Monday, November 13, 2006
Doolittle and Auburn Dam - California
Just read SacBee's Stuart Leavenworth's analysis of California's Flood control issues... especially as it relates to flood control in the valley and the Auburn Dam. Flood control issues are important to Sacramento and the outlying region. Old, crumbling levees have been given a boost by way of Tuesday's election in a bond approximating $4.1 billion. More importantly, key players such as soon-to-be, Speaker of the House, San Francisco's Nancy Pelosi and her friendship with Sacramento's representative, Doris Matsui will prove to be a strong positive influence in how controls will be implemented.
We still have Congressman Doolittle in the 4th District. His past proposals had him pushing for an Auburn Dam that would drown most of the North Fork American River, a very popular Class 4+ run just east of Sacramento. Also, on that hit list would be the Middle Fork American, one of the most popular whitewater runs in the Western United States. When Ms. Matsui's husband, was a congressman, the two opposing reps came to an important compromise for delivering monies to the infrastructure so that a dam could be avoided. What happen? Congressman Robert Matsui died. And the Auburn Dam reared its ugly head again.
With the Democrats winning both the House and the Senate, Doolittle may not have the influence to ram this one through... but beware, in 2008, there will be another election. And who knows which players will be pushed to the front.
We still have Congressman Doolittle in the 4th District. His past proposals had him pushing for an Auburn Dam that would drown most of the North Fork American River, a very popular Class 4+ run just east of Sacramento. Also, on that hit list would be the Middle Fork American, one of the most popular whitewater runs in the Western United States. When Ms. Matsui's husband, was a congressman, the two opposing reps came to an important compromise for delivering monies to the infrastructure so that a dam could be avoided. What happen? Congressman Robert Matsui died. And the Auburn Dam reared its ugly head again.
With the Democrats winning both the House and the Senate, Doolittle may not have the influence to ram this one through... but beware, in 2008, there will be another election. And who knows which players will be pushed to the front.
Labels: american river, rafting, trips
# posted by W.E.T. River Trips - raftWET.com @ 1:34 PM 
