The
Confluence Summer 2002
PCWA
Pump Station Project Wins Approval
The Placer County Water
Agency Board of Directors has given its unanimous endorsement to
the American River pump station project. Following two public hearings
during which extensive public comment was received, the board at
its August 1 meeting voted 5-0 to certify the project's final environmental
document and to approve contracts with the Bureau of Reclamation
to implement the project.
The Bureau is expected to issue its Record of Decision approving
the final EIS/EIR in September and to award a construction contract
for the first phase of the project shortly thereafter. Project completion
is anticipated in 2004, at which time public use of the river downstream
of the North-Middle Fork confluence will finally be re-established.
The final design of the project continues to call for diversion
tunnel closure and restoration of the North Fork of the American
River to its natural streambed. It also retains the project feature
calling for limited public access to the restored river by means
of the existing dam construction road leading into the canyon from
Maidu Drive. The riverside 20 car parking area has been eliminated,
leaving only a single 50 car parking area at the former batch plant
site above Oregon Bar. Vehicle turnaround areas for boating takeout
purposes will be provided at the site of the restored river as well
as at Oregon Bar.
Overall we believe the public access proposal represents a sensible
interim approach to managing the recreational boating that will
begin to occur once the project is completed. The California Department
of Parks and Recreation is scheduled to begin developing a new general
plan for the future management of Auburn State Recreation Area in
2003. Any changes or refinements to the question of how to best
manage access to the restored river can and should take place in
the context of that process, which will include ample opportunity
for public input.
The Department of Parks and Recreation is also continuing to develop
a proposal to maintain the Auburn to Cool Trail river crossing that
will otherwise be lost once the river is restored. One proposal
being studied involves construction of a pedestrian bridge across
the river just downstream of the diversion tunnel outlet. Another
option under consideration would result in the construction of new
trails from No Hands Bridge downstream on both sides of the river,
eventually linking up with existing Auburn to Cool trail segments.
It is anticipated that one of these options will be selected and
construction completed by the time the pump station project is completed
in the fall of 2004. PCWA has committed up to $500,000 toward the
cost of whichever alternative is selected, with the state funding
the balance of the estimated $1 million to $1.5 million cost.
American
River Wildlands Update
Statewide
the California Wild Heritage Wilderness Act of 2002 will protect
2.6 million acres of land as wilderness, salmon restoration areas,
wilderness study areas and wild and scenic rivers. The 40,000 acres
of American River watershed lands protected in the bill include:
North Fork of
the American River, Duncan Canyon, Black Oak and additions to Granite
Chief. A diverse group of political, commercial, recreational and
wilderness interests selected the lands to be protected. People
throughout the state are working together making phone calls, writing
letters and distributing petitions to make this a reality.
Senator
Feinstein's office phone # in San Francisco is 415-393-0707. Her
address is C/O her aide, Chris Norem, One Post Street, Suite 2450,
San Francisco, CA 94104.
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