an 
appropriate volume of water into the Trinity River at the most effective
time in late summer or early fall. The 
volume of water will be considered part of the water year allocation
specified in the Dec. 19, 2000 Record of 
Decision." 

They then asked Schleusner to come to the management council meeting
with flow schedule recommendations 
and pros and cons of the approach. 

But in Wednesday's letter, Rodgers and Thompson wrote that they have
"made no decision regarding the 
scientific sufficiency of additional flows, nor have we made a
determination as to a particular source of water to 
support such flows or the legal sufficiency of utilizing a particular
source." 

 

 

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From bwl3 at comcast.net  Mon Apr 18 14:02:08 2005
From: bwl3 at comcast.net (Byron )
Date: Mon, 18 Apr 2005 14:02:08 -0700
Subject: [env-trinity] Eureka Times Herald April 17 - Trinity Flows
Message-ID: <20050418210721.E61682002F47@mx.dcn.davis.ca.us>

KLAMATH BASIN:

Feds 'clarify' Trinity water request

Eureka Times-Standard - 4/17/05

By John Driscoll, staff writer

 

The U.S. Bureau of Reclamation and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service sought
to clarify their position on using Trinity River restoration water for
staving off another Klamath fish kill in a letter to the restoration program
director this week. 

 

Even as agencies and stakeholders met to map out how restoration would
proceed this year, the Wednesday letter was sent insisting no decision had
been made to use the Trinity water for anything other than restoration. The
federal agencies were only asking whether the Trinity Management Council
believes a minor reduction in Trinity releases in the spring is viable, and
whether it's scientifically sound to store it for release to the Klamath in
the fall instead. 

 

In an April 11 letter, Reclamation Regional Director Kirk Rodgers and Fish
and Wildlife California-Nevada Office Manager Steve Thompson wrote Trinity
Restoration Program Director Doug Schleusner: 

 

"Given our previously stated responsibilities and limited management
flexibility, we would like to consider options for reducing the potential
for a serious die-off of adult salmon in the lower Klamath River by
releasing an appropriate volume of water into the Trinity River at the most
effective time in late summer or early fall. The volume of water will be
considered part of the water year allocation specified in the Dec. 19, 2000
Record of Decision." 

 

They then asked Schleusner to come to the management council meeting with
flow schedule recommendations and pros and cons of the approach. 

 

But in Wednesday's letter, Rodgers and Thompson wrote that they have "made
no decision regarding the scientific sufficiency of additional flows, nor
have we made a determination as to a particular source of water to support
such flows or the legal sufficiency of utilizing a particular source."

 

 

Byron Leydecker, 

Chair, Friends of Trinity River

Consultant, California Trout, Inc.

PO Box 2327

Mill Valley, CA 94942-2327

415 383 4810 ph

415 383 9562 fx

bwl3 at comcast.net

bleydecker at stanfordalumni.org (secondary)

http://www.fotr.org

http://caltrout.org

 

 

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From bwl3 at comcast.net  Tue Apr 19 15:15:33 2005
From: bwl3 at comcast.net (Byron )
Date: Tue, 19 Apr 2005 15:15:33 -0700
Subject: [env-trinity] Fresno Bee April 19
Message-ID: <20050419222042.697F12002F7E@mx.dcn.davis.ca.us>

Draw your own conclusions..Byron

 

CENTRAL VALLEY ALLOCATION:

Water allocation raised

Fresno Bee - 4/19/05

By staff writers and news services 

 

Farmers on the Valley's west side have received a 10% boost in the amount of
water they will receive this year from the federal Central Valley Water
Project. 

 

Jeff McCracken, spokesman for the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation, said the
allocation for agricultural water users south of the Delta has been
increased from 65% to 75%. 

 

The five-year average stands at 66%. Last year, the Feb. 15 allocation was
65%, and that amount was increased to 70% only Sept. 10, well into the
harvest season. 

 

McCracken said the bureau will do at least "one more review of storage and
commitments for the entire operation" before deciding on whether to make
another adjustment in the allocation.

 

 

Byron Leydecker, 

Chair, Friends of Trinity River

Consultant, California Trout, Inc.

PO Box 2327

Mill Valley, CA 94942-2327

415 383 4810 ph

415 383 9562 fx

bwl3 at comcast.net

bleydecker at stanfordalumni.org (secondary)

http://www.fotr.org

http://caltrout.org

 

 

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From jallen at trinitycounty.org  Tue Apr 19 17:21:20 2005
From: jallen at trinitycounty.org (Josh Allen)
Date: Tue, 19 Apr 2005 17:21:20 -0700
Subject: [env-trinity] ESTUARY NEWSLETTER ARTICLE: WATERWARS "Whither
	Trinity's Flows?"
Message-ID: <099F81D877F1044DA24BA95E0CE09263E18E11@mail2.trinitycounty.org>

 

Article Courtesy of the ESTUARY NEWSLETTER

Written by Kristi Coale  

 

WATERWARS 

 

"Whither Trinity's Flows?"

 

Two salient facts about the Central Valley Project contracts stick in
Tom Stokely's craw. The first is that 314,000 acres of the farmland
belonging to contractors south of the Delta are waterlogged and salty,
or well on their way to being unable to grow crops. Second, if these
drenched, salt poisoned lands were to be officially retired (some are
already dormant), the water that could be saved would amount to as much
as one-half to three-quarters of a million acre-feet-water that could be
put to other uses, such as flows for Trinity River fish.

 

But in the new CVP contracts, the same amount of water is still being
promised to irrigation districts, says Trinity County's Stokely, despite
the fact that so much of their land is unusable. In some cases, they are
being promised even more water although they have less land needing the
water. And that has Stokely suspecting other motives are in play. 

 

"We believe the contracts and other proposals to send more water south
are predicated on emptying out the reservoirs every fall. When winter
comes they will fill up but not to overflowing [overflows would make
water available for fish]," explains Stokely. "That's their plan for
getting more water, but the rivers and the fish don't function on this
schedule."

 

At the heart of the CVP contract renewals is the fact that BurRec has
been using two sets of numbers to project contract water deliveries. In
a document submitted to fisheries agencies to determine the impact of
the CVP contracts on wildlife, delivery estimates for south of the Delta
contractors hover at a very conservative level of between 58% and 61% of
contracted amounts. But in documents on projected contract deliveries
submitted to CVP contractors, the picture is rosier: deliveries to
irrigation and water districts for their contract amounts will be
steadily ramped up, with contractors to receive 90% of their water by
2021 and 100% by 2026. 

 

In January, BurRec acknowledged this discrepancy. At the same time, when
pressed about where it would come up with the water to meet these
delivery projections in the future when it also has to uphold the
800,000 acre-feet for fish under the Central Valley Project Improvement
Act and other requirements, the agency said it was "studying ways to get
the water."

 

In February, amid little fanfare, Westlands Water District announced it
was no longer pursuing its appeal of the July 2004 Ninth Circuit Court
decision reinstating the Trinity River Record of Decision (ROD),
bringing annual releases in the range of 340,000 to 815,000 acre-feet
back to the Trinity. Since the 1960s when the federal government built
dams on the Trinity, 90% of the river's flows have been diverted to the
CVP. Westlands spokesman Tupper Hull confirmed that the district is
collaborating with the BurRec and California water officials to find a
source other than Trinity to make up its water needs.

 

Between the water needed to comply with the CVPIA and other laws and the
loss of as much of 815,000 acre-feet annually to the Trinity restoration
efforts, BurRec could need to find as much as 1.5 million acre-feet of
water to fulfill its promised delivery levels. Where is this water to
come from? Mike Orcutt of the Hoopa Valley Tribe worries that the CVP
contract renewal process and other plans in the works to get more water
through the Delta pumps could be used to circumvent the Trinity ROD by
draining Lewiston Dam. "Whatever [Westlands] perceives to have lost in
Trinity, they've gained back with CALFED, water tie-ins, and then with
CVP contracts and Napa," he says.

 

Orcutt says the Hoopa and other Trinity officials have requested that
language be put into the CVP contracts reaffirming the Trinity ROD as
the law and stating that the river has primary consideration. 

 

Hull says Trinity River officials have little to worry about from
Westlands, that it is making up for its lost water by sharing resources
between the State Water Project and the CVP. "It's not new water, and
it's not coming out of anybody's allotment," he explains.

 

Bunk, says Trinity's Stokely. "The Trinity is tied into everything."

 

Contact: Mike Orcutt (530)625-4267, ext. 13; Tom Stokely (530)628-5949
KC 

 

 

Potential Water Savings Associated with Retirement of Drainage-Impacted
CVP Land* 

 

 

Acres

Acres Requiring Drainage 

Service

% of District Requiring Drainage Service

Max CVP Contract Amount (AF)

Max CVP Contract Water Savings (AF)

2002 CVP Contract Deliveries (AF)

2002 CVP Water Savings (AF)

Broadview Water District

9,515

9,515

100.00%

27,000

27,000

18,588

18,588

Panoche Water District

39,292

27,000

68.72%

94,000

64,593

66,743

45,863

Westlands Water District

604,000

298,000

49.34%

1,154,198

569,455

776,631

383,172

Eagle Field

1,438

1,435

99.82%

4,550

4,542

2,869

2,864

Mercy Springs

3,589

2,417

67.35%

2,842

1,914

4,679

3,151

Oro Loma

1,095

1,095

100%

     4,600

4,600

3,173

3,173

Widren

881

881

100%

2,990

2,990

2,094

2,094

Firebaugh

23,457

23,457

100%

85,000

85,000

85,000

85,000

Cent. Cal ID

149,825

4,951

3.30%

532,400

17,569

532,400

17,569

Charleston Drainage District (portion of San Luis WD with drainage
problems)

4,314

3,000

69.54%

8,130

5,654

Not avail 

Not avail 

Pacheco Water District

5,175

5,000

96.62%

10,080

9,739

7,137

6,896

Total

842,581 

376,751 

NA 

1,925,790 

793,056

1,499,314

568,370

 

*From comments by the Trinity County Board of supervisors on the
EA/Draft FONSI for the Pajaro Valley Water Management Agency's long term
CVP contract.

 

 

 

 

 

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From bwl3 at comcast.net  Wed Apr 20 13:36:15 2005
From: bwl3 at comcast.net (Byron )
Date: Wed, 20 Apr 2005 13:36:15 -0700
Subject: [env-trinity] Trinity River Flows - Eureka Times Standard April 19
Message-ID: <20050420204124.43BF6200338B@mx.dcn.davis.ca.us>

Council steers away from Trinity water shift

Eureka Times-Standard - 4/19/05

By John Driscoll, staff writer

 

A group of agencies and stakeholders that advise the federal government on
restoring the Trinity River have recommended against trimming big flows in
the spring to send water down the Klamath River this fall. 

 

Last week, the Trinity Management Council told the U.S. Interior Department
there should be no boost in fall flows, especially if it were to come from
water meant to restore the Trinity. 

 

"The bottom line is it looks very similar to a normal year," said Doug
Schleusner, who runs the Trinity River Restoration Program. 

 

The U.S. Bureau of Reclamation and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service had
asked the council to consider a change in operations to send cold water to
stave off a potential fish kill in the lower Klamath, a river expected to be
low and hot due to drought conditions this year. 

 

But concerns were voiced that a slug of cold water in the early fall could
draw fish into the river before conditions are hospitable. Also, shifting
water away from the Trinity restoration would further delay that effort. 

 

One change recommended is to shift peak flows from a high of 6,000 cubic
feet per second for five days to a high of 7,000 cfs for four days at some
point in mid-May. No flow schedule is being released until Interior adopts a
plan. Schleusner said he hopes to begin ramping up flows by Friday. 

 

Reclamation spokesman Jeff McCracken said Interior is expected to make a
decision by Wednesday. 

 

 

Byron Leydecker, 

Chair, Friends of Trinity River

Consultant, California Trout, Inc.

PO Box 2327

Mill Valley, CA 94942-2327

415 383 4810 ph

415 383 9562 fx

bwl3 at comcast.net

bleydecker at stanfordalumni.org (secondary)

http://www.fotr.org

http://caltrout.org

 

 

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From AKRAUSE at mp.usbr.gov  Thu Apr 21 16:31:32 2005
From: AKRAUSE at mp.usbr.gov (Andreas Krause)
Date: Thu, 21 Apr 2005 16:31:32 -0700
Subject: [env-trinity] Fwd: Lewiston - Trinity River Release Change
Message-ID: <s267d669.077@ibr2mprogw.mp.usbr.gov>

Below is the schedule issued by the Bureau of Reclamation for releases
from Lewiston Dam to the Trinity River.

>>> Tom Morstein-Marx 4/21/2005 4:04:19 PM >>>
Project: Lewiston Dam - Trinity River Release
(Initial step up - further order to follow)
 
  Date      Time       From         To
4/22/05    0200     300 cfs      400 cfs
4/22/05    0400     400 cfs      500 cfs
 
4/28/05    1800     500 cfs      750 cfs
4/28/05    2000     750 cfs    1000 cfs
4/28/05    2200   1000 cfs    1250 cfs
4/29/05    0000   1250 cfs    1500 cfs
4/29/05    0200   1500 cfs    1750 cfs
4/29/05    0400   1750 cfs    2000 cfs
 
4/30/05    0100   2000 cfs    2500 cfs
 
Issued By: Tom Morstein-Marx


From bwl3 at comcast.net  Thu Apr 21 16:54:02 2005
From: bwl3 at comcast.net (Byron )
Date: Thu, 21 Apr 2005 16:54:02 -0700
Subject: [env-trinity] Partial 2005 Trinity River Flow Schedule
Message-ID: <20050421235406.AD61D2001D51@mx.dcn.davis.ca.us>


Below is the schedule issued by the Bureau of Reclamation for releases
from Lewiston Dam to the Trinity River.

Date      Time       From         To
4/22/05    0200     300 cfs      400 cfs
4/22/05    0400     400 cfs      500 cfs
 
4/28/05    1800     500 cfs      750 cfs
4/28/05    2000     750 cfs    1000 cfs
4/28/05    2200   1000 cfs    1250 cfs
4/29/05    0000   1250 cfs    1500 cfs
4/29/05    0200   1500 cfs    1750 cfs
4/29/05    0400   1750 cfs    2000 cfs
 
4/30/05    0100   2000 cfs    2500 cfs
 
Issued By: Tom Morstein-Marx



From tstokely at trinityalps.net  Fri Apr 22 08:44:44 2005
From: tstokely at trinityalps.net (Tom Stokely)
Date: Fri, 22 Apr 2005 08:44:44 -0700
Subject: [env-trinity] AP- Judge says statute of limitations gone in Klamath
	Tribes' lawsuit Against PacifiCorp
Message-ID: <045301c54752$34ff8ae0$8e6b3940@trinitycounty.org>



Judge says statute of limitations gone in lawsuit 
4/21/2005, 2:50 p.m. PT 
http://www.oregonlive.com/newsflash/regional/index.ssf?/base/news-10/1114119893213521.xml&storylist=orlocal 
The Associated Press   

MEDFORD, Ore. (AP) - A federal magistrate judge in Medford says a $1 billion lawsuit by members of the Klamath Tribes against PacifiCorp for the loss of salmon should be thrown out because the statute of limitations expired in 1971. 

The action was filed last May. Judge John P. Cooney recommended that it be dismissed. 

The tribes claim the dams on the Klamath River destroyed their 1864 treaty rights to fish for salmon in the rivers' headwaters. 

Dam construction on the river started in 1908 and ended in 1967. Salmon migration stops at Iron Gate Dam, the lowest on the Klamath River, in California's Siskiyou County. 

"We argued that it was untimely, and the judge agreed," said Jon Coney, PacifiCorp spokesman. 

The case moves to Eugene where a district judge will decide whether the case should be dismissed. 

The tribe was terminated in 1954. Tribal members retain hunting and fishing rights even though they no longer have a reservation. Tribal status was restored in 1986 and the tribes want reservation land again. 

PacifiCorp has four hydroelectric dams on the river plus a flood control dam. 

Dan Israel, a lawyer for the Tribes, said a federal appeals court may have to decide the issue. 

Copyright 2005 Associated Press. All rights reserved. 
This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. 
? 2005 OregonLive.com All Rights Reserved. 
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 
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                    included information for research and educational purposes. 
                    PelicanNetwork has no affiliation whatsoever with the originator of this 
                    article nor is PelicanNetwor endorsed or sponsored by the originator.) 
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 

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          Our mission is to restore and protect the uniquely diverse ecosystem 
          and promote the sustainable management of natural resources in the entire Klamath River 
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          We believe this will be accomplished with actions and legislation that integrate sound and 
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          http://www.pelicannetwork.net/krc.htm 

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From jallen at trinitycounty.org  Fri Apr 22 09:22:50 2005
From: jallen at trinitycounty.org (Josh Allen)
Date: Fri, 22 Apr 2005 09:22:50 -0700
Subject: [env-trinity] Earth Day!
Message-ID: <099F81D877F1044DA24BA95E0CE09263E18EAF@mail2.trinitycounty.org>

  HAPPY EARTH DAY!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

KEEP UP YOUR GOOD WORK FOR OUR PLANET!

Joshua Allen

Trinity County Planning Department

Natural Resources Division

Assistant Planner

PO Box 2819

Weaverville, CA 96093

(530)623-1351 ext. 3407

(530)623-1358 fax

jallen at trinitycounty.org <mailto:jallen at trinitycounty.org> 

jwa7 at humboldt.edu <mailto:jwa7 at humboldt.edu>  (secondary)

 

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From danielbacher at hotmail.com  Fri Apr 22 11:24:50 2005
From: danielbacher at hotmail.com (Daniel Bacher)
Date: Fri, 22 Apr 2005 11:24:50 -0700
Subject: [env-trinity] Recreational Anglers Defeat Bill To Gut Trawl
	Legislaton
Message-ID: <BAY16-F42170865B4D10C399E737BDB2D0@phx.gbl>

Recreational Anglers Defeat Bill To Gut Trawl Legislation

by Dan Bacher

Faced with an outpouring of support for anti-trawl legislation passed last 
year, Democrats in the Senate Natural Resources and Wildlife Committee on 
April 12 voted down a bill from Senator Sam Aanestad (R-Grass Valley) that 
would roll back legislation imposing strict limits on ocean bottom trawling.

Senator Aanestad's legislation, SB 507 would have ?gutted? SB 1459, a 
landmark ocean conservation bill signed by the Governor last September, 
according to Tom Raftican, president of United Anglers of Southern 
California (UASC). SB 1459, sponsored by State Senator Dede Albert 
(D-Coronado), puts all state bottom trawl fisheries under the management of 
the Fish and Game Commission, establishing a permitting system for bottom 
trawl fisheries and restricting areas where bottom trawling is allowed in 
state waters.

SB 507, supported by the Fishermen?s Marketing Association and Pacific 
Choice Seafood Company, would repeal the prohibition on the use of bottom 
trawl gear for halibut, shrimp and prawns in certain designated zones. 
Current law provides that the prohibition may take effect in 2008.

Instead, it directs the Fish and Game Commission to research the 
?sustainability? of the California halibut fishery and to make a 
determination that could conceivably include zone closures in 2009. The bill 
would also make changes in the minimum mesh size of nets and the maximum 
weight of those nets.

?The attempt to gut SB1459 failed because it was easy to show the fallacy of 
the arguments behind their attempt to turn the clock back on bottom trawling 
restrictions,? said Raftican. ?Recreational anglers led the charge to pass 
this legislation last year and to defeat the latest attempt to reinstitute 
destructive bottom trawling.?

SB 507 would have allowed bottom trawling to continue in Northern California 
areas where it is currently allowed and would have limited California 
halibut permit fees to $100. Those fees are $1,000 under SB 1459, according 
to Senator Aanestad.

In addition, SB 507 would have mandated studies by the Department of Fish 
and Game Commission to determine if bottom trawling was adversely affecting 
the ocean ecosystem and environment.
Aanestad portrayed doom and gloom to the North Coast economy resulting from 
the failure of his legislation.

"The effect of SB 1459 is clear," stated Senator Aanestad during the 
hearing. "It will shut down commercial trawling from Eureka to the Oregon 
border. We are putting small, family-owned operations out of business unless 
these modifications to SB 1459 are allowed."

?Bottom trawlers have been fishing the same waters since 1879, with no 
adverse impact," stated Pete Leipzig, Executive Director of the Fisherman's 
Marketing Association. "This is an efficient and sustainable practice that 
has come under attack."

However, Raftican argued that California that bottom trawling is neither 
sustainable nor efficient because of the tremendous bycatch ? take of 
non-targeted species ? that occurs.

?Our fisheries, such as our groundfish resources, have gone through 
tremendous collapses in recent years ? and bottom trawling is the worst and 
most destructive fishing method,? said Raftican. ?Even with quantum leaps in 
fishing technology, the catch per unit by trawlers continues to plummet. 
We?re well past the time when we needed to get this destructive gear out of 
the water.?

Opponents of SB 507 besides UASC include Environment California, Natural 
Resources Defense Council, Ocean Conservancy, Oceana, Sierra Club California 
and United Anglers of California.

According to Raftican, protections for critical habitat under SB-1459 will 
go a long way to help California?s beleaguered rockfish. UASC, UAC and other 
fishing groups have long taken the position that widespread damage to 
rockfish breeding and rearing habitat caused by bottom trawling gear was an 
overlooked, key factor in the depletion of California rockfish populations.

Although SB 507 failed, Senator Aanestad vows he will not give up his 
efforts to amend SB 1459. "There is a big difference between the hearing of 
our concerns and actually listening to what we are telling you," Aanestad 
told fellow committee members. "We will be back again next year, and the 
year after that, until this wrong is righted.?

UASC and other groups agreed last year to a ?clean up bill,? according to 
Barry Broad, UASC? lobbyist. The ?clean up bill,? AB 1431 (Saldana), deals 
with the same subject as SB 507, but is supported by the Schwarzenegger 
administration and many of the original supporters of the Albert bill.

AB 1431 would delete from the Albert bill some specific gear and equipment 
restrictions that many believe are more properly determined by the 
California Fish and Game Commission, according to the legislative analysis. 
In particular, issues pertaining to the mesh size of nets and the weight of 
the nets would be delegated to the Commission, as would the definitions of 
?approved bycatch reduction device,? as that term is applied to the prawn 
and pink shrimp fishery.




From bwl3 at comcast.net  Fri Apr 22 13:30:22 2005
From: bwl3 at comcast.net (Byron )
Date: Fri, 22 Apr 2005 13:30:22 -0700
Subject: [env-trinity] FW: Trinity Flows
Message-ID: <20050422203028.7398B2002713@mx.dcn.davis.ca.us>

As it turns out, the Bureau modified the TAMWG and TMC recommended flows.  A
hydrograph of deviation is attached.  The schedule released by the Bureau
yesterday ends abruptly in April.  Normally, the water-type year
determination is made by April 1.  And, normally we get a full year flows
schedule by now.  

 

Now, through one of the incredible provisions of OCAP, Bureau's Operating
Criteria and Plan) which now is being litigated by NRDC and EarthJustice,
Kirk Rodgers, regional Mid-Pac Bureau manager, is given authority to declare
a different water-type year through the end of May - he could call this year
dry, for example when it clearly is normal.  The Bureau always has
maintained that a final deadline for such determination was April 1, and
preferably earlier. 

 

The camel's nose is under the tent to breach the Record of Decision.
Interior just tried another such move with attempt at fall Trinity water
from ROD for Lower Klamath.

 

 

Byron Leydecker, 

Chair, Friends of Trinity River

Consultant, California Trout, Inc.

PO Box 2327

Mill Valley, CA 94942-2327

415 383 4810 ph

415 383 9562 fx

bwl3 at comcast.net

bleydecker at stanfordalumni.org (secondary)

http://www.fotr.org

http://caltrout.org

 

 

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From bwl3 at comcast.net  Fri Apr 22 17:13:22 2005
From: bwl3 at comcast.net (Byron )
Date: Fri, 22 Apr 2005 17:13:22 -0700
Subject: [env-trinity] Trinity 2005 Returns of Water to River - Flow Schedule
Message-ID: <20050423001831.CCB9220009AC@mx.dcn.davis.ca.us>

It turns out now that the full year schedule will be released probably
sometime later today.  Also, it is said that the difference in hydrographs
is accounted for as a result of comparisons on an hourly rather than daily
basis.  I have not thought that one through to complete understanding, but
that is represented without equivocation to me.  Perhaps there will be no
need to think through that concept.  

 

I will let people know as soon as I know, where the complete 2005 schedule
can be accessed, or alternatively will simply send it to you.

 

Byron Leydecker, 

Chair, Friends of Trinity River

Consultant, California Trout, Inc.

PO Box 2327

Mill Valley, CA 94942-2327

415 383 4810 ph

415 383 9562 fx

bwl3 at comcast.net

bleydecker at stanfordalumni.org (secondary)

http://www.fotr.org

http://caltrout.org

 

 

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From AKRAUSE at mp.usbr.gov  Mon Apr 25 08:42:37 2005
From: AKRAUSE at mp.usbr.gov (Andreas Krause)
Date: Mon, 25 Apr 2005 08:42:37 -0700
Subject: [env-trinity] Daily Release Schedule from Lewiston Dam to the
	Trinity River
Message-ID: <s26cad8a.004@ibr2mprogw.mp.usbr.gov>

Daily Release Schedule from Lewiston Dam to the Trinity
River				
				
 From Date 	 To Date               # of Days	 Flow (cfs) 
Volume (Acre-Feet) 
1-Oct-04   	15-Oct-04	15	 450 	 13,388 
16-Oct-04	21-Apr-05	188	 300 	 111,868 
22-Apr-05	28-Apr-05	7	 500 	 6,942 
29-Apr-05	29-Apr-05	1	 2,000 	 3,967 
30-Apr-05	5-May-05 	6	 2,500 	 29,752 
6-May-05 	7-May-05 	2	 4,500 	 17,851 
8-May-05 	9-May-05 	2	 6,000 	 23,802 
10-May-05	13-May-05	4	 7,000 	 55,537 
14-May-05	15-May-05	2	 6,000 	 23,802 
16-May-05	16-May-05	1	 5,600 	 11,107 
17-May-05	17-May-05	1	 5,200 	 10,314 
18-May-05	18-May-05	1	 4,800 	 9,521 
19-May-05	20-May-05	2	 4,500 	 17,851 
21-May-05	21-May-05	1	 4,200 	 8,331 
22-May-05	22-May-05	1	 3,900 	 7,736 
23-May-05	23-May-05	1	 3,600 	 7,140 
24-May-05	24-May-05	1	 3,300 	 6,545 
25-May-05	25-May-05	1	 3,000 	 5,950 
26-May-05	27-May-05	2	 2,800 	 11,107 
28-May-05	29-May-05	2	 2,600 	 10,314 
30-May-05	30-May-05	1	 2,500 	 4,959 
31-May-05	1-Jun-05  	2	 2,400 	 9,521 
2-Jun-05  	3-Jun-05  	2	 2,300 	 9,124 
4-Jun-05  	5-Jun-05  	2	 2,200 	 8,727 
6-Jun-05  	7-Jun-05  	2	 2,100 	 8,331 
8-Jun-05  	9-Jul-05   	32	 2,000 	 126,942 
10-Jul-05  	10-Jul-05 	1	 1,700 	 3,372 
11-Jul-05 	11-Jul-05 	1	 1,500 	 2,975 
12-Jul-05 	12-Jul-05 	1	 1,350 	 2,678 
13-Jul-05 	13-Jul-05 	1	 1,200 	 2,380 
14-Jul-05 	14-Jul-05 	1	 1,050 	 2,083 
15-Jul-05 	15-Jul-05 	1	 950 	 1,884 
16-Jul-05 	16-Jul-05 	1	 850 	 1,686 
17-Jul-05 	17-Jul-05 	1	 750 	 1,488 
18-Jul-05 	18-Jul-05 	1	 675 	 1,339 
19-Jul-05 	19-Jul-05 	1	 600 	 1,190 
20-Jul-05 	20-Jul-05 	1	 550 	 1,091 
21-Jul-05 	21-Jul-05 	1	 500 	 992 
22-Jul-05 	30-Sep-05	71	 450 	 63,372 
		 Total Annual Water Volume = 	 646,959
NEWS RELEASE
Office of the Secretary

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:   April 22, 2005

Media Contact:	Jeffrey McCracken - Bureau of Reclamation	     Al
Donner - U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
		916-978-5100 jmccracken at mp.usbr.gov 	    
916-414-6566 al_donner at fws.gov 

Interior Releases 2005 Trinity River Record of Decision Flow Schedule


The 2005 Trinity River flow schedule has been finalized by the
Department of the Interior
Bureau of Reclamation and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service following
a recommendation made by the Trinity Management Council (TMC) to achieve
a wide variety of physical and biological objectives.

Reclamation recently determined this to be a normal water year in the
Trinity basin.  Under the 2000 Record of Decision (ROD) for this water
year type, a total volume of 647,000 acre-feet will be released from
Trinity Reservoir down the Trinity River.

The TMC recommendation includes a 4-day, 7,000 cubic feet per second
(cfs) peak flow.  This is a minor adjustment of the standard ROD
schedule for a normal water year, which calls for a 5-day, 6,000 cfs
peak consistent with the adaptive environmental assessment provisions of
the ROD.  This higher peak will allow for more accurate model
calibrations that will improve the Program's capabilities for future
analysis and management recommendations.

This schedule benefits juvenile salmon and steelhead growth and
survival in late spring and early summer.  The peak flows will flush
significant accumulations of fine sediment, move and redeposit gravel,
and scour riparian vegetation that has grown along the channel's edge.
 All of these actions will improve fishery habitat conditions throughout
the river consistent with the Program's objectives.  

Under the newly approved flow schedule, current releases from Lewiston
Dam to the Trinity River will continue at 300 cfs through Friday, April
22, ramp up to 2,500 cfs by Saturday, April 30 and then continue up to
7,000 cfs by Tuesday, May 10.  The schedule calls for these releases to
continue at 7,000 cfs from May 10 through Friday, May 13, gradually
ramping down to 2,000 cfs by Wednesday, June 8 and finally reaching the
summer base level of 450 cfs by Friday, July 22.

Downstream rafters, fishermen, and others using the river need to
exercise extreme caution during times of high releases.  These volumes
of cold and fast water can be dangerous.

The new flow release schedule is available online at Reclamation's
Central Valley Operations website at www.usbr.gov/mp/cvo .

 



From Gfredlee at aol.com  Mon Apr 25 08:52:05 2005
From: Gfredlee at aol.com (Gfredlee at aol.com)
Date: Mon, 25 Apr 2005 11:52:05 EDT
Subject: [env-trinity] Stormwater Runoff Water Quality Newsletter
Message-ID: <155.4f734b72.2f9e6c25@aol.com>

 
 
Because of your potential interest in stormwater  runoff water quality 
issues, I wish to bring to your attention that Dr. Anne  Jones?Lee and I have 
developed a Stormwater Runoff Water Quality  Science/Engineering Newsletter.  This 
Newsletter evolves out of our work on evaluating and managing the  water 
quality impacts of urban, highway and rural stormwater runoff.  Basically, we find 
that the quality of  science and engineering being used to evaluate the impacts 
and management of  urban area street and highway as well as rural area 
stormwater runoff-associated  constituents is significantly lacking and out of date. 
 One of the primary purposes of the  Newsletter is to work toward improving 
the quality of science/engineering used  in managing urban, highway and rural 
area stormwater runoff water quality  impacts. 
This Newsletter discusses these issues and  recommends approaches for 
addressing them.  Unless more appropriate approaches are adopted for regulating urban 
area  and highway stormwater runoff potential water quality impacts, the US 
public  will be spending several hundred billion dollars to treat urban 
stormwater  runoff to meet worst-case-based water quality standards.  A similar 
situation exists for managing  stormwater runoff from rural lands.  Much of this 
expenditure will not improve receiving water  quality-beneficial uses.  This  
Newsletter discusses these issues and provides guidance for developing  
technically valid, cost-effective urban and rural stormwater runoff water  quality 
management programs. 
Attached in Adobe pdf is the Stormwater Runoff Water Quality  
Science/Engineering Newsletter volume NL 7-3 devoted to unrecognized environmental 
pollutants.  It contains a discussion of recently  recognized chemicals in drinking 
waters, wastewaters and solid wastes that can  be present in urban stormwater 
runoff.  Also attached is NL 8-3 devoted to a review of the role of aqueous  
chemistry of iron in controlling the release of potential pollutants upon  sediment 
resuspension. 
Previous issues of the Newsletter focus on  potential water quality standards 
compliance issues for urban area and highway  stormwater runoff, as well as 
changes in the regulatory approaches that need to  be made to protect the 
beneficial uses of receiving waters for urban area  stormwater runoff without 
unnecessary expenditures for constituent control.  They also discuss the need to 
change the  approach used for monitoring water quality from a chemical 
concentration to a  chemical impact assessment approach.   
While many of the past Newsletters focus on urban  area and highway 
stormwater runoff water quality management issues, with few  exceptions, the issues 
discussed are also applicable to rural/agricultural and  industrial stormwater 
runoff water quality management.  Also, many of these issues apply to  properly 
regulating point source wastewater discharges. 



This is an email-based Newsletter that is  available at no cost to anyone 
with an email address.  It is currently being distributed  periodically to about 
8,500 individuals.  If you do not have the Adobe Reader 6.0 on your computer 
you can download  it at no cost from http://www.adobe.com.  Previous issues of 
this Newsletter are available from our website,  www.gfredlee.com, where the 
link is located near the bottom of the first  page.  An index to past  
Newsletters= contents is available at the website and below.  Also available at this 
website are  papers and reports that provide further discussion of urban area, 
highway and  rural stormwater runoff water quality management issues.  
Information on our website is appended  below. 
I have added your name to the Newsletter  email list.  If you do not wish to  
receive future issues please send a ?reply? with the text statement  ?remove.
?  If there are others  within your organization who may be interested in 
receiving it, please have them  send me an email note.   
We welcome contributions by others on stormwater  runoff water quality 
management issues.  If you would like to contribute an article to the Newsletter, 
please let  me know. 
G. Fred Lee 
.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-. 

Surface and Groundwater Quality Evaluation and Management   
and   
Municipal Solid & Industrial Hazardous Waste  Landfills 
http://www.gfredlee.com 
Dr. G. Fred Lee and Dr. Anne Jones?Lee have  prepared professional papers and 
reports on the various areas in which they are  active in research and 
consulting including domestic water supply water quality,  water and wastewater 
treatment, water pollution control, and the evaluation and  management of the 
impacts of solid and hazardous wastes.  Publications are available in the  
following areas:  
Landfills and Groundwater Quality Protection  
Water Quality Evaluation and Management for  Wastewater Discharges, 
Stormwater Runoff, Ambient Waters and Pesticide Water  Quality Management Issues, TMDL 
Development, 
Water Quality Criteria/Standards Development and  Implementation  
Impact of Hazardous Chemicals ?? Superfund,  
LEHR Superfund Site reports to DSCSOC, 
Lava Cap Mine Superfund Site reports to  SYRCL 
Contaminated Sediment ?? Aquafund, BPTCP, Sediment  Quality Criteria 
Domestic Water Supply Water Quality  
Excessive Fertilization/Eutrophication, Nutrient  Criteria  
Reuse of Reclaimed Wastewaters  
Watershed Based Water Quality Management  Programs:   
Sacramento River Watershed  Program,

Delta ?? CALFED Program, 
Upper Newport Bay Watershed Program, 
San Joaquin River Watershed DO and OP  Pesticide TMDL Programs   

Stormwater Runoff Water Quality Science/Engineering  Newsletter Index 

The Stormwater Runoff Water Quality  Science/Engineering Newsletter was first 
issued on June 1998.  Since that time, on the average of about  every two 
months, a 5- to 15-page issue of the Newsletter has been made  available.  At 
this time, over 650  pages of discussions of stormwater runoff water quality 
impact evaluation and  management have been presented through the Newsletter. Over 
the past year, the  number of individuals who receive the Newsletter has been 
about  8,000. 
Topic                                                                         
              Volume-Number 
303(d) Listed Waterbodies and TMDLs.................................. 1-1,  
1-2, 5-2, 6-3, 6-4 
Aquatic Life 
Toxicity................................................................ 1-1, 1-5, 2-1, 6-1, 6-3, 7-5, 7-6/7 
Bioaccumulation...............................................................
....... 4-2, 6-4, 7-4, 7-5, 7-8 
Biocriteria...................................................................
............. 1-4, 7-6/7 
BMP Ratcheting 
Down............................................................ 1-2, 1-3, 1-5, 5-3, 7-6/7 
BMPs (Management Practices)................................................ 
3-2, 6-2, 6-6, 7-6/7 
BMPs for New Development................................................... 
3-3, 7-6/7 
California Toxics 
Rule.............................................................. 1-3 
Constituents of 
Concern........................................................... 1-2, 1-5, 7-3, 7-6/7 
Criteria/Standards............................................................
........ 1-2, 1-3, 1-5, 1-6/7, 2-2, 5-4, 6-8.  
(cont)........................................................................
.........         6-9,  7-2, 7-3, 7-5, 7-6/7 
Dioxins.......................................................................
............. 1-1, 1-5, 6-4, 7-4, 7-6/7 
Dust 
Suppressants................................................................... 7-1, 7-5 
Ecological Risk 
Assessment..................................................... 2-1, 7-1 
Evaluation 
Monitoring.............................................................. 2-3, 6-1, 7-3 
Evaluation of Water Quality Monitoring Data............................ 1-4,  
6-10 
Heavy 
Metals.......................................................................... 1-1, 1-3, 1-5, 3-4, 6-1, 7-5, 7-6/7 
National Water Quality Inventory............................................. 
4-1 
Nonpoint Source 
Issues........................................................... 6-1, 6-2 
Nutrient 
Criteria....................................................................... 1-3, 5-1, 
Nutrients.....................................................................
............ 1-2, 1-5, 4-3/4, 5-1, 6-1, 6-2, 7-6/7 
Organochlorine 
Pesticides........................................................ 4-2, 6-4 
Organophosphate (OP) Pesticides........................................... 
1-1, 2-1, 3-5, 3-6, 6-3, 7-6/7, 8-1/2 
Overview of Stormwater Runoff Water Quality  Issues.............. 3-1,  7-6/7 
PAHs..........................................................................
............ 7-4, 7-6/7 
PCBs..........................................................................
............ 4-2, 6-4, 7-4, 7-6/7 
Pesticides....................................................................
............ 1-1, 6-3, 6-4, 7-6/7, 8-1/2 
?Pollutant? vs. ?Chemical Constituent?
...................................... 1-2, 7-6/7 
Pollutant 
Trading...................................................................... 6-5 
Regulating 
Copper................................................................... 3-4, 6-10, 7-5, 7-6/7 
Regulatory 
Requirements......................................................... 2-2, 5-5, 7-1, 7-2, 7-6/7 
Sanitary 
Quality....................................................................... 2-2, 7-5, 7-6/7, 7-9 
Sediments 
(Contaminated)....................................................... 1-1, 1-5, 2-2, 3-4, 6-4, 7-2, 7-4, 7-8, 8-3 
Selection of 
BMPs................................................................... 2-2, 6-2, 7-6/7 
Stormwater Infiltration 
BMPs................................................... 1-4, 3-3 
Stormwater 
Modeling.............................................................. 1-3, 7-6/7 
Stormwater 
Regulations........................................................... 1-5, 2-2, 5-3, 5-5, 7-27-6/7, 7-9 
Stormwater Runoff as a Cause of  Pollution............................... 
4-1, 7-3, 7-4, 7-6/7, 7-9 
Stormwater Runoff Monitoring................................................. 
1-2, 1-3, 6-1, 6-10, 7-3 
Stormwater Runoff Water Quality Short Course....................... 1-3, 1-5, 
4-1,  4-2 
Stormwater 
Treatment............................................................. 1-3, 6-2, 7-6/7 
Stormwater Water Quality Research........................................ 
1-3, 6-7 
TMDLs 
General...................................................................... 1-1, 1-2, 5-2, 5-5 
TMDLs for Heavy 
Metals........................................................ 3-4 
TMDLs for Organochlorine Pesticides and  PCBs..................... 4-2,  6-4 
TMDLs for Organophosphate Pesticides.................................. 3-6,  
6-3 
TMDLs for 
Pesticides.............................................................. 3-5, 6-3, 6-4 
Water 
Quality.......................................................................... 1-2, 3-1, 7-6/7, 7-9 
Water Quality 
Assessment....................................................... 1-2, 3-1, 6-10, 7-2, 7-6/7 
Water Quality 
Definition........................................................... 1-2 
Water Quality 
Monitoring........................................................ 1-4, 2-3, 6-1, 6-10, 7-4, 7-6/7, 7-9 
Weight of 
Evidence.................................................................. 6-9, 7-2, 7-8 



G. Fred Lee,  PhD, DEE
G. Fred Lee & Associates
27298 E. El Macero Dr.
El Macero,  CA 95618-1005
Ph 530 753-9630, Fx 530 753-9956
Cell 916 712-7399  
gfredlee at aol.com, 
www.gfredlee.com

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From tstokely at trinityalps.net  Mon Apr 25 10:41:52 2005
From: tstokely at trinityalps.net (Tom Stokely)
Date: Mon, 25 Apr 2005 10:41:52 -0700
Subject: [env-trinity] State Vetoes Pajaro Water Grant
Message-ID: <02e401c549be$11c0a960$3b6b3940@trinitycounty.org>

 I question the "wasting of water to the sea" and it's hard to imagine that additional pumping from the Delta is going to be a good thing for the Delta.

TS

STATE FUNDING ISSUES:
State vetoes P.V. water agency grant; Officials hope setback doesn't affect construction of freshwater pipeline
Santa Cruz Sentinel - 4/22/05
By Tom Ragan, staff writer
 

WATSONVILLE - The state gave the water management agency here some bad news this week. 

 

It's not getting $4 million in grant money to help build its $48 million recycling project, which is expected to deliver 4,000 acre feet of water per year to coastal farmers whose wells have been inundated by saltwater. 

 

The reason for the rejection: The Pajaro Valley Water Management Agency has not yet built its 23-mile freshwater pipeline, a piece of collateral that the agency was banking on. 

 

Word came from the California Water Resources Control Board in Sacramento on Thursday. 

 

Although the recycling project is not in jeopardy, water management agency officials say, the news was somewhat of a setback. The agency is trying to add water to the valley's dwindling aquifers, brought on by a combination of an ever-growing Watsonville and a thriving agricultural industry. 

 

In order to qualify for the state Proposition 50 funds, water districts across Northern California vying for a piece of the $16.8 million pot had to prove two things: their water projects were conserving water and they were somehow adding water to the Sacramento River Delta or lessening their dependence on it. 

 

Tom Mays, spokesman for the state's water board, said the Pajaro Valley Water Management Agency met only one of two requirements in its bid for the maximum $4 million. While the agency's recycling project, scheduled to go on-line in 2007, will save water that would have been lost to sea, it would only indirectly impact the Sacramento River Delta. 

 

The agency was hoping its proposed $100 million pipeline, scheduled to be in-use by 2010, would convince the state water board that water in the Delta would be saved in due time. 

 

But the state couldn't consider it because the pipeline has not been built, Mays said. 

 

"The logic is confounding," said McNiesh. "In the long run, once the pipeline is built, we won't have to take 4,000 acre feet from the Delta ... but the state's not considering the future. It's only dealing with the here and now." 

 

But even the future of the pipeline is uncertain, McNiesh admits. 

 

Farmers who oppose it have filed five lawsuits in Santa Cruz County Superior Court, saying its financing is unconstitutional - a series of water fee hikes that the lawsuits are claiming are tax increases and therefore should have been approved by a special election. 

 

But the litigation hasn't stopped the recycling project, McNiesh said, adding much of the funding has already been secured and will depend on a combination of more state and federal funds along with millions of dollars in revenues produced by the agency's fee hikes, which will increase to as much as $220 per acre foot by 2010. 

 

Right now, the current rate per acre foot is $160. 

 

An acre foot of water is generally one foot of water deep spread out across a football field. Generally, farmers use one acre foot of water per year for two acres of crops, but some crops take a little more, others a little less. #

http://www.santacruzsentinel.com/archive/2005/April/22/local/stories/06local.htm

 
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From bwl3 at comcast.net  Mon Apr 25 12:11:23 2005
From: bwl3 at comcast.net (Byron )
Date: Mon, 25 Apr 2005 12:11:23 -0700
Subject: [env-trinity] Ed Imhoff Op Ed on Selenium Criteria Revision
Message-ID: <20050425191131.D0B9D20023C2@mx.dcn.davis.ca.us>

Subject: Fwd: Ed Imhoff Op Ed on Selenium Criteria Revision

Selective Science, Poisoned Wildlife

Source: Roanoke Times & World News

Publication date: 2005-04-21

 

Twenty years ago, pools of toxic water transformed California's Kesterson
National Wildlife Refuge into an environmental disaster area. Thousands of
birds were poisoned and killed by selenium pollution draining from irrigated
fields, many so deformed that they were called "monstrosities."

 

Public outcry over the episode led to tighter controls on selenium and set
off long efforts to clean up other contaminated areas. In Kesterson's wake,
federal, state and university researchers delved into the toxicity of
selenium, and, over and over again, they concluded that established limits
are not sufficiently protective of fish and wildlife.

 

Yet, astonishingly, the Environmental Protection Agency is now poised to
move in the opposite direction, proposing a weakening of its Clean Water Act
limits based on the misinterpretation of science and the pleas of polluting
industries.

 

The threat posed by selenium pollution extends far beyond California. Though
selenium occurs naturally, it often poses little danger until released or
concentrated through human activities, such as coal, phosphate, uranium or
copper mining and the careless disposal of certain irrigation, electric
power plant or oil refinery waste waters.

 

Selenium accumulates in aquatic environments, and when it reaches a high
enough concentration, the young of sensitive species of fish are the first
to die. Selenium's danger continues onward through the aquatic food chain,
poisoning waterfowl and other wildlife exposed to toxic levels. In small
doses, selenium sustains life. In excess, it is deadly.  

 

But preventing selenium pollution can be difficult, so polluters have long
opposed even the current protections. The power industry alone reportedly
spent more than $10 million on research in an attempt to produce a
scientific record more accommodating to selenium emitters.

 

When a study of mining practices in Appalachia pointed to possible selenium
problems in the East, coal companies quickly embraced a proposed limit of
7.91 parts per million measured in fish tissue instead of water. In effect,
that limit is more lenient than the current water-based criteria; when first
informally floated by EPA in 2002, the number was fiercely criticized by

government selenium experts. Nonetheless, EPA has moved forward with the
industry-friendly number.

 

The decision-making process behind the new selenium limit was flawed from
the start, because EPA decided to accept the death of up to 20 percent of
vulnerable fish. By setting a performance target that transforms the Clean
Water Act into the "Moderately Toxic Water Act," the agency essentially
wrote off one in five fish affected by selenium pollution, a loss that would
be damaging to healthy species and absolutely devastating for endangered and
threatened populations.

 

Yet even after lowering the bar for environmental protection, the EPA still
failed to clear it. In practice, the proposed selenium limit will actually
threaten 40 percent or more of affected fish, a much higher mortality rate
than the administration predicted even for its new rule.

 

The EPA defended its proposal by referring to a study measuring selenium
poisoning in bluegill, a common freshwater fish. But Dennis Lemly, the
author of that study, says EPA consultants misread his findings and settled
on a dangerously permissive standard as a result.

 

Last year, Lemly alerted the EPA to the technical errors, both by letter and
in a paper he authored along with several other leading selenium
researchers. Still, the EPA's proposed criteria remain substantially
unchanged, at a level about twice that advocated by the agency's critics.
According to Lemly, "The tissue levels of selenium that EPA is proposing
would have killed nearly half of the fish in my experimental studies.
Clearly, the number that EPA is proposing will not sufficiently protect
aquatic life."

 

The final decision now rests with incoming EPA Administrator Steve Johnson,
the first full-time scientist ever appointed to direct the agency. In
announcing Johnson's selection, President Bush stressed, "He will ... place
sound scientific analysis at the heart of all major decisions." By
addressing the flaws behind the selenium proposal and issuing a
scientifically sound

recommendation that prevents future fish and wildlife disasters, Johnson can
realize the president's vision.

 

Imhoff, a hydrologist formerly with the U.S. Geological Survey, teaches
science at the University of Virginia.

 

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From bwl3 at comcast.net  Wed Apr 27 15:00:49 2005
From: bwl3 at comcast.net (Byron )
Date: Wed, 27 Apr 2005 15:00:49 -0700
Subject: [env-trinity] Trinity Flows
Message-ID: <20050427220623.82C252001793@mx.dcn.davis.ca.us>

Department of Interior Backs Down On Attempted Raid Of Trinity Water

 

by Dan Bacher

 

The Department of Interior, under pressure from recreational anglers, Indian
Tribes and environmental groups, recently withdrew a controversial request
to divert cold water from the Trinity River this fall to stop a fish kill on
the beleaguered Klamath River.

 

The Bureau of Reclamation on April 22 finalized the Trinity River flow
schedule for 2005, following the Trinity Management Council's rejection of
its request for a diversion of Trinity water. The flow is designed to
implement the objectives of the historic Trinity River of Decision (ROD)
issued by Bruce Babbitt in December 2000.

 

"We called Interior on its attempt to gut the Trinity River Restoration
Program and they backed down," said Byron Leydecker, chair of Friends of the
Trinity River and consultant to California Trout. "This is a very
significant victory for Trinity River restoration. If Interior's request had
gone through, it would've been the camel's nose under the tent to destroy
the total concept and vision of the Trinity Restoration program."

 

"The Hoopa Valley Tribe is glad that DOI didn't try to re-contour the ROD
flows and compromise their integrity, since this is the first year that the
Bureau can legally release ROD flows," explained Mike Orcutt, the tribe's
fishery program director and the tribe's representative on the TMC.

 

Reclamation recently determined this to be a "normal" water year in the
Trinity Basin, according to a joint press release by the Bureau and U.S. 

Fish and Wildlife Service on April 22. Under the 2000 Record of Decision for
this water year type, a total volume of 647,000 acre feet will be released
from Trinity Reservoir down the Trinity River this season.

 

The Bureau agreed to adopt a 4 day, 7,000 cubic feet per second flow, as
called for by the Trinity Management Council. This is a minor adjustment of
the standard ROD schedule for a normal year calling for a 5 day, 6,000 cfs
peak.

 

"This schedule benefits juvenile salmon and steelhead growth and survival in
late spring and early summer," explained Jeff McCracken, spokesperson for
the Bureau of Reclamation.  "The peak flows will flush significant
accumulations of fine sediment, move and redeposit gravel and scour riparian
vegetation that has growing along the channel's edge."

 

The eight member Trinity Management Council, in response to letters from the
Bureau and USF&WS, voted 7 - 1 against a fall 2005 pulse flow. They argued
that the decision, already delayed because of the lengthy court battle that
resulted in victory for the Hoopa Valley Tribe last July, needed to be
implemented without any further delays.

 

"Diverting ROD flows from their planned purposes in order to provide water
for a fall pulse flow will result in not fully meeting ROD objectives," 

stated the Council's resolution. "Therefore, the TMC does not support use of
ROD water for fall, 2005, flow releases."

 

The Tribe, in a March letter, said the Trinity Management Council (TMC) had
no authority to redirect Trinity ROD flows to be used to prevent another
lower Klamath River fish kill. The ROD provides 53 percent of Trinity River
water for irrigation and hydroelectric uses and the other 47 percent for
Trinity fisheries.

 

Clifford Lyle Marshall, chairman of the Tribe, said the Council risked
dealing a "triple blow" to restoration by postponing the ROD, under funding
it and then withholding the water needed to restore the river's
geomorphology.

 

Unfortunately, the threat of a fish kill on the Klamath remains, due to the
Bush administration's change in water policy in 2002 that favors
agribusiness over fish and downstream users. Klamath Basin farmers would
receive 70 percent of their normal irrigation water, in spite of this being
the third driest year on record. While this is a normal year in the Trinity,
most of the Klamath Basin is experiencing another drought year in a series
of dry years.

 

Snow pack in the upper Klamath Basin is estimated at 30 percent of normal,
significantly increasing the possibility that low flows and high
temperatures could lead to another die-off similar to the one that occurred
in 2002, "When combined with one of the lowest projected adult spawning
escapements in recent years, impact to fisheries in both the Trinity and
Klamath Basins could be severe," said Kirk Rodgers, regional director for
the Bureau of Reclamation in Sacramento, and Steve Thompson, U.S. Fish and
Wildlife Service regional manager, in a letter to the Trinity River
Restoration Program on April 11.

 

Although the TMC ruled against the fall pulse flow, they recommended, due to
conditions that may develop over the next several months or in any given
year, that scientists from the Klamath and Trinity coordinate "the
establishment, monitoring, and assessment of criteria for determining the
onset of die-off conditions in the Klamath River."

 

The TMC will convene and recommend emergency actions should those conditions
develop. In the meantime, the TMC "believes it prudent for Reclamation to
explore the potential for acquiring 'outside sources' of water, i.e. 

supplemental to the ROD volume, in the case the need arises."

 

In at letter to Interior before the TMC meeting, Byron Leydecker pointed out
the hypocrisy of the Bureau of Reclamation proposing use of the Trinity
water to avert another 2002-style fish kill "when the Department of Interior
has maintained that factors other than inadequate flows created the
disaster."

Leydecker said the Bureau could purchase water from Central Valley
contractors, as it did two years ago.

 

Another source of water for the Bureau to utilize to prevent a fish kill is
the 50,000 acre feet of water contracted to Humboldt County. Jill Geist,
Humboldt County Supervisor, said she was "astounded" by the ability of
Interior to continue to ignore ignoring use of the county's contract water -
and the county's willingness to have that water available for late
summer/early fall release for the Trinity and Klamath fisheries.

 

Recreational anglers, the Klamath River Indian tribes, commercial fishermen
and environmental  groups have won a big victory by stopping a potential
raid on Trinity water.  The Bureau should have considered the precarious
situation that Klamath salmon and steelhead would be in this year BEFORE
allocating near-normal water allocations to Klamath agribusiness.

 

The Klamath fishery, faced with a projected record low spawning escapement
this year, cannot afford another taxpayer-subsidized fish kill this fall.  

The Bureau must come up with a plan for procuring emergency water, such as
using Humboldt County's 50,000 acre feet of contract water or purchasing
water from Central Valley contractors, to stop a repeat of the 2002 disaster
from taking place.

 

Byron Leydecker, 

Chair, Friends of Trinity River

Consultant, California Trout, Inc.

PO Box 2327

Mill Valley, CA 94942-2327

415 383 4810 ph

415 383 9562 fx

bwl3 at comcast.net

bleydecker at stanfordalumni.org (secondary)

http://www.fotr.org

http://caltrout.org

 

 

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From bwl3 at comcast.net  Thu Apr 28 12:05:21 2005
From: bwl3 at comcast.net (Byron )
Date: Thu, 28 Apr 2005 12:05:21 -0700
Subject: [env-trinity] Eureka Times Standard April 27
Message-ID: <20050428190526.5D3722001D4B@mx.dcn.davis.ca.us>

CALIFORNIA SALMON FISHERIES:

Schwarzenegger asked to declare salmon disaster

Eureka Times-Standard - 4/27/05

By John Driscoll, staff writer

 

California salmon fishermen are asking Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger for a
disaster declaration after this year's salmon season has been all but
terminated. 

 

Eureka commercial fisherman Dave Bitts asked the Humboldt County Board of
Supervisors Tuesday to take the first step, asking Schwarzenegger for the
declaration. That could make fishermen and fishing businesses eligible for
federal disaster relief. 

 

The commercial season opens in the Monterey Bay area on May 1, but there's
no guarantee the fish will be there. The most local season doesn't begin
until September, pushing Humboldt and Del Norte county fishermen to motor
south for days to get a crack at the fish. 

 

"The expense of going down there to find out if there's fish is so great,"
Bitts said, "a lot of us won't go." 

 

He estimated it would take him 40 hours to reach the area where salmon
season opens in May. 

 

It's the most restrictive season since 1992, but it's not because there
aren't any salmon. It's because projected runs on the Klamath are so poor,
regulators can't allow them to be caught as ocean fishermen plunder
bountiful Sacramento River stocks that mix with Klamath fish. 

 

Fishermen point to two fish kills on the Klamath in 2002 as devastating to
the fishery. The first occurred in spring of that year, killing perhaps
200,000 young salmon. The next happened in the fall, when up to 68,000 adult
salmon died in the river. 

 

Analyses of the later event found low flows and warm water at the heart of
the fish kill. 

 

But while Bitts can travel to catch salmon, he said it's even more difficult
if your business is tied to a piece of property. Restaurants, hotels and
guide services for sport fishermen are hard hit when seasons are shortened
and quotas are cut. 

 

"Those businesses will likely suffer the consequences," agreed Jimmy Smith,
1st District supervisor. 

 

The season for ocean sport fishing starts late -- May 21 -- and includes a
lengthy break that cuts out most of July and part of early August. And river
fishermen got clobbered, with only 1,200 fish allowed on the Klamath and
Trinity rivers. 

 

Tribal fishermen, who had been enjoying the relative abundance of recent
years, will only be allowed to catch two-thirds of the salmon they say they
need to meet the minimum for subsistence. 

 

Complicating the matter is the fact that California commercial fishermen
caught three times their target amount last year, cutting into the number of
spawning adults that reached the river. Bitts said that was an anomaly not
predicted by regulators when they drafted the season's rules. Oregon
fishermen also caught over their limit. 

 

Last year's run was 88,777 fish, the lowest since 1978, and regulators this
year were forced to cut fishing seasons to make sure there were enough
spawners to perpetuate runs into the future. 

 

Bitts said the number of fish caught last year doesn't change fishermen's
situation this year. 

 

The board voted to send the letter to Schwarzenegger, as well as to state
and federal lawmakers, tribes and other Northern California counties.

 

 

Byron Leydecker, 

Chair, Friends of Trinity River

Consultant, California Trout, Inc.

PO Box 2327

Mill Valley, CA 94942-2327

415 383 4810 ph

415 383 9562 fx

bwl3 at comcast.net

bleydecker at stanfordalumni.org (secondary)

http://www.fotr.org

http://caltrout.org

 

 

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From AKRAUSE at mp.usbr.gov  Fri Apr 29 08:19:29 2005
From: AKRAUSE at mp.usbr.gov (Andreas Krause)
Date: Fri, 29 Apr 2005 08:19:29 -0700
Subject: [env-trinity] Fwd: Lewiston - Trinity River Release Change
Message-ID: <s271ee25.061@ibr2mprogw.mp.usbr.gov>


Project: Lewiston Dam - Trinity River Release
 
 Date      Time       From(CFS)     To(CFS)
5/6/05     0200          2500            2750
5/6/05     0300          2750            3000
5/6/05     0400          3000            3250
5/6/05     0500          3250            3500
5/6/05     0600          3500            3750
5/6/05     0700          3750            4000
5/6/05     0800          4000            4500
 
5/8/05     0600          4500            5000
5/8/05     0700          5000            5500
5/8/05     0800          5500            6000
 
5/10/05   0600          6000            6500
5/10/05   1100          6500            7000
 
Issued By: Central Valley Operations


From tstokely at trinityalps.net  Fri Apr 29 12:24:12 2005
From: tstokely at trinityalps.net (Tom Stokely)
Date: Fri, 29 Apr 2005 12:24:12 -0700
Subject: [env-trinity] Trinity flows to hit 4-decade high 
Message-ID: <01eb01c54cf1$0715b6a0$396c3940@trinitycounty.org>

Trinity flows to hit 4-decade high 
Agency won't save water to prevent another big fish kill 

By Alex Breitler, Record Searchlight
April 29, 2005 

TRINITY RIVER -- Get ready for a new Trinity River. 

Flows downriver in the coming weeks should be the highest since Trinity Dam was built more than 40 years ago, as a Clinton-era restoration plan is put into place after years of litigation. 

     
      Advertisement
      

     
The Bureau of Reclamation decided against saving some of the Trinity's water to send downstream in the fall to prevent another fish kill on the lower Klamath River. 

Instead, the vast majority of the water will be released in May, June and July, giving the Trinity strong currents that it hasn't had in decades, with the exception of flood years. 

Flows have stayed around 300 cubic feet per second (cfs) since October. By today, they should crank up to 2,000 cfs and by May 10 should peak at 7,000 cfs. 

      Go with the flow 
      Scheduled flows for the Trinity, in cubic feet per second: 

      Today: 2,000 cfs 

      Saturday: 2,500 cfs 

      May 6: 4,500 cfs 

      May 8: 6,000 cfs 

      May 10: 7,000 cfs 

      May 14: 6,000 cfs 

      May 19: 4,500 cfs 

      May 25: 3,000 cfs 

      June 8: 2,000 cfs 

      July 22: 450 cfs
     

At that level, the water will be so high that just 12 seconds of flow would be enough to supply the towns of Weaverville and Douglas City for one day. The flows will remain at 7,000 cfs for four days before slowly dropping back down. 

Until this year, flows have been limited to 6,000 cfs. In future years, they could go a lot higher -- up to 11,000 cfs in very wet seasons. 

Ecologically, the idea is to scour clean the river's gravel beds and flush juvenile salmon out toward the ocean. The flows might also be good news for rafters. 

But those who are used to a tame Trinity had better beware, the bureau warns. 

"That's an awful lot of water," said bureau spokesman Jeff McCracken. "It's going to be moving very fast, and it's going to be very cold." 

Department of Interior officials created a controversy earlier this month when they asked an advisory council to consider holding back some water to help adult salmon swimming upstream in the fall. In 2002, at least 33,000 of those fish died on the lower Klamath below its merger with Trinity due in part to low flows. 

Trinity River advocates struck back, saying the proposal would ignore years of scientific study and would "prostitute" the Trinity for political purposes. 

The advisory council rejected the fall flows, and the bureau published a flow schedule that supporters say is much closer to the vision of the original restoration plan. 

Historically, the majority of the Trinity's water has been diverted to farms in the Central Valley. The restoration plan was challenged in court but ultimately upheld last year. 

Crews are rebuilding or strengthening four bridges to withstand higher flows, and one home eventually will have to be moved. 

Rafters are gearing up for what the Trinity River Rafting Co. on its Web site calls "exceptional flows." 

Marc Rowley of the Bigfoot Rafting Co. in Willow Creek says the higher flows are good for business. 

But the swift currents are probably best for those with experience, Rowley said. Flows at 7,000 cfs are the equivalent of 52,500 gallons per second shooting through the channel. 

"It's got to be the right group of rafters," he said. "It's certainly not for average family travelers. The rapids can get quite turbulent." 

Reporter Alex Breitler can be reached at 225-8344 or at abreitler at redding.com.
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From bwl3 at comcast.net  Mon May  2 14:23:17 2005
From: bwl3 at comcast.net (Byron )
Date: Mon, 2 May 2005 14:23:17 -0700
Subject: [env-trinity] Redding Record Searchlight Editorial May 1 2005
Message-ID: <20050502212325.E3C322002E6C@mx.dcn.davis.ca.us>

WATER QUALITY IN TRINITY COUNTY:

Editorial: Pristine' Trinity waters contain a hidden hazard

Redding Record-Searchlight - 5/1/05

 

The adjective "pristine" is as tightly linked to Trinity County's mountains
as "sunny" is to "California" and "United" to "States," but looks aren't
everything. 

 

As happened everywhere the 49ers hunted for gold, miners left behind a
hidden residue of mercury, which they used to separate precious metal from
worthless rock. Quicksilver leaked from sluice boxes, but even more from
mines such as the Altoona on the East Fork of the Trinity. The crud flows
downstream until something stops it, in this case Trinity Dam. 

 

In a sad process scientists call "biomagnification," mercury concentrates as
it goes up the food chain, with a 10-fold increase at each step from
lake-bottom bacteria to plankton to bugs to little fish to big fish. At the
top of that ladder stands the angler on the lakeshore. 

 

There's no need for paranoia about mercury in fish -- as officials from the
state Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment will explain at a
Tuesday workshop in Weaverville -- but lovers of trout, salmon and bass
should be cautious, especially pregnant women and children. 

 

At worst, mercury poisoning mars babies' growing brains. The Environmental
Protection Agency says exposure in the womb can hurt children's memory,
language and motor skills. That's no way to get a start in life. 

 

The state guidelines advise that women who could become pregnant and
children eat bass and Trinity Lake chinook salmon no more than once a month,
and most other fish in the watershed no more than once a week. For older
women and men, the limits are looser -- once a week for the big fish, three
times a week for the others. 

 

Frankly, anyone who pulls his supper fresh from the water more often than
that probably feels lucky enough to take his chances, but it's worth knowing
what the experts say. 

 

It's also worth keeping things in perspective: Fish is among the healthiest
foods, and government scientists with human health in mind err on the side
of caution. Enjoy your day at the lake. 

A welcome flood on a parched river 

 

Speaking of the Trinity, the river is in the midst of a remarkable
transformation as the Bureau of Reclamation re-creates -- as far as possible
in a thoroughly plumbed and tamed waterway -- a natural spring surge that
should scour the river channel and rush young salmon on their way to the
ocean. 

 

The artificial flood is huge, taking the river from a few hundred cubic feet
per second up to a peak of 7,000 cfs on May 10. That is about the difference
between Cottonwood Creek and the entire Sacramento River. 

 

To some, the reservoir is always half-empty, and water diverted from
agriculture and power back to nature is simply a squandered resource.
Certainly, we must take human needs into account, but if the Trinity
restoration project succeeds in building healthier fisheries, there will be
a substantial economic as well as ecological payoff. 

 

And -- who knows? -- maybe the flood will wash away some leftover mercury.

 

 

Byron Leydecker, 

Chair, Friends of Trinity River

Consultant, California Trout, Inc.

PO Box 2327

Mill Valley, CA 94942-2327

415 383 4810 ph

415 383 9562 fx

bwl3 at comcast.net

bleydecker at stanfordalumni.org (secondary)

http://www.fotr.org

http://caltrout.org

 

 

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From awhitridge at snowcrest.net  Wed May  4 17:03:12 2005
From: awhitridge at snowcrest.net (Arnold Whitridge)
Date: Wed, 04 May 2005 17:03:12 -0700
Subject: [env-trinity] Mike Jackson vs Doug LaMalfa on dam policy
Message-ID: <5.1.0.14.2.20050504165058.0394d838@mail.snowcrest.net>

Well-contrasted views here,   -Arnold Whitridge


Dear Editor,

I could not disagree more with the op-ed piece about the value of dams
that you printed recently from Assemblyman Doug LaMalfa. Underlying the
gratuitous partisan attacks on environmentalists in the Assemblyman's piece
was a very important substantive misconception-that California needs more
surface water storage. Nothing could be further from the truth. The old,
out-dated, destructive paradigm that all water shortages are solved with
ever more expensive dams has been debunked thoroughly by science and
practical money management. Contrary to what Assemblyman LaMalfa would have
you believe, dinosaur dams have been eliminated by cost more often recently
than by environmental opposition. No one, particularly farmers, can afford
to pay the huge costs of building dams in the marginal places where new dams
are proposed to be located. No one, other than Uncle Sucker, or badly led
state taxpayers, would be willing to pay $300 per acre foot (Sites
Reservoir) or $1000 an acre foot (expanded Los Vaqueros) for water that
would only be available on occasion.

As for the proposed Shasta raise, how will pouring additional concrete
make it rain more? Shasta's problem is that it is not full often enough,
something like one year in 8 over the last 30 years. Assemblyman LaMalfa
should know that there is plenty of water available for Sacramento Valley
farming today and far into the future if more cheap North State water is not
"re-sold" to continue the present outrageous waste of water in Southern
California and in industrial agriculture on the westside of the San Joaquin
valley. What is the motivation for a Northern California politician to be
blaming environmentalists for opposing additional financial and
environmental waste on new dams when there are financially sound water
solutions readily available for Southern California-recycling, reuse of the
approximately 2 million ac/ft pumped into the sea in Southern California
each year, capture of more of the 1.2 million ac/ft of stormwater run-off
that rushes uninterrupted into the sea in Southern California in an average
year, de-salination of polluted groundwater, and retirement of contaminated
farmland on the westside of the San Joaquin valley? These cost effective
measures should be fully utilized before the politicians fleece the
taxpayers to pay for marginal dams that no water user in Northern California
would or could afford on their own for local use.

If Southern California water users need water they should look to their
own resources first, not Northern California rivers and groundwater basins.
They presently use 60% of their water on outside water uses while living in
a desert. They only drink one per cent of their water. They live within a
few miles of the largest water source on the planet, the Pacific Ocean.
They don't need more North state water, except that it's very cheap and some
of our politicians aren't very good at protecting it.

Michael Jackson,
Quincy, California




Too much water under the bridge for Northern Californians

By DOUG LaMALFA-Special to the DN
Red Bluff Daily News - May 2, 2005

What a thirsty California needs now is storage, more storage

It's spring. Our hillsides are green. After a year of record rains in
Southern California, the desert has bloomed. And, once again, in the North
State, precious water is rushing under our bridges and out to the sea,
lost forever. Why?

We all try to put away some money for a "rainy day." Then why don't we
store more of this year's precipitation for the dry days that are sure to
come? The answer is as simple as it is outrageous: Self-appointed
"protectors of the environment," aided and abetted by liberal allies in
the bureaucracy and Legislature, have managed to put their own peculiar
obsessions ahead of the needs of the people of California.

The simple facts of water life in California are these. We have dry years
and wet years, but over the long haul, a plentiful supply of rain and snow
falls on our state. The problem isn't a natural shortage of precipitation
it's a manmade shortage of water storage.

Earlier generations of Californians understood those facts well. For over
a century, they built dams and reservoirs not only to store water but to
control floods and create clean, renewable hydroelectric energy. Their
foresight turned California into the nation's number one agricultural
state and helped it become the most populous state in our nation. Without
our remarkable manmade water system, California would never have grown and
prospered so.

In the last four decades, however, as environmental radicals have waged a
relentless propaganda campaign, many in California have lost sight of
those realities. Since the Oroville Dam was completed in 1967,
California's population has doubled. In the same period, these extremists
fought every effort to increase water storage in the North State, even
though we are the source of most of the state's water supply.

If that isn't bad enough, the people who for decades have stopped us from
building new dams are now lobbying to blow them up. First they went after
a few small ones, here and there. Now they are targeting O'Shaughnessy Dam
at Hetch Hetchy, a 360,000-acre foot reservoir that has provided water to
San Francisco for nearly a century. Without its water supply, the Bay Area
would never have grown and prospered.

Now environmental extremists are telling us San Francisco doesn't really
need Hetch Hetchy. Ironically, the groups who so vigorously oppose all
other water plans are proposing an elaborate engineering project to
replace Hetch Hetchy. It's an interesting but hard-to-believe role
reversal.

The plan seems more like a shell game. Here's how it works. One group of
environmentalists, calling themselves "Restore Hetch Hetchy," wants to
restore the valley that was flooded to create the reservoir. In exchange,
it proposes, among other things, a new pipe from the Sierra to supply
water to the Bay Area. At the same time, however, another environmental
organization, American Rivers, opposes the pipe, saying it would harm the
Tuolumne River.

Which group do you believe? Neither one, as far as I'm concerned.

In Yolo County, Friends of the River is also pushing a bill in the
legislature that would slap a "wild and scenic" label on 31 miles of Cache
Creek. In the name of protecting natural resources, this bill could very
well threaten human lives and property by making it difficult to provide
flood protection for the growing Woodland area. Of course, that makes no
difference to extremists more concerned with the fate of delta smelt,
kangaroo rats and their next fund-raising letter, than people.

It's a gloomy picture but a ray of sunshine is breaking through. It comes
from, of all places, San Francisco. The leaders of that ultra-liberal city
are beginning to feel pinch. They don't like it. Environmentalists be
damned, they say, as they launch an all-out battle to keep Hetch Hetchy.

We in the North State have known this truth for a long time. For once, San
Francisco has gotten it right. Now, all Californians must recognize the
need for more water storage that will serve our state for generations to
come.

Assemblyman Doug LaMalfa, R-Richvale, represents Tehama County.


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From tstokely at trinityalps.net  Wed May  4 17:08:56 2005
From: tstokely at trinityalps.net (Tom Stokely)
Date: Wed, 4 May 2005 17:08:56 -0700
Subject: [env-trinity] Water agencies could lose CALFED funds 
Message-ID: <00e901c55106$a1eb4050$356c3940@trinitycounty.org>

 

CALFED:

Water agencies could lose CALFED funds 

Lodi News-Sentinel - 5/3/05

By Ross Farrow, staff writer

 

A state legislative committee will begin hearings next week to determine how much to trim from the budget of a multi-agency Delta water program that has been the target of increasing criticism this year.

The Legislature isn't likely to completely strip state funding for the California Federal Bay-Delta Program, commonly known as CALFED, but state lawmakers could pare down funding considerably for the 2005-06 fiscal year, said Bethany Westfall, a water consultant for State Sen. Mike Machado, D-Linden. 

The Bay-Delta water program has received nearly $3 billion in federal, state and local funds over a four-year period beginning in 2000, including about $402 million of state Proposition 50 water funds in the past two years, according to a CALFED report.

But Machado and other legislators have been highly critical lately about CALFED, saying the program wants too much money and does not have a detailed plan on how to spend what money it will get, Westfall said.

The Senate budget subcommittee focusing on water issues, chaired by Sen. Sheila Kuehl, D-Santa Monica, is scheduled to discuss reducing the CALFED budget to "the fundamentals" and limiting state money to critical programs, Westfall said. The subcommittee, meeting next Monday, will define just what "the fundamentals" are and what constitutes a "critical" water program, Westfall added.

Machado does not sit on the budget water subcommittee.

A Senate committee actually "zeroed out" or completely cut CALFED's budget last week, said CALFED spokesman Keith Coolidge. However, the Legislature may restore some of the money it removed, he said. 

"We are four years into what was envisioned as a 30-year project," Coolidge said. "It was never envisioned that all the problems would be solved in four years."

Coolidge said CALFED officials look at Machado's and Kuehl's criticisms of the agency as constructive and will work with them to address their concerns.

Ed Steffani, manager of the North San Joaquin Water Conservation District, agrees with Machado's criticisms about CALFED's operations.

"They've spent tons of money with very little to show," Steffani said. "It's one of the latest examples of failed consensus building."

With 25 state and federal agencies and hundreds of water districts and cities, CALFED is trying to balance competing water interests, Coolidge said.

Steffani said trying to reach consensus among varying water interests is a waste of time and money.

"I'm from the old school -- confront the enemy, and if you can't reach agreement, go to war," Steffani said.

Westfall said that Machado doesn't want to gut the CALFED program, just make it fiscally responsible with a solid spending plan.

"Mike is adamant that he doesn't want to get rid of CALFED," Westfall said. "CALFED is very important, especially to the Delta."

However, local agencies could lose the chance to gain CALFED funding for local projects similar to ones the agency has already funded.

The Woodbridge Irrigation District has benefited from CALFED through a $1.6 million grant for engineering, design and studies for environmental permits leading to the construction of the new Woodbridge Dam that is currently under construction.

The North San Joaquin district was awarded $500,000 from CALFED in 2000 for a demonstration groundwater recharge project, but Steffani says he has yet to see a penny of it.

"I'm still screwing around trying to get approval (from regulatory agencies)," he said.

Steffani said that a reduction of CALFED funding won't affect local residents and their water supply. He expects to get the $500,000 CALFED grant in the near future, but the bureaucratic red tape has discouraged him from applying for more CALFED money anyway.

"At the (slow) rate that CALFED was moving, I don't think it will make any difference," Steffani said.

Bill Jennings, who operates Delta Keeper, a nonprofit organization that monitors Delta water quality, criticized CALFED for exporting Delta water to Southern California and the southern San Joaquin Valley at the expense of fish and their habitat.

"When CALFED was established, everyone was to get healthy together," Jennings said. "It's little more than a hand-maiden to the Metropolitan Water District."

The Metropolitan Water District serves the Los Angeles area.

Jennings said that CALFED has never studied how water projects affect the Delta's ecosystem.

"Frankly, if CALFED can't establish itself as a level playing field with a goal of protecting the fish, it does not need to exist," Jennings said.

Coolidge is confident that CALFED will be funded in some form by the state. Once it goes through the Senate Budget Subcommittee on Water, it must meet the approval of the full Senate, Assembly and Governor's Office.

"There is a long process here," he said. #

http://www.lodinews.com/articles/2005/05/03/news/8_calfed_050503.txt

 
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From bwl3 at comcast.net  Thu May  5 20:28:45 2005
From: bwl3 at comcast.net (Byron )
Date: Thu, 5 May 2005 20:28:45 -0700
Subject: [env-trinity] Red Bluff Daily News - Op-Ed and Letter in Response
Message-ID: <20050506032850.8947F2001D58@mx.dcn.davis.ca.us>

 Red Bluff Daily News - May 2, 2005

Too much water under the bridge for Northern Californians

By DOUG LaMALFA-Special to the DN

What a thirsty California needs now is storage, more storage

It's spring. Our hillsides are green. After a year of record rains in
Southern California, the desert has bloomed. And, once again, in the North
State, precious water is rushing under our bridges and out to the sea, lost
forever. Why?

We all try to put away some money for a "rainy day." Then why don't we store
more of this year's precipitation for the dry days that are sure to come?
The answer is as simple as it is outrageous: Self-appointed "protectors of
the environment," aided and abetted by liberal allies in the bureaucracy and
Legislature, have managed to put their own peculiar obsessions ahead of the
needs of the people of California.

The simple facts of water life in California are these. We have dry years
and wet years, but over the long haul, a plentiful supply of rain and snow
falls on our state. The problem isn't a natural shortage of precipitation
it's a manmade shortage of water storage.

Earlier generations of Californians understood those facts well. For over a
century, they built dams and reservoirs not only to store water but to
control floods and create clean, renewable hydroelectric energy. Their
foresight turned California into the nation's number one agricultural state
and helped it become the most populous state in our nation. Without our
remarkable manmade water system, California would never have grown and
prospered so.

In the last four decades, however, as environmental radicals have waged a
relentless propaganda campaign, many in California have lost sight of those
realities. Since the Oroville Dam was completed in 1967,
California's population has doubled. In the same period, these extremists
fought every effort to increase water storage in the North State, even
though we are the source of most of the state's water supply.

If that isn't bad enough, the people who for decades have stopped us from
building new dams are now lobbying to blow them up. First they went after a
few small ones, here and there. Now they are targeting O'Shaughnessy Dam at
Hetch Hetchy, a 360,000-acre foot reservoir that has provided water to
San Francisco for nearly a century. Without its water supply, the Bay Area
would never have grown and prospered.

Now environmental extremists are telling us San Francisco doesn't really
need Hetch Hetchy. Ironically, the groups who so vigorously oppose all other
water plans are proposing an elaborate engineering project to
replace Hetch Hetchy. It's an interesting but hard-to-believe role reversal.

The plan seems more like a shell game. Here's how it works. One group of
environmentalists, calling themselves "Restore Hetch Hetchy," wants to
restore the valley that was flooded to create the reservoir. In exchange, it
proposes, among other things, a new pipe from the Sierra to supply water to
the Bay Area. At the same time, however, another environmental organization,
American Rivers, opposes the pipe, saying it would harm the Tuolumne River.

Which group do you believe? Neither one, as far as I'm concerned.

In Yolo County, Friends of the River is also pushing a bill in the
legislature that would slap a "wild and scenic" label on 31 miles of Cache
Creek. In the name of protecting natural resources, this bill could very
well threaten human lives and property by making it difficult to provide
flood protection for the growing Woodland area. Of course, that makes no
difference to extremists more concerned with the fate of delta smelt,
kangaroo rats and their next fund-raising letter, than people.

It's a gloomy picture but a ray of sunshine is breaking through. It comes
from, of all places, San Francisco. The leaders of that ultra-liberal city
are beginning to feel pinch. They don't like it. Environmentalists be
damned, they say, as they launch an all-out battle to keep Hetch Hetchy.

We in the North State have known this truth for a long time. For once, San
Francisco has gotten it right. Now, all Californians must recognize the need
for more water storage that will serve our state for generations to come.

Assemblyman Doug LaMalfa, R-Richvale, represents Tehama County.

 


Dear Editor,

I could not disagree more with the op-ed piece about the value of dams that
you printed recently from Assemblyman Doug LaMalfa.  Underlying the
gratuitous partisan attacks on environmentalists in the Assemblyman's piece
was a very important substantive misconception-that California needs more
surface water storage.  Nothing could be further from the truth.

 

The old, out-dated, destructive paradigm that all water shortages are solved
with ever more expensive dams has been debunked thoroughly by science and
practical money management.  Contrary to what Assemblyman LaMalfa would have
you believe, dinosaur dams have been eliminated by cost more often recently
than by environmental opposition.  

 

No one, particularly farmers, can afford to pay the huge costs of building
dams in the marginal places where new dams are proposed to be located.  No
one, other than Uncle Sucker, or badly led state taxpayers, would be willing
to pay $300 per acre foot (Sites Reservoir) or $1000 an acre foot (expanded
Los Vaqueros) for water that would only be available on occasion.



 

As for the proposed Shasta raise, how will pouring additional concrete make
it rain more?  Shasta's problem is that it is not full often enough,
something like one year in 8 over the last 30 years.  Assemblyman LaMalfa
should know that there is plenty of water available for Sacramento Valley
farming today and far into the future if more cheap North State water is not
"re-sold" to continue the present outrageous waste of water in Southern
California and in industrial agriculture on the westside of the San Joaquin
valley.  

 

What is the motivation for a Northern California politician to be blaming
environmentalists for opposing additional financial and environmental waste
on new dams when there are financially sound water solutions readily
available for Southern California-recycling, reuse of the approximately 2
million ac/ft pumped into the sea in Southern California each year, capture
of more of the 1.2 million ac/ft of stormwater run-off
that rushes uninterrupted into the sea in Southern California in an average
year, de-salination of polluted groundwater, and retirement of contaminated
farmland on the westside of the San Joaquin valley?  These cost effective
measures should be fully utilized before the politicians fleece the
taxpayers to pay for marginal dams that no water user in Northern California
would or could afford on their own for local use.



 

If Southern California water users need water they should look to their own
resources first, not Northern California rivers and groundwater basins.
They presently use 60% of their water on outside water uses while living in
a desert.  They only drink one per cent of their water.  They live within a
few miles of the largest water source on the planet, the Pacific Ocean.
They don't need more North state water, except that it's very cheap and some
of our politicians aren't very good at protecting it.

Michael Jackson,

Quincy, California





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From bwl3 at comcast.net  Thu May  5 21:36:13 2005
From: bwl3 at comcast.net (Byron )
Date: Thu, 5 May 2005 21:36:13 -0700
Subject: [env-trinity] Eureka Times Herald  May 4
Message-ID: <20050506043617.39BBF2001D64@mx.dcn.davis.ca.us>

TRINITY RIVER:

Stakeholder group dammed up

Eureka Times-Standard - 5/4/05 
By John Driscoll, staff writer

 

It may be easier to pass a camel through the eye of a needle than to
volunteer to help the Trinity River. 

 

People representing groups with an interest in how the river is managed are
presently clueless as to their role in a government process that makes
recommendations to agencies in charge of the river's restoration program. 

 

Eight months after their applications for the 18-member Trinity Adaptive
Management Working Group were turned in, fishermen, rafters, water and power
interests and others have no idea whether they'll be on board. 

 

"There's not really a good reason why it's taken so long," said California
Trout's Tom Weseloh, who submitted an application in September. "This is not
some plot to overthrow the United States." 

 

Rather, the working group advises agencies and tribes on the Trinity
Management Council on how to handle elements of the multimillion dollar
restoration program. 

 

The council then makes recommendations to the U.S. Interior Department. 

 

To get a seat on the committee, nominees have to get clearance -- perhaps
even from the White House. 

 

An April e-mail from U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Arcata Field Supervisor
Mike Long, sent to members of the working group, outlines the hoops the
applications must pass through. 

 

The package of applications has to go through regional and national offices
of Fish and Wildlife, assistant secretaries, congressional and legislative
affairs offices, the solicitor general, through ethics review and,
potentially, to the White House. That's leaving out a few steps. 

 

Long said he isn't sure why there are so many steps, but that it's similar
for other groups of its kind. 

 

"It's not like they're singling out this group for more scrutiny," Long
said. 

 

But decisions on this year's flow schedule were already made after the old
working group met, and the potential new members sat on the sidelines. 

 

Long has sent e-mails to the current members and the potential nominees
regarding an upcoming June meeting. It reads that the nominees are welcome
to attend the meeting as members of the public, but they won't be reimbursed
for travel. The old members will still be allowed to meet officially. 

 

The original working group, put together after the 2000 federal decision to
authorize the restoration, was more than a year in the making.

 

 

Byron Leydecker, 

Chair, Friends of Trinity River

Consultant, California Trout, Inc.

PO Box 2327

Mill Valley, CA 94942-2327

415 383 4810 ph

415 383 9562 fx

bwl3 at comcast.net

bleydecker at stanfordalumni.org (secondary)

http://www.fotr.org

http://caltrout.org

 

 

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From tstokely at trinityalps.net  Mon May  9 11:37:42 2005
From: tstokely at trinityalps.net (Tom Stokely)
Date: Mon, 9 May 2005 11:37:42 -0700
Subject: [env-trinity] Drought and Flood in the Klamath basin
Message-ID: <00c901c554c6$3401fb10$ad6c3940@trinitycounty.org>



a.. Drought spurs water fight in the Klamath Basin
(NPR, 05/08) Audio. "The battle over water continues in the Klamath River Basin on the Oregon-California border. Another year of drought has been declared, which may spell more trouble for the region."


http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=4634915

Also,

Drought? Lake's nearly full and rising 
  Published Friday MAy 6, 2005 

  By TODD KEPPLE 
Klamath Falls Herald and News 

  The Klamath Basin may be in the grips of drought, but the timing of the recent rainy spell means the 
  Bureau of Reclamation will have to spill water from Upper Klamath Lake in case the wet trend 
  continues. 

  Bureau officials worked to conserve water for months during the recent mild winter, and had managed 
  to nearly fill Upper Klamath Lake when the weather turned decidedly wet last week. 

  Now there's no room to store the extra water coming in, said Cecil Lesley, chief of water operations for 
  the Klamath Reclamation Project. 

  Flows at Link River Dam were increased this week to 3,500 cubic feet per second, or more than five 
  times the amount of water that was being released last week. 

  PacifiCorp, which operates the Link River Dam under a contract with the Bureau of Reclamation, 
  issued an advisory Thursday that localized flooding around Upper Klamath Lake is possible if heavy 
  rains occur during the next few weeks while the lake is brimful. 

  People who have property alongside the lake may want to take precautionary measures, the company 
  said, particularly since the weather forecast calls for more rain over the coming weekend. 

  "PacifiCorp has been in consultation with the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation about lake levels and 
  expected inflows," the company said in a statement Thursday. "The (Bureau of Reclamation) has taken 
  this information into consideration and directed (us) to increase flows at Link River Dam." 

  Releasing more water from Link River Dam will create space in Upper Klamath Lake to hold heavy 
  inflow that might result from rainstorms. 

  Upper Klamath Lake is considered to be full when the water level reaches 4,143.3 feet above sea level. 
  By early this week, the lake was within an inch of its maximum level. 

  In some places, that leaves only a few inches of dike to keep water from spilling onto low-lying property 
  beside the lake. 

  Officials are concerned about the possibility of strong winds affecting the lake level. A strong, sustained 
  wind can push water from one side of the lake toward the other, cause the surface elevation to vary by 
  several inches. 

  The prospect of the lake overtopping its banks comes less than two months after Gov. Ted Kulongoski 
  declared a drought emergency in Klamath County. 

  Kulongoski's drought declaration came in mid-March, when the Klamath Basin was suffering a 
  stubborn drought that left a mountain snowpack measuring about half of average. 

  The Bureau of Reclamation, hoping to conserve as much water as possible for the benefit of irrigators 
  and fish, took measures during the winter and early spring to curtail flows in the Klamath River and 
  hold water back in Upper Klamath Lake. 

  By late April, it appeared the lake would come close to filling. That's when the rains started coming, 
  swelling streams and rivers feeding into Upper Klamath Lake. 

  The Williamson River, for instance, was flowing at 1,310 cubic feet per second Thursday at a stream 
  gauging station near Chiloquin. That's still below average for this time of year, but much higher than 
  the 865 cfs flowing in the river only two weeks ago. 

  As a result, the remaining space in the lake filled quickly, and left no room to spare for any sudden 
  inflows that might result from new storms. 

  Releasing more water from Upper Klamath Lake will boost flows in the Klamath River, where fishery 
  interests have been concerned about low flows affecting runs of salmon, including the threatened coho. 

  The rains come as welcome relief for irrigators, Lesley said. But while the rains have been enough to 
  top off the lake, they haven't been enough to wipe out the effects of several dry months over the winter. 

  "The wet weather has slowed down the use of irrigation water, and we don't expect extensive irrigation 
  in the Project for probably another two weeks, which is well into our regular irrigation season," Lesley 
  said. 

  "However, we just received the first of May (streamflow) forecast, and it still calls for dry conditions, as 
  far as inflow to the lake is concerned." 

  Lesley said the rains have also brought very little relief to the Project's east side, where irrigators rely 
  on Clear Lake and Gerber Reservoir. 

  "Both of them have received minor amounts of water," Lesley said. "Clear Lake is still extremely dry, 
  and we've seen some increases in Gerber, but it still won't be a full supply." 

  Falls revealed: Here's how to see them 

  The falls for which Klamath Falls is named largely disappeared 85 years ago when the 
  California-Oregon Power Co. built a dam on Link River, the outlet of Upper Klamath Lake. 

  Remnants of the falls can still be seen, however, particularly in relatively wet years when Upper 
  Klamath Lake fills and extra water is released from the dam, as is the case this week. 

  To see the falls, take the Link River Trail from its southern trailhead, near the Favell Museum. Hike 
  slightly more than a half-mile up the trail, to the point where the north half of the trail is closed due to 
  construction work. 

  Several unmarked paths lead down to the river's edge. Thick brush and blackberry brambles can make 
  the going difficult. The north half of the trail is closed to keep the public away from the construction 
  zone where a new fish ladder was recently installed. 

  - By Todd Kepple 

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From danielbacher at hotmail.com  Mon May  9 23:54:57 2005
From: danielbacher at hotmail.com (Daniel Bacher)
Date: Mon, 09 May 2005 23:54:57 -0700
Subject: [env-trinity] Action Alert: Help Stop Water Marketing Bill in
	Sacramento
Message-ID: <BAY16-F19419D7C23E8265414E8A7DB1F0@phx.gbl>

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From tstokely at trinityalps.net  Wed May 11 11:03:13 2005
From: tstokely at trinityalps.net (Tom Stokely)
Date: Wed, 11 May 2005 11:03:13 -0700
Subject: [env-trinity] Miller demands answers on Delta
Message-ID: <021b01c55653$b5c35980$a76c3940@trinitycounty.org>

 WATER POLICY:

Miller demands answers on Delta

Contra Costa Times - 5/7/05

By Mike Taugher, staff writer

 

A Bay Area congressman and leading voice in California water policy is warning that immediate action is needed to avoid a potential ecological disaster in the Delta.

 

Rep. George Miller, responding to a Sunday report in the Contra Costa Times about a sudden, sharp decline in populations of several fish and other organisms, said the ongoing collapse could be a sign that the Delta is facing a crisis like it did in the early 1990s.

 

"What I want to know is, are we repeating history here, and are we putting too much pressure on the Delta?" Miller, D-Martinez, said in an interview Friday.

 

In particular, Miller questioned a basic tradeoff underlying CalFed, the highly ambitious multibillion dollar water program designed 10 years ago to avert another Delta water crisis. That deal assumes, in essence, that more water can be pumped out of the Delta for farms and cities in Central and Southern California if more money is invested in environmental improvements.

 

"The basic, fundamental assumptions that were made either were wrong or we put too much stress on the Delta," said Miller, the author of a 1992 law that rededicated Delta water from Central Valley farms to the environment.

 

Miller has drafted a letter demanding information from state and federal water agencies about when they recognized the problem and what has been done about it. He also wants to know why the crisis was reported in the Times before members of Congress were notified.

 

"Given the substantial state and federal financial investments in the CalFed program, it is incumbent on you to demonstrate that you are responding appropriately to the potential of an ecological disaster," the letter reads.

 

On Friday, Miller distributed the letter to Northern California members of Congress, asking them to sign it before the letter is delivered next week to the water agencies.

 

CalFed deputy director Keith Coolidge said state and federal agencies involved in the program are handling the situation appropriately and that it is too early to blame the declines on pumping because several other possible causes for the ecological decline exist.

 

"They're not sure yet how to narrow that down," Coolidge said. "It is possible that it's a combination of many different things."

 

State and federal scientists are compiling a research plan and hope to shorten the list of possible causes by fall.

 

The Times reported May 1 that scientists are deeply concerned about steep declines in the number of fish caught in annual trawls in the Delta. All of the major open-water fish species appear to be in decline, along with zooplankton. One zooplankton species that is an important food source for other species has fallen to extremely low levels, which could dramatically disrupt the food chain.

 

Scientists do not know what is causing the crisis, but the top suspected factors fall into three categories: invasive species, toxins, including pesticides, and increased pumping.

 

Critics of the Delta pumping note that water was moved out of the Delta at near record levels during the past two years. And the three highest pumping levels recorded are in 2000, 2003 and 2004.

 

"It is totally obvious. You have three of the highest exports in history (in the past five years) and now you have this problem in the Delta," said Tom Graff, a lawyer for Environmental Defense in Oakland. "Duh, is my reaction."

 

The decline in fish levels is the latest problem for CalFed, which has been levied with severe criticism from key state lawmakers over its plan to pay for its programs.

 

Some legislators have threatened to cut CalFed's state monies next year to a "life-support" level.

 

Since the CalFed program was finalized in 2000, it has spent or committed $3 billion, with $1 billion of that coming from state bonds, a source of funding that could begin running out for some programs next year. Last December, CalFed's governing board released an $8 billion, 10-year plan through 2015 that a key legislator, state Sen. Mike Machado, D-Linden, panned as highly unrealistic.

 

And lawmakers have been frustrated by CalFed's refusal, so far, to develop a more realistic financial blueprint for the coming decade. If legislators follow through with the threat and withdraw support for CalFed, that would complicate efforts by California's congressional delegation to win more federal money.

 

In response, Sen. Dianne Feinstein met Friday with key state lawmakers and California water officials in Los Angeles to discuss recent controversy over the finance plan.

 

"It was an opportunity for Senator Feinstein to meet with some of the leadership to discuss the importance of keeping CalFed alive and moving forward," said Feinstein spokesman Howard Gantman.

 

The Schwarzenegger administration is expected to make its request for CalFed funding as part of its May budget proposal. #

http://www.contracostatimes.com/mld/cctimes/email/news/11589338.htm

 
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From AKRAUSE at mp.usbr.gov  Wed May 11 13:17:10 2005
From: AKRAUSE at mp.usbr.gov (Andreas Krause)
Date: Wed, 11 May 2005 13:17:10 -0700
Subject: [env-trinity] Fwd: Lewiston - Trinity River Release Change
Message-ID: <s28205dc.042@ibr2mprogw.mp.usbr.gov>


Project: Lewiston Dam - Trinity River Release
 
 Date      Time       From(CFS)     To(CFS)
5/13/05   2200         7,000            6,500
5/14/05   0200         6,500            6,000
 
5/16/05   0100         6,000            5,600
 
5/17/05   0100         5,600            5,200
 
5/18/05   0100         5,200            4,800
 
5/19/05   0100         4,800            4,500
 
5/21/05   0100         4,500            4,200
 
5/21/05   2200         4,200            4,000
5/22/05   0200         4,000            3,900
 
5/22/05   2200         3,900            3,700
5/23/05   0200         3,700            3,600
 
5/23/05   2200         3,600            3,400
5/24/05   0200         3,400            3,300
 
5/24/05   2200         3,300            3,100
5/25/05   0200         3,100            3,000
 
Issued By: Central Valley Operations


From tstokely at trinityalps.net  Wed May 11 14:31:50 2005
From: tstokely at trinityalps.net (Tom Stokely)
Date: Wed, 11 May 2005 14:31:50 -0700
Subject: [env-trinity] Times-Standard- Hoopa primary sends four races to
	general run-off 
Message-ID: <039601c55670$d8400f90$a76c3940@trinitycounty.org>

Eureka Times-Standard 
http://www.times-standard.com/Stories/0,1413,127~2896~2861586,00.html# 
Hoopa primary sends four races to general run-off 
By The Times-Standard 

Tuesday, May 10, 2005 - 

EUREKA -- Once again, Duane Sherman Sr. and Clifford Lyle 
Marshall will be facing each other in an election to determine who 
will lead the Hoopa Valley Tribe. 

>From a field of three candidates for the tribal chairmanship, 
Marshall and Sherman were the survivors. Marshall has 309 votes 
to Sherman's 267. The third candidate -- A. Billy Colegrove -- 
received 168 votes. 

Sherman and Marshall, who have faced off before, will go 
head-to-head in the June 21 general election. 

For the Agency District, Edward Guyer II with 205 votes and Byron 
Nelson Jr. with 168 votes will vie for a seat on the tribal council in 
June. Richard Marshall received 80 votes, Carol Ann 
McCullough-Cunha 139 votes and Mary Jane Risling received 147. 

For the Bald Hills District, the run-off will be between LeRoy Jackson, 
who received 339 votes, and Rob Roy Latham Jr. with 221 votes. Ben 
Branham Jr. received 180 votes. 

In the Hostler/Matilton District, Wendy "Poppy" George took the prize 
with 432 votes. There will be no run-off for this seat. Mikyowe 
Jackson got 53 votes and Daniel Pratt Sr. got 247 votes. 

In the Soctish/Cheynone District, Margaret Mattz-Dickson got 322 
votes while Arnold Beeson came in with 165 votes. They will battle 
for the seat in June. Ryan Jackson got 143 votes and Bonny 
Marshal-Roberts got 108 votes. 

According to a press release from the tribe, 751 votes were tallied 
from the total of 1,315 who were eligible to cast ballots. The election 
took place on April 26. 

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From tstokely at trinityalps.net  Wed May 11 16:41:21 2005
From: tstokely at trinityalps.net (Tom Stokely)
Date: Wed, 11 May 2005 16:41:21 -0700
Subject: [env-trinity] Wendy Reiss Appointed District 5 Supervisor
Message-ID: <04a101c55682$f192e3c0$a76c3940@trinitycounty.org>

kfrost at trinitycounty.org wrote:

The Appointment Secretary's Office has just notified the Chairman of the Board of Supervisors that the Governor has appointed Wendy Reiss, as Supervisor to District 5.  



Kelly Frost

Deputy Clerk of the Board

Trinity County Board of Supervisors

P.O. Box 1613

Weaverville, CA  96093

Phone:  (530) 623-1217

Fax: (530) 623-8398


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From bwl3 at comcast.net  Wed May 11 23:46:11 2005
From: bwl3 at comcast.net (Byron )
Date: Wed, 11 May 2005 23:46:11 -0700
Subject: [env-trinity] Eureka Times Standard May 11 2005
Message-ID: <20050512064626.754E3200099B@mx.dcn.davis.ca.us>

High Trinity: Big water aimed at salmon restoration 
By John Driscoll The Times-Standard 

Wednesday, May 11, 2005 - 

Every three seconds the weight of a modern locomotive in water is being
released from 
Lewiston Dam into the Trinity River. 

This week's flows are the biggest from the dam since it was built in the
1960s, except for water 
spilled in flood years. The water is cold and dangerous and the releases
come as recent storms 
pumped water into tributaries. 

Tribes, fishermen and agencies are hoping the river and its salmon and
steelhead will begin to 
experience a partial rebirth with the big water. Fine sediment should be
flushed from 
spawning gravels, while vegetation creeping toward the channel is stripped
away. 

Mike Orcutt, senior biologist with the Hoopa Tribe, called Tuesday historic.


"The missing element has always been the flows," Orcutt said. "That's
something to be proud 
of." 

Orcutt said major hurdles -- including decades of scientific study and years
in court -- have 
been cleared. More restoration work remains to be done, he said. 

The Trinity River Restoration Program has about 20 people in several
locations taking water 
and sediment samples to help figure out just how the river channels during
the big pulse. 
Other crews are measuring the high water mark with stakes in about 150
spots, and watching 
to see if any properties are at risk. 

Seven thousand cubic feet of water per second marks the highest flow planned
for this year, 
and that will begin to slowly decrease Friday toward typical summer releases
of only 450 cfs 
by July 22. 

Now that water-constricting bridges on the river have been replaced, 7,000
cfs could be small 
potatoes compared to wetter years. In the wettest of years, nearly 11,000
cfs could be released. 

Nita Rowley has lived in Willow Creek since 1954, and remembers the river
before the dams. 
She said people took big spring water in stride then, and didn't let their
kids swim until July. 
But after the dams, Rowley saw paltry winter flows she described as sad. 

Tuesday, it looked like something out of the past. 

"I like to see the river bank-full," Rowley said. "I know it's cleaning it
out." 

Public safety officials are warning anyone near the river to be particularly
careful and 
mindful of their children, who should be wearing life jackets in the
vicinity of the torrent at 
all times. 

 

 

Byron Leydecker, 

Chair, Friends of Trinity River

Consultant, California Trout, Inc.

PO Box 2327

Mill Valley, CA 94942-2327

415 383 4810 ph

415 383 9562 fx

bwl3 at comcast.net

bleydecker at stanfordalumni.org (secondary)

http://www.fotr.org

http://caltrout.org

 

 

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From danielbacher at hotmail.com  Thu May 12 10:34:08 2005
From: danielbacher at hotmail.com (Daniel Bacher)
Date: Thu, 12 May 2005 10:34:08 -0700
Subject: [env-trinity] Congress Members Seek Delta Fish Decline Answers
Message-ID: <BAY16-F331A04F35736D2E90415FEDB110@phx.gbl>

UNITED STATES CONGRESS

?

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Thursday, May 12, 2005

CONTACT: Tom Kiley (Miller), 202-225-2095

???????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????

?

MEMBERS OF CONGRESS SEEK

ANSWERS ON DELTA FISH DECLINE

?

WASHINGTON, D.C. ? Members of Congress from California and Arizona today 
called on state and federal agencies to explain their actions in the face of 
drastic declines in fish populations of the San Francisco Bay and Delta 
region, the west coast?s largest estuary.

?

Such a decline could signal severe ecological and economic consequences 
throughout California and undermine major water reforms designed to protect 
the region.

?

Recent reports indicate that the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta?s fish 
populations up and down the food chain are in precipitous decline, including 
threatened delta smelt, young striped bass, threadfin shad, and copepods.

?

Yet public statements from the state and federal officials charged with 
maintaining this fragile and critical ecosystem demonstrate uncertainty as 
to their understanding of the causes of this crisis. In addition, although 
scientists at the agencies have described the potential of an ecosystem-wide 
collapse as ?scary,? none of the relevant agencies have sufficiently 
explained their actions to date.

?

Sixteen members of Congress ? including Rep. George Miller (D-CA-Martinez), 
author of the historic 1992 Central Valley Project Improvement Act, House 
Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-CA-San Francisco), and Rep. Grace 
Napolitano (D-CA-Norwalk), senior Democrat on the House Water Subcommittee ? 
sent the letter today to Interior Secretary Gale Norton and California?s 
Resources Secretary Michael Chrisman, asking them to explain when they first 
became aware of the problem, how the agencies under their watch had 
responded, and why Congress was not warned of the problem when the critical 
data first became available.

?

The lawmakers advised in their letter that ?any number of actions affecting 
the Bay and Delta have been allowed to go forward with the assumption that 
those actions could coexist with a recovering ecosystem and improved fish 
populations. If such assumptions are no longer operational, we may need to 
rethink those actions.?

?

In sending the letter today, Miller said: ?This issue is bigger than whether 
individual species are thriving or not: California?s water supply for 
households, farmers, fishermen, boaters, and the environment depends on a 
healthy Delta ecosystem. The agencies need to explain what they knew and 
when they knew it, and if there?s a problem, we need to see a plan to fix 
it.?

?

In 2004, Congress approved a federal-state water plan, known as Cal-Fed 
(H.R. 2828), to providing federal funding to achieve compromises among water 
users, environmental needs, and the concerns of other stakeholders. Today?s 
letter notes that better information about the Delta is vital to maintain 
confidence in that process and in the operations of the state and federal 
departments.

?

Below is the full text of the letter, including all 16 signatories.

?

***

?

May 12, 2005

?

Dear Secretary Norton and Secretary Chrisman:

?

The goal of California water policy for over a decade has been to put 
"policy before plumbing"; in order to ensure financial and environmental 
viability, that is, we must develop sound policy before multi-billion dollar 
investments are made. But the present Delta ecosystem crisis strongly 
suggests that current policy is as deeply troubled as the Delta itself, 
putting those investments at risk.

?

Disclosure of an "ongoing crisis" in the health of the Sacramento-San 
Joaquin Delta necessitates an immediate and comprehensive response by state 
and federal officials.1 Reports indicate that the Delta's fish populations 
up and down the food chain are "mysteriously collapsing," including 
threatened delta smelt, young striped bass, threadfin shad, and copepods. In 
addition to impacts on commercial fisheries, the decline of the fish 
populations of the San Francisco Bay and Delta region - the West Coast's 
largest estuary - could cascade into serious economic consequences 
throughout California.

?

Congress passed the CalFed bill last year for the express purpose of 
providing federal funding to achieve compromises among water users, 
environmental needs, and the concerns of other stakeholders. Any number of 
actions affecting the Bay and Delta has been allowed to go forward with the 
assumption that those actions could coexist with a recovering ecosystem and 
improved fish populations. If such assumptions are no longer operational, we 
may need to rethink those actions.

?

We are deeply troubled that the agencies under your watch did not provide 
Congress with any timely warning of this problem, although data were 
evidently available for some time indicating that species were in decline. 
Press accounts indicate a great deal of uncertainty as to your agencies' 
understanding of the causes of this crisis, or what you intend to do in 
response.? An official from the Metropolitan Water District is quoted in one 
article as saying that "it's quite apparent that we don't know what's going 
on in the Delta."? Such observations do not generate a great deal of 
confidence in the operations of your departments or in CalFed itself.

?

When did your agencies first become aware of this crisis? Please provide all 
relevant communication that would explain why this story was first made 
public by the press, rather than through official communications.

?

What steps have you taken to date? Press accounts seem to indicate that 
official actions have not reflected these significant scientific concerns. 
Please provide documentation of any actions taken in response to the data 
showing the declines in the Delta's fish populations. Your response should 
include internal and intra-agency communications, as well as any 
communications between your agency and water users, their representatives, 
and other stakeholders.

?

Given the substantial state and federal financial investments in the CalFed 
program, it is incumbent on you to demonstrate that you are responding 
appropriately to the potential of an ecological disaster, not only through 
the CalFed process but under other statutory authorities, including the 
Endangered Species Act, the Central Valley Project Improvement Act, and the 
Clean Water Act.

?

As the relevant House Appropriations bills are likely to be under 
consideration by the end of this month, please provide your responses before 
May 23, 2005.

?

Sincerely,

?

GEORGE MILLER?????? ??????????????????????? ??????????? NANCY PELOSI???????? 
??????????? ELLEN O. TAUSCHER

GRACE F. NAPOLITANO????? ??????????? ??????????? MIKE THOMPSON???? 
??????????? HENRY WAXMAN

JUANITA MILLENDER-McDONALD?????????? ??????????? 
??????????????????????????????????? TOM LANTOS???????????

MICHAEL M. HONDA?????????? ??????????????????????? RA?L M. GRIJALVA 
??????????? LOIS CAPPS

LYNN C. WOOLSEY? ??????????????????????? ??????????? SAM FARR???? 
??????????????????????? BARBARA LEE?????????

HILDA L. SOLIS???????? ??????????????????????? ??????????? FORTNEY PETE 
STARK

?

Copies of the letter were also sent to:

?

Director Patrick Wright, California Bay-Delta Authority; Commissioner John 
Keys, Bureau of Reclamation; Director Lester Snow, Department of Water 
Resources; Director L. Ryan Broddrick, Department of Fish and Game; Acting 
Director Matthew Hogan, US Fish & Wildlife Service; California Congressional 
Delegation; Senator Sheila Kuehl; Senator Michael Machado; Assemblymember 
Lois Wolk; and the Association of California Water Agencies.

?

www.house.gov/georgemiller

?




From danielbacher at hotmail.com  Thu May 12 12:14:27 2005
From: danielbacher at hotmail.com (Daniel Bacher)
Date: Thu, 12 May 2005 12:14:27 -0700
Subject: [env-trinity] Decline In Delta Food Chain Alarms Scientists
Message-ID: <BAY16-F70285A916F0B758C11F43DB110@phx.gbl>

Decline In Delta Forage Species Alarms Scientists

by Dan Bacher

At first review, Central Valley fish populations appear to be on the road to 
recovery.

The estimated ocean abundance of Sacramento River fall chinook salmon this 
year is the highest ever recorded ? nearly 1.7 million. Spring run and 
winter run salmon populations, although still a fraction of historical 
levels, are on a definite upswing.

The legal striped bass population, after plummeting because of years of 
decline, grew from 600,000 to over1.5 million fish between 1996 and 2001, 
according to the DFG.

And the white sturgeon population was estimated at 147,000 in 1997, while 
the current population is estimated at 80,000 with a present annual legal 
harvest rate of 5 percent, said Patrick Coulston, supervising biologist for 
DFG's Bay-Delta Branch. The population is regarded as ?stable? by the DFG 
and is a far cry from the early 1900?s when the fish nearly become extinct 
in the Bay-delta estuary.

Yet amidst the positive signs among Central Valley game fish species, the 
Delta ecosystem appears to be in unprecedented trouble. ?The Delta?s open 
water fish populations are mysteriously collapsing in a crisis that 
threatens the food web of the West Coast?s largest estuary,? stated Mike 
Taugher in his in-depth article, "Environmental Sirens in the Delta are 
Screaming,? in the Contra Costa Times on May 1.

Taugher?s story, featuring interviews with state and federal fishery 
biologists, makes the following alarming contentions.

? ?Delta smelt, already a threatened species, fell last fall to the lowest 
level ever measured,? said Taugher.

? The juvenile striped bass population has also fallen to the lowest level 
recorded, according to the annual Department of Fish and Game surveys.

? ?The key food source for small fish in the Delta, tiny organisms called 
copepods, a plummeting as well with numbers of a key species falling to 
extremely low levels,? he stated.

The article continues, ?The rapid multiple declines could trigger measures 
that might affect water quality and supply from Contra Costa County to 
Southern California. Scientists say information in a number of different 
surveys of the Delta and Suisun Marsh revealed an ongoing, sweeping 
population crash that could not be explained by drought or any other easily 
identifiable cause.?

Randall Baxter, DFG Bay-Delta Program biologist, in a phone interview with 
me on May 11, confirmed the bad news about the Delta?s open water forage 
species, although he was not yet willing to describe it as a ?population 
crash? before more research is done on the decline and its causes. The 
dramatic decline in open water species started about 3 years ago.

?The Delta smelt, threadfin shad, longfin smelt and juvenile striped bass 
numbers have dropped from low levels to even lower levels now,? he noted. 
?The populations have further diminished even though the water conditions 
have improved slightly.?

He is most perplexed that adult striped bass numbers remain relatively 
strong, according to DFG tagging studies, while the numbers documented in 
the annual juvenile surveys continue to plummet.

Nonetheless, he emphasized, ?the copepods that sustain the food chain have 
declined to the lowest levels ever. Something really serious is going on in 
the Delta. We?re in the process of developing studies to narrow down the 
cause of these declines that we will implement in June.?

Baxter also explained that his surveys haven?t looked at the bottom 
(benthic) organisms and have concentrated on the large river channels and 
islands. ?We haven?t looked at other areas like Discovery Bay or the 
Sacramento Deep water Channel,? he said.

Their surveys documenting the decline in threadfin shad have been backed by 
reports of sharp drops in fishing success among commercial threadfin shad 
fishermen. ?The commercial guys are having to work much harder and longer to 
get bait for the shops,? he concluded.

There are three main factors that the DFG and federal government believe may 
be responsible for the alarming declines.

First, toxic chemicals, including pesticides and herbicides, may be having a 
big impact upon these forage species.

Second, introduced species, such as the Asian clam and feria densa (an 
aquatic plant), are believed to be impacting the food chain. Interestingly 
enough, the mitten crab population, after a population explosion in the late 
1990?s, has declined to much smaller numbers now.

Third, continuing exports of Delta water have changed the Delta hydrology 
and are providing poorer habitat for these open water fish and 
invertebrates.  Notably, the Delta pumps at Byron and Tracy exported water 
to the Westside Water District and Southern California at the second and 
third highest rates ever over the past two years!

Fisherman?s groups and environmental organizations quickly reacted to the 
news of the declines by blasting the state and federal governments for 
pushing plans for more exports at a time when the Delta forage species are 
in such bad shape.

?The truly estuarine species such as striped bass are being most impacted by 
the decline of the Delta food chain,? said John Beuttler, consultant for the 
California Sportfishing Protection Alliance and former executive director of 
United Anglers. ?Yet the federal and state governments have abandoned 
striped bass restoration in favor of restoring ESA listed species like the 
winter run and spring run chinooks.?

The same is the case of the American shad, another fish that spends a lot of 
time in the estuary. ?In spite of one good shad season, we haven?t had 
really good shad runs in years,? contended Beuttler.

In contrast, king salmon and steelhead spend a relatively short time in the 
Delta as they move down from the rivers to feed in the ocean.

Beuttler faults the Calfed Program for meeting its goals of shoring up 
levees and providing ?reliable water sources? for farms and cities, but 
failing to accomplish its fish restoration goals.

?Hundreds of millions were spend to restore wetlands and riparian habitat,? 
he said. ?However, with a change in administrations in Washington, the 
restoration program ran into a problem; the water contractors wanted 
virtually all of the water for themselves.?

The whole focus of the Calfed Program changed from trying to restore the 
ecosystem to focusing on developing more water storage facilities, including 
the proposed raising of Shasta Dam, building another dam on the San Joaquin 
River and constructing so-called South Delta ?improvements.?

?We have consistently pointed out in CALFED and agency forums that export 
rates must be reduced, not increased, if the system?s food web is to be 
restored to a healthy productive capacity,? said Beuttler. ?We pointed out 
more than a decade ago ? and we?ve repeated it incessantly ? that exporting 
some 60 percent of the estuary?s water and food web to points south has, 
beyond it?s annual deleterious impacts, cumulative affects which appeared to 
be driving this declining ecological productively to the brink.?

At the same time that biologists are documenting the decline of the Delta 
food chain, the CALF?D leadership has made it known that the stalled South 
Delta Improvement Project is back on track with a draft environmental impact 
report due out in June. The project will increase diversion rates from 6,300 
cfs to 8,500 cfs. ?If that goes well, increasing diversion rates to 10,000 
cfs and over looms over the ecosystem,? warned Beuttler.

?The theme of Calfed was ?let?s get better together?,? said Beuttler. 
?However, under the current administrations in Washington and Sacramento, 
the only guys that are getting better together are the water contractors. 
Since we apparently can?t get better together, let?s at least figure how to 
remove the steam roller off our fisheries!?

House Democrats also reacted strongly to news of the decline. On May 12, 
Members of Congress from California and Arizona, led by Congressman George 
Miller (D-Martinez), called on state and federal agencies to explain their 
actions in the face of "drastic declines" in fish populations of the San 
Francisco Bay and Delta region, the west coast?s largest estuary.

With the alarming decline of open water species in the Delta being 
documented by scientists now, it is crucial that the federal and state 
governments immediately suspend all attempts to increase water exports. 
Unless the problems of the Delta are dealt with immediately, we can expect 
to see the gamefish recoveries of recent years flushed down the California 
Aqueduct and  Delta-Mendota Canal.




From bwl3 at comcast.net  Thu May 12 14:36:10 2005
From: bwl3 at comcast.net (Byron )
Date: Thu, 12 May 2005 14:36:10 -0700
Subject: [env-trinity] Congressional Letter on Delta
Message-ID: <20050512213635.3F9852000471@mx.dcn.davis.ca.us>

See attached letter on Delta demise initiated by George Miller.

 

Byron Leydecker, 

Chair, Friends of Trinity River

Consultant, California Trout, Inc.

PO Box 2327

Mill Valley, CA 94942-2327

415 383 4810 ph

415 383 9562 fx

bwl3 at comcast.net

bleydecker at stanfordalumni.org (secondary)

http://www.fotr.org

http://caltrout.org

 

 

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From bwl3 at comcast.net  Thu May 12 15:13:34 2005
From: bwl3 at comcast.net (Byron )
Date: Thu, 12 May 2005 15:13:34 -0700
Subject: [env-trinity] Congressional Letter on Salmon
Message-ID: <20050512221348.C3A6A2002F47@mx.dcn.davis.ca.us>

Here's a Congressional letter on salmon disaster that Thompson and DeFazio
sent to the Commerce Secretary today.  All the California and Oregon
Democrats (37) signed on.

 

 

Byron Leydecker, 

Chair, Friends of Trinity River

Consultant, California Trout, Inc.

PO Box 2327

Mill Valley, CA 94942-2327

415 383 4810 ph

415 383 9562 fx

bwl3 at comcast.net

bleydecker at stanfordalumni.org (secondary)

http://www.fotr.org

http://caltrout.org

 

 

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From bwl3 at comcast.net  Thu May 12 15:14:49 2005
From: bwl3 at comcast.net (Byron )
Date: Thu, 12 May 2005 15:14:49 -0700
Subject: [env-trinity] FW: Congressional Letter on Salmon
Message-ID: <20050512221500.CF0962002E7B@mx.dcn.davis.ca.us>

Forgot to attach the letter.

 

Byron

 

  _____  

From: Byron [mailto:bwl3 at comcast.net] 
Sent: Thursday, May 12, 2005 2:14 PM
To: FOTR List (fotr at mailman.dcn.org); Trinity List Server
(env-trinity at mailman.dcn.org); Salmon Coalition (salmon at pelicannetwork.net);
Env-Klamath (env-klamath at igc.topica.com)
Subject: Congressional Letter on Salmon

 

Here's a Congressional letter on salmon disaster that Thompson and DeFazio
sent to the Commerce Secretary today.  All the California and Oregon
Democrats (37) signed on.

 

 

Byron Leydecker, 

Chair, Friends of Trinity River

Consultant, California Trout, Inc.

PO Box 2327

Mill Valley, CA 94942-2327

415 383 4810 ph

415 383 9562 fx

bwl3 at comcast.net

bleydecker at stanfordalumni.org (secondary)

http://www.fotr.org

http://caltrout.org

 

 

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From bwl3 at comcast.net  Mon May 16 11:01:28 2005
From: bwl3 at comcast.net (Byron )
Date: Mon, 16 May 2005 11:01:28 -0700
Subject: [env-trinity] Trinity River LA Times May 16 2005
Message-ID: <20050516180652.636FF2002F7E@mx.dcn.davis.ca.us>

A River Rises to Reclaim Its Past

 

The Trinity has lost water, fish and freedom over the years. A federal
project has let it run wild again.

 By Bettina Boxall

 Times Staff Writer

 

 May 16, 2005

 

 LEWISTON, Calif. - A series of short siren blasts signaled a climactic
moment in a decades-long battle over the Trinity River, which, like so many
rivers in California, has lost much of its water, its fish and its freedom.

 

 As a gate lifted on the small concrete Lewiston Dam, about an hour's
winding drive west of Redding, water spilled down an apron into the Trinity.
Federal dam managers, who have spent the last 40 years sucking water from
the river and sending most of its flow to the farm fields of the Central
Valley, were letting the Trinity go.

 

 The river ran frothy and aqua-green, knocking down willow trees along its
banks, muscling over its sandy shoulders and roaring under bridges. It was
fast. It was rambunctious. For four days, it was its old self.

 

 The water release, which tapered over the weekend, is key to one of the
most ambitious river restoration efforts in the West, intended to revive the
Trinity's long-suffering salmon and steelhead runs.

 

 The U.S. Bureau of Reclamation, the West's preeminent dam master, has
increased flows on other rivers to protect endangered fish. But the agency
says that it has never given back so much water to a single river for
environmental restoration anywhere in the country.

 

 "This is exciting. A lot of people have been working for this for a long
time," Rod Wittler, senior scientist with the Trinity River Restoration
Program, said as he watched the dam gate inch open. "I think of all the
rivers in California, the plan for restoring this one can work. There's a
real chance of success here."

 

 The restoration, ordered by then-Interior Secretary Bruce Babbitt in 2000
but stalled by lawsuits until this year, allows about half the Trinity's
volume to stay in the 130-mile-long river, which cuts through the Trinity
Alps before veering west and joining the Klamath River on its way to the
Pacific.

 

 Up until now, 75% of the Trinity's water - and at times as much as 90% -
has been piped through a mountain tunnel to the Sacramento River, which
carries it south to the Delta and a federal aqueduct that feeds the Central
Valley.

 

 Babbitt's was the most sweeping order of several issued in the last 25
years to maintain flows for the river's steelhead, chinook and coho salmon
populations, which have plunged to roughly one-fifth of what they were
before the Trinity and Lewiston dams were completed in 1963, capturing the
river's frigid headwaters.

 

 "It was nothing to catch 100 fish if you left your net in. Today you're
lucky if you catch 10," said LeRoy Jackson, a council member of the Hoopa
Valley Indian Tribe, one of the driving forces behind the river's
restoration. 

 

 The dams stopped spring flooding that scoured sand from the river's bottom,
washed young trees and bushes out of the channel, and kept the water cold.
The riverbed grew narrower, its edges choked with growth. Fish spawning beds
were buried in sand; the shallow back pools in which juvenile salmon could
rest and feed disappeared. Trapped behind the dams, gravel was no longer
washed downriver to replenish spawning beds. 

 

 By letting the Trinity keep more of its water, and releasing it in ways
that mimic nature's cycle of high spring flows, scientists hope to restore
conditions that will help the fish spawn and grow healthy and plump for
their journey downriver to the sea.

 

 "We're basing it on the premise that if we build the habitat, the fish will
find it," said Nina Hemphill, a restoration program fisheries biologist.

 

 It was with a bit of glee that her colleague Wittler watched a tall tree
sway as the rising river threatened to topple it. "The whole idea is to
start getting these guys out of here," he said.

 

 Using heavy equipment, restoration workers are also going to clear
vegetation from 16 miles of the river channel to give the Trinity more room
to roam and create fish-friendly shallow pools.

 

 The program is spending $6 million in federal funds building higher bridges
to replace a series of small private spans that would be washed out with the
higher flows. The new bridges will be turned over to the private landowners
who maintained the old ones.

 

 The Bureau of Reclamation has bought a house downriver from Lewiston that
sits in the Trinity's path and will probably help move some others.

 

 "I hope they accomplish what they're trying to accomplish," said the
house's owner, Donald Tullis, who is moving into town. On his porch, friends
stood sipping beer as the swelling river lapped at the foundations and made
an island of a birdbath on Tullis' submerged lawn.

 

 For the most part, people in this sparsely populated, richly wooded stretch
of Northern California are happy about the dam releases, said Howard
Freeman, chairman of the Trinity County Board of Supervisors. "It's been no
secret we need water in the river to keep it healthy. That's been the mantra
for the last 30 years."

 

 Freeman, his head shaved and three rings dangling from his ears, recalled a
local high school conservation teacher who bemoaned the Trinity's dammed
state back in the 1970s. High school students held protests as the band
played funeral marches for the river. 

 

 So few steelhead and coho returned to spawn that "we thought about giving
them names," remembered Jim Smith, an 80-year-old former county supervisor
who fished the Trinity as a youth.

 

 A local congressman campaigned for restoration money, and in 1981, the
secretary of the Interior ordered Reclamation to nearly triple the Trinity's
flows in all but dry years. He also ordered a study on the amount of water
needed for the river to rebound. Another 18 years passed before the report
was completed, during which time Congress and another Interior secretary
mandated that the higher flows be maintained. 

 

 Based on the study, Babbitt signed a decision five years ago ordering still
higher flows, as well as a broad restoration effort. Under the decision, the
amount of water released into the river will vary according to how wet or
dry the year is. But on average, water exports from the Trinity will drop
28%, reducing reclamation's total water deliveries to the Central Valley by
1% to 4%.

 

 Northern California hydropower producers and Central Valley irrigators sued
to block Babbitt's order. Last November, a federal appeals court upheld the
restoration plan, clearing the way for the program's launch.

 

 A couple hours' drive downriver from Lewiston, on the Hoopa reservation,
tribal leaders aren't yet ready to claim victory. The Interior Department
should be spending more, they say, to clear vegetation and restore the river
channel to its pre-dam condition.

 

 The Hupa people have lived on the banks of the Trinity for thousands of
years. When the salmon all but disappeared, so did a main staple of the
Hoopa tribe's diet and a cornerstone of tribal culture.

 

 "It's not about a few more fish," said tribal Chairman Clifford Lyle
Marshal.

 

 "It's about a quality of life, a way of life." 

 

~~~~~

Marcia Hanscom

Board of Directors

Sierra Club

322 Culver Blvd., #317

Playa del Rey, CA  90293

(310) 821-9045

facsimile: (310) 448-1219

 

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From bwl3 at comcast.net  Mon May 16 13:17:30 2005
From: bwl3 at comcast.net (Byron )
Date: Mon, 16 May 2005 13:17:30 -0700
Subject: [env-trinity] Lake County Record Bee Editorial May 15 2005
Message-ID: <20050516202252.CA57E2000B97@mx.dcn.davis.ca.us>

Editorial: After 50 years, Trinity River gets its water

Lake County Record-Bee - 5/15/05

By Clifford Lyle Marshall, chairman of the Hoopa Valley Tribe

 

The Bureau of Reclamation held a press conference at Lewiston Dam on May 10,
to commemorate the first day of the full flows of the Trinity River under
the 2000 Record of Decision (ROD). As chairman of the Hoopa Valley Tribe, I
thank the Department of Interior for honoring a promise made by Congress 50
years ago. That promise was to leave enough water in the Trinity River to
provide for the fishery. 

 

The ROD flows have not come easy. They come after 40 years of devastating
water diversions, 20 years of cooperative studies for a restoration plan;
and then four years of litigation to allow the full flows promised by
Interior Secretary Bruce Babbitt. 

 

The tribe appreciates the Department of Interior's support for
implementation of the ROD, but we also know the challenge to restore the
Trinity River is not over. Water is only part of the restoration formula. We
must ensure federal appropriations for restoration work are sufficient, and
build a bipartisan effort to find resources to meet the long-term
restoration needs of both the Trinity and Klamath Rivers. 

 

The decline in the Trinity River's fishery has probably concerned the Hoopa
Valley Tribe more than some because the river bisects the ancestral area
where our people have lived for 10,000 years. The river and its fish are
part of our environment, sustenance and culture. Indeed, the health of the
Trinity River is directly linked to our tribe's continued survival and well
being. That is why we have fought so hard to restore the Trinity River
during a quarter century of bureaucracy, studies and litigation. 

 

The sad history of the theft of Trinity River water began when California's
thirsty Central Valley decided crops were more important than fish. In 1955,
California Congressman Clair Engle promised, "not one bucketful of water
which is necessary to this (Trinity River) watershed," would be diverted
until the needs of the river's fishery were satisfied. Despite these
assurances the bureau has diverted up to 90 percent of the river's water in
some of the years since diversions began in l964. The river's fishery became
subservient to Central Valley Project agriculture and hydro power users. 

 

The tribe understands the demand for water in California is insatiable, so
it is imperative that restoration of the Trinity River be successful. The
tribe feels the best protection against water raids on the Trinity River ROD
will be a strong federal commitment to flows and river restoration work.
This year's flows will hopefully encourage continued bipartisan support for
non-flow restoration measures like the mainstem channel restoration work. 

 

This type of work is critical to creating and maintaining the fish habitat.
For this reason the Hoopa Valley Tribe continues to advocate that Congress
provide the necessary funds to implement the Trinity ROD. 

 

In the long run the Hoopa Valley Tribe understands we are connected to, and
must be part of, the efforts to restore the Klamath/Trinity river system. It
does not make sense to rob water from one of these rivers to head off a fish
kill in the other. The administration must move beyond this political
"emergency response" methodology of water management in the Klamath/Trinity
River Basin. 

 

Long-range adaptive management practices demand a more proactive model of
collaboratively addressing water needs throughout Northern California and
Southern Oregon.

 

 

Byron Leydecker, 

Chair, Friends of Trinity River

Consultant, California Trout, Inc.

PO Box 2327

Mill Valley, CA 94942-2327

415 383 4810 ph

415 383 9562 fx

bwl3 at comcast.net

bleydecker at stanfordalumni.org (secondary)

http://www.fotr.org

http://caltrout.org

 

 

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From danielbacher at hotmail.com  Mon May 16 18:33:08 2005
From: danielbacher at hotmail.com (Daniel Bacher)
Date: Mon, 16 May 2005 18:33:08 -0700
Subject: [env-trinity] Watershed Roundtable on Raising Shasta Dam
Message-ID: <BAY16-F985304DD1147CF6B96ACFDB160@phx.gbl>

River Exchange News

PRESS RELEASE Contact: Vince Cloward
For Immediate Release 235-2012

Impacts of Raising Shasta Dam Shared

Winnemem Tribe Representatives, Government, Land Owners and 
Environmentalists all Share Perspectives and Knowledge at Upcoming Watershed 
Roundtable

?We are all in this together. We want to help people to wake up and see that 
this is not a good thing ? and not necessary.? Mark Franco, Tribe Headman

Dunsmuir, CA - The impacts of the proposed raising of Shasta Dam will be the 
focus of the upcoming Watershed Roundtable at the Dunsmuir Community Center 
on Friday, May 20, 2005. Hosted by the Upper Sacramento River Exchange and 
sponsored by CALFED Bay Delta Water Program, the Shasta Valley Resource 
Conservation District and Bureau of Reclamation the day is designed to get 
all the facts, timelines, and opinions on the table. The general public is 
encouraged to attend to ask questions and provide their input.

?If the Shasta Dam is raised even 6.5 feet, the level of the water will rise 
to an elevation of 1,096 feet,? says Winnemem Wintu Headman, Mark Franco. 
?This flooding event will be an action of cultural genocide for our tribe. 
Not having cultural access to our ancestral land would kill us. It is where 
our children learn how to be good people, gain the knowledge of what they 
are going to be in the future, and learn their relationship to the land and 
each other.? If the raising of the dam was to proceed at the minimum level 
important Winnemen ceremonial sites and medicinal plant gathering sites will 
be covered.

Bureau of Reclamation Project Manager, Donna Garcia, was invited out by the 
Winnemem (meaning Middle Water) to see first hand the impact on the land of 
actual flooded water levels. ?We showed her what the minimum 6.5 rise would 
end up flooding. We saw that she did not realize how deep the water would be 
until we showed her,? said Franco. ?She was actually shocked.?

The minimum proposed rise would provide for 300,000 acre feet of water 
storage to be used downstream. ?We have been to about 15 different meetings 
now about the Dam rising and we hear different messages to different 
audiences,? says Franco. ?In one meeting in Redding, the Bureau of 
Reclamation real estate representatives were already there helping people 
understand the benefits and how to sell their property for public domain. 
Another strategy seems to be that the government is already signing water 
contracts downstream and promising 100% delivery. If they don?t then raise 
the Dam for this water, they can get sued by the contract holders. This may 
be used as a pressure tactic to say they then have to then raise the Dam. 
This is something we can find out more about at the Roundtable.?

At the upcoming Watershed Roundtable meeting, the Winnemem hope to help 
educate the public about the impacts of the project along with other invited 
agencies, environmentalist leaders, community leaders, and land owners.

?We are all in this together,? says Franco. ?We want to help people to wake 
up and see that this is not a good thing ? and not necessary. There is a 
human face that needs to be put on this deadly project so that we can all 
come to the defense of our heritage and the river.?

Interested people can find out for themselves the specifics of the flooding 
impacts and history of the Winnemen Wintu Tribe by contacting Mark Franco at 
530-275-2737, or at their Tribal website at www.winnememwintu.us. For more 
information about the development of the project itself contact Donna 
Garcia, Project Manager, Bureau of Reclamation, at 916-978-5009, or attend 
the Watershed Roundtable, Friday, May 20th, from 12:30 to 4:30 pm at the 
Dunsmuir Community Center.

For a Watershed Roundtable invitational flyer, general and membership 
information, contact the River Exchange at 530-235-2012. The Upper 
Sacramento River Exchange?s mission is to foster watershed stewardship, 
education, restoration and community.
###




From danielbacher at hotmail.com  Tue May 17 14:18:16 2005
From: danielbacher at hotmail.com (Daniel Bacher)
Date: Tue, 17 May 2005 14:18:16 -0700
Subject: [env-trinity] Urgent: PG&E Attacks Yolo Annexation by SMUD
Message-ID: <BAY16-F8F10D08DFE13C60AEB483DB160@phx.gbl>

HELP SMUD GROW AND MAKE IT STRONGER

Act Now!? The SMUD Board votes on annexation of Yolo County on Thursday, May 
19 at 9 am (SMUD Auditorium - 6201 S Street).? PG&E just placed a full-page 
ad in the Bee urging people to call the SMUD Board members in opposition. 
Supporters for growing SMUD need to speak up now to counter their campaign 
to keep Yolo and its profits within their monopoly.? Here is the contact 
information in PG&E??s ad. Use it for the greater good.

SMUD Board of Directors (916) 732-6155, Voice mail (916) 732-5350

Director Linda Davis <caron> blowry at smud.org
Director Susan Patterson <caron> smudsusan at smud.org
Director Howard Posner <caron> hposner at aol.com
Director Genevieve Shiroma <caron> gshiroma4 at aol.com
Director Peter Keat <caron> keatdavis at aol.com
Director Larry Carr <caron> carrward6 at aol.com
Director Bill Slaton <caron> bslaton at smud.org

Please pass this on today. Thank you.? Every call will make a difference, 
especially from constituents.

Kevin Wolf
530-758-4211

*********

The analysis of the Sacramento Municipal Utility District??s consultants and 
staff shows that annexing the area in Yolo County adjacent to Sacramento 
County which contains the cities of West Sacramento, Woodland and Davis 
would be good for present ratepayers in Sacramento and for PG&E??s customers 
in the adjacent area of Yolo County.?

Annexing the adjacent part of Yolo County would be good for SMUD ratepayers 
because:

1.? Economies of scale will improve. Administrative costs would be shared 
over 85,000 more customers.? Purchases of resources will be cheaper with a 
larger customer base. While the electric load increases by 13 percent, the 
work force would increase only by about 6 percent.

2.? These Yolo County cities have a better ??load factor?? than Sacramento.? 
This means that more of the power SMUD produces at off times will be 
purchased by their new customers at a better price.??

3.? Yolo County customers will expand SMUD??s renewable energy program.? 
PG&E provides little help to its customers to use renewables.? For example, 
the wind resources SMUD owns in Solano County will be better utilized.?? 
More photovoltaic purchases will lower everyone??s costs.

4.? All costs of annexation--such as the costs of buying PG&E's system and 
the legal costs associated with eminent domain -- will be paid exclusively 
by Yolo County customers through a surcharge on their rates.

5. Due to municipal ownership, the savings would increase over time as net 
income from new customers is reinvested in SMUD equipment and facilities 
instead of being paid out to shareholders

Existing and new SMUD customers could share $180 million in savings over the 
next 20 years.

PG&E doesn??t like losing Yolo customers to SMUD for the same reasons these 
customers will benefit SMUD.? Elected officials in Yolo County have 
unanimously voted to support SMUD annexation because its residents are 
expected to save 8% and get better services and greener energy by joining 
one of the best utility districts in the nation

PG&E has already begun an expensive effort to convince the public and 
elected officials to oppose the proposal.? The monopoly corporation is not 
making much progress in Yolo County as the three cities and the Yolo Board 
of Supervisors all voted unanimously to join SMUD. Therefore PG&E has begun 
an expensive campaign to convince existing SMUD customers to oppose the 
annexation. The best way to protect ourselves from PG&E??s coming campaign 
is to help get a unanimous vote of support by the SMUD board of director 
when they vote on May 19.? You can help by sending them a post card, calling 
or meeting with them, or best, attending an upcoming hearing on the proposal 
and speaking in favor of it. For more details on these, see the other side 
of this flyer.?? Thank you for helping SMUD grow economically and 
environmentally stronger.


An important document supporting this information is the SMUD Staff 
Assessment and Recommendations, Yolo Annexation Feasibility Study (April 6, 
2005, 18 pp).? For a copy, go to www.smud.org or call 916-732-6252

SMUD Customers for the Power to do More (SCPM)

For more information and to RSVP, contact:?
Judy Ashley, 916-444-9806 jotrip2 at aol.com
John Burton, 916-920-2356 johnwb at netzero.net

Send contributions to: SCPM, 820 Alhambra Blvd, Sacramento, CA? 95816

For other information see http://www.publicpowernow.org/.




From tstokely at trinityalps.net  Wed May 18 08:40:10 2005
From: tstokely at trinityalps.net (Tom Stokely)
Date: Wed, 18 May 2005 08:40:10 -0700
Subject: [env-trinity] Plan to drain tainted farm water triggers worries
Message-ID: <013101c55bbf$e12bc370$9f6c3940@trinitycounty.org>

      http://www.montereyherald.com/mld/montereyherald/news/11675106.htm
               
     Posted on Wed, May. 18, 2005 
                           
                 
           


      Plan to drain tainted farm water triggers worries

      By JULIANA BARBASSA

      Associated Press


      LOS BANOS WILDLIFE AREA - A federal plan to drain mineral-laden irrigation water from farms includes a proposal similar to one that caused an environmental disaster more than two decades ago, leading to bird deformities and deaths.

      Environmentalists fear that leaving the tainted water to accumulate in evaporation ponds, even if it's treated to reduce most of the toxic minerals, could lead to problems similar to what happened in the Kesterson Wildlife Refuge in the 1980s, when entire colonies of birds died and many were born with missing limbs.

      ''It's insanity,'' said environmentalist Lloyd Carter, who wrote about Kesterson as a reporter for the Fresno Bee in the 1980s and now works for the California attorney general's Fresno office. ''We've tried that before, and it was a disaster.''

      The contaminated ponds in Kesterson were finally covered up with dirt in 1986, and birds have flocked back to the region, a stopover point for birds migrating along the Pacific flyway.

      But the federal officials who run the Central Valley Project, a massive irrigation complex that makes farming possible in the arid western half of the Central Valley, remain under court order to find a way to dispose of the tainted water. And forming new evaporation ponds is one of several options outlined in a draft environmental impact report to be released this month by the Bureau of Reclamation.

      Another option in the draft report is taking poorly drained land out of farming, but that would rob some farmers of their livelihoods and is strongly opposed by the agriculture industry. The report also suggests pumping out the contaminated water, either into the ocean just south of Big Sur, or into the San Joaquin-Sacramento River Delta, where millions of Californians get their drinking water.

      The report won't be issued until later this month, followed by a 60-day public comment period. But alternatives it envisions are generally described in a document on the agency's Web site, said Mike Delamore, chief of the bureau's San Joaquin Drainage Division.

      What to do with the water is one of the most vexing dilemmas in the Central Valley. Farming here depends on irrigation, but the clay underlying much of the farmland in the west side of the valley keeps excess water from draining away. The leftover water, heavy with salts and minerals, damages crops and eventually renders land infertile if left in the fields. As it drains, the water also pick up pesticides and other chemicals -- but it's selenium, and its effects on bird reproduction, that worry most biologists.

      Few realized selenium was toxic when agricultural water was first pumped into Kesterson, which is part of the 26,609-acre San Luis National Wildlife Refuge, about 80 miles northwest of Fresno.

      As the water evaporated, the selenium reached 350 parts per billion -- enough to turn what had been a vibrant wildlife refuge into an quiet, foul-smelling bog where thousands of birds died, said Gary Zahm, a retired federal wildlife biologist who managed the refuge at the time.

      ''The birds were feeding their young insects that had hatched in the reservoir,'' Zahm said, remembering baby birds born with three eyes, no legs, or crooked beaks. ''It was like feeding them poison pills.''

      The bureau now proposes to treat the water until no more than 10 parts per billion of selenium remains before pouring it into ponds, and then to periodically ''scrape'' the ponds of salts and minerals, Delamore said.

      The evaporation units would be in remote agricultural land, not near wildlife refuges, but they would be within the Central Valley. That's just where the Pacific flyway -- the route migrating birds take when traveling from North to South America -- narrows down like the waist on an hourglass, pinched in by the mountains and the coastal range.

      And research shows concentrations as low as 2 parts per billion harm bird reproduction, according to Joe Skorupa, the biologist in charge of researching selenium's effect on birds for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in California between 1986 and 2003.

      ''There's always a better alternative than evaporation ponds,'' said Skorupa, who now works at agency headquarters in Washington, D.C. ''It's a matter of having the imagination and taking the time.''

      The Westlands Water District, the largest agency delivering federal irrigation water to farms, has been working with farmers to take 108,000 acres land out of production with the help of a federal buyout to ease the area's perennial water shortage, and to take some of the most poorly drained land out of production.

      Environmentalists and others in California's fast-growing midsection like the idea of freeing up the water that has been poured onto soils that may eventually be too salty to farm. But farmers don't take easily to proposals of giving up their land.

      ''Farmers have been very resistant to looking at abandoning their livelihood and their lifestyle to solve political and social problems,'' said Westlands spokesman Tupper Hull.

      Some farmers elsewhere in the valley have tried their own short-term solutions, which include small evaporation ponds. The presence of selenium forces them to harass birds to keep them away from the water.

      ''There are no easy answers, but there are probably combinations of solutions that will allow for sustainable agriculture on the west side,'' said Hull.

      The bureau doesn't officially favor one option over the others, Delamore said, but few observers believe the public would accept dumping the drainage water into the delta or the ocean.

      Officially, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service officials aren't choosing one option over the others, but said they'd ''prefer to avoid creating a problem rather than have to mitigate once it's created,'' said Al Donner, an assistant field supervisor in the agency's Sacramento office.

      Any injuries to migratory birds would likely show up in the Los Banos Wildlife Area, a state refuge just north of the proposed evaporation pond sites and a few miles from Kesterson.

      Biologists like Eileen Edmunds, with the California Department of Fish and Game, are watching closely over the birds' well-being. Gently, she reaches into a small cloth bag and closes her hand around a song sparrow frantically flapping her wings.

      Nestled in her fist, the plump, rusty brown bird settles down and submits to a check of her wingspan, weight, and general health -- all to be recorded in a database.

      Then, with a little tag placed around its ankle, the sparrow flies away.

      ------

      On the Net:

      Bureau of Reclamation drainage plan documents: http://www.usbr.gov/mp/sccao/sld/index.html

      Los Banos Wildlife Area: http://www.dfg.ca.gov/lands/wa/region4/losbanos.html
     
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From danielbacher at hotmail.com  Wed May 18 08:34:49 2005
From: danielbacher at hotmail.com (Daniel Bacher)
Date: Wed, 18 May 2005 08:34:49 -0700
Subject: [env-trinity] 3rd Annual Fish Fair and Salmon relay in wake of the
	2002 Klamath disaster
Message-ID: <BAY16-F29E61E1DED7791105DB54CDB170@phx.gbl>

P R E S S R E L E A S E

KIDE- FM
Klamath Trinity Joint Unified School District

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Press Contacts: Allie Hostler, KIDE FM (530) 625-4245
??? ??? ??? ??? ??? ??? Teresa Cyr, Fish Fair Coordinator (530) 625-4223 
ext. 318
??? ??? ??? ??? ??? ??? Melodie George, Salmon Run Coordinator (530) 
625-4218 ext. 38

Klamath Fish Kill releases stream of Political and Educational events 
Students and Teachers Organize 3rd Annual Fish Fair and Salmon relay in wake 
of the 2002 Klamath disaster

Hoopa, CA - "Fish be not dammed," say the organizers of the 3rd annual 
Salmon Run, which is taking place on May 27th. The theme for this year?s run 
is intended to call attention to the five hydroelectric dams on the 
main-stem Klamath River. These dams are up for re-licensing in 2006. The 
students who are organizing the event hope to raise awareness about issues 
related to decommissioning the dams which have caused serious harm to the 
Klamath Basin fisheries by blocking all fish passage in the upper basin and 
reducing needed water flows.

Although the fish kill happened in 2002, the Hoopa, Yurok and Karuk Tribes 
will be feeling the impacts this year and next. Salmon have a 3-4 year 
lifecycle. "The 68,000 fish that died in 2002 never had a chance to spawn, 
so we will go without fish in 2005," said event organizer Melodie George. 
George goes on to add, ?The fish fair is an educational event, but it?s a 
spiritual event too. We will be praying that we will never witness another 
fish kill again.?

The run will start at the Mouth of the Klamath River in the early morning 
hours of May 27th with a jet boat relay scheduled to arrive at Young?s Bar 
Landing on Highway 169 at 8 AM. There, runners will begin their relay on 
foot carrying a symbolic salmon up the river to the South Fork of the 
Trinity, east of the town of Willow Creek on Highway 299. A separate leg of 
the relay will branch off at the confluence of the Trinity and Klamath 
rivers at Weitchpec and continue up the Klamath until reaching the mouth of 
the Salmon River. The footrace portion of the run extends more than 70 
miles.

While the symbolic fish is being passed from runner to runner, the 3rd 
annual Fish Fair will be taking place at Hoopa Elementary School. Salmon 
runners will rally at the Fish Fair at 12:30 PM while passing through Hoopa.

Two Hoopa Elementary School teachers, Teresa Cyr and the late Rhonda 
Marshall, deemed that a community event was needed to commemorate estimated 
68,000 Chinook and Coho whose lives were lost in the massive fish kill in 
the lower Klamath in the fall of 2002. The following spring, they organized 
the Fish Fair to educate students and families about fish and their habitat. 
The Salmon Run was initiated by Hoopa High School students as a service 
learning project around the same time. The combined Fair and Run quickly 
attracted support from organizations and residents throughout the watershed 
and have become popular annual events.

There will be demonstrations, storytellers, games, activities, power-point 
presentations, outdoor activities, displays, and a salmon barbeque. The 
educational event will feature speakers and representatives from local 
environmental and political agencies. The Fair begins at 9AM and goes until 
2:15PM at Hoopa Elementary School.

All interested parties or individuals are invited and encouraged to attend 
these events.
For more information contact:
KIDE FM radio (530) 625-4245
allieehostler at yahoo.com
Teresa Cyr (530) 625-4223 ext. 318
tmarshall-cyr at internet.humboldt.k12.ca.us
Melodie George (530) 625-4218 ext. 38 mkgcarpenter at hotmail.com

	|	|




From bwl3 at comcast.net  Wed May 18 10:46:16 2005
From: bwl3 at comcast.net (Byron )
Date: Wed, 18 May 2005 10:46:16 -0700
Subject: [env-trinity] (no subject)
Message-ID: <20050518174619.7B589200375D@mx.dcn.davis.ca.us>

An Op-Ed from Congressman George Miller related to the Sumner-Peck
Settlement in Westlands a few years ago.  It's interesting again in view of
the soon to be released San Joaquin Valley Drainage Reevaluation
environmental document, about which I sent an earlier email today to my
members.   Tom Stokely sent earlier message to the Trinity and Pelican
lists.

 

Byron

 

Uncle Sucker to the Rescue

 

George Miller    SF Chronicle  Monday, April 2, 2001

----------------------------------------------------------------------------

----

CALIFORNIANS, still in disbelief over the greed and manipulation of electric
utilities, should cast a suspicious eye at a quiet land purchase scam going
down in the western San Joaquin Valley, where taxpayers might soon shell out
$90 million to buy 41,000 acres of contaminated wasteland.

 

Bureaucrats from the Interior Department have been stealthily negotiating
with big landowners in the huge Westlands Water District to buy up thousands
of acres of low-quality land that, when irrigated with taxpayer subsidized
irrigation water, generated a toxic runoff brew sufficient to pollute
wildlife refuges, deform bird embryos and contaminate streams.

 

In 1994, Congress responded to this disaster by approving purchases of those
contaminated lands in western Fresno County as a way to reduce the amount of
toxic irrigation runoff.

 

But there is a bigger, and murkier, story here. The lands the Interior
Department would have taxpayers buy now in Westlands (at a price much higher
than comparable lands) were never supposed to be irrigated in the first
place.

 

When the Central Valley's San Luis Unit was authorized more than 40 years
ago, these lands on the west side of the valley were rejected by Congress
for inclusion because they were low quality and could create drainage
problems.

 

Never satisfied, Westlands managers tried to expand federal water service by
the Bureau of Reclamation to these and other unqualified lands even though
their 600,000-acre district was already the nation's largest. After being
rejected by an exhaustive federal study, they finally found a sympathetic
ear from the Reagan administration.

 

At least one key decision-maker at the time, Interior's chief legal officer
Ralph Tarr, was a former partner in a law firm that had represented big
Central Valley farm interests. Despite protests from Congress and
environmentalists, Tarr and company approved a settlement with Westlands
that expanded federal water service to include the lands previously rejected
as unsuited for federal irrigation.

 

Westlands persuaded a compliant Interior Department to provide cheap water
to irrigate the inferior lands, producing runoff laden with toxic materials.
Interior spent millions of tax dollars to ship Westlands' runoff via the San
Luis Drain that ended in a national wildlife refuge. Within a few years, a
full blown crisis appeared. Deformed birds and tainted vegetation led to
closure of the Kesterson Reservoir, which caught the farms' drainage in a
system of marshes.

 

Westlands fumed. Its growers sued the government to construct a billion-
dollar extension of the drainage canal to collect and dump the farm runoff
in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta, the environmentally fragile source of
water for millions of Californians, or in the Carquinez Strait at the head
of San Francisco Bay.

 

The courts ruled that the federal government must help provide drainage
service for Westlands landowners, who, under federal law, are supposed to
repay the cost.

 

A number of options exist other than a drain, which the farmers prefer but
the Clinton administration and Bay Area legislators flatly rejected.

 

One of those alternatives: Buy up the waste-producing land, take it out of
irrigation and thereby reduce toxic drainage. Not a bad idea.

 

Now for the fine print: Since Westlands growers lobbied to have the low-
quality lands added to their federal water contract despite Congress'

earlier rejection, does the district not share responsibility for their
inclusion? If Westlands is culpable, shouldn't the district share the
primary cost of land retirement? Why should taxpayers pay a premium price
for lands of such low quality that they never should have been irrigated in
the first place (and perhaps cannot be legally irrigated today because of
the pollution they produce)?

 

And if these lands are retired by taxpayer purchase, what should happen to
the valuable water that previously was devoted to them? Interior's game plan
allows Westlands to keep the taxpayer-supplied water, which the wealthy
district would likely use on other drainage-affected lands (perpetuating the
runoff problem) or resell at inflated prices into the water-hungry
Californian market. And Westlands would keep the profits from the sale of
this public resource it purchased at subsidized prices.

 

The whole scheme sounds a lot like the old law school case of the child who
kills his parents and asks mercy of the court because he is an orphan.

Westlands pressed for the right to irrigate lands everyone knew were
problematic, and when the bill falls due to clean up the mess, they think
the taxpayers should not only pay it, but make the district even wealthier
than it already is.

 

Are taxpayers, already in the red because Westlands has repaid only a
fraction of its debt to the government, going to play Uncle Sucker again and
lavish a windfall on wealthy irrigators caught by their own greed?

 

George Miller, D-Martinez, former chairman of the House Committee on
Resources, is principal author of the 1992 Central Valley Project
Improvement Act.

 

 

 

Byron Leydecker, 

Chair, Friends of Trinity River

Consultant, California Trout, Inc.

PO Box 2327

Mill Valley, CA 94942-2327

415 383 4810 ph

415 383 9562 fx

bwl3 at comcast.net

bleydecker at stanfordalumni.org (secondary)

http://www.fotr.org

http://caltrout.org

 

 

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From tstokely at trinityalps.net  Wed May 18 11:57:32 2005
From: tstokely at trinityalps.net (Tom Stokely)
Date: Wed, 18 May 2005 11:57:32 -0700
Subject: [env-trinity] Fw:Klamath-Trinity Weekly Water Report 05-17-2005
Message-ID: <029101c55bdb$739076a0$9f6c3940@trinitycounty.org>


----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Rae Olsen" <PR.686.931701 at prnews2.com>
To: <tstokely at trinityalps.net>
Sent: Wednesday, May 18, 2005 11:28 AM
Subject: Weekly Water Report 05-17-2005


> Dear Mr. Thomas  Stokley  :
> Attached is the Water Update Fact Sheet as of May 17, 2005, for the
Klamath Project.  If you are unable to view the attached Adobe document,
please visit:  http://www.usbr.gov/mp/kbao/pilot_water_bank/index.html and
click on "Water Data Updates" to view the current information.  The updated
fact sheet will be posted on the website shortly.
>
> If you have any questions, or comments, please contact me at 541-883-6935
or by email at rolsen at mp.usbr.gov.
>
> Thank you,
>
> Rae Olsen
> Public Affairs Officer
> Bureau of Reclamation
> Klamath Basin Area Office
>
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From tstokely at trinityalps.net  Wed May 18 14:55:32 2005
From: tstokely at trinityalps.net (Tom Stokely)
Date: Wed, 18 May 2005 14:55:32 -0700
Subject: [env-trinity] Fw: RESEND - Updated Version of the Water Update Fact
	Sheet - 05-17-2005
Message-ID: <004501c55bf4$50aab600$886b3940@trinitycounty.org>


----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Rae Olsen" <PR.686.931860 at prnews2.com>
To: <tstokely at trinityalps.net>
Sent: Wednesday, May 18, 2005 2:34 PM
Subject: RESEND - Updated Version of the Water Update Fact Sheet -
05-17-2005


> Dear Mr. Tom  Stokely  :
> Attached is an updated version of the Water Update Fact Sheet for May 17,
2005, for the Klamath Project.  The April-September UKL Stream Flow Forecast
has been updated.  Please disregard the initial fact sheet, as it was not
correct.
>
> If you are unable to view the attached Adobe document, please visit:
http://www.usbr.gov/mp/kbao/pilot_water_bank/index.html and click on "Water
Data Updates" to view the current information.  The updated fact sheet will
be posted on the website shortly.
>
> If you have any questions, or comments, please contact me at 541-883-6935
or by email at rolsen at mp.usbr.gov.
>
> Thank you,
>
> Rae Olsen
> Public Affairs Officer
> Bureau of Reclamation
> Klamath Basin Area Office
>
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From jallen at trinitycounty.org  Fri May 20 10:44:44 2005
From: jallen at trinitycounty.org (Josh Allen)
Date: Fri, 20 May 2005 10:44:44 -0700
Subject: [env-trinity] FW: Meeting of Potential Interest
Message-ID: <099F81D877F1044DA24BA95E0CE0926301037331@mail2.trinitycounty.org>

From: April Shackelford [mailto:ajs37 at humboldt.edu] 
Sent: Friday, May 20, 2005 9:02 AM
To: wet at redwood.humboldt.edu
Subject: Meeting of Potential Interest

 

Hello WET members,
The following Friends of Geology Meeting comes to us from Matt House of Green Diamond Resources.
Thanks Matt!

Greetings FOG-heads, 
  
Yep, another 2 months have passed since our previous meeting. For those of you who didn't make the last one, you missed Mark Verhey's outstanding presentation of faulting in the lower Eel River valley. Our next meeting is a week from tonight (Tuesday, May 24; announcement is attached), and our speaker will be Scott McBain who will talk about streamflow and sediment management on the Trinity River. This will be a great opportunity to learn about the geomorphic aspect of the Trinity River restoration process. 
  
As always, we encourage you to forward the meeting announcement to interested folks, or hang it at your work place to get the word out. 
  
See you on the 24th! 
  
Geoff and Gary 

-- 
 
? `?.? `?.. ><((((?>`?. .? `?
'.?.'><((((?>`?. .? `?. .?
. `?. .? `?... ><((((?>? `?.?
 
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From bwl3 at comcast.net  Mon May 23 12:56:29 2005
From: bwl3 at comcast.net (Byron )
Date: Mon, 23 May 2005 12:56:29 -0700
Subject: [env-trinity] (no subject)
Message-ID: <20050523200142.6A934200271C@mx.dcn.davis.ca.us>

This refers to the principal destination of diverted Trinity River water.
San Joaquin Drainage Reevaluation Plan environmental document, and an
alternative included within it, is evaporation ponds.  The report won't be
out for public comment until later this month.  The attachment is a picture
of Kesterson birds.  The clear best alternative for this budding 950,000
acre Superfund Site is land retirement.  Even Westlands is interested in
retiring a third of its lands - 200,000 acres.  Land retirement is to be
included in the draft document, as is reflected in the story below, but to
what extent is not known by me.  Is it 450,000 acres identified in the
"Rainbow Report" as toxic land that should be retired?  I doubt it. 

 

Byron

 

New Kesterson plan has familiar look; Evaporative ponds proposed for
Westside 

Modesto Bee - 5/23/05

By Juliana Barbassa, Associated Press staff writer

 

LOS BANOS WILDLIFE AREA -- A federal plan to drain mineral-laden irrigation
water from farms includes a proposal similar to one that caused an
environmental disaster more than two decades ago, leading to bird
deformities and deaths. 

 

Environmentalists fear that leaving the tainted water to accumulate in
evaporation ponds, even if it's treated to reduce most of the toxic
minerals, could lead to problems similar to what happened in the Kesterson
Wildlife Refuge in the 1980s, when entire colonies of birds died and many
were born with missing limbs. 

 

"It's insanity," said environmentalist Lloyd Carter, who wrote about
Kesterson as a reporter for The Fresno Bee in the 1980s and now works for
the California attorney general's Fresno office. "We've tried that before,
and it was a disaster." 

 

The contaminated ponds in Kesterson were finally covered up with dirt in
1986, and birds have flocked back to the region, a stopover point for birds
migrating along the Pacific flyway. 

 

But the federal officials who run the Central Valley Project, a massive
irrigation complex that makes farming possible in the arid western half of
the Central Valley, remain under court order to find a way to dispose of the
tainted water. And forming new evaporation ponds is one of several options
outlined in a draft environmental impact report to be released this month by
the Bureau of Reclamation. 

 

Another option in the draft report is taking poorly drained land out of
farming, but that would rob some farmers of their livelihoods and is
strongly opposed by the agriculture industry. The report also suggests
pumping out the contaminated water, either into the ocean just south of Big
Sur, or into the San Joaquin-Sacramento River Delta, where millions of
Californians get their drinking water. 

 

The report won't be issued until later this month, followed by a 60-day
public comment period. But alternatives it envisions are generally described
in a document on the agency's Web site, said Mike Delamore, chief of the
bureau's San Joaquin Drainage Division. 

 

What to do with the water is one of the most vexing dilemmas in the Central
Valley. Farming here depends on irrigation, but the clay underlying much of
the farmland in the west side of the Valley keeps excess water from draining
away. The leftover water, heavy with salts and minerals, damages crops and
eventually renders land infertile if left in the fields. As it drains, the
water also pick up pesticides and other chemicals -- but it's selenium, and
its effects on bird reproduction, that worry most biologists. 

 

Few realized selenium was toxic when agricultural water was first pumped
into Kesterson, which is part of the 26,609-acre San Luis National Wildlife
Refuge. 

 

As the water evaporated, the selenium reached 350 parts per billion --
enough to turn what had been a vibrant wildlife refuge into an quiet,
foul-smelling bog where thousands of birds died, said Gary Zahm, a retired
federal wildlife biologist who managed the refuge at the time. 

"The birds were feeding their young insects that had hatched in the
reservoir," Zahm said, remembering baby birds born with three eyes, no legs,
or crooked beaks. "It was like feeding them poison pills." 

 

The bureau now proposes to treat the water until no more than 10 parts per
billion of selenium remains before pouring it into ponds, and then to
periodically "scrape" the ponds of salts and minerals, Delamore said. 

 

The evaporation units would be in remote agricultural land, not near
wildlife refuges, but they would be within the Central Valley. That's just
where the Pacific flyway -- the route migrating birds take when traveling
from North to South America -- narrows down like the waist on an hourglass,
pinched in by the Sierra Nevada range and the coastal range. 

 

And research shows concentrations as low as 2 parts per billion harm bird
reproduction, according to Joe Skorupa, the biologist in charge of
researching selenium's effect on birds for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife
Service in California between 1986 and 2003. 

 

"There's always a better alternative than evaporation ponds," said Skorupa,
who now works at agency headquarters in Washington, D.C. "It's a matter of
having the imagination and taking the time." 

 

The Westlands Water District, the largest agency delivering federal
irrigation water to farms, has been working with farmers to take 108,000
acres of land out of production with the help of a federal buyout to ease
the area's perennial water shortage, and to take some of the most poorly
drained land out of production. 

 

Environmentalists and others in California's fast-growing midsection like
the idea of freeing up the water that has been poured onto soils that may
eventually be too salty to farm. But farmers don't take easily to proposals
of giving up their land. 

 

"Farmers have been very resistant to looking at abandoning their livelihood
and their lifestyle to solve political and social problems," said Westlands
spokesman Tupper Hull. 

 

Some farmers elsewhere in the valley have tried their own short-term
solutions, which include small evaporation ponds. The presence of selenium
forces them to harass birds to keep them away from the water. 

 

"There are no easy answers, but there are probably combinations of solutions
that will allow for sustainable agriculture on the west side," said Hull. 

 

The bureau doesn't officially favor one option over the others, Delamore
said, but few observers believe the public would accept dumping the drainage
water into the delta or the ocean. 

 

Officially, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service officials aren't choosing one
option over the others, but said they'd "prefer to avoid creating a problem
rather than have to mitigate once it's created," said Al Donner, an
assistant field supervisor in the agency's Sacramento office. 

 

Any injuries to migratory birds would likely show up in the Los Banos
Wildlife Area, a state refuge just north of the proposed evaporation pond
sites and a few miles from Kesterson. 

 

Biologists like Eileen Edmunds, with the California Department of Fish and
Game, are watching closely over the birds' well-being. Gently, she reaches
into a small cloth bag and closes her hand around a song sparrow frantically
flapping her wings. 

 

Nestled in her fist, the plump, rusty brown bird settles down and submits to
a check of her wingspan, weight, and general health --all to be recorded in
a database. 

 

Then, with a little tag placed around its ankle, the sparrow flies away.

 

 

Byron Leydecker, 

Chair, Friends of Trinity River

Consultant, California Trout, Inc.

PO Box 2327

Mill Valley, CA 94942-2327

415 383 4810 ph

415 383 9562 fx

bwl3 at comcast.net

bleydecker at stanfordalumni.org (secondary)

http://www.fotr.org

http://caltrout.org

 

 

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From AKRAUSE at mp.usbr.gov  Mon May 23 15:57:09 2005
From: AKRAUSE at mp.usbr.gov (Andreas Krause)
Date: Mon, 23 May 2005 15:57:09 -0700
Subject: [env-trinity] Fwd: Lewiston - Trinity River Release Change
Message-ID: <s291fd5a.064@ibr2mprogw.mp.usbr.gov>


Project: Lewiston Dam - Trinity River Release
 
 Date      Time       From(CFS)     To(CFS)
5/26/05   0100         3,000            2,800
 
5/28/05   0100         2,800            2,600
 
5/30/05   0100         2,600            2,500
 
5/31/05   0100         2,500            2,400
 
6/2/05     0100         2,400            2,300
 
6/4/05     0100         2,300            2,200
 
6/6/05     0100         2,200            2,100
 
6/8/05     0100         2,100            2,000
 
7/9/05     2000         2,000            1,900
7/10/05   0000         1,900            1,800
7/10/05   0400         1,800            1,700
 
7/10/05    2200        1,700            1,600
7/11/05    0200        1,600            1,500
 
7/11/05    2200        1,500            1,400
7/12/05    0200        1,400            1,350
 
7/12/05    2200        1,350            1,250
7/13/05    0200        1,250            1,200
 
7/13/05    2200        1,200            1,100
7/14/05    0200        1,100            1,050
 
7/15/05    0100        1,050             950
 
7/16/05    0100         950               850
 
7/17/05    0100         850               750
 
7/18/05    0100         750               675
 
7/19/05    0100         675               600
 
7/20/05    0100         600               550
 
7/21/05    0100         550               500
 
7/22/05    0100         500               450
 
Issued By: Central Valley Operations


From tstokely at trinityalps.net  Thu May 26 08:40:36 2005
From: tstokely at trinityalps.net (Tom Stokely)
Date: Thu, 26 May 2005 08:40:36 -0700
Subject: [env-trinity] Shasta Dam Raising Proposal Questioned
Message-ID: <002701c56209$44de3c50$416b3940@trinitycounty.org>

      http://www.mtshastanews.com/articles/2005/05/25/news/01damraising.txt 

--------------------------------------------------------------------------
     
      Shasta Dam raising proposal questioned

            By Earl Bolender Updated: Wednesday, May 25, 2005 2:02 PM PDT 
           
            About 60 people, including members of the Winnemem Wintu tribe of the McCloud River attended Friday's Watershed Roundtable to discuss the proposal to raise Shasta Dam by as much as 18.5 feet.  
      How much water would the raising of Shasta Dam between 6.5 and 18.5 feet actually produce? What would be the impact on humans and the environment by raising the dam? How much will it cost to raise the dam?

      These and other questions were asked and debated during Friday's fourth annual Siskiyou County Watershed Roundtable held to discuss the proposed raising of Shasta Dam. Approximately 60 people attended the roundtable, sponsored by the Upper Sacramento River Exchange and held at the Dunsmuir Community Building in Dunsmuir.

      The overall consensus of the audience, which included city, county and state officials, state and federal agency representatives and land and home owners from the south county, Redding and Lakehead, was that raising the dam would have little or no benefit.

      Comments were made that it would result in the destruction of public and private land around the lake and adversely affect the environment. Members of the Winnemem Wintu tribe in attendance voiced their objections, stating it would destroy ancestral land, much of which was already destroyed when the dam was built in 1938.  

      The proposed raising of Shasta Dam is part of the CalFed Bay-Delta Program initiated in 1995 as a state and federal partnership designed to help solve water problems associated with the San Francisco Bay Delta ecosystem. The idea of raising the dam is to provide additional water storage for the Bay-Delta during times of drought.

      A four-member panel representing both sides of the issue was on hand to provide updated information and viewpoints on the project and field questions from the audience.

      Members of the panel were: Vickie Newlin, Sacramento Valley regional coordinator for CalFed; Donna Garcia, the Bureau of Reclamation's Shasta Dam project manager; Mark Franco, Winnemem Wintu tribal head; and Steve Evans, Friends of the River conservation director.

      Newlin and Garcia said raising of Shasta Dam is one of the projects currently under consideration to provide a reliable water source to the Bay-Delta ecosystem.

      "The Bay-Delta system provides drinking water for 22 million Californians and impacts 750 plant and animal species," Newlin said. "CalFed is working with 24 different agencies to study the impact and benefits of raising the dam."

      She said the purpose behind raising the dam is to:

      ? Provide water supply reliability.

      ? Improve water quality of a depredated system that is hampered by drought and flooding.

      ? Ecosystem restoration, including helping in the recovery of threatened salmon and other anadromonous fish.

      ? Improve levee system integrity to provide flood protection, ecosystem benefits and protect water supplies needed for the environment, agriculture and urban users.

      Garcia said raising the dam by 6.5 to 18.5 feet could provide between 290,000 to 600,000 acre feet of water storage respectively.

      "It could increase the water supply during drought years by 70,000 to 150,000 acre feet per year, depending on how high the dam is raised," she said.

      Explaining what an acre-foot of water is, Evans said, "Imagine a swimming pool that is an acre in size with a foot of water in it. That's an acre foot."

      Garcia said raising the dam appears to be a feasible project, but she and Newlin said the proposal is still in its early stages of development with more studies and public input needed before any decision is made. They said it could be years before any firm decision is made.

      Garcia said Shasta Dam proposal is one of five surface storage projects currently being studied. Others are Sites and Los Vaqueros reservoirs expansion and in-Delta and upper San Joaquin storage facilities.

      Garcia added that there is not enough funding available at this time for all five projects and it may be discovered that other projects are more feasible, resulting in the Shasta Dam project being dropped.

      One of the questions brought up was how raising the dam would result in more water. Evans said the firm yield produced reliably on an annual basis is solely dependent on annual rainfall and snow levels.

      "Dams do not create water, they simply capture water," Evans said. "The fact is that Shasta Lake does not fill to capacity that often. This year was probably the fullest it's been. The lake has only filled 18 times in the past 50 years. That's an average of three times in 20 years. Where is the extra water storage going to come from?"

      While Newlin said one of the purposes of raising the dam is ecosystem restoration, Evans said there is a potential for damage that "is significant and far-ranging."

      "Shasta Dam is already the highest dam in California," he said. "When the existing dam was built, more than 90 percent of the Winnemem Wintu tribe's homeland was lost. Now they are in jeopardy of losing the remaining 10 percent.

      Evans said raising the dam even 6.5 feet would destroy the tribe's remaining cultural sites and be in violation of state law protecting sacred sites. Audience comments were also made that the proposal does not take into account recreational activities that could be threatened.

      It was suggested that instead of raising the dam, Bay-Delta water users, including farmers, look at water conservation measures.

      Evans said current projected construction costs for raising the dam 6.5 feet range from $282 to $356 million, with annual operation and maintenance costs of $19 to $20 million. To raise it 18.5 feet, he said construction costs range from $408 to $483 million with annual costs ranging from $28 to $34 million.

      "This is not competitive with the $50 to $150 per acre-foot currently paid by farmers who are the ones who consume most of the developed water in the Central Valley," he said.

      Franco said raising the dam even 6.5 feet would be "cultural genocide for our tribe." He said the water will rise to an elevation of 1,096 feet, destroying cultural land on the McCloud River, one of three rivers that feed Shasta Lake.

      "We are the Winnemem, meaning 'Middle River,'" he said. "There is the Sacramento River on one side and the Pitt River on the other. The McCloud is in the middle."

      Franco said if the raising of the dam is allowed to continue, it would destroy important Winnemem ceremonial and medicinal plant gathering sites.

      "Not having cultural access to our ancestral land would kill us," he said. "It is where our children learn how to be good people, gain the knowledge of what they are going to be in the future, and learn their relationship to the land and each other. We are fighting to preserve our culture for our elderly and our children"

      On September 12, 2004, members of the Winnemem Wintu tribe held a four-day "war dance" at the dam, complete with a sacred ceremonial fire to show they are ready to fight to protect their land along the McCloud River. It was the first time since 1887 that the Winnemem had evoked a war dance in opposition of a fish hatchery on the McCloud.

      Franco said it is not just the Wintu Winnemem who are threatened.

      "Nobody is telling you of the land you will lose, the homes that will be destroyed at Lakehead," he said. "We're in this together. Hopefully, you will stand by our side in this fight." 


     
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From bwl3 at comcast.net  Fri May 27 12:03:08 2005
From: bwl3 at comcast.net (Byron )
Date: Fri, 27 May 2005 12:03:08 -0700
Subject: [env-trinity] [SPAM?] Stockton Record May 27 on CalFed
Message-ID: <20050527190328.57F472000B86@mx.dcn.davis.ca.us>

Rather interesting


 

CALFED scientist cites lack of funds, organization among reasons for leaving

Stockton Record ? 5/27/05

By Dana Nichols, staff writer

 

SACRAMENTO -- The scientist who leads the effort to understand the forces
that are killing the Delta said he's leaving the California Bay Delta
Authority partly because the agency lacks the money or organization to get
the job done.

 

"At this stage, it is hard for me to be effective in the role of lead
scientist," said Johnnie Moore, the geologist who came here nine months ago
to revitalize the program.

 

Yet Moore said he believes that it is possible for CALFED to do solid
science on the Delta and its declining fish populations, even if the answers
don't come quickly or offer simple solutions.

 

And he defended the agency from critics who say it fails to study the
impacts of water exports to Southern California because of the political
power of water interests.

 

"I haven't seen that, to be very honest," Moore said.

 

CALFED is a program started in 1996 in which interests ranging from local
water districts to the federal government declared a truce in various water
wars so they could cooperate to restore the Delta's environment and secure
its water supply.

 

The Bay-Delta Authority is a state agency created in 2003 to coordinate
CALFED's work. But critics, especially environmentalists, say the agency has
failed to balance environmental interests with the demand to increase
exports of water from the Delta to Southern California.

 

Two crises are now gripping the program: state lawmakers unhappy with what
they see as CALFED's lack of focus are withholding $100 million in funding,
and a sudden, catastrophic decline in Delta fish populations that scientists
are scrambling to explain.

 

Moore told co-workers Tuesday that he would leave CALFED and return to
Montana on July 1. On Wednesday, authority director Patrick Wright left and
was replaced with Joe Grindstaff, the state Department of Water Resources'
second-in-command.

 

Grindstaff's marching orders from Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger are to audit
the entire program and draft a 10-year plan for the agency by Nov. 1.

Grindstaff said Thursday that the authority won't wait to replace Moore.
"The science program will move ahead as planned," he said.

 

But a member of the independent board that reviews CALFED's scientific work
worried that the audit and the funding cuts will shut down research.

 

"What you are looking at is a major break in CALFED activities, in my view,"
said Jeffrey Mount, a geologist at the University of California, Davis, and
a member of the science review board.

 

"But I am very pragmatic about the political realities in CALFED and realize
that is probably what is going to happen," Mount said.

 

The studies now in limbo include an effort to understand how to reverse low
oxygen levels in the Stockton Deep Water Channel, which can block migrating
shad, steelhead and salmon.

 

G. Fred Lee, who once applied for Moore's job, is a chemist who formerly
advised CALFED on water-quality issues. 

 

Lee said the agency is dominated by water agencies and is incapable of doing
the necessary research to discover the cause of the fish decline.

 

"I concluded long ago that we are not going to get adequate water-quality
monitoring through CALFED," Lee said. "It gets squashed by the politics."

Mount said it is na?ve to think water research could be free of politics.

 

"You are studying a highly altered system which has a continuous overtone of
politics on it," he said. "The solutions will always ultimately be
political, not scientific."

 

Mount said CALFED needs to narrow its focus and quit trying to be all things
to all people. 

 

Moore agreed, saying a new lead scientist is part of that.

 

"Someone with a bit closer tie to California politics and systems would do a
little better job than I would do at that as the organization changes," he
said.

 

 

Byron Leydecker, 

Chair, Friends of Trinity River

Consultant, California Trout, Inc.

PO Box 2327

Mill Valley, CA 94942-2327

415 383 4810 ph

415 383 9562 fx

bwl3 at comcast.net

bleydecker at stanfordalumni.org (secondary)

http://www.fotr.org

http://caltrout.org

 

 

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From danielbacher at hotmail.com  Sun May 29 14:24:02 2005
From: danielbacher at hotmail.com (Daniel Bacher)
Date: Sun, 29 May 2005 14:24:02 -0700
Subject: [env-trinity] Fish Groups File Suit To Stop Fish Kills On Butte
	Creek 
Message-ID: <BAY16-F2241C6915817464C0DF76DDB020@phx.gbl>

Fish Groups File Suit To Stop Fish Kills On Butte Creek

by Dan Bacher

Fishing and environmental groups filed a lawsuit in federal court on May 19 
to compel two federal agencies to consult with one another to restore the 
spring run chinook salmon of Butte Creek.

Earthjustice filed legal action on behalf of the plaintiffs in the Ninth 
District Court of Appeals in San Francisco in an effort to prevent fish 
kills like those that occurred in 2002 and 2003 from taking place again this 
year and in coming years. Butte Creek, a tributary of the Sacramento River 
that drains the northern Sierra Nevada northeast of Chico, plays host to the 
largest, most vibrant remaining run of spring chinook salmon in the Central 
Valley.

The groups filed the lawsuit to force the Federal Regulatory Commission 
(FERC) to consult with the National Marine Fisheries Service (NOAA 
Fisheries) regarding the impacts of a small Pacific Gas and Electric 
hydroelectric project, the DeSabla-Centerville Project, on the protected 
fish. The groups also put PG&E on a 60-Day Notice that any fish kills this 
summer caused by diverting the creek will prompt legal action for the 
killing of a listed species.

"Enormous efforts were made to bring the spring-run chinook back from the 
brink of extinction, including the removal of several dams on lower Butte 
Creek,? said Allen Harthorn of Friends of Butte Creek. ?It's time for FERC 
to consult formally with the NOAA-Fisheries to reassess the impacts of the 
DeSabla-Centerville hydroelectric project.?

Over 7,000 fish died before spawning in July and August of 2002 when low, 
warm water conditions on the creek below Centerville Dam spurred an outbreak 
of disease among the salmon, according to Harthorn. An even worse fish kill 
took place in 2003 when 11,200 spring run adults died before spawning. NOAA 
Fisheries estimated that 80 to 90 percent of the run that year perished.

The massive fishery disaster ? arguably the largest die-off of state and 
federally listed salmon in U.S. history ? prompted NOAA Fisheries to 
intervene and order FERC to enter a consultation process with them in 
September 2003.

The spring-run chinook was listed as ?threatened? under the federal 
Endangered Species Act in 1999.  During the spring, summer, and early fall 
months, adult spring-run chinook occupy approximately ten miles of holding 
and spawning habitat in Butte Creek. Fish habitat conditions in this section 
of the creek, including water flow and temperature, are controlled by 
operation of the DeSabla-Centerville hydroelectric project. PG&E operates 
the project under licensing authority of FERC.

?Because the species was listed as threatened in 1999, conservation and 
fishing groups believe the permitting agency, FERC, should consult with NMFS 
and issue new operation guidelines to PG&E that will protect the salmon,? 
according to a press release by the organizations.

The groups include the California Sportfishing Protection Alliance, Friends 
of the River, Institute For Fishery Resources, Northern California Council 
of the Federation of Fly Fishers, Pacific Coast Federation of Fishermen?s 
Associations and Sacramento River Preservation Trust.

To date, FERC has refused to formally consult with its sister agency, NOAA 
Fisheries, in spite of being mandated to do so under federal law. The groups 
in April 2004 filed a petition with FERC, requesting that FERC commence 
formal consultation with NMFS, the federal agency charged with the 
protection of the threatened spring run under section 7(a)(2) of the federal 
Endangered Species Act.

However, FERC denied their petition on August 5, 2004 and denied a rehearing 
of the license order on March 23, 2005. FERC ruled that the petition seeking 
consultation was ?premature ? and the FERC?s discretionary control over the 
project?s operations to protect fish does not constitute an ?agency action? 
for the purpose of section 7 consultation.

Lisa Randle, news representative for PG&E, said PG&E has not reviewed the 
Earthjustice appeal and therefore cannot comment on the specifics of the 
appeal.

?However, PG&E believes that FERC correctly analyzed the legal issue in its 
Order Denying Rehearing of Earthjustice's petition,? explained Randle. 
?Formal consultation under the Endangered Species Act is premature at this 
time because there is no pending action at FERC.?

Randle said that the DeSabla-Centerville Project is currently in the ?very 
early stages? of relicensing; "FERC will initiate formal consultation with 
NOAA Fisheries after PG&E files its application for a new license in 2007," 
she noted.

She also said PG&E and a number of agencies are also doing a ?considerable 
amount of consultation? regarding the Butte Creek salmon fishery already. 
?We consult yearly with the DFG, Park Service, NOAA Fisheries, the Water 
Board and other agencies to develop a summer operation plan to optimize the 
fishery,? she stated.

Anglers and environmentalists believe that FERC is stalling ? and violating 
the ESA ? by refusing to formally consult with NOAA.

?The gist of FERC?s argument is that ?we?re getting around to it,?? said 
Laura Robb, associate attorney for Earthjustice. ?But the problem with that 
argument is that while they?re getting around to it, a lot of fish kills 
will take place. If they don?t put on the ground protections into place, we 
will see more fish kills.?

?It all comes down to one federal agency refusing to talk to another,? said 
John Beuttler, consultant for the California Sportfishing Projection 
Alliance. ?It?s not only against the law, but it?s against the whole idea 
that the purpose of the government is to serve the people and not 
vice-versa. By refusing to consult with NOAA Fisheries, FERC is showing they 
can?t care about our natural resources, but only about licensing 
hydroelectric projects.?

Spring-run chinook salmon, once the largest run of salmon in the Central 
Valley, migrate as adults from the ocean to their birth streams during the 
spring when water flows are high from snowmelt, allowing them access to 
higher elevation pools where they wait out the summer to lay their eggs in 
the fall. In addition to Butte Creek, these unique fish cling to survival in 
two other Sacramento River tributaries, Mill and Deer creeks.

A major obstacle to fish restoration is Centerville Head Dam, located 300 
yards below De Sabla Forebay. ?Salmon are almost completely blocked from 
reaching the creek's upper watershed ? and PG&E has made no mitigations for 
these losses,? according to the coalition.

Restoring spring run chinook is crucial to maintaining viable commercial and 
recreational salmon fisheries in California. ?We have a very pragmatic 
reason for working for the restoration of spring chinook salmon,? said Zeke 
Grader, executive director of the Pacific Coast Federation of Fishermen?s 
Associations. ?If the spring run is imperiled further by fish kills, the 
federal and state governments need to look at every possible impact, 
including commercial and recreational fishing. The more we can bring spring 
run fish up to historic levels, the less chance we have of seeing more 
restrictions imposed on fishermen.?

Furthermore, Grader would like to restore the spring run to fishable levels; 
since it was formerly the most abundant fish in the system.

?The time has come for government biologists to take a hard look at this 
project and determine what can be done to avert more tragic fish kills to 
promote the recovery of the spring-run,? summed up Trent Orr, an attorney 
from Earthjustice who is representing the coalition in court.




From danielbacher at hotmail.com  Tue May 31 16:47:18 2005
From: danielbacher at hotmail.com (Daniel Bacher)
Date: Tue, 31 May 2005 16:47:18 -0700
Subject: [env-trinity] Bee Letter: A Fishery Nightmare Made in Washington
Message-ID: <BAY16-F5785F4D50CE87C4CB5442DB040@phx.gbl>

Here's my letter regarding today's Sacramento Bee article, "salmon harvest 
will be slashed":


A Fishery Nightmare Made In Washington

"Salmon harvest will be slashed," May 31: It is outrageous that commercial 
fishermen, recreational anglers and the Klamath River Indian tribes have to 
suffer drastic cuts in salmon harvest this year because of a man-made 
environmental disaster that was engineered in Washington by Bush 
administration officials.

In a year when fishery managers expect to see the largest ever ocean 
abundance of Sacramento fall-run chinooks, commercial fishermen face severe 
harvest restrictions because these fish mingle at sea with the beleaguered 
Klamath fish. The only reason why Klamath stocks are so low is because the 
Department of Interior in 2002 changed Klamath Basin water policy to deliver 
irrigation water to subsidized growers at the expense of fish and downstream 
users.

Over 200,000 juvenile chinooks perished in the spring of 2002 and 68,000 
adult salmon died before spawning that fall because of low, warm water 
conditions caused by the water policy change. The very least that 
administration officials can do, after causing all of this environmental and 
economic devastation, is to issue an economic fisheries disaster 
determination. I agree completely with Glen Spain that ?The Klamath River is 
an ESA disaster.?

Dan Bacher, Sacramento




From tstokely at trinityalps.net  Tue May 31 17:05:36 2005
From: tstokely at trinityalps.net (Tom Stokely)
Date: Tue, 31 May 2005 17:05:36 -0700
Subject: [env-trinity] SACBEE- Salmon harvest will be slashed;
	Klamath's woes force cuts for the thriving Sacramento run
Message-ID: <017e01c5663d$a5014810$186b3940@trinitycounty.org>

SALMON FISHERIES:
Salmon harvest will be slashed; Klamath's woes force cuts for the thriving Sacramento run
Sacramento Bee - 5/31/05
By David Whitney, staff writer
 

WASHINGTON - Salmon fishermen from Northern California and Oregon are facing steep cuts in their harvest this summer, a result they blame on warm water and low flows in the Klamath River in 2002 that killed off a sizable number of young fish that should be returning to spawn this year. 

 

Fishery advocates said the cuts, up to half of last year's commercial ocean season harvest in some areas, are especially damaging this summer because fall chinook returning on the Sacramento River to spawn are forecast to hit record numbers. 

 

Because salmon stocks mingle in the ocean as they head back to their native rivers to spawn, harvest restrictions to preserve the few returning Klamath River fish mean that huge numbers of Sacramento River returns - perhaps a million or more - will go unfished. 

 

The restrictions, which vary by coastal location, will slice the number of days open to commercial fishermen by up to half. 

 

"There's going to be fish washing up on the banks of the Sacramento River system that are basically going unused," said Chuck Tracy, salmon staff officer in Portland, Ore., for the Pacific Fishery Management Council, which sets West Coast fishing seasons. 

 

Exactly how bad it will be is unclear, but some estimates put the damage at $100 million or more. It's not just the value of the fish, but processing and service-industry jobs as well. Millions of dollars more will be lost in the sport fishing and tourism industries, fishery managers say. 

 

The developing situation has extensive and bitter political undercurrents. 

 

The Klamath chinook collapse four years ago occurred at a time when, faced with a drought, federal water managers had to balance Klamath River water distributions between protected fish and angry Klamath basin farmers. 

 

Now the Bush administration, through the Commerce Department and its fisheries arm, has to decide whether the consequence of providing more water for farmers created an economic disaster for fishermen. If they find that it did, the Republican-controlled Congress will have to decide how much federal taxpayers will pay to compensate for those policies. 

 

Stirred into this boiling political cauldron is the federal Endangered Species Act, which is a key part of the mix in determining water flows to protect endangered fish on both the Sacramento and Klamath rivers. 

 

Federal efforts to improve flow and wildlife habitat along the Sacramento have resulted in improved fish returns. This year, three times as many chinook are expected in the river system than 20 years ago. A staggering 1.68 million salmon are expected when, according to federal fishery biologists, only 180,000 or so are needed to spawn an average 2009 run. 

 

By contrast, the return of spawning 4-year-old chinook on the Klamath will be the worst in 20 years, and roughly a third of what returned last year. 

 

Federal fisheries managers anticipate a Klamath run of 48,000, which is just 13,000 more than needed to spawn an average 2009 run. 

 

"The Sacramento River run has been an Endangered Species Act success story," said Glen Spain, Northwest regional director of the Pacific Coast Federation of Fishermen's Associations. "The Klamath River is an ESA disaster." 

 

In 2001, the Bureau of Reclamation angered Klamath Basin farmers by turning off irrigation supplies to save fish. By the next spring, the agency reversed course under pressure from Republican lawmakers and the Bush administration, and river flows dropped to preserve water for irrigators. 

 

This was the very period that little fish that should be this year's chinook harvest were getting their start. Spawned by returning 2001 adults, the juvenile fish encountered low flows and warm water on their way out to sea in early 2002, and most didn't make it. 

 

Later that fall, more than 30,000 returning adult chinook also turned up diseased and dead in lower reaches of the river. 

 

The Federation of Fishermen's Associations, one of the harshest critics of the Bush administration over Klamath policy, jumped on the forecast of weak 2005 returns last year, and in a letter to President Bush last July asked for preparations for economic disaster relief. 

 

"The low flows causing the fish kill were the direct result of actions taken by the Klamath Irrigation Project, operated by the Department of Interior's Bureau of Reclamation, which diverted water from the river that year that was needed for fish survival," wrote W.F. "Zeke" Grader Jr., the association's executive director. 

 

That letter triggered an economic disaster study under way by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's fisheries arm. The study is required for the administration to issue an economic fisheries disaster determination, a precursor to a congressional relief package. 

 

Eric Chavez, a sustainable fisheries specialist for the agency in California who is doing the report, said part of the calculus will be the foregone fishing opportunities on the huge Sacramento run. 

 

"Part of the fishermen's frustration is knowing that all those salmon will be out there but can't be fished because of the need to protect the Klamath numbers," he said. 

 

He said the study is precedent-setting in that never before has the agency been called upon to make a determination so early in the process. The salmon season, which runs through the fall, only recently opened. 

 

When asked if a disaster declaration can be made before a season ends, Chavez said: "That's a good question. This has never been done before." 

 

Democratic lawmakers from California and Oregon already are pounding on the administration's door over the situation. 

 

In a letter May 12 to Commerce Secretary Carlos Gutierrez, all 37 Democrats from the two states demanded completion of the economic disaster finding by June 1, in time for Congress to include disaster relief in spending bills for the fiscal year that begins Oct. 1. 

 

Rep. Mike Thompson, D-St. Helena, said his office contacted Republicans from both states urging them to join in on the letter but all declined. #

http://www.sacbee.com/content/politics/story/12983923p-13830922c.html

####
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From tstokely at trinityalps.net  Thu Jun  2 14:27:32 2005
From: tstokely at trinityalps.net (Tom Stokely)
Date: Thu, 2 Jun 2005 14:27:32 -0700
Subject: [env-trinity] Klamath River Task Force Meeting June 15-16
Message-ID: <001501c567cc$2f2dd7d0$356b3940@trinitycounty.org>

       

      NEWS

      RELEASE
      

      U.S. FISH AND WILDLIFE SERVICE - REGION 1

       

      Yreka Fish and Wildlife Office

      1829 South Oregon Street, Yreka, CA 96097
     
       

       
      

      IDAHO - NEVADA - CALIFORNIA - WASHINGTON - OREGON - 

      HAWAII AND THE PACIFIC ISLANDS
     

For Immediate Release                                                                                                                                                                      

 

Contact:                                                                                                                                                                                                                May 27, 2005

 

Gary Curtis - Ecosystem Restoration Team Leader

                Phil Detrich- Field Supervisor

(530) 842-5763 

 

Klamath River Basin Fisheries Task Force to Meet in Yreka, California

 

The Klamath River Basin Fisheries Task Force (Task Force) will meet at the Miner's Inn, 122 East Miner Street, Yreka, California, to discuss issues related to the restoration of salmon and other anadromous fisheries in the Klamath River.  The meeting will take place on June 15, 2005, from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm; and June 16, 2005, from 8:00 am to 1:30 pm.

 

The Task Force is a Federal advisory committee that assists the Secretary of Interior in the formulation, coordination, and implementation of a 20-year program to restore the anadromous fisheries of the Klamath River Basin Conservation Area.  The Task Force membership includes representatives of the commercial salmon fishing industry; the in-river sport fishing community; the Yurok, Karuk, Hoopa, and Klamath Tribes; Del Norte, Humboldt, Trinity, Siskiyou, and Klamath Counties; the California Department of Fish and Game; Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife; U.S. Departments of the Interior and Agriculture; and the National Marine Fisheries Service.

 

Topics to be discussed at this meeting will include State and Federal coho salmon recovery planning, coho salmon Incidental Take Permits, Klamath Fishery Management Council harvest management, restoration project proposals for funding, and progress of restoration planning, coordination, and projects in the Shasta, Scott, Salmon, Lower Klamath, and Middle Klamath sub-basins.

 

Members of the public are encouraged to attend this meeting and offer comments and recommendations to the Task Force.  For additional information, please contact Gary Curtis, at (530) 842-5763.

 

X     X     X



 DRAFT AGENDA

KLAMATH RIVER BASIN FISHERIES TASK FORCE MEETING

June 15 - 16, 2005

Miner's Inn

Yreka, California

June 15, 2005

 

9:00 am                 1.  Convene and opening remarks.  John Engbring, Chair. Vice Chair is Irma Lagomarsino, NOAA Fisheries.  Vice Chair for next meeting will be Keith Wilkinson.

 

9:10                 2. Remembrance of Ronnie Pierce

 

9:20                 3.  Introductions of Congressional staff in attendance

 

9:30                             4.  Business

                                                a.  Approval of minutes

b.  Adoption of agenda

 

9:45                             5.  Brief review of last meeting actions/general correspondence/program update (Gary Curtis)

 

10:00               6.  Brief Updates and Announcements

a.  Update on State coho recovery process (Neil Manji)

b.  Update on Shasta-Scott Recovery Team (Neil Manji)

c.  Update on NOAA coho recovery planning (Irma Lagomarsino)

d.  Update on NOAA hatchery listing policy (Irma Lagomarsino)

e.  Government Accountability Office audit of Restoration Program

 

10:15               7. Discussion of the letter from Sue Ellen Wooldridge regarding additional                                        funding for future monitoring of fisheries in the Klamath Basin (John                                                 Engbring)

 

10:45               Break

 

11:00               8. Discussion of drafting a letter to the Administration regarding the future of the                                         Task Force (John Engbring)

 

11:30                           9. Report from Klamath Watershed Coordination Group (Neil Manji and Dave Hillemeier)

Klamath Basin Compact Commission (Alice Kilham)

Upper Klamath Basin Working Group (Jim Carpenter)

Trinity Management Council (Mike Orcutt)

 

12:00               10.  Public Comment

 

12:15                     Lunch

 

1:30 pm           11. Changes in the 2005 Budget

2:00                             12.  Report from the Technical Work Group (Petey Brucker)

 

2:45                             13.  Report from Budget Committee on proposed 2006 Work Plan

 

3:00                         Break 

 

3:15                             14.  Status of Shasta Valley Resource Conservation District and Siskiyou Resource Conservation District Incidental Take Permits (Neil Manji)

 

4:00                             15.  Planning for Klamath Project Operations and status of the Conservation 

 Implementation Program (Christine Karas, Bureau of Reclamation)

 

4:30                             16.  Public comment   

 

4:45                 Recess

 

5:00 - 7:00       Field Trip - Meet in the parking lot to caravan to a project site in the Shasta           Valley with Dave Webb

 

7:00 - 9:00 pm        Social Hour - Join us at Casa Ramos for drinks and dinner 

 

 

June 16, 2005

 

8:00 am                   17.  Report from Arcata Fish and Wildlife Office on study results (Nick Hetrick)

 

9:00                             18.  Report from Klamath Fishery Management Council on the status of Klamath fishery regulations (Curt Melcher)

 

9:30                             19.  Public comment

 

9:45                         Break

 

10:00                           20.  Reports from Sub-basin Coordinators on the status of sub-basin planning, coordination, and restoration efforts

                                                            a.  Salmon River Sub-basin (Jim Villeponteaux, SRRC)

                                    b.  Shasta River Sub-basin (Dave Webb, Shasta CRMP)

                                                            c.  Scott River Sub-basin (Rhonda Muse, SRWC)

d.  Mid-Klamath Sub-basin (Will Harling, Karuk Tribe)

                                    e.  Lower Klamath Sub-basin (Dan Gale, Yurok Tribe)

 

12:00                           21.  Task Force Decision on 2006 Work Plan

 

1:00 pm           22.  Public comment 

 

1:15                             23.  Recap and conclusions.  Next meeting is in Klamath Falls, Oregon, October 19-20, 2005.  We need to schedule the February and June meetings in 2006.

 

Adjourn


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From tstokely at trinityalps.net  Fri Jun  3 09:55:57 2005
From: tstokely at trinityalps.net (Tom Stokely)
Date: Fri, 3 Jun 2005 09:55:57 -0700
Subject: [env-trinity] California Farm Bureau Federation Ag Alert: Wet
	weather precipitates increased water allocations
Message-ID: <008401c5685d$1fcf1740$7d6b3940@trinitycounty.org>

 
California Farm Bureau Federation Ag Alert 

http://www.cfbf.com/agalert/AgAlertStory.cfm?ID=371&ck=41F1F19176D383480AFA65D325C06ED0 
------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 
Wet weather precipitates increased water allocations 
Issue Date: June 1, 2005 

By Christine Souza 
Assistant Editor 

This is California's best water year since 1998. Storms that hammered California in the past several 
weeks will exert a beneficial ripple effect--increased water allocations for farmers this growing 
season. From the Central and Imperial valleys to the Klamath Basin, the wet spring has given 
growers reason to breathe sighs of relief. 

As a result of recent wet weather in Northern California and in the San Joaquin River Basin, the 
Central Valley Project water allocation for agricultural contractors south of the delta has been 
increased from 75 percent to 85 percent of federal contract deliveries, according to the U.S. Bureau 
of Reclamation. 

"We haven't seen an allocation of 85 percent since 1998, so it is a big benefit to the area because it 
means that we stop using groundwater as a supplement to the short canal water supply that we've 
been getting over the years," said Fresno County farmer Dan Errotabere, who grows almonds, garlic, 
cantaloupe and other crops. "I was surprised that we went all of the way up to 85 percent. I was 
hoping that we would get to 80 percent, so 85 percent is a nice bonus." 

Errotabere, who is a member of the Fresno County Farm Bureau and serves on the Westlands Water 
District board of directors, said he looks forward to using a water source other than groundwater. 

"Using the allocated water helps in that it is less expensive than using groundwater and the quality 
of the water is better than groundwater, which is typically saltier. The allocated water is just a 
better source of water and helps improve the fertility of the land," Errotabere said. 

Jeff McCracken, spokesman for the Bureau of Reclamation, explains that California has not 
experienced such a great abundance of wet weather for many years. 

"The weather certainly has played the big role. One of the things that helps us is we don't have to 
pump the water (through the delta) to get to the 85 percent because the water is already south of the 
delta in many cases," McCracken said. "We still have limitations on how much water we can export, 
but the federal portion of San Luis Reservoir is full. So with all of these releases that we are making 
for flood control, there is really no place we can put it. We can't really pump it south; our reservoir 
down there is already full." 

Last week, the bureau increased releases from its reservoirs to river channels to accommodate heavy 
inflows from Sierra snow melt. People using rivers for recreation were warned of changing flow 
conditions and were cautioned about rivers running higher, faster and colder than usual for this 
time of year. 

Search-and-rescue units throughout the state were geared up last week for the fast, frigid stream 
flows. Emergency service agencies were putting employees through extra training and deploying 
equipment and personnel to the swiftest watercourses. 

Another element that can be factored into this year's plentiful water supply for Westside farmers is 
basic supply and demand. The plentiful rainfall this spring itself diminished farmers' general 
demand for water, McCracken said. 

Imperial Valley farmers, who depend on water from the Colorado River, also fared well this water 
season. Interior Secretary Gale Norton decided to maintain the 8.23 million acre-foot allocation 
routinely released to California, Arizona and Nevada because precipitation yielded 10 percent more 
runoff than expected. 

Norton's decision to maintain Colorado River water deliveries came after she considered making 
possible adjustments to the formula for moving water between the reservoirs upon which California 
water users depend. 

Federal authorities will cap California's pumping and distribution allotment of Colorado River water 
at 4.4 million acre-feet this year, in accordance with new federal goals. McCracken explained that 
California routinely pumped closer to 6 million acre-feet per year from the Colorado River before 
2004. 

"California used to get 6 million acre-feet every year but all of a sudden Arizona said, 'We finished 
building the pipes so we can now take our full allocation,'" McCracken said. "(Former Interior 
Assistant Secretary) Bennett Raley and Secretary Norton worked on a plan to try to get California 
down to its contracted 4.4 million-acre feet, which was agreed to." 

The increased precipitation entering the Colorado River is replenishing low water levels in the 
reservoirs and has given the Bureau of Reclamation a chance to recover lost water storage. 

"The long-range benefit to California irrigators who get their water from the Colorado River is the 
big storage of the Colorado River system is going to be more reliable once the reservoir is recovered," 
McCracken. 

Klamath Water Project irrigators who get their water from Upper Klamath Lake also are satisfied 
with this year's powerful showers, although the weather could prove to be a double-edged sword. 

"It has been raining a lot in the Klamath Basin, almost enough to change the water year. The water 
year is based on how much water flows into Upper Klamath Lake and that change in water year 
would have been bad for the farmers," McCracken said. "The designation would have gone from a 
'dry' year to a 'normal' year and that is bad, because a 'normal' year requires more water 
downstream. When those things generally happen, the farmers are left holding the bag." 

Klamath Basin farmers, who experienced a devastating water shut-off in 2001, have been nervous 
about every water year since. McCracken said that this year, however, irrigators are likely to be 
granted a water allocation of 75 percent. 

"Some of the Klamath farmers got involved in the water bank. They put much of their water in this 
bank for fish, and for that they get paid. So I think we are going to have a decent year," McCracken 
said. "It should be a good year for the fishery and for our customers." 

(Christine Souza is a reporter for Ag Alert. She may be contacted at csouza at cfbf.com.) 

Permission for use is granted, however, credit must be made to the California Farm Bureau 
Federation when reprinting this item. (Top) 
  
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From awhitridge at snowcrest.net  Fri Jun  3 15:19:02 2005
From: awhitridge at snowcrest.net (Arnold Whitridge)
Date: Fri, 03 Jun 2005 15:19:02 -0700
Subject: [env-trinity] TAMWG meeting June 13
Message-ID: <5.1.0.14.2.20050603145439.00be4528@mail.snowcrest.net>

The Trinity Adaptive Management Working Group will meet at 1:00 p.m. 
Monday, June 13, at the Weaverville Victorian Inn, to consider the proposed 
Fiscal Year 2006 budget for the Trinity River Restoration Program.

The TAMWG is a federal advisory committee chartered to advise the Interior 
Secretary and the Trinity Management Council on Trinity River restoration 
matters. TAMWG meetings are open to the public; information about the 
TAMWG, including minutes and agendas for meetings, is available at 
http://arcata.fws.gov/fisheries/tamwg.html

Arnold Whitridge, TAMWG chair
(530) 623-6688







From tstokely at trinityalps.net  Tue Jun  7 15:24:09 2005
From: tstokely at trinityalps.net (tstokely at trinityalps.net)
Date: Tue, 7 Jun 2005 18:24:09 -0400
Subject: [env-trinity] (no subject)
Message-ID: <148540-2200562722249986@M2W040.mail2web.com>

STATE OF CALIFORNIA -- THE RESOURCES AGENCY	ARNOLD SCHWARZENEGGER, Governor

DEPARTMENT OF FISH AND GAME
NORTHERN CALIFORNIA-NORTH COAST REGION
Anadromous Fisheries Resource Assessment Monitoring Program
Weaverville Field Office
P.O. Box 1185
Weaverville, CA 96093
												June 7, 2005


Fellow fish enthusiasts:

I am writing to invite you and any of your interested
colleagues/employees/students to participate in this year?s South Fork
Trinity River spring Chinook summer steelhead snorkel survey.  Join us as
we snorkel 102 miles of California?s longest undammed river. This year?s
survey will be conducted on August 16th and 17th, 2005.

Most participants will be meeting the night before (Aug 15th) at Scott?s
Flat campground in Forest Glen, CA.  We will conduct a pre-dive training
session at 5p.m. on August 15th for all interested or for inexperienced
divers.  If you cannot arrive the night before please plan to meet at
Scott?s Flat campground the morning of August 16th, no later than 7:30 a.m.
A BBQ style dinner (traditionally albacore) will be provided at the
completion of the first day?s dive.
 
Scott?s Flat campground is located approximately three miles east of Forest
Glen on Highway 36.  Once you reach the Hell?s Gate campground sign, pull
off of Highway 36 and stay to your left.  Continue on that dirt road
approximately 3/4 of a mile to swinging bridge. Once at swinging bridge,
look for the group of fun-loving natural resource professionals.

Please bring the following gear with you:
Wetsuit
Mask, snorkel, gloves, booties, wading boots
Backpack (that can get wet) or backpack dry-bag
Water filter or substantial water
Thermometer
Personal camping gear (i.e. tent, sleeping bag, cooking utensils)

If you don?t have some or all of these items, please contact me so I can
arrange for possible loaners.

Loren Everest, US Forest Service Fisheries Biologist, is also recruiting
volunteers for snorkel surveys on Canyon Creek (August 3rd), North Fork
Trinity River (August 9th) and New River (August 23rd and August 24th). He
can be contacted at (530) 623-1754.

Please RSVP with number of available personnel to (530) 623-9328 or
pgarrison at dfg.ca.gov.  I?m quite positive this will be the ?best? South
Fork dive ever; you don?t want to miss it. 

Sincerely,

/s/ Patrick Garrison
Fisheries Biologist




--------------------------------------------------------------------
mail2web - Check your email from the web at
http://mail2web.com/ .





From tstokely at trinityalps.net  Thu Jun  9 09:44:46 2005
From: tstokely at trinityalps.net (Tom Stokely)
Date: Thu, 9 Jun 2005 09:44:46 -0700
Subject: [env-trinity] Redding Record Searchlight- Bureau's north state boss
	returns to Montana to lead nine-state division 
Message-ID: <00ba01c56d12$8c3ddab0$286c3940@trinitycounty.org>

http://www1.redding.com/redd/nw_local/article/0,2232,REDD_17533_3838957,00.html

Reclamation chief leaving 
Bureau's north state boss returns to Montana to lead nine-state division 

By Alex Breitler, Record Searchlight
June 8, 2005 

SHASTA DAM -- The top Bureau of Reclamation official in the north state is returning to his rural roots after nearly a decade managing water in the north state. 

Mike Ryan, an engineer by training, will return to his home state of Montana by month's end to oversee the bureau's Great Plains office. 

     
      
     
>From his office in Billings, Ryan will head bureau operations in nine states from the Canadian border to the southern tip of Texas, including 80 dams and reservoirs, 21 power plants and more than 1,000 water service contracts. 

It's not easy to leave Shasta County, Ryan said Tuesday. 

"I've seen a lot of places, and this community is one that fit my family almost perfectly, except for one thing: It's not Montana," he quipped. 

His years here weren't without controversy. Proposals to raise Shasta Dam are being protested by American Indians who say their cherished cultural landmarks will be flooded. And environmentalists have decried a series of long-term water contract renewals for irrigation districts. 

Ryan presided over many contract meetings with districts as far south as Sacramento and said the negotiations were challenging, indeed. 

"But everybody stayed at the table and continued to be optimistic," he said. 

Ryan said he was also pleased with efforts to modernize the bureau's power facilities. In California he managed nine dams and six power plants, producing about 4 million kilowatt hours of electricity every year, bureau officials said. 

Ryan also chaired the Trinity Management Council, and said restoration of the Trinity River must remain a key goal for the next manager, who has yet to be named. 

"We cannot lose hope about the ability to restore that river system," he said. 

Before coming to Shasta County in 1996, Ryan managed the bureau's Klamath Basin office. He and his wife, Shelly, have three children: John, 22; Anne, 17; and Kate, 13. 

Reporter Alex Breitler can be reached at 225-8344 or at abreitler at redding.com.




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From danielbacher at hotmail.com  Tue Jun 14 16:08:34 2005
From: danielbacher at hotmail.com (Daniel Bacher)
Date: Tue, 14 Jun 2005 16:08:34 -0700
Subject: [env-trinity] Urgent Action Alert: Save the California Delta!
Message-ID: <BAY16-F1903FB7FC7B999E86057DBDBF30@phx.gbl>

Hello

I urge everybody to call or fax the governor to declare a "cease-fire" on 
additional water exports from the California Delta until the ecology of the 
estuary and its fishery resources are restored.

Thanks
Dan Bacher


Estuary Fisheries Imperiled by the South Delta ?Improvement? Project

The Bay-Delta Estuary that once sustained multiple runs of salmon and 
abundant runs striped bass, American shad, sturgeon and steelhead, is on the 
verge of collapse. According to agency scientists, the estuary?s 
productivity is so low that it may be signaling the collapse of the 
ecosystem. Delta populations of key plankton and tiny shrimp that fuel the 
food web and drive the system?s ecology have virtually disappeared, as have 
some of estuary?s important species of fish including Delta smelt, longfin 
smelt, shad and young-of-the-year striped bass.

While fishery agencies have reacted with an increased effort to further 
study the reasons for this declining productivity, the state Department of 
Water Resources (DWR) has decided to move forward with their South Delta 
Improvement Project (SDIP) that would increase water exports out of the 
Delta by up to 25%!  The SDIP draft Environmental Impact Report will be 
circulated for public review this month.

The decision to move the SDIP forward in the face of a collapsing estuary 
can only make the estuary?s problems worse and do irreparable harm to its 
fishery resources. Our organization has been working to restore the estuary 
for twenty years, so its declining productivity is not new. Declines in 
salmon, steelhead and striper bass have become commonplace as has that of 
the food web. The decline in productivity has been clearly linked to the 
impacts that result from exporting huge amounts of water out of the Delta. 
What is new is the near total collapse in ecosystem productivity.

The SDIP may well be the straw that breaks the estuary?s back. If the food 
web is lost, it will result in the estuary?s fisheries not being able to 
find food where and when they need it for survival.

The food web is irreplaceable! Scientists have long maintained that water 
export affects the productivity of the estuary by changing the once natural 
flow regime and the amount of water that used to flow through it into the 
San Francisco Bay. Instead of the high spring runoff through the entire 
estuary, the water projects have greatly reduced these flows and the timing 
of when that water would normally be available to the estuary. The dramatic 
changes in this natural flow pattern and its timing is at the very hart of 
the problem.

State and federal water project facilities in the Delta export, on average, 
some 60% of the fresh water that flows into the system. Their storage of 
what was once natural runoff behind dams on nearly every tributary to the 
Delta has significantly reduced the spring flows which the phytoplankton and 
zooplankton had adapted to over millennia. The projects have increased Delta 
exports primarily in the late spring and summer to meet the needs of Central 
Valley agricultural interests.

While we understand that other factors such as toxic pesticides and 
unintentionally introduced non-native species may be involved in this 
collapse, this is not the time to be increasing exports! In order for the 
waters of the estuary to produce food, the water must stay in the system 
long enough to do so. When 60% of the estuary?s fresh water is exported 
annually, that leaves only 40% of the water to do what 100% used to do. 
Increasing exports beyond the current level can only make the situation 
worse.

If we are to completely understand and address the reasons for the collapse, 
increasing exports must be stopped until the solutions are found and our 
fisheries are recovered. CSPA is urging a cease-fire on additional exports 
until the ecology of the estuary and the recovery of its fishery resources 
is achieved.

Given the push to export more water by water contractors, the best way to 
stop the SDIP is to contact Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger. We urge you to 
ask the Governor to stop the SDIP and any additional Delta export projects 
until the ecology and fisheries of the estuary are restored.

You can email the Governor by going to http://www.govmail.ca.gov where you 
can fill out the email form and send it to the Governor?s office. Or you can 
send a letter or card to him at:

Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger
State Capitol Building
Sacramento, CA 95814

You can also call or fax his office: Phone: 916-445-2841, Fax: 916-445-4633

The message is simple; stop the SDIP and any additional water export out of 
Delta until our estuary and fisheries are restored.

It is time to raise our collective voice. The estuary is truly at stake!

John Beuttler
On Behalf of the CSPA Board of Directors
To contact CSPA for further information, send your email to:
CSPAORG at aol.com or call us at 510-526-4049

CSPA is a non-profit - public benefit organization dedicated to restoring 
fisheries and their habitat. We engage in variety of aquatic efforts and 
issues to ensure our fisheries have habitat they need to be self-sustaining 
and to stay that way. You can support our conservation efforts by becoming a 
member.
Donations are tax-deductible, greatly needed and most appreciated. Send 
checks to CSPA at1360 Neilson Street, Berkeley, CA 94702-1116. Membership 
starts a $25. If you are a member, then you know of the good work we do, so 
sign up a friend and help us restore our fisheries! Questions? Call me at 
510-526-4049.




From jallen at trinitycounty.org  Thu Jun 16 14:43:14 2005
From: jallen at trinitycounty.org (Josh Allen)
Date: Thu, 16 Jun 2005 14:43:14 -0700
Subject: [env-trinity] TMC Meeting June 21 -22 Draft Agenda
Message-ID: <099F81D877F1044DA24BA95E0CE092630103785D@mail2.trinitycounty.org>

Hi All,

 

This email is to inform you that there is an upcoming Trinity Management Committee meeting next week, June 21 & 22, at the Red Lion Inn in Eureka. Please feel free to attend as this is a public meeting subject to the Brown Act, California Government Code ?? 54950-54962 <http://caselaw.lp.findlaw.com/cacodes/gov/54950-54962.html>  . The following is the draft agenda for the meeting:

 

Draft Agenda

TRINITY MANAGEMENT COUNCIL

Red Lion Inn, Eureka, CA

June 21-22, 2005

 

Tuesday, June 21, 2005


 


                                                Topic, Purpose and/or


Time                                       Decision to be Made                                      Discussion Leader


 

Regular Business:

12:30               Introduction:  Validate agenda items; Approve TMC          Mike Long, Vice-Chair

                        Minutes for 4/14/05 (and prior meetings) 

12:45               Open Forum:  Comments from the public                            Mike Long

 1:00                Report from TMC Chair:                                                    Mike Long

 1:15                Report from TAMWG Chair:                                             Arnold Whitridge

 1:30                Report from Executive Director: Program updates             Doug Schleusner 

 

Information Item:

 2:00                Update on July 13-14th Principals Conference                   Doug Schleusner

                        Discuss draft agenda topics, desired outcomes, roles 

of participants, TMC support, field tour, other logistics 

 

2:30     Break

 

Information Item:

 2:45                Sediment Monitoring Contract                                            Andreas Krause

                        Overview of process, objectives, and results to date

 

Information Item:

 3:15                Update on Potential Late Summer Flows                           Mike Long

                        Criteria for determining onset of die-off conditions;               Katharine Carter (KFHAT?)

Present conditions, Acquisition of water by                            Pablo Arroyave

Reclamation; Monitoring coordination                                   Rod Wittler

 

 4:30                Adjourn for the day                                                              Mike Long

 

 




 

Wednesday, June 22, 2005


 


                                                Topic, Purpose and/or


Time                                       Decision to be Made                                      Discussion Leader


 

Action Item 1[1]:

 8:30                FY2006 Budget                                 

                        Review, modify (if necessary), and approve budget for 

FY2006 program of work

*         Overview of budget picture                                        Doug Schleusner

*         Details of Implementation Budget (RIG)                  Ed Solbos

*         Details of Modeling & Analysis Budget (TMAG)     Rod Wittler

*         Details of Program Administration Budget                Doug Schleusner

 

10:30   Break

 

Action Item 1:

10:45               FY2006 Budget (cont.) 

                        Review, modify (if necessary), and approve budget for 

FY2006 program of work

*         TMC discussion and decision                                     Mike Long

 

12:30   Lunch 

 

Action Item 2:

 1:45                Full ROD Program Cost Estimates                                     Doug Schleusner

                        Review and discuss full implementation budgets                     TMC members

*         Overview, continued updates/refinements                 TRRP staff

*         Concept of supplemental appropriation for 

realty costs and structure modifications

*         Other sources of funding, Principals Conference

*         Future agency budget requests (FY2008)

 

3:00     Break

 

Information Item:

 3:15                U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Budget                                Mike Long

                        Explanation of budget request and funding allocation

                        process for Trinity River activities (tentative)

 

Regular Business:

 3:30                Open Forum:  Comments from the public                            Mike Long

 3:45                Calendars:  Confirm next meeting date and location            Mike Long

                        (Tentatively September __ at Weaverville)

 

 4:00                Adjourn                                                                                 Mike Long




 

 

 


  _____  

[1] Refer to attached briefing paper for more information.

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From danielbacher at hotmail.com  Thu Jun 23 10:57:20 2005
From: danielbacher at hotmail.com (Daniel Bacher)
Date: Thu, 23 Jun 2005 10:57:20 -0700
Subject: [env-trinity] PCFFA Alert: Rivers Need Help Now to Save Fisheries!
Message-ID: <BAY16-F24874EDDB2C81C83347ECDBEA0@phx.gbl>

RIVERS NEED HELP NOW TO SAVE FISHERIES

SALMON, CRAB, OTHER RIVER AND ESTUARY DEPENDENT FISH THREATENED BY ASSAULTS 
ON THE COLUMBIA, KLAMATH AND SACRAMENTO

By: By Glen Spain, Allison Gordon, Zeke Grader
Pacific Coast Federation of Fishermen?s Associations
June 21, 2005


Three of the West Coast?s major river systems ? the Columbia, Klamath and 
Central Valley (Sacramento, San Joaquin) are under siege and fishermen need 
to act now to save these rivers and the fisheries they support. We have 
provided you the addresses of the Governors fishermen need to contact 
immediately to protect these critical waterways and the fishing industry 
jobs they generate.

It?s not just salmon fishing that?s threatened. As most crab fishermen know, 
the best Dungeness crab fishing tends to be around the mouths of major 
rivers, since juveniles use these estuaries as nursery grounds.

It?s no coincidence, for example, that the record Dungeness crab landings in 
the Gulf of the Farallones, outside of the Golden Gate, occurred at a time 
of high salmon production. Both owed their abundance to good water 
conditions in the river (in other words, the inflows of fresh water to 
theestuary), as well as good oceanic conditions. The Sacramento, and what 
remains of the San Joaquin, are not simply a passageway for large runs of 
fall chinook salmon between Sierra streams and San Francisco Bay and the 
ocean, they supply the freshwater inflow to the whole delta and bay to 
create the most important estuary on the west coast of North and South 
America. This bay/estuary ecosystem supports the nation?s only remaining 
urban commercial fishery (for herring), and provides critical habitat for 
California halibut, English sole and other economically important fish 
stocks.

The Columbia, too, supports a $50 million/year Dungeness crab fishery 
outside its mouth and, besides being the largest salmon river on the 
continent, there is still a sturgeon fishery taking place in the river. The 
Klamath, whose fish kills in 2002 are the cause of the draconian salmon 
season cutbacks this year offshore Oregon and California, also supports a 
large Dungeness crab fishery off its mouth between Eureka and Crescent City. 
So what is the nature of these assaults? Why should you be mad as hell and 
decide to do something about it? Let?s take a look as you sit down to call 
or write the Governors.

Delta Ecosystem Collapses Due to Water Grabs

California?s Governor Needs to Terminate
New Pumping Plans

The San Francisco Bay-Sacramento/San Joaquin Delta that supplies most of the 
king salmon harvested in the ocean fisheries offshore California, Oregon and 
Washington is far short of its necessary freshwater inflow to maintain its 
estuarine function -- on average now short about 1.6 million acre-feet (MAF) 
of water annually. In fact, in some years as much as half of its inflow is 
diverted, mostly by the State and Federal pumps in the Delta, to San Joaquin 
Valley growers and municipal water users. This inflow shortfall has been 
known about (although the scientific report documenting it was later buried) 
since 1988 when the California State Water Resources Control Board prepared 
a draft order to increase inflow by that amount. That draft order, however, 
was quickly killed by the Legislature and Governor at that time once the 
state?s powerful water buffaloes got wind of it and began applying their 
political pressure.

In 1992, Congress recognized the shortage to the Bay and Delta and voted in 
the Central Valley Project Improvement Act (CVPIA) to provide the Federal 
share of that amount by allocating an additional 800,000 acre-feet of yield 
from the Central Valley Project for fish and wildlife. Unfortunately, the 
U.S. Bureau of Reclamation, charged with implementing the CVPIA, subscribes 
to a culture that worships dams and views water diversions as a holy 
sacrament. It was not about to let Congress undo what man had created. So, 
instead of allowing the allotted water to flow downstream through the Delta 
and to the Bay, it devised plans to use the fish and wildlife water upstream 
and then divert it, conveniently at times when irrigators wanted it most, 
when it hit the Delta pumps. In fact, since the passage 13 years ago of the 
CVPIA, which formally made the protection of fish and wildlife a Project 
purpose, pumping in the Delta has actually increased, further exacerbating 
the inflow shortfall of the Delta and Bay and creating a huge salt water 
backup. It was not surprising therefore when State and Federal biologists 
announced a month ago the collapse of the Delta ecosystem. In the past four 
years, four species of Delta fish have gone into severe decline, as have 
copepods, the important base of the Delta?s complex food web.

Yet even in the face of the sudden collapse of the whole Delta ecosystem, 
the California Department of Water Resources (CDWR) is proposing to increase 
pumping rates, reducing inflow even more and shipping even more water south. 
Its plans are to increase pumping maximums from 6680 cubic feet per second 
(cfs) to 8500cfs, an increase of 25 percent.

Fisheries biologists point to three suspected causes of the Delta collapse. 
Degraded water quality, exotic species and massive water diversions. The 
collapse of the Delta species over the last four years has in fact coincided 
with the highest annual rates of water diversions from the Bay-Delta. 
According to State and Federal fisheries documents, increasing diversions 
will make the ecosystem collapse even worse.

Even more disturbing is that this increased stress on the Delta is not even 
necessary. California is not in a water crisis. In fact, according to the 
State?s own California Water Plan Update Public Review Draft, California can 
meet water needs well into the future without taking more water out of the 
Bay-Delta Estuary. This Water Plan Update even shows that water demand in 
California may actually decrease over the next thirty years. In fact, the 
Planning and Conservation League has identified 4.2 million acre-feet of 
water that could be conserved using cheap and readily available conservation 
and reuse technologies, while this ?Delta Damaging Plan? might provide only 
1 million acre-feet of additional water, at the expense of a system that is 
already short more than 1.6 million acre-feet

Key elements of this massive water grab include actions by Federal and State 
water agencies that reduce protections and increase water volumes for 
pumping at the expense of California?s sustainable water future:

*	The National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) was politically pressured 
into reversing their prior scientific finding that increased pumping would 
jeopardize salmon and steelhead trout. Even their watered down Biological 
Opinion (BiOp) stated that the project would increase the likelihood of 
extinction for all listed species on most rivers tributary to the Delta.


*	The U.S. Bureau of Reclamation will soon gut key protections currently in 
place to ensure that fish will have the cold water necessary for their 
survival (e.g., by deleting the requirement that enough cold water be held 
in Shasta Reservoir for release to the Sacramento River and 
alteringtemperature control standards).


*	The Bureau of Reclamation rushed through forty-year sweetheart water 
delivery contracts with Northern California districts for more water than 
they need so that those districts can sell the water to Southern California, 
all at ludicrously large markups.


*	The State Water Project will increase water export capacity by up to 25 
percent. CDWR is currently pushing to get approval to use its pumps to 
export as much as 1 million acre-feet of this water.


*	The Department of Water Resources is connecting the State Water Project 
canal to the Bureau of Reclamation?s Delta Mendota Canal so CDWR can pump 
more water for Bureau water contractors such as the Westlands Water 
District.


The San Francisco Bay-Delta Estuary is critical for the health of the west 
coast ocean salmon fishery, along with major crab and herring fisheries. 
This important ecological resource should not be destroyed.

Taking Action: We need you to write a letter to Governor Schwarzenegger. 
Tell him these key fisheries depend on the health of the Bay and Delta 
ecosystem. It is your livelihood that?s at stake.

Tell him it makes no sense to you that his Department of Water Resources is 
planning to increase pumping of water from the Delta when the Delta is 
already so stressed that many of its species are in serious decline.

Tell him we already have faster, better and cheaper ways to provide water 
for his State?s future. These are outlined clearly in the just released 
California Water Plan.

Tell him you want a sensible, defensible, sustainable water policy that 
conserves our public resources and maintains a strong fishing industry. Send 
your letters, e-mails, or make your phone calls to:

The Honorable Arnold Schwarzenegger
Governor of the State of California
State Capitol Building
Sacramento, CA 95814
Office: (916) 445-2841
Fax: (916) 445-4633
E-mail to the Governor: http://www.govmail.ca.gov



Busting the Dams and Busting Loose
With Water on the Klamath

It?s Hasta La Vista Time for Low
Flows and Bad Water

Unless someone has their head where the sun doesn?t shine, it?s no secret 
the salmon fishery for Oregon and California this year is the most 
restricted it?s been in recent history, despite some record runs, all 
because of two fish kills in the Klamath River in 2002 and the impact that 
has had on stocks that would have been available for harvest this year and 
next.

Salmon fishermen are facing the worst season in decades in Oregon and 
California, in spite of record returns to the Sacramento River this year, 
because wherever those imperiled Klamath fish intermingle with abundant 
runs, ?weak stock management? principles require fishermen to avoid all 
impacts everywhere. Fishing opportunities within the Klamath Management Zone 
(KMZ) are pretty much closed entirely this year, but closures and 
restrictions have affected ports as far south as Santa Cruz and north to the 
Columbia River ? nearly 600 miles of coastline.

Years of federal mismanagement in the Klamath shorted water to the river 
that fish needed to survive. In 2002, so much water was taken by the U.S. 
Bureau of Reclamation and others from the river that fish died in massive 
numbers, first a juvenile fish kill of at least 200,000 that spring, 
affecting this year?s adult returns, and later that summer an estimated 
80,000 adult spawners died before they could spawn. Rampant spread of 
several fatal fish diseases in the river, which are favored by slow moving 
warm water, has taken a huge toll of juvenile fish in every year since then.

The cause of the disaster is well known. This was not an act of God, nor any 
mystery; it was a deliberate result of current federal water policy. This 
year?s collapse traces straight back to the intentional (and politically 
motivated) spring 2002 decision by the Bush Administration, acting through 
the Bureau of Reclamation, to permanently reduce flows to the lower Klamath 
River to record lows. By keeping back far more water for federal irrigation 
than recommended by scientists and fishermen, the government left too little 
in the river for salmon to survive their journey to the spawning areas. The 
Administration?s Klamath water policy, whether intended or not, was a wanton 
action to starve the river.

Reclamation controls all the flows that pass through Iron Gate Dam, the 
lowest in a series of small dams on the Klamath that block the mid-river. 
These flows can amount to half of the total volume at the estuary during 
critical summer months and in dry years. 2002 was a particularly dry year.

Starting in spring of 2002, Reclamation embarked on a 10-year water 
allocation plan. This plan was embodied in a Biological Opinion (?BiOp?) 
approved by the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS). That BiOp, 
however, was the result of NMFS caving in to political pressure from the 
Bureau and the Administration. NMFS non-scientist officials overrode the 
agency?s own Science Assessment Team, who said the fish needed more water, 
and placed the fish clearly in jeopardy. In fact, the head of the NMFS 
Science Assessment Team, Dr. Michael Kelly, would later file a 
whistle-blower complaint about agency higher ups ordering the plan to be 
rewritten to Bureau of Reclamation specifications, in spite of a known high 
risk to fish.

That 10-year plan reduced spring and summer flows in the Klamath River to 
less than half that required to protect salmon in the river, and so turned 
the river into a warm-water trickle that bred parasites, produced algae 
blooms, crowded the fish and deprived them of important habitat. The federal 
agencies were repeatedly told by fishermen, the Tribes and their own 
scientists that this would lead to disaster, but all objections were ignored 
in the Bush Administration?s haste to respond to heavy political pressure 
from irate Upper Basin irrigators and their Congressional representatives.

As a result of the spring 2002 juvenile fish kill, the 2005 season is less 
than half what it was just last year, and lost fishing opportunities may 
cost our industry up to $100 million this year alone. Next year we will pay 
the additional price for the fall 2002 adult spawner fish kill of up to an 
estimated 80,000, with an unknown additional price tag for those losses.

PCFFA has made formal requests to the Governor?s of both California and 
Oregon to declare a disaster, and to request the declaration of a ?fishery 
failure? by the Secretary of Commerce. The Secretary of Commerce has the 
legal authority to declare a ?commercial fishery failure? disaster 
declaration under the Magnuson-Stevens Fisheries Conservation and Management 
Act, Section 312(a) [16 U.S.C. ?1861(a)]. Independent authority for such a 
disaster declaration also exists under the older Interjurisdictional 
Fisheries Act (IFA), at 308(b) [16 U.S.C. ?4107(b)]. Similar disaster 
declarations occurred for the west coast salmon fishery following the 
seven-year drought in the late 1980?s, and during the severe El Ni?o events 
of 1982-83 and 1995.

Thirty-seven members of Congress in Oregon and California have supported our 
request for disaster relief. A copy of that letter is on the PCFFA web site.

Ultimately, however, the problems in the Klamath can never be solved unless 
there is more water left in the river for the fish. The State of California 
plays a key role in advocating for additional flows to keep these fisheries 
alive and recovering. Another measure under consideration is the removal of 
Iron Gate Dam and other small, now obsolete, power dams that block the river 
and have cut off hundreds of miles of good spawning and rearing habitat 
above them. These dams not only block fish passage, but they seriously 
impair water quality.

The 50-year license for operating these dams expires in March of 2006, 
present a once in a lifetime chance to restore this key river system and 
bring the salmon home to the upper basin. So far the State of California has 
taken the position that several of these dams should come down. This would 
help restore salmon to the upper river where they were once abundant.

Taking Action: California Governor Schwarzenegger should stand firm in 
supporting fishermen and in demanding more water for the lower Klamath River 
to protect and restore fisheries. Drop him a letter or call his office 
asking him to continue to take a strong stand on putting more water in the 
Klamath River, removing dams in the Klamath that kill fish, and working 
toward full salmon recovery for the Klamath Basin. You can contact his 
office as follows:

The Honorable Arnold Schwarzenegger
Governor of the State of California
State Capitol Building
Sacramento, CA 95814
Office: (916) 445-2841
Fax: (916) 445-4633
E-mail to the Governor: http://www.govmail.ca.gov

For More Information on the Klamath See: ?Can?t Fish Salmon? Federal Klamath 
Water Policies Are To Blame,? from the April 2005 FN on the web at: 
www.pcffa.org/fn-apr05.htm. Likewise see: ?Why the Klamath Matters to West 
Coast Fishermen,? from the August 2001 FN, on the web at: 
www.pcffa.org/fn-aug01.htm. Also check out the top of the PCFFA Home Page 
at: www.pcffa.org where you will find the latest letters from PCFFA 
requesting disaster assistance and letters from Members of Congress 
supporting those efforts.



It?s Either a Recovered Salmon Fishery for the
Columbia or Preserving Obsolete Dams.


The Governors Can?t Have it Both Ways.

The mighty Columbia was once the largest salmon-producing river in the 
world, with runs estimated at from 10 to 16 million adults. Today the number 
of wild salmon and steelhead is down to about 2-3 percent of those historic 
runs, and nearly every run is federally protected under the Endangered 
Species Act. Today the Columbia and its major tributary, the Snake River, 
are the most heavily dammed rivers in the nation.

Fishermen have been the lead is decades of struggle, first to secure fish 
passage through the Columbia at all (the original plan provided for no fish 
passage of any sort), and today the struggle is to reopen parts of the river 
once again to spawning and rearing, primarily with the removal of the lower 
four Snake River dams (Ice Harbor, Lower Monumental, Little Goose and Lower 
Granite).

As we have written before, these four dams have been a disaster for the 
Northwest economy, killing far more economic wealth in the form of 
devastated Snake River salmon runs (once 50 percent of the Columbia?s 
productivity) in return for very few public benefits.

Access to a huge amount of pristine spawning and rearing habitat is on the 
other side of the lower four Snake River dams. Blocking spawner access to 
that habitat, plus making it that much harder for outmigrating smolts by 
forcing them through four more banks of turbines just makes no sense.

The four lower Snake River dams were not built because of either good 
science or sound economics, but as a result of decades of persistent 
Congressional lobbying by Idaho development boosters and land speculators. 
Even the Army Corps of Engineers, in a comprehensive report in 1933, and 
then again in 1938, concluded that additional projects proposed for the 
Snake River would never even pay for themselves as projects, even ignoring 
major losses to fisheries damages.

The lower four Snake River dams generate relatively little power (less in 
fact than could be saved by reasonable conservation measures), provide 
little or no irrigation water (only one provides any at all, and then only 
for about 36,000 acres that could just as easily be supplied by wells), and 
no flood control whatsoever. The only major benefit any of these four dams 
ever provided is heavily subsidized river barge transportation, and then 
only between Pasco, WA (the original barge terminal before the dams were 
completed in 1974) and Lewiston, ID. Even these transportation benefits can 
be cost-effectively replaced by railroads which, were it not for the large 
federal barging subsidy, would actually be much cheaper.

In fact, fisheries managers from Washington and other states warned 
repeatedly that the planned construction of more dams would be a disaster 
for the Columbia?s salmon runs. This is a typical example, from the State of 
Washington Department of Fisheries Annual Report for 1949:


?Another serious threat to the Columbia river fishery is the proposed 
construction by the U.S. Army Engineers of Ice Harbor and three other dams 
on the lower Snake river between Pasco., Wash., and Lewiston, Idaho, to 
provide slackwater navigation and a relatively minor block of power. The 
development would remove part of the cost of waterborne shipping from the 
shipper and place it on the taxpayer, jeopardizing more than one-half of the 
Columbia river salmon production in exchange for 148 miles of subsidized 
barge route.... This policy of water development, the department maintains, 
is not in the best interest of the over-all economy of the state. Salmon 
must be protected from the type of unilateral thinking that would harm one 
industry to benefit another.... Loss of the Snake River fish production 
would be so serious that the department has consistently opposed the 
four-phase lower dam program that would begin with Ice Harbor dam near 
Pasco.?

Unfortunately, what fisheries managers had predicted in 1949 came true ? 
once abundant runs of salmon spawning in the Snake River were all but 
destroyed, leading to the loss of hundreds of millions of dollars each year 
in economic benefits to the entire Northwest and well into Southeast Alaska, 
which is also heavily dependent on Columbia-origin stocks.

The four lower Snake River dams were constructed by Congressional fiat, over 
the intense objections of commercial fishermen, Tribes, state agency 
biologists, coastal communities and even the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. 
Salmon can apparently survive the impact of the four lower Columbia main 
stem dams, but these four additional Snake River dams were truly a 
short-sighted boondoggle that can no longer be justified.

Why does the Columbia matter to fishermen all over the west coast? First, 
there are direct losses of harvest opportunities from massive fish losses 
from the Columbia itself. This collapse has impoverished the lower river 
gill-net fleet which once plied the lower Columbia from Astoria, but also 
dramatically affected fisheries in Southeast Alaska, which is more than half 
dependent upon Columbia stocks for its harvests.

Second, since Columbia basin salmon are so widely migratory, and thus a 
component in many mixed-stock ocean fisheries, Columbia and Snake 
River-driven ?weak stock management? constraints on all west coast salmon 
fisheries are not uncommon. When this happens, harvest opportunities on many 
otherwise abundant stocks must be curtailed and ocean fisheries closed. 
Thishappened most dramatically in 1997 when large portions of the 
Sacramento-San Joaquin chinook harvests were closed to protect weak Snake 
River fish, causing losses in the many tens of millions of dollars in 
California and Oregon. In earlier years, whole chunks of the Southeast 
Alaska salmon fishery were also closed, all to prevent impacts on these 
extremely weak Snake River stocks. Snake River-driven constraints stand 
right behind the Klamath as a likely cause of future closures.

Third, more depletion of the Columbia River north-migrating stocks could 
once again destabilize the hard fought Pacific Salmon Treaty, intended to 
put an end to past fish wars between the U.S. and Canada over salmon that 
migrate back and forth between the two countries. That Treaty rests on the 
assumption that for every salmon originating in a British Columbia stream 
that is later caught by Alaska fishermen, at least one U.S. fish originating 
in the Columbia River, most of which are north-migrating, can be caught in 
British Columbia. This one-for-one equation, however, quickly breaks down 
when stocks from the Columbia are in deep decline, as has happened in recent 
years. Just a few years ago, the Treaty broke down completely over these 
issues, resulting in a renewed ?fish war? with Canada and the imposition of 
?transit fees? for fishing vessels routinely moving (as many do) between 
summer waters of Alaska and over-wintering in Seattle or Bellingham, 
Washington.

Fourth, your taxpayer dollars are going toward an increasingly preposterous 
$500 million/year menu of ?salmon recovery? measures that are not actually 
intended to truly recover the fish, not going to do anything about impacts 
of the four lower Snake River dams, and not going to, in the end, solve any 
of the problems of the river. The latest such 2004 Biological Opinion 
?recovery plan,? for instance, courtesy of the Bush Administration, actually 
abandons salmon recovery as a conservation standard in favor of merely 
maintaining museum runs of fish, and likewise totally ignores Columbia River 
dams by attempting to reclassify them as ?part of the environmental 
baseline,? as though they had been dropped there by Ice Age glaciers and not 
the Army Corps of Engineers.

That latest 2004 Salmon Plan has once again been challenged in U.S. District 
Court by PCFFA and many other fishing groups and fish advocates, and is 
likely to be entirely invalidated as seriously flawed. Under the current 
plan, 2005 spring chinook returns have deteriorated to less than 15 
percenttheir abundance even in 2004, and all lower Columbia commercial and 
sport fishing has been closed on an emergency basis. Members of Congress are 
calling for a declaration by the Secretary of Commerce of a ?fisheries 
failure? parallel to that asked for the Klamath, and fishery closures are 
now migrating up the Washington coast and far inland to Idaho.

Taking Action: Write to your Northwest Governors and tell them to make every 
effort to recover salmon in the Columbia to full harvestable levels, 
including rethinking the need for the lower four Snake River dams which have 
been a disaster for once-abundant Columbia River salmon fisheries and 
Northwest fisheries economies everywhere:

The Honorable Ted Kulongoski
Governor of the State of Oregon
160 State Capitol Building
Salem, OR 97310-4047

The Honorable Christine O. Gregoire
Governor of the State of Washington
PO Box 40002
Olympia, WA 98504-0002

The Honorable Dirk Kempthorne
Governor of the State of Idaho
700 West Jefferson Street, 2nd Floor
Boise, ID 83720-0034

For More Information on the Columbia See: ?Why the Columbia Matters to West 
Coast Fishermen,? from the July, 2004 FN. A copy of that article is on the 
Web at: www.pcffa.org/fn-jul04.htm. Also see the ?Proposed Columbia Salmon 
Plan Protects Dams, Imperils Salmon,? from the October 2004 FN, on the Web 
at: www.pcffa.org/fn-oct04.htm; and ?Ending the Era of Big Dams: Why Some 
Dams Must Go,? from the August 1999 FN at: www.pcffa.org/fn-aug99.htm.



If You Don?t Act, Who Will?

What needs to be done to protect these rivers is pretty clear. It?s also 
clear that a lot of different fisheries depend on the health of these 
rivers.

So don?t just sit there in your wheelhouse fuming over the radio or cell 
phone with your code group about there being no fish, or about regulations 
stopping you from fishing. Don?t just sit there in front of your PC 
kibitzing with your blog group. Get off your ass and make a phone call or 
write a letter to the Governors and tell them your livelihood and your 
fishery is at stake and you?re mad as hell and you want the problems fixed 
now! You?ll feel better for it and it will do some real good.
------------------------------------------------------------------------

Glen Spain is the Northwest Regional Director for the Pacific Coast 
Federation of Fishermen?s Associations (PCFFA) and the Institute for 
Fisheries Resources (IFR); Allison Gordon is a salmon watershed volunteer on 
staff with IFR?s office in San Francisco; and Zeke Grader is the Executive 
Director for the Pacific Coast Federation of Fishermen?s Associations 
(PCFFA). PCFFA can be reached by email to: fish1ifr at aol.com. Check out the 
PCFFA web site at: www.pcffa.org.

?




From tstokely at trinityalps.net  Thu Jun 23 21:23:56 2005
From: tstokely at trinityalps.net (Tom Stokely)
Date: Thu, 23 Jun 2005 21:23:56 -0700
Subject: [env-trinity] NRDC Press Release-U.S. SUPREME COURT UNANIMOUSLY
	REJECTS AGRIBUSINESS ATTACK ON ENVIRONMENTAL LAWS 
Message-ID: <01d401c57876$6b366c50$202bc1d1@trinitycounty.org>




FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 
Press contact: Michael Wall or Barry Nelson at NRDC in San Francisco (415) 875-6100 or Daniel Hinerfeld at NRDC in Los Angeles (310) 434-2300

U.S. SUPREME COURT UNANIMOUSLY REJECTS AGRIBUSINESS ATTACK ON ENVIRONMENTAL LAWS 

Orff decision blocks extremist property-rights theory from being used in water cases across the West 

LOS ANGELES (June 23, 2005)--The U.S. Supreme Court today unanimously rejected a lawsuit over water rights brought by California agribusinesses that threatened to undermine basic environmental and public health protections. Justice Clarence Thomas delivered the opinion of the court in "Orff v. United States." It is available online at: http://wid.ap.org/scotus/pdf/03-1566P.ZO.pdf

"This is a huge win for the environment of the western United States," said Barry Nelson, a senior policy analyst at NRDC (Natural Resources Defense Council), an intervener-defendant in the case. "The court said unanimously that agribusinesses cannot use their subsidized federal water contracts to block laws that protect the public and the environment."

The Orff case was the most recent effort by recipients of taxpayer-subsidized reclamation water to challenge the federal government's compliance with environmental requirements under the Endangered Species Act and other laws. Several California landowners sued the U.S. government claiming they should be paid when the U.S. Department of the Interior (DOI) reduced water delivery to comply with environmental protections. In 1993-94, after a six-year drought, the DOI reduced the amount of water delivered to water districts south of the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta to protect threatened wildlife.

"The real winners here are California's endangered salmon and other threatened wildlife whose protection depends on the environmental laws that were challenged in this case," said Michael Rubin, an attorney at the law firm Altshuler, Berzon, which represented NRDC and the other environmental groups in the case.

The case arose against the backdrop of the water politics of the West, and the increasing effort by agribusinesses and other private interests to use their alleged property rights to block laws that protect the public. Appellate courts have consistently rejected claims by federal water contractors that they have a contractual right to a full allocation of water regardless of availability or the requirements of other laws, according to NRDC. 

"These contracts say in plain language that the government can reduce deliveries to comply with environmental laws," said Michael Wall, a senior attorney at NRDC. "The need to protect water quality and wildlife is an urgent issue around the West and increasingly around the country."

The statute interpreted by the court (the Reclamation Reform Act of 1982) applies to all 17 Western states that have major federal water projects.

"This ruling blocks attempts by massively subsidized agricultural interests to force the government either to bankrupt itself or bankrupt the environment," said Hamilton Candee, a senior attorney at NRDC. "This is a victory for the American taxpayer as well as the environment."

The Natural Resources Defense Council is a national, nonprofit organization of scientists, lawyers and environmental specialists dedicated to protecting public health and the environment. Founded in 1970, NRDC has more than 1 million members and online activists nationwide, served from offices in New York, Washington, Los Angeles and San Francisco.

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From tstokely at trinityalps.net  Thu Jun 23 21:32:16 2005
From: tstokely at trinityalps.net (Tom Stokely)
Date: Thu, 23 Jun 2005 21:32:16 -0700
Subject: [env-trinity] AP- Supreme Court rules against California farmers in
	water use case 
Message-ID: <01d801c57876$70a36e40$202bc1d1@trinitycounty.org>

http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/W/WST_SCOTUS_WATER_RIGHTS_CAOL-?SITE=CADIU&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT

 Jun 23, 12:21 PM EDT

      Supreme Court rules against California farmers in water use case 

      By ERICA WERNER 
      Associated Press Writer

      WASHINGTON (AP) -- Individual farmers may not sue the federal government to enforce water contracts entered into by their irrigation districts, a unanimous Supreme Court said Thursday in a ruling that limits landowners' ability to seek compensation for reduced flows.

      Two dozen farmers from California's Central Valley wanted the federal government to pay them about $32 million as compensation for water they were supposed to get under a federal contract. The U.S. Bureau of Reclamation diverted the water to comply with Endangered Species Act requirements to protect two threatened fish.

      But the federal government argued its contract with the Westlands Water District only allowed lawsuits by the district itself - not by individual landowners who are its members.

      The state of California and the water district agreed, contending that letting farmers sue the government directly could result in a rash of cases and undermine water districts' ability to do business with the Bureau of Reclamation, the federal agency that manages water in the West.

             
      Justices concluded that the 1982 Reclamation Reform Act "does not permit a plaintiff to sue the United States alone," Justice Clarence Thomas wrote for the court.

      At issue was a 1963 water service contract between the Bureau of Reclamation and Westlands, the nation's largest water district, which encompasses 600,000 acres of cotton, tomatoes, onions and other farmland in western Fresno and Kings counties.

      In 1993 the Bureau of Reclamation cut Westlands' water allocation by half because of federal requirements to protect the threatened winter-run chinook salmon and delta smelt. Westlands and some farmers in the water district sued.

      Westlands dropped its suit two years later as part of negotiations to establish the California Federal Bay-Delta water project. But about two dozen individual property owners and farming partnerships, led by an aging farmer named Francis Orff, pressed the litigation.

      The farmers contended they needed a way to get compensation for their losses. If the Supreme Court had agreed, hundreds of individual farmers could have tried to take on the Bureau of Reclamation, leading to chaotic litigation, according to government attorneys.

      ---

      The case is Orff et al. v. United States of America, 03-1566.


     
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From danielbacher at hotmail.com  Mon Jun 27 18:28:21 2005
From: danielbacher at hotmail.com (Daniel Bacher)
Date: Mon, 27 Jun 2005 18:28:21 -0700
Subject: [env-trinity] =?iso-8859-1?q?ALERT!=A0Possible_Legislation_to_Pr?=
	=?iso-8859-1?q?eempt_Local_Regulation_of_GE_Seeds!?=
Message-ID: <BAY16-F22753CAB85A9522B8FF085DBE10@phx.gbl>

Hi everyone,

As a quick update, I received a slightly expanded version of the earlier
information about revision language for AB1508, which would override
county authority on the regulation of GE organisms, effectively preempting
existing and future county and city bans.? (See information below.)

The message that is suggested to consistently deliver is that "this is an
assault of local democratic rights of individuals to protect their health,
environment, and economies.? This bill undermines participatory democracy,
strips local control, and is a threat to citizen participation on issues
of widespread concern."

It is critical to get as many (short) phone calls, e-mails, and faxes
to Senator Deborah Ortiz and other Assembly Agricultural Committee members
requesting they do not allow the revision language to be added to AB1508.


????????????????????????????????????????????????????? Kim

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
ALERT!? Possible State Legislation to Preempt Local Authority to Regulate
Seeds (Particularly Genetically Engineered Seeds)

On Friday June 24, it was learned that there is an attempt to amend a
California State Assembly bill (AB 1508) to include language that would
override county authority on the regulation of GE organisms, effectively
preempting existing and future county and city bans. AB1508 was in its
final round of hearings, and this last-ditch amendment is clearly an
underhanded attack by the biotech industry on local democratic rights. The
original author of the bill, Assemblymember Simon Salinas (D-28) on the
Assembly Ag Committee from Monterey, Santa Clara and San Benito is
considering authoring the amendment, but as of today has not decided to do
so, and another author may have to be found. The next hearing of the bill
is on Tuesday morning June 28 in the Senate Ag Committee, the last
committee hearing of this legislative session.

[NOTE: For those of you in Sacramento, Fresno, Sonoma, Mendocino, Lake,
Humboldt and LA counties, please scroll down to see what you can do
IMMEDIATELY to put pressure on your representatives who are in the Senate
Agriculture Committee. A broader appeal will follow if the bill passes
through the Agriculture Committee.]

The message that we want to consistently deliver is that this is an
assault of local democratic rights for citizens to protect their health,
environment, and economies.? This bill undermines participatory democracy,
strips local control, and is a threat to citizen participation on issues
of widespread concern. As many of you know, 15 states recently have
introduced legislation removing local control of plants and seeds, and 12
of these have already passed into law. The uniformity of the language in
each of the bills and their swift, back-door introduction indicate that
this is a coordinated attempt by industry to undermine the growing
grassroots movement to establish local protections over genetically
engineered organisms.

Note that even if we win this round and kill or stall it in a committee,
we have to remain vigilant for the possibility of an even worse-case
scenario.

This bill will move fast, so immediate attention is important.

------------------------------------------------------------------------
FOR ORGANIZERS IN Sacramento, Fresno, Sonoma,
Mendocino, Lake, Humboldt, Santa Cruz, IF YOU ARE A CONSTITUENT OF ANY

OF THE REPRESENTATIVES LISTED BELOW, PLEASE CONTACT YOUR SENATOR BEFORE
TUESDAY EXPRESSING YOUR STRONG OPPOSITION TO THE PRE-EMPTION LANGUAGE
AMENDMENTS TO SB 1508. To find out who your Senator is, go to
http://www.vote-smart.org and enter your zip code.

At this point we only want to target the possible author of the amendment
as well as legislators within the Senate Agricultural Committee who are
likely to vote against the amendment to support and encourage them in
their opposition.

Below is a shortened version of what we recommend to say as well as
legislator contact information - a brief phone call or? message is all
that it takes. Send this to people you know in your county asking them to
also contact their representatives.

This is THE most important point:

Pre-emption undermines participatory democracy, strips local control, and
is a threat to citizen participation on issues of widespread concern.

Other talking points:
* Local governments have historically overseen policies related to public
health, safety, and welfare.
* Preventing local decision-making contradicts the legitimate and
necessary responsibilities of cities, towns, and counties.
* Traditionally, laws enacted at the federal and state level have set
minimum requirements and allowed for the continued passage and enforcement
of local ordinances that establish greater and regionally appropriate
levels of public health
protection. Pre-emptive legislation reverses this democratic tradition.

GE-Specific:
* Local legislation regulating genetically engineered organisms, in
particular, is designed to address important gaps in federal and state
policy, and mitigate potentially serious threats to public health, the
environment, and economy.


Legislator Contact Information:

ASSEMBLYMAN SIMON SALINAS (potential author of the amendment - urge him
NOT to author this amendment)
Assembly District 28, Santa Clara, Monterey, San
Benito and Santa Cruz Counties
Capitol Office
State Capitol
P.O. Box 942849
Sacramento, CA 94249-0028
Phone: (916) 319-2028
Fax: (916) 319-2128

SENATOR DEBORAH ORTIZ (senator.Ortiz at sen.ca.gov)
Senate District 6; Sacramento County
Member of Senate Agriculture Committee
Capitol Office
State Capitol, Room 5114
Sacramento, CA 95814
(916) 651-4006
Fax (916) 323-2263

SENATOR DEAN FLOREZ (Email:
senator.florez at sen.ca.gov)
Senate District 16; Fresno, Kings, Kern and Tulare Counties
Member of Senate Agriculture Committee
Capitol Office
State Capitol, Room 5061
Sacramento, CA 95814
Phone (916) 651-4016
Fax (916) 327-5989

SENATOR WESLEY CHESBORO
(Senator.Chesbro at sen.ca.gov.)
Senate District 2; Humboldt, Mendocino, Lake, Napa
and Sonoma Counties
Member of Senate Agriculture Committee
Capitol Office
State Capitol, Room 5035
Sacramento CA? 95814
(916) 651-4002
Fax (916) 323-6958

Senator EDWARD VINCENT
District 25; LA County
Member of Senate Agriculture Committee
Capitol Office
State Capitol, Room 5052
Sacramento, CA 95814
(916) 651-4025
Fax (916) 445-3712




From tstokely at trinityalps.net  Tue Jun 28 15:33:34 2005
From: tstokely at trinityalps.net (Tom Stokely)
Date: Tue, 28 Jun 2005 15:33:34 -0700
Subject: [env-trinity] Capital Press- Time runs out for federal dollars on
	Klamath
Message-ID: <00b001c57c36$a15b98a0$0b6c3940@trinitycounty.org>

 

KLAMATH ISSUES:

Time runs out for federal dollars on Klamath

Capital Press - Agricultural Weekly (Oregon) - 6/24/05

By Tam Moore, staff writer

 

YREKA, Calif. - A 20-year program to restore Klamath River fisheries is running out of time, and more specifically, money. But when the Klamath River Fisheries Task Force met here last week, it got no guidance on the future from either state or federal governments.

"I don't think anybody out there knows where we are going," said John Engbring, a U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service executive from Sacramento who is chairman of the task force, a federal advisory committee.

Along with the 20-year-old authorization aimed at managing anadromous fisheries on the main-stem Klamath, the law assigned $1 million a year through 2006. That created a comprehensive restoration plan, and supplements state and federal data collection on the Klamath and its tributaries. 

Glen Spain of Pacific Coast Federation of Fishermen's Association pointed out that there's no sunset for the task force or the companion Klamath Fish Management Council - just no money after next year.

The larger issue is who's coordinating Klamath issues that jumped into the national spotlight in 2001 when the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation reneged on its contract with Klamath Project irrigation districts. Water, short because of drought, was reserved as habitat for three fish species under Endangered Species Act protection. Farmers seized part of the ground holding the BuRec's main diversion point, gaining national publicity.

In addition to the task force, there are federal advisory committees for the Trinity River, the Klamath's largest tributary, and the upper basin which lies mostly in Oregon. There's an interstate compact between California, Oregon and the federal government, and a cabinet-level federal Klamath committee that hasn't met in months. On top of that, after the much-celebrated governor's announcement of a new state-federal Klamath group in 2004, it's never held a public meeting within the 10-million-acre watershed.

Irma Lagomarsino, the NOAA Fisheries Klamath coordinator, told the task force solutions lie with the stakeholders, perhaps using BuRec's still-in-draft Conservation Implementation Plan as the vehicle.

"If we don't form some coalition of farmers and environmentalists, and (American Indian) tribes, we aren't going to get anywhere," said Alice Kilham, a Klamath County businesswoman and chairman of the compact commission.

She said the commission can't meet. The Oregon representative from Department of Water Resources can't travel because state budgets aren't settled. California government, she said, seems confused by the 2004 governor's agreement added atop the federal task forces and the compact.

Engbring said if it takes political action to resolve funding, stakeholders must count out himself and other federal officials. By law they can't politick.

Keith Wilkinson of Myrtle Point, Ore., a long-time task force member representing Oregon's commercial fishermen, said he gets no interest in a legislative renewal.

"My congressman, he just kind of hopes it will go away," said Wilkinson.

While the future is murky both the task force staff at USFWS and the congressional Government Accountability Office are looking at what's been accomplished in the past 20 years. GAO exit interviews were last week and the report is expected to become public by late summer. The USFWS achievement report comes out in the fall. #

http://www.capitalpress.info/main.asp?SectionID=67&SubSectionID=782&ArticleID=18005&TM=29636.04

 

 
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From tstokely at trinityalps.net  Tue Jun 28 16:33:00 2005
From: tstokely at trinityalps.net (Tom Stokely)
Date: Tue, 28 Jun 2005 16:33:00 -0700
Subject: [env-trinity] Times-Standard- Feds buying Trinity water for Klamath
	again 
Message-ID: <00de01c57c39$b96a2ad0$0b6c3940@trinitycounty.org>

 

SALMON PROTECTION:

Feds buying Trinity water for Klamath again 

Eureka Times-Standard - 6/28/05
By John Driscoll, staff writer



The federal government is spending $618,000 to buy Trinity River water as an insurance policy against a fish kill on the Klamath River. 

 

The U.S. Bureau of Reclamation expects to sign an agreement soon with a slate of contractors it identified as the Sacramento River Exchange Group. It would buy 20,000 acre feet -- 6.5 billion gallons -- for about $30 an acre foot. 

 

"We've isolated a hunk of water and we've got a handshake," said bureau spokesman Jeff McCracken. 

 

A subcommittee of the Trinity Management Council will meet this week to determine what would trigger the release this fall. The size of the salmon run, the flows in the lower river, and the incidence of disease will all be considered. 

 

In 2002, up to 68,000 adult chinook salmon died of stress-related diseases in the lower river. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service found low, warm water during a relatively large run was at the heart of the devastating fish kill. 

 

This year on the Klamath is considered a below-average year, and there is concern that low flows scheduled in August and September could endanger the salmon again. 

 

The Trinity water can't be carried over until next year if it isn't needed, McCracken said, creating a use-it-or-lose-it situation. If it isn't used, the bureau would try to sell it to irrigators in the Central Valley Project, but probably at a loss, he said. 

 

The U.S. Department of the Interior has repeatedly rejected requests to allow water promised to Humboldt County to be used for the same purpose. The county was pledged 50,000 acre feet before the Trinity River's dams and diversion were constructed. 

 

"Given the fact that Humboldt County is willing to donate its water it doesn't seem to make a lot of sense to pay $600,000 for something the bureau could get for free," said Tom Stokely, a senior planner for neighboring Trinity County. 

 

The bureau has also spent millions in recent years -- $7 million this year -- on a program to buy water from farmers in the Upper Klamath Basin and send it downstream during the spring for young salmon. Prior to 2002, as many as 200,000 juvenile salmon died of diseases in the river. This year, 100,000 acre feet is being sent down the Klamath as part of the water bank. #

http://www.times-standard.com/Stories/0,1413,127~2896~2942126,00.html#

 
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From bwl3 at comcast.net  Tue Jun 28 20:55:04 2005
From: bwl3 at comcast.net (Byron )
Date: Tue, 28 Jun 2005 20:55:04 -0700
Subject: [env-trinity] Eureka Times Standard June 28
Message-ID: <20050629035529.7F6CD2000B7D@mx.dcn.davis.ca.us>

Make your own assessment.  Use of Trinity water for this purpose was opposed
emphatically following the initial Bureau and Fish & Wildlife thrust a few
months ago.

 

Feds buying Trinity water for Klamath again 
By John Driscoll 
The Times-Standard Tuesday, June 28, 2005 

The federal government is spending $618,000 to buy Trinity River water as an
insurance policy against a fish kill on the Klamath River. 

The U.S. Bureau of Reclamation expects to sign an agreement soon with a
slate of contractors it identified as the Sacramento River Exchange Group.
It would buy 20,000 acre feet -- 6.5 billion gallons -- for about $30 an
acre foot. 

"We've isolated a hunk of water and we've got a handshake," said bureau
spokesman Jeff McCracken. 

A subcommittee of the Trinity Management Council will meet this week to
determine what would trigger the release this fall. The size of the salmon
run, the flows in the lower river, and the incidence of disease will all be
considered. 

In 2002, up to 68,000 adult chinook salmon died of stress-related diseases
in the lower river. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service found low, warm water
during a relatively large run was at the heart of the devastating fish kill.


This year on the Klamath is considered a below-average year, and there is
concern that low flows scheduled in August and September could endanger the
salmon again. 

The Trinity water can't be carried over until next year if it isn't needed,
McCracken said, creating a use-it-or-lose-it situation. If it isn't used,
the bureau would try to sell it to irrigators in the Central Valley Project,
but probably at a loss, he said. 

The U.S. Department of the Interior has repeatedly rejected requests to
allow water promised to Humboldt County to be used for the same purpose. The
county was pledged 50,000 acre feet before the Trinity River's dams and
diversion were constructed. 

"Given the fact that Humboldt County is willing to donate its water it
doesn't seem to make a lot of sense to pay $600,000 for something the bureau
could get for free," said Tom Stokely, a senior planner for neighboring
Trinity County. 

The bureau has also spent millions in recent years -- $7 million this year
-- on a program to buy water from farmers in the Upper Klamath Basin and
send it downstream during the spring for young salmon. Prior to 2002, as
many as 200,000 juvenile salmon died of diseases in the river. This year,
100,000 acre feet is being sent 
down the Klamath as part of the water bank. 
 

Byron Leydecker, 

Chair, Friends of Trinity River

Consultant, California Trout, Inc.

PO Box 2327

Mill Valley, CA 94942-2327

415 383 4810 ph

415 383 9562 fx

bwl3 at comcast.net

bleydecker at stanfordalumni.org (secondary)

http://www.fotr.org

http://caltrout.org

 

 

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From tstokely at trinityalps.net  Wed Jun 29 09:22:24 2005
From: tstokely at trinityalps.net (Tom Stokely)
Date: Wed, 29 Jun 2005 09:22:24 -0700
Subject: [env-trinity] Klamath NY Times Story
Message-ID: <006801c57cc6$bc9000d0$296c3940@trinitycounty.org>


----- Original Message ----- 
From: Tim McKay 
To: nec at northcoast.com 
Sent: Tuesday, June 28, 2005 2:41 PM
Subject: Klamath NYT Story


Reduced Salmon Season Is Felt at Wharf and Table

http://www.nytimes.com/2005/06/28/national/28fish.html

By DEAN E. MURPHY 
Published: June 28, 2005

SAN FRANCISCO, June 26 - The Pavo Grande was built in 1947 and has the sea-worn look of a boat admired for its utility, not its polish. Even so, the salmon troller has been getting some fresh paint and overdue carpentry repairs; before too long, a new stove top will be coming.

Peter DaSilva for The New York Times
Restrictions on the Klamath River have left Barbara Emley and Larry Collins with little to do but fix up their salmon boat, the Pavo Grande, in San Francisco. "God's feedlot is out there, and we can't go near it," he said. 


Peter DaSilva for The New York Times
A sign on the Pavo Grande protests the management of the Klamath. 

It is not that Larry Collins and Barbara Emley, the boat's husband-and-wife owners, have money to burn. What they have is time.

"God's feedlot is out there, and we can't go near it," said Mr. Collins, nodding toward the ocean from their slip at Fisherman's Wharf. "It's death by a thousand cuts."

The couple are among the hundreds of commercial fishermen in California and Oregon who have been forced to sit out much of the salmon season because of chronic problems with the fish on the Klamath River, one of the country's most politicized and litigated waterways, about 270 miles north of here.

Allen Grover, a fisheries biologist with the California Department of Fish and Game, said large springtime kills of juvenile fish on the river in 2001 and 2002 have resulted in a paltry number of adult king salmon returning from the Pacific to spawn in the river. The poor showing has so worried fish and game officials that the salmon season has been sharply curtailed to ensure enough fish survive to lay eggs and sustain the Klamath's population.

"Everybody loses when you have low abundance," said Mr. Grover, an adviser to the Pacific Fishery Management Council, which oversees fishing off the coasts of California, Oregon and Washington and imposed the restrictions. 

The Klamath, once one of the mightiest salmon rivers in the West, in recent years has become a constant point of friction among farmers, fishermen, environmentalists and Indian tribes over where its water should go. The disputes have ensnared officials from both the Bush and Clinton administrations.

Though the new restrictions came about after public hearings and with cooperation from fishing groups, they have nonetheless put the Klamath back in the political hot seat. 

Indian tribes along the river are unhappy because their harvest has been cut. Commercial fishing operations say they are losing as much as $100 million. Consumers are alarmed at the loss of one of the summer's most popular entrees. And seafood wholesalers say restaurants and stores are paying record prices for the small amount on the market, comparing the absence of the local fish to Maine going without lobsters.

"For many of our customers, it's like a bear going into hibernation, and they have to have that fish," said Ted Iijima, the manager of the fish department at the Berkeley Bowl, a market in Berkeley where there has been no local salmon for three weeks. "They'll try sea bass or rock cod, but they come back and say, 'I've got to have my salmon!' "

Andy Brown, a buyer at Hapuku Fish Shop in the Rockridge Market Hall in Oakland, was wrapping trays of fresh salmon on Friday that had just arrived from Oregon. So-called bubbles of trolling are allowed on certain days in certain places, and when the bubble catch hits the market, it is treated like gold.

Mr. Brown was selling the Oregon salmon for $20 a pound; farm salmon typically sells for half that amount. He said his customers ask about the high prices, but do not hesitate to pay them. 

"Even if you are able to sell it at $80 a pound, our suppliers said they can't supply it," Mr. Brown said. "So it doesn't matter if it is flying off the shelf; we can't get it on the shelf."

The Pacific Fishery Management Council has imposed a variety of restrictions, but the one stinging the most involves the coast between Point Sur in central California and Cape Falcon in northern Oregon, where the Klamath fish tend to concentrate. The commercial fishing season there has been called off from June 1 through July 3, traditionally one of the peak periods for king salmon, known locally as chinook.

"We go through a complex, intricate process of closures and openings that gives you the best fisheries with the least impacts," said John C. Coon, deputy director of the council, which is based in Portland.

Though the Pacific Ocean is chock-full of king salmon from healthier rivers like the Sacramento, all salmon fishing is off limits because it is impossible to troll selectively and avoid snagging the fish that instinctively return to the Klamath. 

"They're all intermixing," said Glen H. Spain, the northwest regional director in Eugene, Ore., for the Pacific Coast Federation of Fishermen's Associations. "So now most of the coast is closed down as those fish pass through."

In a letter last month to Commerce Secretary Carlos M. Gutierrez, Representative Mike Thompson of California, a Democrat in the Klamath area, requested federal disaster assistance for the fishermen, suggesting the hardship was on par with the fishing losses after El Ni?o of 1982 and 1983. 

The problems on the Klamath have once again become a favorite topic of conversation among fishermen stranded at the docks. Mr. Collins and Ms. Emley have hoisted a hand-painted placard high above the Pavo Grande for tourists at Fisherman's Wharf to feel their pain. 

It says, "Mismanaged Klamath Water Means I Don't Work." The couple have also distributed a two-page flier - "Key facts behind this year's trolling restrictions" - to people strolling along the docks.

"Hopefully, they'll read it and realize how screwed up everything is and write their congressmen," Mr. Collins said.

Not only did tens of thousands of juvenile salmon die upstream in the Klamath in the spring of 2001 and 2002, but at least 32,000 adult fish - even as many as 80,000, according to some projections - were also killed near its mouth in the fall of 2002, the largest salmon die-off recorded in California. 

An analysis by the California Department of Fish and Game found that the primary cause for the kills was disease, which was facilitated by crowding and warm water temperatures from low water flows. 

The region has been plagued by drought for many years, but fishermen, the Indian tribes and environmentalists have blamed a decision by the Bush administration to allow much of the water to be diverted to farmers for irrigation. The decision reversed a policy by the Clinton administration to leave more water in the river for the fish, but Bush administration officials have rejected claims that the farm water was responsible for the die-off. 

"We've got a situation here where we feel we are sacrificing to return more fish to a river that is going to kill them," Ms. Emley said.

Though this year's restrictions were more severe than those in recent years, Mr. Grover, the state fisheries biologist, said the prospect for next year was also bleak because water flows on the Klamath have largely remained unimproved. 

Disagreement remains over where the blame lies, but Mr. Grover said there was no dispute that salmon from rivers in California's Central Valley, like the Sacramento, were generally getting healthier, while those from the Klamath were not. As scientists worry about meeting a target of 35,000 salmon returning to the Klamath this fall, he said, about 1.7 million are projected to return to the Sacramento and its tributaries.
##### 


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------



Tim McKay, executive director, (707) 822-6918 (w), 677-3172 (h)
Northcoast Environmental Center
575 H Street
Arcata CA 95521
www.yournec.org
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From danielbacher at hotmail.com  Wed Jun 29 10:43:45 2005
From: danielbacher at hotmail.com (Daniel Bacher)
Date: Wed, 29 Jun 2005 10:43:45 -0700
Subject: [env-trinity] Federal Government Puts Hatchery And Wild Salmon
	Under Same Umbrella 
Message-ID: <BAY16-F81E8ADBB4B099ACB52B48DBE00@phx.gbl>

Bush Administration Puts Hatchery And Wild Salmon Under Same Umbrella

by Dan Bacher

The federal government on June 16 issued its final policy for considering 
hatchery salmon in making Endangered Species Act listing determinations, 
putting 131 strains of hatchery fish under the same protection as their wild 
?cousins.?

NOAA Fisheries also determined that 15 populations of Pacific salmon and 
steelhead would remain protected under the ESA, while it added lower 
Colombia river coho salmon to the ?threatened? list. In addition, the agency 
changed the central California coho listing from ?threatened? to 
?endangered? status, which ?better reflects California?s endangered listing 
under state law.?

The agency also delayed for six months a final decision on 10 listed 
steelhead populations and Oregon coho salmon. These steelhead populations 
include five populations in California from Southern California to the 
Oregon Border, as well as populations of the Columbia, Snake and Upper 
Willamette rivers.

The ESA provides for a 6-month extension of a final listing determination 
?if there is substantial disagreement on the sufficiency or accuracy of the 
available data relevant to the determination.?
The agency considered more than 300 strains of hatchery fish in making the 
determination, spurred by a review of policy mandated by the Hogan federal 
court decision of 2001, according to Brian Gorman, NOAA Fisheries spokesman.

The decision, Alsea Valley Alliance v. Evans, said the federal government?s 
exclusion of hatchery salmon in the listing of Oregon coast coho under the 
ESA was illegal. The ruling forced NOAA Fisheries to develop a new policy 
for listing salmon throughout the Pacific Northwest and California.

The federal government heralded the final decision as a big victory for 
salmon recovery efforts in the Pacific Northwest and California. ?This 
policy reinforces our commitment to protect naturally spawning salmon and 
their ecosystem,? said retired Navy Vice-Admiral Conrad C. Lautenbacher, 
Jr., undersecretary of commerce for oceans and atmosphere and NOAA 
administrator.

?A properly managed hatchery program can provide a great boost to natural 
populations of fish. We intend to use this as a key component of our salmon 
recovery efforts, which, along with favorable ocean conditions, have 
contributed to record returns over the past few years,? he said.

Trout Unlimited, a nationwide conservation group, said the feds? new 
hatchery policy ?defies science and common sense,? although they were 
relieved that 16 stocks of salmon previously listed under the ESA would 
remain protected.  They forecasted that the new policy would ?lead to more 
controversy and lawsuits and ultimately diminish the protection and hinder 
the recovery of salmon and steelhead.?

?They chose the most complicated, nonsensical and non-scientific option that 
they could have,? said Caitlin Lovell, ?NOAA Fisheries could have done the 
right thing and followed the scientists? recommendation to separate wild and 
hatchery populations, but they didn?t. They had no reason not to do that? 
what NOAA is doing is very suspicious.?

Dr. Jack Williams, senior scientist for Trout Unlimited, concurred. ?The 
conclusion of the vast majority of fisheries science?s finest minds who?ve 
studied this problem is that hatchery fish and wild fish are different 
animals and must be managed accordingly, especially under the auspices of 
the ESA. It?s puzzling that NOAA Fisheries would issue a policy that 
contradicts the advice of its own scientists.?
The groups cited scientific reports by the Salmon Recovery Panel and the 
Independent Scientific Advisory Board that concluded that hatchery fish 
should be excluded from ESA listings to properly manage them.

In addition, NOAA Fisheries also ruled against the sentiment of the vast 
majority of the public. Over 90 percent of public comments that NOAA 
received supported listing only the wild component of individual salmon 
stocks.

Glen Spain, Northwest Regional Director of the Pacific Coast Federation of 
Fishermen?s Associations, said that the agency ?overall did a fairly solid 
job? in their decision.

?The agency is walking a careful line between extremes,? said Spain. ?In 
taking a stock-by-stock analysis, the agency is doing a reasonable job at 
looking at the differences as well as the similarities between hatchery and 
wild fish. However, I?m not sure that the Hogan decision required them to 
lump hatchery and wild stocks together.?

The NOAA decision occurs in the context of the increasing attacks by the 
Bush administration and Congress on the Clean Water Act, Endangered Species 
Act and other laws that protect fish and wildlife habitat. The timber 
industry, agribusiness and mining industry, united under the banner of the 
?wise use? movement, have been fighting fish habitat protections 
relentlessly in court and in Congress.

The Pacific Legal Foundation, an organization that represents property 
rights activists, won the Hogan Case that resulted in the recent decision by 
NOA Fisheries. Russell Brooks, PLF lawyer, was unhappy with the federal 
agency?s ruling ? and plans to file another lawsuit.

"What amazes me most is that after the agency lists hatchery salmon as 
threatened with extinction, which is crazy in itself, it then exempts 
hatchery salmon from ESA protection," Brooks said in an Associated Press 
article by Jeff Barnard on June 17.

The mixing of wild and hatchery fish in the 131 stocks could in the future 
create problems for commercial fishermen and recreational anglers pursuing 
salmon along the California, Oregon and Washington coast.

?Now that the hatchery and wild fish are included in the same evolutionarily 
significant unit, the states will have to file hatchery management plans, 
creating more bureaucracy,? said Lovell. ?Anglers will still be able to 
harvest fish, but sportfishing and commercial fishing regulations will have 
to go through more hurdles.?

By putting hatchery and wild fish under the same umbrella, the burden of 
restoration is put on commercial and recreational fishermen, rather on the 
bad timber, agribusiness, mining and development practices that resulted in 
the dramatic decline of salmon throughout California and the Northwest. And 
fishing and conservation groups fear that the new policy will result in more 
habitat destruction by allowing abundant hatchery fish to count the same as 
the less common wild fish.

?We?re pleased that the wild fish that were protected before will have 
continued protection in the near term under this policy,? concluded Lovell. 
?But as the same time, it?s disappointing that NOAA has seemingly squandered 
the opportunity to adhere to the science, address wild salmon recovery 
head-on and resolve the issues that landed us all in litigation the first 
time around. There?s little in this policy to give us hope that we won?t end 
up there again.?




From danielbacher at hotmail.com  Wed Jun 29 11:19:55 2005
From: danielbacher at hotmail.com (Daniel Bacher)
Date: Wed, 29 Jun 2005 11:19:55 -0700
Subject: [env-trinity] Action Alert: Endangered Habitat on the Chopping Block
Message-ID: <BAY16-F27B62F1BC0B4AF79FC46EDBE00@phx.gbl>


EPIC ACTION ALERT
Please Forward Widely!
_______________________________________________________

ENDANGERED HABITAT ON THE CHOPPING BLOCK
PLEASE COMMENT!
_______________________________________________________

PLEASE CONTACT CALIFORNIA DEPARTMENT OF FORESTRY (CDF). DEADLINE IS
JULY 8th.

Charles Hurwitz's Maxxam/Pacific Lumber Company is at it again--this
time trying to liquidate as much old-growth forest as it can in
anticipation of filing for bankruptcy, which it has been threatening
for months. Recently prevented by the State Water Quality Control Board
from logging his desired volume of trees in the Elk River and Freshwater
Creek watersheds, Hurwitz continues to turn to the damaged Eel River
watershed, looking for quick cash at the expense of the redwood
forest.

The so-called "BONANZA" Timber Harvest Plan, (THP) #1-05-097HUM,
would log significant and critical old-growth forest and
landslide-prone areas, as well as destroy habitat for many sensitive,
threatened and endangered species including the northern spotted owl,
marbled murrelet, and coho and chinook salmon.? Logging would impact
Nanning Creek, a tributary of the Eel River, which is already listed as
"impaired" under Clean Water Act Section 303(d). Maxxam/PL proposes to
log in this very sensitive area, even as the company has been battling
with the state Water Quality Control Boards over their damaging,
sediment-producing harvesting practices (such as clearcutting)that
Hurwitz refuses to give up.

Marbled murrelet scientists have identified parts of this area as a
priority habitat for the critically threatened seabird. Yet this THP
will enable the harvest of old-growth redwoods currently occupied by
nesting murrelets! Of the 249 acres covered by this THP, 192 acres are
occupied stands for the murrelet.

Logging the "Bonanza" THP would impact just about every sensitive
ecological resource in the area.? This is part of Hurwitz's "end
game" for Pacific Lumber. He must not be allowed to rip out precious
and irreplaceable old-growth forest while further degrading water
quality on his way out of Humboldt County.

MAXXAM/PL'S ILLEGAL LOGGING SPREE MUST STOP!

Tell CDF to DENY APPROVAL for the "Bonanza" THP#1-05-097HUM.

The comment period on this THP closes July 8.

Take action now by responding to this alert using EPIC's web site:
http://www.wildcalifornia.org/actions/number-27

If you prefer snail-mail,
WRITE TO:
Dept. of Forestry and Fire Protection
135 Ridgeway Avenue
Santa Rosa, CA 95401
ATT: Forest Practice

Include in your letter: "Re: THP#1-05-097HUM"

Be respectful but firm, and as succinct as you can.

Take action now by responding to this alert using EPIC's web site:
http://www.wildcalifornia.org/actions/number-27

Jan Bramlett
Office Manager
Environmental Protection Information Center (EPIC)
P.O. Box 397, Garberville, CA 95542
(707) 923-2931, Fax 923-4210
http://www.wildcalifornia.org

_______________________________________________________

To unsubscribe from EPIC's action alert email list click on the
following link:
http://www.wildcalifornia.org/postlister/confirm.php?liste=EpicAlert&abonner=0&epostadresse=danielbacher%40hotmail.com&id=pl3ffd9a2846376




From danielbacher at hotmail.com  Thu Jun 30 17:26:59 2005
From: danielbacher at hotmail.com (Daniel Bacher)
Date: Thu, 30 Jun 2005 17:26:59 -0700
Subject: [env-trinity] Urgent Action Alert: Take Auburn Dam Poll!
Message-ID: <BAY16-F227A691AFD84E0721D540EDBE20@phx.gbl>

Northern California Activists:

I urge everybody to participate in this poll. We must stop the water 
dinosaurs like John Doolittle from resurrecting Auburn Dam.

thanks
dan bacher


Subject: Auburn Dam

American River Parkway Users and Supporters:

The Save the American River Association (SARA) received a call from Doris 
Matsui's office this morning asking for our opinion on a new Auburn Dam, but 
also asking that we send out an alert to all of our members and fellow 
Parkway supporters about a voting poll that is being done via the internet.? 
This is an opportunity to voice your opinion.? Either click on the following 
link: http://auburnjournal.com/ or paste it into your browser.? Scroll down 
to the bottom of the resulting link and you will see the poll there.? Click 
on your choice and submit.? After you vote, you will see the to-date poll 
results.? Thank you for participating,

Warren Truitt, SARA
Vice President, SARA?




From tstokely at trinityalps.net  Tue Jul  5 19:58:03 2005
From: tstokely at trinityalps.net (Tom Stokely)
Date: Tue, 5 Jul 2005 19:58:03 -0700
Subject: [env-trinity] SACBEE Editorial- Klamath in crisis;
	With salmon in abundance, fishing fleet runs aground
	on shoals of water politics
Message-ID: <001c01c58237$23fa3720$bc6c3940@trinitycounty.org>

 

Editorial: Klamath in crisis; With salmon in abundance, fishing fleet runs aground on shoals of water politics
Sacramento Bee - 7/3/05
 

A healthy stock of salmon is busy swimming out in the Pacific Ocean, but authorities have restricted commercial fishing operations throughout Northern California because of problems in one river. 

 

That would be the Klamath, where an anemic population of salmon return each year to spawn. 

 

Salmon return to the river of their birth to end their life cycle, spawning just before they die. Between birth and death, the fish live in the ocean. And while they're in the ocean, the salmon that were born in the Klamath mingle with those that started life elsewhere. 

 

There's no way a fisherman knows which is on the hook. A regulator can't tell, either. So to protect the precious few salmon that are bound for the Klamath, the only recourse has been to curtail ocean salmon fishing altogether. 

 

The decision to limit commercial salmon fishing has these mom-and-pop businesses angry and frustrated, and understandably so. Consumers aren't getting much of a break on salmon prices either. The situation smells of White House politics and misplaced priorities. 

 

Once one of the West Coast's biggest salmon fisheries, the Klamath begins in Oregon before snaking south to California, then west to the ocean. Along the way, considerable water is taken from the river to sustain thousands of acres of farm land, much of it devoted to potatoes. 

 

The Klamath simply doesn't have the water to deliver what the farmers desire and leave enough in the river for healthy steelhead and salmon populations. Up and down the river, key tributaries that once sheltered these fish are inhospitable because of excessive groundwater pumping and historic logging practices, among other human alterations. 

 

The Klamath crisis can be wrongly portrayed as a fish-vs.-humans matter. In truth, it's more of a humans-vs.-humans competition, with commercial fishermen and Indian tribes downstream pitted against farmers upstream. The Bush administration has tended to favor upstream interests in Oregon, a state that is more likely to back a Republican for president, over those in California, which favors a Democratic stronghold. 

 

A more balanced management policy would focus on restoring the salmon fishery, because it is the most high-value crop that the Klamath's water sustains. But the situation along the Klamath is anything but balanced. It is a mess. And now so is the entire salmon season for commercial fishermen off the coast. So many fish, so little fishing, so little regard for common-sense water policies.  #

http://www.sacbee.com/content/opinion/story/13166233p-14009672c.html

 
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From danielbacher at hotmail.com  Sat Jul  2 11:47:33 2005
From: danielbacher at hotmail.com (Daniel Bacher)
Date: Sat, 02 Jul 2005 11:47:33 -0700
Subject: [env-trinity] Fishery Groups Unite To Oppose Delta Exports - Please
	Forward!
Message-ID: <BAY16-F18E00731E5642723EC5DA9DBE50@phx.gbl>

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From bwl3 at comcast.net  Wed Jul  6 09:46:42 2005
From: bwl3 at comcast.net (Byron )
Date: Wed, 6 Jul 2005 09:46:42 -0700
Subject: [env-trinity] Efforts to Protect Declining Delta
Message-ID: <20050706164657.981D22002E79@mx.dcn.davis.ca.us>

1 July 2005
 
Press Release - Fishery Groups Oppose Delta Exports
 
By Daniel Bacher
 
 
A diverse coalition of fishing groups united on June 29 to oppose the
State9s untimely and destructive plan to increase water exports from the
Delta.
 
The San Francisco Bay-Delta estuary is arguably the most ecologically rich
estuary on the west coast of the United States.  Home to a great diversity
and abundance of birds, plants, fish, and other aquatic species, it may also
be America9s most endangered estuary.
 
3If I just had one gift to leave my grandchildren, it would be a healthy Bay
and Delta, with its once-great runs of salmon, sturgeon, American shad and
striped bass, along with its vast expanse of fertile wetlands restored2
states Whitey Rasmussen of the California Striped Bass Association, an old
timer who has hunted and fished these waters for 50 years.
 
Many fishermen and environmentalists echo Rasmussen9s sentiment.  But
according to the California Department of Fish and Game (DFG) and the
California Department of Water Resources (DWR), we won9t be seeing the Delta
restored anytime soon.  In fact, most fishers and environmentalists believe
we will never see the Delta restored because we rob its lifeblood - water.
 
On 29 June 2005, some 40 concerned fishermen and fisherwomen assembled at
the Yolo Bypass Wildlife Area to be briefed by the DFG and DWR on the status
of Delta. Chuck Armor, chief of operations for the DFG Bay-Delta Branch,
presented the State9s understanding of what may eventually be called the
3Delta Ecosystem Collapse2.  Armor described biological monitoring that
reveals several resident Delta fish species are at all-time lows, including
threadfin shad, delta smelt, longfin smelt and young-of-the-year striped
bass.
 
The DFG fears that this is not normal biological variability or indications
of a gradual change; the past 2-3 years show a dramatic drop with an almost
irrefutable crash.  Moreover, Armor presented data to indicate that the
Delta9s foodweb -zooplankton (copepods) - has concurrently plummeted.
 
DFG isn9t writing this off to the normal culprit - drought - because we9ve
had normal or above normal water since 2003.  Instead, DFG9s best working
hypothesis is a combination of the effects from invasive species (such as
exotic clams and aquatic vegetation), toxic contaminants
(pesticides/herbicides and toxic algae), and water exports.  The DFG has
undertaken focused and expedited studies to sort out the complex
cause-and-effect relationships and diagnose our sick Delta.  Armor has
committed to mid-November 2005 for presenting the results; he also states
that an accurate diagnosis may take longer.
 
For the time being, DFG is not making any corrective action recommendations,
not even to recommend a slight curtailment in pumping.  The past two years
have seen historically high water exports at the state and federal pumping
plants in the South Delta.  Combined, the two water projects annually pumped
more than 6 million acre-feet (one acre-foot of water will supply the annual
needs of two families, but most of the water is used by agriculture).
 
3DFG9s reluctance to recommend pumping reductions is another example of how
the State has weakened resolve for the Delta.  I9d have a lot more
confidence in our State agencies if they demonstrated better ability to
reduce pumping, not just increase pumping2 laments Doug Lovell of the
Federation of Fly Fishers.
 
3The consequences of a foodweb collapse in the Delta will be tragic.  The
small fish are disappearing and you don9t need a PhD to guess what9s next
... the larger fish, birds, other wildlife will be the next to go2 states
John Beuttler of the California Sportfishing Protection Alliance.
 
But the State is not thinking reduced pumping.  Following the presentation
by Armor of DFG, Kathy Kelly, chief of DWR9s Bay-Delta Office, presented the
proposed South Delta Improvements Package (SDIP, aka 8500), which includes
provisions to increase the pumping limit at the State pumping plant from
6,680 cubic feet per second to 8,500 cubic feet per second (at 8,500 cubic
feet per second, it takes a little over 5 seconds to pump an acre-foot of
water).
 
Kelly presented DWR9s latest version of the package that identifies three
different operating scenarios given the proposed increased pumping capacity,
without identifying a preferred operating scenario.  Previously, DWR had
stated the operating scenario providing the greatest water export was
preferred.  Kelly maintains that increasing the pumping capacity will allow
pumping more water when its environmentally benign and less water when the
ecosystem is at risk.
 
3Based on the recent evidence from the Delta, it9s clear that we do not have
sufficient knowledge to make this distinction,2 comments Tina Swanson, PhD,
senior scientist for The Bay Institute, who also conducts research on Delta
fisheries at UC Davis.
 
3You have to place a lot of trust with the State agencies to believe this
will work and I don9t see a track record that builds that trust,2 states Dan
Bacher, managing editor of the Fish Sniffer magazine.  3In fact, I challenge
any state or federal agency to show a single case where a fishery was
actually improved by increasing water diversions from a river or estuary.2
 
The SDIP is part of the Calfed Program, a comprehensive,
multi-billion-dollar, decades-long collaboration of State and Federal
agencies originally devised to restore the Delta ecosystem, increase water
supply reliability, enhance Delta water quality, and strengthen Delta
levees.  The SDIP9s increase in pumping capacity is part of an integrated
set of actions that has been recently attacked by environmental groups,
water users, and legislators as being unbalanced and ineffective, without
sound cost allocation.
 
Kelly stated that the draft EIR for the SDIP will be released in July 2005
or possibly August, with a 90-day public comment period.  Kelly anticipates
the draft EIR will show that SDIP significantly impacts the Delta ecosystem,
particularly the fisheries, with mitigation proposed via the Environmental
Water Account.
 
3How can we be expected to submit intelligent comments within this timeframe
when DFG doesn9t plan to explain the Delta Ecosystem Crash until
mid-November?2 stated Dan Odenweller, retired DFG and NOAA Fisheries
employee, representing Deltakeeper, an affiliate of Baykeeper.  3We should
get six weeks after DFG9s mid-November report to digest the information and
prepare a meaningful review of the proposed pumping increase,2 he added.
 
However, at the 29 June meeting, after the presentations by DFG and DWR, the
fishery groups collectively and unanimously decided that the proposed
increases in Delta pumping were not acceptable unless or until the ecosystem
is placed solidly on the road to recovery.
 
3We will join groups like Friends of the River, the Planning and
Conservation League, Natural Resources Defense Council and Sierra Club,
along with the Winnemem Wintu (McCloud River) Tribe, in staunch opposition
to pumping increases2 states John Beuttler. The fishery groups initially
intend to mobilize a grassroots letter campaign to Governor Schwarzenegger
requesting the SDIP be shelved.
 
Steve Evans of Friends of the River put the legitimacy of SDIP in
perspective 3Additional stress on the Delta is not necessary.  California is
not in a water crisis.  In fact, according to the State9s Water Plan, we can
meet water needs well into the future without taking more water out of the
Bay-Delta estuary. The Water Plan shows that demand in California may
decrease over the next thirty years in response to investments in water use
efficiency and recycling.2
 
The fishery groups were represented at the 29 June meeting by the Anglers
Committee, the California Sportfishing Protection Alliance, the California
Striped Bass Association (including the West Delta, Rio Vista, Sacramento,
Modesto, and Stockton chapters), California Trout, Golden West Women9s Fly
Fishers, the Pacific Coast Federation of Fishermen9s Associations, the
Recreational Fishing Alliance, the Northern California Council / Federation
of Fly Fishers (including the following affiliated clubs - California Fly
Fishers Unlimited, Tri-Valley Fly Fishers, Fly Fishers of Davis, Grizzly
Peak Fly Fishers), United Anglers of California, and the United Pier and
Shore Anglers of California.
 
Also present at the meeting were representatives of Friends of the River,
The Bay Institute, Deltakeeper, and the Planning and Conservation League,
who also concurred with the decision to oppose pumping increases.

 

 

Byron Leydecker, 

Chair, Friends of Trinity River

Consultant, California Trout, Inc.

PO Box 2327

Mill Valley, CA 94942-2327

415 383 4810 ph

415 383 9562 fx

bwl3 at comcast.net

bleydecker at stanfordalumni.org (secondary)

http://www.fotr.org

http://caltrout.org

 

 

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From bwl3 at comcast.net  Wed Jul  6 10:09:29 2005
From: bwl3 at comcast.net (Byron )
Date: Wed, 6 Jul 2005 10:09:29 -0700
Subject: [env-trinity] Trinity River Restoration Program Principal's Meeting
Message-ID: <20050706170936.8CFAD2002E79@mx.dcn.davis.ca.us>

TRINITY RIVER RESTORATION PROGRAM

PRINCIPALS CONFERENCE

Victorian Inn Restaurant, 

1709 Main Street, Highway 299 West

Weaverville, CA

July 13-14, 2005

 

Conference Objectives:  Review and celebrate recent accomplishments at
several field locations; address current policy issues facing the Trinity
River Restoration Program, including rate of implementation, sources of
funding, and Klamath - Trinity coordination, with specific attention to
floodplain structure modifications, channel rehabilitation sites, and core
science program requirements.  These issues will be examined in the context
of current realty issues, permitting requirements, and increased costs of
implementation.  Participants will be challenged to identify innovative ways
to advance all aspects of the TRRP Record of Decision. 

 

Trinity Management Council Principals and Panelists: 

*	Ryan Broddrick: Director, California Department of Fish and Game
*	Mike Chrisman: Secretary, California Resources Agency 
*	Roger Jaegel: District _ Supervisor, Trinity County Board of
Supervisors 
*	Gerald Johns: Assistant Director, California Department of Water
Resources 
*	Clifford Marshall: Chairman, Hoopa Valley Tribe 
*	Howard McConnell: Chairman, Yurok Tribe 
*	Rod McInnis, Regional Administrator, National Marine Fisheries
Service
*	Jason Peltier: Special Assistant to Assistant Secretary of Water and
Science, Department of the Interior 
*	Kirk Rodgers: Regional Director, Bureau of Reclamation, Mid-Pacific
Region 
*	Steve Thompson: California/Nevada Operations Manager, U.S. Fish and
Wildlife Service 
*	Bernie Weingardt: Regional Forester, USDA Forest Service, Pacific
Southwest Region 

 

Wednesday, July 13, 2005


 


Time                                        Topic
Discussion Leader


 

9:00                  Welcome and Introductions
Doug Schleusner, Director

9:10                  Introductory Remarks - Trinity Management Council
Mike Long, Vice-Chair

9:30                  Introductory Remarks - Trinity Adaptive Management
Arnold Whitridge, Chair

                                                                Working
Group

9:50                  Program Overview
Doug Schleusner 

 

10:30   Break

 

10:45                Listening Session: Comments from Program Partners
Doug Schleusner, Moderator

and Audience 

                        (approx. 15 slots at 5 minutes per person based on
sign up sheet)

 

12:00                Working Lunch (order from Trinideli)

                                    Field Tour Overview
Ed Solbos, TRRP

 

12:40               Depart for Hocker Flat by Bus

 

1:00                  Hocker Flat Rehabilitation Site 

                                    Project Summary
Joe Riess, TRRP and 

 
Curtis Anderson, DWR

 

2:30                  Floodplain Structures 

                                    Tullis Property - Lessons Learned, and
Ed Solbos, TRRP

                                    Indian Creek - CDFG Proposal
Tom Stokely, Trinity County

 

4:00                  Poker Bar Bridge 

                                    Project Summary
Ed Solbos, TRRP

                                    Dedication
Doug Schleusner and Others

 

4:45                  Informal Reception and Celebration
Jim Casebolt, President

 
Poker Bar HOA

 

6:00                  Bus Returns to Weaverville 

 

6:30                 Dinner - On Your Own 

 

Thursday, July 14, 2005 


 


Time                                        Topic
Discussion Leader


 

8:00                  Review of Today's Topics and Process
Doug Schleusner, TRRP

 

8:15                  Panel 1: Funding and the Rate of Implementation
Jason Peltier, Moderator

                                    Preparing the Floodplain for Higher
Flows 

                                    Staff Overview (15 min.)
Ed Solbos, TRRP

                                    TMC and TAMWG Perspective (15 min.) 

                                    Panel Discussion (30 min.)

*         Design criteria

*         Property disposal

*         Schedule

*         Funding requirements

 

9:15                              Constructing Channel Rehabilitation Sites
to           

                                    Facilitate Greater Rearing Habitat

                                    Staff Overview (15 min.)
Ed Solbos, TRRP

                                    TMC and TAMWG Perspective (15 min.)

                                    Panel Discussion (30 min.)

*         Design components

*         Schedule

*         Funding requirements

 

10:15   Break

 

10:30                            Key AEAM Science Program Components
Clair Stalnaker, Moderator

                                    Staff Overview (20 min.)
Rod Wittler, TRRP

                                    TMC and TAMWG Perspective (20 min.) 

                                    Panel Discussion (50 min.) 

*         Adaptive Environmental Assessment and Management

*         Scientific measures of success and progress 

*         Harvest management and hatchery practices 

*         Role of wildlife in a fishery restoration program

 

12:00                            Lunch (Buffet style at LaGrange, $9-12
price range)

 

 

1:15                  Panel 2: Improving Klamath - Trinity Coordination
Jason Peltier, Moderator

                                    Staff Overview (15 min.)
Rod Wittler, TRRP

                                    TMC and TAMWG Perspective (15 min.) 

                                    Panel Discussion (30 min.) 

*         Disease monitoring and potential fall flows

 

2:15                  Summary and Synthesis by the Panel
Jason Peltier, Moderator

                                    Assessment of the Program's Progress 

*         What is a realistic rate of implementation for key elements of the
ROD?

*         What is an appropriate balance between project implementation and
the modeling/monitoring/analysis components of the Program?

                                    Suggested Areas of Emphasis for the Next
3 Years 

                                    Action Items for the Principals 

*         How can the Principals help obtain additional funding or otherwise
advance the Program?

*         What specific areas of coordination between the Klamath and
Trinity basins can be improved - how, and by whom?

 

 3:30                 Adjourn and Travel Home

 

 

 

Byron Leydecker, 

Chair, Friends of Trinity River

Consultant, California Trout, Inc.

PO Box 2327

Mill Valley, CA 94942-2327

415 383 4810 ph

415 383 9562 fx

bwl3 at comcast.net

bleydecker at stanfordalumni.org (secondary)

http://www.fotr.org

http://caltrout.org

 

 

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From danielbacher at hotmail.com  Fri Jul  8 13:25:52 2005
From: danielbacher at hotmail.com (Daniel Bacher)
Date: Fri, 08 Jul 2005 13:25:52 -0700
Subject: [env-trinity] Ultra-Urgent Action Alert: Save The Bay-Delta Estuary!
Message-ID: <BAY16-F3238E6CBE3B3839B40B3A7DBDB0@phx.gbl>

Dear Friends

Of all of the action alerts I have ever sent out, this is probably the most 
urgent. Please spend a few minutes to send a short letter to the Governor. 
Ask him to stop the SDIP (South Delta Improvement Project) and any 
additional Delta export projects until the ecology and fisheries of the 
estuary are restored.

The health of the Bay-Delta estuary and the fisheries of the West Coast are 
in the greatest jeopardy they have ever been in! At a time when state and 
federal scientists are documenting a collapse of the Delta food chain, it 
would be absolute insanity to export MORE Water from the Delta, as the state 
and federal governments are planning to do.

Please forward this to everybody that you know!

Dan Bacher


Action Alert

Fishing Groups Align to Oppose Additional Delta Water Export
and Need Your Support!

In light of the government's recent announcement of the on-going collapse of 
the Bay-Delta Estuary that once sustained multiple runs of salmon and 
abundant runs striped bass, American shad, sturgeon and steelhead, many 
sport and commercial fishing groups have aligned to oppose all additional 
water export out of the Delta until the estuary and its fisheries??are 
restored.
?
The California Sportfishing Protection Alliance, the Northern California 
Council of Fly Fishers, and the California Striped Bass Association have 
been joined in their opposition by California Trout, United Anglers of 
California, the Recreational Fishing Alliance, United Pier and Shore Anglers 
of California, the Anglers Committee, California Fly Fishers Unlimited, 
Tri-Valley Fly Fishers, Fly Fishers of Davis and by commercial fishermen 
through the Pacific Coast Federation of Fishermen's Association. These 
groups are asking all anglers and the public to engage and express 
opposition to any additional export of Delta water to the governor until the 
estuary ecosystem and fisheries are restored.

According to agency scientists, the estuary's primary production of food is 
so low it is signaling the collapse of the Delta ecosystem. Populations of 
key plankton and tiny shrimp that fuel the foodweb and drive the system's 
ecology have virtually disappeared, as have some of estuary's important 
species of fish including Delta smelt, longfin smelt, shad and 
young-of-the-year striped bass. This collapse is the harbinger of what will 
happen to other fish and wildlife resources dependent on the estuary.

Most alarming is the incredible fact that as this collapse occurs and agency 
biologist scramble to try and figure out scientifically what is going wrong, 
the Department of Water Resources has announced it will move forward with 
their "South Delta Improvement Project" (SDIP) that would increase water 
exports out of the Delta up to 25%! They say the SDIP draft Environmental 
Impact Report will be circulated for public review by the end of this month.

The decision to move the SDIP forward in the face of a collapsing estuary 
can only make the estuary's problems worse and do irreparable harm to its 
fishery resources. While declining productivity in the estuary in not new 
since declines in salmon, steelhead and striper bass have become common 
place, what is new is the near total collapse in ecosystem primary 
productivity upon which everything else depends.

The SDIP will be the straw that breaks the estuary's back. If the foodweb is 
lost it will result in the estuary's fisheries not being able to find food 
where and when they need it for survival. The foodweb is irreplaceable! 
Scientists have long maintained that water export affects the productivity 
of the estuary by changing the once natural flow regime and the amount of 
water that used to flow through the Delta into the San Francisco Bay.

Instead of the high spring runoff through the entire estuary, the water 
projects have greatly reduced these flows and changed the timing of when 
that water would normally be available to the estuary. Such dramatic changes 
are at the very hart of the problem.

While we understand that other factors such as toxic pesticides and 
unintentionally introduced "exotic" species may be involved in this 
collapse, this is not the time to be increasing exports! In order for the 
waters of the estuary to produce food, the water must stay in the system 
long enough to do so. When 60% of the estuary's fresh water is exported 
annually, that leaves only 40% of the water to do what 100% used to do. 
Increasing exports beyond the current level can only make the situation 
worse.

If we are to completely understand and address the reasons for the collapse, 
increasing exports must be stopped until the solutions are found that 
restore the estuary and our fisheries.

Given the push to export more water by water contractors, the best way to 
stop the SDIP is to contact Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger. We urge you to 
ask the Governor to stop the SDIP and any additional Delta export projects 
until the ecology and fisheries of the estuary are restored. You can email 
the Governor by going to http://www.govmail.ca.gov where you can fill out 
the email form and send it to the Governor's office. Or you can send a 
letter or card to him at:
?
Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger
State Capitol Building
Sacramento, CA 95814

You can also call or fax his office:
Phone: 916-445-2841
Fax: 916-445-4633
?
The message is simple, ask the Governor to stop the plans of the Department 
of Water Resources to implement the South Delta Improvement Project and the 
export of any additional water out of Delta until our estuary and its 
fisheries are restored.

You can mention that DWR's recently released Bulletin 160 clearly 
demonstrates that the state's water needs will be met for at least the next 
decade with the existing water infrastructure. There is no water crisis to 
justify the destruction of the Delta! It is time to raise our collective 
voice. The estuary is truly at stake!
?
If you would like to send a more detailed letter to the Governor, a sample 
letter follows:

Date

Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger
State Capitol Building
Sacramento, CA 95814

Dear Governor Schwarzenegger:
?
I am writing to urge you to stop the efforts by your Department of Water 
Resources to increase the export of fresh water out of the Delta. Given the 
ecological value of the Delta as a public resource which meets a variety of 
water needs for the state, the recent collapse of its food-web is a disaster 
of unparalleled significance. The future of the Bay-Delta estuary and its 
vitally important public fishery resources is at stake.

As you may know some 60% of the fresh water that flows into the Delta is 
exported out of the system for agricultural (85%) and urban consumption 
(15%). Over the past several months agency scientists have confirmed that 
the estuary's capacity to produce the food-web that sustains critical 
populations of fish and wildlife has collapsed!
?
I believe your leadership is needed to halt all efforts to increase Delta 
exports, including the South Delta Improvement Project, until the problems 
that have caused this catastrophe are determined and solutions implemented 
that have restored the estuary and its fishery resources.
?
Given the fact that DWR's recently released Bulletin 160 clearly 
demonstrates that the state's water needs will be met for at least the next 
decade with the existing water infrastructure, it is imperative to stop 
additional exports planning until the long promised restoration of the 
estuary and its fishery resources is accomplished!

Sincerely,

(Your name and address)

John Beuttler
On Behalf of the Allied Fishing Groups

To contact CSPA and the Allied Fishing Groups for further information, send 
your email to: CSPAORG at aol.com or call us at 510-526-4049




From danielbacher at hotmail.com  Fri Jul  8 15:41:24 2005
From: danielbacher at hotmail.com (Daniel Bacher)
Date: Fri, 08 Jul 2005 15:41:24 -0700
Subject: [env-trinity] Action Alert For North Coast Salmon & Wilderness
Message-ID: <BAY16-F7A03F6DD7E0DAC0E55204DBDB0@phx.gbl>

8 July 2005

Dear Friend of the wild North Coast,

We need your help to counter the work of the anti-environmental shock troops 
against H.R. 233, a measure by Congressman Mike Thompson that would protect 
a handful of the last roadless public lands in the Klamath~Siskiyou and 
Redwood regions.

These public wildlands not only are refugia for an array of rare plants, 
birds and animals, such as the Darlingtonia, northern goshawk and the 
wolverine, but for humans seeking solitude in an increasingly troubled 
world.? Most of the would-be protected areas also provide the last streams 
carrying pristine cold water to rivers where salmon and steelhead struggle 
to thrive.

The East Fork of Blue Creek is one prime example.? Protecting this area as 
part of the wilderness system would spare a low-elevation, old-growth forest 
that provides remarkable cold and clear water to the main-stem of Blue 
Creek--the most significant lower Klamath river tributary for fall Chinook 
and Coho salmon. Protecting such areas is key to restoration of the wild 
Klamath salmon.

Recently the Blue Ribbon Coalition [BRC] caused a stir in Del Norte 
County--where Blue Creek flows--by falsely claiming to the Board of 
Supervisors there that protection for the East Fork would create a fire 
hazard for nearby communities and close roads to off-road vehicles.? These 
are falsehoods because there are no nearby communities to the East Fork, and 
there are no roads to be closed.

The Blue Ribbon Coalition's funders have included: the American Forest and 
Paper Association, American Petroleum Institute, Boise Cascade, Battle 
Mountain Gold, Chevron, Colorado Mining Association, Crown Butte Mines, 
Exxon, Louisiana Pacific, Marathon Oil, Rocky Mountain Oil and Gas, Ski-Doo, 
Suzuki and Yamaha to name a few.

Even the Republicans for Environmental Protection [REP] have decried the 
BRC's tactics, saying in 2002:

"The Blue Ribbon Coalition is peddling an unbalanced, extreme position on 
Public Lands access that is curtailing the very freedom they say they're 
re-defending.? The freedom to enjoy our public lands, our American heritage, 
is being diminished by the intrusive proliferation of motorized vehicles 
throughout the public domain, the lands that belong to every American 
citizen."

Please turn me over...

On the other hand, the Thompson wilderness bill (H.R. 233) is the product of 
many meetings and the involvement of many governmental officials throughout 
the district.

Every Humboldt County Supervisor has endorsed Thompson's measure.? The areas 
in it also were included in the Boxer/Feinstein wilderness bill that passed 
the Republican-dominated U.S. Senate last December.

On July 14, the? House Resources Committee will hold a hearing on the 
Thompson bill.? Opponents hope to get areas like the East Fork of Blue Creek 
carved out, and we need your support to give some balance.

Your letters will bolster the hearing record and show that many reasonable 
people,? businesses and organizations do support the Thompson measure.? 
Please send a letter to the addresses below today, but no later than July 
22.?? Ask that your letter be included in the hearing record.

If you would like more information on this important measure, please call me 
at 707-822-6918 or go to: 
<http://www.govtrack.us/congress/bill.xpd?bill=h109-233> or 
<http://www.californiawild.org> for more details.

The NEC continues to work for the protection of our Redwood Coast and 
Klamath~Siskiyou wildlands.? Your tax-deductible contributions enable us to 
work for protections for our region's wild places.? If you can help out with 
a donation--we will be able to get the message out to more people.? We 
deeply appreciate your support.

Sincerely,

*
Tim McKay, executive director

P.S., Please get your support letters in as soon as possible to:


The Honorable Richard W. Pombo, Chairman
House Resources Committee
1324 Longworth House Office Building
Washington, DC 20515-6201

The letters should also be cc'd to:

The Honorable Nick J. Rahall, II, Ranking Member
House Resources Committee
1329 Longworth House Office Building
Washington, DC 20515-6201

And, if you can, we'd love to have a copy of your letter, to.


Tim McKay, executive director, (707) 822-6918 (w), 677-3172 (h)
Northcoast Environmental Center
575 H Street
Arcata CA 95521
www.yournec.org




From bwl3 at comcast.net  Mon Jul 18 14:28:33 2005
From: bwl3 at comcast.net (Byron )
Date: Mon, 18 Jul 2005 14:28:33 -0700
Subject: [env-trinity] Eureka Times-Standard July 18, 2005
Message-ID: <20050718212903.5254B20033D5@mx.dcn.davis.ca.us>

TRINITY RIVER RESTORATION PROGRAM:

A river rising 

Eureka Times-Standard - 7/18/05
By John Driscoll, staff writer

DOUGLAS CITY, TRINITY COUNTY -- For the Trinity River to rise, Donald Tullis
will have to move. 

 

Tullis is in the strange position of pulling stakes not to make way for a
reservoir as happened in so many places across the West in the past century,
but to make room for more water to be sent from the reservoir downstream for
fish. 

 

The 79-year-old retired plumber built his little yellow house on a flat
stretch of the Trinity River 7 miles outside Weaverville in 1975. 

 

"I wasn't figuring on moving," Tullis said. "I figured I'd die here." 

 

Instead, the federal government bought him out. It's paying to move him to a
modular home in Weaverville. It's closer to shopping and to his girlfriend,
a good thing given his failing eyesight and a recently replaced knee. 

 

Tullis is resigned. He said he's been treated fairly, and had nice things to
say about Denise, the woman who helped broker the agreement. But what about
his dog, Heidi, a golden lab who takes to the river several times a day? 

 

"She's gonna miss that," Tullis said. 

 

He said he'll get a pool for her in town. 

 

Sitting on his back deck, where Tullis smokes cigarettes and drinks root
beer into the evening this time of year, the Trinity River chortles by. 

 

Water was flowing from Lewiston Dam, 18 miles upstream, at 1,180 cubic feet
per second. But when dam operators released 7,000 cfs in May as part of a
fisheries restoration effort, the river licked at Tullis' doorstep. 

 

It wasn't the first time. In 1997 -- two years after Tullis canceled his
flood insurance -- heavy rains pushed the river into his house. Four feet up
the walls. 

 

It also cleared out sand and silt that had settled in salmon spawning
grounds following the dam's construction in 1963. In wet years in the
future, the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation may release up to 11,000 cfs, big
water meant to trim gravel berms, recreate flood plains and reshape gravel
bars for salmon. 

 

Along with adding pea to softball-sized gravel to reaches 18 miles below the
dam -- to make up for what the dam traps in Trinity Lake -- and bulldozing
sections of stream bank, the Trinity River Restoration Program hopes to
resurrect the river's suppressed salmon runs. 

 

It's part of a 2000 decision by former U.S. Interior Secretary Bruce
Babbitt. The Hoopa Valley Tribe relied on salmon historically and still
catches fish for sustenance and for its cannery operation on its reservation
north of Willow Creek. 

 

After nearly 30 years of building scientific support for restoration, the
tribe had to fight for the program in court. 

 

Last year, the tribe beat Central Valley irrigators' efforts to undermine
the program, getting clearance from the U.S. 9th District Court of Appeals.
About three-quarters to 90 percent of the river's water had been diverted
from Trinity Lake into the Sacramento River, where it's sent to farmland
from pumps in the larger river's delta. 

 

Under Babbitt's decision, just over 50 percent will be sent to the
Sacramento. 

 

The tribe's battle may also help revive a sport and commercial fishery in
Northern California and Oregon. But threats remain. 

 

The long-standing use-it-or-lose-it standard of the West is a constant
concern for the program. In extremely wet years, the program is expected to
release 11,000 cfs from Lewiston Dam. 

 

But Tullis' house isn't the only property in the way of such big flows if
the Trinity's tributaries are flowing strong. In the Indian Creek area
alone, more than a dozen could be affected if those big flows are released
while tributaries are also flooding. 

 

"Some litigation surrounding that could be a real stick thrown in the
spokes," said Hoopa Valley Tribal Fisheries biologist Mike Orcutt. 

 

He said it's important to wisely use the water that's appropriated for the
program to further its goal to restore the fishery. It's also vital to get
the full funding to do the mechanical treatments necessary for the water to
do its work, he said. 

 

Had the program been in place with Babbitt's signature, many of these issues
would be resolved. Litigation slowed down raising bridges, buying houses and
closing wells. 

 

"We're trying to be prepared for anything nature throws our way," said Joe
Riess, a civil engineer for the project. 

 

That may mean sand bagging property at risk from such high water. With any
luck, the weather this winter and coming spring won't be overly wet, giving
the program time to work out details. If that luck turns, however, the
program may have to consider using, or losing, the water. 

 

It's all about fish. 

 

Byron Leydecker of Friends of the Trinity River and California Trout pleaded
with the Trinity Management Council on Wednesday to meet its legal mandate
to restore the river's fishery. 

 

The 77-year-old fly fisherman remembers fishing on the river before the dam.
He watched the collapse of the salmon runs after the dam. And he has
committed himself to the restoration for years. 

 

"I ask you to restore this river in my lifetime," Leydecker said. 

 

All the restoration in the world, though, can't eliminate the fact that
every salmon in the Trinity River must swim up the Klamath River for more
than 40 miles before turning due south up the Trinity. 

 

Water quality and temperature, disease outbreaks, low flows and a generally
hostile environment in the Klamath can wipe out salmon trying to reach the
cold, clear Trinity. The U.S. Bureau of Reclamation has bought billions of
gallons of Trinity water from Sacramento Valley contractors again this year
to cool and raise the Klamath if conditions become dangerous. 

 

No one wants a repeat of the massive Klamath fish kill of 2002. 

 

Troy Fletcher, a consultant with the Yurok Tribe, told the council that the
Klamath's weighty issues must be front and center while restoring the
Trinity. 

"We're running the risk of wasting our money," he said. 

 

Bureau Deputy Area Manager Christine Karas agreed. But she said there is
"big horsepower" behind a conservation program headed up by the agency for
the Klamath, and said progress can be made. Reclamation's leadership is no
reason not to participate, she said. 

 

The blood is not good between Reclamation and the tribe, which holds the
agency responsible for killing tens of thousands of salmon it's obligated to
protect. 

Fletcher said the conservation program is the bureau's attempt to walk away
from its responsibility. 

 

"We don't trust the Bureau of Reclamation or the federal government in
general," Fletcher said. 

 

For the most part, the Trinity's heavy flows historically came in the
winter. The dam now captures that water. So the program must instead
simulate large spring snow melts that probably didn't do the heavy
geomorphic work. 

 

That's why bulldozers are needed, coupled with flows from Lewiston Dam to
maintain reshaped habitat. 

 

Rod Wittler, a scientist for the program, said the river's role above the
dam -- the 109 miles of spawning grounds that were lost -- must now be
played out in the 40 miles below the dam. 

 

"Will that be adequate to restore the fishery?" he asked. "That's part of
the grand experiment."

 

 

Byron Leydecker, 

Chair, Friends of Trinity River

Consultant, California Trout, Inc.

PO Box 2327

Mill Valley, CA 94942-2327

415 383 4810 ph

415 383 9562 fx

bwl3 at comcast.net

bleydecker at stanfordalumni.org (secondary)

http://www.fotr.org

http://caltrout.org

 

 

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From bwl3 at comcast.net  Mon Jul 18 14:30:43 2005
From: bwl3 at comcast.net (Byron )
Date: Mon, 18 Jul 2005 14:30:43 -0700
Subject: [env-trinity] San Francisco Chronicle Editorial July 17.2005
Message-ID: <20050718213106.1E5EB2002F59@mx.dcn.davis.ca.us>

EDITORIAL:

Delta Blues

San Francisco Chronicle - 7/17/05

 

The news last week that the Bush administration changed scientists'
conclusions about how increased water pumping from the Delta would affect
endangered salmon and steelhead was disturbing, but not surprising. The Bush
administration has a history of allowing political considerations to trump
science. In the history of the Delta, politics rules, too. 

 

What most Californians know of the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta is its
landscape -- a mysterious backwater of waving reeds, waterfowl and asparagus
fields -- and its place in state politics as the battlefield for the state's
water wars. Remember Gov. Jerry Brown's fight to push through the Peripheral
Canal? 

 

The courts will have to sort out the legitimacy of 280 long-term federal
water contracts with agricultural users for 1 million acre feet more than
the water project can deliver safely. 

 

What is less clear is who will sort out the future of the Delta. 

 

The stakeholders -- industry, water agencies, state and federal governments
and the environmental community -- agree on this much: The status quo is
unsustainable. 

 

"Reliance on the Delta as a primary water feature of the state is doomed,"
said Jeffrey Mount, a UC Davis geologist who has studied the Delta and its
problems. 

 

With the demand for water increasing and the Delta's 100-year-old plumbing
system in disrepair, the stakes are enormous. An earthquake, a flood or a
levee failure that undermines other levees, would be a human and economic
disaster the state could ill afford. 

 

The stakeholders have embraced the fact that California must rethink how to
maintain and deliver good-quality water to two-thirds of the state's
population. Each group is cautiously starting to roll out proposals for a
new water world that attempt to avoid the buzz saw of the old water politics
and secure a sustainable future. 

 

The Association of California Water Agencies, a consortium representing 95
percent of the state's water authorities, has unveiled its blueprint for
California water, "No Time to Waste" (www.acwa.com). 

 

Assemblyman John Laird, D-Santa Cruz, has introduced AB1200, legislation
backed by the Sierra Club and a Silicon Valley industry group, which calls
for a comprehensive but vaguely defined study of the impacts of climate
change and earthquake risk on the Delta levees, lands, water rights, fish
and the environment of the rivers outside the Delta. 

 

The state Department of Water Resources is preparing a similar, but more
Delta-centric, report on the risks to the levee system and to the state
economy. 

What can't happen is nothing. Politics can't impede taking action. 

 

The Delta ecosystem is failing. State biologists have acknowledged that the
Delta's open-water fish populations are mysteriously collapsing. Scientists
don't know why the populations of Delta smelt, threadfin shad and juvenile
striped bass, as well as copepods, a tiny organism on which larger fish
feed, have declined to the lowest levels recorded. They are investigating
three possibilities: pesticides, invasive species and increased water
pumping. 

 

CalFed, the decade-old state-federal collaboration designed to reconcile the
thorniest of the Delta conflicts over water supply and the environment, has
faltered, too. "For all the dollars spent by CalFed, there is little to show
for it," says state Sen. Michael J. Machado, D-Linden. 

 

Forging a path to the future will take leadership. We need our leaders to
tell the U.S. Department of the Interior and the Bureau of Reclamation that
they can't ignore environmental law when renewing lucrative 25- and 40-year
federal contracts for subsidized California water. 

 

It will take leadership to shift the political debate from water delivery to
water quality, and that means water quality for people, for the fisheries,
for cities and industry, and for agriculture and the environment. 

 

It will take also leadership to convince the stakeholders to look at the
benefits of the Delta collectively and share in the cost of maintaining the
Delta's plumbing system collectively. 

 

And it will take leadership to engineer a plan that protects the well- being
of all California, not just the political interests of a few. 

 

If Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger wants, as he has said, to leave a legacy as
the environmental governor, this is the issue and this is the time. 

 

A troubled landscape 

 

The Delta is the largest estuary on the West Coast. It is also a rich
agricultural region, a recreational area and the plumbing for the state
water system that serves 23 million Californians. Aging infrastructure,
increased water demands and warming temperatures are changing the Delta in
ways that will affect the quality and the delivery of water in the future. 

 

Crumbling levees: There are 1,600 miles of levees in the Delta, most of
which are privately owned. Some date back to the 1850s. The land they
surround is subsiding, potentially destabilizing the levees. Failure of one
levee could jeopardize the integrity of others. 

 

Climate change: Warming temperatures are raising ocean levels and pushing
salty water further into the Delta. The state Department of Water Resources
estimates that to reduce saltiness and prevent flooding, it will require
raising the height of some 1,100 miles of levees at least 6 inches or more.
A warmer climate also could diminish the Sierra snowpack -- California's
natural water-storage system -- and increase runoff in winter, when there's
little storage capacity. The resulting floods could undermine levees and
harm water quality. 

 

Disruption: UC Davis geologist Jeffrey Mount predicts a 2 in 3 chance within
the next 50 years of a catastrophic event -- an earthquake or a major flood
-- that would curtail or prevent the delivery of water, maybe for months,
with disastrous consequences for the California economy. 

 

Sources: UC Davis; Association of California Water Agencies; State
Department of Water Resources 

 

Byron Leydecker, 

Chair, Friends of Trinity River

Consultant, California Trout, Inc.

PO Box 2327

Mill Valley, CA 94942-2327

415 383 4810 ph

415 383 9562 fx

bwl3 at comcast.net

bleydecker at stanfordalumni.org (secondary)

http://www.fotr.org

http://caltrout.org

 

 

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From bwl3 at comcast.net  Tue Jul 19 10:05:30 2005
From: bwl3 at comcast.net (Byron )
Date: Tue, 19 Jul 2005 10:05:30 -0700
Subject: [env-trinity] FW: SF Chronicle July 19, 2005
Message-ID: <20050719170546.745A220009B7@mx.dcn.davis.ca.us>

CALIFORNIA 
Contaminated valley drain water a problem yet unsolved 
Public comment on controversy closes on Aug. 1

 <mailto:glenmartin at sfchronicle.com> Glen Martin, Chronicle Environment
Writer

Tuesday, July 19, 2005

 


 
<http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/object/article?f=/c/a/2005/07/19/BAGGGDQ4RK1.
DTL&o=0> Chronicle graphic by Joe Shoulak

*                                  


 

Time is running out on the public's opportunity to express itself about
possible solutions to a problem that has vexed environmentalists and San
Joaquin Valley farmers for decades -- the disposal of selenium-tainted
agricultural drain water from the Central Valley. 

The U.S. Bureau of Reclamation is looking at three alternatives to the drain
water problem, all of them controversial. One would discharge the waste --
which is a danger to birds and fish -- into the Sacramento-San Joaquin River
Delta, a drinking water source for several East Bay communities. 

The public comment period will end Aug. 1. 

Contaminated drain water has long plagued San Joaquin Valley agribusiness.
The problem is caused by irrigating western valley lands rich in selenium,
an element that can cause birth defects in birds or fish, or sometimes kill
them outright. The western San Joaquin Valley sits on an impermeable clay
base. When land is irrigated, the salt, boron and selenium present in the
land dissolve, then concentrate in the upper layers of soil. Crops can grow
in the presence of selenium, but not salt and boron, so the land is
periodically flushed with additional water to remove the minerals. 

This selenium-impregnated drain water then becomes a logistical nightmare;
farmers must dispose of it to stay in business, but there is no easy
solution. 

The problem came to the public's attention in a spectacular fashion in the
mid-1980s, when thousands of birds died at the now-decommissioned Kesterson
Wildlife Refuge near Los Banos in Merced County. The refuge's marshes had
been flooded with agricultural drain water. 

Congress had anticipated the problem when it passed the San Luis Act of
1960, authorizing construction of water delivery systems from the Trinity
and Sacramento rivers to the western San Joaquin Valley. The legislation
required construction of a disposal pipeline for the drain water. 

With the delta planned as the original disposal point, the San Luis Drain
was built as far as the Los Banos area. At that point, it was decided to
plug the drain and flood Kesterson with the waste water. 

But after the wildlife catastrophe at Kesterson, the federal Bureau of
Reclamation reached an agreement with environmentalists and farmers to
re-open a portion of the drain so contaminated water wouldn't seep out of
croplands, poisoning other wildlife refuges in the valley. That water is now
dumped into tributaries of the San Joaquin River, although fairly strict
limits on selenium discharges are enforced. 

Under the Clinton administration, momentum gained for retirement of
agricultural land as an alternative to a drain. By the government buying
land and irrigation rights, it was reasoned, the drain water problem would
be solved: No irrigation, no drain water. 

About 40,000 acres have been retired from agricultural production. The lands
can no longer grow crops, but the farmers were allowed to keep their land
and water rights. 

That still leaves about 350,000 acres of land with drainage problems in the
western San Joaquin Valley. In 1995, federal Judge Oliver Wanger in Fresno
ruled that the Bureau of Reclamation had to file for state permits to
complete the San Luis drain. And in 2000, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the
Ninth Circuit, based in San Francisco, upheld a significant part of Wanger's
decision, agreeing that the bureau had to provide some kind of solution to
the waste water problem -- though completion of the drain was not specified.


In response to the courts' decisions, the bureau has completed a draft
Environmental Impact Statement outlining three possible scenarios for the
drain's completion: 

-- Drainage into the delta, near either Chipps Island near Antioch or near
the Carquinez Bridge. 

-- Drainage into Estero Bay on the Central Coast, near Morro Bay. 

-- An "in valley" solution that would involve some land retirement and some
evaporation ponds. Depending on the plan's configuration, the ponds would
total from 1,200 to 3,300 acres. 

Terry Young, a chemist, environmental consultant and one of the negotiators
in the drain agreement that allowed discharge to the San Joaquin River
following the Kesterson incident, said the delta option raises significant
Bay Area concerns. 

"Both the Contra Costa Water Agency and the Contra Costa Water District
(which serve numerous East Bay cities) went on the record at a (July 12)
public meeting on the drain stating the Chipps Island alternative could have
deleterious effects on water quality," Young said. "Drinking water quality
wouldn't be as much an issue with the Carquinez Strait alternative, but it
could still have a major impact on fisheries and wildlife." 

The in-valley solution has also raised concerns among environmentalists that
it could result in "Kesterson II." 

But Mike Delamore, the chief of the San Joaquin Drainage Division for the
Bureau of Reclamation, said the agency will take pains to mitigate the
threat to wildlife if that option is chosen. 

All the drain water would be treated to reduce selenium content to less than
10 parts per billion, said Delamore. The selenium residue would then be
taken to approved disposal sites, he said. 

"Even that level of selenium (in the water) is a matter of concern, so we
would make the evaporation ponds as unattractive to wildlife as possible,"
he said. "For example, we could give them vertical sides so there wouldn't
be any shore bird or puddle duck habitat." 

Tupper Hull, a spokesman for Westlands Irrigation District -- which at about
600,000 acres, is the largest district on the west side -- said the bureau
has done a good job of addressing the drainage problem. 

"It is a difficult task, and there are no easy solutions," Hull said. "It's
a very, very tough nut to crack." 

But most environmentalists continue to disparage all the alternatives,
saying they perpetuate the problem rather than solve it. 

"There is very little chance of success for any of these alternatives in the
real world," said Byron Leydecker, the chairman of Friends of the Trinity
River and an adviser to California Trout. 

Following the close of the comment period, the bureau is expected to choose
one of the alternatives by July, 2006. It will then issue a record of
decision, which will go to Congress for authorization and appropriation. 

 

Byron Leydecker, 

Chair, Friends of Trinity River

Consultant, California Trout, Inc.

PO Box 2327

Mill Valley, CA 94942-2327

415 383 4810 ph

415 383 9562 fx

bwl3 at comcast.net

bleydecker at stanfordalumni.org (secondary)

http://www.fotr.org

http://caltrout.org

 

 

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From bwl3 at comcast.net  Tue Jul 19 11:16:57 2005
From: bwl3 at comcast.net (Byron )
Date: Tue, 19 Jul 2005 11:16:57 -0700
Subject: [env-trinity] Additional SF Chronicle Glen Martin July 19 2005
Message-ID: <20050719181722.72A7B2003700@mx.dcn.davis.ca.us>

Below are the three drainage alternatives in the San Luis Drainage Feature
Re-Evaluation Environmental Impact Statement:

 

Drain pains 

The U.S. Bureau of Reclamation is looking at three alternatives for
completing the San Luis Drain, which would dispose of selenium-tainted
agricultural waste water from the western San Joaquin Valley: 

 

1) Drainage to the Sacramento River-San Joaquin River Delta: 

Disposal would be either near Chipps Island off Antioch or near the
Carquinez Bridge. Concerns include threats to drinking water, fisheries and
wildlife.. 

 

2) Drainage to the ocean: 

A pipeline traversing the Coast Range would end in Estero Bay in San Luis
Obispo County. Advocates say the open sea would provide ample room for
diluting the effluent to safe levels, but environmentalists say fish and
birds could still be affected.. 

 

3) The in-valley solution: 

This approach would consist of a combination of retired agricultural lands
and evaporation ponds. After the drain water evaporates in the ponds, the
remaining solids would be disposed of in approved landfills.
Environmentalists favor complete reliance on land retirement, arguing that
evaporation ponds, no matter how configured, would poison birds.

 

Byron Leydecker, 

Chair, Friends of Trinity River

Consultant, California Trout, Inc.

PO Box 2327

Mill Valley, CA 94942-2327

415 383 4810 ph

415 383 9562 fx

bwl3 at comcast.net

bleydecker at stanfordalumni.org (secondary)

http://www.fotr.org

http://caltrout.org

 

 

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From danielbacher at hotmail.com  Tue Jul 19 17:42:05 2005
From: danielbacher at hotmail.com (Daniel Bacher)
Date: Tue, 19 Jul 2005 17:42:05 -0700
Subject: [env-trinity] The Scotsman: Our Links to Native Americans'
	Struggles/Tribes' Press Release
Message-ID: <BAY16-F2475CA8CF00A19D7D1BC17DBD70@phx.gbl>

Here's a great article from the Scotsman, followed by a press release from 
the Klamath River tribes about their current trip to Scotland to pressure 
Scottish Power to take down the Klamath dams.

Dan Bacher

>From today's The Scotsman

Our links to Native Americans' struggles
CRAIG HOWIE
Reporting from California

http://heritage.scotsman.com/people.cfm?id=1647082005&amp;20050719163411

WHEN the rosebud bushes on the banks of the Klamath River blossom bright
pink, and the dogwood trees native to the Pacific Northwest turn a pale
yellow, the Native Americans of California's Klamath basin know the first
harvest of their sacred river is not far away.

But the spring run of salmon so revered by the four tribes here - the Karuk,
Yurok, Hupa and Klamath - has not struggled upstream for years now, with
much of the chinook species forced out of its 350 miles of traditional
breeding ground by a system of six dams operated by a Scottish electricity
giant. The adverse effects of this on the 7,000-year-old settlements are
clear to see.
Chuckie Carpenter and his Hupa tribe are fortunate to still have access to
salmon in the California tributaries.

It is this situation that Chuckie Carpenter, a religious chief of the Hupa
tribe, believes ties the tribes to Scotland. Carpenter refers to the Scots -
another ancient people that has traditionally struggled to live free from
outside interference in its affairs - and its clans as "cousins".

Carpenter met many Scots on a visit to Edinburgh last year, when he and the
elders of the four tribes lobbied ScottishPower's annual meeting of
shareholders (AGM) on the dam issue, and retains fond memories of a people
he considers "noble and honest" and one which he for one found very
welcoming.

He recounts tales of friendly banter with locals, of smiles and intrigue at
the ornate tribal costumes. When one unenlightened - but maybe over-watered
- Scot accused him of killing John Wayne, Carpenter responded with his
trademark booming laugh and a bear-hug befitting his sturdy frame.

This week the tribes return to Scotland, and though ScottishPower (SP) last
month sold its US subsidiary, PacifiCorp, which operated the dams, to an
investment company owned by Warren Buffet, the tribes believe that SP
chairman Ian Russell can still fulfil his pledge to listen to their concerns
before his company relinquished control.

Leaf Hillman, the high priest of the Karuk tribe's annual "world renewal"
ceremonies, and one of two leaders to address the AGM last year, also
believes that the tribes have a common bond with Scots.
Visitors are welcome at the Hupa tribe in the village of Hoopa.

Sitting in the cabin of his pick-up truck near the village of Orleans, in
northern California, he says: "The time we were in Scotland we felt a sense
of compassion in the Scottish people, the way we were treated in the
shareholder meeting, in restaurants, in pubs. We felt that the Scottish
people related in their struggles and the similarities with our predicament
today.

"All of us feel pretty special in the way we were treated," Hillman notes,
"even though we didn't expect the sentiment to carry over into the AGM, when
we stood and spoke the feeling that although the ScottishPower shareholders
had a vested interest in the success of the dam project, the overwhelming
sense of support for the issues we brought was very emotional and for us
unexpected."

Fifteen delegates from the four tribes plan to attend SP's meeting in
Edinburgh on Friday.

A spokesman for SP, which is based in Glasgow, says the delegates should
take up the issue with PacifiCorp and federal energy regulators in
Washington who have the authority to make a decision on the dams.

Jon Coney, PacifiCorp spokesman, tells scotsman.com: "The Klamath
relicensing process has been a long-term established process, and not a
whole lot has changed [with the sale of PacifiCorp]. The terms and
conditions of the hydro [dam] project are set by the federal government. We
are currently undergoing a process of negotiations with the tribes in hope
of a settlement. It is not an easy undertaking."

PacifiCorp's position was strengthened late last week when a US judge threw
out a $1 billion (?570 million) lawsuit filed by the Native Americans
against SP. In dismissing the case, an Oregon judge called the matter
untimely.
Leif Hillman of the Karuk tribe shows off some arrows.

However, the tribes have all along said they will not be cowed if they feel
their interests have been taken lightly.

Hillman says: "People in these struggles have to understand that tribes are
never afraid to fight - and this fight has the potential to destroy us,
that's how much is at stake. Folks need to understand that we are worthy
opponents, we are not going away."

Further similarities exist between the clans of Scotland and the structure
of tribal life both past and present: a predominantly paternal bloodline
ensures succession of religious elders, alongside a governing council of
democratically elected representatives.

In days gone by, the tribes had no reason to fight over abundant resources,
confirms tribal spokesman Craig Tucker, and though not sharing a common
language, members of separate tribes would often work together to ensure
collective survival. Ensuring safe inter-breeding was just one way the
tribes cooperated, another was by ensuring passage of royal bloodlines from
one generation to the next.

In more modern times, the Karuk and Yurok tribes were granted sovereignty
over their land in the mid-1980s, giving them a bigger say in negotiations
with the federal government on issues such as land, commerce, health and
education. They stand at once independent of the greater economic power, but
irreversibly linked.

Tucker says the tribes have now worked together to produce an economic
analysis of the effect of the dams, following another survey reported in the
Washington Post which showed the massive health implications of a western
diet imposed on the tribes in place of their traditional diet.

As a result of a lack of salmon and a reliance on western foods, diabetes
rates in the Karuk tribe, the peer-reviewed study says, now stand at twice
the national average; heart disease rates are three times higher than across
the US. Over 50,000 salmon died on the lower stretches of the Klamath in
2002 in a mass "fish kill" down river.

"In terms of balances," Hillman says, "you can see the human cost to the
area. Ultimately it creates the environment you can begin to frame as a
human-rights issue, in terms of health and well-being and way of life."

Carpenter, whose Hupa tribe is fortunate to have access to one of the six
Klamath tributaries that is not dammed, claims with a smile that the
traditional salmon diet is the reason why "we Indians have such big heads.
Our main diet is fish, food for the head. We were never a big people, our
diet was the early Atkins - salmon, eel, deer meat and acorn soup."

More seriously, he continues: "It isn't just the salmon. This is our world,
our ancestors protected their world, it's now our obligation to protect ours
for our children, and the children who are but a twinkle in their eyes."


Hoopa Valley Tribe ? Karuk Tribe ? Klamath Tribes ? Yurok Tribe
Friends of the River ? Pacific Coast Federation of Fishermen?s Associations
Klamath River Inter-Tribal Fish and Water Commission
?
P R E S S?? A D V I S O R Y: information on planned media events
?


For Immediate Release: July 18, 2005
?
For more information:
Contacts in U.S.:
Leaf Hillman ,? vice- chairman, Karuk 
Tribe:?????????????????????????????????????????? 530-493-5305 x2040
Mike Belchik, spokesman, Yurok 
Tribe:??????????????????????????????????????????????? 707-834-3891
?
To arrange interviews from Scotland delegation, contact campaign coordinator 
Craig Tucker at ctucker at karuk.us or call Stan Blackley at 
011-44-7770-742-449
?
US TRIBES IN SCOTLAND AS PART OF DAM REMOVAL EFFORT
Week of media events culminates in demonstration at utility giant?s AGM

A fifteen-strong delegation, representing four Native American Indian Tribes
from California and Oregon return to Scotland this week (beginning Monday 18
July 2005) as part of their campaign to remove Klamath Dams. The dams are 
owned by Oregon based utility PacifiCorp who, in turn, is owned by the 
multinational energy giant Scottish Power (NYSE-SPI).

The tribes are demanding the restoration of the River Klamath, which has 
been severely damaged by the complex of dams which block over 350 miles of 
historic
salmon spawning grounds and have played a major role in the decline of
salmon in what was once America?s third greatest Salmon river.

The tribes have traditionally relied on the return of the salmon each year
for food and as a basis for the regional economy. In additionthe salmon 
plays
an important part in the Tribes? cultures, including being the basis for
traditional ceremonies, many of which have not been performed for decades
because of the lack of fish in the upper Klamath basin.

The tribes are returning to Scotland after a high profile visit last summer,
during which they embarrassed Scottish Power into action by confronting its
shareholders, working in partnership with Scottish NGO?s and politicians,
and through gaining widespread media coverage, eventually receiving a
?personal commitment to find the right solution? from Ian Russell, Chief
Executive of Scottish Power.

Since last summer, the tribes have been involved in negotiations with
Scottish Power, however, the company announced the surprise sale of
PacifiCorp in May this year (as well as a staggering $2 billion annual
profit) and the tribes are now accusing Scottish Power of ?stringing them
along? and?selling them down the river? by engaging them in negotiations
while all the time planning to sell the US subsidiary and its dams.

An Extraordinary General Meeting (EGM), held as part of Scottish Power?s AGM
in Glasgow this Friday, will discuss the sale of PacifiCorp. Because the
sale will take 12-  18 months to complete, the tribes argue that Scottish
Power CEO Ian Russell still has enough time to make good on his ?personal
commitment? to them.

The tribes will hold a number of media events between 19 and 23 July:

Date / Time: Tuesday 19th July at 6.00pm
Event: Screening of 45-minute documentary film: Salmon on the backs of
Buffalo followed by a Q&A session
Venue: The Cameo Cinema, Home Street, Tollcross, Edinburgh, EH3 9LZ. For
tickets, call: 0131 228 4141

Date / Time: Wednesday 20th July at 10.00am
Event: Photo-call: demonstration, dancing and gift presentation outside 
Scottish
Power?s Glasgow HQ
Venue: The main door, Scottish Power Headquarters, 1 Atlantic Quay, Glasgow,
G2 8SP

Date / Time: Wednesday 20th July at 4.00pm
Event: Presentation: The cultural and social impacts of dams on the Klamath
RiverVenue: The Old Library, Institute of Geography, University of 
Edinburgh,
Drummond Street, Edinburgh

Date / Time: Thursday 21st July at 12.00noon
Event: Photo-call: salmon bake:  come and taste the tribes
smoked and dried salmon!
Venue: Tchai-Ovna Tea House, 42 Otago Lane, Glasgow, G11 9PB
Contact: 0141 357 4524 / www.tchaiovna.com <http://www.tchaiovna.com/>

Date / Time: Friday 22nd July at 11.00am
Event: Photo-call: demonstration outside Scottish Power?s AGM /EGM
Venue: The main entrance, Glasgow Royal Concert Hall, 2 Sauchiehall Street,
Glasgow G2 3NY
Contact: 0141 353 8000 / www.grch.com <http://www.grch.com/>

While they are in Scotland, the tribes will be joined and supported by
Scottish Green Party Members of Parliament and staff from Friends of the 
Earth (Scotland).
Supportive media statements from both groups will be available during the
week.

Members of the tribal delegation, fisheries biologists and health 
researchers are available
for interview in the run up to the media events. Please contact the
following media contacts:

- Stan Blackley, Director, Portable PR (the tribes? contact in Scotland):
(t) 08700 742449 (m) 07770 742449 (e) stan at portablepr.com

- Craig Tucker, Klamath River Campaign Coordinator, Karuk Tribe:
c/o room 409, Premier Travel Inn, Edinburgh (t) 0870 990 6610 (e)
ctucker at karuk.us
Previous press releases and background information can be found at 
http://www.karuk.us/press%20&%20campaigns/press.php




From danielbacher at hotmail.com  Thu Jul 21 17:18:05 2005
From: danielbacher at hotmail.com (Daniel Bacher)
Date: Thu, 21 Jul 2005 17:18:05 -0700
Subject: [env-trinity] Federal Audit Questions Integrity of Bush Water Policy
Message-ID: <BAY16-F268BF7C09BD658E540344DDBC90@phx.gbl>

Federal Audit Questions Integrity of Bush Water Policy

By Dan Bacher

Federal fishery officials violated standard internal procedures last fall by 
issuing a controversial biological opinion claiming that Central Valley 
water diversions would not jeopardize endangered salmon and Delta smelt 
populations, according to a federal audit.

The report, conducted by the Inspector General of the Secretary of Commerce, 
calls into question the integrity of federal water policy in California. 
Recreational anglers, environmentalists and Indian tribes contend that this 
is yet another example of the Bush administration replacing biological 
science with political science.

The audit also recommended that federal officials ?objectively evaluate 
whether NOAA Fisheries southwest regional office?s questionable handling of 
the OCAP opinion impaired the opinion?s scientific integrity.?

The audit occurs at a time when the Bay-Delta fishery is encountering the 
worst environmental crisis in its history. In recent months, state and 
federal scientists have revealed that Delta forage species, including 
zooplankton, Delta smelt, longfin smelt, threadfin shad, and juvenile 
striped bass have declined to their lowest levels on record.

It also takes place in the context of an administration that that has been 
blasted by scientists and fishery groups for manipulating science for 
political purposes on a variety of issues, including Klamath River flows, 
forest protections and greenhouse emission controls. .

The audit was initiated at the request of Congressman George Miller 
(D-Martinez) and 18 other members of Congress following reported 
discrepancies between the draft and final versions of the biological 
opinion.

?The report is extremely disturbing and for two separate reasons,? said 
Miller, a leading expert in Congress on California water policy and one of 
the co-authors of the Central Valley Project Improvement Act of 1992. ?The 
report calls into serious question the Bush Administration?s decision to 
rush important water policy decisions last year. Water in California has 
enormous ramifications on the health of our state?s economy and environment 
from north to south, and the integrity of those policy decisions is now in 
doubt.?

"In addition," Miller said, "the report provides more evidence of the 
Administration using politics, not sound science, to guide the most delicate 
decisions when powerful special interests are involved, despite the 
Administration's own declarations that science would guide their decisions 
on energy and environmental policy."

In its report, the Inspector General found that The NMFS regional office 
deviated from the agency?s established consultation process and did not 
follow its process for ensuring the quality of the biological opinion.

?Previously identified problems with Section 7 consultations led to the 
development of a review process ? a process that should have been followed 
by the southwest regional office in issuing the OCAP opinion,? according to 
the report.

In addition, the report also found that the appropriate officials - the 
regional section 7 coordinator and the Office of General Counsel - did not 
sign off on either the draft or final OCAP opinion, as required. One 
official who was skipped over told the Inspector General (IG) she would not 
have approved the final report because the science did not match the 
conclusion.

Under section 7 of the Endangered Species Act, federal, state and local 
agencies are required to consult with one another to protect listed species.

However, the report could find no evidence of allegations that a draft 
?jeopardy? opinion was previously provided to Bureau of Reclamation 
officials ? and revised to provide the ?no jeopardy? opinion.

The report recommended that federal officials ? the Under Secretary and 
Deputy Secretary of Commerce for Oceans and Atmosphere ? take the necessary 
action to ensure that the Assistant Administrator for Fisheries develops new 
policies, directives and procedures for conducting Section 7 consultations 
and ensures that the NMFS regional offices follow them.

Fishery groups were glad that the Inspector General conducted the audit 
challenging the biological opinion, but felt it didn?t go far enough in its 
recommendations, especially in light of the ?Delta Crash.?
Based on the federal audit, the California Sportfishing Protection Alliance 
is calling for three immediate actions, according to John Beuttler, 
Conservation Director.

? ?The Commerce Department and NOAA Fisheries should rescind the defective 
biological opinion and begin an honest, transparent process with the 
Bureau,? said Beuttler. He recommended using the ?best available biological 
science? with oversight from the CALFED science panel to set equitable 
federal water management processes while complying with the Central Valley 
Project Improvement Act to continue the effort to double the population of 
salmon, steelhead, and striped bass fisheries.

? The Bureau of Reclamation should set aside all actions based on the 
defective opinion, and delay any future actions until the consultation is 
complete, including the recently negotiated water contracts and their 
support of exporting more water under the South Delta Improvement Project.

? Given the new physical evidence of the Delta's biological collapse, and 
Cal-Fed?s failure to protect this estuary, state and federal agencies need 
to agree to no additional export of water from the Delta until the estuary 
and its fishery resources are restored.

The IG report comes on the heels of a survey recently released by the Union 
of Concerned Scientists, a nonpartisan, nonprofit research group that found 
that 58 percent of NOAA Fisheries Scientists were aware of cases where 
Commerce Department political appointees of high-ranking managers had 
?inappropriately altered NOAA Fisheries determination.?

?The water policy process has already generated litigation and important 
policy and legal questions were realized even before the biological opinion 
was released,? concluded Miller. ?This report only furthers concerns that 
the integrity and legitimacy of federal water management in California is 
severely compromised.?

Kudos go to George Miller, who has done more than any other elected official 
to fight for fishery restoration in California, for pressuring the Inspector 
General to conduct this audit. When even the federal government?s own 
officials are officially questioning the scientific integrity of a 
?biological opinion? that paves the way for more diversions from the Delta, 
it is crucial that all plans to export more water be immediately halted 
until the problems of the Bay-Delta Estuary are fixed.


From tstokely at trinityalps.net  Fri Jul 22 08:53:07 2005
From: tstokely at trinityalps.net (Tom Stokely)
Date: Fri, 22 Jul 2005 08:53:07 -0700
Subject: [env-trinity] Klamath-Trinity Tribes Go to Scotland Again
Message-ID: <004c01c58ed5$75dd9000$4b6c3940@trinitycounty.org>

http://www.times-standard.com/Stories/0,1413,127~2896~2975007,00.html

Going against the flow 

By John Driscoll 

Klamath River tribal leaders are dogging a Scottish utility to take the reins of its subsidiary as it seeks a new license for hydropower dams that squelch salmon. 

For the second year, leaders of the Yurok, Hoopa Valley, Karuk and Klamath tribes are in Scotland making their case for the Klamath's dams to come out. Frustrated with what they see as backpedaling by ScottishPower CEO Ian Russell, the tribes are appealing to shareholders as well as everyday Scots. 

PacifiCorp, which merged with ScottishPower in 1999, operates the six dams. 

"The man gave us his word," Yurok Councilman Richard Meyers said, "and we're going to hold him to it." 

ScottishPower has said PacifiCorp is handling the relicensing, and anyway, a sale of the company to investor Warren Buffett's MidAmerican Energy Holdings is pending. 

"The Klamath negotiations are a PacifiCorp issue that will be resolved in the U.S. and the proposed sale makes no difference," an unidentified ScottishPower spokesman told the BBC Wednesday. 

PacifiCorp is seeking a new 50-year license for its hydropower dams on the Klamath, which produces about 150 megawatts of electricity -- enough for about 150,000 homes. But the dams have hurt the river's salmon runs the tribes rely on by blocking spawning grounds and contributing to poor water quality. There are no fish ladders to take salmon upstream of lowermost Iron Gate Dam. 

The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission is overseeing the complicated process, and a parallel and confidential settlement process is meant to come to agreements on the issue. 

The contingent appears to have gained some attention in Scotland. The tribes said media coverage has been strong, and several people they've met with have canceled their business with ScottishPower. A member of the Scottish Parliament has even drafted a resolution in support of the tribes' efforts. 

"The name ScottishPower cannot be taken to imply that the company's actions have the approval of the people of Scotland," said Scottish Parliament Member Robin Harper in a news release issued by the Karuk Tribe. 

Ron Reed of the Karuk Tribe, on the middle Klamath River, said the complex sale of PacifiCorp to MidAmerican is unlikely before FERC comes to a decision. The current license expires in March 2006. That, he said, puts the ball in ScottishPower's court -- regardless of their standoff approach. 

"We're not buying that because they're supposed to be a green utility," Reed said. "We gave them the benefit of the doubt." 

Tribal representatives will be speaking to shareholders at a ScottishPower general meeting on Friday. 



http://heritage.scotsman.com/people.cfm?id=1647082005&20050719163411

Our links to Native Americans' struggles
CRAIG HOWIE Reporting from California 
WHEN the rosebud bushes on the banks of the Klamath River blossom bright pink, and the dogwood trees native to the Pacific Northwest turn a pale yellow, the Native Americans of California's Klamath basin know the first harvest of their sacred river is not far away.

But the spring run of salmon so revered by the four tribes here - the Karuk, Yurok, Hupa and Klamath - has not struggled upstream for years now, with much of the chinook species forced out of its 350 miles of traditional breeding ground by a system of six dams operated by a Scottish electricity giant. The adverse effects of this on the 7,000-year-old settlements are clear to see.

 
Chuckie Carpenter and his Hupa tribe are fortunate to still have access to salmon in the California tributaries.

It is this situation that Chuckie Carpenter, a religious chief of the Hupa tribe, believes ties the tribes to Scotland. Carpenter refers to the Scots - another ancient people that has traditionally struggled to live free from outside interference in its affairs - and its clans as "cousins".

Carpenter met many Scots on a visit to Edinburgh last year, when he and the elders of the four tribes lobbied ScottishPower's annual meeting of shareholders (AGM) on the dam issue, and retains fond memories of a people he considers "noble and honest" and one which he for one found very welcoming.

He recounts tales of friendly banter with locals, of smiles and intrigue at the ornate tribal costumes. When one unenlightened - but maybe over-watered - Scot accused him of killing John Wayne, Carpenter responded with his trademark booming laugh and a bear-hug befitting his sturdy frame.

This week the tribes return to Scotland, and though ScottishPower (SP) last month sold its US subsidiary, PacifiCorp, which operated the dams, to an investment company owned by Warren Buffet, the tribes believe that SP chairman Ian Russell can still fulfil his pledge to listen to their concerns before his company relinquished control.

Leaf Hillman, the high priest of the Karuk tribe's annual "world renewal" ceremonies, and one of two leaders to address the AGM last year, also believes that the tribes have a common bond with Scots.

 
Visitors are welcome at the Hupa tribe in the village of Hoopa.

Sitting in the cabin of his pick-up truck near the village of Orleans, in northern California, he says: "The time we were in Scotland we felt a sense of compassion in the Scottish people, the way we were treated in the shareholder meeting, in restaurants, in pubs. We felt that the Scottish people related in their struggles and the similarities with our predicament today.

"All of us feel pretty special in the way we were treated," Hillman notes, "even though we didn't expect the sentiment to carry over into the AGM, when we stood and spoke the feeling that although the ScottishPower shareholders had a vested interest in the success of the dam project, the overwhelming sense of support for the issues we brought was very emotional and for us unexpected."

Fifteen delegates from the four tribes plan to attend SP's meeting in Edinburgh on Friday.

A spokesman for SP, which is based in Glasgow, says the delegates should take up the issue with PacifiCorp and federal energy regulators in Washington who have the authority to make a decision on the dams.

Jon Coney, PacifiCorp spokesman, tells scotsman.com: "The Klamath relicensing process has been a long-term established process, and not a whole lot has changed [with the sale of PacifiCorp]. The terms and conditions of the hydro [dam] project are set by the federal government. We are currently undergoing a process of negotiations with the tribes in hope of a settlement. It is not an easy undertaking."

PacifiCorp's position was strengthened late last week when a US judge threw out a $1 billion (?570 million) lawsuit filed by the Native Americans against SP. In dismissing the case, an Oregon judge called the matter untimely.

 
Leif Hillman of the Karuk tribe shows off some arrows.

However, the tribes have all along said they will not be cowed if they feel their interests have been taken lightly.

Hillman says: "People in these struggles have to understand that tribes are never afraid to fight - and this fight has the potential to destroy us, that's how much is at stake. Folks need to understand that we are worthy opponents, we are not going away."

Further similarities exist between the clans of Scotland and the structure of tribal life both past and present: a predominantly paternal bloodline ensures succession of religious elders, alongside a governing council of democratically elected representatives.

In days gone by, the tribes had no reason to fight over abundant resources, confirms tribal spokesman Craig Tucker, and though not sharing a common language, members of separate tribes would often work together to ensure collective survival. Ensuring safe inter-breeding was just one way the tribes cooperated, another was by ensuring passage of royal bloodlines from one generation to the next.

In more modern times, the Karuk and Yurok tribes were granted sovereignty over their land in the mid-1980s, giving them a bigger say in negotiations with the federal government on issues such as land, commerce, health and education. They stand at once independent of the greater economic power, but irreversibly linked.

On the web

  a.. ScottishPower 
  b.. PacifiCorp 

Tucker says the tribes have now worked together to produce an economic analysis of the effect of the dams, following another survey reported in the Washington Post which showed the massive health implications of a western diet imposed on the tribes in place of their traditional diet.

As a result of a lack of salmon and a reliance on western foods, diabetes rates in the Karuk tribe, the peer-reviewed study says, now stand at twice the national average; heart disease rates are three times higher than across the US. Over 50,000 salmon died on the lower stretches of the Klamath in 2002 in a mass "fish kill" down river.

"In terms of balances," Hillman says, "you can see the human cost to the area. Ultimately it creates the environment you can begin to frame as a human-rights issue, in terms of health and well-being and way of life."

Carpenter, whose Hupa tribe is fortunate to have access to one of the six Klamath tributaries that is not dammed, claims with a smile that the traditional salmon diet is the reason why "we Indians have such big heads. Our main diet is fish, food for the head. We were never a big people, our diet was the early Atkins - salmon, eel, deer meat and acorn soup."

More seriously, he continues: "It isn't just the salmon. This is our world, our ancestors protected their world, it's now our obligation to protect ours for our children, and the children who are but a twinkle in their eyes."

This article: http://heritage.scotsman.com/people.cfm?id=1647082005

Last updated: 19-Jul-05 10:59 GMT


Tom Stokely
Principal Planner
Trinity Co. Planning/Natural Resources
PO Box 156
Hayfork, CA 96041-0156
530-628-5949
FAX 628-5800
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From danielbacher at hotmail.com  Fri Jul 22 12:23:22 2005
From: danielbacher at hotmail.com (Daniel Bacher)
Date: Fri, 22 Jul 2005 12:23:22 -0700
Subject: [env-trinity] Media Advisory: MONDAY Press Conference on DFG Budget
	Cuts
Message-ID: <BAY16-F248D569CFF38DA7B0E2E83DBC90@phx.gbl>

MEDIA ADVISORY
?
Hunters and Fisherman concerned over Governor?s cuts
to the Department of Fish and Game
?
?
WHAT:??????????Representatives from fishing and sportsmen organizations will 
comment on the
recent budget cuts to the California Department of Fish and Game. Topics to
include cuts to salmon and trout restoration programs, fish hatcheries and 
the lack
??????????????????????? of sufficient game wardens to crack down on 
poaching.
?
WHO:???????????? Zeke Grader, Pacific Coast Federation of Fisherman
??????????????????????? Chuck Bonham, Trout Unlimited
Bob Orange, Vice-President CA Fish and Game Wardens? Association.
Jim Crenshaw, California Sportfishing Association
Kim Delfino, Defenders of Wildlife
Vern Goehring, Sea Urchin Fisherman
Brad Willis, Fish Hatchery Workers
Representatives from the CA Striped Bass Association, Mule-Deer Association, 
and Quail Hunters Association
?
WHERE:???????  Discovery Park Boat Launch Ramp at the American River Parkway
?
WHEN:??????????Monday, July 25, 2005
??????????????????????? 10:30 a.m.
?
DIRECTIONS:
I-5 North.?Exit on Richards Blvd.?Make a left at the bottom of the exit 
ramp, merge into the right lane.?Travel under the overpass and make a right 
at Jim Boom Street, the first street before the La Quinta Hotel. (street 
sign is obscured).?Travel on Jim Boom to the Discovery Park entrance.?($4 
park fee will be waived for the event).?Travel across the bridge and make a 
left at the stop sign arriving at the boat launch ramp.?(Approximately 10 
minute drive time from the Capitol.)




From bwl3 at comcast.net  Fri Jul 22 19:10:03 2005
From: bwl3 at comcast.net (Byron )
Date: Fri, 22 Jul 2005 19:10:03 -0700
Subject: [env-trinity] Klamath Fish Kill
Message-ID: <20050723021048.39575200099C@mx.dcn.davis.ca.us>


  

Fish kill on Klamath - July 22,2005

Runaway Algae Bloom

Between Midlands and Klamath Falls

Photos by Jim McCarthy (jm at onrc.org)
Oregon Natural Resources Council 








  



 

 

 

Byron Leydecker, 

Chair, Friends of Trinity River

Consultant, California Trout, Inc.

PO Box 2327

Mill Valley, CA 94942-2327

415 383 4810 ph

415 383 9562 fx

bwl3 at comcast.net

bleydecker at stanfordalumni.org (secondary)

http://www.fotr.org

http://caltrout.org

 

 

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From tstokely at trinityalps.net  Sun Jul 24 08:57:50 2005
From: tstokely at trinityalps.net (Tom Stokely)
Date: Sun, 24 Jul 2005 08:57:50 -0700
Subject: [env-trinity] SACBEE- DWR,
	DFG and SWRCB Express Concerns About Water Deliveries,
	Reservoir Levels and Salmon Protection
Message-ID: <040601c59068$72a26110$4b6c3940@trinitycounty.org>


      
     
             
            Critics fear a federal proposal to increase water exports from the Delta by several hundred thousand acre-feet annually could have dire results for fish. 

            . See additional images

            Sacramento Bee/Brian Baer  
     
     
Reservoir changes stir fears for fish
State officials, anglers worry about the effect of a federal proposal on Delta salmon runs.
By Matt Weiser -- Bee Staff Writer
Published 2:15 am PDT Sunday, July 24, 2005
      Get weekday updates of Sacramento Bee headlines and breaking news. Sign up here. 

State officials worry that a plan to change reservoir operations in California could harm endangered salmon, a position that appears to contradict their federal partners. 
The concerns are expressed in a May letter, obtained by The Bee, written by three state agency directors to state Sen. Michael Machado, D-Linden. It responds to questions Machado asked about a complex proposal to alter the operation of California reservoirs. 

Critics say the proposal by the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation, known as the Operations Criteria and Plan, or OCAP, could increase water exports from the Delta by several hundred thousand acre-feet annually. They predict dire results for fish, especially endangered winter-run chinook salmon in the Sacramento River. 

 The letter may be the first public indication that state officials share this concern. It was signed by Lester Snow, director of the state Department of Water Resources; Ryan Broddrick, director of Fish and Game; and Arthur Baggett Jr., chair of the Water Resources Control Board. 

"The overall effect of the operational changes will result in increased pressure ... to manage reservoirs more aggressively, with potential implications for fish habitat conditions immediately downstream from dams all the way to the Delta," they wrote. "Even with more intensive management, the state anticipates increased impacts to winter-run and spring-run chinook." 

Zeke Grader of the Pacific Coast Federation of Fishermen's Groups said the letter sounded like a revelation. 

"My God, somebody's got some spine to tell the truth, it sounds like," said Grader, who had not seen the letter. "Good for Lester and Ryan if, in fact, that's what they've said. At least here's a little bit of honesty." 

Fisheries officials at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration ruled in October that OCAP would not jeopardize Sacramento River salmon. 

That finding replaces a 1993 biological opinion that set rigid operational standards for dams in California to protect salmon. 

Under the new opinion, those rigid standards would be replaced by a new scheme called "adaptive management." 

Instead of setting temperature standards at fixed times and locations on the river, adaptive management allows a task force of water officials to decide when and where temperature standards should be met. 

The plan could also allow the Bureau of Reclamation to drop water levels in Shasta Reservoir farther than before during drought years. This could cause higher water temperatures in the Sacramento River. 

Critics say these changes threaten to wipe out winter-run salmon in the Sacramento. 

Interviewed this week, Snow stopped short of saying the letter he co-signed contradicts the federal salmon ruling. But he confirmed there are real concerns about OCAP. 

"The changes between the 1993 biological opinion and this one, if not managed properly, could result in worse conditions for salmon," Snow said. 

Broddrick said the letter was a way to sound a note of caution. 

"I'm worried only when we get into the critically dry years," Broddrick said Friday. "If we have a shorter reach of the upper Sacramento that has the right temperatures, we have the potential, especially in dry years, that rearing of winter-run salmon will be reduced." 

Machado said the letter puts the state in an unusual position. 

The state stands to benefit from OCAP. For instance, under certain conditions, the state would be allowed to borrow federal water from Lake Shasta. 

But the letter says revised Shasta operations could damage endangered salmon. 

"I read the letter and I was on the phone within the half hour to ask the director (Snow) what was going on," said Machado, who has monitored California's volatile water policy for years. "By definition it becomes very suspect, because they're playing both roles." 

Snow said his agency made the decision to participate in OCAP, in part, to ensure adequate water flows for salmon. Becoming a player in the new adaptive management scheme is better than sitting on the sidelines, he said. 

"I think it's much more important for us to be in the middle of it, even if that results in some criticism," he said. "We think adaptive management is a better way to proceed. Ideally, the way it should work is that we can still protect salmon. I think it can work and I hope it works." 

But environmental groups are uncomfortable pinning the survival of endangered salmon on a hope. 

Barry Nelson, senior policy analyst at the Natural Resources Defense Council, said this position is especially alarming when an entire group of Delta fish already seems near collapse. Striped bass and Delta smelt populations are both suffering historic lows. 

"What the state letter tells us is that when we inevitably enter dry years, we could see the same kind of collapse upstream as we're seeing in the Delta right now, and potentially suffer a systemwide collapse," Nelson said. 

Machado said a July 13 report from the Commerce Department's inspector general added to his concern. It found that NOAA Fisheries administrators violated department policy in approving the favorable biological opinion for OCAP. 

An earlier draft of the opinion had determined that, in fact, salmon could be jeopardized by the proposed changes in reservoir management. 

"I'm concerned that we have come to policy conclusions based on subjective findings by the Bush administration," Machado said. "We're going to have to wait now to see the outcome of it." 

Graphic: Salmon life cycle [68k JPG]



  About the writer:
    a.. The Bee's Matt Weiser can be reached at (916) 321-1264 or mweiser at sacbee.com.


 - Get the whole story every day - SUBSCRIBE NOW!


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------



Opponents of the federal reservoir proposal say endangered winter-run chinook salmon, like these fingerlings, could suffer. Sacramento Bee file, 2004/Jay Mather



Mike Machado 



Tom Stokely
Principal Planner
Trinity Co. Planning/Natural Resources
PO Box 156
Hayfork, CA 96041-0156
530-628-5949
FAX 628-5800
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From bwl3 at comcast.net  Sun Jul 24 12:01:57 2005
From: bwl3 at comcast.net (Byron )
Date: Sun, 24 Jul 2005 12:01:57 -0700
Subject: [env-trinity] Species of Dead Klamath Fish
Message-ID: <20050724190209.BFBC52003361@mx.dcn.davis.ca.us>

Some have asked the species of the photos of dead fish in the Klamath that
were photographed July 22.  Among the dead are some young endangered sucker
fish, but most of the dead fish are non-threatened tui chubs and fathead
minnows, according to an official with the Bureau of Reclamation.

 

Byron Leydecker, 

Chair, Friends of Trinity River

Consultant, California Trout, Inc.

PO Box 2327

Mill Valley, CA 94942-2327

415 383 4810 ph

415 383 9562 fx

bwl3 at comcast.net

bleydecker at stanfordalumni.org (secondary)

http://www.fotr.org

http://caltrout.org

 

 

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From srosekrans at environmentaldefense.org  Sat Jul 23 22:54:34 2005
From: srosekrans at environmentaldefense.org (Spreck Rosekrans)
Date: Sun, 24 Jul 2005 01:54:34 -0400
Subject: [env-trinity] Klamath Fish Kill
Message-ID: <E26D5A9B96AD2D49B83E1D86B44EF19B305C89@ny-exchange.environmentaldefense.local>

Hi Byron:
 
Excuse my ignorance. What kind of fish are they?
 
-Spreck

________________________________

From: env-trinity-bounces at velocipede.dcn.davis.ca.us
[mailto:env-trinity-bounces at velocipede.dcn.davis.ca.us] On Behalf Of
Byron 
Sent: Friday, July 22, 2005 7:10 PM
To: FOTR List; Trinity List Server
Subject: [env-trinity] Klamath Fish Kill


  

Fish kill on Klamath - July 22,2005

Runaway Algae Bloom

Between Midlands and Klamath Falls

Photos by Jim McCarthy (jm at onrc.org)
Oregon Natural Resources Council 

 


 

  

 

 

 

 

Byron Leydecker, 

Chair, Friends of Trinity River

Consultant, California Trout, Inc.

PO Box 2327

Mill Valley, CA 94942-2327

415 383 4810 ph

415 383 9562 fx

bwl3 at comcast.net

bleydecker at stanfordalumni.org (secondary)

http://www.fotr.org

http://caltrout.org

 

 

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From tstokely at trinityalps.net  Wed Jul 27 14:31:04 2005
From: tstokely at trinityalps.net (tstokely at trinityalps.net)
Date: Wed, 27 Jul 2005 17:31:04 -0400
Subject: [env-trinity] CVP Water Allocation Increases for Contractors South
	of the Delta 
Message-ID: <380-22005732721314877@M2W026.mail2web.com>

http://www.usbr.gov/newsroom/newsrelease/detail.cfm?RecordID=6823

Mid Pacific Region
Sacramento, Calif. 

Media Contact:Jeffrey S. McCracken
916-978-5106

Released On: July 25, 2005
CVP Water Allocation Increases for Contractors South of the Delta 


The Bureau of Reclamation announces that the Central Valley Project water
allocation for agricultural contractors South of the Delta has been
increased from 85 percent to 90 percent. The increased allocation is the
result of wet conditions and lower-than-normal demands this spring,
significantly higher-than-normal reservoir storage at San Luis Reservoir,
and continued high flows in the San Joaquin River. The increase to 90
percent now matches the State of California's current allocation forecast
for the State Water Project. 

The allocation increase will help reduce ground-water pumping in the San
Joaquin Valley, resulting in reduced power demands this summer. The
increase will not significantly increase Delta pumping over the irrigation
season, nor will it reduce the likelihood of refilling San Luis Reservoir
in the coming water year. 

Reclamation conferred with the fishery agencies, as required by our various
biological opinions, prior to authorizing the allocation increase. The
status of the Delta smelt population has been of concern this water year.
Fortunately, high outflows this spring have moved the smelt well away from
the pumping facilities in the south Delta, and this increase is not
considered a risk to the smelt. 

Throughout the year, updated information will be provided as conditions
warrant. For additional information on the Water Year 2005 water supply,
please contact the Public Affairs Office at 916-978-5100, TDD 916-978-5608.
Additional information will continue to be posted on the Mid-Pacific
Region's Web site at http://www.usbr.gov/mp/cvo/. 


# # #
Reclamation is the largest wholesale water supplier and the second largest
producer of hydroelectric power in the United States, with operations and
facilities in the 17 Western States. Its facilities also provide
substantial flood control, recreation, and fish and wildlife benefits.

Relevant Links:

CVP Water Allocation Increases for Contractors South of the Delta

 


--------------------------------------------------------------------
mail2web - Check your email from the web at
http://mail2web.com/ .





From danielbacher at hotmail.com  Wed Jul 27 20:56:08 2005
From: danielbacher at hotmail.com (Daniel Bacher)
Date: Wed, 27 Jul 2005 20:56:08 -0700
Subject: [env-trinity] Governator Slashes Salmon Restoration Budget!
In-Reply-To: <42E85240.BA6453C1@pelicannetwork.net>
Message-ID: <BAY16-F2336A7AB158D48CF016AABDBCF0@phx.gbl>

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From jallen at trinitycounty.org  Mon Aug  1 09:08:30 2005
From: jallen at trinitycounty.org (Josh Allen)
Date: Mon, 1 Aug 2005 09:08:30 -0700
Subject: [env-trinity] The best of times,
	the worst of times (San Francisco Chronicle)
Message-ID: <099F81D877F1044DA24BA95E0CE0926301290583@mail2.trinitycounty.org>

The best of times, the worst of times 

- Tom Stienstra 

Sunday, July 31, 2005 

http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/chronicle/archive/2005/07/31
/SPGE2E0R6H1.DTL 

This is the summer tale of two rivers joined at the hip, the Trinity and
Klamath in Northern California, one flourishing, the other dying. 

The Trinity, refreshed from a Clinton-era decision to restore flushing
river flows this spring, is full of fish and the river canyon is filled
with life, with ospreys and eagles the most evident. The Klamath,
diverted and dewatered by the government, farmers and environmental law
alike, had another fish kill this past week, this time 100,000 young
chubs and minnows dying and washing up as floaters in the section below
Klamath Falls, Ore. 

The Trinity starts from the drops of melting snow in the Trinity Alps
and pours its way through mountain canyons in some the state's most
beautiful country. 
Highway 299, from Weaverville to Blue Creek, provides access for
fishing, rafting and swimming, and is one of the prettiest drives you
can make (especially on a chopper). The river merges with the Klamath at
Weitchpec and then pours to the sea. 

When steelhead and salmon migrate upstream and reach the confluence,
they choose whether to turn right up the Trinity or left up the Klamath.
Tasting fresh, cool water from the Trinity this summer, they are turning
left. 

The best flyfishing in California could be on the Trinity right now. The
section of river from Lewiston Bridge on downstream to Steel Bridge, and
beyond through the canyon, is loaded with what anglers call
"half-pounders." These are actually juvenile steelhead that range 10 to
16 inches. They are joined by a sprinkling of adult steelhead in the 18-
to 22-inch class, and a sprinkling of large brown trout. 

Fish galore 

This is an ideal place to bond during an outdoor experience, whether
it's father/son, husband/wife, or pals out to get their chain pulled.
Linda Spence and Tony Vecino from Mill Valley had this experience
first-hand this past week, flyfishing here for the half-pounders, all
catch-and-release. Linda caught 21 (keeping track), Tony caught about 25
(he estimated), plus three in the 18- inch class. An 8-pound brown was
also caught and released by an unidentified angler (witnessed by a
guide). 

You use trout-sized gear, No. 5 or 6 fly rod, set up with floating line,
a strike indicator, and make short casts with nymphs; the red Copper
John, No. 16 stonefly nymph work best. Get out at dawn and expect a
mid-day slowdown. In the evening, you may luck into a surface bite,
where you switch to dry flies such as a No. 16 E.C. caddis (with a
tailing shuck) or mayfly patterns such as the Cahill or Parachute Adams.
Since the strikes are on top, everything is visual, the most exciting
moment in fishing. For the browns, use sinking lines and Muddler Minnows
or sculpin patterns. Many times I just like to watch the water run past,
maybe scan for my favorite bird, the water ouzel, darting up and down
the river, and at dusk, the swallows flying zig-zags, snatching insects.


Back in the day, when the Trinity and Lewiston Dams were first
constructed, along with a giant pipe to get the water to the Sacramento
River near Redding, 90 percent of the river was diverted and shipped to
the San Joaquin Valley. Salmon and steelhead were just about wiped out.
Some 25 percent of the flows were restored in the early 1990s, and this
spring, flow levels were officially doubled. 

Just add water, goes the saying, and you get fish. The opposite is also
true. Take it away and they die. 

The Klamath puzzle 

The Klamath, which once produced so many salmon that Jedediah Smith said
"you could walk across the river on their backs," is getting hammered
all on fronts. This past week's fish kill was caused by low flows and
warm water. That set off a huge algae bloom and die-off, and in turn, a
loss of oxygen content in the water. The fish suffocated to death. 

Sound familiar? It should. In 2002, a massive kill of king salmon,
estimated by most as about 50,000 adult fish (other estimates are
43,000, 68, 000 and 200,000) in the mid-Klamath, was officially caused
by "disease" brought on by "stress." But regardless of what the
politicos say, even a potted plant sitting behind a desk in Sacramento
or Washington D.C. knows in their roots that this fish kill was caused
by too little water in the river. In 2001, another fish kill on a
Klamath Tributary, the Scott River, was caused when farmers simply
"dewatered" the river. 

After the fish kills, the blame-game has degenerated into chaos: 

-- Environmentalist blame farmers for taking all the water they can get
out of the Klamath system to grow hay and potatoes. 

-- Farmers blame environmentalists and the Endangered Species Act for
requiring that water be left at high levels in Klamath Lake to protect
something called a suckerfish, an endangered species. 

-- Duck hunters and bird lovers blame both for not making enough water
available to the Klamath National Wildlife Refuge, the most important
migratory habitat for pintail ducks and bald eagles on the Pacific
Flyway. 

-- Fishermen blame all of the above, plus the state and federal
government, because they see the final result: low, warm water running
down the Klamath River, algal blooms, few fish, the occasional floaters
that don't make it -- and mass die-offs that have occurred three times
in five years. 

What's wrong with this picture? What's right? You need only look at the
Trinity River, again flourishing after once being decimated. 

In the drought of 1976-77, with diversions high and the Trinity River
reduced to a warm creek, only 13 steelhead returned to the state's fish
hatchery there. Yet last year, with an increase in flows, 4,500
steelhead made the trip. If this year's arrival of half-pounders is any
indication, there's a chance of wall-to-wall steelhead this fall. 

So just as is required by state and federal law, you start with how much
water is required to keep a river and its fish, birds and wildlife in
good shape. What is left gets split up among those who want it. That
works. Everything else, as you probably figured by now, doesn't. 

For a river, it's simple: Just add water. 

Fishing the Half Moon Bay coast is featured on the TV show "Great
Outdoors With Tom Stienstra," and airs at 6:30 p.m. Sunday on KBHK-44
and Bay Area Cable 12. Kayaking to Angel Island is featured at 3 p.m. on
KPIX/CBS-5. 

E-mail Tom Stienstra at tstienstra at sfchronicle.com. 
------------------------------------------------------------------------
-------- 
(c)2005 San Francisco Chronicle 

 

 

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From tstokely at trinityalps.net  Mon Aug  1 11:25:27 2005
From: tstokely at trinityalps.net (Tom Stokely)
Date: Mon, 1 Aug 2005 11:25:27 -0700
Subject: [env-trinity] Fw: Draft EIS Comment Period Extended for San Luis
	Drainage Feature Re-Evaluation
Message-ID: <004601c596c6$6517b270$886c3940@trinitycounty.org>


----- Original Message ----- 
From: <jsierzputowski at mp.usbr.gov>
To: "Tom Stokely" <tstokely at trinityalps.net>
Sent: Monday, August 01, 2005 9:46 AM
Subject: Draft EIS Comment Period Extended for San Luis Drainage Feature
Re-Evaluation


> Reclamation issued the following press release on Monday, August 1, 2005.
If you encounter problems accessing documents online, please call Lynnette
Wirth at 916-978-5102 or send her an e-mail at lwirth at mp.usbr.gov.
>
> Janet Sierzputowski
> Public Affairs Office
> Bureau of Reclamation
> 916-978-5112
>
> ------
>
> Mid-Pacific Region
> Sacramento, CA
>
> MP-05-095
>
> Media Contact: Jeffrey McCracken  916-978-5100
>     jmccracken at mp.usbr.gov
> For Release On:  August 1, 2005
>
> Draft EIS Comment Period Extended for San Luis Drainage Feature
Re-Evaluation
>
> The Bureau of Reclamation has extended the public review and comment
period for the Draft Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for the San Luis
Drainage Feature Re-evaluation.  The comment period, which had been
scheduled to close on August 1, 2005, has been extended to Thursday,
September 1, 2005, to allow the public additional time to consider the Draft
EIS and provide informed comments.
>
> Reclamation has been re-evaluating options for providing drainage service
to the San Luis Unit of the Central Valley Project.  Drainage service
alternatives in the Draft EIS are aimed at maintaining environmental quality
and providing for continued agricultural production.  The Draft EIS is
available online at
http://www.usbr.gov/mp/nepa/nepa_projdetails.cfm?Project_ID=61.  Additional
information is available at: http://www.usbr.gov/mp/sccao/sld/index.html.
>
> Written comments must now be received by close of business on Thursday,
September 1, 2005, and should be sent to:  Ms. Claire Jacquemin, Bureau of
Reclamation, 2800 Cottage Way, MP-700, Sacramento, CA 95825.  Comments may
also be faxed to Ms. Jacquemin at 916-978-5094 or e-mailed to
cjacquemin at mp.usbr.gov.  To request a compact disc, please contact Ms.
Jacquemin at 916-978-5119.  For additional information, please contact Mr.
Jerry Robbins, Project Manager, at 916-978-5061, TDD 916-978-5608.  If you
encounter problems accessing documents online, please contact Ms. Lynnette
Wirth at 916-978-5102 or lwirth at mp.usbr.gov.
>
> # # #
>
> Reclamation is the largest wholesale water supplier and the second largest
producer of hydroelectric power in the United States, with operations and
facilities in the 17 Western States.  Its facilities also provide
substantial flood control, recreation, and fish and wildlife benefits.
Visit our website at http://www.usbr.gov.
>
>



From bwl3 at comcast.net  Mon Aug  1 16:57:19 2005
From: bwl3 at comcast.net (Byron )
Date: Mon, 1 Aug 2005 16:57:19 -0700
Subject: [env-trinity] Sacramento Bee July 30 
Message-ID: <20050801235807.1375D2001BCA@mx.dcn.davis.ca.us>

The Bureau currently is in the process of renewing Central Valley Project
water service delivery contracts.  These should conform with the law - the
Central Valley Project Improvement Act.  Since Trinity water is an issue in
contracts currently being renewed, this Sacramento Bee story is knowledge
worth having by those interested in Trinity River restoration.  

 

We will be commenting on certain of these contracts as we did on the
environmental documentation that preceded them.  Since the latter were
flawed significantly, one of our recommendations was that the environmental
documents be withdrawn.  We asked, among other things, that environmental
evaluation be completed in full compliance with the National Environmental
Policy Act.  The existing documentation clearly was not in compliance with
the law.

 

Byron

 

 

Agencies Ignored Impact of Water Deal, Judge Rules 

 

By Denny Walsh -- Bee Staff Writer Published 2:15 am PDT Saturday, July 30,
2005 

 

The U.S. Bureau of Reclamation violated the Endangered Species Act in
pushing through tens of millions of dollars in water delivery contracts for
Central Valley farmers in 2001 while paying scant attention to the impact on
protected species and their habitats, a federal judge in Sacramento has
ruled.

 

U.S. District Judge Lawrence K. Karlton found that biological opinions by
two federal agencies - the Fish and Wildlife Service and the National Marine
Fisheries Service - written to support the contracts are fatally flawed.

 

"This ruling documents the government's utter failure to consider the
wide-ranging impacts of Friant diversions on downstream fisheries and the
San Francisco Bay Delta," said Kate Poole, an attorney with the National
Resources Defense Council, a plaintiff in the 17-year-old lawsuit.

 

"It is time for the government to take the blinders off and acknowledge the
effects of Friant Dam on the downstream environment and our state's
imperiled fisheries," Poole said.

 

The ruling is the second time in less than a year that Karlton has found the
Bureau of Reclamation has botched its operation of the Friant Dam and its
sale of water captured by the dam and diverted from the San Joaquin River to
Valley farmers.

 

As part of the same suit, Karlton determined last August that the bureau's
operation of the dam had dried up miles of the river, destroying fish
populations.

 

The two orders, and another upcoming on different questions of liability,
set the stage for a Feb. 14 trial on what can be done to repair the damage
done to the river, species and their habitat.

 

Spokesmen for the three government agencies said the Karlton order filed
Thursday is still under review and there will be no comment at this time.

 

Gregory Wilkinson, an attorney for the irrigation districts that buy water
from the Bureau of Reclamation, said, "I'm quite disappointed. But we'll
continue to prepare for trial on the remedies phase of the case."

 

The bureau is paid approximately $117.7 million a year to deliver diverted
waters of the San Joaquin River to 28 irrigation districts, primarily for
Central Valley agriculture along the Friant-Kern Canal that serves thousands
of farmers in Fresno, Tulare, Kern and Madera counties.

 

In Thursday's 78-page order Karlton wrote: "While numerous examples may be
found, perhaps the clearest instance of arbitrary conduct was when the
bureau, knowing the Fish and Wildlife Service based its (biological)
analysis on less than the full contract amount (of water), nevertheless,
adopted a 'no jeopardy' finding," meaning the water sale would not put any
endangered or threatened species at risk.

 

Even though the new contracts called for deliveries of 2.14 million
acre-feet a year for 25 years, Fish and Wildlife used much lower delivery
figures from 1988 through 1997 to calculate impact, explaining in its
biological opinion that "delivery of full contract quantities is
unrealistic."

 

"Simply put, FWS did not evaluate the effects of the entire authorized
agency action," Karlton pointed out. The Endangered Species Act "mandates
that biological opinions must be coextensive with the action authorized."

 

The judge also cited an e-mail from a Fish and Wildlife senior biologist to
a colleague on Jan. 19, 2001, the same day the agency's biological opinion
was issued.

 

The message discussed " 'possible holes and weaknesses in our crash
(biological opinion),' including inadequate time to do a consultation,
inadequate biological assessments, a track record of lack of compliance by
the Bureau of Reclamation, concern that the contracts are inconsistent with
the Central Valley Project Improvement Act, and lack of coordination with
the National Marine Fisheries Service."

 

The day before the message was written, Fish and Wildlife biologists met
with their field supervisor as the new contracts were about to be executed.
A biologist asked if they could even consider the issue of jeopardy, as
required by the Endangered Species Act.

 

The field supervisor, Wayne White, said it was "too late" to consider
jeopardy, according to Karlton's order. "The opinion had to be rushed out
the following day, Mr. White explained, to avoid the opinion becoming even
weaker under the incoming Bush administration," the order says.

 

"Because the bureau failed to carry out its duty to ensure against jeopardy
(to protected species) and adverse modification (of habitats), and because
the bureau knew of the deficiency, the court must conclude that its conduct
was arbitrary and capricious," Karlton wrote.

 

The judge's order states that the National Marine Fisheries Service's
biological opinion has no meaningful discussion of impact on critical
habitat for winter-run chinook salmon.

 

As to the California condor, the Fish and Wildlife opinion "appears to
contain no discussion whatever of the effect of the contract renewal on
'critical habitat,' much less mention of recovery or conservation," the
judge wrote.

 

For the Delta smelt, the Fish and Wildlife opinion "is simply inadequate by
any measure," Karlton wrote. The same is true, he said, for five other
species.

 

The 14 plaintiffs claim consultations on steelhead and spring-run chinook
salmon had not been completed before the biological opinion said the species
would not be at risk.

 

The record supports that contention, Karlton wrote.

 

Byron Leydecker, 

Chair, Friends of Trinity River

Consultant, California Trout, Inc.

PO Box 2327

Mill Valley, CA 94942-2327

415 383 4810 ph

415 383 9562 fx

bwl3 at comcast.net

bleydecker at stanfordalumni.org (secondary)

http://www.fotr.org

http://caltrout.org

 

 

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From bwl3 at comcast.net  Tue Aug  2 12:27:10 2005
From: bwl3 at comcast.net (Byron )
Date: Tue, 2 Aug 2005 12:27:10 -0700
Subject: [env-trinity] Judge Karlton's Friant Order
Message-ID: <20050802192729.C678E2002F54@mx.dcn.davis.ca.us>

I have a copy of Judge Karlton's enormously significant Order in the Friant
case.  It is a pdf file.  If anyone wants a copy, let me know.

 

Byron Leydecker, 

Chair, Friends of Trinity River

Consultant, California Trout, Inc.

PO Box 2327

Mill Valley, CA 94942-2327

415 383 4810 ph

415 383 9562 fx

bwl3 at comcast.net

bleydecker at stanfordalumni.org (secondary)

http://www.fotr.org

http://caltrout.org

 

 

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From bwl3 at comcast.net  Tue Aug  2 14:14:44 2005
From: bwl3 at comcast.net (Byron )
Date: Tue, 2 Aug 2005 14:14:44 -0700
Subject: [env-trinity] Los Angeles Times,
	Stockton Record and Sacramento Bee on Friant Contracts 
Message-ID: <20050802211511.C12E8200376C@mx.dcn.davis.ca.us>

U.S. Broke Law on Water Deals, Judge Rules

A federal jurist says environmental statutes were broken in the renewal of
irrigation pacts involving the San Joaquin River.

By Bettina Boxall
Times Staff Writer

July 30, 2005

In the latest ruling in a long-running court case, a U.S. judge has found
that the federal government violated environmental laws when it renewed
long-term contracts for a group of irrigation districts that get water from
the San Joaquin River.

The 78-page opinion, issued Thursday by U.S. District Judge Lawrence Karlton
in Sacramento, found that the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation's 2001 contract
renewal was "arbitrary and capricious" and that two federal wildlife
agencies had failed to fully analyze the environmental effects of the water
deliveries.

The conservation groups that filed the suit say the irrigation diversions
have not only destroyed salmon runs on the San Joaquin, one of the state's
largest rivers, but are also harming downstream fisheries in the
Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta.

Karlton did not order a remedy for the violations, leaving that to later
proceedings in a case now 17 years old.

The same judge in 1997 struck down an earlier version of the contracts,
which govern long-term deliveries to more than two dozen irrigation and
water districts in the Friant division of the Central Valley Project, a
massive federal water project that supplies much of California agriculture.

In another ruling in the case last year, Karlton found that the Bureau of
Reclamation had violated fisheries protections by drying up much of the San
Joaquin to send water to farmers for the last six decades. A trial is
scheduled for next year to determine how much water should be left in the
river, which historically supported a bountiful salmon run.

In this week's ruling, Karlton agreed with environmental groups that the
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the National Marine Fisheries Service had
failed to follow Endangered Species Act requirements when both agencies
issued biological opinions that the irrigation deliveries would not
seriously harm chinook salmon, Central Valley steelhead and other species.

"This new ruling rejects the government's attempt to ignore the true impacts
of these long-term water contracts, especially their wide-ranging impact on
downstream fisheries and endangered species," said Hamilton Candee, senior
attorney with the Natural Resources Defense Council, one of a number of
environmental groups pressing the case.

Spokesmen for all three federal agencies said their attorneys were reviewing
the decision and had no comment. Greg Wilkinson, an attorney for the Friant
Water Users Assn., which represents the irrigators, said, "There are some
real oddities in the ruling." He cited the judge's pronouncements on
critical habitat and water quantities.

Karlton faulted the Fish and Wildlife Service for basing its environmental
assessment on the amount of water actually delivered to irrigators in recent
years, instead of the much larger quantities that the contracts allow for. 

But Wilkinson said those larger deliveries would only infrequently be
possible, in very wet years. "He wants it analyzed as if there's more water
in the river than the river actually holds" much of the time, he said.

The Friant agreements were the first of more than 200 Central Valley Project
contracts that the Bureau of Reclamation is renewing in a process that has
been severely criticized by environmentalists. They say the government is
promising Central Valley agribusiness more water than the environment can
bear, charging farmers too little for it and writing the contracts for too
long a period. The 25-year pacts contain an automatic renewal clause,
meaning they will probably be in effect for half a century.

 

     SACRAMENTO BEE:

 

 


 

 

Agencies ignored impact of water deal, judge rules


By Denny Walsh -- Bee Staff Writer
Published 2:15 am PDT Saturday, July 30, 2005 
Story appeared on Page A1
<http://sfmail.nrdc.org/content/print_edition/#MAIN NEWS>  of The Bee


 

The U.S. Bureau of Reclamation violated the Endangered Species Act in
pushing through tens of millions of dollars in water delivery contracts for
Central Valley farmers in 2001 while paying scant attention to the impact on
protected species and their habitats, a federal judge in Sacramento has
ruled. 

U.S. District Judge Lawrence K. Karlton found that biological opinions by
two federal agencies - the Fish and Wildlife Service and the National Marine
Fisheries Service - written to support the contracts are fatally flawed. 

 
<http://ads.sacbee.com/RealMedia/ads/adstream_lx.ads/www.sacbee.com/content/
news/1136205603/Button20/Sacbee/richmond_336_nw_jul_5/richmondamerican_336x2
80_aug2003.html/34306163363063383432656230626330?_RM_EMPTY_> "This ruling
documents the government's utter failure to consider the wide-ranging
impacts of Friant diversions on downstream fisheries and the San Francisco
Bay Delta," said Kate Poole, an attorney with the National Resources Defense
Council, a plaintiff in the 17-year-old lawsuit. 

"It is time for the government to take the blinders off and acknowledge the
effects of Friant Dam on the downstream environment and our state's
imperiled fisheries," Poole said. 

The ruling is the second time in less than a year that Karlton has found the
Bureau of Reclamation has botched its operation of the Friant Dam and its
sale of water captured by the dam and diverted from the San Joaquin River to
Valley farmers. 

As part of the same suit, Karlton determined last August that the bureau's
operation of the dam had dried up miles of the river, destroying fish
populations. 

The two orders, and another upcoming on different questions of liability,
set the stage for a Feb. 14 trial on what can be done to repair the damage
done to the river, species and their habitat. 

Spokesmen for the three government agencies said the Karlton order filed
Thursday is still under review and there will be no comment at this time. 

Gregory Wilkinson, an attorney for the irrigation districts that buy water
from the Bureau of Reclamation, said, "I'm quite disappointed. But we'll
continue to prepare for trial on the remedies phase of the case." 

The bureau is paid approximately $117.7 million a year to deliver diverted
waters of the San Joaquin River to 28 irrigation districts, primarily for
Central Valley agriculture along the Friant-Kern Canal that serves thousands
of farmers in Fresno, Tulare, Kern and Madera counties. 

In Thursday's 78-page order Karlton wrote: "While numerous examples may be
found, perhaps the clearest instance of arbitrary conduct was when the
bureau, knowing the Fish and Wildlife Service based its (biological)
analysis on less than the full contract amount (of water), nevertheless,
adopted a 'no jeopardy' finding," meaning the water sale would not put any
endangered or threatened species at risk. 

Even though the new contracts called for deliveries of 2.14 million
acre-feet a year for 25 years, Fish and Wildlife used much lower delivery
figures from 1988 through 1997 to calculate impact, explaining in its
biological opinion that "delivery of full contract quantities is
unrealistic." 

"Simply put, FWS did not evaluate the effects of the entire authorized
agency action," Karlton pointed out. The Endangered Species Act "mandates
that biological opinions must be coextensive with the action authorized." 

The judge also cited an e-mail from a Fish and Wildlife senior biologist to
a colleague on Jan. 19, 2001, the same day the agency's biological opinion
was issued. 

The message discussed " 'possible holes and weaknesses in our crash
(biological opinion),' including inadequate time to do a consultation,
inadequate biological assessments, a track record of lack of compliance by
the Bureau of Reclamation, concern that the contracts are inconsistent with
the Central Valley Project Improvement Act, and lack of coordination with
the National Marine Fisheries Service." 

The day before the message was written, Fish and Wildlife biologists met
with their field supervisor as the new contracts were about to be executed.
A biologist asked if they could even consider the issue of jeopardy, as
required by the Endangered Species Act. 

The field supervisor, Wayne White, said it was "too late" to consider
jeopardy, according to Karlton's order. "The opinion had to be rushed out
the following day, Mr. White explained, to avoid the opinion becoming even
weaker under the incoming Bush administration," the order says. 

"Because the bureau failed to carry out its duty to ensure against jeopardy
(to protected species) and adverse modification (of habitats), and because
the bureau knew of the deficiency, the court must conclude that its conduct
was arbitrary and capricious," Karlton wrote. 

The judge's order states that the National Marine Fisheries Service's
biological opinion has no meaningful discussion of impact on critical
habitat for winter-run chinook salmon. 

As to the California condor, the Fish and Wildlife opinion "appears to
contain no discussion whatever of the effect of the contract renewal on
'critical habitat,' much less mention of recovery or conservation," the
judge wrote. 

For the Delta smelt, the Fish and Wildlife opinion "is simply inadequate by
any measure," Karlton wrote. The same is true, he said, for five other
species. 

The 14 plaintiffs claim consultations on steelhead and spring-run chinook
salmon had not been completed before the biological opinion said the species
would not be at risk. 

The record supports that contention, Karlton wrote. 

*	The Bee's Denny Walsh can be reached at (916) 321-1189 or
dwalsh at sacbee.com. 

*	

  _____  


Sacramento Bee/Nathaniel Levine

STOCKTON RECORD:

Agencies lose S.J. River ruling 
Judge: Water-sale contracts in 2001 violated the law

DANA NICHOLS <mailto:dnicholsj at recordnet.com>  
Record Staff Writer 
Published Saturday, Jul 30, 2005 

A federal judge ruled this week that three federal agencies violated the
federal Endangered Species Act when they ignored the fact that long-term
sales of San Joaquin River water would likely harm salmon, Delta smelt and
several other threatened or endangered species.

Judge Lawrence Karlton of the U.S. District Court in Sacramento said in his
ruling issued Wednesday that the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation broke the law in
2001 when it signed 25-year contracts to sell up to 2.1 million acre-feet
per year of water from behind Friant Dam near Fresno.

Karlton did not say what the bureau, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and
the National Marine Fisheries Service should do to fix the error.

Karlton's latest ruling is the second major legal blow to the Bureau of
Reclamation's operation of Friant Dam.

In August, Karlton ruled that dam operators violated California law by
diverting so much water to farms and cities that 60 miles of the river below
Mendota is completely dry most of the time.

A remedy trial due to start in February will determine how much water must
be restored to the river to allow the salmon and steelhead fisheries to
recover.

Restoring water to the San Joaquin would also benefit Delta farmers and
Stockton ratepayers. Farmers would have an easier time irrigating, because
renewed flows would dilute salt pollution. Stockton would be able to get
more water from the New Melones Reservoir on the Stanislaus River, much of
which is now used to dilute the salty San Joaquin.

Karlton in coming months is expected to also consider whether dam operators
have violated a second federal law, the National Environmental Policy Act,
which requires agencies to consider the environmental effects of the things
they do.

Representatives of all three agencies said Friday that they had only just
received the ruling and did not have any comment on it.

Jim Thompson is an attorney for the Friant Water Users Authority, a group
that represents farms and agencies that buy water from Friant.

"We're not surprised," Thompson said of the ruling. "Of course, we are not
pleased. We do think there are some problems with the decision."

Thompson said he particularly disagreed with Karlton's findings because
while the judge ruled based on a theoretical sale of 2.1 million acre-feet,
actual sales are typically far below that. Thompson said Karlton should have
ruled based on average sales.

Karlton said the law is clear that officials can't sign a deal for 2.1
million acre-feet but do their analysis on a smaller quantity.

"There is no question that ESA requires that all impacts of agency action --
both present and future effects -- be addressed in the consultation's
jeopardy analysis," Karlton wrote.

Karlton's 78-page ruling repeatedly described the agencies' disregard for
the various fish and other species as "arbitrary and capricious." The ruling
quotes from internal memos that describe how officials rushed in early 2001
to complete the biological reports needed to justify the water sales.

For example, on Jan. 19, 2001, Fish and Wildlife Service senior biologist
David Wright e-mailed another employee about "possible holes and weaknesses
in our crash" biological opinion. Several higher-level supervisors also
received that warning.

Wright told his colleague later that day to "slam out the conclusion
section."

The Fish and Wildlife Service completed its opinion that same day -- only
two days after it had received basic information from the Bureau of
Reclamation needed to evaluate what the water sales would do to various
species.

A coalition of 14 groups, including the Natural Resource Defense Council,
filed the suit to restore water to the San Joaquin River.

Zeke Grader, executive director of the Pacific Coast Federation of
Fishermen's Associations, another party to the suit, said Karlton's ruling
sheds light on the frequent failure of federal wildlife agencies to protect
wildlife.
"They are just like some spoiled children that refuse to follow the rules,"
Grader said.

Contact reporter Dana Nichols at 209 546-8295 or dnichols at recordnet.com

 

 

 

Byron Leydecker, 

Chair, Friends of Trinity River

Consultant, California Trout, Inc.

PO Box 2327

Mill Valley, CA 94942-2327

415 383 4810 ph

415 383 9562 fx

bwl3 at comcast.net

bleydecker at stanfordalumni.org (secondary)

http://www.fotr.org

http://caltrout.org

 

 

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From tstokely at trinityalps.net  Tue Aug  2 16:26:30 2005
From: tstokely at trinityalps.net (Tom Stokely)
Date: Tue, 2 Aug 2005 16:26:30 -0700
Subject: [env-trinity] LA Times Editorial- Down the Drain
Message-ID: <008a01c597ba$2446d420$5d6c3940@trinitycounty.org>

http://www.latimes.com/news/printedition/opinion/la-ed-drain30jul30,1,1006338.story



     
      WATER WORLD
      Down the drain
      Reclamation engineers and members of Congress knew 50 years ago, when they decided to bring clear mountain waters hundreds of miles to the San Joaquin Valley for crop irrigation, that the valley's soils would brew an environmental problem. Their solution was to send the problem downstream. The cost of that eyes-wide-shut mistake is finally coming due, to the tune of at least $900 million.

      The arable soil on thousands of acres of farmland in the Westlands Water District, in Fresno and Kings counties, sits atop an impermeable layer of clay. Blocked from draining downward, the irrigation water sat there, dissolving selenium and other impurities in the soil. The polluted brew collected at root level and killed crops, so engineers put in tiled drains. 

      The project collected selenium-tainted water from the farms and sent it 82 miles north via the San Luis Drain to Kesterson Reservoir, a national wildlife refuge. Ultimately, the drain was to be extended to the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta south and west of Sacramento, but it stopped at Kesterson because of cost and environmental concerns.

      In 1983, wildlife officials began finding deformed bird embryos and dead birds at Kesterson, victims of selenium poisoning. The refuge was closed and the birds frightened away from its waters. Filtered and diluted runoff was redistributed into streams feeding the San Joaquin River. In the 1990s, landowners sued the federal government, claiming damage to their property values and demanding completion of the promised drain to the delta. Given that the delta is where giant pumps collect fresh water and send it south to San Joaquin Valley farms and to millions of water users throughout California, the idea was no better than when it was first considered.

      A federal appeals court sided with the farmers in 2000 but gave the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation options: 1) Finish the drain, a nonstarter. 2) Send the polluted water to the Pacific Ocean by pipeline, also unacceptable. 3) Buy up some of the irrigated land and turn it into evaporation ponds for the tainted water, keeping it in one place. 

      No. 3, at a cost of about $900 million, is the only environmentally acceptable one of the options. An even cleaner, though more costly, solution would be for the federal government to buy up all 300,000 acres of poorly drained land and take them out of irrigated use, also freeing new water for thirsty California. 
     

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From danielbacher at hotmail.com  Tue Aug  2 16:43:59 2005
From: danielbacher at hotmail.com (Daniel Bacher)
Date: Tue, 02 Aug 2005 16:43:59 -0700
Subject: [env-trinity] Federal Judge Ruling A Huge Victory For San Joaquin
	Restoration 
In-Reply-To: <008a01c597ba$2446d420$5d6c3940@trinitycounty.org>
Message-ID: <BAY16-F10CB7C6345ADE9328B8F45DBC20@phx.gbl>

Federal Judge Ruling A Huge Victory For San Joaquin Restoration

by Dan Bacher

A federal judge ruled in late July that the Bureau of Reclamation and other 
agencies violated the Endangered Species Act by approving 25-year contracts 
for water diverted from the San Joaquin River at Friant Dam.

The contracts continue to leave 60 miles of the river, once a key 
contributor to the state?s ocean salmon fisheries, dry, dusty and lifeless 
most of the year.

Karlton ruled last fall that the signing of the contracts violated state 
Fish and Game codes, including the section (5939) requiring dam operators to 
release enough waters below dams to keep the fisheries in ?good condition.?

The Bureau?s decision to sign long-term contacts perpetuates the 
environmental disaster that occurred after Friant Dam was finished in the 
late 1940?s. The diversion of the river resulted in the extermination of the 
historically large and vibrant San Joaquin River spring chinook run that 
ascended the Sierra Nevada above the dam before Friant blocked upstream 
migration.

The years of dewatering of the San Joaquin, combined with federal and state 
diversions from other San Joaquin tributaries and the Sacramento River 
system, have culminated in the Delta food chain crash that state and federal 
scientists have documented over the past three years.

In his 78 page ruling, Judge Lawrence Karlton of the U.S. District Court in 
Sacramento determined that the federal government failed to assess 
adequately where the contracts would hard harm endangered salmon and other 
threatened fish and wildlife, accusing the federal government of ?arbitrary 
and capricious conduct.? The Judge citied numerous violations of the law by 
three federal agencies, the Bureau of Reclamation, U.S. Fish and Wildlife 
Servive and the National Marine Fisheries Service.

?While numerous examples may be found, perhaps the clearest example of 
arbitrary contract was when the Bureau, knowing that the Fish and Wildlfie 
Service bases its analysis on the full contract amount, nevertheless adopted 
a no jeopardy finding,? said Karlton. ?Because the Bureau failed to carry 
out its duty to ensure against jeopardy and adverse modification, and 
because the Bureau knew of the deficiency, the court must conclude that its 
conduct was arbitrary and capricious.?

The case, NRDC v. Rodgers, is a 17-year-old case challenging Bureau of 
Recalmation operations at Friant Dam. Earlier in the case, a unanimous panel 
of the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco invalidated previous 
long-tern contracts for violating the ESA, forcing the Bureau to continue 
water deliveries to Friant farmers under short-term contacts while new 
environmental review were undertaken.

?This ruling documents the government?s utter failure to consider the 
wide-ranging impacts of Friant diversions on downstream fisheries and the 
San Francisco Bay Delta,? said Kate Poole, a senior attorney with the 
Natural Resources Defense Council, who argued the case for a coalition of 14 
fishing and conservation groups.

The plaintiffs include Trout Unlimited, California Striped Bass Association, 
National Audubon Society, Stanislaus Audubon Society, California 
Sportfishing Protection Alliance, United Anglers of California, California 
Trout, Pacific Coast Federation of Fishermen?s Associations, Sierra Club, 
Bay Institute, San Joaquin Raptor Rescue Center, Friends of the River and 
the Nor-Cal Fishing Guides and Sportsmen?s Association.

?Karlton?s decision was the correct one,? said Zeke Grader, president of the 
Pacific Coast Federation of Fishermen?s Associations. ?The Bureau is nuts 
for going ahead with the contracts when the amount of water available is in 
question. The Bureau should have done only 1 year renewals, when the water 
available is uncertain, rather than locking in the contracts for 25 to 40 
year.?

?This ruling is enormously significant to the restoration of fish and 
wildlife resources on the San Joaquin River and throughout California,? said 
Byron Leydecker, chair of Friends of the Trinity River and consultant to 
California Trout. ?The key issue here is what three agencies are consulting 
on under ESA:? the actual or the potential amount of water contracted.?

The judge ruled that it must analyze the potential (full contract), while it 
only analyzed the recent historical deliveries in the case of Friant.

?The implications of this are huge ? imagine analyzing full contract 
deliveries for San Luis Unit, with its huge drainage and selenium problems,? 
explained Leydecker. ?It?s impossible to believe that the Fish and Wildlife 
Service could reach a ?no jeopardy? conclusion under ESA with such a 
scenario.?'

The potential is that many, if not all, of the contract renewal 
consultations the federal agencies have done so far may have ?authorized? 
full contract deliveries while not analyzing the impacts of these 
questionable deliveries. This ruling also throws into doubt the joint state 
and federal plans to export more water from the Delta ? which the signing of 
the Central Valley Project contracts is based on.

It will be interesting to see how the Bureau and U.S. Fish and Wildlife 
Service respond to the court ruling. At press time, neither a spokesman from 
the Sacramento or Fresno office of the Bureau of Reclamation was available 
for comment on the court ruling.

The massive Central Valley project is the largest water contact and the 
largest federal reclamation project in the West. Congress enacted the CVPIA 
to protect and restore Central Valley fish and wildlife, including the 
doubling of anadromous fish populations, yet many of these species continue 
to decline.

?Fisheries agencies have used many of the same defective approaches when 
considering other long-term contracts,? said Hal Candee, NRDC senior 
attorney. ?Their inadequate approach fails to address how CVP operations 
threaten the health of the entire bay delta ecosystem.?

Faced with this legal precedent, I believe that the federal government 
should review all of the long term contacts already signed or in the process 
of being signed in the Sacramento and San Joaquin Valleys until the Bureau 
determines how much water necessary for endangered species, including Delta 
smelt.

When a judge determines that the federal agencies designated to protect fish 
and wildlife have engaged in ?arbitrary and capricious conduct,? water 
contracts signed in violation of the law should be held invalid until the 
exact impact upon salmon, steelhead, Delta smelt and other endangered 
species of the Friant and other Central Valley operations is determined. 
Natural science must upheld over political science ? it?s the law!




From bwl3 at comcast.net  Tue Aug  2 17:25:56 2005
From: bwl3 at comcast.net (Byron )
Date: Tue, 2 Aug 2005 17:25:56 -0700
Subject: [env-trinity] Trinity Restoration Program Website
Message-ID: <20050803002609.30C5D2003789@mx.dcn.davis.ca.us>

The Trinity River Restoration Program's website is up and running today, and
it is quite useful in learning about and understanding the restoration
program.  The site is: www.trrp.net <http://www.trrp.net/>   Check it out
when you get a chance.

 

Byron Leydecker, 

Chair, Friends of Trinity River

Consultant, California Trout, Inc.

PO Box 2327

Mill Valley, CA 94942-2327

415 383 4810 ph

415 383 9562 fx

bwl3 at comcast.net

bleydecker at stanfordalumni.org (secondary)

http://www.fotr.org

http://caltrout.org

 

 

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From tstokely at trinityalps.net  Tue Aug  2 18:08:27 2005
From: tstokely at trinityalps.net (Tom Stokely)
Date: Tue, 2 Aug 2005 18:08:27 -0700
Subject: [env-trinity] Fw: TRRP website
Message-ID: <000501c5983e$f9abb020$236c3940@trinitycounty.org>


----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Doug Schleusner" <DSCHLEUSNER at mp.usbr.gov>
To: 
Sent: Tuesday, August 02, 2005 2:10 PM
Subject: TRRP website


> Good afternoon,
> 
> I'm very pleased to announce that the website for the Trinity River
> Restoration Program is now available online starting today, Tuesday
> August 2, at www.trrp.net .  I think you will agree that it is
> informative, easy to use, and represents the Program well.
> 
> This website is something all of us have wanted for quite some time. 
> It is the result of months of effort by this office and our contractor. 
> Some of you have provided constructive suggestions which I have used to
> improve upon earlier versions.  Collectively this has given us a
> valuable new tool for sharing information about the program - including
> a more direct means of receiving comments from program partners and the
> general public.
> 
> As with all new websites, and in spite of our best efforts, you may
> find a few links that don't link, and a few sections that are still
> "under construction."  You may find some errors (very few, I hope!) in
> the content or think of additional material that we could add in the
> future.  I would personally appreciate your comments and suggestions for
> continuing to improve our website.
> 
> Please share this site with your own contacts/networks.
> 
> Thank you,
> Doug
> 
> 
> 
> ___________________________________
> 
> Douglas P. Schleusner, Executive Director
> Trinity River Restoration Program
> P.O. Box 1300, 1313 South Main St.
> Weaverville, CA  96093
> (530) 623-1800  Fax: (530) 623-5944
> e-mail: dschleusner at mp.usbr.gov
> ___________________________________
> 


From bwl3 at comcast.net  Wed Aug  3 09:45:55 2005
From: bwl3 at comcast.net (Byron )
Date: Wed, 3 Aug 2005 09:45:55 -0700
Subject: [env-trinity] FW: Trinity Vacancy Announcement
Message-ID: <20050803164609.B5D3E200179B@mx.dcn.davis.ca.us>



-----Original Message-----
From: Rod (Weaverville Office) Wittler [mailto:RJWITTLER at mp.usbr.gov] 
Sent: Wednesday, August 03, 2005 8:10 AM
Subject: Trinity Vacancy Announcement

Greetings Colleagues -

The Trinity River Restoration Program (TRRP) has recently advertised a
full time / permanent federal position through the Bureau of Reclamation
for a hydraulic engineer or physical scientist specializing in fluvial
geomorphology, sediment transport, and/or water temperature modeling.
The position is open to all U.S. Citizens. The application closes on
August 26. Please forward this email to your contact network and
encourage all potential applicants to apply. 

The mandate of TRRP  is to restore the salmonid fishery by
re-initiating alluvial processes (through a combination of dam
re-regulation and mechanical actions) that create and maintain salmonid
habitat. This is a unique and exciting opportunity to be on the cutting
edge of river restoration implementation. For more information about
TRRP, please go to our website: http://www.trrp.net 

The Vacancy Announcement may be found on the USAJOBS website:

http://jobsearch.usajobs.opm.gov/getjob.asp?JobID=32541836&AVSDM=2005%2D08%2
D01+00%3A01%3A00&Logo=0&pg=1&lid=17400&FedEmp=N&sort=rv&vw=d&brd=3876&ss=0&F
edPub=Y


However, application submittal must be done electronically through the
U.S. Bureau of Reclamation "HireMe" website. Current federal
employees interested in submitting and application should go to:
https://jobs.quickhire.com/scripts/bor.exe/rundirect?Org=2&Job=369 

All other applicants should go to:
https://jobs.quickhire.com/scripts/bor.exe/rundirect?Org=2&Job=382 

Reclamation's HireMe website requires applicant registration.  Once
registered, applicants may access the vacancy announcement and specific
candidate assessment questions.  Remember, on-line application is
required. Please feel free to contact me (530-623-1801) should you have
any questions.

Regards,

Rodney J. Wittler, Ph.D., P.E.
Senior Scientist
Technical Modeling and Analysis Group
Trinity River Restoration Program
P.O. Box 1300
or
1313 S. Main St.
Weaverville, CA  96093

(530) 623-1801
(530) 623-5944 FAX
rjwittler at mp.usbr.gov



From tstokely at trinityalps.net  Wed Aug  3 12:44:02 2005
From: tstokely at trinityalps.net (tstokely at trinityalps.net)
Date: Wed, 3 Aug 2005 15:44:02 -0400
Subject: [env-trinity] Calif. farms get millions in fed water and crop
	subsidies 
Message-ID: <380-2200583319442363@M2W088.mail2web.com>


Study: Calif. farms get millions in fed water and crop subsidies 

Riverside Press-Enterprise - 8/3/05 

By Terence Chan, Associated Press staff writer 



Some of California's largest farms receive millions of dollars in 
federal subsidies by "double dipping" using government-subsidized water 
to grow subsidized crops such as rice and cotton, according to a 
watchdog group's analysis. 



The study released Tuesday by Environmental Working Group found that the 
6,800 farms in the Central Valley Project, the nation's largest federal 
water supply project, received $538 million in combined water and crop 
subsidies in 2002, the last year in which both figures are available. 



The analysis found that nearly one fifth or 1,228 of Central Valley 
farms "double-dipped" in 2002, receiving water subsidies worth $122 
million and crop subsidy checks for another $122 million. Some dairy 
farmers "triple dipped" using subsidized water to grow subsidized corn 
to feed cows that produce subsidized milk or cheese. 



"What was intended to be a support program for small family farmers has 
turned out to be a corporate welfare program for big agribusiness 
operations," said Bill Walker, vice president for EWG's West Coast 
office, which conducted the analysis. "When you add all of the other 
federal water projects around the West, it's clear that the Central 
Valley Project can only be the tip of the iceberg." 



But the state's farming interests disputed the study's findings. They 
took issue with how the study calculated the value of federal water 
subsidies, and said the only break farmers get is that they don't have 
to pay interest on the $3.6 billion in public money used to build the 
Central Valley Project in 1936. 



"The notion that people are getting rich off subsidized water on the 
backs of the American taxpayer is just a completely overblown 
exaggeration," said Mike Wade, executive director of the California Farm 
Water Coalition. 



Tupper Hull, a spokesman for the San Luis and Delta-Mendota Water 
Authority, which oversees 2.1 million acres of irrigated farmland in the 
San Joaquin Valley, called the study a "completely ridiculous analysis" 
and said the federal government's investment in the Central Valley 
Project has generated jobs, economic growth and food for the country. 



"There have been enormous benefits to California and the nation by 
virtue of lands that have been brought into agricultural production," 
Hull said. 



An EWG study released in December found that the Central Valley Project 
generated up to $416 million in subsidized water to California 
agribusiness, with the top 10 percent getting two-thirds of the water in 
2002. The value of the water subsidies was based on a 2003 state and 
federal study that estimated the market price of San Joaquin River 
water, Walker said. 



The latest study matched the farm names from the water subsidy analysis 
with the U.S. Agriculture Department's database of crop subsidy 
recipients. 



The study found that more than 1,800 farms received water subsidies in 
2002 and crop subsidies for at least one year between 1995 and 2004. And 
the distribution was uneven the top 5 percent received more than 
one-third of the crop subsidies. The top 10 "double dippers" received 
between $1.5 million and $2.7 million in combined subsidies, while the 
average subsidy was about $200,000 per farm. 



The EWG study comes as federal lawmakers prepare to debate the next farm 
bill that will determine future farm subsidies, and the U.S. Bureau of 
Reclamation drafts new water contracts for Central Valley irrigation 
districts. 



"These contracts make it impossible for California to plan sanely and 
fairly for the water needs of the rest of the state," Walker said. 



In recent years, various government agencies, politicians and watchdog 
groups have criticized federal farm subsidies, but critics believe that 
international pressure could force change. Earlier this year, the World 
Trade Organization ruled that the U.S. cotton subsidies were unfair to 
Brazilian farmers, and Uruguay farmers are considering a similar 
challenge to American rice subsidies. 



Rep. George Miller, D-Martinez, an outspoken critic of farm subsidies, 
said Congress should put a stop to "these unjustifiable giveaways of the 
public's precious water and hard-earned money." 



"It doesn't make any economic sense," Miller said, "and it encourages 
waste when the rest of us are conserving water." # 

http://www.pe.com/ap_news/California2/WST_AGR_Double_Dipping_Farms_19695 
4CA.shtml 
*************************************************
>From http://www.ewg.org/

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: August 3, 2005

CONTACT: Bill Walker or Renee Sharp, 510-444-0973
Ben Miller, office of Rep. George Miller (202) 225-2095



DOUBLE DIPPERS: HOW BIG AG TAPS INTO TAXPAYERS' POCKETS ? TWICE


OAKLAND, Calif., Aug. 3 ? Some of America's richest agribusinesses are
double dipping from U.S. taxpayers' pockets at a rate of hundreds of
millions of dollars a year, according to an Environmental Working Group
(EWG) computer investigation of federal crop and water subsidies to
California's Central Valley Project (CVP).

At a time of record federal budget deficits and scarce, expensive water,
thousands of Central Valley farms get cheap, taxpayer-subsidized water to
grow surplus crops the government subsidizes a second time with price
supports. EWG found that in 2002, the latest year for which figures are
available for both types of subsidies, the approximately 6,800 farms in the
CVP, the largest federally-operated irrigation system in the nation, took
in by conservative estimate $538 million in crop and water subsidies
combined.

EWG found:

More than one in four CVP farms got double subsidies for at least one year
between 1995 and 2004. Crop subsidy checks to these farms in that period
totaled more than $891 million. These farms received more than $152 million
worth of water subsidies in 2002 alone, so their combined subsidy take over
ten years could well top $2 billion. 
Roughly one-third of the subsidized irrigation water the CVP delivered in
2002 went to grow crops eligible for subsidies from the Department of
Agriculture. Cotton and rice growers were the biggest subsidy sweepstakes
winners by far. These crops received one-fourth of the irrigation water and
92 percent of the crop subsidies in the system. 
Some California dairy operations are not double dippers but triple dippers.
They receive taxpayer-subsidized water to grow corn, for which they receive
crop subsidies. They feed the corn to cattle to produce milk, cheese and
other products eligible for federal dairy subsidies. These triple dippers
received more than $3 million in combined subsidies in 2002. 
"It's clear that double dipping is not a policy that helps struggling
family farmers make a living ? the original intent of both crop and water
subsidies ? but an opportunity for wealthy agribusiness corporations to
game the system so that taxpayers pay for their finished products and raw
materials," said EWG Analyst Renee Sharp, principal author of the report.

Eleven times since 1982, Congress has considered legislation to prohibit
farms from receiving both water and crop subsidies. The U.S. is under
pressure to comply with a recent World Trade Organization ruling that U.S.
cotton subsidies are illegal, and now the U.S. rice subsidy program faces a
similar legal challenge.

"California's megafarms are the most politically powerful welfare
recipients in the world," said Rep. George Miller of California, the
leading Congressional watchdog on the Central Valley Project. "first they
take public water for pennies on the dollar, then they get taxpayer
payments for their surplus crops.

"It doesn't make any economic sense, and it encourages waste when the rest
of us are conserving water. Congress needs to put a stop to these
unjustifiable giveaways of the public's precious water and hard-earned
money."

# # #

The Environmental Working Group and Environmental Working Group Action Fund
are nonprofits that use the power of information to protect public health
and the environment.

 


--------------------------------------------------------------------
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http://mail2web.com/ .





From bwl3 at comcast.net  Wed Aug  3 09:45:55 2005
From: bwl3 at comcast.net (Byron)
Date: Wed, 3 Aug 2005 09:45:55 -0700
Subject: [env-trinity] FW: Trinity Vacancy Announcement
Message-ID: <1639756397-1463792126-1123087577@boing.topica.com>



-----Original Message-----
From: Rod (Weaverville Office) Wittler [mailto:RJWITTLER at mp.usbr.gov] 
Sent: Wednesday, August 03, 2005 8:10 AM
Subject: Trinity Vacancy Announcement

Greetings Colleagues -

The Trinity River Restoration Program (TRRP) has recently advertised a
full time / permanent federal position through the Bureau of Reclamation
for a hydraulic engineer or physical scientist specializing in fluvial
geomorphology, sediment transport, and/or water temperature modeling.
The position is open to all U.S. Citizens. The application closes on
August 26. Please forward this email to your contact network and
encourage all potential applicants to apply. 

The mandate of TRRP  is to restore the salmonid fishery by
re-initiating alluvial processes (through a combination of dam
re-regulation and mechanical actions) that create and maintain salmonid
habitat. This is a unique and exciting opportunity to be on the cutting
edge of river restoration implementation. For more information about
TRRP, please go to our website: http://www.trrp.net 

The Vacancy Announcement may be found on the USAJOBS website:

http://jobsearch.usajobs.opm.gov/getjob.asp?JobID=32541836&AVSDM=2005%2D08%2
D01+00%3A01%3A00&Logo=0&pg=1&lid=17400&FedEmp=N&sort=rv&vw=d&brd=3876&ss=0&F
edPub=Y


However, application submittal must be done electronically through the
U.S. Bureau of Reclamation "HireMe" website. Current federal
employees interested in submitting and application should go to:
https://jobs.quickhire.com/scripts/bor.exe/rundirect?Org=2&Job=369 

All other applicants should go to:
https://jobs.quickhire.com/scripts/bor.exe/rundirect?Org=2&Job=382 

Reclamation's HireMe website requires applicant registration.  Once
registered, applicants may access the vacancy announcement and specific
candidate assessment questions.  Remember, on-line application is
required. Please feel free to contact me (530-623-1801) should you have
any questions.

Regards,

Rodney J. Wittler, Ph.D., P.E.
Senior Scientist
Technical Modeling and Analysis Group
Trinity River Restoration Program
P.O. Box 1300
or
1313 S. Main St.
Weaverville, CA  96093

(530) 623-1801
(530) 623-5944 FAX
rjwittler at mp.usbr.gov

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From danielbacher at hotmail.com  Wed Aug  3 21:35:54 2005
From: danielbacher at hotmail.com (Daniel Bacher)
Date: Wed, 03 Aug 2005 21:35:54 -0700
Subject: [env-trinity] Delta Food Chain Crash Spurs United Front By Anglers 
Message-ID: <BAY16-F2953AA2456D97EB4EFC64BDBC40@phx.gbl>

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From dgarrison at fs.fed.us  Sun Aug  7 14:51:04 2005
From: dgarrison at fs.fed.us (Dennis Garrison)
Date: Sun, 7 Aug 2005 14:51:04 -0700
Subject: [env-trinity] Cheakamus River (British Columbia) Sodium Hydroxide
	spill 5 Aug 05
Message-ID: <OF66261057.54DD9D6E-ON88257056.00778B95-88257056.0078084D@fs.fed.us>

I know it is not a NorCal event, but I thought the people on this list
might like to hear about this.  It has received VERY little press, and what
it has had has been very ho-hum in terms of possible impacts.  In short, a
train derailment in BC led to a car with 51,000 liters of sodium hydroxide
(lye) spilling into the Cheakamus River near Whistler.  Echoes of Cantera.
The only way I knew about this was a posting on a flyfishing bulletin
board.  There is a photo on the front page of the Vancouver Sun's website
this morning.

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20050805.wtrain0805/BNStory/Front

http://www.canada.com/vancouver/vancouversun/news/story.html?id=64aad25a-eae5-47f6-a53f-cbc335e35f3f

http://www.canoe.ca/NewsStand/LondonFreePress/News/2005/08/07/1162494-sun.html

Some photos from the river:

http://www.fishingwithrod.com/member/gallery/album33


Dennis Garrison
Biological Technician
South Fork Management Unit
Shasta-Trinity National Forest
530-628-1264



From nec at northcoast.com  Mon Aug  8 09:24:03 2005
From: nec at northcoast.com (Tim McKay)
Date: Mon, 8 Aug 2005 09:24:03 -0700
Subject: [env-trinity] [FOTR] Los Angeles Times,
 Stockton Record and Sacramento Bee on Friant Contracts
Message-ID: <a05200f14bf1d37924479@[209.209.15.141]>

U.S. Broke Law on Water Deals, Judge Rules

A federal jurist says environmental statutes were broken in the 
renewal of irrigation pacts involving the San Joaquin River.

By Bettina Boxall
Times Staff Writer

July 30, 2005

In the latest ruling in a long-running court case, a U.S. judge has 
found that the federal government violated environmental laws when it 
renewed long-term contracts for a group of irrigation districts that 
get water from the San Joaquin River.

The 78-page opinion, issued Thursday by U.S. District Judge Lawrence 
Karlton in Sacramento, found that the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation's 
2001 contract renewal was "arbitrary and capricious" and that two 
federal wildlife agencies had failed to fully analyze the 
environmental effects of the water deliveries.

The conservation groups that filed the suit say the irrigation 
diversions have not only destroyed salmon runs on the San Joaquin, 
one of the state's largest rivers, but are also harming downstream 
fisheries in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta.

Karlton did not order a remedy for the violations, leaving that to 
later proceedings in a case now 17 years old.

The same judge in 1997 struck down an earlier version of the 
contracts, which govern long-term deliveries to more than two dozen 
irrigation and water districts in the Friant division of the Central 
Valley Project, a massive federal water project that supplies much of 
California agriculture.

In another ruling in the case last year, Karlton found that the 
Bureau of Reclamation had violated fisheries protections by drying up 
much of the San Joaquin to send water to farmers for the last six 
decades. A trial is scheduled for next year to determine how much 
water should be left in the river, which historically supported a 
bountiful salmon run.

In this week's ruling, Karlton agreed with environmental groups that 
the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the National Marine Fisheries 
Service had failed to follow Endangered Species Act requirements when 
both agencies issued biological opinions that the irrigation 
deliveries would not seriously harm chinook salmon, Central Valley 
steelhead and other species.

"This new ruling rejects the government's attempt to ignore the true 
impacts of these long-term water contracts, especially their 
wide-ranging impact on downstream fisheries and endangered species," 
said Hamilton Candee, senior attorney with the Natural Resources 
Defense Council, one of a number of environmental groups pressing the 
case.

Spokesmen for all three federal agencies said their attorneys were 
reviewing the decision and had no comment. Greg Wilkinson, an 
attorney for the Friant Water Users Assn., which represents the 
irrigators, said, "There are some real oddities in the ruling." He 
cited the judge's pronouncements on critical habitat and water 
quantities.

Karlton faulted the Fish and Wildlife Service for basing its 
environmental assessment on the amount of water actually delivered to 
irrigators in recent years, instead of the much larger quantities 
that the contracts allow for.

But Wilkinson said those larger deliveries would only infrequently be 
possible, in very wet years. "He wants it analyzed as if there's more 
water in the river than the river actually holds" much of the time, 
he said.

The Friant agreements were the first of more than 200 Central Valley 
Project contracts that the Bureau of Reclamation is renewing in a 
process that has been severely criticized by environmentalists. They 
say the government is promising Central Valley agribusiness more 
water than the environment can bear, charging farmers too little for 
it and writing the contracts for too long a period. The 25-year pacts 
contain an automatic renewal clause, meaning they will probably be in 
effect for half a century.



      SACRAMENTO BEE:









Agencies ignored impact of water deal, judge rules

By Denny Walsh -- Bee Staff Writer
Published 2:15 am PDT Saturday, July 30, 2005
Story appeared on <http://sfmail.nrdc.org/content/print_edition/#MAIN 
NEWS>Page A1 of The Bee



The U.S. Bureau of Reclamation violated the Endangered Species Act in 
pushing through tens of millions of dollars in water delivery 
contracts for Central Valley farmers in 2001 while paying scant 
attention to the impact on protected species and their habitats, a 
federal judge in Sacramento has ruled.

U.S. District Judge Lawrence K. Karlton found that biological 
opinions by two federal agencies - the Fish and Wildlife Service and 
the National Marine Fisheries Service - written to support the 
contracts are fatally flawed.

  "This ruling documents the government's utter failure to consider 
the wide-ranging impacts of Friant diversions on downstream fisheries 
and the San Francisco Bay Delta," said Kate Poole, an attorney with 
the National Resources Defense Council, a plaintiff in the 
17-year-old lawsuit.

"It is time for the government to take the blinders off and 
acknowledge the effects of Friant Dam on the downstream environment 
and our state's imperiled fisheries," Poole said.

The ruling is the second time in less than a year that Karlton has 
found the Bureau of Reclamation has botched its operation of the 
Friant Dam and its sale of water captured by the dam and diverted 
from the San Joaquin River to Valley farmers.

As part of the same suit, Karlton determined last August that the 
bureau's operation of the dam had dried up miles of the river, 
destroying fish populations.

The two orders, and another upcoming on different questions of 
liability, set the stage for a Feb. 14 trial on what can be done to 
repair the damage done to the river, species and their habitat.

Spokesmen for the three government agencies said the Karlton order 
filed Thursday is still under review and there will be no comment at 
this time.

Gregory Wilkinson, an attorney for the irrigation districts that buy 
water from the Bureau of Reclamation, said, "I'm quite disappointed. 
But we'll continue to prepare for trial on the remedies phase of the 
case."

The bureau is paid approximately $117.7 million a year to deliver 
diverted waters of the San Joaquin River to 28 irrigation districts, 
primarily for Central Valley agriculture along the Friant-Kern Canal 
that serves thousands of farmers in Fresno, Tulare, Kern and Madera 
counties.

In Thursday's 78-page order Karlton wrote: "While numerous examples 
may be found, perhaps the clearest instance of arbitrary conduct was 
when the bureau, knowing the Fish and Wildlife Service based its 
(biological) analysis on less than the full contract amount (of 
water), nevertheless, adopted a 'no jeopardy' finding," meaning the 
water sale would not put any endangered or threatened species at risk.

Even though the new contracts called for deliveries of 2.14 million 
acre-feet a year for 25 years, Fish and Wildlife used much lower 
delivery figures from 1988 through 1997 to calculate impact, 
explaining in its biological opinion that "delivery of full contract 
quantities is unrealistic."

"Simply put, FWS did not evaluate the effects of the entire 
authorized agency action," Karlton pointed out. The Endangered 
Species Act "mandates that biological opinions must be coextensive 
with the action authorized."

The judge also cited an e-mail from a Fish and Wildlife senior 
biologist to a colleague on Jan. 19, 2001, the same day the agency's 
biological opinion was issued.

The message discussed " 'possible holes and weaknesses in our crash 
(biological opinion),' including inadequate time to do a 
consultation, inadequate biological assessments, a track record of 
lack of compliance by the Bureau of Reclamation, concern that the 
contracts are inconsistent with the Central Valley Project 
Improvement Act, and lack of coordination with the National Marine 
Fisheries Service."

The day before the message was written, Fish and Wildlife biologists 
met with their field supervisor as the new contracts were about to be 
executed. A biologist asked if they could even consider the issue of 
jeopardy, as required by the Endangered Species Act.

The field supervisor, Wayne White, said it was "too late" to consider 
jeopardy, according to Karlton's order. "The opinion had to be rushed 
out the following day, Mr. White explained, to avoid the opinion 
becoming even weaker under the incoming Bush administration," the 
order says.

"Because the bureau failed to carry out its duty to ensure against 
jeopardy (to protected species) and adverse modification (of 
habitats), and because the bureau knew of the deficiency, the court 
must conclude that its conduct was arbitrary and capricious," Karlton 
wrote.

The judge's order states that the National Marine Fisheries Service's 
biological opinion has no meaningful discussion of impact on critical 
habitat for winter-run chinook salmon.

As to the California condor, the Fish and Wildlife opinion "appears 
to contain no discussion whatever of the effect of the contract 
renewal on 'critical habitat,' much less mention of recovery or 
conservation," the judge wrote.

For the Delta smelt, the Fish and Wildlife opinion "is simply 
inadequate by any measure," Karlton wrote. The same is true, he said, 
for five other species.

The 14 plaintiffs claim consultations on steelhead and spring-run 
chinook salmon had not been completed before the biological opinion 
said the species would not be at risk.

The record supports that contention, Karlton wrote.

The Bee's Denny Walsh can be reached at (916) 321-1189 or 
<mailto:dwalsh at sacbee.com>dwalsh at sacbee.com.

Sacramento Bee/Nathaniel Levine

STOCKTON RECORD:

Agencies lose S.J. River ruling
Judge: Water-sale contracts in 2001 violated the law

<mailto:dnicholsj at recordnet.com>DANA NICHOLS
Record Staff Writer
Published Saturday, Jul 30, 2005

A federal judge ruled this week that three federal agencies violated 
the federal Endangered Species Act when they ignored the fact that 
long-term sales of San Joaquin River water would likely harm salmon, 
Delta smelt and several other threatened or endangered species.

Judge Lawrence Karlton of the U.S. District Court in Sacramento said 
in his ruling issued Wednesday that the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation 
broke the law in 2001 when it signed 25-year contracts to sell up to 
2.1 million acre-feet per year of water from behind Friant Dam near 
Fresno.

Karlton did not say what the bureau, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife 
Service and the National Marine Fisheries Service should do to fix 
the error.

Karlton's latest ruling is the second major legal blow to the Bureau 
of Reclamation's operation of Friant Dam.

In August, Karlton ruled that dam operators violated California law 
by diverting so much water to farms and cities that 60 miles of the 
river below Mendota is completely dry most of the time.

A remedy trial due to start in February will determine how much water 
must be restored to the river to allow the salmon and steelhead 
fisheries to recover.

Restoring water to the San Joaquin would also benefit Delta farmers 
and Stockton ratepayers. Farmers would have an easier time 
irrigating, because renewed flows would dilute salt pollution. 
Stockton would be able to get more water from the New Melones 
Reservoir on the Stanislaus River, much of which is now used to 
dilute the salty San Joaquin.

Karlton in coming months is expected to also consider whether dam 
operators have violated a second federal law, the National 
Environmental Policy Act, which requires agencies to consider the 
environmental effects of the things they do.

Representatives of all three agencies said Friday that they had only 
just received the ruling and did not have any comment on it.

Jim Thompson is an attorney for the Friant Water Users Authority, a 
group that represents farms and agencies that buy water from Friant.

"We're not surprised," Thompson said of the ruling. "Of course, we 
are not pleased. We do think there are some problems with the 
decision."

Thompson said he particularly disagreed with Karlton's findings 
because while the judge ruled based on a theoretical sale of 2.1 
million acre-feet, actual sales are typically far below that. 
Thompson said Karlton should have ruled based on average sales.

Karlton said the law is clear that officials can't sign a deal for 
2.1 million acre-feet but do their analysis on a smaller quantity.

"There is no question that ESA requires that all impacts of agency 
action -- both present and future effects -- be addressed in the 
consultation's jeopardy analysis," Karlton wrote.

Karlton's 78-page ruling repeatedly described the agencies' disregard 
for the various fish and other species as "arbitrary and capricious." 
The ruling quotes from internal memos that describe how officials 
rushed in early 2001 to complete the biological reports needed to 
justify the water sales.

For example, on Jan. 19, 2001, Fish and Wildlife Service senior 
biologist David Wright e-mailed another employee about "possible 
holes and weaknesses in our crash" biological opinion. Several 
higher-level supervisors also received that warning.

Wright told his colleague later that day to "slam out the conclusion section."

The Fish and Wildlife Service completed its opinion that same day -- 
only two days after it had received basic information from the Bureau 
of Reclamation needed to evaluate what the water sales would do to 
various species.

A coalition of 14 groups, including the Natural Resource Defense 
Council, filed the suit to restore water to the San Joaquin River.

Zeke Grader, executive director of the Pacific Coast Federation of 
Fishermen's Associations, another party to the suit, said Karlton's 
ruling sheds light on the frequent failure of federal wildlife 
agencies to protect wildlife.
"They are just like some spoiled children that refuse to follow the 
rules," Grader said.

Contact reporter Dana Nichols at 209 546-8295 or dnichols at recordnet.com







Byron Leydecker,

Chair, Friends of Trinity River

Consultant, California Trout, Inc.

PO Box 2327

Mill Valley, CA 94942-2327

415 383 4810 ph

415 383 9562 fx

<mailto:bwl3 at comcast.net>bwl3 at comcast.net

<mailto:bleydecker at stanfordalumni.org>bleydecker at stanfordalumni.org (secondary)

<http://www.fotr.org>http://www.fotr.org

<http://caltrout.org>http://caltrout.org






_______________________________________________
FOTR mailing list
FOTR at mailman.dcn.org
http://www2.dcn.org/mailman/listinfo/fotr
-- 
	Tim McKay, executive director
	Northcoast Environmental Center
	575 H Street
	Arcata CA 95521
	(707) 822-6918 FAX 822-0827
	http://www.yournec.org
	tim at yournec.org
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From jallen at trinitycounty.org  Mon Aug  8 11:25:07 2005
From: jallen at trinitycounty.org (Josh Allen)
Date: Mon, 8 Aug 2005 11:25:07 -0700
Subject: [env-trinity] FYI: Conditions on the Klamath
Message-ID: <099F81D877F1044DA24BA95E0CE092630129070B@mail2.trinitycounty.org>

Originally posted on the Klamath Restoration Council
[Klamath at pelicannetwork.net] list-serve

 

http://www.heraldandnews.com/articles/2005/08/05/news/top_stories/top2.t
xt   

Heat raises concerns about local fish 

Published Friday August 5, 2005 

 

By DYLAN DARLING 

 

Conditions are ripe for fish to die in the waters near Klamath Falls,
federal officials said Thursday. Algae blooms are thick in Upper Klamath
Lake, Lake Ewauna and the portions of Klamath River the lakes feed. The
water is warm, as is the air above it. If the hot conditions start
killing the algae, they will in turn start killing fish by sapping their
oxygen. Officials wait and watch the temperatures. "They are high enough
now. We are hoping they don't get up anymore," said Cindy Williams,
chief of natural resources for the Klamath Reclamation Project. 

 

After a week of 90-degree heat, 100,000 fish, mostly small chubs and
minnows, went belly up around July 21. Also dead were several thousand
yearly, or year-old or less, endangered sucker fish. The fish were found
along a seven-mile stretch of the Klamath River below Klamath Falls.
Water temperature near the time of the fish die-off had climbed to 82
degrees. Scientists say suckers can survive in water as warm as 75
degrees, but it starts to take a toll on them. 

 

The Bureau Reclamation is tasked with keeping water levels up in Upper
Klamath Lake for the suckers, while also maintaining flows down the
river for threatened coho salmon and providing a diversion for the
Project. The only way to prevent a fish die-off is for temperatures to
take a turn for the cooler, Williams said. Having more water in the
lakes or river would not help if it is more hot water. So far, the July
fish die-off has been an isolated incident. "We had had cooling
conditions since," said Rich Piaskowski, a fisheries biologist for the
Project. 

 

But now things have heated up for a couple of days, and highs are
expected to be in or close to the 90s through the weekend. Along with
the return of hot weather the past couple of days, there have been low
winds and cloud cover - priming things for a possible fish die-off,
Piaskowski said. 

 

During the day, algae creates oxygen, but at night and when it dies the
algae consumes oxygen. When the algae starts eating up more oxygen than
it puts out, it can leave little for fish. Currently, the water is green
with algae. "It's kind of like pea soup," Williams said. To see if the
soup turns lethal, officials are asking for help. Those who notice dead
fish in bodies of water near Klamath Falls should call Roger Smith, an
Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife biologist, at 883-5732

 

The following are posts by people on the river:

 

Our Crew just finished a 3-Day trip on the Klamath from Happy Camp down
and reported seeing numerous dead fish. Catfish, Suckers and Steelhead
smolts, all juvenile fish. Anyone else know about this? 



Michael Charlton 
Redwoods and Rivers 
PO Box 606 Big Bar, CA. 96010 
1-800-429-0090 
michael at redwoods-rivers.com 
www.redwoods-rivers.com 

  

FYI, got a call from a reporter today on conditions in Upper Klamath
Lake, who had heard from several folks about a possible fish kill. 

It has been very hot in the upper basin for the last several days, very
sunny, and very still, and large algae blooms have occurred in the lake.
Some have started dying back now.  It is possible that in the next few
days to a week we could see fish kills in Upper Klamath Lake similar to
the one that occurred in the upper Klamath River a few weeks ago. 

Steve Pedery 
Conservation Program Manager 
Oregon Natural Resources Council 
Phone:  (503) 283-6343 ext. 212 
Fax:  (503) 283-0756 
www.onrc.org

 

 

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From tstokely at trinityalps.net  Tue Aug  9 14:27:57 2005
From: tstokely at trinityalps.net (Tom Stokely)
Date: Tue, 9 Aug 2005 14:27:57 -0700
Subject: [env-trinity] Water Quality Issues in the Delta and Ag Drainage to
	Groundwater 
Message-ID: <01fb01c59d29$36d18d50$1e6c3940@trinitycounty.org>

IRRIGATION RUNOFF REGULATIONS:

Water program's depth at issue; Chairman of quality control board wants to explore expanding discharge enforcement to ground water

Fresno Bee - 8/5/05

By Dennis Pollock, staff writer

 

Regulators of a state program that deals with pollution from irrigated farmland will begin a discussion today on a policy change that could significantly broaden enforcement, especially in the Valley.

 

In an e-mail to members of the Central Valley Regional Water Quality Control Board and others, Chairman Bob Schneider said he plans at today's meeting in Sacramento to ask the board's staff to consider whether discharges into ground water should be included in the program.

 

The 3-year-old program now applies to those who discharge into surface water, not into the water below.

 

Considerable controversy has arisen over who does or does not discharge. 

 

"To date, the [Irrigated Lands Conditional Waiver Program] has not included ground water," Schneider writes. "This has created confusion over the issue of who is a discharger, particularly in the sandy loamy soils in the San Joaquin Valley. Some farmers have asserted that they have no surface runoff from either their irrigated water or from surface water and that all water is percolated into the soil."

 

Frustrated with what they say is a lack of clarity in the state's enforcement actions, Valley farmers and industry leaders said broadening the definition will only further muddy the picture.

 

Kenneth Landau, the board's assistant executive officer, emphasized that the ground-water issue "is not an agenda item, and it's not a formalized discussion. Board members can bring it up, but they can't have a deliberation."

 

Schneider could not be reached to comment Thursday. Another board member, Al Brizard, said any discussion of the ground-water issue would be brief and that any action could be years away.

 

A retired farmer living in Groveland, Brizard said he understands frustration among growers faced with the relatively new regulations after decades of not facing such controls: "Sometimes we don't have answers yet."

 

The dispute over whether a farm's irrigation water runs off the property is particularly acute in the Valley where rainfall levels are low and the farms are often far removed from surface water.

 

Landau said he believes the board has given "very clear guidance" on what it means to be a discharger of waste on irrigated land. 

 

"If the person is in an area that floods, it meets that criteria," he said. "Some may feel you're a discharger only if you have big pipes carrying the water away, but it can be accidental, brought about by rain."

 

Dave Orth, who is on a steering committee for a coalition of growers addressing the runoff issue in the South Valley, disputes the idea that definitions have been spelled out in detail.

 

"We have struggled with a lack of clarity," said Orth, who is also general manager of the Kings River Conservation District. "We're becoming increasingly frustrated with the regional board and its staff.

 

"Their presumption is that all farmers are guilty and that coalitions must take action to help the farmers correct the problem. Our position is that there aren't always problems and not all farmers are guilty. These definitional problems have existed from Day One."

 

Liz Kanter, a spokeswoman for the state Water Resources Control Board, said growers "have been fantastic" in their efforts to address the issue of water pollution, particularly through a coalition system that includes thousands of farmers.

 

She acknowledges that some informational meetings involving board representatives, agricultural commissioners, growers and other "stakeholders" across the state have turned contentious. 

 

"It's OK to disagree," she said.

 

Kanter said answers to many questions, including who is a discharger, can be found on the Web site www.waterboards.ca.gov.

 

Parry Klassen, a Selma farmer and executive director of the Coalition for Urban-Rural Environmental Stewardship, said the Web site definition "is not specific enough. It's a confusing definition that has nothing I can take out to my peach orchard in terms of an exact definition of whether I discharge in a dry climate."

 

He believes low rainfall in the Valley, coupled with the fact that farms may be miles from any surface water, accounts for less likelihood of runoff than in other parts of the water board's vast region, ranging from the state's border with Oregon to Bakersfield.

 

Madera grower Kenneth Helms said a board staff member spent about 15 minutes at his farm and told him water would run off part of his property on one side of Avenue 51/2, but not from property on the other side of the street.

 

"I've been here 35 years and have never had water run off any of my property," he said. "It can't go anywhere. He said, 'If it rains 10 inches in an hour, you would have runoff.' I asked him, 'When was the last time that happened?'"

 

For the past three years, Helms has used drip irrigation to water his vineyard three-eighths of a mile north of the San Joaquin River near Skaggs Bridge. "It just soaks right in," he said.

 

Robert Rolan, Madera County agricultural commissioner, sympathizes with growers such as Helms.

 

"It's very difficult for growers to comply with something they don't understand," he said. "We're not mindless bureaucrats. The main frustration is that the program has essentially been vague. It's a train wreck."

 

Rolan said that if the board proceeds to broaden its enforcement definition to include ground water, it will "rip away whatever lingering fabric there was holding this business together. The overriding issue is they [the board and its staff] have no credibility. This is absolutely going to undermine any level of compliance that was building."

 

In March, the regional board mailed about 50 letters to growers in Madera County, including Helms, telling them they were not complying with the program. Growers were warned they could face fines of up to $1,000 a day.

 

Landau said no fines have yet been levied and it's anticipated there will be "nothing immediate" in terms of such sanctions.

 

Klassen said thousands of farmers in the Valley who irrigate their land have not yet joined watershed coalitions that monitor runoff in waterways and collaborate to fix toxicity problems. Eight coalitions regionwide collect more than $2 million from their members annually to support the monitoring.

 

Starting as soon as next month, additional money from growers in the waiver program will be used to add 22 staff members to the regional board for inspections and enforcement, grower assistance and education, reviewing monitoring reports and other activities.

 

Under the new fee structure, coalition groups that collect and pay fees for landowners pay 12 cents per acre. 

 

Members of coalition groups where the group does not collect fees pay $100 per landowner, plus 20 cents per acre. 

 

Individual growers who are not members of a coalition pay $100 per landowner, plus 30cents per acre. #

http://www.fresnobee.com/business/story/11036746p-11797540c.html

 

 



Fines may be in the future for agencies that violate water rule 

Stockton Record - 8/9/05

By Dana Nichols, staff writer

 

Officials in the state and federal water agencies that pump Delta water to Southern California could soon face fines of up to $1,000 a day if they violate salt pollution standards for the Delta.

The U.S. Bureau of Reclamation operates Friant Dam, which most years blocks fresh water from reaching the Delta, leaving only salty irrigation runoff in the lower San Joaquin much of the year.

Both the Bureau and the California Department of Water Resources operate enormous pumps near Tracy that send Delta water south, drawing salty San Joaquin River water deep into the Delta.

The State Water Resources Control Board has drafted an order telling the DWR and the Bureau to comply with tighter salt pollution standards that went into effect April 1.

The board could instate the order Oct. 24 when it holds a hearing on the pollution violations.

Delta farmers are the chief victims of the violations because they irrigate with Delta water, and high salt levels can damage or even kill their crops.

Officials with DWR and the Bureau have asked for three more years to comply with the rules. They say their agencies were unable to complete construction of $100 million worth of operable barriers that would have allowed them to control water flow in the Delta and reduce the amount of salt that penetrates the estuary.

Jerry Johns, deputy director of DWR, said that thanks to record rainfall and snow melt this year, the salt pollution is under control at the moment because enough water has been flowing down rivers to dilute it.

If there is less rain, next year will be the earliest that the tighter rules might force the agencies to pump less water south or dump more fresh water from reservoirs.

Johns said it is ironic, given the good conditions at the moment, that the state board may issue a cease and desist order. He said the issue only came up because DWR and the Bureau in February put the state board on notice that they wouldn't have the operable barriers ready and couldn't meet the standard for several more years.

"We were trying to do the good government thing," Johns said.

Farmers, environmentalists, and some state regulators say that the agencies do have options for reducing the salt pollution, including releases of fresh water from dams upstream.

Rather than releasing fresh water from Friant, however, the Bureau chooses to dilute the pollution by releasing water from New Melones Reservoir on the Stanislaus River. Those releases hurt Stockton by reducing the amount of New Melones water the city can purchase.

The order prepared by the State Water Resources Control Board would require the two agencies to complete their operable barriers by 2009. Meanwhile, the order would require the agencies to report to the board on what they are doing to control the pollution, including curtailment of water exports from the Delta and releases of fresh water from dams.

The late irrigation season in September and October is typically the time of greatest danger for Delta farmers, when river flows drop and the lower San Joaquin carries the most irrigation runoff.

Even if the order goes into effect on Oct. 24, that might not be in time to help Delta farmers this year.

Dante Nomellini, an attorney for the Central Delta Water Agency, said he has little faith that the state board will act decisively to enforce the pollution rule.

"There is kind of a mixed signal coming out of the board," Nomellini said, noting that the board's Water Rights Division Chief, Victoria Whitney, on July 1 wrote a letter in which she said she would allow the Bureau and DWR to continue violating the salt standard until 2009.

Central Delta and several other water agencies have filed petitions asking the board to review her decision.

Dick Stevenson, chief of the Water Rights and Contracts Division for the Bureau of Reclamation, said environmental documents due out later this month on the proposed operable barriers would shed more light on what it takes to control salt flows in the Delta.

       
     


"The state board makes these orders and we make every effort to comply with the orders that the state puts down," Stevenson said. #

http://www.recordnet.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20050809/NEWS01/508090348&SearchID=73216742410862

####



Fines may be in the future for agencies that violate water rule 

Stockton Record - 8/9/05

By Dana Nichols, staff writer

 

Officials in the state and federal water agencies that pump Delta water to Southern California could soon face fines of up to $1,000 a day if they violate salt pollution standards for the Delta.

The U.S. Bureau of Reclamation operates Friant Dam, which most years blocks fresh water from reaching the Delta, leaving only salty irrigation runoff in the lower San Joaquin much of the year.

Both the Bureau and the California Department of Water Resources operate enormous pumps near Tracy that send Delta water south, drawing salty San Joaquin River water deep into the Delta.

The State Water Resources Control Board has drafted an order telling the DWR and the Bureau to comply with tighter salt pollution standards that went into effect April 1.

The board could instate the order Oct. 24 when it holds a hearing on the pollution violations.

Delta farmers are the chief victims of the violations because they irrigate with Delta water, and high salt levels can damage or even kill their crops.

Officials with DWR and the Bureau have asked for three more years to comply with the rules. They say their agencies were unable to complete construction of $100 million worth of operable barriers that would have allowed them to control water flow in the Delta and reduce the amount of salt that penetrates the estuary.

Jerry Johns, deputy director of DWR, said that thanks to record rainfall and snow melt this year, the salt pollution is under control at the moment because enough water has been flowing down rivers to dilute it.

If there is less rain, next year will be the earliest that the tighter rules might force the agencies to pump less water south or dump more fresh water from reservoirs.

Johns said it is ironic, given the good conditions at the moment, that the state board may issue a cease and desist order. He said the issue only came up because DWR and the Bureau in February put the state board on notice that they wouldn't have the operable barriers ready and couldn't meet the standard for several more years.

"We were trying to do the good government thing," Johns said.

Farmers, environmentalists, and some state regulators say that the agencies do have options for reducing the salt pollution, including releases of fresh water from dams upstream.

Rather than releasing fresh water from Friant, however, the Bureau chooses to dilute the pollution by releasing water from New Melones Reservoir on the Stanislaus River. Those releases hurt Stockton by reducing the amount of New Melones water the city can purchase.

The order prepared by the State Water Resources Control Board would require the two agencies to complete their operable barriers by 2009. Meanwhile, the order would require the agencies to report to the board on what they are doing to control the pollution, including curtailment of water exports from the Delta and releases of fresh water from dams.

The late irrigation season in September and October is typically the time of greatest danger for Delta farmers, when river flows drop and the lower San Joaquin carries the most irrigation runoff.

Even if the order goes into effect on Oct. 24, that might not be in time to help Delta farmers this year.

Dante Nomellini, an attorney for the Central Delta Water Agency, said he has little faith that the state board will act decisively to enforce the pollution rule.

"There is kind of a mixed signal coming out of the board," Nomellini said, noting that the board's Water Rights Division Chief, Victoria Whitney, on July 1 wrote a letter in which she said she would allow the Bureau and DWR to continue violating the salt standard until 2009.

Central Delta and several other water agencies have filed petitions asking the board to review her decision.

Dick Stevenson, chief of the Water Rights and Contracts Division for the Bureau of Reclamation, said environmental documents due out later this month on the proposed operable barriers would shed more light on what it takes to control salt flows in the Delta.

       
     

"The state board makes these orders and we make every effort to comply with the orders that the state puts down," Stevenson said. #

http://www.recordnet.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20050809/NEWS01/508090348&SearchID=73216742410862

####




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From tstokely at trinityalps.net  Tue Aug  9 14:38:18 2005
From: tstokely at trinityalps.net (Tom Stokely)
Date: Tue, 9 Aug 2005 14:38:18 -0700
Subject: [env-trinity] Comment Period Extended for CVP Long-Term Water
	Service Contract for Westlands Water District
Message-ID: <024b01c59d2b$47237db0$1e6c3940@trinitycounty.org>


----- Original Message ----- 
From: <jsierzputowski at mp.usbr.gov>
To: "Tom Stokely" <tstokely at trinityalps.net>
Sent: Tuesday, August 09, 2005 10:30 AM
Subject: Comment Period Extended for CVP Long-Term Water Service Contract
for Westlands Water District


> Mid-Pacific Region
> Sacramento, CA
>
> MP-05-099
>
> Media Contact: Jeffrey McCracken  916-978-5100
> jmccracken at mp.usbr.gov
> For Release On:  August 9, 2005
>
> Comment Period Extended for CVP Long-Term Water Service Contract for
Westlands Water District
>
> The Bureau of Reclamation has extended the public review and comment
period for the CVP Long-Term Water Service Contract for Westlands Water
District.  The comment period, which had been scheduled to close on August
15, 2005, has been extended an additional 30 days and will now close on
Thursday, September 15, 2005, to allow the public additional time to
consider the Long-Term Service Contract and provide comments.
>
> The form of contract is available on-line at
http://www.usbr.gov/mp/cvpia/3404c/lt_contracts/index.html; click on
2004/2005 Forms of Contract and scroll to the desired contract.  Written
comments must be received by close of business on Thursday, September 15,
2005, and should be sent to Mr. Richard Stevenson,
> Bureau of Reclamation, 2800 Cottage Way, MP-440, Sacramento CA  95825.
Comments may also be faxed to Mr. Stevenson at 916-978-5292.  To request a
copy of the form of contract, please contact Ms. Nancy Anderson at
916-978-5254, TDD 916-978-5608.
>
> Additional information on the contract renewal process can be accessed
online at www.usbr.gov/mp/cvpia/3404c/index.html.  If you encounter problems
accessing documents online, please contact Ms. Lynnette Wirth at
916-978-5102, TDD 916-978-5608, or e-mail lwirth at mp.usbr.gov.
>
> # # #
>
> Reclamation is the largest wholesale water supplier and the second largest
producer of hydroelectric power in the United States, with operations and
facilities in the 17 Western States.  Its facilities also provide
substantial flood control, recreation, and fish and wildlife benefits. Visit
our website at http://www.usbr.gov.
>



From tstokely at trinityalps.net  Tue Aug  9 21:50:57 2005
From: tstokely at trinityalps.net (Tom Stokely)
Date: Tue, 9 Aug 2005 21:50:57 -0700
Subject: [env-trinity] Bringing a River Back to Life -- When Water Is More
	Than a Commodity
Message-ID: <02d801c59d67$61088db0$1e6c3940@trinitycounty.org>


----- Forwarded by Margie Whitnah
http://news.ncmonline.com/news/view_article.html?article_id=8b9973723e6ba8007305ea6b38f1f440 
Bringing a River Back to Life -- When Water Is More Than a Commodity 

Pacific News Service, Commentary, Tim Holt, Aug 09, 2005 

Editor's Note: Native Americans across the nation are restoring land and waterways, but 
they face a dominant culture whose agencies are often charged with simultaneously 
protecting and exploiting nature. 

DUNSMUIR, Calif.--They are gradually emerging from the deep shadows of the dominant 
culture. Across the Great Plains, Indians are bringing back the buffalo, the wild mustang 
and the wolf. In my own region of Northern California the 2,200-member Hoopa Valley tribe is 
making headway in their effort to restore a river and a fishery that had sustained them for 
10,000 years. 

The Indians bring a kind of practical environmentalism to the ongoing debate over our 
relationship to the land and its resources. It is an environmentalism tied to a particular 
place, one that's been their home for thousands of years. They have learned to live within 
the limits of its resources. 

But native peoples must contend with powerful, rapacious forces in the larger society that 
view rivers as irrigation ditches, and water as nothing more than a commodity to be 
bought and sold. 

The Hupas and a neighboring tribe, the Yuroks, struggled for 40 years to restore their 
river after it was drained by dams and diversions. The farmers of the San Joaquin Valley, 
300 miles to the south, began siphoning water from the Trinity after they'd depleted their 
groundwater and tapped out the rivers in their own region. 

Last May, after a protracted legal struggle with those farmers, the Hupas finally saw 
flows restored to their decimated river -- at a level only about half the Trinity's historic 
flows but sufficient to bring salmon populations back to sustainable levels, according to 
government biologists. 

But even this minimal restoration is far from assured. The Hupas' legal victory didn't put 
an end to the mentality that drained their river in the first place. The federal Bureau of 
Reclamation, the agency that built the Trinity's dams and diversions, recently promised its 
water customers to the south an additional million acre-feet of water over the next 20 
years, a 15 percent increase over the current level of deliveries. 

To achieve this, the Bureau will need to tap more deeply into the Trinity's two reservoirs. 
In dry years, the river's drained reservoirs won't be able to provide the cool water required 
for spawning salmon and steelhead, so any gains in the fishery made in previous years 
could easily be wiped out. 

To give itself more flexibility, the Bureau has dropped strict guidelines that previously 
regulated flows from Northern California dams to protect salmon. This move has raised 
cries of alarm from state officials who fear efforts to restore endangered fish will be 
jeopardized, not only in the Trinity but in the state's main river system, the Sacramento. 

The Bureau currently finds itself on both sides of this issue. On the one hand, it is charged 
with carrying out the physical restoration of the Trinity, reshaping it from the straight 
channel of the post-dam era to a meandering stream with the quiet side pools necessary 
for spawning and nurturing young salmon. Ironically, the benefits from this painstaking 
work are now jeopardized by this same Bureau's plans to ship more water down south. 
What we are witnessing here is a full-blown case of bureaucratic schizophrenia, an agency 
trying to practice resource stewardship and resource exploitation at the same time, in the 
same river. 

And it gets even crazier. Some of the Bureau's water customers down south won't even be 
able to use the additional water the Bureau plans to ship them. In part this is due to 
reduced planting because of falling commodity prices. There are other problems: The 
Bureau's biggest agricultural customer, the San Joaquin valley's sprawling Westlands 
Water District, has started reducing its planted acreage due to chronically poor drainage 
and the accumulation of toxic chemicals and salt in its soils. 

But the additional water the Bureau's customers are getting definitely won't go to waste. 
The extra, taxpayer-subsidized water can be sold in the increasingly lucrative open 
market, where agricultural districts can get at least double what they pay the federal 
government for it. 

It took the Hoopas and their allies 40 years to halt the draining of their river and begin the 
restoration of its fishery. But the system that drained the river in the first place, the 
system hijacked long ago by corporate farming interests, remains firmly in place, poised 
to exploit the increasingly valuable commodity it receives at taxpayer expense. From that 
bottom-line perspective, the use of water to grow crops is just one more "option," and its 
use to improve the health of rivers and their fisheries makes no sense at all. 

  PNS contributor Tim Holt is an environmental writer living in the Mt. Shasta region of 
  Northern California. He is author of "Songs of the Simple Life," a collection of essays.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 
(In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107, this material is distributed without profit to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving theincluded information for research and educational purposes. Klamath Restoration Council has no affiliation whatsoever with the originator of thisarticle nor is PelicanNetwork endorsed or sponsored by the originator.) 
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 
         
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From tstokely at trinityalps.net  Wed Aug 10 07:23:39 2005
From: tstokely at trinityalps.net (Tom Stokely)
Date: Wed, 10 Aug 2005 07:23:39 -0700
Subject: [env-trinity] Without Conservation,
	California Water Use Would Grow 40% by 2030 
Message-ID: <02fa01c59db7$9fd8aac0$1e6c3940@trinitycounty.org>

From: 

e-Newswire #550: Federal Energy Bill's Efficiency Provisions & more

      www.FYPower.org  


Without Conservation, California Water Use Would Grow 40% by 2030 
A report by the Public Policy Institute of California underscores the need for water conservation, water planning and recycling (essential also for conserving energy, since the pumping and treating of water takes up more than 10% of statewide energy use). If current water use rates are maintained, within 25 years the state will be using 40% more water. Much of that would be used for watering lawns, with half of the state's 14 million projected new residents moving to the thirsty Sacramento, San Joaquin and western San Bernardino and Riverside counties. (Half of all the water used by inland homeowners goes to irrigating yards, compared to one third or less on the cooler coast.) The report advocates for improved water planning and the increased use of conservation tools such as tiered water rates that charge high-use customers more. 
Read Background
Full PPIC report (PDF, 524 KB)


Upcoming Workshops for Water 

Tom Stokely
Principal Planner
Trinity Co. Planning/Natural Resources
PO Box 156
Hayfork, CA 96041-0156
530-628-5949
FAX 628-5800
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From bwl3 at comcast.net  Thu Aug 11 10:48:41 2005
From: bwl3 at comcast.net (Byron )
Date: Thu, 11 Aug 2005 10:48:41 -0700
Subject: [env-trinity] White Paper Salmon and Steelhead Critical Habitat
Message-ID: <20050811174858.A87D82002E63@mx.dcn.davis.ca.us>

Following provided by Kaitlin L. Lovell of Trout Unlimited in Portland, OR.

 

Today, Earthjustice, National Wildlife Federation, and Trout Unlimited
released a white paper on salmon and steelhead critical habitat entitled, "A
Place Called Home: Why Critical Habitat is Essential to the Recovery of
Salmon and Steelhead
<http://www.tu.org/atf/cf/%7B0D18ECB7-7347-445B-A38E-65B282BBBD8A%7D/sal

mon_habitat_report.pdf> .  (Click the title to follow the link to the report
or go to www.tu.org).  

 

The report analyzes how the administration's critical habitat proposal
threatens salmon recovery throughout Washington, Oregon, California and
Idaho in three important ways: 

 

1) Eliminates protection for vitally important but currently unoccupied
habitat; 

 

2) Trades habitat protection for policies and plans that were never intended
to protect salmon; and 

 

3) Further rolls back critical habitat protections based on unfair economic
considerations.

 

The report does this by highlighting the people and places that have
benefited from critical habitat protections throughout the Pacific
Northwest.  Their personal stories show us that moving lines on maps makes a
difference for salmon and steelhead.  

 

NOAA Fisheries is expected to announce its final decision on critical
habitat designations for 20 stocks of salmon and steelhead on Monday, August
15th.  

 

Byron Leydecker, 

Chair, Friends of Trinity River

Consultant, California Trout, Inc.

PO Box 2327

Mill Valley, CA 94942-2327

415 383 4810 ph

415 383 9562 fx

bwl3 at comcast.net

bleydecker at stanfordalumni.org (secondary)

http://www.fotr.org

http://caltrout.org

 

 

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From jallen at trinitycounty.org  Thu Aug 11 16:09:47 2005
From: jallen at trinitycounty.org (Josh Allen)
Date: Thu, 11 Aug 2005 16:09:47 -0700
Subject: [env-trinity] FW: Zeke Grader chims in: Why Critical Habitat is
	Essential to the Recovery of Salmon and Steelhead - new report
Message-ID: <099F81D877F1044DA24BA95E0CE0926301290834@mail2.trinitycounty.org>

		ORIGINALLY POSTED BY THE KLAMATH RESTORATION COUNCIL
[klamath at klamathrestoration.org]

		 

		Restore the Klamath.  Fix the World. 
		Klamath Restoration Council News and Information Network
http://www.pelicannetwork.net/klamathrestoration.htm

	Posted by Zeke Grader

Folks: Other than thanking Byron for getting everyone a copy of
TU/Earthjustice's excellent white paper on salmon critical habitat, you
should be aware NMFS may release its designations tomorrow, Friday, the
12th,  instead of Monday.  The "Friday night dump" has become a favorite
of the Administration as a means of avoiding  press on issues it knows
will be unpopular.  It may be a good idea for people to make some press
contacts and get their thoughts to reporters today or tomorrow in
anticipation of such a move by the National Marine Fisheries Service
(excuse me, NO Fisheries). 
- Zeke Grader 

  

Posted by Byron Leydecker

Following provided by Kaitlin L. Lovell of Trout Unlimited in Portland,
OR. 

Today, Earthjustice, National Wildlife Federation, and Trout Unlimited
released a white paper 
on salmon and steelhead critical habitat entitled, "A Place Called Home:
Why Critical Habitat is 
Essential to the Recovery of Salmon and Steelhead 
<http://www.tu.org/atf/cf/%7B0D18ECB7-7347-445B-A38E-65B282BBBD8A%7D/sal


mon_habitat_report.pdf> .  (Click the title to follow the link to the
report or go to www.tu.org). 

The report analyzes how the administration's critical habitat proposal
threatens salmon 
recovery throughout Washington, Oregon, California and Idaho in three
important ways: 
  

1) Eliminates protection for vitally important but currently unoccupied
habitat; 

2) Trades habitat protection for policies and plans that were never
intended to protect salmon; 
and 

3) Further rolls back critical habitat protections based on unfair
economic considerations. 

The report does this by highlighting the people and places that have
benefited from critical 
habitat protections throughout the Pacific Northwest.  Their personal
stories show us that 
moving lines on maps makes a difference for salmon and steelhead. 

NOAA Fisheries is expected to announce its final decision on critical
habitat designations for 20 
stocks of salmon and steelhead on Monday, August 15th. 

Byron Leydecker, 
Chair, Friends of Trinity River 
Consultant, California Trout, Inc.

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From jallen at trinitycounty.org  Fri Aug 12 14:59:09 2005
From: jallen at trinitycounty.org (Josh Allen)
Date: Fri, 12 Aug 2005 14:59:09 -0700
Subject: [env-trinity] Town Hall Meeting this Month in Weaverville with
	Congressional Representative Wally Herger
Message-ID: <099F81D877F1044DA24BA95E0CE092630129085B@mail2.trinitycounty.org>

PLEASE TAKE NOTE: PUBLIC NOTICE

 

2nd Congressional District Representative Wally Herger will be holding a
"Town Hall Meeting" this month in Weaverville. 

 

According to his "Reports from Washington" Newsletter, Vol. 2, the
Honorable Herger has this to say:

 

"I will be holding a series of town hall meetings throughout our
Congressional District. Town hall meetings are an excellent opportunity
to influence what happens in Congress. I hope that you and your
neighbors will come by asking questions, offering comments, and helping
me to represent you better." 

 

The meeting will take place as follows:

 

Time: 3pm

Where: Weaverville, CA 

Place: Trinity County Library

Address: 211 N. Main Street

 

Please plan on attending this important meeting with our District's
Representative to Washington DC. This forum would be a good place for
any concerned citizens to ask questions of the Honorable Herger on a
variety of issues; such as his "Species Rescue Act" that he has
introduced to the 109th Congress this year, which will reform the
Endangered Species Act (ESA) to ensure that the protection of public
health and safety is afforded the utmost priority by bypassing the ESA
consultation process. Such a bill would have impacts to Trinity County
and the management of this County's natural resources, such as the river
and the salmon. Please schedule time to attend. 

 

(Disclaimer: Trinity County and its employees do not lobby and are
specifically barred to do so on public time. This e-mail is a notice of
a public meeting with a Congressional Representative. All information
provided in the e-mail is consistent with information provided by the
Representative's office via their newsletter stated as such in this
e-mail. This e-mail does not express the views of Trinity County, its
employees, or the moderator of this list-serve. Any questions should be
forwarded to the Representative's District Offices.)

 

 

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From jallen at trinitycounty.org  Fri Aug 12 15:01:12 2005
From: jallen at trinitycounty.org (Josh Allen)
Date: Fri, 12 Aug 2005 15:01:12 -0700
Subject: [env-trinity] Town Hall Meeting this Month in Weaverville with
	Congressional Representative Wally Herger
Message-ID: <099F81D877F1044DA24BA95E0CE092630129085C@mail2.trinitycounty.org>

PLEASE TAKE NOTE: PUBLIC NOTICE

 

2nd Congressional District Representative Wally Herger will be holding a
"Town Hall Meeting" this month in Weaverville. 

 

According to his "Reports from Washington" Newsletter, Vol. 2, the
Honorable Herger has this to say:

 

"I will be holding a series of town hall meetings throughout our
Congressional District. Town hall meetings are an excellent opportunity
to influence what happens in Congress. I hope that you and your
neighbors will come by asking questions, offering comments, and helping
me to represent you better." 

 

The meeting will take place as follows:

 

When: August 24th 

Time: 3pm

Where: Weaverville, CA 

Place: Trinity County Library

Address: 211 N. Main Street

 

Please plan on attending this important meeting with our District's
Representative to Washington DC. This forum would be a good place for
any concerned citizens to ask questions of the Honorable Herger on a
variety of issues; such as his "Species Rescue Act" that he has
introduced to the 109th Congress this year, which will reform the
Endangered Species Act (ESA) to ensure that the protection of public
health and safety is afforded the utmost priority by bypassing the ESA
consultation process. Such a bill would have impacts to Trinity County
and the management of this County's natural resources, such as the river
and the salmon. Please schedule time to attend. 

 

(Disclaimer: Trinity County and its employees do not lobby and are
specifically barred to do so on public time. This e-mail is a notice of
a public meeting with a Congressional Representative. All information
provided in the e-mail is consistent with information provided by the
Representative's office via their newsletter stated as such in this
e-mail. This e-mail does not express the views of Trinity County, its
employees, or the moderator of this list-serve. Any questions should be
forwarded to the Representative's District Offices.)

 

 

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From bwl3 at comcast.net  Fri Aug 12 16:04:50 2005
From: bwl3 at comcast.net (Byron )
Date: Fri, 12 Aug 2005 16:04:50 -0700
Subject: [env-trinity] Critical Habitat White Paper - CORRECTION
Message-ID: <20050812230512.2381720026F7@mx.dcn.davis.ca.us>

Again, forwarded by Kaitlin Lovell of TU in Portland, OR.  Zeke's thoughts
also are expressed here.

 

Byron

 

The email I sent out Wednesday referenced and linked to a not-quite-final
version of the white paper. The final version, which has been posted on the
home pages of www.tu.org and  www.earthjustice.org
<http://www.earthjustice.org/> , also contains a different title, "Salmon
Recovery Under Attack: How the Bush Administration's Proposal Undermines
Critical Habitat in the Northwest"   (Clicking "salmon" will also get you
there).  

 

http://www.tu.org/atf/cf/%7B0D18ECB7-7347-445B-A38E-65B282BBBD8A%7D/sal

mon_habitat_report.pdf   

 

Sorry about that!  The uncorrected summary statement that accompanies the
report will be replaced later today or Monday with an actual press release. 

 

We have learned that the feds may announce the final critical habitat rules
TODAY!  We have been told (but have yet to see it) that most of those awful
"political exclusions" like exemptions of the Northwest Forest Plan and
Columbia River Hydro system will NOT be in the final rule (although a few
individual HCPs will be exempted).   

 

However, we have been warned to keep our eyes peeled, because those
exemptions are not necessarily gone...in particular to keep our eyes open
for the FWS announcement on bull trout critical habitat in a few months.  

 

The final rule will looked "markedly similar" to the proposal that
designated only occupied waters (not terrestrial habitat) and exempted some
streams for economics, military and tribal reasons (in the proposal, that
turned out to be about 10% of the total CH).  Unoccupied habitat will not be
included - so no protection above dams in Malibu Creek, Deschutes,

Cowlitz, etc.  Will let you all know more as we find it out.  

 

Thanks, and again my apologies for the screw up Wednesday. 

 

 

Byron Leydecker, 

Chair, Friends of Trinity River

Consultant, California Trout, Inc.

PO Box 2327

Mill Valley, CA 94942-2327

415 383 4810 ph

415 383 9562 fx

bwl3 at comcast.net

bleydecker at stanfordalumni.org (secondary)

http://www.fotr.org

http://caltrout.org

 

 

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From bwl3 at comcast.net  Fri Aug 12 16:22:15 2005
From: bwl3 at comcast.net (Byron )
Date: Fri, 12 Aug 2005 16:22:15 -0700
Subject: [env-trinity] Stormwater Runoff Water Quality Newsletter
Message-ID: <20050812232234.5DC8C20023FD@mx.dcn.davis.ca.us>

See forwarded message below.  If you're interested in these issues, and want
a copy of the pdf file, let me know.  I'll send it to you.  

 

Byron

 

Attached in Adobe pdf is the Stormwater Runoff Water Quality
Science/Engineering Newsletter Volume NL 8-4.  This Newsletter presents
information on a recently published compendium of information (Water
Encyclopedia) on water-related issues.  According to the publisher, J.
Wiley, "The Water Encyclopedia presents the reader with a comprehensive
depository of the most current cutting-edge information available today.
Leading experts in water-related fields offer their insight into a variety
of different topics including water quality, wastewater, ground water,
surface water, oceans, industrial water, water chemistry, drinking water,
ultrapure water, and water resources."  

 

The Water Encyclopedia is a 4112-page, five-volume set.  Drs. Anne Jones-Lee
and G. Fred Lee contributed six sections of the Water Encyclopedia. This
issue of the Newsletter presents their section, "Clean Water Act, Water
Quality Criteria/Standards, TMDLs, and Weight-of-Evidence Approach for
Regulating Water Quality,"  

 

If you do not have Adobe Reader 6.0 on your computer, you may wish to
download it at no cost from www.adobe.com.  

 

This Newsletter is in its eighth year of publication.  Past issues of this
Newsletter and a Newsletter index are available at www.gfredlee.com.

 

If you have questions or comments on this or past Newsletters please contact
Dr. Anne Jones-Lee at gfredlee at aol.com.  

 

G. Fred Lee, PhD, PE, DEE, AAEE Bd. Cert. Env. Eng.
G. Fred Lee & Associates

 

 

Byron Leydecker, 

Chair, Friends of Trinity River

Consultant, California Trout, Inc.

PO Box 2327

Mill Valley, CA 94942-2327

415 383 4810 ph

415 383 9562 fx

bwl3 at comcast.net

bleydecker at stanfordalumni.org (secondary)

http://www.fotr.org

http://caltrout.org

 

 

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From bwl3 at comcast.net  Fri Aug 12 19:10:11 2005
From: bwl3 at comcast.net (Byron )
Date: Fri, 12 Aug 2005 19:10:11 -0700
Subject: [env-trinity] FW: CH FINALLY OUT
Message-ID: <20050813021026.3072220017A4@mx.dcn.davis.ca.us>

 

Again, forwarded from Kaitlin Lovell of TU in Portland, OR. 

 

Byron

 

 

NOAA DID announce the final critical habitat rule today.  The notices,

background information, maps, etc., is at following website:

 

http://www.nwr.noaa.gov/1salmon/salmesa/crithab/CHsite.htm

 

As expected, it's similar to the proposal in unoccupied habitat and

terrestrial habitat is left unprotected, while economics, national

security (military lands) and tribal lands are excluded - to the tune of

about 2000 miles.  The awful other exclusions are not in this rule with

the exception of 3 HCPs.  But they make it very clear they are still

considering those exclusions.

 

 

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From danielbacher at hotmail.com  Sat Aug 13 00:17:15 2005
From: danielbacher at hotmail.com (Daniel Bacher)
Date: Sat, 13 Aug 2005 00:17:15 -0700
Subject: [env-trinity] Warm Flows Imperil Feather River Salmon Run
Message-ID: <BAY16-F118EE001E96E286F8BB2B3DBBF0@phx.gbl>


Warm Flows Imperil Feather River Salmon Run

by Dan Bacher

(Oroville) Normally king salmon fishing is excellent for bank anglers and 
boaters on the Feather River this time of year. But the action this year has 
been so poor because of warm water temperatures that many experienced 
fishing guides are canceling their fishing trips on the Feather and going 
elsewhere.

?The river water temperature below the Afterbay Outlet is 72 to 74 degrees,? 
said Hardy Dunn, fishing guide. ?The fall run won?t enter the Feather if the 
warm water conditions don?t cool down.?

Anglers are concerned that the water temperatures are a result of the 
hydrology of the river being designed to further the needs of agribusiness 
at the expense of fish. The water is warmed up in the afterbay, since the 
rice farmers prefer the warmer water for irrigation purposes, according to 
Rene Villanueva of Steelie Dan?s Guide Service.

Current releases to the Feather River are 600 cfs. in the low flow area 
below Oroville Dam and 2900 cfs below the Thermalito Afterbay Outlet, a 
combined release of 3500  cfs. Anglers are hoping for more cold water to be 
released from the dam through the low flow area to cool water temperatures 
down.

?I?ve cancelled my trips on the Feather River because the fishing is so 
slow,? said Villanueva. ?This is the worst ever season for salmon I?ve ever 
spent on the Feather since 1992, when I started guiding there. The rice 
growers have control of the water and this is hurting the fish.?

Kevin Brock, fishing guide, found a dead salmon, apparently with gill rot 
(columnaris), on the bank of the Feather River outside of Oroville last 
week. ?The water temperature has been above 70 degrees all week below the 
outlet hole,? he said. ?The fish was showing the start of gill rot.?

Neither Ryan Broddrick, DFG director of the Department of Fish and Game, and 
Sonke Mastrup, the Deputy Director, were available for comment at press 
time. However, they were investigating the matter.



Judge Rules That Bureau of Reclamation Violated ESA On San Joaquin River

by Dan Bacher

A federal judge ruled in late July that the Bureau of Reclamation and other 
agencies violated the Endangered Species Act by approving 25-year contracts 
for water diverted from the San Joaquin River at Friant Dam.

In his 78 page ruling, Judge Lawrence Karlton of the U.S. District Court in 
Sacramento determined that the federal government failed to adequately 
assess the impacts of the contracts on endangered salmon and other 
threatened fish and wildlife, accusing the federal government of ?arbitrary 
and capricious conduct.?

The contracts continue to leave 60 miles of the river, once a key 
contributor to the state?s ocean salmon fisheries, dry, dusty and lifeless 
most of the year. Hopefully, the judge?s decision will compel the agencies 
to reverse years of ecosystem destruction and let the river flow once again.

The Bureau?s decision to sign long-term contacts perpetuated the 
environmental disaster that occurred after Friant Dam was finished in the 
late 1940?s. The diversion of the river resulted in the extermination of the 
historically large and vibrant San Joaquin River spring chinook run that 
ascended the Sierra Nevada before Friant Dam blocked upstream migration.

Five decades of dewatering of the San Joaquin, combined with federal and 
state diversions from other San Joaquin tributaries and the Sacramento 
system, have culminated in the Delta food chain crash that state and federal 
scientists have documented over the past three years.

Karlton cited numerous violations of the law by three federal agencies - the 
Bureau of Reclamation, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the National 
Marine Fisheries Service.

?While numerous examples may be found, perhaps the clearest example of 
arbitrary conduct was when the Bureau, knowing that the Fish and Wildlife 
Service bases its analysis on the full contract amount, nevertheless, 
adopted a no jeopardy finding,? said Karlton. ?Because the Bureau failed to 
carry out its duty to ensure against jeopardy and adverse modification, and 
because the Bureau knew of the deficiency, the court must conclude that its 
conduct was arbitrary and capricious.?

Karlton, in a previous ruling last fall, determined that the signing of the 
contracts violated the state Fish and Game codes, including the section 
(5939) requiring dam operators to release enough waters below dams to keep 
the fisheries in ?good condition.?

The case, NRDC v. Rodgers, is a 17-year-old case challenging Bureau of 
Reclamation operations at Friant Dam. Earlier in the case, a unanimous panel 
of the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco invalidated previous 
long-tern contracts for violating the ESA, forcing the Bureau to continue 
water deliveries to Friant farmers under short-term contacts while new 
environmental review were undertaken.

?This ruling documents the government?s utter failure to consider the 
wide-ranging impacts of Friant diversions on downstream fisheries and the 
San Francisco Bay Delta,? said Kate Poole, a senior attorney with the 
Natural Resources Defense Council, who argued the case for a coalition of 14 
fishing and conservation groups.

The plaintiffs include Trout Unlimited, California Striped Bass Association, 
National Audubon Society, Stanislaus Audubon Society, California 
Sportfishing Protection Alliance, United Anglers of California, California 
Trout, Pacific Coast Federation of Fishermen?s Associations, Sierra Club, 
Bay Institute, San Joaquin Raptor Rescue Center, Friends of the River and 
the Nor-Cal Fishing Guides and Sportsmen?s Association.

?Karlton?s decision was the correct one,? said Zeke Grader, president of the 
Pacific Coast Federation of Fishermen?s Associations. ?The Bureau is nuts 
for going ahead with the contracts when the amount of water available is in 
question. The Bureau should have done only 1 year renewals, when the water 
available is uncertain, rather than locking in the contracts for 25 to 40 
year.?

?This ruling is enormously significant to the restoration of fish and 
wildlife resources on the San Joaquin River and throughout California,? said 
Byron Leydecker, chair of Friends of the Trinity River and consultant to 
California Trout. ?The key issue here is what three agencies are consulting 
on under ESA:  the actual or the potential amount of water contracted.?

The judge ruled that it must analyze the potential (full contract), while it 
only analyzed the recent historical deliveries in the case of Friant.

?The implications of this are huge ? imagine analyzing full contract 
deliveries for San Luis Unit, with its huge drainage and selenium problems,? 
explained Leydecker. ?It?s impossible to believe that the Fish and Wildlife 
Service could reach a ?no jeopardy? conclusion under ESA with such a 
scenario.?

The potential is that many, if not all, of the contract renewal 
consultations the federal agencies have done so far may have ?authorized? 
full contract deliveries while not analyzing the impacts of these 
questionable deliveries. This ruling also throws into doubt the joint state 
and federal plans to export more water from the Delta ? which the signing of 
the Central Valley Project contracts is based on.

It will be interesting to see how the Bureau and other agencies respond to 
the decision. At press time, neither a spokesman from the Sacramento or 
Fresno office of the Bureau of Reclamation was available for comment on the 
court decision.

The massive Central Valley Project is the largest federal reclamation 
project in the West. Congress enacted the Central Valley Project Improvement 
Act (CVPIA) in 1992 to protect and restore Central Valley fish and wildlife, 
including mandating the doubling of anadromous fish populations, yet many of 
these species continue to decline.

?Fisheries agencies have used many of the same defective approaches when 
considering other long-term contracts,? said Hal Candee, NRDC senior 
attorney. ?Their inadequate approach fails to address how CVP operations 
threaten the health of the entire bay delta ecosystem.?

Faced with this precedent, I believe that the federal government should 
immediately suspend all of the long term contacts already signed or in the 
process of being signed in the Sacramento and San Joaquin Valleys until the 
Bureau determines how much water is necessary for endangered fish.

When a judge determines that the federal agencies designated to protect fish 
and wildlife have engaged in ?arbitrary and capricious conduct,? contracts 
signed in violation of the law should be held invalid and not re-signed 
until the exact impact upon salmon, steelhead, Delta smelt and other 
endangered species by the Friant and other Central Valley projects is 
determined. Natural science must upheld over political science ? it?s the 
law!




From Gfredlee at aol.com  Fri Aug 12 14:19:20 2005
From: Gfredlee at aol.com (Gfredlee at aol.com)
Date: Fri, 12 Aug 2005 17:19:20 EDT
Subject: [env-trinity] Stormwater Runoff Water Quality Newsletter
Message-ID: <e4.6f164ca8.302e6c58@aol.com>

 
 
Attached in Adobe pdf is the Stormwater  Runoff Water Quality 
Science/Engineering Newsletter Volume NL 8-4.  This Newsletter presents information on  a 
recently published compendium of information (Water Encyclopedia) on 
water-related  issues.  According to the publisher,  J. Wiley, ?The Water Encyclopedia  
presents the reader with a comprehensive depository of the most current  
cutting-edge information available today.  Leading experts in water-related fields 
offer their insight into a  variety of different topics including water quality, 
wastewater, ground water,  surface water, oceans, industrial water, water 
chemistry, drinking water,  ultrapure water, and water resources.?  The  Water 
Encyclopedia is a 4112-page, five-volume set.  Drs. Anne Jones-Lee and G. Fred 
Lee  contributed six sections of the Water Encyclopedia.  This issue of the 
Newsletter presents  their section,   
?Clean Water Act, Water Quality Criteria/Standards,  TMDLs, and 
Weight-of-Evidence Approach for Regulating Water Quality,?   
If you do not have Adobe Reader 6.0 on your  computer, you may wish to 
download it at no cost from www.adobe.com.   
This Newsletter is in its eighth year of  publication.  Past issues of this  
Newsletter and a Newsletter index are available at www.gfredlee.com. 
If you have questions or comments on this or  past Newsletters please contact 
Dr. Anne Jones-Lee at gfredlee at aol.com.   
If you do not wish to receive future issues of the  Newsletter or if you are 
receiving duplicate copies of it, please send a ?reply?  with the word ?
remove.?  In your response please include the  email address that you wish to have 
removed.  If there are others who wish to be added  to the Newsletter email 
list please have them send an email to  gfredlee at aol.com. 


G. Fred Lee,  PhD, PE, DEE, AAEE Bd. Cert. Env. Eng.
G. Fred Lee & Associates
27298  E. El Macero Dr.
El Macero, CA 95618-1005
Ph 530 753-9630, Fx 530  753-9956
Cell 916 712-7399 
gfredlee at aol.com,  
www.gfredlee.com

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From danielbacher at hotmail.com  Tue Aug 16 11:45:30 2005
From: danielbacher at hotmail.com (Daniel Bacher)
Date: Tue, 16 Aug 2005 11:45:30 -0700
Subject: [env-trinity] Press Advisory: Environmental Justice Coalition for
	Water Releases Report 8/17
Message-ID: <BAY16-F106FA0D84E24835B85D964DBB00@phx.gbl>

Environmental Justice Coalition for Water


P R E S S?? A D V I S O R Y

For Immediate Release: August 10, 2005

Contact: Alisha Deen 916-743-4406 / 510-286-8400

?
NEW REPORT: 4 Million Californians Don?t Have Access to Clean Water

Report Exposes Pattern of Discrimination, Calls for Overhaul of Water 
Policy, Details Practical Solutions to Water Crisis

Coalition of Community Groups Calls for Change

WHAT: Press conference introducing the Environmental Justice Coalition for 
Water report ?Thirsty for Justice: A People?s Blueprint for California 
Water?

WHERE:? North Side of the State Capitol, Sacramento, CA

WHEN: Wednesday, August 17, 2005, 9:30 am

WHO: Assembly Member Loni Hancock will discuss Environmental Justice issues 
in water legislation.

Ron Reed, Karuk Traditional Fishermen, will discuss how the damming of the 
Klamath River has destroyed the tribe?s traditional food source ? salmon.

Gary Mulcahy of the Winnemem Wintu Tribe will discuss how the raising of 
Shasta Dam would destroy sacred sites.?

Lynn Barris, small farmer with Butte Environmental Council will speak about 
the dangers of water transfers to Northern California communities.?

Martha Guzman, California Rural Legal Assistance Foundation, will discuss 
the needs of displaced farm workers due to land fallowing and land 
retirement from water movement decisions.

Lorena Gorbet of the Maidu Cultural and Development Group will discuss how 
the hydroelectric projects in the Feather River watershed left the Maidu 
people landless and separated from their cultural sites.

A copy of the report will be available at the conference. For an embargoed 
copy contact Alisha Deen of the Environmental Justice Coalition for Water.

THIRSTY FOR JUSTICE highlights the struggle of several communities affected 
by poor water management decisions and ends with specific policy 
recommendations to address these problems.? The report details the lack of 
access to safe and affordable water for drinking, fishing, recreation people 
of color and low-income communities experience in California.? This lack of 
access is no accident; it is a result of the history of the state?s water 
development characterized by the creation of policies and institutions 
designed to benefit wealthy and powerful interests - preventing large 
segments of California?s population from participating in decisions about 
water quality and supply. Low-income communities and communities of color 
bear the environmental and health burdens of these management decisions.

###


Thank you,

Alisha Deen
Legislative Analyst
Environmental Justice Coalition for Water
654 13th Street
Oakland CA 94612
510/286-8400
916-743-4406 cell
510/251-2203 fax




From danielbacher at hotmail.com  Wed Aug 17 15:42:16 2005
From: danielbacher at hotmail.com (Daniel Bacher)
Date: Wed, 17 Aug 2005 15:42:16 -0700
Subject: [env-trinity] Federal Government Slashes Fish Protection In
	California, Northwest 
Message-ID: <BAY16-F1B72A3CE7C1E9F56ACBA4DBB30@phx.gbl>

Federal Government Slashes Fish Protection In California, Northwest

The federal government late on August 12, in what critics characterized as a 
?Friday night dump,? released the final version of its controversial 
critical habitat proposal for 19 stocks of salmon in California and the 
Pacific Northwest.

The proposal effectively strips protection for thousands of miles of streams 
- reducing the number of river miles protected from 46,500 to 9,800 miles in 
California and from 121,000 to 23,500 acres in Washington, Oregon and Idaho 
? and drawing the wrath of fishing and conservation groups.

The designations include a separate rule for 7 species (also called 
?evolutionarily significant units? or ESUs) listed in California and another 
one for 12 species listed in Washington, Oregon and Idaho. In California, 
the final proposal includes Central Valley spring run chinook salmon, 
California coastal chinook, southern California steelhead, south-central 
California coast steelhead, central California Coast steelhead, Central 
Valley California steelhead and northern California steelhead.

NOAA Fisheries touted the proposal as reaffirming its commitment to salmon 
and steelhead recovery. ?These designations support our extensive salmon 
recovery efforts and promote important voluntary and collaborative efforts 
important to protecting salmon,? said Bill Hogarth, NOAA Fisheries Service 
administration.

The final policy contains exclusions for private landowners in the Northwest 
who have agreed to voluntary conservation efforts on their land. ?The 
Administration believes strongly in providing incentives for private 
landowners who are already protecting species voluntarily and these 
designations recognize their hard work,? said Bob Lohn, head of the NOAA 
Fisheries Service northwest region.

The release was originally expected on Monday, August 14, but critics 
accused the administration of releasing the report on Friday night as an 
apparent effort to avoid media and public scrutiny of the proposal. ?The 
?Friday night dump? has become a favorite of the Administration as a means 
of avoiding press on issues it knows will be unpopular,? said Zeke Grader, 
executive director of the Pacific Coast Federation of Fishermen?s 
Associations.

The proposal is definitely unpopular with conservation groups, who criticize 
the proposal for eliminating badly needed fishery habitat above dams ? where 
anadromous fish populations historically migrated and spawned.

?My big problem with the plan is that it excludes areas where salmon have 
traditionally migrated, even in stretches where they have existed until just 
recently,? said Grader. ?If we want to recover salmon and steelhead, we have 
look at restoring these fish to their former habitat.?

Grader also said the proposal overstates the costs of restoration without 
looking at the considerable benefits of fish restoration to local economies. 
?In looking at critical habitat, they did the reverse of what the Army Corps 
of Engineers has done,? he quipped. ?Whereas the corps pushed water projects 
through Congress by looking at the benefits without talking about the costs, 
NOAA Fisheries looks at the costs of restoration without looking at the 
benefits.?

Earthjustice, National Wildlife Federation, and Trout Unlimited released a 
white paper on salmon and steelhead critical habitat entitled, "A Place 
Called Home: Why Critical Habitat is Essential to the Recovery of Salmon and 
Steelhead  (www.tu.org) several days prior to the proposal?s release.

The report analyzes how the administration's critical habitat proposal 
threatens salmon recovery in several ways, including eliminating protection 
for ?vitally important but currently unoccupied habitat? and further rolling 
back habitat based on economic considerations. The report also said the 
proposal trades habitat protection for policies and plans that were "never 
intended to protect salmon."

?The administration proposal would remove habitat protection under the 
Endangered Species Act in favor of inadequate protections under the 
Northwest Forest Plan, the Oregon Plan for Salmon, and forest plans in 
Washington and California, among others,? the report stated.

The Karuk Tribe gave a mixed review to federal government proposal. ?The 
tribe is happy that tribal lands are exempted because sovereign nations are 
able to manage the habitat themselves,? said Craig Tucker, coordinator of 
the Klamath River Campaign of the Karuk Tribe, now working with the Yurok, 
Hoopa and Klamath tribes, fishermen and environmental groups to remove dams 
on the Klamath.
?However, we are unhappy that NOAA Fisheries failed to designate as critical 
habitat areas above dams where we would like to restore fish to. They?re 
protecting the current range of salmon and steelhead, but our goal is to 
restore them to their historic range."

The ESA requires the federal government to designate ?critical habitat? for 
any species listed under the ESA. According to NOAA Fisheries, ?critical 
habitat? is defined as ?specific areas on which are found physical or 
biological features essential to the conservation of the species, and which 
may require special management considerations or protection.?

This reduction of protections for salmon and steelhead is just one more 
hurdle that recreational anglers, commercial fishermen, Indian Tribes and 
environmentalists have to go through to bring endangered and threatened fish 
back. The failure of NOAA Fisheries to protect salmon and steelhead comes at 
a time when many fish populations in the Pacific Northwest and California 
are in severe crisis.

Tribal and government biologists are predicting the Klamath River fall 
chinook run this year to be one of the poorest on record, due to the impact 
of the catastrophic juvenile and adult fish kills of 2002. Even worse,  
Salmon River spring run chinook returns this year were the lowest on record, 
the direct result of low warm flows on the Klamath caused by change in water 
policy that favors agribusiness over fish.

Likewise, a team of state and federal scientists is studying an 
unprecedented crash of the California Delta food chain ? a development that 
fish advocates believe will hurt salmon, steelhead and other anadromous fish 
populations that depend on the Bay-Delta estuary as a nursery.

?The administration is making it much more difficult for us to restore fish 
by releasing this proposal,? said Grader. ?It?s so disappointing that we 
have to constantly fight the agencies to get them to do their job of 
protecting the fish. But we will bring the salmon and steelhead populations 
back ? because the public and the law are so clearly on our side.?




From bwl3 at comcast.net  Fri Aug 19 16:47:54 2005
From: bwl3 at comcast.net (Byron )
Date: Fri, 19 Aug 2005 16:47:54 -0700
Subject: [env-trinity] Allocation of Developed water Resources
Message-ID: <20050819234811.678292000B82@mx.dcn.davis.ca.us>

By VIC POLLARD, Californian Sacramento Bureau 
e-mail: vpollard at bakersfield.com 

SACRAMENTO -- Massive water projects have protected California's cities and
farms from droughts, but 
they have left many minorities and low-income residents suffering from too
little water or too much 
pollution, according to a report issued Wednesday by an environmental group.


The report by the Environmental Justice Coalition for Water condemned
developments like Klamath River 
irrigation projects, blamed for depriving Indians along the Northern
California stream of their traditional 
salmon food supply and disrupting their cultural heritage. 

Another example cited in the report is the influx of mega-dairies, driven
out of the Chino Basin by the 
crackdown on water pollution there, to towns like heavily Latino Wasco,
which seem powerless to block 
them. 

The report contends that powerful water agencies and government regulators
neglect or harm ethnic and 
low-income communities by failing to protect them from pollution and
blocking them from 
decision-making processes. 

"Water is the lifeblood of California communities; sucking it away from
native tribes and Latino 
farmworkers will only dry up their local economies, their rivers, their
fisheries, their farmland and their 
cultural connections," said Alisha Deen, an author who contributed to the
report. 

At a news conference in Sacramento, one of several around the state called
to release the report, officials 
said they do not have specific legislative proposals to remedy the problems.


However, the report called for more water conservation by farms and cities
to reduce consumption and 
greater involvement in the decision-making process by minorities and
low-income people affected by water 
policies. 

Officials of the Kern County Water Agency, one of the big agencies that
benefit from water projects, did not 
respond to a request for comment. 

The coalition is made up of a number of environmental and human rights
groups, officials said, and the 
report was funded by grants from charitable organizations. 

 

 

Byron Leydecker, 

Chair, Friends of Trinity River

Consultant, California Trout, Inc.

PO Box 2327

Mill Valley, CA 94942-2327

415 383 4810 ph

415 383 9562 fx

bwl3 at comcast.net

bleydecker at stanfordalumni.org (secondary)

http://www.fotr.org

http://caltrout.org

 

 

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From danielbacher at hotmail.com  Fri Aug 19 17:33:24 2005
From: danielbacher at hotmail.com (Daniel Bacher)
Date: Fri, 19 Aug 2005 17:33:24 -0700
Subject: [env-trinity] Allocation of Developed water Resources
Message-ID: <BAY16-F118929007BBE6ED881C1CBDBB40@phx.gbl>

Byron

Thanks for posting that. It's a surprisingly favorable article. I was at the 
press conference and got a copy of the report, "Thirsting for Water." 
Everybody in the fish and watershed restoration movement should get a copy 
of it. It's great. For more information, get on www.ejcw.org

Dan Bacher




From?:?	Byron <bwl3 at comcast.net>
Sent?:?	Friday,?August?19,?2005?4:47?PM
To?:?	"FOTR List" <fotr at velocipede.dcn.davis.ca.us>, "Trinity List Server" 
<env-trinity at velocipede.dcn.davis.ca.us>
Subject?:?	[env-trinity] Allocation of Developed water Resources
|	|	|	Inbox
By VIC POLLARD, Californian Sacramento Bureau
e-mail: vpollard at bakersfield.com

SACRAMENTO -- Massive water projects have protected California's cities and 
farms from droughts, but
they have left many minorities and low-income residents suffering from too 
little water or too much
pollution, according to a report issued Wednesday by an environmental group.

The report by the Environmental Justice Coalition for Water condemned 
developments like Klamath River
irrigation projects, blamed for depriving Indians along the Northern 
California stream of their traditional
salmon food supply and disrupting their cultural heritage.

Another example cited in the report is the influx of mega-dairies, driven 
out of the Chino Basin by the
crackdown on water pollution there, to towns like heavily Latino Wasco, 
which seem powerless to block
them.

The report contends that powerful water agencies and government regulators 
neglect or harm ethnic and
low-income communities by failing to protect them from pollution and 
blocking them from
decision-making processes.

"Water is the lifeblood of California communities; sucking it away from 
native tribes and Latino
farmworkers will only dry up their local economies, their rivers, their 
fisheries, their farmland and their
cultural connections," said Alisha Deen, an author who contributed to the 
report.

At a news conference in Sacramento, one of several around the state called 
to release the report, officials
said they do not have specific legislative proposals to remedy the problems.

However, the report called for more water conservation by farms and cities 
to reduce consumption and
greater involvement in the decision-making process by minorities and 
low-income people affected by water
policies.

Officials of the Kern County Water Agency, one of the big agencies that 
benefit from water projects, did not
respond to a request for comment.

The coalition is made up of a number of environmental and human rights 
groups, officials said, and the
report was funded by grants from charitable organizations.




From AKRAUSE at mp.usbr.gov  Mon Aug 22 10:45:09 2005
From: AKRAUSE at mp.usbr.gov (Andreas Krause)
Date: Mon, 22 Aug 2005 10:45:09 -0700
Subject: [env-trinity] Fwd: Trinity River Release Change
Message-ID: <s309acc2.057@ibr2mprogw.mp.usbr.gov>



Project: Lewiston Dam - Trinity River Release
 
  Date        Time         From         To
8/28/05      1400          450         550
8/28/05      1600          550         650
8/28/05      1800          650         900
8/28/05      2000          900      1,150
8/28/05      2200       1,150      1,400
8/28/05      2400       1,400      1,650
 
8/30/05      0001       1,650      1,450
8/30/05      0400       1,450      1,250
8/30/05      0800       1,250      1,050
8/30/05      1200       1,050        850
8/30/05      1600         850         650
8/30/05      2000         650         500
8/30/05      2400         500         450
 
Comment:  Ceremonial use
 
Issued By: Central Valley Operations

__________________________________
Andreas Krause, P.E.
Physical Scientist
Trinity River Restoration Program
P.O. Box 1300 (mailing address)
1313 South Main St. (physical address)
Weaverville, CA 96093
Phone: 530-623-1807; Fax: 530-623-5944
__________________________________


From bwl3 at comcast.net  Mon Aug 22 11:06:56 2005
From: bwl3 at comcast.net (Byron )
Date: Mon, 22 Aug 2005 11:06:56 -0700
Subject: [env-trinity] Trinity River Release Change
Message-ID: <20050822180701.B91152001D58@mx.dcn.davis.ca.us>

Bi-Annual Hoopa Valley Tribe Boat Dance

 

Project: Lewiston Dam - Trinity River Release

 

  Date        Time         From         To

8/28/05      1400          450         550

8/28/05      1600          550         650

8/28/05      1800          650         900

8/28/05      2000          900      1,150

8/28/05      2200       1,150      1,400

8/28/05      2400       1,400      1,650

 

8/30/05      0001       1,650      1,450

8/30/05      0400       1,450      1,250

8/30/05      0800       1,250      1,050

8/30/05      1200       1,050        850

8/30/05      1600         850         650

8/30/05      2000         650         500

8/30/05      2400         500         450

 

Comment:  Ceremonial use

 

 

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From bwl3 at comcast.net  Mon Aug 22 16:03:56 2005
From: bwl3 at comcast.net (Byron )
Date: Mon, 22 Aug 2005 16:03:56 -0700
Subject: [env-trinity] FW: Trinity Fisheries Biologist or Aquatic Ecologist
Message-ID: <20050822230400.06F7E20009B2@mx.dcn.davis.ca.us>



-----Original Message-----
From: Rod (Weaverville Office) Wittler [mailto:RJWITTLER at mp.usbr.gov] 
Sent: Monday, August 22, 2005 1:43 PM
Subject: Trinity Fisheries Biologist or Aquatic Ecologist

Greetings Colleagues -

The Trinity River Restoration Program (TRRP) located in Weaverville,
Ca. has recently advertised a full time / permanent federal position
through the Bureau of Reclamation for a fishery biologist or aquatic
ecologist specializing in habitat or fish population modeling, with an
emphasis in river restoration. The position is open to all U.S.
Citizens. The application closes on September 16, 2005. Please forward
this email to your contact network and encourage all potential
applicants to apply. 

The mandate of TRRP is to restore the salmonid fishery by re-initiating
alluvial processes (through a combination of dam re-regulation and
mechanical actions) that create and maintain salmonid habitat. This is a
unique and exciting opportunity to be on the cutting edge of river
restoration implementation. For more information about TRRP, please go
to our website: http://www.trrp.net 

The Vacancy Announcement for Fishery Biologist, GS-0482-11/12 (MPP-JR)
for status candidates and Fishery Biologist, GS-0482-11/12 (DEU-JR) for
all others may be found on the USAJOBS website:

http://jobsearch.usajobs.opm.gov/jobsearch.asp?q=Fishery+Biologist%2C+GS-048
2-11%2F12+%28MPP-JR%29+&salmin=&salmax=&paygrademin=&paygrademax=&FedEmp=Y&s
ort=rv&vw=d&brd=3876&ss=0&FedPub=Y&SUBMIT1.x=78&SUBMIT1.y=14


However, application submittal must be done electronically through the
U.S. Bureau of Reclamation "HireMe" website. Those interested in
submitting and application should go to:

www.usbr.gov/pmts/hr/hireme.html 

Reclamation's HireMe website requires applicant registration.  Once
registered, applicants may access the vacancy announcement and specific
candidate assessment questions.  Remember, on-line application including
resume submission is required.  Please feel free to contact me
(530-623-1801) should you have any questions.

Regards,

Rodney J. Wittler, Ph.D., P.E.
Senior Scientist
Technical Modeling and Analysis Group
Trinity River Restoration Program
P.O. Box 1300
or
1313 S. Main St.
Weaverville, CA  96093

(530) 623-1801
(530) 623-5944 FAX
rjwittler at mp.usbr.gov 



From jallen at trinitycounty.org  Tue Aug 23 14:56:37 2005
From: jallen at trinitycounty.org (Josh Allen)
Date: Tue, 23 Aug 2005 14:56:37 -0700
Subject: [env-trinity] Klamath Reservoirs Plagued by Toxic Algae
Message-ID: <099F81D877F1044DA24BA95E0CE0926301290AA4@mail2.trinitycounty.org>


KLAMATH RESERVOIRS PLAGUED BY TOXIC ALGAE
Algal Toxins Pose Significant Health Risk to Community

Karuk Tribe of California 

P R E S S   R E L E A S E

For Immediate Release: August 23, 2005
 
For more information: 
Craig Tucker, Karuk and Yurok Tribes		530-627-3446 x27

KLAMATH RESERVOIRS PLAGUED BY TOXIC ALGAE
Algal Toxins Pose Significant Health Risk to Community

Happy Camp, CA - A recent analysis of water samples from Copco and Iron
Gate Reservoirs reveal high levels of the toxin microcystin, a compound
known to cause liver failure. Samples taken from areas frequented by
recreational users of the reservoir were over 100 times greater than
what the World Health Organization (WHO) considers a moderate health
risk. The observation of blue-green scum on the water's surface by
water quality specialists indicate that toxin levels fall into the WHO's
high risk category. The 'scum' is actually the blue green algae
Microcystis aeruginosa which secrets the toxin microcystin.

The reservoirs are located on the Klamath River near the Oregon border
between Ashland, Or and Yreka, CA.

According to Karuk Tribe Water Quality Coordinator Susan Corum, "We
collected samples from sites near the shore frequented by recreational
users. We observed thick mats of blue-green scum at the collection
sites,
indicating that there could be a serious problem with microcystin
contamination."

The WHO reports that animal poisonings and human illnesses related to
the blue-green algae Microcystis aeruginosa are usually accompanied by
the presence of scum material at the water surface, and that
ongoing observation of beaches is necessary to assess the existence of
high-risk
exposures. 

WHO reports indicate that exposure to high levels of microcystin can
produce symptoms such as eye and skin irritation, vomiting and stomach
cramps, diarrhea, fever, headache, pains in muscles and joints, and
weakness. However, chronic long term exposure can be more dangerous as
symptoms may not develop until much damage has been done.

There are two aspects of chronic microcystin damage to the
liver-progressive active liver injury and the potential for promotion of
tumor growth. Tumor formation has been induced in laboratory studies in
mice.
Thus liver failure or cancer could result if someone is exposed often
over the course of years.

Earlier this year in Humboldt County, officials issued a warning to
recreational users of Big Lagoon and the South Fork Eel River. Officials
cited the deaths of nine dogs that swam in the contaminated waterways
and
the presence of microcystin in the stomachs of two animals that were
examined. No other toxins were detected that could have caused the
deaths according to a press release issued by Humboldt County Health and
Human
Services.

According to Corum, "Given our test results, Siskiyou County water
quality officials should consider closing the lake to the public until
an emergency response plan to algal blooms is devised - before someone
gets sick or loses
a pet to poisoning."

Children are at the greatest risk because of their small size and
propensity to accidentally swallow water while swimming. If a swimming
child swallowed half a cup of water from the reservoir, they would be
exposed toxin levels almost 100 times the WHO allowable Total Daily
Intake. 

Corum suggests that users of the lake follow the WHO guidelines
regarding blue-green algal blooms:
.	Avoid areas with visible algae and/or scums. Direct contact and
ingestion are associated with the greatest health risk.
.	If no scums are visible, but water shows a strong greenish
discoloration such that you cannot see your feet when standing knee deep
(after sediment has settled) avoid bathing, immersion of head, and/or
ingestion.
.	Avoid waterskiing in visible scums or waters with a strong
greenish
coloration as described above because of the potentially substantial
risk of exposure to aerosols.
.	If sailing, sailboarding or undertaking any other activity
likely to
involve accidental immesion, wear clothing that is loose fitting in the
openings. Use of wet suits for water sports may result in greater risk
of
rashes as the algal material trapped in the wet suit will be in contact
with the skin for longer periods of time.
.	After coming ashore, shower or wash to remove algal material.

Microcystis aeruginosa is native to the Klamath, but only in the
reservoirs do conditions allow for massive blooms to occur, resulting in
toxic levels of microcystin. These conditions include water rich in
fertilizers,
stagnation and high water temperatures.

Editors' notes: Pictures of the sampling sites and a copy of lab results
are available by contacting Craig Tucker at 530-627-3446 x27 or
ctucker at karuk.us.

# # #

S. Craig Tucker, Ph.D.
Klamath River Campaign Coordinator
Karuk Tribe
530-627-3446 x27
ctucker at karuk.us

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From danielbacher at hotmail.com  Thu Aug 25 12:33:28 2005
From: danielbacher at hotmail.com (Daniel Bacher)
Date: Thu, 25 Aug 2005 12:33:28 -0700
Subject: [env-trinity] Lawsuit Challenges Federal Plan To Increase Delta
	Water Exports (Revised)
Message-ID: <BAY16-F145A43CDA614C5E44F5DFBDBAB0@phx.gbl>

Lawsuit Challenges Federal Plan To Increase Delta Water Exports

by Dan Bacher

The fight to restore salmon, steelhead and other fish in the Central Valley
and Bay-Delta Estuary, in view of the plans by the state and federal
governments to divert more northern California water, has resulted in the
formation of an unprecedented, broad based coalition of fishermen,
environmental groups and Indian Tribes over the past two years. The groups
have launched letter writing campaigns, held press conferences and
circulated numerous action alerts to stop water export plans and the
ironically named South Delta ?Improvement? Project.

In the latest battle in the war for our fisheries, a diverse coalition of
commercial and recreational fishing groups, conservation organizations and
the Winnemem Wintu Tribe recently filed suit in federal court in Oakland
challenging government approval of a plan to significantly change water
management throughout the state.

The suit filed against the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS, also
called NOAA Fisheries), and the US Department of the Interior challenges an
October 2004 biological opinion concluding that the federal Bureau of
Reclamation (Bureau) and the state Department of Water Resources (DWR) could
strip away salmon habitat protections and increase water exports without
jeopardizing endangered Sacramento River winter-run chinook salmon,
threatened Central Valley spring-run chinook salmon, threatened Central
Valley and Central California Coast steelhead, and threatened Southern
Oregon/Northern California Coast coho salmon.

The lawsuit also challenges the Bureau?s long term operating plan (OCAP) for
the federal Central Valley Project and State Water Project, due to the
Bureau?s failure to prepare an environmental impact statement (EIS) on the
plan, according to Mike Sherwood, lead attorney for Earthjustice, which is
representing the organizations in the lawsuit.

?We filed this suit because the biological opinion that NMFS released said
the Central Valley Project? plan wouldn?t jeopardize these species,? said
Sherwood. ?However, their conclusion was bogus, since it was contradicted by
the facts and conclusions of the agency?s own scientists.?

Controversy over the NMFS opinion began well before its release and
continues today, according to Sherwood. An early draft leaked to the press
found that the Bureau?s increased water exports would jeopardize multiple
fish species, but this conclusion was reversed in the final version.

?Whereas the draft biological opinion concluded that the plan would
jeopardize winter run chinooks, spring run chinooks and Central Valley
steelhead, it was mysteriously changed to a no jeopardy opinion with no
additional scientific studies,? said Sherwood.

This flip-flop sparked a congressional investigation spurred by Congressman
George Miller (D-Martinez), the foremost water policy expert in Congress and
the co-author of the landmark Central Valley Project Improvement Act of
1992. In July, the Dept. of Commerce?s Office of Inspector General issued a
report finding that NMFS officials violated procedural rules in reaching
this conclusion and raising questions about the integrity of the opinion.

The Inspector General?s report found that one of the regional officials cut
out of the review process said she would not have signed off on the final
document ?because of her belief that there is a basic disconnect between the
scientific analysis and the conclusion.?

?Exporting more water south is going to cause huge problems for the salmon
we have fought so hard to protect,? said Sherwood. He emphasized that the
plan would:

? Move the temperature control point for winter run chinook 19 miles upriver
on the Sacramento, directly endangering winter run recovery.

? Eliminate the cold water storage requirement in Shasta and making it just
a ?target.?

? Increase the rate of Delta water exports by 27 percent.

?The biological opinion?s conclusions contradict its own findings in an
obvious attempt to conform with a preordained outcome,? added Hal Candee,
Senior Attorney and co-counsel from NRDC.

A recent letter from state water and wildlife officials to State Senator
Mike Machado expressed concern about environmental impacts of the plan. On
May 17, 2005, the Directors of DWR and the California Department of Fish and
Game wrote that ?the State anticipates increased impacts to winter-run and
spring-run chinook will occur as a result of the changes in water project
operation and less stringent temperature compliance requirements.?

Central Valley salmon and steelhead depend on adequate flows in the rivers
and through the Delta and require cold water for successful migration and
reproduction. ?Government scientists who wrote the biological opinion
managed to include several key pieces of evidence in the document showing
that the proposed operational changes would eliminate crucial spawning
habitat and likely lead to temperature increases that would be deadly to the
fish,? noted Sherwood.

The suit also comes against a backdrop of new state monitoring data showing
an unprecedented decline in the Delta food chain and fish species, including
threatened delta smelt and striped bass. Scientists note that record high
water exports have occurred in three of the last five years.

?The Delta is already in crisis, the data are in,? said Tina Swanson, Ph.D.,
Senior Scientist at the Bay Institute. ?This biological opinion allows new
degradation of upstream habitats, including reversing protections we know
have helped salmon populations during the past ten years. This is not the
time to be adding to the already enormous stresses on the ecosystem and the
species that depend on it.?

To oppose the raising of Shasta Dam ? a key component of the federal plan to
increase Delta exports ?the Winnemem Wintu Tribe last September held a war
dance at Shasta Dam.

?Our brothers, the salmon, are already listed as endangered and threatened
due to the dams and their operating procedures,? noted Gary Mulcahy of the
Winnemem Wintu Tribe, whose history and survival has been inextricably tied
to the salmon of the Central Valley. ?This is not just a question of just
water and fish. It is the basic question of life itself. We ask, how much
more ?no jeopardy? can the salmon withstand??

?When political appointees manipulate the findings of government staff
scientists, we are all in trouble,? summed up Zeke Grader, executive
director of the Pacific Coast Federation of Fishermen?s Associations.

Other plaintiffs in the lawsuit include the Baykeeper and its Deltakeeper
Chapter, California Trout, Friends of the River, Northern California Council
of the Federation of Fly Fishers and Sacramento River Preservation Trust.

I completely support the plaintiffs in their legal battle against NOAA
Fisheries, the government agency supposedly in charge of protecting fish.
The failure of the Bush administration to protect and restore Delta and
Central Valley fisheries has left fishing groups, environmental
organizations and the Winnemem Wintu Tribe no choice but to contest the
plans for increased exports through litigation. Let?s hope that they succeed
in their battle to overturn the biological opinion that justifies a massive
increase in Delta water exports!

For more information, go to www.earthjustice.org.




From jallen at trinitycounty.org  Fri Aug 26 11:25:51 2005
From: jallen at trinitycounty.org (Josh Allen)
Date: Fri, 26 Aug 2005 11:25:51 -0700
Subject: [env-trinity] Klamath Doldrums - NC Weekly story
Message-ID: <099F81D877F1044DA24BA95E0CE09263013E0B5D@mail2.trinitycounty.org>

http://www.northcoastjournal.com/082505/cover0825.html 

DOWN AT THE REQUA DOCK ON THE KLAMATH RIVER, NOT FAR from the mouth, the river is suspended in morning's usual foggy grip, with the sun a vague notion above the low-slung shrouds of moisture. But it's just a little too quiet down here, considering the time of year. It's mid-August, and the fall run of Klamath Chinook has begun. 

The fish are coming in from the sea to the estuary, where they'll acclimate before making their freshwater run up the river to spawn. Normally, when that happens, this place is gull-squawking, fish-hawking central, as Yurok commercial fishers sell their day's catch. But the number of Oncorhynchus tshawytscha returning this fall is alarmingly low, the commercial fishery is closed and the dock is dead. 

Oh, some fishing boats ply the river: One of them tears past, toward the mouth, leaving a muffled yelp of "Yah hoo hoo!" hanging in the gray stillness; a few other boats, their sport-fishing occupants holding poles over boat sides, putter downstream to hover in the estuary and hope for the big one, or anyone, to bite. Halfway down the dock, two men mess with a boat. 

Dave Hillemeier [photo below], manager of the Yurok Tribe's fisheries department, is also here, leaning on a concrete wall and staring out at the river, while a couple of his fisheries technicians get ready to shove off in their boat. They're also headed for the mouth. There, other Yurok tribal members are subsistence fishing with gill nets from the tip of the narrow sand spit that juts into the dizzying zone where ocean waves curl head-on into spilling river. On the spit, the technicians will conduct a round of monitoring chores, including net checks every two hours to count and weigh catches and take scale samples, and measurements of live salmon they'll net themselves and release after lodging sensors deep in their throats to track them and record river conditions. 

A man drives down to the dock and parks, gets out, and walks over to Hillemeier. "Any possibility to buy some pieces of fish?" he asks, in halting English. Hillemeier replies: "I don't think so. The allocation is so low, there's not any for sale this year. There's no commercial fishing." The man looks baffled, wanders over to talk to the two men working on their boat, then leaves empty-handed. 

"See that structure over there?" Hillemeier says, pointing to an orange and gray metal trailer. "That's a big ice machine. Last year this time, there were trucks all over the place with ice and fish. People were swarming all over here, buying fish. It's a bit of a different story this year." 

Last year, biologists noticed a deficit in the ranks of the wild stock of Klamath Chinook that would head upriver to spawn in 2005. That led to a plunge in quotas, and lengthy closures, along 800 miles of Oregon-California coast for this summer's commercial and sport ocean fisheries. Ocean fishers were particularly frustrated, because the Sacramento run of salmon are in abundance this year. But because the ocean is managed to protect the weakest stock -- this year, the Klamath salmon -- and because salmon all mix together in the ocean, fishing where the Klamath stock might be was shut down. 

The Klamath normally is the second most important salmon producer in California. The Pacific Coast Federation of Fishermen's Associations has estimated the financial loss from the closed fishery could amount to $100 million. Now the economic impact is spreading upstream, with the migrating Chinook. 

Tommy Chew, who runs his dad's Little Ray's Tackle shop in Klamath Glen, says the sport-fishing quota for the river this year is 680 Chinook that can be kept. (Catch-and-release fishing does not count.) "A good quota would be 2,500," he says. It's hitting the tackle shop hard. "At this time last year, I made $7,000 more than I have now. I've been averaging $30 a day, and mostly it's kids buying candy. Normally we'd average $300 to $500 a day." 

River guides likewise may find themselves idle this year. But the hardest hit are the Yurok, for whom Chinook salmon are not only a financial staple of life, but also a cultural one. "The Yurok tribal allocation is roughly 6,400 fish this year," says Hillemeier. "A better scenario would be 60,000 to 80,000. Last year it was about 25,000. This year, there's not enough for subsistence. That's why there's no commercial fishing." The 4,000-member tribe has come to rely on up to half a million dollars in yearly revenues from commercial fishing. Kids, tribal members say, even catch fish to pay for their school clothes. 

-- -- -- 

Traditionally, the Yurok, Hoopa, Karuk and the Klamath Tribes have relied upon fish living in the Klamath River system, including tributaries. Dams built along the upper stretch of river between 1903 and 1962 cut off more than 300 miles from spring Chinook that spawned in the upper river. Those stocks have died out, leaving upper basin tribes without a traditional food source. Today, the Yurok and Hoopa tribes have a right to 50 percent of the harvestable surplus of Chinook in the Lower Klamath. Of that, the Yurok have a right to 85 percent of the fish -- their reservation encompasses 44 miles of the mainstem of the river, a mile on either side, from the ocean up. 

"With that fishing right comes a right to an adequate amount of water in the river," says Hillemeier. "Because without water, that fishing right is meaningless." 

Hillemeier blames the low Klamath Chinook count on a massive juvenile fish die off in the river in the spring of 2002, caused by low flows released to the river from Iron Gate Dam. Iron Gate, 190 miles from the mouth, is the lowest of six dams on the main stem of the Klamath, and is the main regulator of water flows to the lower river. It and four other hydroelectric dams on the mainstem, and a seventh on Fall Creek, are owned and operated by the Portland-based PacifiCorp, a division of the British company ScottishPower. A sixth is used for regulating water levels in Upper Klamath Lake, where threatened sucker fish -- a staple of the upstream Klamath tribes -- live. That lake is the main reservoir from which Klamath Basin irrigators have diverted Klamath River water since the Bureau of Reclamation built the Link River Dam, in 1921, to bring water to the desert and boost the livelihoods of war veterans. PacifiCorp also generates electricity at that dam. 

The upper basin's agricultural community has received much of the blame for downstream fishery troubles. But many biologists blame the hydroelectric plants for exacerbating the river's water quality problems. The 2002 juvenile die-off happened before the huge fish kill later that fall, when an estimated 65,000 adult Chinook died in the river as they tried to reach their spawning grounds. It was the West's largest adult fish kill in recorded history, and the nation took note. California Fish and Game biologists and others concluded that low flows, too-warm river temperatures, and disease killed the fish. Few people, however, have heard much about the juvenile fish kill -- or others that have happened almost every spring in recent years. This fall, among the 3- and 4-year-old salmon returning to the river to spawn, it's the 4 year olds -- 2002's babies -- that appear to be largely missing in action, says Hillemeier. 

"They experienced low flows during the spring of 2002," he says. Low flows strand the edgewater environment -- where the river normally inundates vegetation along the banks and the water is calm, sheltered, and food-richhigh above the water line, out of reach of the baby salmon emerging from the gravel. That leaves them exposed to swift currents and predators, and more vulnerable to disease, says Hillemeier. "That means they die in the river as fry, or they aren't in good enough condition when they get to the ocean. You don't get good survival from that brood of fish." 

The one positive, albeit ironic, note is that, because of the scant numbers of this year's fall Chinook, and because Reclamation has agreed to allow more water to spill over Iron Gate to protect the federally listed threatened coho salmon that also spawns in the river, the adult Chinook may fare better than they did in 2002 because they'll have more room and likely cooler water. 

-- -- -- 

Another car pulls up to the dock, and Joe Pitt gets out and comes over to talk to Hillemeier. Pitt, 76 with a cheerful face and glittery blue eyes, has lived in Klamath since he was 6 years old and has ocean fished for crab and salmon ever since. When he can catch salmon, he smokes some and gives the rest to "Indian friends, older family friends who live up there" on the reservation. He didn't go out for salmon this year, though, because he'd have had to go below Ft. Bragg, where the fishery's been open, and he says it's too far from home. 

"I think it's these dams," he says. "If you have stagnant waters, you have moss [algae blooms] forming on the water." 

Hillemeier adds, "We want to get the dams out of the river. One, it would return the fish to their homes above the dams. And two, it would improve the water quality." 

As Hillemeier and Pitt gab, tribal member Arnie Nova shows up. He's one of the tribe's lead fisheries techs, and he and the monitoring crews have been making the rounds on three sections of river every day between 7 a.m. and 1 a.m., when fishing's allowed, except when it's closed from 9 a.m. Monday to 9 a.m. Wednesday. They talk to sport and Yurok commercial fishers, ask what they've caught, and collect data. 

[Photo at left: Dave Hillemeier and Joe Pitt] 

It makes for long days. Nova and Hillemeier get into a boat and head to the mouth, and on the way Nova tells two stories. Story one: "Yesterday, an osprey caught a fish, and then an eagle tried to take it. At one point the eagle was flying upside down." Story two: "And then a seal stole a steelhead salmon from someone's hands." The second story would be revisited later that day, upriver. 

-- -- -- 

At the spit it's much livelier, although Hillemeier says it would be even more of scene in a good year. Several Yurok members are dropping nets in the river side of the spit. The nets drift down and wrap around the point where the ocean pours in, entangling salmon rushing into the estuary. Fishers extricate the salmon, slice them open and clean them, and lay them in ice boxes in their boats. A train of brown pelicans circles overhead. On the spit, gulls crowd in, screeching deafeningly and dashing in to snatch up the pink frilly circlets of accordion-like gills and other offal the fishers toss aside as they clean their catch. 

The tribal fisheries techs -- including Troy Osburne, 12, and Wesley Spino, 17, who are interns in the Yurok's youth fisheries program -- are netting and tagging live fish and monitoring the fishers' catches. Seventy-year-old Yurok fisherman Corky Simms [photo at left] walks up from the swirling tip of the spit to talk. "I've been fishing here for maybe 64 years," he says. "I was born alongside the river and I don't even have a birth certificate. We used canoes, then. Oh, there was a lot of fish. And I remember the years when there was no fish." For 54 years, from 1934, the Yurok were largely banned from commercial and gillnet fishing. After the "fishing wars" in the mid-1980s, they regained their fishing right. They now manage their own fishery -- the fisheries department is the Yurok's biggest department. 

[Photo at right: Troy Osburne, 12, and Wasley Spino, 17, netting and tagging fish.] 

"See that pink buoy over there?" asks Simms. "That has a sensor, and that buoy counts the fish as they go by. On up the river, we have three sections of river, and every section has its sensors, and its quota. Everything is regulated, all our catches are monitored. This year, all we're doing is subsistence fishing. We don't have no smoked fish, no canned fish, no frozen fish. It's gonna be slim." 

At his boat, moored at the spit, Yurok tribal member Sonny Downs, 42, is cleaning his catch. "I'm here to take care of my family, to put away food for the winter," he says. "So far, it's looking pretty grim -- for the sportsmen, for the Indians, for everybody. 

-- -- -- 

About midday, Arnie Nova drives the jet boat upriver, out of the choppy, tide-influenced low end and into the flatter water, out of the coastal fog and into the sunshine. He notes where the riverbank is coated in bright green algae, and points out several osprey nestshaystack clumps high in the tips of trees. Nova says the riverbanks used to be lined with 300-foot tall redwoods that shaded the river, which ran deep. Decades of timber cuts, however, depleted the trees and sent extra sediment into the river. (The Yurok now are working with Simpson Timber Co. on recovering the watershed.) He steers the boat into a deep, clear blue water hole on the north side of the river and throws an anchor in the sand. This is where Blue Creek comes in, the cleanest, coldest tributary on the reservation. "Back in the [adult] fish kill, there was 400 to 500 fish in here, because the water's cooler," says Nova. But the fish ended up overcrowding, the water temperature rose, and they succumbed to parasites and bacteria and died. "They were lined up along the bank here, three feet wide." 

But mostly Blue Creek's a good swimming hole, protected from the river current, and Nova has brought the Yurok elementary school's garden club up here for a swim and to collect native plants. The kids spill into the water, laughing, and Nova talks about his monitoring work on the river. It requires him to approach people who are fishing in the river and estuary, and ask them how many fish they've caught. 

"This is a really stressful job," he says. "We're conservationists, right? And we're trying to bring the fish back. But some of the tribal members don't understand why we have to close down the fishery. They get angry at me." 

Later in the afternoon, Nova drops the garden club off at a dock and continues downriver toward the mouth. He sees two men fishing with poles from a rock, and shouts: "You guys catch anything?" "No," they reply. One of them, Joe Vosburg of Eureka, says he's been fishing from this rock for 15 years, mostly with happy results until recently. "Last year was horrible," he says. "And it's bad now. Usually I catch a lot of fish at this rock, lots of 'em." 

Farther down, near the estuary, with the fog hunkering down and the tide coming in, Nova spies Yurok tribal council member Walt Lara Jr. [photo below] and his fishing partner in a boat with two guests they've taken out sport fishing. They've been out all day, with no bites. Lara, holding a pole in the water, says he's been involved in fisheries restoration activities for 30 years now. But he says all the plans, studies, chatter and millions of dollars "thrown at" the sick river from every direction have come to naught, because there's no follow-through from the feds. He'd like to sit down with President Bush, he says, and tell him what he's seen, and how the river is starved for water. 

[Photo at left: Sonny Downs cleaning his catch.] 

He might also tell him about the strange fish-stealing-seal incident that Nova recounted earlier in the day. Turns out, Lara was there. 

"I fish a lot," Lara Jr. says. "And right now is the time when the fish should be rolling out here. We should have seals barking in here. And we wouldn't have seals coming in here and stealing that little boy's fish off his linethat tells you something." Delton Sanders, 12, fishing from Lara's boat with his grandpa Jim Parker, smiles and recounts how he saw the seal swimming toward him before it lunged for his fish. "I was scared," he says. Lara Jr. continues: "We haven't seen any fish rolling and jumping. I used to fish here in my younger days, and they'd jump all over the place. In every school of fish, there's a percentage of biters, a percentage of jumpers, a percentage of rollers, and a percentage of fish that doesn't do anything. If you're not seeing any jumping, rolling, and biting, that means they're not coming in the river and filling in the holes this year." 

-- -- -- 

Away from the river, in offices flung up and down the coast and far inland, for decades now, people have been trying to figure out what to do about the sick Klamath River system. Zeke Grader, a San Francisco-based attorney for the PCFFA trade association, says recent efforts at cooperation between upstream farmers and downstream fishers need to progress. "They need to look at taking some more land out of agricultural production in the upper basin," Grader says. "So far, there has been no action on the upper river. I mean, there've been some Kumbaya sessions. But, a lot of the leaders up there are in big-time denial. They're not going to be able to survive even if they have all the water in the world -- they're doing potatoes, they're up against global competition. They'll probably have to look into other crops, specialty crops, maybe organics. They need to figure a way to have a higher value market, and reduce their demands on water." 

The "Kumbaya sessions" are meetings held by the Bureau of Reclamation, which brought in consultant Robert Chadwick to guide discussions between river adversaries. Reclamation, under mandate following a biological opinion from the National Marine Fisheries Service, is forming a basin-wide Conservation Implementation Program, which it hopes will draw all river users together to seek funds for restoring the river system, says Reclamation's Christine Karas, who has developed similar forums in other river basins and was brought in to develop the program. But Jill Geist, Humboldt County 5th District Supervisor, is critical of the process. "We haven't seen or heard anything from the Bureau of Reclamation on the CIP since last February," she says. The program offers no concrete source of funding, and has no authority, she says. "It's basically a defense of the status quo, which is `do nothing.'" Geist says the county would prefer that funding for the Klamath Restoration Plan be extended. That 20-year plan, part of the Klamath Act, sunsets next year. Under it, $20 million was allotted over its lifespan to agencies for studies and restoration projects. 

Greg Addington, with the Klamath Water Users Association, which represents upstream farmers, agrees more cooperation is needed. "I think that we actually haven't done enough of the talking with the downstream users, with the tribes in particular," he says. He says the Yuroks and some farmers have chatted informally, which he thinks is more productive than the Bureau's "Chadwick" sessions. Still, he's not impressed with "some of the fishing groups," such as the PCFFA. "They're very aggressive and they've got lawyers that do a lot of talking." It bothers him when people "make judgments, such as `low-value crop.' It's a judgment on how someone makes a living," he says. "It doesn't matter what they're growing up here. It's a free country, you can grow what you want." 

Addington points to where his water users have spent "hundreds of thousands of dollars restoring wetlands," and says the KWUA doesn't agree that farm water diversions are killing the Klamath River's fish. "Some people would say it's an old and naturally dying system," he says. "You can't go in there and say, man has caused this." 

Downstream, that's mostly what people are saying. Their noise is amplified lately. PacifiCorp's Klamath dam licenses expire next year, and the company is undergoing re-licensing. Why not just decommission the dams, ask people like Grader, and Bill Kier, an independent fisheries biologist who helped draft the Klamath Restoration Plan. Kier says thatplan has been ineffective because the bigger problems haven't been dealt with. 

"The plan identifies a number of water quality problems," says Kier. "And nobody likes to hear it, but the solution to pollution is still dilution. The problems then are the problems now. Have the water quality problems gone away? No. You get these great brown globs of yucky brown mud -- dead algae. The algae is fed by nutrients from irrigation. The phenomenon is called nutrient spiraling, and what appears to be happening is that the reservoirs, instead of acting as sinks, as the company contends -- this is the `river cleaning' fantasy that [PacifiCorp] has put out there -- the opposite is happening. The reservoirs appear to be increasing the amount of nitrogen products in the water. And we have actually seen data that shows nitrogen at such high levels they would be producing free ammonia. And free ammonia is absolutely lethal to juvenile salmon. And this phenomenon is happening mid-summer, when the baby salmon should be making their way down the river." 

He calls the hydroelectric dams "old, crappy, diseconomic, useless junk" that "are exacerbating the water quality problems and contributing to the decline of the salmon resource." 

The hydroelectric dams produce 151 megawatts annually, about 1 percent of the energy PacifiCorp produces at all of its generating plants. PacifiCorp has said in the past that while it didn't include providing fish passage in its re-licensing application to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, it isn't off the table. Meanwhile, the hydro project is being bought by another company, MidAmerican, and so far no one's heard that it plans on tearing down the dams. 

And until they go down, says Kier, no amount of studies, chats, or collaboration will achieve what many would most like to see: fish swimming through cold, clean water, all the way up to upper Klamath Lake. The tourism dollars alone from such a restored fishery could reap millions, says Kier. 

"For me," says Kier, turning philosophical, "salmon are a transcendent symbol. They're the ultimate integrator between land and sea. For me, if you take care of the salmon, the salmon will take care of you." 
  




From danielbacher at hotmail.com  Mon Aug 29 11:09:21 2005
From: danielbacher at hotmail.com (Daniel Bacher)
Date: Mon, 29 Aug 2005 11:09:21 -0700
Subject: [env-trinity] CSPA Advisory: Governors Staff Drops The Ball on
	Delta Fish!
Message-ID: <BAY16-F367E1E2760A4849981CF1DBAF0@phx.gbl>

CSPA Advisory:

Governor?s Staff Drops The Ball!

The South Delta Improvement Project (SDIP) - Moving Forward!

[Or, if you build it, they will come? -  ?Field of Dreams?)

The campaign to stop the SDIP and additional water exports from the Delta 
until the estuary?s foodweb and fisheries are restored has made an impact. 
The fishing and environmental community have put on enough pressure to delay 
the decision to export more water out of the Delta, but if we want to win 
the battle, then all the people who SHOULD HAVE emailed the Governor need to 
engage now!

Our last advisory contained a copy of the letter we sent to the Governor on 
behalf of the ?Allied Fishing Groups.? In this letter we carefully explained 
why we opposed any additional Delta exports. We asked for no more than what 
the government promised the public when they completed the CALFED Bay-Delta 
Program. This wasn?t the first time the government promised to restore our 
fisheries. If they had honored the Central Valley Project Improvement Act 
passed by Congress in1992, the anadromous fisheries of the Central Valley 
would have been doubled and maintained at viable levels by 2002.

The response to our letter from the Governor?s staff failed to address the 
crucial issues we raised! Instead they thanked us for ?supporting additional 
funding for CALFED,? the very program that has failed to achieve the 
restoration promises made to the public! Given the magnitude of what is at 
stake, if the giant holes in the food web are not self correcting, we will 
surely see more parts of the food web collapse and additional declines of 
Central Valley salmon, steelhead, striped bass and American shad. If losing 
the productivity of the Delta is not bad enough, this could result in 
additional closures in salmon and steelhead fisheries.

Below you will find the Governor?s contact information and a copy of a 
letter his staff sent to many of those who emailed him asking for his help. 
That letter basically says it is OK for the SDIP to move forward, build the 
SDIP infrastructure and re-engineer the southern Delta. Once complete, then 
the government would decide if they want to increase exports from 6,680 cfs 
to 8,500 cfs, with other possible increases up to 10,500 cfs down the road.

They are going to do this while they try to scientifically determine the 
causes for the food web and fishery declines. If such a determination is 
possible it will probably take years of research. It makes little economic 
or policy sense to build additional export capacity and then find out it is 
the amount of water being exported that is driving the estuary into 
oblivion.

The handwriting is on the wall! When the government spends millions of 
dollars on a project, they intend to put it to use and that?s exactly what 
is likely to happen if they build more of the ?Through Delta? facility 
infrastructure. While they couch this in terms that sound good, one must 
remember that ?spin masters? abound in government and they would love you to 
be spun around by concepts like ?reducing the straying of San Joaquin salmon 
into the south Delta.?

What their email fails to note is that the salmon ?stray? into the southern 
Delta because the water projects pumps suck them out of the lower San 
Joaquin River channels in the Delta into those of the water projects. They 
want to build permanent barriers to ?reduce? the very impact they have 
created! It?s unfortunate the letter from our government could not manage to 
put this project element in the proper perspective!

The angling and commercial fishing groups have opposed building any part of 
this project until the problems with the estuary?s foodweb have been 
corrected and our fishery resources re-established at viable, 
self-sustaining levels. If and when the governments long unfulfilled promise 
is kept, then other considerations could be discussed that were not counter 
productive to the management and protection of the Delta?s aquatic 
resources.

Unfortunately, our groups may take all the public policy positions we like, 
but that does not mean the government will seriously consider our 
perspective. You ?collectively? have the power to make them listen!

Now is the time to let the Governor know that you are taking a stand for the 
estuary and its fisheries while there is still a reasonable opportunity to 
restore them! The best way to stop the SDIP is to contact Governor Arnold 
Schwarzenegger.

You can email the Governor by going to http://www.govmail.ca.gov where you 
can fill out the email form and send it to his office. Or you can send a 
letter or card to him at:

Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger
State Capitol Building
Sacramento, CA 95814

You can also call (916-445-2841) or fax (916-445-4633) his office. The 
message is simple. Ask the Governor to stop the plans of the Department of 
Water Resources to implement the South Delta Improvement Project and the 
export of any additional water out of Delta until our estuary and its 
fisheries are restored. Tell him that we?ve had a decade of broken promises 
that these public resources would be restored. Given the collapse of the 
Delta food web, now is the time to restore the estuary and our fisheries 
before any more water is exported out of the estuary!

You can mention that DWR?s recently released Bulletin 160 clearly 
demonstrates that the state's water needs will be met for at least the next 
decade with the existing water infrastructure. There is no water crisis that 
would justify the destruction of the Delta! It is time to raise our 
collective voice. The estuary is truly at stake!

For those who would like to see how the Governor?s staff is dealing with 
this situation, below I have provided a copy of the email from the 
Governor?s Office of Constituent Affairs. This document has been received by 
a number of our members and fishing groups in response to their email urging 
the Governor to put a halt to the SDIP.

John Beuttler
For CSPA


Email Communication
Sent 8-19-05
Re: Delta Fisheries

Thank you for your email expressing your opposition to increased water 
pumping from the San Francisco Bay-Delta. The work to ensure that California 
has enough water to support its growing population and economy, as well as 
to restore and maintain its ecological treasures, is both difficult and 
never-ending.

As you know, the CALFED Bay-Delta Program plays an important role in meeting 
California's future water needs and it must be part of the long-term water 
resource investment strategy for the state. Governor Schwarzenegger has 
directed Resources Agency Secretary Chrisman to work with the Secretaries 
for Food and Agriculture, Environmental Protection and the Chair of the 
California Bay-Delta Authority to develop just such a long-term strategy for 
stable water resources investment funding. This long-term funding strategy 
will ensure that we continue to improve water supply reliability, protect 
water quality and restore our ecosystems to support California's needs.

The Department of Water Resources (DWR) recently announced plans to release 
a draft Environmental Impact Report/Environmental Impact Statement (EIR/S) 
for the South Delta Improvements Program (SDIP). Objectives of the SDIP 
program include reducing the straying of San Joaquin salmon into the south 
Delta, maintaining adequate water levels and quality for local farmers and 
improving the State Water Project's delivery capability.

The proposed plan will be staged in two parts. The first stage involves 
physical components and would be accomplished by installing permanent 
operable gates, performing limited dredging and extending some agricultural 
diversions in the south
Delta.

The second stage, involving changes to increase the maximum rate at which 
the State Water Project is permitted to pump water from the Delta beginning 
in 2009, can be accomplished with no new construction. It is important to 
emphasize that while stage two planning will be underway during 
implementation of stage one, no action regarding increased pumping will take 
place until a decision is made on stage one.

The current water export limit is 6,680 cubic feet per second (except in the 
winter when the volume may be higher.) The proposed increase would bring the 
new pumping volume up to 8,500 cubic feet per second. Although this appears 
to be an increase of 27%, environmental constraints and hydrologic 
conditions would only allow the annual amount of water pumped to increase by 
less than 1% to 3%, depending on the alternate evaluated by the SDIP.

Recently, there have been declines in the population of several Delta fish 
species. Although the exact reason is not yet known, some theories include 
pesticides, invasive species and changes in State and Federal water 
operations. The Interagency Ecological Program has begun an aggressive $1.7 
million augmentation of existing studies to look at the possible causes.

As this study proceeds, the DWR plans to release the draft EIR/S for the 
SDIP. This will give the public an opportunity to thoroughly review the plan 
and provide comments on the proposals. DWR officials will hold a series of 
workshops throughout the State to provide information, respond to questions 
and concerns and solicit recommendations. This public participation is vital 
to the decision-making process and the eventual implementation of any water 
use plan.

Again, thank you for your email. In California, we are faced with the 
difficult task of regulating a limited water supply so as to guarantee 
adequate resources for farming, industry, neighborhoods and wildlife. 
Together, we can meet the challenge.

Sincerely,


James Hicks
Office of Constituent Affairs


CSPA is a non-profit - public benefit organization dedicated to restoring 
fisheries and their habitat. We engage in variety of aquatic efforts and 
issues to ensure our fisheries have habitat they need to be self sustaining 
and to stay that way. You can support our conservation efforts by becoming a 
member.?  Donations are tax-deductible, greatly needed and most appreciated. 
Send checks to CSPA at1360 Neilson Street, Berkeley, CA 94702-1116. 
Membership starts a $25. If you are a member, then you know of the good work 
we do, so sign up a friend and help us restore our fisheries!




From tstokely at trinityalps.net  Tue Aug 30 12:00:54 2005
From: tstokely at trinityalps.net (tstokely at trinityalps.net)
Date: Tue, 30 Aug 2005 15:00:54 -0400
Subject: [env-trinity] San Luis Obispo Comments on San Luis Drainage DEIS
Message-ID: <380-22005823019054817@M2W027.mail2web.com>

DUMPING OF CONTAMINATED WATER:
Deadline nears for pipeline critics; County officials repeat opposition to
dumping toxic Central Valley water off Cayucos coast
San Luis Obispo Tribune ? 8/29/05
By Bob Cuddy, staff writer
 
As the Thursday deadline for public comment approaches, San Luis Obispo
County officials have reiterated their opposition to a proposal that could
bring selenium-tainted water from the Central Valley to Estero Bay.

 

The federal Bureau of Reclamation already has said that the so-called
"ocean disposal alternative" is unlikely. But those concerned with
protecting the county's coastline are treating it as still very much on the
table and are fighting it vigorously.

 

"This is one of those stealth kinds of things that kind of sneaks in under
the radar," said Christine Mulholland, a San Luis Obispo city councilwoman
and member of the county's Water Resources Advisory Committee.

 

Planning Commissioner Bruce Gibson, who lives in Cayucos, said stopping the
pipeline "is like a 2-foot putt: We should be able to do it (easily)."

 

 But taking things for granted is a bad idea, he said. "This (protesting)
is a dance we have to do."

 

He said Central Valley agribusiness is politically powerful and could
pressure the federal government to ship the waste to the ocean.

 

The bureau wants to get rid of the polluted water that has plagued the
Central Valley for decades and is being stored there. The problem reached
the public's consciousness in the early 1980s, when agricultural runoff
tainted with the mineral selenium killed thousands of birds at the
Kesterson Wildlife Refuge. The federal government has been trying ever
since to find a safe way to dispose of the wastewater.

 

The bureau has been floating several options, one of which, the ocean
disposal alternative, would allow the bureau to build a pipeline from the
valley to Point Estero and dump the toxic water into the Pacific Ocean.

 

The dump site would be approximately 1.4 miles west of Cayucos at a depth
of 200 feet.

 

Other options include treating the water and dumping it in the Sacramento
River delta at either Chipps Island or the Carquinez Straits; and treating
it, reusing half of it and putting the rest in evaporation ponds.

 

 

The alternatives are outlined in a 900-page environmental impact statement.

Officials and individuals throughout the county have been arguing all
summer against the ocean disposal alternative, and residents massed in
opposition at a July 14 meeting in Cayucos. The Board of Supervisors
recently reiterated its opposition.

 

The advisory committee outlined numerous objections, including:

 

? The route of the 42-inch-diameter pipeline is not well-defined and could
run too close to the Whale Rock Reservoir;

 

? The EIS did not address possible pipeline failure;

 

? The report did not study the possible effects on Estero Bay; and

 

? The report did not outline either costs of energy or how the bureau plans
to reimburse property owners who would have to give over part of their land
to the pipeline.

 

In fact, said the committee's Frank Honeycutt, the biggest problem with the
environmental statement is its general lack of information.

 

"They vaguely have a route" for the pipeline, he said, and much of the rest
of the information also is vague.

 

Jeff McCracken of the Bureau of Reclamation said Friday that the bureau
expects to have a decision by July 2006. He said it is likely to be an
in-valley alternative because the other options would take more time to
implement, especially building a pipeline to the ocean.

 

"We have to be up and running by 2009," McCracken said. #

http://www.sanluisobispo.com/mld/sanluisobispotribune/living/community/12504
034.htm

 


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mail2web - Check your email from the web at
http://mail2web.com/ .





From Gfredlee at aol.com  Tue Aug 30 12:45:03 2005
From: Gfredlee at aol.com (Gfredlee at aol.com)
Date: Tue, 30 Aug 2005 15:45:03 EDT
Subject: [env-trinity] Stormwater Runoff Water Quality Newsletter NL 8-5
Message-ID: <ce.6f1e21a9.3046113f@aol.com>

 
Attached in Adobe pdf is the Stormwater Runoff  Water Quality 
Science/Engineering Newsletter Volume NL 8-5.  This Newsletter is devoted to providing  
information on unrecognized  pollutants and a recent US EPA workshop devoted to 
Pharmaceuticals in the  Environment.  Also included in  this Newsletter are 
several announcements of meetings, conference proceedings  and other materials that 
may be of interest to readers of this Newsletter.  
If you do not have Adobe Reader 6.0 on your  computer, you may wish to 
download it at no cost from www.adobe.com.   
This Newsletter is in its eighth year of  publication.  Past issues of this  
Newsletter and a Newsletter index are available at www.gfredlee.com. 
If you have questions or comments on this or  past Newsletters please contact 
Dr. Anne Jones-Lee at gfredlee at aol.com.   
If you do not wish to receive future issues of the  Newsletter or if you are 
receiving duplicate copies of it, please send a ?reply?  with the word ?
remove.?  In your response please include the  email address that you wish to have 
removed.  If there are others who wish to be added  to the Newsletter email 
list please have them send an email to  gfredlee at aol.com. 

G. Fred Lee,  PhD, DEE, AAEE Bd. Cert. Env. Eng.
G. Fred Lee & Associates
27298 E.  El Macero Dr.
El Macero, CA 95618-1005
Ph 530 753-9630, Fx 530  753-9956
Cell 916 712-7399 
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From jallen at trinitycounty.org  Thu Sep  1 14:12:49 2005
From: jallen at trinitycounty.org (Josh Allen)
Date: Thu, 1 Sep 2005 14:12:49 -0700
Subject: [env-trinity] Super-sized dam could be a cash register for
	California farmers
Message-ID: <099F81D877F1044DA24BA95E0CE0926301290CC1@mail2.trinitycounty.org>

High Country News Vol. 37 No. 15 | August 22, 2005 

 

http://www.hcn.org/servlets/hcn.PrintableArticle?article_id=15720 


Super-sized dam could be a cash register for California farmers


by Hilary Watts


New federal contracts give water districts more than they need


At a time when some dam engineers are biting the environmental bullet
and tearing down the concrete that once defined their existence, the
Bureau of Reclamation is trying to figure out how to make the largest
dam in California even bigger. 

The Bureau is in the process of renewing its 25-year contracts with the
more than 200 water districts that receive water from the 20 dams and
reservoirs that make up the Central Valley Project, or CVP. 

The Bureau has been able to make full deliveries to the districts in
only 13 of the last 17 years. But late last year, Reclamation Chief John
Keys pledged to deliver full quantities to water districts under the new
contracts. At the same time, the Bureau has promised to meet growing
urban water demands and restore the San Francisco Bay Delta under the
CALFED program (HCN, 9/30/02: Delta Blues). 

Doing all this will require expanding dams or developing other water
projects, all at taxpayer expense. Ironically, this could give water
districts more water than they can actually use, at incredibly cheap
prices: $15 for an acre-foot, or 325,851 gallons. Cities can pay between
eight and 33 times that. 

Although most irrigation districts say they just want to make their
supplies more reliable, some critics claim that the districts will be
able to market their extra water to thirsty cities. The watchdog
organization Environmental Working Group speculates in a March report
that the new contracts "will set up the districts to reap windfall
profits by reselling water at much higher prices." 


More water than land


Essentially, Reclamation has committed to delivering about 1 million
more acre-feet of water than is available in the Central Valley Project
today. To capture that water, the agency is considering an array of
possibilities: enlarging either Shasta Dam near Redding, Los Vaqueros
Dam in the San Francisco Bay area, or Friant Dam near Fresno; or
building a brand-new dam northwest of Yuba City. The Bureau is also
contemplating storing water on islands in the Bay Delta or in
underground aquifers. 

The most likely option, because of its comparatively cheap cost, is
raising Shasta Dam. Currently, the reservoir can hold more than 4.5
million acre-feet of water. Adding another 6.5 to 18.5 feet to the dam
will increase its storage capacity by 6 percent to 14 percent. The
environmental impact statement on the dam-raising should be finished by
2007. 

One of the biggest beneficiaries of a taller Shasta Dam will be
Westlands Water District, arguably the largest agricultural district in
the United States. With more than 600,000 acres and nearly 600 farms,
Westlands receives 14 percent of the water in the CVP. 

But to cope with dwindling supplies in dry years, Westlands, like many
water districts, has fallowed land and lined ditches with concrete.
Farmers in Westlands have already taken 11 percent of their land out of
production, and the Bureau of Reclamation is now considering fallowing
another 39 percent because it is contaminated with selenium (HCN,
4/14/03: Westlands farmers sell out). 

Nonetheless, Westlands' new contract will guarantee it the same amount
of water it was promised 25 years ago. "That's the irony of all this,"
says Hal Candee, senior attorney with Natural Resources Defense Council.
"They're proposing to renew the contract at the full amount, while
simultaneously the same agency wants to take half the land out of
production." 

Rep. George Miller, D-Calif., who has long pushed to reform the CVP, has
raised concerns about the districts reselling their water. In a February
letter to Interior Secretary Gale Norton, Miller asked whether the
government was essentially trying to "outsource the management of the
CVP water supply to current CVP contractors - who collect substantial
personal profits from sales." 

Bureau spokesman Jeff McCracken says the view that water districts will
sell any excess water is "probably an illusion." He says, "No one is
getting rich selling CVP water." 

Will water flow south? 

The most likely customer for water is the Metropolitan Water District of
Southern California, which supplies water to 18 million people in Los
Angeles and San Diego. After California agreed in 2003 to end its
overuse of Colorado River water, the agency has been scouting out
replacement supplies within the state. Metropolitan has tried to lease
Central Valley Project water several times, though it has never actually
completed a deal. 

In 2002, Metropolitan signed a $125 per acre-foot deal with one CVP
customer, the Glenn-Colusa Irrigation District north of Sacramento. But
the agreement only allows Metropolitan to lease water from farmers whose
rights pre-date the water project - and only during drought years.
Metropolitan is still interested in pursuing actual CVP water. 

"We'd consider any seller," says James Roberts, the chief deputy general
counsel for Metropolitan. One hurdle that has kept his agency from
pursuing CVP water more aggressively is the $50 to $60 per acre-foot
fees the Bureau would impose on such transfers. Those, he says, "would
put that seller at quite a disadvantage." 

That's likely to change, however, as demand for water increases and the
market gets tighter during the next 25 years. Says Candee, "It's safe to
say that heavily subsidized CVP water is an extremely valuable asset for
any irrigation district." 


The author writes from Paonia, Colorado.


 

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From jallen at trinitycounty.org  Thu Sep  1 14:37:51 2005
From: jallen at trinitycounty.org (Josh Allen)
Date: Thu, 1 Sep 2005 14:37:51 -0700
Subject: [env-trinity] Judge rejects Klamath farmers' water claim
Message-ID: <099F81D877F1044DA24BA95E0CE0926301290CCA@mail2.trinitycounty.org>

Judge rejects Klamath farmers' water claim 

http://www.kgw.com/sharedcontent/APStories/stories/D8CB68JG0.html 

09/01/2005 

By WILLIAM McCALL  / Associated Press 
  

A federal judge on Wednesday rejected a $100 million claim by Klamath
River Basin 
irrigators who argued the government owed them compensation for water
diverted 
from agriculture in 2001 to protect salmon. 

U.S. Court of Federal Claims Judge Francis M. Allegra called the claim
"unrealistic" and 
a "fantasy" in a 52-page opinion issued in Washington, D.C. 

He said the irrigators had no property rights to the water, rejecting
their argument that 
diverting it for salmon amounted to an unconstitutional "taking" of
private property by 
the government. 

"This ruling is important because it rejects a pretty extreme view of
property rights and 
water law," said Todd True, an attorney for Earthjustice, an
environmental law firm 
involved in the case. 

Roger Marzulla, the attorney for the association, which represents about
two dozen 
irrigators, said an appeal was likely. 

"What's wrong with this decision is it reverses 100 years of reclamation
law," Marzulla 
said. 

He said the ruling gives the federal government "absolute authority and
control over all 
irrigation in the West" - control that is "a very scary prospect for
farmers." 

One of the farmers leading the battle also called it a bad decision. 

"I would give you a bigger perspective that it is bad for America when
citizens are 
deprived of the ability to make a living," said Lynn Long, a member of
the Klamath 
Water Users Association board of directors. 

He said courts have been too liberal in interpreting property rights
laws, causing 
problems for farmers and areas of the country that rely heavily on
agriculture. 

"We don't have a water crisis in America, we have a judicial crisis,"
Long said. 

True, however, said the ruling reflects a more mainstream legal view
about property 
rights. 

"Water is a resource that has to be shared and does not belong to one
group," True said. 
"And there has to be a fair balance about how it's used." 

Deciding how to manage and allocate water has been a difficult problem
in the Klamath 
Basin ever since the Klamath Project to reclaim farm land was first
authorized by 
Congress in 1905. 

The U.S. Bureau of Reclamation must balance the needs of endangered
sucker fish in 
Upper Klamath Lake and threatened coho salmon in the Klamath River with
more than 
1,000 farms in the Klamath Reclamation District, a sprawling area which
lies in the dry 
highlands east of the Cascade Range along the California border. 

Allegra ruled that fishermen and American Indian tribes also had to be
considered by 
federal water managers, along with fish and wildlife - key arguments by
the 
government and the Pacific Coast Federation of Fishermen's Associations,
which was 
allowed to intervene in the case and represented by Earthjustice. 

The federation and Earthjustice also argued that requiring payment for
water used to 
protect threatened or endangered species could undermine the Endangered
Species Act 
by making it too costly to enforce. 

Allegra said the irrigators may have a contractual claim to the water,
but suggested the 
case was weak and they "face an uphill battle." 

The Klamath Water Users Association orginally had claimed irrigators
were owed $1 
billion in compensation for the diversions water that sent about a third
of their allotted 
water to help threatened coho salmon in 2001. The association later
reduced that claim 
to $100 million. 

 

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From jallen at trinitycounty.org  Thu Sep  1 14:45:15 2005
From: jallen at trinitycounty.org (Josh Allen)
Date: Thu, 1 Sep 2005 14:45:15 -0700
Subject: [env-trinity] Findings on plummeting salmon populations at 8th
	World Wilderness Congress
Message-ID: <099F81D877F1044DA24BA95E0CE0926301290CCC@mail2.trinitycounty.org>

http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2005-09/ci-fop090105.php 

Findings on plummeting salmon populations at 8th World Wilderness
Congress

First congress in United States since 1987 begins this month

September 1, 2005 (Washington, DC) - Close to 25 percent of all Pacific
salmon species studied are at risk of extinction, according to the Atlas
of the Pacific Salmon, released by State of the Salmon, a joint project
between The Wild Salmon Center and Ecotrust. 

The study represents the first map-based measurement of the condition of
North Pacific salmon through their entire lifespan. 

The book's findings show that Pacific salmon appear to be headed in the
same direction as their Atlantic counterparts. Half of all wild Atlantic
salmon stocks are either extinct or in great decline. But although
biologists, fishery managers and conservationists know a fair amount
about the reasons for the decline in Atlantic salmon, they lack similar
information for Pacific salmon. 

"We know we are losing Pacific salmon species at an alarming rate, but
we've been driving blind in our efforts to save them," said Dr.
Xanthippe Augerot, co-director of State of the Salmon. "The Atlas will
help remedy the chronic lack of information that's been hampering our
efforts." 

The conclusions published in the Atlas are the result of ten years of
research undertaken by Dr. Augerot and her colleagues. The book proposes
four approaches to solving these large-scale challenges: an
international monitoring system; more effective fisheries management;
increased conservation efforts; and improved partnerships to protect
salmon throughout the entire Pacific Rim. 

The Atlas also details threats to salmon populations, which include
climate change, water diversions for hydro and agriculture needs, and
habitat loss. 

On Wednesday, October 8, Dr. Augerot will moderate a session at the
World Wilderness Congress with five of the world's leaders on Pacific
salmon conservation. Reporters are welcome to attend. 

###

ABOUT THE CONGRESS: 

The 8th World Wilderness Congress (WWC) will be held from September 30 -
October 6, 2005 at the Egan Convention Center in Anchorage, Alaska, 

The Congress is expected to attract more than 1,000 experts from 55
countries, including numerous high-profile and senior-level political
and corporate speakers. 

Confirmed speakers include: leaders and representatives of indigenous
and tribal communities from close to 30 nations on six continents; David
Rockefeller Jr.; Governor Walter Hickel; Len Good, CEO, The Global
Environmental Facility; Carlos Manuel Rodriguez, Minister of
Environment, Costa Rica; David Quammen, author; Grand Chief Herb
Norwegian, Deh Cho Nation, Canada; Dr. Michael Fay, Wildlife
Conservation Society; Dale Bosworth, Chief, USDA Forest Service; Dr.
Willem van Reit, President, Peace Parks Foundation, South Africa; Bittu
Sahgal, President, Sanctuary Asia; and Dr. Sylvia Earle, Executive
Director, Marine Conservation, Conservation International. 

The theme for the 8th WWC is Wilderness, Wildlands and People: A
Partnership for the Planet. It will generate the most up-to-date and
accurate information on the benefits of wilderness and wildlands to
contemporary and traditional societies, and will review the best models
for balancing wilderness and wildlands conservation with human needs. 

The Congress, founded in 1977, was the first international environmental
gathering to include indigenous people and always focuses on wilderness
and people. 

The Congress has already issued four news releases detailing expected
news highlights, available at http://www.8wwc.org/press.htm. 

CONTACT INFORMATION FOR JOURNALISTS:
Journalists interested in registering for the Congress should send an
e-mail to media at 8wwc.org. More information about the Congress is
available at www.8wwc.org. 

THROUGH SEPTEMBER 15, JOURNALISTS MAY CONTACT BRAD PHILLIPS AT
Brad at PhillipsMediaRelations.com or 202-776-0640. 

AFTER SEPTEMBER 15, JOURNALISTS MAY CONTACT KATHY DAY AT
kathyday at gci.net or (907) 868-4884. 

 

 

 

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From bwl3 at comcast.net  Thu Sep  1 15:30:47 2005
From: bwl3 at comcast.net (Byron )
Date: Thu, 1 Sep 2005 15:30:47 -0700
Subject: [env-trinity] High Country News August 22, 2005
Message-ID: <20050901223200.018E4200098E@mx.dcn.davis.ca.us>

Actually, the Bureau is contracting to deliver 1.5 million acre feet of more
developed water than exists, and  controlled by it, rather than the 1
million mentioned in the article.   

 

Byron

 

 

High Country News Vol. 37 No. 15 | August 22, 2005 

 

http://www.hcn.org/servlets/hcn.PrintableArticle?article_id=15720 


Super-sized dam could be a cash register for California farmers


by Hilary Watts


New federal contracts give water districts more than they need


At a time when some dam engineers are biting the environmental bullet and
tearing down the concrete that once defined their existence, the Bureau of
Reclamation is trying to figure out how to make the largest dam in
California even bigger. 

The Bureau is in the process of renewing its 25-year contracts with the more
than 200 water districts that receive water from the 20 dams and reservoirs
that make up the Central Valley Project, or CVP. 

The Bureau has been able to make full deliveries to the districts in only 13
of the last 17 years. But late last year, Reclamation Chief John Keys
pledged to deliver full quantities to water districts under the new
contracts. At the same time, the Bureau has promised to meet growing urban
water demands and restore the San Francisco Bay Delta under the CALFED
program (HCN, 9/30/02: Delta Blues). 

Doing all this will require expanding dams or developing other water
projects, all at taxpayer expense. Ironically, this could give water
districts more water than they can actually use, at incredibly cheap prices:
$15 for an acre-foot, or 325,851 gallons. Cities can pay between eight and
33 times that. 

Although most irrigation districts say they just want to make their supplies
more reliable, some critics claim that the districts will be able to market
their extra water to thirsty cities. The watchdog organization Environmental
Working Group speculates in a March report that the new contracts "will set
up the districts to reap windfall profits by reselling water at much higher
prices." 


More water than land


Essentially, Reclamation has committed to delivering about 1 million more
acre-feet of water than is available in the Central Valley Project today. To
capture that water, the agency is considering an array of possibilities:
enlarging either Shasta Dam near Redding, Los Vaqueros Dam in the San
Francisco Bay area, or Friant Dam near Fresno; or building a brand-new dam
northwest of Yuba City. The Bureau is also contemplating storing water on
islands in the Bay Delta or in underground aquifers. 

The most likely option, because of its comparatively cheap cost, is raising
Shasta Dam. Currently, the reservoir can hold more than 4.5 million
acre-feet of water. Adding another 6.5 to 18.5 feet to the dam will increase
its storage capacity by 6 percent to 14 percent. The environmental impact
statement on the dam-raising should be finished by 2007. 

One of the biggest beneficiaries of a taller Shasta Dam will be Westlands
Water District, arguably the largest agricultural district in the United
States. With more than 600,000 acres and nearly 600 farms, Westlands
receives 14 percent of the water in the CVP. 

But to cope with dwindling supplies in dry years, Westlands, like many water
districts, has fallowed land and lined ditches with concrete. Farmers in
Westlands have already taken 11 percent of their land out of production, and
the Bureau of Reclamation is now considering fallowing another 39 percent
because it is contaminated with selenium (HCN, 4/14/03: Westlands farmers
sell out). 

Nonetheless, Westlands' new contract will guarantee it the same amount of
water it was promised 25 years ago. "That's the irony of all this," says Hal
Candee, senior attorney with Natural Resources Defense Council. "They're
proposing to renew the contract at the full amount, while simultaneously the
same agency wants to take half the land out of production." 

Rep. George Miller, D-Calif., who has long pushed to reform the CVP, has
raised concerns about the districts reselling their water. In a February
letter to Interior Secretary Gale Norton, Miller asked whether the
government was essentially trying to "outsource the management of the CVP
water supply to current CVP contractors - who collect substantial personal
profits from sales." 

Bureau spokesman Jeff McCracken says the view that water districts will sell
any excess water is "probably an illusion." He says, "No one is getting rich
selling CVP water." 

Will water flow south? 

The most likely customer for water is the Metropolitan Water District of
Southern California, which supplies water to 18 million people in Los
Angeles and San Diego. After California agreed in 2003 to end its overuse of
Colorado River water, the agency has been scouting out replacement supplies
within the state. Metropolitan has tried to lease Central Valley Project
water several times, though it has never actually completed a deal. 

In 2002, Metropolitan signed a $125 per acre-foot deal with one CVP
customer, the Glenn-Colusa Irrigation District north of Sacramento. But the
agreement only allows Metropolitan to lease water from farmers whose rights
pre-date the water project - and only during drought years. Metropolitan is
still interested in pursuing actual CVP water. 

"We'd consider any seller," says James Roberts, the chief deputy general
counsel for Metropolitan. One hurdle that has kept his agency from pursuing
CVP water more aggressively is the $50 to $60 per acre-foot fees the Bureau
would impose on such transfers. Those, he says, "would put that seller at
quite a disadvantage." 

That's likely to change, however, as demand for water increases and the
market gets tighter during the next 25 years. Says Candee, "It's safe to say
that heavily subsidized CVP water is an extremely valuable asset for any
irrigation district." 


The author writes from Paonia, Colorado.


 

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From danielbacher at hotmail.com  Thu Sep  1 16:12:19 2005
From: danielbacher at hotmail.com (Daniel Bacher)
Date: Thu, 01 Sep 2005 16:12:19 -0700
Subject: [env-trinity] Hoopa Valley Tribe Asks For Hearing On Klamath Dams!
Message-ID: <BAY16-F18E1A78879B8FB608FDF2BDBA00@phx.gbl>

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Aug. 31, 2005

Media Contacts:
Clifford Lyle Marshall  (530) 625-42ll
Mike Orcutt  (530) 625-4367 ext. 13
Tod Bedrosian  (916)421-5121


HOOPA VALLEY TRIBE ASKS CALIFORNIA PUBLIC UTILITY COMMISSION TO DENY REQUEST 
TO ELIMINATE PUBLIC HEARING ON SALE OF KLAMATH RIVER HYDROPOWER DAMS

Hoopa, Calif.  The Hoopa Valley Tribe of northern California has asked the 
California Public Utilities Commission (PUC) to deny a request from 
PacifiCorp and MidAmerican Energy to eliminate a public hearing on a $9.4 
billion deal to transfer ownership of hydropower dams on the Klamath River. 
The tribe is at the forefront of a growing community of Native American and 
environmental groups concerned MidAmerican Energy may not have the 
inclination or sufficient resources to make fish restoration improvements at 
the aging dams.

"The Hoopa Valley Tribe is not opposed to the sale per se," said Hoopa 
Tribal Chairman Clifford Lyle Marshall. "We just want to make sure that an 
opportunity is not lost for Californians to ensure that salmon passage 
around these dams is established and maintained to accommodate the needs of 
the Klamath River."

In an Aug. 17, formal protest to Judge Timothy Kenney the tribe's counsel, 
Tom Schlosser, noted, "The Klamath Hydroelectric Project blocks 300 miles of 
historic anadromous fish habitat and its operations have a significant 
adverse effect on resident fish both within and downstream of the project." 
Hoopa tribal leaders are concerned because the Klamath River crosses the 
Hoopa Valley Reservation. The reservation is also bisected by the Trinity 
River, the largest tributary to the Klamath River.

"The power companies' request to not have a public hearing on this transfer 
of ownership
is a denial of the public's the right to comment on many complex issues," 
said Marshall. "The law has changed significantly since the Klamath Project 
was built in l917 and licensed in l956. During these years the dams have 
diminished the salmon populations. There should be a public hearing to learn 
how future owners will protect the river's habitat and the salmon because 
decisions made today will affect the Klamath River for decades, and 
generations of Indian people."

"PacifiCorp (a subsidiary to Scottish Power) and MidAmerican Energy Holding 
Company asked the PUC for a blanket exemption from the PUC approval 
provisions of California Public Utilities Commission Section 854(a) for a 
major pending utility sale," Schlosser noted, "This exemption is neither 
appropriate, not does it serve any public interest to actually prevent 
public scrutiny of this public sale, which will affect ratepayers in six 
states, including California.? He said the utilities contended the impact on 
California was minimal. These inefficient and aging dams may only provide a 
small portion of California's energy grid, but the environmental impact on 
the rivers is huge. To allow this sale without giving Californians a chance 
to comment is unconscionable."

PacifiCorp's 50-year-old license, due to expire in February of 2006, is also 
being reviewed by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC). The 
renewal issue has become an environmental hotspot because of historic 
endangered salmon mortalities on the Klamath and Trinity rivers.

Native American delegations comprised of Hoopa, Yurok and Karuk Indians have 
traveled twice to Scotland recently to ask Scottish Power executives to tear 
down at least three of the Klamath dams.




From danielbacher at hotmail.com  Fri Sep  2 16:08:31 2005
From: danielbacher at hotmail.com (Daniel Bacher)
Date: Fri, 02 Sep 2005 16:08:31 -0700
Subject: [env-trinity] Sen. Chesbro,
	Hoopa Tribe Want Hearing On Klamath Dams' Sale
Message-ID: <BAY16-F20731742C6E9DDFAD8A6ABDBA30@phx.gbl>

Hoopa Valley Tribe, Senator Chesbro Want Hearing On Klamath Dams Sale

by Dan Bacher

The Hoopa Valley Tribe, State Senator Wes Chesbro and Assemblywoman Patty 
Berg are asking the California Public Utilities Commission (PUC) to deny a 
request to eliminate a public hearing on ownership transfer of hydropower 
dams on the Klamath River.

MidAmerican Energy, owned by billionaire investor Warren Buffet, is 
proposing to purchase PacifiCorp, which currently owns six dams on the 
Klamath River, in a landmark deal. PacifiCorp is owned by Scottish Power, a 
multi-national energy company headquartered in Edinburgh Scottland.

The tribe is at the forefront of a growing movement of Native American, 
fishing groups and environmental organizations that are concerned 
MidAmerican Energy may not have the inclination or sufficient resources to 
make fish restoration improvements at the aging dams.

Four Klamath River tribes ? the Hoopa, Yurok, Karuk and Klamath ? returned 
from their second trip to Scotland this July. Although they talked with 
Scottish Power leaders and attended the annual shareholders meeting, they 
received no commitment from Scottish Power to remove the Klamath dams to 
provide for passage for salmon and steelhead to return to their historical 
habitat.

"The Hoopa Valley Tribe is not opposed to the sale per se," said Hoopa 
Tribal Chairman Clifford Lyle Marshall. "We just want to make sure that an 
opportunity is not lost for Californians to ensure that salmon passage 
around these dams is established and maintained to accommodate the needs of 
the Klamath River."

In at letter to the PUC on September 1, Senator Wes Chesbro said, ?It does 
not serve any public interest to actually prevent public scrutiny of this 
pending sale, which will affect ratepayers in six states, including 
California.?

PacifiCorp owns and operates three ?highly controversial dams? on the 
California side of the Klamath River (Iron Gate Dam, CopCo 1 and CopCo 2) 
that block passage for salmon, steelhead and other species, causing serious 
water quality problems for the river that has contributed to high levels of 
salmon mortality, according to Chesbro.

?The impact of these dams, and the consequent loss of salmon in the river, 
has been and remains an enormous problem for members of the Yurok, Hoopa 
Valley and Karuk Tribes, for many in-river businesses and for 
salmon-dependent fishing communities throughout Northern California, 
including ports far down the California coastline,? Chesbro stated,

In an Aug. 17 formal protest to Judge Timothy Kenney, the tribe's counsel, 
Tom Schlosser, noted, "The Klamath Hydroelectric Project blocks 300 miles of 
historic anadromous fish habitat and its operations have a significant 
adverse effect on resident fish both within and downstream of the project."

The lower Klamath River in September 2002 was the scene of the largest fish 
kill in U.S. history. Over 68,000 salmon died because of a Bush 
administration change in water policy that gave water to subsidized 
agribusiness in the Klamath Basin while denying the water to downstream 
users and fish. The fish, most of them destined for the Trinity, died 
because of the outbreak of disease in low, warm water conditions.

During that spring, over 200,000 juvenile salmon also died in a disease 
outbreak spurred by warm water.

"The power companies' request to not have a public hearing on this transfer 
of ownership is a denial of the public's the right to comment on many 
complex issues," said Marshall. "The law has changed significantly since the 
Klamath Project was built in l917 and licensed in l956. During these years 
the dams have diminished the salmon populations. There should be a public 
hearing to learn how future owners will protect the river's habitat and the 
salmon because decisions made today will affect the Klamath River for 
decades, and generations of Indian people."

Besides dam removal, Marshall said that other issues that need to be aired 
in a public hearing include water quality in Siskiyou, Del Norte and other 
northern California counties; power rates and subsidies; income generation 
and tax bases of the counties; and the health of the tribal, commercial and 
recreational fisheries.

?The Klamath salmon population drives the commercial fishing regulations on 
the entire West Coast from Alaska to Mexico,? said Marshall. ?Recreational 
fishing and rafting on the Klamath, Trinity and their tributaries also 
contribute greatly to the North Coast economy.?

California?s commercial salmon season was slashed approximately 50 percent 
this year, due to the state, federal and tribal biologists? projection of a 
record low return of salmon to the Trinity and Klamath rivers this year, a 
direct result of the Department of Interior-engineered juvenile and adult 
fish kills of 2002. Although scientists projected a record abundance of 
nearly 1.7 million Sacramento River chinooks this season, the commercial 
boats were restricted from fishing for them because the Central Valley and 
Klamath stocks mix together on the ocean.

Recreational anglers and tribal fishermen are also currently under draconian 
catch quotas resulting from Interior?s abysmal management of the Klamath 
system.

PacifiCorp and MidAmerican Energy Holding Company asked the PUC for a 
blanket exemption from the PUC approval provisions of California Public 
Utilities Commission Section 854(a) for a major pending utility sale ? 
trying to bypass the public in the deal.

The utilities contend that the impact on California is minimal, but Tom 
Schlosser, tribal counsel, sees it differently. ?These inefficient and aging 
dams may only provide a small portion of California's energy grid, but the 
environmental impact on the rivers is huge. To allow this sale without 
giving Californians a chance to comment is unconscionable,? he emphasized.

The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) is currently reviewing 
PacifiCorp's 50-year-old license, due to expire in February of 2006.

Scottish Power obtained shareholder approval of the sale on July 22, 2005.  
?The company anticipates closing the transaction in the first quarter of 
2006,? said Allan Urlis, spokesman for MidAmerican Energy.
The sale must be approved not only by the California PUC, but also by the 
Idaho Public Utilities Commission, Oregon Public Utility Commission, Utah 
Public Service Commission, Washington Utilities and Transportation 
Commission, Wyoming Public Service Commission, Nuclear Regulatory Commission 
and Federal Energy Regulatory Commission.

?We?re not saying that Warren Buffet is a bad guy and shouldn?t buy Scottish 
Power and PacifiCorp; the purchase might be really good for the Klamath and 
Trinity,? concluded Marshall. ?However, if Buffet?s company is going to buy 
Scottish Power, we need to hear the company?s positions on fish passage and 
other issues. That?s what a public hearing is for.?




From bwl3 at comcast.net  Sun Sep  4 18:46:03 2005
From: bwl3 at comcast.net (Byron )
Date: Sun, 4 Sep 2005 18:46:03 -0700
Subject: [env-trinity] FW: Tuolumne River Trust position
Message-ID: <20050905014607.C67D920023F9@mx.dcn.davis.ca.us>



-----Original Message-----
From: Jerry Meral [mailto:jmeral at horizoncable.com] 
Sent: Sunday, September 04, 2005 5:03 PM
To: jmeral at horizoncable.com
Subject: Tuolumne River Trust position

Dear Friends:

Attached is a job announcement for the Executive Director position at the
Tuolumne River Trust.  I serve on the Trust board.  Please distribute this
notice to any likely candidates, and post it on any appropriate website to
which you have access.  Many thanks for helping to get the word out
regarding this most exciting and challenging position.

Sincerely,

Jerry Meral
Gerald H. Meral, Ph.D.
PO 1103
Inverness, CA 94937
phone/fax 415-669-9883
mobile: 415-717-8412
jmeral at horizoncable.com

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From truman at jeffnet.org  Mon Sep  5 17:18:48 2005
From: truman at jeffnet.org (Patrick Truman)
Date: Mon, 5 Sep 2005 17:18:48 -0700
Subject: [env-trinity] Indian Accounting Gap
Message-ID: <000f01c5b278$8e0c0820$13c84240@HAL>

http://www.motherjones.com/news/feature/2005/09/accounting_coup.html
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From truman at jeffnet.org  Mon Sep  5 17:22:11 2005
From: truman at jeffnet.org (Patrick Truman)
Date: Mon, 5 Sep 2005 17:22:11 -0700
Subject: [env-trinity] Wetland Restoration
Message-ID: <004101c5b279$ff93cb30$13c84240@HAL>




--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

WETLAND RESTORATION SEEN AS CRUCIAL 
Delta's marshes, islands form buffers against storm surges, scientists say
Glen Martin, Chronicle Environment Writer

Monday, September 5, 2005

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2005/09/05/MNG69EIHUK1.DTL&hw=glen+martin&sn=002&sc=822
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From bwl3 at comcast.net  Wed Sep  7 17:33:03 2005
From: bwl3 at comcast.net (Byron )
Date: Wed, 7 Sep 2005 17:33:03 -0700
Subject: [env-trinity] Legislation to Destroy CVPIA
Message-ID: <20050908003315.2B79A2003562@mx.dcn.davis.ca.us>

Destroy CVPIA.  Destroy ESA next?

A bill to override all state laws that apply to the San Joaquin River,
reduce federal payments into restoration funds, reduce payments by CVP
irrigators to the federal government, reduce water allocated to fish and
wildlife, reduce water for refuges, make federal water contracts permanent,
and so forth, has just been introduced in the Congress by Representative
Devin Nunes (R-Visalia).  If anyone wants a copy of the bill, let me know,
and I'll send it to you.

 

A statement about this bill by Hal Candee, Senior Attorney and Co-Director,
Western Water Project for Natural Resources Defense Council, appears below:

 

            STATEMENT ON REP. NUNES' CVPIA REFORM ACT OF 2005

 

By Hal Candee, Senior Attorney, Natural Resources Defense Council, 9-7-05

 

Congressman Nunes is trying to undo the most important federal law on
California water policy in over 20 years. His bill is a giveaway to
subsidized agribusiness in the San Joaquin Valley that would harm all other
Californians.  The bill will fail for the simple reason that there's no
turning back the clock on the state's new water needs. Millions of
Californians depend on clean drinking water and a healthy environment.
Agricultural interests can and must share this limited resource, despite
what Rep. Nunes suggests. 

 

This is an odd week for a Member of Congress to try to further weaken
federal water management.  Instead of turning his back on our fragile Delta
and gutting federal environmental laws, Rep. Nunes should be helping to
provide increased federal support for a clean and healthy Delta water
supply.

 

At a time when responsible officials in California are scrambling to help
our crashing Delta fish species, it is the height of cynicism for a
Congressman from the San Joaquin Valley to propose gutting the major federal
law designed to help the Delta and protect water quality for millions of
Californians.

 

Restoration of the San Joaquin River has been supported by numerous state,
federal and county officials, as well as Delta farmers, urban water users,
fishermen, and conservationists.  It may be that the agribusiness interests
in Congressman Nunes' district benefit directly from the massive diversions
at Friant Dam, but his bill to override all other laws in order to keep the
San Joaquin dry will hurt virtually every other part of California.  It is
hard to imagine the bill going anywhere.

 

The bill shields agribusiness interests and federal water contractors in
numerous ways, each time resulting in new burdens on the State and new
burdens on other State water users. It would be a windfall for the CVP - the
largest project in the state that has caused the most harm to our drinking
water and fragile environment; it would be a disaster for everyone else.

 

 

Byron Leydecker, 

Chair, Friends of Trinity River

Consultant, California Trout, Inc.

PO Box 2327

Mill Valley, CA 94942-2327

415 383 4810 ph

415 383 9562 fx

bwl3 at comcast.net

bleydecker at stanfordalumni.org (secondary)

http://www.fotr.org

http://caltrout.org

 

 

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From bwl3 at comcast.net  Wed Sep  7 18:13:00 2005
From: bwl3 at comcast.net (Byron )
Date: Wed, 7 Sep 2005 18:13:00 -0700
Subject: [env-trinity] Destroy
Message-ID: <20050908011305.1E28F2002F48@mx.dcn.davis.ca.us>

It's been pointed out to me that Richard Pombo (R-Tracy) already has
introduced legislation to destroy ESA. It is titled, Endangered Species
Recovery and Reauthorization Act of 2005.  Interesting how these bills are
titled.  One could believe this proposed legislation related to improving
the fate of endangered wildlife or to improving allocation of developed
water in our state (Nunes' bill).  Knowledge of the thinking of the authors
puts a quick end to such thoughts.  

 

Byron Leydecker, 

Chair, Friends of Trinity River

Consultant, California Trout, Inc.

PO Box 2327

Mill Valley, CA 94942-2327

415 383 4810 ph

415 383 9562 fx

bwl3 at comcast.net

bleydecker at stanfordalumni.org (secondary)

http://www.fotr.org

http://caltrout.org

 

 

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From danielbacher at hotmail.com  Mon Sep  5 17:46:28 2005
From: danielbacher at hotmail.com (Daniel Bacher)
Date: Mon, 05 Sep 2005 17:46:28 -0700
Subject: [env-trinity] The Health of the Delta Bass Fishery And the Food
	Chain Crash
Message-ID: <BAY16-F102797EA9F833CDB93688EDBA70@phx.gbl>

The Health of the Delta Bass Fishery And the Food Chain Crash

by Dan Bacher

The Delta black bass fishery is one of the healthiest in the country, 
judging from the latest DFG data and reports of anglers fishing the Delta. 
One question that anglers are asking is: how will the dramatic decline of 
plankton and pelagic (open water) fish that the state and federal 
governments are now studying on the Delta impact the bass population?

?The Delta has an amazing largemouth fishery, although the striped bass 
juvenile index continues to decline,? said Dennis Lee, senior fishery 
biologist for the California Department of Fish and Game. ?The bass fishing 
has become better every year, based on our data regarding tournament weights 
and per hour efforts.?

In fact, as the flow regime in the Delta has changed in the past decade, the 
bass fishery has thrived. ?In recent years, your chance of catching a 
largemouth on January 1 has been very good,? Lee said. ?However, that wasn?t 
the case 20 ?o 30 years ago when the Delta would be blown out for bass 
fishing in most places at that time of year because of high water.?

With less flow through the Delta because of increasing state and federal 
exports, there is also a chance for more weed beds to grow on the Delta, 
creating better bass habitat and fishing.

?Our tournament statistics show that the catch rates and the size of the 
bass continue to grow,? said Lee. ?It?s not rocket science that the bass 
fishery is getting better ? just ask any bass angler.?
>From 1986 to 2004, the mean weight of black bass weighed in tournaments rose 
from 1.68 pounds to 2.31 pounds. Likewise, the mean catch per hour increased 
from .216 in 1986 to .278 in 2004.

The total number of bass caught during the tournaments has increased from 
1986 to 2004 also. A total of 901 anglers caught 4,709 bass in 13 days of 
fishing in 1986, while 9,164 participants in 229 days of fishing caught and 
released 25,681 fish in 2004.

Interestingly, there were some notable declines in the mean catch per hour 
during the drought years of 1989 through 1993, with the lowest mean catch 
per hour reported in 1989, when only 0.106 fish per hour were landed. 
However, the fishing bounced back from 1993 to 2004.

The introduction of Florida-strain bass to the California Delta has been a 
big factor in the increase in the average size of Delta largemouths. The 
Stockton Bass Busters, in cooperation with the DFG, first transplanted 
Florida strain bass from Rancho Seco Lake in Sacramento County to the Delta 
in the early 1980?s. Stocks of tens of thousands of Floridas in Hog and 
Sycamore sloughs followed this introductory plant, according to Lee.

?In the early 1990?s, a genetic survey of Delta bass was conducted by U.C. 
Davis,? said Lee. ?It showed that 15 to 20 percent of the fish exhibited 
Florida-strain characteristics.? However, Lee and others suspect that the 
increasing size of the bass indicates that there may be higher incidence of 
Florida-strain characteristics now.

?Every year the fish seem to be getting bigger and bigger,? said Lee. ?In 
the 1980?s, a 6 to 7 pound fish would win the big fish category in a 
tournament. Now you see lots of tens and double digit fish in the tournament 
weigh-ins. The incidence of big fish has definitely risen."

Galen Jensen of Brentwood, a dedicated tournament angler, set the Delta bass 
record on February 10, 2002 when he caught an 18.62 pound largemouth bass in 
Old River in the South Delta. Fish in the 15 to 17 pound class have been 
reported since then, but no fish have yet eclipsed the Delta record.

While the black bass population is thriving, state and federal scientists 
have documented an alarming decline of open water pelagic species over the 
past three years. The biologists found the lowest populations ever of three 
species? Delta smelt, long fin smelt, striped bass ? but what really 
surprised them was an apparent collapse of the Delta smelt, considered to be 
a hardy introduced species. Their data was backed up by reports of Delta 
commercial shad fishermen having an increasingly had time catching the 
popular bait fish.

At the same time, copepods and other plankton that forage fish feed open 
also plummeted to unheard-of levels.

Three factors are believed to contribute to the decline: (1) the impact of 
toxics, including new pesticides; (2) invasive plant and animal species and 
(3) changes in the Delta flow regime by the state and federal governments.

Environmental and fishery groups have pointed out that the massive exports 
of Delta water south through the California Water Project and the federal 
Central Valley Project are certainly the key factor in the decline, since 
three out of the last five years featured the highest Delta water export 
rates on record. As a consequence, a broad ranging coalition of groups has 
launched a letter writing campaign to the Governor, as well as filing a 
lawsuit blocking increased water exports until the problems of the Delta are 
fixed.

The recent summer tow net survey on the Delta taken is not very reassuring, 
either. ?The Delta smelt index is the lowest we?ve ever seen and the 
juvenile striped bass index is about the same as last year ? at a historical 
low level,? said Chuck Armor operations manager of the DFG?s Bay-Delta 
Branch. ?However, we are waiting for the fall mid water trawl data to find 
more definitive information about the Delta smelt, long fin smelt, striped 
bass, threadfin shad, American shad and other pelagic species."

The DFG, in its fall survey that runs from September through November, will 
be surveying the fishery at 116 stations throughout the Delta from Suisun 
Marsh through the upper channels of the Delta ?wherever we can get a trawl 
net in,? he noted. The Department has conducted these mid water trawl 
surveys since 1967, so it has years of data to compare the recent data to.

Meanwhile, the state and federal government scientists, in the cooperative 
?Pelagic Organism Decline? (POD) Program are conducting bioassays, examining 
the livers of fish, and analyzing the existing data. They are also looking 
at what pesticides are being used to get a handle on the contribution of 
toxic chemicals to the decline. They plan to have a draft plan report for 
2005 available on November 14.

?We think that we won?t find a simple answer to the reasons behind this 
decline,? Armor said. ?I think it will be a messy answer with multiple 
factors causing the decline. One thing may be causing the decline in the 
spring and other factors in the fall and winter. We probably will not have 
the answers to the reasons behind the decline this year or even next year ? 
it will probably take several years. For example, why aren?t the copepods (a 
form of zooplankton) in the food chain in the numbers they were until 
recently. We can?t come up with recommendations for solutions until we know 
exactly why.?

How this Delta food chain decline will impact its now robust largemouth and 
smallmouth bass populations is not known. Dennis Lee believes that 95 
percent of the bass diet is crayfish, even though they also forage on 
threadfin shad, bluegill, Delta smelt and other forage species.

Don Paganelli, fishing guide, and other veteran anglers continue to report 
good numbers of threadfin shad in the back sloughs of the Delta, such as 
Sycamore and Hog. ?There was so much bait ? shad ? when I fished the Delta 
on August 26 that it was unreal,? said Paganelli. ?Many times I witnessed 
bass in the 6 to 12 inch class boiling on the surface.?

However, in spite of the bait schools that Paganelli saw, he found something 
very troubling ? he caught two 8 pound largemouths that should have been 
much heavier for the time of year he caught them, well after spawning 
season. ?These fish were very thin ? they should have been in the double 
digits ? and I don?t know why,? said Paganelli.

The long-term consequences of the ?Delta Crash? upon black bass, as well as 
striped bass, steelhead, king salmon, sturgeon, shad and catfish populations 
of Central Valley rivers and the Delta, are not known. Will the decline of 
Delta forage and pelagic species lead to a comparable crash in the black 
bass population down the line?

The answer is anybody?s guess, but the results of the studies by the 
State-Federal POD teams should isolate the factors of this decline and 
hopefully come up with a series of solutions to be immediately implemented 
before it?s too late.

For more information, call Chuck Armor of the California Department Fish and 
Game at (209) 942-6068.
However, until the problems of the Delta are fixed, it is crucial that the 
state and federal governments immediately halt all plans to divert more 
water from the Delta, including implementing the South Delta Improvement 
Project.




From danielbacher at hotmail.com  Wed Sep  7 01:16:13 2005
From: danielbacher at hotmail.com (Daniel Bacher)
Date: Wed, 07 Sep 2005 01:16:13 -0700
Subject: [env-trinity] Stop SDIP & Delta Exports: Letter to Governor
Message-ID: <BAY104-F8BFF8B13214FA569FA64ADBA60@phx.gbl>

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From truman at jeffnet.org  Thu Sep  8 09:34:00 2005
From: truman at jeffnet.org (Patrick Truman)
Date: Thu, 8 Sep 2005 09:34:00 -0700
Subject: [env-trinity] ESA Resolution
Message-ID: <002201c5b493$1f272b20$0400a8c0@HAL>

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From jallen at trinitycounty.org  Thu Sep  8 11:23:07 2005
From: jallen at trinitycounty.org (Josh Allen)
Date: Thu, 8 Sep 2005 11:23:07 -0700
Subject: [env-trinity] Memo to NCRWQCB about Klamath Algae
Message-ID: <099F81D877F1044DA24BA95E0CE0926301290DEE@mail2.trinitycounty.org>


M E M O R A N D U M


 


 


 


 


TO:              Matt St. John 


                     North Coast Regional Water Quality Control Board


5550 Skylane Blvd., Suite A

Santa Rosa, California 95403

 

VIA:            David M. Siegel, Ph.D., Chief

                     Integrated Risk Assessment Branch

 

FROM:        Karlyn Black Kaley, Ph.D., D.A.B.T., Staff Toxicologist

                     Applied Risk Assessment Unit

 

DATE:        September 1, 2005

 

SUBJECT: COMMENTS ON THE CYANOBACTERIAL/MICROCYSTIN TOXIN SUMMER 2005
WATER SAMPLING RESULTS FOR THE COPCO/IRONGATE RESERVOIR.

 

 

         As you have requested we have briefly reviewed the water
sampling data found in the following first three documents. We have
referenced the later two documents as part of our review as well.   

1)      memo dated August 18, 2005 re: Copco Lake Toxic Cyanobacteria
Results to Karuk Tribe/NCWQCB from Jacob Kann, Ph.D.; 

2)      memo dated August 19, 2005 re: Copco/Irongate Reservoir Toxic
Cyanobacteria Results: followup to Karuk Tribe/SWRCB/NCWQCB from Jacob
Kann, Ph.D.; 

3)      memo dated August 30, 2005 re: Copco/Irongate Reservoir Toxic
Cyanobacteria Results: 7/26-27 to Karuk Tribe/SWRCB/NCWQCB from Jacob
Kann, Ph.D.; 

4)      1999 World Health Organization, Toxic Cyanobacteria in Water: A
guide to their public health consequences, monitoring and management,
Ed. I. Chorus and J. Bartrum (html version found at:
http://www.who.int/water_sanitation_health/resourcesquality/toxicyanbact
/en/); and, 

5)      World Health Organization Guidelines for Drinking Water Quality,
3rd Edition (html version found at:
http://www.who.int/water_sanitation_health/dwq/gdwq3/en/index.html).  




         Given the time frame of less than two weeks for review, it was
not possible for us to conduct a comprehensive risk analysis or
assessment of the potential microcystin toxin exposure situation you
have presented.  However, based on the data you have presented, we can
offer with confidence the following public health statement and
supporting observations:

 

         The Microcystis aeruginosa cyanobacteria levels and resulting
microcystin toxin concentrations detected in water samples collected
from both shoreline and open water locations in the Copco and Irongate
Reservoirs in California pose a significant potential threat of adverse
health affects in human and animals exposed through direct ingestion of
contaminated water as well as incidental ingestion during recreational
water activities and bathing.  

Adverse Health Effects  

         Health effects that might be expected to be observed-following
exposure to the microcystin toxin levels detected in the water samples
reviewed-could range from mild non-life threatening skin conditions to
permanent organ impairment and death, depending on exposure.  More
specifically, depending on exposure concentration, duration and
individual sensitivity, symptoms could include mild to severe eye and
ear irritation, allergic skin rash, mouth ulcers, fever, cold/flu like
symptoms, vomiting, diarrhea, pneumonia, liver damage, kidney damage,
complete liver failure, increased incidence of liver cancer and death.
Children and animals are at greatest risk of serious life threatening
affects because of their smaller body size and higher water ingestion
rates.  

 

World Health Organization Risk Levels

         The World Health Organization (WHO) has established a Tolerable
Daily Intake (TDI) as well as Guideline Values (GV's) for microcystin
toxin in water.  These are useful in evaluating potential risk of
adverse health impacts from exposure via drinking water as well as
recreational water activities.  The TDI applies primarily to drinking
water, while the GV's have been developed to specifically address the
probability of adverse effects occurring in individuals exposed to
contaminated water during specific water use scenarios.  GV's have been
developed for drinking water consumption as well as recreational water
exposure.  

 

         According to WHO, a TDI is the amount of a potentially harmful
substance that can be consumed daily, via ingestion, over a lifetime,
with negligible risk of adverse health effects.  TDI's are based on
scientific data and controlled laboratory studies of observed adverse
health impacts.  The TDI for microcystin in this case was based on
observed acute effects on the liver.  The primary study used to develop
the TDI is a 13-week oral ingestion mouse study.  Because of lack of
data, no long term chronic effects or carcinogenicity potential was used
in the development of this TDI.  Although TDI's do not account for
multiple routes of exposure or cumulative risk due to exposure to
multiple toxins, they are highly valuable in assessing the potential
risk of adverse health effects from a single toxin.  The WHO TDI for
microcystin toxin is 0.04 mg/kg body weight.  

       

         WHO guideline values represent a scientific consensus, based on
broad international participation, of the health risk to humans
associated with exposure to microbes and chemicals found in water.  For
recreational water exposure GV's are defined at three primary
concentration levels: mild or low, moderate and high probability of risk
for adverse health impacts if exposed at a given toxin concentration.
GV's are calculated values.  They are derived using the TDI for a given
chemical along with a persons' average body weight and the estimated
amount of contaminated water that may be ingested on a daily basis
during a given activity.  GV's do not take into account health risks
that may be attributed to other routes of exposure, such as aerosol
inhalation or skin contact.  The WHO GV for moderate risk of adverse
health effects from recreational exposure to microcystin in water is 20
mg/liter (or a density of approximately 100,000 cyanobacteria cells per
milliliter (ml) of water).  The WHO GV for high risk is the presence of
active algal scums, which can increase cell densities a 1000 to
1,000,000 fold.

    

         The maximum Microcystis aeruginosa cyanobacteria density
detected in the water samples reviewed was 11,402,943 cells/ml in the
CRSH shoreline site sample.  This sample had a laboratory detected
microcystin toxin concentration of 667 mg/liter.  Open water locations
varied from 151,004 to 916,548 cells/ml.  We understand that it is
possible that higher concentrations of microcystin toxin than those
detected in these samples may exist in other areas of these reservoirs.
The presence of active scum may suggest a higher risk of adverse health
effects for humans and animals exposed along shorelines.  However, using
only the data provided, if we take the maximum detected microcystin
value of 667 mg/liter and compare it to the WHO GV for moderate risk of
adverse health impacts for exposure to microcystin toxin in water, we
can confirm your conclusion that microcystin toxin levels in this sample
are 33 times that identified by WHO as posing a moderate risk of adverse
health impact for recreational waters.  WHO recommends taking some kind
of mitigating action to reduce or eliminate human exposure when
microcystin toxin concentrations are found at or above a moderate risk
GV level of 20 mg/liter.     

 

Recreational Incidental Ingestion Levels

         Using the maximum detected toxin value reported above, the WHO
values mentioned previously, and a number of general assumptions, we
also calculated potential human exposure based on incidental ingestion
of contaminated water during recreational water activities and bathing
(i.e. swimming). 

 

         Adult Incidental Ingestion: For a 60 kilogram (kg) adult,
incidentally ingesting 100 mls of contaminated water in any given day,
the amount of microcystin toxin consumed would be 1.11 mg/kg body
weight.  This amount is 28 times greater than the accepted WHO Tolerable
Daily Intake value of 0.04 mg/kg body weight.  This calculation is based
on a single one-hour "swimming event" per day.  More swimming events or
activities of longer duration could result in greater exposure.   

 

         Child Incidental Ingestion: With respect to children that may
be exposed to microcystin at these levels there is an even greater
potential health concern.  For a 15 kilogram (kg) child (roughly 3 years
of age), incidentally ingesting an estimated 250 mls of contaminated
water in any one "swimming event" on any given day, the amount of
microcystin toxin consumed would be 11.1 mg/kg body weight.  This amount
of microcystin toxin is 278 times greater than the accepted WHO
Tolerable Daily Intake value of 0.04 mg/kg body weight.  As with adults,
more swimming events or activities of longer duration could result in
greater exposure.

 

Exposure Routes During Recreational Activities

         There are three main routes of exposure from recreational
bathing and participation in water sports in waters contaminated with
cyanobacteria and subsequent microcystin toxins.  These include: 1)
direct contact with exposed skin including the highly sensitive ear,
eye, nose and throat membranes, 2) accidental or intentionally
swallowing (oral ingestion), and 3) inhalation of contaminated water
aerosols.  Given the data presented and the risk values available, we
can practically address only the potential risk associated with
ingestion exposure in this limited review.  Clearly the greatest risk of
adverse affects to humans and animals would be associated with direct
deliberate ingestion of contaminated water as a source of drinking
water.  However, incidental ingestion could also present a significant
risk, especially for small children, in recreational settings.  Ways to
minimize or prevent all routes of exposures to contaminated reservoir
water include prohibiting use of the water body as a source of drinking
water and reducing contact with contaminated water by limiting and/or
prohibiting recreational access.

    

         Thank you for the opportunity to comment on the data set
provided.  If you have any questions please feel free to call me at
(916) 323-2808. 

 

cc:     George V. Alexeeff, Ph.D., D.A.B.T.

         Deputy Director for Scientific Affairs

         Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment

 

         Barbara Washburn, Ph.D.

         Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment

 

 

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From jallen at trinitycounty.org  Thu Sep  8 11:21:58 2005
From: jallen at trinitycounty.org (Josh Allen)
Date: Thu, 8 Sep 2005 11:21:58 -0700
Subject: [env-trinity] Klamath River Below Irongate Reservoir: Toxigenic
	Cyanobacteria Results from Aquatic Ecosystems Sciences LLC
Message-ID: <099F81D877F1044DA24BA95E0CE0926301290DED@mail2.trinitycounty.org>

aquatic ecosystem sciences llc

	
	 	 



jacob kann, Ph.D.

president/aquatic ecologist

295 East Main St., Suite 7

Ashland, OR 97520

Voice: 541-482-1575

Fax: 541-552-1024

Email: jacobkann at aol.com <mailto:jacobkann at aol.com> 

 


  

 


September 1, 2005

Memo:  Klamath River Below Irongate Reservoir: Toxigenic Cyanobacteria
Results

To:  Karuk Tribe/SWRCB/NCRWQCB

 

To all concerned:

Recently received phytoplankton data from August 24th and 25th show that
toxigenic Microcystis aeruginosa (MSAE) is present in the Klamath River
downstream of Irongate reservoir.  Although toxigenic MSAE has been
documented in Copco and Irongate reservoirs, this is the first evidence
I am aware of, of this species extending downstream on the Klamath
River.

Laboratory (analyzed by Aquatic Analysts; White Salmon WA) results for 3
stations are attached below.  Two of the samples (stations K1054P9 and
K2054P9) were collected by the US Fish and Wildlife Service (Paul
Zedonis; Arcata Office), and the third (KRBI) was collected as part of
the ongoing Karuk/EPA reservoir water quality study.

Stations arranged upstream to downstream (Figure 1) are KRBI (located
just below Irongate Dam), K1054P9 (located just above the confluence
with the Shasta River), and K2054P9 (located just above the confluence
with the Scott River ~46 miles downstream from Irongate Dam)  MSAE
results are as follows:

KRBI              24,429 cells/ml MSAE

K1054P9         39,743 cells/ml MSAE

K2054P9         27,969 cells/ml MSAE

While these results are 2.5 to 4x lower than the WHO moderate risk level
of 100,000 cells/ml, they do exceed the WHO low risk level of 20,000
cells/ml.  Moreover, the stations are representative of mixed river
conditions and not near-shore or backwater areas.  There is a likelihood
that blooms will recur in backwater areas, side channels, or as velocity
and mixing decrease downstream.  These data provide evidence that MSAE
can survive at least ~46 miles downstream of Irongate Dam.

Again, for recreational bathing waters a moderate risk level is given as
50 mg/L chlorophyll a, 100,000 cells/ml or 20 mg/L microcystin in the
top 4 meters of surface waters by documents published for the World
Health Organization (WHO) and EPA (Falconer el al. 1999; Chorus and
Cavalieri 2000).  

Due to the patchy nature of blue-green algal blooms it is possible for
higher Microcystis aeruginosa densities (and therefore higher
microcystin toxin concentrations) to be present in other locations,
particularly along shorelines or protected coves during calm conditions
of little to no wind.  Recreational users should always avoid contact
with water whenever noticeable surface concentrations of algae are
evident or when the lake has an obvious green to blue-green appearance.
Moreover, because pets or other domestic animals are the most likely to
ingest contaminated water, these animals should not be allowed access to
the lakeshore whenever either noticeable surface concentrations of algae
or an obvious green to blue-green appearance is evident.

Please let me know if you have any questions.  Thank you.

Sincerely,

 

Jacob Kann, Ph.D.

Aquatic Ecologist

 

 




Falconer et al. 1999.  Safe levels and safe practices.  Pages 155-177
in: I. Chorus and J. Bartram, editors.  Toxic Cyanobacteria in water:  a
guide to their public health consequences.  World Health Organization
Report.  E & FN Spon, London and New York.

 

Chorus, I, and M. Cavalieri.  2000.   Cyanobacteria and algae.  Pages
219-271 in: J. Bartram and G Rees, editors.  Monitoring Bathing Waters:
a practical guide to the design and implementation of assessments and
monitoring programmes.  World Health Organization Report.  E & FN Spon,
London and New York.

 

WHO 1998.  Guidelines for Drinking-water Quality.  Second Ed. Addendum
to Vol. 2, Health Criteria and Other Supporting Information.  World
Health Organization, Geneva.






 


 

 

Figure 1.  Location of Klamath River Toxigenic Cyanobacteria Samples,
August 24-25, 2005.



 

                                        Phytoplankton Sample Analysis

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sample: 

Klamath River

 

 

 

Sample Station: 

KRBI

 

 

 

 

Sample Depth: 

0C

 

 

 

 

Sample Date: 

25-Aug-05

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Total Density (#/mL): 

489

 

 

 

 

Total Biovolume (um3/mL):              

243,026

 

 

 

 

Trophic State Index: 

39.7

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Density

Density

Biovolume

Biovolume

 

Species

#/mL

Percent

um3/mL

Percent

-

-

-

-

-

-

1

Microcystis aeruginosa

244

50.0

195,433

80.4

2

Nitzschia palea

100

20.5

18,040

7.4

3

Cocconeis placentula

38

7.7

17,288

7.1

4

Nitzschia paleacea

25

5.1

2,455

1.0

5

Ankistrodesmus falcatus

19

3.8

470

0.2

6

Nitzschia frustulum

13

2.6

2,255

0.9

7

Gomphonema angustatum

13

2.6

2,255

0.9

8

Rhodomonas minuta

13

2.6

251

0.1

9

Rhoicosphenia curvata

6

1.3

733

0.3

10

Nitzschia amphibia

6

1.3

1,203

0.5

11

Nitzschia fonticola

6

1.3

263

0.1

12

Cyclotella meneghiniana

6

1.3

2,380

1.0

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Microcystis aeruginosa cells/mL =

24,429

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Aquatic Analysts

 

 

Sample ID: 

 JH44

 




 

 

                                        Phytoplankton Sample Analysis

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sample: 

K105 4P9

 

 

 

 

Sample Station: 

 

 

 

 

 

Sample Depth: 

 

 

 

 

 

Sample Date: 

24-Aug-05

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Total Density (#/mL): 

1,106

 

 

 

 

Total Biovolume (um3/mL):              

608,893

 

 

 

 

Trophic State Index: 

46.3

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Density

Density

Biovolume

Biovolume

 

Species

#/mL

Percent

um3/mL

Percent

-

-

-

-

-

-

1

Microcystis aeruginosa

397

35.9

317,946

52.2

2

Cocconeis placentula

346

31.3

174,870

28.7

3

Navicula cryptocephala veneta

78

7.0

7,387

1.2

4

Nitzschia palea

60

5.5

10,886

1.8

5

Nitzschia frustulum

43

3.9

8,294

1.4

6

Nitzschia paleacea

17

1.6

1,693

0.3

7

Nitzschia amphibia

17

1.6

4,147

0.7

8

Rhoicosphenia curvata

17

1.6

2,022

0.3

9

Diatoma vulgare

17

1.6

33,868

5.6

10

Nitzschia dissipata

9

0.8

2,324

0.4

11

Amphora perpusilla

9

0.8

1,434

0.2

12

Navicula tripunctata

9

0.8

9,677

1.6

13

Nitzschia sp.

9

0.8

1,037

0.2

14

Synedra ulna

9

0.8

17,193

2.8

15

Navicula cryptocephala

9

0.8

1,598

0.3

16

Nitzschia innominata

9

0.8

415

0.1

17

Navicula sp.

9

0.8

1,296

0.2

18

Gomphonema angustatum

9

0.8

1,555

0.3

19

Nitzschia fonticola

9

0.8

363

0.1

20

Cyclotella meneghiniana

9

0.8

3,283

0.5

21

Gomphonema subclavatum

9

0.8

5,184

0.9

22

Cocconeis klamathensis

9

0.8

2,419

0.4

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Microcystis aeruginosa cells/mL =

39,743

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Aquatic Analysts

 

 

Sample ID: 

 JM48

 

 

                                        Phytoplankton Sample Analysis

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sample: 

K205 4P9

 

 

 

 

Sample Station: 

 

 

 

 

 

Sample Depth: 

 

 

 

 

 

Sample Date: 

24-Aug-05

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Total Density (#/mL): 

1,189

 

 

 

 

Total Biovolume (um3/mL):              

619,268

 

 

 

 

Trophic State Index: 

46.4

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Density

Density

Biovolume

Biovolume

 

Species

#/mL

Percent

um3/mL

Percent

-

-

-

-

-

-

1

Cocconeis placentula

489

41.2

225,150

36.4

2

Microcystis aeruginosa

280

23.5

223,752

36.1

3

Navicula cryptocephala veneta

128

10.8

12,178

2.0

4

Nitzschia paleacea

47

3.9

4,568

0.7

5

Nitzschia frustulum

35

2.9

4,195

0.7

6

Navicula tripunctata

35

2.9

39,157

6.3

7

Navicula cryptocephala

35

2.9

6,468

1.0

8

Cocconeis pediculus

23

2.0

12,120

2.0

9

Diatoma vulgare

12

1.0

22,841

3.7

10

Nitzschia palea

12

1.0

2,098

0.3

11

Synedra ulna

12

1.0

46,382

7.5

12

Gomphonema angustatum

12

1.0

2,098

0.3

13

Nitzschia microcephala

12

1.0

1,165

0.2

14

Achnanthes minutissima

12

1.0

583

0.1

15

Stephanodiscus astraea minutula

12

1.0

4,079

0.7

16

Melosira varians

12

1.0

7,575

1.2

17

Nitzschia amphibia

12

1.0

2,238

0.4

18

Gomphonema olivaceum

12

1.0

2,622

0.4

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Microcystis aeruginosa cells/mL =

27,969

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Aquatic Analysts

 

 

Sample ID: 

 JM44

 

 

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From awhitridge at snowcrest.net  Fri Sep  9 16:51:08 2005
From: awhitridge at snowcrest.net (Arnold Whitridge)
Date: Fri, 09 Sep 2005 16:51:08 -0700
Subject: [env-trinity] TAMWG meeting Sept 12-13
Message-ID: <5.1.0.14.2.20050909142044.037c9180@mail.snowcrest.net>

env-trinity enthusiasts,

The Trinity Adaptive Management Working Group (TAMWG) will meet Tuesday, 
September 13 at the Victorian Inn in Weaverville, beginning at 8:00 a.m.  I 
apologize for the short notice, which I credit to circumstances beyond my 
control.  Please note that we once hoped to begin this meeting on Monday, 
September 12,  but it finally became clear today that the Monday start-time 
will not be possible.

The primary agenda topic will be the FY2006 budget for the Trinity River 
Restoration Program.

For further information, please feel free to e-mail (preferably, not by 
replying to this posting) or telephone me.

Arnold Whitridge, TAMWG chair
530 623-6688



From jallen at trinitycounty.org  Mon Sep 12 09:00:13 2005
From: jallen at trinitycounty.org (Josh Allen)
Date: Mon, 12 Sep 2005 09:00:13 -0700
Subject: [env-trinity] FW: Draft Agenda for September 20 meeting
Message-ID: <099F81D877F1044DA24BA95E0CE0926301290E48@mail2.trinitycounty.org>

Subject: Draft Agenda for September 20 meeting

Good morning,
Here is the draft agenda for the September 20-21 TMC meeting in
Weitchpec.  Several members have conflicts on the 21st, so I have
scheduled action items for the 20th, information items on the 21st. 
Attachments include draft minutes from the June meeting, final notes
from the Principals Conference, a status report on the Program
Evaluation Report recommendations, and a list of lodging options in the
Willow Creek/Hoopa area.
Looking forward to seeing all of you at the meeting.
Doug

___________________________________

Douglas P. Schleusner, Executive Director
Trinity River Restoration Program
P.O. Box 1300, 1313 South Main St.
Weaverville, CA  96093
(530) 623-1800  Fax: (530) 623-5944
e-mail: dschleusner at mp.usbr.gov
___________________________________


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From tstokely at trinityalps.net  Wed Sep 14 09:35:10 2005
From: tstokely at trinityalps.net (Tom Stokely)
Date: Wed, 14 Sep 2005 09:35:10 -0700
Subject: [env-trinity] Sept 28,
	2005 CA Watershed Forum - 3 days left to register at discount price!
Message-ID: <014801c5b94a$471823d0$e0653940@trinitycounty.org>

This looks interesting.  

Tom Stokely
Principal Planner
Trinity Co. Planning/Natural Resources
PO Box 156
Hayfork, CA 96041-0156
530-628-5949
FAX 628-5800

----- Original Message ----- 
From: Mary Lee Knecht 
To: CBDA_WATERSHED_SUB at shrlist02.CAHWNET.GOV 
Sent: Wednesday, September 14, 2005 8:58 AM
Subject: 2005 CA Watershed Forum - 3 days left to register at discount price!


Register Now!

This is a friendly reminder that there are only 3 more days to register for the 2005 California Watershed Forum at the discount price of $25.00 (includes breakfast and lunch).  Attached is the agenda and registration form.  

We at California Watershed Network and Salmonid Restoration Foundation hope that you all will attend this year's forum, which comes at a particularly important time for watershed stewardship in California.  Please plan on joining us for this special event to help shape the future of a statewide watershed program for California.

*  There is still space available to share information regarding your own watershed program at the 2005 California Watershed Forum (free with paid registration).  If you would like to reserve a table or exhibit space please email Ms. Kevin Ward at kcward at ucdavis.edu.  

*  If you would like to be a sponsor of the 2005 California Watershed Forum please email Mary Lee Knecht at marylee at watershednetwork.org.


See you on September 28th!

This message is being sent to the California Watershed Listserv (a combined list of the members of CALFED Watershed Subcommittee, UC Davis NRPI, California Watershed Council, and California Watershed Network).  If you would like to unsubscribe from (or subscribe to) this list, please go to http://www.calwater.ca.gov/ListServe/EmailSubscriptions.htm.  If you have any questions or concerns regarding this email, or would like to share other watershed information with this Listserv, contact Mary Lee Knecht (mlknecht at comcast.net). 
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From jallen at trinitycounty.org  Wed Sep 14 10:31:56 2005
From: jallen at trinitycounty.org (Josh Allen)
Date: Wed, 14 Sep 2005 10:31:56 -0700
Subject: [env-trinity] Upcoming Klamath Restotaion Council Meeting:
	Restoration Topics List
Message-ID: <099F81D877F1044DA24BA95E0CE0926301291113@mail2.trinitycounty.org>

Klamath Restoration Council General Meeting

http://www.klamathrestoration.org/  

When: October 7th

Time: 10am

Where: Karuk Community Center; Orleans, CA

 

Please forward any questions/comments to klamath at klamathrestoration.org

 

Klamath Restoration Council Meeting Overview 

		Klamath Restoration Council Mission Statement 
		Our mission is to restore and protect the uniquely
diverse ecosystem and promote the sustainable management of  natural
resources in the entire Klamath River watershed. 
		We believe this will be accomplished with actions and
legislation that integrate sound and proven techniques based on tribal
knowledge, local experience and the best of Western Science.

	The 15,000 square mile Klamath River Watershed represents one of
the best chances in America for a very large restoration to demonstrate
how sustainable land management can work.  The region is characterized
by great geological and environmental variability. 

	Ancestral land management knowledge and its practitioners are
quite intact in this region, despite the significant assaults on the
local environment and traditional cultures that have occurred over the
last 150 years since the arrival of European-Americans.  Through the
Klamath Restoration Council and other forums, Tribal members are
currently working with like-minded people from many different groups in
carrying out the restoration efforts needed to return the region to its
full human and ecological potential.


Restored Watershed Vision 
A community wide visioning process is fundamental to restoration, and is

being developed as part of our Economic Benefits Analysis for a Restored

Klamath Watershed.  As this process unfolds, we will know much more
about 
restoration goals and purposes and aspirations for the Klamath Region. 
Until then, we can pursue goals that have been widely identified.  We 
shall conduct open forums in every community in the region to collect 
impressions and hopes about the region. 

	* Initiate an Economic Benefits Analysis for a Restored Klamath
Watershed and Restored Native Fisheries 
	* Conduct open forums in every community in the region to
collect  impressions and hopes about the region 
	* Include a community-wide visioning process. 
	* Identify restoration goals, purposes and aspirations for the
Klamath  Region

Restore Native Fisheries 

 * Upper Klamath Natives' diet was comprised of 50% salmon 
      But there has been no salmon in the upper basin since 1918  (Iron
Gate - Copco) 
* Rehabilitate lamprey eel and sturgeon habitat 
* Return 1 million salmon to Klamath River system

Restore Spawning Tributaries and Each Watershed 

Although difficult to calculate, there is likely less that 20 per cent
of the historic water levels in the spawning tributaries 

* Repair the tributaries and the hydrology 
This will require ancestral knowledge gained through oral histories, old
maps and old photos as the landscape was quite different before fire
suppression and intensive logging. 

Return natural hydrology to the watersheds for ground charge and
spawning and rearing habitat 
* Establish regular water loads- Restorative flows 
* Implement water conservation 
* Restore natural water storage in Upper and Lower Klamath and Tule
Lakes 
* Fully implement Trinity Record of Decision 
 * Provide restorative flows in Scott, Shasta Rivers 
 Protect and restore riparian areas in Northern Basin 
 Remove fish barriers to historic spawning areas 
  
 

Logging Road Decommissioning 

 There are thousands of miles of roads for logging. 
 * Remove culverts 
 * Desedimentize the creeks 
 * Open refugias 
 * Recreate stream shade 
 * Recreate spawning stream rearing pools

Return Forests to Ancestral Land Management Practices 

  * Return lands to the Tribes 
  * Teach land management agencies how to manage sustainably 
  * Return ancestral land management practices to U.S. Forest Service
lands 

Benefits: 
   * Fuel reduction 
   * Restore native plants for foods and medicines 
   * Rehabilitate wildlife habitat 
   * Return beaver, otter, fisher and marten

 Upslope Restoration 

  * Restore snow forests and cover for increased snow melt 
  * Restore canopies 
  * Restore wetlands 
  * Restore migratory wildlife trails 
  * Restore biodiversity 
  * Restore forest species diversity

Water 

 Water quality has steadily declined since 1918 
 Eliminate constant algae bloom problems - toxic to fish 

* State and Federal Plan to return water and native fish 
    Education campaign about over appropriation 
* Oregon is still letting permits 
* Klamath cultural and nature school 
* Comprehensive assessment of water allocations 
* Make Klamath River system normal again 
* Water restoration easements 
* Use natural flooding for water banking 
 * Re-connect Lower Klamath Lake with Klamath River 
 * Eliminate farming in Wildlife Refuges - return to wildlife   refuge 
 * Profligate crops i.e. potatoes, sugar beets, onion  must be
terminated 
 * Toxic pesticides must be eliminated 
 * Re-establish Tule Lake 
 * End Lend Lease program 
"22,000 acres of land within the refuges are managed for commercial
agriculture, with pesticide and water intensive crops like potatoes and
onions occupying land that was set aside for eagles and geese. Ending
the lease land program could free up approximately 50,000 acre-feet of
water (16 billion gallons) for other uses." Oregon Natural Resources
Council


Restoration Benefits Local Economies 

	 * Healthy agricultural community 
	   Promote local produced foods 
	    Promote community forests for foods and forest products 
	   Promote sustainable agriculture 
	   Provide incentives for water conservation 
	   Create fund to offset loss of subsidies so water contracts
can be   bought 

	 * Cultural and ecological tourism with Tribes and locals 
	   Create trails, interpretive activity, refurbish wildlife
refuges 
	     that once attracted 80% of Pacific FlyWay wildfowl 
	    restore the 350,000 acres of "Western Everglades" 
	     more than 75% of wetlands have been converted to
agriculture 
	    restore 250 mile Klamath River 

	 * Fishing 
	   Recreate the more than 3,750 fishing dependent jobs have been
lost 
	    Recover the loss of nearly $100 million a year in personal
income 
	    Recover the loss is equivalent of $500 million loss to
economy 
	   Fishing industry worth $3 - 4 Billion is nearly gone
completely 
	   Loss of Klamath fishing activity has devastated coastal
economies from Coos Bay Oregon to Fort Bragg, California 

	 * Rafting 

	 * Watershed restoration 
	   Could be $50 million annual inflow - worth about $350 million
to local economies 
	  (watershed restoration, logging road decommissionings,
noxious weed eradication 
	  Abandoned mine and reclamation

Restoration Lifestyle 

 *  Erase lifestyle conflicts 
   End farmer vs. Indian and farmer vs. fisherman 
   Put protection of natural resources in the interests of people  who
live in the Basin 
  Sustainable agricultural easements

Restoration Economy 

 * SRRC model 
   Community based restoration program is biggest employer 
     produces results whole community points to with pride 
     has a purposeful well-being 
 * Public restoration now $15 million a year in Humboldt County 
   75% stays in local communities


Restoration Attitude 

	* Create Klamath Salmon Trail and Salmon Cultural and Natural
Heritage Center 
	* Gather and tell the Cultural and Natural Heritage of the
region and 
	 the Restoration Story 
	* Videograph record of stories 
	* Collect review of literature 
	* Klamath Symposium

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From jallen at trinitycounty.org  Thu Sep 15 08:44:29 2005
From: jallen at trinitycounty.org (Josh Allen)
Date: Thu, 15 Sep 2005 08:44:29 -0700
Subject: [env-trinity] DFG regulations now in effect on Klamath River
Message-ID: <099F81D877F1044DA24BA95E0CE0926301291167@mail2.trinitycounty.org>

DFG regulations now in effect on Klamath River 
Don Terbush For the Times-Standard 
Eureka Times Standard 

Klamath River anglers caught their quota of adult fall-run Chinook
salmon on the river's lower 40 miles by sundown Saturday (Sept. 10).
That closed the lower river to the take of adult fish as of Sunday
(Sept. 11), according to the Department of Fish and Game (DFG). 

Klamath anglers downstream of the Highway 96 bridge of Weitchpec
(confluence with the Trinity River) are able to continue fishing for
"jack" salmon, 22 inches or shorter, until the lower river reopens to
the take of adult salmon more than 22 inches on December 1. 

Fish and Game biologists checking fish landings earlier this month said
their projections were that reached the 631-fish "impact quota" or adult
Chinook salmon by the end of September 10. The amount represents half
the number of adult fish allotted to recreational anglers for the entire
Klamath-Trinity river basin. 

The remaining 631 adult salmon are available to recreational anglers on
the Klamath River above the Highway 96 bridge, and on the Trinity River.


Anglers are reminded that Chinook salmon which are 22 inches total
length or larger may not be retained on Tuesdays or Wednesdays from
September 1 through November 30 from the Highway 96 bridge at Weitchpec
to Iron Gate Dam, and in the Trinity River from Hawkins Bar Bridge (road
to Denny) downstream to the mouth of the Trinity. In addition, anglers
may not retain any salmon more than 22 inches total length on Tuesdays
and Wednesdays from September 15 through November 30, in the Trinity
River from Old Lewiston Bridge to the Highway 299 West Bridge at Cedar
Flat. The Hoopa Valley Tribal Fisheries Department (HVF) will assist the
DFG with angler creel surveys to estimate Chinook salmon harvest in the
upper Klamath River and lower Trinity River as it has for the past six
years. 

Meanwhile, guide Rich Mossholder reports fishing has slowed down on the
Klamath River the past couple of days. "There were a few nice fish today
(Tuesday)," he said. "There were some nice adults turned loose. There
may be a new run on the way." 

Rich added that flies and Glo Bugs have been working on the steelhead.
Puffballs, spinners and Quikfish are attractive to the jacks. 

Back trolling plugs has been producing numbers of steelhead on the
Trinity River. Salmon are averaging 6 to 12 pounds and are a little dark
fish in the lower river are fresh, however. A good push of salmon is
anticipated. 

Sport salmon action has been relatively slow at Shelter Cove, according
to Ken Vallotton. "There are small pockets one to three miles off the
point. Even the commercials have been getting just a handful or so a
day. He pointed that just a week or so before, Pacific halibut in the
60s and 70-pound class were being brought in. 

The last day of the sport salmon fishing season in the Klamath
Management Zone brought a windfall off Eureka, according to charter boat
owner Larry Williams. 

"It was the best day of the season. It was beyond belief," he commented.
"We had limits of 12 fish up to 20 pounds every time out. It was a wide
open bite. We fished in 70 feet straight off the stacks." 

Fall salmon fishing continues to build from Anderson Balls Ferry (Barge
Hole area) to Hamilton City, reports guide Hank Mautz. A fish per rod is
very common with more boats of king salmon being reported daily.
Fall-run kings are averaging 15 to 25 pounds with an occasional 30-plus
pounder being caught on K-16-K-15 Kwikfish lures with a sardine wrap.
Back bouncing roe and side drifting roe with a Quickie or the Kwikfish
are the three top methods. 

The number of fish counted passing the Red Bluff Diversion Dam from May
20 to the present 13,650. Last year for the same period the count was
9,544. Last year most of the salmon were in the 5 to 8 pound range.
These are adult fish with very few jacks. 

Tip of the Week: Lure turning: Be sure to tune your lures before and
after wrapping with a sardine. If the lure swims to the right, slightly
turn the eyes to the left and vice versa. A true turned swimming
Kwikfish can produce an awesome salmon bite. And remember fresh sardine
wraps produce a lot more bites. 

While trout fishing is excellent on the Sacramento River, most anglers
are now pursuing the salmon. Everybody wants to catch the "big" one. 



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From tstokely at trinityalps.net  Thu Sep 15 08:07:23 2005
From: tstokely at trinityalps.net (Tom Stokely)
Date: Thu, 15 Sep 2005 08:07:23 -0700
Subject: [env-trinity] Watershed Program for California
Message-ID: <002201c5ba07$2e7a6dc0$ca653940@trinitycounty.org>


----- Original Message ----- 
From: Mary Lee Knecht 
To: CBDA_WATERSHED_SUB at shrlist02.CAHWNET.GOV 
Sent: Thursday, September 15, 2005 7:40 AM
Subject: Watershed Program for California


To:  California Watershed Listserv
From:  John Lowrie, CALFED Watershed Program Manager

Below is a message from Cathy Bleier (California Resources Agency) regarding the future of a statewide watershed program.  Please review Cathy's message and the attached two documents.  We will be discussing this topic at the 9/16/05 BDPAC Watershed Subcommittee meeting.  You may also provide comments directly to Cathy (contact information below).

_____________________________________________

The uncertainty surrounding the CalFed Watershed element of the CalFed Program has precipitated discussion by the watershed community and the Legislature about how to address watershed protection needs, not only in the CalFed area but also statewide.   The Resources Agency has drafted the attached paper to provide background information and to focus discussion of key issues and options.

 

We will continue to build on these ideas by seeking input from agencies and stakeholder groups.   This topic will be discussed by the CalFed Watershed subcommittee on September 16 and is also the focus of the upcoming CA Watershed Network/Salmonid Federation forum on September 28, 2005, in which the Agency will participate.  



We welcome comments in advance of the forum, and will continue to incorporate information from email, the forum and other discussions to reflect your concerns and ideas.   



Please email or send your comments to:

 

Cathy Bleier, Deputy Assistant Secretary
California Resources Agency
1416 Ninth Street, Suite 1311
Sacramento, California  95814
Phone: 916-653-6598  
Fax: 916-653-8102  Cell: 916-718-6258
Email: cathy.bleier at resources.ca.gov

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From danielbacher at hotmail.com  Fri Sep 16 09:38:19 2005
From: danielbacher at hotmail.com (Daniel Bacher)
Date: Fri, 16 Sep 2005 09:38:19 -0700
Subject: [env-trinity] Bureau Finally Agrees To Flow Regime On American River
Message-ID: <BAY16-F27BBC022029573D700A046DB910@phx.gbl>

Bureau Finally Agrees To Flow Regime On American River

by Dan Bacher

After years of negotiations, Department of Interior officials on September 8 
agreed to support a new flow regime for the lower American River developed 
by the Sacramento Valley Water Forum. The agreement between the Water Forum, 
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and U.S. Bureau of Reclamation will raise 
minimum flows on the river for the benefit of salmon, steelhead and other 
fish.

This is a huge victory for fishery conservation and environmental groups 
that have pressured the Bureau for decades to develop long-overdue 
temperature and flow standards on the popular urban river stretching from 
Nimbus Dam to Discovery Park. The Save the American River Association, 
California Sportfishing Projection Alliance, Friends of the River, United 
Anglers and Granite Bay Flycasters were among the key groups participating 
in the successful campaign to finally get the federal government adopt a new 
flow regime.

?The adoption of these flow standards represents a significant milestone in 
restoring the American River,? said Ron Stork, conservation director of 
Friends of the River. ?We chose to kept our noses to the grindstone and kept 
talking with the Bureau of Reclamation even after internal deadlines 
requiring an agreement had already passed.?

?We have been working on this agreement for some time,? said Kirk Rodgers, 
Reclamation?s Mid-Pacific regional director.  ?I am gratified that we were 
able to reach agreement for a new flow regime on the Lower American River 
that will benefit fish, while allowing us to provide water so essential for 
people and industry.?

These flows focus on fall salmon spawning flows and summer base flows viable 
for both fish and recreation. Minimum flows will range from 800 to 2000 cfs. 
during the winter and 800 to 1750 cfs during the summer, based on the water 
year types (critical, dry, below normal, above normal, and wet).

This is a big improvement over the meager minimum flows ? 250 to 500 cfs ? 
adopted by the State Water Resources Control Boat in Decision 895 in 1958. 
As somebody who has fished the American River hundreds of times, I saw the 
flows go down to 250 cfs in the drought of 1975-78 and down to 500 cfs in 
the drought of 1988-92.

?The Water Forum is very happy and encouraged that we?ve arrived at a flow 
regime for the Lower American River,? said Leo Winterwitz, the Water Forum?s 
Executive Director, ?and we look forward with optimism to completing the 
entire flow standard and taking it to the State Board.?

This is a huge step in restoring the American River, but there is still a 
lot of work ahead of river advocates. The agreement on the new flow regime 
is part of a new overall Flow Management Standard that will also include (1) 
the development of a river management group, (2) a monitoring program and 
(3) agreements with upstream diverters to make addition additional water 
available to the system in dry and critically dry years.

Negotiations with purveyors on dry year agreements are ?in progress,? 
according to a press release by the Bureau of Reclamation. Other elements of 
the flow standard will be developed in cooperation with the California 
Department of Fish and Game and the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS, 
also called NOAA Fisheries). The parties plan to complete the overall flow 
standard and present it to the State Water Resources Control Board (SWRCB) 
for approval in 2006.

The announcement by Interior came on the heels of several letters that Felix 
Smith, Board Member of the Save the American River Association and member of 
the Water Forum, sent to federal officials, strongly urging them to adopt 
the flow regime.

In an August 23 letter to Rod McGuiness, Acting Regional Administrator of 
the National Marine Fisheries Service, Smith wrote:

? The failure to prepare and implement an adequate Water Temperature Control 
Plan with a flow component associated with the operations of Folsom/Nimbus 
Dams and Reservoir is unacceptable. Without such careful planning, the 
operations of these CVP components could adversely impact the steelhead and 
chinook salmon resources of the Lower American River Parkway ? Preserve, 
with little recourse by the public to get aggressive action to protect such 
values except for a lawsuit.?

The reason why minimum flows are needed was demonstrated last year when The 
American River fall chinook run narrowly escaped ecological catastrophe when 
cool rains arrived early in October and cooled the water temperature down.

In the previous three years, pre-spawning mortality among king salmon was 
from 30 percent to 67 percent. In the worst year, 2001, 87,626 fish (67 
percent) perished before spawning. DFG biologists attributed the high 
mortality rates to the high water temperature conditions that prevailed in 
the lower American River during low flows in the late summer and early fall, 
the result of heavy water exports to the west side of the San Joaquin Valley 
and Southern California during the summer.

?Progress is being made towards a revised lower American River flow 
standard,? said Smith, after hearing the Bureau had agreed to accept the 
Water Forum flow and temperature standard.

However, Smith chided the agencies for not meeting any of the deadlines set 
by the parties in a Memorandum of Understanding that they signed on October 
4, 2004.  Under the original schedule, Reclamation was slated to file a 
petition with the Water Board  incorporating the new Flow Management 
Standard by September 15.

The decision by the Bureau to finally adopt a flow regime on the American 
River is a big victory for fish advocates ? and would not have happened 
except for the intense political pressure that fishery conservation groups 
put on the Bureau of Reclamation. However, we need to keep the pressure on 
federal officials to make sure that the uncompleted sections of the flow 
standards ? river management, upstream diversions and monitoring agreements 
- are reached.

Also, the battle for fish restoration on the American needs to be seen in 
the larger context of the need to stop the state and federal governments 
from increasing water exports from the Delta and Central Valley at a time 
when the Delta food chain is collapsing. We can?t restore the fish of the 
lower American without solving the problems of the entire Bay-Delta 
ecosystem that it is an integral part of!




From danielbacher at hotmail.com  Fri Sep 16 16:24:21 2005
From: danielbacher at hotmail.com (Daniel Bacher)
Date: Fri, 16 Sep 2005 16:24:21 -0700
Subject: [env-trinity] Alert - Pombo Wildllife Extinction Bill in Congress!
Message-ID: <BAY16-F2C92DDA02E60871676108DB910@phx.gbl>

Pombo Extinction Bill in Congress

The Center for Biological Diversity has sent out an alert that a bill to 
eliminate key protections of the Endangered Species Act is slated to be 
introduced in Congress next week.

Representative Pombo's extinction bill would eliminate key protections of 
the Endangered Species Act. Representative Richard Pombo (R-CA) has stated 
that next week he will introduce a bill that would greatly rewrite the 
Endangered Species Act. Representative Pombo has long carried the message of 
developers and extractive industries and is Congress's loudest opponent of 
endangered species protections. Pombo is also chair of the House Resources 
Committee.

A hearing on the bill is scheduled for Wednesday, September 21, and a 
committee vote on Thursday, September 22.

Pombo has not yet released the full legislative language, but according to 
the summary, the bill would:

* completely repeal protections for endangered species critical habitat

* remove protections for species listed as "threatened" under the law

* allow political appointees - such as Secretary of Interior Gale Norton - 
instead of scientists, to determine what constitutes the best available 
science

* exempt federal agencies from the requirement to consult with the U.S. Fish 
and Wildlife Service on actions that might impact endangered species

* bankrupt the endangered species program by forcing the Fish and Wildlife 
Service to pay developers to comply with the law.

The Endangered Species Act is America's safety net for wildlife, fish and 
plants on the brink of extinction. Rep. Pombo's bill would eliminate many of 
the Act's protections for wildlife, including critical habitat protections.

The Center for Biological Diversity press release about the Pombo bill is at 
http://www.biologicaldiversity.org/swcbd/press/pombo9-15-05.html

?

You can look up members of the House Resources Committee, which will hear 
the bill next week, at:
http://resourcescommittee.house.gov/fullcommittee/members.htm

?

You can sign up for Center for Biological Diversity action alerts at 
http://actionnetwork.org/BIODIVERSITY/join.html?r=Op1ZMbM13RITE

If you would like to be removed from this e-mail list, please notify me by 
return e-mail.

************************************

?

Jeff Miller, Director

Alameda Creek Alliance

P. O. Box 192

Canyon, CA 94516

(510) 499-9185

Fax (415) 436-9683

E-mail alamedacreek at hotmail.com

Web site www.alamedacreek.org

?

?Protecting and restoring the natural ecosystems of the Alameda Creek 
watershed?

?

The Alameda Creek Alliance is a non-profit community watershed group. 
?Please support our efforts by becoming a member.




From danielbacher at hotmail.com  Sun Sep 18 22:53:07 2005
From: danielbacher at hotmail.com (Daniel Bacher)
Date: Sun, 18 Sep 2005 22:53:07 -0700
Subject: [env-trinity] Big Victory For American River Parkway Budget!
Message-ID: <BAY16-F168B9AE23E4BFC4B0130C4DB920@phx.gbl>

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From jallen at trinitycounty.org  Mon Sep 19 10:20:05 2005
From: jallen at trinitycounty.org (Josh Allen)
Date: Mon, 19 Sep 2005 10:20:05 -0700
Subject: [env-trinity] California's Levees Are in Sorry Shape
Message-ID: <099F81D877F1044DA24BA95E0CE0926301291205@mail2.trinitycounty.org>


California's Levees Are in Sorry Shape


http://news.yahoo.com/s/latimests/20050919/ts_latimes/californiasleveesa
reinsorryshape

 

LA Times 

 

By Bettina Boxall Times Staff Writer Mon Sep 19, 7:55 AM ET

 

The threat is well known. A big quake rumbles across the Sacramento-San
Joaquin Delta, knocking out dozens of the primitive levees that guard
the state's main water crossroads. A key source of water for nearly two
out of three Californians and the nation's biggest fruit and vegetable
garden is shut down for months, maybe even a year or two.

ADVERTISEMENT

 

Can the state avert such a scenario?

 

The watery calamity that befell New Orleans has highlighted the sorry
state of delta levees, prompting calls from Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger
and California congressional leaders for federal money for levee
repairs.

 

The delta's vulnerabilities have also prompted some experts to dust off
an idea they believe might be more practical: building a canal that
would route water around the delta to agricultural and urban consumers
in Central and Southern California. For though it may be technically
possible to armor the delta, many experts doubt it is economically
feasible.

 

Schwarzenegger last week asked the federal government for $90 million to
improve some of the most critical levees in the delta and the Central
Valley. But that is a fraction of the $1.3 billion in repairs officials
say it will take just to bring the delta levee system up to basic
standards. And that would do little to protect it from earthquake
damage. The state Department of Water Resources can't even say how many
billions more it would cost to do the seismic work.

 

"To make them basically earthquake-proof, you would probably have to
start over with a brand-new levee system," said Les Harder, acting
deputy director of the department and an engineer who helped put
together a 2000 state analysis of the delta's seismic risk. "I think
it's going to be unlikely we would ever make the whole delta today
earthquake-proof."

 

That - coupled with projections of rising sea levels that would stress
the fragile levee system even without a major quake or flood - is
reviving talk of a politically charged alternative to delta water
shipments: the Peripheral Canal. Rejected by California voters in 1982,
the canal would have drawn water from the Sacramento River and carried
it around the delta to federal and state aqueducts supplying the Central
Valley and the Southland.

 

"The idea that you can fix this so that [massive earthquake failure]
won't happen is nonsense," said B.J. Miller, an environmental
engineering consultant who represents some of the Central Valley's
largest irrigation districts. "You can't dig out the peat soil the
levees are resting on. There is no economic way to do that.

 

"Everybody knows what the solution is," he said. "Build a canal around
the delta."

 

The Peripheral Canal died largely because of fears that it would become
a giant straw through which Southern California could suck more of the
north's water. Though the concept remains highly controversial, Miller
is not the only one raising it. Former Interior Secretary Bruce Babbitt
mentioned it recently at a hearing on the CalFed program he helped set
up to improve water delivery from the delta. And even some
environmentalists are broaching the idea of a smaller pipeline around
the delta that would ferry some - but not too much - water south.

 

Overall, the delta levee system is in far worse shape than the levees
that so dramatically failed in New Orleans. They have collapsed for no
apparent reason in good weather. Dozens could fall apart if a major
earthquake or flood were to strike, not only imperiling water supplies
but also flooding thousands of acres of farmland as well as highways and
railroads that cross the delta.

 

And though the more than 400,000 people who live in the delta reside
mostly on its edge rather than its more flood-prone interior, growth is
encroaching, bringing more people closer to the levee system.

 

The threat of an earthquake is by no means the only concern. There is a
growing recognition that given rising sea levels, an inadequate levee
system, natural disasters and the ongoing subsidence of delta islands,
the delta is not going to stay the same.

 

"There is a very strong likelihood that the delta as we know it today is
not sustainable over the long term," Harder said. "We're going to have
to take a look at what we need most and where."

 

Change has been a constant in the delta since Gold Rush settlers started
draining and dredging the vast tidal marsh created thousands of years
ago by the confluence of two of the state's biggest rivers, the
Sacramento and the San Joaquin, as they flowed into San Francisco Bay.

 

Using shovels and wheelbarrows, laborers began building what became a
1,100-mile maze of earthen levees that keeps the water out of the dozens
of islands that were planted with crops after they rose from the drained
marshland.

 

The drainage and farming have turned the delta, which is bigger than
Orange County, into California's Holland, making for a constant battle
between land and the more than 700 miles of waterways that wreathe the
islands.

 

Cultivation has broken down the deep peat soils, causing them to blow
away and oxidize, turning to gas. Through soil loss, the islands sink
ever lower. Some areas are now as much as 20 to 30 feet below sea level.

 

The subsidence probably will be accentuated by an expected rise in sea
level tied to global warming. Scientists say the ocean off California
could rise roughly a foot over the next 50 years and perhaps as much as
3 feet over the next 100 years.

 

As the land sank during the past century, the levees got higher. But
they weren't built up according to sophisticated engineering standards.
Mechanical dredges simply scooped up the muck from the adjoining sloughs
and tossed it on top of the old berms. Beneath the levees lie loose sand
and silt that can liquefy in an earthquake.

 

Of the roughly 1,100 miles of delta levees, 385 are maintained by
federal and state agencies and are in somewhat better shape than the
rest, which are overseen by small delta reclamation districts. In
general, however, experts say the levee system is a disaster in the
making.

 

Concern for the levees was sharpened with the recent prediction by a
pair of UC Davis scientists that there is a two-in-three chance that a
major earthquake or flood will hit the delta in the next 50 years,
causing widespread levee failure.

 

"New Orleans lost the battle with the inevitable, and we will suffer the
same fate in some form here in California," said geologist Jeffrey
Mount, one of the Davis researchers.

 

Multiple levee breaks could draw San Francisco Bay's salt water toward
the enormous federal and state pumps that siphon water from the south
delta and send it to the cities of Southern California and millions of
acres of San Joaquin Valley cropland.

 

If that happened, water managers would have to shut the pumps down. For
how long would depend on where and when the levee breaks occurred.

 

Breaches in levees in the western delta, near the bay, would let more
salt water in. If levees collapsed in the summer, agencies would either
have to release a rush of water from upstream reservoirs to flush out
the system or wait until the following spring, when high natural flows
would do the flushing for them.

 

Massive levee failure could easily shut down delta water exports for
months, and, in a worst case, for a year or two. "That's one of the
scenarios they're looking at," said David Mraz, delta levees program
manager for the state water department.

 

Over the last three decades, the state has spent $210 million on delta
levees. The Army Corps of Engineers has spent additional millions on
repairs. Last year's reauthorization of CalFed included $90 million in
federal funding for levee repairs. But none of that has been
appropriated, and total CalFed levee spending has lagged behind
projections. Moreover, the program has yet to adopt a promised fee
system under which delta users would help pay for projects they benefit
from, such as levee work.

 

"There have been a lot of improvements of levee sections. [But] nothing
has yet happened in a meaningful way to reduce the seismic risk, and
that is a Damocles sword for California," said Ray Seed, a professor of
civil engineering at UC Berkeley who has been evaluating the delta levee
system for the last 20 years. "There are lots of people who know how to
fix it. The issue is it's too expensive."

 

Even if it costs too much to seismically reinforce all 800 miles of
levees that are the most critical to maintaining water quality, Seed
said selected levees could be upgraded. He suggested there are simple,
relatively inexpensive things that could be done to speed repairs when
disaster strikes. The state could stockpile the big rocks needed to plug
holes and store on islands the plastic sheeting and sandbags that can
slow erosion after a levee break.

 

Other proposals include taking islands out of farming to slow the
subsidence, flooding some islands with fresh water to combat a saltwater
intrusion during levee failure and erecting barriers that would force
fresh water toward the pumps in the event of flooding.

 

The state has begun a two-year, $6-million analysis of risk to delta
levees that will include ways of dealing with a major saltwater
intrusion to try to avoid a long shutdown in water shipments.

 

In the meantime, some politicians are looking warily at another delta
trend: creeping urbanization. Though most of the delta's 738,000 acres
are farmed, some of California's fastest-growing areas are pushing into
delta lowlands.

 

Symbolic of that growth is the little town of Lathrop, on the delta's
southeastern perimeter. It plans to expand from 12,000 to 80,000
residents over the next 25 years. About 35,000 of those newcomers would
move into a master-planned community the town has approved for a
now-empty delta island known as the Stewart Tract.

 

Town officials say they will require the developers to pay for levee
construction that will guard against a 200-year flood. But critics say
that could just push floodwaters elsewhere.

 

"I am very concerned about the urbanization of the delta," said
Assemblywoman Lois Wolk, a Davis Democrat who has been pushing
legislation - thus far unsuccessfully - to give the state Delta
Protection Commission more muscle to restrict delta growth.

 

"For me, it's part of a larger issue which I believe has become very
clear with what's happened in Louisiana. That is the foolhardiness of
building in a flood plain. We continue to do that and ... we need to
have a statewide approach to restricting that growth. If local
government won't do it, then the state has to do it."

 

More than the delta, the Central Valley is seeing thousands of houses
sprout in areas that have flooded in recent decades. Those areas are
protected by a river levee system that is also in need of extensive
repairs, although it is generally thought to be in better shape than the
delta's aging system.

 

Pointing to new development in Lathrop, as well as north of the delta
near Sacramento and in Sutter County, Wolk said: "All of these are built
in areas that should have remained in agriculture. It should be expected
that there will be a flood. You simply can't make the levees strong
enough."

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From jallen at trinitycounty.org  Mon Sep 19 10:22:41 2005
From: jallen at trinitycounty.org (Josh Allen)
Date: Mon, 19 Sep 2005 10:22:41 -0700
Subject: [env-trinity] An Uncertain Future for San Joaquin River
Message-ID: <099F81D877F1044DA24BA95E0CE0926301291206@mail2.trinitycounty.org>

An Uncertain Future for San Joaquin River 
New Brisbane News 
Staff and agencies 
18 September, 2005 

By JULIANA BARBASSA, Sat Sep 17, 4:34 PM ET 

ANSEL ADAMS WILDERNESS, Calif. - It begins as fresh snowmelt, streaming
from Mount Ritter's gray granite faces into Thousand Island Lake, a
bouldered mirror. The clear blue water spills out through a narrow
canyon, and the San Joaquin River is born. 

"Certainly this Joaquin Canyon is the most remarkable in many ways of
all I have entered," Muir wrote in 1873. 

Its waters, trapped behind dams, disappear into California's intricate
plumbing system, channels that most maps don't show. Diverted river
water nurtures a rich agriculture economy and California's unstoppable
growth, but it's also at the center of a long-running environmental
battle. Should the flow be released down the old river bed to bring back
the salmon Muir described? How to balance commerce, growth and nature? 

The United States was still pushing westward when Muir arrived. As it
edged aside those who had lived here before, towns sprang up along the
railroads, and the first plows cut through California's vast Central
Valley. 

Agriculture began driving the state's economy, and California was
booming. But by the early 20th century, farmers were pumping their wells
dry. Between drought and the Great Depression, farmers were being forced
off their land just as Dust Bowl migrants were flowing into California. 

By 1935, Congress approved emergency funds for the Central Valley
Project, with the massive Friant Dam at its concrete heart and open
channels radiating north and south. Friant's construction in 1944 put an
end to the farmers' concerns, reviving the economy. Towns blossomed
along the canals. More than a million acres of farmland came to life,
producing more than 200 crops, from fruits and vegetables to cotton. 

But the 314-foot concrete wall changed the river as well. Most years,
less than 5 percent of the historic flow goes down the old riverbed -
just enough to remind locals of what they lost. 

His father, Everett, and other downstream farmers watched the San
Joaquin's water drop out of reach of their pumps, which were left
perched high on the riverbanks like giant mechanical mosquitoes. They
went door to door to raise money for a lawyer, and 16 years later, their
case finally reached the U.S. Supreme Court U.S. Supreme Court. Everett
Rank borrowed money to go to Washington, but the case was turned down on
a technicality. He was devastated; he suffered a heart attack on his way
home and died. 

The San Joaquin now surrenders to parched gravel just 37 miles below the
dam. Where spawning Chinook salmon once ran thick, lizards and
tumbleweed inhabit a riverbed that often goes years without water. 

In October 2004, a federal judge in Sacramento agreed. Angrily
protesting, farmers, mayors and businesspeople pointed out that their
towns, jobs and crops have relied on San Joaquin River water for
decades, and that some of the state's fastest growing cities are in the
Central Valley. 

"The conclusion that the Bureau has violated its duty hardly begins to
address the problem of remedies," Judge Lawrence K. Karlton
acknowledged. 

How to balance competing needs for such an essential public resource in
the decades ahead? How to decide the volume of water going downriver? A
February trial will take up such questions - with consequences far
beyond the region. 

California grows 80 percent of America's eating oranges. Much of that
fruit - about 15 million 75-pound boxes - passes through nine plants in
the town of Orange Cove, where lush groves cover the surrounding hills
as far as the eye can see. 

Growers like Bailey, who farms with his brother Lee Bailey, know well
there's little natural water here. His fruit trees - like Orange Cove's
9,255 residents - are sustained by water diverted from the San Joaquin. 

"Without it, we'd just dry up, the farms, the town, everything," Harvey
Bailey said. 

He remembers how it was in the 1940s, when so many wells were sunk the
shallow aquifer was going dry. Some towns responded with lawsuits.
Saboteurs blew up pipelines. It was a grim time. 

Thanks to the Friant Dam, the river water now sustains more than 1,500
square miles of productive farmland on the east side of the Central
Valley. Besides citrus, many of the grapes, almonds and other crops that
feed the country - about $2 billion worth a year - are grown in an area
that gets only 10 inches of rain a year. 

Victor Lopez, a former farm worker and Orange Cove's mayor for 30 years,
helped bring the packing plants to town, creating many reliable, though
low-paying jobs. Now he's trying to diversify: He went to China to pitch
Mexican food made in Orange Cove, and he's talking to Koreans about
establishing a computer-parts assembly plant. 

Still, he said, standing in the town's brand new rural development and
job training center: "All investment, all our growth, depends on water -
not just ag. Any business that's thinking about coming here, that's the
first thing they want to know: Do you have water? It's our livelihood,
it's everything." 

In its brief run downstream of the dam, herons, egrets and grebes seek
out the river, and Fresno residents come to cool down in the high heat
of summer. 

But even this shallow stream has new demands on it: A developer plans to
replace orchards on the riverbank with a new housing complex, the first
180 homes of a 1,646-home subdivision that is expected to grow into the
new city of Rio Mesa, population 100,000. 

Water for the new homes would come from the San Joaquin, courtesy of
decades-old contracts given by the Bureau of Reclamation to farmers.
Opponents say the contracts were never intended for lawns and car
washes. But attorney Tim Jones, representing River Ranch Estates, says
it's a case of some water users - environmentalists and farmers -
wanting to limit access to another user, his client. 

Such battles seem inevitable in the years ahead - demographers predict
the Central Valley's 5.5 million population will more than double to 12
million or more by 2040, as California's population grows from 36.5
million to a 51.5 million. 

"The San Joaquin is a hard working river, but it can't continue to take
the abuse," said Bill Jennings, who ran a tobacco and fishing-gear store
until a large fish kill inspired him to launch DeltaKeeper, an
environmental advocacy group. 

In his small motorboat, pipe protruding from his snowy beard, Jennings
looks more pirate than protector of the marshy delta where the San
Joaquin river ends in a maze of channels, turbines and levees. 

He navigates along former wetlands lined with broken concrete and wire
mesh, past pipes that pour Stockton's wastewater and urban runoff into
the river. Piles of powdery sulfur used as fertilizer blow from the
banks, coating the surface in a bright yellow film. 

For the rest of its course, the river serves as a drain, taking leftover
irrigation water from farm fields, mixing fertilizers, pesticides and
other chemicals with runoff from city streets and golf courses and what
little water still flows beyond the dams on the San Joaquin's
tributaries. Then it empties into the delta, where water is pumped south
again in an endless loop. 

"A watery landfill," Jennings called it. 

The Metropolitan Water District, serving 17 million Southern
Californians, is already the largest customer for delta water and has
coveted purer San Joaquin River water, especially since California's
share of the Colorado River was cut by 15 percent two years ago. 

For several years now, there have been discussions about a swap that
would give Los Angeles upriver San Joaquin water, which now irrigates
crops. Farmers on the east side of the valley, in exchange, would be
allowed to use the MWD's storage facilities, providing better access to
water in dry years. To make economic sense, the swap would have to
involve at least 100,000 acre feet of the river's flow - enough to serve
200,000 Los Angeles homes per year with pure mountain water. 

A deal is still in its beginning stages, but could benefit both sides,
said Ron Jacobsma of the Friant Water Users Authority, the agency that
manages the Friant-Kern canal. 

But even supporters say they're cautious. Sending farm water to the big
city smacks of the backroom dealmaking that diverted the Owens River to
Los Angeles, as portrayed in the movie "Chinatown." 

"We have to make sure that over time, it's not foolish," said Jacobsma. 

Though the deal's far from done, a hand-drawn sign posted on a ranch by
the river is already asking the inevitable question: "San Joaquin River
Water - Whose is it? The VALLEY's? Or LOS ANGELES'?" 

DeltaKeeper and other environmental groups would add a third stakeholder
- native plants and animals such as the Chinook salmon. 

The competing claims will be central when trial on how much water should
be released begins in U.S. District Court in Sacramento in February. 

Meanwhile, Central Valley farmers, businesses and small towns hold
urgent meetings, imagining a decision that could threaten their futures.


And Jennings imagines what the river and the delta could be if flushed
clean by snowmelt every year, as it was back when John Muir walked the
San Joaquin's banks. 

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From jallen at trinitycounty.org  Mon Sep 19 10:25:23 2005
From: jallen at trinitycounty.org (Josh Allen)
Date: Mon, 19 Sep 2005 10:25:23 -0700
Subject: [env-trinity] Klamath River algae levels increase
Message-ID: <099F81D877F1044DA24BA95E0CE0926301291207@mail2.trinitycounty.org>

Klamath River algae levels increase 
Ann Johnson-Stromberg 
Eureka Times Standard 

KLAMATH -- The Yurok Tribe and the Humboldt County Environmental Health
Department are warning tribal members and recreational users of the
Klamath River about the dangers of toxic algae. 

New tests from Iron Gate and Copco reservoirs have indicated a possible
health risk and on Wednesday tribal members were issuing written
warnings to reservation villages along the river. New toxin levels have
yet to be determined, but according to Troy Fletcher, interim executive
director of the Yurok Tribe, rashes and illness have been reported by
tribal members. 

Animals and children seem to be particularly susceptible to the effects
of blue green algae and as a precaution the tribe is recommending pets
and children not swim in the river. As this is the height of salmon
season, they are also asking fishermen to clean fish with fresh water
and to dispose of the innards away from the river or where animals could
eat them. Some fish organs seem to retain the algae toxins. 

Fletcher said he met with environmental health representatives, the
health department and 1st District Supervisor Jimmy Smith in an effort
to shore up support in getting the word to the public. 

"Toxic algae levels at these reservoirs are the highest levels that have
ever been sampled to my knowledge, and we all know water flows down
stream," Fletcher said. "That certainly has an impact on the river water
quality below the hydrofacility and it concerned us enough and Karuk
Tribe enough to notify the county." 

If children or animals do go in the water, Environmental Health
Department Director Brian Cox said they should avoid the stagnant,
warmer waters where algae blooms are prevalent, and rinse off with fresh
water afterwards. Health risks when exposed to mycrosystis, the toxic
strain of blue green algae include: vomiting, rash, diarrhea, stomach
cramps and liver problems. 

Several years ago dogs had reportedly died after exposure to the algae
in the South Fork of the Eel River and Big Lagoon. Reservoir algae
levels so far are much higher than those tested in the Eel River and Big
Lagoon after the animals died, Cox said. 

"In some cases animals were dying within 24 to 48 hours of exposure, in
others it was within just a few hours," Cox said. "Blue green algae is a
complicated little creature and we just don't know enough about it yet."


For now Fletcher said the tribe will continue to monitor the river and
work with local authorities to keep the public abreast of new
developments. 

"We need to insure there is adequate and timely sampling," he said. "On
the longer term we need to work together to address the larger water
quality problems of the hydroelectric facility." 

For more information about algae risks call the Department of Health and
Human Services Environmental Health Division at 445-6215. 



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From bwl3 at comcast.net  Wed Sep 21 08:34:28 2005
From: bwl3 at comcast.net (Byron )
Date: Wed, 21 Sep 2005 08:34:28 -0700
Subject: [env-trinity] Westlands Water District Water Service Delivery
	Renewal Contract
Message-ID: <20050921153438.9FDAF2002F74@mx.dcn.davis.ca.us>

Environmental Working Group 
Published on September 14, 2005 

The federal government is about to make a deal to give a few hundred
California farmers control of more water than Los Angeles, San Francisco and
San Diego combined use in a year - at pennies on the dollar of the price
paid by urban water users. 

The Bureau of Reclamation is poised to sign a contract with the giant
Westlands Water District that will set the price and amount of water the
district gets from the Central Valley Project (CVP) for the next 25 to 50
years. An investigation by Environmental Working Group (EWG) calculated the
value of Westlands' federal water subsidy at $110 million a year - an amount
the new contract will boost by tens of millions of dollars a year. Over the
life of the new contract, Westlands stands to rake in billions of dollars
from federal taxpayers. 

Terms of the Westlands contract will affect the supply and cost of water
throughout California for decades to come. EWG's investigation, available at
http://www.ewg.org, found: 

- The amount of water promised in the proposed contract is an increase of
more than 50 percent over Westlands' current use.   Yet, in violation of
federal law, none of the additional water was considered in studies of the
new contract's environmental impact.

- Westlands is being promised more water even though it's getting $107
million from taxpayers in exchange for removing from cultivation 34,000
acres ruined by irrigation. To solve severe drainage problems, up to half of
the 600,000-acre district may be taken out of production - but the contract
implies that Westlands would get to keep its full current water allotment. 

- Nowhere in the contract does it say what price Westlands will pay for
water in 2006 and beyond. With future prices a mystery, the contract cannot
guarantee that Westlands will, as required by law, pay off the $386 million
it owes the government as its share of the cost of building the CVP, the
largest federal irrigation system in the nation. 

"Westlands' new contract is a bad deal for urban water users, for fish and
wildlife in the rivers it draws its water from, for state water planners -
everybody but Westlands," said EWG Senior Analyst Renee Sharp, principal
author of the report. "The Bureau of Reclamation is signing over the future
of California's scarcest and most valuable resource to a group of rich
agribusinesses who pay less than one-fifth the water's market value. This
contract should be flushed down the drain." 

 

Byron Leydecker, 

Chair, Friends of Trinity River

Consultant, California Trout, Inc.

PO Box 2327

Mill Valley, CA 94942-2327

415 383 4810 ph

415 383 9562 fx

bwl3 at comcast.net

bleydecker at stanfordalumni.org (secondary)

http://www.fotr.org

http://caltrout.org

 

 

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From danielbacher at hotmail.com  Mon Sep 19 17:35:40 2005
From: danielbacher at hotmail.com (Daniel Bacher)
Date: Mon, 19 Sep 2005 17:35:40 -0700
Subject: [env-trinity] Urgent Alert: Urge No Vote on Pombo's Wildlfe
	Extinction Act!
Message-ID: <BAY16-F1777D07A04AEFAD9CD4F1DDB950@phx.gbl>

Urgent Action Alert September 19!

I urge everybody to call their Representative and urge NO VOTE on Richard 
Pombo's Wildlife Extinction Bill tomorrow morning (Tuesday). Under the Bush 
administration, the Endangered Species Act is one of the few recourses we 
have left to protect fish and wildlife against the ravages of corporate 
polluters and habitat destroyers.

Thanks
Dan


Legislation Introduced to Gut Endangered Species Act (courtesy of Alameda 
Creek Alliance)

?
First vote will be this Thursday morning

If you contact your member of Congress over just?one issue this year, please 
make it the survival of the Endangered Species Act.?

Dozens?of animals and plants that would have gone extinct have been saved by 
the Endangered Species Act since it was signed into law by President Richard 
M. Nixon on December 28, 1973.

Many more are on the brink, along with the special places they call home.? 
Your phone call can make the difference for well-known animals such as the 
grizzly bear, polar bear, orca (aka killer whale),?Mexican gray wolf, 
Mexican spotted owl, and California condor.?

It can also mean the difference between life and death for hundreds of 
obscure creatures struggling to survive, such as the Chiricahua leopard frog 
that lives in streams in the desert, the spectacled eider?that nests on?the 
Arctic coast, and the coral in the Carribean along with?the many fish that 
thrive in the architecture of?coral reefs.

The House Resources Committee will vote this Thursday, September 22, on a 
bill introduced by the committee chairman, Richard Pombo (R-CA), that would 
tear gaping holes in the safety net that is the Endangered Species Act in 
order to expedite development of the last natural habitats for wildlife in 
the United States.? Details are described below.? The bill will first be 
voted on in the House Resources Committee, then if it passes will go to the 
full House of Representatives, and if it passes there a similar process will 
be underway in the Senate.

Imperiled animals and plants need your help to stop this bill.? Please call 
your Representative in Congress?first thing Tuesday morning and ask them to 
oppose Representative Pombo's extinction bill, H.R. 3824,?that would 
eliminate key protections of the Endangered Species Act.

It is especially important that members of the House Resources Committee 
hear from?people who live in their districts. You can look up those members 
at:? http://resourcescommittee.house.gov/fullcommittee/members.htm?.

To learn who your Representative is and his or her direct phone number, go 
to: ?http://www.house.gov/writerep/?.? The congressional switchboard 
number?is 202-224-3121.

Please make these calls even if your Representative is known to be hostile 
to conservation.? We may be able to swing some votes from members of 
Congress nervous about their re-election.

Thank you for your help.

Highlights?of Rep. Pombo's Wildlife Extinction Bill


?


Eliminates Independent Federal Oversight.? The Endangered Species Act 
requires that U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service or Fisheries Service biologists 
review all federal actions that may harm endangered species. The review is 
done only on the basis of the best available science. It is conducted by 
scientists who are completely independent of the federal agency proposing 
the harmful action.


?


The Pombo bill allows the exemption of individual projects and entire 
categories of actions from independent review and instead substitutes 
undefined?"alternate procedures.?? As Pombo and the Bush administration have 
consistently pushed to shield federal agency actions from environmental 
review by?the Fish and Wildlife Service, it is clear that the?"alternate 
procedures" will eliminate independent oversight over a vast array of 
habitat destruction projects.


Eliminates Critical Habitat.? The Endangered Species Act requires the 
designation of mapped-out ?critical habitat? areas for all threatened and 
endangered species. Critical habitat is the only portion of the Act which 
directly protects ecosystems in themselves, regardless of whether an 
endangered species currently reside there -- because it may need to?reclaim 
that?habitat?in order to recover. Critical habitat is the only portion of 
the Act which expressly establishes a recovery management standard. It 
works:? Species with critical habitat are twice as likely to be recovering 
as species without it.

Pombo?s bill completely eliminates critical habitat from the Endangered 
Species Act. .

Makes Recovery Plans Optional.? Recovery plans constitute road maps for 
specific actions that will lead to a species' resurgence and?eventual 
removal from the threatened and endangered species list.? The Endangered 
Species Act requires development of?recovery plans.?

Pombo's bill would allow the federal government to choose which creatures 
get a recovery plan and which do not

Destructive Projects Proceed by Default.? The Endangered Species Act 
currently requires?that a destructive project can not proceed until it is 
reviewed and approved by government scientists. The review can not take 
place unless the agency or corporation proposing the project provides 
detailed information about the project and its likely effects.

Pombo?s bill turns this precautionary process on its head by specifying that 
destructive projects are allowed to proceed unless government scientists 
intercede to stop it. The scientists will have little information to make 
such an intercession, because the Pombo bill allows agencies to simply 
provide the ?nature, the specific location, and the anticipated schedule and 
duration of the proposed action.? This is not enough information to support 
a scientific review.

Eliminates?and Politicizes Science.? The Endangered Species Act currently 
requires that all decisions be made on the basis of ?the best available 
scientific information.? Wisely, the Act does not define ?best available? 
because scientific technology, knowledge, and methods constantly change. The 
Act leaves it up to the scientific community to determine the best science 
available. Pombo?s bill requires a politically appointee, the Secretary of 
Interior, to issue regulations predetermining the definition of best 
science.

The Pombo bill?also codifies?a Bush Administration policy that has been 
widely condemned by scientists and rejected by courts. The?policy, and the 
bill,?prohibit the Fish and Wildlife Service and?the Fisheries?Service from 
updating conservation?plans for private lands that recieve government 
funding or permits to destroy habitat, even if those plans?are not working 
as intended -- unless the private land owner holding the permit agrees. Thus 
new scientific information and the results of biological monitoring no?would 
longer require updating of?conservation plans.

Eliminates Species Protections and Up-To-Date Science.? As currently 
written, the Endangered Species Act provides full protection to each 
new?animal or plant added to the endangered species list.? Pombo?s bill 
allows the Fish and Wildlife Service and Fisheries?Service to sign an 
agreement with individual states prior to a species being listed, 
which?would prohibit new protections for that?creature.? If a species were 
to be listed despite the presence of such an agreement, it would indicate 
that the agreement was necessarily insufficient to protect?it.?But such?an 
agreement would have the force of law?even though scientists?had already 
determined that it allowed the?animal or plant?to proceed toward 
endangerment.

Slows Species Protections.? The Fish and Wildlife Service has issued a 
nationwide policy protecting threatened species from unregulated take (i.e. 
killing, harming or harassing). Pombo?s bill prohibits this efficient 
national approach, requiring the agency to issue separate regulations for 
each threatened species.

Prevents and Bureaucratizes the Listing of Endangered Species.? The 
Endangered Species Act currently allows the listing of species, subspecies, 
and ?distinct population segments.?? Pombo?s bill makes it harder to list 
populations by requiring that it be done ?sparingly??-- thus allowing 
different populations of a species to slip away one by one instead of taking 
action early.

The Endangered Species Act requires that decisions to place species on the 
endangered list be done solely on the basis of the best available scientific 
information. In 2003, the Government Accountability Office issued a report 
(at the request of Congressman Pombo) which found that Fish and Wildlife 
Service listing decisions are scientifically sound. Pombo?s bill would 
bureaucratize a system that is already working fine by making petitioners 
supply the agency with documents?it already possesses and making the agency 
post all those documents on a website. While this will not affect listing 
decisions, it dramatically increases burdensome, unnecessary paperwork tasks 
for?scientists in government,?academia and the conservation community

Bankrupts the Endangered Species Act with an Expansive?"Taking" Provision.? 
Pombo?s bill requires the federal government to pay private landowners for 
the loss of commercial value when an action (logging, development, etc) is 
prohibited by the protections of the Endangered Species Act. Pombo has 
hidden?this provision under the misleading?rubric of "conservation aid.?? 
The bill specifies that "The amount of the Aid is to be no less than the 
fair market value of the forgone use of the affected portion of the 
property"?-- meaning that the federal government would have to pay for 
profits?that developers hoped to gain by developing that portion of the 
land, including any profits lost due to mitigations asked of the landowner, 
such as retaining riparian corridors or?protecting a small part of the land.

Not only would?this provision?deplete the federal budget, it would set a 
precedent to require the government to pay industry for any profits lost to 
environmental protections, and would reward developers who plan the maximum 
and most potentially profitable projects for the most ecologically important 
habitats. In short, it begs developers to plan projects that allow them to 
extort payment from the government.

Please call your Representative in Congress first thing Tuesday morning!? 
202-224-3121.?

?




From jallen at trinitycounty.org  Thu Sep 22 11:11:26 2005
From: jallen at trinitycounty.org (Josh Allen)
Date: Thu, 22 Sep 2005 11:11:26 -0700
Subject: [env-trinity] Eat Fish? Test Your Mercury Levels 
Message-ID: <099F81D877F1044DA24BA95E0CE0926301496B8B@mail2.trinitycounty.org>

http://www.waterkeeper.org/mainarticledetails.aspx?articleid=176 

 

 

 

Waterkeeper Alliance/Greenpeace
5/9/2005 

Waterkeeper Alliance has teamed up with Greenpeace and the University of
North Carolina to offer you the opprotunity to test your mercury levels.


Why would I want to know my mercury level?

Mercury is highly toxic heavy metal that contaminates a third of our
nation's lakes, a quarter of our rivers, and many of the fish that we
eat. Mercury ends up in the tissues of commonly eaten fish like tuna and
bass and threatens the health of millions of people across the United
States. Humans, at the top of the food chain, can consume enough mercury
to put them at risk of neurological, circulatory and immune system
disorders. EPA and the Centers for Disease Control estimate that 630,000
children are born every year with unsafe levels of mercury in their
blood.


So what can I do?

Find out how much mercury is in your body!

Click Here To:
ORDER A HAIR SAMPLING KIT TODAY
<https://secureusa.greenpeace.org/mercury/index.php?from=wka> 

If you have high levels of mercury in your body, then you can take
corrective action to protect your health. 


How does it work? 

 

*	There is a $25 fee for each hair sampling kit. You will receive
the kit in one to two weeks. 
*	Once you have received the kit: read the instructions, fill out
the questionnaire and cut a small sample of your hair. 
*	Mail the sample to the UNC Environmental Quality Institute
Laboratory (EQI). 
*	The laboratory will analyze the sample and return the results to
you by mail within four weeks with an explanation of your results. 
*	Your individual test results will remain confidential between
you and EQI. Aggregate results from the study excluding any personally
identifiable information may be shared with the public. 

 

 

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From jallen at trinitycounty.org  Fri Sep 23 09:24:41 2005
From: jallen at trinitycounty.org (Josh Allen)
Date: Fri, 23 Sep 2005 09:24:41 -0700
Subject: [env-trinity] A river with too many troubles
Message-ID: <099F81D877F1044DA24BA95E0CE0926301496BB8@mail2.trinitycounty.org>

A river with too many troubles
http://www.times-standard.com/searchresults/ci_3051982
<http://www.times-standard.com/searchresults/ci_3051982>  

The Times-Standard 

 

 

Overfishing, logging, water diversions, dams, fish kills. Now, toxic
algae has been causing concerns on the Klamath River. 

Blooming in Iron Gate and Copco reservoirs is a species of algae that
can be extremely harmful to humans and dogs if ingested. The problem may
also exist in the slow-moving stretches of the lower river. 

Amazingly, Pacificorp, the dam owner trying to renew its license to
operate the dams that create the reservoirs in which the conditions
persist, hasn't performed a comprehensive study on the blue-green algae
problem. Without a doubt, that inquiry should be made as part of the
federal relicensing project. 

The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission must have the information it
needs to weigh the benefits of the project in light of its apparent
exacerbation of a public health nuisance. It needs to add that to the
costs to salmon -- which have been taxed for decades, unable to reach
once far more extensive spawning grounds because of the dams. 

If Pacificorp won't voluntarily look into the blue-green algae problem,
FERC must make the utility analyze it. 

The river has too many problems already. 

 

 

 

 

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From jallen at trinitycounty.org  Mon Sep 26 09:26:21 2005
From: jallen at trinitycounty.org (Josh Allen)
Date: Mon, 26 Sep 2005 09:26:21 -0700
Subject: [env-trinity] State congressional members seek flood funds
Message-ID: <099F81D877F1044DA24BA95E0CE0926301496BF8@mail2.trinitycounty.org>


State congressional members seek flood funds


http://www.sacbee.com/content/politics/story/13617104p-14459009c.html 


By David Whitney -- Bee Washington Bureau
Published 2:15 am PDT Saturday, September 24, 2005
Story appeared in Metro section, Page B1


WASHINGTON - California's two Democratic senators and a bipartisan group
of Northern California House members have come together behind a plan to
seek $92.6 million for levee-and flood-protection work around Sacramento
and the Delta.

In a letter circulated to other members of the California congressional
delegation Friday, Sens. Dianne Feinstein and Barbara Boxer joined Reps.
Doris Matsui, D-Sacramento; Mike Thompson, D-St. Helena; Dan Lungren,
R-Gold River; and Wally Herger, R-Chico, in appealing for all to
coalesce around the plan.

 "In consultation with the Army Corps of Engineers and Gov.
Schwarzenegger, we propose a fiscal year 2006 program that will provide
the Sacramento area with 100-year flood protection and prepare for
construction work on the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta levee system,
which have been identified by the governor as the highest priority needs
in the state," the six lawmakers said.

"This is very important because everyone is on the same page now,"
Matsui said. "The good thing is there's agreement on priorities. That's
not an easy thing to do."

But the letter may not be able to achieve a unified delegation.

Nearly $25 million of the money it seeks would go for continuing work to
add larger gates to Folsom Dam and increase its height by seven feet.

The gate work, pegged for $9.55 million in the letter, has been stalled
for two years, however, because construction cost projections came in
last spring at two or three times the original estimates.

As a consequence of the cost spike, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is
reevaluating the scope of the work. The escalating costs also have
emboldened some supporters of a dam at Auburn who say that would be a
safer and more effective alternative and now, perhaps, no more
expensive.

Conspicuously absent from the letter is Rep. John Doolittle,
R-Roseville, a key member of the House Appropriations Committee's energy
and water subcommittee whose responsibilities include the corps' budget.
Doolittle is the Auburn dam's leading champion. HIs spokeswoman Laura
Blackann said the re-emergence of interest in an Auburn dam is not the
reason the he did not sign the letter.

"The congressman has serious concerns about emergency spending,
particularly in the wake of Hurricane Katrina and now Hurricane Rita,"
she said.

Lungren also is among those who have said the high cost of the Folsom
work warrants taking another look at an Auburn dam. He said that his
signature is not meant to imply that he has given up on that project.

"Wherever we can, we have to find agreement on protecting our area from
disaster," Lungren said.

In their letter, the six lawmakers said that given the experience of New
Orleans after Hurricane Katrina, they believe a levee breach from a
major storm, earthquake or deterioration is a high probability.

"A major breach in these levees could imperil hundreds of thousands of
people and endanger most of the state's water supply," they said. "We
believe that the best course of action is to proceed expeditiously on
the projects that will provide the most protection to population centers
and infrastructures."

Other projects endorsed for immediate funding are:

* $16 million for American River levee strengthening.

* $10 million for flood protection on south Sacramento County streams.

* $20 million for Sacramento River bank protection.

* Nearly $12 million for studies and evaluations of Delta levees.

* $3.3 million for other Valley levee reconstruction.


About the writer: The Bee's David Whitney can be reached at (202)
383-0004 or dwhitney at mcclatchydc.com. 


 

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From danielbacher at hotmail.com  Sun Sep 25 10:48:27 2005
From: danielbacher at hotmail.com (Daniel Bacher)
Date: Sun, 25 Sep 2005 10:48:27 -0700
Subject: [env-trinity] CA. Residents Unite Against Attacks on ESA
	(Endangered Species Act)
Message-ID: <BAY16-F29D3BCBBC746E40B59A5C2DB880@phx.gbl>


STOCKTON, CA ? A former Republican Congressman from California who 
co-authored the Endangered Species Act (1973) will join farmers and 
fishermen to support strong protections for endangered species and habitat 
on Monday, September 26, in Stockton. They will call on Members of Congress 
to support the Endangered Species Act, oppose a drastic rewrite of the Act, 
and deliver thousands of signatures to the office of Representative Richard 
Pombo (R-CA), the prime sponsor of the new bill.

News Advisory

ADVISORY FOR: Monday, September 26, 2005 CONTACT: Phaedra Booth 916-313-5811
Brian Smith 415-320-9384

California Residents Speak Out Against Congressional Attacks on Endangered 
Species

Farmers, Fishermen, and Republican Co-Author of
Endangered Species Act Speak Out Monday, Sept 26 in Stockton, CA

STOCKTON, CA ? A former Republican Congressman from California who 
co-authored the Endangered Species Act (1973) will join farmers and 
fishermen to support strong protections for endangered species and habitat 
on Monday, September 26, in Stockton. They will call on Members of Congress 
to support the Endangered Species Act, oppose a drastic rewrite of the Act, 
and deliver thousands of signatures to the office of Representative Richard 
Pombo (R-CA), the prime sponsor of the new bill.

On Thursday, September 22, the House Resources Committee approved H.R. 3824 
which would weaken protections for endangered species and habitat. The House 
of Representatives is scheduled to consider the bill the week of September 
26th.

The San Joaquin Valley has become a principal battlefront in this national 
debate. Residents of the Valley will discuss the importance of protecting 
endangered species in the state, in order to protect agricultural lands, 
open space, clean water, provide recreational opportunities while support 
fishing jobs and local economies.

Who: Pete McCloskey, former Republican Member of Congress from California 
and co-author of the Endangered Species Act
Cindy Lashbrook, owner Living Farms, board member Community Alliance with 
Family Farms
Bill Jennings, Chairman, California Sportfishing Alliance
Zeke Grader, Executive Director, Pacific Coast Federation of Fishermen?s 
Associations
Brian Stranko, Executive Director, California Trout

What: Concerned citizens, fishermen, farmers, and Central Valley residents 
will discuss the importance of protecting endangered species and the habitat 
they need to recover.

When: Monday, September 26, 2005, at 11:00 a.m.

Where: Conference Room 1 at the Radisson Hotel, 2323 Grand Canal at 
(eastbound March Lane exit off I-5) Stockton, CA

This event will include excellent photo opportunities and is open to all 
credentialed media.
# # #
www.mountainwatch.org




From bwl3 at comcast.net  Mon Sep 26 15:14:58 2005
From: bwl3 at comcast.net (Byron )
Date: Mon, 26 Sep 2005 15:14:58 -0700
Subject: [env-trinity] UC Davis Watershed Assessment Manual
Message-ID: <20050926221501.B7B7F2003536@mx.dcn.davis.ca.us>

Friends and Colleagues

 

The California Watershed Assessment Manual (CWAM) Team is pleased to make
available hard-copies of the final manual. Volume I of the Manual was
finalized earlier this year and is available online, on CD, and now in
hard-copy. If you would like the printed CWAM-Vol. I, please reply to this
email with your name and address and we will send you one. For those of you
who wear several hats, you may receive this email more than once (e.g., from
a list-serve) and for that I apologize. For those of you who are planning an
assessment or beginning to conduct one, we especially want to hear from you
and potentially help you in your work. Please forward this message to others
interested in conducting a watershed assessment.

 

Fraser Shilling

Department of Environmental Science and Policy University of 

California, Davis 95616

530-752-7859

http://cwam.ucdavis.edu <http://cwam.ucdavis.edu/> 

 

p.s.  We will have Volume II ready next year, so check back in. 

 

Byron Leydecker, 

Chair, Friends of Trinity River

Consultant, California Trout, Inc.

PO Box 2327

Mill Valley, CA 94942-2327

415 383 4810 ph

415 383 9562 fx

bwl3 at comcast.net

bleydecker at stanfordalumni.org (secondary)

http://www.fotr.org

http://caltrout.org

 

 

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From danielbacher at hotmail.com  Tue Sep 27 08:46:29 2005
From: danielbacher at hotmail.com (Daniel Bacher)
Date: Tue, 27 Sep 2005 08:46:29 -0700
Subject: [env-trinity] Anglers Still Waiting For Record Return Of Sacramento
	Kings
Message-ID: <BAY16-F1ADF2C60DAA6454F7B9FEDB8A0@phx.gbl>

Anglers Still Waiting For ?Record? Return Of Sacramento Kings

by Dan Bacher

Although salmon fishing on the Sacramento River has improved greatly since 
the opener on July 16, the action is not what anglers expected after 
Department of Fish and Game biologists predicted a record ocean abundance of 
Sacramento fall run chinook salmon this year.

State and federal biologists predicted an ocean abundance of 1,678,300 
California Central Valley chinooks this season, almost double the pre-season 
abundance of 831,800 fish in 2004. This abundance was based on record 
returns of jacks (two year old) fish on the Sacramento River and its 
tributaries in the fall on 2004.

In fact, when the commercial salmon season was slashed by approximately 50 
percent to protect Klamath stocks depleted by the fish kills of 2002, 
commercial and recreational fishermen were alarmed that too many salmon 
would return to the river for the available spawning habitat, causing 
concern over potential fish kills.

However, the hot salmon season expected on the ocean didn?t materialize, 
though there were spurts of excellent action nearly everywhere from Morro 
Bay to Shelter Cove for short periods. Anglers blamed a combination of 
unfavorable weather, scattered bait and other factors for the inconsistent 
fishing, but the fishing has to date has not reflected the abundance of 
Central Valley fish that were projected.

?The biologists projected around 400,000 fish in the Sacramento River and 
Battle Creek, the biggest projection ever,? said Scott Hamelberg, manager of 
the federal Coleman National Fish Hatchery. ?We?re getting ready to receive 
100,000 adult chinooks in the hatchery. However, it?s still too early to 
tell whether these projections will bear out.?

The counts over the Red Bluff Diversion Dam this season were significantly 
higher than last year, with 15,099 salmon and 74 steelhead counted over the 
facility from May 20 to September 14, compared to 9,544 salmon and 62 
steelhead in 2004. However, counts over the diversion dam have been much 
higher in previous years.

?Based on our fish counts over the dam, the run doesn?t now look it will be 
as large as predicted earlier this year,? said Jim Smith, project leader for 
the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. ?The run will probably be better than 
last year, but nothing like the counts over the dam in the 1985 and 1986, 
when 54,000 to 55,000 fish went over the dam.?

Regardless of whether or not a record number of fish arrive, the hatchery 
expects to have no problem reaching its production goal of 12,000,000 fall 
run chinook smolts and 1,000,0000 late fall chinook smolts.

The fall run arrives at the hatchery from now until early November, 
according to Hamelburg. The late fall run chinooks start arriving in 
November and continue until February.

The facility, located 6 miles up Battle Creek from its confluence with the 
Sacramento, plans to start spawning fall run chinooks on October 1. They 
will spawn 5,000 fall adults and 500 to 800 late fall adults to meet their 
production goals. The fish not spawned will be given to the Bureau of Indian 
Affairs and the Department of Justice for use in the prisons.

Also, the natural spawning escapement goal of 122,000 to 180,000 adults, set 
by the Pacific Fishery Management Council, should also be met with no 
problem this year.

In addition, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service operates a winter run 
chinook spawning facility in the Livingston Stone Fish Facility below Shasta 
Dam. ?We usually collect 100 chinooks so we can release 250,000 smolts into 
the river in January and early February. We raise the fish in the river 
below Shasta, rather than in Battle Creek, so the scent of the river 
imprints upon the fish,? said H?melburg.

Meanwhile, anglers are still struggling to hook salmon on the Sacramento, 
Feather and American rivers. Experienced anglers and river guides are hoping 
that the fish are late ? and that the bite will bust loose in the next few 
weeks.

The stretch of Sacramento River from Los Molinos to Woodson Bridge in 
Corning is one of the most popular stretches of river to fish for king 
salmon, as well as for shad, steelhead and sturgeon. Rene Villanueva of 
Steelie Dan?s Guide Service, who has fished this stretch of river from 1992 
to present, described the fishing on the river to date as ?fair.?

?Anglers are having their good days and bad days this year,? said 
Villanueva. ?You?ll get limits one day and then struggle for your fish the 
next. The fishing is very inconsistent. In contrast, last year at the same 
time we were catching limits of chinooks most days.?

On Tuesday, September 13, Glen, Randy and Nathan Kramer bagged their limits 
of salmon to 27 pounds while fishing below Woodson Bridge with Villanueva. 
They nailed most of their fish while boon doggling salmon roe.

Chuck Powell of River Run Guide Company, his wife, Alice, and Gary Whitney 
also experienced solid action that day. The angling trio nailed three 
chinooks weighing 38, 24 and 20 pounds.

However, the action slowed down dramatically the next day when Richard 
Alves, Fish Sniffer webmaster, and I went fishing with Villanueva. In spite 
of fishing hard with roe both above and below the Woodson Bridge all day, we 
never hooked a fish. Other experienced guides also reported very slow 
action, with many anglers blanking out.

On the other hand, Jason Thatcher of Norwest Executive Guide Service and 
Bill Divens of Salmon King Lodge had a very good day of salmon fishing. 
Their two clients, Michael Williams of San Diego and Vance Chapman of Grants 
Pass, Oregon, landed full limits of chinooks to 27 pounds.

Will a record run materialize this season? ?I think the biologists may have 
overestimated the numbers of fish expected to return this year,? concluded 
Villanueva. ?If there were that many fish arriving in the river, we should 
be limiting out every day like we were last year at this time. On the other 
hand, maybe the fish are running late this season.?

Villanueva will be moving back to Elk Grove to fish for salmon on the 
Sacramento and American rivers in the metropolitan area on October 1. For 
more information, call (916) 684-7148.

Meanwhile, mark your calendar for The 15th Annual Return of the Salmon 
Festival at Coleman Fish Hatchery on October 15 from 9 am to 4 p.m, 
according to Roger Shudes, coordinator of the festival. The hatchery will 
host an open house featuring public viewing of the salmon spawning 
operations, the giant salmon aquarium, fish tagging information booths, 
recreational displays, wildlife art, children?s activities, food by the 
Junction School and more.

The Anderson Rotary Club is cooking up their fabulous ?Salmon Bake? at the 
Shasta Outlets in Anderson from 11 am to 3 pm. Free admission and ample 
parking is available at the hatchery and the Shasta Outlets. For more 
information, call (530) 365-8622 (Coleman NFH) or (530) 378-1002 (Shasta 
Outlets).




From danielbacher at hotmail.com  Wed Sep 28 11:20:21 2005
From: danielbacher at hotmail.com (Daniel Bacher)
Date: Wed, 28 Sep 2005 11:20:21 -0700
Subject: [env-trinity] Fishermen, Farmers Protest Pombos Attack On ESA
Message-ID: <BAY16-F293C63D8404377A1F0172DDB8D0@phx.gbl>

Fishermen, Farmers Protest Pombo?s Attack On ESA

by Dan Bacher

Former Congressman Pete McCloskey and representatives of fishing, farming 
and environmental organizations gathered in front of Congressman Richard 
Pombo?s office in Stockton on September 26 to deliver petitions with 
thousands of signatures protesting Pombo?s campaign to gut the Endangered 
Species Act, a law that has served as the last resort to protect salmon, 
steelhead and other fish on the brink of extinction.

The broad ranging coalition said it opposes Pombo?s HR 3854, deceptively 
titled ?the Threatened And Endangered Species Recovery Act of 2004,? because 
it would cut ?large holes? in the safety net that the ESA provides for fish, 
wildlife and plants and fish on the brink of extinction. The law would 
significantly weaken protections for our nation?s fish and wildlife and 
their habitat ? and for California fish and wildlife in particular.

?The ?Threatened and Endangered Species Recovery Act has the same 
intellectual candor as the Healthy Forest Act that increased logging and the 
Clean Skies Act that increased air pollution,? said Bill Jennings, chairman 
of the California Sportfishing Protection Alliance. ?It cares not for 
endangered species nor promotes their recovery. It will certainly facilitate 
their demise.?

Since going to Washington, Congressman Pombo?s main goal has been to destroy 
the Endangered Species Act. A scion of a wealthy developer family, Pombo, 
once blasted supporters of fish and wildlife restoration as the ?eco-federal 
conspiracy of crypto-communist environmental regulations makers,? according 
to Jennings.

Pombo?s bill, introduced into the Resources Committee on September 19, is 
being cosponsored by Reps. Dennis Cardoza (D-CA), Greg Walden (R-OR) and 
George Radanovich (R-CA). The controversial bill is being rushed through 
Congress with little debate ? or input from constituents. After passing 
through the Resources Committee, chaired by Pombo, the bill could go the 
House Floor as early as this week.

According to Pombo, the bill ?fixes the long-outstanding problems of the 
Endangered Species Act (ESA) by focusing on species recovery, providing 
incentives, increasing openness and accountability, strengthening scientific 
standards, creating bigger roles for state and local governments, protecting 
private property owners and eliminating dysfunctional critical habitat 
designations."

"After three decades of implementation, the ESA has only recovered 10 of the 
roughly 1,300 species on its list," said Pombo. "What it has done instead is 
create conflict, bureaucracy and rampant litigation. It?s time to do 
better.?

However Jennings disagreed strongly with Pombo, noting that of 1800 listed 
species, only 9 have been extirpated. Meanwhile, hundreds of species 
continue to survive only because of the act.

?One only has to look at the Delta, where remnant populations of Delta smelt 
and winter-run chinook salmon survive only because of the Act,? he said. 
?The few steelhead that return to the Calaveras River do so under the 
protection of the Act. If endangered species have failed to achieve full 
recovery, it?s largely attributable to political cowardice ? to a failure to 
aggressively implement the Act?s explicit requirements.?

Zeke Grader, executive director of the Pacific Coast Federation of 
Fishermen?s Associations, pointed out how the ESA, even with all of its 
bureaucracy, has kept the commercial salmon fleet in business. ?Our 
membership depends on having harvestable populations of fish and the ESA has 
been an essential part of sustaining fish populations,? he stated.

Grader cited the restoration efforts by the state and federal governments 
and fishing groups to recover the winter run chinook, a species that 
plummeted from nearly 120,000 spawning adults in 1969 to only 191 fish in 
1990. The winter run?s listing under the ESA resulted in the construction of 
a temperature control device at Shasta Dam, screening of irrigation pumps, 
opening of the Red Bluff Diversion Dam to fish passage during peak spawning 
periods and restrictions on pumping by the state and federal governments in 
the Delta.

?We still have a long way to go, but winter run numbers now range from 6,000 
to 10,000 fish per year,? said Grader. ?The changes we accomplished because 
of the ESA are also beneficial to fall-run chinook populations, the mainstay 
of the Pacific Coast salmon fishery. If it wasn?t for the ESA, our fleet 
would be basically off the water.?

Grader explained that the ESA could use some improvements to strengthen the 
law, such as mandating the adoption of recovery plans, but Pombo?s ?reform? 
legislation simply guts the law and paves the way for more rampant, 
unsustainable development at the expense of fish.

Among the ways that Pombo?s bill would attack the ESA is by eliminating 
critical habitat provisions, abandoning the commitment to the recovery of 
endangered species and repealing protections against dangerous pesticides. 
It would require taxpayers to pay developers, oil and gas companies and 
other industries to comply with the law and would politicize the scientific 
decision making process.

In addition, the Pombo bill would allow the Bush and future administrations 
to exempt any federal agency action from the requirement to consult with the 
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the National Marine Fisheries Service 
before they take any action that could undermine the survival of recovery of 
protected species. Cop

Even more onerously, the bill would place endangered species at risk 
whenever the federal government fails to meet a 180 day deadline for telling 
developers whether their actions would kill or harm and endangered species. 
?If the government misses the deadline, no matter what the reason, 
developers are permanently exempted from the law,? according to the Center 
for Biological Diversity.

According to Pete McCloskey, the bill was one of a series of landmark 
environmental laws, including the Wilderness Act, NEPA, Clean Water and 
Clean Air acts, adopted in the 1960?s and 1970?s to clean up and restore the 
nation?s environment.

?The provision repealing protections from DDT and other protections is 
particularly appalling,? he said. ?The ESA protects the Web of Life that is 
America?s Heritage. Without it, we may not be blessed with the American bald 
eagle, the California condor or the Pacific salmon. We have a duty to 
protect Endangered Species and the Act has done that well.?

Pombo?s legislative attack on the ESA has angered McCloskey so much that he 
said he may run against him in the 2006 election. ?This is an outrageous 
bill. There should be a Republican opponent to Pombo,? said McCloskey. ? I?m 
tempted to move back to Pleasanton and taken Pombo on!?

Other individuals who spoke out against Pombo?s ?extinction bill? include 
Cindy Lashbrook, owner of Living Farms and board member of Community 
Alliance with Family Farms, and Brian Stranko, the Executive Director of 
California Trout.

There is no doubt the ESA needs some fine-tuning after 32 years. However, 
the way to do it is not by gutting the law, but by strengthening and 
improving it. Unless we want to see many more fish kills like those that 
have occurred on the Klamath River and Butte Creek in recent years, we need 
to stop HR 3854 in its tracks.




From danielbacher at hotmail.com  Thu Sep 29 16:25:25 2005
From: danielbacher at hotmail.com (Daniel Bacher)
Date: Thu, 29 Sep 2005 16:25:25 -0700
Subject: [env-trinity] House Votes To Gut Endangered Species Act!
Message-ID: <BAY16-F133F184A81F9A74570603DDB8C0@phx.gbl>

Hello

Here's the horrible news from Environmental Defense about today's vote to 
gut the Endangered Species Act in the House of Representatives. We now must 
do whatever we can to stop the Senate from passing Richard "Prince of 
Darkness" Pombo's "Extinction Act" or we can say goodbye to California's 
salmon, steelhead and other fish species!

Dan Bacher



Just moments ago, the U.S. House of Representatives hastily -
and narrowly - approved the first major changes to the
Endangered Species Act since 1988. This vote represents the most
serious attack on endangered species protections I have seen in
the nearly 30 years I have been working on these issues.

As the debate on this legislation moves to the Senate,
Environmental Defense is calling on leaders there to proceed
more cautiously. In the days and weeks ahead, we will be
enlisting your support as the fight in the Senate heats up.

Today's vote in the House takes direct aim at our endangered
species protections. It complicates both listing new species and
implementing recovery plans for species already on the list.

Unfortunately, the losers are the nation's bald eagles, ocelots,
grizzly bears, ivory-billed woodpeckers and other endangered
species. Learn more about the vote:
http://actionnetwork.org/ct/ApaAATK16ztY/

The Senate has an opportunity to act more responsibly, and we
urge them to do so.

The Senate stepped between the overly-hasty House and rare
plants and animals once before. In 1978, the House was roiled
that the Supreme Court stopped construction of a dam in
Tennessee to protect endangered fish. It passed a bevy of
crippling amendments to the ESA. The Senate rejected virtually
everything the House had done and the Endangered Species Act
survived.

Because the Senate stood strong, whooping crane numbers have
increased ten-fold, California condors soar in the Grand Canyon,
wolves roam in Yellowstone and black-footed ferrets are once
again found in the Great Plains. The ESA has also helped restore
our national symbol, the American bald eagle, from a few hundred
pairs to over 8,000 pairs in the continental United States.

If successes such as these are to continue, the Senate must
again reject the overreaching of the House.

In the weeks and months ahead as the fight to protect endangered
species moves to the Senate, we need your help to win the battle
there, so please stand by.

Thank you for your commitment to protect America's natural
heritage.
Sincerely,
Michael Bean
Chairman of the Wildlife Program
Environmental Defense




From bwl3 at comcast.net  Fri Sep 30 15:15:11 2005
From: bwl3 at comcast.net (Byron )
Date: Fri, 30 Sep 2005 15:15:11 -0700
Subject: [env-trinity] FW: Environmental Document Available for the Renewal
	of San Luis Unit CVP Long-Term Water Service Contra
Message-ID: <007a01c5c60c$6ceb8a10$1f9eb545@p4>

Since some of these districts - Westlands principally - is where most of the
Trinity's water is diverted, these renewal contracts have possible adverse
implications for the Trinity - Record of Decision, or not.   We originally
commented on an earlier draft environmental document in January and asked
that it be withdrawn, among other things.

 

The Bureau currently is in the process of negotiating virtually all water
service delivery contract renewals, including these, to deliver 1,500,000
more acre feet of water than exists in the Central Valley Project.   Where
is this water that doesn't exist going to be obtained?

 

Byron

 

-----Original Message-----
From: jsierzputowski at mp.usbr.gov [mailto:jsierzputowski at mp.usbr.gov] 
Sent: Friday, September 30, 2005 12:47 PM
To: Byron Leydecker
Subject: Environmental Document Available for the Renewal of San Luis Unit
CVP Long-Term Water Service Contra

 

Reclamation issued the following press release on Friday, September 30,
2005.  If you encounter problems accessing documents online, please call
Lynnette Wirth at 916-978-5102 or send her an e-mail at lwirth at mp.usbr.gov. 

 

Janet Sierzputowski

Public Affairs Office

Bureau of Reclamation

916-978-5112

 

------

 

Mid-Pacific Region 

Sacramento, CA

 

MP-05-111

 

Media Contact: Jeffrey McCracken  916-978-5100

                        jmccracken at mp.usbr.gov

For Release On:  September 30, 2005

 

Environmental Document Available for Renewal of San Luis Unit CVP Long-Term
Water Service Contracts

 

The Bureau of Reclamation announces the availability of the San Luis Unit
Draft Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for the proposed long-term
Central Valley Project (CVP) water service contracts between Reclamation and
eight San Luis Unit Contractors with a total of nine contracts.  The
proposed contracts are for the delivery of up to 1,436,358 acre-feet of CVP
water per year.  The water service contracts for the California Department
of Fish and Game, City of Avenal, City of Coalinga, and City of Huron are
for Municipal and Industrial (M&I) purposes.  Reclamation proposes renewing
these contracts for 40 years.  The water service contracts for the Pacheco
Water District, Panoche Water District, Westlands Water District, Westlands
Water District-Distribution District #2, and San Luis Water District are
either agricultural (Ag), or mixed M&I and Ag.  Reclamation proposes
renewing these contracts for 25 years.

 

The Draft EIS was prepared in accordance with the National Environmental
Policy Act.  It will be available for a 45-day public review and comment
period effective October 7, 2005.  The document can be reviewed at
Reclamation's Fresno Office at the address below and is available online at
http://www.usbr.gov/mp/cvpia/3404c/env_docs/draft_eis.html.  

 

A 60-day public review and comment period was initiated for the San Luis
Unit contracts prior to the release of this Draft EIS.  The Forms of
Contract are available online at
http://www.usbr.gov/mp/cvpia/3404c/lt_contracts/index.html; click on
2004/2005 Forms of Contract and scroll to San Luis Unit.

 

Written comments on the Draft EIS must be received by close of business on
November 25, 2005, and should be sent to:  Mr. Joe Thompson, Bureau of
Reclamation, South-Central California Area Office, 1243 N Street, Fresno, CA
93721.  Comments may also be faxed to 559-487-5397 or e-mailed to
hthompson at mp.usbr.gov.  For additional information or to request a copy of
the draft document, please contact Mr. Thompson at 541-776-8505, TDD
559-487-5933.  If you encounter problems accessing documents online, please
contact Ms. Lynnette Wirth at 916-978-5102 or e-mail lwirth at mp.usbr.gov.

 

# # #

 

Reclamation is the largest wholesale water supplier and the second largest
producer of hydroelectric power in the United States, with operations and
facilities in the 17 Western States.  Its facilities also provide
substantial flood control, recreation, and fish and wildlife benefits. Visit
our website at http://www.usbr.gov.

 

 

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From jallen at trinitycounty.org  Fri Sep 30 15:59:23 2005
From: jallen at trinitycounty.org (Josh Allen)
Date: Fri, 30 Sep 2005 15:59:23 -0700
Subject: [env-trinity] Fishing a hit on Trinity River
Message-ID: <099F81D877F1044DA24BA95E0CE0926301496D8B@mail2.trinitycounty.org>

Fishing a hit on Trinity River 

 

http://www.times-standard.com/sports/ci_3075105 

 

Don Terbush For the Times-Standard

 

Expressions of frustration are giving way to shouts of success as sports
anglers are beginning to score in large numbers on the Trinity River
these days. 

"Yesterday (Tuesday) we had ideal temperatures and the steelhead were
biting," reported Willow Creek guide Ed Duggan. Hoopa, Red Rock produced
half pounders as did Maple Creek. Tish Tang had a mixture of salmon and
steelhead and fly fishers had good conditions. Willow Creek to Hawkins
Bar also was good for steelhead. 

"Below the airport fishing was good in the evenings after the shade hits
the water. The same at Kimtu for bankers using spoons. Upriver, fishing
was slow for adult Chinook, hot for steelhead." 

Ed added that his party took three adults 10 to 12 pounds at Del Loma on
Monday. Alan Mishimoto boated a 6-1/2 pounder. His wife, Sandy, boated
two nice 4-pounders on spoons. The north fork of Junction City provided
good fishing for a mix of steelhead. 

"There are a lot of salmon in the river," Ed pointed out. 

The Chinook count at the Willow Creek weir was 637 as contrasted with
last year's count of 195. The steelhead count as of last week was 584
contrasted to last year's of 31. 

The Trinity Hatchery to date has logged 572 Chinook to last year's 870. 

"There are lots of jacks and adult salmon in the Klamath River,"
according to River's West guide Rich Mossholder. The jacks average six
to eight pounds, and the adult salmon 12 to 14 pounds. 

Red roe and small chartreuse puffballs have been effective, as well as
Hot Shots. 

The sport salmon bite has virtually disappeared at Shelter Cove and the
commercials have been scratching, according to launch operator Lee Self.
"There was one sport salmon brought in two days ago," he noted. Lings
and a variety of bottom fish are being landed around the Whistler. No
halibut have been reported. 

Effective Friday, Saturday and Sunday the launch will be in operation
only on the weekends from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. 

Effective Saturday the commercial cabezon fishery season will close. 

The Department of Fish and Game will close the fishery because
projections from landing receipts and dockside tabulation efforts
indicate that commercial fishers will have reached this year's
allocation. DFG expects that that by the closure date of Oct. 1 the
annual commercial allocation of 59,300 pounds of cabezon will be taken
for the 2005 calendar year. 

Sport anglers continue to take redtail perch from the dock in Humboldt
Bay, reports Todd Wagner of Bucksport Sporting Goods. He also said a
couple of leopard sharks have been brought in. 

Salmon are moving into the Hamilton City area of the Sacramento River in
large numbers. A fish per rod is common and more boat limits of king
salmon are being reported daily. Fall run kings are averaging 15 to 25
pounds with an occasional 30-plus pounder. 

Ladies Pheasant Hunt 

The application deadline for the California Waterfowl Association's
Ladies Pheasant Hunt Eel River Wildlife Area is October 7. 

Hunt No. l is 8-11 a.m. Hunt No. 2 is 1-4 p.m. 

Hunters must have a valid hunting license and Upland Game Bird Stamp.
Competition is limited to 75 ladies. 

For applications or additional information contact the Department of
Fish and Game, 619 Second Street, Eureka, CA. 95501. 

 

 

 

 

 

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From jallen at trinitycounty.org  Mon Oct  3 09:19:23 2005
From: jallen at trinitycounty.org (Josh Allen)
Date: Mon, 3 Oct 2005 09:19:23 -0700
Subject: [env-trinity] GMO bans threatened: Legislators looking to overrule
	county efforts 
Message-ID: <099F81D877F1044DA24BA95E0CE0926301496DA6@mail2.trinitycounty.org>

GMO bans threatened

Legislators looking to overrule county efforts

 

http://www.ukiahdailyjournal.com/Stories/0,1413,91~3089~3077389,00.html 

 

By QUINCY CROMER/The Daily Journal

Legislation presented by Senator Dean Florez designed to establish
uniform standards for the regulation of seeds and nursery stock in
California could possibly prevent individual counties from passing
ordinances to ban genetically modified crops, like the one passed in
Mendocino County last year.

Measures were introduced in February by Assemblymembers Simon Salinas,
D-Salinas, and Juan Arambula, D-Fresno, with a joint effort by Senator
Dean Florez, D-Shafter, to establish state standards for the regulation
of seeds. 

Salinas and Arambula canceled their hearing before the Senate
Agricultural Committee for Assembly Bill 1508 on June 30 and focus was
placed on Senate Bill 1056 authored by Florez. 

SB 1056 is designed to clarify that the California Department of Food
and Agriculture has sole authority over the approval of seed and nursery
stock use, preempting local ordinances designed to control genetically
modified crops. 

 

"This bill would state that these provisions of law relating to nursery
stock and seed are of statewide concern and occupy the entire field of
regulation regarding registration, labeling, sale, storage,
transportation, distribution, notification of use, and use of nursery
stock and seeds to the exclusion of local regulations," SB 1056 states. 

The Mendocino County Board of Supervisors wrote a letter in opposition
of AB 1508 to the Senate Agriculture Committee, stating that the local
genetically modified organism use and propagation ordinance predates any
proposed amendment to state seed law. 

"Further, the citizens of Mendocino County sponsored Measure H by
initiative process, which may not be undone or modified by local or
state authority," the letter dated June 28 states. 

According to Mendocino County Agricultural Commissioner David Bengston,
the measure is opposed because a large majority of voters approved
Measure H and a local GMO ban was implemented in March of 2004. 

"Since this county has voted by the initiative process to have a ban,
the board voted 4-1 to write a letter opposing the bill," Bengston said.
"The counties and cities basically oppose it because it would take away
their authority and power if they want to make individual bans in
counties."

According to Florez's office, local ordinances prohibiting genetically
modified crops create a "confusing patchwork of conflicting regulations
that impede farmers' ability to obtain the best seed for their
particular needs." 

"Critics of genetically modified seeds often overlook the positive
effects such modifications can have in reducing pesticide consumption
and protecting air quality. Many seeds are now genetically modified to
make the plants they grow more resistant to pests, reducing the amount
of harmful pesticides applied to produce we eat and released into the
air we breathe," a press release from Florez's office states. 

Mendocino County implemented the first anti-GMO ordinance in the nation
with Measure H receiving support from 57 percent of voters in March of
2004. 

Trinity County became the second county in the nation to pass a ban
against genetically modified crops and more than 56,000 voters -- 61
percent -- in Marin County passed an initiative to ban GMOs in November.


An anti-GMO measure was defeated in Butte County during elections last
November with 61 percent voter disapproval, and 59 percent of voters in
San Luis Obispo County did not support banning genetically modified
crops. 

Supporters of a GMO ban in Sonoma County gathered 45,000 signatures to
qualify the initiate for the upcoming ballot, which will be considered
by voters in November. 

According to Florez's office, proponents of SB 1056 assert that a
statewide policy will enhance economic growth and assure consumers of a
high level of quality control and 12 states have already passed similar
legislation in the past year. 

SB 1056 was approved by committee with a 6-3 vote on June. 28, and an
amended version of the bill was re-referred to committee on Sept. 2.

Quincy Cromer can be reached at udjqc at pacific.net . 

 

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From jallen at trinitycounty.org  Mon Oct  3 09:24:19 2005
From: jallen at trinitycounty.org (Josh Allen)
Date: Mon, 3 Oct 2005 09:24:19 -0700
Subject: [env-trinity] Pombo bill questioned
Message-ID: <099F81D877F1044DA24BA95E0CE0926301496DA7@mail2.trinitycounty.org>

Pombo bill questioned

 

http://www.paradisepost.com/Stories/0,1413,292~30282~3076814,00.html 

 

By Jeremy Walsh - Paradise Post Staff Writer

 

 

 

Land-rights activists are cheering and environmentalists are lamenting
the passage of a bill in the House of Representatives that would
significantly alter the landmark Endang-ered Species Act of 1973. The
bill, authored Congressman Richard Pombo (R-Tracy) and known as the
Threatened and Endangered Species Recovery Act of 2005, was passed in
the House on Thursday, 229-193.


The reform bill would eliminate the "critical habitat" requirement which
establishes areas protected from encroachment by federal agencies when a
species is listed as endangered. The bill requires "recovery plans" for
species instead, which would have to be developed within two years. The
habitat designated in these recovery plans would not be protected from
federal actions.
Supporters of the bill say "critical habitat" isn't as critical as some
make it out to be. State Sen. Sam Aanestad (R-Grass Valley), who
represents the Ridge, believes the elimination of this term is the most
important part of the bill.


"Studies from the American Land Rights Association have concluded that,
for many species such as the northern spotted owl, habitat designation
is completely irrelevant to recovery," he wrote in a letter to the San
Francisco Chronicle. "This change would not only protect
private-property rights, it is also a great boost to species recovery."
According to Aanestad's spokes-man Bill Bird, that "great boost" comes
not from the removal of the "critical habitat" requirement, but from the
incentive the bill would offer to landowners to help with recovery.


"It rewards property owners who take part in the species recovery
process," Bird said, adding currently the federal government does not
take input from landowners, state or local government, and simply seizes
the land.
"The owner is the best steward of the land," Bird said. "The owner has
direct stake in his or her land therefore they are going to care for
that land. When the owner is presented with opportunity and incentive to
protect a species, it's only logical that a property owner would say,
'Of course. What do you want me to do?'"


Many environmentalists disagree.
"It's a big cash payoff for greedy developers," said De-fenders of
Wildlife Vice Presi-dent of Communications Cathy Hoffman. "It requires
the federal government to pay taxpayer dollars to developers not to kill
endangered species."
Hoffman also said the bill puts no limits on those payments.
"I don't know where the federal government's going to get that kind of
money," she said. "There's never been a law out there that has required
taxpayers to pay land owners to comply with a law. It sets a dangerous
and terrible precedent."


Defenders of Wildlife warns the bill would repeal critical habitat
without providing adequate assurances that habitat necessary for
recovery would be protected.
They also claim it would ease requirements on federal agencies to ensure
their actions do not jeopardize endangered plants or animals and cut
wildlife experts out of the loop in determining whether agency actions
would harm endangered species.
The bill would also enable landowners with development plans to proceed
with land development if the interior secretary does not answer their
questions about whether their development would harm protected species
within 180 days (with a 180-day extension possible).


Congressman Wally Herger, who represents Paradise (& Trinity Co.), voted
in favor of the bill, noting his advocacy for establishing a precedent
for human safety before endangered species.
"Our Northern California congressional district has been 'ground zero'
for many tragic events resulting from an outdated and inflexible ESA,
including the Arboga levee break and the Klamath Basin water shut-off of
2001," he said in a press release. "These tragedies helped demonstrate
the inflexibility of the current ESA and the critical need for
substantial reform. (Thursday's) House passage of comprehensive ESA
reform represents a tremendous victory in the fight to bring common
sense to this well-intentioned but seriously flawed law."


The bill includes a provision based on Herger's Species Rescue Act,
which was introduced after a levee break in Arboga, south of Marysville,
in 1997. This provision requires the interior secretary to waive or
streamline the ESA when human health, safety or property is threatened.
Herger's press secretary Darin Thacker cited a Washington state forest
fire near the Chewuch River in July 2001 that killed four firefighters
as another example of unfortunate ESA restrictions.


An investigative team re-leased a report stating a firefighting
helicopter had been unable to draw water from the river for several
hours "partially due to a lack of clearance related to the Endangered
Species Act," though the report listed the delay as an "influencing"
rather than a direct "causal" factor in the deaths. Now the bill will
face scrutiny in the Senate, which may review it in the upcoming two
months. At least one member, Sen. Lincoln Chafee (R-R.I.) has expressed
concerns about the removal of the "critical habitat" designation.



The writer can be reached at jwalsh at paradisepost.com. 

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From jallen at trinitycounty.org  Mon Oct  3 09:26:29 2005
From: jallen at trinitycounty.org (Josh Allen)
Date: Mon, 3 Oct 2005 09:26:29 -0700
Subject: [env-trinity] Species act changes could cost taxpayers
Message-ID: <099F81D877F1044DA24BA95E0CE0926301496DA8@mail2.trinitycounty.org>

Species act changes could cost taxpayers

 

http://www.abqtrib.com/albq/nw_national_government/article/0,2564,ALBQ_1
9861_4122152,00.html 

By James W. Brosnan <mailto:brosnanj at shns.com> 
Scripps Howard News Service
September 30, 2005

WASHINGTON - Weakening the Endangered Species Act could actually cost
taxpayers more money, the government's bean counters say. 

That's because the bill changing the act, passed 229-193 by the House on
Thursday, contains an expensive new entitlement requiring the U.S. Fish
and Wildlife Service to pay farmers, ranchers, developers and other
landowners to not destroy the habitat of endangered species. 

The Congressional Budget Office says spending under the new bill could
nearly double the price tag for enforcing the act, to more than $600
million a year. 

The White House Office of Management and Budget said the Bush
administration supports the bill but also warned that "the new
conservation aid program for private property owners provides little
discretion to federal agencies and could result in a significant
budgetary impact." 

The measure passed by the House eliminates the ability of the government
to order private property owners to protect habitat for endangered
species. 

Instead, the Fish and Wildlife Service would have to develop a recovery
plan for endangered species. 

If the plan affects private property, the service would have to pay the
property owner for the lost value of the land. 

"If the government takes your land, they should pay for it," said Rep.
Heather Wilson. 

The Albuquerque Republican said she voted for the bill because of her
experience when water earmarked for future use by the city of
Albuquerque was going to be diverted to protect the silvery minnow. 

Congress passed a measure to require that the city be compensated for
any lost water. 

Rep. Steve Pearce, a Hobbs Republican, also voted for the bill. 

But Rep. Tom Udall was one of the leading opponents on the floor. The
Santa Fe Democrat said the act needs reform but that the House bill is
"an abomination" and a "huge giveaway to developers." 

Some critics said saving endangered species has endangered humans. 

Rep. Wally Herger, a Northern California Republican, blamed the collapse
of a levee in his district on trees left growing on the levee as shelter
for the valley elderberry longhorn beetle. 

Another California Republican, Rep. David Dreier, said homeowners in
wildfire-prone Riverside County were advised that cutting down brush for
firebreaks would harm the Stephen's kangaroo rat. 

Supporters of the act were equally emotive. 

West Virginia Democrat Nick Rahall cited Noah's ark and said he feared
the changes in the law would "result in more extinctions of species that
God has placed in our care." 

Washington State Democrat Jay Inslee brought an enlarged photo of the
bald eagle to the House floor. "What is a fish without a river? What is
a bird without a tree to nest in," Inslee said. "This isn't
modernization of the act. It's euthanasia of the act." 

The bill now goes to the Senate, where the odds of passage in its
current form are steep. 

 

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From jallen at trinitycounty.org  Mon Oct  3 09:28:18 2005
From: jallen at trinitycounty.org (Josh Allen)
Date: Mon, 3 Oct 2005 09:28:18 -0700
Subject: [env-trinity] Species act gets rewrite in House
Message-ID: <099F81D877F1044DA24BA95E0CE0926301496DA9@mail2.trinitycounty.org>

Species act gets rewrite in House

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

http://www.mercedsun-star.com/local/story/11288510p-12038118c.html 


By Michael Doyle 
SUN-STAR WASHINGTON BUREAU
<mailto:jescoto at modbee.com?subject=Species%20act%20gets%20rewrite%20in%2
0House> 

Last Updated: September 30, 2005, 07:00:39 AM PDT

WASHINGTON -- The House on Thursday passed some of most sweeping changes
in the Endangered Species Act since the landmark environmental bill was
born 32 years ago.

The House approval by a 229-193 margin marks a triumph of persistence
for Tracy Republican Richard Pombo, who has unsuccessfully sought
changes in the law for more than a decade. But with environmentalists
and moderate Republicans still skeptical, the bill's long-term prospects
are uncertain.

"We knew the Endangered Species Act had problems," Pombo said. "We knew
there were things that needed to get fixed, that weren't working in
current law."

Co-authored by Merced Democrat Dennis Cardoza, and backed by a
deep-pocketed coalition of developers, farmers and private property
advocates, the bill fundamentally rewrites endangered species
protections. It's particularly important in California, currently home
to 304 federally protected species.

The Threatened and Endangered Species Recovery Act replaces the much-
maligned "critical habitat" system with something more narrowly focused.
For the first time, it reduces protections for "threatened" species
compared to "endangered" species.

It gives property owners a greater say in developing species recovery
plans and restricts the kind of information scientists can present when
seeking to protect plants and animals. It pays property owners when
their plans are thwarted by species protections.

"It's a longstanding right in this country to be compensated when the
government takes your property away," Cardoza said.

But many other Democrats, and some moderate Republicans primarily
hailing from East Coast states, contend the bill undercuts important
environmental protections.

"The Endangered Species Act is a safety net for wildlife, fish and
plants that are on the brink of extinction," House Minority Leader Nancy
Pelosi of San Francisco said. "It really comes as no surprise that
(Republicans) would bring a bill today that would shred the safety net."

The proposed changes would be costly.

The federal government currently spends about $379 million annually on
endangered species activities. The new bill could boost this to more
than $600 million annually, the non-partisan Congressional Budget Office
estimated.

Some of the added cost would come from modifying agency rules and
meeting new planning deadlines, the budget analysts say. Some of the
added cost would come from having to pay fair-market value to landowners
with frustrated development plans.

"This bill creates an endless slush fund for developers," Massachusetts
Democrat Jim McGovern charged. "We would pay landowners not to break the
law."

The Bush administration has likewise raised concerns about the property
owner compensation plan as being a potentially open-ended commitment of
federal funds. The administration formally supported the bill Thursday,
while still raising red flags.

"(A provision in the) bill, as well as various statutory deadlines, may
generate new litigation and further divert agency resources from
conservation efforts," the White House Office of Management and Budget
declared Thursday, further warning of a "significant budgetary impact."

Ironically, an effort to cut ESA funding in June 1993 marked Pombo's
first foray into endangered species politics. The former rancher and
Tracy City Council member charged then that the law was being used "as a
method of implementing a social agenda of a chosen few."

Pombo failed in his 1993 effort to cut spending, as he did in later
efforts during the 1990s to rewrite the entire law. Since then, though,
the 44-year-old lawmaker has gained clout as chairman of the House
Resources Committee. Significantly, key Democrats also began conceding
the original 1973 law needed updating.

While the House on Thursday rejected an alternative bill backed by
environmentalists, liberal lawmakers now accept key points long
championed by conservatives. Notably, the environmentalists' bill also
aided aggrieved landowners and eliminated the much- criticized "critical
habitat" system likewise targeted by Pombo's bill.

"There is broad consensus in Congress to reform the Endangered Species
Act," moderate New Jersey Republican James Saxton said before adding
that Pombo's bill went too far.

Critical habitat reform is one of the key components of the new bill,
along with landowner compensation.

Currently, federal officials must designate critical habitat to identify
the land necessary for survival and recovery of a vulnerable species.
Recently, for instance, officials designated 199,109 acres as critical
habitat for the California tiger salamander and 1.7 million acres as
critical habitat for Central Valley vernal pool species.

Federal agencies must consult with environmental regulators if a federal
action -- like issuing a permit -- may affect a protected species.
Currently, for actions on land designated as critical habitat, anything
that causes an "adverse modification" to the habitat must be offset by
other measures.

"The impacts of this inflexible law have been real and devastating,"
Chico Republican Wally Herger declared, citing examples like the cutoff
of irrigation water to the Klamath Basin in northern California and
southern Oregon.

The House bill replaces critical habitat with a narrower "recovery
habitat." Fewer acres would be designated for each species. Moreover, a
harder-to-meet standard would be established requiring action only if
the species is put in actual "jeopardy."

The bills' controversial compensation provision would allow landowners
to seek an Interior Department ruling on whether their property plans
comply with the endangered species law. If the Interior Department
didn't rule within 180 days, that would count as permission to develop.
If the department tells the landowner the plans violate the ESA, the
landowner could demand compensation for the lost land value.

The next step is up to the Senate, where moderate-to-liberal Republican
Sen. Lincoln Chaffee of Rhode Island will take charge of the
legislation. Chaffee has asked a Colorado-based arbitration group called
the Keystone Council to bring together opposing sides and come up with a
proposed compromise by next February, Chaffee spokesman Stephen Hourahan
said Thursday. 

 

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From jallen at trinitycounty.org  Mon Oct  3 09:30:42 2005
From: jallen at trinitycounty.org (Josh Allen)
Date: Mon, 3 Oct 2005 09:30:42 -0700
Subject: [env-trinity] [SPAM?] Klamath Falls Herald and News: House passes
	ESA overhaul 
Message-ID: <099F81D877F1044DA24BA95E0CE0926301496DAA@mail2.trinitycounty.org>

House passes ESA overhaul 

http://www.heraldandnews.com/articles/2005/09/30/news/top_stories/top2.t
xt 

 

 

 

 

Published September 30, 2005

Combined local, wire reports 

The U.S. House passed legislation Thursday that could rewrite the
Endangered Species Act.

The bill would greatly expand private property rights under the law that
has been credited with helping keep the bald eagle from extinction but
which also has provoked bitter fights over land use.

By a vote of 229-193, lawmakers approved a top-to-bottom overhaul of the
1973 act, perhaps the nation's most powerful environmental law. The law
has led to contentious battles over species such as the northern spotted
owl, the snail darter and the red-legged frog.

It was also blamed for the federal cutoff of irrigation water to the
Klamath Reclamation Project at the start of the 2001 growing season.

The Bureau of Reclamation withheld water from farmers that year to
protect threatened coho salmon in the lower Klamath River and endangered
sucker fish in Upper Klamath Lake.

U.S. Rep. Greg Walden, a Republican whose district includes Klamath and
Lake counties, is a co-sponsor of the bill. He came to Klamath Falls on
Sept. 19, where he announced the bill at a rally.

Walden was the only one of Oregon's five House representatives to vote
for the bill. Reps. Earl Blumenauer, Peter DeFazio, Darlene Hooley and
David Wu voted against it. All four are Democrats.

Walden was unavailable for comment when called by the Herald and News
Thursday evening.



 

 

 

Rep. Wally Herger, whose Northern California district includes the
Klamath Basin, praised the bill.

"Our Northern California congressional district has been ground zero for
many tragic events from an outdated and inflexible ESA, including ...
the Klamath Basin water shut-off of 2001," Herger said in a statement
distributed Thursday.

The rewrite faces an uncertain future in the Senate, where Republican
Sen. Lincoln Chafee of Rhode Island, head of the panel that oversees the
law, has expressed concerns about the House bill.

The bill would require the government to compensate property owners if
steps to protect species thwart development plans. It also would make
political appointees responsible for some scientific determinations and
would stop the government from designating ''critical habitat,'' which
can limit development.

The changes were pushed through by the chairman of the House Resources
Committee, Rep. Richard Pombo, R-Calif. The California rancher contends
the current rules unduly burden landowners and lead to costly lawsuits
while doing too little to save plants and animals.

''You've got to pay when you take away somebody's private property. That
is what we have to do,'' Pombo told House colleagues. ''The only way
this is going to work is if we bring in property owners to be part of
the solution and to be part of recovering those species.''



 

 

 

Many Democrats and moderate Republicans said Pombo's bill would
eliminate important protections for species and clear the way for large
handouts from the government to property owners.

The bill sets a ''dangerous precedent that private individuals must be
paid to comply with an environmental law,'' said Rep. Nick Rahall of
West Virginia, the committee's top Democrat.

''What's next? Paying citizens to wear seat belts? ... This bill will
not improve species' ability to recover,'' he said.

A White House statement on Thursday supported the bill. But it noted
that payments to private property owners could have a ''significant''
impact on the budget.

The Congressional Budget Office estimated that those payments would run
less than $20 million a year. The bill's opponents predicted a much
higher total.

The Fish and Wildlife Service says there are 1,268 threatened and
endangered plants and animals in the United States. About a dozen have
gone off the list over the years after they were determined to have
recovered; nine have become extinct.

Opponents of the existing law said the numbers show it's not working,
while supporters say the same figures show it's successful because it is
keeping species alive.

Pombo's bill would:

n Eliminate critical habitat. That is area now required to be designated
when a species is listed and is protected from adverse actions by
federal agencies. Instead, ''recovery plans'' for species, including
designation of habitat, would have to be developed within two years. The
recovery plans would not have regulatory force and the habitat would not
be protected from federal actions.

n Specify that landowners with development plans are due answers from
the interior secretary within 180 days, with a 180-day extension
possible, about whether the development would harm protected species. If
the government fails to respond in time, the development could go
forward. If the government blocks the development, the landowner would
be paid the fair market value of the proposed development.

*  Give the interior secretary the job of determining what constitutes
appropriate scientific data for decision-making under the law.

An alternative from a group of Democrats and moderate Republicans would
have strengthened the recovery plans, eliminated the payments to
landowners for blocked developments and created a scientific advisory
board to assist the interior secretary. The proposal failed by a 216-206
vote.

On the Net: Endangered Species Act: 
http://www.fws.gov/endangered/esa.html

 

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From jallen at trinitycounty.org  Mon Oct  3 09:42:00 2005
From: jallen at trinitycounty.org (Josh Allen)
Date: Mon, 3 Oct 2005 09:42:00 -0700
Subject: [env-trinity] FW: Officials issue warning for high levels of toxic
	blue-green algae
Message-ID: <099F81D877F1044DA24BA95E0CE0926301496DAB@mail2.trinitycounty.org>

 http://www.times-standard.com/local/ci_3078018 

Article Last Updated: 10/01/2005 12:10 AM 

 Officials issue warning for high levels of toxic 
blue-green algae 

The Times-Standard 
Eureka Times Standard 

State and federal officials are now warning fishermen and swimmers to 
avoid dangerous algae blooms in the Klamath River. 

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the North Coast Regional 
Water Quality Control Board said Friday that water samples from Copco 
and Iron Gate reservoirs show high levels of toxic blue-green algae, and

mats of algae have also been found as far as 125 miles below the dams
that 
create the reservoirs. 

"This algae produces toxins that pose a significant potential public
health 
concern," said EPA water division director Alexis Strauss. "We advise 
people to avoid all direct contact with Klamath River water while the 
bloom is occurring." 

The nutrient-rich Klamath River supports blue-green algae growth, as do 
the warm, calm waters of Iron Gate and Copco reservoirs. The extent of 
the blooms, and their toxicity, were not known until studies were 
conducted this year by the Karuk Tribe. 

The levels the Karuk Tribe found exceeded the World Health 
Organization standard for recreational use by as much as 468 times, said

Karuk Water Resources Coordinator Susan Corum. These levels are 
among the highest recorded in the United States, she said. 

Direct ingestion of contaminated water or accidentally swallowing the 
water while swimming can cause serious health effects, the agencies
said. 
The effects of ingesting the mycosystin toxic range from skin conditions

to permanent organ impairment and death depending on exposure. 
Children and pets are especially at risk. 

Symptoms can include mild to severe eye irritation, allergic skin rash, 
mouth ulcers, fever, cold and flu-like symptoms, vomiting, diarrhea, 
kidney damage, liver damage or complete failure, and death. 

The agencies recommend that people not drink or cook with 
contaminated water. People should avoid or minimize contact with 
contaminated waters. It is best of stay out of the water near algae
blooms 
and to keep pets away. If people do come in contact with the water, wash

thoroughly with clean water. Avoid eating fish caught during an algae 
bloom. Fishermen should clean fish with fresh water and dispose of the 
innards away from the river or where animals could eat them. Avoid 
irrigation with contaminated water. Report dead or distressed wildlife 
along the shoreline to local, state or tribal authorities. 

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From jallen at trinitycounty.org  Mon Oct  3 09:43:05 2005
From: jallen at trinitycounty.org (Josh Allen)
Date: Mon, 3 Oct 2005 09:43:05 -0700
Subject: [env-trinity] FW: Federal,
	Tribal and State Authorities Advise Caution on
	Dangerous Klamath River Algae
Message-ID: <099F81D877F1044DA24BA95E0CE0926301496DAC@mail2.trinitycounty.org>

>From YubaNet.com 
http://www.yubanet.com/artman/publish/printer_25809.shtml 

Federal, Tribal and State Authorities Advise Caution on Dangerous Klamath 
River Algae 
Author: North Coast Regional Water Board 
Published on September 30, 2005, 16:48 

In response to the emergence of dangerous algal blooms in the Klamath River 
in California, the Karuk Tribe, the North Coast Regional Water Board and 
the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency are joining other local, state and 
federal agencies in warning residents and recreational users of the river 
to use caution when near such blooms. 

"This algae produces toxins that pose a significant potential public health 
concern. We advise people to avoid all direct contact with Klamath River 
water while the bloom is occurring." said Alexis Strauss, Water Division 
director of the EPA's regional office in San Francisco. 

Water samples taken over the past two months from Copco and Iron Gate 
Reservoirs - located on the Klamath near the Oregon border - have revealed 
high levels of the toxic blue-green alga Microcystis aeruginosa. Blooms of 
Microcystis aeruginosa, which often occur between June and September, can 
look like green, blue-green, white or brown foam, scum or mats floating on 
the water. They have been found as far as 125 miles downstream of the 
reservoirs. 

The Klamath River is rich in nutrients that support the growth of the 
blue-green algae. Warm and calm surface water created by Iron Gate and 
Copco Reservoirs provide an ideal environment for the growth of large algal 
blooms. The extent of the blooms, and their toxicity, were not known until 
studies were conducted this year by the Karuk Tribe. 

"In August, we found levels of Microcystis aeruginosa as high as 46.8 
million cells/ml along the shoreline and 8.9 millions cells/ml on the open 
water. These levels exceed the World Health Organization (WHO) standard for 
recreational use by 468 and 89 times, respectively," explained Susan Corum, 
the Water Resources Coordinator for the Karuk Tribe's Department of Natural 
Resources. "Microcystin toxin produced by the blooms in these locations was 
1571.7 and 436.9 ?g/L; exceeding the WHO Tolerable Daily Intake level by 
217 and 60.3 times respectively. These levels are among the highest 
recorded in the United States." 

According to California's Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment 
(OEHHA), the U.S. EPA, the Karuk Tribe and Water Board, the Microcystis 
aeruginosa and resulting microcystin toxin pose a significant potential 
health threat to humans and animals exposed through direct ingestion of 
contaminated water or incidental ingestion during recreational water 
activities and bathing. 

"The public needs to take the microcystin toxin in this algae seriously," 
said Catherine Kuhlman, Executive Officer of the North Coast Water Board. 
"The levels of algae and associated toxins measured in parts of the river 
are high enough to pose health risks to anyone drinking or bathing in the 
water, particularly children and animals." 

Studies of the possible health effects of exposure to Microcystis 
aeruginosa and its microcystin toxin in the Klamath's waters range from 
mild, non-life threatening skin conditions to permanent organ impairment 
and death depending upon exposure time and intensity. 

Symptoms could include mild to severe eye irritation, allergic skin rash, 
mouth ulcers, fever, cold and flu-like symptoms, vomiting, diarrhea, kidney 
damage, liver damage or complete failure, and death. 

Children and animals are at the greatest risk of adverse effects, due to 
their smaller body size and higher water ingestion rates. 

As pets and other domestic animals could drink contaminated water, pets and 
livestock should be kept away from the water. 

There are three main ways to be exposed to Microcystis aeruginosa and 
subsequent microcystin toxins in contaminated waters: 
* direct contact to exposed skin or to the highly sensitive membranes of 
the ear, eye, nose and throat; 
* accidental or intentional swallowing; and; 
* inhalation of contaminated water aerosols. 

A full-grown adult ingesting 3.4 ounces of contaminated water in a given 
day would be exposed to levels 28 times greater than the accepted World 
Health Organization's Tolerable Daily Intake value. This calculation is 
based on a single one-hour "swimming event" per day. More swimming events 
or activities of longer duration could result in greater exposure. 

For an average-size child who is 3-years-old, ingesting slightly more than 
a measuring cup of contaminated water in any one "swimming event" would be 
the equivalent of 278 times the accepted WHO Tolerable Daily Intake value. 
As with adults, more swimming events or activities of longer duration could 
result in greater exposure. 

Local, state, tribal and federal health and environmental agencies 
recommend that people not drink or cook with contaminated waters. You 
should avoid or minimize contact with contaminated waters. It is best of 
stay out of the water near algal blooms and to keep pets away. If you do 
come in contact with the water, wash thoroughly with clean water. Avoid 
eating fish caught during an algal bloom. If you do, fishermen should clean 
the fish with fresh water and dispose of the innards away from the river or 
where animals could eat them; Avoid irrigation with contaminated water; 
Report dead or distressed wildlife along the shoreline to local, state or 
tribal authorities. 

For more information, visit: The 1999 World Health Organization, Toxic 
Cyanobacteria in Water: A guide to their public health consequences, 
monitoring and management at: 
www.who.int/water_sanitation_health/resourcesquality/toxicyanbact/en/ and, 
World Health Organization Guidelines for Drinking Water Quality, 3rd 
Edition at: www.who.int/water_sanitation_health/dwq/gdwq3/en/index.html 
 

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From jallen at trinitycounty.org  Tue Oct  4 10:00:21 2005
From: jallen at trinitycounty.org (Josh Allen)
Date: Tue, 4 Oct 2005 10:00:21 -0700
Subject: [env-trinity] Regarding whether algae has been found in the Trinity
Message-ID: <099F81D877F1044DA24BA95E0CE0926301496E3F@mail2.trinitycounty.org>

Yurok Tribe sampling efforts have found no detectable blue green algae
cells (Microcystis) or its toxin (microcystin) in the 3 samples taken on
the Trinity on Aug 24, Sep 8 and Sep 12, 2005.  Results for Sep 21 are
still pending. 

 

Humboldt County Division of Environmental Health

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From tstokely at trinityalps.net  Tue Oct  4 19:26:53 2005
From: tstokely at trinityalps.net (Tom Stokely)
Date: Tue, 4 Oct 2005 19:26:53 -0700
Subject: [env-trinity] Klamath River Fisheries Task Force Meeting 10/19-20
	in Klamath Falls
Message-ID: <000001c5c9b5$05a88180$da653940@trinitycounty.org>

      NEWS

      RELEASE
     U.S. FISH AND WILDLIFE SERVICE - REGION 1

       

      Yreka Fish and Wildlife Office

      1829 South Oregon Street, Yreka, CA 96097
     
       
     IDAHO - NEVADA - CALIFORNIA - WASHINGTON - OREGON - 

      HAWAII AND THE PACIFIC ISLANDS
     

For Immediate Release                                                                                                                                                                      

 

Contact:                                                                                                                                                                   October 3, 2005

 

                Gary Curtis - Ecosystem Restoration Team Leader

                Phil Detrich- Field Supervisor

                (530) 842-5763 

 

Klamath River Basin Fisheries Task Force to Meet in Klamath Falls, Oregon

 

 

The Klamath River Basin Fisheries Task Force (Task Force) will meet at the Shilo Inn, 2500 Almond Street, Klamath Falls, Oregon, to discuss issues related to the restoration of salmon and other anadromous fisheries of the Klamath River.  The meeting will take place on October 19, 2005, from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm; and October 20, 2005, from 8:00 am to 1:00 pm.

 

The Task Force is a Federal advisory committee that assists the Secretary of the Interior in the formulation, coordination, and implementation of a 20-year program to restore the anadromous fish populations of the Klamath River Basin Conservation Area.  The Task Force membership includes representatives of the commercial salmon fishing industry; the in-river sport fishing community; the Yurok, Karuk, Hoopa, and Klamath Tribes; Del Norte, Humboldt, Trinity, Siskiyou, and Klamath Counties; the California Department of Fish and Game; Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife; U.S. Departments of the Interior and Agriculture; and the National Marine Fisheries Service (NOAA Fisheries).

 

This meeting will include a presentation from the Klamath River Fish Health Assessment Team, information about Klamath River water quality standards, updates from the Klamath Fishery Management Council on Chinook salmon management, and a presentation of the Nathaniel S. Bingham Memorial Awards for significant contribution to restoration.

 

Members of the public are encouraged to attend this meeting and offer comments and recommendations to the Task Force.  For additional information, please contact Gary Curtis, at (530) 842-5763.

 

X     X     X



DRAFT AGENDA

Klamath River Basin Fisheries Task Force

October 19-20, 2005

Shilo Inn

Klamath Falls, Oregon

 

October 19, 2005

 

9:00 AM          1. Convene and opening remarks.  John Engbring, Chair; Keith Wilkinson, Vice Chair.  Vice Chair for next meeting is Keith Wilkinson.

 

9:15                 2. Introductions of Congressional staff in attendance

 

9:20                 3. Business

a. Adoption of agenda

 

Joint Task Force-Klamath Fishery Management Council Information Session 

 

9:30                 4. Klamath River Fish Health Assessment Team (Catherine Carter, California Water Quality Control Board)

                        

10:00               5. Klamath Fishery Management Council update and Pacific Fishery Management Council review of Klamath River Fall Chinook Conservation Goal (Curt Melcher)

                        

10:30               6. Public Comment

 

10:45               Break

 

11:00               7. U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Klamath River monitoring update (Flow Study), current disease status, and overview of ongoing disease studies (Nick Hetrick)

 

11:30               8. Status of Klamath Irrigation Project continuing operations, Conservation Implementation Plan, and Undepleted Natural Flow Study (Christine Karas, Bureau of Reclamation) 

 

                        Klamath Council/Task Force Joint Session Ends

 

12:15               LUNCH

                        

1:30                 9. Joint Oregon/California Klamath River TMDL update (David Leland and Steve Kirk)

 

2:15                 10. Business

                             a) Brief review of June, 2005, meeting actions and general correspondence    (Gary Curtis) 

                             b)  Adoption of June, 2005, meeting minutes 

 

 

2:30                 11. Updates and Announcements FERC

a. Status of 2005 Klamath River anadromous fisheries (Neil Manji) 

b. Update on State of California coho recovery process (Neil Manji)

c. Update on NOAA recovery planning process (Irma Lagomarsino)

d. Update on hydro relicensing (Phil Detrich) 

 

3:00                 Break

 

3:15                 12. Public Comment 

                       

3:50                 13. Presentation of Nathaniel S. Bingham Memorial Awards (John Engbring)

 

4:00                 Recess

 

4:30 - 6:00 PM            Field Trip to Link River Dam fish ladder 

 

6:30 - ?           Social Hour - Join us at Sergio's Dos, 4650 S. 6th St., Klamath Falls

 

 





Reconvene - October 20, 2005

 

8:00 AM         Reconvene and opening remarks

 

8:15                 14. Report from Klamath Watershed Coordination Group 

                                    a. Klamath Basin Compact Commission (Alice Kilham)

                                    b. Trinity Management Council (Mike Orcutt)

                                    c. Upper Klamath Basin working Group (Jim Carpenter)

 

8:45                 15. Public Comment

 

9:00                 16.  Accomplishments report update (Gary Curtis and Petey Brucker)

 

9:20                 17. Report from Technical Work Group (Petey Brucker)

 

10:15               Break

 

10:30               18. Government Accountability Office audit of the Klamath River Basin Conservation Area Restoration Program (John Engbring)

 

11:15               19. Public Comment

 

11:30               20. Recap and Summary of Assignments and Motions (John Engbring)

                              Next meetings are: February 2006 in Crescent City; June 2006 in Yreka

 

12:00 PM        Adjourn
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From AKRAUSE at mp.usbr.gov  Wed Oct  5 09:39:39 2005
From: AKRAUSE at mp.usbr.gov (Andreas Krause)
Date: Wed, 05 Oct 2005 09:39:39 -0700
Subject: [env-trinity] Fwd: Trinity River Release Change
Message-ID: <s3439f6d.056@ibr2mprogw.mp.usbr.gov>

Project: Lewiston Dam - Trinity River Release
 
  Date         Time         From         To
10/15/05    2000         450 cfs      400 cfs
10/16/05    0000         400 cfs      350 cfs
10/16/05    0400         350 cfs      300 cfs
 
Issued By: Central Valley Operations

__________________________________
Andreas Krause, P.E.
Physical Scientist
Trinity River Restoration Program
P.O. Box 1300 (mailing address)
1313 South Main St. (physical address)
Weaverville, CA 96093
Phone: 530-623-1807; Fax: 530-623-5944
__________________________________


From jallen at trinitycounty.org  Thu Oct  6 11:38:43 2005
From: jallen at trinitycounty.org (Josh Allen)
Date: Thu, 6 Oct 2005 11:38:43 -0700
Subject: [env-trinity] Trinity River fishing looks very promising
Message-ID: <099F81D877F1044DA24BA95E0CE0926301496F1C@mail2.trinitycounty.org>

Trinity River fishing looks very promising 

 

http://www.times-standard.com/sports/ci_3091399 

 

Don Terbush The Times-Standard 

 

 

There are three kinds of people, those who can count and those who
can't. 

A rather novel way of beginning a fishing column you've got to admit. Or
do you? 

There are fish in the Trinity River from the mouth at the Klamath all of
the way up to Lewiston, according to guide Ed Duggan. "This past week
the Trinity has really come alive with fish. The bite was off Friday and
Saturday, but Sunday was a different story. Most everyone was hooking up
and a lot of salmon and steelhead were landed." 

Ed goes on to say that a friend of his, Ed Trujillo, and a fishing
buddy, Ben Benefield, fished Hawkins Bar to Willow Creek over the
weekend and landed several steelhead in the eight-pound range and
released several smaller ones. They also landed two jack salmon and saw
many adults in just about every deep hole they went through. The salmon
are hitting tuna balls mixed with roe. 

Several guides from the coast have set up shop in Willow Creek and are
fishing Hoopa with good results, Ed pointed out. 

Upriver from Cedar Flat to Junction City the salmon bite is back on
again. Last week was slow fishing for salmon but hot for steelhead. Del
Loma, Big Flat and Big Bar were all producing steelhead. Spoons,
spinners and plugs seemed to be best, but now that the salmon are in,
roe would seem to be better. 

Ed notes that now that coho are showing in the lower Trinity, you should
be aware that they are a protected species and must be released. "They
can be confused with steelhead, so be sure you know the difference." 

The fish are moving upriver on the Klamath River and fishing was tough
Monday and Tuesday, according to the River's West guide Rich Mossholder.
"There are a lot of silvers in the river as far up as Johnson's Bar," he
observed. He suggests spinners and flies. 

Prior to the rain the salmon action on the lower Klamath was
outstanding. 

The mid-Klamath has started to turn on. There are lots of half pounders
in the Orleans area with some good adults in the mix. Most of the
anglers staying at Klamath Riverside Park have been chalking up limits
of salmon including plenty of half pounders. Somes Bar reports are
equally enthusiastic. With the half pounders showing, there should be
good fly fishing around Weitchpec and Hoopa. 

Gorgeous weather but virtually no salmon activity at Shelter Cove is the
message from launch operator Lee Self. "We had one last week," he noted.
"We do have a variety of bottom fish," he added. 

For low flow river closure updates call Fish and Game at 442-4502. 

Waves of salmon continue to pour into the Sacramento River and are
stacking up from Anderson Balls Ferry to Hamilton City. These fish are
making their upriver journey and are beginning to hold quite well in the
Anderson Balls Ferry Barge Hole area and mouth of Battle Creek. Early
mornings the river is boiling with fish. 

Many new bright kings from 18 to 25 pounds on average continue to pass
through on a daily basis in the Woodson Bridge-Hamilton City area. Look
for October to be one of the premier fishing months this year. Normally
it slows down by mid-October but this year with the run showing up late,
awesome salmon fishing should continue all through October. 

Drifting roe and a Quickie has picked up this last week and sardine
wrapped K15-K16 Kwikfish have also continued to produce kings all day. 

Tip of the Week: When you are finding suspended fish on your fish finder
and you are fishing Kwikfish, try using a much lighter piece if lead.
This will allow your lure to work higher off the bottom of the river
where the fish may be traveling or holding, says guide Hank Mautz. 

There is a series of Northern California A.M. minus tides beginning
Tuesday, October 11 and continuing through Friday, October 14. 

 

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From BGUTERMUTH at mp.usbr.gov  Fri Oct  7 16:45:20 2005
From: BGUTERMUTH at mp.usbr.gov (Brandt Gutermuth)
Date: Fri, 07 Oct 2005 16:45:20 -0700
Subject: [env-trinity] Notice of Preparation for Canyon Creek Suite of Rehab
	Sites: Trinity River Mile 73 to 78 EIR/EA
Message-ID: <s346a62e.028@ibr2mprogw.mp.usbr.gov>

Dear Trinity River enthusiasts- 

The North Coast Region Water Quality Control Board, the Project's
California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) Lead  Agency, has just
announced availability of a Notice of Preparation (NOP) for an
Environmental Impact Report (EIR)/Environmental Assessment (EA) for the
Canyon Creek Suite of Rehabilitation Sites: Trinity River Mile 73 to 78.
 The Project is scheduled for summer 2006 implementation by the Trinity
River Restoration Program, the Project's National Environmental Policy
Act (NEPA) lead.  

A public scoping meeting is scheduled for Oct. 20 at 6:30 pm at the
Community Center in Junction City, CA.

The actual NOP is pasted below or available at: 
http://www.trrp.net/documents/canyon_ck_NOP_EIR.pdf 
 
or please call me for more information.

Best Regards, 
Brandt

Brandt Gutermuth, Environmental Specialist
Trinity River Restoration Program
PO Box 1300 (mailing) 
1313 Main Street (physical address)
Weaverville, CA  96093
(530) 623-1806 voice; (530) 623-5944 fax
Bgutermuth at mp.usbr.gov 



NOP -  ?-----

State of California

Regional Water Quality Control Board
North Coast Region

Notice of Preparation
For An Environmental Impact Report
Canyon Creek Suite of Rehabilitation Sites:  Trinity River Mile 73 to
78


TO:	Responsible and Trustee Agencies, and Interested Parties 

FROM: 	State of California, Regional Water Quality Control Board, North
Coast Region

SUBJECT:	Notice of Preparation for a Joint Draft Environmental
Impact Report (EIR) and Environmental Assessment (EA) for the Bureau of
Reclamation, Trinity River Restoration Program: Canyon Creek Suite of
Rehabilitation Sites:  Trinity River Mile 73 to 78.  The Draft EIR/EA
will be a joint document, which meets both California Environmental
Quality Act (CEQA) and National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA)
requirements. 

CEQA LEAD AGENCY:	North Coast Regional Water Quality Control Board
(NCRWQCB), 
State of California 

NEPA LEAD AGENCY:	U.S. Bureau of Reclamation (Reclamation)

PROJECT TITLE:	Canyon Creek Suite of Rehabilitation Sites:  Trinity
River Mile 73 to 78

PUBLIC SCOPING MEETING:  A public scoping meeting will be held on
October 20, 2005 at 6:30 pm. at the Junction City Community Hall, 71
Dutch Creek RD. (just south of HWY 299), Junction City, CA.  Information
on the project will be presented and comments on the scope of the joint
EIR/EA accepted.  Announcement of the meeting will be made in
Weaverville's local newspaper, the Trinity Journal, and by letter to
local landowners.

NOTICE OF PREPARATION COMMENT PERIOD:  A public review period for the
Notice of Preparation has been established from October 7 through
November 7, 2005.  The purpose of this comment period is to provide
involved agencies and the public with an opportunity to learn about the
project and to solicit comments to assist the Lead Agencies in
identifying the range of actions, alternatives, mitigation measures, and
significant effects to be analyzed in the joint EIR/EA.  The Bureau of
Reclamation (Reclamation) will be the federal NEPA lead agency and both
the U.S. Bureau of Land Management (BLM) and the U.S. Forest Service
will act as cooperating agencies under NEPA.  The public and agencies
will use this joint EIR/EA when considering proposed actions, permits,
and/or other approvals for the project.    

Public and agency comments must be received no later than 5:00 p.m. on
November 7, 2005.  Please address comments, questions, and responses
to:
North Coast Regional Water Quality Control Board c/o
Trinity River Restoration Program 
Attn: Brandt Gutermuth
P.O.  Box 1300
1313 Main Street 
Weaverville, CA  96093
Voice (530) 623-1806, Fax (530) 623-5944, or email
bgutermuth at mp.usbr.gov 

At some time following the close of the public review period for the
scoping process, the Lead Agencies will issue the draft EIR/EA and will
provide members of the public and other interested parties an
opportunity to review and provide comments on the
project.		

APPLICANT:						
U.S. Bureau of Reclamation, Northern California Area Office
Trinity River Restoration Program (TRRP)
P.O.  Box 1300
1313 Main Street 
Weaverville, CA  96093				

BACKGROUND:  The Central Valley Project Improvement Act (1992) and the
Trinity River Basin Fish and Wildlife Management Act (1984) provide the
legal authority for projects that restore the fishery resources of the
Trinity River.  Specifically, these acts include language intended to
protect, restore, and enhance fish, wildlife, and associated habitats
within the Trinity River Basin.

In December 2000, the Secretary of Interior signed a Record of Decision
(ROD) for the Trinity River Fishery Restoration Final Environmental
Impact Statement (FEIS).  This decision recognized that restoration and
perpetual maintenance of the Trinity River's fishery resources
requires rehabilitating the river itself, and restoring the attributes
that produce a healthy, functioning alluvial river system. 
Consequently, the ROD included five components to ensure long-term
restoration and maintenance of the Trinity River:  a) Variable annual
instream flows ranging from 369,000 acre-feet (af) in critically dry
years to 815,000 af in extremely wet years; b) Physical channel
rehabilitation, including the removal of riparian berms and the
establishment of side channel habitat; c) Sediment management, including
the supplementation of spawning gravels below Lewiston dam and reduction
in fine sediments which degrade fish habitats; d) Watershed restoration
efforts, addressing negative impacts which have resulted from land use
practices in the Basin; and e) Infrastructure improvements or
modifications, including rebuilding or fortifying bridges and addressing
other structures affected by peak instream flows provided by the ROD. 
The Trinity River Restoration Program office in Weaverville, California
was opened in September 2002 for the purpose of implementing the ROD.  

The ROD's channel rehabilitation component focused attention on the
need to physically manipulate the bank and floodplain features of the
Trinity River between River Mile 112.0 (Lewiston Dam) and River Mile
72.4 (North Fork Trinity River).  The channel reconstruction is intended
to restore the Trinity River's historic alternate point bar morphology
and habitat complexity to improve fishery resources.  The Canyon Creek
Suite of Rehabilitation Sites:  Trinity River Mile 73 to 78 (Project) is
the second project scheduled to implement the ROD's mechanical
rehabilitation component and rework the Trinity River floodplain based
on pre-dam channel morphology characteristics.  

The NCRWQCB, which issued Clean Water Act 401 Water Quality
Certification for the Trinity River Restoration Program's Hocker Flat
Channel Rehabilitation pilot project and has permitting authority for
this project, will serve as the state California Environmental Quality
Act (CEQA) Lead Agency and will prepare an Environmental Impact Report
(EIR) for the project as described below.  The NCRWQCB requests your
views concerning the scope and content of the environmental information
germane to your interests or agency's statutory responsibilities in
connection with the proposed project.  The public and reviewing agencies
will need to use this joint EIR/EA, prepared by the NCRWQCB and
Reclamation, when considering proposed actions, permits, or other
project approvals.  

A project description, location maps, and a summary of the potential
environmental effects are included in this Notice of Preparation.  

PROJECT LOCATION: The proposed project sites are located along an
approximately 6.3-mile stretch of mainstem Trinity River between the
communities of Junction City and Helena, Trinity County, California. 
The vicinity of the project is shown in Figure 1.  Each channel
rehabilitation site is referred to by name; while collectively all four
sites are referred to as the Canyon Creek Suite of Rehabilitation Sites
(Project).  The Environmental Study Limits (ESLs) for each site are
illustrated in the Project Location Map, Figure 2.  Collectively, the
four site ESLs comprise the project ESL.  

Canyon Creek Suite of Rehabilitation Sites:  Trinity River Mile 73 to
78 includes: 

	Conner Creek
	The Conner Creek channel rehabilitation site begins at River
Mile 77.4 and extends 0.3 miles downstream along the Trinity River.  It
is found on the Dedrick, California 7.5-minute United States Geological
Survey (USGS) quadrangle map, Township 34 North, Range 11 West, Sections
1, 35 and 36, MDBM, 040? 45' 15" North latitude by 123? 04' 00" West
longitude.  
	Valdor Gulch
	The Valdor Gulch channel rehabilitation site begins at River
Mile 75.4 and extends 1.10 miles downstream along the Trinity River.  It
is found on the Dedrick, California 7.5-minute USGS quadrangle map,
Township 34 North, Range 11 West, Sections 27 and 35, MDBM, 040? 45' 53"
North latitude by 123? 05' 35" West longitude.  
	Elkhorn 
	The Elkhorn channel rehabilitation site begins at River Mile
73.6 and extends 0.8 mile downstream along the Trinity River.  It is
found on the Dedrick, California 7.5-minute USGS quadrangle map,
Township 34 North, Range 11 West, Sections 27 and 28, MDBM, 040? 45' 53"
North latitude by 123? 06' 08" West longitude.  	
	Pear Tree
	The Pear Tree site begins at River Mile 73.1 and extends 0.3
mile downstream along the Trinity River.  It is found on the Dedrick,
California 7.5-minute USGS quadrangle map, Township 34 North, Range 11
West, Section 28, MDBM, 040? 45' 57" North latitude by 123? 06' 57" West
longitude. 
 
PROJECT DESCRIPTION: In joint action with Reclamation and BLM, the
NCRWQCB is evaluating the Project at each of these identified locations
along the Trinity River.  The Hocker Flat Project represented the
initial TRRP effort to implement the mechanical channel rehabilitation
component of the 2000 ROD.  Together this Project (encompassing four
sites) and the Hocker Flat project (implemented in 2005), will not only
work to enhance river processes at their discrete locations, but are
also expected to synergistically work together for enhancement of river
processes and ultimately to increase fisheries habitat throughout the
reach downstream of Canyon Creek.  

Within the project ESL, discrete activity areas have been identified. 
Within these activity areas, a variety of specific actions may be
conducted that are intended to enhance or reestablish the Trinity
River's alternate point bar morphology and channel complexity, and
to subsequently provide an increase in useable fish habitat.  In
addition, these actions are intended to enhance the riparian and
terrestrial habitat adjacent to the Trinity River.  The following
actions may be conducted in one or more activity areas as part of this
project. 

?	Removal of Vegetation, including Mature Riparian Vegetation
?	Earthwork in the Trinity River Floodplain
?	Material Transportation
?	Material Disposal
?	Revegetation

POTENTIAL ENVIRONMENTAL EFFECTS:
The joint EIR/EA is being prepared to evaluate potentially significant
impacts to the environment.  The following section provides a brief
discussion of the environmental factors that will be addressed in the
joint EIR/EA.  

Air Quality.  The EIR/EA will address regional air quality conditions
in Trinity County and the air quality impacts resulting from the actions
incorporated into this project.  Air quality will be examined to
determine if the proposed Project would result in a conflict with the
North Coast Unified Air Quality Management District regional air quality
plan.  The nearby Weaverville Basin is in moderate "non-attainment"
of state PM10 standards.  Vehicle exhaust and fugitive dust from
construction activities on and adjacent to the site will be considered.


Noise.  Potential noise impacts associated with construction will be
assessed in the EIR/EA.  Noise levels will be evaluated for consistency
with the Junction City Community Plan, the Trinity County General Plan
and Zoning Ordinance, and State and federal standards and guidelines
regulating noise on public and private lands.

Geology and Soils.  Geological and seismic safety, and soils stability
will be addressed in the EIR/EA.  Mineral resources will also be
addressed, particularly as they relate to activities authorized under
the federal 1872 Mining Law.  

Hydrology, Water Quality, and Floodplains.  The EIR/EA will address any
hydrology, water quality, and floodplain impacts that may occur as a
result of the proposed project.

The construction phase of the project may have the potential to
increase erosion, turbidity, and sedimentation levels downstream of the
project sites.  Activities within the active channel of the Trinity
River would be subject to water quality limitations imposed by the
California North Coast Regional Water Quality Control Board in
conjunction with the issuance of a 401 Certification pursuant to the
federal Clean Water Act.  

The Trinity River has been listed under Section 303(d) of the Clean
Water Act as a waterbody impaired by sediment.  A Total Maximum Daily
Load (TMDL) for the Trinity River was completed by the U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency in December 2001.  It is anticipated
that the project will improve the beneficial uses of the Trinity River
(cold water fisheries) that are impaired by sediment.

Per federal Executive Order 11988 (pertaining to floodplain
involvement), public notice is hereby given that the project includes
construction within the 100-year floodplain.  Portions of the project
are within Zone A on the Federal Emergency Management Agency's (FEMA)
Flood Insurance Rate Maps (FIRM), on public and private lands.  Areas
within Zone A have approximate delineations for the 100-year floodplain,
but do not have defined base flood elevations.  If it is determined that
project activities would result in a change to the 100-year floodplain
delineation, a floodplain risk assessment will be performed to determine
what impacts, if any, would occur to adjacent structures and the public.
 However, it is anticipated that completion of the proposed project will
reduce flooding risks and will not adversely affect the 100-year
floodplain delineation.  Project activities in designated floodplains on
private lands will require issuance of a Floodplain Development Permit
from Trinity County.

Biological Resources.  Existing biological conditions within the
Trinity River and the area surrounding the project sites will be
described, and potential impacts of the proposed Project on vegetation
and wildlife will be assessed.  The EIR/EA will evaluate the likelihood
for any significant biological impacts, including effects on endangered,
threatened, rare, or other special status plant and animal species, and
wetland/special aquatic resources.

The proposed Project ESL has the potential to support a variety of
special-status species (listed and non-listed).  Spring and fall chinook
salmon, coho salmon, Pacific Lamprey and summer and winter steelhead are
known to spawn within the Trinity River, and suitable spawning habitat
is available for the species within the study limits of the project.  In
addition, the Trinity River is designated as critical habitat for coho
salmon by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration: Fisheries
Section (NOAA Fisheries).  Other special-status and listed species
within the project area could potentially include the willow flycatcher,
green sturgeon, silky cryptantha, northwestern pond turtle, yellow
warbler, yellow-breasted chat, bald eagle, and osprey.  A comprehensive
plant and wildlife inventory to determine species presence/absence and
potential project-related effects to species that may be present.

Because there are no known listed riparian and terrestrial species
under the jurisdiction of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service within the
project ESL, a Biological Assessment is not expected to be required
pursuant to Section 7 of the Federal Endangered Species Act (ESA).  A
Biological Opinion (BO) was issued by NOAA Fisheries on October 12, 2000
for the Trinity River Fisheries Restoration Program.  This BO is
considered adequate to address listed fish species that may be affected
by this project.  Though they will provide biological guidance and will
act as a trustee agency, the California Department of Fish and Game has
determined that they are not authorized to permit federally funded
Trinity River Restoration Projects, like Hocker Flat and Canyon Creek
Rehabilitation Projects.  Consequently, neither a "2081 Incidental
Take Permit" (California Endangered Species Act) nor a "1602
Streambed Alteration Agreement" will be required.

The project will be assessed for consistency with the state and federal
Wild and Scenic Rivers Acts.  Completion of the proposed Project is
expected to enhance anadromous salmon and steelhead fisheries; both
identified as outstandingly remarkable values of the Trinity River.

The proposed Project includes a variety of riparian and wetland habitat
elements.  These elements are considered sensitive, and ecologically
important to a variety of human and natural resources.  Activities
associated with the project could result in the loss of an undetermined
acreage of riparian habitat.

Per federal Executive Orders 11990 (pertaining to wetlands), public
notice is hereby given that the project may encroach upon wetlands. 
Construction activities associated with the proposed Project could
result in temporary and permanent impacts to wetland features within the
ESL that are subject to U.S. Army Corps of Engineer's (ACOE)
jurisdiction, pursuant to Section 404 of the Clean Water Act.  Within
the ESL, a delineation of jurisdictional waters of the United States has
been conducted and a delineation report reviewed and verified by the
ACOE.

Cultural Resources.  A cultural resources survey and evaluation will be
conducted, in compliance with the cultural resource programmatic
agreement (PA) prepared for the Trinity River Restoration Program in
cooperation with federal agencies, The Hoopa Valley Tribe, the
California State Historic Preservation officer, and the advisory council
on historic preservation.  This evaluation will assess the area within
the project ESL to determine the presence and significance of cultural
and archaeological resources identified.  The project site does not
contain any known prehistoric cultural resources; however, there may be
cultural resources that are currently hidden within the project study
limits that could be unearthed and discovered during the construction
phase of the proposed Project.  If cultural resources are encountered
during the survey, a determination will be made in compliance with the
PA.  

Hazards.  The actions associated with the proposed Project are not
expected to involve the use of hazardous materials and, therefore, will
not expose the public to significant hazard.  Historic Mercury deposits
from past mining efforts may exist on site.  However, based on findings
at the Hocker Flat site, chemical binding of Mercury to the soils keeps
release of Mercury below levels of concern.  Hazards related to movement
of earth and its effects on Mercury availability will be addressed.  

Land Use.  The proposed Project is consistent with Trinity County's
General Plan and related policies.  No buildings or permanent structures
are located within the ESL.  Mineral extraction activities occur within
the ESL, and will be incorporated into the project design. 
Growth-inducing impacts are not expected to occur as a result of the
project, but will be examined.

Socioeconomic/Displacements/Environmental Justice.  Right-of-way
acquisition, residential/business displacements, relocation assistance,
business impacts, and neighborhood cohesion will be analyzed pursuant to
both CEQA and NEPA.  In addition, environmental justice concerns will be
addressed pursuant to NEPA. 

Public Services/Utilities.  An analysis of public services and
utilities associated with the proposed Project will be included in the
EIR/EA.   

Visual Resources.  A Visual Impact Analysis will be included in the
EIR/EA describing the existing visual characteristics of the project
area and analyzing any potential visual impacts.

Transportation and Circulation.  Transportation and circulation impacts
associated with the proposed Project will be analyzed, including access
during construction, and any impacts to public roads, including State
Highway 299 West.  A principal objective of the proposed Project is to
ensure implementation in a manner that provides safe transit in and
adjacent to the project area.  Activities within existing Right-of-Ways
for public roads may require issuance of an encroachment permit from the
responsible agency. 

Construction Impacts.  The document will identify and analyze any
further short-term construction impacts associated with air quality,
noise, water quality, traffic congestion and detours, safety, visual,
business access, community facilities, etc.





From tstokely at trinityalps.net  Tue Oct 11 11:37:17 2005
From: tstokely at trinityalps.net (tstokely at trinityalps.net)
Date: Tue, 11 Oct 2005 14:37:17 -0400
Subject: [env-trinity] CALFED EIR Loses in Appeals Court
Message-ID: <380-2200510211183717518@M2W074.mail2web.com>

http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-calfed11oct11,1,2590373.story?coll=l
a-headlines-california&ctrack=1&cset=true

October 11, 2005 latimes.com 
 
Delta Plan Is Dealt a Blow
By Bettina Boxall, Times Staff Writer


The 5-year-old CalFed program, which governs California's single largest
source of fresh water, the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta, has been dealt a
setback by a state appeals court that ruled that parts of the program's
environmental review were inadequate. 

The opinion, released late Friday, concluded that the review was too narrow
because it failed to consider the effects of reducing water exports from
the delta to Central and Southern California. The CalFed program was
created to balance the state's water needs with protection of the delta,
including its fish. 

ADVERTISEMENT 
  
State officials were still reviewing the 224-page decision, but CalFed
critics suggested the ruling opened the door to a fundamental rethinking of
the program's plan to fix the delta's many environmental problems while
simultaneously stepping up water deliveries.

"The implications are substantial," said longtime delta advocate Bill
Jennings, chairman of the California Sportfishing Protection Alliance.
"It's certainly a huge victory that will perhaps dissuade us from
continuing this headlong rush of increasing exports that have contributed
to the delta's decline."

The ruling is just the latest problem for CalFed, a joint state-federal
effort that has struggled for federal funding since its inception. This
year it encountered stinging criticism from state legislators who said it
was ineffective, and the Schwarzenegger administration has ordered a
reevaluation of the program.

"We're in the middle of a restructuring and refocusing on how to best
accomplish our goals, and this provides further guidance for that effort,"
said Keith Coolidge, spokesman for the California Bay-Delta Authority,
which oversees CalFed.

The 3rd District Court of Appeal in Sacramento upheld CalFed on a number of
issues in the case, turning away challenges to other parts of its
environmental review that were raised in a lawsuit filed by delta water
agencies and the California Farm Bureau Federation.

But the panel said that when CalFed was reviewing various options for the
delta, it should have considered the possibility of reducing water exports
? which help provide water to nearly two of every three Californians.

The state, a defendant in the suit, has said that given population growth
and CalFed's mandate to improve water supplies, that option was not
feasible.

Though the court wrote that "the record contains evidence that significant
exports from the delta will be needed in the future to meet water demands
in Southern California," it went on to say that reduced exports could help
meet CalFed's other goals, which include ecosystem restoration. 

The appeals panel further suggested that if less water flowed south from
the delta, there might be less growth and therefore less demand.

"CalFed appears not to have considered, as an alternative, smaller water
exports from the Bay-Delta region, which might, in turn, lead to smaller
population growth due to the unavailability of water to support such
growth," the judges wrote.

Officials of the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California, which
intervened in the case, said they were troubled by that argument.

"There's an assumption in this court's decision that if you reduce exports,
you will reduce growth," said Metropolitan Vice President Tim Quinn. "If
you look at the history of California over the last quarter of a century,
that doesn't fit with facts. The State Water Project never got completed,
yet we grew."

Metropolitan's general counsel, Jeffrey Kightlinger, said a separate case
involving legal challenges to CalFed's federal environmental reviews was
still pending, complicating the implications of the state ruling. He also
pointed out that since the environmental reports were drawn up, CalFed had
been reauthorized by Congress and the California Legislature.

"There clearly has been a legislative directive to go and do these
projects, so there's a legal question as to whether you would even need
this kind of [environmental] document," he said. "I don't think you're
going to see a complete revamping or rewriting of CalFed because the
legislatures have said to move forward." 

http://www.sacbee.com/content/news/story/13684666p-14527064c.html

Court's ruling a challenge to CalFed
State water authority's legal foundation is questioned.
By Matt Weiser -- Bee Staff Writer
Published 2:15 am PDT Saturday, October 8, 2005 
Story appeared on Page A1 of The Bee
 

In what amounts to a huge victory for Delta water interests, an appellate
court Friday told a leading state water authority that it must study the
effects of sending less water to Southern California. 
The ruling effectively calls into question the legal foundation for the
state's most important water treaty organization - the CalFed Bay-Delta
Program. 


 "This is a big, blunt crowbar stuck in the spokes of the CalFed wheel,"
said Bill Jennings, chairman of the California Sportfishing Protection
Alliance, who has followed the case closely. 
CalFed, a consortium of state and federal water interests, was founded on
the premise that it is possible to increase water supplies while also
improving the environment in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta. The maze of
waterways is the heart of the state's water network and supplies drinking
water for 22 million people. 

The Delta serves as a conduit for moving water from the moist north state
to the thirsty south. For decades, it has been at the core of California
water wars. 

CalFed was an attempt to create a new framework to resolve those disputes.
It depends on a complex charter adopted in August 2000 to guide billions of
dollars in spending. This, in turn, was based on an environmental impact
report that evaluated the effect on the Delta of its actions to distribute
water and improve the environment. 

But water users within the Delta, including irrigation districts and
farming groups, promptly filed a lawsuit claiming the CalFed program would
harm their water quality by continuing to support water exports to Southern
California. 

Those exports, which depend on powerful pumps and a network of canals that
begin near Tracy, have been blamed for killing fish and increasing salinity
in the Delta. 

On Friday, California's 3rd District Court of Appeal overturned a lower
court ruling, finding instead that the CalFed charter failed to consider a
future in which those exports would be reduced. 

The court effectively ordered the environmental study underlying the CalFed
charter to be revised. As a result, plaintiffs said, the CalFed charter
itself might have to change. 

Although the ruling is likely to be appealed, plaintiffs were jubilant. 

"We view it as a very significant victory," said Dante Nomellini, a
Stockton attorney who represented plaintiffs including the Central Delta
Water Agency. 

"On the principal issue of most importance to us and to the state, the
court identified the flaw: Failure to consider alternatives that would
reduce exports from the Delta." 

Jennings, of the sports fishing alliance, was more blunt: "I think this
will have far-reaching implications for the hydraulic system of California.
This is ultimately going to control the pumps." 

That remains to be seen. The decision came late on Friday and its full
implications aren't yet known. 

The defendants include CalFed, the state Department of Water Resources, and
powerful water exporters such as the Metropolitan Water District of
Southern California and Westlands Water District. 

Many of those defendants could not be reached for comment Friday. 

The court did support the defendants on a number of key points, including
upholding much of the CalFed environmental document itself and its handling
of public comments. 

"You win some, you lose some," said Keith Coolidge, spokesman for CalFed.
"Those are the court's words. They affirmed our position on a number of
different areas. 

"I don't yet know what we're going to do. However, there is a likelihood
this will be appealed," he said. 

The ruling comes at a difficult time for CalFed. Lately the agency has been
accused of being too cozy with water interests. It is in the midst of a
comprehensive organizational review ordered by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger. 

That review already has reached some stinging conclusions, finding, for
instance, that there is a lack of accountability within the organization
and no clear lines of authority. Its executive director and science chief
both announced their resignations last year. 

On top of it all, populations of two key fish species - the striped bass
and threatened Delta smelt - are crashing in the Delta. Though there is no
clear evidence of a cause, many observers blame water exports, which have
set records in recent years. 

Coolidge said the timing of the court ruling "represents an opportunity for
us. We're in the midst of re-evaluating virtually all areas of the CalFed
program. All things represent opportunity." 



----------------------------------------------------------------------------
----

WATER ISSUES
* The CalFed Bay-Delta Program is a consortium of state and federal water
interests. Its maze of waterways is the heart of the state's water network
and supplies drinking water for 22 million people. 
* A new state appeals court ruling effectively means the CalFed charter may
have to change. 

* The ruling is likely to be appealed. 


About the writer:
The Bee's Matt Weiser can be reached at (916) 321-1264 or
mweiser at sacbee.com.

 


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From tstokely at trinityalps.net  Tue Oct 11 14:18:26 2005
From: tstokely at trinityalps.net (tstokely at trinityalps.net)
Date: Tue, 11 Oct 2005 17:18:26 -0400
Subject: [env-trinity] Tom Stokely moved his office,
	please note new address/phone/fax
Message-ID: <380-2200510211211826908@M2W083.mail2web.com>

I have moved my office from Hayfork to Weaverville.

Please note my new address, phone and fax.

Sincerely,

Tom Stokely
Principal Planner
Trinity Co. Planning/Natural Resources
PO Box 2819
Weaverville, CA 96093-2819
530-623-1351, ext 3407
FAX 623-1353

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From tstokely at trinityalps.net  Tue Oct 11 14:52:17 2005
From: tstokely at trinityalps.net (tstokely at trinityalps.net)
Date: Tue, 11 Oct 2005 17:52:17 -0400
Subject: [env-trinity] Tom Stokely moved his office,
	please note new address/phone/fax
Message-ID: <380-2200510211215217178@M2W049.mail2web.com>

Please note that my physical address is the Planning Dept offices, 190 Glen
Rd., Weaverville (next to Coast Central Credit Union).

Original Message:
-----------------
From: tstokely at trinityalps.net tstokely at trinityalps.net
Date: Tue, 11 Oct 2005 17:18:26 -0400
To: env-trinity at velocipede.dcn.davis.ca.us, klamath at klamathrestoration.org
Subject: [env-trinity] Tom Stokely moved his office,please note new
address/phone/fax


I have moved my office from Hayfork to Weaverville.

Please note my new address, phone and fax.

Sincerely,

Tom Stokely
Principal Planner
Trinity Co. Planning/Natural Resources
PO Box 2819
Weaverville, CA 96093-2819
530-623-1351, ext 3407
FAX 623-1353

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From tstokely at trinityalps.net  Wed Oct 12 07:23:26 2005
From: tstokely at trinityalps.net (Tom Stokely)
Date: Wed, 12 Oct 2005 07:23:26 -0700
Subject: Fw: [env-trinity] Tom Stokely moved his office,
	please note new address/phone/fax
Message-ID: <001b01c5cf38$83bf2eb0$d0653940@trinitycounty.org>

I forgot to add that my physical address is at the Trinity County Planning
Dept., 190 Glen Road, Weaverville.

Tom Stokely

----- Original Message ----- 
From: <tstokely at trinityalps.net>
To: <env-trinity at velocipede.dcn.davis.ca.us>
Cc: <klamath at klamathrestoration.org>
Sent: Tuesday, October 11, 2005 2:18 PM
Subject: [env-trinity] Tom Stokely moved his office,please note new
address/phone/fax


> I have moved my office from Hayfork to Weaverville.
>
> Please note my new address, phone and fax.
>
> Sincerely,
>
> Tom Stokely
> Principal Planner
> Trinity Co. Planning/Natural Resources
> PO Box 2819
> Weaverville, CA 96093-2819
> 530-623-1351, ext 3407
> FAX 623-1353
>
> --------------------------------------------------------------------
> mail2web - Check your email from the web at
> http://mail2web.com/ .
>
>
>
> _______________________________________________
> env-trinity mailing list
> env-trinity at mailman.dcn.org
> http://www2.dcn.org/mailman/listinfo/env-trinity
>



From jallen at trinitycounty.org  Wed Oct 12 09:21:47 2005
From: jallen at trinitycounty.org (Josh Allen)
Date: Wed, 12 Oct 2005 09:21:47 -0700
Subject: [env-trinity] Trinity River projects to be aired
Message-ID: <099F81D877F1044DA24BA95E0CE0926301496FC5@mail2.trinitycounty.org>

Trinity River projects to be aired



http://www.times-standard.com/local/ci_3105869 

Wednesday, October 12, 2005 

John Driscoll 

 

 

With one significant river rehab project nearly complete, the Trinity
River Restoration Program is preparing to launch another suite of
efforts aimed at improving fisheries. 

The four new projects involve removing vegetation from the banks of the
Trinity River near Canyon Creek, knocking down the streamside berm and
lowering the flood plain. Some backwater channels and channels to
accommodate high water will also be formed in the approximately 6 miles
between Junction City and Helena. 

"We're taking the handcuffs off the river," said program senior
scientist Rod Wittler. "We're allowing it to be a river again." 

Since the Lewiston Dam and diversion project was completed in the 1960s,
the vast majority of the upper watershed's water has been sent to the
Sacramento River, where it's pumped to Central Valley farms. A 2000
decision signed by former U.S. Interior Department Secretary Bruce
Babbitt ordered roughly half the water to flow down the river to aid its
ailing fishery. 

The Hoopa Valley Tribe successfully fought off irrigators' legal
challenges to that decision, and work on the river began in full swing
last year. 

During wet years, the program intends to use high flows -- in
combination with mechanically prepared areas -- to reshape the river.
The goal is to create more rearing habitat, Wittler said, areas where
young salmon can grow before migrating to the Klamath River and out to
sea. 

There will be effects on species like turtles, frogs and birds that
shelter or nest in the streamside vegetation the program will remove.
But the change is likely to be temporary, Wittler said. The projects are
being done in phases, and riparian vegetation will be replanted farther
from the river channel, he said. 

This year's Hocker Flat project has gone more quickly than expected,
Wittler said, with the contractor able to use more efficient equipment
than was first believed necessary. The lessons learned from that
$800,000 effort may help drop costs for the Canyon Creek projects, which
are estimated to be around $1.3 million altogether. 

Mike Orcutt, senior biologist with the Hoopa Tribe, said he's concerned
that the science and monitoring elements of the projects won't be fully
funded in an era of tight budgets. 

"Our general sense is that a lot of the construction was taking a higher
priority, and that may be all right," Orcutt said. "But if we lose some
of the monitoring programs ... where's the money going to come from?" 

A notice of preparation for a draft environmental impact report and
environmental assessment for the projects has been filed for the
projects at Conner Creek, Valdor Gulch, Elk Horn and Pear Tree. 

A scoping meeting will be held on Oct. 20 at 6:30 p.m. at the Junction
City Community Hall, 71 Dutch Creek Road. 

Comments must be received by Nov. 7, and should be sent to Brandt
Gutermuth, Trinity River Restoration Program, P.O. Box 1300,
Weaverville, CA 96093, or e-mailed to bgutermuth at mp.usbr.gov. For
further information or to receive a copy of the NOP, contact Gutermuth
at (530) 623-1806, or Dean Prat at (707) 576-2801. 

For more information, go to http://www.trrp.net. 

 

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From jallen at trinitycounty.org  Fri Oct 14 08:53:00 2005
From: jallen at trinitycounty.org (Josh Allen)
Date: Fri, 14 Oct 2005 08:53:00 -0700
Subject: [env-trinity] Reveg success
Message-ID: <099F81D877F1044DA24BA95E0CE092630149705C@mail2.trinitycounty.org>

Subject: Reveg success

Good morning,

During the past week Robert Sullivan of my staff and Bernadette Cooney
of the RCD conducted survival exams of the revegetation efforts at the
bridge sites.  Contrary to some recent preliminary reports, survival is
much higher than thought.  Current estimates of survival of plants at
the bridge sites is between 60 and 80%, depending on species.   RCD will
continue to monitor, but at this point it looks like we're on track to
meet our one-year reveg objectives.
thanks,
Doug

___________________________________

Douglas P. Schleusner, Executive Director
Trinity River Restoration Program
P.O. Box 1300, 1313 South Main St.
Weaverville, CA  96093
(530) 623-1800  Fax: (530) 623-5944
e-mail: dschleusner at mp.usbr.gov
___________________________________





From phedtke at trinitycounty.org  Fri Oct 14 09:06:47 2005
From: phedtke at trinitycounty.org (Peter Hedtke)
Date: Fri, 14 Oct 2005 09:06:47 -0700
Subject: [env-trinity] Trinity County Toll-Free Illegal Dumping Line 
Message-ID: <099F81D877F1044DA24BA95E0CE09263F9518A@mail2.trinitycounty.org>


> Trinity County> '> s new toll-free hotline number to report illegal dumping sites and activities to protect our watersheds and rivers is now official and working!  As a member of the Illegal Dumping Adhoc Committee, I've elected to have this ring at my desk, so spread the word.  The committee will be publicizing it in as many papers and flyers as possible.  Please contact me if you would like to talk about it.
> 
>  The number is:  1-888-663-8676 ......or......1-888-NODUMPN
> 
> 
> Peter Hedtke, Director
> Trinity County Environmental Health
> P. O. Box 476
> Weaverville, CA 96093
> 
> Tel. 530/623-1459
> Fax.530/623-1353
> 



From tstokely at trinityalps.net  Tue Oct 18 10:39:36 2005
From: tstokely at trinityalps.net (tstokely at trinityalps.net)
Date: Tue, 18 Oct 2005 13:39:36 -0400
Subject: [env-trinity] SF Chronicle- Court says program for exports relied
	on inadequate data 
Message-ID: <380-2200510218173936218@M2W057.mail2web.com>


----------------------------------------------------------------------------
----

COURTS 
Ruling says delta water plan flawed 
Court says program for exports relied on inadequate data 
- Glen Martin, Chronicle Environment Writer
Tuesday, October 18, 2005 

A recent state court ruling could derail a program that would allow greater
water exports from the delta of the Sacramento and San Joaquin rivers to
Southern California farms and cities. 

But the decision probably doesn't affect long-term federal water deliveries
to large San Joaquin Valley farms -- a major bugbear of environmentalists. 

In its decision this month, the Court of Appeal for the Third District, in
Sacramento, ruled that CalFed -- a joint state and federal agency empowered
with settling disputes in California's endless legal water wars -- relied
on inadequate environmental analyses in administering its water exports
from the delta. 

The court said the agency didn't adequately consider reducing water
deliveries to ensure the environmental health of the delta. 

A CalFed spokesman said the agency plans to appeal. 

But because the decision was issued by a state court and specifically
addressed CalFed's policies, it has no bearing on another major water
issue: the renewal of long-term federal water contracts to Central Valley
farmers. 

Environmentalists say the Bush administration is fast-tracking the
contracts -- some of which could last 50 years -- for water from the huge
Central Valley Project, the federal program that delivers water from
Northern California and Sierra reservoirs and rivers to Central Valley
farms and some California cities. 

So far, about 200 federal contracts have been approved, and about 80 are
pending. 

The court ruling, however, could affect the so-called Napa Agreement, an
accord among state and federal governments and water contractors that would
result in greater water exports from the delta to Southern California. 

Conservationists say the agreement was a closed-door deal that illegally
appropriated water from the delta for the benefit of corporate farmers and
south state municipalities. 

The result of such exports, claimed conservationists, would be widespread
environmental degradation through the delta and San Francisco Bay. 

Proponents of the agreement said the deal would merely allow greater
flexibility in water deliveries by coordinating state and federal pumping
schedules. Environmental effects of any increased exports would be minimal,
they say, because pumping generally would occur in the winter, when
freshwater flows in the delta are high. 

Environmentalists hailed the ruling by a panel of judges as a significant
victory. 

Barry Nelson, a senior attorney with the Natural Resources Defense Council,
said the ruling could be a monkey wrench in the implementation of the Napa
Agreement. 

"What the court has made clear is that CalFed must honestly evaluate
reduced delta diversions as an alternative, something they consistently
have refused to do," he said. 

Keith Coolidge, a spokesman for CalFed, said agency lawyers were examining
the decision to determine its significance to current programs. 

Coolidge said it is not clear if the ruling could apply directly to the
Napa Agreement. 

"The decision doesn't address specific projects," he said. "(CalFed
directors) did meet (last week) and agreed unanimously to recommend for a
rehearing in the Court of Appeals, and to petition the state Supreme Court
for review if necessary," he said. 

Tim Quinn, the vice president of state water project resources for the
Metropolitan Water District of Southern California, said the ultimate
impact of the ruling will not be known for some time. 

"Short term, it will probably have no effect," said Quinn. "Long term, who
knows? We use a variety of water sources for our needs, so the impact to us
probably will not be significant, no matter how it turns out." 

The district, which serves about 18 million customers in Southern
California, is a major contractor for state project water. 

Nelson said the lawsuit that engendered the ruling could now serve as a
blueprint for challenges against any state decision involving increased
water exports from the delta. He also said the decision could have some
bearing on federal plans to export water south. 

Environmentalists are currently litigating against the U.S. Bureau of
Reclamation's approval of long-term federal water contracts to Central
Valley farmers. 

Both the state and federal governments pump water from the delta. The
federal Central Valley Project pumps about 7 million acre-feet in average
years, and the state pumps about 6 million acre-feet. An acre-foot of water
is the amount of water necessary to cover 1 acre to a depth of 1 foot. It
comes to about 326,000 gallons, or enough water for about two households
annually. 

But Tupper Hull, a spokesman for the Westlands Water District, a defendant
in the case along with other water districts and CalFed, said the ruling
doesn't affect his district directly. 

At 600,000 acres, Westlands is the biggest agricultural irrigation district
in the country. It has a contract with the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation for
about 1.2 million acre-feet of water annually. 

"We're looking at the decision, but generally speaking, if an environmental
impact statement is found deficient, the remedy is to go back, fix the
deficit and move on," Hull said. "That could be possible in this case." 

E-mail Glen Martin at glenmartin at sfchronicle.com. 

Page B - 8 
URL:
http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/c/a/2005/10/18/BAGN2F9TG71.DTL 

 


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From tstokely at trinityalps.net  Tue Oct 18 11:03:55 2005
From: tstokely at trinityalps.net (tstokely at trinityalps.net)
Date: Tue, 18 Oct 2005 14:03:55 -0400
Subject: [env-trinity] Guest Opinion: Environmental group makes more false
	claims about ag water
Message-ID: <380-220051021818355919@M2W031.mail2web.com>



WESTLANDS WATER DISTRICT ISSUES: 

Guest Opinion: Environmental group makes more false claims about ag 
water 

Bakersfield Californian - 10/18/05 

By Jean Sagouspe, president of Westlands Water District 



As president of Westlands Water District and vice chairman of a cotton 
marketing cooperative in Bakersfield, it is time to speak up about this 
group on behalf of all farmers. The Environmental Working Group, an 
organization with a long history of anti-farming activities, has 
published another so-called "investigation" filled with false statements 
about farm water in California. 

EWG believes farmers in the San Joaquin Valley should receive less water 
and pay much more for it. The net effect of this would be fewer farmers 
growing less food, making California more dependent on foreign-grown 
food. That is an agenda every Californian should be worried about -- not 
only those of us in Fresno and Kern counties who work the land. 

The latest EWG attack takes aim at proposed new contracts for water from 
the federal Central Valley Project. These contracts, which are vitally 
important to farmers, communities and businesses throughout California, 
contain many provisions that are mandated by legislation supported and 
praised by groups like the EWG. 

The most outrageous of the EWG claims is that Westlands will receive 
more water under the proposed contract than it receives currently. For 
the past 40 years, the 600 family farming operations in Westlands have 
been entitled to receive 1.15 million acre-feet of water annually, 
subject to drought and environmental regulations. 

Under the new contract, Westlands will be entitled to receive exactly 
the same amount of water subject still to drought and environmental 
regulations. 

Another EWG falsehood is that because Westlands has not received its 
full CVP entitlement in recent years, it should not receive a full 
allocation in the future. 

Under the existing contract, Westlands farmers leave thousands of acres 
fallowed every year because they do not receive enough water to farm 
them. Even if Westlands received all of its CVP water, there would still 
not be enough to farm all of the lands in the district. 

Finally, the EWG makes the claim that farmers in Westlands waste water. 
Again, the facts tell a far different story. Because water is so 
precious in the district, Westlands' farmers have pioneered innovative 
and effective water conservation practices and technologies. 

Today, they regularly achieve water efficiencies of 85 percent or better 
-- a rating that is the envy of farmers throughout the world. 

The constant attacks from groups like EWG are draining and 
disappointing. Farmers in Westlands have in recent years done many of 
the things the environmental community asked for. We: 

- Grow more crops with less water. 

- Till the soil less and use fewer pesticides. 

- Manage our water so not a drop runs off into any stream or river. 

- Pay more for our water every year. 

The fallacies put forth by the EWG dramatically degrade the credibility 
of the environmental community as a whole. 



Because this organization is so cavalier with the truth, other 
environmental groups should be worried they are doing a disservice to 
environmental advocacy. # 

http://nl.newsbank.com/nl-search/we/Archives?p_action=doc&p_docid=10D527 
62229F3478&p_docnum=4 




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From tstokely at trinityalps.net  Tue Oct 18 14:14:19 2005
From: tstokely at trinityalps.net (tstokely at trinityalps.net)
Date: Tue, 18 Oct 2005 17:14:19 -0400
Subject: [env-trinity] Earthjustice Press Release-Court Ruling Gives Hope to
	Klamath Salmon
Message-ID: <380-2200510218211419281@M2W118.mail2web.com>

    
http://www.earthjustice.org/
 
 Court Ruling Gives Hope to Klamath Salmon 
Judges send government plan back to establish better balance 

October 18th, 2005 

Contact Info:
Kristen Boyles, Earthjustice: 206.343.7340 x33 
Glen Spain, PCFFA: 541.689.2000 
Steve Pedery, ONRC: 503.283.6343 x212 

Print-Friendly Version

San Francisco, CA-- Today the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals rejected the
Bush administration?s water diversion plan for the Klamath River because it
fails to protect threatened Klamath River coho salmon. The court sided with
fishing and conservation groups that have been seeking a more balanced
distribution of water needed to rebuild Klamath River salmon stocks. The
court found the government?s plan illegal because it failed to provide
adequate water flows for coho salmon until eight years into the ten-year
plan. 

The court said, ?Five full generations of coho will complete their
three-year life cycles -- hatch, rear, and spawn -- during those eight
years. Or, if there is insufficient water to sustain the coho during this
period, they will not complete their life cycle, with the consequence that
there will be no coho at the end of the eight years. If that happens, all
the water in the world in 2010 and 2011 will not protect the coho, for
there will be none to protect.? 

Salmon advocates have been pointing to the plan?s inadequacies since it was
released in May 2002. Indeed, as soon as it was implemented and water
diversions to upstream farmers began, juvenile salmon died in the river. A
severe shortage of adult Klamath River salmon this year is traced directly
to the effects of diverting Klamath water to farms. This shortage resulted
in commercial salmon fishermen losing about 50 percent of their normal
fishing season. In 2003, a federal district court struck down the long-term
portion of the plan but ordered no change to current operations. 

?This decision gives hope to the families that depend on Klamath River
salmon,? said Glen Spain of Pacific Coast Federation of Fishermens' 

Associations. ?This case is about restoring balance to the basin so that
fishermen, Native Americans, and irrigators can all receive a fair share of
the water. We will continue to work on a new vision for the basin.? PCFFA
is the west coast?s largest organization of commercial fishing families. 

A coalition of commercial fishermen and conservation groups, joined by the
Yurok and Hoopa Valley Tribes, filed the lawsuit against the National
Marine Fisheries Service and Bureau of Reclamation in September 2002
because the agencies? 10-year plan failed to leave sufficient water in the
river for salmon and relied on future, speculative actions from the states
of California and Oregon to make up for the missing water. Five months
after the plan was adopted, in the fall of 2002, low flows caused by
unbalanced irrigation deliveries killed over 64,000 adult salmon. However
months earlier, during the spring of 2002, juvenile salmon died in the
river from low water conditions. The loss of these juveniles is what led to
the severe commercial salmon fishing restrictions this year on the
California and Oregon coasts. 

Because Klamath River coho are protected as a threatened species under the
Endangered Species Act, the National Marine Fisheries Service must approve
any irrigation plan devised by the Bureau of Reclamation that relies on
taking water from the Klamath River. In May 2002, the Fisheries Service
held that the Bureau?s plan would jeopardize the continued survival of the
Klamath River coho, but failed to require adequate measures to protect the
salmon. 

The court ordered the case back to the district court to put more water in
the river saying, ?We emphasize that the interim injunctive relief should
reflect the short life-cycle of the species. It is not enough to provide
water for the coho to survive in five years, if in the meantime, the
population has been weakened or destroyed by inadequate water flows.? 

?Bush administration officials swept science under the rug, and the court
caught them,? said Earthjustice attorney Kristen Boyles. ?With this
decision, management of the Klamath River must be balanced so salmon and
the communities that depend on them aren?t left high and dry.? 

Inadequate river flows that result when the Bureau of Reclamation diverts
water for irrigation in the high desert hurt salmon in a number of ways.
Newly hatched salmon, called fry, need safe habitat in and around bank
vegetation to hide and feed. Lower river flows force these young fish into
the mainstream of the river where they are easy prey. Juvenile salmon,
called smolts, need adequate river flows and cold clean water in the spring
to safely make the journey to the Pacific Ocean. Adult salmon, returning
upriver to spawn, are hurt or killed by high water temperatures and poor
water quality due to low river flows caused by upstream irrigation
diversions. 

?The Bush administration has worked hard to maintain the status quo in the
Klamath Basin, but the status quo killed 64,000 salmon,? said Steve Pedery
of ONRC. ?Too much water has been promised to too many different interests.
Salmon need water to survive, and so do the commercial fishing and Native
American families whose livelihood depends on healthy salmon runs." 

The Klamath was once the third mightiest salmon-producing river in the
continental US, behind only the Columbia and Sacramento in productivity.
The river has been reduced to a shadow of its former self largely as a
result of the Bureau of Reclamations? re-plumbing of its headwaters to
maximize irrigation in the arid upper basin desert. The long-term answer
could include buying back some of the agriculture land in the Klamath Basin
to reduce water demand. 

The appeal was filed by Earthjustice on behalf of PCFFA, Institute for
Fisheries Resources, The Wilderness Society, WaterWatch of Oregon,
Northcoast Environmental Center, Oregon Natural Resources Council,
Defenders of Wildlife, Klamath Forest Alliance, and Headwaters. In the
district court, these groups were joined by Congressman Mike Thompson
(D-Napa) and the Yurok and Hoopa Valley Tribes; amicus briefs supporting
the plaintiffs were filed by the Cities of Arcata and Eureka, Del Norte,
Humboldt, and Trinity Counties, and the Humboldt Bay, Harbor, Recreation
and Conservation District. 

# # # 


Read the opinion     
   
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 Court Ruling Gives Hope to Klamath Salmon 
Judges send government plan back to establish better balance 

October 18th, 2005 

Contact Info:
Kristen Boyles, Earthjustice: 206.343.7340 x33 
Glen Spain, PCFFA: 541.689.2000 
Steve Pedery, ONRC: 503.283.6343 x212 

Print-Friendly Version

San Francisco, CA-- Today the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals rejected the
Bush administration?s water diversion plan for the Klamath River because it
fails to protect threatened Klamath River coho salmon. The court sided with
fishing and conservation groups that have been seeking a more balanced
distribution of water needed to rebuild Klamath River salmon stocks. The
court found the government?s plan illegal because it failed to provide
adequate water flows for coho salmon until eight years into the ten-year
plan. 

The court said, ?Five full generations of coho will complete their
three-year life cycles -- hatch, rear, and spawn -- during those eight
years. Or, if there is insufficient water to sustain the coho during this
period, they will not complete their life cycle, with the consequence that
there will be no coho at the end of the eight years. If that happens, all
the water in the world in 2010 and 2011 will not protect the coho, for
there will be none to protect.? 

Salmon advocates have been pointing to the plan?s inadequacies since it was
released in May 2002. Indeed, as soon as it was implemented and water
diversions to upstream farmers began, juvenile salmon died in the river. A
severe shortage of adult Klamath River salmon this year is traced directly
to the effects of diverting Klamath water to farms. This shortage resulted
in commercial salmon fishermen losing about 50 percent of their normal
fishing season. In 2003, a federal district court struck down the long-term
portion of the plan but ordered no change to current operations. 

?This decision gives hope to the families that depend on Klamath River
salmon,? said Glen Spain of Pacific Coast Federation of Fishermens' 

Associations. ?This case is about restoring balance to the basin so that
fishermen, Native Americans, and irrigators can all receive a fair share of
the water. We will continue to work on a new vision for the basin.? PCFFA
is the west coast?s largest organization of commercial fishing families. 

A coalition of commercial fishermen and conservation groups, joined by the
Yurok and Hoopa Valley Tribes, filed the lawsuit against the National
Marine Fisheries Service and Bureau of Reclamation in September 2002
because the agencies? 10-year plan failed to leave sufficient water in the
river for salmon and relied on future, speculative actions from the states
of California and Oregon to make up for the missing water. Five months
after the plan was adopted, in the fall of 2002, low flows caused by
unbalanced irrigation deliveries killed over 64,000 adult salmon. However
months earlier, during the spring of 2002, juvenile salmon died in the
river from low water conditions. The loss of these juveniles is what led to
the severe commercial salmon fishing restrictions this year on the
California and Oregon coasts. 

Because Klamath River coho are protected as a threatened species under the
Endangered Species Act, the National Marine Fisheries Service must approve
any irrigation plan devised by the Bureau of Reclamation that relies on
taking water from the Klamath River. In May 2002, the Fisheries Service
held that the Bureau?s plan would jeopardize the continued survival of the
Klamath River coho, but failed to require adequate measures to protect the
salmon. 

The court ordered the case back to the district court to put more water in
the river saying, ?We emphasize that the interim injunctive relief should
reflect the short life-cycle of the species. It is not enough to provide
water for the coho to survive in five years, if in the meantime, the
population has been weakened or destroyed by inadequate water flows.? 

?Bush administration officials swept science under the rug, and the court
caught them,? said Earthjustice attorney Kristen Boyles. ?With this
decision, management of the Klamath River must be balanced so salmon and
the communities that depend on them aren?t left high and dry.? 

Inadequate river flows that result when the Bureau of Reclamation diverts
water for irrigation in the high desert hurt salmon in a number of ways.
Newly hatched salmon, called fry, need safe habitat in and around bank
vegetation to hide and feed. Lower river flows force these young fish into
the mainstream of the river where they are easy prey. Juvenile salmon,
called smolts, need adequate river flows and cold clean water in the spring
to safely make the journey to the Pacific Ocean. Adult salmon, returning
upriver to spawn, are hurt or killed by high water temperatures and poor
water quality due to low river flows caused by upstream irrigation
diversions. 

?The Bush administration has worked hard to maintain the status quo in the
Klamath Basin, but the status quo killed 64,000 salmon,? said Steve Pedery
of ONRC. ?Too much water has been promised to too many different interests.
Salmon need water to survive, and so do the commercial fishing and Native
American families whose livelihood depends on healthy salmon runs." 

The Klamath was once the third mightiest salmon-producing river in the
continental US, behind only the Columbia and Sacramento in productivity.
The river has been reduced to a shadow of its former self largely as a
result of the Bureau of Reclamations? re-plumbing of its headwaters to
maximize irrigation in the arid upper basin desert. The long-term answer
could include buying back some of the agriculture land in the Klamath Basin
to reduce water demand. 

The appeal was filed by Earthjustice on behalf of PCFFA, Institute for
Fisheries Resources, The Wilderness Society, WaterWatch of Oregon,
Northcoast Environmental Center, Oregon Natural Resources Council,
Defenders of Wildlife, Klamath Forest Alliance, and Headwaters. In the
district court, these groups were joined by Congressman Mike Thompson
(D-Napa) and the Yurok and Hoopa Valley Tribes; amicus briefs supporting
the plaintiffs were filed by the Cities of Arcata and Eureka, Del Norte,
Humboldt, and Trinity Counties, and the Humboldt Bay, Harbor, Recreation
and Conservation District. 

# # # 


Read the opinion 

 
http://www.earthjustice.org/news/documents/10-05/Klamath_BiOp_9th_Opinion.pd
f

 


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From bwl3 at comcast.net  Tue Oct 18 17:28:47 2005
From: bwl3 at comcast.net (Byron )
Date: Tue, 18 Oct 2005 17:28:47 -0700
Subject: [env-trinity] NRDC and Gary Mulcahy 
Message-ID: <007501c5d444$1c1e2750$1f9eb545@p4>




Natural Resources Defense Council 

  


The Winnemem Wintu Tribe and Shasta Dam

 

Conclusions 

 


*	The Winnemem Wintu Tribe has been harmed by Shasta Dam and the
Bureau of Reclamation's policies, just as much as the McCloud River and its
salmon.
*	The Department of Interior has not fulfilled its legal commitment to
the Winnemem, including holding cemeteries in trust for the tribe and
providing land and money in compensation for lands lost as a result of the
construction of Shasta Dam.
*	A raise of Shasta Dam, which NRDC considers to be unwise for
environmental and economic reasons, would also flood most of the Winnemem's
remaining sacred sites on the McCloud River.
*	The fact that the tribe is not legally recognized by the federal
government is, to a significant extent, a result of the construction of
Shasta Dam.
*	Federal recognition would give the Winnemem a more formal voice in
the debate regarding Shasta Dam.

 

History and Current Status of the Winnemem Wintu

 

The Winnemem are a band of the Wintu tribe that has lived for millennia on
the McCloud River, a tributary of the Sacramento River in Northern
California.  In their language, "winnemem" means middle river, referring to
the location of the McCloud, one of three major tributaries of the
Sacramento River, including the mainstem of the Sacramento River, the
McCloud and the Pit River.  

 

Pre-contact, there were more than 14,000 Wintu. By 1910 only 400 remained.
On August 16th, 1851, The Cottonwood treaty, between the Wintu and the
United States government, was signed at Reading's Ranch. In exchange for
giving up other land, the treaty committed to establish a 35-square mile
reservation for the Wintu. However, the United States Congress refused to
ratify the treaty and the Wintu were denied the land promised to them. In
1944, the US Court of Claims awarded $17 million to California Indians as a
settlement for losses due to Congress' failure to ratify seventeen treaties
including the Cottonwood Treaty. The Wintu oppose the settlement and refused
to take payment, believing that it was insufficient.  Tribal records show
that the only compensation any Winnemem Wintu tribal member received for
this settlement was one check to Florence Jones for approximately forty
dollars.  In 1893, President Grover Cleveland issued land allotments of up
to 160 acres to Native Americans including the Winnemem Wintu. The
allotments given to the Winnemem consisted of their traditional lands along
the McCloud River. 

 

Today, there are 125 remaining members of the Winnemem.  They continue to
practice traditional religious ceremonies that have been passed down for
generations. Many of these ceremonies are still practiced on their
historical sites, sites that are now threatened by the potential raise of
Shasta Dam. The Winnemem are deeply committed to continuing their
traditional way of life. As a result, they have rejected Indian gaming as
detrimental to their traditional values. 

 

Impacts to the Winnemem of the Construction of Shasta Dam

 

In 1937, a year before construction began on Shasta Dam, the Winnemem's land
allotments were taken by the federal government in order to make way for the
construction of Shasta and its newly formed reservoir.  The Winnemem
received no compensation.  Wintu cemeteries that would have been destroyed
by the construction of Shasta were relocated by the Bureau of Reclamation. 

 

The construction of Shasta Dam in the late 1930's and early 1940's submerged
90 percent of the Winnemem tribe's traditional lands and many of their
cultural and religious sites.  Like the tribes on the Klamath and the
Trinity, the Winnemem culture focused on salmon.  Shasta Dam also eliminated
salmon from the McCloud River and, thus, damaged the Winnemem's culture and
diet.

 

Interior's Legal Responsibilities to the Winnemem  

 

In order to compensate for the losses caused by the construction of Shasta
Dam, the Secretary of the Interior is obligated to take specific actions
established in [Public Law 198] 55 Stat. 612. In 1941, in the midst of the
construction of Shasta Dam, the "CVP Indian Lands Acquisition Act" was
signed into law (55 Stat 612).  

 

This law states that "As lands or interests in lands are designated from
time to time under this Act, the Secretary of the Interior shall determine
the amount of money to be paid to the Indians as just and equitable
compensation therefor." (55 Stat 612 Sec. 2 & 3). The Wintu were never
compensated for the loss of their land.

 

This law further states that, "Sites of the relocated cemeteries shall be
held in trust by the United States for the appropriate tribe, or family."
(55 Stat 612 Sec. 4). The Wintu cemetery which was relocated by the Bureau
of Reclamation is currently held by the Bureau of Land Management, but it is
not being held in trust for the Wintu.  BLM refers to this site as a
historic cemetery, not a cemetery held in trust for any tribe.  Under
federal law, BLM cannot hold land in trust for a tribe.  BIA is the federal
agency that fulfills this role.  

 

In short, Interior's legal and moral obligations were not met.  As a result,
the Winnemem Wintu tribe continues to suffer. Honoring these commitments
would assist them in preserving their culture and gaining federal
recognition.

 

Tribal Recognition Issues  

 

If the Bureau had honored the commitments contained in the CVP Indian Lands
Acquisition Act, it is likely that the Winnemem would be a federally
recognized tribe today.  The Bureau would have provided the tribe with lands
to replace those flooded by the dam, and the Bureau of Indian Affairs would
be holding a cemetery in trust for the tribe.  When the federal government
began the formal recognition process, tribes for which the US Government
held lands in trust were assumed to be eligible for recognition.  Therefore,
one of the many ramifications of the failure to comply with federal law is
that the Winnemem are not a federally recognized tribe.  

 

The Native American Rights Fund first supported the Winnemem's efforts to
achieve federal recognition in 1988.  Since that time, the California
Council of Tribal Governments and the National Congress of American Indians
have also stated their support of the Winnemem. In addition, in 2004 Senator
Ben Nighthorse Campbell introduced S. 2879, the "Winnemem Wintu Tribe
Clarification and Restoration Act." The bill would have established the
Winnemem Wintu as a federally acknowledged tribe and established that the
forty-two and a half acres of land they currently reside on would be taken
into trust by the federal government and deemed the reservation of the
Tribe. 

 

It is significant that S. 2879 included a provision stating that, "The Tribe
shall not have the right to conduct gaming."  The tribe supported the
inclusion of this provision because gaming is not consistent with their
traditional beliefs.  (Ironically, if the tribe were interested in gaming,
it would be easier to secure professional representation to help them obtain
recognition.)

 

The lack of federal recognition leaves the tribe with a limited voice in the
debate regarding the raise of Shasta Dam. 

 

The Proposed Raise of Shasta Dam

 

The Bureau of Reclamation is now studying a proposed raise of Shasta Dam.
If the dam is raised it would effectively destroy all of the remaining
religious and cultural sites along the McCloud River of the Winnemem Wintu,
as well as remaining traditional homelands. Given the Winnemem's attachment
to their traditional lands, raising Shasta Dam could effectively destroy
their way of life and culture. 

 

Some of the Winnemem's sacred sites are protected under state law by CA PRC
5097.993-5097.994.  However, given that many of their remaining sacred sites
are on federal land, the applicability of state law to these sites is
unclear.  

 

The National Historic Preservation Act (NHPA) requires federal agencies to
consult with Native Americans regarding projects that could affect sacred
sites. The Bureau has, to date, failed to consult with the Winnemem under
the NHPA. The Bureau claims that they do not yet have an "undertaking,"
which would trigger the NHPA. Given that the Bureau is preparing a
feasibility study to raise Shasta, this certainly seems questionable. It
would be inappropriate, and likely a violation of the NHPA, for the Bureau
to conclude that a Shasta raise is feasible without first complying with the
NHPA requirement for early consultation with tribes and other interested
parties. The Bureau's position suggests that they may resist consultations
under the NHPA until they are well down the road towards a commitment to
raise Shasta. 

 

October 13, 2005

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Byron Leydecker, 

Chair, Friends of Trinity River

Consultant, California Trout, Inc.

PO Box 2327

Mill Valley, CA 94942-2327

415 383 4810 ph

415 383 9562 fx

bwl3 at comcast.net

bleydecker at stanfordalumni.org (secondary)

http://www.fotr.org

http://caltrout.org

 

 

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From bwl3 at comcast.net  Thu Oct 20 15:05:51 2005
From: bwl3 at comcast.net (Byron )
Date: Thu, 20 Oct 2005 15:05:51 -0700
Subject: [env-trinity] Joint Senate Assembly Committee Hearing State
	Legislature
Message-ID: <001701c5d5c2$a3fa78c0$1f9eb545@p4>

Salmon hanging in the balance

Eureka Times-Standard - 10/20/05

By John Driscoll, staff writer

 

ARCATA -- Some fish advocates fretted over lost funds for salmon restoration
before a joint legislative committee Wednesday, while others voiced concern
over the state's precarious water scenario. 

 

The 33rd annual Joint Committee on Fisheries and Aquaculture -- several
members shy due to a lack of travel funds -- met at Humboldt State
University to consider what lawmakers might do to continue the state's
long-standing support for fisheries. 

 

Several recent developments were aired, including the governor's veto of
restoration money, Dungeness crab provisions and an appeals court ruling on
the Klamath River. 

 

State Sen. Wesley Chesbro said Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's veto of a bill
that would have directed state oil revenues to salmon recovery bucks a
historical trend. It also ignored the broad support -- from timber, fishing
and water interests -- the bill enjoyed, the Arcata Democrat said. 

 

"We simply can't accept that," Chesbro said. 

 

Humboldt State University professor Walt Duffy said the loss of the bill
will weaken the California Department of Fish and Game's restoration
program, which contributes millions to the local economy and supports
hundreds of jobs. 

 

Tom Weseloh of California Trout said that Fish and Game needs to work more
closely with its constituents, who can help get in front of issues instead
of reacting to crises. 

 

"We are your advocates," Weseloh said. "We are the people who want to help."


 

Chesbro said he will be working with the Legislature to draft a bond measure
that could fill in the gap -- but said it would be no substitute for the
tidelands oil money. 

 

That bond could also help restore funding to the California Conservation
Corps, Chesbro said which is key to many restoration projects around the
state but was drastically cut in 2003. 

 

CCC Fortuna Center Director Larry Hand -- who has been "working in fish
restoration since Moby Dick was a guppy" -- said he believes the program
needs to expand the environmental agenda into cities and into grade schools.


 

Crab fishermen pleaded with Chesbro and Assemblywoman Patty Berg, D-Eureka,
for emergency legislation to extend a boat limit in the state's Dungeness
crab fishery. The limit was vetoed along with a limit on crab pots for boats
in the San Francisco area. 

 

Trinity County Senior Planner Tom Stokely raised serious concerns about
plans to increase water exports from the Sacramento River delta. He said the
state and federal CalFed plan ignores how Trinity River restoration will cut
water pumped from the Trinity to the Sacramento. 

 

He said CalFed would draw down reservoirs to allow more water storage for
eventual delivery to farms and cities, a risky plan that would endanger
salmon in the Trinity, Klamath and Sacramento rivers in the event of a
multi-year drought. 

 

A recent 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals decision determined that an
environmental analysis of CalFed's plan was invalid because it didn't
consider alternatives to export less water from the delta. Stokely said as
much as 2 million acre feet of water might be freed up by retiring farmland
in the San Joaquin Valley with poor drainage and salt, selenium and boron
tainted soils.

 

"It defies science," Stokely said of the plan. "The science tells us we
shouldn't be putting more water on these areas."

 

 

Byron Leydecker, 

Chair, Friends of Trinity River

Consultant, California Trout, Inc.

PO Box 2327

Mill Valley, CA 94942-2327

415 383 4810 ph

415 383 9562 fx

bwl3 at comcast.net

bleydecker at stanfordalumni.org (secondary)

http://www.fotr.org

http://caltrout.org

 

 

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From danielbacher at hotmail.com  Thu Oct 20 16:22:10 2005
From: danielbacher at hotmail.com (Daniel Bacher)
Date: Thu, 20 Oct 2005 16:22:10 -0700
Subject: [env-trinity] Ultra-Urgent Alert: Valley Ag Moves to Destroy
	Central Valley Fish!
Message-ID: <BAY16-F555D6DA010646DC4A0B1EDB730@phx.gbl>

Hello Folks!

Please take a few minutes to send a letter to Senators Boxer and Feinstein 
to stop the Nunes bill to destroy the Central Valley Project Improvement 
Act!

Thanks
Dan Bacher


CSPA Action Alert

Valley Ag Moves to Destroy the Central Valley Project Improvement Act

Sensing the political climate is right for a major attack on our fisheries 
that would make more water available to farmers, California Congressman 
Devin Nunes (R - Tulare) has introduced HR 3691 to destroy the Central 
Valley Project Improvement Act and prevent a federal court from implementing 
their historic decision that San Joaquin River and its fisheries must be 
restored.

His bill, called the ?Central Valley Project Reform Act 0f 2005" includes a 
host of horrendous amendments to the CVPIA. HR 3691 would rescind the 
Congressional mandate that required the Central Valley Project (CVP) to 
mitigate for the damages it caused to the salmon, striped bass, steelhead, 
American shad and sturgeon fisheries of the Bay-Delta estuary and its 
tributary rivers.

When the Bureau of Reclamation (BOR) constructed the CVP, they built a 
number of dams including Shasta (Sacramento River), Folsom (American River), 
and Friant (San Joaquin River) and proceeded to operate the largest water 
project in the nation with little regard for the impact it would have on 
California?s once world class fisheries and the economic benefits they 
generate. After many Central Valley runs declined 80 to 99 percent, Congress 
passed the CVPIA in 1992 with a mandate to double anadromous fishery 
populations so damaged by the CVP and to dedicate 800,000 acre feet of water 
to that task. The legislation also outlined actions Congress would help fund 
to correct numerous physical problems caused by the project.

HR 3691 would roll back this act while forgiving the BOR for failing to 
double the fishery populations mandated under the CVPIA. It would also 
prevent the federal court decision that the San Joaquin River must be 
restored by providing a Congressional override of existing state and federal 
laws.

Here?s a summary of some of the most arrogant and egregious elements of this 
legislation, it:

???requires the CVP replace the 800,000 acre feet of project water dedicated 
to the fish and give that water to farmers. This will mean more dams at the 
public?s expense to benefit the private sector. Lacking user pay provisions, 
this is pure pork and an insult to the public!

???eliminates striped bass, sturgeon and American shad from the anadromous 
fish originally included in the CVPIA. These public resources have been 
significantly damaged by the impacts associated with the Central Valley 
Project. Removing them is one way to for the project to get off the hook for 
40 years of fishery destruction caused to these public fishery resources.

???replaces the mitigation requirement to double anadromous fisheries with 
just making an effort to resolve fishery impacts, regardless of the results. 
Mitigation should only be considered effective when it replaces what has 
been lost.

???requires the dedicated 800,000 af of water to be put to use by 
contractors after it has been used to meet fish obligations. This rescinds 
provision of the CVPIA to use this water to help restore the habitat of the 
estuary, making the goal of restoring the estuary unachievable. It also 
ignores the connection between fish populations and a healthy estuary. Given 
the current ecosystem crash, fish populations won?t recover as required 
under the CVPIA.

???sanctions the destruction of the San Joaquin River by establishing 
Congressional intent to not release flows from Friant Dam in order to 
provide for river flows below the dam.

Given the crisis currently faced by a collapsing estuary and the past 
failure of the BOR to achieve the fish doubling goals as required by the 
original act, it is safe to assume that if this bill passes with anything 
like its current content, we can kiss the estuary and restoring its 
fisheries good bye!

Taking Meaningful Action

Since democracy is not a spectator spot, you will need to take action or we 
could lose what is left of our Central Valley fisheries and most certainly 
the chance to restore them. If you choose to be silent on this matter it 
will be construed as part of the silent majorities support for the bill! For 
now, here?s what recommended:

If you have access to the internet, you can find and contract your 
Congressional representative by email. Go to the website? 
http://www.house.gov/writerep/ and let them know you want this bill stopped 
dead in its tracks! You can also go to 
http://www.house.gov/house/MemberWWW.shtml to find contract information for 
other members. Let those you can know just how bad this bill is (see the 
sample letter below).

Congressman Pombo (202-225-1947) chairs the House Resources Committee. The 
bill will be heard by his committee. Go to http://pombo.house.gov/ to 
contract him. This page will send you to his direct email page. You should 
also email him at the House Resources Committee: 
resources.committee at mail.house.gov. He has district offices in San Ramon 
(925-866-7040) and Stockton (209-951-3091) so anglers who live in his 
district (11th) should put some heat on! Pombo could stop this bill!

If you know of people who live in Nune?s district that covers Tulare County 
including Visalia and Clovis urge them to let him know this bill is a 
disaster. Go to http://www.house.gov/writerep/ and let him know you want him 
to drop this bill!

Contact Senators Feinstein and Boxer and let them know that this bill may 
pass the House. If it does, ask them to kill it in the Senate.

Email Senator Feinstein at: feinstein.senate.gov/email.html, or write:
Senator Dianne Feinstein
331 Hart Senate Office Senate Building
Washington DC 20510? (most, if not all, Congressional mail is rerouted to be 
cleaned of bio-hazards and it takes a week or more to be delivered). Calling 
works faster! 209-224-3841

Senator Boxer?s email: boxer.senate.gove/contact
Senator Barbara Boxer?s
112 Hart Senate Office Senate Building.
Washington DC 20510
202-224-3553

Here is a sample letter you can edit for your use. (If you don?t have 
computer access, call your local library to get mailing information for your 
representatives and those above I?ve urged you to contact!)

Date

Address

Dear _________

?
As an angler and citizen of California I am outraged over HR 3691 (Nunes)! 
This is absolutely terrible legislation. It destroys the Central Valley 
Project Improvement Act (Public Law 102-575) passed by Congress in 1992 in 
order to let the Bureau of Reclamation and Central Valley Project 
contractors off the hook for the major role they played in destroying the 
public fishery resources of the Bay-Delta estuary and its tributaries.

In addition, it takes water dedicated to the estuary and gives it to the 
agribusiness sector, establishing a horrible precedent and terrible federal 
water policy that would allow the project to continue to destroy the once 
world class fisheries of the Central Valley and the ecology of one of the 
greatest estuaries in the World. In so doing this would perpetuate the $4 
billion loss to the state?s economy, a result of Central Valley fishery 
declines and impact to the state?s sport and commercial fishing industries 
caused in large part by the CVP!

Given the collapse of the Bay-Delta estuary as documented by the 
government?s own scientists, it is absolutely morally bankrupt for 
Congressman Nunes to launch a missile aimed at destroying the ecological and 
fishery benefits Congress promised the people of this state when they passed 
the CVPIA to help restore our fisheries and the estuary!

I ardently request that you do everything you can to STOP THIS BILL that 
preempts our state?s right to manage our natural resources for our benefit 
and that of future generations.

Sincerely,

?

Your Name and Return Address

?

Questions? Contact me!

?

John Beuttler
Conservation Director
JBeuttler at aol,com
510-526-4049

CSPA is a non-profit - public benefit organization dedicated to restoring 
fisheries and their habitat. We engage in variety of aquatic ecological 
issues to ensure our fisheries have habitat they need to become self 
sustaining and stay that way. You can support our conservation efforts by 
becoming a member.? Donations are tax-deductible, greatly needed and most 
appreciated. Send checks to CSPA at1360 Neilson Street, Berkeley, CA 
94702-1116. Membership starts a $25. If you are a member, then you know of 
the good work we do, so sign up a friend and help us restore our fisheries! 
Questions? Call me at 510-526-4049.




From bwl3 at comcast.net  Fri Oct 21 11:37:27 2005
From: bwl3 at comcast.net (Byron )
Date: Fri, 21 Oct 2005 11:37:27 -0700
Subject: [env-trinity] Bureau Press Release - Raise Shasta Dam Scoping
	Meetings
Message-ID: <001d01c5d66e$928b5a80$1f9eb545@p4>


Particularly see next to last paragraph.


Byron


Public Scoping Meetings Scheduled on the Shasta Lake Water Resources Investigation


The Bureau of Reclamation is conducting the Shasta Lake Water Resources Investigation (SLWRI).  The feasibility study and subsequent report for the SLWRI will include an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) consistent with requirements of the National Environmental Policy Act.  A Notice of Intent (NOI) to prepare the EIS was published in the Federal Register on Friday, October 7, 2005.  A new meeting location in Redding, California, has been added, and a revised NOI is anticipated to be posted in the Federal Register on Monday, October 24, 2005.

 Seven public scoping meetings are being held to solicit public input on topics to be addressed in the integrated SLWRI planning report and EIS, including resources to be evaluated, alternatives to be considered, and significant concerns and issues.  The meetings will be held as open houses, allowing participants the opportunity to drop by anytime during the scheduled times and interact directly with the SLWRI study team.  The meetings are scheduled as follows:
    ?     Sacramento - Monday, October 24, 2005, anytime between 10 a.m. and 1 p.m., Reclamation Mid-Pacific Regional Office, 2800 Cottage Way, Cafeteria Conference Rooms, C-1001 and C-1002
    ?     Concord - Monday, October 24, 2005, 6 to 9 p.m., Heald Conference Center, 5130 Commercial Circle, Room 3
    ?     Los Angeles - Wednesday, October 26, 2005, 1 to 4 p.m., Metropolitan Water District of Southern California, 700 North Alameda Street, Room 1-102
    ?     Fresno - Tuesday, November 1, 2005, 6 to 9 p.m., Piccadilly Inn, 2305 West Shaw Avenue
    ?     Dunsmuir - Wednesday, November 2, 2005, 6 to 9 p.m., Dunsmuir Community Building, 4835 Dunsmuir Avenue
    ?     Redding - Thursday, November 3, 2005, *12 to 3 p.m., Redding Veterans Hall, 1605 Yuba Street (*new time)
    ?     Red Bluff - Thursday, November 3, 2005, 6 to 9 p.m., Red Bluff Community Center, 1500 South Jackson

The SLWRI is being conducted to develop an implementable plan principally involving the enlargement of Shasta Dam and reservoir to address two primary objectives:  (1) to increase the survival of anadromous fish populations in the upper Sacramento River, and (2) to increase water supply reliability for agricultural, municipal and industrial, and environmental purposes.  The SLWRI will also, to the extent possible through meeting these primary objectives, include features to benefit other identified ecosystem, flood control, and related water resources needs.


 Written comments on the scope of the environmental document are due by close of business on Friday, November 18, 2005, and should be sent to Mr. Louis Moore, Bureau of Reclamation, 2800 Cottage Way, Sacramento, CA 95825.  For additional information, please contact Mr. Moore at 916-978-5106, TDD 916-978-5608, or e-mail wmoore at mp.usbr.gov.   Additional information can also be obtained by contacting Ms. Donna Garcia, SLWRI Project Manager, at 916-978-5009, e-mail dgarcia at mp.usbr.gov, or by visiting the SLWRI Web site at http://www.usbr.gov/mp/slwri.

 

Byron Leydecker, 

Chair, Friends of Trinity River

Consultant, California Trout, Inc.

PO Box 2327

Mill Valley, CA 94942-2327

415 383 4810 ph

415 383 9562 fx

bwl3 at comcast.net

bleydecker at stanfordalumni.org (secondary)

http://www.fotr.org

http://caltrout.org

 

 

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From tstokely at trinityalps.net  Fri Oct 21 15:35:21 2005
From: tstokely at trinityalps.net (tstokely at trinityalps.net)
Date: Fri, 21 Oct 2005 18:35:21 -0400
Subject: [env-trinity] Siskiyou Daily News -Environmentalists claim victory
	in Klamath River water ruling
Message-ID: <380-2200510521223521854@M2W093.mail2web.com>

 http://www.siskiyoudaily.com/articles/2005/10/20/news/news2.txt 

Environmentalists claim victory in Klamath River water ruling

SAN FRANCISCO - Environmentalists are claiming a victory for their position
following the Oct. 18 Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals ruling that rejects
the Bush administration's water diversion plan for the Klamath River
because ?it fails to protect threatened Klamath River coho salmon.?

?The ruling is hailed by Klamath River tribes and surrounding communities
dependent on a healthy fishery,? said Howard McConnell, chairman of the
Yurok Tribe. ?This is an example of how the ESA serves as the last line of
defense to protect working families and tribal culture.?

The essence of the court's ruling is that more water needs to flow down the
Klamath River in order to protect the coho salmon, declared a threatened
species in 1997. The court rejected the Bureau of Reclamation's plan to
share the water with irrigators while maintaining what it considered
adequate water for the fish.

The Ninth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco ruled that the
Bureau of Reclamation's irrigation plan from 2002 to 2010 provides the coho
with only 57 percent of the water it needs and fails to explain how the
species will survive. The bureau controls water flows on the Klamath from
its dams and reservoirs.

?The agency essentially asks that we take its word that the species will be
protected if its plans are followed,? said Judge Dorothy Nelson in the 3-0
ruling. The court told a federal judge in Oakland to order the government
to take immediate steps to preserve the coho.

The Bush administration, joined by Klamath Basin farmers who depend on
irrigation water, argued to the court that the eight-year water plan was
the best estimate of the coho's survival needs in the face of conflicting
scientific reports. The plan proposed an increase in flows in 2010-11.

In spite of strong runs of coho salmon returning to the Iron Gate Hatchery
on the Klamath River, the court said the coho, which has a three-year life
cycle, might be extinct by the time the flows picked up.

Environmentalists make a genetic distinction between hatchery and stream
hatched salmon, a distinction the court accepts in its claim that the coho
salmon are near extinction. Other biologists question that claim, pointing
out that the distinction is minute and the coho population, inclusive of
the hatchery fish, is robust.

?It is pathetic we have judges making decisions based on unsubstantiated
studies,? said Deb Crisp, Executive Director of the Tulelake Growers
Association. ?Either they are misinformed or some people have a
preconceived idea of what the conditions are in the Klamath River.?

Crisp said the decision is disappointing but she believes it will be
appealed. She believes the lawsuit is an attack on agriculture from people
who would like to remove all of it from the Klamath Basin.

?We have followed all the requirements,? she said. ?If what we are doing is
so bad, why has there not been another fish die off. I am highly suspicious
of the one in 2002.?

The court used a government report for its decision that identified a
Bureau of Reclamation-directed low water flows as a prime reason for a
major salmon kill on the Klamath in 2002, a situation that reportedly
decimated commercial stocks of chinook salmon in addition to the coho. To
protect the endangered fish, which mingle with other species when they
reach the Pacific, the government has severely restricted commercial ocean
fishing this year as far south as Monterey.

Klamath River irrigators, however, have also contested this argument,
claiming that the lack of water flow from the Trinity River, which merges
with the Klamath River before reaching the ocean, is a contributing factor
to the 2002 incident. Water is diverted from the Trinity River to feed the
canal to the Bay Area.

?Our interest is in getting fish back to the Klamath River because we
depend on it for our livelihood,? said Glen Spain, northwest regional
director of the Pacific Coast Federation of Fishermen's Associations, a
plaintiff in the case. He said the ruling should lead to a ?better and more
balanced water plan.?

?It's always been irrigators first,'' said Earthjustice attorney Kristen
Boyles, who represented environmental and fishing organizations challenging
the Bush administration's plan. ?Fishing communities and tribal communities
dependent on these fish ... have been ignored.?

Increased flows for fish probably would come at the expense of irrigation
water for farmers. Pacific Legal Foundation lawyer Robin Rivett,
representing the Klamath Water Users Association and the Tulelake
Irrigation District, said the court appears to have misunderstood the case.

?All the water that's necessary for survival of the species will be
provided in the Bureau of Reclamation's current plan,? he said.

Rivett said he was confident that the government could provide a better
explanation of its plan to U.S. District Judge Saundra Brown Armstrong in
Oakland and avoid a court ordered increase in water supplies.

Klamath Basin irrigators say there is plenty of water for both them and the
fish and wish to avoid a complete cut-off of irrigation that happened
several years ago, a situation that decimated agriculture in Northern
California and Southern Oregon causing many third generation farmers to
lose their land.

A coalition of commercial fishermen and conservation groups, joined by the
Yurok and Hoopa Valley Tribes, filed the lawsuit against the National
Marine Fisheries Service and Bureau of Reclamation in September 2002,
claiming that the agency's 10-year plan ?failed to leave sufficient water
in the river for salmon and relied on future, speculative actions from the
states of California and Oregon to make up for the missing water.?

The lawsuit claims that in the fall of 2002, five months after the plan was
adopted, low flows in the Klamath River caused by unbalanced irrigation
deliveries killed nearly 70,000 adult salmon. Months earlier, during the
spring of 2002, the lawsuit claims that juvenile salmon died in the river
from low water conditions. The plaintiffs claim that the loss of these
juveniles is what led to the severe commercial salmon fishing restrictions
this year on the California and Oregon coasts.

?This decision gives hope to the families that depend on Klamath River
salmon,? said Glen Spain of Pacific Coast Federation of Fishermen's
Associations. ?This case is about restoring balance to the basin so that
fishermen, Native Americans, and irrigators can all receive a fair share of
the water. We will continue to work on a new vision for the basin.? PCFFA
is the west coast's largest organization of commercial fishing families.

The environmentalist's concept of fair share is contested by the irrigators
who claim that the 2002 plan is a fair share. The irrigators also believe
that the science used by these special interest groups is skewed and their
real agenda is to pressure for the removal of the hydroelectric dams on the
Klamath River.

The dam removal concept, in fact, was mentioned in the Yurok Tribe press
release announcing its successful lawsuit decision by the Ninth Circuit
Court of Appeals.

The Yurok Tribe press release stated: ?The Klamath was once the third
mightiest salmon-producing river in the continental US, behind only the
Columbia and Sacramento in productivity. The river has been reduced to a
shadow of its former self largely as a result of the Bureau of
Reclamation's re-plumbing of its headwaters to maximize irrigation in the
arid upper basin desert along with hydroelectric development. The long-term
answer may include buying back some of the agricultural land in the Klamath
Basin to reduce water demand, as well as decommissioning all or part of the
hydroelectric project owned by Portland based PacifiCorp.?

Some speculate that the recent attention relating to blue-green algae, an
issue driven by environmental and tribal interests, also relates to an
agenda promoting the removal of the dams, which are up for relicensing.

Salmon hatcheries were built on the Klamath River mitigating the impact of
the dams when they were constructed. For decades these effectively provided
for the fishing industry and water for the irrigators, who point out that
water flows are regulated and have not changed and say that not all the
factors relating to claimed declining fish populations are being considered.

The appeal was filed by Earthjustice on behalf of PCFFA, Institute for
Fisheries Resources, The Wilderness Society, WaterWatch of Oregon,
Northcoast Environmental Center, Oregon Natural Resources Council,
Defenders of Wildlife, Klamath Forest Alliance, and Headwaters. In the
district court, these groups were joined by Congressman Mike Thompson
(D-Napa) and the Yurok and Hoopa Valley Tribes; amicus briefs supporting
the plaintiffs were filed by the Cities of Arcata and Eureka, Del Norte,
Humboldt, and Trinity Counties, and the Humboldt Bay, Harbor, Recreation
and Conservation District.

Note: AP contributed to this report from an article written by Bob Egelko
with the San Francisco Chronicle.



----------------------------------------------------------------------------
----

Updated: Thursday, October 20, 2005 1:36 PM PDT
 


--------------------------------------------------------------------
mail2web - Check your email from the web at
http://mail2web.com/ .





From truman at jeffnet.org  Sun Oct 23 09:19:12 2005
From: truman at jeffnet.org (Patrick Truman)
Date: Sun, 23 Oct 2005 09:19:12 -0700
Subject: [env-trinity] CA Water Wars - Glen Martin
Message-ID: <001001c5d7ed$88033620$e25df604@HAL>




--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

THE CALIFORNIA WATER WARS 
WATER FLOWING TO FARMS, NOT FISH 
Environmentalists lose leverage as agribusiness locks in cheap, plentiful supplies -- for decades
Glen Martin, Chronicle Environment Writer

Sunday, October 23, 2005

          
        a.. Printable Version 
        b.. Email This Article 
     
     


After 50 years of legal infighting, a victor has emerged in California's water wars -- agriculture. 

A decade after environmentalists prevailed in getting more fresh water down the north state's rivers and estuaries to improve fisheries and wildlife habitat, farmers are again triumphant. Central Valley irrigation districts are signing federal contracts that assure their farms ample water for the next 25 to 50 years. 

The Bush administration is driving the trend, reversing Clinton-era policies that eased agriculture's grip on the state's reservoirs and aqueducts. 

But the Central Valley's largest irrigation districts have also extended their influence by mending alliances with the south state's big urban water districts, repairing a rupture that environmentalists had exploited. 

The ramifications of these developments are evident in strikingly different places hundreds of miles apart. 

In the western San Joaquin Valley, a desert is blooming with cotton and produce, all sustained with water from California's northern rivers. 

But in the places where this water once flowed -- the delta of the Sacramento and San Joaquin rivers, the Trinity River in the far north state -- fisheries have declined drastically. That's a direct result, biologists say, of water diversions to the south. 

First among the winners of the water wars is the Westlands Water District southeast of Fresno -- the nation's largest irrigation district. 

Pancake flat, this 600,000 acres of arid alkali dirt is one of California's most desolate regions. 

Yet Westlands is growing riotously: not in homes or shopping malls, but in melons, tomatoes, almonds, cotton and myriad other crops. Its fields produced about $1 billion in food and fiber last year. 

Depending on who's doing the counting -- agricultural partnerships are difficult to untangle -- Westlands has between 200 and 2,500 farmers. Though few in number, they command tremendous influence in the local, state and federal spheres. 

"Westlands is politically more powerful than the counties that incorporate it," said Barry Nelson, a senior attorney with the Natural Resources Defense Council, an environmental advocacy group that specializes in litigation. 

Westlands gets its water from the federal Central Valley Project, which supplies water to a third of California's cropland and about 50 cities, including Sacramento, San Jose and several in the East Bay and on the Peninsula. 

The district's annual allotment of about 1.15 million acre feet -- enough to supply about 2.3 million families -- dwarfs those of all other project participants. The next biggest, the Contra Costa Water District's, is only 185,000 acre feet. 

An acre foot is the amount of water that covers an acre a foot deep. 

Now, Westlands and other districts are successfully renewing their long-term contracts at current levels and at prices far below those paid by the state's growing cities, despite protests that pumping large volumes of water south is killing Northern California's fisheries. 

Westlands is singled out for particular criticism because of its size and the amount of water it receives, but also because the irrigation of its fields produces toxic drain water, threatening state waterways. Some critics say much of its acreage should be taken out of production. 

So far, about 200 contracts have been approved, and 80 more are pending, including Westlands'. About 6 million acre feet of annual water deliveries is at stake. 

Farmers who get federal water are generally charged a fraction of the free-market rate. 

Westlands, for example, pays as little as $31 an acre foot for its federal water, while the Marin Municipal Water District pays about $500 an acre foot for water from the Russian River, and Southern California cities pay $200 an acre foot and up for state project water. 

Westlands' current water contract with the Bureau of Reclamation, the federal agency that operates the Central Valley Project, runs to 2008. 

Barring unforeseen difficulties, agency officials said, approval of the new contract is expected by mid-February. It will run for 25 years, with an option for a 25-year renewal. 

Opponents say the contract does not acknowledge an extreme environmental downside. They say Westlands will actually receive significantly more water than before, at the expense of Northern California's rivers. 

Because of legislation implemented during the Clinton administration, Westlands annually received only a percentage of its quota, depending on the availability of water after meeting water quality standards for San Francisco Bay and the delta, said Bill Walker, California director of the Environmental Working Group, an advocacy organization critical of agricultural subsidies. 

Now, he said, the intention of the new contract appears to be the full delivery of the quota. 

In large degree, Westlands' policies directly reflect the personality of its dynamic general manager, Tom Birmingham. 

Birmingham is unapologetic in his defense of the interests of his constituents. In particular, he takes deep umbrage at the "demonization" of his district by environmentalists. 

"They've become very adept at employing certain words to convey negative images of us," Birmingham said during a recent tour of the district. "Words like 'large' and 'corporate.' Even our name, Westlands, has somehow been twisted to convey evil. But those images are totally at odds with reality." 

Westlands farmers, Birmingham said, have invested heavily in technology to maximize water conservation and minimize environmental impacts. He cited several examples: 

-- Computers meticulously control water and fertilizer output through drip irrigation lines for thousands of acres. 

-- Satellite images of fields are regularly consulted to precisely determine problem areas, resulting in the spot application of pesticides rather than landscape-scale spraying. 

-- Irrigation drain water is collected in tiles and recycled to the fields. 

If Birmingham is Goliath, his David counterpart is Tom Stokley, a natural resources planner for Trinity County, 300 miles to the north. Stokley has long claimed that Westlands' water demands threaten the once-mighty, now-struggling salmon runs of the Klamath and Trinity rivers. 

Trinity River advocates recently won a court battle against Central Valley irrigators, resulting in more water releases down the river to benefit fish. But Stokley questions whether that is enough, given that most of the river's water still winds up irrigating cropland. 

Federal water from the Trinity and Sacramento rivers flows to the delta, where it is pumped south. 

Birmingham said his district uses no Trinity water, noting that Westlands water is pumped from the delta to San Luis Reservoir in the winter, when the primary flow is from the Sacramento River. That water is held in the reservoir until Westlands irrigators need it later in the year. 

But Stokley said the Central Valley Project must be considered as a whole, with all water held in a theoretical common pot. 

And by Westlands taking more water from the delta's communal water pot, Stokley said, less is available for the fisheries of the Sacramento River and its delta, the Trinity River and -- indirectly, because the Trinity is a tributary -- the Klamath River. 

"The Trinity River is more than an important salmon stream in its own right," Stokley said. "It's the cold water supply for the Klamath and the Sacramento. Without cold water, salmon die. And it's the essential clean water supply for the delta. By locking up 1.2 million acre feet of CVP water a year, Westlands diminishes the availability of Trinity water in general." 

The triumph of Big Agriculture is especially bitter to conservationists because it follows more than a decade of federal legislative moves designed to divide the state's available water in an equitable fashion among farmers, cities and the environment. 

A key landmark was the 1992 federal Central Valley Project Improvement Act, designed to end the litigation that had characterized California's water politics for decades. 

The act empowered a joint state and federal agency, CalFed, to embark on an ambitious program of environmental restoration in the Central Valley, the delta and San Francisco Bay. It also provided for a significant amount of fresh water to revitalize the beleaguered delta and bay. About 800,000 acre feet of water were earmarked for the delta. 

But under the Bush administration, this era of cooperation stuttered, then reversed. 

In 2003, CalFed brokered a deal with state and federal project managers and water contractors known as the Napa agreement, providing for greater water exports from the delta, where both the state and federal pumps are located. 

Westlands would benefit significantly from the Napa accord in that the agreement would assure stable, large-scale water deliveries to the huge district. 

But environmentalists sued to stop the operations plan, claiming the agreement undermines the essential intent of the Central Valley Project Improvement Act: Increased freshwater flows through the delta and bay. 

Tupper Hull, a spokesman for Westlands, said the district's analysis of the Napa agreement's operations plan indicates it will not degrade environmental protections. 

"This plan will allow the pumps to shut down when there is a threat to the fish and run high when there is no jeopardy," Hull said. 

This month, a state appeals court ruled that CalFed's environmental documentation on its current programs is inadequate, because the agency didn't fully consider reducing water exports to Southern California. 

A few years ago, Westlands was alienated from the state's urban water districts. At that time, it was unclear where the water would come from for environmental restoration, and municipal water districts and environmentalists had established tentative alliances against large Central Valley irrigators. 

Today, the situation is reversed. 

"A couple of years ago, I was at loggerheads with Westlands," said Tim Quinn, the vice president for state water project resources for the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California. The district serves 18 million customers and consumes about 1.9 million acre feet of water annually, most of it from the state water project. 

Quinn said Westlands was known for playing hardball in the not-so-distant past -- litigating any government agency decision it didn't like, claiming water held by other districts. 

"But in recent years, there have been profound changes at Westlands," Quinn said. "They've moved to the center." 

Birmingham, he said, "is showing real skill at pounding out centrist solutions." 

Westlands critics say the Metropolitan Water District's turnaround can be explained by expedience. The district, they say, is buying water on the open market from agricultural districts; the water interests of big farms and big cities are thus congruent as never before. 

"The recent trend of ever-increasing water exports south of the delta is basically benefiting huge water districts, both agricultural and urban," said Hal Candee, a senior attorney for the Natural Resources Defense Council. 

Battered though they may be, environmentalists have not given up the fight. The defense council and its allies are expected to sue to block the new Westlands contract if, as expected, it is approved. 

Opponents to the contract were heartened by a recent decision issued by U.S. District Judge Lawrence Karlton declaring water contract renewals for eastern San Joaquin Valley farmers illegal because of possible violations of the Endangered Species Act. 

East valley farmers get water from Friant Dam on the San Joaquin River. After the dam went up in the 1940s, the San Joaquin essentially dried up, and its once-robust salmon runs disappeared. 

"The Friant contracts set a precedent for all other contracts, including Westlands," said Candee, who filed the suit for the Natural Resources Defense Council. 

If Birmingham is worried about the upcoming contract, he doesn't show it. Touring his district, surveying its lush crops, he projects nothing but confidence. 

"When I took over as manager in 2000, we were getting about 50 percent of our allotment from the CVP," he said. "Now we're getting about 75 percent in most years, and this year we received 90 percent. 

"Our relationships with the agencies are improving, and our water supplies are improving. We're doing what we've always done -- putting our water to reasonable and beneficial use as required by our federal contracts, and producing crops of incredibly high value." 



--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Westlands Water District 
Size: 600,000 acres. 

Number of farms: 600. 

Number of working farmers: 200 to 2,500, depending on sources. Environmentalists claim lower numbers; Westlands staffers stand by the higher figures. 

Crops: Westlands produces more than 60 food and fiber crops, including almonds, pistachios, cotton, melons, lettuce and alfalfa. It is also an important dairy region. 

Annual gross revenues: About $1 billion. 

Amount of water used: Westlands has a contract with the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation for 1.2 million acre feet of water annually. It buys extra water - less than 100,000 acre feet - from other districts. 

Delivery system: Westlands gets its water from the federal Central Valley Project. Water is pumped from the delta to San Luis Reservoir through the Delta-Mendota Canal, and from there it is delivered to Westlands through the San Luis and Coalinga canals. Water is then delivered to district farmers through 1,034 miles of underground pipe. 

The controversy: Environmentalists claim fisheries and wildlife in San Francisco Bay and the delta of the Sacramento and San Joaquin rivers are being hurt by excessive water exports to the western San Joaquin Valley, especially Westlands. 


Where Westlands water comes from 

1. Water from north state reservoirs - Shasta Lake on the upper Sacramento River and Trinity Lake on the Trinity River - is sent southward, down the Sacramento River. 

2. After entering the delta, the water is pumped to San Luis Reservoir and from there to Westlands. 

3. The Westlands Water District has a federal contract for about 1.2 million acre feet of water delivered annually, or about 20 percent of the capacity of the Central Valley Project. 

E-mail Glen Martin at glenmartin at sfchronicle.com
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From tstokely at trinityalps.net  Sun Oct 23 09:20:30 2005
From: tstokely at trinityalps.net (Tom Stokely)
Date: Sun, 23 Oct 2005 09:20:30 -0700
Subject: [env-trinity] SF Chronicle- THE CALIFORNIA WATER WARS 
Message-ID: <001401c5d7ed$b3dccc20$d6653940@trinitycounty.org>

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2005/10/23/MNGS9FCR3L1.DTL
THE CALIFORNIA WATER WARS 
WATER FLOWING TO FARMS, NOT FISH 
Environmentalists lose leverage as agribusiness locks in cheap, plentiful supplies -- for decades
Glen Martin, Chronicle Environment Writer

Sunday, October 23, 2005


          
        a.. Printable Version 
        b.. Email This Article 
     
     


After 50 years of legal infighting, a victor has emerged in California's water wars -- agriculture. 

A decade after environmentalists prevailed in getting more fresh water down the north state's rivers and estuaries to improve fisheries and wildlife habitat, farmers are again triumphant. Central Valley irrigation districts are signing federal contracts that assure their farms ample water for the next 25 to 50 years. 

The Bush administration is driving the trend, reversing Clinton-era policies that eased agriculture's grip on the state's reservoirs and aqueducts. 

But the Central Valley's largest irrigation districts have also extended their influence by mending alliances with the south state's big urban water districts, repairing a rupture that environmentalists had exploited. 

The ramifications of these developments are evident in strikingly different places hundreds of miles apart. 

In the western San Joaquin Valley, a desert is blooming with cotton and produce, all sustained with water from California's northern rivers. 

But in the places where this water once flowed -- the delta of the Sacramento and San Joaquin rivers, the Trinity River in the far north state -- fisheries have declined drastically. That's a direct result, biologists say, of water diversions to the south. 

First among the winners of the water wars is the Westlands Water District southeast of Fresno -- the nation's largest irrigation district. 

Pancake flat, this 600,000 acres of arid alkali dirt is one of California's most desolate regions. 

Yet Westlands is growing riotously: not in homes or shopping malls, but in melons, tomatoes, almonds, cotton and myriad other crops. Its fields produced about $1 billion in food and fiber last year. 

Depending on who's doing the counting -- agricultural partnerships are difficult to untangle -- Westlands has between 200 and 2,500 farmers. Though few in number, they command tremendous influence in the local, state and federal spheres. 

"Westlands is politically more powerful than the counties that incorporate it," said Barry Nelson, a senior attorney with the Natural Resources Defense Council, an environmental advocacy group that specializes in litigation. 

Westlands gets its water from the federal Central Valley Project, which supplies water to a third of California's cropland and about 50 cities, including Sacramento, San Jose and several in the East Bay and on the Peninsula. 

The district's annual allotment of about 1.15 million acre feet -- enough to supply about 2.3 million families -- dwarfs those of all other project participants. The next biggest, the Contra Costa Water District's, is only 185,000 acre feet. 

An acre foot is the amount of water that covers an acre a foot deep. 

Now, Westlands and other districts are successfully renewing their long-term contracts at current levels and at prices far below those paid by the state's growing cities, despite protests that pumping large volumes of water south is killing Northern California's fisheries. 

Westlands is singled out for particular criticism because of its size and the amount of water it receives, but also because the irrigation of its fields produces toxic drain water, threatening state waterways. Some critics say much of its acreage should be taken out of production. 

So far, about 200 contracts have been approved, and 80 more are pending, including Westlands'. About 6 million acre feet of annual water deliveries is at stake. 

Farmers who get federal water are generally charged a fraction of the free-market rate. 

Westlands, for example, pays as little as $31 an acre foot for its federal water, while the Marin Municipal Water District pays about $500 an acre foot for water from the Russian River, and Southern California cities pay $200 an acre foot and up for state project water. 

Westlands' current water contract with the Bureau of Reclamation, the federal agency that operates the Central Valley Project, runs to 2008. 

Barring unforeseen difficulties, agency officials said, approval of the new contract is expected by mid-February. It will run for 25 years, with an option for a 25-year renewal. 

Opponents say the contract does not acknowledge an extreme environmental downside. They say Westlands will actually receive significantly more water than before, at the expense of Northern California's rivers. 

Because of legislation implemented during the Clinton administration, Westlands annually received only a percentage of its quota, depending on the availability of water after meeting water quality standards for San Francisco Bay and the delta, said Bill Walker, California director of the Environmental Working Group, an advocacy organization critical of agricultural subsidies. 

Now, he said, the intention of the new contract appears to be the full delivery of the quota. 

In large degree, Westlands' policies directly reflect the personality of its dynamic general manager, Tom Birmingham. 

Birmingham is unapologetic in his defense of the interests of his constituents. In particular, he takes deep umbrage at the "demonization" of his district by environmentalists. 

"They've become very adept at employing certain words to convey negative images of us," Birmingham said during a recent tour of the district. "Words like 'large' and 'corporate.' Even our name, Westlands, has somehow been twisted to convey evil. But those images are totally at odds with reality." 

Westlands farmers, Birmingham said, have invested heavily in technology to maximize water conservation and minimize environmental impacts. He cited several examples: 

-- Computers meticulously control water and fertilizer output through drip irrigation lines for thousands of acres. 

-- Satellite images of fields are regularly consulted to precisely determine problem areas, resulting in the spot application of pesticides rather than landscape-scale spraying. 

-- Irrigation drain water is collected in tiles and recycled to the fields. 

If Birmingham is Goliath, his David counterpart is Tom Stokely, a natural resources planner for Trinity County, 300 miles to the north. Stokely has long claimed that Westlands' water demands threaten the once-mighty, now-struggling salmon runs of the Klamath and Trinity rivers. 

Trinity River advocates recently won a court battle against Central Valley irrigators, resulting in more water releases down the river to benefit fish. But Stokely questions whether that is enough, given that most of the river's water still winds up irrigating cropland. 

Federal water from the Trinity and Sacramento rivers flows to the delta, where it is pumped south. 

Birmingham said his district uses no Trinity water, noting that Westlands water is pumped from the delta to San Luis Reservoir in the winter, when the primary flow is from the Sacramento River. That water is held in the reservoir until Westlands irrigators need it later in the year. 

But Stokely said the Central Valley Project must be considered as a whole, with all water held in a theoretical common pot. 

And by Westlands taking more water from the delta's communal water pot, Stokley said, less is available for the fisheries of the Sacramento River and its delta, the Trinity River and -- indirectly, because the Trinity is a tributary -- the Klamath River. 

"The Trinity River is more than an important salmon stream in its own right," Stokley said. "It's the cold water supply for the Klamath and the Sacramento. Without cold water, salmon die. And it's the essential clean water supply for the delta. By locking up 1.2 million acre feet of CVP water a year, Westlands diminishes the availability of Trinity water in general." 

The triumph of Big Agriculture is especially bitter to conservationists because it follows more than a decade of federal legislative moves designed to divide the state's available water in an equitable fashion among farmers, cities and the environment. 

A key landmark was the 1992 federal Central Valley Project Improvement Act, designed to end the litigation that had characterized California's water politics for decades. 

The act empowered a joint state and federal agency, CalFed, to embark on an ambitious program of environmental restoration in the Central Valley, the delta and San Francisco Bay. It also provided for a significant amount of fresh water to revitalize the beleaguered delta and bay. About 800,000 acre feet of water were earmarked for the delta. 

But under the Bush administration, this era of cooperation stuttered, then reversed. 

In 2003, CalFed brokered a deal with state and federal project managers and water contractors known as the Napa agreement, providing for greater water exports from the delta, where both the state and federal pumps are located. 

Westlands would benefit significantly from the Napa accord in that the agreement would assure stable, large-scale water deliveries to the huge district. 

But environmentalists sued to stop the operations plan, claiming the agreement undermines the essential intent of the Central Valley Project Improvement Act: Increased freshwater flows through the delta and bay. 

Tupper Hull, a spokesman for Westlands, said the district's analysis of the Napa agreement's operations plan indicates it will not degrade environmental protections. 

"This plan will allow the pumps to shut down when there is a threat to the fish and run high when there is no jeopardy," Hull said. 

This month, a state appeals court ruled that CalFed's environmental documentation on its current programs is inadequate, because the agency didn't fully consider reducing water exports to Southern California. 

A few years ago, Westlands was alienated from the state's urban water districts. At that time, it was unclear where the water would come from for environmental restoration, and municipal water districts and environmentalists had established tentative alliances against large Central Valley irrigators. 

Today, the situation is reversed. 

"A couple of years ago, I was at loggerheads with Westlands," said Tim Quinn, the vice president for state water project resources for the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California. The district serves 18 million customers and consumes about 1.9 million acre feet of water annually, most of it from the state water project. 

Quinn said Westlands was known for playing hardball in the not-so-distant past -- litigating any government agency decision it didn't like, claiming water held by other districts. 

"But in recent years, there have been profound changes at Westlands," Quinn said. "They've moved to the center." 

Birmingham, he said, "is showing real skill at pounding out centrist solutions." 

Westlands critics say the Metropolitan Water District's turnaround can be explained by expedience. The district, they say, is buying water on the open market from agricultural districts; the water interests of big farms and big cities are thus congruent as never before. 

"The recent trend of ever-increasing water exports south of the delta is basically benefiting huge water districts, both agricultural and urban," said Hal Candee, a senior attorney for the Natural Resources Defense Council. 

Battered though they may be, environmentalists have not given up the fight. The defense council and its allies are expected to sue to block the new Westlands contract if, as expected, it is approved. 

Opponents to the contract were heartened by a recent decision issued by U.S. District Judge Lawrence Karlton declaring water contract renewals for eastern San Joaquin Valley farmers illegal because of possible violations of the Endangered Species Act. 

East valley farmers get water from Friant Dam on the San Joaquin River. After the dam went up in the 1940s, the San Joaquin essentially dried up, and its once-robust salmon runs disappeared. 

"The Friant contracts set a precedent for all other contracts, including Westlands," said Candee, who filed the suit for the Natural Resources Defense Council. 

If Birmingham is worried about the upcoming contract, he doesn't show it. Touring his district, surveying its lush crops, he projects nothing but confidence. 

"When I took over as manager in 2000, we were getting about 50 percent of our allotment from the CVP," he said. "Now we're getting about 75 percent in most years, and this year we received 90 percent. 

"Our relationships with the agencies are improving, and our water supplies are improving. We're doing what we've always done -- putting our water to reasonable and beneficial use as required by our federal contracts, and producing crops of incredibly high value." 



--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Westlands Water District 
Size: 600,000 acres. 

Number of farms: 600. 

Number of working farmers: 200 to 2,500, depending on sources. Environmentalists claim lower numbers; Westlands staffers stand by the higher figures. 

Crops: Westlands produces more than 60 food and fiber crops, including almonds, pistachios, cotton, melons, lettuce and alfalfa. It is also an important dairy region. 

Annual gross revenues: About $1 billion. 

Amount of water used: Westlands has a contract with the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation for 1.2 million acre feet of water annually. It buys extra water - less than 100,000 acre feet - from other districts. 

Delivery system: Westlands gets its water from the federal Central Valley Project. Water is pumped from the delta to San Luis Reservoir through the Delta-Mendota Canal, and from there it is delivered to Westlands through the San Luis and Coalinga canals. Water is then delivered to district farmers through 1,034 miles of underground pipe. 

The controversy: Environmentalists claim fisheries and wildlife in San Francisco Bay and the delta of the Sacramento and San Joaquin rivers are being hurt by excessive water exports to the western San Joaquin Valley, especially Westlands. 


Where Westlands water comes from 

1. Water from north state reservoirs - Shasta Lake on the upper Sacramento River and Trinity Lake on the Trinity River - is sent southward, down the Sacramento River. 

2. After entering the delta, the water is pumped to San Luis Reservoir and from there to Westlands. 

3. The Westlands Water District has a federal contract for about 1.2 million acre feet of water delivered annually, or about 20 percent of the capacity of the Central Valley Project. 

E-mail Glen Martin at glenmartin at sfchronicle.com. 

Page A - 15

PLEASE NOTE NEW ADDRESS, PHONE AND FAX

Tom Stokely
Principal Planner
Trinity Co. Planning/Natural Resources
PO Box 2819
190 Glen Rd.
Weaverville, CA 96093-2819
530-623-1351, ext. 3407
FAX 623-1353
tstokely at trinityalps.net or tstokely at trinitycounty.org
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From tstokely at trinityalps.net  Tue Oct 25 13:07:10 2005
From: tstokely at trinityalps.net (tstokely at trinityalps.net)
Date: Tue, 25 Oct 2005 16:07:10 -0400
Subject: [env-trinity] TAMWG Meeting Nov 4
Message-ID: <380-220051022520710578@M2W098.mail2web.com>

Draft Agenda
TRINITY ADAPTIVE MANAGEMENT WORKING GROUP
Weaverville Victorian Inn, 1709 Main Street, Weaverville, CA
November 4, 2005
	
   
											
          Time 	       Topic							   	    Presenter						         	
1.		8:30.	Introductions; adopt agenda; approve September minutes  		
 
2. 		8:45	Open Forum; Public Comment	
 
3. 		9:00	Historical Overview - Trinity restoration efforts pre-2001	    
Tom Stokely

4.	   9:45            Introduction to Trinity River Restoration Program	 
Doug Schleusner 
									
5.	   10:45	CVP Water Association perspective	Serge Birk

6. 		11:00	Role of the TAMWG within TRRP	Byron Leydecker	 

7.	   11:45    	Bonus Item: Restoration afield	Elizabeth Soderstrom
			
	   12:00		Lunch
	                                         
8.      1:15           Working Session: 	TAMWG members 
		                     TAMWG priorities, committee structure,
		                      interaction with other TRRP entities, operations,
bylaws, officers

9.      3:30	Open Forum; Public Comment

10.    	3:45	Assignments; agenda topics for next meeting	

  		4:00		Adjourn 


--------------------------------------------------------------------
mail2web - Check your email from the web at
http://mail2web.com/ .





From danielbacher at hotmail.com  Tue Oct 25 16:04:27 2005
From: danielbacher at hotmail.com (Daniel Bacher)
Date: Tue, 25 Oct 2005 16:04:27 -0700
Subject: [env-trinity] Court Rejects Bush Administrations Klamath Water
	Diversion Plan
Message-ID: <BAY16-F9D306AFD5B92F04FAECF3DB760@phx.gbl>

Court Rejects Bush Administration?s Klamath Water Diversion Plan

by Dan Bacher

In a major setback to the Bush administration, the Ninth Circuit Court of 
Appeals in October unanimously rejected the Department of Interior?s water 
diversion plan for the Klamath River because it failed to protect threatened 
Klamath River coho salmon.

The court sided with fishing groups, environmental organizations, Indian 
tribes and Congressman Mike Thompson, who argued that the plan, released in 
May 2002, benefited corporate farmers in the Klamath Basin over the needs of 
fish and downstream water users. The court found the government?s plan to be 
illegal because it failed to provide adequate flows for coho salmon until 
eight years into the ten-year plan.

?Five full generations of coho will complete their three-year life cycles -- 
hatch, rear, and spawn -- during those eight years,? the court said. ?Or, if 
there is insufficient water to sustain the coho during this period, they 
will not complete their life cycle, with the consequence that there will be 
no coho at the end of the eight years.  If that happens, all the water in 
the world in 2010 and 2011 will not protect the coho, for there will be none 
to protect.?

The plaintiffs are hoping that the decision will result in more balanced use 
of Klamath River water, rather than just benefiting agribusiness at the 
expense of salmon and downstream users. ?This decision gives hope to the 
families that depend on Klamath River salmon," said Glen Spain of the 
Pacific Coast Federation of Fishermen?s Associations (PCFFA).  "This case is 
about restoring balance to the basin so that fishermen, Native Americans, 
and irrigators can all receive a fair share of the water. We will continue 
to work on a new vision for the basin."

Congressman Mike Thompson, a plaintiff in the case, also hailed the court?s 
ruling. ?The unanimous decision by the court confirmed what we have been 
saying for years, Klamath River salmon need sufficient flows of cool, clean 
water to survive,? Thompson said.

?A sustainable water plan in the Klamath benefits fishing communities up and 
down the Pacific Coast. This year?s drastically reduced salmon season is a 
product of the first year of the administration?s water plan, which resulted 
in up to 80,000 dead fish. The 9th circuit has handed down a major victory 
for salmon restoration efforts,? Thompson stated.

Although specifically aimed at saving the coho salmon, the decision will 
benefit the king salmon, steelhead, sturgeon, shad and lamprey fisheries of 
the Klamath watershed.

Earthjustice filed the appeal on behalf of PCFFA, Institute for Fisheries 
Resources, The Wilderness Society, WaterWatch of Oregon, North coast 
Environmental Center, Oregon Natural Resources Council, Defenders of 
Wildlife, Klamath Forest Alliance, and Headwaters.

In the district court, these groups were joined by Congressman Mike Thompson 
(D-Napa) and the Yurok and Hoopa Valley Tribes. The Cities of Arcata and 
Eureka, Del Norte, Humboldt, and Trinity Counties, and the Humboldt Bay, 
Harbor, Recreation and Conservation District also filed amicus briefs 
supporting the plaintiffs.

The Pacific Legal Foundation, which defends the Klamath Basin irrigators in 
court, criticized the decision and indicated that it may appeal the ruling.

?The decision is unfortunate because it puts the court in the position of 
failing to defer to the scientific expertise of the fishery agencies by 
asking them to reconsider the biological opinion,? said Bob Rivett, 
principal attorney in the case for the foundations. ?Our organization fully 
supports the position taken by NOAA Fisheries in the 10 year plan. We are 
strongly considering filing a motion for a rehearing to the panel of 
judges.?

The foundation has to file this motion within 45 days. If they decide to 
move forward with the litigation Rivett said the group would probably file 
the motion in late November or early December.

?The Court has said to NOAA that you have to provide more facts and analysis 
before you say that flows are adequate to protect coho salmon,? he said. 
?However, we believe that the scientists have demonstrated enough evidence 
for the adequacy of the flows in the fishery plan. The court should defer to 
the expertise of the agency.?

The coalition of commercial fishermen, conservation groups and the Yurok and 
Hoopa Valley Tribes filed the lawsuit against the National Marine Fisheries 
Service and Bureau of Reclamation in September 2002 because the agencies' 
10-year plan failed to leave sufficient water in the river for salmon and 
relied on future, speculative actions from the states of California and 
Oregon to make up for the missing water.

Five months after the plan was adopted in the fall of 2002, low flows caused 
by unbalanced irrigation deliveries killed over 64,000 adult salmon in the 
largest documented fish kill of its kind in U.S. history.  Months earlier, 
during the spring of 2002, over 200,000 juvenile salmon died in the river 
from low, warm water conditions.

The loss of these juveniles is what led to the severe commercial salmon 
fishing restrictions this year on the California and Oregon coast. The 
season was reduced by approximately 50 percent, in spite of the relative 
abundance of Sacramento Rive system chinooks on the same waters.

The federal and state governments also dramatically reduced the catch quotas 
of ocean recreational anglers, in river sport fishermen and the Klamath 
River tribes because of expected low returns of chinooks. The result had a 
dramatic economic impact upon the Northern California communities that 
depend on fishing and tourism for their lifeblood.

In 2003, a federal district court struck down the long-term portion of the 
plan, but ordered no change to current operations. Because Klamath River 
coho are protected as a threatened species under the Endangered Species Act, 
the National Marine Fisheries Service must approve any irrigation plan 
devised by the Bureau of Reclamation that relies on taking water from the 
Klamath River.

"Bush administration officials swept science under the rug, and the court 
caught them," said Earthjustice attorney Kristen Boyles. "With this 
decision, management of the Klamath River must be balanced so salmon and the 
communities that depend on them aren't left high and dry."

The roots of the Klamath fish kills lie in the Karl Rove ?Irongate Scandal? 
of 2001-2002.  In an effort to gain the favor of Oregon agribusiness to 
support the reelection of an Oregon Senator, the president?s political 
advisor pressured the Department of Interior to make full deliveries to 
agribusiness while neglecting the needs of fish. The low, warm flows that 
resulted produced an outbreak of disease in juvenile fish in the spring and 
adult fish in the fall of 2002.

This court victory shows what is possible when fishing groups, environmental 
organizations, Indian tribes and supportive political leaders work together 
in unity to stop a government-ordered plan to destroy a fishery. Let?s hope 
that court decision stands and that any attempt to derail the long overdue 
restoration of the Klamath system fails.

For more information on the Klamath Basin and a copy of the opinion, please 
visit www.earthjustice.org.




From jallen at trinitycounty.org  Wed Oct 26 09:55:58 2005
From: jallen at trinitycounty.org (Josh Allen)
Date: Wed, 26 Oct 2005 09:55:58 -0700
Subject: [env-trinity] The most politically powerful welfare recipients in
	the world
Message-ID: <099F81D877F1044DA24BA95E0CE0926301497306@mail2.trinitycounty.org>

 


http://gristmill.grist.org/story/2005/10/25/92116/482?source=daily 


 


The most politically powerful welfare recipients in the world


Posted by David Roberts
<http://gristmill.grist.org/user/David%20Roberts>  at 9:21 AM on 25 Oct
2005 


We're happy to present this guest essay from Lloyd G. Carter, an
attorney and former journalist who has written about California water
issues since 1969. Carter is president of the California Save Our
Streams Council.

-----

 Remember the family farmer?

He was immortalized in Grant Wood's 1930 painting "American Gothic
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Gothic> ": a grim, hardscrabble
stoic in overalls, grasping a pitchfork. Guess what? It wasn't really a
farmer. It was Wood's dentist posing as a farmer.

Fresno County's own philosopher/farmer, Victor Davis Hanson, announced
years ago that the family farmer was a figment of the urban imagination.
Hanson wrote that the multi-generational family farm has all but
disappeared and that soon the only thing left will be "broke serfs and
thriving corporations."

But now a coalition of western San Joaquin Valley agribusiness interests
have launched a multi-million dollar media blitz to convince
Californians that the modern "family farmer" still exists -- and needs
to keep consuming colossal amounts of California river water. The
statewide ad campaign includes television spots, full page newspaper
ads, bus stop billboards in big cities, and even sponsorship of the
"California Report" on National Public Radio. The word "family" is
repeated ad nauseum.

There are also two high-tech websites defending agriculture's need for
over 80 percent of California's developed water, and claiming that
massive water diversions from the Delta are having little or no impact
on the collapsing Delta fishery or Delta drinking supplies for 22
million Californians.

The California Farm Water Coalition <http://www.cfwc.com/>  campaign is
funded primarily by the Westlands Water District -- the largest water
district in America -- and some adjacent federal irrigation districts.
Also helping win the hearts and minds of urbanites are Tulare Basin
growers like cotton billionaire J.G. Boswell, Calcot (a cotton marketing
organization), banking interests, the California Farm Bureau, and
Central Valley Project (CVP) irrigation districts.

At stake is the seven million acre-feet of Northern California river
water doled out annually by the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation in its
operation of the CVP, a vast network of canals and dams stretching the
length of California's Great Central Valley. Jason Peltier, a former
lobbyist for the CVP water districts, is now a key Interior Department
official involved in making sure growers lock up that seven million
acre-feet for another half century through contract renewal
negotiations.

Seven million acre-feet is enough water to meet the annual domestic
needs of 35 to 50 million people [an acre-foot is the volume of water
that would cover one acre to a depth of one foot]. Some 2.4 million
acres of California farmland are now planted to cotton, rice, wheat,
corn, and other grains eligible for federal crop subsidies, most of it
irrigated with heavily-subsidized federal water. 

Subsidized water to grow subsidized crops, pumped uphill with subsidized
electricity: Big agribusiness wants to keep it that way and has made the
little guy in overalls the poster boy for its pitch.

If valued at only $100 an acre-foot, the Bureau's annual supply, donated
by California taxpayers, is worth $700 million a year or $35 billion
over the 50-year life of the contracts (25-year contracts plus a
virtually automatic 25-year renewal clause). The urban retail value of
that water is $600 an acre-foot, or $210 billion over the 50-year life
of the contracts. You can see why the CVP growers want to convince us to
use precious water to grow surplus crops.

Westlands' 600 growers have the most to gain, seeking to renew a
contract for 1.15 million acre-feet of water even though they have
downsized 100,000 acres in their 942-square mile district and are
seeking nearly a billion dollars from Congress to build a drainage
system for their selenium-polluted waste water.

Both environmental groups and conservative think tanks like the Heritage
Foundation and the Cato Institute have attacked crop and water subsidies
as a colossal waste of taxpayers' money. 

Nowhere does the ad campaign mention the destruction of birds at the
Kesterson National Wildlife Refuge caused by ag wastewater from
Westlands 20 years ago. Instead, grower billboards show a healthy
black-necked stilt bird and claim "farm water" is "habitat" for
wildlife.

So what is a family farm? Well, the U.S. Department of Agriculture is
currently working on developing a definition based on relative size. At
stake is $20 billion a year in crop subsidies. You can bet the big guys
will have their say.

It is true that farms owned by corporations or partnerships make up just
two percent of all farms in America -- but, they account for 15 percent
of farm output.

Very large "family farms" (those with sales of $500,000 or more),
according to the USDA, make up about three percent of all farms but
produce about 35 percent of total American farm output on just 10
percent of the land.

So while it's true that there are still small family farmers, it is the
big guys, getting bigger all the time, who run the show. And they don't
wear overalls. In California, the subsidy checks get harvested every
year, rain or shine. An affluent neighborhood in North Fresno -- 50
miles from the Westlands "farms" -- is home to wealthy growers who draw
more subsidy money than any other zip code in America.

Hey, the Waltons run a family store, right? It's called Wal-Mart. Bill
Gates has a family business. Doesn't everyone have a family? Is that the
criteria for a free ride from the government? Rep. George Miller, a
long-time Westlands critic, argues that "California's megafarms are the
most politically powerful welfare recipients in the world." 

In California's modern version of American Gothic, peasants with
pitchforks may live in mansions, thanks to the taxpayers.

 

 

< Must read <http://gristmill.grist.org/story/2005/10/24/165843/87>  (0
comments) | Built Trip
<http://gristmill.grist.org/story/2005/10/25/12187/728>  (0 comments) > 


For story: The most politically powerful welfare recipients in the world
<http://gristmill.grist.org/story/2005/10/25/92116/482> 
2 Comments | Post a Comment
<http://gristmill.grist.org/story/2005/10/25/92116/482?source=daily#comm
ent_form#comment_form>  


  

  
Hidden subsidies/a question

Good stuff. The USDA's $15-25 billion per year in direct commodity
subsidies are well-known; this piece sheds light on the hidden,
literally underground government support on which industrial ag also
depends. 

It's also good to see the babble about "saving the family farm"
eviscerated. Real family-scale farms exist in spite of government
support for megafarms; there's scant real government support for small
producers. 

One question for Carter. You write that "Some 2.4 million acres of
California farmland are now planted to cotton, rice, wheat, corn, and
other grains eligible for federal crop subsidies, most of it irrigated
with heavily-subsidized federal water." 

Yet when I think of the San Joaquin Valley, I think of monocrop
fruit-and-veg production, not grain and cotton. Does the cheap water
you're talking about in San Joaquin also amount to a hidden subsidy for
our habit of eating "fresh" tomatoes in January in Cleveland? 


by Tom Philpott <http://gristmill.grist.org/user/uid:2988>  at 11:34 AM
on 25 Oct 2005
<http://gristmill.grist.org/comments/2005/10/25/92116/482/1#1> 


 

EWG databases on water subsidies

Editor: 

Curious readers of Lloyd Carter's essay on how big California
agribusinesses hide behind the image of the family farmer, even as they
get millions of dollars worth of federal water subsidies, can learn more
in Environmental Working Group's series of investigations of the Central
Valley Project. The series includes databases showing just who gets the
water and how much it's worth -- information previously shielded from
the public by state law.   

Go to 

http://www.ewg.org/issues/siteindex/issues.php?issueid=5017
<http://www.ewg.org/issues/siteindex/issues.php?issueid=5017>  

Bill Walker
EWG, Oakland, CA


by deadline <http://gristmill.grist.org/user/uid:3153>  at 12:19 PM on
25 Oct 2005
<http://gristmill.grist.org/comments/2005/10/25/92116/482/2#2> 

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From bwl3 at comcast.net  Thu Oct 27 08:01:54 2005
From: bwl3 at comcast.net (Byron )
Date: Thu, 27 Oct 2005 08:01:54 -0700
Subject: [env-trinity] Sacramento Bee Editorial
Message-ID: <002b01c5db07$80c70db0$1f9eb545@p4>


Editorial: Cut farm subsidies now


U.S., Europe must take bold action



Published 2:15 am PDT Thursday, October 27, 2005 
Story appeared in Editorials section, Page B8
<http://www.sacbee.com/content/print_edition/#EDITORIALS> 


On their own, no president and no U.S. Congress will have the political will
to slash the billions in subsidies that flow to farmers and agribusinesses
in key electoral states. The ending of subsidies, and the beginning of a
fairer market, will only happen through an international deal that calls for
mutual disarmament, a simultaneous phaseout here and in Europe. 

Fitful negotiations toward that end have been going on in Europe, so far
with minimal success. Everyone seems to agree on the principle of lowering
subsidies, but consensus remains elusive. That must end if progress toward a
new global trade agreement is to be made at a crucial meeting in Hong Kong
in December. 

U.S. Trade Representative Rob Portman has called for eliminating all
agricultural subsidies and all agricultural tariffs for all 141 member
countries of the World Trade Organization within 10 years. The United States
spends about $19 billion yearly on farm subsidies. If various price supports
and other low-cost water contracts were counted as subsidies and quantified,
the figure would be much higher. 

It would take years for free trade to sort out the "winners" and "losers."
Undoubtedly there would be hardship for farmers of certain commodities
during the transition. In California, where most crops (rice and certain
cotton varieties are notable exceptions) have no subsidies, the transition
may be easier. But making this transition is necessary, not only for this
and other rich countries but also for the developing world. Farmers there
can't compete against the developed countries' subsidies. Aid to these
countries is no substitute for free trade. 

Bush, a president in a second term who doesn't have to worry about
re-election, is well positioned to make a deal. Congress, which has lost its
fiscal compass and can't balance a budget, could desperately use an example
of prudent cost cutting. And if France would stop trying to rein in a
European Union trade commissioner who seems open to U.S. proposals, real
progress could be made. Leadership would help, starting with the president.

 

Byron Leydecker, 

Chair, Friends of Trinity River

Consultant, California Trout, Inc.

PO Box 2327

Mill Valley, CA 94942-2327

415 383 4810 ph

415 383 9562 fx

bwl3 at comcast.net

bleydecker at stanfordalumni.org (secondary)

http://www.fotr.org

http://caltrout.org

 

 

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From bwl3 at comcast.net  Thu Oct 27 10:35:56 2005
From: bwl3 at comcast.net (Byron )
Date: Thu, 27 Oct 2005 10:35:56 -0700
Subject: [env-trinity] Cotton Subsidy Example 
Message-ID: <003b01c5db1d$0ab11880$1f9eb545@p4>

With most of Trinity's water going to Westlands Water District, and that
District planting 32 percent - down from 38 percent a few years ago - of its
land to cotton, several have asked how cotton subsidies play out.

 

Cotton Subsidies - a hypothetical example - year 2000 figures not including
water and electricity subsidies for South of SF Bay Delta growers...

 

Suppose I have a cotton ranch.                          

 

I plant my cotton crop and harvest it.

 

After harvest I can go to the Farm Service Agency (USDA agency) and get a
short-term loan based upon my harvest and the prevailing government loan
rate.  The loan rate for cotton is 52 cents a pound.  Say my harvest was
1.92 million pounds of cotton, I could get a $1 million loan using my
harvest as the collateral for that loan (i.e. $0.52 x 1.92 million = 1
million).

 

Unfortunately, the world market price for cotton is only 38 cents a pound,
thus even if I sell my entire crop I'm still $270K short of being able to
repay my loan (actually more including interest).

 

Since I know I'm not going to be able to repay my loan by selling my cotton,
I don't sell it.  Instead I forfeit it to the government.   All of my cotton
goes to a government warehouse and I'm even with the government.  In
essence, I've sold to the government for 52 cents a pound, cotton that's
worth 38 cents a pound.

 

Now the government doesn't like paying warehouse rent to keep my cotton, so
if I want to, I can buy my cotton back from the government at the world
market price of 38 cents a pound (using the infamous commodity
certificates).  This is a cool deal because the government is selling to me
for 38 cents what I already sold to them for 52 cents and now my original
$270,000 loan default becomes a $270,000 "market gain" that goes into my
bank account.  

 

Thus, I now have my cotton back plus an extra $270,000 in the bank just for
playing this little game with the government.  Now that I've got my cotton
back (and a fatter wallet), I can sell the cotton or hang on to it waiting
for a better world market price. 

 

Whoa!! Just a minute, my $270,000 loan default can't be turned to gold at a
1:1 ratio because someone with half a brain put a $75,000 cap on the profit
I could make by buying back my cotton from the government.  Thus, in this
case I could only get enough certificates to buy back about a half-million
of my 1.92 million pounds of cotton because at a 14 cents a pound (52 minus
38) profit (subsidy), buying back a half-million pounds would result in
$75,000 (the limit) in my bank account.  Then, someone raised the limit to
$150,000 (which still prevents me from turning my entire $270,000 failure
into a success story).

 

Now someone has decided there shouldn't be any limit!!!  So now the bigger
you fail the bigger you win... without limit!!  I now get to buy my entire
crop back and put the full $270,000 in my bank.  

 

You think that's good?   Well, my neighbor, a larger grower, defaulted on
his government loan big time, coming up millions of dollars short because of
the bad cotton market.  Guess what?  Now he's even richer than me because
instead of all of us having to be happy with a $150,000 scam, the big guys
now can work a multi-million dollar scam and in the process the large grower
is becoming so strong financially that I expect someday soon he'll be buying
me out so that he can fail on an even bigger scale and get even stronger.

 

Oh wait, I don't have a cotton ranch (damn), but if I did it wouldn't be big
enough to fail big enough to compete with my large grower neighbor.  At
least now we know how all the small cotton farmers in Mississippi and
Alabama went extinct... they just couldn't fail enough to survive.  This
says nothing about the rampant and widespread poverty and famine we've
created in Africa by devastating through cotton subsidies and price supports
a major source of income in that area - cotton. 

 

 

Byron Leydecker, 

Chair, Friends of Trinity River

Consultant, California Trout, Inc.

PO Box 2327

Mill Valley, CA 94942-2327

415 383 4810 ph

415 383 9562 fx

bwl3 at comcast.net

bleydecker at stanfordalumni.org (secondary)

http://www.fotr.org

http://caltrout.org

 

 

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From rickpruitt at earthlink.net  Fri Oct 28 01:24:52 2005
From: rickpruitt at earthlink.net (Richard Pruitt)
Date: Fri, 28 Oct 2005 01:24:52 -0700
Subject: [env-trinity] HE CALIFORNIA WATER WARS 
Message-ID: <410-220051052882452331@earthlink.net>

WATER FLOWING TO FARMS, NOT FISH 
Environmentalists lose leverage as 
agribusiness locks in cheap, plentiful supplies -- for decades


After 50 years of legal infighting, a victor has emerged 
in California's water wars
 -- agriculture. 

A decade after environmentalists prevailed in getting more fresh water down the 
north state's rivers and estuaries to improve fisheries and wildlife habitat,
farmers are again triumphant. Central Valley irrigation districts are signing 
federal contracts that assure their farms ample water for the next 25 to 50 years. 

The Bush administration is driving the trend, reversing Clinton-era policies
that eased agriculture's grip on the state's reservoirs and aqueducts. 

But the Central Valley's largest irrigation districts have also extended their
influence by mending alliances with the south state's big urban water districts,
repairing a rupture that environmentalists had exploited. 

The ramifications of these developments are evident in strikingly different places \
hundreds of miles apart. 

In the western San Joaquin Valley, a desert is blooming with cotton and produce, 
all sustained with water from California's northern rivers. 

But in the places where this water once flowed -- the delta of the Sacramento and 
San Joaquin rivers, the Trinity River in the far north state -- fisheries have declined 
drastically. That's a direct result, biologists say, of water diversions to the south. 

First among the winners of the water wars is the Westlands Water District 
southeast of Fresno -- the nation's largest irrigation district. 

Pancake flat, this 600,000 acres of arid alkali dirt is one of California's 
most desolate regions. 

Yet Westlands is growing riotously: not in homes or shopping malls, but in melons, 
tomatoes, almonds, cotton and myriad other crops. Its fields produced about 
$1 billion in food and fiber last year. 

Depending on who's doing the counting -- agricultural partnerships are difficult to 
untangle -- Westlands has between 200 and 2,500 farmers. Though few in number, 
they command tremendous influence in the local, state and federal spheres. 

"Westlands is politically more powerful than the counties that incorporate it," 
said Barry Nelson, a senior attorney with the Natural Resources Defense Council, 
an environmental advocacy group that specializes in litigation. 

Westlands gets its water from the federal Central Valley Project, which supplies 
water to a third of California's cropland and about 50 cities, including Sacramento, 
San Jose and several in the East Bay and on the Peninsula. 

The district's annual allotment of about 1.15 million acre feet -- enough to supply 
about 2.3 million families -- dwarfs those of all other project participants. 
The next biggest, the Contra Costa Water District's, is only 185,000 acre feet. 

An acre foot is the amount of water that covers an acre a foot deep. 

Now, Westlands and other districts are successfully renewing their long-term contracts 
at current levels and at prices far below those paid by the state's growing cities, 
despite protests that pumping large volumes of water south is killing Northern California's 
fisheries. 

Westlands is singled out for particular criticism because of its size and the amount of 
water it receives, but also because the irrigation of its fields produces toxic drain water, 
threatening state waterways. Some critics say much of its acreage should be taken out 
of production. 

So far, about 200 contracts have been approved, and 80 more are pending, 
including Westlands'. About 6 million acre feet of annual water deliveries 
is at stake. 

Farmers who get federal water are generally charged a fraction of the free-market rate. 
Westlands, for example, pays as little as $31 an acre foot for its federal water, 
while the Marin Municipal Water District pays about $500 an acre foot for water 
from the Russian River, and Southern California cities pay $200 an acre foot and up 
for state project water. 

Westlands' current water contract with the Bureau of Reclamation, the federal agency 
that operates the Central Valley Project, runs to 2008. 

Barring unforeseen difficulties, agency officials said, approval of the new contract 
is expected by mid-February. It will run for 25 years, with an option for a 25-year renewal. 

Opponents say the contract does not acknowledge an extreme environmental downside. 
They say Westlands will actually receive significantly more water than before, 
at the expense of Northern California's rivers. 

Because of legislation implemented during the Clinton administration, Westlands annually 
received only a percentage of its quota, depending on the availability of water after 
meeting water quality standards for San Francisco Bay and the delta, said 
Bill Walker, California director of the Environmental Working Group, an advocacy 
organization critical of agricultural subsidies. 

Now, he said, the intention of the new contract appears to be the full delivery of the 
quota. In large degree, Westlands' policies directly reflect the personality of its 
dynamic general manager, Tom Birmingham. 

Birmingham is unapologetic in his defense of the interests of his constituents. 
In particular, he takes deep umbrage at the "demonization" of his district by 
environmentalists. 

"They've become very adept at employing certain words to convey negative images of us," 
Birmingham said during a recent tour of the district. "Words like 'large' and 'corporate.' 
Even our name, Westlands, has somehow been twisted to convey evil. But those images are 
totally at odds with reality." 

Westlands farmers, Birmingham said, have invested heavily in technology to maximize water 
conservation and minimize environmental impacts. He cited several examples: 

-- Computers meticulously control water and fertilizer output through drip irrigation 
lines for thousands of acres. 

-- Satellite images of fields are regularly consulted to precisely determine problem areas, 
resulting in the spot application of pesticides rather than landscape-scale spraying. 

-- Irrigation drain water is collected in tiles and recycled to the fields. 

If Birmingham is Goliath, his David counterpart is Tom Stokley, a natural resources planner 
for Trinity County, 300 miles to the north. Stokley has long claimed that Westlands' 
water demands threaten the once-mighty, now-struggling salmon runs of the 
Klamath and Trinity rivers. 

Trinity River advocates recently won a court battle against Central Valley irrigators, 
resulting in more water releases down the river to benefit fish. But Stokley questions 
whether that is enough, given that most of the river's water still winds up 
irrigating cropland. 

Federal water from the Trinity and Sacramento rivers flows to the delta, where it is pumped 
south. Birmingham said his district uses no Trinity water, noting that Westlands water is 
pumped from the delta to San Luis Reservoir in the winter, when the primary flow is from 
the Sacramento River. That water is held in the reservoir until 
Westlands irrigators need it later in the year. 

But Stokley said the Central Valley Project must be considered as a whole, with all 
water held in a theoretical common pot. 

And by Westlands taking more water from the delta's communal water pot, Stokley said, 
less is available for the fisheries of the Sacramento River and its delta, 
the Trinity River and -- indirectly, because the 
Trinity is a tributary -- the Klamath River. 

"The Trinity River is more than an important salmon stream in its own right," Stokley said. 
"It's the cold water supply for the Klamath and the Sacramento. Without cold water, 
salmon die. 

And it's the essential clean water supply for the delta. By locking up 1.2 million acre 
feet of CVP water a year Westlands diminishes the availability of Trinity water in general." 
The triumph of Big Agriculture is especially bitter to conservationists because it 
follows more than a decade of federal legislative moves designed to divide the state's 
available water in an equitable fashion among farmers, cities and the environment. 

A key landmark was the 1992 federal Central Valley Project Improvement Act, designed to 
end the litigation that had characterized California's water politics for decades. 
The act empowered a joint state and federal agency, CalFed, to embark on an ambitious 
program of environmental restoration in the Central Valley, the delta and San Francisco Bay. 
It also providedfor a significant amount of fresh water to revitalize the beleaguered delta 
and bay. About 800,000 acre feet of water were earmarked for the delta. 

But under the Bush administration, this era of cooperation stuttered, then reversed. 
In 2003, CalFed brokered a deal with state and federal project managers and water 
contractors known as the Napa agreement, providing for greater water exports from 
the delta, where both the state and federal pumps are located. 

Westlands would benefit significantly from the Napa accord in that the agreement 
would assure stable, large-scale water deliveries to the huge district. 

But environmentalists sued to stop the operations plan, claiming the agreement undermines 
the essential intent of the Central Valley Project Improvement Act: 
Increased freshwater flows through the delta and bay. 

Tupper Hull, a spokesman for Westlands, said the district's analysis of the 
Napa agreement's operations plan indicates it will not degrade 
environmental protections. 

"This plan will allow the pumps to shut down when there is a threat to the fish and 
run high when there is no jeopardy," Hull said. This month, a state appeals court 
ruled that CalFed's environmental documentation on its current programs is 
inadequate, because the agency didn't fully consider reducing water exports to 
Southern California. 

A few years ago, Westlands was alienated from the state's urban water districts. 
At that time, it was unclear where the water would come from for environmental restoration, and municipal water districts and environmentalists had established tentative alliances against large Central Valley irrigators. 
Today, the situation is reversed. 

"A couple of years ago, I was at loggerheads with Westlands," said Tim Quinn, 
the vice president for state water project resources for the Metropolitan Water District 
of Southern California. The district serves 18 million customers and consumes about 
1.9 million acre feet of water annually, most of it from the state water project. 

Quinn said Westlands was known for playing hardball in the not-so-distant 
past -- litigating any government agency decision it didn't like, claiming water 
held by other districts. 

"But in recent years, there have been profound changes at Westlands," Quinn said. 
"They've moved to the center." Birmingham, he said, "is showing real skill at pounding 
out centrist solutions." 

Westlands critics say the Metropolitan Water District's turnaround can be explained by 
expedience. The district, they say, is buying water on the open market from 
agricultural districts; the water interests of big farms and big cities are thus 
congruent as never before. 

"The recent trend of ever-increasing water exports south of the delta is basically 
benefiting huge water districts, both agricultural and urban," said Hal Candee, a 
senior attorney for the Natural Resources Defense Council. 
Battered though they may be, environmentalists have not given up the fight. 

The defense council and its allies are expected to sue to block the new Westlands 
contract if, as expected, it is approved. 

Opponents to the contract were heartened by a recent decision issued by U.S. 
District Judge Lawrence Karlton declaring water contract renewals for eastern 
San Joaquin Valley farmers illegal because of possible violations of the 
Endangered Species Act. 

East valley farmers get water from Friant Dam on the San Joaquin River. After the dam 
went up in the 1940s, the San Joaquin essentially dried up, and its once-robust 
salmon runs disappeared. 

"The Friant contracts set a precedent for all other contracts, including Westlands," 
said Candee, who filed the suit for the Natural Resources Defense Council. 

If Birmingham is worried about the upcoming contract, he doesn't show it. Touring his 
district, surveying its lush crops, he projects nothing but confidence. 

"When I took over as manager in 2000, we were getting about 50 percent of our 
allotment from the CVP," he said. "Now we're getting about 75 percent in most years, 
and this year we received 90 percent. 

"Our relationships with the agencies are improving, and our water supplies are 
improving. We're doing what we've always done -- putting our water to 
reasonable and beneficial use as required by our federal contracts, 
and producing crops of incredibly high value." 



--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Westlands Water District 
Size: 600,000 acres. 

Number of farms: 600. 

Number of working farmers: 200 to 2,500, depending on sources. 
Environmentalists claim lower numbers; Westlands staffers stand by the higher figures. 

Crops: Westlands produces more than 60 food and fiber crops, including almonds, 
pistachios, cotton, melons, lettuce and alfalfa. 
It is also an important dairy region. 

Annual gross revenues: About $1 billion. 

Amount of water used: Westlands has a contract with the 
U.S. Bureau of Reclamation for 1.2 million acre feet of water annually. 
It buys extra water ? less than 100,000 acre feet ? from other districts. 

Delivery system: Westlands gets its water from the federal Central Valley Project. 
Water is pumped from the delta to San Luis Reservoir through the Delta-Mendota Canal, 
and from there it is delivered to Westlands through the San Luis and Coalinga canals. 
Water is then delivered to district farmers through 1,034 miles of underground pipe. 

The controversy: Environmentalists claim fisheries and wildlife in San Francisco Bay 
and the delta of the Sacramento and San Joaquin rivers are being hurt by excessive water 
exports to the western San Joaquin Valley, especially Westlands. 


Where Westlands water comes from 

1. Water from north state reservoirs ? Shasta Lake on the upper Sacramento River 
and Trinity Lake on the Trinity River ? is sent southward, down the Sacramento River. 

2. After entering the delta, the water is pumped to San Luis Reservoir 
and from there to Westlands. 

3. The Westlands Water District has a federal contract for about 
1.2 million acre feet of water delivered annually, or about 20 percent of the 
capacity of the Central Valley Project. 

E-mail Glen Martin at glenmartin at sfchronicle.com. 





Richard Pruitt
rickpruitt at earthlink.net
Why Wait? Move to EarthLink.
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From rickpruitt at earthlink.net  Fri Oct 28 01:30:16 2005
From: rickpruitt at earthlink.net (Richard Pruitt)
Date: Fri, 28 Oct 2005 01:30:16 -0700
Subject: [env-trinity] HE CALIFORNIA WATER WARS 
Message-ID: <410-220051052883016909@earthlink.net>

WATER FLOWING TO FARMS, NOT FISH 
Environmentalists lose leverage as 
agribusiness locks in cheap, plentiful supplies -- for decades


After 50 years of legal infighting, a victor has emerged 
in California's water wars
 -- agriculture. 

A decade after environmentalists prevailed in getting more fresh water down the 
north state's rivers and estuaries to improve fisheries and wildlife habitat,
farmers are again triumphant. Central Valley irrigation districts are signing 
federal contracts that assure their farms ample water for the next 25 to 50 years. 

The Bush administration is driving the trend, reversing Clinton-era policies
that eased agriculture's grip on the state's reservoirs and aqueducts. 

But the Central Valley's largest irrigation districts have also extended their
influence by mending alliances with the south state's big urban water districts,
repairing a rupture that environmentalists had exploited. 

The ramifications of these developments are evident in strikingly different places \
hundreds of miles apart. 

In the western San Joaquin Valley, a desert is blooming with cotton and produce, 
all sustained with water from California's northern rivers. 

But in the places where this water once flowed -- the delta of the Sacramento and 
San Joaquin rivers, the Trinity River in the far north state -- fisheries have declined 
drastically. That's a direct result, biologists say, of water diversions to the south. 

First among the winners of the water wars is the Westlands Water District 
southeast of Fresno -- the nation's largest irrigation district. 

Pancake flat, this 600,000 acres of arid alkali dirt is one of California's 
most desolate regions. 

Yet Westlands is growing riotously: not in homes or shopping malls, but in melons, 
tomatoes, almonds, cotton and myriad other crops. Its fields produced about 
$1 billion in food and fiber last year. 

Depending on who's doing the counting -- agricultural partnerships are difficult to 
untangle -- Westlands has between 200 and 2,500 farmers. Though few in number, 
they command tremendous influence in the local, state and federal spheres. 

"Westlands is politically more powerful than the counties that incorporate it," 
said Barry Nelson, a senior attorney with the Natural Resources Defense Council, 
an environmental advocacy group that specializes in litigation. 

Westlands gets its water from the federal Central Valley Project, which supplies 
water to a third of California's cropland and about 50 cities, including Sacramento, 
San Jose and several in the East Bay and on the Peninsula. 

The district's annual allotment of about 1.15 million acre feet -- enough to supply 
about 2.3 million families -- dwarfs those of all other project participants. 
The next biggest, the Contra Costa Water District's, is only 185,000 acre feet. 

An acre foot is the amount of water that covers an acre a foot deep. 

Now, Westlands and other districts are successfully renewing their long-term contracts 
at current levels and at prices far below those paid by the state's growing cities, 
despite protests that pumping large volumes of water south is killing Northern California's 
fisheries. 

Westlands is singled out for particular criticism because of its size and the amount of 
water it receives, but also because the irrigation of its fields produces toxic drain water, 
threatening state waterways. Some critics say much of its acreage should be taken out 
of production. 

So far, about 200 contracts have been approved, and 80 more are pending, 
including Westlands'. About 6 million acre feet of annual water deliveries 
is at stake. 

Farmers who get federal water are generally charged a fraction of the free-market rate. 
Westlands, for example, pays as little as $31 an acre foot for its federal water, 
while the Marin Municipal Water District pays about $500 an acre foot for water 
from the Russian River, and Southern California cities pay $200 an acre foot and up 
for state project water. 

Westlands' current water contract with the Bureau of Reclamation, the federal agency 
that operates the Central Valley Project, runs to 2008. 

Barring unforeseen difficulties, agency officials said, approval of the new contract 
is expected by mid-February. It will run for 25 years, with an option for a 25-year renewal. 

Opponents say the contract does not acknowledge an extreme environmental downside. 
They say Westlands will actually receive significantly more water than before, 
at the expense of Northern California's rivers. 

Because of legislation implemented during the Clinton administration, Westlands annually 
received only a percentage of its quota, depending on the availability of water after 
meeting water quality standards for San Francisco Bay and the delta, said 
Bill Walker, California director of the Environmental Working Group, an advocacy 
organization critical of agricultural subsidies. 

Now, he said, the intention of the new contract appears to be the full delivery of the 
quota. In large degree, Westlands' policies directly reflect the personality of its 
dynamic general manager, Tom Birmingham. 

Birmingham is unapologetic in his defense of the interests of his constituents. 
In particular, he takes deep umbrage at the "demonization" of his district by 
environmentalists. 

"They've become very adept at employing certain words to convey negative images of us," 
Birmingham said during a recent tour of the district. "Words like 'large' and 'corporate.' 
Even our name, Westlands, has somehow been twisted to convey evil. But those images are 
totally at odds with reality." 

Westlands farmers, Birmingham said, have invested heavily in technology to maximize water 
conservation and minimize environmental impacts. He cited several examples: 

-- Computers meticulously control water and fertilizer output through drip irrigation 
lines for thousands of acres. 

-- Satellite images of fields are regularly consulted to precisely determine problem areas, 
resulting in the spot application of pesticides rather than landscape-scale spraying. 

-- Irrigation drain water is collected in tiles and recycled to the fields. 

If Birmingham is Goliath, his David counterpart is Tom Stokley, a natural resources planner 
for Trinity County, 300 miles to the north. Stokley has long claimed that Westlands' 
water demands threaten the once-mighty, now-struggling salmon runs of the 
Klamath and Trinity rivers. 

Trinity River advocates recently won a court battle against Central Valley irrigators, 
resulting in more water releases down the river to benefit fish. But Stokley questions 
whether that is enough, given that most of the river's water still winds up 
irrigating cropland. 

Federal water from the Trinity and Sacramento rivers flows to the delta, where it is pumped 
south. Birmingham said his district uses no Trinity water, noting that Westlands water is 
pumped from the delta to San Luis Reservoir in the winter, when the primary flow is from 
the Sacramento River. That water is held in the reservoir until 
Westlands irrigators need it later in the year. 

But Stokley said the Central Valley Project must be considered as a whole, with all 
water held in a theoretical common pot. 

And by Westlands taking more water from the delta's communal water pot, Stokley said, 
less is available for the fisheries of the Sacramento River and its delta, 
the Trinity River and -- indirectly, because the 
Trinity is a tributary -- the Klamath River. 

"The Trinity River is more than an important salmon stream in its own right," Stokley said. 
"It's the cold water supply for the Klamath and the Sacramento. Without cold water, 
salmon die. 

And it's the essential clean water supply for the delta. By locking up 1.2 million acre 
feet of CVP water a year Westlands diminishes the availability of Trinity water in general." 
The triumph of Big Agriculture is especially bitter to conservationists because it 
follows more than a decade of federal legislative moves designed to divide the state's 
available water in an equitable fashion among farmers, cities and the environment. 

A key landmark was the 1992 federal Central Valley Project Improvement Act, designed to 
end the litigation that had characterized California's water politics for decades. 
The act empowered a joint state and federal agency, CalFed, to embark on an ambitious 
program of environmental restoration in the Central Valley, the delta and San Francisco Bay. 
It also providedfor a significant amount of fresh water to revitalize the beleaguered delta 
and bay. About 800,000 acre feet of water were earmarked for the delta. 

But under the Bush administration, this era of cooperation stuttered, then reversed. 
In 2003, CalFed brokered a deal with state and federal project managers and water 
contractors known as the Napa agreement, providing for greater water exports from 
the delta, where both the state and federal pumps are located. 

Westlands would benefit significantly from the Napa accord in that the agreement 
would assure stable, large-scale water deliveries to the huge district. 

But environmentalists sued to stop the operations plan, claiming the agreement undermines 
the essential intent of the Central Valley Project Improvement Act: 
Increased freshwater flows through the delta and bay. 

Tupper Hull, a spokesman for Westlands, said the district's analysis of the 
Napa agreement's operations plan indicates it will not degrade 
environmental protections. 

"This plan will allow the pumps to shut down when there is a threat to the fish and 
run high when there is no jeopardy," Hull said. This month, a state appeals court 
ruled that CalFed's environmental documentation on its current programs is 
inadequate, because the agency didn't fully consider reducing water exports to 
Southern California. 

A few years ago, Westlands was alienated from the state's urban water districts. 
At that time, it was unclear where the water would come from for environmental restoration, and municipal water districts and environmentalists had established tentative alliances against large Central Valley irrigators. 
Today, the situation is reversed. 

"A couple of years ago, I was at loggerheads with Westlands," said Tim Quinn, 
the vice president for state water project resources for the Metropolitan Water District 
of Southern California. The district serves 18 million customers and consumes about 
1.9 million acre feet of water annually, most of it from the state water project. 

Quinn said Westlands was known for playing hardball in the not-so-distant 
past -- litigating any government agency decision it didn't like, claiming water 
held by other districts. 

"But in recent years, there have been profound changes at Westlands," Quinn said. 
"They've moved to the center." Birmingham, he said, "is showing real skill at pounding 
out centrist solutions." 

Westlands critics say the Metropolitan Water District's turnaround can be explained by 
expedience. The district, they say, is buying water on the open market from 
agricultural districts; the water interests of big farms and big cities are thus 
congruent as never before. 

"The recent trend of ever-increasing water exports south of the delta is basically 
benefiting huge water districts, both agricultural and urban," said Hal Candee, a 
senior attorney for the Natural Resources Defense Council. 
Battered though they may be, environmentalists have not given up the fight. 

The defense council and its allies are expected to sue to block the new Westlands 
contract if, as expected, it is approved. 

Opponents to the contract were heartened by a recent decision issued by U.S. 
District Judge Lawrence Karlton declaring water contract renewals for eastern 
San Joaquin Valley farmers illegal because of possible violations of the 
Endangered Species Act. 

East valley farmers get water from Friant Dam on the San Joaquin River. After the dam 
went up in the 1940s, the San Joaquin essentially dried up, and its once-robust 
salmon runs disappeared. 

"The Friant contracts set a precedent for all other contracts, including Westlands," 
said Candee, who filed the suit for the Natural Resources Defense Council. 

If Birmingham is worried about the upcoming contract, he doesn't show it. Touring his 
district, surveying its lush crops, he projects nothing but confidence. 

"When I took over as manager in 2000, we were getting about 50 percent of our 
allotment from the CVP," he said. "Now we're getting about 75 percent in most years, 
and this year we received 90 percent. 

"Our relationships with the agencies are improving, and our water supplies are 
improving. We're doing what we've always done -- putting our water to 
reasonable and beneficial use as required by our federal contracts, 
and producing crops of incredibly high value." 



--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Westlands Water District 
Size: 600,000 acres. 

Number of farms: 600. 

Number of working farmers: 200 to 2,500, depending on sources. 
Environmentalists claim lower numbers; Westlands staffers stand by the higher figures. 

Crops: Westlands produces more than 60 food and fiber crops, including almonds, 
pistachios, cotton, melons, lettuce and alfalfa. 
It is also an important dairy region. 

Annual gross revenues: About $1 billion. 

Amount of water used: Westlands has a contract with the 
U.S. Bureau of Reclamation for 1.2 million acre feet of water annually. 
It buys extra water ? less than 100,000 acre feet ? from other districts. 

Delivery system: Westlands gets its water from the federal Central Valley Project. 
Water is pumped from the delta to San Luis Reservoir through the Delta-Mendota Canal, 
and from there it is delivered to Westlands through the San Luis and Coalinga canals. 
Water is then delivered to district farmers through 1,034 miles of underground pipe. 

The controversy: Environmentalists claim fisheries and wildlife in San Francisco Bay 
and the delta of the Sacramento and San Joaquin rivers are being hurt by excessive water 
exports to the western San Joaquin Valley, especially Westlands. 


Where Westlands water comes from 

1. Water from north state reservoirs ? Shasta Lake on the upper Sacramento River 
and Trinity Lake on the Trinity River ? is sent southward, down the Sacramento River. 

2. After entering the delta, the water is pumped to San Luis Reservoir 
and from there to Westlands. 

3. The Westlands Water District has a federal contract for about 
1.2 million acre feet of water delivered annually, or about 20 percent of the 
capacity of the Central Valley Project. 

E-mail Glen Martin at glenmartin at sfchronicle.com. 





Richard Pruitt
rickpruitt at earthlink.net
Why Wait? Move to EarthLink.
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From tstokely at trinityalps.net  Fri Oct 28 09:03:57 2005
From: tstokely at trinityalps.net (Tom Stokely)
Date: Fri, 28 Oct 2005 09:03:57 -0700
Subject: [env-trinity] CALFED News Plus Salinity Study by UC Davis
Message-ID: <001d01c5dbd9$35682110$e2653940@trinitycounty.org>

http://www.sacbee.com/state_wire/story/13775351p-14617314c.html
State urging court to reconsider decision in delta case
The Associated Press
Last Updated 6:45 am PDT Friday, October 28, 2005
SACRAMENTO (AP) - The Schwarzenegger administration is asking a state appeals court to reconsider a decision that found deficiencies in the environmental document guiding management of the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta. 
"Our petition for rehearing points out the legal and factual mistakes made by the court, and we hope (the justices) will take a second look at these issues," state Resources Secretary Mike Chrisman said. 

 The 3rd District Court of Appeal ruled Oct. 7 that environmental documents prepared by the California Bay-Delta Authority should have considered reducing water exports from the delta to Central and Southern California. The court ordered the authority, commonly known as CalFed, to rewrite the report. 

"If there is not water to support the (population) growth, will it occur as projected?" the justices asked. "As the state reaches the limit of available water and must seek other sources such as desalination, water will become more expensive to obtain and California's appeal will lessen." 

State officials said the state's Environmental Quality Act did not require CalFed to consider export reductions because they would not meet one of the objectives of the project - to ensure the reliability of increased water supplies. 

The state also said the court erred when it said the documents did not adequately identify the sources of water that would be used by the CalFed program or the impact of using water from those sources. 




      Article Launched: 10/27/2005 10:23:30 PM  
http://www.chicoer.com/local_news/ci_3158671
Involved water agencies still believe in CalFed

     
      RED BLUFF - As the CalFed Bay-Delta program undergoes scrutiny and possible cutbacks or changes, leaders in other agencies that work with CalFed on water issues continue to work towards CalFed's vision: to work toward meeting the state's water supply needs, while balancing urban, agricultural and environmental demands. 
      Cal-Fed is a federal/state program set up to push long-term solutions to the Bay-Delta estuary, but it also reaches into water issues throughout the state, including extensive involvement along the Sacramento River. 

      Without the Sacramento River, which delivers the state's snowpack from north the south, California would never have grown the way it has, said one of dozens of speakers at a day-long Sacramento River Watershed Conference in Red Bluff Thursday. 

      The event was organized by the Sacramento River Watershed Program, Sacramento River Preservation Trust and the Sacramento River Conservation Area Forum. 

      Diana Jacobs, of the California Department of Fish and Game, told a group of about 200 that decisions on the future of CalFed are currently being decided and hopefully a more clear picture will be revealed by the end of this year. 

      "CalFed started to stop the lawsuits," Jacobs said. Some in the water world called conditions before CalFed "a smeltdown," based on lawsuits including legal wrangling over the Delta smelt, a small fish that has had dramatic decline in the Delta in recent years. 

      Currently CalFed is under intense scrutiny, including hearings from the Little Hoover Foundation. 

      As the Red Bluff conference took place, the Little Hoover Foundation was also meeting to review the $3 billion that it has spent on CalFed since its creation, and whether the money merits the benefits that have occurred. 

      Jacobs said key issues include whether agencies should be reworked, how to finance continued efforts and how to solve problems with fish populations in the Delta. 

      Even with the weighty discussions, Jacobs said "everyone loves the idea of CalFed." 

      The idea of working together with diverse interests is still a goal championed by agencies, she said. 

      Local watershed programs being developed show a "new experiment with participatory democracy," said Bay Delta Authority watershed program consultant Dennis Bowker. 

      Before CalFed, there were decades of a "command and control" stance with state and federal regulations, Bowker said. 

      Numerous special commissions on water topics are held each month, with participation by agencies involved 


      with flood control, water quality, the environment, agriculture, etc. This includes state, federal and local. 
      While state and federal rules still apply, Bowker said the focus has shifted to how local agencies can find ways to fit within overseeing rules, but do it in a way that fits with that particular local area. 

      The old way caused problems, Bowker said, because management was disconnected from local agencies or simply ignored them. 

      "We have all sorts of programs but it takes the local community to integrate them," he said. 

      When asked how things would change if CalFed is dramatically scaled back, Bowker said he didn't think the current philosophy of agencies working together to solve problems would change. 

      Other speakers during the conference highlighted the work that has been completed. 

      Rebecca Fris, of the Bay Delta Authority, talked about installation of fish screens along the Sacramento River, removing five dams along Battle Creek and the protection of 10,000 acres of riparian habitat, among other achievements. 

      Water leaders have also amassed more information about water quality, explained Kathy Russick, of the Sacramento River Watershed Program. 

      She said the use of diazinon, which harms fish, has dropped dramatically, and regulators are trying to educate certain segments of the public about danger of eating too much fish that contains mercury. 

      But there is still a lot of work to be done. 

      Tom Griggs, of River Partners, which installs and manages wildlife habitat restoration, explained its somewhat of an ongoing battle. The Sacramento River is not a natural system, due to levees and dams. 

      Fighting non-native invasive weeds continues and there is not enough funding to catch introduction of each and every new weed that pops up, Griggs said. 


      Staff writer Heather Hacking can be reached at 896-7758 or hhacking at chicoer.com. 


      On the Internet: 

      Little Hoover Commission: lhc.ca.gov 

      calwater.ca.gov 

      sacramentoriver.org 

      cdfa.ca.gov/weedhome 
     


http://www.news.ucdavis.edu/search/news_detail.lasso?id=7486
Salinity Threatens Sustainability of Irrigated Agriculture in California's Heartland, Study Finds
October 27, 2005


The long-term viability of irrigated agriculture in California's highly productive San Joaquin Valley is threatened by the accumulation of salt in soils and groundwater, reports a team of researchers at the University of California, Davis.

The researchers found that irrigated agriculture on the west side of the San Joaquin Valley is at risk due to the lack of fresh water, inadequate natural drainage and high water tables. The study focused on 1,400 square kilometers (about 540 square miles) in western Fresno County on the west side of the San Joaquin Valley. The findings are published online in the Journal of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Science.

"Few studies have been able to model the complex, three-dimensional hydrology and salt chemistry of an irrigated region as we did in this study," said Jan Hopmans, a UC Davis soil hydrologist and co-investigator on the study. "Our analysis shows the impacts of droughts and changes in water management on water levels and salinity, and provides insight into the long-term behavior of this irrigated agricultural system and its sustainability."

Salt build-up in soils and groundwater is a global problem that affects 20 to 30 percent of the world's 260 million hectares (about 642 million acres) of irrigated land, thus limiting world global food production. Salt is problematic for crop production because it upsets a plant's ability to take in water by its roots. If salt concentration in the soil is very high, the flow of water into the plant is actually reversed and the plant dehydrates and eventually dies.

In order to fully evaluate the effects of salinization in the San Joaquin Valley, the researchers developed a computer model that takes into consideration the hydrology and the salt chemistry of both the soils and the groundwater system. The model enabled them to reconstruct historical changes in soil and groundwater salinization in general, and specifically for the western San Joaquin Valley, starting in 1940.

The model indicated that soil salinity in the area was high in 1940, but decreased until 1975 because low-salinity snowmelt water was brought in by state and federal water projects, flushing salts out of the surface soils and down into deeper water sources or aquifers. This pattern was reversed during the 1970s as increased irrigation in the valley raised the water table, drawing up some of those salts that previously had been leached downward. As the groundwater levels rose toward the surface, farmers applied less irrigation water to prevent water logging -- and consequently increased the soil salinity. This problem was compounded by the use of more saline surface water for irrigation during occasional droughts.

The model also revealed that the dissolved mineral content of the soil and the type of water source -- whether groundwater or snowmelt -- are, in the long term, critically important in the salinization process.

The researchers forecast that, although it may take decades, salt accumulation will continue in this region, decreasing the quality of deeper groundwater sources and jeopardizing water used both for irrigation and drinking.

This research was supported by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation, the UC Salinity Drainage Program and the Netherlands Organization for Scientific Research.


Media contact(s):
. Jan Hopmans, Dept. of Land Air and Water Resources, (530) 752-3060, jwhopmans at ucdavis.edu
. Pat Bailey, UC Davis News Service, (530) 752-9843, pjbailey at ucdavis.edu

PLEASE NOTE NEW ADDRESS, PHONE AND FAX

Tom Stokely
Principal Planner
Trinity Co. Planning/Natural Resources
PO Box 2819
190 Glen Rd.
Weaverville, CA 96093-2819
530-623-1351, ext. 3407
FAX 623-1353
tstokely at trinityalps.net or tstokely at trinitycounty.org
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From tstokely at trinityalps.net  Fri Oct 28 10:51:42 2005
From: tstokely at trinityalps.net (Tom Stokely)
Date: Fri, 28 Oct 2005 10:51:42 -0700
Subject: [env-trinity] Capital Press- Budget cut crimps monitoring of
	Klamath water releases 
Message-ID: <019c01c5dbe8$4d7cd750$e2653940@trinitycounty.org>

Budget cut crimps monitoring of Klamath water releases 

Friday, October 28, 2005 
http://www.capitalpress.info/main.asp?SectionID=67&SubSectionID=616&ArticleID=20732&TM=30190.3 

KLAMATH FALLS, Ore.  It's a new federal fiscal year, with budgets yet to be adopted by Congress, but 
what stakeholders in the Klamath Basin are hearing isn't good. Tight times could mean a reduction in 
fisheries data critical to how water is managed for farmers. 

Mike Orcutt, fisheries manager for the Hoopa Valley Tribal Council, last week told the Klamath Fisheries 
Management Council that juggling of U.S. Bureau of Reclamation Funds on the Trinity River, the largest 
tributary of the Klamath, is a recipe for data shortage. 

The government is working with a tentative $11.2 million allocation on the Trinity for this fiscal year. 
That's down about $700,000 from the year ended Sept. 30. Most of the Trinity money goes for 
construction in a series of river restoration projects that got their first live test during a planned May 
water release. The Trinity Adaptive Management Group, which advises BuRec on the experiment, meets 
Nov. 4 in Weaverville to work on 2006 plans. 

"A lot of the monitoring that this council depends on is under-funded," Orcutt told the Klamath Council. 
The council is are charged with setting quotas and recommending fishing seasons for offshore, sport and 
tribal fisheries in the Klamath and Trinity system. 

Data errors or gaps, council members said in a lengthy discussion, can lead to wrong calls on fish quotas 
with far-reaching economic impact. 

Other issues tied to budgets include the status of California Department of Fish and Game's program to 
identify at least a portion of hatchery salmon released into the Klamath from Iron Gate Hatchery. The 
council wants an increase in the number of coded wire tags to increase statistical records of how hatchery 
and wild fish interact. In past years it has shifted federal funds to keep work going when state funds are 
tight. 

The upstream Klamath Reclamation Project's operations are dictated in part by protection of coho 
salmon, listed as threatened with extinction under the Endangered Species Act. A court-ordered revision 
to that coho plan is in progress, and as a result of a 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals decision last week, the 
timetable for assuring water for salmon is expected to be pushed up a couple of years. 

The Trinity's headwaters are stored by BuRec and piped to the Sacramento River, where they become a 
significant part of the irrigation allocation for the sprawling Westlands Irrigation District, west of Fresno 
in the Central Valley. Experimental "restoration" releases downstream on the Trinity make use of water 
that, in years past, had been available to Central Valley Project farms. 

While the Klamath Council waits for finalization of the federal budgets, it faces another look at viability of 
both California coastal Chinook salmon populations and the Southern Oregon and Northern California 
runs of coho salmon. Eric Chavez of NOAA Fisheries' Long Beach office said those reviews come after 
courts ordered consideration of all salmon, both wild and hatchery. 

"The wild fish rule is unlikely" to change status of either fish population, he said. 

Tam Moore is based in Medford, Ore. His e-mail address is tmoore at capitalpress.com. 

Related Links 

Content ? 2005 Capital Press 
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From rickpruitt at earthlink.net  Sun Oct 30 01:11:43 2005
From: rickpruitt at earthlink.net (Richard Pruitt)
Date: Sun, 30 Oct 2005 01:11:43 -0800
Subject: [env-trinity] HE CALIFORNIA WATER WARS 
Message-ID: <410-220051003091143143@earthlink.net>

WATER FLOWING TO FARMS, NOT FISH 
Environmentalists lose leverage as 
agribusiness locks in cheap, plentiful supplies -- for decades


After 50 years of legal infighting, a victor has emerged 
in California's water wars
 -- agriculture. 

A decade after environmentalists prevailed in getting more fresh water down the 
north state's rivers and estuaries to improve fisheries and wildlife habitat,
farmers are again triumphant. Central Valley irrigation districts are signing 
federal contracts that assure their farms ample water for the next 25 to 50 years. 

The Bush administration is driving the trend, reversing Clinton-era policies
that eased agriculture's grip on the state's reservoirs and aqueducts. 

But the Central Valley's largest irrigation districts have also extended their
influence by mending alliances with the south state's big urban water districts,
repairing a rupture that environmentalists had exploited. 

The ramifications of these developments are evident in strikingly different places \
hundreds of miles apart. 

In the western San Joaquin Valley, a desert is blooming with cotton and produce, 
all sustained with water from California's northern rivers. 

But in the places where this water once flowed -- the delta of the Sacramento and 
San Joaquin rivers, the Trinity River in the far north state -- fisheries have declined 
drastically. That's a direct result, biologists say, of water diversions to the south. 

First among the winners of the water wars is the Westlands Water District 
southeast of Fresno -- the nation's largest irrigation district. 

Pancake flat, this 600,000 acres of arid alkali dirt is one of California's 
most desolate regions. 

Yet Westlands is growing riotously: not in homes or shopping malls, but in melons, 
tomatoes, almonds, cotton and myriad other crops. Its fields produced about 
$1 billion in food and fiber last year. 

Depending on who's doing the counting -- agricultural partnerships are difficult to 
untangle -- Westlands has between 200 and 2,500 farmers. Though few in number, 
they command tremendous influence in the local, state and federal spheres. 

"Westlands is politically more powerful than the counties that incorporate it," 
said Barry Nelson, a senior attorney with the Natural Resources Defense Council, 
an environmental advocacy group that specializes in litigation. 

Westlands gets its water from the federal Central Valley Project, which supplies 
water to a third of California's cropland and about 50 cities, including Sacramento, 
San Jose and several in the East Bay and on the Peninsula. 

The district's annual allotment of about 1.15 million acre feet -- enough to supply 
about 2.3 million families -- dwarfs those of all other project participants. 
The next biggest, the Contra Costa Water District's, is only 185,000 acre feet. 

An acre foot is the amount of water that covers an acre a foot deep. 

Now, Westlands and other districts are successfully renewing their long-term contracts 
at current levels and at prices far below those paid by the state's growing cities, 
despite protests that pumping large volumes of water south is killing Northern California's 
fisheries. 

Westlands is singled out for particular criticism because of its size and the amount of 
water it receives, but also because the irrigation of its fields produces toxic drain water, 
threatening state waterways. Some critics say much of its acreage should be taken out 
of production. 

So far, about 200 contracts have been approved, and 80 more are pending, 
including Westlands'. About 6 million acre feet of annual water deliveries 
is at stake. 

Farmers who get federal water are generally charged a fraction of the free-market rate. 
Westlands, for example, pays as little as $31 an acre foot for its federal water, 
while the Marin Municipal Water District pays about $500 an acre foot for water 
from the Russian River, and Southern California cities pay $200 an acre foot and up 
for state project water. 

Westlands' current water contract with the Bureau of Reclamation, the federal agency 
that operates the Central Valley Project, runs to 2008. 

Barring unforeseen difficulties, agency officials said, approval of the new contract 
is expected by mid-February. It will run for 25 years, with an option for a 25-year renewal. 

Opponents say the contract does not acknowledge an extreme environmental downside. 
They say Westlands will actually receive significantly more water than before, 
at the expense of Northern California's rivers. 

Because of legislation implemented during the Clinton administration, Westlands annually 
received only a percentage of its quota, depending on the availability of water after 
meeting water quality standards for San Francisco Bay and the delta, said 
Bill Walker, California director of the Environmental Working Group, an advocacy 
organization critical of agricultural subsidies. 

Now, he said, the intention of the new contract appears to be the full delivery of the 
quota. In large degree, Westlands' policies directly reflect the personality of its 
dynamic general manager, Tom Birmingham. 

Birmingham is unapologetic in his defense of the interests of his constituents. 
In particular, he takes deep umbrage at the "demonization" of his district by 
environmentalists. 

"They've become very adept at employing certain words to convey negative images of us," 
Birmingham said during a recent tour of the district. "Words like 'large' and 'corporate.' 
Even our name, Westlands, has somehow been twisted to convey evil. But those images are 
totally at odds with reality." 

Westlands farmers, Birmingham said, have invested heavily in technology to maximize water 
conservation and minimize environmental impacts. He cited several examples: 

-- Computers meticulously control water and fertilizer output through drip irrigation 
lines for thousands of acres. 

-- Satellite images of fields are regularly consulted to precisely determine problem areas, 
resulting in the spot application of pesticides rather than landscape-scale spraying. 

-- Irrigation drain water is collected in tiles and recycled to the fields. 

If Birmingham is Goliath, his David counterpart is Tom Stokley, a natural resources planner 
for Trinity County, 300 miles to the north. Stokley has long claimed that Westlands' 
water demands threaten the once-mighty, now-struggling salmon runs of the 
Klamath and Trinity rivers. 

Trinity River advocates recently won a court battle against Central Valley irrigators, 
resulting in more water releases down the river to benefit fish. But Stokley questions 
whether that is enough, given that most of the river's water still winds up 
irrigating cropland. 

Federal water from the Trinity and Sacramento rivers flows to the delta, where it is pumped 
south. Birmingham said his district uses no Trinity water, noting that Westlands water is 
pumped from the delta to San Luis Reservoir in the winter, when the primary flow is from 
the Sacramento River. That water is held in the reservoir until 
Westlands irrigators need it later in the year. 

But Stokley said the Central Valley Project must be considered as a whole, with all 
water held in a theoretical common pot. 

And by Westlands taking more water from the delta's communal water pot, Stokley said, 
less is available for the fisheries of the Sacramento River and its delta, 
the Trinity River and -- indirectly, because the 
Trinity is a tributary -- the Klamath River. 

"The Trinity River is more than an important salmon stream in its own right," Stokley said. 
"It's the cold water supply for the Klamath and the Sacramento. Without cold water, 
salmon die. 

And it's the essential clean water supply for the delta. By locking up 1.2 million acre 
feet of CVP water a year Westlands diminishes the availability of Trinity water in general." 
The triumph of Big Agriculture is especially bitter to conservationists because it 
follows more than a decade of federal legislative moves designed to divide the state's 
available water in an equitable fashion among farmers, cities and the environment. 

A key landmark was the 1992 federal Central Valley Project Improvement Act, designed to 
end the litigation that had characterized California's water politics for decades. 
The act empowered a joint state and federal agency, CalFed, to embark on an ambitious 
program of environmental restoration in the Central Valley, the delta and San Francisco Bay. 
It also providedfor a significant amount of fresh water to revitalize the beleaguered delta 
and bay. About 800,000 acre feet of water were earmarked for the delta. 

But under the Bush administration, this era of cooperation stuttered, then reversed. 
In 2003, CalFed brokered a deal with state and federal project managers and water 
contractors known as the Napa agreement, providing for greater water exports from 
the delta, where both the state and federal pumps are located. 

Westlands would benefit significantly from the Napa accord in that the agreement 
would assure stable, large-scale water deliveries to the huge district. 

But environmentalists sued to stop the operations plan, claiming the agreement undermines 
the essential intent of the Central Valley Project Improvement Act: 
Increased freshwater flows through the delta and bay. 

Tupper Hull, a spokesman for Westlands, said the district's analysis of the 
Napa agreement's operations plan indicates it will not degrade 
environmental protections. 

"This plan will allow the pumps to shut down when there is a threat to the fish and 
run high when there is no jeopardy," Hull said. This month, a state appeals court 
ruled that CalFed's environmental documentation on its current programs is 
inadequate, because the agency didn't fully consider reducing water exports to 
Southern California. 

A few years ago, Westlands was alienated from the state's urban water districts. 
At that time, it was unclear where the water would come from for environmental restoration, and municipal water districts and environmentalists had established tentative alliances against large Central Valley irrigators. 
Today, the situation is reversed. 

"A couple of years ago, I was at loggerheads with Westlands," said Tim Quinn, 
the vice president for state water project resources for the Metropolitan Water District 
of Southern California. The district serves 18 million customers and consumes about 
1.9 million acre feet of water annually, most of it from the state water project. 

Quinn said Westlands was known for playing hardball in the not-so-distant 
past -- litigating any government agency decision it didn't like, claiming water 
held by other districts. 

"But in recent years, there have been profound changes at Westlands," Quinn said. 
"They've moved to the center." Birmingham, he said, "is showing real skill at pounding 
out centrist solutions." 

Westlands critics say the Metropolitan Water District's turnaround can be explained by 
expedience. The district, they say, is buying water on the open market from 
agricultural districts; the water interests of big farms and big cities are thus 
congruent as never before. 

"The recent trend of ever-increasing water exports south of the delta is basically 
benefiting huge water districts, both agricultural and urban," said Hal Candee, a 
senior attorney for the Natural Resources Defense Council. 
Battered though they may be, environmentalists have not given up the fight. 

The defense council and its allies are expected to sue to block the new Westlands 
contract if, as expected, it is approved. 

Opponents to the contract were heartened by a recent decision issued by U.S. 
District Judge Lawrence Karlton declaring water contract renewals for eastern 
San Joaquin Valley farmers illegal because of possible violations of the 
Endangered Species Act. 

East valley farmers get water from Friant Dam on the San Joaquin River. After the dam 
went up in the 1940s, the San Joaquin essentially dried up, and its once-robust 
salmon runs disappeared. 

"The Friant contracts set a precedent for all other contracts, including Westlands," 
said Candee, who filed the suit for the Natural Resources Defense Council. 

If Birmingham is worried about the upcoming contract, he doesn't show it. Touring his 
district, surveying its lush crops, he projects nothing but confidence. 

"When I took over as manager in 2000, we were getting about 50 percent of our 
allotment from the CVP," he said. "Now we're getting about 75 percent in most years, 
and this year we received 90 percent. 

"Our relationships with the agencies are improving, and our water supplies are 
improving. We're doing what we've always done -- putting our water to 
reasonable and beneficial use as required by our federal contracts, 
and producing crops of incredibly high value." 



--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Westlands Water District 
Size: 600,000 acres. 

Number of farms: 600. 

Number of working farmers: 200 to 2,500, depending on sources. 
Environmentalists claim lower numbers; Westlands staffers stand by the higher figures. 

Crops: Westlands produces more than 60 food and fiber crops, including almonds, 
pistachios, cotton, melons, lettuce and alfalfa. 
It is also an important dairy region. 

Annual gross revenues: About $1 billion. 

Amount of water used: Westlands has a contract with the 
U.S. Bureau of Reclamation for 1.2 million acre feet of water annually. 
It buys extra water ? less than 100,000 acre feet ? from other districts. 

Delivery system: Westlands gets its water from the federal Central Valley Project. 
Water is pumped from the delta to San Luis Reservoir through the Delta-Mendota Canal, 
and from there it is delivered to Westlands through the San Luis and Coalinga canals. 
Water is then delivered to district farmers through 1,034 miles of underground pipe. 

The controversy: Environmentalists claim fisheries and wildlife in San Francisco Bay 
and the delta of the Sacramento and San Joaquin rivers are being hurt by excessive water 
exports to the western San Joaquin Valley, especially Westlands. 


Where Westlands water comes from 

1. Water from north state reservoirs ? Shasta Lake on the upper Sacramento River 
and Trinity Lake on the Trinity River ? is sent southward, down the Sacramento River. 

2. After entering the delta, the water is pumped to San Luis Reservoir 
and from there to Westlands. 

3. The Westlands Water District has a federal contract for about 
1.2 million acre feet of water delivered annually, or about 20 percent of the 
capacity of the Central Valley Project. 

E-mail Glen Martin at glenmartin at sfchronicle.com. 





Richard Pruitt
rickpruitt at earthlink.net
Why Wait? Move to EarthLink.
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From rickpruitt at earthlink.net  Sun Oct 30 01:46:22 2005
From: rickpruitt at earthlink.net (Richard Pruitt)
Date: Sun, 30 Oct 2005 01:46:22 -0800
Subject: [env-trinity] THE DELTA 
Message-ID: <410-220051003094622597@earthlink.net>

THE DELTA 


$2 million project to analyze the diminution of delta smelt 
The sharp drop-off indicates a decline in estuary's health.


Researchers discovered the decline in January. Although they cannot
say exactly how many smelt are in the delta, 
they know that the number of the fish pulled from the 
water -- called an abundance index -- during research 
ventures has reached an all-time low, Swanson said. 

"While several of these declining species ... have shown 
evidence of long- term decline, there appears to have been 
a precipitous 'step-change' to very low abundance during 2002-2004," 
reads a scientific report on the issue. 

Delta smelt are slender fish that typically grow 2 inches 
to 3 inches long. They have a blue sheen and appear 
to be translucent. 

The declining numbers are seen among other once-common pelagic, 
or open water, fish, including the longfin smelt and threadfin shad. 

"(The shad) was the most common fish you'd catch out there," 
Swanson said. Their decline is "extremely large, just a total crash." 

Scientists believe there are several reasons for the decline, 
and experts from more than half a dozen state and federal 
agencies -- including the state and federal Fish and Game departments, 
the Environmental Protection Agency and the 
federal Bureau of Reclamation -- will spend the next several months 
analyzing existing data and gathering new information. 

One suspected factor is the impact of drawing trillions of gallons 
of water from the delta each year to supply Southern California 
and the Central Valley, Swanson said. Changes in when and how 
much water is drawn have had a profound impact on delta wildlife, 
Swanson said. 

Biologists are also concerned about the growth in once-clear 
delta sloughs and channels of nonnative species, including Egeria, 
a fast-growing weed. The weed grows quickly, creating a perfect habitat 
for largemouth bass and other nonnative predators of delta smelt 
and other fish. 

Rising numbers of striped bass and the Asian clam, which compete 
with the smelt and other small fish for food, also have hurt, she said. 

Scientists also believe that increasing herbicide and pesticide runoff 
from upstream farms have polluted the delta. 

"This is a very complex problem, and all of these causes 
are interrelated, " Swanson said. "It is not going to be easy 
to fix this, assuming we continue relying upon the delta for our 
water supply as we do." 



--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Declining count of delta smelt 
State authorities are alarmed by a dramatic drop in the 
number of delta smelt last year. The Smelt 
Abundance Index ? the number of fish pulled from the 
water during research ventures each year ? has dropped below 
the previous lows seen in the 1980s. Because of its sensitivity 
to a number of factors including changes in water flow and 
toxic chemicals, it is considered an indicator of the health of 
theSacramento-San Joaquin River Delta.. 

Breeding season: From late winter to early summer. 
Fast growing, with majority of growth within the 
first 7 to 9 months of life. 

Food: Small organisims called zooplankton 

Life span: 1-2 years 

Status: Threatened 

Size: 2-3 inches, but can reach 5 inches 

Habitat: Brackish waters in the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta 

Odor: Smelt smell like cucumbers. 

Source: California Department of Fish and Game 

The Chronicle 

E-mail Chuck Squatriglia at csquatriglia at sfchronicle.com. 



Richard Pruitt
rickpruitt at earthlink.net
Why Wait? Move to EarthLink.
-------------- next part --------------
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From rickpruitt at earthlink.net  Sun Oct 30 01:55:42 2005
From: rickpruitt at earthlink.net (Richard Pruitt)
Date: Sun, 30 Oct 2005 01:55:42 -0800
Subject: [env-trinity] THE DELTA 
Message-ID: <410-220051003095542331@earthlink.net>

THE DELTA 


$2 million project to analyze the diminution of delta smelt 
The sharp drop-off indicates a decline in estuary's health.


Researchers discovered the decline in January. Although they cannot
say exactly how many smelt are in the delta, 
they know that the number of the fish pulled from the 
water -- called an abundance index -- during research 
ventures has reached an all-time low, Swanson said. 

"While several of these declining species ... have shown 
evidence of long- term decline, there appears to have been 
a precipitous 'step-change' to very low abundance during 2002-2004," 
reads a scientific report on the issue. 

Delta smelt are slender fish that typically grow 2 inches 
to 3 inches long. They have a blue sheen and appear 
to be translucent. 

The declining numbers are seen among other once-common pelagic, 
or open water, fish, including the longfin smelt and threadfin shad. 

"(The shad) was the most common fish you'd catch out there," 
Swanson said. Their decline is "extremely large, just a total crash." 

Scientists believe there are several reasons for the decline, 
and experts from more than half a dozen state and federal 
agencies -- including the state and federal Fish and Game departments, 
the Environmental Protection Agency and the 
federal Bureau of Reclamation -- will spend the next several months 
analyzing existing data and gathering new information. 

One suspected factor is the impact of drawing trillions of gallons 
of water from the delta each year to supply Southern California 
and the Central Valley, Swanson said. Changes in when and how 
much water is drawn have had a profound impact on delta wildlife, 
Swanson said. 

Biologists are also concerned about the growth in once-clear 
delta sloughs and channels of nonnative species, including Egeria, 
a fast-growing weed. The weed grows quickly, creating a perfect habitat 
for largemouth bass and other nonnative predators of delta smelt 
and other fish. 

Rising numbers of striped bass and the Asian clam, which compete 
with the smelt and other small fish for food, also have hurt, she said. 

Scientists also believe that increasing herbicide and pesticide runoff 
from upstream farms have polluted the delta. 

"This is a very complex problem, and all of these causes 
are interrelated, " Swanson said. "It is not going to be easy 
to fix this, assuming we continue relying upon the delta for our 
water supply as we do." 



--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Declining count of delta smelt 
State authorities are alarmed by a dramatic drop in the 
number of delta smelt last year. The Smelt 
Abundance Index ? the number of fish pulled from the 
water during research ventures each year ? has dropped below 
the previous lows seen in the 1980s. Because of its sensitivity 
to a number of factors including changes in water flow and 
toxic chemicals, it is considered an indicator of the health of 
theSacramento-San Joaquin River Delta.. 

Breeding season: From late winter to early summer. 
Fast growing, with majority of growth within the 
first 7 to 9 months of life. 

Food: Small organisims called zooplankton 

Life span: 1-2 years 

Status: Threatened 

Size: 2-3 inches, but can reach 5 inches 

Habitat: Brackish waters in the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta 

Odor: Smelt smell like cucumbers. 

Source: California Department of Fish and Game 

The Chronicle 

E-mail Chuck Squatriglia at csquatriglia at sfchronicle.com. 



Richard Pruitt
rickpruitt at earthlink.net
Why Wait? Move to EarthLink.
-------------- next part --------------
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From rickpruitt at earthlink.net  Sun Oct 30 01:58:02 2005
From: rickpruitt at earthlink.net (Richard Pruitt)
Date: Sun, 30 Oct 2005 01:58:02 -0800
Subject: [env-trinity] THE DELTA 
Message-ID: <410-2200510030958218@earthlink.net>

THE DELTA 


$2 million project to analyze the diminution of delta smelt 
The sharp drop-off indicates a decline in estuary's health.


Researchers discovered the decline in January. Although they cannot
say exactly how many smelt are in the delta, 
they know that the number of the fish pulled from the 
water -- called an abundance index -- during research 
ventures has reached an all-time low, Swanson said. 

"While several of these declining species ... have shown 
evidence of long- term decline, there appears to have been 
a precipitous 'step-change' to very low abundance during 2002-2004," 
reads a scientific report on the issue. 

Delta smelt are slender fish that typically grow 2 inches 
to 3 inches long. They have a blue sheen and appear 
to be translucent. 

The declining numbers are seen among other once-common pelagic, 
or open water, fish, including the longfin smelt and threadfin shad. 

"(The shad) was the most common fish you'd catch out there," 
Swanson said. Their decline is "extremely large, just a total crash." 

Scientists believe there are several reasons for the decline, 
and experts from more than half a dozen state and federal 
agencies -- including the state and federal Fish and Game departments, 
the Environmental Protection Agency and the 
federal Bureau of Reclamation -- will spend the next several months 
analyzing existing data and gathering new information. 

One suspected factor is the impact of drawing trillions of gallons 
of water from the delta each year to supply Southern California 
and the Central Valley, Swanson said. Changes in when and how 
much water is drawn have had a profound impact on delta wildlife, 
Swanson said. 

Biologists are also concerned about the growth in once-clear 
delta sloughs and channels of nonnative species, including Egeria, 
a fast-growing weed. The weed grows quickly, creating a perfect habitat 
for largemouth bass and other nonnative predators of delta smelt 
and other fish. 

Rising numbers of striped bass and the Asian clam, which compete 
with the smelt and other small fish for food, also have hurt, she said. 

Scientists also believe that increasing herbicide and pesticide runoff 
from upstream farms have polluted the delta. 

"This is a very complex problem, and all of these causes 
are interrelated, " Swanson said. "It is not going to be easy 
to fix this, assuming we continue relying upon the delta for our 
water supply as we do." 



--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Declining count of delta smelt 
State authorities are alarmed by a dramatic drop in the 
number of delta smelt last year. The Smelt 
Abundance Index ? the number of fish pulled from the 
water during research ventures each year ? has dropped below 
the previous lows seen in the 1980s. Because of its sensitivity 
to a number of factors including changes in water flow and 
toxic chemicals, it is considered an indicator of the health of 
theSacramento-San Joaquin River Delta.. 

Breeding season: From late winter to early summer. 
Fast growing, with majority of growth within the 
first 7 to 9 months of life. 

Food: Small organisims called zooplankton 

Life span: 1-2 years 

Status: Threatened 

Size: 2-3 inches, but can reach 5 inches 

Habitat: Brackish waters in the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta 

Odor: Smelt smell like cucumbers. 

Source: California Department of Fish and Game 

The Chronicle 

E-mail Chuck Squatriglia at csquatriglia at sfchronicle.com. 



Richard Pruitt
rickpruitt at earthlink.net
Why Wait? Move to EarthLink.
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://www2.dcn.org/pipermail/env-trinity/attachments/20051030/1f6e46f7/attachment.html>

From rickpruitt at earthlink.net  Sun Oct 30 02:00:47 2005
From: rickpruitt at earthlink.net (Richard Pruitt)
Date: Sun, 30 Oct 2005 02:00:47 -0800
Subject: [env-trinity] THE DELTA 
Message-ID: <410-220051003010047800@earthlink.net>

THE DELTA 


$2 million project to analyze the diminution of delta smelt 
The sharp drop-off indicates a decline in estuary's health.


Researchers discovered the decline in January. Although they cannot
say exactly how many smelt are in the delta, 
they know that the number of the fish pulled from the 
water -- called an abundance index -- during research 
ventures has reached an all-time low, Swanson said. 

"While several of these declining species ... have shown 
evidence of long- term decline, there appears to have been 
a precipitous 'step-change' to very low abundance during 2002-2004," 
reads a scientific report on the issue. 

Delta smelt are slender fish that typically grow 2 inches 
to 3 inches long. They have a blue sheen and appear 
to be translucent. 

The declining numbers are seen among other once-common pelagic, 
or open water, fish, including the longfin smelt and threadfin shad. 

"(The shad) was the most common fish you'd catch out there," 
Swanson said. Their decline is "extremely large, just a total crash." 

Scientists believe there are several reasons for the decline, 
and experts from more than half a dozen state and federal 
agencies -- including the state and federal Fish and Game departments, 
the Environmental Protection Agency and the 
federal Bureau of Reclamation -- will spend the next several months 
analyzing existing data and gathering new information. 

One suspected factor is the impact of drawing trillions of gallons 
of water from the delta each year to supply Southern California 
and the Central Valley, Swanson said. Changes in when and how 
much water is drawn have had a profound impact on delta wildlife, 
Swanson said. 

Biologists are also concerned about the growth in once-clear 
delta sloughs and channels of nonnative species, including Egeria, 
a fast-growing weed. The weed grows quickly, creating a perfect habitat 
for largemouth bass and other nonnative predators of delta smelt 
and other fish. 

Rising numbers of striped bass and the Asian clam, which compete 
with the smelt and other small fish for food, also have hurt, she said. 

Scientists also believe that increasing herbicide and pesticide runoff 
from upstream farms have polluted the delta. 

"This is a very complex problem, and all of these causes 
are interrelated, " Swanson said. "It is not going to be easy 
to fix this, assuming we continue relying upon the delta for our 
water supply as we do." 



--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Declining count of delta smelt 
State authorities are alarmed by a dramatic drop in the 
number of delta smelt last year. The Smelt 
Abundance Index ? the number of fish pulled from the 
water during research ventures each year ? has dropped below 
the previous lows seen in the 1980s. Because of its sensitivity 
to a number of factors including changes in water flow and 
toxic chemicals, it is considered an indicator of the health of 
theSacramento-San Joaquin River Delta.. 

Breeding season: From late winter to early summer. 
Fast growing, with majority of growth within the 
first 7 to 9 months of life. 

Food: Small organisims called zooplankton 

Life span: 1-2 years 

Status: Threatened 

Size: 2-3 inches, but can reach 5 inches 

Habitat: Brackish waters in the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta 

Odor: Smelt smell like cucumbers. 

Source: California Department of Fish and Game 

The Chronicle 

E-mail Chuck Squatriglia at csquatriglia at sfchronicle.com. 



Richard Pruitt
rickpruitt at earthlink.net
Why Wait? Move to EarthLink.
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://www2.dcn.org/pipermail/env-trinity/attachments/20051030/87b5c614/attachment.html>

From rickpruitt at earthlink.net  Sun Oct 30 02:06:03 2005
From: rickpruitt at earthlink.net (Richard Pruitt)
Date: Sun, 30 Oct 2005 02:06:03 -0800
Subject: [env-trinity] THE DELTA 
Message-ID: <410-22005100301063784@earthlink.net>

THE DELTA 


$2 million project to analyze the diminution of delta smelt 
The sharp drop-off indicates a decline in estuary's health.


Researchers discovered the decline in January. Although they cannot
say exactly how many smelt are in the delta, 
they know that the number of the fish pulled from the 
water -- called an abundance index -- during research 
ventures has reached an all-time low, Swanson said. 

"While several of these declining species ... have shown 
evidence of long- term decline, there appears to have been 
a precipitous 'step-change' to very low abundance during 2002-2004," 
reads a scientific report on the issue. 

Delta smelt are slender fish that typically grow 2 inches 
to 3 inches long. They have a blue sheen and appear 
to be translucent. 

The declining numbers are seen among other once-common pelagic, 
or open water, fish, including the longfin smelt and threadfin shad. 

"(The shad) was the most common fish you'd catch out there," 
Swanson said. Their decline is "extremely large, just a total crash." 

Scientists believe there are several reasons for the decline, 
and experts from more than half a dozen state and federal 
agencies -- including the state and federal Fish and Game departments, 
the Environmental Protection Agency and the 
federal Bureau of Reclamation -- will spend the next several months 
analyzing existing data and gathering new information. 

One suspected factor is the impact of drawing trillions of gallons 
of water from the delta each year to supply Southern California 
and the Central Valley, Swanson said. Changes in when and how 
much water is drawn have had a profound impact on delta wildlife, 
Swanson said. 

Biologists are also concerned about the growth in once-clear 
delta sloughs and channels of nonnative species, including Egeria, 
a fast-growing weed. The weed grows quickly, creating a perfect habitat 
for largemouth bass and other nonnative predators of delta smelt 
and other fish. 

Rising numbers of striped bass and the Asian clam, which compete 
with the smelt and other small fish for food, also have hurt, she said. 

Scientists also believe that increasing herbicide and pesticide runoff 
from upstream farms have polluted the delta. 

"This is a very complex problem, and all of these causes 
are interrelated, " Swanson said. "It is not going to be easy 
to fix this, assuming we continue relying upon the delta for our 
water supply as we do." 



--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Declining count of delta smelt 
State authorities are alarmed by a dramatic drop in the 
number of delta smelt last year. The Smelt 
Abundance Index ? the number of fish pulled from the 
water during research ventures each year ? has dropped below 
the previous lows seen in the 1980s. Because of its sensitivity 
to a number of factors including changes in water flow and 
toxic chemicals, it is considered an indicator of the health of 
theSacramento-San Joaquin River Delta.. 

Breeding season: From late winter to early summer. 
Fast growing, with majority of growth within the 
first 7 to 9 months of life. 

Food: Small organisims called zooplankton 

Life span: 1-2 years 

Status: Threatened 

Size: 2-3 inches, but can reach 5 inches 

Habitat: Brackish waters in the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta 

Odor: Smelt smell like cucumbers. 

Source: California Department of Fish and Game 

The Chronicle 

E-mail Chuck Squatriglia at csquatriglia at sfchronicle.com. 



Richard Pruitt
rickpruitt at earthlink.net
Why Wait? Move to EarthLink.
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From rickpruitt at earthlink.net  Sun Oct 30 02:10:12 2005
From: rickpruitt at earthlink.net (Richard Pruitt)
Date: Sun, 30 Oct 2005 02:10:12 -0800
Subject: [env-trinity] THE DELTA 
Message-ID: <410-2200510030101012503@earthlink.net>

THE DELTA 


$2 million project to analyze the diminution of delta smelt 
The sharp drop-off indicates a decline in estuary's health.


Researchers discovered the decline in January. Although they cannot
say exactly how many smelt are in the delta, 
they know that the number of the fish pulled from the 
water -- called an abundance index -- during research 
ventures has reached an all-time low, Swanson said. 

"While several of these declining species ... have shown 
evidence of long- term decline, there appears to have been 
a precipitous 'step-change' to very low abundance during 2002-2004," 
reads a scientific report on the issue. 

Delta smelt are slender fish that typically grow 2 inches 
to 3 inches long. They have a blue sheen and appear 
to be translucent. 

The declining numbers are seen among other once-common pelagic, 
or open water, fish, including the longfin smelt and threadfin shad. 

"(The shad) was the most common fish you'd catch out there," 
Swanson said. Their decline is "extremely large, just a total crash." 

Scientists believe there are several reasons for the decline, 
and experts from more than half a dozen state and federal 
agencies -- including the state and federal Fish and Game departments, 
the Environmental Protection Agency and the 
federal Bureau of Reclamation -- will spend the next several months 
analyzing existing data and gathering new information. 

One suspected factor is the impact of drawing trillions of gallons 
of water from the delta each year to supply Southern California 
and the Central Valley, Swanson said. Changes in when and how 
much water is drawn have had a profound impact on delta wildlife, 
Swanson said. 

Biologists are also concerned about the growth in once-clear 
delta sloughs and channels of nonnative species, including Egeria, 
a fast-growing weed. The weed grows quickly, creating a perfect habitat 
for largemouth bass and other nonnative predators of delta smelt 
and other fish. 

Rising numbers of striped bass and the Asian clam, which compete 
with the smelt and other small fish for food, also have hurt, she said. 

Scientists also believe that increasing herbicide and pesticide runoff 
from upstream farms have polluted the delta. 

"This is a very complex problem, and all of these causes 
are interrelated, " Swanson said. "It is not going to be easy 
to fix this, assuming we continue relying upon the delta for our 
water supply as we do." 



--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Declining count of delta smelt 
State authorities are alarmed by a dramatic drop in the 
number of delta smelt last year. The Smelt 
Abundance Index ? the number of fish pulled from the 
water during research ventures each year ? has dropped below 
the previous lows seen in the 1980s. Because of its sensitivity 
to a number of factors including changes in water flow and 
toxic chemicals, it is considered an indicator of the health of 
theSacramento-San Joaquin River Delta.. 

Breeding season: From late winter to early summer. 
Fast growing, with majority of growth within the 
first 7 to 9 months of life. 

Food: Small organisims called zooplankton 

Life span: 1-2 years 

Status: Threatened 

Size: 2-3 inches, but can reach 5 inches 

Habitat: Brackish waters in the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta 

Odor: Smelt smell like cucumbers. 

Source: California Department of Fish and Game 

The Chronicle 

E-mail Chuck Squatriglia at csquatriglia at sfchronicle.com. 



Richard Pruitt
rickpruitt at earthlink.net
Why Wait? Move to EarthLink.
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From rickpruitt at earthlink.net  Sun Oct 30 02:11:00 2005
From: rickpruitt at earthlink.net (Richard Pruitt)
Date: Sun, 30 Oct 2005 02:11:00 -0800
Subject: [env-trinity] THE DELTA 
Message-ID: <410-220051003010110409@earthlink.net>

THE DELTA 


$2 million project to analyze the diminution of delta smelt 
The sharp drop-off indicates a decline in estuary's health.


Researchers discovered the decline in January. Although they cannot
say exactly how many smelt are in the delta, 
they know that the number of the fish pulled from the 
water -- called an abundance index -- during research 
ventures has reached an all-time low, Swanson said. 

"While several of these declining species ... have shown 
evidence of long- term decline, there appears to have been 
a precipitous 'step-change' to very low abundance during 2002-2004," 
reads a scientific report on the issue. 

Delta smelt are slender fish that typically grow 2 inches 
to 3 inches long. They have a blue sheen and appear 
to be translucent. 

The declining numbers are seen among other once-common pelagic, 
or open water, fish, including the longfin smelt and threadfin shad. 

"(The shad) was the most common fish you'd catch out there," 
Swanson said. Their decline is "extremely large, just a total crash." 

Scientists believe there are several reasons for the decline, 
and experts from more than half a dozen state and federal 
agencies -- including the state and federal Fish and Game departments, 
the Environmental Protection Agency and the 
federal Bureau of Reclamation -- will spend the next several months 
analyzing existing data and gathering new information. 

One suspected factor is the impact of drawing trillions of gallons 
of water from the delta each year to supply Southern California 
and the Central Valley, Swanson said. Changes in when and how 
much water is drawn have had a profound impact on delta wildlife, 
Swanson said. 

Biologists are also concerned about the growth in once-clear 
delta sloughs and channels of nonnative species, including Egeria, 
a fast-growing weed. The weed grows quickly, creating a perfect habitat 
for largemouth bass and other nonnative predators of delta smelt 
and other fish. 

Rising numbers of striped bass and the Asian clam, which compete 
with the smelt and other small fish for food, also have hurt, she said. 

Scientists also believe that increasing herbicide and pesticide runoff 
from upstream farms have polluted the delta. 

"This is a very complex problem, and all of these causes 
are interrelated, " Swanson said. "It is not going to be easy 
to fix this, assuming we continue relying upon the delta for our 
water supply as we do." 



--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Declining count of delta smelt 
State authorities are alarmed by a dramatic drop in the 
number of delta smelt last year. The Smelt 
Abundance Index ? the number of fish pulled from the 
water during research ventures each year ? has dropped below 
the previous lows seen in the 1980s. Because of its sensitivity 
to a number of factors including changes in water flow and 
toxic chemicals, it is considered an indicator of the health of 
theSacramento-San Joaquin River Delta.. 

Breeding season: From late winter to early summer. 
Fast growing, with majority of growth within the 
first 7 to 9 months of life. 

Food: Small organisims called zooplankton 

Life span: 1-2 years 

Status: Threatened 

Size: 2-3 inches, but can reach 5 inches 

Habitat: Brackish waters in the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta 

Odor: Smelt smell like cucumbers. 

Source: California Department of Fish and Game 

The Chronicle 

E-mail Chuck Squatriglia at csquatriglia at sfchronicle.com. 



Richard Pruitt
rickpruitt at earthlink.net
Why Wait? Move to EarthLink.
-------------- next part --------------
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From rickpruitt at earthlink.net  Sun Oct 30 02:26:14 2005
From: rickpruitt at earthlink.net (Richard Pruitt)
Date: Sun, 30 Oct 2005 02:26:14 -0800
Subject: [env-trinity] THE DELTA 
Message-ID: <410-2200510030102614893@earthlink.net>

THE DELTA 


$2 million project to analyze the diminution of delta smelt 
The sharp drop-off indicates a decline in estuary's health.


Researchers discovered the decline in January. Although they cannot
say exactly how many smelt are in the delta, 
they know that the number of the fish pulled from the 
water -- called an abundance index -- during research 
ventures has reached an all-time low, Swanson said. 

"While several of these declining species ... have shown 
evidence of long- term decline, there appears to have been 
a precipitous 'step-change' to very low abundance during 2002-2004," 
reads a scientific report on the issue. 

Delta smelt are slender fish that typically grow 2 inches 
to 3 inches long. They have a blue sheen and appear 
to be translucent. 

The declining numbers are seen among other once-common pelagic, 
or open water, fish, including the longfin smelt and threadfin shad. 

"(The shad) was the most common fish you'd catch out there," 
Swanson said. Their decline is "extremely large, just a total crash." 

Scientists believe there are several reasons for the decline, 
and experts from more than half a dozen state and federal 
agencies -- including the state and federal Fish and Game departments, 
the Environmental Protection Agency and the 
federal Bureau of Reclamation -- will spend the next several months 
analyzing existing data and gathering new information. 

One suspected factor is the impact of drawing trillions of gallons 
of water from the delta each year to supply Southern California 
and the Central Valley, Swanson said. Changes in when and how 
much water is drawn have had a profound impact on delta wildlife, 
Swanson said. 

Biologists are also concerned about the growth in once-clear 
delta sloughs and channels of nonnative species, including Egeria, 
a fast-growing weed. The weed grows quickly, creating a perfect habitat 
for largemouth bass and other nonnative predators of delta smelt 
and other fish. 

Rising numbers of striped bass and the Asian clam, which compete 
with the smelt and other small fish for food, also have hurt, she said. 

Scientists also believe that increasing herbicide and pesticide runoff 
from upstream farms have polluted the delta. 

"This is a very complex problem, and all of these causes 
are interrelated, " Swanson said. "It is not going to be easy 
to fix this, assuming we continue relying upon the delta for our 
water supply as we do." 



--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Declining count of delta smelt 
State authorities are alarmed by a dramatic drop in the 
number of delta smelt last year. The Smelt 
Abundance Index ? the number of fish pulled from the 
water during research ventures each year ? has dropped below 
the previous lows seen in the 1980s. Because of its sensitivity 
to a number of factors including changes in water flow and 
toxic chemicals, it is considered an indicator of the health of 
theSacramento-San Joaquin River Delta.. 

Breeding season: From late winter to early summer. 
Fast growing, with majority of growth within the 
first 7 to 9 months of life. 

Food: Small organisims called zooplankton 

Life span: 1-2 years 

Status: Threatened 

Size: 2-3 inches, but can reach 5 inches 

Habitat: Brackish waters in the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta 

Odor: Smelt smell like cucumbers. 

Source: California Department of Fish and Game 

The Chronicle 

E-mail Chuck Squatriglia at csquatriglia at sfchronicle.com. 



Richard Pruitt
rickpruitt at earthlink.net
Why Wait? Move to EarthLink.
-------------- next part --------------
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From rickpruitt at earthlink.net  Sun Oct 30 02:26:54 2005
From: rickpruitt at earthlink.net (Richard Pruitt)
Date: Sun, 30 Oct 2005 02:26:54 -0800
Subject: [env-trinity] THE DELTA 
Message-ID: <410-2200510030102654565@earthlink.net>

THE DELTA 


$2 million project to analyze the diminution of delta smelt 
The sharp drop-off indicates a decline in estuary's health.


Researchers discovered the decline in January. Although they cannot
say exactly how many smelt are in the delta, 
they know that the number of the fish pulled from the 
water -- called an abundance index -- during research 
ventures has reached an all-time low, Swanson said. 

"While several of these declining species ... have shown 
evidence of long- term decline, there appears to have been 
a precipitous 'step-change' to very low abundance during 2002-2004," 
reads a scientific report on the issue. 

Delta smelt are slender fish that typically grow 2 inches 
to 3 inches long. They have a blue sheen and appear 
to be translucent. 

The declining numbers are seen among other once-common pelagic, 
or open water, fish, including the longfin smelt and threadfin shad. 

"(The shad) was the most common fish you'd catch out there," 
Swanson said. Their decline is "extremely large, just a total crash." 

Scientists believe there are several reasons for the decline, 
and experts from more than half a dozen state and federal 
agencies -- including the state and federal Fish and Game departments, 
the Environmental Protection Agency and the 
federal Bureau of Reclamation -- will spend the next several months 
analyzing existing data and gathering new information. 

One suspected factor is the impact of drawing trillions of gallons 
of water from the delta each year to supply Southern California 
and the Central Valley, Swanson said. Changes in when and how 
much water is drawn have had a profound impact on delta wildlife, 
Swanson said. 

Biologists are also concerned about the growth in once-clear 
delta sloughs and channels of nonnative species, including Egeria, 
a fast-growing weed. The weed grows quickly, creating a perfect habitat 
for largemouth bass and other nonnative predators of delta smelt 
and other fish. 

Rising numbers of striped bass and the Asian clam, which compete 
with the smelt and other small fish for food, also have hurt, she said. 

Scientists also believe that increasing herbicide and pesticide runoff 
from upstream farms have polluted the delta. 

"This is a very complex problem, and all of these causes 
are interrelated, " Swanson said. "It is not going to be easy 
to fix this, assuming we continue relying upon the delta for our 
water supply as we do." 



--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Declining count of delta smelt 
State authorities are alarmed by a dramatic drop in the 
number of delta smelt last year. The Smelt 
Abundance Index ? the number of fish pulled from the 
water during research ventures each year ? has dropped below 
the previous lows seen in the 1980s. Because of its sensitivity 
to a number of factors including changes in water flow and 
toxic chemicals, it is considered an indicator of the health of 
theSacramento-San Joaquin River Delta.. 

Breeding season: From late winter to early summer. 
Fast growing, with majority of growth within the 
first 7 to 9 months of life. 

Food: Small organisims called zooplankton 

Life span: 1-2 years 

Status: Threatened 

Size: 2-3 inches, but can reach 5 inches 

Habitat: Brackish waters in the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta 

Odor: Smelt smell like cucumbers. 

Source: California Department of Fish and Game 

The Chronicle 

E-mail Chuck Squatriglia at csquatriglia at sfchronicle.com. 



Richard Pruitt
rickpruitt at earthlink.net
Why Wait? Move to EarthLink.
-------------- next part --------------
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From bwl3 at comcast.net  Mon Oct 31 08:48:10 2005
From: bwl3 at comcast.net (Byron )
Date: Mon, 31 Oct 2005 08:48:10 -0800
Subject: [env-trinity] Bakersfield Californian
Message-ID: <000301c5de3b$11019400$1f9eb545@p4>

Environmental Working Group Response to Westlands' president's Op-ED

 

Westland's Water Subsidies More Corporate Welfare

 

Posted: Friday October 28th, 2005, 10:00 PM Last Updated: Friday October
28th, 2005, 10:00 PM

 

In his recent Community Voices column, the president of Westlands Water
District blasted Environmental Working Group's investigation of the
district's proposed federal water subsidies contract.

 

We agree with Jean Sagouspe on one point: Our agenda -- to price federal
Central Valley Project water more fairly and equitably -- should concern
every taxpayer. But a number of his assertions demand correction:

 

EWG has "a long history of anti-farming activities." Only if that means we
believe water and crop subsidies should go to the family farmers they were
meant to help, not well-off agribusiness corporations. Our investigations
have exposed that the great majority of subsidies go to the biggest and
richest farms, and that these billions in corporate welfare are helping push
small farmers off the land.

 

Making irrigation districts pay more for water would "make California more
dependent on foreign-grown food." Fewer than 10 percent of California
farmers receive federal water subsidies, yet the state is by far the
nation's largest food producer. About one- third of Westlands' acreage is
not in food crops but cotton -- a commodity in such surplus its price had to
be propped up by $1.6 billion in subsidies last year.

 

Under the new contract, Westlands will be entitled to receive exactly the
same amount of water." It is true that the old and new contracts promise
Westlands 1.15 million acre-feet a year. But that is far more than the
state's precipitation and the CVP can reliably provide. New long-term
contracts were an opportunity make contracted amounts conform to reality.

 

Instead, the Bureau of Reclamation has drawn up a detailed schedule showing
how it will deliver the full contract amount by 2030.  Westlands is promised
"full delivery" even though drainage problems could force hundreds of
thousands of acres to be taken out of production.

 

Westlands is made up of "600 family farming operations." There are small
family farms in Westlands. There are also dozens of large, diversified
operations that divide their holdings to get around the law that says farms
larger than 960 acres are ineligible for subsidized water. According to UC
Berkeley farm economist David Sunding, the 10 largest common ownership
groups in Westlands hold one- sixth of the district's 600,000 acres.

 

For example, the Woolf Enterprises empire includes 10 or more companies
controlled by two dozen family members spanning three generations. By our
calculations, Woolf-controlled operations received $3.5 million to $4.2
million in water subsidies in 2002, and about $4 million in federal crop
subsidies from 1995 to 2003. It is a family operation, but so is Ford Motor
Co. Why should this family expect taxpayers to prop up a business model that
depends on artificially low rates for water and artificially high prices for
its products?

 

Sagouspe closes by warning that EWG's "falsehoods and fallacies" hurt the
credibility of the environmental movement. Maybe he should ask whether
Westlands' disingenuous attempts to hide its dependence on corporate welfare
behind the image of the family farmer are hurting the credibility of
California agriculture.

 

(Bill Walker is vice president of the Environmental Working Group, a
nonprofit research organization with offices in Oakland and Washington, D.C.
Community Voices is an expanded commentary that may contain up to 500 words.
The Californian reserves the right to reprint commentaries in all formats,
including on its Web page.)

 

 

Byron Leydecker, 

Chair, Friends of Trinity River

Consultant, California Trout, Inc.

PO Box 2327

Mill Valley, CA 94942-2327

415 383 4810 ph

415 383 9562 fx

bwl3 at comcast.net

bleydecker at stanfordalumni.org (secondary)

http://www.fotr.org

http://caltrout.org

 

 

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From chaitra at infousa.com  Sat Oct 29 03:37:00 2005
From: chaitra at infousa.com (Xavier Mckenzie)
Date: Sat, 29 Oct 2005 04:37:00 -0600
Subject: [env-trinity] Lowest rate approved
Message-ID: <679p673m.8881759@168.150.193.10>

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From bwl3 at comcast.net  Mon Oct 31 11:15:01 2005
From: bwl3 at comcast.net (Byron )
Date: Mon, 31 Oct 2005 11:15:01 -0800
Subject: [env-trinity] Water Commodity Market
Message-ID: <003601c5de4f$8e751e70$1f9eb545@p4>

PUBLIC CITIZEN PRESS RELEASE

 

For Immediate Release:                         

(415) 596-9772 

Oct. 31, 2005                                                    

 

"Water Market" Concept Betrays Public Interest, New Report Shows

 

Commodifying Water is Detrimental to Consumers, California's Environment and
Economy

 

OAKLAND, Calif. * Creating water markets in California, a system that would
allow for open sales of water and water rights and enable water distribution
to be run by the highest bidder, would irreversibly harm consumers and the
state's agricultural system, said Public Citizen today in a new report. The
consumer group called on Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and the California State
Legislature to re-prioritize the state's interest in protecting water as a
public trust. 

 

When water is treated as a commodity rather than a public good, conflict
arises between poorer rural areas and wealthy urban neighborhoods, Public
Citizen has found. Public Citizen's report, Water for People and Place:

Moving Beyond Markets in California Water Policy, shows that the largest
buyers of water in the state are Southern California water agencies and
private development corporations, predominantly located in Southern
California. The purchased water comes from the vast agricultural lands in
the Central Valley and the Imperial Valley, which depend upon imported water
supplies. 

 

While these valleys house the wealthiest agricultural region in the United
States, they are also home to the poorest populations in California, and the
rural communities*cut off from the agricultural canals and aqueducts*have
the highest number of drinking water quality violations.

 

In California, it is likely that the rural areas in the north and the dry
agricultural valleys will be further neglected as water increasingly goes to
nourish Southern California property values and subdivisions built by
developers who can pay more for water than farmers.

 

"Water is not the same as sneaker designs, Hollywood movies or pizza crust;
there are no consumer choices," said John Gibler, author of the report and a
California researcher for Public Citizen. "Everyone needs water to drink and
bathe. Everyone develops thirst equally. In a water market, those with
access to the most capital can decide, by the power of their checkbooks,
whose thirst is most valuable."

 

California houses one of the largest and most complex water infrastructures
in the world. Taxpayers and ratepayers across the state and country paid to
build the many dams, canals, pumping stations and hydroelectric power
stations that make up this system. The movement of water in the state, from
the rainy and less populated north, to the dry agricultural valleys in the
middle and the highly populated cities of the south, depends entirely upon
the publicly funded water projects. With hundreds of dams and thousands of
miles of aqueducts and canals, agribusinesses and Southern California cities
have bloomed beyond imagination, while rural, farm-working communities have
stagnated, left to pull water from aquifers that have been depleted and
contaminated by industrial agriculture.

 

 Water has long been a controversial issue in California as its population
continues to grow and its urban areas explode with growth without any
consideration of water usage or needs, threatening the viability of
agriculture as well as the rural communities that provide the industry's
labor force. Among the biggest proponents of the notion of water marketing
are corporations involved in urban housing development.

 

The California constitution declares that the public owns the water. Over
time, however, changes to state and federal laws have made it possible for
people and businesses with water rights to sell those rights on a temporary,
long-term or permanent basis.  In 1982, the legislature directed California
's Department of Water Resources, the State Board, and "all other
appropriate state agencies to encourage voluntary transfers of water and
water rights." And in 1992, Congress passed the Central Valley Project
Improvement Act (CVPIA), allowing contractors with the federal water project
to sell water to cities or developers outside the project. No such sales of
federal project water have yet taken place, although the CVPIA is credited
with spurring a recent increase in state water sales and trading.

 

 The two largest proposed urban development projects in California*Newhall
Ranch and Tejon Ranch's Centennial*illustrate the longstanding inequities in
land ownership and water subsidies. Both projects are business ventures
pursued by corporations, focused on new urban development outside of any
existing city. Both projects lack a sufficient natural water supply to serve
future residents. And both projects plan to buy rights to drinking water for
future residents from Central Valley agribusinesses or descendents of
old-time land and water magnates.

 

Public Citizen calls on the governor and state legislature to reallocate
water based on need, not price. The report recommends banning all for-profit
water sales between private entities and establishing a statewide task force
to study water use in California to identify urgent drinking water needs in
rural parts of the state as well as wasteful water practices.

 

"Treating water allocation*who gets water and how much*as a business
disempowers communities and environmental advocates by cutting them out of
the decision-making process," said Gibler.

 

To read the report, go to

http://www.citizen.org/documents/Water-for-People_web.pdf.

 

Byron Leydecker, 

Chair, Friends of Trinity River

Consultant, California Trout, Inc.

PO Box 2327

Mill Valley, CA 94942-2327

415 383 4810 ph

415 383 9562 fx

bwl3 at comcast.net

bleydecker at stanfordalumni.org (secondary)

http://www.fotr.org

http://caltrout.org

 

 

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From tstokely at trinityalps.net  Mon Oct 31 11:04:45 2005
From: tstokely at trinityalps.net (tstokely at trinityalps.net)
Date: Mon, 31 Oct 2005 14:04:45 -0500
Subject: [env-trinity] Moderation of env-trinity list server
Message-ID: <380-220051013119445158@M2W060.mail2web.com>

Dear Env-trinity subscribers,

We wanted you to know that as a result of recent multiple postings by a
single individual, we have a temporary emergency moderation set for this
list server.  This means that anybody who wants to post a message on the
list will have to have their message approved by the list managers before
it will go out.  So, it may take a little longer for your postings to show
up.

This is NOT to censor anything, but to avoid multiple and bothersome
postings of things that have already been posted, as happened last week.

We expect to take off the emergey moderation setting soon, but we need to
make sure that bothersome postings won't happen again.  Please accept our
apologies for this necessity, but if you knew how much spam actually gets
sent to this list that we filter out, you'd be glad we have the excellent
spam filters provided by the David Community Network list manager!  

If you have any questions or require assistance, please don't hesitate to
contact me or Joshua Allen (jallen at trinitycounty.org- 530-623-1351, ext
3411), list co-managers.

Sincerely,

Tom Stokely

PLEASE NOTE NEW ADDRESS, PHONE AND FAX

Tom Stokely
Principal Planner
Trinity Co. Planning/Natural Resources
PO Box 2819
190 Glen Rd.
Weaverville, CA 96093-2819
530-623-1351, ext. 3407
FAX 623-1353
tstokely at trinityalps.net or tstokely at trinitycounty.org

--------------------------------------------------------------------
mail2web - Check your email from the web at
http://mail2web.com/ .





From bwl3 at comcast.net  Tue Nov  1 07:53:11 2005
From: bwl3 at comcast.net (Byron )
Date: Tue, 1 Nov 2005 07:53:11 -0800
Subject: [env-trinity] SF Chronicle November 1
Message-ID: <000001c5defc$9048eb70$1f9eb545@p4>

CALIFORNIA 
Toxic runoff disposal could imperil water 
U.S. agency offers 3 options; critics prefer retiring farmland

 <mailto:glenmartin at sfchronicle.com> Glen Martin, Chronicle Environment
Writer

Tuesday, November 1, 2005

 


 
<http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/object/article?f=/c/a/2005/11/01/BAGPUFH6HC1.
DTL&o=0> Drain Pains. Chronicle graphic by Joe Shoulak

*
<http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/c/a/2005/11/01/BAGPUFH6HC1.
DTL&type=printable> Printable Version 

*
<http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/c/a/2005/11/01/BAGPUFH6HC1.
DTL&type=friend&emailcolor=%231E519F&origin=http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/ar
ticle.cgi%3Ff%3D%2Fc%2Fa%2F2005%2F11%2F01%2FBAGPUFH6HC1.DTL> Email This
Article 


 

A pending decision on the disposal of contaminated wastewater produced by
San Joaquin Valley agriculture could have disastrous consequences for Bay
Area drinking water, fisheries and wildlife, officials say. 

The U.S. Bureau of Reclamation, which is expected to make a final decision
next year, has presented three options. One would dump the water into the
delta of the San Joaquin and Sacramento rivers, a source of drinking water
for several East Bay cities. 

A second would pipe it to the ocean near Morro Bay (San Luis Obispo County).
The third would divert it to San Joaquin Valley evaporation ponds that could
harm wildlife. 

The delta alternative is particularly worrisome to Bay Area government
officials. 

"If that alternative is chosen, the pipeline would run close to the canal
that delivers water from the delta to our service facility," said Greg
Gartrell, assistant general manager for the Contra Costa Water District,
which serves several East Bay cities with delta water. 

"If there's a leak in the pipeline, it could contaminate our canal,"
Gartrell said, adding that the proposed drain would dump into Suisun Bay,
possibly near the district's water inlet. The district is also concerned
about the effect of the additional pollution on delta fisheries and
wildlife, he said. 

"Everything considered, we support the (evaporation pond) alternative,"
Gartrell said. 

But none of the options will do what critics say is necessary to solve the
problem once and for all: take 300,000 acres of tainted farmland out of
production. 

Drain water contaminated with selenium has bedeviled farmers in the western
San Joaquin Valley, astride Interstate 5, for decades. When lands in this
area are irrigated, salt, boron and selenium present in the soil dissolve,
then concentrate near the surface. 

Selenium is highly toxic to fish and wildlife and has been implicated in
both fishery declines and the deaths of thousands of shorebirds and
waterfowl. 

Crops can grow in the presence of selenium, but not boron or salt. So the
soils must be flushed with additional water to remove the minerals. To stay
in business, farmers must then dispose of this drain water -- a dilemma for
which there is no easy solution. 

The problem is especially difficult for the Westlands Water District, at
600,000 acres the largest irrigation district in the country. Some of its
tracts are so waterlogged with drain water that the district has retired
about 40,000 acres of land from production. 

The evaporation pond alternative would involve some retirement of
agricultural land from irrigation. 

But Tom Stokely, a natural resources planner, is convinced there's only one
sound solution: Stop irrigating land rich in selenium. Stokely estimates
that retiring about 300,000 acres of land would solve the problem. Most or
all of the retired land would come from Westlands, which accounts for most
of the cropland in the west valley. 

As a planner for Trinity County, Stokely is concerned about the state's
water systems sending so much water from the Trinity and Klamath rivers to
Southern California that the rivers' salmon fisheries are endangered. 

An equitable drain solution, he said, is critical to the general issue of
water in California. Retiring west valley land, he said, would not only
eliminate the need for an expensive drain system, but would free large
amounts of water for cities and the environment. 

Stokely's contentions are shared by many environmental and fisheries
advocacy organizations, including the Natural Resources Defense Council, the
Pacific Coast Federation of Fishermen's Associations and the Environmental
Working Group. 

But the manager of Westlands, Tom Birmingham, said the district's farmers
could not sustain the economic hit that would result from retiring roughly
half their cropland. 

"We are meeting the terms of our federal contracts -- putting our water to
reasonable and prudent use," Birmingham said. Under the original terms of
the federal project that delivers water to Westlands, "the bureau is
required to provide a solution to the drain water issue." 

Birmingham said his district had made tremendous strides in reducing the
volume of drain water by using water more efficiently. 

Heavy investment in new irrigation and crop monitoring technology, he said,
has greatly increased the district's water efficiency -- so that more than
90 percent of the water applied to fields is used by crop plants and less
than 10 percent ends up as drain water. 

That still adds up to millions of gallons of drain water annually.
Birmingham acknowledged that a long-term solution to the problem must be
found if thousands of acres of west-side land were to remain productive. 

"We don't have a preferred alternative at this point," he said. "From an
engineering standpoint, a drain to the ocean makes the most sense, but it is
unlikely for political reasons. 

"We do intend to work with the bureau for a solution that is permanent, cost
effective and environmentally sound." 

Stokely said all of the options presented by the Bureau of Reclamation put
the environmental and economic onus on the public. 

"All of the alternatives involve huge environmental downsides," he said.
"Disposal in the delta would affect fisheries and birds and could affect
drinking water quality for East Bay cities. You'd have similar environmental
impacts for coastal disposal." 

Evaporation ponds, he said, would result in a reprise of the Kesterson
National Wildlife Refuge debacle of the 1980s. 

That event occurred when selenium-contaminated drain water from San Joaquin
Valley fields was used to flood the refuge's marshes and ponds. Thousands of
waterfowl and shorebirds died from selenium poisoning. The San Luis drain,
the partially completed pipeline that transported the contaminated water
from the fields, was closed. 

Since then, west valley farmers have been allowed to reopen part of the San
Luis drain to eke out a portion of their wastewater to the San Joaquin
River. 

In the early 1990s, farmers sued federal regulators to provide a long-term
solution to the problem, such as completion of the San Luis drain to the
delta. 

In 1995, a federal judge ruled that the Bureau of Reclamation had to file
for state permits to complete the San Luis drain, and in 2000, the U.S.
Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit agreed that the agency must provide
some kind of wastewater solution. In response to the court's decision, the
bureau presented its alternatives. 

In March, Stokely made a presentation to the State Water Resources Control
Board to promote land retirement over a completed drain. He emphasized that
the board's own reports identified west-side irrigation as the primary cause
of the salt pollution problem that plagues San Joaquin Valley croplands. 

Stokely planned to make the same pitch to the Siskiyou County Board of
Supervisors, which is concerned with declining salmon populations on the
Klamath River. The Trinity is a Klamath tributary and the basic source of
cold water for the Klamath. 

But before Stokely could make his pitch, he got a call from Birmingham,
Westlands manager. Birmingham threatened Trinity County with lawsuits unless
Stokely toned down his rhetoric, Stokely said. 

Birmingham said he was puzzled by Stokely's allegations. 

"I never told him or anyone else they shouldn't be involved in these issues.
... I did ask of his interest, and said I wanted to sit down and talk things
over. And I did express deep concerns about his rhetoric." 

  _____  

Drain pains 

The U.S. Bureau of Reclamation is looking at three alternatives for
completing the San Luis drain, which would dispose of selenium-tainted
agricultural wastewater from the western San Joaquin Valley: 

1 Drainage to the Sacramento River-San Joaquin River Delta: 

Disposal would be either near Chipps Island off Antioch or near the
Carquinez Bridge. Concerns include threats to drinking water, fisheries and
wildlife. 

2 Drainage to the ocean: 

A pipeline traversing the Coast Range would end in Morro Bay (San Luis
Obispo County.) Advocates say the open sea would provide ample room for
diluting the effluent to safe levels, but environmentalists say fish and
birds could still be affected. 

3 The in-valley solution: 

This approach would consist of a combination of retired agricultural lands
and evaporation ponds. After the drain water evaporates in the ponds, the
remaining solids would be disposed of in approved landfills.
Environmentalists favor complete reliance on land retirement, arguing that
evaporation ponds, no matter how configured, would poison birds. 

Source: ESRI, TeleAtlas, USGS, U.S. Dept. of Interior 

 

 

 

Byron Leydecker, 

Chair, Friends of Trinity River

Consultant, California Trout, Inc.

PO Box 2327

Mill Valley, CA 94942-2327

415 383 4810 ph

415 383 9562 fx

bwl3 at comcast.net

bleydecker at stanfordalumni.org (secondary)

http://www.fotr.org

http://caltrout.org

 

 

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From bwl3 at comcast.net  Tue Nov  1 09:07:46 2005
From: bwl3 at comcast.net (Byron )
Date: Tue, 1 Nov 2005 09:07:46 -0800
Subject: [env-trinity] SF Chronicle Enlarged Map of Proposed Drains
Message-ID: <000f01c5df06$ce37fa20$1f9eb545@p4>

 



 <http://www.sfgate.com/> SF Gate Home Page
  <http://www.sfgate.com/gallery/> Photo Gallery 
 
<http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2005/11/01/BAGPUFH6HC1.DTL
> Full Story 







 
<http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2005/11/01/BAGPUFH6HC1.DTL
> CALIFORNIA / Toxic runoff disposal could imperil water / U.S. agency
offers 3 options; critics prefer retiring farmland
Drain Pains. Chronicle graphic by Joe Shoulak 


 











 

 

 

Byron Leydecker, 

Chair, Friends of Trinity River

Consultant, California Trout, Inc.

PO Box 2327

Mill Valley, CA 94942-2327

415 383 4810 ph

415 383 9562 fx

bwl3 at comcast.net

bleydecker at stanfordalumni.org (secondary)

http://www.fotr.org

http://caltrout.org

 

 

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From bwl3 at comcast.net  Thu Nov 10 15:14:32 2005
From: bwl3 at comcast.net (Byron )
Date: Thu, 10 Nov 2005 15:14:32 -0800
Subject: [env-trinity] Trinity Floodplain Modification Appropriation
Message-ID: <00a901c5e64c$837c94d0$1f9eb545@p4>

The House and Senate conference committee has approved legislation that
includes a $500,000 appropriation this year for Trinity River floodplain
modifications to accommodate flows in wet and extremely wet water years.
These modifications are key to re-establishing this alluvial river and a
restored fishery population.

 

This appropriation was the result of efforts by Congressmen George Miller
and Mike Thompson and by Senator Barbara Boxer.  We enlisted and initiated
their support.  

 

The full cost of these modifications is about $6 million.  However, the
Energy and Water legislation had passed the full House and the Senate
Committee before our effort was started so it was added in the House/Senate
conference committee.  Hopefully, next year we will be able to obtain the
balance of funds needed to accomplish floodplain modifications.  These
modifications ultimately are critical if the Trinity River is to be
restored.

 

 

Byron Leydecker, 

Chair, Friends of Trinity River

Consultant, California Trout, Inc.

PO Box 2327

Mill Valley, CA 94942-2327

415 383 4810 ph

415 383 9562 fx

bwl3 at comcast.net

bleydecker at stanfordalumni.org (secondary)

http://www.fotr.org

http://caltrout.org

 

 

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From Gfredlee at aol.com  Fri Nov 11 12:18:11 2005
From: Gfredlee at aol.com (Gfredlee at aol.com)
Date: Fri, 11 Nov 2005 15:18:11 EST
Subject: [env-trinity] Stormwater Runoff Water Quality Newsletter
Message-ID: <c8.6bf9b682.30a65683@aol.com>

 
Attached in Adobe pdf is the Stormwater Runoff  Water Quality Newsletter 
Volume NL 8-6.  This Newsletter is devoted to providing additional information on 
the  regulation of pesticides which, in stormwater runoff from urban and  
agricultural areas, cause aquatic life toxicity. 
If you do not have Adobe Reader 6.0 on your  computer, you may wish to 
download it at no cost from www.adobe.com.   
This Newsletter is in its eighth year of  publication.  Past issues of this  
Newsletter and a Newsletter index are available at www.gfredlee.com. 
If you have questions or comments on this or  past Newsletters please contact 
Dr. Anne Jones-Lee at gfredlee at aol.com.   
If you do not wish to receive future issues of the  Newsletter or if you are 
receiving duplicate copies of it, please send a ?reply?  with the word ?
remove.?  In your response please include the  email address that you wish to have 
removed.  If there are others who wish to be added  to the Newsletter email 
list please have them send an email to  gfredlee at aol.com. 
G. Fred Lee, PhD, PE, DEE
 
G. Fred Lee,  PhD, DEE, AAEE Bd. Cert. Env. Eng.
G. Fred Lee & Associates
27298 E.  El Macero Dr.
El Macero, CA 95618-1005
Ph 530 753-9630, Fx 530  753-9956
Cell 916 712-7399 
gfredlee at aol.com,  
www.gfredlee.com

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From bwl3 at comcast.net  Fri Nov 11 14:17:24 2005
From: bwl3 at comcast.net (Byron )
Date: Fri, 11 Nov 2005 14:17:24 -0800
Subject: [env-trinity] Watershed Grants - Eureka Times Standard
Message-ID: <005201c5e70d$b36f3cd0$1f9eb545@p4>

Nov 11, 2005 
The Times-Standard 
Eureka Times Standard 

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has granted the Yurok Tribe and
Trinity County $835,000 to protect and restore the Trinity and lower Klamath
rivers. 

The grant is one of 12 in a $9 million package from the Targeted Watersheds
Grant Program. The program aims to get on-the-ground work done following
completed watershed assessments. 

The money will be spent in part on Terwer Creek on the lower Klamath. The
Yurok Tribe will decommission 1.1 miles of road, rehabilitate 18 hillside
areas, stabilize1,000 feet of stream bank and plant 800 trees. 

Other money will go to Trinity County for work on Indian Creek on the
Trinity River to clear vegetation, remove sediment, reshape the river
channel and revegetate areas so more water can be allowed to flow from
Trinity Dam. 

In Hidden Valley on the South Fork Trinity River, the Trinity County
Resource Conservation District will take out 5 miles of roads and remove
sediment. 

The projects are part of ongoing partnerships including the 2000 plan to
restore the Trinity River. Another $3 million is going into the projects
from both public and private sources. 

 

Byron Leydecker, 

Chair, Friends of Trinity River

Consultant, California Trout, Inc.

PO Box 2327

Mill Valley, CA 94942-2327

415 383 4810 ph

415 383 9562 fx

bwl3 at comcast.net

bleydecker at stanfordalumni.org (secondary)

http://www.fotr.org

http://caltrout.org

 

 

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From tstokely at trinityalps.net  Sat Nov 12 09:03:29 2005
From: tstokely at trinityalps.net (Tom Stokely)
Date: Sat, 12 Nov 2005 09:03:29 -0800
Subject: [env-trinity] Eureka Reporter- Congress approves $5.64 million for
	water projects
Message-ID: <016301c5e7ab$022dff80$d8653940@trinitycounty.org>

http://www.eurekareporter.com/ArticleDisplay.aspx?ArticleID=5656

            Congress approves $5.64 million for water projects 
            11/11/2005 
              
            U.S. Rep. Mike Thompson (D-Napa) was able to secure $5.64 million for Humboldt County water projects in the federal government's energy and water spending bill for 2006, which was approved by Congress this week. 

            Restoration funds totalling $500,000 will go toward the Trinity River flood plain and $450,000 will be allocated to the Salt River restoration project. Both of these projects will significantly benefit salmon populations along the North Coast. 

            Thompson worked with Rep. George Miller (D-Martinez) and California senators Dianne Feinstein and Barbara Boxer to secure the funding in order to expedite the restoration of the Trinity River flood plain. "I would like to thank my colleagues for their dedication to restoring California's salmon habitats," Thompson said. "We must make every effort to aid in the restoration of these important species."

            Thompson also noted the importance of maintaining Humboldt Bay to ensure the safety of both vessels and passengers. The spending bill also included $4.562 million for operations and maintenance dredging of the bay, as well as $125,000 for a Long-Term Shoal Management Study. 

            The House of Representatives passed the FY2006 Energy and Water Appropriations Act Conference Report this week. The Senate is expected to pass it before the end of the week and the president will sign it shortly thereafter. 

           
      


     
        
      Copyright (C) 2005, The Eureka Reporter. All rights reserved.  
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From emelia at trailofwater.com  Sat Nov 12 10:04:25 2005
From: emelia at trailofwater.com (Emelia Berol)
Date: Sat, 12 Nov 2005 10:04:25 -0800
Subject: [env-trinity] Eureka Reporter- Congress approves $5.64 million
	for water projects
In-Reply-To: <016301c5e7ab$022dff80$d8653940@trinitycounty.org>
References: <016301c5e7ab$022dff80$d8653940@trinitycounty.org>
Message-ID: <31054F86-DDA9-4D5B-AEE7-8BBB5C999DF7@trailofwater.com>

I do not mean to be a crab, I am happy that these funds were secured  
for water projects, but:
the main reason they need so much of the money for dredging Humboldt  
Bay is because of all the sediment runoff from logging in the various  
coastal watersheds that run into the bay, and primarily from Pacific  
Lumber Company's holdings. What a shame that so much of the money has  
to go to that ... MAXXAM should be forced to pay for those extraneous  
costs so that they do not come out of the pocket of more meaningful  
restoration work.

Emelia



On Nov 12, 2005, at 9:03 AM, Tom Stokely wrote:

> http://www.eurekareporter.com/ArticleDisplay.aspx?ArticleID=5656
>
> Congress approves $5.64 million for water projects
> 11/11/2005
>
> U.S. Rep. Mike Thompson (D-Napa) was able to secure $5.64 million  
> for Humboldt County water projects in the federal government?s  
> energy and water spending bill for 2006, which was approved by  
> Congress this week.
>
> Restoration funds totalling $500,000 will go toward the Trinity  
> River flood plain and $450,000 will be allocated to the Salt River  
> restoration project. Both of these projects will significantly  
> benefit salmon populations along the North Coast.
>
> Thompson worked with Rep. George Miller (D-Martinez) and California  
> senators Dianne Feinstein and Barbara Boxer to secure the funding  
> in order to expedite the restoration of the Trinity River flood  
> plain. ?I would like to thank my colleagues for their dedication to  
> restoring California?s salmon habitats,? Thompson said. ?We must  
> make every effort to aid in the restoration of these important  
> species.?
>
> Thompson also noted the importance of maintaining Humboldt Bay to  
> ensure the safety of both vessels and passengers. The spending bill  
> also included $4.562 million for operations and maintenance  
> dredging of the bay, as well as $125,000 for a Long-Term Shoal  
> Management Study.
>
> The House of Representatives passed the FY2006 Energy and Water  
> Appropriations Act Conference Report this week. The Senate is  
> expected to pass it before the end of the week and the president  
> will sign it shortly thereafter.
>
>
>
>
>
>
> Copyright (C) 2005, The Eureka Reporter. All rights reserved.
> _______________________________________________
> env-trinity mailing list
> env-trinity at mailman.dcn.org
> http://www2.dcn.org/mailman/listinfo/env-trinity
>

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From jallen at trinitycounty.org  Mon Nov 14 09:17:29 2005
From: jallen at trinitycounty.org (Josh Allen)
Date: Mon, 14 Nov 2005 09:17:29 -0800
Subject: [env-trinity] Watershed Grants - Eureka Times Standard
Message-ID: <099F81D877F1044DA24BA95E0CE09263014976CD@mail2.trinitycounty.org>

Hi All,

 

I am very excited to hear about the Yuroks, the County, & the RCD being
granted funding from the EPA. This is an excellent opportunity for us to
work together and get a lot of work done all over in the watershed for
the restoration of the river. 

 

Specifically, this grant will fund $250,000 to the County to help with
floodplain restoration in the Indian Creek Project area with the Trinity
River Restoration Project, which is set to begin sometime next year.  

 

I am personally pleased to hear that this grant was awarded. This grant
represents my first achievement in bring in extra funding on behalf of
the County for restoration work on the river, and I look forward to
bring in more funding in the future. 

 

I would like to thank the Yurok Tribe for this opportunity to apply for
the grant with them and nominating the Trinity River for funding through
the EPA Watershed Grant Program. I would also like to thank all of the
staff that worked on this grant proposal with me from the Yurok Tribe &
the RCD, and especially Dave Hillemeier for going the extra mile to make
sure that our combined proposal was complete, accurate, and on time.  

 

Cheers!

 

Joshua Allen

Assistant Planner

Trinity County Planning Department

Natural Resources Division

PO Box 2819

Weaverville, CA 96093

(530)623-1351 ext. 3411

(530)623-1358 fax

jallen at trinitycounty.org <mailto:jallen at trinitycounty.org> 

jwa7 at humboldt.edu <mailto:jwa7 at humboldt.edu>  (secondary)

 

  _____  

From: env-trinity-bounces at velocipede.dcn.davis.ca.us
[mailto:env-trinity-bounces at velocipede.dcn.davis.ca.us] On Behalf Of
Byron 
Sent: Friday, November 11, 2005 2:17 PM
To: FOTR List; Trinity List Server
Subject: [env-trinity] Watershed Grants - Eureka Times Standard

 

Nov 11, 2005 
The Times-Standard 
Eureka Times Standard 

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has granted the Yurok Tribe and
Trinity County $835,000 to protect and restore the Trinity and lower
Klamath rivers. 

The grant is one of 12 in a $9 million package from the Targeted
Watersheds Grant Program. The program aims to get on-the-ground work
done following completed watershed assessments. 

The money will be spent in part on Terwer Creek on the lower Klamath.
The Yurok Tribe will decommission 1.1 miles of road, rehabilitate 18
hillside areas, stabilize1,000 feet of stream bank and plant 800 trees. 

Other money will go to Trinity County for work on Indian Creek on the
Trinity River to clear vegetation, remove sediment, reshape the river
channel and revegetate areas so more water can be allowed to flow from
Trinity Dam. 

In Hidden Valley on the South Fork Trinity River, the Trinity County
Resource Conservation District will take out 5 miles of roads and remove
sediment. 

The projects are part of ongoing partnerships including the 2000 plan to
restore the Trinity River. Another $3 million is going into the projects
from both public and private sources. 

 

Byron Leydecker, 

Chair, Friends of Trinity River

Consultant, California Trout, Inc.

PO Box 2327

Mill Valley, CA 94942-2327

415 383 4810 ph

415 383 9562 fx

bwl3 at comcast.net

bleydecker at stanfordalumni.org (secondary)

http://www.fotr.org

http://caltrout.org

 

 

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From wjcarl1 at charter.net  Mon Nov 14 11:29:54 2005
From: wjcarl1 at charter.net (Warren Carlson)
Date: Mon, 14 Nov 2005 11:29:54 -0800
Subject: [env-trinity] [Fwd: [Directors] Fwd: Action: Support Endangered
	Species Day!]
Message-ID: <4378E5B2.9070009@charter.net>

Folks, Please pass this on to your groups... Warren Carlson










Everyone, here is a chance to acknowledge the importance of the 
Endangered Species Act, and to let the Senate know if you support the 
results and intent of the Act.  Senator Feinstein is sponsoring the 
Endangered Species Day Resolution, (senate resolution 219), and if you 
are in support of have a day to recognize the ESA, please call Senators 
Boxer and Feinstein to voice your support.  You can also e-mail to:  
senatorboxer at boxer.senate.gov <mailto:senatorboxer at boxer.senate.gov>, 
senatorfeinstein at feinstein.senate.gov 
<mailto:senatorfeinstein at feinstein.senate.gov>
 
This resolution is a simple one, and is only proposed to have public 
recognition for a law which is supported by over 80% of Americans.  This 
is much like "Earth Day", in that is an opportunity to recognize and 
reflect upon our wonderful environment, and the joy it provides on a 
daily basis.  Without the multitude of species, it would be a lonely 
place to live.
 
Thanks,
 
 
 
Dr. C. Mark Rockwell, D.C.
V.P. Conservation, Northern California Council,
Federation of Fly Fishers
19737 Wildwood West Dr.
Penn Valley, Ca. 95946
530 432-9198
vpconservation at nccfff.or
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From: "Endangered Species Coalition" <esc at stopextinction.org>
Subject: Action: Support Endangered Species Day!
Date: Thu, 10 Nov 2005 10:29:40 -0800
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From bwl3 at comcast.net  Thu Nov 17 14:50:21 2005
From: bwl3 at comcast.net (Byron )
Date: Thu, 17 Nov 2005 14:50:21 -0800
Subject: [env-trinity] FW: Our fight to save endangered trout and salmon
	continues
Message-ID: <003201c5ebc9$4a6f2900$1f9eb545@p4>

 

 

  _____  

From: Brian Stranko, CalTrout Executive Director [mailto:info at caltrout.org] 
Sent: Thursday, November 17, 2005 2:09 PM
To: Byron Leydecker
Subject: Our fight to save endangered trout and salmon continues

 




 <http://www.caltrout.org> 

 



Dear Byron,

California Trout has launched a new online advocacy program to enable
anglers, sportsmen, and other concerned Americans to weigh in on key issues
that affect wild trout, steelhead, and their waters throughout California.

We are actively working to defeat the Pombo bill, which would do lasting
damage to the Endangered Species Act.  I hope you'll help us build a
groundswell of grassroots opposition to this dangerous measure by forwarding
the message below to your friends, posting it in discussion groups and blogs
you participate in, and generally helping us spread the word about H.R.
3824.

Thanks so much for your help!

Brian Stranko
Executive Director
California Trout

  _____  

No news isn't always good news.

In the case of H.R. 3824, Chairman Richard Pombo's bill that would gut many
critical provisions of the landmark Endangered Species Act, the legislation
is now pending in the United States Senate after narrowly passing the House
of Representatives.  

So far, this terrible bill hasn't emerged from committee to reach the Senate
floor for a vote -- but we've got to keep the pressure on to make sure that
never happens.  

Forward a message to your Senators today, urging them to
<http://ga3.org/campaign/endangeredspecies_senate?source=nov17>  oppose H.R.
3824!

As you may remember from some previous messages on this subject, the
Endangered Species Act is vital in maintaining the river and ocean habitats
upon which California fisheries depend.  As Californians, we care about
protecting wildlife and wild places in our state and across America for our
children and our grandchildren to enjoy.  

But if this terrible legislation is signed into law, H.R. 3824 would allow
more pesticide runoff into salmon streams, require payoffs to developers,
and make voluntary many habitat protections for the 270 threatened and
endangered wildlife species in California, including salmon and trout.

That's why we've got do everything we can -- now -- to make sure the Pombo
bill never sees the light of day on the floor of the United States Senate.

Urge your Senators to reject H.R. 3824 -- and work
<http://ga3.org/campaign/endangeredspecies_senate?source=nov17>  actively to
defeat it!

We're lucky, so far, that the Senate hasn't moved H.R. 3824 forward.  But we
can't take anything for granted.

We've got to keep the pressure on, and let our Senators know that we're
watching their actions, to make sure the Pombo bill is defeated in the
Senate.

There's too much at stake to let down now.

Please forward an email to your Senators
<http://ga3.org/campaign/endangeredspecies_senate?source=nov17>  -- and then
invite 5 friends to join our cause.
<http://ga3.org/campaign/endangeredspecies_senate/forward?source=nov17> 

Sincerely,

Brian Stranko
Executive Director
California Trout

P.S.  After you've forwarded your own email
<http://ga3.org/campaign/endangeredspecies_senate/wki57wur45tkj6i?>  to your
U.S. Senators, I urge you to invite 5 friends to join our cause
<http://ga3.org/campaign/endangeredspecies_senate/forward?source=nov17> .
Help us build a groundswell of grassroots opposition to the Pombo bill!

 


  _____  

 


Invite your friends and family to protect endangered species today! 
 <http://ga3.org/join-forward.html?domain=caltrout&r=6dAZpuF1Kmco>
Tell-a-friend!

 


If you received this message from a friend, you can sign up for
<http://ga3.org/caltrout/join.html?r=6dAZpuF1KmcoE>  California Trout. 

 


This message was sent to bwl3 at comcast.net. Visit your subscription
<http://ga3.org/caltrout/smp.tcl?nkey=wki57wur45tkj6i&>  management page to
modify your email communication preferences or update your personal profile.
To stop ALL email from California Trout, click to remove
<http://ga3.org/caltrout/remove-domain-direct.tcl?ctx=center&nkey=wki57wur45
tkj6i&>  yourself from our lists (or reply via email with "remove" in the
subject line). 

 


 <http://www.getactive.com> 

  <http://ga3.org/nlor/wki57wur45tkj6i> 

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From truman at jeffnet.org  Sun Nov 20 15:39:05 2005
From: truman at jeffnet.org (Patrick Truman)
Date: Sun, 20 Nov 2005 15:39:05 -0800
Subject: [env-trinity] Mining Law Change
Message-ID: <006801c5ee2b$9f203660$ec5df604@HAL>

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/c/a/2005/11/20/MNGT3FRC7H1.DTL




--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Mining law change key to buying of public land 
Private claim can be filed, expanded -- ban lifted on passing it into full ownership
Kirk Johnson, Felicity Barringer, New York Times

Sunday, November 20, 2005

       
        a.. Printable Version 
        b.. Email This Article 
     
              
              
              Disclaimer 
              
     


Denver -- Private companies and individuals would be able to buy large tracts of federal land, from sagebrush basins to high-peak hiking trails around the West, under the terms of the spending bill passed Friday by a two-vote margin in the House of Representatives. 

On the surface, the bill reads like the mundane nip and tuck of federal mining law its authors say it is. But lawyers who have parsed its language say the real beneficiaries could be real estate developers, whose business has become a more potent economic engine in the West than mining. 

As the law is now, a mining claim is the vehicle that allows for the extraction of what are called hard-rock metals, such as gold or silver. 

Under the House bill passed Friday, for the first time in the history of the 133-year-old mining law, individuals or companies can file and expand claims even if the land at the heart of a claim has already been stripped of its minerals or could never support a profitable mine. The measure would also lift an 11-year moratorium on the passing of claims into full ownership. 

The provisions, sponsored by Rep. Richard Pombo, R-Tracy, have struck fear through the West from the resort areas of the Rockies such as Aspen and Vail in Colorado and Park City in Utah, which are all laced with old mining claims. Critics say it could open the door for developers to use the claims to assemble large land parcels for projects such as houses, hotels, ski resorts, spas or retirement communities. 

Some experts on public land use say there is a possibility that energy companies could use the provision to buy land in the energy-rich fields of Wyoming and Montana on the pretext of mining, but then drill for oil and gas. 

"They are called mining claims, but you can locate them where there are no minerals," said John Leshy, who was the Interior Department's senior lawyer during the Clinton administration. Leshy said the legislation "doesn't have much to do with mining at all. It has to do with real estate transfer for economic development." 

Supporters of the bill, including Rep. Jim Gibbons, R-Nev., argue that critics such as Leshy are missing the point of the legislation, and that allowing more mine-claim lands to be purchased would be an economic boon to rural communities that often struggle in the boom and bust cycle of mining. 

"Not only is this rhetoric false, it is an affront to the rural American families whose livelihoods depend on sustained economic development," Gibbons said in a written statement. 

Debate over the bill, with its echoes of the West's old and thorny relationship with mining, has created some strange bedfellows. In Montana, hunting and fishing groups have rallied to fight the measure, fearing that it could reduce public access to treasured trout streams. The Jewelers of America, a trade group for retailers, has denounced it as well, fearing a backlash by consumers. 

In Colorado, one question centers on the "fourteeners," as the state's string of 14,000-foot peaks is known. Public access to three of the peaks about two hours from Denver was closed this summer by owners of mining claims who -- unbeknownst to most hikers -- control sections of popular trails to the summits. Hiking groups are concerned that if those sections can be expanded by the owners, many more mountain areas could be closed. 

Many major environmental groups seemed to be distracted during the buildup to Friday's vote, though some, like the Wilderness Society and Earthworks, lobbied heavily against the changes in the mining law. 

But with limited political capital to spend, many of the groups concentrated this fall on getting Republican support for eliminating from the House version of the spending bill those provisions that would have opened the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, known as ANWR, to energy exploration. 

The Sierra Club and other lobbying groups were successful in that battle and on another provision that would have allowed new offshore drilling. But their credit was apparently used up when the mining provisions arose. 

"You got 22 Republicans to fall on their swords on ANWR," said Richard Hoppe, the communications director of the Izaak Walton League of America, a fishermen's group. "Those 22 are unlikely to fall on their swords for mining." 

Gauging the impact of the bill -- and the volume of transfers that may occur -- is a complete guess, most land experts say. In some cases, lawyers say the language now in the bill, which probably will be altered by a House-Senate conference committee, is vague and would almost certainly lead to court challenges. 

Environmental groups, looking to the database of mining claims created by their colleagues at the Environmental Working Group, say private owners could gain title to 5.7 million acres of federal forests, rocky promontories and grasslands. 

The bill's supporters put the number at a minimum of 360,000 acres, but do not include in that figure claims that expand the boundaries of current private holdings. 

Leshy, the former Interior Department lawyer, and other experts say that perhaps 300 million acres of public land -- almost all of it in the West -- remains open to the filing of mining claims. The House bill appears to specifically exempt any new mining in national parks and wilderness areas from conversion of claims into ownership, but other land experts say the issue is less certain because of language elsewhere in the bill that says claimants with "valid existing rights" may now be able to exercise those rights to patent their claims. 

"What does 'subject to valid existing rights' mean?" asked Mat Millenbach, who oversaw public lands in Montana as the director of the Federal Bureau of Land Management until he retired in 2002. "To me it means if you have a valid claim, say in Death Valley National Park, I would claim it's a valid existing right, and I would take it to patent." 

An executive branch lawyer and geologist advising Republicans on the House Resources Committee said anxiety about the bill was overstated because the hurdles for proving a mine claim and moving on to full ownership remained high. 

People or companies filing or buying mining claims would have to prove that the land contained mineral deposits, though they would no longer have to show that these could be mined at a profit, said the lawyer, who spoke on condition of anonymity because he is not authorized to speak to the press. 

Because mineral deposits are relatively scarce, he added, the amount of land involved would also be modest -- certainly, he insisted, not the millions of acres the bill's opponents claim. 

Mining industry officials said that if the new owners were then to use a mine claim for purposes other than mining, say for building condominiums, the Interior Department could file a lawsuit to revoke the transaction as a deal done under false pretenses. 

"They'd have to be willing to defraud the U.S. government," said Carol Raulston, a spokeswoman for the mining industry's trade group, the National Mining Association. 

How often such challenges by the federal government arise is another question. The executive branch lawyer acknowledged that such suits by the Interior Department or Forest Service were relatively rare, but he said that if a mining claim was purchased "and in a year you turn around and have a ski area, you're going to have someone's undivided attention over in the inspector general's office." 

The bill has still left some Western congressmen, like Dennis Rehberg, R-Mont., in the hot seat. After a coalition of sporting and fishing groups in his state condemned the bill last week, Rehberg agreed that he did not like the mining provisions either but might have to vote for the larger budget bill anyway. 

Rehberg's office then issued a letter from Pombo, the chairman of the House Resources Committee. Pombo promised in writing that he would work in the conference committee to make sure that language protecting recreational access was added. 

Sporting groups, nonetheless, remained unsatisfied. 

"How are you going to protect hunting and fishing access opportunities and the diverse wildlife that exists on our public lands if it is no longer in public hands?" asked Craig Sharpe, the executive director of the Montana Wildlife Federation, a hunting and fishing group. 

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From truman at jeffnet.org  Sun Nov 20 15:54:44 2005
From: truman at jeffnet.org (Patrick Truman)
Date: Sun, 20 Nov 2005 15:54:44 -0800
Subject: [env-trinity] Grizzlies in the Trinity Alps
Message-ID: <008f01c5ee2d$c8e188d0$ec5df604@HAL>




--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

This bears repeating: A grizzly comeback?
Tom Stienstra

Sunday, November 20, 2005

        a.. Printable Version 
        b.. Email This Article 
     
                  Tom Stienstra  
                  Archive 
                  This bears repeating: A grizzly comeback?
                  11/20/2005 

                  THE BEST GETAWAYS
                  11/10/2005 

                  Elkhorn Slough provides an exciting wildlife show
                  11/06/2005 

                 
           

     


Could it happen here in California? The grizzly bear returned to its native home? 

Can you imagine being awakened at night, camping at Point Reyes National Seashore, deep in your sleeping bag, and then hearing the bass-voiced growl and the thump of footprints of a griz? You poke your head out your tent, shine a flashlight and see something that looks like a Volkswagen with hair? 

The idea of reintroducing the grizzly bear in California is a fantasy for some that was last seriously visited 20 years ago, when the Mountain Lion Foundation proposed transplanting grizzlies in the Trinity Alps Wilderness in Northern California. 

That daydream/nightmare is back. This past week, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service floated a proposal to reclassify the grizzly in the greater Yellowstone area as threatened rather than endangered. In response, some have privately wondered if the stage could be set for reintroduction of the grizzly in California. A few informal discussions took place this past week at a recreation and tourism symposium at Asilomar in Pacific Grove, attended by the National Park Service, State Department of Parks and many local and regional park districts and water agencies. 

According to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the population of grizzly bears has nearly tripled at Yellowstone in the past 30 years, from roughly 200 to about 600. This wildlife victory comes in the aftermath of another recent comeback: the bald eagle's status was endangered, now it's threatened. 

In fact, many species of wildlife are at 100-year highs, with some notorious exceptions. This includes blacktail deer populations in California, down from 2 million to 600,000 in the past 50 years, and the fact that of 500 threatened or endangered aquatic species, not one has been delisted; that's right, zero-for-500, a perfect batting average for the feds. 

When it comes to the grizzly in California, the last ursus arctos californicus is on the state flag. They've been extinct for more than 80 years and near-gone since the gold rush days. 

In the diaries of the first explorers 200 years ago, there are accounts of "countless troops of grizzly bears" in the Bay Area. The stories detail how the giant bears would bound across the bluffs of the San Francisco Headlands and gorge on washed-up whales, or roam the foothills and attack vast herds of elk. In the San Gabriel Mountains north of L.A., there were so many grizzlies that explorers were reluctant to set foot there and face an encounter. 

You see, grizzly bears, unlike other wildlife (except the buffalo), do not have a reverse gear. When people arrived to the Bay Area and L.A., it forced showdowns, bears vs. humans, and the bears got wiped out. 

Meanwhile, in remote wilderness areas, such as the Trinity Alps, one site suggested for "reintroduction," the grizzlies never lived there. They avoided the high mountain country, and instead dominated the coastal and valley foothills near rivers where salmon and tule elk provided all-you-can-eat buffets. 

So to reintroduce grizzly bears to their native habitat in California, you'd have to plunk a few at Golden Gate Park in San Francisco, along Lagunitas Creek in Marin Country and at Point Reyes, at Sunol near Niles Canyon in the East Bay foothills, among other places, and in Southern California, just north of Pasadena in Angeles National Forest. 

In the ensuing backyard showdowns, a few folks would probably get chomped, of course. Or you'd have to move all the people out to make room for the grizzlies. 

Hey, maybe that's not such a bad idea after all. 

E-mail Tom Stienstra at tstienstra at sfchronicle.com. 
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From danielbacher at hotmail.com  Mon Nov 21 15:43:00 2005
From: danielbacher at hotmail.com (Daniel Bacher)
Date: Mon, 21 Nov 2005 15:43:00 -0800
Subject: [env-trinity] Winnemem Wintu: Delta Dying - Warriors Dance Nov. 26,
	1 p.m 
Message-ID: <BAY16-F151374C651988ACDCFF5A8DB530@phx.gbl>

Hello

I just received this announcement and press release from Gary Hayward 
Slaughter Mulcahy, Liaison for the Winnemem Wintu tribe, about this great 
event in San Francisco on Saturday. It commemorates the unveiling of a mural 
about the Winnemem Wintu's battle against cultural genocide. Please forward 
this to your contacts!

Thanks
Dan Bcher


?We Sing to Water"

1 PM November 26, 2005 San Francisco, Clarion Alley

Come to a Clarion Alley mural dedication about the Winnemem Wintu tribe and 
their fight against cultural genocide. The tribe lost their homeland under 
Shasta Dam in 1945, and now California is trying to flood the last Winnemem 
sacred sites on the McCloud River.

Come and learn about the Winnemem campaign against the state and California 
agribusiness. Caleen Sisk-Franco, tribal leader and War Dancers from the 
Winnemem Wintu Tribe will dance in traditional regalia in a dedication of 
the mural and a memorial to Florence Jones, who passed away Nov. 22, 2003.

This event is free and wheelchair accessible. Location: Clarion Alley at 
Valencia Street. Contact: SF Print Collective 415-821-7282  www.hypersea.net 
  Tribe Info:   www.winnememwintu.us

Gary Mulcahy
Emissary and Governmental Liaison
Winnemem Wintu Tribe
(916)991-8493 mobile (916)214-8493
gary at ranchriver.com

Winnemem Wintu Tribe
14840 Bear Mountain Road
Redding, CA. 96003
www.winnememwintu.us

CONTACT:
Gary Hayward Slaughter Mulcahy, tribal liaison (916) 214-8493
Evan Bissell, muralist (415) 686-2079

Press Release: For Immediate Release

[NOTE: PRESS CONFERENCE 1 PM 11/26/05 ON SITE]

DELTA DYING ? WARRIORS DANCE

San Francisco, CA November 21, 2005 ? On Saturday, November 26, the Winnemem 
Wintu tribe will bring its Warriors to San Francisco and the dying delta. 
?We sing to water,? says Caleen Sisk-Franco, Spiritual and Tribal Leader for 
the Winnemem. ?We have to give the river a voice.  We have to give the fish 
a voice. The sacred places need to be protected,? said Sisk-Franco.

That was the call to Hu?p Chonas, ?War Dance? when the Winnemem Wintu fasted 
and danced for 4-days and nights at Shasta Dam in September 2004. It was the 
tribe?s first war dance in over 100 years, called because of the threat to 
cultural, historical and sacred sites by the Bureau of Reclamations proposed 
enlargement of the Dam.

Built in 1945, Shasta Dam became the largest dam in the state and flooded 
over 90% of the Winnemem homeland. The new proposal, part of the CALFED 
storage project, would raise the dam an additional 6 to 200 feet in order to 
guarantee more water deliveries to huge Agri-business than have historically 
been delivered. ?Raising Shasta Dam even 6 feet will flood most of our 
remaining sacred sites on the McCloud River that we still use today,? said 
tribal leader Sisk-Franco.

?When we first entered this fight, we only saw a small piece of the threat 
to our people, the water, and the salmon with the proposed raising of Shasta 
Dam,? said Mark Franco, Headman of Kerekmet Village, ?But as we learned more 
of CALFED, and the water projects related to it, we learned that the water 
and salmon throughout Northern California, and the life of the Delta itself 
are threatened,? said Franco.

?We are deeply concerned about the recent discovery that the Delta Smelt are 
at their lowest ever recorded levels,? said Gary Hayward Slaughter Mulcahy, 
Liaison for the Winnemem Wintu tribe. ?We have always wanted to bring the 
salmon home to the McCloud, but the news of the Smelt population does not 
bode well for the Delta Estuary. The Delta Estuary is key in the survival of 
the salmon as they leave the spawning grounds to go out to sea, and return 
to spawn in adulthood. A dying estuary could mean extinction."

On Saturday, November 26 the Winnemem Wintu tribe will be in San Francisco 
to unveil a Mission District mural that honors the campaign against the 
proposed raise of Shasta Dam, and their struggles to protect cultural, 
historic and natural resources. The mural, created by Evan Bissell and 
Claude Moller, depicts Winnemem Wintu tribal members at the ceremonial war 
dance on Shasta Dam.

According to lead muralist Claude Moller, ?the mural was a cooperative 
project between San Francisco artists fighting gentrification and the 
Winnemem Wintu tribe who are fighting displacement from their homeland.?

Entitled ?We sing to Water,? the mural will be on display through March 
2006. Sponsored by Hypersea and Intersection for the Arts, this project is 
the fourth in a series of community based murals known as the Living Walls 
Mural Project.

The unveiling is taking place this Thanksgiving weekend to highlight threats 
to the Winnemem and the struggles to protect California resources and 
cultural heritage. The unveiling of the mural, located in the Clarion Alley 
mural corridor, will begin at 1 pm.  Clarion Alley is located one block 
south of 17th street near Valencia Street in San Francisco.

Caleen Sisk-Franco, tribal leader and, War dancers from the Winnemem Wintu 
will dance in traditional regalia to ?sing to the water? and ?give the 
salmon a voice.? This ceremony will be a dedication to the mural and a 
memorial to Florence Jones, the Winnemem Wintu?s Spiritual and Tribal Leader 
who passed away Nov 22, 2003.

?We thank Evan and Claude for this great gift they have given us with this 
mural.  It not only depicts our struggles, but represents the principles 
taught to us by our ?Grams? Florence Jones and what we stand for as a 
people.  On this day, as we sing, dance and pray for the water, we give 
thanks in memory of Grams,? said Caleen Sisk-Franco, Tribal Leader and Great 
Niece of Florence Jones.

###
FOR MORE INFORMATION:
Living Walls Project:  www.hypersea.net
Winnemem Wintu Tribe: www.winnememwintu.us
or Google:  ?Winnemem? or ?Winnemem Wintu?
CONTACT INFORMATION:

Gary Hayward Slaughter Mulcahy, tribal liaison (916) 214-8493
Evan Bissell, muralist (415) 686-2079
Mark Franco, Headman of Kerekmet Village (530) 275-2737




From bwl3 at comcast.net  Mon Nov 21 18:19:26 2005
From: bwl3 at comcast.net (Byron )
Date: Mon, 21 Nov 2005 18:19:26 -0800
Subject: [env-trinity] San Luis (Westlands included) DEIS Contract Renewal
	Comments
Message-ID: <000301c5ef0b$2c4d4f70$1f9eb545@p4>

Released On: November 21, 2005


Comment Period Extended for Environmental Document for Renewal of San Luis
Unit CVP Long-Term Water Service Contracts




The 45-day public review and comment period for the San Luis Unit Draft
Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for the proposed long-term Central
Valley Project (CVP) water service contracts has been extended from November
25, 2005 to December 16, 2005.
Written comments on the Draft EIS must be received by close of business on
Friday, December 16, 2005, and should be sent to: Mr. Shane Hunt, Bureau of
Reclamation, South-Central California Area Office, 1243 N Street, Fresno, CA
93721. Comments may also be e-mailed to shunt at mp.usbr.gov. For additional
information or to request a copy of the draft document, please contact Mr.
Hunt at 559-487-5138, TDD 559-487-5933. The Draft EIS is also available
online at http://www.usbr.gov/mp/nepa/nepa_projdetails.cfm?Project_ID=63.


# # #
Reclamation is the largest wholesale water supplier and the second largest
producer of hydroelectric power in the United States, with operations and
facilities in the 17 Western States. Its facilities also provide substantial
flood control, recreation, and fish and wildlife benefits.
Relevant Links:
Draft EIS
 
Policy | Disclaimer | Accessibility | FOIA | Quality of Information | FAQ
DOI | Recreation.gov | FirstGov

 

Byron Leydecker, 

Chair, Friends of Trinity River

Consultant, California Trout, Inc.

PO Box 2327

Mill Valley, CA 94942-2327

415 383 4810 ph

415 383 9562 fx

bwl3 at comcast.net

bleydecker at stanfordalumni.org (secondary)

http://www.fotr.org

http://caltrout.org

 

 

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From tstokely at trinityalps.net  Tue Nov 22 07:56:05 2005
From: tstokely at trinityalps.net (Tom Stokely)
Date: Tue, 22 Nov 2005 07:56:05 -0800
Subject: [env-trinity] Trinity Adaptive Management Working Group Meeting
	12/7- Weaverville
Message-ID: <005501c5ef7d$436b1990$5928a8c0@trinitycounty.org>

Draft Agenda

TRINITY ADAPTIVE MANAGEMENT WORKING GROUP

Weaverville Victorian Inn, 1709 Main Street, Weaverville, CA

December 7, 2005

            

   

                                                                                                                                    

          Time            Topic/Proposed Action                                                                  Presenter                                                                            
1.       8:30            Adopt agenda; approve November minutes                                          


2.       8:40            Brian Person, NCAO Manager, Bureau of Reclamation 
 
3.       8:50            Open Forum; Public Comment        

 

4.      9:00             Approve revisions to TAMWG bylaws                                           Arnold Whitridge

                                                                                                                                         

5.     9:10             Habitat assessment; baseline documentation                                  Rod Wittler

 

6.      10:10           Science Framework                                                                          Rod Wittler 

 

7.      10:45           Wildlife Emphasis                                                                             Sherri Miller, 

                                                                                                                                             Redwood Sciences Lab

                                
8.      11:30           TRRP Budget Process                                                                      Irma Lagomarsino

                               

         12:15                       Lunch

 

9.      1:15             Instream Flow Council presentation                                               IFC team

          
10.    1:30             Fish numbers- 2005 monitoring indications                                    FWS staff

 

11.    2:00             Floodplain preparations for 11,000 cfs releases                             Ed Solbos



12.    2:30             Adopt resolution on water-year-type forecasting                           Spreck Rosekrans

 

13.    3:00             TRRP sub-group proposal                                                               Doug Schleusner

and TAMWG committee organization                                            TAMWG members

 

14.     4:30            Executive Director's report                                                              Doug Schleusner

 

15.    4:45             Open Forum; Public Comment

 

16.    4:50             Date and agenda topics for next meeting                                        

         5:00                         Adjourn 
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From tstokely at trinityalps.net  Tue Nov 22 08:15:43 2005
From: tstokely at trinityalps.net (Tom Stokely)
Date: Tue, 22 Nov 2005 08:15:43 -0800
Subject: [env-trinity] The Grist- Further Down the Drain
Message-ID: <007801c5ef7f$fe53ff90$5928a8c0@trinitycounty.org>

http://gristmill.grist.org/story/2005/11/21/161223/07

Further Down the Drain
Posted by Lloyd Carter at 5:12 PM on 21 Nov 2005 
The U.S. Bureau of Reclamation wants to bet up to $1 billion of your tax dollars that its latest proposals to carry toxic waste waters away from the nation's largest federal irrigation project will not result in another ecological disaster like the selenium poisoning of the Kesterson National Wildlife Refuge more than 20 years ago. 

The Bureau is putting the final touches on an environmental impact statement (EIS) due Feb. 1, 2006 in which it will announce support for one of three possible drainage solutions: Delta Disposal, Central Coast disposal, or building drainage treatment facilities and evaporation ponds within the San Joaquin Valley with varying levels of land retirement. 

Opponents say the Bureau's science is flawed, threatens fisheries and birds, and that construction and operation costs are likely to become astronomical for keeping just a few hundred growers in business irrigating a desert. 


The final EIS comes in response to a ruling by the federal Ninth Circuit Court of Appeal five years ago requiring the Bureau to provide drainage for the 730,000-acre San Luis Unit of the Central Valley Project, first approved by Congress in 1960. The mammoth Westlands Water District, at 604,000 acres, is not only the largest federal irrigation in the San Luis Unit but the largest in the nation. It has between 400 and 600 growers. A few small water districts to the north of Westlands are also in the San Luis Unit. 

Westlands is also currently negotiating a new 25-year water delivery contract for 1.15 million acre-feet of water a year (an acre-foot is 325,851 gallons) even though major land retirement of marginal lands in the San Luis Unit should, theoretically, drastically reduce water needs in the gargantuan 942-square mile district. 

Completion of the San Luis Drain to the Delta bogged down nearly 25 years ago when it was discovered drainwater flowing from the Westlands was riddled with the trace element selenium. Selenium-laced drainage funneled 82 miles to evaporation ponds at the Kesterson marsh in the early 1980s triggered a fish die off and deformities in embryos of ducks and shorebirds. The Kesterson ponds were ordered closed in 1985 and Westlands growers have been scrambling ever since to keep their mineral-laden desert lands from salting up. 

Environmentalists say the three proposed dumping sites: (1) the east end of the San Francisco Bay-Delta estuary, (2) the Pacific Ocean near Morro Bay or, (3) thousands of acres of bird-attracting evaporation ponds within the western San Joaquin Valley, are all fraught with peril and could poison drinking supplies or harm fisheries in the Bay-Delta or on the Central Coast. 

Here are the three options: 

1. Bay-Delta disposal: This has been the preferred alternative for half a century. Since the 1960s, Bay Area interests have fiercely opposed any efforts to complete a drainage canal to the southeast end of the Delta at Chipps Island, with the wastes to be flushed out through Suisun Bay and San Francisco Bay to the Golden Gate. Bureau officials argue the drainage could be treated, safely diluted and flushed to the Pacific despite a 2000 report by U.S. Geological Survey scientists Theresa Presser and Sam Luoma which warned the selenium-tainted West Side drainage poses a major risk to Delta fish and bird reproduction, including the possibility of extinction of fish species from contamination of their food chain. 

Selenium was the trace element dissolved in ag drainage that poisoned the Kesterson food chain in the early 1980s, leading to a fish and bird die-off at the Kesterson National Wildlife Refuge in western Merced County 80 miles southeast of San Francisco. 

John Kopchik of the Contra Costa County Water Agency warned Congress in July that San Luis drainage funneled to the Delta could contaminate drinking water supplies now flowing to 22 million Californians. 

The Delta drainage disposal option could cost near $700 million and take $36 million a year to operate and maintain. This would be a very tough sell in Congress. 

2. Central Coast disposal near Morro Bay: This $600 million project (preliminary cost estimate) would involve 211 miles of buried pipeline with three tunnels through the Coast Range and 23 pumping plants and sumps. A drain pipe would run 1.4 miles into the sea off Point Estero 200 feet deep and be located 10 miles south of the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary. Bureau officials like this option because selenium standards for ocean water are much higher than the fresh water standard for the Delta. 

Critics point out the pipelines must pass over the San Andreas Fault and could rupture in an earthquake. Coastal dumping could also pollute the coastal food chain causing a fish die-off. Annual operation and maintenance costs for ocean disposal would be nearly $34 million a year. The odds of this proposal in Congress are also considered slim. 

3. In-Valley disposal: This plan would keep the drainage water in the San Joaquin and involves various levels of land retirement, selenium removal plants, reverse osmosis treatment to remove other salts and disposal in over 5,000 acres of evaporation ponds. Critics say this plan would cost over $900 million to implement, (much of that for land retirement), unproven selenium treatment technology and creates the same perils for birds and wildlife that Kesterson did. 

All the drainage proposals involve retiring at least 44,000 acres of salted up farmland in addition to the nearly 40,000 acres taken out of production as a result of grower lawsuits in recent years. 

The cost of partially constructing the San Luis Drain, Kesterson closure and cleanup costs, and post-Kesterson drainage studies have already exceeded an estimated $200 million in taxpayer dollars. The original drainage ditch proposed by the Bureau in 1955 had a price tag of $7.3 billion. 

Critics, including Friends of the Trinity River and major national environmental groups, say the Bureau's EIS failed to consider retiring all the marginal lands, perhaps 300,000 acres or more, in order to reduce the need for drainage at all. 

When the EIS is completed, it will be presented to the Federal District Court in Fresno by mid-2006. Any drainage plan selected must still gain the approval of the State Water Resources Control Board and funding must be gained from Congress. 

story: Further Down the Drain
0 Comments | Post a Comment 
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From tstokely at trinityalps.net  Tue Nov 22 08:33:59 2005
From: tstokely at trinityalps.net (Tom Stokely)
Date: Tue, 22 Nov 2005 08:33:59 -0800
Subject: [env-trinity] LA Times Editorial: A watershed ruling
Message-ID: <00db01c5ef82$8c39c3b0$5928a8c0@trinitycounty.org>

 

water infrastructure:

Editorial: A watershed ruling

Los Angeles Times - 11/19/05

 

FOR DECADES, WHENEVER California began running short of water to meet population projections, water engineers - "visionaries," they were called - brought in new supplies from hundreds of miles away. Los Angeles went to the Owens Valley and then the Colorado River and far Northern California. San Francisco had the audacity to build a dam and reservoir right in Yosemite National Park.

The days of building big dams and canals are long past. But even today, water managers are calling for pumping greater volumes from the stressed Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta to meet projected growth in Southern California. Their axiom is that people will come whether there's enough water or not.

 

Now , finally, a court has challenged that mantra. The 3rd District Court of Appeal in Sacramento has ruled that managers of the delta should balance the demands of water users with the demands of the environment. "Population growth is not an immutable fact of life," the court said in rejecting parts of an environmental impact study on the operations of CalFed, the joint state-federal program for managing the delta.

A key finding was that the impact study was insufficient because it explored various ways of increasing exports from Northern to Southern California, but it never considered reducing exports. Cutting exports would be one way to lessen the environmental degradation of the delta. In recent years, fish life has suffered an alarming decline in the delta as exports have reached record levels. Experts disagree about whether those two things are connected.

The state is seeking a rehearing of the case and may appeal to the state Supreme Court. A better course would be to revise the environmental impact study.

The court ruling comes at a time when many in government and the water industry are considering whether major changes are needed in the CalFed program. At the request of Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, the Little Hoover Commission conducted a detailed study of CalFed, which on Thursday recommended an overhaul of the program's management structure. Water users have asked the governor to create a blue-ribbon commission to recommend changes. If he does so, it should be a small body put on a tight deadline.

State water experts recognize that California is moving into a new era. The periodic revision of the state water plan now being drafted by the Department of Water Resources forecasts a future in which new demands will be met by innovative supply mechanisms, including more sophisticated conservation programs, expanded programs to reclaim used water, increased water trades from farmers to urban areas and more "banking" of water in aquifers rather than surface reservoirs. The department also predicts water problems increasingly will need to be solved on a regional basis rather than with grand, statewide transfers.

The court ruling may be heresy to the water engineers. In fact, it's the new reality.  #

http://www.latimes.com/news/opinion/editorials/la-ed-water19nov19,0,4085447.story?coll=la-news-comment-editorials
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From jallen at trinitycounty.org  Wed Nov 30 09:48:54 2005
From: jallen at trinitycounty.org (Josh Allen)
Date: Wed, 30 Nov 2005 09:48:54 -0800
Subject: [env-trinity] TAMWG Meeting December 7, 2005 in Weaverville
Message-ID: <099F81D877F1044DA24BA95E0CE0926301497984@mail2.trinitycounty.org>

TAMWG colleagues, 

Here's the proposed agenda for our December 7 meeting.  I believe it
will also be mailed from Arcata tomorrow, along with supporting
materials including proposals for consideration under items #4 and 12. 

Warm Thanksgiving wishes, 

Arnold 
  

                                              Draft Agenda 
                 TRINITY ADAPTIVE MANAGEMENT WORKING GROUP 
              Weaverville Victorian Inn, 1709 Main Street, Weaverville,
CA 
                                          December 7, 2005 
  
 Time               Topic/Proposed Action
Presenter 
 

8:30           Adopt agenda; approve November minutes 
8:40           Brian Person, NCAO Manager, Bureau of Reclamation 

8:50           Open Forum; Public Comment 

9:00           Approve revisions to TAMWG bylaws
Arnold Whitridge 

9:10           Habitat assessment; baseline documentation           Rod
Wittler 

10:10         Science Framework
Rod Wittler 

10:45         Wildlife Emphasis
Sherri Miller, Redwood Sciences Lab 

11:30         TRRP Budget Process
Irma Lagomarsino 

12:15          Lunch 

1:15            Instream Flow Council presentation
IFC team 

1:30            Fish numbers- 2005 monitoring indications            FWS
staff 

2:00            Floodplain preparations for 11,000 cfs releases      Ed
Solbos 

2:30            Adopt resolution on water-year-type forecasting   Spreck
Rosekrans 

3:00            TRRP sub-group proposal
Doug Schleusner and TAMWG committee organization, TAMWG members 

4:30            Executive Director's report
Doug Schleusner 

4:45            Open Forum; Public Comment 

4:50            Date and agenda topics for next meeting 

5:00          Adjourn 

 

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From jallen at trinitycounty.org  Thu Dec  1 12:16:10 2005
From: jallen at trinitycounty.org (Josh Allen)
Date: Thu, 1 Dec 2005 12:16:10 -0800
Subject: [env-trinity] Draft TMC Agenda for Dec. 13-14
Message-ID: <099F81D877F1044DA24BA95E0CE09263014979C6@mail2.trinitycounty.org>


From: Doug Schleusner [mailto:DSCHLEUSNER at mp.usbr.gov] 
Sent: Thursday, December 01, 2005 12:08 PM
Subject: Draft TMC Agenda for Dec. 13-14

Good morning,

Attached is the draft agenda for the Dec. 13-14 TMC meeting in
Weaverville (starting at 10:00 a.m. at the County Library).  I
originally tried to fit all of the items into one day.  The few comments
that I received on the original draft agenda expressed concern that we
would not have adequate discussion time for several major topics, so
I've expanded it to include Wednesday morning.  

The draft minutes from the September meeting are also attached (thanks
to Josh and Tom).

Thank you,
Doug

___________________________________

Douglas P. Schleusner, Executive Director
Trinity River Restoration Program
P.O. Box 1300, 1313 South Main St.
Weaverville, CA  96093
(530) 623-1800  Fax: (530) 623-5944
e-mail: dschleusner at mp.usbr.gov
___________________________________


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From danielbacher at hotmail.com  Thu Dec  8 12:03:24 2005
From: danielbacher at hotmail.com (Daniel Bacher)
Date: Thu, 08 Dec 2005 12:03:24 -0800
Subject: [env-trinity] Environmental & Social Justice Advocates Condemn
	CALFED
Message-ID: <BAY16-F15F977890584635F736449DB420@phx.gbl>

PRESS RELEASE

December 8, 2005

Contact:	Alisha Deen, (707) 342-2052

LaDonna Williams, (707) 712-4088

Gary Mulcahy, (916) 214-8493

Martha Guzman, (916) 524-2243

David Nesmith, (510) 693-4979


ENVIRONMENTAL AND SOCIAL JUSTICE ADVOCATES ACROSS THE STATE CONDEMN
CALFED'S DISREGARD FOR LOW-INCOME & COMMUNITIES OF COLOR

"10-Year Action Plan Framework" is another example of how CALFED
deliberately excludes majority of California's residents from
participating in critical decisions affecting water


Oakland, CA-Environmental and social justice leaders across the state
expressed outrage at the utter disregard for environmental justice
concerns in the CALFED "10-year Action Plan Framework."

"The participants who hammered out this framework behind closed doors are
not interested in environmental justice," said Alisha Deen, a legislative
analyst for the Environmental Justice Coalition for Water in Oakland. "The
environmental justice commitments in CALFED are absent in the 10-year
action plan. They don't even mention the phrase in the 11-page document.
Unfortunately that has been our experience with CALFED itself.
Environmental justice has been this buzz word without any real action."

CALFED has suffered devastating blows to its legitimacy with the state
legislature, the Little Hoover Commission and the Third District Court of
Appeals calling into question the basic pillars of the program in recent
months.

Last Friday, December 2nd, only a few minutes before offices closed for
the weekend, the Bay-Delta Authority released the 10-year Action Plan
Framework, announcing that a vote would take place less than a week later.


The activists plan on giving testimony at today's CALFED Authority meeting
in Sacramento.

"This is a slap in the face to communities throughout California," said
LaDonna Williams, Executive Director of People for Children's Health and
Environmental Justice. "The Bay-Delta Authority once again exhibits their
total disregard for environmental justice and true public participation in
the vital decisions concerning water in California."

"Even though the CALFED Record of Decision established a commitment to
environmental justice that was to cut across all programs, the
environmental justice element of CALFED is pretty much lip-service," said
Gary Mulcahy, the Governmental Liaison for the Winnemem Wintu Tribe.

"Originally we were encouraged by what seemed like a real commitment on
the part of CALFED to ensuring public participation," said Martha Guzman,
legislative advocate for the California Rural Legal Assistance Foundation.
"However, over the past five years it has become crystal clear that CALFED
never had any intention of truly implementing its environmental justice
obligations."

Environmental and social justice advocates call on the Governor and the
Legislature to ensure that CALFED allow meaningful public participation,
particularly from communities of color and low-income communities who
clearly suffer disproportionate effects from industry-driven water
projects and policies. CALFED has failed to improve the environmental and
environmental justice problems facing the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta,
the areas of origin and the regions now-dependent on water shipments
through the Delta precisely because the Bay-Delta Authority has lacked the
strength and commitment to ensure open decision making processes and
balanced projects that fully consider environmental justice impacts.

"Now is a moment of rare agreement that the system is broken," said David
Nesmith, coordinator with the Environmental Water Caucus.?? "The Governor
and the Legislature must ensure that CALFED does not repeat the same
mistakes of exclusion and discrimination that have characterized it for so
long."

###


The Environmental Justice Coalition for Water is a network of more than
sixty grassroots and intermediary organizations building a collective,
community-based movement for democratic water management and allocation in
California. EJCW works to empower community members to become strong
voices for water justice in their communities by participating in water
policy, planning and decisions. We hold policy makers accountable for the
disproportionate impacts water policy has on low-income communities and
communities of color.

The Environmental Water Caucus works to achieve comprehensive, sustainable
water management solutions for all Californians. EWC and its members
employ political, legal and economic strategies to restore ecological
health, improve water quality and protect public trust values throughout
the San Francisco Bay-Sacramento/San Joaquin Delta estuary and the Central
Valley/Sierra Nevada watersheds.


Environmental Water Caucus
319 Lenox Avenue
Oakland, CA 94610
510-893-1330? OR? 510-693-4979


Environmental Justice Coalition for Water
654 13th Street
Oakland, CA? 94612
(510) 286-8400
www.ejcw.org




From danielbacher at hotmail.com  Thu Dec  8 16:27:34 2005
From: danielbacher at hotmail.com (Daniel Bacher)
Date: Thu, 08 Dec 2005 16:27:34 -0800
Subject: [env-trinity] Press Release: Whistleblowers Get No Help from Bush
	Administration
In-Reply-To: <4398998D.9223F700@pelicannetwork.net>
Message-ID: <BAY16-F260DD373409981D94546C6DB450@phx.gbl>


http://www.peer.org/news/news_id.php?row_id=615

Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility

News Releases

For Immediate Release: December 5, 2005
Contact: Chas Offutt (202) 265-7337

WHISTLEBLOWERS GET NO HELP FROM BUSH ADMINISTRATION ? Record Numbers Are 
Blowing the Whistle but Fewer Cases Investigated

Washington, DC ? The U.S. Office of Special Counsel, the agency that is 
supposed to protect federal employees who blow the whistle on waste, fraud 
and abuse, is dismissing hundreds of cases while advancing almost none, 
according an analysis of the latest agency figures released today by Public 
Employees for Environmental Responsibility (PEER). Despite record numbers of 
federal employees filing whistleblower disclosures and complaints of 
retaliation, there are fewer investigations and a much greater likelihood 
that those who blow the whistle will be silenced.

Scott Bloch, the Bush appointed Special Counsel has been in office for 
nearly two years, during which time positive results for whistleblowers have 
plummeted. Even though the first quarter of FY 2006 is almost over, last 
week Bloch finally posted his annual report for FY 2004 on the OSC website, 
without any public announcement and nearly a year late. The overdue report?s 
contents explain its tardiness:

*	Less than 1.5% of whistleblower disclosures of problems were even referred 
for investigation while more than 1,000 employee reports of waste, fraud and 
abuse were closed by Bloch?s staff on the grounds that they were not worthy 
of further review; and

*	Only eight whistleblower disclosures were substantiated (none were found 
to be unsubstantiated) during Bloch?s first year but, according to the OSC 
report, the most significant cases involved theft of a desk and attendance 
violations.

?With Scott Bloch at the helm, the Office of Special Counsel is acting as a 
Plumber?s Unit for the Bush administration, plugging leaks, blocking 
investigations and discrediting sources,? stated PEER Executive Director 
Jeff Ruch. ?Under Bloch, political appointees, not civil servants, decide 
which cases go forward and which cases are round filed.?

Those whistleblowers who claimed to suffer retaliation for making reports 
fared even worse:

*	Favorable outcomes declined sharply (24%) under Bloch even though there 
were more cases;

*	The only favorable outcomes were in cases where the offending agency 
agreed to make changes. In no case did Bloch litigate directly on behalf of 
a whistleblower; and

*	More than nine out of ten surveyed employees were dissatisfied with the 
effectiveness of OSC, with more than three in four classifying themselves as 
?very dissatisfied.?

?If the Special Counsel were a private business it would have to close its 
doors,? Ruch added, noting that pending reform legislation allows 
whistleblowers greater freedom to directly advocate their cases. ?Bloch?s 
abysmal performance raises serious questions about whether the Office of 
Special Counsel should be abolished altogether.?




From tstokely at trinityalps.net  Fri Dec  9 08:39:14 2005
From: tstokely at trinityalps.net (Tom Stokely)
Date: Fri, 9 Dec 2005 08:39:14 -0800
Subject: [env-trinity] Stockton Record- CALFED overhaul begins
Message-ID: <007e01c5fcdf$18328dc0$c2653940@trinitycounty.org>

 CALFED overhaul begins; Effort strives to clarify water coalition's goal

Stockton Record - 12/9/05

By Hank Shaw, Capitol Bureau Chief

 

SACRAMENTO -- The California Bay-Delta Authority on Thursday began the painful process of reforming its efforts to restore the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta.

Let the melee begin.

       
     

Several state reports have suggested wholesale streamlining for CALFED, the coalition of state, local and federal agencies striving to restore the Delta. The goal? To clarify what CALFED's job is, where to focus taxpayer money and determine who's responsible if that money is not well-spent.

All this activity has become more urgent because the Delta is in crisis despite billions of taxpayer dollars spent to save it.

Populations of the Delta smelt and striped bass have declined dramatically, water quality continues to decline, and the earthen levees protecting the entire system are falling into disrepair.

More than 23 million Californians rely on the sprawling waterway for their drinking water. It is the nursery for much of California's commercial fisheries.

What is emerging is a leaner CALFED run by the state secretary of natural resources -- currently Mike Chrisman. It would be managed by the state with input from federal agencies, local governments and major water users. It would be overseen by the Legislature and some sort of independent commission.

The authority itself may dissolve as part of the reform, which, unsurprisingly, distressed its members.

"My instincts were to oppose this, but I wanted to keep an open mind," authority member Paula Daniels said. "I should've trusted my instincts."

Added member Marc Holmes of the Bay Institute: "The way to reform the authority is not to get rid of the authority."

Dozens of interest groups attended Thursday's five-hour meeting. Many are nervous about whether the CALFED programs they care about will remain in the revamped plan. And they are concerned about funding for those programs that survive.

Of particular concern is the fate of a provision in CALFED to ensure that major water decisions do not shortchange minorities and the poor.

"The participants who hammered out this framework behind closed doors are not interested in environmental justice," said Alisha Deen of the Oakland-based Environmental Justice Coalition for Water.

Others have begun jockeying for a slice of what may become a larger CALFED pie. New money could be on the horizon.

Both the Legislature and Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger are talking about asking voters to approve a multibillion-dollar bond to repair California's roads, rails, bridges, levees and waterworks.

What form this bond takes and whether details can be resolved in time for the June primary election remains to be seen.

Whatever money CALFED ultimately gets, state Sen. Michael Machado, D-Linden, wants to ensure it's well-spent.

Machado and his colleagues have been pounding CALFED all year, and he warned the authority Thursday that it had better bring them a detailed financing plan or face another year of "life support" funding.

"There are some big gaps in this in terms of financing," Machado said of CALFED's proposed finance plan. "It's still based on 'trust me' going out."

One gap Machado remains concerned about it is how much the beneficiaries of CALFED will pay to help fund the effort.

The proposal debated Thursday would have them pay $15 million over three years. Machado wants a more permanent system developed to link payments with benefits: If you get more from a clean Delta with a reliable water supply, you pay more.

The Bay-Delta Authority is expected to meet again Dec. 20 to vote on the reorganization plans and the financing proposal.

All of the recommendations and plans must win approval from the administration and will then become part of Schwarzenegger's budget, which is due to be released in January. #

http://www.recordnet.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20051209/NEWS01/512090325/1001

####




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From truman at jeffnet.org  Fri Dec  9 09:18:43 2005
From: truman at jeffnet.org (Patrick Truman)
Date: Fri, 9 Dec 2005 09:18:43 -0800
Subject: [env-trinity] Water Dialogue
Message-ID: <000e01c5fce4$9b63d000$0200a8c0@HAL>

Water Dialogue Invitation - December 16, 2005, 1:00 pm

South Delta Improvements Program - A Briefing and Discussion

The Southern California Water Dialogue will NOT hold its regular meeting in December, in deference to holidays and scheduling difficulties.  However, you are invited to join the Metropolitan Water District and its Member Agencies for a presentation on the South Delta Improvements Program.   This meeting will be held on Friday, December 16, from 1 - 2:30 pm at Metropolitan Water District of Southern California headquarters, 700 N. Alameda, Los Angeles, (213) 217-6000. 

Background: On November 10, the state Department of Water Resources and Bureau of Reclamation released the draft state/federal environmental documentation for a set of actions designed to improve water quality, fish protection, and operational flexibility in southern portions of the San Francisco Bay/Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta, the source of water for State Water Project and Central Valley Project pumps.  Metropolitan considers approval and implementation of SDIP projects a high priority for improving both the quality and the reliability of SWP water supplies.

 

The SDIP review will take place in two separate stages.  The first stage (now under way) will consider proposed physical improvements, primarily the installation of permanent operable tidal gates for protecting fish and improving water quality and circulation.  A second review to be scheduled in 2006, will consider operational changes, including an increase in the pumping capacity at the SWP's Banks plant to a maximum of 8,500 cubic feet per second when conditions allow.

 

On December 14 in Los Angeles (and at earlier dates in four other cities), DWR will hold a public workshop to explain the SDIP and respond to questions offered at that time.  In January 2006, a set of formal hearings is also scheduled.  

 

In response to a desire for more information and discussion about what the SDIP means for the Delta and for southern California, a special briefing by Metropolitan staff has been scheduled on Friday, December 16, 2005, at 1:00 p.m. at Metropolitan's offices at Union Station, 700 N. Alameda Street, in Los Angeles.  Southern California Water Dialogue participants are invited to join Metropolitan and its member agencies for this briefing and discussion.

Southern California Water Dialogue Mission Statement: Participants in the Southern California Water Dialogue meet voluntarily to explore water-related issues of vital interest to our region. The Dialogue serves as a clearinghouse and advocate for projects, activities, and processes that will improve the quality and reliability of Southern California's water supply and benefit the California Bay-Delta Authority (Authority). The Dialogue also is an avenue to represent Southern California's interests to the Authority and provide information about the Authority to our region.


Kathy Caldwell 




Southern California Water Dialogue Coordinator


 

Sr. Project Manager

Water Resources and Environmental Management

CH2M HILL

555 So. Flower St., Suite 3550

Los Angeles, CA 90071

213 228 8235 direct dial   

310 600 8215 mobile

213 538 1399 fax

kathy.caldwell at ch2m.com

 

NOTICE:  You are receiving this message as a past participant, or having expressed your interest in, the Southern California Water Dialogue.  If you wish to remove your name from our list and not receive future notices from the Dialogue, please e-mail Kathy Caldwell with the Subject line: "Unsubscribe - Water Dialogue".   Thank you.
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From danielbacher at hotmail.com  Sat Dec 10 20:50:25 2005
From: danielbacher at hotmail.com (Daniel Bacher)
Date: Sat, 10 Dec 2005 20:50:25 -0800
Subject: [env-trinity] Winnemem Wintu Tribe Joins Battle To Save The Delta 
Message-ID: <BAY16-F181EF6A6C11F145BDFE0B8DB470@phx.gbl>

Winnemem Wintu Tribe Joins Battle To Save The Delta

by Dan Bacher

Caleen Sisk-Franco, tribal leader, and members of the Winnemem Wintu 
(McCloud River) Tribe recently danced in traditional regalia as part of a 
celebration unveiling a mural in San Francisco dedicated to the tribe?s 
battle to stop the expansion of Shasta Dam and to protect cultural, historic 
and natural resources.
Tribal leaders announced their alarm over Delta food chain and fish declines 
and their partnership with fishery conservation and environmental groups in 
fighting state and federal plans to raise Shasta Dam and increase Delta 
water exports.

Approximately 70 people, including tribal members and representatives of 
Earthjustice, the Environmental Justice Coalition for Water and 
Environmental Water Caucus, attended the dedication of the mural, entitled 
?We Sing to Water.? Created by Evan Bissell and Claude Moller, the mural 
depicts Winnemem Wintu tribal members at their ceremonial war dance at 
Shasta Dam in September 2004.

?When we first entered this fight, we only saw a small piece of the threat 
to our people, the water, and the salmon with the proposed raising of Shasta 
Dam,? said Mark Franco, Headman of Kerekmet Village. ?But as we learned more 
of CALFED and the water projects related to it, we learned that the water 
and salmon throughout Northern California and the life of the Delta itself 
are threatened.?

Franco and Gary Hayward Slaughter Mulcahy, liaison for the Winnemem Wintu 
tribe, became very alarmed about the disclosure this year by state and 
federal scientists that Delta smelt, longfin smelt, threadfin shad and other 
forage species have reached their lowest levels ever in an apparent food 
chain collapse. The scientists are currently studying the decline and its 
possible solutions.

Scientists attribute the decline to three possible factors: (1) increases of 
water exports, (2) the impacts of pesticides and other chemicals and (3) 
invasive species. However, the tribe, recreational anglers and 
environmentalists point out that three out of the past four years were 
record years for Delta water exports pointing to water exports are the 
primary cause for the collapse.

?We are deeply concerned about the recent discovery that the Delta Smelt are 
at their lowest ever recorded levels,? said Mulcahy. ?We have always wanted 
to bring the salmon home to the McCloud, but the news of the smelt 
population does not bode well for the Delta Estuary. The Delta Estuary is 
key in the survival of the salmon as they leave the spawning grounds to go 
out to sea, and return to spawn in adulthood. A dying estuary could mean 
extinction.?

The Winnemem Wintu are currently plaintiffs in a lawsuit with Earthjustice 
and a host of fishery conservation and environmental groups challenging the 
U.S. Department of Interior and National Marine Fisheries Service over an 
October 2004 biological opinion that claimed that the expansion of state and 
federal pumping facilities would create ?no jeopardy? to Delta smelt, 
endangered winter run chinook and steelhead, even though a previous draft 
opinion said the plan would jeopardize listed species.

The lawsuit also challenges the Bureau's long term operating plan (OCAP) for 
the federal Central Valley Project and State Water Project, due to the 
Bureau's failure to prepare an environmental impact statement (EIS) on the 
plan. A hearing on the lawsuit is set for January 16.

?OCAP changes how the water is managed,? said Mulcahy. ?It depletes the cold 
water pool in Lake Shasta. The pool, designated as a specific amount under 
the Central Valley Project Improvement Act, is only managed for a ?target? 
under this plan.?

The OCAP also shortens the spawning area available for spring and winter 
chinook salmon by bringing the cold water temperature requirement down 21 
miles on the Sacramento River, according to Mulcahy.
The Sacramento River winter-run chinook, the only winter run salmon on the 
Pacific coast, historically spawned in the cold, glacial runoff of the 
McCloud River before the construction of Shasta Dam. The winter run, along 
with the fall and spring runs, are integral to the tribe?s culture and 
history.

?We eventually want to bring the salmon back to the McCloud,? said Mulcahy. 
?But to do that, the salmon fishery has to be alive.?

Due a series of cooperative measures by the state and federal governments 
spurred by years of political pressure by fishery conservation 
organizations, the number of endangered winter-run Chinook salmon returning 
to spawn in the Sacramento River continues to increase, according to Ryan 
Broddrick, DFG Director.

The run now exceeds 15,000 fish, based on surveys conducted this summer by 
the DFG and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. This preliminary estimate is 
the highest since 1981 and continues the trend seen since the mid-1990s.

However, the continued recovery of this run is greatly threatened by state 
and federal plans to raise Shasta Dam and export up to 27 percent more water 
from the Delta. The tribe and fish groups believed this proposal should be 
shelved, especially in light of the unprecedented Delta food chain collapse.

The Winnemem Wintu Tribe?s villages traditionally were concentrated on the 
McCloud River, but the tribe also had villages on the Pit River, Sacramento 
River and Squaw Creek. Built in 1945 by the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation, 
Shasta Dam flooded over 90% of the Winnemem homeland. The tribe has 
approximately 125 to 127 members, with the majority now residing in the 
Redding area.

The new proposal, part of the joint federal-state CALFED storage project, 
would raise the dam an additional 6 to 200 feet in order to guarantee 
increased water exports to agribusiness on the west side of the San Joaquin 
Valley. ?Raising Shasta Dam even 6 feet will flood most of our remaining 
sacred sites on the McCloud River that we still use today,? said Caleen 
Sisk-Franco, Spiritual and Tribal Leader for the Winnemem.

The mural was a cooperative project between San Francisco artists fighting 
gentrification and the Winnemem Wintu tribe, who are fighting displacement 
from their homeland, according to lead muralist Claude Moller.  The mural 
will be on display through March 2006. Sponsored by Hypersea and 
Intersection for the Arts, this project is the fourth in a series of 
community based murals known as the ?Living Walls Mural Project.?

During the War Dance (?Hu?p Chonas,?) in September 2004, the Winnemem Wintu 
fasted and danced for 4 days and nights at Shasta Dam ? and drew hundreds of 
supporters from other Indian tribes and environmental groups. It was the 
tribe?s first war dance in over 100 years, called because of the threat to 
cultural, historical and sacred sites by the Bureau?s proposed enlargement 
of the dam.

?We thank Evan and Claude for this great gift they have given us with this 
mural," emphasized Sisk-Franco, Great Niece of Florence Jones, the Winnemem 
Wintu?s Spiritual and Tribal Leader who passed away on November 22, 2003. 
?It not only depicts our struggles, but also represents the principles 
taught to us by our ?Grams? Florence Jones and what we stand for as a 
people. On this day, as we sing, dance and pray for the water, we give 
thanks in memory of Grams.?




From jallen at trinitycounty.org  Wed Dec 14 10:40:11 2005
From: jallen at trinitycounty.org (Josh Allen)
Date: Wed, 14 Dec 2005 10:40:11 -0800
Subject: [env-trinity] EPA Watershed Nomination Grant Award Pic
Message-ID: <099F81D877F1044DA24BA95E0CE0926301729EAA@mail2.trinitycounty.org>

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This picture was taken Wednesday, December 7th at the Northcoast Inn in
Arcata at the award ceremony held by the US EPA for the Watershed
Nomination Grant Award that the Yurok Tribe, Trinity County, & the
Trinity County Resource Conservation District were successful in
applying for this year. 

 

Those who received the check on behalf of their organization are shown
in order of appearance from left to right: 

*       Howard McConnell; Yurok Tribal Chairman 

*       Howard Freeman; Trinity County Board of Supervisors Chairman 

*       Maria Rea; EPA Region 9 Water Division Senior Environmental
Policy Advisor

*       Colleen O'Sullivan; Trinity County Resource Conservation
District Board Member

 

The following links have information about the Watershed Nomination
Grant Award: 

 

*         National Map with all of the awards (interactive): 
http://www.epa.gov/owow/watershed/initiative/ 

*         2005 Fact Sheet: 
http://www.epa.gov/owow/watershed/initiative/2005factsheet.html 

*         Project Summaries: 
http://www.epa.gov/owow/watershed/initiative/2005projsumm.html 

*         2005 Proposals: 
http://www.epa.gov/owow/watershed/initiative/2005proposals.html 

*         Trinity/Lower Klamath Rivers Proposal by the Yuroks, Trinity
County, & TCRCD: 
http://www.epa.gov/owow/watershed/initiative/2005proposals/05trinity.pdf


 

 

The following article, which was printed in the Time-Standard & the
Trinity Journal, explains the objectives of the Watershed Grant:

News Article: Nov 11, 2005 
The Eureka Times Standard 

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has granted the Yurok Tribe and
Trinity County $835,000 to protect and restore the Trinity and lower
Klamath rivers. 

The grant is one of 12 in a $9 million package from the Targeted
Watersheds Grant Program. The program aims to get on-the-ground work
done following completed watershed assessments. 

The money will be spent in part on Terwer Creek on the lower Klamath.
The Yurok Tribe will decommission 1.1 miles of road, rehabilitate 18
hillside areas, stabilize1,000 feet of stream bank and plant 800 trees. 

Other money will go to Trinity County for work on Indian Creek on the
Trinity River to clear vegetation, remove sediment, reshape the river
channel and revegetate areas so more water can be allowed to flow from
Trinity Dam. 

In Hidden Valley on the South Fork Trinity River, the Trinity County
Resource Conservation District will take out 5 miles of roads and remove
sediment. 

The projects are part of ongoing partnerships including the 2000 plan to
restore the Trinity River. Another $3 million is going into the projects
from both public and private sources. 

 

 

 

 

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From bwl3 at comcast.net  Thu Dec 15 14:49:23 2005
From: bwl3 at comcast.net (Byron )
Date: Thu, 15 Dec 2005 14:49:23 -0800
Subject: [env-trinity] California Watershed Assessment Manual
Message-ID: <004d01c601c9$cb6e1000$1f9eb545@p4>

Volume 1 of the subject document is available online at:
http://www.cwam.ucdavis.edu <http://www.cwam.ucdavis.edu/>    Additional
information also is on the website.  The manual is exceedingly well done, in
my judgment.  

 

For a hard copy, you can write to:

Department of Forestry and Fire Protection

Fire and Resource Assessment Program

PO Box 944246

Sacramento, CA 94244-2460

 

Byron Leydecker

Chair, Friends of Trinity River

Advisor, California Trout, Inc

PO Box 2327

Mill Valley, CA 94942-2327

415 383 4810 ph

415 383 9562 fx

bwl3 at comcast.net

bleydecker at stanfordalumni.org

http://www.fotr.org

http:www.caltrout.org 

 

 

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From bwl3 at comcast.net  Mon Dec 19 14:22:46 2005
From: bwl3 at comcast.net (Byron )
Date: Mon, 19 Dec 2005 14:22:46 -0800
Subject: [env-trinity] Fresno Bee Water Editorial
Message-ID: <001a01c604ea$c6326e50$1f9eb545@p4>

Editorial: Water at the forefront; State's needs are growing, answers are
few. That must change

Fresno Bee ? 12/18/05

 

Barely a day goes by without a new story emerging about water, and that's
been true for all of California's history.

 

Last week, it was fears about the quality of water supplies in poorer rural
communities in the Valley. Residents of towns like Parlier, Mendota, Alpaugh
and Raisin City often live with brackish brown tap water because they have
neither the local resources nor the political clout to fix things.

Before that we were reading about concerns over water that will limit
residential growth in the nearby foothills. The Fresno County Board of
Supervisors has taken steps to limit development in the Shaver Lake area.

 

We've been treated to the long-running legal pas de deux between
environmentalists and farmers over San Joaquin River water from Millerton
Lake ? a hit show that's still running.

 

The deterioration of the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta ? the linchpin
of California's complicated plumbing system ? continues apace, although you
wouldn't know it from the apparent indifference or ignorance of many of our
elected leaders.

 

In the meantime, climate changes may radically alter the cycles of snow,
spring melt and percolation into the massive aquifer that is our principal
source of water in the Valley ? or maybe not. Is this an El Ni?o year, or is
his sister, La Ni?a, on her way? And do they have any cousins we haven't met
yet?

 

Population growth continues the upward pressure on demand for water, and not
just any water, but water people can drink safely. Municipalities and
private residents alike have to drill deeper and deeper to reach potable
water in the Valley, and that costs more. We're using up the aquifer faster
than nature can replenish it.

 

And we still haven't got water meters up and running in Fresno.

 

We've got to get a handle on these problems or we will find ourselves one
day without sufficient water for all the fields and orchards, the shops and
factories, the homes and lawns. We won't have enough to drink, much less
bathe. But how?

 

Part of the problem is that authority over water matters is spread over a
wide and tangled web of bureaucracies. Federal, state and local agencies
each have a piece. Dams, lakes, rivers, canals and private wells are all
lodged under different roofs. And groundwater isn't regulated at all.

 

Getting all those varied and sometimes contentious people to the same table
is difficult. Getting them to actually solve problems is even harder ?
witness the excruciatingly painful "progress" of the Cal-Fed process, an
attempt to bring federal, state and local interests all to the same page on
water issues. It's been years in the works and is barely breathing most of
the time. 

 

But we have to make the effort. Valley representatives in Washington, D.C.,
and Sacramento must find ways to collaborate in this effort. In the
meantime, people at the grass roots should be pushing their leaders to
action. New solutions must be found, and some old ones may bear a fresh
look. 

 

Conservation is crucial, but it may also be time for new storage facilities
? groundwater banking, for instance. Perhaps even new dams should be on the
table, despite their tremendous cost and environmental impacts.

 

Our old ways aren't going to work forever. Issues of water quality and
quantity affect us all, as we have begun to learn about air pollution. A new
year offers us a chance to get busy on new ways of doing things. Let's not
waste it.

 

Byron Leydecker

Chair, Friends of Trinity River

Advisor, California Trout, Inc

PO Box 2327

Mill Valley, CA 94942-2327

415 383 4810 ph

415 383 9562 fx

bwl3 at comcast.net

bleydecker at stanfordalumni.org

http://www.fotr.org

http:www.caltrout.org 

 

 

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From bwl3 at comcast.net  Mon Dec 19 14:28:16 2005
From: bwl3 at comcast.net (Byron )
Date: Mon, 19 Dec 2005 14:28:16 -0800
Subject: [env-trinity] Hatchery Fish Equal Wild Fish? Record Searchlight
	Editorial
Message-ID: <001f01c604eb$8244a400$1f9eb545@p4>

Editorial: Lawsuits aside, wild fish worth preserving

Redding Record-Searchlight - 12/18/05

 

A lawsuit filed last week by the Pacific Legal Foundation, a group of
property-rights lawyers, seeks to force the federal government to count
hatchery-born salmon on an equal basis along with their wild cousins when
deciding to list runs of West Coast coho, chinook and sockeye as threatened
or endangered. 

 

Both the law and the biology pose complicated questions in this arena. 

 

An Oregon judge recently ruled that federal fisheries biologists must
consider hatchery fish in making their judgments (which is only sensible,
the fish being in the river and all), but the government and
environmentalists argue that the ruling wasn't intended to make wild and
hatchery fish equal. 

 

Hatchery-raised salmon commonly are used to bolster thin runs, which makes
them a valuable tool to restore fisheries, but biologists also say that
hatchery fish can sometimes outfeed and outspawn wild runs, hurting those
valuable populations. 

 

The only sure thing is that this fight won't end any time soon. 

 

Property-rights advocates want federal bureaucrats off their backs. Who
doesn't? In the bigger picture, though, the debate over the legal status of
human-raised fish is a red herring. Hatcheries are, at best, crutches to
keep broken salmon runs limping along, and all fish ultimately need the same
clean water to thrive. 

 

Whatever the dictates of the Endangered Species Act, the healthy creeks and
rivers that are essential to the survival of wild salmon runs are well worth
conserving. 

 

 

Byron Leydecker

Chair, Friends of Trinity River

Advisor, California Trout, Inc

PO Box 2327

Mill Valley, CA 94942-2327

415 383 4810 ph

415 383 9562 fx

bwl3 at comcast.net

bleydecker at stanfordalumni.org

http://www.fotr.org

http:www.caltrout.org 

 

 

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From nec at northcoast.com  Mon Dec 19 15:46:12 2005
From: nec at northcoast.com (Tim McKay)
Date: Mon, 19 Dec 2005 15:46:12 -0800
Subject: [env-trinity] [FOTR] Fresno Bee Water Editorial
Message-ID: <v04210104bfccf6be297f@[209.209.15.107]>

Editorial: Water at the forefront; State's needs are growing, answers 
are few. That must change

Fresno Bee - 12/18/05



Barely a day goes by without a new story emerging about water, and 
that's been true for all of California's history.



Last week, it was fears about the quality of water supplies in poorer 
rural communities in the Valley. Residents of towns like Parlier, 
Mendota, Alpaugh and Raisin City often live with brackish brown tap 
water because they have neither the local resources nor the political 
clout to fix things.

Before that we were reading about concerns over water that will limit 
residential growth in the nearby foothills. The Fresno County Board 
of Supervisors has taken steps to limit development in the Shaver 
Lake area.



We've been treated to the long-running legal pas de deux between 
environmentalists and farmers over San Joaquin River water from 
Millerton Lake - a hit show that's still running.



The deterioration of the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta - the 
linchpin of California's complicated plumbing system - continues 
apace, although you wouldn't know it from the apparent indifference 
or ignorance of many of our elected leaders.



In the meantime, climate changes may radically alter the cycles of 
snow, spring melt and percolation into the massive aquifer that is 
our principal source of water in the Valley - or maybe not. Is this 
an El Ni?o year, or is his sister, La Ni?a, on her way? And do they 
have any cousins we haven't met yet?



Population growth continues the upward pressure on demand for water, 
and not just any water, but water people can drink safely. 
Municipalities and private residents alike have to drill deeper and 
deeper to reach potable water in the Valley, and that costs more. 
We're using up the aquifer faster than nature can replenish it.



And we still haven't got water meters up and running in Fresno.



We've got to get a handle on these problems or we will find ourselves 
one day without sufficient water for all the fields and orchards, the 
shops and factories, the homes and lawns. We won't have enough to 
drink, much less bathe. But how?



Part of the problem is that authority over water matters is spread 
over a wide and tangled web of bureaucracies. Federal, state and 
local agencies each have a piece. Dams, lakes, rivers, canals and 
private wells are all lodged under different roofs. And groundwater 
isn't regulated at all.



Getting all those varied and sometimes contentious people to the same 
table is difficult. Getting them to actually solve problems is even 
harder - witness the excruciatingly painful "progress" of the Cal-Fed 
process, an attempt to bring federal, state and local interests all 
to the same page on water issues. It's been years in the works and is 
barely breathing most of the time.



But we have to make the effort. Valley representatives in Washington, 
D.C., and Sacramento must find ways to collaborate in this effort. In 
the meantime, people at the grass roots should be pushing their 
leaders to action. New solutions must be found, and some old ones may 
bear a fresh look.



Conservation is crucial, but it may also be time for new storage 
facilities - groundwater banking, for instance. Perhaps even new dams 
should be on the table, despite their tremendous cost and 
environmental impacts.



Our old ways aren't going to work forever. Issues of water quality 
and quantity affect us all, as we have begun to learn about air 
pollution. A new year offers us a chance to get busy on new ways of 
doing things. Let's not waste it.



Byron Leydecker

Chair, Friends of Trinity River

Advisor, California Trout, Inc

PO Box 2327

Mill Valley, CA 94942-2327

415 383 4810 ph

415 383 9562 fx

<mailto:bwl3 at comcast.net>bwl3 at comcast.net

<mailto:bleydecker at stanfordalumni.org>bleydecker at stanfordalumni.org

<http://www.fotr.org>http://www.fotr.org

http:www.caltrout.org






_______________________________________________
FOTR mailing list
FOTR at mailman.dcn.org
http://www2.dcn.org/mailman/listinfo/fotr

T. James McKay
712 Eighth Avenue
Trinidad CA 95570
Ph. 707.677.3172, cell 707.498.4900
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From Jay_Glase at nps.gov  Tue Dec 20 08:13:39 2005
From: Jay_Glase at nps.gov (Jay_Glase at nps.gov)
Date: Tue, 20 Dec 2005 11:13:39 -0500
Subject: [env-trinity] [FOTR] Fresno Bee Water Editorial
Message-ID: <OFFEF7D738.DA0503C9-ON872570DD.005893EA-852570DD.0059325D@nps.gov>

I'm still amazed that there are communities without water meters in this
country.  Can anyone explain the logic here?  I live 15 minutes away from
10% of the planet's available fresh water (not bragging, just putting
things in perspective), and I have a water meter at my house.  Why are
water meters not an everyday fact of life in Fresno?

cheers everyone,
happy holidays and happy winter

Jay Glase
Great Lakes Area Fishery Biologist
National Park Service
(906)487-9080 x27


|---------+---------------------------------------------->
|         |           Tim McKay <nec at northcoast.com>     |
|         |           Sent by:                           |
|         |           env-trinity-bounces at velocipede.dcn.|
|         |           davis.ca.us                        |
|         |                                              |
|         |                                              |
|         |           12/19/2005 03:46 PM PST            |
|         |                                              |
|---------+---------------------------------------------->
  >-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
  |                                                                                                                               |
  |       To:       "FOTR List" <fotr at velocipede.dcn.davis.ca.us>, "Trinity List Server" <env-trinity at velocipede.dcn.davis.ca.us>,|
  |        "Klamath Restoration List" <klamath at klamathrestoration.org>, "Env-Klamath" <env-klamath at igc.topica.com>                |
  |       cc:       (bcc: Jay Glase/Omaha/NPS)                                                                                    |
  |       Subject:  [env-trinity] [FOTR] Fresno Bee Water Editorial                                                               |
  >-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|




Editorial: Water at the forefront; State's needs are growing, answers
are few. That must change

Fresno Bee - 12/18/05



Barely a day goes by without a new story emerging about water, and
that's been true for all of California's history.



Last week, it was fears about the quality of water supplies in poorer
rural communities in the Valley. Residents of towns like Parlier,
Mendota, Alpaugh and Raisin City often live with brackish brown tap
water because they have neither the local resources nor the political
clout to fix things.

Before that we were reading about concerns over water that will limit
residential growth in the nearby foothills. The Fresno County Board
of Supervisors has taken steps to limit development in the Shaver
Lake area.



We've been treated to the long-running legal pas de deux between
environmentalists and farmers over San Joaquin River water from
Millerton Lake - a hit show that's still running.



The deterioration of the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta - the
linchpin of California's complicated plumbing system - continues
apace, although you wouldn't know it from the apparent indifference
or ignorance of many of our elected leaders.



In the meantime, climate changes may radically alter the cycles of
snow, spring melt and percolation into the massive aquifer that is
our principal source of water in the Valley - or maybe not. Is this
an El Ni?o year, or is his sister, La Ni?a, on her way? And do they
have any cousins we haven't met yet?



Population growth continues the upward pressure on demand for water,
and not just any water, but water people can drink safely.
Municipalities and private residents alike have to drill deeper and
deeper to reach potable water in the Valley, and that costs more.
We're using up the aquifer faster than nature can replenish it.



And we still haven't got water meters up and running in Fresno.



We've got to get a handle on these problems or we will find ourselves
one day without sufficient water for all the fields and orchards, the
shops and factories, the homes and lawns. We won't have enough to
drink, much less bathe. But how?



Part of the problem is that authority over water matters is spread
over a wide and tangled web of bureaucracies. Federal, state and
local agencies each have a piece. Dams, lakes, rivers, canals and
private wells are all lodged under different roofs. And groundwater
isn't regulated at all.



Getting all those varied and sometimes contentious people to the same
table is difficult. Getting them to actually solve problems is even
harder - witness the excruciatingly painful "progress" of the Cal-Fed
process, an attempt to bring federal, state and local interests all
to the same page on water issues. It's been years in the works and is
barely breathing most of the time.



But we have to make the effort. Valley representatives in Washington,
D.C., and Sacramento must find ways to collaborate in this effort. In
the meantime, people at the grass roots should be pushing their
leaders to action. New solutions must be found, and some old ones may
bear a fresh look.



Conservation is crucial, but it may also be time for new storage
facilities - groundwater banking, for instance. Perhaps even new dams
should be on the table, despite their tremendous cost and
environmental impacts.



Our old ways aren't going to work forever. Issues of water quality
and quantity affect us all, as we have begun to learn about air
pollution. A new year offers us a chance to get busy on new ways of
doing things. Let's not waste it.



Byron Leydecker

Chair, Friends of Trinity River

Advisor, California Trout, Inc

PO Box 2327

Mill Valley, CA 94942-2327

415 383 4810 ph

415 383 9562 fx

<mailto:bwl3 at comcast.net>bwl3 at comcast.net

<mailto:bleydecker at stanfordalumni.org>bleydecker at stanfordalumni.org

<http://www.fotr.org>http://www.fotr.org

http:www.caltrout.org






_______________________________________________
FOTR mailing list
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From tstokely at trinityalps.net  Thu Dec 22 09:54:52 2005
From: tstokely at trinityalps.net (Tom Stokely)
Date: Thu, 22 Dec 2005 09:54:52 -0800
Subject: [env-trinity] The Grist- California's Water Woes in 2005
Message-ID: <001101c6073a$7fd54a20$2f28a8c0@trinitycounty.org>

 
http://gristmill.grist.org/story/2005/12/21/194925/70
California's water woes in 2005
Posted by Lloyd Carter at 9:26 AM on 22 Dec 2005 
Like Old Man River, another year has rolled by in California's water world and, as usual, things have gotten worse. The year started with recurring news reports of the continuing decline of several critical fish species in the Bay-Delta Estuary, which is also the source of drinking water for 23 million Californians.

Then in the wake of Hurricane Katrina last summer came sobering news that the fragile Delta levee system near Sacramento and Stockton could collapse in a major earthquake or a horrendous storm event, causing massive destruction and loss of life. Undeterred, developers proposed another 100,000 homes in the Delta region -- below the levees!

Last month the state's Little Hoover Commission released a report (PDF) criticizing "CALFED," the consortium of state and federal agencies created in 1994 to "solve" the problems of the Delta. More than a decade and $3 billion later, the Little Hoover Commission report notes CALFED has little to claim in the way of improvements for the Delta or the state's water problems.


"Frustration with CALFED is warranted," the commission told Gov. Schwarzenegger and the legislature in a November 17 public letter. 

  [T]he winds of Hurricane Katrina have reached California -- blowing out the flicker of confidence that officials had in the ability of Delta levees to withstand earthquakes, rising sea levels and inevitable winter floods. Some $3 billion have been spent trying to fix the Delta. But the Delta smelt that some consider to be the estuary's coal mine canary are even harder to find than stakeholders who are willing to put up their own money to continue funding CALFED.
The fundamental problem, in my view, is that the two primary agencies in CALFED, the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation (Bureau) and the California Department of Water Resources (DWR), have spent the last several decades building a water-delivery system primarily for agribusiness, and they still act like it's the 1960s. Other agencies in CALFED, such as the U.S. Geological Survey, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and the California Department of Fish and Game add window dressing to CALFED's prestige, but rarely have the final say.

Thus, while the Delta fishery is collapsing, the Bureau and DWR are both pushing increased exports from the Delta -- as much as 25 percent more.

And the Bureau, in a process occurring outside the CALFED framework, wants to provide Westlands Water District in the western San Joaquin Valley a 25-year water contract (with a virtually automatic 25-year renewal clause) for over one million acre-feet of water. An acre-foot of water is 325,851 gallons and will meet the domestic needs of two families of five for a year. In other words, the 400 growers in Westlands will get enough water to meet the needs of a city of 10 million people.

This massive amount of water apparently will be provided even though the 600,000-acre Westlands has unsolvable drainage problems caused by the trace element selenium and plans to take as much as 200,000 acres out of production. Westlands drainage water containing selenium poisoned the Kesterson National Wildlife Refuge more than 20 years ago.

Even more amazing, the Bureau wants to build another Kesterson evaporation pond facility -- three times larger than the original one -- for Westlands' 400 growers, at a cost of nearly $1 billion. Bureau officials claim birds will be protected, but don't say how. State and federal scientists are incredulous. Again, this scheme is being proposed outside the CALFED process.

DWR, meanwhile, is promoting the water interests (both irrigation and selling water) of big growers and water marketers in the Tulare Basin of the southern San Joaquin Valley, including cotton billionaire J.G. Boswell and Beverly Hills billionaire Stewart Resnick, who has been buying tens of thousands of acres of farmland and jumped into water marketing.

In my view, California's water crisis will never be solved as long as these two agencies -- who see their mission as providing all the water agribusiness wants -- continue to call the shots. California has more than two million acres of farmland planted with crops subsidized by American taxpayers (cotton, rice, corn, grains), using water subsidized by California taxpayers. Even the conservative Heritage Foundation decries this massive waste of public funds and precious water.

Meanwhile, urban water system infrastructures throughout California continue to decay. Underground drinking water pipelines and deteriorating wastewater lines in Sacramento alone will cause $4 billion to repair. San Joaquin Valley farm towns report recurring problems with drinking-water quality.

Will the governator take charge? After two years in office, he has yet to give a speech on or show any interest in water issues. His staffers hint he will mention water in his State of the State message early next year. A mention isn't going to change anything.

With California's population estimated to reach 46 million in the next few decades, water use clearly will shift away from agriculture to cities and growth. The agricultural San Joaquin Valley, which is poorer than Appalachia, is expected to add five million people by the year 2050. Who will profit from this shift of water?

Thanks to state and federal laws passed in 1992, irrigation districts and individual growers are now free to sell their cheap irrigation supplies at retail market prices. In other words, growers can buy water from these two agencies at $10 to $100 an acre-foot and sell it to Southern California developers for $600 an acre-foot. 

Which is why smart growers know that water is the new cash crop.

What will become of the Little Hoover Commission report? What will become of cries for repairing the Delta levees? Don't hold your breath. The public generally doesn't care about water issues unless the water poisons them or drowns them, as Katrina proved. Hard water decisions are the third rail of California politics.

My guess? The report is likely to gather dust on a shelf until California's version of Katrina hits.

     
      < Sunny days ahead (1 comments) | Green advertising (0 comments) >  


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From tstokely at trinityalps.net  Thu Dec 22 13:04:06 2005
From: tstokely at trinityalps.net (Tom Stokely)
Date: Thu, 22 Dec 2005 13:04:06 -0800
Subject: [env-trinity] CALFED Votes to Disband!
Message-ID: <005801c6073b$41f44430$2f28a8c0@trinitycounty.org>

 Water agency may revert to old status; CalFed proposes reforms, spurred by Schwarzenegger
Sacramento Bee - 12/21/05
By Matt Weiser, staff writer
 

Struggling to reinvent itself to meet the governor's deadline, the embattled CalFed Bay-Delta Authority on Tuesday opted to try on an old pair of shoes in hopes of pleasing critics. 

 

CalFed was created 10 years ago to end California's legendary water wars. It was charged with the difficult task of improving water supply and restoring the environment of the fragile Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta. 

 

Amid mounting criticism that the agency was failing on both accounts, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger ordered CalFed to propose reforms before the year's end. 

 

On Tuesday, the CalFed board voted to reconstitute itself under the umbrella of the California Water Commission, which was created in 1958 but has been dormant in recent years. 

 

CalFed leaders decided the commission offers the right legal structure to address complaints that CalFed lacks enforcement and budgetary powers and has little accountability to the public. 

 

"There needs to be a focus on mission, and that's what this is attempting to do," said Gary Hunt, chairman of the CalFed board. 

 

The 700,000-acre Delta serves as a water supply for 23 million Californians and more than 5 million acres of farmland, mostly in Southern California. Water exports to serve these users have played a role in pushing several fish species in the Delta to the brink of extinction. CalFed has received much of the blame for failing to strike the right balance. 

 

The idea behind CalFed was that environmental interests and water users could best unite by bringing 25 state and federal agencies together under a new framework for cooperation. 

 

The governor and Legislature insisted reforms were overdue when federal funding for the partnership waned, and both water users and environmental groups complained CalFed had strayed from its mission. 

 

The governor's mandate included an order for a series of independent studies by the Little Hoover Commission, the state Department of Finance and a consultant. 

 

Tuesday's actions are a response to those inquiries. 

 

Under the proposal, the state Water Commission would be revived and increased from nine to 13 members. Seven would be appointed by the governor and six by the Legislature, with representation from certain technical areas and regions of the state. 

 

CalFed also agreed that its existing 70 employees would be reassigned to a new unit within the state Resources Agency, where they would continue to serve CalFed goals. For at least the next year, however, it is likely CalFed will continue to operate in its present configuration. 

 

The board also voted to establish a separate "executive leadership council," chaired by the state secretary of resources and an appointee of the U.S. secretary of Interior. This entity will set overarching policy and ensure that the revived Water Commission stays on track to meet the original CalFed goals. 

 

"It's crucial that we separate out these two responsibilities," said Marc Holmes, a CalFed board member who represents the nonprofit Bay Institute. "If we're going to have credibility in the public mind, there has to be an independent policy body." 

 

Tuesday's vote is a recommendation to the governor, who is expected to consider the proposal and release his own plan for the agency in January, which will then be proposed as legislation. 

 

As such, it is a broad reform proposal that assumes many details will be worked out between the governor and Legislature. 

 

It remains to be seen whether the proposed reforms will satisfy. 

 

For instance, the issue of long-term funding is mostly unsettled. Lawmakers have been pushing CalFed to adopt a "beneficiary pays" program, in which water users and others who benefit from the Delta would pay for its upkeep and restoration. 

 

CalFed won an interim commitment from water users for $30 million over two years. But Barry Nelson, a senior policy advocate with the Natural Resources Defense Council, said this is well short of what was expected when CalFed was formed. 

 

"There is a continued failure of the program to address fundamental issues," he said. 

 

The reforms also include preparation of a habitat conservation plan for the Delta, which would guide restoration and establish a means for water users to pay for it. 

 

But there is no similar requirement for the major tributaries essential to migratory fish: the Sacramento and San Joaquin rivers, where numerous dams have altered fish habitat. 

 

"It concerns me a lot," said Mike Aceituno, Sacramento-area supervisor for protected resources with the fisheries branch of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. "To refocus the entire program and only look at the Delta is a mistake." #

http://www.sacbee.com/content/politics/story/14003243p-14836366c.html

 

 

Agency overseeing CalFed recommends it's own elimination

San Francisco Chronicle - 12/21/05

Associated Press

 

The state agency created to safeguard the San Joaquin-Sacramento River Delta's environment and make sure that farmers and urban consumers get the water they need voted Tuesday to recommend its own elimination.

 

The California Bay-Delta Authority was created in 2003 with the goal of getting the 25 state and federal agencies that make up the CalFed Bay Delta Program to work together, and meet the needs of clashing groups of farmers, environmentalists, fishermen and others with a stake in the waters of the delta.

 

CalFed faced challenges from the start, caught between its conflicting goals of serving the environment and water consumers. In May, the governor ordered independent reviews of the program following threats by state lawmakers to cut part of the program's budget.

 

The Little Hoover Commission, a government-appointed body tasked with reviewing the Bay-Delta Authority, recommended last month that the agency should be eliminated and substituted with a new oversight body made up of public officials appointed by executive and legislative representatives.

 

Part of the problem, the Little Hoover report said, was that many of the members of the Bay-Delta Authority were top officials in the same agencies they were supposed to oversee.

 

The Bay-Delta Authority's 24-person board agreed, adopting the commission's recommendation as part of an operating framework for the next 10 years.

 

"The Authority recommended putting itself out of business, and recommended a better over oversight mechanism," said CalFed spokesman Keith Coolidge. "It's a big deal."

 

The framework adopted also included calls for improved fiscal accountability, greater use of science in the agency's decision-making, and the establishment of a long-term plan to help restore endangered species in the delta, Coolidge said.

 

But environmentalists attending the meeting were not impressed, and said they would believe that the agency would be responsive to the public when they saw it happen.

 

"That's supposedly what they're working on, but it isn't certain that that's what they're going to do," said LaDonna Williams, with People for Children's Health and Environmental Justice. "It's time to stop talking about it and just do it."

 

The Authority will now pass their recommended framework to the state Secretary of Resources. He will develop a 10-year plan incorporating all recommendations for improving CalFed, and deliver it to the governor by January, Coolidge said. #

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/n/a/2005/12/20/state/n185505S33.DTL&hw=river&sn=007&sc=488

#####
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From bwl3 at comcast.net  Thu Dec 22 13:36:04 2005
From: bwl3 at comcast.net (Byron )
Date: Thu, 22 Dec 2005 13:36:04 -0800
Subject: [env-trinity] Lloyd Carter on California Water Issues - Westlands
	Included
Message-ID: <003001c6073f$bd669ab0$1f9eb545@p4>

California's water woes in 2005

Posted by  <http://gristmill.grist.org/user/Lloyd%20Carter> Lloyd Carter at
9:26 AM on 22 Dec 2005 

Like Old Man River, another year has rolled by in California's water world
and, as usual, things have gotten worse. The year started with recurring
news reports of the continuing decline of several critical fish species in
the Bay-Delta Estuary, which is also the source of drinking water for 23
million Californians.

Then in the wake of Hurricane Katrina last summer came sobering news that
the fragile Delta levee system near Sacramento and Stockton could collapse
in a major earthquake or a horrendous storm event, causing massive
destruction and loss of life. Undeterred, developers proposed another
100,000 homes in the Delta region -- below the levees!

Last month the state's Little Hoover Commission released
<http://lhc.ca.gov/lhcdir/183/report183.pdf> a report (PDF) criticizing
"CALFED," the consortium of state and federal agencies created in 1994 to
"solve" the problems of the Delta. More than a decade and $3 billion later,
the Little Hoover Commission report notes CALFED has little to claim in the
way of improvements for the Delta or the state's water problems.

"Frustration with CALFED is warranted," the commission told Gov.
Schwarzenegger and the legislature in a November 17 public letter. 

[T]he winds of Hurricane Katrina have reached California -- blowing out the
flicker of confidence that officials had in the ability of Delta levees to
withstand earthquakes, rising sea levels and inevitable winter floods. Some
$3 billion have been spent trying to fix the Delta. But the Delta smelt that
some consider to be the estuary's coal mine canary are even harder to find
than stakeholders who are willing to put up their own money to continue
funding CALFED.

The fundamental problem, in my view, is that the two primary agencies in
CALFED, the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation (Bureau) and the California
Department of Water Resources (DWR), have spent the last several decades
building a water-delivery system primarily for agribusiness, and they still
act like it's the 1960s. Other agencies in CALFED, such as the U.S.
Geological Survey, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and the California
Department of Fish and Game add window dressing to CALFED's prestige, but
rarely have the final say.

Thus, while the Delta fishery is collapsing, the Bureau and DWR are both
pushing increased exports from the Delta -- as much as 25 percent more.

And the Bureau, in a process occurring outside the CALFED framework, wants
to provide Westlands Water District in the western San Joaquin Valley a
25-year water contract (with a virtually automatic 25-year renewal clause)
for over one million acre-feet of water. An acre-foot of water is 325,851
gallons and will meet the domestic needs of two families of five for a year.
In other words, the 400 growers in Westlands will get enough water to meet
the needs of a city of 10 million people.

This massive amount of water apparently will be provided even though the
600,000-acre Westlands has unsolvable drainage problems caused by the trace
element selenium and plans to take as much as 200,000 acres out of
production. Westlands drainage water containing selenium poisoned the
Kesterson National Wildlife Refuge more than 20 years ago.

Even more amazing, the Bureau wants to build another Kesterson evaporation
pond facility -- three times larger than the original one -- for Westlands'
400 growers, at a cost of nearly $1 billion. Bureau officials claim birds
will be protected, but don't say how. State and federal scientists are
incredulous. Again, this scheme is being proposed outside the CALFED
process.

DWR, meanwhile, is promoting the water interests (both irrigation and
selling water) of big growers and water marketers in the Tulare Basin of the
southern San Joaquin Valley, including cotton billionaire J.G. Boswell and
Beverly Hills billionaire Stewart Resnick, who has been buying tens of
thousands of acres of farmland and jumped into water marketing.

In my view, California's water crisis will never be solved as long as these
two agencies -- who see their mission as providing all the water
agribusiness wants -- continue to call the shots. California has more than
two million acres of farmland planted with crops subsidized by American
taxpayers (cotton, rice, corn, grains), using water subsidized by California
taxpayers. Even the conservative Heritage Foundation decries this massive
waste of public funds and precious water.

Meanwhile, urban water system infrastructures throughout California continue
to decay. Underground drinking water pipelines and deteriorating wastewater
lines in Sacramento alone will cause $4 billion to repair. San Joaquin
Valley farm towns report recurring problems with drinking-water quality.

Will the governator take charge? After two years in office, he has yet to
give a speech on or show any interest in water issues. His staffers hint he
will mention water in his State of the State message early next year. A
mention isn't going to change anything.

With California's population estimated to reach 46 million in the next few
decades, water use clearly will shift away from agriculture to cities and
growth. The agricultural San Joaquin Valley, which is poorer than
Appalachia, is expected to add five million people by the year 2050. Who
will profit from this shift of water?

Thanks to state and federal laws passed in 1992, irrigation districts and
individual growers are now free to sell their cheap irrigation supplies at
retail market prices. In other words, growers can buy water from these two
agencies at $10 to $100 an acre-foot and sell it to Southern California
developers for $600 an acre-foot. 

Which is why smart growers know that water is the new cash crop.

What will become of the Little Hoover Commission report? What will become of
cries for repairing the Delta levees? Don't hold your breath. The public
generally doesn't care about water issues unless the water poisons them or
drowns them, as Katrina proved. Hard water decisions are the third rail of
California politics.

My guess? The report is likely to gather dust on a shelf until California's
version of Katrina hits.

Byron Leydecker

Chair, Friends of Trinity River

Advisor, California Trout, Inc

PO Box 2327

Mill Valley, CA 94942-2327

415 383 4810 ph

415 383 9562 fx

bwl3 at comcast.net

bleydecker at stanfordalumni.org

http://www.fotr.org

http:www.caltrout.org 

 

 

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From truman at jeffnet.org  Sun Dec 25 09:53:02 2005
From: truman at jeffnet.org (Patrick Truman)
Date: Sun, 25 Dec 2005 09:53:02 -0800
Subject: [env-trinity] Coho Home for the Holidays
Message-ID: <001b01c6097c$11a55380$a048f842@HAL>




--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

MARIN COUNTY 
Coho home for the holidays 
San Geronimo Valley greets surge of spawning salmon
Peter Fimrite, Chronicle Staff Writer

Sunday, December 25, 2005

         
        a.. Printable Version 
        b.. Email This Article 
     
     


The first big rains of winter have attracted a roiling menagerie to the creeks and tributaries in Marin County's lush San Geronimo Valley, where spawning coho salmon are living proof that, given a chance, Mother Nature can right humanity's wrongs. 

Schools of the endangered coho are wriggling their way up Lagunitas and San Geronimo creeks, drawing tourists, schoolchildren and naturalists who jostle for the opportunity to see the majestic fish leap from the foaming rapids. Cheers went up recently as coho continually hurled themselves into and over the waterfall known as the Ink Wells on San Geronimo Creek. 

"We're in this urban environment, but you can see something that usually happens only in places like Alaska," said Allison Murphy, who came from Petaluma with her 8- and 13-year-old children to see the fish. "It's just incredible that they come here all the way from the ocean." 

There are more salmon in the waterways of this picturesque valley than anywhere else in California, and the first winter rains are always a good time to see the shining 2-footers flapping against the current. Last year, they deposited more eggs in the creeks and tributaries of Marin County than any other year since biologists first counted in 1982. 

It was the high point of a remarkable renaissance, but even there, the species is one environmental disaster removed from extinction, warned Todd Steiner, the director of the Salmon Protection and Watershed Network, or SPAWN. 

"People hear the happy story, but the truth is they could all disappear in the blink of an eye," Steiner said. "The threats just keep coming." 

At least 200 homes are next to, and in some cases spanning, the creeks, especially in Woodacre. Steiner said leaking septic tanks, collapsing roadways and sediment from runoff are in abundance in the area, and all pose risks for the fish. Fifty percent of the spawning grounds in the valley are in developed areas -- which makes this salmon run unique. And 60 percent of the original riparian habitat crucial to their survival has been eliminated, including old-growth redwoods and other trees. 

"This area is gentrifying fast," said Steiner, who recently sued the county and blocked construction of a 3,600-square-foot home within 20 feet of the creek when county law mandates 100-foot setbacks. "New people are moving in who think they want to live in the forest until they live in the forest. Then they want to cut down all the trees because they can't see the sun." 

It is too early to tell, but Steiner thinks the salmon run this year is smaller than in the past. His pessimism would not have convinced the people jamming into the parking lot at the Shafter Bridge, one of the primary viewing spots near the confluence of Lagunitas and San Geronimo creeks. 

"It's very thrilling, and it's inexpensive entertainment," said Leslie Curchack, 60, of Petaluma as she stood on the bank watching a big red male and a greenish female cavorting downstream from the bridge. "Last night, I watched 'March of the Penguins' and this is in that vein. It's a natural creature enduring incredible hardship to survive." 

The spawning fish swim 33 miles from the open ocean into Tomales Bay and up the creek through the redwood-studded valley to lay their eggs. Biologists believe the females wait to lay eggs until they've found the same location where they were born three years before. 

The region, on the northwest side of Mount Tamalpais, has become a statewide model for fisheries restoration, especially since coho salmon were moved from threatened status to endangered this year under the Endangered Species Act. Experts say Lagunitas and San Geronimo creeks and their tributaries support 10 percent of the state's coho population. 

It is particularly valuable to researchers because the primary spawning grounds are in the middle of communities. Fortunately, many of the locals are beginning to take a proprietary interest and the schools have gotten involved, organizing work parties and teaching children about the historic migration. 

More than a century ago, some 6,000 coho spawned in the creeks every year. At that time, the salmon swam from Tomales Bay virtually to the top of Mount Tamalpais, spawning in tributaries all along the way. But industry started taking a toll almost from the day Joseph Warren Revere spotted the valley in 1846 and saw "a copious stream, fed by mountain brooks." 

The redwood forests surrounding the creek were logged between 1860 and 1900. The first major dam, which created Lake Lagunitas, was built in 1873. Six more dams were constructed over the next century, the largest being Peter's Dam at Kent Lake, finished in 1953 and then raised 42 feet in 1982. The dams blocked 50 percent of the historic salmon habitat, reduced the amount of gravel and increased sedimentation in the creeks. 

Still, old-timers remember how they used to gig fish from decks or garage hatches overlooking the creek. In 1959, when the habitat was already in serious decline, the largest recorded coho in state history, a 22-pounder, was fished out of Lagunitas Creek. 

Steiner, a founder of the international Sea Turtle Restoration Project, began SPAWN in 1997 after he discovered that the spawning coho in San Geronimo Creek were blocked by an eroded concrete apron at Roy's Dam near Woodacre. 

He led an all-volunteer effort to build jump pools. The dam is now a favorite spot to view the migrating fish. 

Since then, SPAWN's Fish Rescue Program has saved more than 15,000 juvenile salmon and steelhead from dying in drying pools during the summer. The group has a contract with the state Regional Water Quality Control Board to monitor water quality, establish a citizens' creek emergency team, provide educational resources to the public and begin a sediment-control and water-quality improvement program. 

On Friday, Robert Meckfessel, a 46-year-old contractor and salmon fisherman from Point Reyes Station, pointed out five spawning salmon to his 5-year-old daughter, Maxine, right after the last rains. He said he comes to the creek every year to watch the annual migration. 

"I like watching them just as much as I like catching them," he said, quickly pointing out that he always releases coho when he fishes in his boat in the ocean. 

"I like watching them more than I like catching them," interrupted Maxine. 

As part of community outreach, SPAWN also sponsors salmon-watching creek walks with docents during spawning season. The Marin Municipal Water District, which is required by the state to help the coho as mitigation for raising Peter's Dam, works with SPAWN to monitor releases from the dam, install woody debris in the creeks and replant vegetation. 

"There is major interest in the fish here from all over the Bay Area," Steiner said. "But even with all our volunteers, we're still just trying to keep up." 

E-mail Peter Fimrite at pfimrite at sfchronicle.com. 
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From bwl3 at comcast.net  Wed Dec 28 11:25:11 2005
From: bwl3 at comcast.net (Byron )
Date: Wed, 28 Dec 2005 11:25:11 -0800
Subject: [env-trinity] Delta Pumping Stations
Message-ID: <001101c60be4$737fc440$1f9eb545@p4>

Delta fish crash remains a mystery

Contra Costa Times - 12/28/05

By Mike Taugher, staff writer

 

The giant bucket rises from two stories beneath the concrete floor.

 

Like a huge colander, water spills from its sides to reveal hundreds of
silvery, flopping shapes in an inky bath. Most are on their sides or upside
down. Many are bleeding.

 

These are the fish -- more than 3,000 of them -- collected during the past
24 hours near the largest water pumps in the state.

 

Like the 15 million other fish "salvaged" here each year as part of the
state system to deliver trillions of gallons of water to Southern
California, these small striped bass, shad and other species were diverted
through a system of screens and pipes to a pair of warehouse-like buildings
on a windy plain below Altamont Pass.

 

In one of the buildings at the John E. Skinner Delta Fish Protective
Facility, operators Doug Nolan and Mike Ford identify the fish by species,
count them and drop them into a holding tank before moving them to a
separate oxygenated tank on the back of a truck and hauling them back to the
Delta.

 

"Most people think the water just flows down there. They don't realize all
the work we have to do," said Nolan.

 

For decades, anglers and environmentalists worried about Delta fisheries
have suspected that an enormous toll was being exacted by the state-owned
pumps here and smaller federal pumps down the road.

 

Millions of fish probably don't survive the ordeal of being salvaged, they
contend, and innumerable eggs, fish larvae and food sources too small to be
captured by the screens are destroyed at the pumps.

 

So when scientists early this year confirmed that Delta fish populations had
dramatically declined, they looked again at the pumps with suspicion.

 

"I think the problem is they pump so much water out of the Delta, they pump
all the food out with it," said Joe Horn, a bass fisherman who has plied
Delta waters for 50 years.

 

But scientists cautioned that the pumps were only one of a number of
possibilities to explain the recent ecological crash.

 

Invasive species of clams, weeds and fish are markedly changing the Delta in
unpredictable ways, and little is known about pesticides and other toxic
compounds in the Delta.

 

Still, the pumps remain as suspects, because they could be either taking a
greater toll on fish populations -- especially in the winter months -- or
contributing to changes in the aquatic habitat.

 

And pumping has been relatively high in recent years. In 2000, the year the
CalFed program was signed, the annual state and federal water deliveries
from the south Delta topped 6 million acre-feet for the first time.
Deliveries have topped that threshold three times since then.

 

The precipitous drop among the Delta's open-water fish populations began
about 2002.

 

Last year, the Delta smelt and young-of-the-year striped bass populations
hit record lows and do not appear to be improving this year. (Biologists say
adult striped bass are faring better but cannot explain why.)

 

The primary index used to measure Delta smelt populations, for example, fell
to 74 last year; during the 1990s that number ranged from a low of 102 to a
high of 1,078.

 

For young-of-the-year striped bass, the index last year was 53 even though
it has in most years been above 1,000. In 1967, the first year for which the
index was calculated, the figure was more than 20,000.

 

Since the cause of the problem is unknown, it is unclear whether CalFed
could have prevented it. However, the fish crash "raised questions about the
effectiveness and prudence of some CalFed activities," according to a recent
performance review by the state Department of Finance.

 

Other fish that had healthy populations in recent years have been hit just
as hard by whatever is hammering the Delta.

 

Just ask Gene Buchholz, owner of the Hook, Line and Sinker bait-and-tackle
shops in Oakley and Bethel Island.

 

"The threadfin shad have literally disappeared," he said.

 

This is the time of year he normally stocks up on the bait. In a typical
fall and winter, Buccholz freezes 300 to 400 pounds a year to sell the
following summer.

 

He has a standing order from one dealer for 30 to 40 pounds of threadfin
shad every Friday.

 

"I haven't gotten any shad from him in three weeks," Buchholz said. "There
is a definite problem. ... I can't get shad. They're gone."

 

The crisis in the Delta stands in contrast to the increasing number of
salmon that are passing through the Delta. 

 

Salmon populations in spawn areas like the Sacramento River, Butte Creek,
Clear Creek and other Northern California streams have increased
substantially in recent years.

 

But success in salmon populations, which are less dependent on the Delta
than the open-water species now in decline, has been overshadowed by the
widespread fish crash.

 

Although confirmation of the three-year decline in the Delta occurred in
January, it was not until a May 1 story in the Times that it received
widespread attention. Since then, lawmakers have held hearings and $1.7
million was dedicated to intensify scientific study of the problem.

 

The study's initial focus was on the pumps, invasive species and toxics,
including pesticides in runoff. Last month, scientists set out two leading
theories that will be further investigated next year.

 

Some critics have complained that CalFed's science program should have done
more to address the fish crash earlier.

 

"It was advertised as something that would catch these problems at their
early stages and move that information to decision-makers so they could
solve problems before they became crises," said Steve Hall, executive
director of the Association of California Water Agencies.

 

But the science program developed into a program that emphasized broad
research efforts at the expense of more targeted scientific endeavors to
help guide policymakers.

 

Greg Gartrell, an assistant general manager at the Contra Costa Water
District, said that was one of the big problems with CalFed: money was spent
on studies without a lot of thought given to how those studies would help
make things better.

 

"You got nice things, but not the right things," he said.

 

 

Byron Leydecker

Chair, Friends of Trinity River

Advisor, California Trout, Inc

PO Box 2327

Mill Valley, CA 94942-2327

415 383 4810 ph

415 383 9562 fx

bwl3 at comcast.net

bleydecker at stanfordalumni.org

http://www.fotr.org

http:www.caltrout.org 

 

 

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From bwl3 at comcast.net  Wed Dec 28 11:47:58 2005
From: bwl3 at comcast.net (Byron )
Date: Wed, 28 Dec 2005 11:47:58 -0800
Subject: [env-trinity] Eel River Flooding Possibility
Message-ID: <002501c60be7$9b600530$1f9eb545@p4>

Eel River flooding predicted

Eureka Times-Standard - 12/28/05

By John Driscoll, staff writer

 

Forecasters believe the Eel River at Fernbridge will flood today -- perhaps
even rising as high as 25 feet -- due to heavy, persistent rainfall. 

 

Meteorologists at the National Weather Service on Woodley Island on Tuesday
were expecting up to 5 inches of rain in the Eel River basin -- more at
higher elevations -- by this afternoon. That follows a damp week that
saturated soil and prevented rivers from dropping significantly. The storms
also come during a week of high tides around 9 feet. 

 

At least two more storms are set to make landfall this week. 

 

"We have a series of storms lined up across the Pacific, they're just headed
right at us," said meteorologist Jeff Tonkin. 

 

The Van Duzen, Redwood Creek, the Klamath River and the Smith River are all
expected to reach monitor stage or flood stage today. The flooding on the
Eel was expected to reach at least 22 feet. Flooding was anticipated on
Cannibal Island Road and other low-lying roads. 

 

"By all measures right now it's a pretty big hydrologic event," said Troy
Nicolini with the weather service. 

 

Winds will also remain strong today, with gusts up to 45 mph on the coast
and on ridge tops. The ocean is expected to be hazardous for the remainder
of the week, with a big west swell around 19 to 20 feet and wind waves up to
9 feet. 

 

Dungeness crab fishing season is set to begin Jan. 1, a month after the
regular start of the season. 

 

The rough ocean forecast is reportedly affecting negotiations between crab
fishermen and seafood processors. Aaron Newman, who runs the fishing vessel
Maria Isabel and is president of the Humboldt Fishermen's Marketing
Association, said everyone is keeping the weather in mind, and no one is
rushing to settle on a price that could kick off a dangerous fishing-derby
start to the season. No one wants anyone to get hurt, he said. 

 

"We're all just cooling our jets while the weather is dangerous," Newman
said.

 

 

Byron Leydecker

Chair, Friends of Trinity River

Advisor, California Trout, Inc

PO Box 2327

Mill Valley, CA 94942-2327

415 383 4810 ph

415 383 9562 fx

bwl3 at comcast.net

bleydecker at stanfordalumni.org

http://www.fotr.org

http:www.caltrout.org 

 

 

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From tstokely at trinityalps.net  Fri Dec 30 11:18:44 2005
From: tstokely at trinityalps.net (Tom Stokely)
Date: Fri, 30 Dec 2005 11:18:44 -0800
Subject: [env-trinity] Fw: Trinity River Release Change
Message-ID: <007801c60d75$db268fb0$cd653940@trinitycounty.org>

This notice is a little late being forwarded to the env-trinity list due to vacation schedules, but folks should be forewarned that Lewiston Dam releases could be increased further if this weather keeps up!

Happy New Year to all!

Tom Stokely
Principal Planner
Trinity Co. Planning/Natural Resources
PO Box 2819
190 Glen Rd.
Weaverville, CA 96093-2819
530-623-1351, ext. 3407
FAX 623-1353

tstokely at trinityalps.net or tstokely at trinitycounty.org

----- Original Message ----- 
From: Tom Morstein-Marx 
To: Sent: Tuesday, December 27, 2005 11:43 AM
Subject: Trinity River Release Change


Project: Lewiston Dam - Trinity River Release

  Date         Time         From         To
12/27/05    1600         300 cfs       900 cfs
12/27/05    1700         900 cfs     1500 cfs

Issued By: Tom Morstein-Marx
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From bwl3 at comcast.net  Fri Dec 30 12:00:17 2005
From: bwl3 at comcast.net (Byron )
Date: Fri, 30 Dec 2005 12:00:17 -0800
Subject: [env-trinity] San Francisco Bay Delta Issues
Message-ID: <001501c60d7b$b0fa25c0$1f9eb545@p4>

Glen Martin put together an important article on the San Francisco Bay Delta
that appears in today's San Francisco Chronicle.  It's rather lengthy, so
I'm including the URL.  The version that's included allows you to enlarge
pictures.

 

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/object/article?f=/c/a/2005/12/30/MNGR5FVS0O128
.DTL
<http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/object/article?f=/c/a/2005/12/30/MNGR5FVS0O12
8.DTL&o=4&type=printable> &o=4&type=printable 

 

Byron Leydecker

Chair, Friends of Trinity River

Advisor, California Trout, Inc

PO Box 2327

Mill Valley, CA 94942-2327

415 383 4810 ph

415 383 9562 fx

bwl3 at comcast.net

bleydecker at stanfordalumni.org

http://www.fotr.org

http:www.caltrout.org 

 

 

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From bwl3 at comcast.net  Sat Dec 31 10:14:36 2005
From: bwl3 at comcast.net (Byron )
Date: Sat, 31 Dec 2005 10:14:36 -0800
Subject: [env-trinity] Trinity Flows
Message-ID: <000301c60e36$3405dc60$1f9eb545@p4>



Station name 


Date/Time 

Gage
height,
feet 

Stream-
flow
(ft?/s) 

Long-
term
median
flow
12/31 

					


11523200
<http://waterdata.usgs.gov/ca/nwis/uv/?site_no=11523200&PARAmeter_cd=00065,0
0060> 

 TRINITY R AB COFFEE C NR TRINITY CTR CA 

 12/31 09:15 

7.28 

2,450 

150 


11525500
<http://waterdata.usgs.gov/ca/nwis/uv/?site_no=11525500&PARAmeter_cd=00065,0
0060> 

 TRINITY R A LEWISTON CA 

 12/31 09:30 

5.37 

1,610 

329 


11525530
<http://waterdata.usgs.gov/ca/nwis/uv/?site_no=11525530&PARAmeter_cd=00065,0
0060> 

 RUSH C NR LEWISTON CA 

 12/31 09:00 

3.68 

744 

33.0 


11525600
<http://waterdata.usgs.gov/ca/nwis/uv/?site_no=11525600&PARAmeter_cd=00065,0
0060> 

 GRASS VALLEY C A FAWN LODGE NR LEWISTON CA 

  ---     ---   

Dis
<http://waterdata.usgs.gov/ca/nwis/current/?type=flow#Data-collection_discon
tinued#Data-collection_discontinued>  

Dis
<http://waterdata.usgs.gov/ca/nwis/current/?type=flow#Data-collection_discon
tinued#Data-collection_discontinued>  

22.0 


11525630
<http://waterdata.usgs.gov/ca/nwis/uv/?site_no=11525630&PARAmeter_cd=00065,0
0060> 

 GRASS VALLEY C NR LEWISTON CA 

 12/31 09:30 

5.23 

425 

    --- 


11525655
<http://waterdata.usgs.gov/ca/nwis/uv/?site_no=11525655&PARAmeter_cd=00065,0
0060> 

 TRINITY R BL LIMEKILN GULCH NR DOUGLAS CITY CA 

 12/31 09:30 

7.61 

3,670 

361 


11525670
<http://waterdata.usgs.gov/ca/nwis/uv/?site_no=11525670&PARAmeter_cd=00065,0
0060> 

 INDIAN C NR DOUGLAS CITY CA 

 12/31 09:30 

3.59 

734 

    --- 


11525854
<http://waterdata.usgs.gov/ca/nwis/uv/?site_no=11525854&PARAmeter_cd=00065,0
0060> 

 TRINITY R A DOUGLAS CITY CA 

 12/31 09:00 

8.59 

6,560 

1,409 


11526250
<http://waterdata.usgs.gov/ca/nwis/uv/?site_no=11526250&PARAmeter_cd=00065,0
0060> 

 TRINITY R A JUNCTION CITY CA 

 12/30 16:45 

10.83 

10,100 

2,406 


11526400
<http://waterdata.usgs.gov/ca/nwis/uv/?site_no=11526400&PARAmeter_cd=00065,0
0060> 

 TRINITY R AB NF TRINITY R NR HELENA CA 

 12/31 09:45 

21.92 

-- 

    --- 


 

  

 12/30 15:15 

-- 

10,300 

    --- 


11527000
<http://waterdata.usgs.gov/ca/nwis/uv/?site_no=11527000&PARAmeter_cd=00065,0
0060> 

 TRINITY R NR BURNT RANCH CA 

 12/31 06:45 

20.30 

36,600 

1,070 


11530000
<http://waterdata.usgs.gov/ca/nwis/uv/?site_no=11530000&PARAmeter_cd=00065,0
0060> 

 TRINITY R A HOOPA CA 

 12/31 09:00 

39.20 

98,800 

3,880

 

 

Byron Leydecker

Chair, Friends of Trinity River

Advisor, California Trout, Inc

PO Box 2327

Mill Valley, CA 94942-2327

415 383 4810 ph

415 383 9562 fx

bwl3 at comcast.net

bleydecker at stanfordalumni.org

http://www.fotr.org

http:www.caltrout.org 

 

 

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From danielbacher at hotmail.com  Fri Dec 30 09:35:18 2005
From: danielbacher at hotmail.com (Daniel Bacher)
Date: Fri, 30 Dec 2005 09:35:18 -0800
Subject: [env-trinity] Rep. George Miller Keynote Speaker at ASA/Fred Hall
	Anglers Caucus
Message-ID: <BAY16-F2387215C7721020FB8CB0CDB280@phx.gbl>


To: Outdoor Press and Fishery Leaders

Congressman George Miller will be the keynote speaker at the ASA/Fred Hall 
Show Anglers Caucus breakfast Saturday January 7th at the Cow Palace. Mr. 
Miller has led a number of Federal efforts to restore Northern California's 
fisheries and reserve water for fish needs. ?In 1992 he sponsored the 
Central Valley Project Improvement Act which has made huge improvements in 
the fish runs. ?His subject at the Caucus will be "The Water Wars, Can The 
Fish Survive".

The breakfast is open to all those concerned about fish and water policies. 
?It will begin at 8:00 AM in building F in the lower pavilion of the Cow 
Palace. Participants should enter the gate in the parking lot just south of 
the main Cow Palace entrance. ?The gate will open at 7:30 AM. ?Cost of the 
event is $30 which includes the breakfast and entrance to the Fred Hall 
Fishing Tackle and Boat show which opens at 10:00 AM. Participants can 
register and pay in advance on the Coastside Fishing Club website 
(www.coastsidefishingclub.com <http://www.coastsidefishingclub.com/> ). You 
can also register and then pay at the door by sending an email with your 
name and contact info to Mike Lum at MLum at fredhall.com

Other speakers at the event include: Ryan Broddrick, Director of Calif. Fish 
and Game, Calif. Assemblyman Dave Cogdill, Mike Nussman, President of the 
American Sportfishing Assn., Jim Kellog President of the Calif. Fish and 
Game Commission, Dave Pfeiffer Vice President of Shimano Corp, Phil Isenberg 
Chair of the Marine Life Protection Act Panel, and Roger Thomas member of 
the Pacific Fishery Management Council.

Let me know if you have questions.

Dick Pool, For the ASA

(925) 825-8560

rpool at protroll.com