By Trent Orr, January 21, 2015 The delta smelt is a fish that grows to no more than three inches in length, but over the years this threatened species has made big headlines in California’s dusty, water-rights battleground. One congressional representative, Rep. Devin Nunes (R-CA), is even on record as calling the smelt a “stupid […]
Read MoreCategory: Streams and Wetlands Impacts
Aquatic plants: unsung but prime salmon habitat
Posted on November 13, 2014 by UC Davis Center for Watershed Sciences By Robert Lusardi and Ann Willis For decades, California’s management and restoration of salmon and trout populations have focused on principles rooted in coastal redwood streams. These concepts portray ideal salmonid habitat as deep pools, shallow riffles and “large woody debris,” such as […]
Read MoreState Water Board Stream Pollution Report Shows Trends in Chemical Contamination, Toxicity
Detections and concentrations of pyrethroid pesticides are increasing in California stream sediments, according to a new report by the Stream Pollution Trends Monitoring Program of the State Water Resources Control Board. The program is a statewide effort to measure trends in pollution levels and toxicity in major California watersheds. The latest report, “Trends in Chemical […]
Read MoreExpert Public Stakeholder Meeting to Develop Groundwater Monitoring Model Criteria for Oil and Gas Areas
Greetings, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) is hosting a public meeting regarding the development of model criteria for groundwater monitoring related to oil and gas well stimulation treatments, as specified in Senate Bill 4 (Pavley, Statutes of 2013). LLNL is the expert that the State Water Board is working with to develop the model criteria […]
Read MoreStream protections vs. private property rights in Sonoma County
BY ANGELA HART THE PRESS DEMOCRAT November 23, 2014 Sonoma County’s effort to implement one of its most controversial land use policies — protective buffer zones along 3,200 miles of rivers and streams — has reignited a pitched debate between environmental organizations, farmers and private property rights activists about how to best protect and manage […]
Read MoreAquatic plants: unsung but prime salmon habitat
Posted on November 13, 2014 by UC Davis Center for Watershed Sciences By Robert Lusardi and Ann Willis For decades, California’s management and restoration of salmon and trout populations have focused on principles rooted in coastal redwood streams, mostly fed by rainfall runoff. These concepts portray ideal salmonid habitat as deep pools, shallow riffles and […]
Read MoreSonoma County Water Coalition Comments on proposed “Waters of the United States” Definition
The Sonoma County Water Coalition (SCWC) comprises 31 organizations, representing more than 24,000 concerned citizens. SCWC is especially concerned about the preservation of a safe, economical and reliable water supply for all living things. SCWC also works to preserve healthy ecosystems, supports watershed restoration and protection and careful oversight of all public trust resources, including […]
Read MoreWild & Scenic is Coming Up Fast! Get Your Tickets Today!
Rogue Riverkeeper and Southern Oregon University’s Outdoor Adventure Leadership program are proud to host the 2nd Annual Wild & Scenic Film Fest Sunday November 9th at the Southern Oregon University Music Recital Hall in Ashland. Get your tickets today! Sunday, November 9th, 2014 Happy Hour from 5 – 6pm Films from 6 – 9pm with […]
Read MoreNMFS Letters on Riparian and Well Issues for Sonoma County
Hi folks: These letters are important insofar as they are from the National Marine Fisheries Service and speak to the rules the County relies upon to govern development and the impacts of those rules in their land use decisions with respect to riparian vegetation and waterways. The letters reinforce what is needed in the County […]
Read MoreModernizing drought water allocations
UC Davis Center for Watershed Sciences, October 16, 2014 The State Water Resources Control Board recently solicited public comments on how to improve its drought curtailment of water rights. Here is a summary of insights and recommendations from a group of seven California water experts. By Ellen Hanak, Jeffrey Mount, Jay Lund, Greg Gartrell, Brian Gray, Richard […]
Read MoreNMFS Comment Letters on Sonoma County Land Use Practice
To All, These attached letters are important insofar as they are from the National Marine Fisheries Service and speak to the rules Sonoma County relies upon to govern development and the impacts of those rules in their land use decisions with respect to riparian vegetation and waterways. The letters reinforce what is needed in the […]
Read MoreReport: EPA Proposal to Expand Clean Water Protection is Scientifically Sound
by Emily Atkin, September 23, 2014 CREDIT: Shutterstock A controversial proposal to expand the Environmental Protection Agency’s authority over United States waters is based on scientifically sound evidence that pollution in streams and wetlands can have a big impact on larger, downstream bodies of water, according to a draft report released by the EPA’s independent Science Advisory Board (SAB) […]
Read MoreTHE RUSSIAN RIVER: ALL RIVERS Screenings
To All, Don McEnhill, Executive Director of Russian Riverkeeper is a featured interview in: THE RUSSIAN RIVER: ALL RIVERS – THE VALUE OF AN AMERICAN WATERSHED “The time of using greed to justify degrading our environment is over.” “We need to get very honest with the amount of water we have in the worst year. […]
Read MoreEel River goes to ground near Fortuna
BY GLENDA ANDERSON THE PRESS DEMOCRAT September 14, 2014 The main stem of the Eel River snakes northwesterly some 200 miles through canyons, forests and verdant farmland, gathering water from its many tributaries as it travels from its headwaters in the Mendocino National Forest to its terminus at the Pacific Ocean south of Humboldt Bay. […]
Read MoreHearing Dates for Sonoma County’s Riparian Protection Hearings
MARK YOUR CALENDAR!! Please plan to attend one or more of the hearings on riparian protection. In times of drought our waterways and surrounding lands are particularly vulnerable to degradation, and terribly important as potential areas for recharging our groundwater and protecting our streams. Mark your calendar & spread the word: Board of Supervisors hearing […]
Read MoreSome Dam Questions about the California Drought
By Robert Green For Southern Californians, the current record-breaking drought means letting the lawn fade to a trendy golden brown and making sure the hose doesn’t water the asphalt while you’re washing your car. It does not mean wondering whether anything will come out of the faucet and, unlike in the drought of 1977, it […]
Read MoreInvitation to Fish Survey Presentation
To Everyone, You are invited to a presentation on a survey study of fish use by California Tribes during a public State Water Board Meeting. The results could be used for deriving water quality objectives to protect people (including Tribes) who catch and eat fish from California’s waters. Dr. Fraser Shilling of UC Davis will […]
Read MoreSonoma County’s Riparian Corridor Ordinance
Mark your calendar & spread the word: Planning Commission hearing August 28, 2014 at 1:00 pm PRMD hearing room Board of Supervisors hearing Oct. 21, 2014 (tentative) Nov. 18, 2014 (tentative) Supervisors’ Chambers Sonoma County Administration Building 575 Administration Drive, Room 102A Be sure to let others know about these important hearings. Our voices will […]
Read MoreGovernor Brown signs tunnels-enabling water bond
Governor Jerry Brown signed legislation Wednesday evening to put a controversial $7.5 water bond before voters this November. Dan Bacher, August 2014 The Legislature passed the water bond, strongly opposed by family farmers, Delta residents, Tribal leaders, fishing groups and majority of the state’s environmental groups, in spite of an intensive campaign to get key […]
Read MoreDelta tunnels bad news for salmon industry
Taxpayers, anglers would suffer most August 08, 2013 Guy Carl A hot topic in the California Legislature these days is the “peripheral tunnel” project designed to divert water to southern California farmers and cities. This project is strongly opposed by many salmon advocates and other environmental groups due to the further harm it would inflict […]
Read MoreRussian River Low Flow Curtailments Considered at CDFW Meeting
To All, This article on low flow closures was published by the Ukiah Daily Journal on July 27, 2014. Larry The California Department of Fish and Wildlife will hold a public meeting Thursday to discuss a proposed low-flow closure change to the Russian River and North Central Coast streams. The Gualala Community Center on Center […]
Read MoreBeautiful river, growing thirst, looming battle over the Eel River
By Susan Sward Special to The Bee Published: Sunday, Jul. 6, 2014 – 12:00 am Last Modified: Sunday, Jul. 6, 2014 – 12:12 am In the third-largest watershed in California, the Eel River rambles through some of the state’s most stunning landscape. Nothing about the river, with its clusters of redwoods along its sandy banks, hints at […]
Read MoreThe Politics of the World’s Most Hydrologically Altered Landmass
by Will Parrish, June 4, 2014 California is the most hydrologically altered landmass on the planet, a distinction it first attained in the early-mid-20th century. The Hoover Dam (on the Colorado River), which began operation in 1936, was the largest dam in the world at the time of its completion. With regard to the world’s biggest […]
Read MoreAction to Save the Fish
To All, Here is an action from Trout Unlimited: Dear Fellow California Angler, We need your help – TODAY – to STOP a bad deal in Congress that would harm California’s Trout, Salmon and Steelhead. Please call Senator Dianne Feinstein’s office this today at: DC-(202) 224-3841 SF- (415) -393-0707 LA-(310)-914-7300 www.feinstein.senate.gov Urge her to stop […]
Read MoreHearing Appeal against Cornell Winery on Mark West Creek, May 20
The following are documented data on the significant adverse impacts of the Cornell Winery as they piece-mealed in a vineyard operation and infrastructure to a winery in a water scarce narrow canyon to one was, just a few years ago, Sonoma County’s best salmonid fishery. At the Doerksen home located at 7125 St. Helena Road, […]
Read MoreSpeak up for California’s migratory birds
Please consider… Thanks, Paula Speak up for California’s migratory birds We need your help speaking up for the millions upon millions of migratory birds that rely upon Central Valley wetlands to survive. Lawmakers are moving to strip a proposed Water Bond measure of language providing water for these vital habitat areas. Water going to these […]
Read MoreCalifornia Drought: Central Valley Farmland on its Last Legs
Carolyn Lochhead March 24, 2014 As part of a Alpaugh High School biology class project, 10th grader Alondra Bernal, left, marks down data while checking on a plot where students have planted native plants as substitute teacher Mrs. Atwell looks on at the Atwell Island Sanctuary in Alpaugh, CA, Thursday, March 20, 2014. Farmer Jack […]
Read MoregH2Ost story
Ann Dickinson , Community Contributor on Jul 26, 2007 Once upon a time, the San Francisco Bay watershed contained the largest freshwater lake west of the Mississippi. The lake is no more, but sometimes, in wet years, its spirit still haunts the cotton fields that have taken its place. Up until the last century, Tulare Lake […]
Read MoreCalifornia Water Quality Monitoring Council Webinar Series
To All, There is a series of free webinars offered on various water quality issues. Larry California Water Quality Monitoring Council Webinar Series: Wet/Dry Mapping – Using Citizen Scientists To Monitor Perennial Surface Water May 8, 2014 11:30am–12:30pm Topic Page and Agenda www.mywaterquality.ca.gov/monitoring_council/collaboration_network/docs/cwqmcn050812.pdf Combining citizen science with GIS and GPS technology, wet/dry mapping provides a […]
Read MoreWETLANDS: McCarthy Solicits support for Upcoming CWA Rule while GOP Voices Concerns
Annie Snider, E&E reporter March 6, 2014 U.S. EPA Administrator Gina McCarthy was making the rounds yesterday to drum up support among environmentalists for a controversial wetlands regulation expected to be proposed “soon,” even as congressional Republicans sent a flurry of letters voicing their opposition. Speaking to the Healing Our Waters-Great Lakes Coalition in Washington, […]
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