• Posted on 03/31 at 07:39 AM
Make sure and come out and catch Rivers of a Lost Coast starting this Friday April 3rd, at the 4-Star Theatre in San Francisco. Filmmakers Justin Coupe and Palmer Taylor will be on hand on Friday and Saturday, showtimes are at 6:40 daily with a 2:40 matinee.
Moving on, the passage of the Omnibus Public Land Management Act of 2009 last week will create significant change in California.
1. The San Joaquin River Restoration settlement will resolve decades of litigation and will provide water-supply certainty to farmers and restore annual salmon runs.
2. New projects to increase water supply and flood protection in the Central Valley.
3. The Eastern Sierra and Northern San Gabriel Wild Heritage Act, permanently protects 470,000 acres of wilderness and 73 miles of wild and scenic rivers.
4. The California Desert and Mountain Heritage Act, will protect more than 190,000 acres as wilderness and 31 miles of wild and scenic river in Riverside County.
5. The Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Park Wilderness Act, designates 77,000 new acres as protected wilderness.
6. Creation of a National Landscape Conservation System, protecting large landscapes, such as the North Fork of the American River.
The landmark difference is of course the return of year-round flows to the San Joaquin River, which for the last 60+ years has left nearly 63 miles of it’s riverbed bone dry.
Posted by Justin on 03/31 at 07:39 AM in
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• Posted on 03/26 at 08:40 AM
Kelly Zito and Peter Fimrite of the SF Chronicle reported today, it is likely President Obama will sign the landmark Wilderness Bill which includes a $400 Million dollar project approved by Congress and supported by Barbara Boxer to begin repairing and restoring flows to the San Joaquin River. The construction of Friant Dam in 1942, coupled with the refusal of the Bureau of Land Management to release adequate water flows destroyed the San Joaquin’s once plentiful run of Chinook salmon nearly 60 years ago.
Obama’s approval is expected to seal the 2006 settlement between fishing groups/environmentalist and farming interests. The catalyst lawsuit brought on in 1988 will ultimately result in a 16-19% decrease in water usage for farmers while increasing storage behind Friant dam to help provide year round water for salmon.
SF Chronicle Article
Posted by Justin on 03/26 at 08:40 AM in
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• Posted on 03/25 at 01:59 PM
BART Weir Fish Ladder Progress
The Alameda County Water District and the Alameda County Flood Control District gave an update to the Alameda Creek Fisheries Restoration Workgroup on March 12 on the fish ladder project at the BART weir and middle rubber dam, and the lower rubber dam decommissioning in lower Alameda Creek.
The agencies introduced the stellar design and consulting team working on the fish ladder design, provided a schedule and cost estimates, and discussed funding sources, the environmental review process, and design criteria. The agencies evaluated the design concepts and the challenges of fish ladder design to accommodate the operations of the middle rubber dam and fish migration under the widest and most relevant range of flows for fish to bypass the BART weir. The construction of a modified vertical slot fish ladder at this site is still targeted for 2010.
Powerpoints of these presentations are posted on the CEMAR Alameda Creek web site at Link
Here is the ambitious schedule:
Preliminary Design - August 2009
Complete CEQA Environmental Review - June 2009
Complete Federal Biological Assessment - July 2009
Permit Applications - September 2009
Complete Final Design - January 2010
Construction - Summer/Fall 2010
Posted by Justin on 03/25 at 01:59 PM in
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• Posted on 03/18 at 07:39 AM
Because of a lack of recent posts we’re giving you a double dose of good news:
First off, Brian Bowman of the Sacramento Bee reported yesterday the Nature Conservancy, purchasers of a large plot of land in the Garcia River watershed recently added the 4,500 acre Shasta Big Springs Ranch in Siskiyou county to their holdings. The Big Springs Creek which bubbles up and flows entirely within the ranch before dumping into the Shasta River is seen as critical salmon habitat in the Klamath River watershed. The Nature Conservancy plans on fencing off the creek and beginning stream-bed and riparian restoration immediately. Peter Moyle who’s been closely studying the Shasta River, sees the restoration of Big Springs as a major step-forward in protecting and restoring critical habitat. Big Springs Creek is fed by the Mt Shasta glacier, which delivers cold clean 55 degree water year round.
Nature Conservancy buys Big Spings Creek
Secondly, tickets for the Seattle showing are now available through the Wild Steelhead Coalition website. Tickets are available for both the pre-screening reception/mixer and also for the just the film itself. Filmmakers Justin Coupe and Palmer Taylor and narrator Tom Skerritt will be on hand for the event. Space is limited and the WSC is suggesting you purchase your tickets early.
Rivers of a Lost Coast Seattle Event
For the Sacramento screening at the Crest, tickets will be available in advance at http://www.thecrest.com (through http://www.tickets.com which will be available later this week) or by calling the box office at 1-800-225-2277. You can also pick up tickets at the Crest prior to and the day of the event. We are showing in the smaller downstairs theater where space is limited. We are strongly suggesting interested parties purchase tickets in advance.
Rivers of a Lost Coast at the Crest
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