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Announcement:
Beginning Tuesday, March 7, 2006, the Conservation Committee
meeting location is changed to:
Mountain Mike's Pizza (across from Safeway facing Sierra College
Blvd.),
4060
Douglas Blvd, #101 Granite Bay, CA 95746
Tel: (916) 773-5656.
At this meeting we will have a special guest presentation by Julie
Leimbach, Executive Director of the Foothills Water Network.
Julie will explain the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC)
process as it relates to the Yuba, Bear and Middle Fork of the
American River. Stream flows can be managed for energy
production, rafting, gold panning, for fish/fishing or for some
combination of these. The FERC process allows the interested
parties to have a voice and we need to be smart about how we use our
voice. Come and learn about this important activity that has
already started.
Thanks to all of
you that signed postcards, wrote letters, and attended meetings about
the South Delta Improvement Project (SDIP). We are opposed to the
project as currently proposed because of the harmful impact of exporting
a huge amount of additional water out of the Delta.
Please mark your calendars and plan on attending the Creek Week
stream clean-up project scheduled for the morning of Saturday, April
22. On that date, the Granite Bay Flycasters will assume
responsibility for cleaning up a local stream in the Dry Creek Watershed
and we'll have a good time doing it. Put on your waders and pick up some
trash along the stream bank. Good work, good fun.
Recently the Granite Bay Flycasters were invited to meetings regarding
the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) re-licensing of
the Yuba, Bear and Middle Fork of the American Rivers. What this amounts
to is competition for water running down the river with the energy
companies wanting to manage the river for power generation and the
recreation users (fishing, rafting and even gold panning) wanting their
interests considered. Fortunately, Bill Carnazzo has volunteered
to help represent our fishing interests and he will bring years of both
legal and fishing guide knowledge to the committee. Thank you, Bill.
John Carroz will be the lead at our Sagehen Creek outing
that is planned for late September. Ken Davis did an
outstanding job doing the entomology training for the past two years and
this year Gary Flanagan will pick up that baton - or should I say
net. We hope to have an overview presentation on Friday night about the
great work going on in the Sagehen Watershed. On Saturday morning Gary
will present an entomology PowerPoint program followed by an on-stream
workshop. In the afternoon on Saturday, we'll have a short line nymphing
clinic or free time to fish. Saturday evening we hope to have some of
the graduate students at Sagehen present some of their work and Sunday
morning we'll learn even more from additional candidates. Sunday
afternoon we will spend time fishing or driving back down the hill
towards reality.
Finally, we want to thank David Lentz, Trout Management
Coordinator for the California Department of fish and Game for a fine
GBF program in February. David is responsible for knowing where all the
big fish are in our streams and I think he may become my newest best
friend. With the infusion of money from passing AB7, the DFG Heritage
Trout Program will be putting in place some exciting programs to
help reestablish wild trout in some of our cold-water streams.
Members of Granite Bay Flycasters have
participated in some Heritage Trout Program electro-fish surveys for the
past few years and we hope to participate again this year. If you have
never electro-fished before - wow - a great learning experience that you
will want try.
Heath Wakelee
VP Conservation
916 870 5253
GBFConservation@cs.com |
