Amador Flyfishers

CalTrout & Fly Fishing Specialties sponsor F3T

Sacramento
Thursday, February 28, 2013 @ 7:00 pm
Crest Theatre,
1013 K Street, Sacramento, CA
What Else:
A pre-film event (featuring CalTrout's Fly Fishing Ambassador, Mike E. Wier) will take place at Fly Fishing Specialties. For details about this event, please contact Fly Fishing Specialties @ (916) 722-1055.

The McCloud RiverKeepers (MRK) was formed shortly after a happen-stance conversation with two individuals familiar with the then unknown to us hydroelectric power relicensing of three Pacific Gas & Electric (PG&E) powerhouses on the Pit River which include use of upper McCloud River water in McCloud Reservoir behind McCloud Reservoir Diversion Dam. The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) licenses and regulates all non-federally owned dams and hydropower facilities in the United States.

The central relicensing issue that threatens the lower McCloud River below McCloud Reservoir Dam are the excessive, regulated whitewater kayaking flows being requested by American Whitewater that are supported by US Forest Service (USFS) and California State Water Resource control Board (SWB) policy in this relicensing of PG&E's expiring 50 year old FERC operating license. A related topic of importance for protection of the resource (habitat & fishery), and therefore fishers, that requires discussion is the role Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) have played in hydropower CA FERC relicensings for many years. Since we have discovered some people in the fishing community wishing to disbelieve facts and/or uncomfortable dealing with them. We find no other way than to explain what we have discovered, know to be true, and not to have happened upon by chance. The following paragraphs will discuss this topic before we provide background on the federal relicensing process, history of CA relicensings, other Relicensing Particicpants involved, and MRK's positions.

2009 Easton Wild and Scenic Mokelumne River Zinfandel will help Save the Moke

Terre Rouge and Easton Wines will hold a special wine release party for their new 2009 Wild and Scenic Mokelumne River Zinfandel. Profits from the sale of this limited, special bottling will benefit the Foothill Conservancy's efforts to Save the Mokelumne River with National Wild and Scenic River designation. 

 
Please join us at the winery from 4 pm to 7 pm for the release party, which will feature delicious hors d'oeuvres, live music, a river slide show, and of course -- the wine! Winemaker Bill Easton will be on hand to sign your bottle. You can order this fine wine by fax or phone after the event, too.

Perhaps you remember the Angler Survey boxes that were donated to the Club several years ago. They were to be installed along the Electra Road reach of the Mokelumne River. Well, they have been languishing in my barn ever since. Until now, that is.

An Eagle Scout candidate from El Dorado Hills approached the Sac-Sierra Chapter of Trout Unlimited, looking for a suitable project to achieve his goal. Ian Moyer and his father reviewed the list of possible projects and elected to install the Angler Survey Boxes. (Since I am the Conservation Chairperson for Sac-Sierra TU, I had included this option, in the hope of finally getting them out of my barn.) So, finally, in cooperation with Trout Unlimited and the Boy Scouts, our Angler Survey Boxes will be available for reporting.

I mentioned at the last meeting that I came across several piles of tires that had been dumped along the side of the road between Tiger Creek Afterbay and the Highway 26 bridge.

There are two piles of truck tires (one pile of 13 tires, one of 14 tires) located 0.8 & 0.9 miles upstream from the Highway 26 bridge.  There are also a few other odd items strewn around.  An old couch near the whitewater takeout and a mattress near the pile of tires closest to the Highway 26 bridge.