Page 39 - Sonoma County Gazette 11-19

After several cool days and nights, plus a bit of moisture, it is a warm,dry autumn day and very calm. Keep the winds away please! Be sure to have your stovepipe cleaned out before lighting a wood fire! Creosote build-up can be deadly!
Last month I teased a future column sharing some of the wealth
of knowledge I recently discovered about the study of Dutch Bill Creek by biologists and many others (probably too many to list) with respect to the goal of protecting the habitat of the endangered Coho Salmon (and therefore also Steelhead trout and other salmonid species). This is that column. I will confess right away, and cheerfully, that I have gotten the bulk of my information from one masterful, comprehensive document: it is entitled “Dutch Bill Creek Streamflow Improvement Plan”. It can be found on the Occidental Arts and Ecology Center (OAEC) website: oaec.org/publications/dutch-bill-creek- streamflow-improvement-plan/. Follow that link, download the free .pdf document (hereafter known as “the document”, and follow along at home!
The Cazadero Community Club’s monthly meetings are now on hiatus until early March, 2020. Please come to the Annual Cazadero Holiday Crafts Fair on Saturday,November, 9th, from 10-4 p.m.at Fire Hall#1 on Cazadero Hway. There will be a myriad of lovely hand-made items, including soaps, cards and journals, cute sock-monkeys, jewelry, wood items, decorative handbags, seasonal decor, delicious home-made baked goods and tasty snacks available at the adjacent Cafe’. Sponsored by the Caz Club and a wonderful way to support your local crafters. Special gift items without having to leave town!
This document was prepared by the Russian River Coho Water Resources Partnership, the component members of which form a who’s who of environmentally active west county organizations: (deep breath): The Sonoma Resource Conservation District (SRCD), the Center for Ecosystem Management and Restoration (CEMAR), Sea Grant California, the OAEC Water Institute, Trout Unlimited, Gold Ridge Resource Conservation District (GRRCD), with support from the Sonoma County Water Agency (SCWA) and the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF).
The Annual Monte Rio Holiday Wonderland Craft Fair will be held
on Friday, November 29th from 10-5, Saturday, November 30th also from 10-4 and on Sunday, December 1st from 10-4. Located at the comfortable Monte Rio Community Center and sponsored by Rec and park, this fair will delight you with many handmade items, a very friendly atmosphere and tasty snacks. Free entrance.
I’ll try to give the executive summary of this comprehensive 137-page document: populations of Coho Salmon in the Russian River watershed
have been declining steadily since human activity ramped up in the 1870’s and 1880’s, and by 2001 had reached the point where extinction was a real possibility. The Dutch Bill Creek watershed was chosen and a focal watershed because, quoting from the document linked above, “it provides the critical intersection of feasibility of salmon restoration, degree of stream impairment by diminished flows, landowner interest in collaboration, importance to coho salmon, range of land and water uses with the potential to demonstrate a variety of solutions, and federal and state recovery plan prioritization.”
I was saddened to hear that the lovely Sky Garden is being uprooted from its downtown spot. Many folks have put a lot of time and energy into creating this special place. I will have more info next month re its replacement! Please call Cathy Schezer at 632-5743 or email schezer@comcast.net to help with tearing
it down and if you have a local spot that would be good for relocating the garden. Cathy and Garden friends thank all who showed up a the Community Services District meeting.
Montgomery School students will be having some time off from
their studies in November, as well as some fun learning activities. Friday November 1st, the Booster’s Club will be putting on a Halloween Carnival for our students. Wednesday November 6th will be a field trip day for the whole school. The TK-1st grade students will be going to the Children’s museum, while our 3rd-8th grade students will be going to the Academy of Science. School will be closed on Monday, the 11th for Veterans’ Day. On Wednesday the 20th we will be having a science assembly at school for all grades. Also,
the school will be closed from Monday, Nov 25th through Friday, Nov 29th for Thanksgiving break.
Remember Cazadero Supply’s 1st Saturday Discount Days for
15% off its vast selection of household, garden and vehicle items, plus tires! Raymond’s Bakery continues to have Friday Night Pizza and live music. Check out eclectic Caz Central for locally made unique objects. Both the Cazadero and Duncans Mills general stores are open daily with groceries, tasty soups and sandwiches and locally raised meats, smoked fish,wines, body care products and more. Spend a sunny morning on the spacious back deck at Gold Coast Coffee and Bakery enjoying coffee and brews, great sticky buns and pizza-yum! The adjacent Treats and Toys has candies, tasty truffles and games and holiday decor. The Duncans Mills Tea Shop will tantalize you with a vast selection of teas and related gift items. Have a relaxing breakfast, lunch or dinner at Cape Fear Cafe’ with California/New Orleans fare.
I wish a Very happy November birthday to: Colin Kelly on the 1st,
along with the much-missed late poet extraordinare Mike Tuggle.
Angela Ferry celebrates on the 6th, David Orlando-Griggs on the 12th, Jonathan Ritter and Irene Jackson on the 17th, Logan Callister on the 18th, and Emily Sumner on the 25th.
A Very Special 4th Wedding Anniversary to our dear Gazette Editor/ Publisher Vesta Copestakes and her dear spouse Alan.
Have a wonderful Thanksgiving celebration and call me at 632-5545 or email mayawrld@sonic.net with info for your Cazadero Column!!
Whew! As we say in the west county, there’s a lot to unpack.
I’ll try to hit the high points. The document details the timeline of stream flow improvement projects already completed (such as the dam removal! Nice work!) To improve stream flow. There is another lengthy section detailing
the research to measure stream flow in Dutch Bill Creek by month, by year, relative to annual rainfall, and so on.
There is data on human water use in the watershed (Camp Meeker, Alliance Redwoods, Westminster Woods, Occidental, and just over 300 private residences outside of the listed places) The gist of this section is that the average annual discharge from Dutch Bill Creek is 100 times larger than the total of human use. Good news, right? The problem is, the vast majority of stream flow occurs in the winter months, and the majority of human water use occurs in the summer months (residential use is more or less constant, but the summer camps and agricultural users use more water in the summer). This results in the stream going dry over long stretches, more so than its natural historical (pre-modern civilization) pattern. This results in tougher survival conditions for the fish.
The next section of The Document details strategies for improving stream flow and therefore fish habitat. The stream flow projects completed over the last two decades are a big part of that. Another big part is in convincing (and helping) water users in the watershed to take some of that copious winter stream flow and storing it for summer use, thereby reducing summer time water diversions (natural springs, well water, etc.).
I’m happy to report that Westminster Woods is well ahead of the curve, having completed (as of the report’s 2017 publication) water storage and infrastructure projects that have reduced their summer time water diversion by 99%. Yes, you read that right! They used to divert 100-120 gallons per minute. Now? 1.3 gallons per minute. That’s some nice work!
Alliance Redwoods is in the midst of similar improvements, although their work is not as far along. I’ve run out of space for this month, but in future columns I will be happy to report on their progress, as well as on work done by other watershed residents. They are making a difference, and it makes me proud to live among them.
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