There was so much good stuff in the Foothill Conservancy Notes this week that I decided to post it in its entirity. Don't forget to take at look at http://www.foothillconservancy.org/ for important Smart Growth information. Pamela
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Calaveras County is struggling with the question of traffic impact fees. We hope they'll consider the example in Amador County, where absurdly low traffic impact fees for commercial development in the past (now rectified) led to jammed roads with no funding solution in sight.
Developers incensed at proposed impact fees
Union Democrat (Sonora)
June 14, 2007
By KATY BRANDENBURG
Copperopolis developers this week railed against a proposal that they pay high road impact fees on new developments — as much as $11,299 per single-family household in certain areas.
"We don't mind paying our fair share to improve the roads, but let's get it done right," said San Andreas engineer Roger Pitto. Seconding that view are former Calaveras County supervisor Paul Stein and Castle & Cooke Calaveras Vice President Dave Haley, developer of the in-progress Copper Town Square.
The project is to include a mixture of residential and about 96 commercial tenants, including restaurants and stores.
Calaveras County Public Works Director Rob Houghton said his department is basing its proposed fee schedule on varying traffic studies that took into account existing road deficiencies, current traffic density, projected future traffic volumes, number of average trips per day and the reason for the increased number of trips — namely, commercial development.
Based on the studies' findings and the estimated $67 million it will cost to upgrade, improve and maintain the area's roads for the next five years — including $37 million for a new north-south connector road — the department would charge $2,635 per new single-family home, unless the house fell in one of two special "traffic analysis zones" near the end of Little John Road. These zones, which include all of the Tuscany Hills development and a number of Castle & Cooke properties, would receive most of the benefit from a new north-south connecting road; therefore they would be charged $11,299 each, according to Houghton.
General retail stores would be levied $3,849 per 1,000 square feet, however the fee schedule assesses different types of retail higher or lower: $26,345 per 1,000 square feet for a convenience market, $13,339 by the same proportion for a bar. A 1,500-square-foot coffee shop would be charged nearly $30,000. A daycare, $22,495 per 1,000 feet.
Haley calculated an average-size bank, about 2,600 square feet, would be charged approximately $79,000.
"I doubt a bank would come to town with that kind of fee," he said. "To overburden commercial is like double-dipping. We'd like to debate that."
Pitto proceeded to systematically lambaste the county's traffic model, saying it was "randomly modified" based on assumptions and out-of-state data.
"The way people drive through the Mother Lode is different than the way people drive anywhere else," he said.
Instead of assuming, Pitto said he and his independent consultants put down traffic counters in 24 different locations and made their own calculations. They found the distance between cars to be half the state measurement that the county's report was based on, he said. The number of cars before the road is filled to capacity (and needs to be widened) then theoretically doubles, Pitto said. Citing other examples of what he perceived as gross inaccuracies, Pitto threw up his hands in frustration.
"We've spent close to a million dollars on private traffic studies that don't agree with the conclusions in this study," he said.
Houghton acknowledged a certain amount of uncertainty goes into planning projected future traffic volumes, but stuck by his reports.
"We have researched this issue extensively," he said.
Another point of contention when the fee schedule was addressed Tuesday by Calaveras County supervisors came when developers suggested calculating future impacts by the compass of the nearly-completed Copperopolis Community Plan.
Houghton said the department legally must use the current General Plan land-use designations, many of which are rural. This means basing numbers on the 16,000 residential units that are already approved, instead of the 40,000 units planned for the area.
"We have to make a practical forecast based on current data and adapt to changes as they occur," Houghton said. "I understand there's much talk about these projects, but right now it's just talk."
Supervisors were "all over the map," as Chairman Bill Claudino put it, on what to decide in the face of such tension.
"The elephant in the room is, we don't want to stifle commercial development, but we only have one opportunity to get it right," said Supervisor Russ Thomas, whose district includes Copperopolis.
Developers again stressed they wanted to be consulted in the process. If mutually agreed upon fees were created, they wouldn't mind paying.
Supervisors agreed to consult with builders and come up with a revised, and possibly lower, fee schedule within 60 days.
Contact Katy Brandenburg at kbrandenburg@uniondemocrat.com or 736-0916.
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And over in Amador, traffic at the Martell Business Park and Sierra West Business Park gets another look . . .
Traffic impacts under review for biz park
Amador Ledger Dispatch
June 15, 2007
By Jenifer Gee
Several new businesses are set to open in the Martell Business Park and one large retailer is still in the works in a shopping center that is under scrutiny for its traffic impacts.
"The traffic is already above the levels anticipated at full buildout," said Amador County Planner Nate Lishman.
A traffic impact study was completed as part of the process to amend the business park's master plan to accommodate for the possible opening of a Target store. Currently, the site for the proposed Target is zoned for light manufacturing, which would include businesses such as rental yards, nursery and garden supplies, lumber yards, business offices and other types of businesses. The amendment proposes changing the area to commercial zoning, which would allow for sale and rental of cars, some service stations, fast-food restaurants, retail sales and family style restaurants. "Target is the whole reason this amendment is being done," Lishman said.
The amended map, which needs approval from the county, could take anywhere from six months to a year to be approved, according to Lishman. Target cannot break ground until that point.
To address the high volume of traffic already crowding the park, the impact study made several recommendations. "The traffic volumes going past their now are definitely higher than what they thought it would be and that creates a strain on the circulation system," said Amador County Transportation Commission Transportation Planner Sean Rabe.
One of the recommendations called for two left hand turn lanes at the business park signal coming from Jackson and two left hand turn lanes off Ridge Road making a left onto Highway 49, according to Rabe.
The other recommendation is establishing an internal connection between the two halves of the business park. One half is the area on top of the hill where Safeway and Staples sit and below there is a yet to be completed office park. The study also suggests that proposed developments such as Wicklow Way in Jackson and Gold Rush in Sutter Creek create entrances that align with the shopping center so there are more outlets for drivers other than the current main entrance at the business park signal.
The transportation commission is working with the business park property owner and helping him coordinate with Wicklow Way and Gold Rush developers to make the entrances and internal roadway happen, according to Rabe. "That's still being looked at but (the developers) have expressed a willingness to do that providing it's feasible," Rabe said.
Businesses set to open but have yet to appear include Sun Cleaners, Rare Exception Jewelers, Claypool's Gift and Home Company, Petco, First American Title, Floor to Ceiling and Oko Sushi. Guaranty Bank has been sold a pad and their store is under construction, according to representatives from Catlin Properties.
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And speaking of commercial development. . .
Builders bang away at Copper Square
Union Democrat (Sonora)
By CRAIG CASSIDY
June 13, 2007
Developer Castle & Cook Calaveras County on Tuesday announced the crowning feature on its long-anticipated Copper Town Square project is completed.
But behind the scenes, crews were pressing to make up for lost time.
The builder finished the "town center" element of the project — basically a park-like area with grass, a fountain and gazebo.
"The town center is a prominent focal point anchoring the first and subsequent phases of retail and residential development," the company's statement said.
Slated to open in mid-August, the builder is now looking at a "soft opening" for its retail tenants in September, said Castle & Cooke Calaveras Vice President David Haley.
Haley noted a "number" of factors to blame for the delay, but declined to elaborate.
"It's a pretty big endeavor to build this," he said.
The project was stymied early on by a lack of sewer and water agreements with the Calaveras County Water District.
Those deals are still being worked out, with the CCWD board set today to discuss a pact for building a 450,000 gallon water tank to serve the development and neighboring properties, said Steve Hutchings, district engineer.
Another stumbling block was the discovery of a 300-foot pile of potentially tainted mine tailings that delayed installation of the project's main water line, Hutchings said.
Ground was formally broken on the project at a ceremony in April 2006.
The entire 22-building development is to be built out by 2009, Castle & Cook has said.
When completed, it will cover 28 acres at Highway 4 and Little John Road.
It will incorporate a mixture of commercial and residential space.
Haley said he expects some 96 commercial tenants.
Architecturally, the development will mirror 19th century themes found throughout the Mother Lode.
In the modern-day fashion of antiquating things new, the main structures have been given contrived histories, called "back stories."
Among the new buildings are an "old firehouse," an "old courthouse" and an "old mercantile" which will be leased to new businesses.
Dubbed by the builder variously as "neo-traditional," a "town center" and a "country town," the commercial and residential development project is seen as part blessing or part threat by the few merchants along the older downtown Copperopolis' Main Street.
"I got mixed emotions," said Bud "Odie" Odikirk, proprietor of the Old Corner Saloon, a popular watering hole.
"They got a big sign down there that says ‘Copperopolis' made out of copper. But this is Copperopolis."
Contact Craig Cassidy at 736-8097 or ccassidy@ uniondemocrat.com.
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Sprawl development has real impacts on wildlife, in this case, birds. . .
Some common birds get a lot less common
Annual count shows steady declines for a variety of species.
By Mary Lynne Vellinga - Bee Staff Writer
June 15, 2007
Public alarm over dwindling U.S. bird populations has mostly focused on the ups and downs of a few relatively rare, hard-hit species -- the charismatic bald eagles, peregrine falcons and California condors.
Researchers for the National Audubon Society released figures Thursday that they say illustrate a broader, less noticed problem: the steady decline of a variety of more common birds.
Think house finches, northern pintail ducks and western meadowlarks.
Audubon Society volunteers have been counting birds every Christmas for more than a century. The national organization has compiled 40 years of this data and combined it with annual breeding season counts from the U.S. Geological Survey.
Audubon's conclusion: Some birds have experienced drastic declines that have gone largely unnoticed because their numbers are still large.
In California, for example, the number of northern pintail ducks counted by volunteers each year at Christmastime has dropped 85 percent. At breeding time, the USGS found the numbers declined by 96 percent.
The study found similarly big declines in the annual counts of horned larks, loggerhead shrikes and evening grosbeaks.
All told, more than two dozen species declined sharply in California in the past 40 years, including the killdeer, cedar waxwing, house finch, golden-crowned kinglet, Brewer's blackbird, loggerhead shrike, western meadowlark and several sparrow species.
"We're used to talking about condors and western snowy plovers and other things that we hear are in trouble, but we never hear about things that still have a population in the millions," said Gary Langham, director of bird conservation for Audubon California. "But the pintail, with a 96 percent decline, should really make us sit up and take notice.
Suburban development and changes in farming are two reasons cited for the declines. Audubon researchers also raised the possibility that diseases spread at bird feeders are affecting some species, such as the house finch.
Grassland birds, such as the loggerhead shrike and the western meadowlark, have been particularly hard hit.
"Our grasslands are disappearing very rapidly, and we can see the effect on these birds," said Ed Pandolfino of the Sierra Foothills Audubon Society. He recently conducted his own review of the Central Valley Christmas bird count numbers, and reached the same conclusions as the larger Audubon study.
"During the 1980s and '90s a lot of grassland conversion was to vineyards, which are useless for these birds," Pandolfino said. "Recently, almost all of the Valley development has been happening on grasslands.
"It's not sexy, it's not pretty, it's not old-growth forest. For most of the year around here, it's flat and brown. But it's incredibly important. It's full of birds, and those birds cannot live anywhere else."
Even though the northern pintail is a duck, it too has been affected by grassland changes. The pintail nests mostly in the wetland-dotted prairies of North Dakota, South Dakota, Montana and Canada.
The Central Valley is the wintering headquarters for 40 percent of North America's northern pintail population. But the numbers have steadily declined, attracting the concern of Ducks Unlimited, the conservation group backed by hunting enthusiasts.
"It's an elegant bird, one of the fastest flying ducks," said Jeff McCreary, regional biologist for Ducks Unlimited. "In California, we're blessed with lots and lots of them. In 1955, there were about 10 million (in North America). In the '70s, we had around 6 million. Now we're down to probably a little less than 4 million."
Pintails have been hurt by the plowing under of "pothole" wetlands in North Dakota, South Dakota and Montana for row crops, according to the Audubon report.
Fewer Canadian farmers have been leaving fields fallow, McCreary said. The pintails arrive and nest in the previous year's stubble, thinking it's prairie. Then tractors plowing the field destroy the nests.
McCreary said Ducks Unlimited is working with Canadian farmers to make the switch to winter wheat, which is growing when the pintails arrive, and makes good nesting habitat.
The effect of global warming on bird populations covered in the report is largely unknown. Researchers said it could be playing a role in the decline of the greater scaup and snow bunting, birds that nest in the Arctic.
Not all common birds are on the wane. Many species have increased their numbers or remained stable over the 40-year period. These birds can adapt to human-altered landscapes, said Greg Butcher, Audubon's director of bird conservation.
Thriving backyard species in California over the past 40 years include the American crow and common raven. The northern mockingbird population has increased slightly each year.
Some seemingly ubiquitous, invasive birds, such as the European starling and house sparrow, have actually dwindled in recent decades, according to USGS data. Originally introduced in small numbers as novelties from other countries, they may have proved more vulnerable to diseases and pests, Butcher said.
"We found that with a lot of the introduced species, they do really well for a long time, and then they start dropping," he said. "No one knows for sure why. They tend to start from a small founder population, so they may not have the genetic variability of the whole population."
The bird count data also clearly illustrate that conservation efforts pay off, Butcher said.
Raptors such as the red-shouldered hawk, bald eagle and osprey have staged dramatic recoveries since the ban on the pesticide DDT, which caused their numbers to plummet in the '60s.
With the exception of the northern pintail, many waterfowl and wading species in California also appear to be doing well. The Geological Survey breeding data lists annual increases for the American bittern, wood duck, mallard, snowy egret, black-crowned night heron and green heron.
While the Audubon study focused on long-term trends, it didn't reflect the ups and downs of various species in recent years. West Nile virus has thinned the populations of crows, blue jays and robins, Butcher said, but not enough to reverse gains of previous decades. It may have caused a decline in the yellow-billed magpie population, but not enough to land them on the list.
Butcher said the trends should raise alarms over the effect that human activity has on birds.
"It is the natural course of things for some things to increase and some to decline," he said. "What we think we're seeing is that there's more change than there was in the past," he said.
"There are ecosystem functions these birds perform," he said, "and they won't be replaced by the generalist species."
See table at http://www.sacbee.com/101/story/223948.html
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While Tuscany Hills has modified its original plans, issues remain. The Department of Health Services, for example, is concerned that sewage from the project may contaminate Lake Tulloch, which provides drinking water for several communities. . .
Tuscany Hills plan praised by neighbors
Calaveras Enterprise
By Colin Rigley
June 13, 2007
Tuscany Hills, set to be located on Lake Tulloch, has used smart growth planning to develop new revenue and increased lake policing. Enterprise photo by Mike TaylorSmart-growth planning and community input have helped mold the Tuscany Hills development into a large source of revenue for Copperopolis and Lake Tulloch, according to members of the Lake Tulloch Alliance, a homeowners group.
Tuscany Hills, a proposed housing and recreation development along the west shore of Lake Tulloch, is now entering the final stages of approval after five and a half years of planning. In its most recent version, Red Mountain Resorts, the Tuscany Hills developer, has agreed to implement a number of fees that will go toward policing the lake, something Copperopolis locals said has not been accomplished in the public sector.
After meeting with members of the Lake Tulloch Alliance, Tom Hix, Red Mountain Resorts managing member, agreed to charge a fee on all future Tuscany Hills boat owners.
According to Jack Cox, one of the founding members of the Lake Tulloch Alliance, a fee of roughly $100 will be charged to all boat owners. It will then go back to the community in the form of increased lake policing.
Lake Tulloch is policed by deputies from both the Calaveras and Tuolumne Sheriff's Departments. How the boat fee funds will be distributed and used is still unclear at this point. Billy Robertson, a member of the Lake Tulloch Alliance, hoped that the money would go directly to sheriff's operations and possibly fund salaries for new hires and another boat.
"I don't believe that you can manage this lake with a voluntary or private security (force)," Robertson said.
Cox said that the lake, due to its relatively small size, can handle about 116 watercraft on a given day. The problem, Cox said, is that rapid development in the area means that the summertime boat count sometimes approaches 200 boats.
"(Lake Tulloch) property owners...on a holiday weekend, or any weekend during the summertime, won't even go out because it's a danger," Cox said.
In addition to the fee, Hix also agreed to impose a 27-boat limit on Tuscany Hills residents. To accomplish this, Tuscany Hills will use a system similar to golf tee times; anyone wishing to take a boat out on the lake will have to place their name on a list, once 27 boats are on that list no more are allowed out.
The agreement to impose the fee and boat limit was reached after Hix took members of the Lake Tulloch Alliance to tour the proposed construction site last month. Cox was surprised at how quickly an agreement was reached. He said it was a case of a "developer moving something forward in a matter of minutes that (the Lake Tulloch Alliance) has been trying to do for years," adding, "Suddenly we can create a large amount of money through user fees that will ensure lake safety and preservation."
In order to prevent further crowding on the lake shoreline, Hix has also agreed to prohibit the parking of boats on the beaches of Tuscany Hills.
Before the most recent changes, Hix also incorporated community feedback on the project, received after the first draft of the Environmental Impact Report in 2004. After the first draft, a number of concerns were raised about the project, many regarding how Tuscany Hills would affect the Lake Tulloch aesthetic.
Cox and Robertson both believed that Tulloch had been overdeveloped, with little consideration for the lake shoreline. This concern was also raised by nearly every attendee at the Copperopolis general plan update meeting held last month.
After reviewing the first EIR, which included input from the community and the Lake Tulloch Alliance, Hix changed the project so that all houses would be set back from the shoreline 200 feet. Additionally, more than 500 acres of Tuscany Hills will be undevelopable, effectively limiting the total property to no more than the 335 proposed residential units; an average of one unit per every five acres.
Another change made in the second draft EIR severely cut down on the grading of the property. Hix said that the project originally called for 1.2 million cubic yards of grading, which has now been reduced to 350,000 cubic yards that will be cut and fill; meaning that land will be transferred across the property rather than being removed entirely.
Robert Sellman, Calaveras County's planning director, also said that a new agreement had been reached between the county and Hix to incorporate Tuscany Hills into the Copperopolis Benefit Basin. According to Sellman, a fee charged on every residential unit would be collected by the county and directed into road improvements in the Copperopolis area. As much as $11,000 per unit could be charged, Sellman said.
At last week's Planning Commission meeting, after hearing concerns from the newly formed Calaveras County Parks and Recreation Task Force, Hix agreed to include an additional acre of grassed park area near the public access beach.
Tuscany Hills, if approved, will cover 1,113 acres with 335 residential lots, an 18-hole golf course and 27-boat marina. Construction is set to begin next year and should be completed in 10 to 15 years, Hix said.
The project was discussed extensively in a public hearing at last week's Planning Commission meeting. Commissioners decided that recent additions in the project description, such as the new boat fee, needed clarification, and therefore postponed a final decision until the next meeting on June 21.
Commissioner Suzanne Kuehl said that the new language needed to be "cleaned up" before a final decision could be reached by the commission, but "obviously the consensus was that the EIR was complete." "I personally felt that (Red Mountain Resorts) had addressed all of the previous concerns that had come up."
Barring anything unusual, Kuehl believed the project should pass through the commission when it comes back later this month. Afterward, a final decision will have to be made by the Board of Supervisors.
Hix said that listening to community concerns has always been a priority. Both Cox and Robertson were ecstatic that a developer had listened to them and made efforts to alleviate congestion around the lake.
Cox said that the Lake Tulloch Alliance is not against development. "You can't wish development away," he said. "We believe the precedent set by the Hix company is really the precedent set for the lake."
Contact Colin Rigley at crigley@calaverasenterprise.com.
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As we noted in our press release, we are pleased by the Amador County supervisors' decision in the Martin Point appeal. By placing additional conditions on the project, the supervisors have made a giant step toward ensuring that the conditions placed on the Kirkwood Specific Plan are actually carried out. See our press release on our website.
Supes block appeal, allow 34-lot Kirkwood subdivision to press forward
Amador Ledger Dispatch
June 15, 2007
By Judie Marks
After a public hearing that lasted nearly four hours, the Amador County Board of Supervisors voted unanimously Tuesday to deny an appeal that would have blocked a 34-lot development at Kirkwood Meadows.
The appeal of the tentative subdivision map was filed by the Friends of Kirkwood and the Foothill Conservancy. They argued that no future projects should be approved until existing projects are in compliance with required mitigation measures and conditions of approval.
In denying the appeal, the board imposed a new condition on the builder, Kirkwood Mountain Resort LLC: that they find a way to involve Foothill Conservancy in the process. The board also said they want to be sure all the mitigation measures and conditions are followed.
The planning commission approved the 14.4-acre project on May 8, but with 49 pages of mitigation measures and 159 conditions that must be met by the builder.
Katherine Evatt, president of Foothill Conservancy, told the supervisors that when it is built out, Kirkwood will have a population of 6,500 - more than the combined populations of Amador City, Sutter Creek and Jackson in 2003.
Evatt claimed that previous construction by the builder has caused muddy runoff into streams, tens of thousands of dollars in air quality fines, power outages, traffic backups on Highway 88 and a deteriorating quality of life in the area. The sensitive alpine environment, she said, deserves better. "It's good that they're starting to comply," she said. "But it's been four years."
Tom Infusino of Pioneer, an attorney representing Foothill Conservancy and Friends of Kirkwood, also told the supervisors Kirkwood hadn't met its obligations.
Over the last four years, Infusino said, concerns have been repeatedly raised. "The county cannot simply adopt mitigation measures and then fail to enforce them," he said.
Infusino urged the supervisors to "send a different message" by upholding the appeal, which, he said, would indicate that the county was "fed up with lackluster compliance."
Reid Bennett, president of the Friends of Kirkwood, told the supervisors that among the conditions unmet by the builders for the last three years was a required report on day-skier parking. That is important, he said, because he doesn't believe the developer has provided the required number of day-skier parking spaces.
Bennett also claimed he had been wakened by construction noise as early as 4:15 a.m. and also been disturbed by it as late as 9:15 p.m.
Braiden Chadwick, an attorney with Downey Brand, a law firm with offices in Sacramento, Stockton, Roseville and Reno, insisted that there was no legal basis for the appeal and that any problems with mitigation measures were in the past.
"Most of the alleged activities are not activities that harm the environment," Chadwick argued, adding that many of what the appellants were calling "violations" amounted to things like the developer giving an oral report in a meeting rather than submitting a written report to a particular agency. "They have either been cured or are on their way to being cured," he said. "As of today, they are in substantial compliance."
All of the environmental impacts, he insisted, had been exhaustively studied and mitigated, and compliance was verified by two consultants hired by the county exclusively for that purpose.
David Likens, chief executive officer of Kirkwood Mountain Resort and of Mountain Utilities, told supervisors that opponents of the project "seem to have abandoned any discussion of the merits of the project itself." And, he insisted, photographs shown of erosion were not on the firm's property, but on a privately owned neighboring parcel.
Kirkwood Mountain Resort, Likens said, has been in "substantial compliance" with the many conditions placed on them.
Louis Boitano, chairman of the board of supervisors and the representative of its District 4, said that he would like to see the project held over for a year "without prejudice" and give the developer time to work out the protocols "because it's a very fragile environment up there."
But when District 3 Supervisor Ted Novelli, who represents the Upcountry portion of Amador County, made a motion to deny the appeal, but ask for better mitigation and supervision of the conditions, Boitano came around, saying that he thought the suggested monitoring and oversight changes included in the motion would work.
Novelli's motion, which was seconded by District 1 Supervisor Rich Escamilla, won a unanimous vote.
Just to let them know what they had voted on, County Counsel Martha Shaver noted that the board was denying the appeal, with the understanding that both parties had agreed to an as-yet-unspecified committee for oversight.
The new lots, for 33 single-family homes and one duplex, are to be located south of the Kirkwood Meadows area and north of Timber Creek Lodge. The project, now known as "Martin Point," was formerly known as "Ski-In/Ski-Out North."
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Board of Supervisors Comes Up With Compromise Plan For Kirkwood Project
TSPN-TV Website
Jun 15, 2007
Tuesday’s Board of Supervisors meeting went until almost 3pm with the discussion focusing on one main topic- the Friends of Kirkwood and Foothill Conservancy’s appeal of the Planning Commissions approval of the Martin Point Tentative Subdivision Map located at Kirkwood. The Board of Supervisors was considering whether or not to uphold the Planning Commission’s decision. Before a project description was given Chairman Louis Boitano and Supervisors Ted Novelli, Richard Forster and Brian Oneto disclosed that they each individually met with either or both the Foothill Conservancy or Friends of Kirkwood representatives prior to the meeting.
The project is located approximately a half mile south of Hwy. 88/ Kirkwood Meadows Drive intersection and west of Kirkwood Meadow Drive. Planning Director Susan Grijalva said the project consists of a 34 lot subdivision on 14.4 acres and has lots ranging in size from 16,500 to 32,000 square feet. The applicant, Kirkwood Mountain Resort, LLC which was referred to as KMR, proposes a total of 35 dwelling units comprised of 33 single-family homes and one duplex unit. The project has formerly been known as “Ski-In/Ski-Out North,” project as a fundamental portion of the project is dedicated to skier access easements. Grijalva went on to explain that the 2003 Kirkwood Specific Plan provides the land use and development criteria for projects within Kirkwood. The project is consistent with the it’s already approved Specific Plan therefore under state law no further environmental review is required. Grijalva also reported to the board that staff has received numerous letters, emails, and phone calls from concerned residents of Kirkwood as well as residents of the County. Grijalva said as an integral part of the review process the county’s Technical Advisory Committee, County Staff, KMR and concerned residents met to evaluate the ski-in/ski-out access and as a result a mutually agreeable route was established to give skiers access and to reduce the number of trees that would have to be removed. The ski trail would go from the project to the Timber Creek lodge, lift #7 area. On May 8th the Planning Commission reviewed the project and found that the project is allowable and would not have to go through additional environmental approval processes and subsequently approved the Martin Point Tentative Subdivision Map.
The Foothill Conservancy, at the May 8th meeting, immediately challenged the Amador County Planning Commissions decision citing several environmental concerns including water and other environmental impacts, as well as the mitigation measures proposed by the developer. The Foothill Conservancy’s representatives stated that the impacts posed by the project require more environmental research, especially in light of the fact that many of the project’s environmental documentation and research was completed before the specific plan was approved several years ago.
Amador County Planning staff maintains that mitigation monitoring has been in process and that dialogue is taking place between the developer and the county. Supervisor Richard Forster asked about the developers trends in compliance on environmental issues with ongoing projects. Grijalva stated that the developer currently has substantial compliance with other projects in the area. She also pointed out that there has not been good consistency or monitoring of the company’s projects for multiple reasons and that meetings regarding these issues with the developers have been taking place. Grijalva also points out that the developer has been required to pay for a consultant, chosen and hired by the county, to help with the monitor of the mitigation measures.Grijalva stated that the mitigations, when followed have been effective. He asked about violations over the last few years. Grijalva stated that violations have not been evaluated by the county; however she was aware that there have been some run off issues involving fish and game and some issues involving equipment failures at the Power Generation Facility.
In a nutshell, the concerns of the Foothill Conservancy and the Friends of Kirkwood have been that the specific plan mitigation measures have not been fully complied with and therefore they want the project’s approval to be deferred until all mitigations from the Specific Plan have been implemented. In the end the board of Supervisors denied the appeal and upheld the Planning Commission’s approval.They did however amend the conditions of approval for this project to include the requirement that the final map will not be recorded until the resort if found to be in compliance with ALL mitigation measures required under the approval of the Kirkwood Resort specific plan.
The Supervisors also directed that an advisory committee be developed for the project. It was also decided that the committee would be coordinated by Supervisor Novelli. The committee shall include Foothill Conservancy and Friend of Kirkwood members that will meet with other members of the group and discuss the compliance with mitigation measures by the developer. Supervisor Richard Forster then asked about the significance of impacts of the project and a reference that those impacts were more detrimental than originally anticipated in the approval of the specific plan. Are the current mitigations enough he asked?
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Kirkwood housing development approved
Tahoe Daily Tribune
Adam Jensen, ajensen@tahoedailytribune.com
June 14, 2007
Amid opposition, supervisors from Amador County unanimously approved a planning commission decision endorsing development of the Martin Point subdivision at Kirkwood Mountain Resort.
Thirty-three single-family homes and one duplex are planned as part of the project.
"The board of supervisors went ahead and denied the appeal so that Martin Point development will proceed forward, but there are stipulations that go along with the procedure," Amador County Supervisor Ted Novelli said in a phone interview on Tuesday.
Supervisors required Kirkwood to be in compliance with existing mitigation measures before construction of the subdivision can begin in the summer of 2008.
"We will be in full compliance with all 159 measures," said David Likins, chief operating officer for the resort. "We're within two or three at this time."
Likins expected full compliance to be reached within "the next several months."
A 2006 parking study, which has yet to be properly submitted, was one of the grievances cited by the Friends of Kirkwood and the Foothill Conservancy during their appeal.
Streams muddied during a November 2006 storm, documented on the Foothill Conservancy's Web site, were also a basis for the groups' claims Kirkwood should not be allowed further development until mitigation measures are met.
"It became a 'he said, she said' meeting and it's really unfortunate that the supervisors did not look at the records as far as mitigation compliance," Friends of Kirkwood President Reid Bennett said Wednesday. "I'm just concerned whether or not the developer will really be in compliance when the time comes or whether they'll just claim to be."
The Board of Supervisors also promoted greater collaboration between Kirkwood Mountain Resort and the environmental advocates, with Novelli encouraging the formation of a committee to discuss issues at the resort and advise the board of their findings.
On Wednesday, Likins seemed pleased with the board's decision.
"We don't have any problem with the suggestion," Likins said. "We think it's a great idea."
Although the members of the committee have not been officially determined and its first meeting date has not been set, the committee is likely to include representatives of Amador County, Kirkwood Mountain Resort, the Foothill Conservancy and Friends of Kirkwood.
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As our counties grow, so does the demand for parks and other recreation facilities. Thanks to hard work by local residents and county supervisor Steve Wilensky, one park in Calaveras is closer to reality. . .
Sandy Gulch park plans get a boost
Calaveras Enterprise
By Krissi Krob
June 15, 2007
Sandy Gulch regional park, a dream of West Point area residents for years, took a step closer to reality Wednesday.
The Calaveras County Water District’s directors have been discussing the lease of a portion of CCWD’s West Point Wastewater Treatment Plant to the county to create the Sandy Gulch regional park. However, the terms of the lease could possibly restrict the county from using state bond funds to build the park due to provisions that allow CCWD to terminate the lease. The state wants a guarantee that the property would be used for at least 20 years.
As such, CCWD is now discussing selling the property to the county, at fair market value, with state bond funds, which would give the county more flexibility in developing it into a park. The directors voted unanimously to declare the property surplus, and now the wheels are in motion to make the 20-acre park a reality. CCWD will now advertise that the land is available, and the county can express its intent to purchase it.
The property lies on 150 acres of CCWD’s West Point property, and was originally a mill site. CCWD acquired the land for developing the wastewater treatment plant when septic tanks were failing in West Point. The proposed park would include baseball diamonds and a baseball field, said Dave Andres, CCWD’s general manager.
“It’s a very nice regional park,” Andres said, adding that the county would also look at putting an easement in to access Bureau of Land Management land south of the park, leading to the Mokelumne River.
Now the process of determining the property’s value, defining parameters and conducting land surveys begins, after which the board will revisit the issue and decide whether to sell the land to the county.
“It’s the first step, but it’s a big step,” Andres said.
“We’re here to sign the deal,” said Tom Mitchell, county administrative officer. “It’s just an absolutely fantastic place to put a regional park.... Your support would be greatly appreciated.”
Director Jeff Davidson lauded West Point residents and Supervisor Steve Wilensky for their efforts to advance plans for the park.
In other news, the board approved a memorandum of understanding with the county regarding the Cosgrove Creek Flood Control project in Valley Springs. CCWD owns 55 acres in the middle of the area. The Army Corps of Engineers has completed an initial study, with the federal government footing 100 percent of the bill, to determine if a federal interest would be served by the project.
The flood control project will determine ways to control flooding in Valley Springs, Rancho Calaveras, Gold Creek and La Contenta. The property is not only for flood control studies, Andres said, but also includes plans for recreation. CCWD’s role in the flood control project will be to provide technical assistance and to allow the Corps the use of facilities.
Now that the memorandum of understanding has been signed, the Corps needs to move into the next phase of planning, which would require a non-federal sponsor (Calaveras County). However, a congressional moratorium, in place after the Corps was inundated with projects several years ago, bans the Corps from entering into any agreement with a non-federal sponsor.
“We’re still in limbo on that,” Andres said, adding that lobbyists are at work to get a waiver in this case. “We’re very confident... we should get this waiver.”
The second phase of the Cosgrove Creek plan includes feasibility studies and preliminary design work, which will be funded 50/50 local and federal funding. The third phase, construction, will be two-thirds federal funding and one-third local.
“It’s a pretty big benefit to the community with the federal money coming in,” Andres said.
The memorandum will now go to the county Board of Supervisors for approval.
The directors also began review and discussion of the preliminary 2007-08 budget. Rudy Hernandez, finance director, gave a presentation to the board outlining the main budget components. One of the big things the CCWD budget will do differently this year is to allocate money to reserve funds, including emergency, post-retirement benefits, water rights projects and special projects reserves, totaling more than $7 million. The reason for this is that the state faces a severe budget deficit over the next few years and, by allocating reserve funds, CCWD may avoid the state taking its reserve money.
The budget also allocated money to fund nine new CCWD positions: a three-person construction crew, two collections systems workers, a deputy director, safety training officer, personnel analyst, and water conservation coordinator.
Contact Krissi Krob at kkrob@calaverasenterprise.com.
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LOWER MOKELUMNE RIVER
Don't waste the water
Excess Mokelumne River flows should be saved for San Joaquin County
The Record -- Editorial
June 14, 2007
There could come a time when San Joaquin County residents will consider June 2007 as a very pivotal period.
The county that helps convey so much water for so many others needs more of its own.
Two months ago, it looked as if a 17-year effort to access and store more Mokelumne River water had failed.
State Water Resources Control Board officials had canceled a request from San Joaquin County representatives. Case closed.
Last week, California officials changed their mind and reversed the earlier decision.
Local persistence made the difference. The hard work of state Sen. Michael Machado, D-Linden, Ed Steffani, general manager of the North San Joaquin Water Conservation District, and Kevin Kauffman, general manager of the Stockton East Water District, got results.
The coordinated local effort is encouraging - and a prime example of what can be accomplished when leaders in our county work together.
Maybe state officials finally have realized they were partly to blame for the long delay.
The importance of obtaining Mokelumne River rights - even if only in overflow years - can't be overstated. There simply isn't that much fresh water left in California.
San Joaquin County, where the population is expected to reach 1.8 million by 2040, is going to need increasing amounts of water.
Here's how the deal works:
The East Bay Municipal Utility District takes most of the river's flow for its 1.3 million customers.
However, its full allocation rarely is used and, in wet years, much of the river's water flows into the Pacific Ocean.
If San Joaquin County officials get approval for the overflow rights, they'll begin examining construction of a $400 million above-ground storage facility, Duck Creek Reservoir, on the eastern side of the county.
So far, state officials merely have indicated it's OK for the county's bid to remain.
Without that decision, however, local access to Mokelumne water might have been prohibited for the foreseeable future.
"It's huge," said Mel Lytle, water resources coordinator for the county. "We can't afford to lose a single drop of this water we're fighting to preserve."
This was a step in the right direction.
If it leads to state approval of San Joaquin County's request, June 2007 might wind up being the pivotal month for guaranteeing a bigger - and very vital - water supply.
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A Secret River
With kayaks and a spirit of discovery, a reporter and photographer team brave snags, spills and sunburn to find the spirit of the Mokelumne
Lodi News-Sentinel
By Matt Brown
June 16, 2007
For a slideshow of photos taken on this trip, see http://www.lodinews.com/slideshow/river/RIVERTRIP.html
The river seems endless.
After eight hours in a kayak, my arms burn with every stroke of the paddle.
For the last few miles, we have seen little new.
The Mokelumne here is a stagnant olive highway lined with stately oaks and a tangle of blackberry briars. The monotony is broken only by an occasional duck flapping overhead.
We turn yet another oxbow in the river and it appears.
A fire pit.
We silently beach the kayaks and creep on shore like a pair of curious Miwok Indians discovering a pioneer encampment.
More signs of life: A fishing line. A shoe. A bike.
As we crest a berm at the top of the bank, we chance upon the owner of this hidden habitation. He has a billowing beard.
And a large knife.
It begins as just a trickle of snowmelt high in the Sierra. It ends, 160 miles away, in the watery maze of the San Joaquin Delta. Along the way, the Mokelumne River floats lazily past Lodi. On its course to the Delta, the river provides power, water and recreation for millions. A Miwok name meaning "people of the fishnet," the Mokelumne remains a river of life, teeming with salmon, trout and other fish.
See a complete photo slideshow of this feature.There are only seven places on the 60-mile stretch through San Joaquin County where a law-abiding citizen can dip his feet into the cool river water without trespassing on private land.
For many in the Lodi area, the Mokelumne is truly a question mark.
News-Sentinel photographer Brian Feulner and I recently paddled the entire lower Mokelumne River from Camanche Dam to the mouth to explore the river between the few parks and bridges that reveal the waterway to the public.
On our three-day kayak odyssey, floating in motorless boats in the quiet of dawn, we surprised deer, coyotes and otters who could not hear our stealthy advances.
We discovered a river that many people will never see — the hidden Mokelumne.
Day 1 — Slums and palaces
At 6:30 a.m., the sun is just rising over Camanche Dam as we pull into the Mokelumne River Fish Hatchery parking lot.
Before East Bay Municipal Utility District built the Camanche and Pardee dams, the river here was wild and flooded annually.
Now it is only as fierce or tame as the district's hydrographers allow.
We heft our kayaks through the hatchery property to the edge of the river. After this spot, there is only one public access point until Lodi, 25 miles away.
We put in a few feet from the fish ladder at the point where the churning water flows out of the massive dam looming above. We suck in the fresh, crisp morning air scented with oak. I slide my sleek red Dagger into the cold water.
We listen to the water as it tumbles over yellow stones in the shallow river bottom. It is a peaceful sound, drowning out all thoughts. The swift current dislodges our boats from shore.
We begin the journey.
Floating on this river for the first time is invigorating. It is also a little scary. I do not know what awaits around the next bend, but I am excited to explore the unknown.
For the first three miles, the river is full of playful rapids and blackberry bush-lined banks. The speedy current takes me from rock to rock and I am forced to paddle hard to stay away from treacherous downed trees in the river.
"Watch out for that log," Brian yells back to me over the noisy river.
"What log?" I yell back as I hit the underwater snag and nearly capsize.
Ron Geiszler, who is homeless, packs up his camp alongside the river. Geiszler fishes the river for food and bathes in it to keep clean. (News-Sentinel file photo)Vultures eye our floating expedition from woody perches. White egrets stand stoically on downed driftwood. A duck buzzes over our heads in a beeline down river like a flyby from an F-16. Black angus cows peer down on us from raised banks.
After an hour, we pass under the Highway 88 bridge. An hour later, we pull into Stillman Magee Regional Park at Macville Road.
Stillman Magee is popular with rafters and anglers because it is the only river access between Camanche and Lodi Lake.
Frank Densmore has seen them all. The 72-year-old park caretaker lives with his wife in a small trailer on the river. He dresses casually in T-shirts and baseball caps. His face is rough with stubble. Densmore says as many as 5,000 people use the park and enjoy the river on hot summer weekends.
Last fall, construction company George Reed, Inc. submitted a proposal to the county to turn the park into a gravel mine. Next door to the park, the company's earthmovers have turned the riverside into an excavation. Pits scar the landscape. Piles of rock dot the property.
This will be the scene at Stillman Magee for at least three years if George Reed takes over.
Densmore says shutting out the public here would be unfortunate.
"If you take the access to the river, you are taking away from the whole community," he says. "This is really a secret river. It's well worth seeing and well worth saving."
Below the park, the river slows. The lazy river is completely still — a sheet of green glass.
As we propel our boats in a silent rhythm, something on shore catches my eye. A cross. A closer investigation reveals that it is a memorial.
A few dead flowers and a rosary drape the faded wood. An inscription carved into the cross reads, "RIP Alfredo Romero 1985-2003."
West of the Highway 99 bridge, mansions spring up along the Mokelumne River and continue along the banks to Lodi Lake. (Brian Feulner/News-Sentinel)Romero was a Galt High School senior. Born in Sacramento, he spent most of his 17 years in Mexico. He was described by friends as a joker who smiled a lot, although he could also be very serious and shy.
He was also, sadly, a poor swimmer.
On Sept. 1, 2003, Romero and four friends went to Stillman Magee Park to cool off in the river. He was last seen alive drifting away from the Macville Road bridge in the middle of the river, and his body was recovered by Sheriff's divers in 11 feet of water.
The cross is a reminder of how dangerous the river can be. During years with heavy rain, the rushing waterway becomes unsafe and county officials close the river entirely to the public. Fortunately for us, it has been a dry year.
We pass under Elliot Road in Lockeford and see our first coyote lurking among the thick bushes and oaks along the banks. We also spot a school of trout in the calm green water, and we startle a great blue heron.
The heron is a massive bird with a long neck. In flight, it resembles a pterodactyl.
As the day wears on, the sun heats up. I am sucking hard on my Camelbak water pouch. We stop for a quick peanut butter and jelly sandwich and Brian lathers his bright red arms with a thick layer of sunscreen.
The river begins to look inviting, but I'm not planning on taking a dip — until I hit a submerged log. My craft begins to tip and fill with water. It feels like slow motion and I can do nothing to stop the increasing flood from gathering in by boat. Finally, I spill out into a swirl of foam and debris at the base of a snag. The cold water is both shocking and invigorating.
My gear floats away.
I manage to madly grasp most of my things and swim to a fallen tree trunk in the middle of the river. Only my $10 sunglasses get away from me.
Flotsam for the river gods.
Perched on an ant-covered tree trunk in the middle of the river, holding on to my waterlogged kayak, it takes 20 minutes to bail water out of my vessel before we are moving on the river again.
It's hard to imagine, but steamboats plied these waters from San Francisco to Lockeford during the gold rush. Somewhere in this section of the river, the steamer Pert sank in the 1860s. We peer into the murky water as we float by looking for remnants of the sunken ship.
All we can see, though, is the skeleton of a discarded Jeep.
In the afternoon, we pass under Bruella Road near Victor and come upon Ryan Lane and his golden retriever, Sunny, sitting in a tree in the middle of the river. The 26-year-old from Victor wears green shorts and no shirt, revealing a tattoo armband on his right bicep.
He is an account rep for Visa, but he is taking a long lunch to play in the river. He grew up near the Mokelumne and loves the refreshing solitude of a cool dip in the river. He says he comes down here for a swim every other day. To get to the river's edge, he has to cross through vineyards but says that the landowners don't mind.
"They're all cool. They don't care at all. I wave to them when I go by," he says before diving into the river and vanishing.
When he reappears on shore, we are already downstream.
Floating under the California Traction railroad tracks, it feels like we are getting close to Lodi.
We pass a sandy flat with a few burnt logs in a fire pit. Pulling off to check out this camp site, we find Ron Geiszler waking up from a nap.
The homeless man has long hair and a gray and brown beard down to his chest. He wears tattered jeans, no shoes or shirt, and his round belly is red and cracking from the sun. He has a hunting knife clipped to his belt.
He invites us over to chat as he rolls his sleeping bag.
Geiszler has been living along the river on and off for years, since he lost his job at the Pacific Coast Producers cannery in Lodi after getting injured. He collects disability and probably could afford cheap housing.
The 50-year-old says he prefers living here on the river.
"You can get up and take a bath," he says. "You always have water. Plus, there is always fish to eat."
Geiszler averages a trout a day. He says landowners where he camps have never given him problems and if other drifters are there, he camps somewhere else.
He has to leave now, he says, to ride his bike into Lodi and buy bait for his fishing line.
This river denizen prefers to be alone. We shove off.
At 4 p.m., we paddle under Highway 99. We are into Lodi proper now.
Here, the river snakes past some of the priciest homes in the county. These million-dollar mansions have private beaches. Some have fancy gazebos. Most have boat docks. This "Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous" neighborhood just downriver from the homeless camp is in a secluded slice of Lodi that most people will never see.
Paddling hard now, we sense we are almost home. Teenagers in rafts are out for a lazy float with a cooler and a stereo.
"Where are you going?" one of them asks.
"Lodi Lake," Brian says.
"Where have you come from?" he asks.
"Camanche Dam," Brian says.
"Wow. That's a long day," the teen says. "Are you going back?"
We laugh and continue slicing at the water with our paddles.
Stroke. Stroke. Stroke.
Finally, as we round another countless oxbow in the river, we come into Lodi Lake, tired and weary, 10 hours after we left.
Day 2 — Golf balls and trout
The morning sun sparkles on the choppy water spilling over the Woodbridge Irrigation District Dam. We board our boats a bit stiff from yesterday's efforts. We are excited to see a new part of the secret river. After the Woodbridge Regional Park, the next public access to the Mokelumne is in the Delta. So this section of the river is seldom seen except by the farmers who till its banks.
At 7 a.m., the river here is absolutely still and peaceful, the solitude broken only by the distant drone of a lawnmower manicuring the greens at the Woodbridge Golf and Country Club.
We peer down, through the water, and see small orbs.
Golf balls. The result of errant tee shots.
The river here is choked with downed trees and snags. Fish and Game officials like these trees. They provide a rich habitat for steelhead, bass and other fish.
Farmers, however, think differently. When trees fall, they take part of the levees with them. Besides making it difficult for recreational boaters to pass, the fallen trees collect and funnel the river water toward the banks, eroding the levees.
For landowners, removing one problematic tree involves pages of governmental applications and at least a $1,000 fee. Farmers think this wild river should be tamed and have called for more maintenance on the Mokelumne and its banks.
At an elbow in the river, we gaze forward to a stunning vision: A sprawling Mediterranean-style villa. It has beige walls and an orange-tiled roof. Large arching windows provide views straight down the Mokelumne. The landscaped backyard is terraced in three layers. There is a patio with ornate iron railings and lanterns. No one is visible here, in the riverside palace.
We drift silently past the estate, surely among the most magnificent — and secluded — homes in San Joaquin County.
Continuing into the heat of the day, we pass the confluence of the Mokelumne and the Cosumnes River at the Cosumnes Preserve. We glide under noisy Interstate 5 and the river widens and speed boats begin to fly past us, kicking up foamy wakes. Another five miles of flat water paddling and we finally reach our destination at New Hope Landing, a flotilla of house boats near Walnut Grove, where we land our kayaks at a restaurant called Wimpy's.
Day 3 — Yachts and otters
Two straight days of paddling have left my arms screaming and I look forward to the morning paddle to loosen up. The river here is wide and treeless — not the lush, hidden river of the last two days — but I am still excited to be back on the water.
We start at dawn again in hopes of finishing before the heat of the afternoon. The only other people on the river at this hour are a few fishermen trying to hook a striped bass.
The Mokelumne splits into two branches for 10 miles, circling a large tract of farmland known as Staten Island.
We take the north branch. The river widens to about 200 feet and the banks are treeless and rocky levees slope 15 feet above the water line.
To break the monotony, we scramble up a levee and peer down on Staten Island. We see endless rows of green corn sprouting for miles toward the horizon and a small farmhouse in the distance. This 9,200-acre island is owned by the Nature Conservancy. In the winter, it is an important habitat for more than 120 species of birds, including Sandhill Cranes and the threatened Swainson's Hawk. Now it is an emerald sea to be turned into feed for local livestock.
We return to the dull-flat section of river.
Then, suddenly, a head pops up.
And then another.
And another.
Soon, eight river otters are bobbing up and down, their wet, furry, whiskered heads glistening in the morning sun. These playful creatures live all over North America, including up and down the Mokelumne. They eat fish, small animals and birds.
We track the family of curious river otters as they swim just ahead of our boats. Then, as quickly as they appeared, they vanish into the gray water.
The river here in the Delta is swayed by ocean tides. By mid-morning, the tide is muscling against us and we have to paddle hard just to keep from being taken back upriver. This, combined with a strong headwind and choppy water, make for difficult paddling. Brian struggles to fight the current and keep up. My arms are weary now and aching.
Yachts the size of whales motor past us, sending giant wakes crashing over our dwarfed boats.
As we pass under the Highway 12 bridge, it begins to rotate to allow a tall ship to pass. I marvel at this feat of engineering — a 600-foot roadway spinning silently on a huge gear until it is parallel with the river.
Now, with only three miles to go until journey's end, we decide to explore some of the first wilderness we have seen on the river in a long time. We carve through a patch of tall reeds and find a micro-world. A hidden pond full of lily pads, bull frogs and ducks far removed from the noisy jet-ski playground on the other side of the reeds.
We relax a moment, then paddle on. Wending through a tangle of reeds, we come out at Pirate's Lair, a resort at the river's mouth. We paddle through boat docks in the harbor for another mile before the Mokelumne unceremoniously ends, spitting us out into the half-mile wide San Joaquin River. Exhausted, we stagger onto a beach on a small island at the confluence of the two rivers.
We share a celebratory bag of trail mix.
I am tired but also elated by our achievement — traveling the entire 60-mile lower Mokelumne. I am also a bit sad. Over the last three days, the river has become my home and I loathe the thought of having to go back to the office on Monday.
I look wistfully down the San Joaquin River and contemplate continuing. In a few more hours, I could be at the confluence of the Sacramento River.
Why stop there?
I could continue on to Antioch and Vallejo.
Why not keep paddling into San Francisco Bay, under the Golden Gate Bridge and into the Pacific Ocean? I could become like the vagabond we met camping along the shore, moving with the flow of the river.
A large yacht roars past and I am nudged from my reverie.
Our journey this day is over.
The river will flow through me forever.
Contact reporter Matt Brown at mattb@lodinews.com.
+ +++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Old days on The Mighty River
Early pioneers used steamboats on Mokelumne to Lockeford
Lodi News-Sentinel
By Matt Brown
June 16, 2007
Comments (No comments posted.)
Before man sought to harness the river with dams and levees, the mighty Mokelumne was a much different beast than the narrow, nearly evaporated waterway of today.
An unbridled torrent of water gushed out of the Sierra Nevada into the Central Valley, leaving the land from Clements to the Delta prone to seasonal floods.
In the 1860s, when steamboats were king of California's waterways, two San Joaquin County pioneers — Jeremiah Woods and Dr. Dean J. Locke — looked to capitalize on trade up the Mokelumne River. The steamboat industry spawned a rivalry and would pit two burgeoning towns against each other for control of the waterway.
Woods, the founder of Woodbridge, was a shrewd businessman prone to shady dealings. He was also a bit rough around the edges and met his end after being stabbed in a bar fight.
Locke, who founded Lockeford, was Woods' polar opposite. A religious man, Locke took pride in his education.
"You could tell a Locke from a mile away, but when he got up to you, you couldn't tell him a thing," local historian Ralph Lea said.
In 1861 and 1862, floods swelled the Mokelumne's banks and San Joaquin County was a giant lake. Roads and rail lines were wiped out, effectively choking major supply routes for gold miners in the foothills. Woods' toll bridge at the fledgling town of Woodbridge was destroyed.
"The water was deep enough to go over modern day Elliott Road," Lockeford Historical Society president Gary Gordon said.
The river was at least 12 feet deep and a half-mile wide, Gordon said.
Locke hoped to make his town the head of river navigation between San Francisco and the mines. He commissioned a steamship, the Fanny Ann, to travel up the Mokelumne from San Francisco to Lockeford in February 1862.
"It was the first steamship to travel that far east on the river," Lea said.
When the boat reached Woodbridge, the calculating Woods convinced the captain that the river ahead was unnavigable and persuaded him to stop and unload his cargo.
"Woods wanted his town to be the farthest any steamer could travel so it would be the head of navigation and the transportation center of the region," Lea said.
Not to be outdone, Locke went back to San Francisco, hired another boat called the Pert, and told the captain he would be paid only upon reaching Lockeford.
Old drawings of the Pert show that it was small for riverboats of the time — about 100 feet long. It had a paddle wheel on the back, a wheel house for the captain and a single smoke stack, which gave off black smoke from burning oak wood.
Lea said the Pert was loaded with 50 tons of freight and 60 passengers. On April 5, 1862, the ship sailed up the Mokelumne past Woodbridge and docked at Lockeford.
"The deed is done," Locke's wife, Delia Locke, wrote in her diary. "We no longer say a steamboat can come up the Mokelumne to Lockeford. She has arrived!"
The "port" of Lockeford was located near present day Elliot Road, Gordon said.
"The boats had gang planks that they could pull onto shore," he said. "Or perhaps there was a small wooden platform there — nothing expansive."
Locke organized the Mokelumne Steam Navigation Company, which plied the river with three steamers for the next three years. Gordon speculated that supplies for the mines and stores in Lockeford were shipped upriver. The boats went back downriver with produce from Lockeford's farms to sell in San Francisco. On one occasion, a steamboat made it as far east as Clements, Gordon said.
By 1865, the river had returned to its normal level and was beginning to become choked with debris. This, combined with the dwindling of mining operations and the rise of the railroads, made the steam liner company unprofitable.
Lea said Locke sold the Pert in 1865 to cover his debts, but no source mentions when the last steamer made its way to Lockeford.
After the Pert was sold, it hit a snag and sank near the site of today's Tretheway Road, according to Lea. Some of the machinery was salvaged and most of the rest of the boat has disintegrated over time.
The wheelhouse could still be seen sticking out of the water up until the 1930s, according to Gordon. Now however, the Pert, along with the dreams of steamboat navigation on the river, are buried in the thick mud at the bottom of the Mokelumne.
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