News Archive 2008
A chronological listing of information added to this site.
[Where What's New
items go when they're no longer new.]
Upper reaches have water - and fish
new 9/27/08
In Buckeye Creek, water is flowing continuously and steelhead are abundant - unlike the de-watered lower reaches of this summer's Wheatfield and South Forks.
National Marine Fisheries Service
Findings on Gualala River Gravel Mining
new 9/7/08
Many criticisms and recommendations Friends of the Gualala River (FoGR) has issued in
past public comments appear to be matched by NMFS findings and opinions.
The NMFS biological opinion resulted in negotiations that modified the gravel mining
permit application, and significantly improved environmental protection, monitoring and
regulatory agency supervision, and mitigation.
Gualala River: Going, going . . . gone
new 9/7/08
Channel pools in the Gualala River continued to diminish unevenly in late summer. The areas of strongest pool drawdown and dewatering are in the vicinity of water-demanding land uses (vineyards, gravel wells associated with mining and timber harvest, and commercial water trucking) adjacent to deep gravels.
Cattle in the River
new 9/7/08
Cattle impacts on the river are cumulative with low flows: small channel pools are disproportionately affected by cattle trampling and pollution.
No state or county agencies appear to prevent or correct this conspicuous
annual cattle march on the river.
new 9/5/08
Gualala River:
On its Deathbed or Verge of a Miracle?
Saturday, October 18, 2008
3:00 - 5:00 p.m.
Gualala Community Center
47950 Center St., Gualala
Learn the answer to this burning question as revealed by biologist Richard W. DeHaven,
during a seminar from 3:00 - 5:00 p.m. on Saturday, October 18, 2008
at the Gualala Community Center.
Read more . . .
Summertime Dewatering:
Slow but Sure Death to the River!
new 9/5/08
As summer progressed, more and more main-stem, downstream reaches have developed intermittent surface flows characterized by a series of slowly drying pools, or worse - up to hundreds of linear feet of stream without any surface flow at all!
Water hits the road in Annapolis
new 8/30/08
Water trucks become a common sight in Annapolis during summer months as wells and reservoirs run dry in this water scarce area.
Gravel Mining in the Gualala River
update 8/27/08
Sonoma County Board of Supervisors are moving towards approval of a flawed permit for
gravel mining in the Gualala River that would cause adverse impacts to steelhead and impair the recovery of riparian habitats, fish and wildlife resources, streamflows and water quality.
"The Last Hurdle"
new 8/26/08
Congratulations to Rozanne Rapozo for her photograph of a steelhead swimming upstream,
which won the Environmental Award sponsored by Friends of the Gualala River
at the 2008 Art in the Redwoods Festival.
Where has the water gone?
new 8/24/08
In the summer of 2008, the Wheatfield Fork of the Gualala River dried up to small, isolated, shallow pools below the Annapolis Road bridge while the river's pools remained normal and stable upstream.
"Is the Future of Forest Offsets Already Here?"
new 8/23/08
Chris Kelly is spending his summer trying to catch the one that got away - the 13,900 acre Gualala River Forest in southwestern Mendocino County in California.
- August 22, 2008, The Ecosystem Marketplace
"Timber Vs. Grapes"
new 8/23/08
Preservation Ranch project would include 1,800 acres of vineyards and promises to figure prominently in west Sonoma County supervisorial race.
- August 23, 2008, Santa Rosa Press Democrat
Old growth protected on former Palco land
new 8/23/08
Humboldt Redwood Company, new owner of Palco's forests,
will spare the ancient groves where tree-sits have been keeping chain saws at bay.
The message was delivered directly
to tree-sitters and included a commitment to protect from
future cutting all old growth 250 years old or more.
Gravel Mining in the Gualala River
update 8/19/08
Sonoma County Board of Supervisors hearing scheduled for August 26.
Gravel mining should be permitted only if it does not cause adverse impacts to steelhead or impair the recovery of riparian habitats, fish and wildlife resources, streamflows and water quality.
Artesa vineyard conversion plan in limbo
update 8/14/08
The Department of Forestry told Artesa to prepare an environmental impact report (EIR)
for their proposal to convert 160+ acres of forest to vineyard near Annapolis
four years ago. The law requires an EIR to be completed in one year;
Artesa's application should be denied for unreasonable delay.
"Preservation" Ranch
update 8/5/08
Sonoma County's Permit and Resource Management Department
has issued a request for early consultation on their initial study
of "Preservation" Ranch;
comments are due by September 8, 2008.
Gravel Mining in the Gualala River
update 8/5/08
Comments to the Army Corps of Engineers written by Friends of the Gualala River
and botanist Peter Baye have been added to our repository of information on
Gualala River gravel mining.
"Preservation" Ranch
new 7/21/08
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."
Gravel Mining in the Gualala River
update 7/21/08
The Army Corps of Engineers is accepting public comments on the permit application until
August 1, 2008.
Gravel mining proceeded in 2005 and 2006 without county or federal permits.
Geologists Jane Nielson and Howard Wilshire
new 6/27/08
discuss the issues presented in their new book:
The American West at Risk
Science, Myths, and Politics of Land Abuse and Recovery
Saturday, July 19, 2008
4:00 p.m. at Four-Eyed Frog Books
When discovered by European explorers and later settlers, the west boasted rich soils, bountiful fisheries, immense, dense forests, sparkling streams, untapped ore deposits, and oil bonanzas. It now faces depletion of many of these resources, and potentially serious threats to its few "renewable" resources.
The American West at Risk
establishes scientific bases for promoting local, national and world policies that maintain earth's crucial life-support systems.
Read more . . .
Fireworks over the Gualala River? Not this year
update 6/19/08
The Gualala Festivals Committee canceled their controversial plans to detonate fireworks
over the Gualala River estuary this year, after the Coastal Commission ordered them to
cease and desist, and they couldn't convince a judge to block the order.
Fireworks over the Gualala River estuary?
update 6/12/08
On June 11, 2008, the California Coastal Commission voted unanimously
to order the Gualala Festivals Committee to cease and
desist from conducting a fireworks display over the Gualala River estuary.
Fireworks over the Gualala River estuary?
new 6/3/08
California Coastal Commission hearing
Wednesday, June 11, 2008
Sonoma County Board of Supervisors Chambers
575 Administration Drive
Santa Rosa, CA 95403
The Commission will consider ordering the Gualala Festivals Committee to cease and desist in its plans to shoot fireworks over the Gualala River estuary this year without a permit. The meeting starts at 10 a.m.; the cease & desist order is agenda item 13.
If you want to prevent fireworks from harming nesting seabirds, then fill out a speaker slip and let the Commission know what you think. You can also meet with other fireworks opponents at 9:30 a.m. outside the chambers.
Restoration Day at Gualala Point Park
new 5/16/08
Saturday, May 17, 2008, 10:00 a.m.
Gualala Point Regional Park
Join botanist, Peter Baye, this Saturday, May 17th for some lively nature discussions and exercise with a purpose. Gualala Point Regional Park needs our help!
Yellow bush lupine has appeared on the dunes and is crowding out the natives. Yes, the lupine is a native plant, but apparently not at that site, so the local natives are not adapted to its ways. The end result is a net loss of species - several replaced by one.
This lupine also deposits large amounts of nitrogen in the soil, paving the way for bigger, badder weeds.
The Sonoma County Regional Parks Department will provide pruning saws, gloves, tarps to haul the lupines out of the dune area and staff to remove it to their compost site. John Ryan, the parks Volunteer/Intern Coordinator will also have water, juice and snacks on hand.
Bring some food & drink for yourself and come out to help restore the Gualala Point Dunes. Parking will be free of charge to anyone volunteering and John will have passes ready when we arrive. Meet at 10:00 by the Visitor Center.
Sonoma County Regional Parks Department
Ph: 707-565-3356
Protecting streamflow: Is it still possible
new 4/27/08
to preserve the flows that salmonids need?
Thursday, May 15, 2008, 7:00 p.m.
Gualala Community Center
47950 Center St., Gualala
Friends of the Gualala River presents a public program featuring Matthew Deitch, Ph.D. from the
Center for Ecosystem Management and Restoration.
"If the steelhead and coho that were once abundant in coastal California are to have any chance of recovering in the 21st Century, agencies and stakeholders alike need to re-think how we evaluate water use . . ." Read more →
Gravel Mining in the Gualala River
update 4/27/08
Sonoma County Supervisors have postponed a hearing on a new permit;
the lead federal agency has already denied the permit application.
Gravel mining proceeded in 2005 and 2006 without county or federal permits.
Exploring the changing banks, beds and bars
new 4/15/08
of the Gualala River Lagoon
Friday, April 18, 2008, 6:30 p.m.
Gualala Community Center
The Gualala River has a distinctive, intermittent type of estuary with an unstable but self-repairing natural dam - the barrier beach at Gualala Point.
Learn more about the habitats and vegetation formed by the interplay of the barrier beach and river with Dr. Peter Baye, who specializes in the flora and ecology of coastal plant communities, particularly sand dunes, beaches, and tidal marshes.
This program is co-sponsored by Friends of the Gualala River and the California Native Plant Society. Refreshments will be served, and admission is free.
Retaining wall: Coastal Commission hearing
update 4/15/08
The Coastal Commission will schedule a de novo hearing on the proposed retaining wall project at a date to be announced later.
Cease and desist fireworks!
update 4/15/08
The Bureau of Land Management released a report on seabird and marine mammal monitoring at Gualala Point Island. The species most affected by the fireworks was Brandt's cormorants.
The Coastal Commission intends to issue a cease and desist order.
Gravel Mining in the Gualala River
update 4/15/08
Gravel mining proceeded in 2005 and 2006 without county or federal permits.
Sonoma County Supervisors will consider a permit on May 13;
the lead federal agency has already denied the permit application.
Retaining wall above the estuary?
update 3/29/08
Destroying coastal bluff, native vegetation and the Gualala Bluff Trail
for a project that hasn't even been reviewed makes no sense, and violates California law.
The Coastal Commission will review the proposed project on April 11.
Advice puts Eel River diversion plan on shelf
new 3/29/08
A recently revived proposal to divert water from a protected
portion of the Eel River near Dos Rios has been quietly shelved
following a negative legal opinion.
Natural history presentation at Horicon School
new 2/19/08
Friends of the Gualala River presented a natural history digital slide
show of the Gualala River and its watershed, wildlife, and vegetation,
to the kindergarten through fourth grade classes of Horicon School in
Annapolis.
Vineyard conversions in Annapolis
new 1/18/08
A Revised Notice of Preparation: Draft Environmental Impact Report
for the Annapolis Area Timberland Conversions Project
states that the Martin project has been revised
to include a 1.5 acre irrigation reservoir.
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