Neighbors face drought conditions in eastern Shasta County and elsewhere

The lack of water had dried up a storage pond (shown in the photo) at Beaver Creek Ranch near McArthur.

With near constant rain and Lake Shasta filling to the brim, it might have been hard last winter and spring for Redding residents to believe that their neighbors to the north and east received very little rainfall. “We’re really in a drought,” said Pat Oilar, a rancher in the McArthur area whose family also has property a few miles to the north in Modoc County. (Redding Record Searchlight - 08/13/2010)

First fall-run chinook salmon fishing since '07 expected to be OK'd

When salmon return from the ocean this fall for their age-old spawning drama, American River anglers may well get their first chance in three years to welcome them back.

That hook-and-line connection between man and fish has been banned since 2007 to protect the fall-run chinook salmon amid an unprecedented population decline. While the causes of the decline remain unclear, the ban apparently helped. This year's run is projected to surge back, and on Wednesday the California Fish and Game Commission is expected to approve limited salmon fishing again in the American, Feather and Sacramento rivers. (Sacramento Bee - 04/20/2010)

Science panel says Delta pumping restrictions are justified in California

Water restrictions need more study, report says

A high-level science panel Friday concluded that federal rules that limit water diversions from the Delta to protect endangered fish are "scientifically justified," dealing a blow to south state water interests that had hoped the review would punch holes in the rules. (Sacramento Bee - 03/22/2010)

Legal action could stall Natomas levee repairs

Crews remove trees from an area that will expand the levee as part of the Natomas Levee improvement project.

Levee repairs in Sacramento's Natomas Basin face new legal and financial threats that could delay construction of the massive project. The Sacramento Area Flood Control Agency is just weeks from awarding a $90 million construction contract for a key phase of the project. But that work depends on state matching funds, which have been bottled up by the state budget crisis. (Sacramento Bee - 03/09/2009)

Boaters, beware: Hunt is on for mussel invaders

Authorities are on the lookout for quagga and zebra mussels, invasive species known to hitchhike from one body of water to another by attaching themselves to boat trailers, hulls, engines and steering components. (Sacramento Bee - 07/03/2008)

Mining companies agree to pay $3 million for Lava Cap Mine cleanup

The U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of California approved a $3 million settlement today between the U.S. Department of Justice, on behalf of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, and the California Department of Toxic Substances Control, and settling defendants Newmont Capital Limited and Newmont Mining Corporation of Canada Limited to resolve liability at the Lava Cap Mine Superfund Site in Nevada County, Calif. (YubaNet.com - 02/25/2009)

Yolo Bypass sees flood of wildlife activity

There's a whole unique food web that happens out in the floodplain.

The Yolo Bypass is a migratory interchange for man and beast. That's especially so in a flood. "There's a whole unique food web that happens out in the floodplain," said Ted Sommer, a fisheries biologist and program manager at the Calif. Dept. of Water Resources. The flood triggered a bloom of tiny plants, called phytoplankton, which are food for tiny aquatic animals called zooplankton. These, in turn, create a rich buffet for fish. (Sacramento Bee - 02/04/2010)

Yolo Bypass sees flood of wildlife activity

There's a whole unique food web that happens out in the floodplain.

The Yolo Bypass is a migratory interchange for man and beast. That's especially so in a flood. "There's a whole unique food web that happens out in the floodplain," said Ted Sommer, a fisheries biologist and program manager at the Calif. Dept. of Water Resources. The flood triggered a bloom of tiny plants, called phytoplankton, which are food for tiny aquatic animals called zooplankton. These, in turn, create a rich buffet for fish. (Sacramento Bee - 02/04/2010)