Let’s Fund Dredging the Bay, Says Huffman, and Fund Flood Control Near Orick, Too

Press release from Congressman Jared Huffman Office:

Jared HuffmanCongressman Jared Huffman (D-San Rafael) today called for full funding of U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) projects across California’s North Coast, including dredging Humboldt Bay and a flood control project in Orick. In a letter sent yesterday, Huffman requested Shaun Donovan, Director of the Office of Management and Budget include these projects in the Fiscal Year 2016 work plan and Fiscal Year 2017 budget.

 

In the letter, Huffman called for the full funding of dredging in Humboldt Bay, noting that inadequate funding results in insufficient dredging, increasing the chance of collisions, and causing higher costs for consumers. Huffman wrote that, “Since Humboldt Bay is also a harbor of refuge – the only deep-water port between San Francisco and Coos Bay – its operation is also vital to marine safety… [and] consistent maintenance dredging is needed to keep the harbor entrance safe for transit for commercial and recreational vessels. I also ask for your continued engagement in supporting dredging and addressing the disposal and use of dredged materials in Noyo Harbor.”

 

Huffman also called on Donovan to ensure full funding for a flood control project along Redwood Creek in Orick, California, built to protect the town after the disastrous 1964 flood. Huffman noted that the levies are not adequate and “despite tens of millions of dollars in restoration work done by the federal government upstream, the National Marine Fisheries Service has issued a draft jeopardy opinion on the project, which may further reduce the county’s ability to remove gravel from the project area. I urge inclusion of the associated costs of leading on this project in the USACE’s budget.”

 

The full letter can be found HERE

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nines
Guest
8 years ago

Heh, not a word about opening back up the south end of the Bolinas Lagoon for the tidal scour to give back migratory bird habitat. Don’t mess with those millionaires who closed it up and are living on the vacation rental income from it. They’ll let the last stubborn holdout locals die off and then dredge it for their yacht club at some point.

Shak
Guest
Shak
8 years ago
Reply to  nines

Something tells me he neglected to include an “s” or “es” on the end on his refuge chant.

nines
Guest
8 years ago
Reply to  Shak

He even LOOKS like a car salesman.

David Kendall
Guest
David Kendall
8 years ago

If the county doesn’t get to take gravel out of Redwood Creek then we will all have some real problems!

Hick
Guest
Hick
8 years ago

Hey Huffman! Make Sonoma give us back the water they “STEAL FROM THE EEL!” That would go a long way toward restoring salmon & steelhead habitat! I guess rich grape growers vote more than dope growers. It would greatly improve out tourist industry.

Uti
Guest
Uti
8 years ago
Reply to  Hick

I’m all for removing the Potter Valley diversion and dams and was a founding board member of Friends of the Eel River, but you are not correct that stopping the diversion would go a “long” way towards restoring salmon and steelhead habitat. First of all that basin of the river above the diversion only covers approximately 10% of the whole Eel river basin drainage.

If you really want to restore salmon and steelhead habitat look at what we the population of northern Mendocino and Humboldt counties do in the other 90% of the Eel basin that is unaffected by the Potter Valley Project. Pay attention to the tributaries that have virtually dried up during the drought and Green Rush by the diversion of thousands of springs for human uses like Sprowel and Salmon creeks.

We can start by all the thousands of people stopping their water diversions in the critical late Spring through early fall months for any purpose, whether it’s growing pot or cows or household use. Next, more attention needs to be paid to mitigating poor road maintenance and making sure all earth moving activities include proper erosion mitigation to stop sediment pollution.

Saving Eel river salmonids starts on everyone’s property up here, not with some faceless enemy down south in grape growing country.

nines
Guest
8 years ago
Reply to  Uti

Hear hear, Uti. Just so.