See the River In The Buff!

[waterboy]

Just came back from shooting a few pics of the Zink Lake area while the river is nearly empty. Old technology...soon as they are printed I will upload them to the canal link.  

They are holding back water at Keystone to enable workers to clear off shrubbery from the islands that Least Terns have nested on in the past. The World reported that the increase in shrubbery accounted for the decrease in Least Tern nesting there last May. However Tern numbers were down all over the river as the Corps. allowed the river to nearly dry up in Jan-Mar then allowed huge flows in April-June when the heavy spring rains began, to get the lake levels back down to normal. That meant those two islands as well as most in the river were submerged. There was a small window for them to nest and I observed that in June.

If you have a chance go look at the river in its undies, note the water stains on the bridges to see how shallow it really is. Look at the sand buildups towards the pedestrian bridge and note the natural channel which is on the east between 21st and the lowater dam. The gate is on the west and that shows sand build up. When water drops even lower you can see sand drifted all along the dam.

Look at the mouth to the Amphitheater and the ramp/dock on the west side.  See how sand build up has been allowed to nearly close off both areas. The ramp is especially important as rescue boats have difficulty loading and unloading there.

Especially note the jetty of rock and dirt with bulldozers and backhoes parked on its path and you will see the basis of a canal sea wall.  Then ask yourself why they need 6 dozers and 2 backhoes to remove shrubs and a few small trees from these two small islands but they couldn't bulldoze sand by the ramp and the theatre bay.

I offer one anecdote that may explain the heavy equipment now. In my first season a few of my riders were people who had worked on building the low water dam and making preparations for what was conceived to be an active lake. The same stuff they're peddling now. Sail boats, ferries, fishermen etc. One of them had operated bull dozers to remove old oil field equipment, pile up rip-rap and such. I stopped to tell his group about how the islands were built to create a diversion of current eliminating sand buildup and became a least tern preserve.

He was perplexed. "Is that what they told you?" he asked. "Cause thats not why we put those islands there. They may be bird islands now," he continued, "But we pushed those rocks up there to cover a capped well." For those who allege I am paranoid I confess that I did not have the forethought to get his name and address. I am just relaying a story.

If you know the industry you know that capped wells don't always stay capped. If you know the river you know drilling occurred all over the area. If you ever cleared a region of small brush and trees you know one or two dozers and some guys with chain saws and weedeaters would be plenty. But then I might be paranoid. I don't believe much of what authorities say and little of what they print any more. (cue the spooky music...)