The views and positions of contributors to this site do not necessarily reflect the positions or philosophy of the CFN staff or corporation.
Publishing in CFN implies no promise of  factualness of any article, regardless of source.. Please report any "broken" links

Friday, September 3rd

Check out our fall canoe adventure series!

September 3, 2010 -- BEGINNERS WELCOME - each morning begins with paddling instruction and trips are led by guides experienced in river safety and wilderness first aide. Still hesitant? Join others who are just learning the basics in our intro to canoeing trips in October. Tuolumne River Trust

Don't tread on me [Marine Protected Areas]

September 3, 2010 -- After hundreds of hours locked in discussions most of them didn't want to have, regional representatives involved in the Marine Life Protection Act Initiative performed an impressive feat of negotiation by putting together a single plan for areas restricted to fishing and gathering off the Northern California coast. Eureka Times-Standard

Was it truly a compromise or just some hype to cover a massive give-away of the Delta's remaining water through a new peripheral canal? Ed.

Troubled Waters: Will the state build or falter on the Legislature’s historic compromise?

Story by Rich Ehisen
September 3, 2010 -- It has been almost a year since California lawmakers reached an agreement on the most comprehensive overhaul of the state’s water management system in more than four... Comstock's Magazine

Riverbed restoration will strengthen salmon runs [American River]

By Matt Weiser

September 3, 2010 -- More spawning gravel will be restored in the American River starting Tuesday as part of a long-running effort to bolster the river's salmon and steelhead runs. Sacramento Bee

from the NCCFFF Rivermouth

Striped Bass, one of California's iconic gamefish! Can we save them?

Dr. Mark Rockwell, D.C., VP Conservation, NCCFFF

September 3, 2010 -- Striped Bass has been one of the mainstays of central California sport fishing for at least the past 100 years. In the San Francisco bay area there are many dedicated charter boats that focus most of... Continued

Who's dumping carcasses fouling popular creek? [Esperanza Creek]

By Dana M. Nichols

September 3, 2010 -- You'll smell the gulch before you see it.
 Even in late summer, when the remains of animal carcasses dumped there have had plenty of heat to dry them, the odor ... Stockton Record

NCCFFF looking for donations for annual conclave

Anne-Marie Bakker, President, Northern California Council

The Northern California Council, Federation of Fly Fishers (NCCFFF), a non-profit organization (Fed ID #94-3124970) is seeking donations for a fund raising dinner to be held at the Sportsman’s and Outdoor Expo at the El Dorado fairgrounds in Placerville, October 1-3. This is the... Continued

Chase for the king: Salmon fishermen return to Delta

By Alex Breitler

September 3, 2010 -- There is a whiskered catfish, a spiny sturgeon and a gaping largemouth bass mounted on the wall at Mait's River Galley & Tavern, on the banks of the Sacramento. Stockton Record

$2.85 Million Released to Restore San Pablo Bay Marshlands; Chevron Provides Funds to Compensate for Historical Contamination

Sep. 3, 2010 -- State and federal agencies have settled an environmental injury case with Chevron, providing $2.85 million to restore 200-plus acres of San Pablo Bay wetlands. The settlement agreement compensates for natural resource injuries from past contaminant releases from Chevron’s Richmond refinery into Castro Cove, an isolated San Pablo Bay inlet. DFG

Eureka Times-Standard Editorial Targets MLPA's Privatization of Resource Management

by Dan Bacher

September 3, 2010 -- The excellent Eureka Times-Standard editorial this morning, “Don’t Tread on Me,” exposes the key problem with Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger’s fast-track Marine Life Protection Act (MLPA) Initiative – the privatization of resource management that has taken place under the widely-criticized process. Continued

Benefit Bass Tournament just six weeks away [Delta]

September 3, 2010 -- A three division bass tournament will be held on October17, with 2/3 of the proceeds going to Restore the Delta and the California Sportfishing Protection Alliance. The tournament is divided up into conventional boats, fly fishing and kayaks/kickboats. The buy ins are $150 for the first two classes and $75 for the kayak/kickboat class.

The tournament sports an impressive group of local, regional and national sponsors including such names as Bass 'n Fly, Bobby Barrack's Back to Class Guide Service, Hummingbird and Simms. A full list of sponsors and more information on the tournament can be found on Restore the Delta's website.

Opinion: Discovering Yolo County waterways [Putah Creek, Cache Creek, Sacramento River]

By Andrew Fulks

September 3, 2010 -- Water is a unifying element in the Yolo County landscape. Water defines our southern and eastern boundaries, sustains our crops and cities, and provides relief from summer heat for those so inclined to take a dip. Woodland Daily Democrat

Editorial: Enjoy the river, but keep it clean [Sacramento River]

September 3, 2010 -- Our view: We hope the expected large crowd on the Sacramento River this weekend remembers the river and its beaches aren't trash cans. Chico Enterprise-Record

Major recreation groups announce support for Mokelumne Wild and Scenic designation

September 3, 2010 -- The California State Horsemen's Association and the Northern California Council of Federation of Fly Fishers recently signed on to support National Wild and Scenic River designation for the Mokelumne. We appreciate their support!

California water and the benefits of farming

by Dr. C. Mark Rockwell, D.C., Calif. State Coordinator, Endangered Species Coalition

September 3, 2010 -- From the warm valley of California!  I thought you would be interested to see this article on the farm income data from USDA.  http://www.lloydgcarter.com/content/100901425_more-doubts-about-the-drought  It certainly shows that the rhetoric of the past year about crop losses, fallowed lands and unemployment in the San Joaquin was... Continued

Win a Mokelumne Wild and Scenic River t-shirt

September 3, 2010 -- Have you endorsed Wild and Scenic River designation for the Mokelumne? If not, sign on today. The 5,000th endorser will win one of our beautiful new Mokelumne Wild and Scenic River logo t-shirts (more about those soon). If you're already on the list, tell a friend.

Thursday, September 2nd

National Protection Zone, heck, why not a NATIONAL PARK! Ed.

Council questions Delta plan's undercurrents

By Greta Mart and Donna Beth Weilenman, Staff Reporter

September 2, 2010 -- The Martinez City Council has joined neighboring municipalities and jurisdictions in supporting the concept of a national protection zone around the Delta region. Martinez News Gazettte

Sand Harbor boat ramp to close after Labor Day [Lake Tahoe]

September 2, 2010 -- The boat ramp at Sand Harbor State Park on Lake Tahoe's east short will close the day after Labor Day because of low water levels. Tahoe Daily Tribune

YouTube: Russian River biological opinions

by: Aqua Blog Maven

September 2, 2010 -- The Sonoma County Water Agency teamed up with NBC Bay Area and several other water agencies from around the Bay Area to produce a public education television program called “Water Matters.” The television program features the Russian River Biological Opinion. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PBy4fw-p0rs

From the CalTrout Streamkeeper's Log

CalTrout Welcomes New Executive Director

September 2, 2010 -- CalTrout is pleased to welcome its new Executive Director Jeff Thompson. Jeff is a long time CalTrout member and a fanatical fly angler who's fished throughout the state since first moving here... Continued

Urgent Action Alert: Support Approval of Klamath TMDL

September 2, 2010 -- This is an urgent action alert from Craig Tucker, Klamath Coordinator for the Karuk Tribe, urging people to support approval of the Klamath TMDL by contacting the State Water Resources Control Board. Please forward widely! Continued

Mr. Secretary, I think I speak for the salmon fishermen here. While this TEMPORARY aid is desperately needed and truly appreciated, what they really want is FISH!  They want to go back to work and catch salmon. Get the DOI off their butt and force DWR to stop Delta diversions, help municipalities clean up discharge systems, tear down needless dams and restore spawning gravels. Salmon fishermen are not Westlands farmers, they don't want a permanent dole as 'relief', they want to work for a living, FISHING. They don't want to sell their subsidized water to the highest bidder, they want to sell WILD SALMON. Ed.

Secretary Locke Extends Disaster Declaration for California Salmon Fishermen

September 2, 2010 -- U.S. Commerce Secretary Gary Locke announced today an extension of the disaster for California salmon fishermen due to the low numbers of spawning Chinook salmon returning to the Sacramento River and the subsequent reduction in commercial fishery revenues. Today’s announcement continues the disaster declaration made in 2008 for... NOAA

Environmentalists stunned by failures of key measures in Legislature

By Evan Halper, Marc Lifsher and Patrick McGreevy

September 2, 2010 -- Environmentalists were counting on big gains in Sacramento this summer, with a governor eager to burnish his green credentials in his final months in office. But by the time the legislative session ended at midnight Tuesday, those hopes had fizzled. L.A. Times

Delta Fly Fishers; major players in landmark Steelhead Ruling

by Ron Forbes, Conservation Director, Delta Fly Fishers
September 2, 2010 -- DFF Newsletter, Stockton CA -- Over three years ago I received a phone call from Steve Mashuda an attorney for Earthjustice. He was asking Delta Fly Fishers to be interveners in a suit Earthjustice was bringing against the Modesto Irrigation District (MID). The district claimed they shouldn’t have to protect steelhead in their waters as... Continued

State lawmakers create sea council [Salton Sea]

Keith Matheny • The Desert Sun •

September 2, 2010 -- No project's been approved by the state legislature to restore the dying Salton Sea. And the billions of dollars such a project will take are nowhere in sight. The Desert Sun

Federal aid for drought-blighted Calif-Ore border

By TREVOR HUNNICUTT - Associated Press Writer
SAN FRANCISCO -- The federal government has declared a natural disaster area in the California-Oregon border region in an effort to bring relief to farmers and ranchers stricken by an ongoing... Fresno Bee

Fish passageways will help steelhead trout [Solstice Creek]

By Stephanie Bertholdo bertholdo@theacorn.com
September 2, 2010 -- The endangered Southern California steelhead trout will receive a fighting chance at repopulating the region’s waterways if several environmental agencies can convince the city of Malibu that their plan to reestablish the fish’s migration routes is viable. The Acorn

Fewer weeds is good news for fishermen [Clear Lake]

By Terry Knight

September 2, 2010 -- Cool nights have caused some of the aquatic weeds on Clear Lake to die and sink to the bottom. The algae is also starting to disappear in a few sections of the lake. Ukiah Daily Journal

Meet your fishermen at Aquarium of the Bay

by Jonathan Rosenfield

September 2, 2010 -- A week from Friday, September 10, acclaimed author of the book Red Summer, Bill Carter will be speaking at Aquarium of the Bay along with SalmonAID Founder, Mike Hudson, and other... Continued

Labor Day Boaters Urged to Remain Watchful for Quagga/Zebra Mussels

September. 2, 2010 -- California’s multi-agency invasive species taskforce cautions watercraft users this Labor Day to guard against spreading the aquatic Quagga and Zebra mussels to uncontaminated waters. Inspections will be conducted at launch sites on most major freshwater lakes... DFG

Delta Fly Fishers working with groups and agencies to restore steelhead and salmon on the Calaveras River

By Ron Forbes, Conservation Director, Delta Fly Fishers
September 2, 2010 -- DFF Newsletter, Stockton CA -- In mid-July, I attend a river walk with the Friends of the Lower Calaveras River (FLCR) along the diversion of the Calaveras River. The US Fish and Wildlife Service’s (USFWS) Donnie Ratcliff was giving a talk of the passage of salmon... Continued

California Outdoors Q&A

by Carrie Wilson, DFG Biologist

September 2, 2010 -- Question: I know people without fishing licenses are allowed to fish from public piers with a limit of no more than two rods. But what if I have a valid fishing license and ocean enhancement stamp and still fish on... Continued

Foothill Conservancy's river cleanup effort gains new sponsors [Mokelumne River]

Volunteer! Cleaning up a river has never been so much fun!

September 2, 2010 -- Cleaning up the Mokelumne, a river that is a candidate for Wild and Scenic status, has gained a number of corporate, business and non-government organization supporters. This year’s Mokelumne River Cleanup sponsors are the Foothill Conservancy, East Bay... Continued

Delta Stewardship Council Committee Meeting: Early Actions Review

September 2, 2010 -- A committee of the Delta Stewardship Council will review and consider proposed early actions for possible inclusion in the Interim Plan . The meeting is open to the public. Continued

Editorial: Keep sewage out of ocean

September 2, 2010 -- How would you feel about a small town relocating next to your neighborhood, and the 3,000 or so residents of that town deciding to dump their untreated sewage next to your home? Lompoc Record

This issue of Delta eNews includes:

·         Stewardship Council OKs Interim Plan for Delta

·         Seminar focuses on effects of wind, rain on intertidal zone in Delta

·         Delta science session planned for Sept. 27-29 in capital

·         Water Plan sets Tribal Workshop for Sept. 9 in Sacramento

·         Foundation plans San Joaquin River restoration tour

·         USBR releases environmental report on planned water transfer

Wednesday, September 1st

Opinion: Sierra Droughts: Tahoe's Drowned Forest

By Mark McLaughlin

September 1, 2010 -- Lake Tahoe is a reservoir controlled by the dam at Tahoe City with water storage equal to six feet and one inch. There is a federal limit on the maximum level of the lake so that it may not exceed 6,229.1 feet in elevation, but when the lake drops to 6,223 feet no... Sierra Sun

MORE DOUBTS ABOUT THE DROUGHT

USDA Figures show 2009, the so-called third year of drought in California, was the third highest yield of farm cash receipts in history

By Patrick Porgans

September 1, 2010 -- Figures obtained from the U.S. Department of Agriculture on Tuesday, August 31, 2010, show the Golden State’s agricultural earnings have reached historic highs during the... lloydgcarter.com

Volunteers set to heal waterway

By Eiji Yamashita

September 1, 2010 -- Life in Kings County revolves around the Kings River.
 Originating in the high western Sierra Nevada, the 125-mile-long river moves across the Valley and curves through the area north of Hanford and Lemoore on its journey to the vast... Hanford Sentinel

MLPA Stakeholders Develop Single Proposal For North Coast

by Dan Bacher

September 1, 2010 -- In a great show of unity between Tribal members, recreational anglers, commercial fishermen and environmentalists, the 33 members of the Regional Stakeholder Group for Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger's Marine Life Protection Act (MLPA) Initiative on August 31 adopted one unified proposal for marine protected areas (MPAs) stretching from Point Arena in Mendocino County to the Oregon border. Continued

United -- but not without cost; Marine Protected Area proposal finds consensus in North Coast group

John Driscoll/The Times-Standard

September 1, 2010 -- Representatives of North Coast fishing, environmental and tribal interests on Tuesday did what no other group has done: Come up with a single proposal to put certain areas along the coast off limits to fishing and gathering as part of the 1999 Marine Life... Eureka Times Standard

Heenan Lake Fishery to open for Labor Day Weekend

September 1, 2010 -- The California Department of Fish and Game (DFG) will open the Heenan Lake fishery for Labor Day weekend. The lake is located on Monitor Pass - Highway 89, just south of Markleeville in Alpine County. DFG

State Senate: Industry Bagmen [Single use plastic bags]

by spoutingoff

September 1, 2010 -- By now you’ve heard the horrible news that AB 1998, which would’ve banned single-use plastic bags at... SpoutingOff

Farm Bureau calls for careful study of Klamath dams

By Christine Souza, Assistant Editor

September 1, 2010 -- Noting that the proposal will affect farmers and ranchers in a wide area of northeastern California, the California Farm Bureau Federation has urged state and federal agencies to conduct a thorough review and consider all potential impacts of a plan to remove four hydroelectric dams on the Klamath River. The dams, owned by the... California Farm Bureau

Let them eat plastic

September 1, 2010 -- A “closely watched, first-in-the-nation ban on plastic grocery bags was defeated Tuesday night,” reports the Los Angeles Times. “That measure, AB 1998, passed the Assembly in June and had the support of Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, but faced a... A Chance of Rain

Lake Tahoe gets a good health report

September 1, 2010 -- UC Davis researchers noted several bright spots in their annual Lake Tahoe health report, issued Tuesday: The 2007 Angora Fire had no significant effect on lake clarity; a small test of a method to kill invasive clams worked; the pollutant phosphorus was at its lowest level in 29 years; and free-floating algae in the lake have generally remained constant since 1996. Woodland Daily Democrat

$600K will help revive San Diego wetland habitat [Otay River Delta]

By Lily Leung , STAFF WRITER
Wednesday, September 1, 2010 -- New state funding will help restore receded wetlands in south San Diego Bay, an ambitious effort to help fish and wildlife displaced by farming and development. San Diego Union-Tribune

Families Protecting [the agri-barons of] the Valley believes that $120 to $180 per ratepayer per year is chump change to clean up Sacramento's ammonia problem. I have a  better idea, charge the giant agribusinesses using the CVP and SWP the actual cost of the water they use and divert the their current subsidies to clean up ALL the sewage treatment plants in the valley. Everyone would win, fishermen, swimmers, ratepayers , even the farmers since the now polluted water would  be clean. Not only that, the total costs for ALL of the sewage plants would be less than the subsidies now doled out to the millionaire and BILLIONAIRE farmers of the West San Joaquin. Ed.

Clean Up The Sewage.  It's Cheap! [Sacramento River]

September 1, 2010 -- The following is a headline from the Sacramento Bee on August 26th:  "Removing ammonia from Sacramento's treated sewage could cost every household in the region an extra $10 a month, according to a new study by economists at University of the Pacific."    Is $10 or even $15 a household increase in wastewater cost a... Families Protecting the Valley

Head to the Lake (or River or Ocean) on Free Fishing Day

Sep. 1, 2010 -- The California Department of Fish and Game (DFG) invites all anglers to celebrate Labor Day by fishing in Californias spectacular waters even without a license. DFG

CA Ocean Plan Seeks Upgrade

September 1, 2010 -- From California Coastkeeper -- The Ocean Plan represents the state’s effort to protect ocean water quality.  Every three years the State Water Board updates the Ocean Plan; now is the time to voice your thoughts about protecting our ocean home!  Comments are due September 7th; CCKA will prepare recommendations based on top ocean needs.

Learn more.

Free Fishing Clinic to be Held in Sacramento

Sep. 1, 2010 -- The Department of Fish and Game will offer a free all-ages fishing instruction clinic in Sacramento on Monday, Sept. 6 (Labor Day). The event will be held from 8:30 a.m. until noon at Howe Park, off Howe Avenue at Cottage Way. DFG

EPA proposes $69.2 million plan to contain 4.2-mile-long contaminated underground water plume from Whittier to Norwalk

By Mike Sprague

September 1, 2010 -- The Environmental Protection Agency has proposed a $69.2 million plan to contain a 4.2-mile-long contaminated underground water plume that stretches from Whittier to Norwalk. Pasadena Star-News

2010 Mokelumne River Cleanup to be held on Saturday, September 25

by Randy Berg

September 1, 2010 -- On Saturday, September 25, people who care about the Mokelumne River will gather at five sites from Pioneer to Lodi for the 2010 Mokelumne River Cleanup. “People who participate in the Mokelumne River Cleanup have a great time while they do something good for our local river,” said Randy Berg, Foothill Conservancy coordinator for the... Continued

United -- but not without cost; Marine Protected Area proposal finds consensus in North Coast group

By John Driscoll

September 1, 2010 -- Representatives of North Coast fishing, environmental and tribal interests on Tuesday did what no other group has done: Come up with a single proposal to put certain areas along the coast off limits to fishing and gathering as part of the 1999 Marine Life Protection Act. Eureka Times-Standard

Salmon Month starts TODAY!

Visit the SalmonAID website to keep up on

Salmon Month News and Event Schedule

Tuesday, August 31st

The questions that Arnold's MLPA proponents don’t want to answer

by Dan Bacher

August 31, 2010 -- Faced with massive opposition by Indian Tribes, fishermen and environmentalists, officials from Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger’s fast-track Marine Life Protection Act (MLPA) Initiative keep repeating the mantra that the process is "open, transparent and inclusive" and... Indybay

Marine Protected Areas hold promise for better fishing and economic boost

Karen Garrison

August 31, 2010 -- Among the spate of recent setbacks for America’s seas and the fishermen who make a living on them, at least one ongoing effort provides a glimmer of hope: California’s implementation of the Marine Life Protection Act (MLPA), a law calling for establishment of a statewide network of marine protected areas. California has now... NRDC Switchboard

California plan to ban plastic bags defeated

By Susan Ferriss and Jim Sanders

August 31, 2010 -- A measure to ban plastic carryout bags in supermarkets, drug and convenience stores was defeated late Tuesday in the state Senate, where key lawmakers said it could prove too costly for consumers. Sacramento Bee

Klamath restoration efforts showcased

August 31, 2010 -- Fifteen natural resource professionals and a representative from the office of Congressman Mike Thompson recently met on the Klamath to learn about current restoration work and to get their hands dirty helping improve fish habitat on Klamath tributaries, a press release announced this week. Siskiyou Daily News

Tribes join county's bid for Trinity water; meeting with feds in September may prove critical to securing region's share

John Driscoll/The Times-Standard

August 31, 2010 -- Fifty-five years after Congress pledged billions of gallons of water to Humboldt County as part of the effort to dam the Trinity River, the region may be the closest it's been to actually getting it. Eureka Times Standard

Seeking clues to quagga quandary

By Lily Leung , STAFF WRITER

Tuesday, August 31, 2010 -- A promising solution to the quagga-mussel invasion that threatens water supplies in San Diego and other parts of the West could soon be tested in open waters for the first time in the U.S., a leading quagga expert... SignOnSanDiego

INTERIOR POSTS ONLY HALF OF A SCIENTIFIC INTEGRITY POLICY

Would Punish Scientists But Not Protect Against Political Manipulation

August 31, 2010 -- Washington, DC — Seeking to rehabilitate its tattered reputation, the U.S. Interior Department today proposed rules to improve the accuracy and integrity of its scientific work. Disturbingly, the proposal ignores political manipulation of science and instead focuses on punitive measures against scientific specialists, according to Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility (PEER).

Tribes join county's bid for Trinity water

By John Driscoll

August 31, 2010 -- Fifty-five years after Congress pledged billions of gallons of water to Humboldt County as part of the effort to dam the Trinity River, the region may be the closest it's been to actually getting it. Eureka Times-Standard

The Governor Has a Choice: California or Corporate Water Bottlers

It's Time to Hold Bottled Water Companies Accountable

Tell the governor to side with Californians and our water

August 31, 2010 --Last week, thousands of you asked the California legislature to hold bottled water companies accountable by requiring them to report how much water they're taking from our state's aquifers. You got what you asked for! Now we need your help with one last push. Food&Water Watch

Visit the SalmonAID website to keep up on

Salmon Month News and Event Schedule

Action Alert: Go Green, join the Team! Saturday, September 11, 2010. Help clean up the Tuolumne at Legion Park, Modesto

Alameda Creek Dam Holds Frogs' Future

Sarah Kupferberg speaks up for yellow-legged frogs

By Vanessa Thill, Bay Nature

August 31, 2010 - Alameda Creek has a few claims to fame. It drains the second-largest watershed feeding San Francisco Bay. It covers a surprising variety of habitats from Sunol Wilderness through Niles... Bay Citizen

September is Salmon Month, come join us!

by Zeke Grader, Executive Director, Pacific Coast Federation of Fishermen's Associations

August 31, 2010 -- I know a good thing when I see it, and FarmAid was a good thing. It raised awareness about the plight of family farmers and ranchers, provided some desperately needed financial relief to the small-scale agriculture sector and helped connect average Americans to their food sources. I supported it without reservation. San Francisco Chronicle

Keep America Fishing Asks for your help in opposing lead fishing ban

August 31, 2010 -- On August 23, 2010, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) was petitioned by the Center for Biological Diversity and four other organizations to ban all lead in fishing tackle under the Toxic Substances Control Act. This includes sinkers, jigs, weighted fly line, and components that contain lead such as brass and ballast in a wide variety of lures, including spinners, stick baits and more. Keep America Fishing

Seeking clues to quagga quandary

By Lily Leung

August 31, 2010 -- Quagga  mussels in the Colorado River, attached to intake towers at Hoover Dam. The mussel is about the size of a dime. San Diego Union-Tribune

Follow-up: Retailers push sponsored bill to avoid environmental law

By Karen de Sa, San Jose Mercury News, Calif.
Aug. 31, 2010 --A bill that would exempt major retailers from a portion of California's landmark environmental protection law is speeding through the legislature in the final hours of its 2009-2010...  California Chronicle

Will there be a SalmonAID Festival with booths like in the past during this year's Salmon Month?

by Jonathan Rosenfield

August 31, 2010 -- Yes! The SalmonAID Festival will be held at PIER 39 (adjacent to Aquarium of the Bay) on Sunday September 26th -- it's a one day festival this year, that caps off our FULL MONTH of... Continued

Former Foothill Conservancy director and newsletter editor dies

August 31, 2010 -- Keith Hearn, former Conservancy director and newsletter editor, passed away last Saturday in Asheville, N.C., where he and wife Ellen Beegel moved after retiring in 2007. Hearn, a professional journalist for 39 years, worked for newspapers, the Associated Press, and labor unions. He was a founder of the Amador Citizens for Peace. Foothill Condervancy and other foothill residents hearts go out to Ellen and to Keith's brother, Jerry Hearn.

Senator Lois Wolk of Solano wins Delta appointment

August 31, 2010 -- Senator Lois Wolk, D-Solano, whose district includes four of the five counties in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta, was appointed recently to the state conservancy tasked with implementing ecosystem restoration and advancing environmental protection and economic well being in the Delta. Vacaville Reporter

State Sen. Denise Ducheny's attempt to create Salton Sea Restoration Council conflicts with regional coalition

Keith Matheny • The Desert Sun •

August 31, 2010 -- A bill to create a governing body for Salton Sea restoration is putting at odds one of the sea's longtime legislative champions and the leading local advocacy group for California's largest lake. The Desert Sun

Northern California Council Federation of Fly Fishers is joining with the City of Placerville to sponsor the Sportsman’s Outdoor Expo, October 1-3

August 31, 2010 -- Our important day is Saturday, Oct. 2nd,as we’ll be hosting an outdoor BBQ dinner. The day’s events include Fly Tying, Fly Casting instruction, a kids learning center, and conservation presentations.

The evening will feature a Saturday night – family BBQ, starting at 5 – no host bar, dinner, silent auction, raffle. Get things you need for great fall fishing! Talk with friends, learn about fishing around the state & latest on Calif. fisheries. You can learn more at the NCCFFF website and the NCCFFF on Facebook.

Monday, August 30th

Salmon Water Now Videos: The Bullies of Westlands

by Bruce Tokars

August 30, 2010 -- As we come to the end of August, we see that September has been designated as “Salmon Month.”  To celebrate salmon month there will be a month-long series of events put on by SalmonAid (www.salmonaid.org) which will be an opportunity to educate the public... Continued

My Turn: Asian clam threat to Lake Tahoe

By Steve Urie, Special to the Sun
August, 30 2010 -- The image conjured by Sen. Dianne Feinstein's observation at the recent Lake Tahoe Summit that “If you organized all the Asian clams currently in the lake end to end, it would stretch 3.5 miles long,” was both humorous and foreboding, and it raised the questions... Sierra Sun

No, this is not a Westlands lawsuit

by Mark Grossi

August 30, 2010 -- Over the weekend, someone asked me if the lawsuit against the effects of the San Joaquin River restoration was filed by Westlands Water District farmers. Fresno Bee

Once-in-a-century salmon run hits Canada's West Coast

By Nicole Mordant
August 30, 2010 --  (Reuters) - Every year Vancouver resident Stephen Ottridge takes hamburgers or steak to his street's annual summer block party. Scientific American

Salmon law rankles gold seekers

By Sean Janssen

August 30, 2010 -- One year after a state-imposed moratorium on suction dredging, the prospectors at the Lost Dutchman’s Mining Association camp on Italian Bar Road are digging for other things to do. Sonora Union Democrat

Retailers try to bypass environmental rules [CEQA]

Monday, August 30, 2010 -- Forget everything you learned in your high school civics textbook about "how a bill becomes law." In Sacramento, our elected representatives do it in their own distinct ways, especially at the end of session, and especially on bills marked "rush" at the behest of a special interest. San Francisco Chronicle

Visit the SalmonAID website to keep up on

Salmon Month News and Event Schedule

Disgusting algae's spread perplexes scientists in California [Bear River]

By Matt Weiser

August 30, 2010 -- On a sunny stretch of the Bear River near Colfax, the cool water carries a nasty surprise for swimmers and fishermen. Sacramento Bee

Brown Bag Series: The Effect of Wind Waves and Rainfall on Intertidal Zone Material Cycling

August 30, 2010 -- Dr. Raymond Torres from the University of South Carolina and USGS hydrologist Jacob Fleck will present a seminar on the effect of wind waves and rainfall on intertidal zone material cycling. Continued

CSPA, CalTrout and Friends of the Eel River ask FERC to Order Improved Hydrologic Analysis From PG&E

By Chris Shutes, CSPA Water Rights Advocate
August 30, 2010 -- On April 19, 2010, Potter Valley Irrigation District wrote a letter to FERC asking that PG&E, operator of the Potter Valley hydroelectric project. be ordered to analyze the amount of water diverted from the Eel River through Potter Valley Powerhouse since new flow... CSPA

LHC study: On separating the State Water Project from DWR

August 30, 2010 -- The LHC report on a new water governance structure proposes to make the State Water Project (the actual reservoirs, plumbing, water rights and operations) its own deal, separate from DWR who runs it now. On The Public Record 

Presidio Parkway Could Revive a Wetland Buried by Asphalt

By Matt Baume, SF Streetsblog

August 30, 2010 - It may look like a forgotten military landscape, decaying beneath an elevated freeway and overgrown with weeds, but hidden below the abandoned buildings and broken pavement, Presidio planners see the potential to regenerate a wetland. The Bay Citizen

Fairgrounds overflows with water rights activists

By Mike Slizewski
August 30, 2010 -- More than 500 people filled Winema Hall on the Siskiyou Golden Fairgrounds Saturday evening to show support for Protect Our Water – Scott Valley’s efforts to combat what its membership believes to be an unconstitutional attempt to control water in the valley... Siskiyou Daily News

Planning and Conservation League Action Alert: THIS IS IT! T-48 hours:  Stop the Madness Defend CEQA

August 30, 2010 -- With just 48 hours remaining in the legislative session and budget negotiations looming, special interests are pressing lawmakers to pass legislation that would dismantle our State's premier environmental law, the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA).  PCL

Salmon Water Now Releases the 'Bullies of Westlands" Video
 
by Dan Bacher

August 30, 2010 -- September 2010 has been designated as Salmon Month" by the Aquarium of the Bay in San Francisco. To celebrate Salmon Month, SalmonAid (http://www.salmonaid.org) will be sponsoring a month-long series of exciting events, creating an opportunity to educate the public about what has gone so terribly wrong with Californias once bountiful salmon runs. Indybay

Not just the beaches, DWR estimates 8 out of 1,000 swimmers in the Delta will develop some type of low grade infection! Ed.

Health testing way down at California beaches

The monitoring is at its lowest level since becoming law more than a decade ago, putting swimmers, surfers and divers at greater risk of exposure to contaminated water, a Times investigation shows.

By Tony Barboza, Los Angeles Times
August 30, 2010 -- Health testing of California's beaches has slumped to its lowest level since ocean monitoring became law more than a decade ago, putting swimmers, surfers and divers at greater risk of exposure to contaminated water, a Times investigation has found. Los Angeles Times

Action Alert: AB 2376 - A Vision for CA Resources Use CalTrout's link to write your legislators to urge AB 2376 forward. It's a form letter that takes only seconds!

MLPA stakeholders to meet today and tomorrow [Coastal Waters]

by Dan Bacher

August 30, 2010 -- The North Coast Regional Stakeholder Group (NCRSG) for Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger's Marine Life Protection Act (MLPA) Initiative will meet today, August 30, and tomorrow, August 31, at the River Lodge Conference Center, 1800 Riverwalk Drive, Fortuna, CA 95540. Continued

GM [Genetically modified] Salmon Up For Debate

by Suzanne Schreck

August 30, 2010 -- The U.S. Food and Drug Administration recently announced that the agency will hold two public meetings on AquAdvantage Salmon, a genetically modified (GM) Atlantic salmon intended to be used for food, on September 19-21, 2010. Food Safety News

Sacramento levees still vulnerable 5 years after Katrina

Tina Tedesco

August 30, 2010 -- SACRAMENTO - Five years after Hurricane Katrina devastated the Gulf region, Sacramento area levees remain vulnerable, say experts.
U.C. Davis geologist Jeffrey Mount has sounded the alarm for years about crumbling levees. "I think from a Katrina style disaster, right behind in Sacramento," he said. News 10

Sunday, August 29th

Historic piece of land above Lake Tahoe preserved

August 29, 2010 -- Conservationists in the Sierra Nevada are celebrating the protection of a piece of property high above Lake Tahoe that was home to a hotel along the Pony Express trail in the 1860s. Reno Gazette-Journal

Families Protecting [the agri-barons of] the Valley's newsletter is always good for a laugh. This time they're blaming the layoff of Fresno's teachers and city employees on water restrictions. The truth is that Fresno is part of the eastern San Joaquin valley and most Fresno growers received 100% of their water allocations. I wonder how 'Families' explains the layoffs of teachers and city employees in urban areas, lack of water again? Or could it be that the taxes we pay for subsidizing the electricity and on-the-ground infrastructure so farmers can get the cheapest water in the state (and many times sell it for obscene profit to municipalities) would be better directed to city government and schools and the farmers pay the actual costs of the water they now get on the dole. Ed.

Economics 101

by John Broeske, Executive Director Families Protecting the Valley

August 29, 2010 -- A couple of news items caught our attention this week.  First, the City of Fresno announced they were another $12-million in the hole and are looking at new ways to cut spending.  We... 'Families'

Kern County oil industry consumes a staggering amount of water

by lgc_admin

August 29, 2010 -- According to a recent article at the Circle of Blue website, Kern County, known for its agricultural production, still accounts for 10 percent of US oil production but consumes a staggering volume of water. According to the California Division of... lloydgcarter.com

Inside a toxic hellhole, Iron Mountain Mine

Peter Fimrite, Chronicle Staff Writer
August 29, 2010 -- Redding -- A strange chemical smell lingered in the stifling heat as a group of environmental scientists groped in the darkness through one of the most polluted places on Earth. San Francisco Chronicle

Stream study group turns to fundraising [Chico area waterways]

By HEATHER HACKING-Staff Writer

August 29, 2010 -- For the first time in the seven-year history of the Big Chico Creek Stream Team community watershed monitoring program, fundraising will be taking place. Chico Enterprise Record

Visit the SalmonAID website to keep up on

Salmon Month News and Event Schedule

Action Alert: AB 2376 - A Vision for CA Resources Use CalTrout's link to write your legislators to urge AB 2376 forward. It's a form letter that takes only seconds!

Friends of Trinity River: ALERT FOR ACTION TODAY -- on SB 565, Illegal Water Diversions
Phone, fax, or e-mail Wes Chesbro and Noreen Evans

NOTE: This bill is opposed by Restore the Delta and Friends of the River!

Arnolds MLPA Officials to Hold Public Meeting in Shelter Cove today, August 29th

Action Alert: Sign petitions to Chesbro and State of California

Striperfest 2010, more important than ever

Your participation is needed. Donate raffle prizes, buy tickets, attend the dinner.

Saturday, August 28th

John Spencer: Pacific Power sees the light by nurturing Klamath River

August 28, 2010 -- Here I am sitting under the cooler while outside it is around 98 degrees. It is very warm here on the Klamath River. Pacific Power raised the river flow a few days ago from 850 cubic feet per second to 900. The Pacific Power Co. releases the water from about 70 feet down. I took a temperature of the water, which indicated 62 degrees. Perfect for resident fish and wildlife to flourish. Redding Record Searchlight

Copper in brake pads out to protect water, fish

By Michael Gardner
August 28, 2010 -- A ground-breaking compromise to greatly reduce the amount of copper used in vehicle brake pads has been reached — a welcome relief to San Diego regional water-quality officials staring at the threat of heavy fines for having elevated levels of the toxic material washing into watersheds and bays. San Diego Union Tribune

It's a long climb up reservoir ramp [Diamond Valley Lake]

By BOB PRATTE

Saturday, August 28, 2010 -- Adam Janes trudged up the massive, steep concrete launch ramp at Diamond Valley Lake with the determination it took to reach its summit. The Press-Enterprise

Schwarzenegger Signs Bill Delaying Water Bond

By Dan Bacher
August 28, 2010 -- Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger on August 10 signed Assembly Bill 1265 (Caballero and Jeffries), a measure that would delay the controversial $11.14 billion water bond until November 2012. Continued

A river is destroyed by draining it, filling it with dirt and plowing it under and we are supposed to pay "damages" when we take the river back? The people of California should be suing for the loss of generations of returning salmon and the destruction of a public trust resource. Get those 1,100 attorneys busy Jerry Brown. Ed.

Suit targets effects of San Joaquin River restoration

West-side growers cite new river flows, damage

By Mark Grossi and Michael Doyle
August 28, 2010 -- The first lawsuit in the San Joaquin River restoration has been filed by a west-side Valley farming family, claiming the replenished flows are damaging 13,000 prime acres, buildings and crops. Fresno Bee

Friends of Trinity River: ALERT FOR ACTION TODAY -- on SB 565, Illegal Water Diversions
Phone, fax, or e-mail Wes Chesbro and Noreen Evans NOTE: This bill is opposed by Restore the Delta and Friends of the River!

South Kings water district affirms some aspects of report, takes issue with other recommendations

Water district responds to grand jury report [$73 million dollar water sale]

Saturday, August 28, 2010 -- The Dudley Ridge Water District was hardly a household name until last September. 
All it took was a little headline-grabbing controversy - the $73 million sale of water rights from the south Kings County water agency to Southern California. The result was an investigation by the Kings County grand jury, whose findings were released in June. Hanford Sentinal

Plastic bag ban forges ahead in California [Coastal Waters]

By Karen de Sá kdesa@mercurynews.com

August 28, 2010 -- As Bay Area governments lead the charge on banning plastic carry-out bags, a bill reaching the final stages of the legislative process could make cloth bags a necessity for all California shoppers. San Jose Mercury News

Klamath Basin's water worries extend to wells

Scott Learn, The Oregonian

August 28, 2010 -- MERRILL -- During the last big drought crisis in the Klamath Basin, in 2001, Carleton Farms filed for bankruptcy. Nine summers later, amid drought crisis... The Oregonian

Rep. Costa blasts Sacramento sanitation officials over inaction to treat ammonia discharges; Ammonia discharges degrade the Delta and cost the Valley water and jobs

by: Aqua Blog Maven

August 28, 2010 -- From the website of Congressman Jim Costa: “Today, Congressman Jim Costa blasted Sacramento sanitation officials, stating that their disregard for the facts and inaction to remove ammonia from treated sewage being dumped into the Delta is costing the Valley jobs and a fair share of water. Costa’s latest call for northern officials to get serious about cleaning up the Delta follows the release of a sanitation district-funded study that investigates the cost to the Sacramento region of reducing ammonia... Aquafornia

Visit the SalmonAID website to keep up on

Salmon Month News and Event Schedule

Action Alert: AB 2376 - A Vision for CA Resources Use CalTrout's link to write your legislators to urge AB 2376 forward. It's a form letter that takes only seconds!

Friday, August 27th

Fraser sockeye count climbs to 30 million [British Columbia]

August 27, 2010 -- The immense run of sockeye salmon converging on the Fraser River is getting even bigger.
Fishery officials now estimate 30 million sockeye are returning, an increase in their count from 25 million earlier in the week. Burnaby NewsLeader

Chemical industry targets lawmakers over plastic bag ban [Coastal waters]

 Timothy Sandoval
August 27, 2010 -- Just as the state Legislature ends its 2010 session with a flurry of major bills, lawmakers are being bombarded with a TV ad campaign mocking them for a proposed ban on plastic bags in grocery stores. California Watch

Delta Stewardship Council Adopts Interim Plan

Document will guide the Council’s actions through the development
and adoption of the Final Delta Plan 16 months from now

August 27, 2010 -- SACRAMENTO – The Delta Stewardship Council today (Aug. 27) adopted an Interim Plan that is the first of two primary documents required by statute to guide state and local agency planning and management efforts in the Delta. Continued

Legal Sparring Begins On 2010 Supplemental Salmon BiOp; Oregon Wants Document 'Vacated' [Columbia/Snake Rivers]

Friday, August 27, 2010 -- A coalition of fishing and conservation groups and the state of Oregon late last week asked that they be allowed to refresh their legal arguments for the withdrawal of the federal government's plan for assuring protected... The Columbia Basin Bulletin

Mokelumne River undergoing changes in an effort to increase dwindling numbers of salmon, steelhead

By Jordan Guinn, News-Sentinel Staff Writer
On a sweltering August morning, a mud-flecked yellow Caterpillar 950 wades through the meandering Mokelumne River near Camache Reservoir. With the precision of a... Lodi News Sentinel

Visit the SalmonAID website to keep up on

Salmon Month News and Event Schedule

DWP to withdraw bill aimed at delaying power plant upgrades [Inshore waters]

DWP instead will enter talks with state water board over regulations affecting plants that rely heavily on seawater for cooling

By David Zahniser, Los Angeles Times
August 27, 2010 -- The interim head of the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power said Thursday that his agency would withdraw a bill before the Legislature designed to delay environmental upgrades to its power plants... L.A. Times

Action Alert: AB 2376 - A Vision for CA Resources Use CalTrout's link to write your legislators to urge AB 2376 forward. It's a form letter that takes only seconds!

Action Alert: Go Green, join the Team! Saturday, September 11, 2010. Help clean up the Tuolumne at Legion Park, Modesto

Calif.'s levees not prepared to sustain disasters [Delta]

Laura Anthony

Friday, August 27, 2010 -- SACRAMENTO, CA (KGO) -- Massive destruction from Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans from levee failures is prompting new concerns in California about our own aging levee system. KGO

Crisis Averted [Coastal waters]

The DWP came to its senses on AB 1552.

by spoutingoff

August 27, 2010 -- Last week the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power gutted and amended a pending state bill (AB 1552) and inserted new language that would have... SpoutingOff

PCL: TWO DOWN, ONE TO GO: PCL BACKED BILLS ON OPEN SPACE, WATER AND CEQA ON THE MOVE IN THE LEGISLATURE

August 27, 2010 -- This week the Legislature passed two bills co-sponsored by the Planning and Conservation League, sending both measures to the Governor's desk. The Governor has until the end of September to sign or veto the bills. One other PCL sponsored bill awaits action next week. PCL

September Is SalmonAid's Salmon Month in San Francisco

by Dan Bacher

August 27, 2010 -- September 2010 is Salmon Month at San Franciscos Aquarium of the Bay, located next to Pier 39 at The Embarcadero and Beach Street. Sponsored by the SalmonAID coalition, Salmon Month will feature exciting information and exhibits every day, as well as a number of special events. Continued

MLPA officials are heading to Shelter Cove on Sunday, August 29, from 3 to 4 pm to hold a public information session about Schwarzenegger's controversial process to create so-called Marine Protected Areas (MPAs)

Arnolds MLPA Officials to Hold Public Meeting in Shelter Cove

Action Alert: Sign petitions to Chesbro and State of California
 
by Dan Bacher
August 27, 2010 -- Faced with massive opposition by Indian Tribes, fishermen and environmentalists, officials from Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger's fast-track Marine Life Protection Act (MLPA) Initiative will hold a public information session about the effort to create so-called Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) along California's northern coastline. Continued

70 miles of salmon spawning habitat will be recovered with the project, currently the largest dam removal project in the nation. Ed.

Dam removal contract comes in $13 million under estimate [Washington State]

By Paul Gottlieb/Peninsula Daily News

August 27, 2010 -- PORT ANGELES -- A Bozeman, Mont., construction company will begin tearing down the two dams on the Elwha River about 13 months from now, bringing in 40 to 50 jobs and costing the National Park Service some $13 million less than it had anticipated. Peninsula Daily News

Today's the deadline!

California Coastkeeper Alliance looking for NGO support on river flows

Is YOUR NGO signed on? E-mail Sara at the California Coastkeeper Alliance

Thursday, August 26th

A shift in sources [Russian River]

Cities relying more on wells and restrictions on Russian River pumps

By BLEYS W. ROSE FOR THE PRESS DEMOCRAT

Thursday, August 26, 2010 -- People living in Sonoma County's three largest cities get much of their water from the Water Agency's Russian River pumps, but since 2004 there has been a perceptible shift toward reliance on municipal wells. Press Democrat

Wild Salmon: Weaving Worlds Together [Klamath River]

By Jon Rosenfield

August 26, 2010 -- Last fall, I travelled to the Klamath River to see the wild salmon that are clinging to existence in that troubled watershed.  In days of searching, I saw two salmon returning to their spawning grounds.  Two fish.  On different days.  Considering that tens of thousands of wild salmon and steelhead once filled this river -- enough to keep people awake at night with their splashing-- this was a... OneEarth

Striperfest 2010, more important than ever

by Dan Blanton

August 26, 2010 -- It’s that time of year again, although I’m getting a bit of an early start sending out my annual Striperfest raffle donation solicitation letter.  All of you have been hugely supportive of this incredibly important fund-raiser for as long as... Continued

NASA: El Niño growing stronger over time

by Pat Brennan

August 26th, 2010 -- The El Niño weather pattern known for increasing Southern California rainfall appears to be strengthening over time and shifting its position in the tropical Pacific — a finding with deep implications for hurricane and weather prediction. Orange County Register

Friant Farmers Sue Over Settlement Act [San Joaquin River]

August 26, 2010 -- Washington, D.C.—Today several farmers in California’s Central Valley sued the United States to recover just compensation under the Fifth Amendment for the government’s flooding and destruction of nearly 13,000 acres of prime agricultural land, buildings, and crops.  The primary plaintiffs are the families Wolfsen, Skinner, and Mueller and their businesses.  Marzulla Law

The insanity continues. Delta people know that "Two-Gates" has nothing to do with the Delta Smelt. The gates are needed to stop further salt water intrusion with increased pumping at the SWP and the CVP. With the gates in place, more water will be pumped, the Delta Flows Report ignored and the Delta sucked dry. The death of the Delta is  being paid for by big-ag's lobbying and political campaign funding! A Mafia hit-man couldn't do a better job. Ed.

Two-Gates resolution approved [Delta]

By WES SANDER Capital Press
August 26, 2010 -- SACRAMENTO -- The Legislature has passed a resolution urging the federal government to prioritize its study of a project that could protect fish in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta with swiveling gates. Capital Ag Press

CSPA Submits Comments to Regional Water Quality Control Board Regarding City of Live Oak Wastewater Treatment Plant NPDES Permit

By Bill Jennings, CSPA Executive Director
August 26, 2010 -- The California Sportfishing Protection Alliance (CSPA) has reviewed the proposed Waste Discharge Requirements (NPDES No. CA0079022) for City of Live Oak Wastewater Treatment Plant (Permit) and submits the following comments.(More…)

Supporters of AB1998 believe that the bags are a major threat to wildlife and are a source of Pacific ocean pollution. Ed.

Manufacturers step in to defend plastic bags in California

By Susan Ferriss | The Sacramento Bee
August 26, 2010 -- With California lawmakers poised to vote on a historic effort to phase out plastic grocery bags, the American Chemistry Council is going all out to stop the proposal before the Tuesday legislative deadline. Sacramento Bee

Boutris Wittfogel: Getting the Regional Water Boards to do their job

August 26, 2010 -- How does one compel a Regional Water Board to do their job? Well, thanks to the First amendment to the Constitution, (and the 14th Amendment) We the People, have the right to petition the (state) Government for a redress of... lloydgcarter.com

It appears that the "co-equal goals" doctrine has reached the Salton Sea. Ed.

Citizens’ group seeks renegotiated QSA, grassroots involvement [Salton Sea]

By DAVID STEFFEN, Staff Writer
Thursday, August 26, 2010 -- Citizens for a Reliable Water Supply held presentations Wednesday throughout the Valley to publicly introduce the group, which seeks a renegotiated Quantification... ivpressonline.com

Editorial: DWR showing its true colors [Feather River]

August 26, 2010 -- Our view: The way the state Department of Water Resources jerks Butte County around on its puny water allocation shows current battles are worth the fight. Chico Enterprise-Record

BC's Sockeye salmon run the biggest seen in 97 years

By Stephanie Dearing

August 26, 2010 -- It's good news for British Columbia's salmon fishermen, particularly those situated on the Fraser River - this year's Sockeye salmon run is the biggest one seen in 100 years. Digital Journal

Amended complaint filed in salmon lawsuit [Columbia River]

By Kevin McCullen, Herald staff writer

August 26, 2010 -- PORTLAND -- Plaintiffs in the lawsuit over salmon recovery in the Columbia River Basin system have filed an amended complaint contending the latest plan by federal agencies violates portions of the Endangered Species Act and other regulations. Tacoma News Tribune

Delta Vision Foundation Roundtable with California Water Leaders to be held on Wednesday, September 22, 2010

by: Aqua Blog Maven

August 26, 2010 -- From the Delta Vision Foundation: “Delta Vision Foundation invites you to a Water Leaders Roundtable and Conversation with Chairman and Members of Delta Stewardship Council; Sacramento event will focus on the framework to monitor and evaluate progress on implementation of the Delta Vision Strategic Plan... Aquafornia

Action Alert: AB 2376 - A Vision for CA Resources Use CalTrout's link to write your legislators to urge AB 2376 forward. It's a form letter that takes only seconds!

 Matilija Dam removal sees new light [Venture River]

Advocates hire facilitator to find best solution for sediment removal

By Shane Cohn
August 26, 2010 -- It’s a classic environmental battle. All groups involved agree that tearing down the Matilija Dam is vital to restoring the endangered Ventura River, as well as restoring the natural ecosystem. Venture County Reporter

Is this a case of be careful what you wish for? Ed.

Commission Calls for New Water Department With Focus on Supply Management and Planning; Separate Entity for State Water Project, More Bond Oversight

August 26, 2010 -- The Little Hoover Commission on Thursday, August 26, 2010, issued recommendations calling for a new approach to managing California’s water supply. The Commission released its report, Managing for Change: Modernizing California’s Water Governance, urging the governor and the Legislature to restructure the state’s water administration to better coordinate key supply management and planning roles, and separate them from the operation of the State Water Project. Little Hoover Commission

Stanford's Struggle over Removing Dam [San Francisquito Creek]

Searsville Dam harms species, but would removing it be worse? Get the facts and weigh in

By Amos Hausman-Rogers, Bay Nature

August 26, 2010 -- A large steelhead trout makes its way to a gentle riffle in a sandy stream and deposits its milt over thousands of eggs. Cool water drifts by, draining to San Francisco Bay and then the ocean. The Bay Citizen

Salmon Month just a few days away

by Jonathan Rosenfield, Ph.D., President SalmonAid Foundation
August 26, 2010 -- We're just a few days away from the launch of Salmon Month, SalmonAID's biggest effort yet to shape how people understand and protect our wild rivers and wild salmon.  I want to update you all on our progress to date... Continued

Visit the SalmonAID website to keep up on

Salmon Month News and Event Schedule

Current Fire Activity: Yosemite

Aug. 26 Fire Management Update: The park experienced thunderstorms in July and August, which resulted in lightning-caused fires that are being managed for multiple objectives. This means fire managers and firefighters may use less aggressive or minimal actions where the fire is accomplishing benefits on the land. National Park Service

from the Foresthill Messenger

“Healing Our Wounded Veterans through the Art of Fly Fishing”

CSPA Submits Petition for Review to State Water Resources Control Board Regarding City of Rio Vista Northwest Wastewater Treatment Plant NPDES Permit

By Bill Jennings, CSPA Executive Director
August 26, 2010 -- Pursuant to Section 13320 of California Water Code and Section 2050 of Title 23 of the California Code of Regulations (CCR), California Sportfishing Protection Alliance (“CSPA” or “petitioner”) petitions the State Water Resources Control Board (State Board) to review and vacate the final decision of the California Regional Water Quality Control Board for the Central Valley Region (“Regional Board”) in adopting Waste Discharge Requirements (NPDES No. CA0083771) for City of Rio Vista Northwest Wastewater Treatment Facility, on 29 July 2010. See Order No. R5-2010-0081. The issues raised in this petition were raised in timely written comments.(More…)

Treating Sacramento region's sewage to eliminate ammonia could cost $10 per household [Sacramento River/Delta]

By Matt Weiser mweiser@sacbee.com

Thursday, Aug. 26, 2010 - Removing ammonia from Sacramento's treated sewage could cost every household in the region an extra $10 a month, according to a new study by economists at University of the Pacific. Sacramento Bee

Levees opened to allow tides in [San Pablo Bay]

Water will rejuvenate Napa County salt flats

By Mike Taugher / MediaNews Group
August 26, 2010 -- AMERICAN CANYON -- Behind the amphibious excavators stretched a vast expanse of salt flat that had not been flooded by the tides in a century. Vallejo Times-Herald

Opinion: Future of Lake Tahoe is by no means assured

By Joanne Marchetta; Special to the Mercury News
August 26, 2010 -- Because it is one of the world's most beloved natural settings, people come from all over the planet just to catch a glimpse of Lake Tahoe. Residents of the Bay Area, however, are fortunate to have it right in their backyard. To these more frequent visitors...  San Jose Mercury News

California Coastkeeper Alliance looking for NGO support on river flows

Is YOUR NGO signed on? E-mail Sara at the California Coastkeeper Alliance

Lessons from Katrina for our aging levees

August 26, 2010 -- In honor of the 5th anniversary of the partially manmade disaster that was Hurricane Katrina, here is a classic paper from an angry civil engineer about the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the American Society of Civil Engineers, and New Orleans levees doomed to fail. Many lessons to be learned as... lloydgcarter.com

Action Alert: Go Green, join the Team! Saturday, September 11, 2010. Help clean up the Tuolumne at Legion Park, Modesto

This [August 26] issue of Delta eNews includes:

·         Delta Council plans to adopt draft of its Interim Plan tomorrow

·         Water Board posts final Delta flow criteria report

·         Delta science session planned for Sept . 27-29 in capital

·         Water Plan sets Tribal Workshop for Sept. 9 in Sacramento

·         Itinerary posted for Delta Conservancy board’s tour of Delta sites

·         Water Education Foundation updates Delta guide

·         Delta Council offers survey about how it communicates

Wednesday, August 25th

The message Oregon should be sending dredge miners: leave

Guest Columnist  By Jason Atkinson

Wednesday, August 25, 2010 -- Last year, California ended the practice of dredge mining in its rivers. With the ban in effect, out-of-state miners have flooded into southern Oregon rivers armed with $25 permits issued by the state. The Oregonian

If you follow the money, you'll find that Westlands and the PLF are good 'friends'! Ed.

The salmon wars, continued

Author:  Damien M. Schiff
August 25, 2010 -- The Ninth Circuit this week issued another decision in the longrunning dispute over whether and how to protect populations of salmon and related fish under the Endangered Species Act.  In Modesto Irrigation District v. Gutierrez, the plaintiffs challenged the National Marine Fisheries Service's decision not to group... Pacific Legal Foundation

Phase out summer grazing, say researchers [Sierra streams]

Source: WaterLink International

 Aug. 25, 2010 -- The Sierra Nevada Mountain range serves as an important source of drinking water for the State of California. However, summer cattle grazing on federal lands affects the overall water quality yield from this essential watershed. The authors of an article in the Journal of Water and Health argue that high... EnvironmentalExpert.Com

Action Alert: AB 2376 - A Vision for CA Resources

Use CalTrout's link below to write your legislators to urge AB 2376 forward

August 25, 2010 -- California's resource management agencies face growing challenges. Once stable revenue sources are now of marginal reliability while the demands for resource monitoring and protections have increased exponentially.  Ever-increasing state policies and regulatory responsibilities continue to stretch the agencies beyond their capacities. CalTrout

Posting of Final Report on Development of Flow Criteria for the Delta Ecosystem

August 25, 2010 -- On August 3, 2010, the State Water Resources Control Board (State Water Board or Board) adopted Resolution 2010-0039 approving a report determining new flow criteria for the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta ecosystem necessary to protect public trust resources pursuant to the Board's public trust obligations in compliance with Water Code section 85086.  This notice is to advise you that the final report has been posted on the State Water Board's website at: http://www.waterboards.ca.gov/waterrights/water_issues/programs/bay
_delta/deltaflow/index.shtml, along with other information from the proceeding.

Quest: Going UP: Sea Level Rise in San Francisco Bay

by: Aqua Blog Maven

August 25, 2010 -- From KQED’s Quest: “Scientists say it’s no secret San Francisco Bay is rising, along with all of the earth’s oceans. The reason — global warming. This rise in sea level will affect everyone who lives, works, or plays near the bay. QUEST asks how high will the Bay rise and when? And what steps can communities take to plan for it?” Aquafornia

L.A. officials launch campaign to roll back state environmental rule [Coastal waters]

A bill in the Legislature would delay new regulations that require the DWP to overhaul three coastal power plants to reduce the amount of seawater used for cooling

By Patrick McGreevy and David Zahniser, Los Angeles Times
August 25, 2010 -- The city of Los Angeles has launched an aggressive lobbying campaign to roll back tough new state regulations meant to limit the environmental damage that power plants inflict on the oceans. L.A. Times

Action Alert: Go Green, join the Team! Saturday, September 11, 2010. Help clean up the Tuolumne at Legion Park, Modesto

Action Alert: AB 2376 - A Vision for CA Resources Use CalTrout's link to write your legislators to urge AB 2376 forward. It's a form letter that takes only seconds!

WATER WISE: Conservation needed to deal with delta water supply impacts

by Richard Santos

August 25, 2010 -- Most of us don't think about the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta very often. Even those of us who have visited the delta for a fishing trip, a boating excursion or to see some of the historic delta towns often skip over headlines about the ecological struggles of the delta and the impact on the state's water supply. San Jose Mercury News

California Outdoors Q&A

by Carrie Wilson, DFG Biologist

August 25, 2010 -- Question: A game warden on the north coast told me recently that abalone high-grading is as much of a problem as poaching, and that its often the legal abalone harvesters who are doing it without even realizing they're doing something wrong. Now we all know... Continued

WATER: Pact on Klamath dams faces N. Calif. ballot challenge

By Colin Sullivan

August 25, 2010 -- A ballot measure in Northern California's Siskiyou County could challenge a hard-fought intergovernmental agreement to breach four dams on the Klamath River if voters reject the pact this November. Hydro World

Boy David, you seem to have poked Goliath in the eye with a stick! Better get that slingshot out and polish those rocks! Ed.

from Families Protecting [the agri-barons of] the Valley

He needs to Read, "Atlas Shrugged"

August 25, 2010 -- It is very clear Mister Schurr (article below) has no concept of California's water supply and the reason for its pricing structure.  The truth be known is the true price of water is free, as it is a natural resource. The cost of water is directly associated with the amount of infrastructure required to store and deliver it. Continued

SB 565 works for some NGO's and causes problems for others. This is a tough call. Ed.

Delta Advocates Oppose Senator Fran Pavley’s SB 565

By Dan Bacher 
August 25, 2010 -- SB 565, legislation that would give the State Water Resources Control Board (SWRCB) new penalty and investigative powers dealing with water rights, at first glance appears to good legislation. Indybay

Haste makes waste, again [Delta]

August 25, 2010 -- Back in April, Restore the Delta reported that Delta Stewardship Council Staff recommended that CH2MHill provide the primary support for developing the Delta Plan, as mandated by the legislature. CH2MHill was already heavily involved in the... Restore the Delta

California Coastkeeper Alliance looking for NGO support on river flows

Is YOUR NGO signed on? E-mail Sara at the California Coastkeeper Alliance

Fish plan at the Red Bluff Diversion Dam endures bond halt

Fed to pick up slack after state drops water bond

By TANG LOR -DN Staff Writer

August 25, 2010 -- The Legislature voted this month to pull a bond measure that would have paid for a number of water-related projects from the November ballot.

About $60 million of the $11.1 billion bond was supposed to go toward the Fish Passage Improvement Project at the... Red Bluff Daily News

Friends of Trinity River: ALERT FOR ACTION TODAY -- on SB 565, Illegal Water Diversions
Phone, fax, or e-mail Wes Chesbro and Noreen Evans

Appeals court backs ruling on steelhead

By Dylan Darling

August 25, 2010 -- As a fly fisherman, Mark Rockwell is glad the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals upheld a lower-court ruling about steelhead that he said will preserve federal protections for the fish. Redding Record Searchlight

Tuesday, August 24th

"There are poor people in the valley, as poor as the Okies and Arkies who fled the real dust bowl, but Congress didn't take their jobs away. It was mechanization, crop rotation, competition and the economy."

Editorial: Big ag's dust bowl scare is nonsense

TAugust 24, 2010 -- he canals and irrigation ditches of the San Joaquin Valley are nearly full as the water masters struggle to keep the flow going to the farms and orchards that make this... The Monterey County Herald

Creek Cleanup will again focus on [Sacramento] river

By Dylan Darling

August 24, 2010 -- Redding’s fifth annual Community Creek Cleanup will again focus on the Sacramento River and clearing overgrown invasive plants. Redding Record Searchlight

New study at Lake Tahoe focus on algae growth

The Associated Press
August 24, 2010 -- RENO, Nev.—Scientists at Lake Tahoe have launched a new study to try to better understand what causes clarity-robbing algae growth on some shores around the azure lake atop the Sierra Nevada. San Jose Mercury News

EPA continues to work to improve Iron Mountain [Sacramento River]

Tuesday, August 24, 2010 -- REDDING, CA (KGO) -- Iron Mountain is one of the most toxic places in the nation. The water that runs from Iron Mountain near Redding has the acidity of a car battery and for years it ran straight into the Sacramento River -- a source of drinking water... KGO

Friends of Trinity River: ALERT FOR ACTION TODAY -- on SB 565, Illegal Water Diversions

August 24, 2010 -- If you care about California’s fisheries and the San Francisco Bay Delta, please take action today.  FOTR seldom asks for this kind of help, but your action now is critically important for our fishery and San Francisco Bay Delta resources. Continued

MLPA Public Meeting, Information Session to be Held in Shelter Cove

North coast residents are invited to attend a public information session about the effort to create new Marine Protected Areas along California's northern coastline.

California Coastkeeper Alliance looking for NGO support on river flows

August 24, 2010 -- Klamath Riverkeeper’s partner California Coastkeeper Alliance (CCKA) has launched a new advocacy effort to restore flows in California waterways.  CCKA is arguing that the Clean Water Act requires the State Water Board to... Continued

Slippery shores: Algae growth up [Tahoe]

By Susan Voyles • svoyles@rgj.com

August 24, 2010 -- Skip Jarvis, who owns a home in Incline Village, took his dog out for a swim last Thursday at nearby Hidden Beach and struggled to keep his balance while wading into the water. Reno Gazette-Journal

Modifications to Text of Proposed Amendments to Regulations for Implementation of the California Environmental Quality Act of 1970

           
August 24, 2010 -- The State Water Board is accepting written comments on additional proposed modifications to its draft amendments to California Code of Regulations, title 23, division 3, chapter 27 (commencing with section 3720) relating to CEQA for all of its programs, including its certified... Continued

PG&E seeks more 'pumped hydro' to store energy [Mokelumne River]

David R. Baker, Chronicle Staff Writer
Tuesday, August 24, 2010 -- Reservoirs in the Sierra Nevada foothills don't just store water - they can store energy as well. San Francisco Chronicle

Study: Advanced Wastewater Treatment for Nutrient Reduction: Impact on Sacramento Income and Employment

by: Aqua Blog Maven

August 24, 2010 -- Received via email from the University of the Pacific:
” In a report released today, the Business Forecasting Center estimates the economic impact of a $770 million upgrade to the Sacramento Regional Wastewater Treatment Plant that could be necessary from... Aquafornia

Cutting Corners in Ocean Protection

By Jim Martin, California Fisheries Coalition

August 24, 2010 -- Environmental groups, long the champions of upholding the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), have instead been working to short-cut environmental protection. California Progress Report

CSPA Settles Castle & King Lawsuit [Delta]

By Bill Jennings, CSPA Executive Director
August 24, 2010 -- CSPA has settled a Clean Water Act lawsuit against Castle & King regarding serious violations of the California General Industrial Stormwater Permit and Clean Water Act. Castle & King operates a ready mix concrete facility in Vacaville, California. The facility discharges pollutants to tributaries of Alamo Creek and thence Cache Slough and the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta.(More…)

Endangered frogs find new life

By Mike Lee , UNION-TRIBUNE

August 24, 2010 -- IDYLLWILD, Calif. — A four-year campaign to keep mountain yellow-legged frogs from disappearing forever took a big jump forward Tuesday, when a team of researchers... San Diego Union Tribune

National law firm provides support in Farm Bureau case [Klamath River Drainage]

By David Smith

Aug 24, 2010 -- Yreka, Calif. — The parties involved in the case California Farm Bureau v. California Department of Fish and Game became more numerous last week as the Pacific Legal Foundation (PLF) submitted an amicus brief on behalf of Siskiyou County, the... Siskiyou Daily News

Plastic bag ban center of war between enviros, plastics industry

by Marisa Lagos

August 24, 2010 -- Hollywood has arrived in Sacramento. And you'll never guess why, so we'll just tell you: plastic bags.
Yes, we're talking about those ubiquitous plastic sacks that (unless you live in San Francisco and a couple other places) you get every...  S.F. Chronicle

Delta Stewardship Council -- Newsletter #1

August 24, 2010 -- Latest News

• * Senate Rules Committee confirms three council members and governor makes final appointment, Felicia Marcus
• * Interim plan to be presented Aug 26-27
• * Council names Delta Science Panel
• * Three Workshop Meeting Held

Visit the SalmonAID website to keep up on

Salmon Month News and Event Schedule

Massive and tasty, the white sturgeon's numbers are dwindling in the Delta

By Mollie Bloudoff-Indelicato, News-Sentinel Staff Writer
August 24, 2010 -- The wardens carry guns, their chests bulging a bit more than normal, a telltale sign of the snug bullet-proof vests they wear beneath their regulation khaki shirts. There are eight... Lodi New Sentinel

California Drought is No Problem for Kern County Oil Producers

By Jeremy Miller

August 24, 2010 --Curtis Creel is keen on saving water. He is the water resource manager for the Kern Water Agency, one of 29 agencies that hold water contracts with the California Department of Water Resources, the agency responsible for delivering water across California by way of the State Water Project, a latticework of aqueducts, canals and reservoirs high in the Sierra Nevada. Circle of Blue

Monday, August 23rd

Ban on sewage dumping along California coast to get federal teeth

By Paul Rogers progers@mercurynews.com
August 23, 2010 -- Cruise ships and large commercial ships will be banned from dumping any kind of sewage -- even highly filtered wastewater -- along California's coast out to three miles from shore, under new rules from the Obama administration. San Jose Mercury News

Sacramento Wastewater Report

by Jeffery Michael

August 23, 2010 --  Today, we released a study of the economic impact of of requiring total nutrient (primarily ammonia) removal from the Sacramento Wastewater Plant.  SRCSD estimates the capital cost at $770 million, and it will take about $30 million per year to operate it, including a lot of electricity.  Over a 30 year period from the start of construction, we find that the average annual economic impact on the... Valley Economy Blog Spot

Ban on sewage dumping along California coast to get federal teeth

By Paul Rogers

August 23, 2010 -- Cruise ships and large commercial ships will be banned from dumping any kind of sewage -- even highly filtered wastewater -- along California's coast out to three miles from... San Jose Mercury News

Local water district seeking federal money to raise [Coyote] dam

By JUSTINE FREDERIKSEN The Daily Journal

August 23, 2010 -- RRFCD and WCID manager says most of the region will benefit from doubling the lake's capacity. Ukiah Daily Journal

Times-Standard Supports Chesbro's Call for MLPA Delay

by Dan Bacher

August 23, 2010 -- In its "Roasts and Toasts" editorial today, the Eureka Times-Standard joined Indian Tribes, fishermen and environmentalists in supporting Assemblyman Wesley Chesbro's call for a six-month delay in Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger's fast-track Marine Life Protection Act (MLPA) Initiative on the North Coast. Continued

Families Protecting the Valley call fishermen "The BAD GUYS!" We bad, we bad, we glad to be so bad! Ed.

Water News: From the Director's Desk

by John Broeske, Director, Families Protecting the Valley

August 23, 2010 -- The most important water news in the past few days has been regarding the federal appeals court ruling upholding the protection status for California's Wild Steelhead.  This news has flown under the radar due to the technical nature of the story and the difficulty... Continued

State's deer population appears to be plummeting

By Peter Fimrite

August 23, 2010 -- The distinctive splayed antlers of black-tailed deer bucks have become an increasingly rare sight in California, particularly if you are accustomed to spotting the appendages through a rifle scope. San Francisco Chronicle

Then, in my imagination, we finish our granola and ride our bikes back to work

August 23, 2010 -- Now that the State Water Contractors are so concerned with ammonia from Sacramento’s wastewater causing fish declines in the Delta, I keep imagining myself sitting down to chat with some lobbying flack for the State Water Contractors, a group that until now has... On The Public Record

Landowners a big help in Coho salmon survival struggle

Russian River Coho Salmon Captive Broodstock Program ‘planting’ fish into tributaries

By George Snyder, Staff Writer

Monday, August 23, 2010 -- This tributary to the Russian River near Duncans Mills got its name from the lingering frost its steep, north-facing watershed attracts in deep winter. The Healdsburg Tribune

"We are at a point of trying to prevent their extinction.  We are in an extinction vortex. The species is collapsing." Charlotte Ambrose, Coho Salmon Recovery Coordinator, National Marine Fisheries Service
 

A call to Salmon Fishery Scientists for support

by Paola Bouley, M.S., Conservation Program Director, Salmon Protection and Watershed Network,
August 23, 2010 -- Dear Scientist Colleagues: In 2007, you signed on to a letter that the Salmon Protection And Watershed Network (www.SpawnUSA.org) presented to the Marin Board of... Continued

...the lack of water for irrigation resulted in the fallowing of perhaps 250,000 acres in Fresno County alone. ...the decrease in production amounted to less than 5 percent, dropping from $5.8 billion in 2008 to about $5.4 billion.

Agriculture statistics fill the glass half way

By Don Curlee
August 23, 2010 -- Crop reports for 2009 from the leading agricultural counties in California challenge readers to decide whether the farming glass is half full or half empty. Visalia Times Delta

Assemblymember Caballero: Two-Gates Fish Project approved by legislature

by: Aqua Blog Maven

August 23, 2010 at 7:55 -- From the website of Assemblymember Anna Caballero: “AJR 38 by Assembly Member Caballero is a bi-partisan resolution that calls upon the United States Department of the Interior to expeditiously complete its studies of the Two-Gates Fish Protection... Aquafornia

DWR petitions to extend State Water Project permits

August 23, 2010 -- The Department of Water Resources, which holds permits to appropriate water for the State Water Project, has petitioned the State Water Resources Control Board to extend several... DWR

Don't have time to check in every day? Sign up for our weekly newsletter!

Join Our Mailing List

Email:

Due to costs and the small amount of sign-ups, the newsletter has been suspended for the time being. Another attempt will be made when CFN's circulation has grown.

Copyright Information

     Any content on this site provided by the California Fisheries Network is free for copy and distribution for non-commercial purposes. While not required, a courtesy notification of the editor would be appreciated.

     The general news source articles are subject to the copyright restrictions of the original sources. The limited selected portions copied here-in are copied as "fair use" with links to the original source with the intent of providing an educational effort in the area of fisheries and water issues.

     Articles or portions of articles provided by NGOs and freelance writers, first run or otherwise, are subject to the copyright restrictions imposed by those sources. Those wishing to copy should contact the authors. Links to most of the contributing organizations and freelance authors are available on the Non Gov't Orgs page.

Contact the editor/webmaster