BDCP Meeting and Comments

[Double_Haul]

The Bay Delta Conservation Plan is marching forward. The Draft EIR/EIS is available for public review and comments. Comments can be submitted by mail or e-mail. Public meetings are scheduled, with the next meeting taking place tomorrow in Fairfield at 5:00 pm. These will be overview meetings with no one answering questions. You will have 3 minutes to voice your comments during the meetings.

I believe it is important for Delta fisherman and others who have a vested interest in Northern California water to attend these meetings and voice your opinion.

I went briefly through the documents last night and found some interesting information. It would take a week or more to go through all so I will note some highlights.

The preferred plan is noted as Alternate 4. It will be a dual conveyance system meaning twin tunnels of 9000 cfs capacity will be used PLUS the existing SWP and CVP pumps will continue to be used. There is NO maximum limit of water that can be shipped south noted.

An estimated 40,000,000 fish were killed at the pumps last year. The current fish screens and outdated and have a 75% and 47% efficiency. There is nothing that I found that states these screens will be replaced. They will continue to kill millions of fish every year.

Now for the fun part. The EIR is only concerned with “listed fish” such as smelt, salmon, steelhead, … Striped Bass, Largemouth Bass and American shad are not studied. The economic effects of the loss of these fish are not listed.

And here’s the real fun part. As part of the BDCP conservation measures are to be taken, one of which is the “localized reduction of predator fish” you guessed it Striped Bass and Largemouth Bass will be targeted at “hotspot” locations and killed using electroshock, hook and line, promotion of “kill” derbies and other methods. Locations listed include entrainment areas such as Clifton Ct Forebay and the CVP intakes but also areas like Franks Tract, Mouth of Old River, Middle River and more. Also ambush spots such as points, pilings and other areas will be removed or modified. Your HPS fishing spots will be under attack. This measure is included in all alternatives except the no action alternative. There has not been ANY science confirming that predation on listed fish has had any impact on their population. The CAL FED documents state that predation was minimal and not a factor and that the exports were the main reason for population drops. The fish and Game commission agreed when they shot down the DFG’s recommendation to eradicate striped bass.

For you boaters the delta gates projects are mentioned where they want to block Middle River, Old River, the mouth of Old River and other locations with seasonal gates or rock damns. This will make navigation for fishing and recreation impossible and turn the delta into a penitentiary. This was shot down not too long ago so not sure if this plan is bringing them back to life.

We need to replace the fish screens at the pumps and perform the conservation measures that make since. Not until this is done and the populations of listed species AND all legally introduced game fish species recover should any additional conveyance be considered.

Please take the time to review the draft documents and submit comments. What I have stated above is the a drop of what is going to happen.

The draft reports are available on DVD’s at local libraries or can be downloaded. You can request a DVD at the comments e-mail address. I did and received it in only a few days. Comments can be submitted to bdcp.comments@noaa.gov and can be submitted up until April.
Please visit Restore the Delta’s website for more information at http://www.restorethedelta.org/

[OceanSunfish]

Thank you for keeping this outfront.