Spring 2010 River Exchange Newsletter

8/3/2019 Spring 2010 River Exchange Newsletter

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THE RIVER

EXCHANGE NEWS

Good News and Information about the Watersheds

of Siskiyou County and the People Who Care For Them

Dear Friend,

As I write this, the much hoped for rain and snow in northernCalifornia seems to finally be here. After three years of belownormal precipitation, we are counting on a late-arriving ElNino to bring heavy snows to Mt. Shasta, and refreshing rainsto fill our reservoirs, and replenish our lakes, rivers, andstreams. California has always known changing cycles ofwet and dry years, but the ominous signs of climate changebrought about by global warming – warmer winters, hottersummers, dramatic weather shifts, and declining snow packs– seem especially telling in our high alpine environment. Al-though California has been a leader in passing laws to com-bat climate change, at the end of the day it is up to each oneof us, working in our local watersheds and communities, tofind the ways to reduce our carbon footprint and to adapt tothe change in our world that is sure to come.

The River Exchange, in partnership with other organizationsand agencies, is exploring new ways to promote sustainableliving in our watersheds. One exciting opportunity is through

the Urban Greening program, being developed by the newly-formed state Strategic Growth Council (SGC). The SGC is acreation of SB 732 (Steinberg), which was signed into law in2008. The Council is a cabinet-level committee that was setup to coordinate the activities of state agencies to:

improve air and water quality protect natural resource and agriculture lands increase the availability of affordable housing improve infrastructure systems promote public health, and assist state and local entities in the planning of sustain-

able communities and meeting the goals of the Global

Warming Solutions Act of 2006 (AB 32).The River Exchange hopes to work with local governmententities and other non-profits to apply for grant funding to cre-ate an urban greening plan for the Mount Shasta bio-region.The design of the plan would be a collaborative effort, and itspurpose would be to develop a master urban greening planfor the region that will ultimately result in projects to both helpthe state meet its environmental goals, and to create health-ier, more sustainable communities for us at home. More

specifically, the plan would set forth projects designedour watersheds that would reduce greenhouse gas emsions, and provide other environmental benefits includdecreasing air and water pollution, reducing the csumption of natural resources and energy, increasing reliability of local water supplies, and increasing adaptability to climate change.

As a part of designing a region-wide urban greenplan, the River Exchange hopes to work with the receestablished Environmental Resource program at the Clege of the Siskiyous. Our desire would be to engage students who are taking classes through that programthe actual drafting of portions of the urban greening pThis would give the students an invaluable opportunitydo hands-on work in creating sustainable communitiand it would create a unique opportunity for a truly comunity effort in collaborative planning.

There is no doubt that the future environmental chlenges that we face as a region, and as a world, daunting. But in those challenges are also tremendoopportunities for even greater and more imaginatstewardship of the incomparable watersheds that we home. The River Exchange, with your help and your couragement, hopes to be at the forefront of the workmeet those challenges for many years to come.

With appreciation for all you do,

Sandra SpelliscyExecutive Director _______________________ _ What’s Inside . . .

Watershed News Calendar of Events State of the Watershed In-the-Watershed Projects Supporters Membership Information Winter Reading

Printed on recycled paper

Promoting Healthy Watersheds Through Stewardship, Restoration, Education & Community Involvem

Vol. 14, No. 1, winter/spring 2010

BUILDING A GREENER WORLD, ONE WATERSHED AT A TIME



DON’T MISS FILM NIGHT -

COMING UP IN MARCH!

“There’s a documentary coming out that if you’re a fishman you should see. Probably you should see it eveyou’re not a fisherman .” - San Francisco Chronicle

On March 4th at 7:00 p.m., the River Exchange will hosspecial showing of Rivers of a Lost Coast at the StaDoor in Mt. Shasta. A documentary by filmmakers JuCoupe and Palmer Taylor, Rivers of a Lost Coast folloNorthern California’s coastal fly fishing commuthrough the rise and collapse of one of the world’s mmagical fisheries. To some, this is a story about time aplace, about a California that was. To others, it is a stabout who we are, what we need, and where we are ing. Rivers of a Lost Coast is a product of more than fyears of research and work. Understanding the franature of the story tied to an elder generation, the fi

makers worked feverishly to gather first-hand accouabout the fading culture.

Narrator Tom Skerritt, a 40-year veteran of the film atelevision industry, is deeply committed to conservatand education. He is on the Board of Directors at Amcan Rivers, an organization dedicated to the preservatand restoration of North American rivers, and has founda film school in Seattle that fosters creative storytelling

The River Exchange Vision 2020: Help us envision our future

Dear Member,

To help us meet the needs and challenges of our dynamic watershed and its communities, the River Exchangeis updating its strategic plan and vision for the future. Once completed, the plan, entitled River Exchange Vision 2020 , will guide our organizational emphasis, prioritization process, project selection, and general time andresource allocation. The plan will be designed to accomplish this in a way that best serves our ecosystem andregion, within the framework of our existing mission to promote healthy watersheds through stewardship, resto-ration, education and community involvement.

The core of the River Exchange is its members, without whom the work we do would not be possible. With thain mind, as we move deeper into the revision of our strategic plan, we will be reaching out for your input and

feedback on what the most significant issues in the watershed are, and where, from your perspective, our stew-ardship energies would be best focused going forward. Our watershed is a dynamic place with a diverse community and a broad range of needs. We are excited about this opportunity to take a step back, recalibrate, reprioritize, and establish a plan to guide our work for the decade to come. Stay tuned for a questionnaire andcomment sheet to be mailed out in the weeks ahead, to facilitate your sharing with us some of your thoughts oncritical issues and opportunities. In the meantime, thank you for your continued commitment to the region andour organization. We look forward to envisioning the future of our watershed together.

Sincerely,

The Vision 2020 Committee

WATERSHED NEWS

In Memoriam – Rebekah L. Filipello

It is with great sadness that we reportthe passing of one of our Board mem-bers, Rebekah Filipello of Dunsmuir,California, who died September 11,2009 after a brief but courageous bat-tle with cancer.

Beki joined the River Exchange Boardin May of 2007, and her warmth, goodhumor and passion for the MountShasta region added a special light toour River Exchange family. One ofher greatest loves was gardening, and she flourished in thebeautiful spaces she created around her Dunsmuir home.She had a wonderful creative spirit, and her artistic touch wasalways evident as she helped us each year transform thespace where we hold our River Celebration ! dinner and auc-

tion, with her lush floral arrangements from her own gardengracing the tables.

Beki is survived by her husband David Filipello, who is also aRiver Exchange Board member, and many, many lovingfriends and family members. We will miss her greatly, andfeel her spirit in the continued work we do to steward theamazing watershed she called home.



Dates subject to change - please call to confirm.

Contact Information For The River Exchange:

Mail: P.O. Box 784, Dunsmuir, CA 96025 Office: 5937 Dunsmuir Avenue, Dunsmuir Phone: (530) 235-2012

Fax: (530) 235-2439

E-Mail: [email protected]

Website: www.riverexchange.org

CALENDAR OF EVENTSJanuary-june 2010

ald Eagle/Winter Waterfowl Field Tripaturday, January 30, 9:00 am - 4:00 pmiving Tour. Shasta Area Audubon and the River Exchange

esent an all-day trip to the Klamath Basin area ledChris Stromsness. We’ll carpool to strategic viewing loca-ns in the basin to observe bald and golden eagles, hawks,ow geese, owls, tundra swans, and much more. Meet at

wy 97 & A-12 (10 mi. north of Weed). Bring warm clothes,alking shoes, lunch, water, binoculars, and walkie–talkiesyou have them). $5.00 outing donation. Call the Riverchange to register.

ustainable Watershed Series - Film NightRivers of a Lost Coast”hursday, March 4, 7:00 - 8:30 pmage Door, 414 N. Mt. Shasta Blvd., Mount Shasta

arrated by Tom Skerritt (A River Runs Through It ), this docu-entary is for every fisherman and conservation-. Using never before seen footage, vintageotos, archival headlines and exclusive inter-

ews, this film reminds us of the ever increasingportance of wild fish in wild rivers. Donationquested at the door.

embership Appreciation Party

hursday, January 28, 5:30 - 7:30 pmown Trout Café, Dunsmuir njoy an evening of wine, good friends, and appetizers as weank you for your support of our stewardship efforts. The eve-ng will include a short presentation of our current programsd projects. For more information please contact the Riverchange. All members and partners welcome . . . bring a

end!

MayRiver Festival Saturday, May 1, 10:00 am - 3:00 pmSacramento Avenue, Dunsmuir

Support watershed education and celebrateyour river at this year’s River Festival in Dunsmuir. Bringfamily to downtown Dunsmuir for hands-on activities includwildlife and watershed displays, student science projects, fishing and fly-tying exhibits, community-wide sidewalk safood, music, and art.

REX Board of Directors

Mark Gibson, PresidentChris Stromsness, Vice-Chair

Gene O’Rourke, SecretaryDan Avila, Treasurer

Fred GordonDavid Filipello

Richard TinsmanCarol Winston

REX Staff

Sandra Spelliscy, Executive Dir.Cindy Lawhon, Admin. Dir.Phyllis Skalko, Finance Dir.

Rene Henery, Ph.D., Research Dir.Dea Knox, Project Dir.

River Celebration!Saturday, May 22, 6:00 - 10:00 pmMain Lodge, Mt. Shasta City ParkDon’t miss our annual fundraising extravaganza.This year’s Celebration! marks our 14th year pro-

viding watershed stewardship and educational programmiJoin friends and community members for great food, musidelicious desserts and amazing auction items. Watch forupcoming information and reserve your tickets early for thalways sold-out event.

AprilRiver Festival Eve

Friday, April 30, 7:00 - 9:00 pmBrown Trout Café, DunsmuirSupport watershed education and celebrate your river at tyear’s River Festival in Dunsmuir. To kick off the weekethe River Exchange and Dunsmuir High students will preswatershed program at the Brown Trout Café.

JunePoker Paddle Saturday, June 19, 10:00 a.m. - 1:00 pmLake Siskiyou, Mount ShastaThe lake is full and summer is here! Dust off your canoeskayaks or whatever floats, and join the fun. You’ll paddle various check points on the lake, collect your game hand, the best hand wins! We’ll have a drawing for other fun stutoo! $10/adults, $6/children under 12 (must be accompanby adult). Entry form available at www.riverexchange.org.



The Upper McCloud Watershed: Spring Inventory

and Land Use Mapping project.

Bella Vista FoundationCA Dept. of Fish and GameCA Natural Resources AgencyCA Dept. of Water ResourcesCantara Trustee Council

California Trout, Inc.

Sierra Pacific IndustriesUC Davis Limnology LabUnion Pacific RailroadU.S. Forest ServiceWinnemem Wintu

Central Valley Regional WaterQuality Control Board

City of DunsmuirCounty of SiskiyouDunsmuir Garden Club

Dunsmuir Schools

Mt. Shasta Recreation & Parks DistrictMt. Shasta Trail AssociationNational Forest FoundationRiver DancersRoseburg Resources Co.

Shasta Valley & Western Shasta RCDs

In 2004, the U.S. Forest Service celebrated the 40th an-niversary of the Wilderness Act by creating the 10 YearWilderness Stewardship Challenge (10YWSC), a pro-gram designed to bring all wilderness areas up to abaseline management standard by 2014. Central to thechallenge are ten elements that encompass the valuesof wilderness. These elements are used to quantifystewardship scores using a point system. A cumulativescore of 60 points (out of the possible 100) must beearned in order to “meet the challenge”. The National

Forest Foundation (NFF), as the non-profit partner of theForest Service, created the Wilderness StewardshipChallenge (WSC) grant program to encourage non-federal organizations to practice wilderness stewardship.The grant program is designed to develop community-based on-the-ground projects that focus on one or moreof the ten stewardship elements.

Castle Crags Wilderness is currently one of lowest ing wilderness areas in the country, with a cumuscore of eight out of the 100 possible points. For thisson, The River Exchange is in the process of applyina NFF WSC grant to initiate a recreation monitoringgram in Castle Crags Wilderness. If awarded the gThe River Exchange will help local Forest Service maers reach the goals set by the 10YWSC and more imtantly, help maintain our wilderness as envisioned bWilderness Act, as a place “…where the earth an

community of life are untrammeled by man, where himself is a visitor who does not remain.”

For more information on the 10 Year Wilderness Stewship Challenge, visit www.wilderness.net.

Stewards of Wilderness

STATE OF THE WATERSHED

2010 PROJECT PARTNERS AND FUNDERS

Over the last several years, scientists, resource manag-ers, regional government, and concerned members ofthe Southern Siskiyou County public have been turning

their attention to the springs in the Upper McCloud wa-tershed, the resource they provide, and their critical rolein ecosystem health. Underlying this recent interest inthe McCloud springs are factors including the extendeddrought in the State of California, growing state andglobal water demands, the relicensing of PG&E’sMcCloud-Pit Hydropower project (http://www.mccloud-pitrelicensing.com), and a new report on the status offisheries in the greater Sacramento River watershed( h t t p : / / s w r . n m f s . n o a a . g o v / r e c o v e r y / centralvalleyplan.htm).

The Upper McCloud Watershed includes both public andprivately owned land with uses that include forest re-serve, redband trout refuge, timber plantation, rangeland, urban development, and recreation. Many of theseland uses have the potential to impact spring sites, waterquality, and aquatic habitat. The Upper McCloud Water- shed: Spring Inventory and Land Use Mapping projectwas designed to support the ongoing stewardship ofsprings in the Upper McCloud region by mapping springsites, describing their land ownership, condition, and sur-rounding land use and suggesting additional investiga-

tion and restoration opportunities for specific springs.

Combining information from aerial photography, on-tground observation, and landowner interviews, the Exchange produced a series of Geo-PDF form

maps of the Upper McCloud Watershed cataloging sinformation. In the process, the River Exchange idfied springs in the watershed at risk of serious imand degradation from factors including proximity to alogging, road sedimentation and pollution, livestock development, and recreation.

In the future, the River Exchange intends to use thformation as the basis of a prioritized list of impasprings critical to the watershed and the rare McCredband trout that can in turn support spring site restion partnerships with landowners and the USFS.

Upper McCloud Watershed: Spring Inventory and Use Mapping project was funded through a grant the Bella Vista Foundation and conducted over theyear. Project maps, data, and accompanying docutation will be publicly available for download fromRiver Exchange website, at no cost, beginning latemonth (http://www.riverexchange.org).

R e d b a n d t r o u t



Please Support These Business members - They Support You and Your River

Bruce & Janet AllenCarl & Harriet Alto

Flo AndersonLeslie Andrews, M.D.

Virginia BarhamCharles & Joyce Bear

Alan BerkowitzBill & Peg Berry

Robert & Hazel BillingsCarla Bisagno

Nanette Benson BosworthLouise Bradford & Jon Cugier

John BranchJudith Austin & Peter Brown

Colleen CantwellFrank CardozaRoger Carson

Kristin Carter & Suren Holbek June Chichizola

Mary & Samuel ChicosBenita & Neal Clark

Kathy CohenRichard Conway

Jack & Mary Cook Christy Corzine & Nick Dennis

Wilson CurleBob Damschroeder & Melanie Findling

Fred & Lucille DeRoseDoris DeRoss

In Memory: Frank DeRoss

Gregory DingerNancy & Tom Driscoll

Lauren EastmanKent & Lynn Estabrook

Bob & Terri EvelandDavid Filipello

In Memory: Beki Filipello

Sonia Fletcher

John & Mary FowlerBeth & Dennis Freeman

Chuck & Roberta FrumerieLila Gardner

Don GautreauxAudra & Mark Gibson

Angel GomezValerie Masson Gomez

Fred GordonEdward Graves

Robert & Olivia HallJohn & Lori Harch

Greg HarperJohn & Marguerite Harrell

Clark & Dana HarrisonAlan & Judy Harvey

George HeitzmanRobert & Thalis Hunt

Mike HuppKathy Imwalle

Richard IzmirianSandra & Richard Johnson

John JacobsonDuane & Kay Johnson

Mark KennedyMichael & Miyoung Kleine

Deadra Knox

Roger KoselMarion & Charles Krause

Isobel KrellKier LaCrosseBrian Landis

Rush Lenroot, DDS

Bob & Diane MadgicShirley MagnusonFrancis MangelsRalph Mannina

Richard & Carol MarquesAl Massucco

Carol & Victor MedranoWilliam Meise

Floyd & Jan MellonSteven & Dorie Mellon

In Memory: Leo & Ethyl Mellon

Wayne & Kathleen MerklePaula and Mark Merrill

JW MeyersCandace Miller

Nancy & Victor ModeenJack Moore

Richard MorrisonDon Mutch

Gene & Linda O’RourkeMarian & Guy Pasela

Pamela Peck Bob Pesavento

Douglass PetersonFrank & Nancie PipgrasJohn & Marilyn Pitzer

Jodi & Jay Polk Rich & Carol Ponzio

Rhonda PoseyNeil & Stephane Posson

Bob & Ann PowersTerry Price

Greg & Gail RalstonDave & Christine Reardon

Michael RodeDoug RogersLynn Romano

Beverly & Bill RoseBarbara & Oliver SassJack & Lorie Saunders

Dolores Richmond ScaliseJan Schrag & David Vogt

Pam & Dave ScottDonald Sevara

Woody & Kathryn ShieldsSid & June Smith

Chris & Sharon StromsnessMichael Thamer

Richard & Juliane TinsmanCindi Titzer

Bill & Barbara TrenamJames K. Waterstreet

Tom Wearing &Larie D’InnocenteLindsay Weston

Diane WhitehouseFlora WinteringGary F. Wirth

Donate your Vehicle and Help The River Exchange

n a cooperative effort between Donation Line (www.donationline.com) and The River Exchange,our vehicle (running or not), can be donated to help our organization. And the giver receives aax deduction from us. In addition to cars, you can donate trucks, vans, boats, motorcycles, jetkis, snowmobiles, RVs and even airplanes! (You must have clear title.) Free towing. No hassle.

Pickup ASAP. Call 24/7: 1-877-CARS-4-US (227-7487) Ext. 2130.

CURRENT individual MEMBERS (12/08-1/10)

4DAD DesignAcorn Inn

Aiello, Goodrich & TeuscherAudubon (Mt. Shasta Area)

Alpine Realty/MS Ranch B&BBank of AmericaBerryvale, Inc.

Best Western Tree House LodgeBox Car Gallery

Brad Best Construction Co.Brown Trout Café & Gallery

Burger BarnBurger Express

CCDA Waters/Coca-Cola

Cassidy Building Co.Chitwood Energy

Chris Schneider DesignChurchill Insurance Inc.

City of DunsmuirClemens Waste Removal

Cottage Design & RestorationCross PetroleumCustom Design

Dunsmuir HardwareDunsmuir Mercantile Co.

Dunsmuir Rod Co.Frank’s Fuel

Gary’s Pizza FactoryGibson Stock Photography

Granite Bay FlycastersInternational Women Fly Fishers

Jon Thomas Fine JewelryLaw Office of Eric Bergstrom

Marrone ConstructionMeyer & Sons HeatingMicki’s Better Burger

Mott Mini StorageMt. Shasta Area Audubon

Mount Shasta Tire Co.My Favorite Things

Native Grounds Nursery

Noah’s Ark Feed BarnPersonnel Preference

River Dancers Rafting CoRoseburg Resources Co.Shasta Trinity Fly Fishers

Spring Creek Guide ServicState Farm Insurance -

Russ PorterfieldTed Fay Fly ShopThriftway Foods

Union Pacific Railroad

Wayne Eng Fly FishingWeed Chiropractic



T h e R i v e r E x c h a n g e

P . O . B o x 7 8 4

D u n s m u i r , C A 9 6 0 2 5

P R S R T S T D

U . S . P O S T A G E

P A I D

D U N S M U I R , C A

P E R M I T N O . 1 7 A

YES! I WANT TO BECOME A FRIEND OF THE RIVER EXCHANGE!

$35 FRIEND$50 STEWARD$75 PATRON

_______ $100 PARTNER_______ $____ OTHER

NEW RENEWAL

Name: _________________________________________________ ___ Phone: ___ ____________________________

Address: ________________________________________ __ City, State, Zip: ________ ____________________________

Email: ________________________________________ __________________________________________________ (please include)

The River Exchange is a registered 501(c)(3)

non-profit organization. Your contribution is

tax-deductible as allowed by law.

Fed. I.D. #91-1818846

T h a n k

Y o u !

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R E T U R N S E R V I C E R E Q U E S T E D

Winter READING - n to Z

draw inspiration from the natural world, as well as from

ritings about it. Here’s a list of some all-time favorite river Books

Outwater, Alice; Water: A Natural History, 1997.

Palmer, Tim; Lifelines, The Case for River Conservation, Islandess, 1994.

Palmer, Tim; Endangered Rivers and the Conservation Movement ,

niversity of California, 1986.

Smith, Annick; Headwaters: Montana Writers on Water and Wilder-

ss, Hellgate Writers, Inc., 1996.

~ Stegner, Wallace; Beyond the Hundredth Meridian: John Wesley

Powell and the Second Opening of the West , Penguin USA, 1992.

~ Twain, Mark; Life on the Mississippi, Random House Trade. TwMark; Tom Sawyer , American Pub. Co., 1875.

~ Waters, Frank; People of the Valley, Ohio University Press, 1969

~ Zwinger, Ann; Run, River, Run: A Naturalist’s Journey Down O

the Great Rivers of the American West , University of Arizona Pres1984.

Documents

Spring 2010 River Exchange Newsletter