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<br />nnll'iO <br /> <br />LE~l~TERS <br /> <br />Dear Edllor: <br /> <br />Dear Edllor: <br /> <br />Thank you fOr your coverage of the <br />Tuolumne River controversy '"Turmoil <br />Over Tne Tuolumne" which appeared <br />In your July/August 1984 publicalton. <br /> <br />We welcomed the opportunity 10 <br />clear the air in the wake of so many <br />Inaccurate Characterizations. <br />miSleading statements and contusion <br />which has permeated OUf study 0' <br />the Tuolumne... <br /> <br />Lloyd E Starn. President, <br />Turlock IrngaTion DistrIct <br />Turlock. Ca <br /> <br />Dear Editor: <br /> <br />1 have recently read the September- <br />October 1984 Issue of WESTERN <br />WA TEA. J K Hartshorn is to be con- <br />gratulated on the preSenlalton of the <br />sublect "Ground Water: The En. <br />dangered Resource" It IS one ollhe <br />most comprehensive and enlighten. <br />Ing articles on thiS subJeCl I have <br />had an opportunity 10 read <br /> <br />Richard Jahraus, President <br />Laguna Beach County Water Dlst. <br />Laguna Beach, Ca <br /> <br />Thank you lor the opportunity to <br />review Ihe draft article ion Ground <br />Water contamination) prepared by <br />Jamie Hartshorn. The work is consis- <br />tenl With your high standards for ac. <br />curacy. objectivity and clarity", <br /> <br />Carole A OnoralO, Chairwoman <br />Stale Waler Resources Control Board <br />Sacramento. Ca <br /> <br />WHAT'S N.EW <br /> <br />Trinity River <br /> <br />Federal legislallon (HR 1438 and S <br />1874) to authorize and lund a S57 <br />million, len.year restoralion program <br />tor the Trinily River passed bOlh <br />houses of Congress late Ihis sum, <br />mer. Presidenl Reagan IS eltpeCled 10 <br />sign the bill shortly Presidenl <br />Reagan signed lhe bill ento law Oc- <br />tOber, 24 Fundeng is scheduled <br />to begin October 1, 1985 <br />In 1963, Ihe Trinity River Protect <br />began dlverleng nearly 90 percent of <br />Ihe flows 01 lhe upper Trinlly RIver <br />inlO the Sacramento Valley 10 meet <br />the growing water and energy needs <br />01 Califorma Within a few years an <br />unforeseen result oj lhls diversion <br />had become apparenl Previously <br />clean spawnIng gravels and fOOd' <br />prOdUCing areas below Lewlston Dam <br />became covered with sand causeng <br />salmon and sleelhead populallons to <br />decline by as mUCh as 90 percenl <br />Ten years ago an attempl began to <br />stem thiS decline when SIX lederal <br />and stale agenCies organized a TrIO- <br />Ity River Basin FIsh and Wildlife Task <br />Force (by 1984, membership had <br />grown to 14). The major goal of this <br />task force was to "define and correCI <br />fish and wildlife problems In the <br />Tnoity River BaSin " <br /> <br />The resultmg federal legislation <br />evolved as Ihe resull of several years <br />of concenlrated etlort by many agen- <br />Cies, organizations and individuals. <br />Many persons COntributed, but those <br />most Vital to liS ulllmale passage in. <br />cluded Roger Hardison. a school. <br />teacher Irom Weaverville: Jim Smith, <br />SupervIsor from Trimty County: <br />former Congressman "Bizz" JOhnson, <br />who obtained funding 10 develop lhe <br />Managemenl Program: Ed Barnes, <br />Charrman of lhe Task Force's Action <br />Group: Congressmen Chappie. Bosco <br />and Shumway; and, U.S. Senators <br />Cranston and Wilson. who earned the <br />legislation. It also reqUired the <br />slatesmanship 01 Department of <br />Water Resources and Fish and Game <br />Directors Kennedy and Parnell and <br />Bureau of ReClamation Director <br />HOuston to resolve the Impasse on a <br />federal.state cost.shanng formula <br /> <br />Ten years of study and unsuc- <br />cessful federal legislalion led up to <br />passage of the 'atest bill. Then in <br />1984, according 10 TaSk Force Chair. <br />man Barnes. legislation (HR 1438l <br />was inlroduced by Congressmen <br />Chapple, Bosco and Shumway and <br />assigned to the Merchanl Marine and <br />Flshenes Commlllee. Fortunately for <br />the Trinity River. Congressman Bosco <br />was on lhat committee <br /> <br />Although the Committee was <br />very supportive of Ihe legislation, if <br />was apparenl that progress through <br />Congress would be slowed con. <br />slderably unless a federal-stale cost. <br />sharrng agreement could be reached. <br />But at a July 25, 1984, Task Force <br />meeting. Departments of Water <br />Resources and Fish and Game Direc. <br />lors Kennedy and Parnell, and Bureau <br />of Reclamalion Director HOuston <br />agreed on a Cost.sharing formula (15 <br />percenl stale, 50 percent Trinity <br />water users and 35 percenl federal). <br />That formula was immedialely en. <br />dorsed by the TaSk Force From then <br />on the leglsfation moved forward with <br />am31'lng speed <br />II ProVIdes $57 million Over <br />ten years to construct. operate, main. <br />lain, monllor and evaluate the pro- <br />gram. Funding IS scheduled to begin <br />October 1, 1985. It establishes a long. <br />term goal of restorrng fish and <br />I'<IIdl1le POpulations to pre.prOJect <br />levels <br /> <br />TaSk Force Chairman Ed Barnes <br />commented, People who have <br />worked so long on the restoration <br />program now have real cause to hope <br />that the often quoted statement <br />'Look what they did to the Trinity <br />River' can be changed 10 'Look whal <br />we did for the Trinity River' .. . <br /> <br />3 <br />