LAND OR SEA? The recent rains early this year brought much-needed relief from the five-year drought in California. Reservoirs are full, mountains are covered with snow and flood control structures are being used, some for the first time since 2006. Interstate 80 causeway commuters frequently, though perhaps unknowingly, witness one of the most important floodplains in California – the Yolo Bypass,...
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Richard Heap is currently at a PFMC meeting in Vancouver, Washington, fighting for whatever ocean salmon season he can scrounge out for the Oregon Klamath Management Zone (Oregon KMZ) which includes the Port of Brookings Harbor and spans from the California/Oregon border up to Humbug Mountain. Unfortunately, due to two specific rivers' salmon that are swimming in the ocean, the...
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The California Legislature honored wildlife photographer Joshua Asel of Sebastopol with a resolution declaring his image of the life-or-death battle involving three species as the California Wildlife Photo of the Year. The photograph, presented on the Senate floor, captures the death-grip of a great blue heron as it clenches a garter snake, and the snake’s last-ditch diversion of releasing a shrew...
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At its March 9 Streamflow Enhancement meeting, the Wildlife Conservation Board (WCB) approved approximately $20 million of Proposition 1 Funds in grants through the Streamflow Enhancement Program. The program awards grant funding on a competitive basis to projects that represent the mission of the WCB and address the three goals of the California Water Action Plan: reliability, restoration and resilience. Of...
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Driving in rain, especially when streets are flooded, can cause conditions to be more hazardous. Still, many people risk their safety and the safety of drivers nearby by not following the Basic Speed Rule.  The U.S. Department of Transportation, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, defines the Basic Speed Rule: The Basic Speed rule requires vehicle operators to drive at a...
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