REDWOOD NEEDLES

Presented by the Sierra Club Redwood Chapter Newsletter,
The REDWOOD NEEDLES

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Eel River Update

The Friends of the Eel River vs. Sonoma County Water Agency trial has been scheduled for June 19, 21 and 23. Steve Volker will present the Friends of the Eel River case in Judge Antolini’s court, Empire College (just north of Steele Lane, West of Hwy.101), Santa Rosa. Proceedings begin at 9 a.m. Please attend to show Sonoma County's support for the Eel River.

Friends of the Eel River are planning a "Salmon Run" in downtown Santa Rosa to draw attention to the case. Contact our Club office or Friends of the Eel River (923-2146) for more information as the trial date gets closer.

In the meantime, Senator Feinstein needs to hear from her constituents who care about the Eel River--especially those of us who live in Sonoma County. In February Feinstein sent a letter to Secretary of Commerce, questioning National Marine Fisheries Service's (NMFS) advocacy for further reductions in the Eel diversion. In talking with Senator Feinstein's Northern Ca field rep, Chris Norem, and her Washington aide Warren Weinstein (202-224-5416), it is apparent that the issue has been presented to the Senator as a war between two rivers.

The Senator needs to know that Sonoma County's Russian River is also being harmed by the Eel River diversion. Both aides were quite surprised to learn that environmental organizations in Sonoma County, including those closest to Russian River protection (Friends of Russian River, Russian River Environmental Forum) support reduction of the diversion and studying a "diversion" alternative. Please tell the Senator that not only NMFS, but the EPA and sound science back further reduction of the Eel diversion--recognizing that restoration of salmon populations requires serious study and consideration of a dam decommissioning alternative.

Most importantly, tell her that there is potential for a win-win solution here. According to Dr. Robert Curry, Professor of Geomorphology at UC Santa Cruz, proper management of the Russian River through relocation of gravel mining from the riverbed to adjacent terraces would result in restoration of the River's natural hydrologic regime, increasing the elevation of the river’s streambed by 20 vertical feet. Restoring the natural streambed would increase groundwater storage within the upper Russian River watershed by over 240,000 acre feet, far more than the quantity of water currently diverted from the Eel.

Please contact Senator Feinstein at: 202-224-3841;
senator@feinstein.senate.gov ;
Senate Office Building, Washington DC 20510

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