August 19th - Learn How to Save the Mokelumne River from More Dams at the Historic Hotel Leger

No more dams = less water for Calaveras/Amador

Less water = less potential revenues and less control over the water that generates in our area

Amador/Calaveras has fallen asleep at the wheel as to "tap" this valuable resource that simply flows to the bay area

How much revenue do river users generate?

What is the percentage of local usage on a daily, monthly, yearly basis?

What is the cost benefit to the local economy for no dams vs. dams?

Ask these and other questions at the meeting. But hey, who cares after a free martini or two? A show of hands at that point will surely show support for a free and wild river.

-- Ray Waller

The Mokelumne River is a valuable resource for our counties as a wild and scenic river. If we dam, gather, rent, sell, or otherwise transform all our beautiful environmental resources into money-making organisms, what will we have left? A planet of factories pumping out energy for our lights and gadgets?

Leave the river alone. Let what’s left of the fish and the rocks exist. Tread lightly on this rare and magnificent ecosystem. Take time to stand by and soak up the beauty of its rushing water.

Some will say the river is already dammed, power planted, re-routed, consumed by East Bay Municipal Utility District, etc. Another dam will not do that much damage especially when weighed against the potential resource gain. We humans have the skills and the power to choose to consume less. The river deserves our respect and our self control. Leave it alone.

I was there on the Stanislaus river in 1973. Camped along the only remaining white water river strech in California. We had signs, posters, people -- all trying to save the river. "Save The River" said my poster. We were trying to save it from the construction of the New Melones dam and the resulting reservoir. We lost. After the lake was filled we lost historic sites, the white water river, and the heritage of the area. All for the sake of water.

Dams effectively create vast reservoirs as lakes, some of which last but half a century. The silt from the rivers fill the dam sites to the point that a fraction of the water can then be stored behind the concrete walls. The point of the dam eventually becomes moot.

The Calavaras dam replacement will no doubt do the same thing and we shall lose the Calavaras river. While sacrificing the river by the people upstream, the dam will provide water for the people now living downstream, yet for only a generation or two. Then the grandchildren and great grandchildren of both will have lost this river as well.

This is Douglas Westfall, historic publisher. I live in Orange, Cal. and am raising my grandchildren. We here get our water from wells -- not imported water from up north. Our old town is a square mile of historic trees, buildings, and the Santiago Creek which flows through Old Towne Orange. It is the third largest historic district in America. We here in Orange are all about preservation.

Oh, and I still have my poster. Best Regards, Douglas Westfall

I think there is a little bit of confusion over the topic here. This is a discussion about "Wild and Scenic River" designation for only 35 miles of the Mokelumne River. I hope Ray and other members of the community will come by the hotel to find out what this legislation could actually mean for the community as well as the region. I have asked Katherine Evatt, president of The Foothill Conservancy to log in here and give us the actual facts of this proposed legislation which has been endorsed by over 2000 individuals and over 100 local businesses.

If people have any questions they will have the opportunity to ask them at this event.

The Mokelumne river is already littered with damns. You don't have to be inebriated to think it is a good thing to want to save a small portion of this beautiful river.

I was part of the effort to save the Stanislaus from the damn at New Melones, as well. I have to say that the actual result of that damn and the permanent bathtub ring around the reservoir have been much more of a blight on that canyon than even we opponents could have imagined.

Local dam proponents tend to base their comments on speculation and assumptions. One assumption is that Amador and Calaveras would benefit from a new dam on the Mokelumne. Fact is, the most likely beneficiary of a new Mokelumne dam would be East Bay MUD or some other large urban water district that would destroy what's left of our river AND take the water. The five versions of Middle Bar Dam/New Pardee Dam proposed in the last 30+ years have NOT been intended to provide local benefits.

And where would Amador or Calaveras get the money to build a dam? No one's going to build it for us for free, even we like to think they might. Dams are very expensive, which is one reason so few are being built on California rivers today. Amador County spent millions on its proposed Devil's Nose Dam on the N. Fork Mokelumne in the 1990s, only to find it was financially infeasible. The price for water from a new dam, if one could be built and if water were available, would be very, very expensive, too -- way too high for agriculture. Large onstream river-destroying dams will never be affordable to small, rural counties.

The last study done of potential economic benefit from kayaking on the river, over a decade ago, was that with better facilities (now in place and coming), our counties would reap $1.2 million a year in economic benefit from kayakers alone. That didn't count revenue from whitewater rafting (in the works for Electra-Middle Bar), fishing, camping, rock climbing, hiking, birding, wildflower viewing, family picnics, or the many other recreational activities that attract visitors and their money to our river and our local businesses. More than 100 local businesses support the Wild and Scenic designation because they understand it's good for them and good for the economy as a whole.

Amador County can double in population on its existing water supply. Calaveras has huge room to grow on its water rights. But we only have a few segments of the Mokelumne left that are used and cherished by locals (every day), valuable for tourism, and important for their significant cultural and historical resources as well as the fish and wildlife habitat they provide. And only Wild and Scenic designation can protect property owners along the river from the threat of condemnation by large water agencies.

The Mokelumne already provides water for 1.4 million people and power for more than 125,000 homes. The Wild and Scenic designation wouldn't affect that at all, and it wouldn't affect Amador or Calaveras's existing water rights. It would simply ensure that the river we know, love, and enjoy today is here for generations to come.

Katherine Evatt
Volcano

Here are the basic facts about the proposed Wild and Scenic River designation for the Mokelumne River

National Wild and Scenic River designation for the Mokelumne River requires an act of Congress. The designation will allow continued use of the river for recreation, hydropower generation and water supply while ensuring that our beautiful river keeps flowing for people and wildlife.

• The Mokelumne has outstanding cultural and historical values, scenic beauty and high water quality
• About 37 river miles are eligible for designation, from Salt Springs Dam to the high pool of Pardee Reservoir, with gaps around the existing PG&E dams and diversions on the river.

National Wild and Scenic River designation will protect the Mokelumne’s free-flowing reaches. The designation:

• Protects the free-flowing river segments by barring new dams and diversions on the designated reaches
• Protects the river's cultural and historical resources, scenic beauty, and high water quality
• Allows continued access to and use of the river
• Keeps powerful outside water interests from building a dam or diversion on the designated sections. (Local governments would have no authority over a Mokelumne dam application.)
• Protects landowners along the river from the threat of condemnation for new dams and bars federal fee title condemnation
• Requires the managing agencies (U.S. Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management) to develop a management plan with public participation

For more information, maps, etc see the Foothill Conservancy's website.

Katherine Evatt
Foothill Conservancy

Appears that I have started a dialogue (albeit, one sided). There are, however, a few things to be pointed out in the responses presented. KKE says dam proponets use assumptions but then make numerous assumptions regarding the rest of their dissertation. KKE also quotes a "study" regarding kayak revenue but fails to cite the exact study. $1.2 mill from kayakers? That is $3287 per day, per year. Let me read the study for myself.

Mr. Westfall's response is interesting because he says in 1973 he was camping "along the only remaining white water river stretch in California". Really? The only one remaining? Please google "whitewater river California" for an update. Better yet call one of the many rafting companies in California. As for the dams built that last for "only a generation or two", again no specific examples cited. Numerous dams in NORCAL are either past this age or approaching it, so I'll be keenly interested in which ones. Once again, please don't throw out statements without backup and assume everybody takes them as fact.

My point in making my original post is that water is the only true commodity. We cannot live without it and if we want to ensure future generations of a certain quality of life, we need to look at all sides of the issue and determine whether Amador or Calaveras can benefit in any way. Then and only then, if a majority of responsible people and businesses make the informed decision for a Designation, so be it. See ya Thursday