Become a River Guide

One great way to be a river activist is to be a river guide!

***Now accepting applications for 2010 Guide Trainings***

The Rafting Program is supported by 300+ river guides who are active volunteers for Friends of the River. The Rafting Program strives to enhance public awareness about rivers and water resources, to make river running accessible and enjoyable, and to raise money to support Friends of the River's statewide river conservation and water policy reform efforts.

The Friends of the River Rafting Program sponsors guide training at the basic and advanced levels. Basic training teaches you how to be a competent and safe Class III Whitewater Paddle Guide while teaching you to be an effective advocate and activist as well. Classes are conducted both on river and off. On shore classes include seminars on conservation issues, river hydraulics, safety and rescue information, trip organization, and much more. Our training program is performed at cost in order to be as affordable as possible. In return, the Rafting Program asks that you make a volunteer commitment to the Program.

Giving Thanks - a portion of San Joaquin River flows again

San Joaquin River flows stop below Mendota Dam

By Mark Grossi, The Fresno Bee, Calif.

Nov. 21--The first revival flows of the San Joaquin River have stopped about 30 miles downstream of Mendota Dam, well short of fully refilling the dried riverbed.

Reconnecting the entire river probably won't happen until next year, but federal officials collected a lot of information from monitoring wells during the seven-week experimental flow that ended Friday.

Officials believe a lot of water was lost in a section that has been mostly dry for the last half-century.
"As we sort out all the data, we'll have a better feel for how much we lost and how the river reacted," said Jason Phillips, restoration program manager for the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation. "But there were no surprises."

The river restoration began Oct. 1 under a lawsuit settlement signed by farmers, environmentalists and the federal government in 2006. The San Joaquin dried up and salmon runs died after Friant Dam northeast of Fresno began capturing the water in the late 1940s.

The experimental flow was stopped Friday so Central California Irrigation District can perform a regularly scheduled safety inspection of Mendota Dam, 62 miles downstream of Friant Dam.

The Bureau of Reclamation, which owns and operates Friant Dam, will resume water releases Feb. 1.

To completely refill the San Joaquin, the flows would have to travel an additional 84 miles downstream of Mendota Dam to reach the confluence of the Merced River.

Earlier this week, the water moved quickly -- taking about 24 hours -- from Mendota Dam to Sack Dam, 23 miles downstream. That's because the river already had water flowing in it. Irrigation water is routinely sent from the Mendota Pool down that stretch of the river.

But the river moved very slowly in October, inching along for weeks through a 20-mile dry section between Gravelly Ford and the Mendota Pool. The river did not reach the pool until this month.

Throughout the process, officials and the farmers who own Mendota and Sack dams discussed how the water would pass through the dams. Federal officials said the talks helped to create a relationship that they want to continue as the restoration unfolds.

Trip tests waters of revived San Joaquin

Published online on Thursday, Nov. 12, 2009

By Mark Grossi / The Fresno Bee

FLOATING ON THE SAN JOAQUIN RIVER -- My plastic kayak suddenly ran aground in a place where the San Joaquin River has flowed only a few times since the 1950s.

But I was only briefly caught on a shallow gravel bar about 40 miles west of Friant Dam.
It was one of many unexpected encounters on an otherwise smooth float that began Wednesday with a monstrous barn owl and ended with an iPhone.

The kayak trip was an up-close peek at a section of the rejuvenated San Joaquin that not many people have boated over the last several decades because it usually is dry.

It will be months, if not years, before the river becomes fully navigable, but the day is coming when it might provide an important new recreation amenity for the Valley. But questions remain unanswered: Who will settle conflicts between power boats and kayakers? Who will provide access points?

Special report: A River Reborn This trip became so much more than a quick look at a reborn river.
The San Joaquin's split personality -- lush and green below Friant Dam but desertlike beyond Gravelly Ford -- is far more vivid when viewed from a boat.

Such a view wouldn't even be possible except for a federal restoration program that increased the amount of water released from Friant Dam starting Oct. 1. The construction of the dam more than half a century ago left a dry riverbed downstream.

The river's green section from Friant Dam to Gravelly Ford is familiar to many boaters. Officials continuously release water from the dam for riverside property owners, and the river never died here.

But 38 miles downstream at Gravelly Ford, the flow dwindles to nothing in most years. Now, with extra water flowing, that stretch is waking from a half-century of slumber. West of Kerman, the San Joaquin is a gorgeous desert river meandering around cobble islands -- piles of large stones -- as screeching swallows fly in every direction.

Bee photographer Mark Crosse and I started at Skaggs Bridge Park so we could see the transition from sycamores and eucalyptus to cobble and sand.

About two miles down from Skaggs Bridge, we passed through a wide pond where we saw two Fresno fishing enthusiasts, Peter Jew, 36, and Edward Juarez, 31, on the shore. We wanted to chat, but our boats were quickly moving into a swift bottleneck in the river.

We had to navigate around sycamore limbs and arundo -- a dreaded invasive giant reed plant from Asia. Suddenly, we heard a rush of wings. It was the monstrous owl, making a mad rush for a new perch and scaring me silly.

We stopped on a cobble island at Gravelly Ford for lunch and tried to imagine what it looked like here in 1982, when a string of El Niño-influenced storms created November runoff more than twice as high as it was Wednesday.

When we moved on, I tried to spot a bald eagle nesting site that a biologist had described to me. I saw only migrating geese, honking wildly as they flew by. Their calls soon were drowned by the sound of a powerful motorboat.

The guy driving the boat slowed politely to keep the wake down and let us pass. The motorboat was surprising because I had expected the water to be too shallow.

Three young men along the banks apparently didn't expect to see us. They were carrying rifles, seemingly hunting -- perhaps on private property -- for ducks or dove. So we asked which type of bird they were hunting. Suddenly, their rifles no longer were in sight.

"We're just looking," one called out.
We moved onward.

By then, Mendota was in the distance, but we would not get that far. Our pullout point was several miles short of the Mendota Pool, which is next to Mendota.

We weren't sure we could boat much farther anyway. The blades of our paddles were sometimes hitting the river bottom. When we hung up on that pesky sand bar, I climbed out and pushed my boat back into the flow.

Then I solved my last dilemma with the help of an iPhone -- tucked away in a sealed plastic bag. There were no landmarks that I recognized. I needed the GPS program to locate our pullout place along the river. I was surprised at how well it worked.

We were about seven miles from Mendota when we hauled out the boats.

Which leads me to one piece of advice for other boaters: Until the Mendota Pool, there are few places to get out of the river beyond Gravelly Ford without crossing private property.

Ask around, check Google Earth, carry a GPS unit.

Friends of the River Protests “Paper” Water

Friends of the River has filed a protest with the State Water Resources Control Board against the Bureau of Reclamation’s filing to extend its water rights permit for the giant Central Valley Project (CVP). On June, the Bureau filed a petition with the State Water Board for a time extension on CVP permits for approximately 96 million acre feet of water. The current “paper” permits exceed the amount of water available in California’s hydrologic system. The Water Board estimates that the state has granted rights to eight times more water than California normally receives in a year.

The Bureau would like until 2030 to find a way to put this “paper” water to use, although the agency claims that it is not possible to predict what the beneficial use for the water will be between now and 2030 and it is not possible to determine what the ultimate water diversions will be in 2030. In addition, they cannot provide any recommendations for licensing the water for the CVP they are currently using under a permit.

The CVP water rights permits are associated with the Bureau’s massive system of federal dams and canals located on several Central Valley rivers. These facilities include Shasta and the Red Bluff Diversion Dams on the Sacramento River, Folsom Dam on the American River, New Melones Dam on the Stanislaus River, and the Friant Dam on the San Joaquin River.

Friends of the River’s protest argues that the Bureau needs to develop the information necessary to change its existing use to a license (with all the environmental conditions that come with it), and provide more information on the other permits they are attempting to hold on to for the next 20 years. It is not in the public interest to have a water rights system that allows the Bureau to hang on indefinitely to millions of acre-feet of “paper” water that simply does not exist in most years. Friends of the River’s goal in the CVP water rights proceeding is to ensure fair and beneficial use of California’s water. 

Scary Halloween Weekend

Email Your Assemblymember and Senator - NOW - To Save California Rivers!

Controversial Delta water policy and water bond bills have proliferated over the last week in the California Legislature like brain-eating zombies. As of Friday, October 30, there were no less than 20 water bills introduced and few of them are any good for California rivers. Many of the new bills are over 100 pages long and the Legislature is expected to vote on them by Monday, Nov. 2!

Click here to Take Action NOW!

EBMUD Approves Pardee Dam Expansion

By Katherine Evatt and Steve Evans

In the face of overwhelming opposition and impassioned public testimony, the East Bay Municipal Utility District (EBMUD) board recently voted 4-2 to include options for a new and expanded Pardee Dam on the Mokelumne River in its 2040 water plan. At the same time, the board voted 6-0 to work with river conservation interests to secure National Wild and Scenic River protection for the Mokelumne River. In response to the vote to expand Pardee, Friends of the River, the Foothills Conservancy and other conservation groups are considering possible litigation.

The EBMUD board approved its water plan after much debate, following hours of testimony from nearly 70 speakers — including foothill residents who traveled to the meeting by bus and EBMUD ratepayers who braved the rain and wind to speak directly to their elected representatives. At the meeting, the dam opponents presented a long list of elected officials, public agencies, organizations and businesses opposed the Pardee expansion.

The EBMUD board was split over whether to retain the dam in its plan, but ultimately approved a motion that retained four different Pardee options. The smallest would avoid flooding any of the Mokelumne upstream of the existing Pardee Reservoir. The largest would drown the river, its cultural and historical resources, the historic 1912 Middle Bar Bridge, whitewater recreation areas, and wildlife and fish habitat up to 1,000 feet upstream of the Highway 49 Bridge. Three of the four options inundate part of river recommended for National Wild and Scenic River protection by the Bureau of Land Management.

EBMUD Board President Doug Linney was one of two board members to oppose the proposed expansion, which he thinks will be an “albatross” around EBMUD’s neck. “It’s a symbol of everything the East Bay Municipal Utility District is not,” he said. Fellow board member Andy Katz voted with Linney against the expansion, while Lesa McIntosh, John Coleman, William Patterson, and Katy Foulkes voted for expansion. Board member Frank Mellon missed the vote.

River advocates found little comfort in the adopted resolution, which states that EBMUD will not build a new dam without support from “upcountry” community, government, conservation, historic preservation, business, tribal, and recreation stakeholders. The adoption of the four Pardee expansion alternatives in the water plan is a programmatic decision. In order to actually build an expanded Pardee dam and reservoir, EBMUD will have to spend considerable effort and money to produce a site-specific environmental impact report (EIR).

Nevertheless, as noted by Friends of the River’s Ron Stork, “The decision means that EBMUD’s political and planning energies have been committed to drowning more of the Mokelumne River. For a District that isn’t growing in land area and has just completed a major expansion of its water supply system by tapping into American River water through the newly constructed Freeman Diversion, the decision to embark on an expensive, environmentally damaging, and unreliable new supply is puzzling and troubling.”

Although EBMUD’s support of Wild & Scenic protection of the Mokelumne River is a step in the right direction, it seemed clear from the companion motion to expand Pardee that at least a slim majority of the EBMUD Board won’t support protection of the portion of the river downstream of Highway 49 that would be flooded by an expanded Pardee.

Friends of the River, the Foothill Conservancy, and other conservation organizations are considering their legal options to challenge the adequacy of the current programmatic EIR for the water plan. It’s clear that EBMUD ignored viable alternatives, such as improved demand management and partnering with the Contra Costa Water District to reserve water storage behind CCWD’s proposed enlargement of the offstream Los Vaqueros Reservoir. In addition, EBMUD’s plan completely fails to address the high cost of dam expansion and the impact on utility rates. Enlarging Pardee is undoubtedly the most expensive water option under consideration by EBMUD and it is likely that EBMUD ratepayers may eventually object to this cost by voting in new board members.

For more information,  visit: www.friendsoftheriver.org/savethemoke

Dam Removal Uncertain In Proposed Klamath Settlement

Cartoon published by Sacramento Bee, Artist Rex Babin

The Oregon-based utility PacifiCorp, government agencies, non-governmental organizations, and Native American Tribes are releasing a draft settlement agreement on Wednesday, September 30 that could lead to the removal of four hydroelectric dams on the Klamath River and restoration of the river’s once fabled salmon runs.

But the defining characteristic of the complex 130-page agreement is “could.”
“Although an important step towards restoration of the Klamath River, the draft settlement provides little certainty that PacifiCorp’s fish-killing and polluting dams will be removed by the proposed target date of 2020,” said Steve Evans, Conservation Director of the California-based statewide river conservation organization Friends of the River.

“It’s going to take a lot more work and effort by all parties to ensure that the dams are actually removed and the Klamath River salmon are restored in our lifetime,” Evans said.

In addition to failing to guarantee removal of the Klamath River dams, Friends of the River noted that the draft settlement provides broad liability protection for PacifiCorp against future lawsuits (even in circumstances where PacifiCorp could be negligent), and will rely on the multi-million dollar appropriations from the State of California and the federal government to implement dam removal and river restoration.

“California budget cuts have caused drastic cutbacks in public safety, health, education, and environmental programs. It doesn’t seem possible that the state will have the money any time soon to help implement the restoration project,” Evans said.
Despite its flaws, Friends of the River will seriously consider signing the proposed settlement agreement.

“If we don’t sign the agreement, we won’t be at the table to protect the public interest and advocate for swift removal of the dams,” Evans said

Great American River Cleanup

Friends of the River helped to organize the Great American River Cleanup. Below are some of the pictures that include FOR staff and volunteers cleaning up our beloved American river. Photos by Robert Sewell.

Water interests argue new state dam proposals

Aricle published by the San Francisco Chronicle.  Posted below in its entirety.
To read the article on the Chronicle's website, click here.

By Kelly Zito, Chronicle Staff Writer

Tuesday, September 29, 2009

(09-28) 19:38 PDT -- Thirty years ago, a chunk of chain, an eyebolt and Mark Dubois helped end the era of big dam building in California.

Dubois, a bearded, 6-foot-8, 30-year-old river guide from Sacramento, chained himself to a rocky outcropping on the north bank of the Stanislaus River and stayed there for a week, determined to prevent the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers from filling the canyons behind New Melones Dam and submerging the limestone caves, verdant meadows and petroglyphs of the river valley.

Dubois lost that fight: New Melones had been approved in the 1940s and was well under way when he and the nascent Friends of the River got involved. But he and hundreds of others who celebrate the 30th anniversary of the Stanislaus Campaign next month believe their work is echoing through a new generation as another dam debate emerges in California.

"We didn't win 30 years ago, but the world has changed," Dubois said in a telephone interview from his home on Bainbridge Island in Washington state. "Even though (Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger) is pushing these dams, people know they don't make sense."

As California grapples with an aging water-delivery network, growing population, worsening water quality, a drought and the potentially far-reaching effects of global climate change, dams are again on the table.

Last month Schwarzenegger insisted he would not sign off on any major overhaul of the water system without money for new dams and reservoirs.

The governor has the support of conservatives and the vast Central Valley, where many farmers are convinced that new, man-made lakes will help offset dry spells and ease the federal rulings that have cut water pumped through the ailing Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta.

A costly option
But environmentalists and their liberal backers contend dams are a costly, ecologically dicey option set against the backdrop of California's unprecedented budget cuts and alarms over the decline of fisheries, waterways and water quality.

By most accounts, New Melones was not the boon promised. When federal engineers studied the project, they far overestimated the water supply and underestimated demand. As a result, for years much of the water has gone to flush out the delta and to fulfill contracts in Stockton and elsewhere; little went to local water suppliers.

"It wasn't surprising to us at all," said Steve Evans, conservation director at Friends of the River. "New Melones was a project looking for a purpose."

Memories die hard
The several dams under consideration do not have quite the same scenic or recreational pull as the Stanislaus River. But memories of landscapes lost behind dams die hard. River advocates point to the flooding of picturesque Hetch Hetchy Valley for San Francisco's water interests and Friant Dam's catastrophic effect on salmon in the San Joaquin River.

Dams "make sense if you don't care about taking care of the natural world," according to Ronald Stork, senior policy advocate for Friends of the River.

These days, however, the debate has shifted to the economics of dam building.

California already has upward of 1,000 dams that provide water supply, flood control and hydropower - built on the most productive and accessible sites, experts say. Each time another dam is added to a river, billions are spent and the water supplied is minimal.

"We have to look further than this reflexive, historical impulse that says building dams will solve all our problems," said Assemblyman Jared Huffman, D-San Rafael. "It's not true. Water recycling, conservation, efficiency... dwarf the amount of water we could get through any (reservoirs) we build."

Reasonable compromise
Conservatives and their supporters however, think they've forged a reasonable compromise that, though expensive, will add an important tool for managing the state's water system.

"The magnitude of the problem is so enormous that we can't afford to say no to one solution," said Chris Scheuring, environmental attorney for the California Farm Bureau.

Scheuring's group and others stand behind three big projects they argue would not inflict the environmental harm of past dams: The expansion of Los Vaqueros Reservoir in Contra Costa County, the Temperance Flat dam on the San Joaquin River above Friant Dam, and Sites Reservoir, which would flood the Antelope Valley in Colusa County.

The $3.8 billion Sites proposal, in particular, marks a departure from the norm because it is an off-stream reservoir that does not obstruct a river. Through canals connected to the Sacramento River, the Department of Water Resources says, water would be pumped into the lake where it would be used to supplement flows into the delta or allow deeper, colder reservoirs to hold back water for critical salmon runs.

Reservoir supporters say Sites presents the best of all worlds. And they seem determined to ensure that Sites and similar projects make it into any water legislation package.

"We're not going to approve another water bond package for billions that haven't improved water reliability," said state Sen. Dave Cogdill, R-Modesto. "These are not high dams on wild and scenic rivers. We're talking about a very responsible approach."

Not worth it?
Peter Gleick, president of Oakland's Pacific Institute, a nonpartisan water think tank, acknowledges that Sites or Temperance Flat could add a certain amount of flexibility to the system. But, he says, that slight improvement simply isn't worth the economic, environmental and political cost.

"Many of dams we built in the last century brought us great benefit," Gleick said. "But I think the era of new dams is over in California."

E-mail Kelly Zito at kzito@sfchronicle.com.

This article appeared on page A - 1 of the San Francisco Chronicle

Read more: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2009/09/28/MNRO19SUMN.DTL#ixzz0SWsv7K7f

California River Awards

You're Invited
Friends of the River cordially invites you to share an experience of a lifetime and help us honor the unsung heroes and founders of California's river protection movement.

FOR’s California River Awards celebrates those who have made outstanding contributions to the preservation of California’s rivers. This year Friends of the River will honor the "Stan Campaigners" -- the passionate and dedicated volunteers who poured their hearts and souls into trying to save the Stanislaus River more than three decades ago. Their efforts catalyzed river protection movements in California and across the country.

JOIN US for a festive and unforgettable evening of fine wine, delectable food and live and silent auctions!

Friday, October 16, 6-9pm
At The Presidio Officers’ Club, 50 Moraga Avenue, San Francisco

Proceeds from this event will support FOR’s efforts to preserve and restore California rivers and maintain opposition to legislation causing further harm to the Delta.

To learn more about the event, visit: www.friendsoftheriver.org/cara
To purchase tickets, www.friendsoftheriver.org/caratickets
To become a sponsor, visit: www.friendsoftheriver.org/carasponsor
Are you a Stan Campaigner? visit: www.friendsoftheriver.org/stancampaigner

Southern California Voters Support Wild Rivers

A recent poll of 400 likely voters in the San Gabriel Valley of southern California demonstrates strong support for the protection of wild places in the adjacent San Gabriel Mountains. Approximately 72% of those polled supported Wild & Scenic River protection for the mountain range’s waterways, while 67% supported wilderness protection. Click here, to learn more about this poll and FORs work to protect Southern California rivers.

Delta Policy Package and Water Bond Stalled For Now

An ambitious plan to rush through complex Delta water policy legislation and a budget-busting water bond fell apart on Sept. 11 a few hours before the California Legislature recessed for the fall. But the Delta bill and bond will likely return.

Conservative Republicans and liberal Democrats alike balked at approving a 142- page bill introduced the evening of September 11 that few had an opportunity to read. Furthermore, the $800 million annual price tag for the proposed 30-year water bond caused misgivings as California continues to suffer from a chronic budget deficit and a recession-crippled economy. Public employee unions, including the Service Employees International Union (SEIU) and the California School Employees Association (CSEA), joined with Friends of the River and other conservation organizations in opposing the bond.

Friends of the River and its allies worked into Friday evening urging legislators to oppose the water bond and shelve the complex Delta policy bill for further consideration later in the legislative year. Nearly 1400 supporters, 700 hand written letters from members on FOR outings and 700 emails during the 48 hours of bill consideration, sent their concerns to their state legislators urging a “go slow” approach to the Delta policy package, opposing the water bond, and encouraging proven conservation solutions over building ineffective dams.

Although there were many positive aspects to the proposed Delta policy package (which prompted some conservation groups to support the policy bill while opposing the water bond), Friends of the River was particularly concerned that the legislation could lead to the construction of a controversial Peripheral Canal around the Delta that could be as long and as wide as the Panama Canal.

Friends of the River and other conservation organizations oppose the dam funding part of the water bond because the proposed dams are costly and will produce little additional water, particularly during drought. Public investments in water conservation, reclamation, and improved groundwater management are far cheaper and produce far more water.

These bills could be reconsidered in a special legislative session to be called by the Governor this fall or when the Legislature returns from its normal fall recess in January 2010.

To learn more about the proposed Delta water package and water bonds, which may resurface during the next legislative session, visit: www.friendsoftheriver.org/waterbond and www.friendsoftheriver.org/waterbills

In Just a Few Clicks...you can help Ca Rivers

Just a few clicks...You can help Friends of the River win a $10,000 grant!!!
Skinny Dip, a beer by New Belgium Beer Company focused on water advocacy, is offering a $10,000 grant to a water advocacy non-profit based on number of votes by September 30!

Step 1: Go to the New Belgium skinny dip website: http://www.newbelgium.com/skinnydip
Step 2: Click on the "I am over 21 button" then "Vote for a Cause"
Step 3: Scroll down, click on "Friends of the River," and cast your vote
Step 4: Click "Tell A Friend" above or press Forward to encourage everyone you know to help Friends of the River protect California rivers through this much needed grant

Will Peripheral Canal Be Considered After the August Recess?

By Steve Evans
Conservation Director
Friends of the River

The controversial Peripheral Canal may or may not be included in a package of water bills that the Legislature expects to take up after its arduous budget battle and the August recess. The water package will likely propose an appointed council or water master to manage water operations, provide overall direction for ecosystem restoration, and attempt to implement the Governor’s goal of reducing water use by 20%. Some capitol insiders claim that the package will not expressly authorize the giant canal, which will divert massive quantities of fresh water around the beleaguered estuary for export to the southern Central Valley and southern California.
It is also unclear whether this initial water package will include funding mechanisms, either in the form of a proposed multi-billion dollar general obligation bond (essentially borrowing money in the name of the taxpayers) and/or water fees. The cost of a Peripheral Canal could be at least $10 billion. New or enlarged dams needed to supply water to the canal will cost billions more. Funding is usually the key to California’s convoluted water politics since the typical goal is to get the taxpayers to pay for the water from which only a few benefit...Read more.

Truth #9

The Peripheral Canal will not improve water quality in the south Delta.



A recent science review of the Bay-Delta Conservation plan found that the canal will do little to improve poor water quality and San Joaquin River salmon survival in the south Delta.

Truth #8

The Peripheral Canal will not benefit salmon or Delta smelt.



According to the Public Policy Institute of California, there is only a 50% likelihood of viability for Sacramento River salmon with a Peripheral Canal. For Delta smelt, only a 40% likelihood of viability.

Truth #7

The Temperance Flat Dam will destroy the San Joaquin River Gorge.



Thosands of acres of public recreation lands and wildlife habitat will be drowned. Thousands of years of Native American heritage lost. Existing hydroelectric power plants will be buried, making Temerance Flat a net energy looser.

Truth #6

All the best dam sites in California are taken.



New dams will not store much additional water since most watersheds have fully developed surface storage capacity.



The proposed Temperance Flat Dam on the San Joaquin River will only sotre a small amount of water 1 year out of 3.

Truth #5

New dams produce far less reliable water than conservation, recycling and groundwater storage.

Truth #4

The proposed Peripheral Canal will be as long and as wide as the Panama Canal.

Nine years ago, state and federal agencies promised to restore the Delta. They failed.

Can we really trust the same agencies to operate the Peripheral Canal in a way that protects and restores the Delta?

Truth #3

Water conservation.

Water recycling.

Water reclamation.

Groundwater storage.



These are the solutions to California's current and future water needs. Not building costly, destructive, ineffective, and contraversial new dams and canals.

Truth #2

Fish need water too.

California's salmon have been decimated by the state's 1,400 dams and hundreds of miles of canals.

We cannot restore our once bountiful salmon stocks by building yet more dams and canals.

Truth about Ca Water #1

23 million Californians DO NOT "depend" on water from the Delta.

Water stored behind federal and state dams are exported from the Delta is only about 11.5% of California's dedicated water supplies.

In contrast, 57% of our dedicated water supply comes from local surface storage, projects groundwater aquifers, and from reuse/recycling.

Save the Moke

Still time to Save the Moke - Speak out at: www.friendsoftheriver.org/SavetheMoke

Watch last nights tv news feature: http://abclocal.go.com/kgo/video?id=6866783

The Spirit of the Stanislaus

Ex-river guide among many who fought dam

By Alex Breitler
Record Staff Writer
June 14, 2009 6:00 AM

ANGELS CAMP - With water already pooling behind New Melones Dam, river guide Mark Dubois wandered upstream and bolted himself to a rock with a 6-inch chain around his ankle.

He sat.

Authorities got word and went searching, but Dubois didn't want to be found; trees and brush cloaked him from the helicopters and boats.

He claimed to his friends, who brought him food under cover of darkness, that he was willing to drown to save the scenic Stanislaus River canyon.
But federal officials blinked; that claim could not be tested. A dry Dubois climbed out of the canyon after one week, having received assurances that the reservoir would not rise above Parrott's Ferry Bridge that year. Eventually, of course, it did, and today New Melones Lake is California's fourth-largest reservoir.

Dubois, now a prominent environmental activist, and about 150 others gathered in Angels Camp last weekend to remember the 30th anniversary of his protest, and a river swallowed up by California's growing thirst.
"I had fallen in love with the place," Dubois said. "I got completely swept into it. And I felt that the life, magic and beauty of the place - that 9 million years of evolution - was about to be eradicated if I didn't speak up."
The bittersweet reunion came, coincidentally, three days after the release of a new plan to protect steelhead on the Stanislaus. That plan from the National Marine Fisheries Service says New Melones Dam - which supplies Stockton and south San Joaquin County with much-needed water - has imperiled a fragile population of steelhead that spawns downstream.
With the focus on the Delta as the heart of California's water wars, one might forget that New Melones was perhaps the country's last great battle over a large new dam.

The Stanislaus was, as one advocate put it, "the last river lost." Advocacy group Friends of the River said the decade-long fight was "probably the biggest citizen effort to save a river and stop a dam in American history."
At stake was nine miles of Class 3 river rapids through a cave-riddled limestone canyon. Even beginning boaters could enjoy the trip, often spread over two days, recalled George Wendt, president of Angels Camp-based Outdoor Adventure River Specialists.

Much of the land was public and accessible, unlike other streams. Historic artifacts abounded. And upstream dams meant reliable year-round flows for rafters, Wendt said.

Supporters of the dam argued New Melones would increase storage while providing flood control, hydroelectric power and lake recreation. Calaveras County leaders, whose law enforcement officers spent time and money searching for Dubois, called his hideout "a cheap publicity trick."
The reservoir finally filled in 1983. The protestors lost, but Wendt said the movement triggered "a major societal shift."

"We realized we can't keep expending resources and borrowing from the future," he said.

Last weekend, Dubois, 60, of Bainbridge Island, Wash., visited New Melones on his own for the first time since chaining himself to the canyon wall. He saw the bathtub ring of mud around the lake. A half-dozen motorboats jetted through the water.

"It was just stunning to feel the death of the place, compared to the magic of the river," he said. "The place just felt dead."

Contact reporter Alex Breitler at (209) 546-8295 or abreitler@recordnet.com

Must watch TV tonight

Monday, June 8
7:00PM-8:00PM
ABOVE THE AMERICAN
Find all broadcasts View schedule

Above the American takes you on an aerial tour of one of California’s most picturesque waterways: the American River. The journey begins at the confluence with the Sacramento River and travels up the North, Middle, and South Forks of the American River. Included are incredible scenic views, Old West history, wildlife, Native American artifacts, and a thrilling ride down some of America’s most famous whitewater rapids. Production funding provided by InterWest Insurance Services.

Announcement origanally sent by:Jim RickerPresident, North Fork American River Alliance P.O. Box 536 Alta, CA 95701530-389-8344

Pumping water and cash

Got to read these articles....really?! Great work by this Contra Costa Times writer.

Pumping water and cash from Delta
By Mike Taugher

As the West Coast's largest estuary plunged to the brink of collapse from 2000 to 2007, state water officials pumped unprecedented amounts of water out of the Delta only to effectively buy some of it back at taxpayer expense for a failed environmental protection plan, a MediaNews investigation has found. Read more.

Paper shuffle allows for vast supply of easy money
By Mike Taugher

It must have seemed like easy money.
The state was delivering more water than ever to its customers, and in Kern County some of those customers sold some of it back, through a simple trade, at a higher price. Read more.

Water ownership murky, complicated
By Mike Taugher

Kern County water users who sold millions of dollars worth of water to a program meant to help the environment said the arrangement made sense because the water was rightfully theirs.

Few would dispute that water that was purchased and stored in Kern County could be sold to the environmental water account.

But the sales were made easier by the fact that the state Department of Water Resources was cranking up water deliveries to unprecedented heights at the same time it was buying water back for the environment. Read more.

The Resnicks: farming's power couple
By Mike Taugher

Stewart Resnick is not your typical dirt-under-the-fingernails farmer.
The Beverly Hills billionaire's companies, according to tax records, appear to own more than 115,000 acres in Kern County, about the size of four San Franciscos and more than all of the East Bay Regional Park District's parks combined. Read more.

"The River Guide" Song

Become a river guide. Become a river advocate.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AY7n5iKBNsQ

The Moke - a video to check out!

There is a new video out about the Mokelumne... it's an issue that is happening RIGHT NOW!

http://www.vimeo.com/4377762

Check it out. See what a beatiful place it is.

Take action at FOR's page.

Tight Lines,

Bjorn

The Peripheral Canal... let's be honest

The Peripheral Canal. let's be honest.

We are beginning to hear whispers, rumors and every now and then a confirmed account of support from environmental organizations for the Peripheral Canal. The PC has not been the core focus for Friends of the River, although many, many of the issues we work on mingle with the Delta and we have been party to some of the lawsuits that are helping to shape and frame the Delta debate. We'll also be very active in educating the public about the proposed Water Bonds. So, while the PC is not a central campaign, it is safe to say that those waters are our waters.

Let's be honest here. A PC only makes sense if there is more surface storage. "Surface storage" is the ambiguous way of saying "dam." That means, at the very least, an enlarged Shasta Dam that would eat up a protected section of the McCloud River in addition to parts of the Upper Sacramento River, Pit River and Squaw Creek (the rivers and creeks that flow into the existing Shasta Reservoir).

If you sign onto the PC, you are endorsing river destruction.

I, for one, am tired of the false choices being put forward. The Farms/Fish and Fish/People debates are contrived and deceptive.

The Delta exports don't provide the drinking water for 26M Californians, as is continuously repeated (even duping the good folks at my local public radio station). Sure, they provide some water, but not all of it and there are other options to provide drinking water. The PC is about one thing. it is about agricultural water use. I'm tired of hearing the only way to water our fields is to take the water from the Delta or build the PC. America, literally, was built by inventive people, entrepreneurs, people constantly looking for a better mouse trap. It's time we employ that same spirit of problem solving to our water future instead of looking back to 20th Century solutions. We know the true costs of dam construction now in the precipitous decline of our salmon fisheries. We don't have any excuses. Shouldn't we pursue every other avenue before we head down the path towards more river destruction and more dead salmon?

Let's also be honest about the PC's potential. It COULD be run well and it could reduce the negative impacts of Delta pumping. The problem is that with water in California the potential for good is often overwhelmed by the political necessities of harmful decisions. If the PC is built, water WILL be shipped south at times that more fresh water is needed in the Delta. It will happen and if you think otherwise, well, I have a great investment opportunity for you with Madoff Investments.

The overwhelming, crushing weight of history says that the PC will further harm California's rivers and our fish.

It is time for more honesty in our Delta discussions. Those coming out in favor of the PC need to follow that idea all the way upstream where it leads to the wet, hard concrete of new dams and new legacies of river destruction.

Wild & Scenic Success

I was sitting here pondering this wonderful victory in the Wild Rivers and Wilderness Bill just signed by President Obama. I think it's important to deconstruct this victory a little bit.

You should know that the work to get this bill passed started over a decade ago when FOR started pushing to get rivers and creeks declared eligible for Wild & Scenic Status. The push has continued and steady work has been applied.


To get this done we worked with folks you might not expect. Buck McKeon and Mary Bono-Mack are two Republican Representatives and they were essential, as the rivers we were looking to protect flow in their districts. In recent times the Republican Party has not been very friendly towards the notion of conservation, but it didn't always used to be that way. Pete McCloskey, a Republican at the time, authored the Endangered Species Act (which was signed by Richard Nixon). Peter H. Behr, a Republican State Senator, wrote the California Wild & Scenic Rivers Act. It is a very refreshing thing to see politicians casting off dogma for Do-ma.


River saving, as an activity or organizational goal, is not full of quick victories and banner waving. River saving is a long process for determined people. It is a pragmatic business where allies are constantly sought from right, left and center.


I am proud to work for Friends of the River as we have proven that we are that type of organization and there are now many more miles of free flowing California Rivers that will forever be protected.



Bjorn

Development Director, dad and Fly Fishing Nut

A picture taken from the banks of the Owens River. The headwaters of the Owens are not protected thanks to the recently passed bill.

Breaking News: Congress Passes Wild Rivers and Wilderness Bill

and it is heading to President Obamas desk.


The House of Representatives today approved by a vote of 285 to 140 a bill that places 105 miles of California rivers to the National Wild & Scenic Rivers System. HR146, the Omnibus Public Lands Protection Act, also protects as Wilderness more than 750,000 acres of public lands in the
state. Overall, the legislative package includes 150 bills that protects more than a thousand miles of Wild & Scenic Rivers and two million acres of Wilderness nationwide. Since it has already been approved by the Senate, the bill now goes to President Obama’s desk for his signature.
River conservationists were ecstatic about the bill’s passage. “This is the largest addition of California rivers protected in the national system since 1981,” said Steve Evans, Conservation Director of Friends of the River. “It is also the most diverse group of rivers in the state to be protected,” he said.
The bill protects as Wild & Scenic Rivers portions of eight streams in the state, including the Owens River headwaters in the eastern Sierra Nevada, Cottonwood Creek in the White Mountains, Amargosa River in the Mojave Desert, Piru Creek in the northern San Gabriel Mountains, and the North Fork San Jacinto River, Palm Canyon Creek, and Bautista Creek in the
San Jacinto Mountains. In addition, the wilderness component of the package protects the headwaters of several rivers, including the West Walker, Owens, Santa Clara, and San Jacinto. The bill not only protects rivers that provide spectacular public opportunities for hiking,backpacking, fishing, and hunting, it also protects habitat for many rare and endangered fish and wildlife species, including the Paiute cutthroat trout, Yosemite toad, Amargosa vole, and mountain yellow-legged frog. Many of the streams also provide clean drinking water for use
downstream. The California bills included in the omnibus lands package represents true bi-partisan support for
river and land protection. Representative Buck McKeon and Representative Mary Bono-Mack, two California Republicans who introduced the original bills to protect wild rivers and lands in their districts, worked closely with California’s Democratic Senators, Barbara Boxer and Dianne
Feinstein to secure the legislation’s passage through Congress.
All of the California streams protected in the legislative package were first nominated by Friends of the River and then determined eligible for federal protection by the U.S. Forest Service and U.S. Bureau of Land Management. Wild & Scenic designation will protect the streams from new
dams and ensure that the public lands through which they flow are managed by the respective federal agencies to protect the rivers’ outstanding natural and cultural values. Within three years
after designation, the federal agencies will develop and implement and comprehensive river management plan for each stream to ensure their permanent protection. The eight California streams protected in the omnibus package joins a prestigious list of streams
totaling more than 2,000 miles protected in the National Wild & Scenic Rivers System since 1968, including portions of the Smith River, Klamath River, Scott River, Salmon River, Trinity River, Eel River, Van Duzen River, American River, Feather River, Tuolumne River, Merced
River, Kings River, Kern River, Big Sur River, Sisquoc River, and Sespe Creek. All these streams represent California’s fast-disappearing heritage of free flowing rivers and outstanding
natural and cultural values.

Wild Fish, Delta, Steelhead and the Moke

A few more odds and ends.

• Why Wild? The question asks "why buy wild salmon?" The answers are many and the reasons are good. If you think buying a farm-raised salmon is sparing the resource, you are mistaken. Learn why wild salmon are the only salmon you should put on your dinner plate.


• Steelhead – these magnificent fish have diminished in strength all over the West. Patagonia has an interesting essay about the fish, its fisheries and why you should care.


• Delta - I gave a presentation about CA's water future to a group of Delta Striper fisherman at a clinic put on by Dan Blanton. It was a great gathering of concerned and active anglers. The Delta is in the middle of just about every water war around the State.


• The fight for the Moke is gathering pace. Here Patagonia Fly Fishing Ambassador Mikey Wier's take on the issue.

The snow is in the mountains, the rivers are inching higher, runoff is around the corner, Spring is, in theory, here and soon the bugs will start moving and the fish will start to feed. It is a good time of year.

Silver Fork of the American. A pretty little place.

Bjorn - Avid Angler and Development Director for FOR

Can't wait for the 2010 Ca Rivers Festival

Thank you to all of the Friends of the River Volunteers - the heart of the California Rivers Festival - with which the event would not be possible!

The food was great, presentations were interesting, lots of knowledgeable vendors, beautiful day next to the river...Check out our Photo Album

Anyone get any crazy deals?

Save the Moke!

The key word is needless. EBMUD does not need to drown more of the Moke to get water. There are a host of other real-world solutions.

The threatened river is loved by many for its beauty, for its beginning kayak runs and year-round angling. It is very regrettable that EBMUD is cultivating the fear of future water shortages directly into needless river destruction, we need your support so that we can ensure the voice of the river is heard.

Learn more here: www.friendsoftheriver.org/savethemoke

Comment - tell us about your experiences on the Moke, share pics and videos...we cant lose this cherished section of the Mokelumne

The Last Descent - Kayaking for the last time...

The Last Descent Join a group of whitewater kayakers on their journey to some of the world’s most amazing rivers ... descending them possibly for the last time. Nepal's Marsyangdi River, Uganda's White Nile and India's Brahmaputra River all are threatened or are in the process of being destroyed by large-scale hydroelectric projects. The award winning film documents the struggle of indiginous people, the destruction of the environment and local economies while finding world class whitewater. The film closes with the movement to restore Hetch Hetchy Valley in Yosemite National Park.

Watch the trailer here: http://www.thelastdescent.com/trailer.html

Film viewing with personal introduction by Scott Ligare at the California Rivers Festival - This Saturday! Learn more here: http://www.californiariversfestival.org/

the most dramatic, remote, gorgeous canyons in CA...

California Classic - workshop at Saturday's California Rivers Festival
Join in the fun and excitement - enjoy the thrills and spills - view some of the most dramatic, remote, gorgeous canyons in CA. You will see clips of the Bear, Bald Rock, Burnt Ranch, Cherry Creek, Dardanelles, Fordyce, Giant Gap, Golden Gate, Middle and Upper Kings, North and Lower Stan, Pauley Creek, Purdons Crossing, and San Joaquin - right up to the end with a final hurrah and total flip. Plus recall the past with great music that will date us - Don't miss the fun we offer the viewer! Welcome presenters: Rorie Lin Gotham, Mark Hascall, and Bob Santin.

Learn more at: www.californiariversfestival.org

River of Renewal Film Screening

At the California Rivers Festival, view "River of Renewal" which examines the water and wildlife crisis in the Klamath Basin—a bioregion as large as Connecticut, Rhode Island, and New Hampshire combined. The communities that harvest food from the Klamath Basin—raising crops and cattle, catching salmon in the river and offshore—have all suffered due to the lack of enough water to serve the needs of irrigation and fisheries alike. This film takes a journey to the Klamath Basin to reexamine the water issues. Learn more about the Klamath River and watch the trailer by clicking here.

California farms, cities warned they may lose access to state's creeks, rivers

"Thousands of California farms and cities have been warned that their permission to pump water from rivers and creeks could be cut back if the drought worsens..."

'...The city of Sacramento, for instance, depends on diversion rights in both the American and Sacramento rivers. Some of these rights are considered to have high seniority, but this may not protect the city from cutbacks later this year if the drought worsens.
"It's not a property right," said Ronald Stork, senior policy advocate at Friends of the River.
"Providence has to provide the water. And if she doesn't, your water right is not going to be anything more than a piece of paper.'

Read the Sacramento Bee article, by clicking here.

Richard Bangs, Rain and the Eng Theng

Random odds and ends and a report about the Fly Fishing Show in Pleasanton.

• 2007 Mark Dubois Award Winner Richard Bangs will be giving a slide show about Morocco at Mountain Travel Sobek. They are good people.


• At FOR World Headquarters (aka our Sacramento office) we are, in theory, 88% of normal for precipitation. Paso Robles is at 49% of normal, which isn’t good for drought, but might be good for fire scorched hillsides. It can be hard to make heads or tails of our water picture at the moment. It is easy to tell, however, that one year of decent rainfall that approaches normal, won’t get us out of the water fights we have ahead of us. As I write this from my Placerville home, it is raining on a 45% angle and the big pines are swaying like a tired angler after a few Steelhead Pale Ales.


• I was at the Fly Fishing Show in Pleasanton over the weekend, manning the Friends of the River table. Some of our fellow river-savers were out there, Western Rivers Conservancy and Trout Unlimited were within casting range. It was good to spread the word about our work with the mad-for-fly-fishing masses. It was also good to hear how many folks had heard of Friends of the River or were getting our emails through their Fly Fishing Clubs. During the slow periods I got to work on filling my fly box. I tied about 2 dozen #16 bead head pheasant tails and twenty #14 Eng Thengs (a fly from my home water of the Upper Sacramento invented by Dunsmuir guide and all around good guy, Wayne Eng). Thanks to Big Bird for working the table with me on Saturday.

For a fly fisherman in California, this is a beloved sight... the Red Barn on the Fall River. Located to the East of Mt. Shasta, the Fall River is the largest upwelling of spring water in North America and happens to be one heck of a fishery.

Bjorn - FOR Development Director and fish nut.

Drinking water is good for you...but could be bad for rivers

What does a bottle of water from the store really cost?
...manufacture plastic bottles,extract water,transport bottles to stores,transport the fraction of bottles recycled to recycling plants,then recycled materials are transported back to the factory....sounds like we paying for oil (transportation & manufacturing)...whew...and to think we could have just turned on the tap

Who (or what) pays the price?
What impact have we caused by purchasing a bottle rather than filling one up....did we lose a section of river, habitat for a native fish, food for surrounding wildlife, water supply downstream...?

Did you know...

• 1.5 million gallons of OIL are used each year to facilitate the lifecycle of disposable water bottles.
• Gas is expensive - around $2.77 per gallon. Guess how much bottled water is? $6.20 per gallon Did we mention it comes out of the tap for mere pennies?

Learn more by visiting: www.friendsoftheriver.org/WaterBottles

Bottled Water, McCloud River, Project Tap, Pasadena & Pleasanton Fly Fishing Shows

I don't know if you noticed... but we actually had one or several decent storms in the past week or so. While the needle is still pegged in the red, it was very nice to hear rain on the roof and hear of flakes in the mountains. It was a little bit of good news in these interesting times. Here are a few more little tid-bits I've collected for you:

• There are some really interesting films focusing on water these days. In addition to the two movies about the Klamath (Rivers of Renewal and Upstream Battle), a movie about the murky world of bottled water looks very interesting and is probably an important watch.


• Trout Unlimited’s On the Rise TV show recently aired an episode focused on the McCloud River, a true California gem, and discussed the threats posed by a proposed Nestle water bottling plant


• UNICEF is doing some interesting things around their Tap Project. The YouTube-ized Tap experience is worth a quick watch.


• If you are going to be browsing the booths at either the Fly Fishing Show in Pasadena (February 21-22) or Pleasanton (February 27 – March 1), stop by the Friends of the River Booth
  

Below is a picture of the Merced, just outside Yosemite. A beautiful CA river.

Ca River Protection Update

Hundreds of Friends of the River supporters called and emailed their representatives over the last week. Thank you!

We were sure the final vote would take place yesterday (Wednesday) but it has been delayed. We will stay focused and will keep you updated.

If you did not have a chance to email or call, there still is time, click here for more information.

If we had built Auburn dam, would it be raining?

We are confused - how can you [Congressman McClintock] be anti-spending while also calling for an expensive (inefficient) dam that will do little to help with the water issues of California?
It is a popular misconception that if we build more dams, we will have more water in dry years - that is not necessarily the case. Dams don't create water, they simply capture the run-off from rain and snow. If we don't receive much rain or snow, then there will be little water behind the dams, no matter how many we may build (as evident by the many unfilled reservoirs around our state). Congressman McClintock wants to bring more water security to his district, but more dams are not the answer

Read more here: http://www.friendsoftheriver.org/AmericanHome

The fate of 105 miles of rivers...

The fate of 105 miles of California rivers will be determined this Wednesday. You can make a difference by calling your Representative today or Tuesday. To learn more visit: https://secure2.convio.net/fotr/site/Advocacy?cmd=display&page=UserAction&id=182

Quakes, 1% and Beautiful Fish

A few more odds and ends...

• Dams = another reason that dams are just not such a bright idea in many cases, that big quake in China may have been triggered in part by that big dam they just built. This is something we've known about for a long time and is one of the reasons why the Auburn Dam was first put on hold.
• 1% for the Planet is a very good idea, created by some very good people, talked about on a very nice bit of Montana trout fishing water and shot by some great film makers. Check it out.
• There is a trout/fish guru that lives up in Dunsmuir that not only knows how to catch fish, he knows how to capture them in sculpture. Fred Gordon has donated to our California River Awards auctions for several years and his sculptures are always hot items. See his work here.

From the desk of Bjorn - Development Director and resident fish lover.

More Odds and Ends

A few more random odds and ends...

• Continued talk of drought is enough to sap the strength from an ox (or river loving Californian). Aquafornia is keeping tabs on the water news and commentary.
  
• The River Why, a movie I’m particularly keen to see in theatres, might just have a Friends of the River banner in one scene. Hoping that is so and hoping the movie drives scores of inspired new anglers out to learn to fish… where they’ll discover the beauty of our wild places and become rabid conservationists.

Beer and fly fishing go together very, very well... here are just a few fish/fishing related brews:

• Mad River Brewing Company is very well known for their Steelhead Pale Ale.
  
• 20" Brown is a lovely nut brown ale from Cascade Lakes Brewing Company out of Redmond, OR (couldn't find a web-site for this brewery, oddly enough).
  
• Montana gives us the Double Haul IPA from Kettlehouse (who also make an "Eddy Out" beer) and Dancing Trout from Bayern Brewing.
  
• Fish Tale Trout Stout is just one of many, many fishy beers made by Fish Brewing Company from Washington.

The photo is of the camp water at Ah Di Nah on the McCloud. One of my favorite bits of moving water anywhere... a real California gem.

Bjorn - Development Director and resident fly fishing nut.

CANT MISS THIS EVENT!!!

California Rivers Festival
Sat. March 14th, 10am to 4pm
Sacramento Waldorf School, 3750 Bannister Road, Fair Oaks

Mark you calendar for a popular annual event that has something for everyone: kayakers, whitewater boaters, fly fisherman, families interested in learning about California rivers, and anyone who wants to get involved in river conservation.

Bring your old gear and buy good gear for just dollars - last year PFD's went for $1, paddles for $5, and bucket boats for $50/100!

At the auction bid on items like: 14" Aire tributary raft from Sierra Outdoor Center, 2 Hardshell Kayaks from California Canoe & Kayak, 2 Inflatable Kayaks from Aire, and much more.

Attend workshops and hear a personal introduction from Scott Ligare before viewing his film "Last Decent" on kayaking rivers on several continents before they are dammed, for a trailer and summary visit thelastdescent.com

Visit http://www.californiariversfestival.org for more information and regular updates.

The latest Rafting/Kayaking Camera

Tom Rider, great boater and advocate for rivers, just alerted me to a new waterproof camera from Olympus called the Olympus TOUGH-8000 "Hard as Nails" - with crazy specs like waterproof to ten meters, shock proof, freeze proof and crush proof while also being a high quality camera! I am sure I could test out all those features (maybe not freezing). It is so new I don't see any reviews online for it. Anyone tried it? Other cameras that work really good? (I like my Pentax Optio)

You can read more about it at the Olympus website, here:
http://www.olympusamerica.com/cpg_section/product.asp?product=1448

The fate of this river...

Any day - this California river could be federally protected and preserved....or not. Make sure it is protected - Learn more and take action by visiting: https://secure2.convio.net/fotr/site/Advocacy?cmd=display&page=UserAction&id=182

How about we start spending our money wisely?

I don't know about you...but the news is scary...just don't know how much farther down we can go...financially....international markets, our country, our state, ourselves.

I just can't believe that Governor Schwarzenegger and others are EVEN THINKING about building more inefficient EXPENSIVE dams (spending millions through a "water bond" so we can finance this wasteful spending and pay more for it later).

Especially since there are things that we can do now - to better manage our water supply, a natural resource - for free and other things we can do as a state for a fraction of the cost.

Seriously, build more dams...no thank you.

To learn more visit: www.friendsoftheriver.org/DamFacts

Odds and Ends

Greetings, as the resident fly fishing guru (Hey if Tom Stienstra says so, I'll take it), I have a few odds and ends to share for those of you who may have piscatorial inclinations.

• The Trout Underground is a blog you should check into if you like the Upper Sacramento, Bamboo rods or fishing in general. More consistent than a winter BWO hatch and some beautiful photos round things off very nicely.
• Way Upstream is a blog that comes from the fishy side of Patagonia. We love that company for their long-standing support of our work and for their commitment to environmentalism.
• It may not be my river or my fishery, but the folks at Felt Soul Media have put together a really beautiful looking film about the fight to stop the Pebble Mine in Bristol Bay. Red Gold is a thing of cinematic beauty.
• River of Renewal, a movie about the Klamath, which IS one of our rivers, is making the rounds through film festivals. It might not be coming to a theatre near you, but it's probably worth the drive. Upstream Battle is another Klamath film also making the rounds.

With the sun out again today and nary a cloud on the horizon my thoughts are turning to the snow pack and a fast-forward to the heat of August... if you have a rain dance, now is the time to break it out. I'm working on a presentation to give to fly fishing clubs around the State about how this drought is mixing with the weird world of California water politics. If you are in a fly fishing club, or any other kind of organization, interested in having this preso, drop me a line.

Bjorn - FOR's Official Fly Fishing Guru (well, practitioner, at least) and Development Director

bjorn@friendsoftheriver.org

CA doesn't have a water supply problem, CA has a water management problem

...and Dams are no longer the answer.

Read George Miller's insightful article from the San Francisco Chronicle (by clicking on the post title above).