Ol' Man River
Dat Ol' Man River
He must know Somethin'
He won't say Nothin'
He just keeps Rollin'
He just keeps Rollin'
Along.
The Eel-Russian River Commission held its latest meeting August 31. The commission is composed of supervisors from Humboldt, Lake, Mendocino, and Sonoma counties, and is currently chaired by Mendocino supervisor Mike Delbar. About thirty members of the public, representing various agencies and interest groups, also attended.
The main topic of the meeting was the plan for reducing the amount of water diverted from the Eel River into the Russian River. The National Marine Fisheries Service and others believe that even more water should be kept in the Eel to restore the native fishery there. At the meeting a plan was announced that would allow different flow regimes to be used over the next several years so as to examine the effect on migrating fish. Since the study may take ten years to complete, a final decision is far off.
The Mendocino Environmental Center representative at the meeting asked the scientific expert leading the study if, at the end of it, the agencies were not able to restore the fishery, would he then have to consider the possibility of removing Lake Pillsbury? He answered yes, though the groan from many in the audience prompted him to say that dam removal would be just one of the options considered.
The other organization most involved with the inland rivers is the Russian River Watershed Council. The RRWC, made up of representatives of economic, public, and environmental interests, including the Mendocino Environmental Center, has two new proposals that are being considered by workgroups. One is to allow the Russian River to revert to its natural flow levels between the end of the growing season and the beginning of the heavy rains each winter. This would likely result in the river drying up between Lake Mendocino and Healdsburg, allowing for a more thorough cleanup and removal of invasive plants along with increasing the amount of water held in reserve.
The second proposal seeks to increase water storage in the Russian River watershed so as to reduce reliance on storage in the Eel River. Off-stream storage, including underground aquifers, will be the key. The water table in Potter Valley, for example, is so high that residents living on the valley floor often have trouble flushing their toilets.
Although many people view such commissions and councils as a waste of time or worse, they have an immediate and long-lasting effect upon our watersheds. Public involvement is encouraged. The Eel-Russian River Commission can be reached by mail via Mendocino County Courthouse, State and Perkins Streets, Ukiah, CA 95482. Anyone can get on their mailing list and receive free minutes and announcements/agendas for upcoming meetings. The Russian River Watershed Council has a website for additional information: www.rrwc.net
Or go wade in a river on a sunny day. Feel the earth, air, water, and fire. Let them seep into your being. Let the ripples flow from the depths of your soul. The river will care for us all, if only we pay attention.
Copyright Mendocino Environmental Center 2001
Permission granted to excerpt or use this article if source is cited