Water Event in the north bay

Hey... A new way to help your local fish!

Check it out...

Continuing drought and probable flow reductions in the Russian River have left us in the middle of a “water crisis!”

Lack of water will greatly affect our drinking water supplies and endangered salmon such as Coho.

Come learn how to test stream flow at The First Saturday Cleanup on June 6th at the Pierson Street Bridge on Santa Rosa Creek at 10 am! So we can keep ourselves and local government aware of exactly how our watersheds are doing! This information will help guide our daily water use and will help agencies make informed decisions regarding water policy.

This training is part of First Saturday Cleanup (FSC), which is a great mentoring and stewardship program where youth of Chops Teen Center work with the community in cleaning up Santa Rosa Creek. The teens and supervising adults pick up trash, plant native vegetation, and remove graffiti. We will conclude the training and cleanup with a potluck lunch, so bring your favorite dish to share. For more info about FSC visit http://www.firstsaturdaycleanup.org/index.php

This will be the first of many presentations and workshops hosted by Community Clean Water Institute thanks to the Royal Bank of Canada’s Blue Water Project! Check them out at http://www.rbc.com/donations/blue-water.html

For a list of upcoming workshops and events go to http://www.ccwi.org/events.html

Dead zones for Salmon streams in sonoma county

Water report from CCWI.org, it's bad news for salmon fishermen in the north coast!

Today, a CCWI volunteer found extremely low dissolved oxygen levels in 3 of the 4 sites they tested.

On the table below you can see these low levels in red font;

sorry table will not display... see map instead.

Low Dissolved Oxygen / Organic Enrichment: Dissolved oxygen is a basic requirement for a healthy aquatic ecosystem. Most fish and beneficial aquatic insects "breathe" oxygen dissolved in the water column. Some fish and aquatic organisms (such as carp and sludge worms) are adapted to low oxygen conditions, but most desirable fish species (such as trout and salmon) suffer if dissolved oxygen concentrations fall below 3 to 4 mg/L (3 to 4 milligrams of oxygen dissolved in 1 liter of water, or 3 to 4 parts of oxygen per million parts of water). Larvae and juvenile fish are more sensitive and require even higher concentrations of dissolved oxygen. Many fish and other aquatic organisms can recover from short periods of low dissolved oxygen availability. Prolonged episodes of depressed dissolved oxygen concentrations of 2 mg/L or less can result in "dead" waterbodies.

Laugh tracks

Disney laugh tracks, ever wonder why adults are laughing at a teen who tells a joke to his friend? On TV my daughter watches Disney... two kids tell a joke and the laugh track is... or sounds like adults responding to a sexual joke. Innuendo? How's my kid getting it? Is there an under lying message? Whow... I'm getting too paranoid. Oops, now she is watching Scrubs.

I was a teenager (13)... Kaptian Kangaroo... Bozo... Micky Mouse Club... Jonny Quest... and Daffey Duck!

Worlds

Best compliment to a nation is learning the language before your visit. A country is built on its spoken word and each has become a quality structure. Language may become the next social science studies requirement in middle school, along with community volunteer work.

If traveling to another world... the highest complement is to speak in the culture and experience it to the fullest.

Just thinkin...

CCWI.org... Your water and mine?

Take Action... Our Watershed is at risk!

Below are some of the things you can do to take action to protect your watershed.

Complaints and Comments

You can write a letter to a public agency or to decision makers and help affect water policy. CCWI responds to complaints of water pollution and water quality degradation. Click here to go to the Complaints page to see CCWI's recent comments to agencies or organizations which make decisions affecting water quality.

Have you detected water contamination, pollution, or other problems in your area? Click here for the CCWI Water Pollution Complaint Form. Remember to take lots of photos, and to call CCWI or an enforcement agency right away.

Water Quality Monitoring

Become a Citizen Monitor. Find out more here.

Climate Change

What can you do about climate change?

1) Educate yourself about the issue.

Climate change is a very complex topic. The science and politics involved reach from the North Pole to the car you drive.

New- Go see "An Inconvenient Truth"- A documentary movie about climate change featuring Al Gore, who travels across America describing the threat of global warming and how to address it. The film starts the weekend of June 2nd and runs through June 8th at the Rialto theater in Santa Rosa. Visit the information table on opening weekend sponsored by the Climate Protection Campaign and CCWI. Community Clean Water Institute, the Climate Protection Campaign, the Sierra Club, and Solar Sebastopol will have a table in the lobby after the film, where you can learn more about what we are doing locally to reduce green house gas emissions and take action, including endorsing Sonoma's community target for greenhouse gas emissions reduction of 25% below 1990 levels by 2015. For more information, check www.climatecrisis.net.
For more information on local showings contact the Rialto Cinemas Lakeside 707-539-9771 at 551 Summerfield Road, Santa Rosa.

News: Katrina and Climate Change

Here are some links to find out more about climate change:
The Climate Protection Campaign's Climate 101 page
ICLEI-Local Governments for Sustainability: Cities for Climate Protection
Union of Concerned Scientists: About Global Warming

2) Make individual choices

Here are a few effective consumer choices you can make to reduce your use of fossil fuels: 1) Buy a fuel efficient or hybrid car (the Toyota Prius gets ~50 mpg), 2) plant a native plant garden instead of a lawn and use low flow shower heads and toilets, 3) insulate your house better with double pane windows and buy Energy Star appliances, 4) donate money to groups like CCWI that work on this issue. OK, that was easy, now check out the Big Picture Solutions.

3) Talk to people, form a group, join a group, lobby for change!

In 2001, two concerned citizens (just like you) decided to get every city in Sonoma County to pass resolutions to quantify and reduce their greenhouse gas emissions. You can do the same in your city and county. Once all the cities had passed the resolution, they approached the regional air quality district to include them in the regional effort. Citizens can be the wind driving the ship of government.

4) Big Picture Solutions

Climate change is a big problem, and here are some big picture solutions, including Contraction and Convergence, and Individual Emissions Entitlements. Click here.

Groundwater

This page contains information on groundwater. For more publications, click "Current Issues" above, and go to "Data" or the topic you are looking for (Example: "First Flush").

Well factsheets:

A critique of the Kleinfelder Report can be found at owlfoundation.net (click here)
The Kleinfelder Report- Groundwater study including Joy Road. (pdf on the County PRMD website)

How to find out about your well:

1. Research Existing Information

Property owners have access to the Well Driller's Report, also called the 'well log'. The well log describes the types of soil and rock the driller found when the well was drilled, the approximate yield of the well at that time, and at what level the pump or intake was installed. The report should be on file with the County Permit and Resource Management Department.

If you are concerned about pesticide use in your area, you can request to review records at the County Agricultural Commissioner's office (707) 565-2371. Commercial and agricultural applicators of pesticides must file monthly pesticide use reports with the Commissioner. Private homeowners do not. For health and safety information on a specific chemical or pesticide, ask the Commissioner's Office, local retailers, or the company which is using the chemical, for a Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS).

If there are any small water districts in the area also using wells then there will be quarterly monitoring submitted to the state which can be helpful in focusing the
analytical testing list. You can call your local water district, and ask if this information is available. The State Water Quality Control Board has a regional office in Santa Rosa (Region 1), with records open to the public. The State Water Resources Control Board is in Sacramento. Both websites are www.swrcb.ca.gov.

2. Perform a Basic Quantity Test on your Well

CCWI has a well monitoring fact sheet which explains how to do simple tests such as depth and recharge, to measure water quantity. CCWI has a fisherscope, and can assist with the water quantity test.

3. Hire a Lab/ Do Chemical Tests

To do your own tests, you may hire a local water testing laboratory. There are several in the phone book. Local companies which test well water queality include Analytical Sciences, Inc. based in Petaluma (707) 769-3128, and Brelje & Race (707) 544-8807. The County of Sonoma will test for bacteria only, for $20. You must go to their office in Santa Rosa to obtain collection jars, and can expect results in a few days. The Department of Health Services Laboratory phone number is (707) 565-4711.

For further testing, look to private companies such as National Testing Laboratories, Ltd. They perform tests on 75 to 95 parameters including pesticides, metals, and inorganics:
WATERCHECK broad spectrum of 75 contaminants: $125
WATERCHECK WITH PESTICIDE (20 pesticides, herbicides, PCB): $155
WATERTEST for 33 contaminants for municipal water users: $85
Contact: www.watercheck.com (800) 458-3330

What to do about a Contaminated Well

Step 1: Water Testing
Only a laboratory test can tell you the quantity of a contaminant actually present. Knowing what's in your water will help decide which filtering method to select. Testing should always be done by a reputable or certified laboratory. Local private companies such as Analytical Sciences, Inc. (707-769-3128) of Petaluma, and Brelje & Race (707-544-8807) of Santa Rosa perform well water testing. A national company, National Testing Laboratories, Ltd. performs tests on 75 to 95 parameters including pesticides, metals, and inorganics for $125:
WATERCHECK WITH PESTICIDE (20 pesticides, herbicides, PCB): $155
WATERTEST for 33 contaminants for municipal water users: $85
Contact: www.watercheck.com (800) 458-3330

Step 2: Filtration

Activated Carbon (AC) AC filtration is recognized by the Water Quality Association as an acceptable method to maintain certain drinking water contaminants within the limits of the EPA National Drinking Water Standards. Trihalomethanes, benzene, PCB, industrial solvents, and pesticides are some of the chemicals removed.*

Activated Carbon Filter Options:

Counter top ("Brita"): Not sufficient; removes less than 50% of chemicals

Under the Sink (point of use): These relatively inexpensive ($100-$400) systems are very effective in cleaning the water at your kitchen sink. They do need cartridge changes every 3-6 months, and do not clean your bathing or irrigation water. Therefore, these systems are best for households looking for peace of mind in safeguarding against trace chemicals or future contamination. It is still important to regularly test your water. The State certifies these units for health claims, check out a list or products at dhs dot gov. 

Whole-house (point of entry): These will clean all the water coming into your home. There are no CA certified filters for the entire house. Uncertified filters are however available at reasonable cost ($150-$500), at places like Home Depot. Low demand for such filters has kept manufacturers from investing in the costly certification process, so homeowners can not use State safeguards as guidance for choosing a good brand.

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Dry Farming Wine Grapes

Dry farming wine grapes saves our well water? After ripping out the apple trees... Why are the local land owners (Blutcher Creek area) using so much well water to irragate the grapes? Not to mention the chemicals to sterilize the earth.

The work horses and carts are long gone. But these old zin vines at Kunde Estate in Sonoma County still get their water the old fashioned way, from rain, dew and a deep root system.

They call it "dry farming," which is what agriculture used to be before plastic hoses hooked up to a water supply made deserts bloom. A few vintners are returning to it. (Oh my god!!! Can we please turn up the volume?)

They are driven by concerns over dwindling water supplies, the belief it produces more intensely flavored fruit, and, in Kunde's case, by a desire to return to old traditions.

"What you find out is grape vines are incredibly adaptable," said Thomas.

Wine grapes are grown without artificial irrigation in parts of the world such as Spain and France, where some regions have laws forbidding use of irrigation, said Robert Wample, chair of the viticulture and enology at California State University, Fresno.

Dry farming in California is unusual, although there is a trend toward using less water.

"We're learning to be much more precise early in the growing season so we can control the vegetative growth, minimize the total water consumption and then follow that with good management practices," he said.

Less water means more intensely flavored grapes and wines; too little water leads to raisins.

Wample, who has studied irrigation techniques for years, sees irrigation as a useful tool in the winegrower's arsenal, although he agrees careful water management is critical because of concerns about climate change.

"The challenge is understanding how to best utilize water as a management tool," he said.

Dry farming starts before the vines are planted, said John Williams, founder and winemaker at the Frog's Leap winery in the Napa Valley and a champion of dry farming.

Farming dry means more than just not irrigating, Williams said. "It's an active form of preserving moisture in the ground so you don't need to irrigate."

That turns out to involve getting up close and personal with dirt as fields are carefully cultivated, mulched and kept under close scrutiny.

"Oh, it's filthy, dirty work," Williams said with a rueful laugh. The reward, he believes, "is wines much more deeply connected to the soil, wines much fuller in flavor."

Thomas says dry farming is also about connecting to the past.