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Two New Updates, Please Read Both
1) Progress Update, Folsom Dam Joint Federal Project
Per a postcard dated 2/08/2008 from the Bureau of Reclamation: A "Supplemental" Environmental Assessment/Initial Study (EA/IS) to the "Final" EIS/EIR of March, 2007 is due for release for public review and comment. In short, the EA/IS is meant to analyze and clarify the effects of specific construction activities related to certain elements of the project. The three identified areas covered in the EA/IS are an access road from Auburn-Folsom Road to Dike 5, a trail detour between Beal's Point and Mooney Ridge during the work on Dikes 4, 5, and 6, and construction of a safety cofferdam related to the stilling basin development.
This postcard is simply a heads-up. Those who are on the Bureau's mailing list will receive a notice when the report becomes available. Naturally it will be posted, most likely in link form, here on the GraniteBaySOS website as well. We will include a summary of the contents of the report, along with a perspective on how the study relates to the existing EIS/EIR. If you have not received this postcard, or are not sure, the contact at the Bureau is:
Ms. Janet Sierzputowski, Bureau of Reclamation
2800 Cottage Way, MP-140
Sacramento, CA 95825
916.978.5112 phone/916.978.5114 fax
An e-mail link is located on the "Send a Letter or E-mail" page.
2) Folsom Lake State Park General Plan Update Available
Every few years the staff at California State Parks has attempted to float a plan for improvements at the facilities included in the Folsom Lake State Recreation Area; Folsom Lake, Lake Natoma, and the Powerhouse. While the intent has been honorable, and the staff has done a commendable job of soliciting public input (in stark contrast to their partners at the Bureau), the reality of minimal State Park funding has, in the past, dragged the plans into a closet and locked the door. However, the park staff has taken advantage of the upcoming Bureau and Army Corps of Engineers Folsom Dam Safety project funding and construction work to resurrect the plans. YAY!
The past discussions have been lively on certain topics, especially the issue of trail development and management. Briefly, the park staff has been grappling with how to accommodate horseback riders, walkers, joggers, and bicyclists who have grown in numbers, creating conflicts between them. Additionally, they have been under pressure to pave the trail from Beal's Point to the Granite Bay boat launch area from road bicycling groups. This multi-use issue has been a thorny topic, leading to heated debate at previous meetings. Other important areas of discussion include the development of a rim trail around the lake, improving the the various static facilities at the boat launch areas, beaches and day-use areas of both Folsom Lake and Lake Natoma, as well as enforcement issues related to alcohol use, boating, parking, and camping.
We are currently in the middle of a 45-day comment period for the Preliminary Plan and Draft EIR/EIS. Two public input meetings are scheduled: Wednesday, March 5, from 7-9pm at Cavitt Junior High School (gymnasium) 7200 Fuller Drive in Granite Bay, and Tuesday, March 11, from 7-9pm at Folsom Middle School (auditorium), 500 Blue Ravine Road in Folsom.
Questions and comments may be sent to:
Jim Michaels, Gold Fields District
California State Parks
7806 Folsom-Auburn Road
Folsom, CA 95630
916.988.0205 phone
An e-mail link is provided on the "Send a Letter or E-mail" page.
A link to the plan is available on the "Papers" page.
Please review the Plan and submit your input, either at one of the meetings or by direct means. It is your park.
Previous Posts Below
Your Voice Has Been Heard!
The numerous questions and challenges brought forth by the residents of the region, as well as the many Folsom Lake State Park users have been at least partially addressed by the Bureau of Reclamation. While more community input is needed, significant progress has been made. Highlights...
* An area comprising only 20 acres of the original 84 acres is to be considered for excavation, and only 10 acres of that is slated for potential use. That area is at the southwestern portion of the original area, adjacent to Dike 4. The bulk of the shoreline area at the base of Mooney Ridge is no longer involved. A revised map is provided in the "WHAT'S NEW?" page.
* No blasting! Only conventional excavation methods will be used to remove any required materials.
* Asbestos and mercury monitoring will be implemented on an ongoing basis and the results will be made available to the public.
* Additional measures will be implemented to reduce community exposure to dust and noise.
* Scheduling of construction activities will be modified to minimize impacts upon Park users and area residents.
But Wait There's More!
There are several issues that should be of concern to all which fall under the auspices of the Army Corps of Engineers. As mentioned elsewhere, this project is a Joint Federal Project combining the planning and activities of both the Army Corps and the Bureau of Reclamation. Unfortunately, the term "Joint" is loosely tagged since the two departments have itemized their areas of responsibility, creating a more difficult job for those of us who want our concerns to be heard.
* The Staging Areas. One will be tucked below local residents and very close to Cavitt School, along the trail that leads from Cavitt to the Lake. Another, located on the reservoir side of Dike 4, will require a huge amount of soil relocation to raise it above the water level. Basically it needs to be a huge plateau that will act as a parking lot, storage area, outhouse corral, service area and trailer park.
* The Dike Wall. Several alternatives are proposed for topping the dikes with some form of "freeboard" structure to prevent damage to the dikes from high water wave action. The proposals range from concrete supported earthworks to a concrete parapet wall (similar in size and look to a concrete highway divider).
* Power Distribution. This issue contains two conjoined phases; 1) Temporary (if you can call 8+ years of construction activity "temporary") power supply for the needs of the staging areas, including lighting and power for certain pieces of equipment to minimize fuel-driven engine noise and pollution per the EIR/EIS, and 2) The revised and comprehensive security measures being implemented under the Security Program Coordinator of the Bureau of Reclamation (in conjunction with the Dept. of Homeland Security) that require a permanent and secure power and media feed network that extends to each of the access points to the Park facility. Again, there are a couple of proposals under consideration, primarily a choice between underground cabling and 30-foot-tall, tower-supported infrastructure.
For the complete response from the Bureau to Supervisor Uhler, click on the link located at our "PAPERS" page.
Welcome!
Welcome to the GraniteBaySOS website. Please review the various menu selections to familiarize yourself with the issue confronting the Granite Bay community and the millions of Folsom Lake State Park users if the current iteration of the Folsom Dam Safety and Flood Damage Reduction Plan is carried through without modification. Get the FAQ's, review the evidence. Send a letter to our Federal, State and Local representatives with our easy-to-use print/sign/mail option, or send an e-mail . Sign our petition. Volunteer to help us with this issue. The element of the plan that we are opposing has impacts that will be felt for many years, and potentially much longer. The strip mining and blasting of this stretch of beach is unnecessary and irresponsible. We are proud to stand up and make our voice heard on this issue, and we truly appreciate the support of so many who agree with our demand for responsible decision-making by the Bureau of Reclamation and the Army Corps of Engineers.
Overview
Folsom Lake State Park is visited by approximately 2 MILLION people each year. It is comprised of 18,000 acres of beautiful parkland. There are only a very few sections of the shoreline that actually abut a residential development, and only one that lays directly alongside such a large concentration of homes (over 130 on Mooney Ridge alone!). The shoreline alongside Mooney Ridge is a park visitors paradise. Utilizing available access points for walking, jogging, bicycle riding, horseback riding, swimming, fishing, boating and other activities, park visitors do it all under a magnificent backdrop of mountains, trees, beaches, trails and wildlife.
The Folsom Lake Reservoir and Dam, along with Lake Natoma, is a critical flood control facility that protects the Sacramento Valley region with it's system of storage and release. This complex system of controls, along with the professional engineers and their support teams, has done a wonderful job of keeping the areas exposed to flood dangers out of harm's way for some 50 years. We support the planned project to raise the potential water storage capacity of this facility during major storm events, along with the solutions proposed to enhance the ability of this system to release water downstream in a faster, safer manner. The safety of the lives and property of those in the Sacramento Valley region protected by this facility are of paramount importance to all of us.
Recently, the shoreline/beach area located between Dike 4 and the Granite Bay access point, beach and boat launches was included in the Folsom Dam Safety and Flood Damage Reduction Environmental Impact Statement/Environmental Impact Report "EIS/EIR" as a "contingency" site for the purpose of excavating, processing and hauling of soil materials ("borrow") for use as structural fill atop the existing dikes and berms, and as material for the construction of additional dikes and berms where necessary. To lose this stretch of shoreline due to an unecessary "contingency" plan addition would be a terrible loss for ALL of those who use the park to escape their daily grind, run their dogs and horses, gain some exercise, catch some sunshine or to simply find some peace of mind. This is not a short term loss. The mining, excavation and hauling of the tremendous amount of soil "borrow" will require years of work and a comprehensive array of support roads, excavation sites, processing plants and staging areas. Heavy equipment will be in 24 hour use, excavating, processing and hauling this material to the various construction zones. Staging areas; carved expanses of dirt leveled for parking, storage and processing, will be located adjacent to the excavation scene and surrounded by fencing, blocking access to the area.
The rock in various parts of Folsom Lake has been tested and found to include asbestos-laden serpentine rock. Additionally, asbestos material is washed down to the lakebed from the Sierra watershed, where it coagulates and settles. The procurement and processing of the borrow material will create a very real danger to the Granite Bay community, as it has been shown that the type of activities slated to take place directly free the asbestos material from the rock itself. Undisturbed, the asbestos fibrils are relatively benign, however when the serpentine rock or mineral-laden silt is excavated and processed the dangerous raw asbestos is released into the air, where it is free to settle anywhere the prevailing winds take it. The precedent for this problem manifested itself with federal and state involvement in a recent similar circumstance in Folsom and El Dorado Hills.
A similar issue arises with mercury contamination of the silt lining the lakebed in Folsom Lake. Millions of pounds of this toxic element were used in processing gold ore during the Gold Rush era in the Sierra Nevada Range. The transport of mercury in the environment is shown on a USGS diagram elsewhere on this website, and we encourage you to review the link to the USGS report that is provided as well.
Cavitt School, a Middle School with an enrollment of approximately 550 seventh and eighth-grade students is located only a few hundred yards downwind from this shoreline area. Hundreds of residents live directly adjacent to, and also downwind of, this targeted excavation, processing, and hauling zone. Much of the heart of Granite Bay is also affected, due to their being located in an arc reaching from the northern parts of Folsom Lake, areas such as Hidden Lakes Estates, Shelbourne and others that dot Auburn-Folsom Road, westerly to Roseville and westerly towards Treelake, Princeton Reach, and other large residential communities.
Please follow the links below to familiarize yourself with the elements of this plan that are of concern to us in the Granite Bay community. Also, read our position paper, and review our letter of concern to U.S. Senator Diane Feinstein. You will also find pictures of this beautiful stretch of shoreline, and other useful information as it becomes available.
Please support our effort to remove this shoreline from the EIS/EIR as a contingency borrow materials location. There are reasonable options that do not require this area to be included in the plan, and that also do not hinder the progress of carrying out it's necessary and important overall goals.
Save Our Shores!!
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