March 30, 2005

1) Calaveras Dam enlargement abandoned

With very little fanfare the SFPUC has abandoned (for now) the proposed enlargement of Calaveras Dam and reservoir. The SFPUC had originally proposed enlarging the reservoir up to 6 times, and recently proposed a four-fold enlargement. Both enlargement projects would have flooded the only stream spawning habitat for landlocked steelhead trout in Calaveras Reservoir and flooded habitat for numerous other endangered and threatened terrestrial and aquatic species.

Calaveras Reservoir will still will be rebuilt as soon as possible to ensure it is safe in an earthquake, but at the same size as the original dam. The SFPUC plans to build the new dam with a core that will allow for building a larger dam at some point in the future if it was determined to be desirable or necessary, but we will fight that battle when the time comes. For now, we will be lobbying the SFPUC to include meaningful mitigation measures for the impact of Calaveras Dam on Alameda Creek fisheries as part of the dam replacement project; these include removing the Alameda Diversion Dam from upper Alameda Creek and providing minimum flow releases from the new reservoir for fish and wildlife habitat downstream of the dam.

2) Volunteers needed for Fremont Medical Center Earth Day April 15

We need 2 or 3 volunteers to staff the Alameda Creek Alliance table at the Fremont Medical Center Earth Day on Friday April 15, from 9 am to 3 pm. Please contact me if you can table for 1 or 2 hours.

3) End of fish rescue season

We are nearing the end of the steelhead trout migration season and the next couple of weeks will likely be the last chance to rescue fish in the lower creek. We have has a couple of steelhead sightings this winter, but no rescues yet. Because the SFPUC and the state are releasing water from Calaveras and Del Valle Reservoirs, there is still sufficient flow in the lower creek to attract adult fish. Keep an eye out at the BART weir the next couple days for fish.

If you want to be involved in fish rescues next year and were not on the Fish and Game permit issued this year for fish rescue, please contact me by e-mail with your name, address, phone number, and CA Divers License # and I will get you on the permit for fish rescue next winter.

4) Apperson Quarry strategy meeting and Maguire Peaks hike in May

The Alameda Creek Alliance will be holding another strategy meeting in Sunol sometime in late April or May to discuss the impacts of the proposed Apperson quarry on the wildlife in Sunol (including the likely demise of the Sunol tule elk herd) and what we can do about it. We will also lead a weekend hike to Maguire Peaks overlooking Apperson Ridge, the mountain top that will be removed by the quarry project. Dates to be announced.

5) Zone 7 meeting on Stream Management Master Plan tomorrow

Zone 7 Water Agency will hold a public workshop on their Stream Management Master Plan for the Arroyos tomorrow, Thursday, March 31 from 9 am to noon at the Zone 7 office on 100 North Canyon Parkway in Livermore. If you are interested in what Zone 7 has planned for the Arroyo or want to give input, information about the meeting and directions are available on the Zone 7 web site at http://www.zone7water.com/

The planned agenda is as follows:

SMMP Update and Overview: Activities since Interim Report, Stakeholder Comments, Changes since Interim Report
Chain of Lakes Diversion and Storage Project Update
Project Phasing Approaches
SMMP Financial Plan: Methods and Approach
SMMP Master EIR: Approach and Status
Program Schedule and Upcoming Activities
6) Close to Home slide show and talk April 11

Close to Home will give a free slide show and talk on EXPLORING NATURE'S TREASURES IN THE EAST BAY. The event is Monday, April 11, at 7:00pm at the Montclair Presbyterian Church in Oakland. Bay Nature Magazine editor David Loeb will give a talk on Why Bay Nature? and there will be a 25 min slide show on East Bay Natural Treasures. Montclair Presbyterian Church is at 5701 Thornhill Rd. in Oakland.

Close to Home will also introduce their year-long series of Saturday field trips beginning in May, designed to open eyes, hearts and minds to the ecology of our area. Monthly trips will be led by naturalists to Vasco Caves, the Cosumnes River, Sausal Creek and the waterfalls of Mount Diablo. For more information contact Sandra Lewis at (510) 601-5715 or Cindy Spring at (510) 655-6658 or visit www.close-to-home.org.

7) San Lorenzo Creek fish runs

Two steelhead trout and one chinook salmon were documented in lower San Lorenzo Creek, attempting to migrate up the flood control