http://www.siskiyoudaily.com/articles/2006/08/30/news/doc44f5f2bc12334885781937.txt
Supervisor discusses
TMDLs
By JOHN DIEHM Daily News Staff
Writer
August 30, 2006
Jim Cook LAKE SHASTINA — Siskiyou County
Supervisor Jim Cook provided residents at the
Lake Shastina Property Owners Association
annual meeting on August 19 with a simplified
explanation of the complex water quality
issues facing the Shasta River watershed –
including the drainage of water into Lake
Shastina. |
Jim Cook |
Cook is District 1 supervisor, serving the area
from Montague to Tulelake northeast of District 3
that includes Lake Shastina. The Shasta River
watershed is in both districts.
The North Coast Regional Water Quality Control
Board has focused its attention on the Shasta
River, doing so by monitoring and setting
standards for Total Maximum Daily Loads of
sediment and temperature, as part of the nation’s
Clean Water Act.
“This is how the Clean Water Act affects Lake
Shastina homeowners,” Cook said. “TMDLs come from
the clean water act that started 25 years ago
because a river back east caught on fire and
burned for three weeks. After 25 years, the act is
on the west coast with regulators now talking
about the water coming off your roof and how clean
it is when it enters the lake.”
Cook said that Lake Shastina General Manager Jamie
Lea and resident Tom Wetter went to bat for Lake
Shastina property owners by attending Regional
Water Quality Control Board meetings and speaking
up against the discussion concerning removing the
Lake Shastina Dam, originally knows as Dwinnell
Reservoir, as the solution to the river’s water
quality problems.
“There are people trying to use this law to get
rid of the dam and that will affect property
owners,” Cook said. “Tom Wetters and Jamie Lea
went to bat for you saying that is not
appropriate. We are trying to make the law so it
protects the water and doesn't adversely affects
people.”
He said the process to date has progressed to
doing a study.
“The study is on a fast track and in five-years
the Environmental Protection Agency will expect
the plan to be implemented,” Cook said. “The
unknown right now is the cost and how to do it. In
short, this will cost you money and you will have
to do something to improve the water quality of
the lake.”
Lea said he believes that the outcome for the
residents of Lake Shastina will be the
installation of some settlement ponds prior to
surface runoff entering the lake.
“Our opinion is that the water quality is not that
bad, but there are those who want the dams removed
and are telling people otherwise,” Cook said. “Our
position is that if you remove that dam, you must
compensate the property owners. This is a way to
save your lake.”
When asked who wants the dam removed, Cook named
Felice Pace in specific and others on the coast.
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