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.
Tuesday, September 29, 2009
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
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
Wednesday, September 23, 2009
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
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
Tuesday, September 22, 2009
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.
Monday, September 21, 2009
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
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
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