Coon Creek is the sister creek of Auburn Ravine and together they make up the Auburn Ravine watershed with its many tributaries. Coon Creek and Auburn Ravine join at the Eastside Canal then dump into the Natomas Cross Canal and enter the Sacramento River at the fishing hamlet of Verona just below the mouth of the Feather River. A Placer County Parks employee reported seeing many large salmon spawning in Coon Creek. They were in large numbers and very healthy and of very large size.
SARSAS has sent a team of photographers to film the spawning; if the team is successful, the film they obtain will be posted of Facebook Save Auburn Ravine Salmon and Steelhead.
The team with go to Coon Creek today, December 13, 2012.
Thursday, December 13, 2012
Sunday, December 9, 2012
Please Look for Salmon around the Lincoln CA Area in Auburn Ravine and Try to Get Pictures/Videos
Please send word of any sightings to jlsanchez39@gmail.com or call at 530 888 0281. These documentations are very precious to Save Auburn Ravine Salmon and Steelhead (SARSAS).
Thanks and hope you see some salmon.
The Fish Ladder, a quarter mile downstream of Hwy 65, accessed off Ferrari Ranch Road, right on Green Ravine Road, right of second Southridge Circle, left on Mossdale and park at trailhead to get to a great viewing point for salmon.
Thanks and hope you see some salmon.
The Fish Ladder, a quarter mile downstream of Hwy 65, accessed off Ferrari Ranch Road, right on Green Ravine Road, right of second Southridge Circle, left on Mossdale and park at trailhead to get to a great viewing point for salmon.
Salmon Sighing in Auburn Ravine, 11:30 am, Today, December 8, 2012, Quarter Mile Downstream from Hemphill Dam near Turkey Creek Golf Course,upstream from Lincoln, CA
Ramon Gonzalez and Gary Crowder of TCGC and I were exploring Auburn Ravine while repairing fences on Turkey Creek property, I was walking downstream near a large pool. They were upstream and spooked a 3 feet Chinook salmon that swam right by me downstream into the deep pool. Ramon had a camera but did not see or get a pic of the salmon. Salmon had white markings of deterioration on his dorsal fin.
The great news is Fall Run Chinook are still coming up Auburn Ravine. SARSAS Board Member John Ravine, who monitors fish runs, believes there are also a Spring Run/Winter Runs in Auburn Ravine because on March 23, 2009, three fish biologists spotted a large salmon under Fowler Bridge above 4 miles upstream from Lincoln. Habitat and temperature are certainly right for at least Fall/Winter and Spring Run Chinook.
Jack
Saturday, December 8, 2012
Salmon Sighting on Auburn Ravine at 11:30 AM Today Downstream from Hemphill Dam near Lincoln, CA
Three Feet Long Salmon Sighing in Auburn Ravine, 11:30 am, Today, Saturday, December 8, 2012, Quarter Mile Downstream from Hemphill Dam near Turkey Creek Golf Course,
Ramon Gonzalez and Gary Crowder of TCGC and I were exploring Auburn Ravine while repairing fences on Turkey Creek property. I was walking downstream near a large pool. They were upstream and spooked a 3 feet Chinook salmon that swam right by me downstream into the deep pool. Ramon had a camera but did not see or get a pic of the salmon. Salmon had white markings of deterioration on his dorsal fin.
Salmon are still spawning in the Auburn Ravine thanks to NID's fish ladder in Lincoln
Jack
Ramon Gonzalez and Gary Crowder of TCGC and I were exploring Auburn Ravine while repairing fences on Turkey Creek property. I was walking downstream near a large pool. They were upstream and spooked a 3 feet Chinook salmon that swam right by me downstream into the deep pool. Ramon had a camera but did not see or get a pic of the salmon. Salmon had white markings of deterioration on his dorsal fin.
Salmon are still spawning in the Auburn Ravine thanks to NID's fish ladder in Lincoln
Jack
Friday, December 7, 2012
Spawning Salmon Seen in Auburn Ravine Today, December 7, 2012, in Lincoln, CA
I saw 3 salmon downstream from the NID gauging station.
One was in the tail out area below the last downstream concrete
section of the fish ladder.
Just about 50 yards downstream from there, there was a breeding
pair in the side channel nearest the southern bank were the stream splits.
The pair was digging a redd.
AI did not get any good pictures because I did not have a
polarizing filter with me.
ll were quite dark and all had some fungus on them.
FYI
Jim
Thursday, December 6, 2012
Opening for a Save Auburn Ravine Salmon and Steelhead (SARSAS) Volunteer Media Coordinator
SARSAS has a need for a Media Coordinator to work with the
local media to get word, videos and pics out to the public, radio , television,
newspaper and a magazines to create
awareness of SARSAS activities and accomplishments.
Might be a good position for an IT savy student or retired person.
If interested, call Jack at 530 888 0281 or jlsanchez39@gmail.com with questions.
December 18, 2012, Tuesday, SARSAS General Meeting - Open to the Public
SARSAS Meeting Agenda General
TUESDAY NOT MONDAY, December 18, 2012
175 Fulweiler Avenue (the Domes),
Auburn, CA 95603
Contact: Jack Sanchez at 530-888-0281
Meetings are Fourth Monday of each month at 10-11 a.m.
I. Self- introductions and sign-ins.
II. SARSAS Philosophy – We believe by working
together with many individuals and agencies at the same table, we can achieve
the mission of SARSAS, which is to return salmon and steelhead to the entire 33 mile length of the
Auburn Ravine
.
III Featured speaker is ON TUESDAY, DECEMBER 18,
2012, Mark Egbert, District Manager, El
Dorado County and Georgetown Divide Resource Conservation Districts, “ Finnon Lake Restoration Project”.
IV. Jack Sanchez, President
of SARSAS, “For the Good of the Order”
Scheduled Speakers:
January
28, 2013, Richard Rivas, Natural Resources Conservation Services, Wildlife
Biologist, “WHIP and Fish
Passage”
February
25, 2013, Ron Ott, SARSAS Fish Passage Specialist, “Fish Screens on Area
Streams and Rivers”
March 25, 2013, Placer County
Sheriff Edward N. Bonner, “Fishing Stories of a Boy Growing Up in Loomis”
April 22, 2013, SARSAS
Photographer Steve Hubbard and Owner of Gold Country Images, “History of
Hydroelectricity/Powerhouses in Our Area”
May 28, TUESDAY, 2013, Rocko
Brown, ESA PWA, Restore Salmon Ecosystems”
June 24. 2013, Jack Sales,
International Dark-Sky Association, “Salmon and Light Pollution”
July 22, 2013, Julie
Leimbach, Coordinator of Foothill Water Network, “Mission and Activities of
FWN”
August 26, 2013, Beaver Specialist Mary Tappel, “Beaver
Management in the Age of Salmonid Restoration with Focus on Beavers in Auburn
Ravine"
September 23, 2013, Randy
Hansen, SARSAS Fish Friendly Farming Coordinator, “Fish Friendly Farming
Update”
October 28, 2013, Einar
Maisch, PCWA Director of Strategic Affairs, “Middle Fork Authority Update”
November 25, 2013 Placer
County Supervisor Jim Holmes, “Placer County Water and the Auburn Ravine”
December 23, 2013 TBA
Tuesday, November 27, 2012
SARSAS IT Volunteer Needed!
Contact Jack for further details at jlsanchez39@gmail.com
SARSAS is an all-volunteer 501 C 3 non-profit, public benefit corporation. SARSAS is seeking a volunteer to set up a website and manage it. The website is for salmon video/salmon pictures which will be available to the media and the public. Here are the details for the Web Manager:
Scope of work:
Design stage would be pretty easy. SARSAS doesn't need a high powered, highly dynamic site. Just a basic site with good production values, that can handle new textual content on a monthly basis.
Implementation stage: Site would need to be hosted on a place with good bandwidth and good storage capabilities. We're hoping for a lot of traffic, as momentum builds.
Maintenance stage: Post Monthly meeting agendas. Occasional press releases. Media from SARSAS Photographers such as Steve Hubbard and Phil Robertson to be posted in galleries.
Funds: SARSAS has limited funds available to pay for some hard costs, but on a very limited basis. That's why we're looking for a pro bono solution from an interested professional.
SARSAS is an all-volunteer 501 C 3 non-profit, public benefit corporation. SARSAS is seeking a volunteer to set up a website and manage it. The website is for salmon video/salmon pictures which will be available to the media and the public. Here are the details for the Web Manager:
Scope of work:
Design stage would be pretty easy. SARSAS doesn't need a high powered, highly dynamic site. Just a basic site with good production values, that can handle new textual content on a monthly basis.
Implementation stage: Site would need to be hosted on a place with good bandwidth and good storage capabilities. We're hoping for a lot of traffic, as momentum builds.
Maintenance stage: Post Monthly meeting agendas. Occasional press releases. Media from SARSAS Photographers such as Steve Hubbard and Phil Robertson to be posted in galleries.
Funds: SARSAS has limited funds available to pay for some hard costs, but on a very limited basis. That's why we're looking for a pro bono solution from an interested professional.
Monday, November 26, 2012
Sunday, November 25, 2012
SARSAS General Meeting, 10 am, Monday, November 26, 2012
SARSAS Meeting Agenda General
Monday, November 26, 2012
175 Fulweiler Avenue (the Domes), Auburn, CA 95603
Contact: Jack Sanchez at 530-888-0281
Meetings are Fourth Monday of each month at 10-11 a.m.
I. Self- introductions and sign-ins.
II. SARSAS Philosophy–We believe by working together with many individuals and agencies at the same table, we can achieve the mission of SARSAS, which is to return salmon and steelhead to the entire 33 mile length of the Auburn Ravine
.
III Featured speaker is Lincoln Regional Sewer Project Manager Dave Lee, “Regional Sewer Project – an Update
IV. Jack Sanchez, President of SARSAS, “For the Good of the Order”
Scheduled Speakers:
Tuesday, December 18, 2012, Mark Egbert, District Manager, El Dorado County and Georgetown Divide Resource Conservation Districts, “Restoration of a Reservoir”
January 28, 2013, Richard Rivas, Natural Resources Conservation Services, Wildlife Biologist, “WHIP and Fish
Passage”
February 25, 2013, Ron Ott, SARSAS Fish Passage Specialist, “Fish Screens on Area Streams and Rivers”
March 25, 2013, Placer County Sheriff Edward N. Bonner, “Fishing Stories of a Boy Growing Up in Loomis”
April 22, 2013, SARSAS Photographer and owner of Gold Country Images, "Histroy of Hydroelectricity/ Powerhouses in Our Area"
May 28, TUESDAY, 2013, Rocko Brown, ESA PWA, Restore Salmon Ecosystems”
June 24. 2013, Jack Sales, International Dark-Sky Association, “Salmon and Light Pollution”
July 22, 2013, Julie Leimbach, Coordinator of Foothill Water Network, “Mission and Activities of FWN”
August 26, 2013, TBA
September 23, 2013, Randy Hansen, SARSAS Fish Friendly Farming Coordinator, “Fish Friendly Farming Update”
Thursday, November 22, 2012
SARSAS General Meeting, November 26, 2012 Open to the Public
SARSAS Meeting Agenda General
Monday, November 26, 2012
175 Fulweiler Avenue (the Domes), Auburn, CA 95603
Contact: Jack Sanchez at 530-888-0281
Meetings are Fourth Monday of each month at 10-11 a.m.
I. Self- introductions and sign-ins.
II. SARSAS Philosophy–We believe by working together with many individuals and agencies at the same table, we can achieve the mission of SARSAS, which is to return salmon and steelhead to the entire 33 mile length of the Auburn Ravine
.
III Featured speaker is Lincoln Regional Sewer Project Manager Dave Lee, “Regional Sewer Project – an Update
IV. Jack Sanchez, President of SARSAS, “For the Good of the Order”
Scheduled Speakers:
Tuesday, December 18, 2012, Mark Egbert, District Manager, El Dorado County and Georgetown Divide Resource Conservation Districts, “Restoration of a Reservoir”
January 28, 2013, Richard Rivas, Natural Resources Conservation Services, Wildlife Biologist, “WHIP and Fish
Passage”
February 25, 2013, Ron Ott, SARSAS Fish Passage Specialist, “Fish Screens on Area Streams and Rivers”
March 25, 2013, Placer County Sheriff Edward N. Bonner, “Fishing Stories of a Boy Growing Up in Loomis”
April 22, 2013, Einar Maisch, PCWA Director of Strategic Affairs, “Middle Fork Authority Update”
May 28, TUESDAY, 2013, Rocko Brown, ESA PWA, Restore Salmon Ecosystems”
June 24. 2013, Jack Sales, International Dark-Sky Association, “Salmon and Light Pollution”
July 22, 2013, Julie Leimbach, Coordinator of Foothill Water Network, “Mission and Activities of FWN”
August 26, 2013, TBA
September 23, 2013, Randy Hansen, SARSAS Fish Friendly Farming Coordinator, “Fish Friendly Farming Update”
Thursday, October 11, 2012
SARSAS General Meeting Agenda for Monday, October 22, 2012 OPEN TO THE PUBLIC
Monday, October 22, 2012
175 Fulweiler Avenue (the Domes), Auburn, CA 95603
Contact: Jack Sanchez at 530-888-0281
Meetings are Fourth Monday of each month at 10-11 a.m.
I. Self- introductions and sign-ins.
II. SARSAS Philosophy–We believe by working together with many individuals and agencies at the same table, we can achieve the mission of SARSAS, which is to return salmon and steelhead to the entire 33 mile length of the Auburn Ravine
.
III Featured speaker is Mary Tappel, Beaver Management Expert, “Beaver Management in our New Age of Returning Salmon”
IV. Gary Mapa, Vice President of SARSAS, “For the Good of the Order”
Scheduled Speakers:
November 26, 2012, Lincoln Regional Sewer Project Manager Dave Lee, “Regional Sewer Project – an Update”
Tuesday, December 18, 2012, Mark Egbert, District Manager, El Dorado County and Georgetown Divide Resource Conservation Districts, “Restoration of a Reservoir”
January 28, 2013, Richard Rivas, Natural Resources Conservation Services, Wildlife Biologist, “WHIP and Fish
Passage”
February 25, 2013, Ron Ott, SARSAS Fish Passage Specialist, “Fish Screens on Area Streams and Rivers”
March 25, 2013, Placer County Sheriff Edward N. Bonner, “Fishing Stories of a Boy Growing Up in Loomis”
April 22, 2013, Einar Maisch, PCWA Director of Strategic Affairs, “Middle Fork Authority Update”
May 28, TUESDAY, 2013, Rocko Brown, ESA PWA, Restore Salmon Ecosystems”
June 24. 2013, Jack Sales, International Dark-Sky Association, “Salmon and Light Pollution”
July 22, 2013, TBA
August 26, 2013, TBA
September 23, 2013, Randy Hansen, SARSAS Fish Friendly Farming Coordinator, “Fish Friendly Farming Update”
Tuesday, October 9, 2012
Auburn Ravine Fish Passage Project on NID's Lincoln Gauging Station Completed December 2011
Fish Passage Project
Lincoln, California
In 2010, residents and fishermen in Lincoln, Placer County, witnessed a phenomenon not seen in years. At least 30 fall run Chinook salmon were counted in Auburn Ravine Creek inside Lincoln city limits.
Several small modifications to downstream irrigation water diversion points in Sutter and Placer counties had allowed the salmon to migrate from the Central Valley as high as Lincoln (elev. 167 ft.). However, continued migration of the fish to higher spawning grounds was hampered by a growing waterfall, caused by tail water erosion below a water measurement station.
The station is owned and operated by the Grass Valley, Nevada County-based Nevada Irrigation District (NID) and has been used since 1981 to chart water flows from NID to other nearby agencies.
Soon the possibility of bringing more natural conditions back to Auburn Ravine came into wider public focus. The fish passage concept had originated a few years earlier when the Auburn Ravine-Coon Creek Restoration Plan was adopted as part of the Placer County Conservation Plan.
Through a series of meetings, NID and Placer County worked out preliminary details of a project that would allow fish migration at any flow level over and through the six-foot barrier at the water measurement station and the eroded creek bed below it. The goal was to bring a more natural condition to Auburn Ravine. The collaborative effort would become known the Auburn Ravine Fish Passage Project.
The project drew wide industry and community support. Placer County secured a CALFED grant that would fund part of the project, NID took the role of lead agency and pledged further funding. Soon the Dry Creek Conservancy and Granite Bay Flycasters were on board with additional funds.
Project planning and environmental studies were completed in early 2011, and construction was scheduled to begin in the fall of 2011. Needed water deliveries and the potential for early fall storms left a narrow window for streambed construction so a very tight construction schedule was developed.
Another construction concern was that the project, located in the Lincoln Crossing Nature Preserve, is surrounded by homes and used by residents for walks and outdoor enjoyment. NID addressed issues of access, noise, dust and safety to the satisfaction of neighbors. Meanwhile, the district worked to keep costs down and the project on schedule and eligible for its CALFED funding.
Construction was scheduled for Oct. 1-Nov. 30, 2011 and Sacramento contractor Preston Pipelines, Inc. was brought on board to do the job. Complexities in stream construction led to a lengthy and detailed state and federal permitting process, with final permitting obtained just in time.
During the narrow two-month construction window, a temporary bypass was constructed to dry the creek bed for the work while continuing the required downstream flows. “There are risks involved in creek bed construction at this time of year,” said NID Project Engineer Keane Sommers. “We were very concerned about rainwater coming down the creek and flooding our construction site so we oversized the bypass.”
Once the bypass was in place, 200 feet of the overgrown, eroded creek channel was cleared and tapered back to a more natural form. A “nature-like fish way” with a series of rock chutes and step pools was sculpted into the streambed. Concrete cutoff walls designed to stem erosion were buried up to 13 feet into the channel and stabilized by large rock and smaller materials. Native plants were added to the newly-reconfigured steam banks and surrounding areas were restored to pre-construction conditions. NID will monitor the site for the next five years to ensure that the grasses and 125 trees that were planted provide a suitable riparian habitat.
Dry weather through much of the fall of 2011 allowed the project to move forward without delay. Creek work was completed by the November 30, 2011 deadline.
The project received accolades from nearby residents as well as from fishing and environmental advocates who are enthusiastic about opening an additional mile of Auburn Ravine to fish movement. SARSAS President Jack Sanchez said he was confident the project would lead to more fish migration and said he looked forward to conducting fish counts this coming fall. Upstream, in Auburn, city officials see the project as an initial step in a long term vision of opening Auburn Ravine all the way to their city, which they see as a potential educational and economic boost the Placer County seat.
“Watershed stewardship is an important part of our mission,” said NID General Manager Ron Nelson, who is former Chairman of ACWA’s Region 3. “We have a watershed improvement fund and this was a community effort that fit our mission well.”
The Auburn Ravine Fish Passage Project was completed for $865,000. NID contributed $491,000, CALFED $304,000, Placer County $50,000, Bella Vista Foundation $10,000, and Granite Bay Flycasters $10,000
A Watershed ImprovemIrrigation District (NID)ent Project of The Nevada
Several small modifications to downstream irrigation water diversion points in Sutter and Placer counties had allowed the salmon to migrate from the Central Valley as high as Lincoln (elev. 167 ft.). However, continued migration of the fish to higher spawning grounds was hampered by a growing waterfall, caused by tail water erosion below a water measurement station.
The station is owned and operated by the Grass Valley, Nevada County-based Nevada Irrigation District (NID) and has been used since 1981 to chart water flows from NID to other nearby agencies.
Soon the possibility of bringing more natural conditions back to Auburn Ravine came into wider public focus. The fish passage concept had originated a few years earlier when the Auburn Ravine-Coon Creek Restoration Plan was adopted as part of the Placer County Conservation Plan.
Through a series of meetings, NID and Placer County worked out preliminary details of a project that would allow fish migration at any flow level over and through the six-foot barrier at the water measurement station and the eroded creek bed below it. The goal was to bring a more natural condition to Auburn Ravine. The collaborative effort would become known the Auburn Ravine Fish Passage Project.
The project drew wide industry and community support. Placer County secured a CALFED grant that would fund part of the project, NID took the role of lead agency and pledged further funding. Soon the Dry Creek Conservancy and Granite Bay Flycasters were on board with additional funds.
Project planning and environmental studies were completed in early 2011, and construction was scheduled to begin in the fall of 2011. Needed water deliveries and the potential for early fall storms left a narrow window for streambed construction so a very tight construction schedule was developed.
Another construction concern was that the project, located in the Lincoln Crossing Nature Preserve, is surrounded by homes and used by residents for walks and outdoor enjoyment. NID addressed issues of access, noise, dust and safety to the satisfaction of neighbors. Meanwhile, the district worked to keep costs down and the project on schedule and eligible for its CALFED funding.
Construction was scheduled for Oct. 1-Nov. 30, 2011 and Sacramento contractor Preston Pipelines, Inc. was brought on board to do the job. Complexities in stream construction led to a lengthy and detailed state and federal permitting process, with final permitting obtained just in time.
During the narrow two-month construction window, a temporary bypass was constructed to dry the creek bed for the work while continuing the required downstream flows. “There are risks involved in creek bed construction at this time of year,” said NID Project Engineer Keane Sommers. “We were very concerned about rainwater coming down the creek and flooding our construction site so we oversized the bypass.”
Once the bypass was in place, 200 feet of the overgrown, eroded creek channel was cleared and tapered back to a more natural form. A “nature-like fish way” with a series of rock chutes and step pools was sculpted into the streambed. Concrete cutoff walls designed to stem erosion were buried up to 13 feet into the channel and stabilized by large rock and smaller materials. Native plants were added to the newly-reconfigured steam banks and surrounding areas were restored to pre-construction conditions. NID will monitor the site for the next five years to ensure that the grasses and 125 trees that were planted provide a suitable riparian habitat.
Dry weather through much of the fall of 2011 allowed the project to move forward without delay. Creek work was completed by the November 30, 2011 deadline.
The project received accolades from nearby residents as well as from fishing and environmental advocates who are enthusiastic about opening an additional mile of Auburn Ravine to fish movement. SARSAS President Jack Sanchez said he was confident the project would lead to more fish migration and said he looked forward to conducting fish counts this coming fall. Upstream, in Auburn, city officials see the project as an initial step in a long term vision of opening Auburn Ravine all the way to their city, which they see as a potential educational and economic boost the Placer County seat.
“Watershed stewardship is an important part of our mission,” said NID General Manager Ron Nelson, who is former Chairman of ACWA’s Region 3. “We have a watershed improvement fund and this was a community effort that fit our mission well.”
The Auburn Ravine Fish Passage Project was completed for $865,000. NID contributed $491,000, CALFED $304,000, Placer County $50,000, Bella Vista Foundation $10,000, and Granite Bay Flycasters $10,000
Wednesday, September 26, 2012
Come to the Calling Back the Salmon Celebration, September 29-30, 2012, noon to 5pm on Sat. and 8:30 -10:30 am Sunday
Come to the Calling Back the Salmon Celebration at McBean Park in Lincoln, noon to 5pm on Saturday, September 29, and help return salmon to Auburn Ravine while enjoying the music of Mumbo Gumbo and eating great foods, enjoying exhibits, artworks, and countless activities for adults and children.
Enter the raffle to try to win the winning artwork in the Auburn Ravine Art Show.
The Salmon Run begins at 8am at East Avenue at Hwy 193, across from swimming pool - run/walk a 5K with your family.
On Sunday, September 30 at 8:30 -10:30 a.m., enjoy the Spiritual Blessing of the Salmon and Steelhead in the Auburn Ravine.
There is something for everyone at the Third Annual Calling Back the Salmon Celebration joinly sponsored by SARSAS and Wildlife Heritage Foundation.
Friday, September 21, 2012
SARSAS Meeting Agenda General, September 24, 2012, at 175 Fulweiler Ave, The Domes, Auburnc CA Darryl Hasyes, ISI, Inc. is Speaker
SARSAS Meeting Agenda General
Monday, September 24, 2012
175 Fulweiler Avenue (the Domes), Auburn, CA 95603
Contact: Jack Sanchez at 530-888-0281
Meetings are Fourth Monday of each month at 10-11 a.m.
I. Self- introductions and sign-ins.
II. SARSAS Philosophy–We believe by working together with many individuals and agencies at the same table, we can achieve the mission of SARSAS, which is to return salmon and steelhead to the entire 33 mile length of the Auburn Ravine
.
III Featured speaker is Darryl Hayes, ISI, Inc., “Fish Screens and Installation on Auburn Ravine”
IV. Jack Sanchez, President of SARSAS, “For the Good of the Order”
Scheduled Speakers:
October 22, 2012, Confirmed speaker is Mary Tappel, Beaver Management Expert, “Beaver Management in our New Age of Returning Salmon”
November 26, 2012, Lincoln City Engineer Bruce Burnworth, “Regional Sewer Project – an Update”
Tuesday, December 18, 2012, Mark Egbert, District Manager, El Dorado County and Georgetown Divide Resource Conservation Districts, “Restoration of a Reservoir”
January 28, 2013, Richard Rivas, Natural Resources Conservation Services, Wildlife Biologist, “WHIP and Fish
Passage”
February 25, 2013, Ron Ott, SARSAS Fish Passage Specialist, “Fish Screens on Area Streams and Rivers”
March 25, 2013, Placer County Sheriff Edward N. Bonner, “Fishing Stories of a Boy Growing Up in Loomis”
April 22, 2013, Einar Maisch, PCWA Director of Strategic Affairs, “Middle Fork Authority Update”
What Has Been Accomplished Returning Salmon and Steelhead to Auburn Ravine in Placer County, CA
WHAT HAS SARSAS ACCOMPLISHED AS OF AUGUST 2011
Working with many individuals, agencies and groups, SARSAS has overseen Salmon reaching Turkey Creek Golf Course where another NID dam is in the planning for a fish ladder and screen over the canal or complete removal.
Getting salmon some twenty-two miles up the Auburn Ravine started with NOAA Special Agent Don Tanner working with SARSAS personnel to meet with dam owners to remind them dams must be removed no later than September 15 each year and stay down until April 15 so the Fall salmon run would have access to spawning grounds.
South Sutter Water District was able to raise funds to install a fish screen over the Pleasant Grove Canal, about six miles downstream from Lincoln. This screen should be installed by the beginning of 2013 and, when installed, should prevent up to 90% of anadromous fishes returning to the Pacific from being entrained in the Canal. That means a very large percentage of Auburn Ravine smolt will be able to successfully reach the Sacramento River and swim to the Pacific.
NOAA Agent Tanner and SARSAS personnel met with the owners of the following dams and the owners agreed to comply to the September 15-April 15 dam removal: the Coppin, Davis, Tom Glenn, Lincoln Ranch Duck Club, Aitken Ranch, Moore, Nelson Lane and the Lincoln Gauging Station. The Scheiber Dam was removed.
Nevada Irrigation District is currently installing a fish ladder over the Lincoln Gauging Station, located a quarter mile downstream from Highway 65, making it possible for salmon to swim two miles above Lincoln where they will encounter NID's Hemphill Dam, which is currently in the planning stage of being addressed. The Lincoln Gauging Station fish ladder construction will begin September of 2011 and be completed in October.
Before salmon can reach Wise Powerhouse, located one mile downstream from Auburn, NID must complete work on the Hemphill Dam and the largest dam on the Auburn Ravine, the Gold Diversion Dam and its Canal.
Once these two dams are addressed, salmon can then reach the richest spawning grounds on the Auburn Ravine. Auburn Ravine, according to a fish count done by California Department of Fish and Game in 2005, has an average of 7,000 salmonids per mile, making it one of the richest streams in
Northern California.
Once SARSAS finishes getting salmon to Auburn, it will focus its attention of Coon Creek and get the salmon at least to Hidden Falls Regional Park near
Auburn.
September 2012 Auburn Ravine Salmon Update
September, 2012, Auburn Ravine Salmon Update
NID installed a fish ladder on Lincoln Gauging Station completed Dec 2011
In its endless journey to accomplish the mission of returning salmon and steelhead to all 33 miles of the Auburn Ravine from Verona to the City of Auburn, SARSAS has some very good news laced with a bit of sad news.
A total of eight salmon have been observed at Dog Park in the city of Lincoln. All eight fish were located from just below the Lincoln Gauging Station, a major barrier to upstream fish passage,to about 250 yards downstream of the barrier. The first sighting came on Sunday, October 31st just a few days after the major rainstorm.
A total of eight salmon have been observed at Dog Park in the city of Lincoln. All eight fish were located from just below the Lincoln Gauging Station, a major barrier to upstream fish passage,to about 250 yards downstream of the barrier. The first sighting came on Sunday, October 31st just a few days after the major rainstorm.
Two young men were at the Lincoln Gauging Station and observed a large (over 36") salmon attempting to gain passage over the barrier. The fish tried over and over but was driven back each time. On its last try the water flowing over the S curve washed this majestic fish back into the rocks. Wedged between two rocks the salmon was destined to a sure death had it not been for the efforts of the two men who lowered themselves down the cement wall. One of the men then managed to grasp the salmon between his body and his arms and carried it to the top of the barrier releasing it above the Gauging Station where it swam off.
This fish had not even begun to change colors and other than some heavy bruising from the rocks seemed okay. The two young men continued to observe three smaller salmon trying to get above the barrier but unfortunately none of the three made it.
Jack Sanchez, president of SARSAS and Board Member John Rabe, traveled to this site on the 4th of November with the two young men. We did not see any salmon attempting to go over the barrier and the water was probably too low anyway. However a high school student came up the middle of the Auburn Ravine, and we discovered he was with his high school Water Quality class taking their FinalExam. We joined the students and their teacher downstream of the gaging station and were informed that they had spotted one dead salmon, one dying salmon and three live salmon between them and the gaging station. The dying salmon was dead by the time we observed and photographed it. It was measured at 36" and other than the fact that it had battered itself to death on the gaging station rocks it was a majestic chinook salmon that had not yet begun to change colors. The other dead salmon was smaller and in similar condition having also suffered severe battering on the rocks at the gaging station.
The great news was that there were three remaining salmon and the rain on Sunday, November 7 very likely produced enough water over the gaging station to allow them upstream passage. Jack returned to the location on the 7th early in the day before the river began to rise and observed a large salmon about 200 yards downstream of the barrier. Hopefully that salmon was able to find its way upstream later in the day as the water went from around 20 cfs to over 250cfs later Sunday. John went to the location on the 8th and spent three hours observing from the barrier to about two hundred yards west of the barrier but did not observe any salmon. The water was not high, but it was still a little cloudy from the rain. He reported that it was probably possible for salmon to move above the barrier with a lot of luck. Please observe the picture of the 36" salmon taken by the Lincoln High teacher, David Foxworthy.
So, the good news is there are salmon in the Auburn Ravine. Sighting six fish was very encouraging and we tip our hats to Brad Arnold, the manager of South Sutter Water District as he made sure all downstream barriers were removed by October 15th.
SARSAS thanks Brad and appreciates his efforts to assist Auburn Ravine salmon and steelhead.
IT IS VERY CLEAR that SARSAS has a lot of work remaining however. Realizing that precious salmon are being maimed and killed at the Lincoln Gauging Station is a grim reminder of the urgency of our actions to remove or mitigate dangerous and impassable barriers. Keep in mind that in the entire area where the salmon were sighted there was no gravel for spawning. They must get at least upstream of Highway 193 and preferably upstream of the Hemphill dam where habitat for spawning becomes superb for Chinook.
The Salmon Run Waiver - Print and Bring to Race
The Salmon Run
By indicating your acceptance, you understand, agree, warrant and covenant as follows:
SARSAS Salmon Run REGISTRATION AGREEMENT AND LIABILITY WAIVER (the "Agreement and Waiver")
1. Authority to Register and/or to Act as Agent. You represent and warrant to SARSAS Salmon Run that you have full legal authority to complete this event registration on behalf of yourself and/or any party you are registering (the "Registered Parties"), including full authority to make use of the credit or debit card to which registration fees will be charged. As used in this Agreement and Waiver, SARSAS refers to SARSAS, Inc. and any and all subsidiaries, affiliated entities, or entities that control or are controlled by SARSAS singly or together and its officers, employees, contractors, subcontractors and agents.
If you are registering a child under the age of 18 or an incapacitated adult you represent and warrant that you are the parent or legal guardian of that party and have the legal authority to enter into this agreement on their behalf and by proceeding with this event registration, you agree that the terms of this Agreement and Waiver shall apply equally to all Registered Parties. By registering a child under 13, you agree and consent to the collection of that child's information which you provide for the purposes of registration.
2. Waiver.
YOU UNDERSTAND THAT PARTICIPATION IN THE EVENT IS POTENTIALLY HAZARDOUS, AND THAT A REGISTERED PARTY SHOULD NOT PARTICIPATE UNLESS THEY ARE MEDICALLY ABLE AND PROPERLY TRAINED. YOU UNDERSTAND THAT EVENTS MAY BE HELD OVER PUBLIC ROADS AND FACILITES OPEN TO THE PUBLIC DURING THE EVENT AND UPON WHICH HAZARDS ARE TO BE EXPECTED. PARTICIPATION CARRIES WITH IT CERTAIN INHERENT RISKS THAT CANNOT BE ELIMINATED COMPLETELY RANGING FROM MINOR INJURIES TO CATASTROPHIC INJURIES INCLUDING DEATH. YOU UNDERSTAND AND AGREE THAT IN CONSIDERATION OF BEING PERMITTED TO PARTICIPATE IN THE EVENT, YOU AND ANY REGISTERED PARTY, THE HEIRS, PERSONAL REPRESENTATIVES OR ASSIGNS OF YOU OR THE REGISTERED PARTY DO HEREBY RELEASE, WAIVE, DISCHARGE AND CONVENANT NOT TO SUE ACTIVE FOR ANY AND ALL LIABILITY FROM ANY AND ALL CLAIMS ARISING FROM PARTICIPATION IN THE EVENT BY YOU OR ANY REGISTERED PARTY.
3. Limitation of Liability; Disclaimer of Warranties.
SARSAS SHALL NOT BE LIABLE FOR ANY DIRECT, INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, SPECIAL OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES, RESULTING FROM (A) THE USE OR THE INABILITY TO USE SARSAS OR (B) FOR THE COST OF PROCUREMENT OF SUBSTITUTE GOODS AND SERVICES OR (C) RESULTING FROM ANY GOODS OR SERVICES PURCHASED OR OBTAINED OR TRANSACTIONS ENTERED INTO THROUGH SARSAS OR (D) RESULTING FROM UNAUTHORIZED ACCESS TO OR ALTERATION OF YOUR TRANSMISSIONS OR DATA, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO, DAMAGES FOR LOSS OF PROFITS, USE, DATA OR OTHER INTANGIBLE, EVEN IF SARSAS HAS BEEN ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES. YOU EXPRESSLY AGREE THAT USE OF SARSAS IS AT YOUR SOLE RISK. SARSAS IS PROVIDED ON AN "AS IS" AND "AS AVAILABLE" BASIS. SARSAS EXPRESSLY DISCLAIMS ALL WARRANTIES OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING WITHOUT LIMITATION ANY WARRANTY OF MERCHANTABILITY, FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE OR NON-INFRINGEMENT.
4.. Indemnification. You agree to indemnify and hold each of SARSAS harmless from and against any and all damages, costs, claims or demands, including reasonable attorneys' fees, made by any third party due to or arising from or relating to your use of SARSAS or the violation of any term of this Agreement and Waiver as well as the Terms of Service located at: http://www.sarsas.org.
5. Severability. You further expressly agree that this Agreement and Waiver is intended to be as broad and inclusive as is permitted by the law of the State of California and that if any provision of this Agreement and Waiver shall be found to be unlawful, void, or for any reason unenforceable, then that provision shall be deemed severable from this Agreement and Waiver and shall not affect the validity and enforceability of any remaining provisions.
BY INDICATING YOUR ACCEPTANCE OF THIS AGREEEMENT AND WAIVER, YOU ARE AFFIRMING THAT YOU HAVE READ AND UNDERSTAND THIS AGREEMENT AND WAIVER AND FULLY UNDERSTAND ITS TERMS. YOU UNDERSTAND THAT YOU ARE GIVING UP SUBSTANTIAL RIGHTS, INCLUDING THE RIGHT TO SUE. YOU ACKNOWLEDGE THAT YOU ARE SIGNING THE AGREEMENT AND WAIVER FREELY AND VOLUNTARILY, AND INTEND BY YOUR ACCEPTANCE TO BE A COMPLETE AND UNCONDITIONAL RELEASE OF ALL LIABILITY TO THE GREATEST EXTENT ALLOWED BY LAW.
Print full name Signature and Date
Auburn Ravine Art Show Deadline for Entries Sat., September 22, 2012
Calling Back the Salmon Celebration’s AUBURN RAVINE ART SHOW
Sponsored by SARSAS/ Wildlife Heritage Foundation/Art League of Lincoln
Rules: submit any media artwork inspired by Auburn Ravine. Photos for models are posted on Facebook SARSAS, www.sarsas.org and www.callingbackthesalmoncelebration.org. I can send you photos also.
Email digital entries to Director Jean Cross at jeancrossart@gmail.com. And mail $10 per art work enter to Art League of Lincoln, 2500 3rd Street, Lincoln, CA95648 NLT September 22, 2012.
Hard copies of artwork entered should be dropped of at Wildlife Heritage Foundation, % Kelly Velasco, 563 Second Street, Suite 120, Lincoln, CA95648.
Sequence:
Submit works by September 22;
beginning September 22 Sierra College Art Professor Anthony Maki Gill will begin judging the entries;
Top three winners will be provided a booth at the CBTSC to display their artwork; the winning art work becomes the property of the Auburn Ravine Art Show and will be raffled at the Calling Back the Salmon Celebration at McBean Park in Lincoln on Saturday, September 29, 2012.
We are currently working to display the top 15 entries at Buonarrati’s Ristorante at 460 G Street in Lincoln.
Winning artwork will become property of CBTSC and raffled as the major award on September 30, 2012, at the Celebration.
Prizes: First - $500, Second - $200, Third - $100.
Thanks,
The Salmon Run, McBean Park, Lincoln, CA, Saturday, September 29 at 8am
The Salmon Run - September 29, 2012, Saturday at McBean Park in Lincoln, CA
Save Auburn Ravine Salmon and Steelhead (SARSAS) is sponsoring a 5K Run/walk to begin this year’s Calling Back the Salmon Celebration.
The Salmon Run is for the pure joy of running with no times, no places, no age groupings, and no awards but the commemorative t-shirt. The Salmon Run supports a great environmental organization SARSAS and supports the returning of salmon and steelhead to the Auburn Ravine, and, most importantly, supports the joy of running for fun.
At the beginning of The Salmon Run, go to the Registration Table, pick up your shirt and go to the starting line.
Salmon Run start is 8 AM in Lincoln CA on East Avenue on north side of Hwy 193.
Park autos in McBean Park on south side of Hwy 193; bathroom are in the Park.
Registration through active.com
Direct links for registration: http://www.active.com/event_detail.cfm?event_id=2057886
Commemorative T-shirt: Calling Back the Salmon Celebration—Salmon Run 2012
Post entries will be accepted but may not get a shirt.
Race director: Gordon Ainsleigh 530-878-1901
The Salmon Run is out-and-back, starting from north side of Hwy 193, course goes north on East Ave., turns right (east) on East 12th St., which becomes Virginiatown Road and turnaround will be clearly marked with a judge in place.
Sunday, July 29, 2012
Tuesday, July 24, 2012
Tuesday, July 10, 2012
Pescatore Winery Dinners, Friday-Saturday, August 24-5, 2012 / SARSAS' $10,000 Pledge to Retrofit Hemphill Dam
_______________________________________________________ Wild Wild Salmon or Tri-Tip Dinner A BENEFIT DINNER FOR SARSAS HOSTED BY PESCATORE WINERY WWW.PESCATOREWINES.COM • TWO EVENINGS – WILD SALMON OR TRI-TIPS DINNERS • FRIDAY AUGUST 24 OR SATURDAY AUGUST 25, 2012 • 6:00pm • Pescatore Winery, 7065 Ridge Rd. Newcastle 95658 • $40 per person • Dancing to the music of Jukebox both nights, the great sound we all danced to the Saturday dinner last year • Dinner, raffle & wine sales all benefiting Call Dave or Patty Wegner at 916 663 1422 for reservations. _______________________________________________________ SARSAS $10.000 Funding for CEQA Document for Fish Passage over Hemphill Dam At the April 18, 2012, SARSAS Board Meeting, the Board voted to pledge $10,000 to Nevada Irrigation for the CEQA document to start fish passage over the dam near Turkey Creek Golf Course, two miles upstream from Lincoln, CA. NID finished fish passage over the Lincoln Gauging Station last December; NID will have one more dam, the Gold Hill, before fish can get to Wise Powerhouse, one mile downstream from Auburn. Salmon can swim 22 miles up the 33 miles length of the Auburn Ravine now. When Hemphill is retrofitted for fish passage, they can swim to Gold Hill Dam 27 miles up Auburn Ravine. If you would like to help with funding, please send donations in any amount to SARSAS, PO Box 4269, Auburn, CA95604 to help get fish to Auburn, CA. The SARSAS tax deductible number is 80-0291680. Please be generous.
Pescatore Winery Dinners, Friday-Saturday, August 24-5, 2012
Wild Salmon or Tri-Tip Dinner
A BENEFIT DINNER FOR SARSAS HOSTED BY PESCATORE WINERY WWW.PESCATOREWINES.COM
• TWO EVENINGS – WILD SALMON OR TRI-TIPS DINNERS
• FRIDAY AUGUST 24 OR SATURDAY AUGUST 25, 2012
• 6:00pm
• Pescatore Winery, 7065 Ridge Rd. Newcastle 95658
• $40 per person
• Dancing to the music of Jukebox both nights, the great sound we all danced to the Saturday dinner last year
• Dinner, raffle & wine sales all benefiting
Call Dave or Patty Wegner at 916 663 1422 for reservations.
Sunday, February 19, 2012
Salmon Sightings in Auburn Ravine
11/6/10 | 28 comments | 2626 views
Rate this (Avg 4.0) By Gus Thomson, Journal Staff Writer
CourtesyThis salmon was discovered Thursday at the Lincoln Gauging Station dam – one of several spotted over the past week in the Lincoln Area of the Auburn Ravine.
Salmon are returning to the Auburn Ravine.
Jack Sanchez, president of the Auburn-based Save Auburn Ravine Salmon and Steelhead, reported that two witnesses saw three large salmon at the Lincoln Gauging Station last Sunday.
And the water quality class at Lincoln High School taught by Dave Foxworthy has several photos of salmon – both living and dead – that have been taken over the past four weeks during spawning season, Sanchez said.
Sanchez and his group are dedicated to bringing salmon back to their natural upstream spawning grounds again after being absent since the 1980s.
Salmon return to freshwater streams to lay their eggs and die. The effort led by Sanchez and his organization continues to work to remove man-made barriers along the ravine that prevent the fish from traveling as far upstream as Auburn and the School Park Preserve across High Street from Placer High School.
Salmon sighting this fall as far as a mile upstream from the city of Lincoln, at Turkey Creek Golf Course, has Sanchez elated. The only previous sighting was of one salmon last March at the Fowler Road bridge, he said.
Now there have been several sightings, with fish as heavy as 35 pounds.
“The salmon are in Lincoln now, perhaps the Native American ‘Calling Back the Salmon Ceremony” worked,” Sanchez said.
The salmon group is a non-profit that organized an Oct. 23 celebration at Lincoln’s McBean Park to promote a healthy fish population in local streams. Auburn Ravine meanders 33 miles through the foothills, eventually flowing into the Sacramento River in Verona.
Keywords
salmon, auburn ravine, jack sanchez
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Rate this (Avg 4.0) By Gus Thomson, Journal Staff Writer
CourtesyThis salmon was discovered Thursday at the Lincoln Gauging Station dam – one of several spotted over the past week in the Lincoln Area of the Auburn Ravine.
Salmon are returning to the Auburn Ravine.
Jack Sanchez, president of the Auburn-based Save Auburn Ravine Salmon and Steelhead, reported that two witnesses saw three large salmon at the Lincoln Gauging Station last Sunday.
And the water quality class at Lincoln High School taught by Dave Foxworthy has several photos of salmon – both living and dead – that have been taken over the past four weeks during spawning season, Sanchez said.
Sanchez and his group are dedicated to bringing salmon back to their natural upstream spawning grounds again after being absent since the 1980s.
Salmon return to freshwater streams to lay their eggs and die. The effort led by Sanchez and his organization continues to work to remove man-made barriers along the ravine that prevent the fish from traveling as far upstream as Auburn and the School Park Preserve across High Street from Placer High School.
Salmon sighting this fall as far as a mile upstream from the city of Lincoln, at Turkey Creek Golf Course, has Sanchez elated. The only previous sighting was of one salmon last March at the Fowler Road bridge, he said.
Now there have been several sightings, with fish as heavy as 35 pounds.
“The salmon are in Lincoln now, perhaps the Native American ‘Calling Back the Salmon Ceremony” worked,” Sanchez said.
The salmon group is a non-profit that organized an Oct. 23 celebration at Lincoln’s McBean Park to promote a healthy fish population in local streams. Auburn Ravine meanders 33 miles through the foothills, eventually flowing into the Sacramento River in Verona.
Keywords
salmon, auburn ravine, jack sanchez
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SARSAS Article for Placer Arts Perspective Magazine
Save Auburn Ravine Salmon and Steelhead Inc. (SARSAS), an all-volunteer 501C3 Non-profit, public benefit corporation, is doing with one stream, the Auburn Ravine, what must be done with all streams on the entire West Coast, and that is to make its entire thirty three mile length, starting in Auburn, flowing through Ophir and Lincoln and Verona, where it empties into the Sacramento River, navigable for anadromous fishes.
The health and well-being of the salmon and steelhead is directly linked to that of the people, us, mankind. If we improve the health and well being of salmon and steelhead, we improve the health and well-being on all mankind and therefore ourselves.
Salmon and steelhead are as resilient and adaptable as human; when they can no longer adapt, neither can mankind. They need our help … now … and by helping them we are helping ourselves to endure and prevail.
SARSAS is sponsoring the Calling Back the Salmon Celebration in Lincoln, which will be held in McBean Park in the heart of Lincoln on the Auburn Ravine on Saturday, October 23, 2010. The all-day event is chaired by SARSAS Board Member, former Lincoln City Council Member and School Board Member Stan Nader of Lincoln. Stan can be contacted at 916 300 4335 or emailed at stann@gtcinternet.com to volunteer to help shape and organize this event or just ask questions.
The mission of the SARSAS CALLING BACK THE SALMON CELEBRATION is to stimulate a collaborative relationship between the Auburn Ravine Community of Auburn and Lincoln, and groups and government organizations to educate and engage everyone to the importance of returning the salmon and steelhead runs to the Auburn Ravine. The presence of healthy salmon and steelhead in a healthy Auburn Ravine is a nexus to a healthy Auburn Ravine community and environment.
SARSAS wishes to connect with the Auburn Ravine Community to promote student and community Stream Teams, Salmon/Steelhead and Watershed Stewards. Potential activities for these groups include watershed habitat restoration, monitoring water quality, fish counts, classroom fish raising and replanting fish, observing fish morphology and other aquatic life to determine food sources for the fish. Working collaboratively SARSAS wishes to develop partnerships with agencies, environmental organizations and, most of all, with individual members and groups of the Auburn Ravine community and promote Auburn Ravine community participation in local water quality and fish and wildlife enhancement and educational outreach programs. Only the people volunteering can make the SARSAS dream a reality. First comes the dream, then the vision, then the plan. Now we need volunteers to make the plan a reality.
Many activities are planned at the Calling Back the Salmon Celebration. Activities for Children include a Salmon Run (footrace), Treasure hunt, Climbing Wall, Pony Rides, Face Painting, Carnival Games with a SARSAS bent, Crafts Projects (Painting, drawing, ceramics), and Watershed Model Interactive Display.
Activities for Everyone include Multiple Musical presentations including
Loping Wolf Flute Circle flutecircle@lopingwolf.com Dan Dicicco
http://www.lopingwolf.com/, Local Folk music performers and Commercial and non-profit vendors and informational displays.
Local Native American Indigenous People are planning to performing various activities, which will include calling back the salmon in tradition indigenous ways. SARSAS is extremely delighted that Local Indigenous Americans are stepping forward to help return salmon and steelhead to the Auburn Ravine, the most important local waterway, the Auburn Ravine, which was once the primary source of salmon, a major food source for indigenous peoples for centuries. Native American efforts help will be invaluable to the success of returning anadromous fishes to their native waterway, the Auburn Ravine.
SARSAS invites the entire Auburn Ravine Community to come to the McBean Park Calling Back the Salmon Celebration to learn what SARSAS is doing to return salmon and check us out at www.sarsas.org.
The health and well-being of the salmon and steelhead is directly linked to that of the people, us, mankind. If we improve the health and well being of salmon and steelhead, we improve the health and well-being on all mankind and therefore ourselves.
Salmon and steelhead are as resilient and adaptable as human; when they can no longer adapt, neither can mankind. They need our help … now … and by helping them we are helping ourselves to endure and prevail.
SARSAS is sponsoring the Calling Back the Salmon Celebration in Lincoln, which will be held in McBean Park in the heart of Lincoln on the Auburn Ravine on Saturday, October 23, 2010. The all-day event is chaired by SARSAS Board Member, former Lincoln City Council Member and School Board Member Stan Nader of Lincoln. Stan can be contacted at 916 300 4335 or emailed at stann@gtcinternet.com to volunteer to help shape and organize this event or just ask questions.
The mission of the SARSAS CALLING BACK THE SALMON CELEBRATION is to stimulate a collaborative relationship between the Auburn Ravine Community of Auburn and Lincoln, and groups and government organizations to educate and engage everyone to the importance of returning the salmon and steelhead runs to the Auburn Ravine. The presence of healthy salmon and steelhead in a healthy Auburn Ravine is a nexus to a healthy Auburn Ravine community and environment.
SARSAS wishes to connect with the Auburn Ravine Community to promote student and community Stream Teams, Salmon/Steelhead and Watershed Stewards. Potential activities for these groups include watershed habitat restoration, monitoring water quality, fish counts, classroom fish raising and replanting fish, observing fish morphology and other aquatic life to determine food sources for the fish. Working collaboratively SARSAS wishes to develop partnerships with agencies, environmental organizations and, most of all, with individual members and groups of the Auburn Ravine community and promote Auburn Ravine community participation in local water quality and fish and wildlife enhancement and educational outreach programs. Only the people volunteering can make the SARSAS dream a reality. First comes the dream, then the vision, then the plan. Now we need volunteers to make the plan a reality.
Many activities are planned at the Calling Back the Salmon Celebration. Activities for Children include a Salmon Run (footrace), Treasure hunt, Climbing Wall, Pony Rides, Face Painting, Carnival Games with a SARSAS bent, Crafts Projects (Painting, drawing, ceramics), and Watershed Model Interactive Display.
Activities for Everyone include Multiple Musical presentations including
Loping Wolf Flute Circle flutecircle@lopingwolf.com Dan Dicicco
http://www.lopingwolf.com/, Local Folk music performers and Commercial and non-profit vendors and informational displays.
Local Native American Indigenous People are planning to performing various activities, which will include calling back the salmon in tradition indigenous ways. SARSAS is extremely delighted that Local Indigenous Americans are stepping forward to help return salmon and steelhead to the Auburn Ravine, the most important local waterway, the Auburn Ravine, which was once the primary source of salmon, a major food source for indigenous peoples for centuries. Native American efforts help will be invaluable to the success of returning anadromous fishes to their native waterway, the Auburn Ravine.
SARSAS invites the entire Auburn Ravine Community to come to the McBean Park Calling Back the Salmon Celebration to learn what SARSAS is doing to return salmon and check us out at www.sarsas.org.
JACK SANCHEZ OF SARSAS
PLACER SENTINEL
JACK SANCHEZ OF SARSAS
By Therese M. Pope
Born in his grandmother’s home in Ophir, Jack Sanchez grew up playing along the banks of the Auburn Ravine. Sanchez, who taught English at Del Oro High School for 38 years, holds a vested interest in the Auburn community, especially the Auburn Ravine.
“I led a Tom Sawyer childhood. We built rafts and floated down the Ravine during the summer. We fished and caught frogs. We were always playing in the Ravine. I remember how my mom had to call us in each night,” recalls Sanchez.
Sanchez, founder and president of Save Auburn Ravine Salmon and Steelhead (SARSAS), has made it his mission to preserve Auburn’s legacy - the Auburn Ravine and the steelhead and salmon that once swam in the ravine.
“After my wife Valerie and I retired from teaching, we climbed Mt. Kilimanjaro, hiked Patagonia, and tackled the Milford Sound Trek in Australia and HIKE THROUGH New Zealand. We realized we couldn’t travel forever and we decided to take on a seemingly impossible dream—to bring back the salmon and steelhead to the Auburn Ravine.”
SARSAS, a newly formed nonprofit, non-governmental organization in Auburn, plans to collaboratively and cooperatively modify the twelve man-made barriers and COUNTLESS beaver dams on the Auburn Ravine making them passable for anadromous fish.
Sanchez has already established cohesive relationships with local agencies including: Placer County’s Supervisor Richard Weygandt, Nevada Irrigation District (NID), PG&E; Placer County Water Agency (PCWA), Placer Legacy, California Department of Fish and Game, NOAA, and Auburn City Council.
Dr. Peter Moyle, UC Davis’ top fish expert, has been a long-time advocate FOR saving salmon and wrote: “SOS: California’s Native Fish Crisis.” HE HAS AGREED TO BECOME AN ADVISOR TO SARSAS AND INDICATED THAT ITS GOAL IS VERY MUCH POSSIBLE
Sanchez explains that SARSAS is a group of dedicated unpaid volunteers who care about the Auburn Ravine. Formed in DECEMBER 2007, SARSAS’s biggest challenges include securing funding, COALITON building, and OVERCOMING water issues. They need to retrofit dams, build fish ladders and add more water to the ravine.
“I see the first stage of our mission completed in less than five years. NID and Placer Legacy HAVE SECURED FUNDING, AND COMPLETED DESIGN on two of the three man made barriers, Hemp Hill Dam and Lincoln Gaging Station,” explains Sanchez. “THESE DAMS WILL BE RETROFITTED BY THIS SUMMER.”
Sanchez and his volunteers are making an impact on the Auburn community by spreading the word about SARSAS at local festivals and events.
“In April, we will host two workshops for landowners who live along the Auburn Ravine. We want to ENHANCE THEIR STEWARDSHIP OF the Auburn Ravine. We will have speakers FROM MANY DISCIPLINES UNDER THE LEADERSHIP OF UC Berkeley scientist, Dr. Richard Harris.”
Because of their non-profit status, SARSAS relies on grant funding and local donations from community members. Their hope is to secure 200 active members by the end of this year. They are currently seeking volunteers with clerical, computer/website, and construction backgrounds.
SARSAS is also reaching out to the local high schools. Placer Union High School students will be able to take on the SARSAS cause for their required senior project.
Sanchez has a strong affinity for the classic Herman Melville novel, Moby Dick. Just like Captain Ahab’s quest for the “great white whale,” Sanchez won’t stop until he brings back the salmon and steelhead to Auburn.
JACK SANCHEZ OF SARSAS
By Therese M. Pope
Born in his grandmother’s home in Ophir, Jack Sanchez grew up playing along the banks of the Auburn Ravine. Sanchez, who taught English at Del Oro High School for 38 years, holds a vested interest in the Auburn community, especially the Auburn Ravine.
“I led a Tom Sawyer childhood. We built rafts and floated down the Ravine during the summer. We fished and caught frogs. We were always playing in the Ravine. I remember how my mom had to call us in each night,” recalls Sanchez.
Sanchez, founder and president of Save Auburn Ravine Salmon and Steelhead (SARSAS), has made it his mission to preserve Auburn’s legacy - the Auburn Ravine and the steelhead and salmon that once swam in the ravine.
“After my wife Valerie and I retired from teaching, we climbed Mt. Kilimanjaro, hiked Patagonia, and tackled the Milford Sound Trek in Australia and HIKE THROUGH New Zealand. We realized we couldn’t travel forever and we decided to take on a seemingly impossible dream—to bring back the salmon and steelhead to the Auburn Ravine.”
SARSAS, a newly formed nonprofit, non-governmental organization in Auburn, plans to collaboratively and cooperatively modify the twelve man-made barriers and COUNTLESS beaver dams on the Auburn Ravine making them passable for anadromous fish.
Sanchez has already established cohesive relationships with local agencies including: Placer County’s Supervisor Richard Weygandt, Nevada Irrigation District (NID), PG&E; Placer County Water Agency (PCWA), Placer Legacy, California Department of Fish and Game, NOAA, and Auburn City Council.
Dr. Peter Moyle, UC Davis’ top fish expert, has been a long-time advocate FOR saving salmon and wrote: “SOS: California’s Native Fish Crisis.” HE HAS AGREED TO BECOME AN ADVISOR TO SARSAS AND INDICATED THAT ITS GOAL IS VERY MUCH POSSIBLE
Sanchez explains that SARSAS is a group of dedicated unpaid volunteers who care about the Auburn Ravine. Formed in DECEMBER 2007, SARSAS’s biggest challenges include securing funding, COALITON building, and OVERCOMING water issues. They need to retrofit dams, build fish ladders and add more water to the ravine.
“I see the first stage of our mission completed in less than five years. NID and Placer Legacy HAVE SECURED FUNDING, AND COMPLETED DESIGN on two of the three man made barriers, Hemp Hill Dam and Lincoln Gaging Station,” explains Sanchez. “THESE DAMS WILL BE RETROFITTED BY THIS SUMMER.”
Sanchez and his volunteers are making an impact on the Auburn community by spreading the word about SARSAS at local festivals and events.
“In April, we will host two workshops for landowners who live along the Auburn Ravine. We want to ENHANCE THEIR STEWARDSHIP OF the Auburn Ravine. We will have speakers FROM MANY DISCIPLINES UNDER THE LEADERSHIP OF UC Berkeley scientist, Dr. Richard Harris.”
Because of their non-profit status, SARSAS relies on grant funding and local donations from community members. Their hope is to secure 200 active members by the end of this year. They are currently seeking volunteers with clerical, computer/website, and construction backgrounds.
SARSAS is also reaching out to the local high schools. Placer Union High School students will be able to take on the SARSAS cause for their required senior project.
Sanchez has a strong affinity for the classic Herman Melville novel, Moby Dick. Just like Captain Ahab’s quest for the “great white whale,” Sanchez won’t stop until he brings back the salmon and steelhead to Auburn.
Restoration efforts spawn beaver vs. salmon questions
Spawning chinook salmon will be swimming their way up Auburn Ravine Creek to Downtown Auburn by the fall of 2012.
That is if the funding comes through to make their journey easier and beaver dams don’t get in the way of the fish. Despite the challenges, a coalition of organizations is aiming to bring the salmon run back.
Jack Sanchez, a leader with the non-profit Save Auburn Ravine Salmon and Steelhead, said that work to remove man-made impediments to future spawning runs has gone well for the group. That has included working with landowners and the Nevada Irrigation District to ensure 13 smaller diversion dams and three larger ones will not impede salmon movement.
And funding should also be available. The ravine restoration group is seeking $400,000 to study what it will take – and how much it will cost – to move the salmon the final step from Wise Road to the Auburn Park Preserve in Downtown Auburn. Sanchez would only say that it’s expected to be expensive.
But beaver-dam building is still an issue that needs to be worked out. Sanchez said he believes the salmon will be able to wait until dam openings occur and then move through.
State Department of Fish & Game statistics show that beavers have become a source of concern in Placer County. From 2004 to 2008, 72 beavers were killed in the county under state-approved depredation permits.
Sanchez said he believes more study has to be done to determine what kind of threat the beavers’ dam-building activity is to salmon runs. And there are differing thoughts on what to do about it, he added.
Sanchez pointed to a new plan that describes the beaver-salmon question as a “hotly debated but unresolved” issue.
For Sanchez, the salmon come first because they are native to the area while beavers are not. Beavers now lodged in the Lincoln area were introduced from Idaho in 1945 for flood control, he said.
“Now I don’t think they’re helpful,” he said. “I’m not interested in exterminating or killing beavers but if you want to create a hierarchy, the salmon come first.”
Kyle Orr, Fish & Game spokesman, said a permit allows property owners to kill a beaver themselves or bring in a county trapper or private pest control business.
Along the Auburn Ravine in Lincoln, the Lincoln Open Space Committee has wrapped oak trees in wiring to prevent beavers in that area from eating into the bark and killing them.
Lincoln City Councilman Tom Cosgrove told the Lincoln News Messenger earlier this month that the beaver population is flourishing in that area.
Orr said building fences around trees is one option to protect them but the question of beaver dam building is more complex. The department’s position is that dams can stop salmon migration.
“With beaver dams, though, if you break one up, they’re going to build another one nearby,” Orr said.
The salmon are moving farther upstream toward Auburn, with the help of Nevada Irrigation District retrofits on two diversion dams that allow fish passage. The work will be finished this summer. The major remaining obstacle is the Gold Hill diversion dam, leaving a single mile to go before the fish reach Auburn. After that, 18 culverts need to be retrofitted to get the salmon through.
“I think it will be expensive but I think there will be a groundswell of support,” Sanchez said.
One salmon sighting occurred about a month ago at the Fowler Road bridge in Newcastle.
That is if the funding comes through to make their journey easier and beaver dams don’t get in the way of the fish. Despite the challenges, a coalition of organizations is aiming to bring the salmon run back.
Jack Sanchez, a leader with the non-profit Save Auburn Ravine Salmon and Steelhead, said that work to remove man-made impediments to future spawning runs has gone well for the group. That has included working with landowners and the Nevada Irrigation District to ensure 13 smaller diversion dams and three larger ones will not impede salmon movement.
And funding should also be available. The ravine restoration group is seeking $400,000 to study what it will take – and how much it will cost – to move the salmon the final step from Wise Road to the Auburn Park Preserve in Downtown Auburn. Sanchez would only say that it’s expected to be expensive.
But beaver-dam building is still an issue that needs to be worked out. Sanchez said he believes the salmon will be able to wait until dam openings occur and then move through.
State Department of Fish & Game statistics show that beavers have become a source of concern in Placer County. From 2004 to 2008, 72 beavers were killed in the county under state-approved depredation permits.
Sanchez said he believes more study has to be done to determine what kind of threat the beavers’ dam-building activity is to salmon runs. And there are differing thoughts on what to do about it, he added.
Sanchez pointed to a new plan that describes the beaver-salmon question as a “hotly debated but unresolved” issue.
For Sanchez, the salmon come first because they are native to the area while beavers are not. Beavers now lodged in the Lincoln area were introduced from Idaho in 1945 for flood control, he said.
“Now I don’t think they’re helpful,” he said. “I’m not interested in exterminating or killing beavers but if you want to create a hierarchy, the salmon come first.”
Kyle Orr, Fish & Game spokesman, said a permit allows property owners to kill a beaver themselves or bring in a county trapper or private pest control business.
Along the Auburn Ravine in Lincoln, the Lincoln Open Space Committee has wrapped oak trees in wiring to prevent beavers in that area from eating into the bark and killing them.
Lincoln City Councilman Tom Cosgrove told the Lincoln News Messenger earlier this month that the beaver population is flourishing in that area.
Orr said building fences around trees is one option to protect them but the question of beaver dam building is more complex. The department’s position is that dams can stop salmon migration.
“With beaver dams, though, if you break one up, they’re going to build another one nearby,” Orr said.
The salmon are moving farther upstream toward Auburn, with the help of Nevada Irrigation District retrofits on two diversion dams that allow fish passage. The work will be finished this summer. The major remaining obstacle is the Gold Hill diversion dam, leaving a single mile to go before the fish reach Auburn. After that, 18 culverts need to be retrofitted to get the salmon through.
“I think it will be expensive but I think there will be a groundswell of support,” Sanchez said.
One salmon sighting occurred about a month ago at the Fowler Road bridge in Newcastle.
Ron Ott holds key to ravine restoration
By Colin Berr Journal Staff Writer
Ron Ott may soon hold the key to the Auburn Ravine restoration in his hands.
After months of tireless research, Ott is creating a unique book on the Auburn Ravine which lists every dam, diversion and pump from Auburn to Verona on the Sacramento River.
“Ron’s book will allow us to completely restore the Auburn Ravine to salmon and steelhead runs for spawning and return to the Pacific for maturation,” said Jack Sanchez, president of SARSAS (Save Auburn Ravine Salmon and Steelhead). “His work is absolutely key to what we’re doing.”
Salmon have been a major part of Ott’s life. Growing up on the Sacramento River, Ott went on to receive three advanced degrees from Stanford, which included specialties in hydrology, hydraulics and water resources.
He has since worked nationwide on stream, river and lake restoration projects for fisheries for 43 years.
“One of the most exciting parts of my career happened when I was jogging through a neighborhood in Seattle. I turned to go by a stream that was no bigger than 6-feet-by-3-feet, and I saw hundreds of salmon thrashing and spawning,” Ott said. “It was just incredible to see nature flourishing within the confines of an urban community.”
Ott’s work seeks to counter the damage created by human diversions, such as flashboards and dams, which are set to divert water flow during certain times of the year. Salmon and steelhead are caught in the diverted water flow, and end up dying, often on the banks of farmland.
Illustrated with photographs, the book describes the maximum flows and owners of each pump, diversion and dam, cost of screening, and more extensive details.
With the information supplied by Ott, SARSAS will work to implement fish ladders and screens throughout the Ravine to divert the salmon and steelhead back along their desired route to the ocean.
“So far, SARSAS has been successful in phase one of its mission, which is to remove diversions from the Sacramento area to the city of Lincoln,” Sanchez said. “Ron’s really boosting up phase II, which runs from Auburn to the Sacramento River.”
If all goes as planned, Auburn will be one of two cities in California to see salmon spawn within city limits.
“Seeing salmon spawn and travel upstream in large numbers is very uplifting for the community,” Ott said. “In a way, the health of a salmon run can reflect the health of society.”
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Get to know
Ron Ott
Profession:
• Started his career working for the California Department of Water Resources
• Joined major international consulting firm CH2M HILL and served as Director of Environmental Sciences, followed by Director of Water Resources and lastly the Director in Integrated Water Management.
• Fish Facility Coordinator for the California Bay Delta Program (CALFED) for 12 years
• Stared his own firm, Ott Water Engineers, which specialized in anadromous fishery restoration projects, especially fish passage projects.
• Currently owns and operates a hydro-electric plant in Northern California
Resumé highlights:
• Led science and engineering studies for water supply, water quality and fisheries on major river and estuary systems in California, Washington, Oregon, Florida, Wisconsin and Alaska.
• Published extensively in professional journals
• A registered civil engineer in eight states
• Received several awards from the American Society of Civil Engineers for his publications on fish passage engineering.
Favorite Pastimes:
Gold prospecting while swimming in streams; also riding ATVs throughout Northern California and Nevada with his family.
Keywords
Ron Ott, Auburn Ravine, restoration, SARSAS, Save Auburn Ravine Salmon and Steelhead, spawning, fisheries, Sacramento River,
E-mail this
Ron Ott may soon hold the key to the Auburn Ravine restoration in his hands.
After months of tireless research, Ott is creating a unique book on the Auburn Ravine which lists every dam, diversion and pump from Auburn to Verona on the Sacramento River.
“Ron’s book will allow us to completely restore the Auburn Ravine to salmon and steelhead runs for spawning and return to the Pacific for maturation,” said Jack Sanchez, president of SARSAS (Save Auburn Ravine Salmon and Steelhead). “His work is absolutely key to what we’re doing.”
Salmon have been a major part of Ott’s life. Growing up on the Sacramento River, Ott went on to receive three advanced degrees from Stanford, which included specialties in hydrology, hydraulics and water resources.
He has since worked nationwide on stream, river and lake restoration projects for fisheries for 43 years.
“One of the most exciting parts of my career happened when I was jogging through a neighborhood in Seattle. I turned to go by a stream that was no bigger than 6-feet-by-3-feet, and I saw hundreds of salmon thrashing and spawning,” Ott said. “It was just incredible to see nature flourishing within the confines of an urban community.”
Ott’s work seeks to counter the damage created by human diversions, such as flashboards and dams, which are set to divert water flow during certain times of the year. Salmon and steelhead are caught in the diverted water flow, and end up dying, often on the banks of farmland.
Illustrated with photographs, the book describes the maximum flows and owners of each pump, diversion and dam, cost of screening, and more extensive details.
With the information supplied by Ott, SARSAS will work to implement fish ladders and screens throughout the Ravine to divert the salmon and steelhead back along their desired route to the ocean.
“So far, SARSAS has been successful in phase one of its mission, which is to remove diversions from the Sacramento area to the city of Lincoln,” Sanchez said. “Ron’s really boosting up phase II, which runs from Auburn to the Sacramento River.”
If all goes as planned, Auburn will be one of two cities in California to see salmon spawn within city limits.
“Seeing salmon spawn and travel upstream in large numbers is very uplifting for the community,” Ott said. “In a way, the health of a salmon run can reflect the health of society.”
---------------------------
Get to know
Ron Ott
Profession:
• Started his career working for the California Department of Water Resources
• Joined major international consulting firm CH2M HILL and served as Director of Environmental Sciences, followed by Director of Water Resources and lastly the Director in Integrated Water Management.
• Fish Facility Coordinator for the California Bay Delta Program (CALFED) for 12 years
• Stared his own firm, Ott Water Engineers, which specialized in anadromous fishery restoration projects, especially fish passage projects.
• Currently owns and operates a hydro-electric plant in Northern California
Resumé highlights:
• Led science and engineering studies for water supply, water quality and fisheries on major river and estuary systems in California, Washington, Oregon, Florida, Wisconsin and Alaska.
• Published extensively in professional journals
• A registered civil engineer in eight states
• Received several awards from the American Society of Civil Engineers for his publications on fish passage engineering.
Favorite Pastimes:
Gold prospecting while swimming in streams; also riding ATVs throughout Northern California and Nevada with his family.
Keywords
Ron Ott, Auburn Ravine, restoration, SARSAS, Save Auburn Ravine Salmon and Steelhead, spawning, fisheries, Sacramento River,
E-mail this
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