I received this via email from Bill Wells:
Below "is a letter from RBOC regarding the 2-Gates project. This is the plan to establish barriers on Connection Slough and Old River in addition to the dams on Three Mile Slough and or False River and the Peripheral Canal / conveyance.
The state government and the water contractors are shifting into high gear to extract as much as water as possible from the Delta. This will also destroy fish and wildlife and impede boat traffic in the Delta. CALFED alleges that "there is no known opposition to the project".
RBOS Letter:
"July 30, 2009
Katherine Kelly, Chief
Bay-Delta Office
California Department of Water Resources
1416 9th Street, Room 215-37
Sacramento, CA 95814
Michelle Light, Planning Officer
Mid-Pacific Region
Bureau of Reclamation
2800 Cottage Way
Sacramento, CA 95825-1898
Randall Neudeck, Special Projects Manager
Metropolitan Water District of Southern California
700 North Alameda Street
Los Angeles, CA 90012
Hi Kathy, Michelle and Randall –
Recreational Boaters of California (RBOC) has read the 2-Gate Fish Protection Demonstration
Project Summary Document (July 16, 2009). We have concerns about the proposed gates across two locations in the South Delta (Old River and Connection Slough). RBOC commends your proposed efforts to use an adaptive management framework to test hypotheses and monitor the effects of varying water conditions on the behavior and distribution of delta smelt. Testing hypotheses of relationships among flows, turbidity levels and delta smelt distribution is important research. It is probable that this research will result in a better understanding of the needs of delta smelt and of the functioning of the Delta.
Future decisions can be based on this scientific data. RBOC is concerned with the structure and function of the 2 gates that are proposed. The width of 75 feet when the butterfly gates are opened is quite adequate for boat passage, but when the gates are closed it is noted that a boat ramp can be used for boat passage (p. 28). The structure of this boat ramp and its mode of operation are not specified. Is this for the passage of small “trailerable boats"? How would it operate? How will larger boats be accommodated,
and under what operating criteria and procedures, to transit the waterway when the gates are closed?
We have reviewed the initial operational scenarios for the 2-Gate Project on page 34. It is of concern that the gates will be closed for extended periods of time in March- April and May 16 – June 30. These are prime boating times, especially for the residents in the area south of the gates. Discovery Bay, a water oriented community of some 10,000 residents and some 3,700 homes, would be impacted the most when the gates are closed particularly when traveling by
water to the western Delta. They would have very limited water exit or entrance to and from
their community.
Also of concern is the need of law enforcement and U.S. Coast Guard boats for rapid and unencumbered access. In addition access and ease of movement is needed by working vessels such as barges, tugs and other vessels involved in possible emergency levee repair or maintenance as well as farm barges to transit the area with farm equipment and workers.
The public's long established right of vessel passage under the public use doctrine to transit the Delta waterways unimpeded by gates or barriers must be fully mitigated to satisfy the needs of a wide variety of boats of all sizes (length, draft, weight, etc.). The gates are described as being temporary and operational for up to a 5 year period of time. We are aware that temporary structures have a way of becoming permanent particularly if the gate operations in this case meet the hypotheses of the study. If the gates are temporary, where would they go at the end of the 5 year period and what restoration of the channel bottoms and depths would occur? If, at the conclusion of the study, the gates are to be made permanent what accommodations will be made to assure continued boater access to navigable waters, including medium and large boats?
RBOC has a long history of advocating the keeping of the navigable waters of California open and accessible for boating. In northern California this is especially important on Delta waterways, as changes are contemplated by the Bay Delta Conservation Plan, the Cal/FED Bay Delta Program, the California Department of Water Resources, the Bureau of Reclamation, various water districts dependent upon delta water supplies, various state, federal and local flood management agencies, and others. RBOC prefers that as changes occur to Delta waterways, especially with the installation of gates or other barriers, that the appropriate mitigation is the installation of operable boat locks at these locations at no cost to boaters. I write to you on behalf of RBOC to submit our comments and to request the opportunity to meet with you in order to obtain a clear understanding of the manner in which the gates will be constructed and to seek an understanding of the operating criteria and procedures that will be utilized once the gates are installed and are in operation.
We look forward to a productive dialogue and offer to facilitate the discussion of these issues by hosting the initial meeting at the office of RBOC's advocates, Desmond & Desmond, 925 L Street, Suite 220, Sacramento, CA 95814 [916.441.4166]. Please contact me to confirm a meeting. I can be reached during the day at the Placer County Water Agency by email or by phone (dbreninger"at"pcwa.net or 530-823-4860).
Sincerely,
Dave Breninger
David Breninger, President
Cc: Lester Snow, Director, Department of Water Resources
Don Glaser, Director, Mid-Pacific Region, Bureau of Reclamation
Roger Patterson, Assistant General Manager - Strategic Water Initiatives, Metropolitan Water District of
Southern California
Ray Tsuneyoshi, Director, Department of Boating and Waterways
Linda Fiack, Executive Director, Delta Protection Commission
Members, Delta Protection Commission
Bill Needham, Commodore, Pacific Inter-Club Yacht Association
Board of Directors, Pacific Inter-Club Yacht Association
Rboc/2009/Delta Gates L 7-30-09
Below "is a letter from RBOC regarding the 2-Gates project. This is the plan to establish barriers on Connection Slough and Old River in addition to the dams on Three Mile Slough and or False River and the Peripheral Canal / conveyance.
The state government and the water contractors are shifting into high gear to extract as much as water as possible from the Delta. This will also destroy fish and wildlife and impede boat traffic in the Delta. CALFED alleges that "there is no known opposition to the project".
RBOS Letter:
"July 30, 2009
Katherine Kelly, Chief
Bay-Delta Office
California Department of Water Resources
1416 9th Street, Room 215-37
Sacramento, CA 95814
Michelle Light, Planning Officer
Mid-Pacific Region
Bureau of Reclamation
2800 Cottage Way
Sacramento, CA 95825-1898
Randall Neudeck, Special Projects Manager
Metropolitan Water District of Southern California
700 North Alameda Street
Los Angeles, CA 90012
Hi Kathy, Michelle and Randall –
Recreational Boaters of California (RBOC) has read the 2-Gate Fish Protection Demonstration
Project Summary Document (July 16, 2009). We have concerns about the proposed gates across two locations in the South Delta (Old River and Connection Slough). RBOC commends your proposed efforts to use an adaptive management framework to test hypotheses and monitor the effects of varying water conditions on the behavior and distribution of delta smelt. Testing hypotheses of relationships among flows, turbidity levels and delta smelt distribution is important research. It is probable that this research will result in a better understanding of the needs of delta smelt and of the functioning of the Delta.
Future decisions can be based on this scientific data. RBOC is concerned with the structure and function of the 2 gates that are proposed. The width of 75 feet when the butterfly gates are opened is quite adequate for boat passage, but when the gates are closed it is noted that a boat ramp can be used for boat passage (p. 28). The structure of this boat ramp and its mode of operation are not specified. Is this for the passage of small “trailerable boats"? How would it operate? How will larger boats be accommodated,
and under what operating criteria and procedures, to transit the waterway when the gates are closed?
We have reviewed the initial operational scenarios for the 2-Gate Project on page 34. It is of concern that the gates will be closed for extended periods of time in March- April and May 16 – June 30. These are prime boating times, especially for the residents in the area south of the gates. Discovery Bay, a water oriented community of some 10,000 residents and some 3,700 homes, would be impacted the most when the gates are closed particularly when traveling by
water to the western Delta. They would have very limited water exit or entrance to and from
their community.
Also of concern is the need of law enforcement and U.S. Coast Guard boats for rapid and unencumbered access. In addition access and ease of movement is needed by working vessels such as barges, tugs and other vessels involved in possible emergency levee repair or maintenance as well as farm barges to transit the area with farm equipment and workers.
The public's long established right of vessel passage under the public use doctrine to transit the Delta waterways unimpeded by gates or barriers must be fully mitigated to satisfy the needs of a wide variety of boats of all sizes (length, draft, weight, etc.). The gates are described as being temporary and operational for up to a 5 year period of time. We are aware that temporary structures have a way of becoming permanent particularly if the gate operations in this case meet the hypotheses of the study. If the gates are temporary, where would they go at the end of the 5 year period and what restoration of the channel bottoms and depths would occur? If, at the conclusion of the study, the gates are to be made permanent what accommodations will be made to assure continued boater access to navigable waters, including medium and large boats?
RBOC has a long history of advocating the keeping of the navigable waters of California open and accessible for boating. In northern California this is especially important on Delta waterways, as changes are contemplated by the Bay Delta Conservation Plan, the Cal/FED Bay Delta Program, the California Department of Water Resources, the Bureau of Reclamation, various water districts dependent upon delta water supplies, various state, federal and local flood management agencies, and others. RBOC prefers that as changes occur to Delta waterways, especially with the installation of gates or other barriers, that the appropriate mitigation is the installation of operable boat locks at these locations at no cost to boaters. I write to you on behalf of RBOC to submit our comments and to request the opportunity to meet with you in order to obtain a clear understanding of the manner in which the gates will be constructed and to seek an understanding of the operating criteria and procedures that will be utilized once the gates are installed and are in operation.
We look forward to a productive dialogue and offer to facilitate the discussion of these issues by hosting the initial meeting at the office of RBOC's advocates, Desmond & Desmond, 925 L Street, Suite 220, Sacramento, CA 95814 [916.441.4166]. Please contact me to confirm a meeting. I can be reached during the day at the Placer County Water Agency by email or by phone (dbreninger"at"pcwa.net or 530-823-4860).
Sincerely,
Dave Breninger
David Breninger, President
Cc: Lester Snow, Director, Department of Water Resources
Don Glaser, Director, Mid-Pacific Region, Bureau of Reclamation
Roger Patterson, Assistant General Manager - Strategic Water Initiatives, Metropolitan Water District of
Southern California
Ray Tsuneyoshi, Director, Department of Boating and Waterways
Linda Fiack, Executive Director, Delta Protection Commission
Members, Delta Protection Commission
Bill Needham, Commodore, Pacific Inter-Club Yacht Association
Board of Directors, Pacific Inter-Club Yacht Association
Rboc/2009/Delta Gates L 7-30-09