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Loleta, Calif. – The Wiyot Tribe and Friends of the Eel River (FOER) were joined by Native American Indian tribes from throughout Northern California in a prayer ceremony Saturday focused on returning the Eel River and the fisheries it supports to a healthy, sustainable state. This event follows several similar ceremonies held since 2009 that have taken place in different parts of the nearly 3,600-square mile Eel River watershed.
“Rivers need water to survive,” said Nadananda, Executive Director of the Friends of the Eel River. “The cost of diverting so much water out of the Eel River is simply too high. Salmon and steelhead are on the brink of extinction here. While increases in water flows over the past five years have made it possible for Chinook salmon populations to begin to make a comeback, significantly more water will need to be returned to the river if we are going to save these fish.”
Read more: TRIBES JOIN CEREMONY TO RETURN NATIVE SALMON TO EEL RIVER
Shedding light on the current debate over immigration reform and the use of "guest workers" in American agriculture, Harvest of Loneliness is a historical documentary examines what was known as the Bracero Program--a system put in place from 1942 to 1964 to recruit Mexican farm laborers for temporary work in the United States.
The film presents ample testimony from surviving braceros, as well as family members and descendants of these displaced workers, who typically went north expecting not just high wages but also humane treatment and working conditions-expectations that were rarely if ever met.
Producer Gilbert Gonzalez, a professor of Chicano/Latino studies at the University of California, Irvine, worked closely with KRCB to prepare and distribute his film to PBS stations across the country, in time for broadcasts associated with Hispanic Heritage Day this month. It will be shown on KRCB Television on Tuesday, September 13, at 9 pm. You can preview highlights from the film below.
Read more: Documentary revisits agriculture’s “bracero” program
I drove past the new sculpture garden at the Sonoma County Museum several times during its construction and finally my curiosity got the better of me. A few days ago, early on a weekday afternoon, I stopped to take a look around. The Sculpture Garden was created on land adjacent to the museum, a site previously used to park cars. Apart from being a vast improvement over the parking lot, the Sculpture Garden is a handsome addition to downtown Santa Rosa.
The garden makes interesting use of a variety of plants and trees, including olive and plum, as well as grass and hardscape areas. Although equipped with more than an average number of benches for a comparatively small space, I saw no provision for a place to rest in the shade. If you visit on a sunny day, take a hat.
The sculptures vary in scale and size but none dominate at the expense of others. The materials include wood, steel, aluminum, travertine, and stone. The entry gate on 7th Street is almost a sculpture in itself, well proportioned and in keeping with the whole environment.
The Sculpture Garden is also intended to be used for performances and classes. The next performance, September first, is by the Tom McIntyre Trio. Consult the museum website for other scheduled events. The Sonoma County Museum is located at 425 7th Street, Santa Rosa.
The California Department of Water Resources (DWR) has announced final approval for integrated water management funding including $8.2 million for the North Coast region and $30.1 million for the Bay Area region.
The North Coast plan designates $1 million for the Sonoma County Water Agency’s Copeland Creek project. The Bay Area plan includes $765,000 for local water conservation programs and $2 million for the North Bay Water Reuse Authority.
The money is part of Proposition 84, which provides funding for projects that assist local public agencies in meeting the long-term water needs of the state, including the delivery of safe drinking water and the protection of water quality and the environment.
The $1 million awarded for the Copeland Creek Project will fund the first phase of a multi-phase effort to improve flood protection and fish habitat, and reduce the sediment deposited in the Copeland Creek Watershed.
Final Estuary Management Project Environmental Review Certified and Project Approved
On August 16, the Sonoma County Water Agency Board of Directors (Board) certified an Environmental Impact Report (EIR) and approved a project to change the way the Russian River estuary is managed between May 15 and October 15.
The purpose of the project – which includes a new way of managing the sandbar that sometimes closes the mouth of the Russian River, where it flows into the Pacific Ocean near Jenner – is to improve habitat conditions for young salmon species, particularly steelhead, while minimizing flood risk. The changes in estuary management are required by the National Marine Fisheries Service’s (NMFS) Russian River Biological Opinion.
“Closed lagoons at river mouths are a critically important habitat for juvenile steelhead in many coastal California watersheds,” said NMFS biologist Dr. William Hearn. “The Russian River once had one of the largest steelhead runs in California; its populations are now threatened with extinction.”
Read more: New management plan for Russian River's mouth approved
