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HomeMy WebLinkAboutMINUTES - 08281984 - 2.6 Contra q2i "''oQosta TO: BOARD OF SUPERVISORS County FROM: J. MICHAEL WALFORD, PUBLIC WORKS DIRECTOR ' t`� DATE: August 28, 1984 SUBJECT: Recommendation on State Department of Fish and Game White Bass Management Program Specific Requests or Recommendations & Background & Justification RECOMMENDATION Support the "Central Valley Alternative", as identified in the June 1984 draft EIR, for the management of white bass in California. BACKGROUND On June 18, 1984, a draft Environmental Impact Report was issued by the State Department of Fish and Game on a proposed white bass management program. White bass were imported into California in the mid-1960s by the Department of Fish and Game. The white bass were stocked in Lake Nacimiento in San Luis Obispo County. In 1977, white bass were found in Kaweah Reservoir in Tulare County. Someone had illegally transported white bass to Kaweah Reservoir (presumably from Lake Nacimiento) and they survived to reproduce. Flooding during the winter and spring of 1982-1983 caused white bass from Kaweah Reservoir to move down to the Tulare Lake Basin. Serious concerns were raised over the probability that white bass would escape into the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta system because of a de-watering project proposed by the Tulare Lake Reclamation District. If white bass were to colonize the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta system, the Department of Fish and Game projects a substantial 'impact to sport and commercial fisheries. In the draft EIR, the Department of Fish and Game proposes three alternatives. The first alternative is a no action alternative which involves the maintenance of existing fish barriers in the Tulare Lake Basin in an effort to prevent the movement of white bass. The Department states that there is a high probability that existing. fish barriers will not prevent the movement of white bass to the Delta in the future. The second alternative involves the chemical elimination, using Rotenone (a fish-killing chemical ) , of all white bass in the Kaweah-Tulare Lake Basin. This chemical will kill all fish in the treated waters. Restocking by the Department of Fish and Game is included in the alternative. The third alternative (the Central Valley-Nacimiento Action Alternative) would combine the chemical elimination of white bass in the Kaweah-Tulare Lake Basin with a similar chemical treatment of Lake Nacimiento. This would eliminate all known white bass in Cali- fornia. The Fish and Wildlife Study Committee and the Public Works Department has reviewed the draft EIR. The Public Works Department recommends that the Central Valley Alternative, which would eliminate all white bass in Kaweah-Tulare Lake Basin be implemented. This . . 'recommendation is based on the fact that elimination of all white bass in California (by also treating Lake Nacimiento) would not necessarily prevent white bass from entering Conti7_4d on attachment: X yes Signature: !r�' ommen ation of County Administrator Recommendation of Board Committee Approve Other: Si natures : Action of Board on: August 28, 1984 Approved as Recommended Other x REFERRED to the Water Committee (Supervisors McPeak and Torlakson) for further review. Vote of Supervisors I HEREBY CERTIFY THAT THIS IS A TRUE AND CORRECT COPY OF AN ACTION TAKEN �( Unanimous (Absent — ) AND ENTERED ON THE MINUTES OF THE Ayes: Noes: BOARD OF SUPERVISORS ON DATE SHOWN. Absent: Abstain: n a /9$� (DBO:cl) wc.bo.nacimiento.t8 Attested . ,.� Orig. Div.: Public Works (EC) J.R. SSON, COUNTY CLERK PM cc: County Administrator EX OFFICIO CLERK OF THE BOARD Fish & Wildlife Study Committee (via EC) State Dept. of Fish & Game (via EC) Water Committee By , DEPUTY _00345 the Delta. A lake in Nevada, which is physically closer to the Delta, contains white bass which provides an opportunity for the possibility of the planting of bass_ini-waterways= in California, even if Lake Nacimiento was treated to eliminate the -white bass. The infor- mation of the existence of white bass in Nevada was not acknowledged in the draft EIR, and the Fish and Wildlife Study Committee were not informed of this when they made their tentative recommendation for the eradication of all white bass in California. The State Department of Fish and- Game states that a recommendation from the Board of Super- visors should be sent to the State as soon as possible in order to influence the Department's decision on management methods. This does not allow for additional consideration by the Fish and Wildlife Study Committee. Dan Pellegrini , Chairman of the Fish and Wildlife Study Committee, has been informed of the new information and agrees with staff's recommen- dation to support the Central Valley Alternative. This recommendation is consistent with the Fish and Wildlife Study Committee' s concerns about possible white bass colonization of the Delta and that only the minimum amount of other fish be killed in the process. The fish that are killed by Rotenone can be eaten, .but the Department of Fish and Game will not allow scavenging by the general public because fish killed by Rotenone cannot be distinguished from fish killed by other means which may be harmful if eaten. The killed fish will be collected for processing for another use by a contractor. 00346