Page 2 - 2002 DT 12 issues

Muddy Waters ○ December, 2001 a newly installed pipe- ○ ○ contributed over 14,000 volunteer hours
○
○ line began pouring water from 5,000 ○ ○ in 2001. Proclamations were also
○
nce as large as the Sea of Gali- ○ ○ outlets, turning an 11-square-mile area of ○ ○ presented to the Red Rock Canyon Inter-
lee, California’s 110 square mile ○ ○ ground into a sea of mud. This first stage ○ ○ pretive Assn. and the Outside Las
OOwens Lake remains a parched ○ ○ of the $250 million reclamation project is ○ ○ Vegas Foundation.
expanse of arsenic tainted silt and salt. In ○ ○ intended to reduce the dust by 99 percent. ○ ○ Bureau of Land Management (BLM)
1913, Los Angeles began diverting moun- ○ ○ Los Angeles will reduce water withdraw- ○ ○ State Director Robert Abbey introduced
tain-stream water from the Sierra Nevada ○ ○ als from Owens River above the lake, ○ ○ Ms. Norton to the volunteers and staff
away from the lake. Within a few years ○ ○ using the conserved water to feed the ○ ○ attending the luncheon. Mark Morse, Las
this coastal desert oasis was replaced by ○ ○ pipelines. Eventually, all of the dust pro- ○ ○ Vegas Field Office Manager, spoke of the
an alkaline playa. Today, Owens Lake is ○ ducing part of the playa will be treated. ○ ○ vital role played by each organization in
○
the biggest single dust source in the United ○ At least 75 percent of every square ○ assisting the BLM in the management and
mile of each treatment zone must ○ ○ protection of local public lands. Ms.
○
○
be kept saturated for the dust to ○ ○ Norton told the group that the partnerships
○
○
disappear. Aerial and satellite sur- ○ ○ represented by the three organizations
○
○
veys will assess how much water ○ ○ with the BLM provided a model for the
○
○
to move through the system to ○ ○ public, corporate and local government
○
○
maintain the mud. Another 20 ○ ○ sectors in determining the balanced use
○
○
square mile area will be planted ○ of our natural assets.
○
○ ○
with salt-tolerant native grass by ○ ○
○
○
2006, but only after being thor- ○ ○
○
○
oughly rinsed to remove much of ○ ○ United States Department
○
○
its salt. The lake bed is so salty, ○ of the Interior
○
Pr
Proclamation
Proclamation
oclamation
Pr
○
no known plant will grow there. ○ ○ Proclamationoclamation
○
○
Drip irrigation will keep the grasses ○ ○ ○ Presented to the Friends of
○
○
States according to Dale Gillette, an at- ○ ○ moist and a drainage network beneath the ○ ○ Red Rock Canyon for your thou-
mospheric scientist with the National ○ ○ planted area will pipe excess water to the ○ ○ sands of hours of volunteer service,
Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. ○ ○ mud area. ○ ○ provided yearly at the Bureau of
A 1994 study by the University of Cali- ○ ○ Allowing Owens Lake to recover ○ ○ Land Management Red Rock Can-
fornia, at Davis (UCD) called it the worst ○ ○ naturally would take 10 to 20 years ac- ○ ○ yon National Conservation Area.
single source of fine particulate matter in ○ cording to the UCD study. After 70 years ○ ○ Your dedication and service
○
the Northern Hemisphere. ○ of conflict and billions of tons of dust, Los ○ enables visitors to Red Rock to en-
Most of the dust is produced by only ○ Angeles will finally give back some ○ joy a quality experience.
one-third of the playa, where the surface water. Even muddy water is better than
crust has been disturbed. Dust storms bil- none.—Science News; UCD; Environ- December 11, 2001
lowing off the lake bed carry particles fine mental Protection Agency Gale A. Norton
enough to be inhaled. Downwind com- ○ Secretary Norton ○ Secretary of the Interior
○
munities have been repeatedly subjected ○ ○ ○
to particulate pollution ten times that al- ○ ○ Visits Red RockCanyon ○ ○
lowed by the Clean Air Act. Big storms ○ ○ ○ ○ Volunteering at Red Rock
often skyrocket those concentrations to a ○ ○ nterior Secretary Gale Norton lunched ○ ○
whopping 40,000 micrograms per cubic ○ ○ at Red Rock Canyon on December 11, ○ ○ he volunteer program here at Red
meter. That’s about to change. ○Iwhere she spoke to the press about ○ ○ Rock Canyon National Conserva-
○
Los Angeles has begun a multi-phase ○ the importance of public lands to the tour- Ttion Area (NCA) is continually
○
○
dust abatement program at Owens Lake ○ ism industry in the West. She also ○ ○ ○ changing with the needs of the park. Our
○
in settlement of a 1998 lawsuit brought ○ presented a proclamation to Friends of ○ ○ volunteers come from around the world
○
by the Great Basin Unified Pollution ○ Red Rock Canyon in appreciation for ○ and from diverse backgrounds. Our pro-
Control District in Bishop, California. In on-going support of the Canyon. Friends gram boasts approximately 500 members,
Page 2 FORRC/January, 2002