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What's New?
A chronological listing of new information added to this site.
The Gualala River needs YOUR help
new 6/29/09
Join our effort to protect the Gualala River and its wildlife by making a generous donation to Friends of the Gualala River.
Our watershed is facing imminent threats from several large-scale developments. We have assembled a scientific and legal team that is ready to do what is needed to protect the river and watershed, but we can only set our plan in action with your immediate support.
Rivers of a Lost Coast
new 6/17/09
A Documentary narrated by Tom Skerritt
Monday, July 13
Arena Theater
More information . . .
Artesa vineyard conversion EIR
update 5/31/09
The Draft Environmental Impact Report (EIR) claims that the proposed destruction of 171 acres of forest to plant a vineyard will have no significant environmental impacts.
Public hearing: June 27, 2009.
Deadline for public comments: July 28, 2009.
"Preservation" Ranch scoping issues
update 5/22/09
To aid public review of the "Preservation" Ranch project proposal,
Friends of the Gualala River (FoGR) has prepared an
introduction to scoping issues
and is adding letters on scoping as we receive them.
Deadline for comments: May 25, 2009.
Unauthorized diversion by N. Gualala Water Co.
update 5/22/09
NGWC has pumped water from its wells near the Gualala River
during low flow periods in violation of its permit for many years,
which could reduce critical habitat for threatened coho and steelhead,
according to the State Water Resources Control Board.
Hearing scheduled for May 27, 2009 has been postponed.
April showers bring May flows
new 5/21/09
The low flow winter drought conditions that prevailed on the Gualala River were erased by late April rainfalls that scoured the gravel beds and flooded bars and floodplains.
"Vineyard development is a real threat"
new 5/21/09
to recovery of Gualala steelhead, according to Craig Bell, and is "the last thing I'd want in my watershed." He argued that vineyard threats are cumulative impacts, not due to single vineyards in isolation, but the aggregate effect of many of them in the same watershed.
Garcia River Restoration
new 5/5/09
Garcia River Watershed Coordinator Craig Bell will give a talk on Garcia River restoration efforts on Monday, May 18, 2009 at 7:00 p.m. at the Gualala Arts Center.
Wave energy project off the Gualala coast?
new 4/23/09
The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC)
has accepted applications by the Sonoma County Water Agency
for investigation of wave energy projects off the Sonoma Coast,
including one offshore of Gualala and the Sea Ranch.
Deadline for comments: June 2, 2009.
"Preservation" Ranch scoping issues
new 4/20/09
To aid public review of the "Preservation" Ranch project proposal,
Friends of the Gualala River (FoGR) has prepared an
introduction to scoping issues,
including excerpted highlights of important items in the Initial Study plus our own critical questions. Deadline for comments: May 25, 2009.
Gualala River Steelhead Studies
update 4/6/09
"By late August 2008, JSH [juvenile steelhead] densities had declined dramatically... a likely result of widespread dewatering, related elevated water temperatures, and lack of stream connectivity needed for JSH to escape lethal conditions and move to cool-water refugia."
- 2008 GRSS Annual Report Summary
new 3/31/09
update 4/6/09
"Preservation" Ranch
EIR Scoping meetings
Wednesday, April 29, 2009
4:00 - 6:00 p.m.
PRMD Hearing Room
2550 Ventura Avenue, Santa Rosa
Saturday, May 2, 2009*
1:00 - 3:00 p.m.
Horicon Elementary School
35555 Annapolis Road, Annapolis
The so-called
"Preservation" Ranch
is a 19,300 acre development in
the heart of the Gualala River watershed. Premier Pacific Vineyards
plans to destroy and fragment coastal redwood forest to plant grapes
on the ridgetops - and call that "preservation."
Sonoma County will prepare an Environmental Impact Report (EIR) to assess the project's potential to result in adverse impacts and to consider feasible mitigations and alternatives. The County will hold two scoping meetings for the public to express their views regarding the scope of the environmental issues to be addressed in the EIR.
*Annapolis scoping meeting has been re-scheduled to May 2.
new 3/20/09
Protecting steelhead & coho:
new Gualala gravel mining permit
Tuesday, April 7, 2009
7:00 p.m.
Gualala Community Center
47950 Center St., Gualala
John McKeon, staff fish biologist with National Marine Fisheries
Service, will discuss how steelhead and coho conservation occurs through
the federal permit process - including its limitations and assumptions -
using the
Gualala River instream gravel mining permit
as a recent example.
Unauthorized diversion by N. Gualala Water Co.
new 3/9/09
NGWC has pumped water from its wells near the Gualala River
during low flow periods in violation of its permit for many years,
which could reduce critical habitat for threatened coho and steelhead,
according to the State Water Resources Control Board.
Hearing scheduled for May 27, 2009.
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Older news items, see: News Archive 2008 News Archive 2007 News Archive 2006 News Archive 2005 News Archive 2004 News Archive 2003 |
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