Central Sierra Watershed Management Committee
 
TABLE OF CONTENTS

Agenda

Meeting Dates

Minutes - Central Sierra Watershed  

Overview

Planning 1997 - 2002

Planning 4-28-2004 

For additional information on three watershed assessments in our local foothills, click on the link below: 

Chowchilla-Red Top Resource Conservation District
http://www.cfwatershed.org/

  

Articles by the Central Sierra Watershed Management Committee
These articles are in .pdf format

Fifty Ways to Save Water Noxious Weeds
Air Pollution Fractured Rock and Hydrologic Cycle Diagrams
Drip Irrigation in your Garden Water Saving Tips for home and business
Drought Tolerant Plants  Septic Systems
Erosion and Sediment Control Dirty Water
Fire Safe - Fire Clearance Yellow Star Thistle
Meeting Dates

The CSWC meet on the last Wednesday of each month 9:00 a.m.

Sierra Ambulance Bldg -  40755 Winding Way, Oakhurst, California
(Take a right at Yarn Barn – off of Highway 41 - the North end of town next door to Oakhurst Veterinary)

Please mark your  2009 calendars

January 28, 2009
February 25, 2009
March 25, 2009
April 29, 2009
May 27, 2009
June 24, 200
9
July 29, 2009
August 26, 2009
September 30, 2009
October 28, 2009
Nov./Dec. combined on 
December 9, 200
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Agenda  

CENTRAL SIERRA WATERSHED COMMITTEE

Wednesday, June 24, 2009

MEETING NOTICE & AGENDA
Sierra Ambulance Bldg (Take a right at the Yarn Barn)
40755 Winding Way, Oakhurst, California

Coordinator/Facilitator:  Jeannie Habben 

1.              Introductions

2.              Mission Statement

3.              Review of Minutes/Agenda

4.              Updates, Handouts & Extra Information for Committee

Public Comment 

 5.       Project Updates

q       Chowchilla/Fresno Watershed – Jeannie Habben

q       Coarsegold Resource Conservation District – Larry Ballew

q       Integrated Regional Water Management Plan –  Leona Montalvo

q       Madera County Water Advisory Commission – John Reed

q       Southern Sierra Integrated Regional Water Management Plan – Elissa Brown

q       Upper Fresno River Watershed Assessment – Elissa Brown

q       Upper Merced River Watershed – Connie Nielson

q       Upper San Joaquin River Stewardship Council & Assessment – Steve Haze

q       Yosemite/Sequoia Resource Conservation & Development – Robyn Smith 

         6.      Pending Grants & Grant Proposals              

7.      Legislative/Regulatory Updates

  8.    Adjourn

          Next Meeting: July 29, 2009, 9:00 am to 12:00 noon 

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CENTRAL SIERRA WATERSHED COMMITTEE

Wednesday, May 27, 2009

MEETING MINUTES

9:00 AM                                    

Coordinator/Facilitator:  Jeannie Habben

 

1.              Introductions 9:07

John Reed– MC Water Advisory Comm.                       Jack Fry – Chowchilla Red Top RCD               

Chuck Leavitt – Oakhurst Com. Action                          Norman Kuhr – Chowchilla Red Top RCD

Dale Drozen – Demand Open Government                   Mary Motola – Picayune Rancheria

Geoff Anderson – Dept. of Water Resources                Steve Haze – Sierra RCD

Larry Ballew – Coarsegold RCD                                    Elissa Brown – Upper Fresno Watershed

Vong Her – Picayune Rancheria                                    Connie Nielsen – Upper Merced Watershed

Anne Steed – Upper Merced Watershed                       Sharon Wedro - SJVAPCD

Mandy Vance – Sierra Nevada Conservancy                Four Guests from Oakhurst Boy Scout Troop

Bethany Mills – CA Regional Water Quality Control Board

       Jeannie Habben – Chowchilla/Fresno River Watershed, Upper San Joaquin Watershed

2.              Mission Statement

Read by Connie N. 

3.              Review of Minutes/Agenda

                        All were accepted as presented. 

4.              Updates, Handouts & Extra Information for Committee

Public Comment

·         The California Association of Resource Conservation Districts of the San Joaquin Valley Area

Representing Resource Conservation Districts in the counties of Fresno, Kern, Kings, Madera, Merced and Tulare will be having their Spring 2009 Meeting on Friday May 29, 2009, -9:00 a.m.-3:00 p.m. at the

Home Grown Cellar; Lehman Family Farm in Madera.  There will be the general meeting followed by a trolley tour of the Pomegranate Farm.

·         There will be an Oakhurst River Parkway Clean-up this Saturday - June 6 starting at 9:00 AM.  We will be meeting at the Oakhurst Library Parking Lot. Bring your sunscreen and gloves; tools, trash bags, and water will be provided.

·         Elissa B stated she is looking for partners for a grant that she is working on for Abandoned Mines Assessment.  This is a coalition grant that requires three or more agencies to apply as partners.  These could be state or local agencies as well as tribes and will cover mines on private lands.  She is currently working with the Upper Merced Watershed group.

·         Sharon W stated that this may be her last meeting that she will be attending as management has changed at the SJVAPCD and they may feel that this is not an important expense.  A discussion on this took place and the board asked that a letter be written to SJVAPCD to explain the importance of having a representative attend CSWC meetings to continue the open communications between the members of CSWC and all agencies that are important in the watershed and with watershed issues.  Jeannie H will write the letter and send it to the management of SJVAPCD.

·         Riverdance Farms will be hosting their annual “The Pick and Gather at Riverdance Farms” on May 30 and 31.  There will be lots of displays, foods, activities, and entertainment.

·         SNAMP has two upcoming trainings:

·         The Sierra Nevada Adaptive Management Project will host a field trip with the University of California Science Team to share the forest health research being conducted by SNAMP. The field trip will take place near Oakhurst, California from 9:00 to 12:30 on May 28th (agenda and logistical information to follow). We plan to host a similar field trip near the northern SNAMP research site in Foresthill later in the summer.  Dr. John Battles, Professor of Forest Ecology at UC Berkeley and co-lead for the Fire and Forest Health Team will review the forest health research being conducted by the team and demonstrate data collection techniques in the field. The goal of the field trip is to famililiarize participants in SNAMP and other interested members of the public with forest health research methods.

·         You are invited to attend a workshop hosted by the University of California Spatial Science Team of the Sierra Nevada Adaptive Management Project on The Use of LiDAR in Forest Fuels Treatment Monitoring (with specific reference to the SNAMP study sites on the Sierra and Tahoe National Forests) on June 3, 2009 - FS Bass Lake District office, 57003 Road 225, North Fork, CA (559)877-2218.  The purpose of these workshops is to introduce LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) and other imagery technologies and to illustrate how they can be applied to forest management.

 5.       Upper Fresno River Watershed Assessment – Elissa Brown

Steve B and Luke W reported on their findings to date for the Upper Fresno River Watershed Assessment.  It is unlikely that funding will be canceled but no payments are in sight yet.  When the payments begin again, they are going to look for a six month extension for the project from the Department of Water Resources. Some of the tests being completed are: dissolved oxygen and microbial data (fecal indicators), water loss (Lewis Creek), and experiment sedimentation effects. 

Elissa B is asking for volunteers to write up informational descriptions for the Upper Fresno River Watershed Portal for the sub-watersheds.  She requested anyone who lives by one of the sub-watersheds on the Upper Fresno River please contact her. 

 6.       Project Updates

q       Chowchilla/Fresno Watershed – Jeannie Habben

All work is still frozen until notified by the state.  Jeannie H worked with Larry B at the EMC Relay for Life to distribute free native trees as “Trees of Life” to all of the participants of the event. Special thanks to Southern California Edison Co and Sierra Resource Conservation District for donation of 450 Giant Sequoia and Red Bud for Gifts and awards. The Cancer Relay for life/Trees for Life was a huge success. Ms. Habben and Mr Ballew also distributed pamphlets; Top Ten Noxious Weeds and Sierra Smarts. Jeannie H made a presentation at the Mountain Oak High School in North Fork.  They are an alternative High School that is focusing on Natural Resources and wanted to know about native and invasive/non-native plants and watershed issues.  Jeannie H did a power point presentation and distributed many brochures to teach them these issues.  She is also working with the Madera NRCS office on a Dairy Workshop to be held on June 11 at the Madera Farm Bureau office. 

q       Coarsegold Resource Conservation District – Larry Ballew

They are currently partnering with the Eastern Madera County Fire Safe Council working on various grants and fuel brakes.  They started a fuel break today that is off of Road 620; this should be completed by the next months meeting and all are invited to go on a “field trip” to the view the completion of the project. They are also receiving funds for nine miles of fuel brakes on Quartz Mountain and a fuel break/exit road in Cascadel Woods.  They are wrapping up a conservation easement of 280 acres at Minarets High School and also have three other sites for conservation easements for the county to act as Mitigation areas.  They have received additional funding for one mile of wheelchair access at Kinsman flats.  Their next meeting will be on Friday, May 29 at about 3:00 following the Area IX meeting in Madera. 

q       Integrated Regional Water Management Plan

Mariposa County has renamed their area as the Central California IRWMP and has included Upper Merced County, Mariposa County, and Madera County. All of the RAP applications including the Madera County RAP, were submitted on time and they are now waiting for their calls from DWR to set-up their interviews.  

q       Madera County Water Advisory Commission –

The Regional Water Management Group Formation Subcommittee was formed by the Madera County Water Advisory Commission to develop a RWMG for the governance of the Integrated Regional Water Management Plan (IRWMP) accepted by the County.  It will be made up of Stakeholders. There is a draft Memorandum of Understanding being circulated for approval; now on draft number eight.  That draft will be discussed at the next sub-committee meeting on June 15 in Chowchilla.  

q       Southern Sierra Integrated Regional Water Management Plan – Elissa Brown

The funding has been suspended; though their RAP application was submitted on Monday, April 27.  They had several MOU’s signed by many of their partners.  They held their last meeting a couple of weeks ago and it was well attended. 

q       Upper Merced River Watershed – Connie Nielson

The funding has been suspended; they are working what they can and keeping their office open to a minimum.  They are very close to finishing many of their projects when funding returns.  All are welcome to come and visit the visitors center at Briceburg; it is nearly completed and will be able to open with the assistance of BLM and the Park Service.  The Park Service will provide volunteers to assist with staffing and the high school students are working on completing the mural. 

q       Upper San Joaquin River Stewardship Council & Assessment – Steve Haze

      The funding has been suspended; no report was made. 

q       Yosemite/Sequoia Resource Conservation & Development – Robyn Smith

They are continuing with the web-site development for the state association, and hope to have it up by the end of June. Robyn S will be attending the National Conference in Albuquerque June 14-17, and will be on a panel presenting their Success Story about the establishment of the Sierra Nevada Coalition of RC&D's. Yosemite/Sequoia and their partners will also be represented by three poster sessions on "Welcome to the Foothills", establishment of California Amer-Asian Resource Education (CARE), and Ag./Nature Tourism workshops/Weekend in the Country. They have completed the grant paperwork for the Foresta Township and Yosemite West fire hazard reduction projects and are administering their project funds. They have found three new VISTA's who will be arriving in July. Three $250 scholarships have been awarded to Yosemite, Sierra and Mariposa High School students who are all going into natural resource related programs of study.  

         7.      Pending Grants & Grant Proposals

The Resources Agency and all its 20 departments and the Office of the Treasurer have been going through an extensive process basically since the late March bond sale and that intensified after the Build America Bond (BAB) sale in mid April--it was decided at some point  that in the long run it would be better for everyone, including the contractors, not to pay out funds from the March sale alone but to go through the process of vetting and fitting projects to funding source with both sales at once. They thought it would be better to pay as many projects as they could at the same time. (It is interesting to speculate why they didn't tell us that  when they made the decision) There are over 5000 projects, many if not most of which needed to be put through these processes separately. Complicating matters further were the restrictions on the BAB funds.

The way they chose to manage this process ultimately was to go through each of the Propositions starting with lowest number, Prop 12. Prop 12 is now done and tomorrow the requisite Departments will be instructed that they can start the process paying bills and starting up frozen
projects funded by that Proposition. Fears about the amount of time it took to get through Prop 12 and the much larger tasks of going through 40, 50 and 84 should be mollified by the fact that in getting though Prop 12, the Agency and Treasurer's Office have developed a template that will greatly facilitate the rest of the process.

This will allow for completion of all Propositions within two to three weeks maximum. At that time, the Departments will be allowed to start the processes of paying the rest of the bills and take steps to start up frozen projects. Brian said that there should be enough money for almost all the projects. If there are shortfalls, it will be up to the individual Departments to decide how to deal with them. There may be a few delays because the process requires each Department determining which Bond issue to choose from for each project. (I realize this is contradictory since I suggested earlier that this was part of the initial process. I will try to gain more information about this.) But he did not expect it to be an important factor. In other words, once they are allowed, the Departments will happily start paying bills. The unpaid invoices will be paid first.          
 

8.      Legislative/Regulatory Updates

           Nothing to report other than funding issues. 

  9.    Adjourn – 11:45 am

          Next Meeting: June 24, 2009, 9:00 am to 12:00 noon 

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The mission of the Central Sierra Watershed Committee is to promote the quality, quantity, and aesthetic values of our water resources through the conservation and restoration of our watershed

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