A public hearing will be held to discuss the Detonation Cord Initial Study Report and receive comments on this report. The hearing will be held the evening of Tuesday, February 5, 2002, at 6:30 p.m. at the Portola Station Baptist Church, 171 South Gulling, Portola, CA. The public is encouraged to attend this meeting.
We have all heard the term "Urban Legend" in relation to the Internet and the speed in which a story travels around the world. I equate that speed to the same speed that it takes a rumor to spread around a rural community.
We have all heard someone say that we, the Steering Committee, plan on blowing up Lake Davis or the Dam at Lake Davis. Both of those statements could be called "Urban Legends" of the rural variety. Of course neither are true statements.
Secondly, we have now seen that the Plumas County Board of Supervisors has sent a letter, to Department of Water Resources Director Tom Hannigan, looking into the feasibility of draining Lake Davis. "In order to carry out the project, the County needs DWR's cooperation. A key element is that Plumas County be entitled to the market value of the water released, together with the right to store the water in Lake Oroville until sale. The Flood District also should receive a share of the proceeds from the water sale, in order to mitigate any adverse impacts to the District or its member-units."
We have heard others suggest that the best solution is another chemical treatment by the California Department of Fish and Game to rid the lake of northern pike. It has been suggested that by so doing the people in Portola, and the surrounding areas, would be made rich if they just hired the right attorney and held out for more money than they did the last time.
What is the most important ingredient in all these rumors or urban legends? It is YOU the general public and your participation in the process we are now involved in. While trying to find a solution to the Northern Pike problem it is vital that we hear from you, both pro and con.
This February 5th at 6:30 p.m. at the Portola Station Baptist Church, at Commercial and Gulling Streets in Portola you will have your chance to do just that. There will be a Public Hearing as part of the CEQA process whereby we are asking for your opinion or concerns regarding our proposal to use det cord in a portion of Lake Davis.
If you have been involved over the years with what we have been doing please continue to do so by coming to this meeting. If you have not been involved, now is your chance, hear and decide for yourself what is fact and what is fiction. If you don't bother to become involved in the process then you should not be able to complain about the outcome. This is important to all of us, please show that you care what happens to our community and come to the Public Hearing on February 5th, 2002 at 6:30 p.m.
Sincerely,
Fran Roudebush, Chair
Lake Davis Steering Committee
Field work at Lake Davis commenced the last week of March 2001, at ice-out, with the placement of trap nets in near shore areas to capture adult pike moving into the shallows to spawn. A total of 33 northern pike were captured in the trap nets. In addition, a large block/trap net was placed across Mosquito Slough in November 2000 to capture pike as they moved into the slough. A total of 50 northern pike were captured in the block/trap net.
DFG field crews continued to use gill nets, boat electrofishers, backpack electrofishers, and beach seines to capture and remove pike from the lake. The field season continued from late March through November. Also, a commercial purse seiner, under contract with DFG, performed five weeks of purse seine operations at the lake, two weeks in June and three weeks in September. During this time period, a total of 6,362 pike were captured using all the above mentioned methods.
Pike were sent to the Department's Forensic Laboratory at the Rancho Cordova facility for DNA analysis in an attempt to determine the origin of the pike. To date, no similarities have been found between the pike from Lake Davis and various samples received from several states. Samples have been received from Idaho, Nevada, Illinois, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Colorado and Alaska. The Department will continue to compile DNA samples from various states as they are received.
The DFG hired a private consultant to assist in the writing of the report and analyzing of data for a CEQA (California Environmental Quality Act) document discussing the possible use of detonation cord to assist in removing northern pike from Lake Davis. The use of detonation cord is another proposal made in the Managing Northern Pike at Lake Davis: A Plan for Y2000. If approved, the DFG will use detonation cord to assist in controlling the northern pike population in Lake Davis.
The CEQA document, the Initial Study, will be released to various agencies and the public on January 25, 2002. A copy is available at the Portola and Quincy Branches of the Plumas County Library and the Sacramento Valley/Central Sierra Region Headquarters of the DFG in Rancho Cordova. Agencies and private individuals and organizations will have a 30 day period to provide comment to the DFG's field office in Portola, CA. The comment period will run from January 25 through February 25, 2002.
The Lake Davis Recreation area on the Beckwourth Ranger District continues to offer a number of opportunities to the visitor. With the help of partners such as Plumas County, the California Department of Boating and Waterways (DBOW), the California Department of Water Resources, The California Department of Transportation, and local volunteers, numerous projects have been implemented. In 2000, with support and funding from DBOW, the docks at Lightning Tree and Honker were replaced. A new dock at Camp Five was installed using a pile anchor system. In 2001, the Honker Ramp and parking area was repaved and the access road realigned. A new flush toilet and shower building at the parking area is also being installed. There are plans to replace the existing vault toilet with a new Sweet Smelling Toilet. This will continue to provide toilet facilities through out the year. The boat docks at Honker and Lightning Tree are being changed from a rail system to a cable system to better accommodate low water situations.
The Ranger District employees appreciate the help of the volunteers, DASH, who have been instrumental in accomplishing projects at Honker and Mallard Cove.
The road to Camp Five (FS road No. 24N10) is a very rough gravel road. Boat owners have raised concerns over damage to their trailer/boats from using the road. The Forest Service has submitted a grant application for funds to chip seal this road in 2004. The Fish and Game Commission is a partner as well as DBOW who is also submitting a grant application to rehabilitate the parking area at Camp Five.
The initial construction of the Accessible Fishing Levee at Camp Five, with funding from Plumas County, started just before the first snows. Completion of the levee will allow children, senior citizens, and others with accessibility needs an opportunity for deep water fishing. It is anticipated that construction will be completed early summer 2002.
Two toilets at Grasshopper and Grizzly are scheduled for reconstruction in 2002. This will provide universally accessible facilities. This year two campsites were developed to meet accessible standards.
The Forest Service is planning on repairing the existing water system at Lightning Tree campground that has been inoperable for a number of years. The project will also result in the installation of toilets.
Projects improving the recreation opportunities for one of California's greatest fishing lakes have been greatly enhanced through partnerships, grants and help from volunteers.
For more information about recreation opportunities at Lake Davis, contact John Heavin, Public Service Staff, at 836-2575.
Ralph Howell of the DWR reported that as of January 24, 2002, the lake level was 5763.84 or 11.16 feet below spill. Ralph also reported the lake currently contained 45,894 acre feet of water (84,400 ac ft when full), and the Grizzly Ridge Snow Sensor indicated that on January 24 the water content of the snow was 17.6 inches of water. Average for this time of year is 15.4 inches of water content.
Results of the aquatic invertebrate study of Lake Davis are now in a draft report soon to be finalized and made available to the public. Aquatic invertebrates included in the study consisted of zooplankton from open-water areas and larval forms of insects that live in the sediments of the shallow-water, or littoral, zones. The purpose of the study was to compare the invertebrate communities before and after the 1997 chemical treatment to eradicate northern pike in Lake Davis. Invertebrates are susceptible to chemicals used in the treatment, and different species vary in the effects that these chemicals have. The study aimed to determine how organisms were affected in terms of abundance (numbers of individuals) and diversity (taxa richness, or numbers of different types of organisms).
To measure these changes, lake water and sediments were sampled before and after the treatment. Zooplankton and littoral invertebrates were collected and identified. Total numbers of invertebrates were estimated from subsample tallies. The numbers of different taxa (species or genus) of organisms present in the subsamples were counted. Some organisms (EPT taxa), such as mayflies, stoneflies, and caddisflies, are more sensitive to pollutants or changes in water quality. These were tallied in specific ways that have been shown scientifically to give a more in-depth look at possible effects of disturbance on the aquatic community. Following is a very brief summary of the results that will be presented in greater detail in the final report.
Abundance - Immediately following the chemical treatment, zooplankton populations plummeted to near zero. One year after the treatment, zooplankton abundance had surged to double the number before the treatment. This increase was likely due to the absence of predators and to the decomposition of fish remaining in the lake. Two years later, the abundance of zooplankton was similar to the pre-treatment level.
Taxa richness - Nine taxa of zooplankton were detected in pre-treatment sampling. The number dropped to three following the treatment. One year later, recovery to the pre-treatment count of nine taxa was observed. Two years later, 8 taxa were collected.
Abundance - Immediately following the treatment, the abundance of sediment-dwelling invertebrates dropped to half the pre-treatment level. A slight gain was recorded; however, the abundance did not achieve the pre-treatment level by the end of the study in 1999.
Taxa richness - The number of different taxa decreased slightly after the treatment, increased by 31% over pre-treatment level one year later, and was 24% greater than pre-treatment level within two years. Most of this increase was due to an increase in beetle and true bug taxa.
EPT taxa - Results on the most sensitive mayflies, caddisflies, and stoneflies were mixed and difficult to interpret. Generally, a decrease in abundance for several taxa and an increase in others was suggested over the three year study. Natural variability in populations and distribution of the different taxa; differences in weather and other natural factors; and possibly some analytical variability may have contributed to inconsistent results.
By: Jim Murphy, City Administrator
For some time now I have been reporting that the City of Portola has been attempting to determine from Plumas County its short term plans to bring the Lake Davis Water Treatment Plant up to the California Department of Health Services, Drinking Water Standards so that we can return to using the Lake water as our primary drinking water source. A DHS inspection of the Treatment Plant enumerated on several improvements that must be made to bring the plant up to State operating standards before it can again be used for public water consumption and further commented on the "deplorable condition" of the plant.
Naturally, the City Council is concerned about the health and safety of the City's water customers as its highest priority and has sought assurances from the County about its short term plans to implement the DHS repairs before returning to Lake Davis as a water resource. The County has been silent to this issue and continues to inform us that it is seeking grant funds for a longer-term treatment plant improvement project. The engineering consultant's report on the recommended improvements was recently delivered to the Board of Supervisors and calls for approximately $4.2 million to renovate the plant, and if funding can be acquired immediately, the project completion date would be in the year 2004.
As many of you are aware, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) nation-wide drinking water standard concerning arsenic was recently amended requiring public water suppliers to meet a new threshold of 10-parts per billion (ppb) level of arsenic. EPA set the revised standard of 50 ppb in 1975, based on a Public Health Service standard originally established in 1942. Portola's two domestic water supply wells have arsenic levels of 23 and 26 ppb. Wellhead arsenic treatment is extremely expensive and we have seen estimates that predict this new requirement could double or triple the cost of water delivery to our customers. This new Federal requirement hits the smaller water utilities harder than the larger providers because of economies of scale and fewer customers to share the cost.
Water experts have told us that arsenic is a common occurrence in groundwater (wells) resources and is present in nearly every well that is drilled through a volcanic rock formation, such as those along the Sierra-Madre Mountain Range. This problem is not unique to Portola; but exists for nearly every private well and public water supplier along the range.
Additionally, “prudent engineering practices” recommend a redundancy element in public water systems that calls for an additional water source equal to or greater than the single largest resource producer in the event a system failure to one of the resources. Since the October 1997 Treatment of Lake Davis, the City of Portola has not been able to meet this prudent engineering practice recommended in engineering standards.
The City is currently contracting with an Engineering firm to prepare a Drinking Water Master Plan for the City, which will evaluate the City’s current water system and identify additional water source and infrastructure needs to ensure that the City has acceptable water for our customers now and well into the future. The plan takes into account our projected future growth activities and attempts to identify sufficient water resources and infrastructure to meet those needs as well. The plan is due to be delivered to the City Council on February 27, 2002.
Lake Davis water is a critical element in minimizing our future water costs due to arsenic levels (the lake water has no arsenic levels) resolves our redundancy issues and provides for adequate supply of drinking water for future growth.
Quarterly testing of Lake Davis water and annual sediment testing of the lake’s bed for remaining constituents of the October 1997 chemical treatment have all been reported as “non-detect”.
For these reasons the Portola City Council is considering the issue of returning to Lake Davis as the City’s primary source of drinking water. At its February 13, 2002 regular City Council Meeting there will be an agenda matter titled, “Consider a Declaration and Notification to the Plumas County Board of Supervisors of the City’s Intent to Return to Lake Davis as Its Primary Drinking Water Resource.”
Anyone who wishes to comment on this issue is encouraged to attend the February 13th City Council Meeting at 7 PM at Portola City Hall. Written comments to the City Council may be submitted to the City of Portola, P.O. Box 1225, Portola, CA, or by accessing the City’s web page at www.ci.portola.ca.us and commenting via e-mail to the City Council.