Gutter no more: California's San Joaquin river to flow again

[kpete]

Source: McClatchy

Gutter no more: California's San Joaquin river to flow again

By Mark Grossi | Fresno Bee

It all starts Thursday with a gentle surge of water to be released from Friant Dam into the San Joaquin River.

A massive, unprecedented and unpredictable river restoration project will begin, reawakening miles of dried riverbed and salmon runs that have been extinct for six decades.

Since the dam was built in the 1940s, long stretches of the river have been dry. Parts have become a gutter for the San Joaquin Valley, collecting muddy seepage, trash and abandoned cars.

Now, in a nine-year effort that could cost up to $1.2 billion, the 350-mile San Joaquin will be reconnected with the Pacific Ocean. Salmon, which once teemed in its waters, may again migrate from near Fresno to the ocean.

Read more: http://www.mcclatchydc.com/251/story/76112.html

[tabatha]

1. Wonderful. It is a beautiful area.

[Xithras]

2. The SJ was once called the Mississippi of the West.

There were braided sections where the river was 10 miles wide, and if you counted in the adjoining wetlands, it was over 30 miles wide in a few areas. Its overflow used to feed Lake Tulare, the largest freshwater lake in the US west of the Great Lakes (which simply doesn't exist anymore).

The rewatering is a start, but there's a lot of work left to do.

[tularetom]

4. There's still a few places downstream (north) from where the Merced River flows in

Where the old riparian forest still exists. Hiking in these areas you can see deer, wild turkeys and many other critters. You can imagine yourself being there at the time of the Civil War. It would be cool if the balance of the river could be restored to those conditions but there are many issues of property rights, easements etc to be dealt with before that can be fully implemented. I doubt it will happen in my lifetime.

[Xithras]

6. That is the real problem.

When the SJ was dewatered in the 1960's, there was a general presumption that it would be gone forever (and few people cared). Sections of the old waterway were simply infilled for farmland, leaving only one channel for flood runoff. The government gave that "reclaimed" land away to farmers at firesale prices. Now that we realize that the dewatering was a bad idea, we have to repurchase that land, and deal with the people who don't want to sell.

BTW, I live on the Stanislaus, one of the tributaries to the SJ. I need merely to look at the thin strand of remaining forest along its banks out my back window to realize what was lost. There is very little of the original environment left in the Valley today. I think the area you're referring to is the San Joaquin National Wildlife refuge, which is only about 30 minutes from me. I've been out there a few times with my camera, and it's always a somber thing to realize that the whole Valley used to look like that.

[tularetom]

7. Actually I'm referring to an area known as "River Ranch"

It's south of West Main Street about 10 miles west of Turlock. In an area known as the Gomes Lake Reclamation District. It's right where the TID main drain discharges into the river and there is a tract of a couple thousand acres inside the levees there with a few of the old valley oaks and a lot of second growth trees and heavy brush.

[Xithras]

10. Oh, I know the Gomes Lake area.

There's actually a fight going on over that right now. Currently, everyone in the county (including me) pays taxes that run the pumps keeping the farms around it from turning back into marshlands. The county decided last month that it wasn't going to pay for the pumps anymore, and that Turlock and the farmers themselves needed to pay for the pumping. The farmers are currently having a snitfit over that decision. Personally, I support the decision. I can't help it if they want to farm swamplands, but I don't want to be paying for it myself. We can't even get the county to repave the road past my house, and yet we're subsidizing the profits of south county farmers. If they are making money off the farms around Gomes, they can afford to pay for their own pumps.

[Brother Buzz]

3. It's too late for the huge tracts of maturing almond trees yanked out for lack of water

Big bucks, big investments lost.

[Le Taz Hot]

5. While everybody's celebrating, here's another perspective:

"Water Shortage Wilts Calif.'s San Joaquin Valley."

"Before, it was good. There were jobs eight months, 10 months out of the year. Now, nothing," says Luis Cortez, 52. Others nod in agreement. Cortez says he has worked just three days all year.


Mendota touts itself as the cantaloupe capital of the world, but its de facto motto is far less optimistic. "No water, no work" is the refrain repeated everywhere here in the western reaches of the San Joaquin Valley. The unemployment rate in this 10,000-person town was an unfathomable 38 percent in July (including documented and undocumented workers). Nearly all those who have lost their jobs are farm workers, who often straddle the poverty line even in boom times. The result is a cruel irony: in the region that produces more food than anywhere else in the country, food lines have become regular fixtures, drawing hundreds, sometimes thousands.

<more>

http://www.newsweek.com/id/211381

[tularetom]

8. When the water was cheap and plentiful the farmers sneered at conservation

Now that the water's scarce, they want us all to believe that they have always been good stewards of the land.

Look around at the thousands of acres of orchards that were flood irrigated as recently as a couple years ago.

I feel bad for the small family farmers (and farm workers) who are suffering through this drought, but they aren't the real culprits here.

[Xithras]

11. Flood irrigation gets a bad rap.

In the valley, flood irrigation helps to recharge the water table. It's no coincidence that our water tables started plunging right after everyone converted to drip. This is already becoming a huge issue in the Valley (Modesto has already had to shut down about 10% of its water wells for urban uses because of the drop).

[tularetom]

14. Six of one half a dozen of the other

Obviously you get less recharge from drip systems, but you withdraw less water in the first place which leads to less drawdown of the water table. Anyway the introduction of drip systems into the foothills on the east side turned what had been almost worthless dry pasture into productive orchards. I'm still not sure why the world needs a gazillion acres of almonds in the central valley but drive along Oakdale Road between Merced and Waterford and you'll see what has been done with it.

[Xithras]

9. First off, don't buy the hype.

Most of what you're seeing is the efforts of a multimillion dollar ad campaign by the Westlands water district, which only represents a very small portion of the valley. For most of the Valley, water runoff from the Sierra's is still largely normal, water deliveries to farmers are uninterrupted, and the farms are having no problems whatsoever.

The problem here is a simple one. There is a small strip of the Valley along the flanks of the Coast Range that sits in a rain shadow, has no natural surface water for irrigation, and is generally dry. About 50 years ago the fedgov struck a deal with the senior water rightsholders to take some of their excess and runoff, and ship it south to this dry area so it could be converted to farms. Back then, the farmers understood that in dry years, when no excess water existed, their farms would go fallow. They understood that this land should be used for low value crops. The second & third generation farmers on that land today, and the agribusiness corporate giants that have bought many of the farms out, no longer want to hold to that original deal. They want year round water supplies, even when there isn't sufficient water availailable. They want to plant orchards and vineyards on farmland that was originally intended for cotton and alfalfa. They want to take water away from the senior rightsholders (which includes environmental minimums) to secure their own farms. That wasn't the deal. They get federal water, which has junior rights to the other districts in the valley. They get what we don't need. Nothing more.

What Westlands, the Beckbots, and most other people whining about the dry spell don't tell you is that their "solution" to saving their farms, pumping more water from the Delta when there aren't inflows to support it, will cause saltwater intrusion from the SF Bay and destroy hundreds of Delta farms that pump directly from those waterways. The only way to keep THAT from happening is to force the other water rightsholders upstream to release more water from their reservoirs to balance the new outflows, which will reduce the amount of water THEY can deliver to the farmers in the rest of the valley (including the farmers in the area where I live).

I feel sorry for the Westlands farmers who are watching their crops wilt, but they are the owners of subprime farmland in an area of the valley that was labelled "Wastes" or "Desert" on most Valley maps as recently as the 1940's. Their fix involves taking water from prime farmland, which isn't acceptable.

Don't buy the hype, or fall for the Westlands marketing.

Oh, and were you aware that since 2002 the Westlands has been looking at being forced to take nearly 40% of its lands out of production due to selenium pollution? The land itself is toxic, which is part of why it was a wasteland before mechanized farming. Back then, they were talking to the MWD in Southern California to sell off the water rights to those lands to Southern California for municipal water usage. MWD lost interest because the water deliveries to Westlands aren't guranteed. Despite the argument that they want permanent water rights for family farmers, the reality is that the selenium problem is still getting worse, and Westlands farmers refuse to rule out the possibility of selling their water south. If they win, much of this farmland will go dry anyway, so that water can go south to water LA lawns.

[Le Taz Hot]

13. Well, thanks for the lecture but

I was trying to point out that, while the Big Boys fight over the ever-decreasing water supply, there are real and very dire consequences to residents of the dozens of farming communities here. I've read all the arguments, ad nauseum. I just find it difficult to reconcile all of that when I look into the faces of those lining up for a couple of meager bags of groceries. We haven't seen desperation like this since the Depression.

[Xithras]

15. So depopulate the area.

It's an unsustainable farming area borne out of a 50 year old experiment that has obviously failed. There isn't enough water to go around, and these people are at the bottom of the priority list. It's not the job of the government, of other Valley farmers, or of the environment to support their continued insistence on living and farming in an area that requires such a massive importation of outside resources to make their chosen use of the land feasible. Before the CVP, that area was used to grow alfalfa and raise cattle. Maybe it's time to go back to that.

[Le Taz Hot]

19. Ok, I'm not appreciating your arrogance here.

If one can't afford to feed one's family, how the HELL is one supposed to move? And where is one supposed to move to? The lack of compassion being shown on this board for these people is sickening. I don't know what you do for a living that you're so smug. If you think that ONE government decision can't do the SAME thing to you or anyone you know, you're delusional. This is just the beginning. What's that old saying? "When they came for the Catholics I didn't speak up because I was not a Catholic . . . " Well, they've come for the farmers and the farm workers and you're saying nothing because you're not a farmer or a farm worker . . . "

I hope for your enlightenment and compassion for your fellow human in the future.

Good day.

[hunter]

20. What will the slaves do if we ban slavery?

What will the coal miners do if unions make the coal mines and company towns unprofitable?

We'd better not ban slavery, we'd better not allow the coal miners to unionize...

There are of course just solutions. We can shut down the unsustainable corporate farming that destroys the land, is dependent upon government subsidies and near-slave labor. We can take the water subsidies and all the trillions of dollars we now pour into welfare programs for destructive and corrupt mega-corporations and redirect that money into social programs for the people who are now trapped in poverty by the very corporations we currently subsidize.

The big farming corporations are not the friend of the small farmer or farmworker. These corporations exist by government subsidy and they depend upon the labor of workers they treat as disposable commodities. (Can't work anymore? Worn out, sickened by ag chemicals, a troublemaker.... go back to Mexico.)

This unsustainable environmentally and socially destructive agriculture is failing right now. Every day we subsidize it the more people get hurt.

[Xithras]

21. Practicality and arrogance are not the same thing.

It's not a lack of compassion, it's a lack of options. There are NO options for continuing water deliveries to Westlands at the levels they need that do not require either significant levels of environmental damage, billions of dollars in taxpayer subsidies, or the taking of historic water rights from other farming interests elsewhere in the Valley. Even if they were, the selenium poisoning the ground will still take more than 40% of the area out of production over the next 10-15 years without billions of dollars in additional subsidies. There is no win/win scenario for ANYONE here.

I live in the Central Valley only an hour or so from Westlands. My family has lived this area and worked in ag related fields for more than a half century. My home, today, is surrounded by farms. My first job was rinsing udders at a dairy before the cows were milked. My second job was rinsing out tomato truck tubs after they dropped their loads. I AM sympathetic to the farmers, and the loss of farmland in that area will directly and negatively impact the economy where I live. Still, simple practicality demonstrates that this problem really only has one long term sustainable solution...returning the area to the production of low-value crops which require less water. The area should have NEVER been planted with orchards and vineyards in the first place.

[XemaSab]

29. Westlands is the enemy

Why else would they purchase the Bolibokka Club, or land around the Sites ranch? :shrug:

[defendandprotect]

12. Cheers -- and so many reasons to do this -- common sense, for one . . .

Years ago -- maybe 15 now -- NY Times ran a little piece in their regular section

saying that "the dams and reservoirs the Army Corps of Engineers had built over the

last 50 years were impacting the rotation of the earth."

In fact they have to do this and we've known this for decades!!

[Psephos]

16. if you do the math you won't lose sleep over this ;) n/t

[vadawg]

18. rofl, some people just dont get the forces at work involving the universe.

[Greyskye]

28. no kidding

Not only that, but evidently the person you're replying to thinks that there is a good possibility that the moon landings were faked...

[defendandprotect]

17. What math?

Built in the 1940's . . . that's the time frame --

Anything built by the Army Corps of Engineers -- any dam/reservoir -- common sense

would alert you --

It's the bucket of water swung round --

[Greyskye]

27. The Moon is slowing down the Earth's rotation as well.

By a factor orders of magnitude greater then anything this infestation of humans can accomplish.

In order of priorities of things to be concerned about, dams affecting the earth's rotation are pretty much at the bottom of the list. ;)

[defendandprotect]

30. Right . . . humans do no harm to the earth . . .

not ozone holes, not global warming, not pollution of air, water, soil, oceans, rivers --

You're right -- why listen to environmentalists -- ???

Keep stupidity going!!!

[Greyskye]

31. Darlin', I said nothing of the sort.

I'm about as environmentally green as you can get.

I'm simply addressing the fantasy that building dams is affecting the earth's rotation by any significant amount. As I said above, the moon (you know, that big thing up in the sky at night) is slowing down the rotation of the Earth. This is a phenomenon known as Tidal Acceleration.

My point, which you ignored while jumping straight into hysterics and insults; was that there is nothing-nada-zilch that people can do that can affect the rotation of the Earth any more than the moon is doing already. By many, many, many orders of magnitude.

"Keep stupidity going!"? Let's try keeping knowledge going instead.

[defendandprotect]

32. Sorry, misplaced -- can't edit at this point --

:)

[Greyskye]

33. How can you be out of editing time on an original post that wasn't edited?

:shrug:

Color me confused...

[defendandprotect]

34. You certainly are . . . first, this isn't my thread . . . it's kpete's ..

Secondly . . . After an hour or so, if you try to edit your post HERE at DU . .

you will get this message: --

You can't edit this message because the editing period has expired.

Now -- my apologies for confusing you with my misplaced post -- but that's the

best I can do for you . . .

:)

[Greyskye]

35. The first is a misunderstanding on your part...

1) The "original post" that I was referring to was your post #32. By 'original', I meant unedited. My apologies for the lack of clarity.

2) I'm well aware of the editing messages, I've been on DU since 2001.

3) Your post above: "Sorry, misplaced -- can't edit at this point -- " Evidently you started replying to my post instead of the one you meant to. OK, I get that. I've done it myself. I then hit 'back', and reply in the appropriate spot. Yet instead of doing that, you decided to continue with your post and say "oh, sorry, I'm posting in the wrong spot." I mean, hey, whatever floats your boat, but it reminds me of something that happened to me as a kid.

My Dad got a transfer to another state, so my 13 year old best friend at the time gave me a going away letter. I remember opening it, and reading his farewell note to me. And at the bottom it said: "I was going to get you a going away present, but I sealed the envelope before I put it in."

That's what your "Sorry, misplaced -- can't edit at this point --" put me in mind of.

It's a funny old world.

[defendandprotect]

36. The whole thing is a "misunderstanding" on your part --

The first is a misunderstanding on your part...
The "misplaced" post could not be edited because it was past the editing period --

The post with which I notified you that the OTHER post was "misplaced" could have, of
course, been edited . . . except that it said what I wanted to relate to you . . and didn't
therefore need to be edited!


Further . . . to add to your confusion . . .

3) Your post above: "Sorry, misplaced -- can't edit at this point -- " Evidently you started replying to my post instead of the one you meant to. OK, I get that. I've done it myself. I then hit 'back', and reply in the appropriate spot. Yet instead of doing that, you decided to continue with your post and say "oh, sorry, I'm posting in the wrong spot." I mean, hey, whatever floats your boat, but it reminds me of something that happened to me as a kid.

You could have only "edited" a post YOU had put in the wrong place had you done so BEFORE THE
EDITING TIME WAS UP!


And, if this is a comparison of your world and what you think I did . . . you're still confused.

My Dad got a transfer to another state, so my 13 year old best friend at the time gave me a going away letter. I remember opening it, and reading his farewell note to me. And at the bottom it said: "I was going to get you a going away present, but I sealed the envelope before I put it in."

That's what your "Sorry, misplaced -- can't edit at this point --" put me in mind of.

It's a funny old world.


Now -- I've replied because this is so pitiful that I'm hoping you will finally get --

If not, good luck!

Bye --

[Greyskye]

37. You're right, I was very confused.

My apologies for taking up your time clearing up my confusion.

I'm afraid that my initial reaction to your post regarding dams and the Earth's rotation colored my reading of your subsequent posts. Completely my fault.

:hide:

[XemaSab]

22. River restoration: Ready for dry run (San Joaquin River)

Source: Sacramento Bee

It all starts Thursday with a gentle surge of water to be released from Friant Dam, northeast of Fresno, into the San Joaquin River.

A massive, unprecedented and unpredictable river restoration project will begin, reawakening miles of dried riverbed and salmon runs that have been extinct for six decades.

Long stretches of the river have been dry since the dam was built in the 1940s. Parts have become a gutter for the San Joaquin Valley, collecting muddy seepage, trash and abandoned cars.

Now, in a nine-year effort that could cost up to $1.2 billion, the 350-mile San Joaquin will be reconnected with the Pacific Ocean. Salmon, which once teemed in its waters, may again migrate from near Fresno to the ocean.



Read more: http://www.sacbee.com/topstories/story/2216412.html

---

:bounce:

[kestrel91316]

23. I have a major interest in wetland/riparian ecosystems restoration.

This is exciting!

[GliderGuider]

24. Fantastic news.

Turning the clock back 60 years. Who'da thunk it was possible?

[tularetom]

25. I applaud the effort but it's going to take a long time

A lot of things have happened including complete abandonment of the river bed for a 50 mile stretch north of Mendota. Somebody allowed a home to get built in the old river channel somewhere in Merced county.

There are several places north of the outflow of the Merced River where the old riparian environment still exists and you can still see deer, turkeys and other wildlife along the river banks.

But you have to know where they are and how to get to them.

I'm 68 years old. I'd like to be able to catch salmon there while I'm still around. But I'm not optimistic.

[omega minimo]

26. Great news. If there are any salmon left to migrate in... Anyway, the flow to the Delta will help

Can we stop the Peripheral Canal (AGAIN)?