Rocky road in Yolo for Yuba River bill

By David Lacy  -  Davis Enterprise staff writer

A bill that would bestow ``wild and scenic'' status on a southern portion of the Yuba River has found smooth sailing in Yolo County, where support has been denied by two government bodies.

The bill, SB 496, authored by state Sen. Byron D. Sher, D-Redwood City, would designate approximately 39 miles of the Yuba River as wild and scenic, a move that some experts argue could be detrimental to Yolo County.

While SB 496 sits in suspension in the Assembly Appropriations Committee -- to be discussed after the August recess -- local key players on both sides are speaking up and defending their positions.

Both the Woodland City Council and the Yolo County Board of Supervisors have voted to oppose the bill, citing concerns over flood control options for Yolo and Sacramento counties.

SB 496 would prohibit state approval of any new dams, reservoirs, diversions and other flood control measures on the river, a possibility that has alarmed residents who live alongside the Yuba and Sacramento River.

``A break could come anywhere in the system,'' Supervisor Lynnel Pollock warned. ``A levee usually breaches at the weakest point.''

According to Pollock, the Yuba River branches into the Sacramento River, which runs along the east side of Yolo County. Much of her supervisorial district lies within the flood plain, and she said she received a number of calls from constituents asking her to oppose SB 496.

The Davis City Council, however, has voted unanimously in favor of the bill, insisting that the Board of Supervisors made a mistake. Council members also thanked county Supervisors Lois Wolk and Dave Rosenberg, both of whom represent Davis, who voted in favor of the legislation.

``The Davis representation is solid on this,'' Councilman Ken Wagstaff said. ``We received a lot of citizen testimony that convinced me that that river is a treasure we should preserve. Some of the concerns that have been expressed by opponents just didn't outweigh the benefits.''

Another active fighter in the Yuba River battle has been Assemblywoman Helen Thomson, D-Davis, who has suggested exploring a compromise between flood control proponents and environmentalists.

``This is a very controversial issue in the region, which has pitted communities in upstream watersheds against those downstream,'' Thomson wrote in a letter to the Assembly. ``I believe we can do both: Protect the river and protect those who live, work and farm downstream.''

As a past member of the Yolo County Flood Control Task Force, Thomson said it is possible to create solutions that will benefit both the river and those who live near it. She added that she witnessed first-hand the devastating effects of flooding by visiting evacuation shelters in 1997, and does not wish to abandon all flood control options.

She has, however, come out in strong opposition to proposals to dam the Yuba River.

Davis resident Kevin Wolf, an ardent environmentalist, believes the City Council made the correct decision. He said that 100 percent wild and scenic status is the only way to prevent groups such as the Yuba County Water Agency from building a dam on the southern end of the river.

``If there was only a no-dams bill, someone could go around and change it,'' Wolf said. ``The Yuba County Water Agency needs to invest in alternatives. Don't keep using dams as a means of flood control.''

Wolf pointed to Nevada County's New Bullards Bar as an example of alternative. The reservoir sells excess water to other areas of California (such as Los Angeles) to finance local flood control projects.

Wolf also suggested allowing the rivers to meander again, creating a larger flood plain.

``Most of the flood plain has been leveed in and squeezed down by the river,'' he said. ``(But) rivers have great strength and no levee is capable of handling the biggest flood.''

Wolf said that setting back the levees at key areas along the river would allow the water to spread out. He added that it is possible to farm within a flood plain, citing the Yolo Bypass as an example.

``Wild and scenic status is really what the river deserves,'' Wolf said. ``It's the only permanent direction.''

SB 496 has already been approved by the state Senate, but will not come up for discussion in the Assembly until after the August recess.

Monday, July 26, 1999