[00:00:07]
THANK YOU. GOOD MORNING, ONE AND ALL.WE WILL PROCEED WITH THE MEETING.
THIS IS THE BOARD, NATURAL AND CULTURAL RESOURCES COMMITTEE OF THE EAST BAY REGIONAL PARK DISTRICT, AND WE ARE MEETING ON FRIDAY, MAY 10TH, 2024.
WE'RE BEGINNING THE MEETING AT 10:35 AND THE MEETING IS NOW OPEN.
WE DO NOT HAVE ANY MEMBERS OF THE COMMITTEE ATTENDING REMOTELY.
WOULD THE CLERK PLEASE TAKE THE ROLL CALL OF THE COMMITTEE?
[Roll Call]
YES, CHAIR COFFEY.YULIE PADMORE, EXECUTIVE ASSISTANT TAKING ROLL.
JASON ROSENBERG, ASSISTANT GENERAL COUNSEL.
HERE. THAT CONCLUDES OUR ROLL.
ALL RIGHT. COULD YOU PROVIDE THE BROWN ACT DISCLAIMER YULIE.
YES. THE EAST BAY REGIONAL PARK DISTRICT, WITH LIMITED EXCEPTIONS, HOLDS PUBLIC MEETINGS THROUGH A HYBRID PLATFORM OF IN-PERSON AND REMOTE ATTENDANCE TO ALLOW MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC TO PARTICIPATE THROUGH THE PARK DISTRICT'S VIRTUAL PLATFORM, ZOOM.
THE NATURAL AND CULTURAL RESOURCES COMMITTEE WILL PARTICIPATE IN PERSON AT THE PARK DISTRICT ADMINISTRATIVE HEADQUARTERS, PERALTA OAKS, OAKLAND, CALIFORNIA, 2950 PERALTA OAKS COURT.
AND JUST TO MAKE SURE THIS WAS COVERED, MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC WISHING TO MAKE A PUBLIC COMMENT CAN DO SO LIVE VIA ZOOM BY SUBMITTING AN EMAIL OR LEAVING A VOICEMAIL.
THIS INFORMATION THEN IS IN TURN NOTED ON OUR AGENDA, SO WE'LL MOVE TO APPROVAL OF THE MINUTES.
[Approval of Minutes]
WE HAVE THE MINUTES OF THE NATURAL AND CULTURAL RESOURCES COMMITTEE MEETING OF AUGUST 16TH, 2023, AND THE MINUTES FOR THE COMMITTEE MEETING OF NOVEMBER 29TH, 2023.WE DIDN'T HOLD OUR FEBRUARY MEETING.
I WAS ILL AND WE HAD ANOTHER MEMBER OR TWO MISSING, SO WE JUST FORGO THAT FOREWENT THAT MEETING.
SO IS THERE A MOTION TO APPROVE THE AUGUST AND NOVEMBER 20TH 23 MINUTES? MOVE. APPROVAL. DIRECTOR MERCURIO.
THE TWO SETS OF MINUTES ARE APPROVED.
MADAM CLERK, DO WE HAVE INQUIRIES FROM THE PUBLIC TO MAKE COMMENTS ON ITEMS THAT ARE NOT ON OUR AGENDA THIS MORNING? CHAIR COFFEY, NO WE DO NOT.
NO ONE IN THE LIVE ZOOM ROOM AND NO ONE IN THE AUDIENCE.
SO WE PROCEED WITH THE ACTION ITEMS, OF WHICH THERE ARE NONE ON MY AGENDA AT LEAST. SO WE MOVE TO ITEM FIVE INFORMATIONAL ITEMS.
[Informational Items]
ITEM 5A IS HARMFUL ALGAE BLOOMS AND LAKE MANAGEMENT AN UPDATE.HELLO. THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME.
JOE SULLIVAN, FISHERIES PROGRAM MANAGER FOR THE PARK DISTRICT.
WHY IS THE FISHERIES MANAGER TALKING ABOUT HARMFUL ALGAL BLOOMS IN LAKE MANAGEMENT TODAY? WELL, IT'S ALL RELATED TO WATER QUALITY.
AND HOPEFULLY YOU LEARN A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THAT TODAY.
[00:05:01]
SO JUST BRIEFLY, I'LL GIVE YOU A QUICK INTRODUCTION TO LAKES AND RESERVOIRS.AND THEN WE'LL GET INTO HOW WE MONITOR FOR HARMFUL ALGAL BLOOMS. AND SOME OF THE MANAGEMENT PRACTICES WE DO IN OUR LAKES TO MANAGE FOR HABS, LET'S CALL IT FOR SHORT NOW AND THEN WHAT ARE WE GOING TO DO LOOKING TOWARDS THE FUTURE. WE'RE STARTING OUR SECOND CENTURY REPORT AND WE'RE NEARING AT OUR 90 YEAR ANNIVERSARY AS A PARK DISTRICT . SOME OF OUR LAKES AND RESERVOIRS ARE EVEN OLDER THAN THAT.
SO JUST BRIEFLY, THE PARK DISTRICT, WE HAVE EIGHT LAKES THAT WE MANAGE.
FIVE OF THOSE LAKES WE HAVE SWIM BEACHES.
WE HAVE THREE SWIM LAGOONS AND TWO SHORELINE BEACHES IN THE SAN FRANCISCO BAY.
WHY DO WE HAVE THESE RESERVOIRS? WHAT ARE THEY FOR? THEY'RE PRETTY.
EVERYONE LOVES TO GO AND BE AROUND AN OPEN BODY OF WATER.
THEY'RE IMPORTANT FOR WILDLIFE AND FISHERIES.
WE USE RESERVOIRS TO SUPPLY OUR DRINKING WATER.
AND THE PARK DISTRICT HAS SEVERAL OF THESE THAT ARE MANAGED FOR DRINKING WATER AND IRRIGATION.
THEY'RE USED FOR FLOOD CONTROL.
WE BUT THE NUMBER FIVE POINT HERE IS WHAT THE PARK DISTRICT HAS COMMITTED TO.
WE USE THEM FOR HEALTH AND RECREATION.
HEALTHY PARKS, HEALTHY PEOPLE IS OUR MANTRA, RIGHT? SO WE USE OUR RESERVOIRS FOR FISHING, BOATING, KAYAKING AND SWIMMING.
SO IT'S VERY IMPORTANT FOR THE PARK DISTRICT.
IT'S IN OUR MISSION STATEMENT.
I'M GOING TO CHANGE YOUR THINKING TODAY, HOPEFULLY ABOUT LET'S NOT CALL THEM LAKES.
THESE ARE MAN MADE RESERVOIRS.
THEY WERE BUILT TO STORE WATER ORIGINALLY FOR DRINKING WATER MANY OF THEM.
WHEN YOU THINK OF A RIVER OR STREAM, I THINK OF THEM AS CONVEYOR BELTS OF SEDIMENT.
YOU SEE THE SWOLLEN RIVERS, THEY'RE HIGH AND MUDDY.
AND WHEN YOU PUT A DAM IN THE MIDDLE OF A STREAM, YOU'RE BLOCKING THAT SEDIMENT.
YOU'RE DISRUPTING THE NATURAL OCCURRENCE OF SEDIMENT MOVING AND REDEPOSITING DOWNSTREAM.
SO IN ESSENCE, WHEN YOU DO THAT, LAKES ARE THEY'RE DESIGNED TO DIE, RESERVOIRS ARE DESIGNED TO DIE.
THEY'RE GOING TO FILL WITH SEDIMENT.
AND WITH THAT SEDIMENT, THE SEDIMENT CARRIES NUTRIENTS.
SO THE MORE SEDIMENT THAT BUILDS UP IN A RESERVOIR, THE MORE NUTRIENTS YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE.
IT'S JUST A IT'S A NATURAL SUCCESSION OF LAKES.
BUT THEY HAVE A BUT NOT NEARLY AT THE RATE THAT MAN MADE RESERVOIRS WILL BUILD UP SEDIMENT.
SO EVENTUALLY IT'LL FILL UP, TURN INTO A MARSH AND THE RESERVOIR DIES UNLESS WE MANAGE IT PROPERLY.
THIS IS WHAT HAPPENS IN NATURAL LAKES AS WELL.
BUT IN RESERVOIRS AT A HIGHER RATE.
SO THE MORE SEDIMENTS THAT COME IN, THE MORE NUTRIENTS THAT COME INTO THE RESERVOIR.
YOU START SEEING ALGAE BLOOMS UTILIZING THAT THOSE NUTRIENTS.
EVENTUALLY PLANTS START GROWING AND THE RESERVOIR NATURALLY FILLS IN WITH VEGETATION.
BEAUTIFUL LITTLE LAKE THAT WE HAVE IN TILDEN.
LOOKS BEAUTIFUL HERE IN THE SUMMERTIME.
IT NEARLY DRIES UP COMPLETELY IN THE MIDDLE OF THE SUMMER WHEN THE STREAM STOPS FLOWING.
THE LAKE IS ESSENTIALLY DYING, TURNING INTO A MARSH.
THOSE ALGAL BLOOMS ARE CYANOBACTERIA.
IT'S ONE OF THE OLDEST ORGANISMS IN THE WORLD.
IT'S MILLIONS IF NOT BILLIONS OF YEARS OLD.
AND THEY TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THOSE NUTRIENTS AND WARM WATER AND WARM AIR AND OUR CHANGING CLIMATE.
SO WE END UP WITH POOR WATER QUALITY, WHICH LIMITS OUR RECREATION, BECAUSE THESE ALGAL BLOOMS WILL CREATE TOXINS IN THE WATER SOMETIMES, WHICH ARE TOXIC TO HUMANS AND DOGS AND WILDLIFE WHICH HAS HAPPENED IN THE PARK DISTRICT.
[00:10:01]
WE'VE HAD PETS DIE BECAUSE OF HARMFUL ALGAL BLOOMS AND THE TOXINS THEY PRODUCE.THEY ALSO CONSUME THE OXYGEN IN THE WATER.
SO WHICH CAN RESULT IN FISH KILLS.
WE'RE HERE TO PROVIDE RECREATION FOR THE PUBLIC.
AND SO WE ARE REQUIRED TO MANAGE THESE RESERVOIRS CORRECTLY.
AND TODAY WE'LL, HOPEFULLY YOU'LL LEARN HOW WE'RE MONITORING FOR THESE HARMFUL ALGAL BLOOMS, HOW WE'RE MONITORING THE WATER QUALITY AND SOME OF THE MEASURES WE'RE TAKING TO, TO MANAGE FOR IT.
AND THE TWO YEARS AGO, THE BOARD ACTUALLY APPROVED A NEW POSITION IN THE PARK DISTRICT.
IT'S THE ECOLOGICAL SERVICES COORDINATOR FOR LAKE MANAGEMENT.
AND WE HAVE A STAFF MEMBER ANJA BREY WHO IS ACTING IN THAT POSITION CURRENTLY AS WE RECRUIT FOR IT.
AND SHE'S GOING TO GO OVER HOW WE MONITOR FOR WATER QUALITY IN THE PARK DISTRICT, IN OUR RESERVOIRS.
SO I'D LIKE TO INTRODUCE ANJA.
HELLO. GOOD MORNING, MEMBERS OF THE COMMITTEE.
I WOULD LIKE TO START WITH TALKING BRIEFLY ABOUT CYANOBACTERIA.
AND WHAT WE KNOW ABOUT CYANOBACTERIA IS THAT THEY ARE FOUND WORLDWIDE.
THEY ARE ONE OF THE OLDEST ORGANISMS ON THE PLANET, MORE THAN 3 BILLION YEARS OLD.
WE KNOW THAT SOME OF THESE CYANOBACTERIA CAN RELEASE TOXINS THAT HAVE NEGATIVE HEALTH EFFECTS.
AND CYANOBACTERIA HAVE PRETTY UNIQUE TRAITS.
THAT'S WHAT MAKES THEM A LITTLE BIT MORE SUPERIOR TO OTHER FOOD WEB MEMBERS.
THEY CAN THRIVE IN AREAS WITH LOW OXYGEN, HIGH NUTRIENTS, STAGNANT WARM WATER.
AND WHAT WE DON'T KNOW ABOUT CYANOBACTERIA IS WHAT TRIGGERS BLOOMS. WE ALSO DON'T KNOW IF WE SEE A CERTAIN CYANOBACTERIA THAT IS NOT TOXIC AT THE MOMENT.
WHAT MAKES THAT SAME SPECIES TOXIC IN A MONTH DOWN THE ROAD.
AND WE DO NOT KNOW A TREATMENT THAT GUARANTEES RESULTS.
THE FIELDWORK OF THE FOOTWORK OF THE.
SORRY, I FORGOT SOMETHING TO SAY.
WE HAD THE FIRST TOXICITY DETECTED IN THE PARK'S LAKES IN 2014, AND IN 2015 WE HAD SOME DOG DEATHS.
AND THE FOOTWORK OF THE HABS PROGRAM IS LED BY THE WATER MANAGEMENT UNIT.
WEEKLY FROM APRIL THROUGH OCTOBER.
AND THEN EVERY OTHER WEEK FROM NOVEMBER THROUGH APRIL.
CYANOBACTERIA. USUALLY THEY CAN CHANGE THE OCCURRENCE OF THE CYANOBACTERIA CAN CHANGE IN THE LAKE DEPENDING ON THE DAY THEY CAN MOST OF THEM ARE FOUND DOWNWIND.
IF YOU LOOK AT THIS UPPER PICTURE, THAT'S THE SOUTH END OF DEL VALLE.
SO AND CYANOBACTERIA ALSO HAVE A MECHANISM TO REGULATE THEIR BUOYANCY.
THEY CAN GO UP AND DOWN IN THE WATER COLUMN.
SO IF I GO THERE IN THE MORNING I MIGHT NOT SEE AS MANY.
BUT IF I GO LATER IN THE DAY, I MIGHT SEE MORE.
SO THERE'S A LITTLE BIT OF A VARIABILITY, BUT IT'S ALL ABOUT EXPERIENCE.
AND WE, THE WATER MANAGEMENT TEAM, WE KIND OF KNOW WHERE TO LOOK NOW.
AND SO WE USUALLY COLLECT THE SAMPLES IN THESE LITTLE VIALS.
AS YOU CAN SEE ON THE SLIDE AT THE WORST AREA THAT WE CAN FIND.
THEN WE BRING THOSE VIALS BACK TO THE LAB, AND WE GOT A FANCY MICROSCOPE WHERE WE CAN ID THE CYANOBACTERIA THAT WE FIND, AND WE CAN USE THESE PICTURE ID HELP GUIDES THAT WE CAN FIND ONLINE.
AND THE REASON WHY WE DO WANT TO IDENTIFY THESE CYANOBACTERIA IS BECAUSE SOME OF THEM CAN PRODUCE TOXINS, AND SOME OF THEM ARE PRODUCING MORE THAN ONE TOXIN. AND IF I, FOR EXAMPLE, IF YOU LOOK AT THE ONE THAT LOOKS A LITTLE BIT LIKE A SPONGE, THAT'S THE MICROCYSTIS.
IF I SEE THAT, THEN I KNOW THAT THERE MOST LIKELY WILL BE TOXINS IN THE WATER.
[00:15:06]
FOR EXAMPLE, MICROCYSTIS IS A CYANOBACTERIA SPECIES THAT CAN PRODUCE MICROCYSTINS TOXINS.AND IF YOU WERE EXPOSED TO HIGH DOSES, YOU COULD HAVE VOMITING, DIARRHEA OR A LIVER INFLAMMATION OR IF YOU WERE EXPOSED BY A SKIN WITH YOUR SKIN, YOU COULD GET DERMATITIS.
SO WE DO TWO TYPES OF CYANOBACTERIA TESTING IN HOUSE.
ONE IS A STRIP TEST THAT TAKES ABOUT 45 MINUTES, AND IT'S A LITTLE BIT LIKE A COVID TEST.
YOU TAKE THIS. IT'S LIKE A BAND THAT SHOWS UP ON A STRIP.
IT'S JUST ONE SAMPLE, ONE TEST.
OR WE CAN GO A LITTLE BIT MORE SOPHISTICATED, WHICH WE BOUGHT THIS NEW EQUIPMENT IN AUGUST LAST YEAR, WHICH IS CALLED THE CAAS CUBE THAT STANDS FOR CYANOTOXIN.
ANYWAYS, WE CAN RUN ABOUT TEN SAMPLES AND MORE IF NEEDED, AND THAT TAKES ABOUT THREE HOURS.
AND THEN WE GET ACTUAL RESULTS IN MICROGRAMS PER LITER.
WE CAN ALSO SEND SAMPLES TO OUTSIDE LABS.
THERE'S NO REGULATIONS REGARDING HABS.
SO WE RELY ON STATE AND EXPERT GUIDANCE.
THE CC HABS NETWORK STANDS FOR CALIFORNIA CYANOBACTERIA AND HELPFUL ALGAL BLOOM NETWORK CAME UP WITH THE GUIDANCE ON ACTION TRIGGER LEVELS, WENT TO POST AND CLOSED BEACHES FOR SWIMMING, AND THE DISTRICT TOOK THOSE GUIDES, TOOK THOSE GUIDANCE AND CREATED THEIR OWN STRUCTURE.
AND THIS IS WHAT YOU CAN SEE NOW ON THE SLIDE.
IF WE GET A TOXIN RESULTS ABOVE THE YELLOW CAUTION ACTION TRIGGER LEVEL, THEN WE POST A YELLOW SIGN.
IF WE GO ABOVE THE DANGER OR CLOSURE ACTION TRIGGER, THEN WE POST THE DANGER SIGN.
AND THE SCIENCE SO WATER MANAGEMENT WOULD TEST GET A CERTAIN RESULT.
IF IT'S OVER A TRIGGER LEVEL, THEY WOULD REACH OUT TO THE PARK OPS, AND THEN THESE SIGNS WOULD BE POSTED AT THE ENTRANCE AT THE BEACH AND ALL AND IMPORTANT ENTRANCE PATHS TO THE PARK.
WE ALSO UPDATE THE WEBSITES THEN TO REFLECT THE MOST RECENT RESULTS, AND WATER MANAGEMENT SENDS OUT WEEKLY UPDATE EMAILS THAT GO OUT TO STAKEHOLDERS, STAKEHOLDERS OF THE STATE LOCAL REGULATORS, INTERNAL AND EXTERNAL GROUPS.
HERE IS JUST AN OVERVIEW OF SIGNAGE.
WE HAVE THE BLUES SIGN THE SIGN WITH THE BLUE IS CURRENTLY AT LAKE DEL VALLE.
WE ALSO CREATED A CYANOBACTERIA BROCHURE AND THE LOWER MIDDLE ONE IS WHAT THE WEBSITE LOOK, THE WEBSITE UPDATES LOOK LIKE AND THEY'RE CONNECTED WITH LINKS FOR MORE INFORMATION.
THERE'S NOT ONLY FREE FLOATING CYANOBACTERIA IN THE WATER, THERE'S ALSO SOME CYANOBACTERIA THAT ARE CALLED BENTHIC CYANOBACTERIA, WHICH GROW ON THE SEDIMENT IN CREEKS AND RIVERS.
AND THE STATE GUIDANCE IS THAT WE PUT UP A CAUTION SIGN IF WE SEE BENTHIC CYANOBACTERIA.
AND THE REASON FOR THAT IS THAT IT'S VERY DIFFICULT TO TEST THE TOXICITY IN THESE MATS.
ALSO EVEN IF THOSE MATS DRY OUT, THEY STILL CONTAIN THE TOXICITY.
WE WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT OUR FISH IS GOOD FOR PEOPLE TO EAT.
SO IN 2016, THE FISHERIES DEPARTMENT STARTED TO COLLECT LARGE, LARGE MOUTH BASS ONCE A YEAR.
AND THEY HAVE DONE THAT EVERY YEAR EXCEPT FOR 2020 DURING COVID.
AND THEN WE SEND THOSE SAMPLES TO AN OUTSIDE LAB FOR MICROCYSTINS TESTING.
THAT'S WHY WE RECOMMEND TO NOT EAT THE INTESTINES OF THE FISH AND WASH THE FILETS BEFORE EATING.
[00:20:02]
WE DO MONTHLY NUTRIENT MONITORING AT LAKE TEMESCAL AND LAKE ANZA.AND I JUST PUT A MAP HERE FOR LAKE TEMESCAL JUST TO SHOW THAT THE SAMPLE LOCATIONS ARE IN TEMESCAL LAKE AND CALDECOTT LAKE, SORRY, TEMESCAL CREEK AND CALDECOTT CREEK BEFORE THEY FLOW INTO THE LAKE.
AND WE CAN SEE ANNUAL DYNAMICS OVER THE YEARS.
AND IT'S VERY HELPFUL TOOL TO FOR LAKE MANAGEMENT DECISIONS.
WE HAVE REAL TIME WATER QUALITY MONITORING BUOYS IN LAKE ANZA AND IN LAKE TEMESCAL.
ON THE UPPER RIGHT YOU SEE WHAT THAT SCHEMATIC OF WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE.
WE'RE TESTING WE HAVE THE REAL TIME DATA FOR DISSOLVED OXYGEN AND TEMPERATURE, AND THAT TWO GIVES ME VERY GOOD INFORMATION. IT IS TRANSFERRED INTO AN ONLINE DATABASE.
AND THAT CREATES THESE GRAPHS FOR ME THAT I CAN LOOK AT.
AND THEN I GET INFORMATION, FOR EXAMPLE LIKE IS THE LAKE STRATIFIED? DOES IT HAVE THERMAL LAYERS OR IS IT MIXED? IS THERE OXYGEN AT THE BOTTOM OF LAKE TEMESCAL.
AND ESPECIALLY FOR LAKE ANZA WHERE WE HAVE A OXYGENATION SYSTEM IN THE LAKE, IS THE OXYGEN DROPPING BELOW A CERTAIN LEVEL? AND DO I HAVE TO DRIVE DOWN TO LAKE TEMESCAL TO TURN THE OXYGEN UP.
AND THEN WE HAVE AN ANNUAL SUBSCRIPTION TO THE LAKE TECH WATER MANAGEMENT SOFTWARE.
THIS IS A VERY HELPFUL TOOL BECAUSE IT CAN INTEGRATE ALL THE PAST DATA FROM 2017 THAT I COLLECTED PLUS THAT REAL TIME DATA THAT COMES FROM THE BUOYS, PLUS OUTSIDE DATA LIKE RAIN.
OR FOR EXAMPLE, IF WHEN WE PUT IN THE OXYGENATION SYSTEM INTO LAKE ANZA, WHAT DIFFERENCE DID THAT MAKE? OKAY.
THAT'S THE SCIENCE OF IT, AND THAT'S WHAT WE DO ON A DAILY BASIS.
THERE'S A LOT OF DATA WE COLLECT TO MANAGE OUR RESERVOIRS.
WE KNOW WHAT THE ISSUES ARE, BUT WHAT ARE WE DOING? WHAT STEPS ARE WE TAKING TO ACTUALLY ACTIVELY MANAGE FOR HARMFUL ALGAL BLOOMS? WE DO NUTRIENT REMEDIATION, WHICH IS PUTTING CERTAIN PRODUCTS IN THE LAKE THAT WILL STRIP THE NUTRIENTS OUT OF THE WATER COLUMN.
SO THEY'RE NO LONGER AVAILABLE FOR THE ALGAE.
ANJA MENTIONED WE HAVE AN AERATION SYSTEM IN LAKE ANZA.
WHEN THE LAKE, DURING THE SUMMER, IT THERMO STRATIFIES.
SO IT'S WARM ON TOP, COLD ON THE BOTTOM.
SO THERE'S NO OXYGEN AT THE BOTTOM WHEN THERE'S NO OXYGEN AT THE BOTTOM, THE NUTRIENTS, THERE'S A CHEMICAL REACTION IN THE SEDIMENT WHERE THE NUTRIENTS ARE RELEASED, PHOSPHORUS IS RELEASED FROM THE SEDIMENT AND THEN BECOMES BIOAVAILABLE IN THE WATER COLUMN.
SO THE NUTRIENTS STAY, THE PHOSPHORUS STAYS BOUND TO THE SEDIMENT.
IT'S BEEN DONE. I THINK THE LAST TIME WAS IN THE 90S IN JEWEL LAKE.
SO THIS IS JUST AN IMAGE OF DOING THIS NUTRIENT TREATMENT FOR THE WATER COLUMN.
THESE WE HIRE CONSULTANTS THAT COME OUT AND THEY SPRAY THIS, THIS PRODUCT INTO THE LAKE, AND IT BINDS THE PHOSPHORUS THAT'S IN THE WATER COLUMN, AND IT SINKS IT TO THE BOTTOM OF THE LAKE.
AND IT'S HELD THERE DOWN IN THE BOTTOM IN THE SEDIMENT LEVEL.
SO IT JUST REDUCES THE AMOUNT OF NUTRIENTS THAT ARE AVAILABLE FOR FOR ALGAE BLOOMS. HERE'S A NOT A VERY EXCITING PICTURE, BUT THIS IS OUR OXYGEN SYSTEM AT LAKE ANZA.
[00:25:05]
AND THIS IS THE POINT.WE DON'T REALLY WANT IT TO BE THAT VISIBLE.
BUT UP IN THE UPPER PARKING LOT WE HAVE A MASSIVE OXYGEN TANK.
WE DELIVER LIQUID OXYGEN TO THAT OXYGEN IS FED FROM THAT TANK THROUGH A LINE TO THE BOTTOM OF THE LAKE, WHERE IT DIFFUSES AT THE BOTTOM OF THE LAKE AND PRODUCES OXYGEN AT THE BOTTOM.
WE DID A PILOT STUDY AT LAKE TEMESCAL.
MAYBE MANY OF YOU SAW THIS TRAILER GO IN.
IT WAS A SHORT, I THINK, FOUR MONTH STUDY WHERE THIS WAS A BRAND NEW SYSTEM WHERE IT CREATES THESE NANO BUBBLES, THESE VERY MICROSCOPIC, I DON'T KNOW, THE BUBBLER ON STEROIDS, I GUESS, BUT IT PLUMES OXYGEN INTO THE LAKE.
IT DOESN'T NECESSARILY DO THE DIFFUSER LINE AT THE BOTTOM.
IT'S MORE LIKE BLOWING SMOKE IN THE AIR.
IT DIFFUSES OXYGEN THROUGHOUT THE WATER COLUMN IN THE LAKE.
WE'RE HOPEFUL THAT THIS WAS GOING TO WORK, BUT IT HADN'T REALLY BEEN PROVEN.
IT'S USED A LOT IN WATER TREATMENT FACILITIES.
BUT IT'S NEVER REALLY BEEN TESTED IN A NATURAL LAKE, NATURAL ECOSYSTEM.
AND IT TURNS OUT IT DIDN'T QUITE PERFORM AS WE EXPECTED IT TO.
SO WE PULLED THIS SYSTEM AND WE'RE NOT GOING TO USE IT ANYMORE FOR A NUMBER OF REASONS.
THEN I TALKED ABOUT WE GO OUT AND MOW THE LAKE.
THEY GET THEIR LINES HUNG UP IN IT.
THEY BRING IN REEL IN A SALAD.
AND THEN ALSO FOR OUR SWIM BEACHES, NOBODY WANTS TO GO WADING AROUND IN A BUNCH OF THICK WEEDS.
BUT AS I SAID BEFORE, IT IS LIKE MOWING A LAWN.
WE'RE JUST WE'RE CUTTING THEM AND AND THEN SOMETIMES WE'LL TREAT WITH AN HERBICIDE.
BUT THE WEEDS TEND TO GROW BACK BECAUSE THERE'S SO MANY NUTRIENTS THERE.
I MEAN SO MANY NUTRIENTS IN THE WATER.
BUT IT'S JUST ONE, TOOL THAT THAT WE USE.
AND THEN WE CAN TALK ABOUT DREDGING.
WE ACTUALLY DID INVESTIGATE I THINK IN YEAH IN 2019 WE HIRED ANCHOR AND HORIZON TO DO A FEASIBILITY STUDY ON WHAT IT WOULD TAKE TO DREDGE LAKE TEMESCAL.
AND JUST FOR BACKGROUND, TEMESCAL WAS CONSTRUCTED IN THE 1870S.
THIS RESERVOIR WAS 150 YEARS OLD, AND THE ORIGINAL DEPTH WAS 70 TO 80FT DEEP.
AND WE KNOW THAT'S THE REASON WE'RE SEEING A LOT OF THESE BLOOMS, BECAUSE THERE'S SO MUCH, SO MANY NUTRIENTS IN THIS SMALL LAKE THAT ARE AVAILABLE FOR ALGAE BLOOMS. SO WHAT DOES IT TAKE TO DREDGE THE LAKE.
AND WE DID HIRE THIS CONSULTANT TO LOOK INTO IT.
IF WE WANTED TO DREDGE IT, NOT BACK TO ITS ORIGINAL DEPTH.
I THINK WE ASKED THEM TO ESTIMATE DREDGING IT TO 50FT.
WE'VE ACTUALLY DONE SOME MORE INVESTIGATING.
THERE'S NOT A LOT OF PEOPLE THAT THAT DO THIS IN THE UNITED STATES.
AND THE COST IS IT'S THE SEDIMENT IS CONSIDERED TOXIC MATERIAL.
AND THE COST OF DISPOSING OF IT IS, IS WHERE THE REAL COST OF DREDGING COMES IN.
SO WHAT DO WE DO? WHAT DO WE DO WITH THESE RESERVOIRS, THESE AGING RESERVOIRS? I MEAN, WE HAVE AN OPTION OF DOING NOTHING.
AND AS I SAID BEFORE, IT'S GOING TO TURN INTO A SWAMP.
WE JUST SAW HOW MUCH MONEY THAT COST TO DREDGE.
BUT A LOT OF SITUATIONS, IT'S WE.
SOME SITUATIONS WE NEED TO CONSIDER DREDGING WHERE IT'S WHERE IT'S FEASIBLE.
[00:30:05]
THINK OF JEWEL LAKE.JEWEL LAKE DOESN'T OFFER SWIMMING, DOESN'T OFFER BOATING, DOESN'T OFFER FISHING.
OBVIOUSLY A RESERVOIR LIKE DEL VALLE, YOU'RE NOT GOING TO TAKE DOWN THAT DAM.
LAKE CHABOT'S, A DRINKING WATER RESERVOIR.
SO THERE'S THERE'S PLACES WHERE IT'S NOT FEASIBLE TO CONSIDER THIS OPTION.
AND I THINK IT'S TIME THAT WE START CONSIDERING THESE OPTIONS.
I THINK WE VESTED IN THEM FOR RECREATION.
AND I THINK WE NEED TO START CONSIDERING HOW WE'RE GOING TO MANAGE THEM FOR THE FUTURE.
WE DO HAVE A METRIC FOR HOW WE ARE SUCCESSFUL WITH ALL THESE TREATMENTS.
IT'S THE NUMBER OF SWIM DAYS WE WANT PEOPLE TO SWIM AS MANY DAYS AS POSSIBLE DURING THE SWIM SEASON.
WE STILL HAVE OVER HALF OF THE SWIM DAYS ARE CLOSED.
AND TEMESCAL, WE JUST LEARNED YESTERDAY, HAS A MASSIVE ALGAE BLOOM GOING THAT IS TOXIC.
AND WE HAD TO SHUT DOWN THE LAKE FOR SWIMMING.
DESPITE ALL THE TREATMENTS WE JUST DID.
SO START THINKING ABOUT WE'RE GOING TO CONTINUE TO MONITOR.
WE'RE GOING TO CONTINUE THESE TREATMENTS.
THESE TREATMENTS AREN'T THEY'RE NOT EXACT.
THEY'RE A MERE BAND-AID TO TREATING OUR RESERVOIRS.
AND WE'RE GOING TO WE'RE GOING TO CONTINUE THAT.
EASY TO MANAGE, RIGHT? YOU CHLORINATE IT, YOU FILTER THE WATER, YOU HAVE LIFEGUARDS ON SITE.
WE DON'T HAVE TO DO ALL THESE THESE CRAZY TREATMENTS THAT WE'RE DOING IN OUR RESERVOIRS.
AND WE MONITOR AND PUT UP SIGNAGE AS MUCH AS WE CAN.
BUT AND PEOPLE LOVE TO SWIM IN THEM.
WE KNOW THAT WE ALL LIKE TO SWIM IN OPEN WATER, BUT IT'S WE HAVE TO DO IT AT A SAFE WAY.
AND POOLS MIGHT BE THE NEXT BEST OPTION.
SO I'M HAPPY TO TAKE QUESTIONS AND DISCUSS.
I JUST I HOPE TODAY YOU LEARNED A LITTLE BIT ABOUT RESERVOIR MANAGEMENT.
AND HAPPY TO TAKE ANY QUESTIONS.
SO REAL QUICK, BEFORE WE GET TO YOUR QUESTIONS, I'M SURE YOU HAVE SEVERAL.
MATT GRAUL, CHIEF OF STEWARDSHIP.
I JUST WANT TO CLARIFY SOMETHING JOE SAID ABOUT LAKE TEMESCAL AND THE SEDIMENTS THERE.
WE DID WHEN WE DID THAT FEASIBILITY STUDY FOR DREDGING, WE DID DO SEDIMENT CORES TO LOOK AT THE POTENTIAL FOR METALS AND THE DISPOSAL OF THE MATERIAL, AND WE DIDN'T FIND TOXINS OR METALS THAT WOULD MAKE IT BE HAZARDOUS TO DISPOSE OF.
SOME OF THOSE SEDIMENTS HAD TO BE SEGREGATED.
IT'S PRIMARILY BECAUSE THERE'S NO WAY TO EASILY GET THE MATERIAL.
AND WE'RE TALKING A HUGE VOLUME.
WHEN JOE SAID THE DEPTH 16FT, AVERAGE DEPTH SIX FEET, IF WE WANT TO TAKE IT BACK TO 35, 40FT AT THE DEEPEST PART AND A GOOD WATER QUALITY DEPTH THROUGHOUT THE LAKE, WE DO HAVE TO REMOVE A VERY LARGE VOLUME OF SEDIMENT AND THEN THAT WILL HAVE TO BE TRUCKED SOMEWHERE.
SO I JUST WANTED TO CLARIFY THAT POINT BEFORE WE STARTED QUESTIONS.
SO THE THINKING OUT OF THE BOX THOUGHT CREATES HUGE ISSUES.
I MEAN, HOW MUCH TIME DO WE HAVE? AND HOW MUCH RESEARCH HAS BEEN DONE? HOW MUCH THINKING LAKE BY LAKE, SWIM AREA BY SWIM AREA.
WHAT SHOULD BECOME A POOL SOMEDAY AND WHAT SHOULD BECOME A LAGOON? SIMILAR TO CONTRA LOMA OR WHAT DO WE HAVE TO KEEP?
[00:35:05]
WHAT DO WE HAVE TO PRESERVE AS A RESERVOIR THAT ALONE IS WORTHY OF INCLUSION IN THE NEXT CENTURY PLAN JUST TO PLAN FOR THE NEXT LITERALLY CENTURY OF OUR SWIM AREAS.BECAUSE WHAT YOU JUST TEED UP AND I DON'T KNOW IF MY COLLEAGUES HAVE SEEN THAT BEFORE, BUT THE CONCEPT OF LETTING TEMESCAL ACTUALLY GO AND REPLACE IT WITH A LAGOON.
YOU KNOW, IS THIS THE FIRST TIME I'VE HEARD OF THAT CONCEPT? AND IN THE PAST I'VE ALWAYS REACTED ALMOST HORRIFICALLY IS WHEN I WAS A TEENAGER GROWING UP IN ORINDA, WHEN IT WAS REALLY HOT, MY FAMILY, WE DIDN'T BELONG TO THE ORINDA POOL UP ON TOYONAL, SO MY BROTHER USED TO DRIVE ME TO TEMESCAL RIGHT THROUGH THE TUNNEL.
AND WE'D SPEND AFTERNOONS THERE DURING HOT SUMMERS.
I PROBABLY BETWEEN THE AGE OF 12, 13, 14, THAT PERIOD OF MY LIFE.
AND I JUST WANT US ALL TO REALIZE YOU JUST TEED UP SOMETHING THAT'S WORTHY OF A VERY DEEP AND ELABORATE STUDY AND CONSIDERATION.
WITH THAT, I'LL TURN IT OVER TO MY COLLEAGUES [LAUGHTER] FOR QUESTIONS BEFORE IT COMES BACK TO ME.
BEFORE BEFORE I TACKLE TEMESCAL AND TELL YOU HOW TO SOLVE IT ALL.
ARE THERE THESE TOXIC THESE TOXINS.
THIS IS. ARE THEY IN FLOWING WATER TOO? YES. YEAH.
THEY HAD THEY REALLY CAME INTO THE PUBLIC EYE IN KLAMATH RIVER.
THEY HAD THERE WAS A MASSIVE SALMON KILL DUE TO TOXIC ALGAE BLOOMS. FORTUNATELY WE HAVEN'T SEEN FISH KILLS LIKE THAT CASE IN THE PARK DISTRICT.
IT'S IT REALLY IS THE OLDEST LIVING ORGANISM IN THE WORLD.
AND THEY OCCUR IN FLOWING WATER AND STILL WATER.
BUT IT WAS THERE. NOW, I KNOW THEY'RE TAKING THOSE RESERVOIRS DOWN UPSTREAM.
YEP. HOPEFULLY THAT'LL HELP IT.
OKAY. AND IT IS A POINT OF TO MAKE THAT, AS ANJA SAID, WE CAN HAVE ALGAE BLOOMS AND THEY DON'T ALWAYS CREATE TOXINS, BUT THAT IS WHY WE DO OUR CONSTANT MONITORING, BECAUSE OUT OF NOWHERE, WE'LL START DETECTING TOXINS.
HOW DOES THE WATER IN TEMESCAL GET OUT OF TEMESCAL? OBVIOUSLY IT HAS THERE HAS TO BE SOME KIND OF FLOW THROUGH.
HOW DOES IT GET OUT? HOW DOES IT LEAVE THAT RESERVOIR? THERE'S A SPILLWAY OVER BY THE SWIM BEACH.
SO? SO IT'S FROM THE TOP DOWN? YEAH. SO WHAT IF WE HAD DISCHARGED FROM THE BOTTOM OF THE LAKE? WOULD THAT ALLOW TRANSPORT OF THE SEDIMENT THROUGH AND THEN OUT THE BOTTOM? AND I MEAN, MAYBE, IF WE DID DREDGE IT, THAT MIGHT BE MAYBE THAT'S A WAY.
YEAH. WELL THEN IT GOES INTO THE BAY LIKE IT'S SUPPOSED TO.
YEAH. YEAH. WE MIGHT HAVE TO HAVE THAT DISCUSSION WITH THE WATER BOARD.
YEAH. YEAH. AGAIN, MATT GRAUL CHIEF OF STEWARDSHIP.
I THINK THAT WOULD CREATE SOME CHALLENGES, I THINK, FOR ALAMEDA COUNTY AND FOR CITY OF OAKLAND, BECAUSE TEMESCAL CREEK ALL GOES IN A PIPE AND GOES UNDERGROUND ALL THE WAY OUT TO EMERYVILLE CRESCENT. SO IT COMES OUT AT EMERYVILLE CRESCENT.
IT'S NOT A REAL I MEAN, IT'S A CREEK CHANNEL.
BUT WHAT THEY DO IS PUMP WATER OUT OF THE CULVERTS TO RUN IT THROUGH THIS ABOVE GROUND CREEK SYSTEM.
THAT'S SORT OF DEMONSTRATING WHAT THE OLD TEMESCAL CREEK USED TO LOOK LIKE.
BUT THAT'S REALLY THE ONLY AREA WHERE IT'S DAYLIGHTED.
SO IT'S ALL IN A PIPE. SO THAT I THINK THAT WOULD BE THE THING.
IF WE START SENDING SEDIMENT DOWN THERE, ARE WE GOING TO BE CLOGGING THESE PIPES THAT ARE ALSO RESPONSIBLE FOR DRAINING STORMWATER FROM, YOU KNOW, ALL THE THE LAND BETWEEN TEMESCAL AND EMERYVILLE CRESCENT BECAUSE THAT'S, YOU KNOW WHAT, TEMESCAL CREEK CONVEYS IT.
[00:40:02]
BUT SO ONE THING, THOUGH, IN THE FEASIBILITY STUDY AND THE PLAN FOR DREDGING LAKE TEMESCAL WAS DO A NUMBER OF THINGS TO PREVENT FUTURE SEDIMENTATION.SO IT WAS TALKING ABOUT PUTTING IN TREATMENT WETLANDS AT THE SOUTHERN EDGE THAT WOULD CAPTURE THE SEDIMENT BEFORE IT GOT INTO THE OPEN WATER OF THE LAKE, AND THEN HAVE THAT ON A MANAGEMENT SCHEDULE THAT EVERY 5 TO 10 YEARS YOU WOULD REMOVE THOSE WETLANDS BECAUSE THEY WOULD FUNCTION AS NATURAL WETLANDS UNTIL THEY GOT FULL OF SEDIMENT.
BUT THEN WE WOULD COME AND LIKE, REMOVE THEM AND ALLOW THEM TO REFORM AGAIN.
AND SO BUT IT WOULD BE AN ONGOING MANAGEMENT.
SO IT HAS SOME NATURAL REMEDIATION LAKE.
AND THEN WE'D HAVE KIND OF AN AESTHETIC FEATURE ALONG THE LAKE OF THESE JUST AQUATIC VEGETATION, LIKE APPROPRIATE AQUATIC VEGETATION, WETLAND VEGETATION GROWING IN THESE KIND OF BASKETS THAT WOULD FORM PROVIDE TREATMENT OF THE NUTRIENTS.
WE'D HAVE LESS NUTRIENTS IN THE WATER COLUMN.
SO IT WAS TRYING TO FIND WAYS TO KEEP THAT SEDIMENTATION FROM HAPPENING AGAIN.
SO, I MEAN, WE THINK IN A REDESIGN LAKE THAT COULD BE PRACTICAL, BUT IT'S REALLY THE COST OF GETTING THE SEDIMENT OUT BEFORE WE CAN IMPLEMENT THESE NEW FEATURES THAT, YOU KNOW, DRIVES THAT COST WAY UP TO 75, $80 MILLION DOLLARS.
I MEAN, SOMETHING WE NEED TO REALLY LOOK INTO.
AND THAT'S AS WE'RE SEEING THIS SUCCESS OF TREATMENTS THINKING, OH, IF WE DO JUST ANOTHER TREATMENT OR IF WE DO IT EARLIER IN THE SEASON, OR IF WE ADD THIS OTHER ELEMENTS, WE'RE GOING TO SOLVE THIS ISSUE AND MAKE IT MORE MANAGEABLE.
SO WE'RE GETTING TO A POINT WHERE WHAT CAN WE DO? YOU KNOW? AND SO THAT'S WHY WE'RE RAISING THAT QUESTION.
YEAH. IT ALMOST SEEMS LIKE YOU'RE 90% TO THE POINT WHERE IT'S A CREEK RUNNING THROUGH THERE.
YOU KNOW, AND THEN YOU COULD HAVE A SHORELINE, A GRADUAL FLAT AREA AND HAVE RECREATION ON THAT, YOU KNOW, AND IT'S NOT A SWIM AREA ANYMORE, BUT IT'S A PLACE TO GO HANG OUT.
IF IT'S ONLY 15FT DEEP, YOU KNOW, IT'S AND AVERAGE IS SIX FEET.
IT'S NOT MUCH REALLY YOU HAVE TO DO TO MAKE IT A MEADOW WITH A CREEK IN IT, YOU KNOW.
ANYWAY, THAT'S JUST KIND OF WHAT OCCURRED TO ME.
AND THEN MAYBE THERE COULD BE AS YOU WERE SAYING, A LAGOON ADDED TO IT, SO YOU DON'T.
I THINK IT'D BE PRETTY HARD TO LOSE THE SWIMMING ENTIRELY FROM TEMESCAL, ALTHOUGH.
I'M SURE THERE'S PEOPLE WHO SAY, WHY EVEN BOTHER CHECKING ABOUT TEMESCAL? IT'S PROBABLY CLOSED.
WE'LL GO TO SOMEWHERE ELSE, YOU KNOW? BUT KIND OF IN CLOSING, I GUESS I WOULD SAY THAT WE, I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT FOR US TO PROVIDE SWIMMING OPPORTUNITIES, YOU KNOW, ALL AROUND THE DISTRICT, ESPECIALLY IN THAT AREA.
THANKS. YOU JUST DESCRIBED, I BELIEVE, ALTERNATE THREE FOR JEWEL LAKE.
IN OTHER WORDS, LET IT GO BACK TO NATURE STATE WITH SOME LANDSCAPE IMPROVEMENTS, FOR ESTHETIC REASONS AND HANGING OUT.
SO TAKE THAT CONCEPT AND ADD A LAGOON.
AND WE JUST SAW TEMESCAL, PLUS MANY MILLIONS OF DOLLARS JUST TO DO THAT.
DIRECTOR WAESPI. YEAH, WELL, FULL DISCLOSURE, I'D LIKE TO SAY THAT I FAIRLY CERTAIN I FLUNKED ALL MY BIOLOGICAL SCIENCE COURSES, AND I KNOW I FLUNKED CHEMISTRY, BUT, YOU KNOW, I'M THINKING, WHAT AM I THINKING? SO THIS MIGHT BE TOO SIMPLISTIC.
NOW, I KNOW IT'S THEY'RE SMALLER, THEY'RE CONTROLLED.
BUT THE ONLY THING THAT I SEE IS DIFFERENT AND I'M PROBABLY WRONG IS WE CHLORINATE IT.
IS THAT WHAT KEEPS ALGAE OUT OF DON CASTRO LAGOON AND CULL CANYON LAGOON? I WOULD ASSUME SO.
I ACTUALLY DON'T KNOW HOW THOSE THINGS ARE.
NO IT'S THE CHLORINATION AND THEY'RE ALSO DISCONNECTED FROM THE NATURAL HYDROLOGY.
SO THEY DON'T GET THE STREAM FLOW AND THE SEDIMENTS AND THE NUTRIENTS.
[00:45:02]
BUT IT'S NOT BECAUSE OF SEDIMENTATION OR NUTRIENTS.AND THE CHLORINE DOES PREVENT.
YEAH YOU'RE RIGHT. SO MY QUESTION WOULD BE AND MY PHILOSOPHY IS, YOU KNOW, TO LET THESE THINGS GO TO NATURAL STREAMS. THERE'S PLENTY OF THOSE.
AND IT IS THE DISTRICTS, I THINK OUR MISSION, OUR GOAL, OUR EVERYTHING.
IT COMES FROM THAT ANIMAL RIGHT THERE.
SO AND I THINK TO SAY THAT THE REAL PLACE YOU SHOULD BE SWIMMING IS NOT SOME CHLORINE INFESTED YOU KNOW WHAT ELSE INFESTED SWIMMING POOL DOWNTOWN? NO. THERE'S LAKES.
THERE'S NATURAL THINGS THAT OCCUR IN LAKES.
WE CAN INTERPRET LAKES. YOU CAN GO FOR A VISIT TO A LAKE, NATURE NEARBY.
I MEAN, COME ON, WHAT WOULD THE FOLKS THE LARGEST, BEST, MOST WHATEVER URBAN LAKE IN THE WORLD AND THE UNIVERSE IS LAKE TEMESCAL, RIGHT? IT'S RIGHT THERE NEXT TO THE INNER CITY, WHO WE KEEP TALKING ABOUT INNER CITY KIDS ALL THE TIME.
WE'RE GOING TO TAKE THEIR LAKE AWAY AND KIND OF SAY, HERE'S A STREAM ON US.
YOU'LL LIKE IT. I JUST I THINK THAT'S A NONSTARTER.
ESTHETICS THE OBVIOUSLY TAKING A HIKE, VIEWING A LAKE SOME OF THE INTERPRETIVE VALUES OF THAT.
I'LL TELL YOU. Y'ALL REMEMBER CULL CANYON RESERVOIR.
BUT WHEN YOU DROVE BY AND LOOKED AT THAT BEAUTIFUL LAKE, IT WAS GREAT UNTIL SOMEBODY TOOK A PICTURE OF SOME LITTLE LONG LEGGED BIRD STANDING THERE IN THE MUD WITH TWO INCHES OF WATER. BUT, I MEAN, WE GO 20 MORE YEARS AND DREW A LAKE WITH A FEW [INAUDIBLE] WELL, I DON'T KNOW, DOING SOMETHING, YOU KNOW, EDITORIALIZING AGAIN, THERE ARE SOME TECHNIQUES WE CAN USE.
I DON'T KNOW WHY, NOBODY'S FAULT, BUT THERE'S A SEDIMENT POND THERE.
IT CATCHES THE DECANT THE SEDIMENT BEFORE IT GOES IN THERE, RIGHT BEFORE YOU GO ACROSS THE BRIDGE.
AND I REMEMBER ON ROADS AND TRAILS 100 YEARS AGO, WE DREDGED THAT.
THEN WE STOPPED FOR WHATEVER THE REASON WAS.
BUT IT WAS, I DON'T KNOW IF IT WAS EFFECTIVE OR IT WASN'T EFFECTIVE OR TOO COST EFFECTIVE.
THE SAME THING AT CULL CANYON.
THEY BUILT IN A VERY LARGE SEDIMENT POND UP PAST CULL CANYON.
WORKED WELL UNTIL SOMEBODY STOPPED DREDGING IT.
THAT WOULD BE, I THINK THE COUNTY WOULD STOP.
JUST SAID, HEY, WE CAN'T DO THAT ANYMORE.
AND SO NOW YOU'VE GOT A LAKE FULL OF SEDIMENT.
I THINK CATCHING IT BEFORE THESE THINGS OCCUR.
AND THE SEDIMENT STUDY WE DID OF THE WATERSHED SHOWED THAT THE BASIN ITSELF COULD NOT KEEP UP WITH THE RATE OF SEDIMENT EVEN AT FULL CAPACITY, COULD NOT KEEP UP WITH THE RATE OF SEDIMENTATION, AND HADN'T BEEN KEEPING UP WITH IT FOR A NUMBER OF YEARS.
WE'VE CONTINUED TO DO IT, BUT THE COSTS HAVE CONTINUED TO GO UP.
SO WE'VE, DREDGED THE BASIN AT THE EEC, BUT NOW IT COSTS ANYWHERE BETWEEN 100 TO $150,000 TO DO IT AT TIMES, BECAUSE OUR ROADS AND TRAILS AND OTHER STAFF SAY THEY CAN'T DO IT BECAUSE OF THE LENGTH OF TIME AND THE FACT THAT IT NEEDS TO BE DEWATERED.
SO IT HAS TO BE WE HAVE TO DE-WATER IT TO GET ALL THAT SEDIMENT OUT.
WE GOT LAST TIME WE HAD A ROUTINE MAINTENANCE PERMIT RENEWED.
AND THAT'S THE FULL SIZE OF THAT BASIN.
SO IT'S LARGER THAN JUST THE BASINS BECAUSE OF THE TRIBUTARIES AND OTHER THINGS.
SO I THINK WE HAVE TO THAT'S WHERE THE PICKING AND CHOOSING ON WHICH WE CAN, YOU KNOW FULLY RESTORE, WHICH ARE THE MOST IMPORTANT TO THE COMMUNITY THAT WE WANT TO INVEST 75 TO $80 MILLION TO MAKE THOSE UPGRADES OR YOU KNOW, I MEAN, IT'S JUST IT'S GOING TO BE THERE'S GOING TO BE TRADE OFFS, YOU KNOW, SOME OF THESE PLACES, IT'S NOT PRACTICAL, LIKE JOE SAID, LIKE DEL VALLE, LAKE CHABOT, YOU KNOW, THOSE ARE GOING TO STAY THERE.
THOSE ARE DRINKING WATER RESERVOIRS.
THE WATER AGENCIES ARE GOING TO WANT TO KEEP THEM.
YOU KNOW, I GUESS THAT'S I THINK THAT'S OUR MAIN MESSAGE.
IS IT THE HEAT ISN'T OR IS IT THE FACT THAT THERE ARE MORE NUTRIENTS COMING INTO THESE LAKES AND FEEDING THIS AND SAYING, HEY, I'M HUNGRY, LET'S EAT THIS AND LET'S BLOOM? WE DON'T KNOW FOR CERTAIN, BUT WE THINK IT'S KIND OF ALL OF THE ABOVE.
I MEAN, I THINK IT'S KIND OF WHAT JOE AND ANJA SET THE STAGE WITH THESE AGING RESERVOIRS.
THE NUTRIENTS HAVE BUILT UP OVER TIME.
SO THE NUTRIENTS CONTINUE TO INCREASE.
[00:50:01]
BUT THERE HAS BEEN A TIPPING POINT IN THE LAST EIGHT YEARS OR SO.I MEAN, WE'VE KNOWN WE'VE HAD DETECTIONS OF TOXINS IN OUR LAKES SINCE THE LATE 90S, EARLY 2000.
I MEAN, THE [INAUDIBLE] ARE THE SPECIES THAT CAN PRODUCE.
WE DON'T HAVE SPECIFICALLY KNOW, BUT WE THINK IT IS RELATED TO CLIMATE CHANGE.
I MEAN, A LOT OF THE TIMES WE USED TO, IT USED TO BE A LOT MORE PREDICTABLE.
AND THEN WHEN IT GETS HOT IN AUGUST OR LATE JULY, WE'RE GOING TO SEE SOME BLOOMS. AND THAT WAS FAIRLY TYPICAL.
IT'S NOT JUST BASED ON AN INCREASED TEMPERATURE IN THE FALL OR IN THE LATE SUMMER.
SO I GUESS THE ANSWER IS, WE DON'T KNOW.
EXPERTS AROUND THE COUNTRY, AROUND THE WORLD ARE TRYING TO ARE LOOKING AT THESE THINGS.
AND IT'S AT AN INCREASING RATE OVER THE LAST 8 TO 10 YEARS.
SO THE HAS ANYBODY STUDIED THE EFFECTS OF NUTRIENTS? I MEAN, IS ONE NUTRIENT WORSE THAN ANOTHER? I MEAN, AND YOU KNOW WHAT I'M GETTING AT? YOU KNOW WHERE I'M GOING. FECAL COLIFORM, LAKE TEMESCAL.
ARE WE STILL DUMPING RAW SEWAGE INTO LAKE TEMESCAL? IT OCCASIONALLY HAPPENS.
BUT I THINK WHEN WE LOOKED AT IN THE PAST, IT'S REALLY THE NUTRIENT CONTRIBUTIONS FROM THE BOTTOM AND THE UPWELLING FROM THE SEDIMENTS IN THE BOTTOM IS MUCH MORE THAN WHAT WE GET ON A ONE OFF SEWAGE SPILL.
I MEAN, IT DOES CREATE SOME HIGH PEAK OF NITROGEN WHEN THAT COMES IN.
AND THE TWO SO THE TWO NUTRIENTS THAT ARE MOST RESPONSIBLE ARE PHOSPHORUS AND NITROGEN.
SO PHOSPHORUS IS REALLY THE ONE THE DRIVING NUTRIENT.
BUT NITROGEN IS ALSO A COMPONENT OF THAT WHAT'S FEEDING THE ALGAE.
AND SO THAT'S WHY A LOT OF OUR TREATMENTS AND A LOT OF THINGS WE'RE DOING ARE TRYING TO SUPPRESS PHOSPHORUS IN THE SEDIMENT LAYER AND HOLD IT IN THAT SEDIMENT LAYER OR STRIP IT FROM THE WATER COLUMN.
SO, SO IF IT'S CHEAP, IT'S QUOTE SAFE.
WOULD IT MAKE SENSE TO SAY MAY THROUGH SEPTEMBER? RUN THAT FANCY BOAT THAT YOU SHOWED ON THE SLIDE WITH CHLORINE IN IT ALONG THE SHORELINE, OR WHERE ALGAE DOES.
AND WE CAN'T. WE'RE NOT ALLOWED TO.
WE'RE NOT ALLOWED TO TREAT THE LAKE WITH ANY CHLORINE.
THERE ARE LIMITATIONS WITH TREATING THE ALGAE ITSELF.
AND SO THEN YOU CAN GET A REAL SPIKE OF TOXINS FOR A SHORT PERIOD OF TIME.
BUT THAT MIGHT REMOVE ALL THE ALGAE AT THE SURFACE.
BUT THEN, AS ANJA MENTIONED TOO, THERE'S BENTHIC ALGAE.
IT'S JUST VERY COMPLEX, YOU KNOW.
AND SO THAT'S WHY WE'RE TRYING A SUITE OF STRATEGIES.
WE'RE ACTUALLY I THINK, I DON'T KNOW THAT WE MENTIONED I HAD TO STEP OUT FOR A MINUTE.
I HAD A CALL FROM THE DOCTOR, BUT I THINK WE ARE LOOKING AT DOING DYE AT LAKE TEMESCAL, AND WE STARTED PUTTING DYE IN LAKE TEMESCAL BLACK DYE TO HELP REDUCE THE SUNLIGHT PENETRATION.
AND SO THAT'S SOMETHING ELSE THAT WE WERE HOPING WOULD WORK BETTER.
BUT DESPITE ALL THESE INCREASED EFFORTS AND DOING THINGS SOONER IN THE YEAR TO TRY TO GET THE NUTRIENTS AHEAD OF THE SWIM SEASON, WE JUST HAVEN'T, UNFORTUNATELY, HAVEN'T BEEN SUCCESSFUL. WE REALLY THOUGHT THE EARLY TREATMENTS THIS YEAR WERE GOING TO WORK AND WE'RE LIKE, OKAY, WE'RE GOING TO DO MORE AND WE'RE GOING TO DO IT EARLIER AND IT'LL HELP US BE READY FOR THE SWIM SEASON. AND UNFORTUNATELY, IT JUST ISN'T WORKING OUT THIS SEASON FOR SOME REASON.
I GUESS. AND FINALLY, HAVE WE LOST ANY DOGS SINCE LIKE THE RASH OF 3 OR 4 OR SOMETHING FIVE YEARS AGO AND OR AND HAVE ANY HUMANS GOTTEN SICK? NOT THAT I'M AWARE OF. I MEAN, AS FAR AS DOGS, NOT THAT I'M AWARE OF.
I HAVEN'T HEARD ANYTHING ABOUT THAT.
AND I HAVEN'T NOT ANY REAL HUMAN ILLNESS.
[00:55:01]
I THINK THE ONE THING THAT HAPPENED AT LAKE CHABOT WHEN THOSE DOG DEATHS HAPPENED, I THINK ONE THING IS WE HAD THE LAKE POSTED AND WE HAD THE LAKE POSTED AT THE MAIN ENTRANCE AT THE MARINA. THERE WERE PLACES THAT WAS POSTED, BUT WE DIDN'T POST EVERY NEIGHBORHOOD ENTRANCE.AND I THINK THERE'S AN ASSUMPTION THAT DOGS AREN'T GOING IN THE WATER BECAUSE THEY'RE NOT ALLOWED.
AND WE JUST TRIED TO DO AS MUCH NOTICING WE CAN ONCE WE NOTICE THOSE TOXINS PRESENT.
SO LUCKILY THERE HASN'T BEEN ANY INCIDENTS.
WE, I MEAN, AND THERE HAVE BEEN SOME CONCERNS AT TIMES AT ANZA.
I KNOW PEOPLE HAVE CALLED US. OH, MY GOSH, MY DOG WENT IN.
WHAT SHOULD I DO? AND THEY'VE LUCKILY THEY'VE BEEN ABLE TO GET TO A VET OR THEY JUST GOT LUCKY THEIR DOG DIDN'T INGEST ENOUGH OF ITS FUR.
SO LUCKILY THERE HAVEN'T BEEN ANY OF THOSE INCIDENTS SINCE THAT NUMBER OF YEARS AGO.
AND WHAT'S WITH SCHISTOSOMIASIS AT SHADOW CLIFFS? IS THAT JUST SWIMMER'S ITCH? YEAH, THAT'S THE ONLY THING EVER WRONG WITH OUR LAKES.
YOU KNOW, I HAVEN'T HEARD ABOUT THAT FOR A NUMBER OF YEARS OR MAYBE IT'S JUST BECAUSE WE HAVEN'T HAD AS MUCH SWIMMING WITH THE ALGAL BLOOMS. BUT, ANJA, DO YOU HAVE WE HAD ANY SWIMMER'S ITCH IN THE LAST FEW YEARS OR REPORTED? YEAH, YEAH, IT HASN'T BEEN AS FREQUENT, BUT IT USED TO HAPPEN MUCH MORE REGULARLY.
THANK YOU. I DON'T THINK IT'S MUCH OF A SPOILERS ALERT, BUT THE BOARD IS ABOUT TO ENGAGE IN ITS PRIORITIZATION WORKSHOP.
JUNE 7TH. LAST COUPLE OF YEARS, DOING SOMETHING ABOUT OUR SWIMMING FACILITIES KEEPS COMING UP ON YOUR BOARD'S PRIORITIES LISTS.
AND AS I SAID EARLIER, JOE IS TEED UP AN ISSUE THAT SUGGESTS THAT YOU KNOW, THIS IS BEYOND OUR ANNUAL PRIORITIES LIST.
AND SO MY QUESTION IS, OF MANAGEMENT BROADER, IS THERE GOING TO BE A PROCESS BY WHICH THERE IS AN ASSESSMENT OF THE FACILITIES WE USE FOR SWIMMING THE LAKES AS OPPOSED TO EXISTING POOLS, AND ADDRESSING THE ISSUE OF WHAT IT'S GOING TO DO TO COST AND WHAT IS THE COST BENEFIT OF PRESERVING SWIM FACILITIES IN LIGHT OF WHAT YOU FOLKS ARE TELLING US? AND THE FACT THAT IT BECOMES MORE STARK EVERY YEAR YOU PRESENT THESE ISSUES THAT.
AND THE NEXT STEP IS SOMETHING EQUIVALENT TO.
THIS IS WHAT IT'S GOING TO ENTAIL IF WE PRESERVE SOME SWIM AREAS THAT ARE DIFFICULT AND IT'S UP TO THE BOARD AND MANAGEMENT TO PRIORITIZE THOSE.
SO IF THERE'S A DECISION TO SAVE TEMESCAL, YOU KNOW, IS THAT INDEED THE NUMBER ONE PRIORITY OF THIS BOARD TO DECIDE AND TO DECIDE QUICKLY? WE ALL UNDERSTOOD THAT PRESERVATION OR THE OTHER DISPOSITION OF JEWEL LAKE WAS A PRIORITY.
AND WE'VE GONE THROUGH A LOT OF COSTS OF STUDYING JEWEL LAKE.
STUDYING CONSULTANT GENERATED ALTERNATIVE APPROACHES TO JEWEL LAKE ONE THROUGH FOUR.
AND WE'VE HAD PUBLIC SESSIONS ON THEM.
IT'S IT'S BEEN OUT THERE NOW A COUPLE OF YEARS.
SO THAT DOESN'T PORTEND WELL FOR HAVING TO DEAL WITH FOR INSTANCE TEMESCAL.
IT SO MY I'M KIND OF FEELING LIKE IF WE'RE GOING TO DO THIS, WE REALLY GOT TO GET TO WORK ON IT AND, AND BE EXPEDITIOUS AND ALLOCATE RESOURCES TO IT AND BE ABLE TO EDUCATE THE PUBLIC TO DEAL WITH THE POLITICS OF IT, THE COMMUNITY POLITICS OF IT.
CAN YOU IMAGINE JEWEL LAKE ALTERNATIVE THREE WITH A WITH A LAGOON IN THE WORKS? MAYBE FOR TEMESCAL, THE OAKLAND NEIGHBORHOODS SURROUNDING WOULD BE ENGAGED IN THAT ISSUE FOR YEARS.
[01:00:06]
SO THAT'S THE LEVEL OF APPROACH THAT THIS NEEDS.SO I'LL CUT IT OFF THERE AND MOVE TO THE NEXT SUBJECT.
BUT I JUST THINK THAT THE NEXT STEP IS FOR MANAGEMENT WRIT LARGE TO TELL US WHAT WE'RE GOING TO DO ABOUT THIS, THE ASSESSMENT OF ALL THE SWIM LAKES, WHAT WE HAVE TO PRESERVE, WHAT OUR IN THAT ARE AT ISSUE IN TERMS OF THE APPROACH LIKE TEMESCAL AND WHAT REALLY IS, IS GOING TO NEED TO BE RESTORED TO NATURE.
SO BANG BANG BANG PRIORITY ONE THROUGH TEN, THAT TYPE OF ISSUE, THAT TYPE OF PRESENTATION TO US, I THINK IS NEEDED IN THE NEAR FUTURE.
OKAY. YEAH. AND I AGREE WITH WHAT YOU'RE FRAMING THE ISSUE.
I MEAN, THESE ARE THE CONVERSATIONS THAT WE'RE HAVING AT THE STAFF LEVEL.
AND I KNOW, AS YOU TALKED ABOUT BOARD PRIORITIES OVER THE LAST FEW YEARS AND KEEPS COMING UP WITH OUR LAKES, AND I MEAN, AND TO THAT NOTE, I MEAN, THE BOARD HAS AUTHORIZED BUDGETS THAT INCREASE FUNDING AND CREATED THE ECOLOGICAL SERVICE COORDINATOR POSITION FOR THIS AREA, THIS LAKE WATER QUALITY.
SO I MEAN, I THINK THE WAY YOU'RE FRAMING, IT'S EXACTLY WHAT WE'RE THINKING ABOUT.
AND WE THINK WE NEED THIS HIGHER LEVEL KIND OF.
YES. ASSESSMENT AND THINKING WITH THE BOARD OF WHAT ARE THE PRIORITIES AND STRATEGIES.
IT HAS THAT KIND OF IMPACT ON US.
I THINK WHAT THIS KIND OF CRIES OUT FOR IS OUR IMPLEMENTABLE OPTIONS, YOU KNOW, SOME KIND OF SPECIFIED. A PROJECT THAT COULD BE DONE TO DEAL WITH THESE APPROACHES.
WHATEVER. BUT DOWN TO A LEVEL OF HERE'S WHAT IT WOULD LOOK LIKE.
YEAH, I THINK YOU'VE ALREADY DONE THAT IN SOME CASES.
YEAH. SO, SO WELL AND JEWEL LAKE.
BECAUSE IF WE, DON'T LEAVE IT ALONE, I'M NOT SURE I UNDERSTAND WHAT WE WOULD WANT TO DO TO ADDRESS THESE ISSUES THAT HAVE ALREADY BEEN BROUGHT UP, YOU KNOW, SO, SO JUST AND COST ESTIMATES WITH THEM.
AND WE'VE HAD SEVERE EROSION FROM CULVERTS COMING DOWN INTO THE LAKE OFF CITY PROPERTIES.
AND SO THERE'S MORE SEDIMENTATION IS HAPPENING.
WE'VE JUST STARTED SEEING TOXIC BLOOMS IN SHADOW CLIFFS IN THE LAST FEW YEARS.
WE HADN'T HAD THEM IN SHADOW CLIFFS FOR A NUMBER OF YEARS, AND NOW WE'RE GETTING MORE AND MORE TOXINS EACH YEAR, IT SEEMS. SO THE QUARRY LAKE, SAME THING.
QUARRY LAKES HAS BEEN GOING ON FOR YEARS, BUT AND THERE'S CHALLENGES THERE WITH THE WATER DISTRICT DOES NOT WANT US TO DO ANY OF THE TREATMENT BECAUSE OF CONCERNS ABOUT THE PERCEPTION OF ADDING TREATMENTS INTO, YOU KNOW, WATER THAT'S GOING TO BE INFILTRATING INTO THE GROUNDWATER FOR DRINKING WATER IN THE FUTURE.
I WOULD QUESTION THAT A BIT AND SAY, WELL, WHAT IS THE PERCEPTION IF THE LAKE'S CLOSED FOR 80% OF THE YEAR WITH ALGAL TOXINS? IS WHAT IS THERE A TRADE OFF THERE? SO EACH OF OUR LAKES IS IN A DIFFERENT SCENARIO.
SO I MEAN, THAT'S WE NEED TO KIND OF FRAME THAT UP FOR YOU IN EACH OF THOSE AND WHAT THE TRADE OFFS ARE IN EACH OF THESE LAKES AND SOME OF THE COSTS ASSOCIATED WITH THE LARGER SCALE IMPROVEMENTS.
A LOT TO CHEW ON AND WE LOOK FORWARD TO FOLLOW UP.
WE WILL MOVE TO HOPEFULLY A MORE UPBEAT TOPIC.
AT LEAST IT'S BEEN MY EXPERIENCE THAT DISCUSSING ARCHIVES, DISCUSSING THE VOLUNTEER PROGRAMS VOLUNTEER EFFORTS WITH THE ARCHIVES AND BRENDA'S WORK HAS ALWAYS STRUCK ME AS UPBEAT AND PLEASING TO HEAR. SO I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO THIS ONE.
THANK YOU. THIS IS ARCHIVES UPDATE ITEM 5B 90TH ANNIVERSARY AND MARTIN COONEY PHOTOGRAPHY.
THANK YOU. CHAIR COFFEY AND DIRECTOR MERCURIO, DIRECTOR WAESPI, AGM WYSOCKI AND ASSISTANT DISTRICT COUNCIL ROSENBERG.
[01:05:01]
MY NAME IS BRENDA MONTANO, ARCHIVES PROGRAM SUPERVISOR.AND I JUST HAVE I DO HAVE A CHANGE OF TOPIC AND BUT ALSO TOO, I AM ENTHRALLED BY THE PRESENTATION BEFORE. BUT THAT JUST SAYS TO ME HOW MUCH I AM SO PROUD TO WORK AT THE DISTRICT AND AND HONORED TO HELP MANAGE THE ARCHIVES AND THE HISTORICAL RECORDS.
YOU KNOW, THERE'S SO MANY TOPICS AND SUBJECT MATTERS THROUGHOUT THE HISTORY OF THE PARK DISTRICT THAT HAVE BEEN SERIOUS CONVERSATIONS LIKE THE ONE PREVIOUSLY.
I ALSO WANT TO THANK MY VOLUNTEERS.
ACTUALLY, AMELIA MARSHALL IS HERE TODAY, AND SHE'S ONE OF THE VOLUNTEERS AT THE ARCHIVES.
I ESPECIALLY WANT TO THANK JERRY KENT.
I JUST REALIZED HE STARTED WORKING WITH ME IN 2005, IN THE ARCHIVES.
SO NEXT YEAR WILL BE 20 YEARS.
AND I HAVEN'T TOLD HIM THAT YET, BUT HE'S WE'VE PROBABLY.
AND JUST TO THINK THE CONTRACTORS THAT HAVE WORKED WITH ME, THE INTERNS THAT HAVE WORKED WITH ME, AND OF COURSE, THE PREDECESSORS WHO DID THIS OUT OF A LABOR OF LOVE BECAUSE IT WASN'T AN ARCHIVES DEPARTMENT OR AN ARCHIVES PROGRAM SUPERVISOR. THERE WERE JUST PEOPLE WHO SAW THAT THERE WAS THIS IMPORTANT HISTORY TO SAVE.
AND THEN I LOVE TO THANK THE BOARD AND THE FORMER BOARD OF DIRECTORS WHO'VE ALWAYS BEEN INTERESTED IN THE HISTORY AND HELPING SAVE THE ARCHIVES.
AND THEN ALSO TO INTRODUCE MY NEW BOSS, JORDAN TRAVERSO, WHO'S HERE, CHIEF OF COMMUNICATIONS.
AND I THANK THE PUBLIC AFFAIRS DEPARTMENT FOR ALL THEIR SUPPORT AS WELL AND THE BIGGEST FANS ARE THE PARK DISTRICT STAFF.
I JUST AM SO FLOORED SOMETIMES WHEN I HEAR PEOPLE COME UP AND SAY THAT.
BEFORE THAT, THE ARCHIVES WAS BEING MANAGED UNDER THE PUBLIC AFFAIRS DEPARTMENT IN THE THE ADMINISTRATIVE ANALYST TWO POSITION, WHICH WAS I WAS WORKING THAT AND WE DIDN'T REALLY HAVE A FULL TIME ATTENTION TO ANY OF THE RECORDS.
SO A LOT OF IT JUST GOT STORED AND FILED AND IDENTIFIED.
AND WE'RE CONTINUING TO DO THAT.
BUT NOW WE HAVE A DEPARTMENT THAT STARTED IN 2022, AND THIS YEAR I HAVE A ONE FULL TIME STAFF.
AND THAT IS JUST TREMENDOUS ALREADY, JUST TO HAVE ANOTHER PERSON THERE TO ASSIST IN THE DEPARTMENT.
SO I LOVE HAVING THAT UNDERCURRENT OF SOMEBODY THERE FOR ME.
SO ON TOP OF TRYING TO MANAGE ALL THOSE FILES, I KNOW THAT A LOT OF THE BREAD AND BUTTER OF THE ARCHIVES IS ACTUALLY GETTING IT OUT TO PEOPLE, AND WE REALLY NEVER HAD THAT CAPACITY TO DO THAT.
BUT NOW WITH THE FULL TIME POSITION WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO WORK ON WHAT HOW DO WE SHOW AND FEATURE OUR ARCHIVES AND WHAT IS COMPELLING AND WHAT IS ENGAGING FOR THE PUBLIC.
SO AS PART OF THE 90TH ANNIVERSARY AND TALKING WITH AGM SUSAN SHIU ABOUT WHAT CAN WE DO TO HIGHLIGHT THE HISTORY IN A FUN AND ENGAGING WAY, IS WE THOUGHT OF SOME WAYS OF PUTTING THINGS ON THE WEBSITE IN THE 90TH ANNIVERSARY TO CELEBRATE THE 90TH.
AND THIS ALL GOES BACK TO I MEAN, I'VE ALWAYS THOUGHT THIS, BUT IN OUR NEEDS ASSESSMENT IN 2020 FOR THE ARCHIVES THERE WAS A PERSPECTIVE TO SAY THAT, YOU KNOW, THE, ARCHIVES IS FOR TO PROVIDE A PUBLIC SERVICE TO SAY THAT WE HAVE THESE HISTORIC RESOURCES ALSO FOR STAFF TO KNOW WHAT WE HAVE AND TRYING TO DO THAT RESEARCH.
BUT IT'S ALSO A WAY TO ENGAGE THE PUBLIC IN DIFFERENT VISITOR EXPERIENCES.
SO I'M GOING TO SHOW START SEE YOUR SCREEN AND ON OUR 90TH WEBSITE OR
[01:10:02]
WEB PAGE.YEAH, SO IT SAYS IT. SO YOU GOT TO DIG ONE MORE TIME HERE.
WE HAVE SOME STORIES, AND PART OF THAT IS A COLLECTION OF AN ONLINE PHOTO EXHIBIT OF THE MARTIN J COONEY PHOTO COLLECTION.
I'M PLAYING WITH THE COMPUTER HERE.
I'M GOING TO START THIS A LITTLE BIT OF A SLIDE SHOW HERE.
SO AS THIS IS RUNNING I'LL TALK AND HOPEFULLY IT'S NOT TOO DISTRACTING.
BUT IN 2016 NANCY COONEY, WHO'S THE DAUGHTER OF MARTIN J.
COONEY, REACHED OUT TO THE PARK DISTRICT.
AND AT THAT TIME, WE WERE TRYING TO WE DON'T KNOW HOW SHE REACHED OUT TO US, BUT WE THINK THAT SHE MUST HAVE HEARD SOMETHING ABOUT THE ARCHIVES AND THAT THE PARK DISTRICT WAS INTERESTED IN HISTORY.
COONEY WAS A PHOTOJOURNALIST WHO CAME TO OAKLAND IN 1946.
HE WAS THE ONLY PHOTOGRAPHER AT THE BERKELEY GAZETTE AT THE TIME.
THEN HE LATER WENT ON TO WORK AT THE OAKLAND TRIBUNE AND THE SAN FRANCISCO CHRONICLE.
HE PURCHASED THE MOES COHEN STUDIO, WHICH IN THE EAST BAY PHOTOGRAPHER'S WORLD IS A BIG DEAL.
IT'S A VERY HISTORIC PHOTO STUDIO THAT WAS SITUATED IN JACK LONDON SQUARE.
AND HE TOOK OVER THAT PHOTO STUDIO IN 1965.
AND SOME HOW SOME WAY HE WAS CONTACTED BY THE PARK DISTRICT.
I THINK IT WAS BECAUSE MONTY MONTEGO, WHO WAS THE ONLY PUBLIC RELATIONS GUY AT THE PARK DISTRICT AT THE TIME, AND HE KNEW A LOT OF THE NEWSPAPER BUSINESSES.
SO SOMEHOW HE REACHED OUT TO MARTIN J.
COONEY TO DO PHOTOGRAPHY IN OUR PARKS.
BUT HE ALSO TOOK PHOTOS OF EARLY LANDSCAPES OF THE PARKS FOR PARK ACQUISITIONS, AS WELL AS TOOK PHOTOGRAPHS OF PARK EMPLOYEES AND SPECIAL EVENTS.
AND IT'S JUST A MENAGERIE OF PHOTOS THAT LOOKED INTRIGUING.
AND I'LL GET TO THAT, WHICH IS WHEN NANCY COONEY GAVE US THE COLLECTION.
IT WAS A TUPPERWARE BIN OF 15,000 NEGATIVES, SLIDES OR NOT SLIDES, BUT NEGATIVES. SO WE HAD NO WAY OF KNOWING WHAT THESE PHOTOS HAD ON THEM.
THEY CAME IN THESE OLD ENVELOPES.
WE HAD SOME CRYPTIC IDENTIFICATION OF SOME OF THE PHOTOS AND REALLY JUST NO TIME AT ALL TO REALLY HANDLE THAT COLLECTION OR DO ANYTHING WITH IT.
SO THE PRIORITY WAS JUST GETTING IT INTO SAFE HOUSING AND ACID FREE ENVELOPES AND STORAGE.
AND THEN I WAS ABLE TO HIRE AN INTERN.
HIS NAME WAS THOMAS NELSON, AND HE WAS HIRED TO HELP START DIGITIZING THESE PHOTOS.
THOMAS DID A LOT OF RESEARCH ABOUT HOW, OF COURSE, WITH ME HOW TO DIGITIZE AND WHAT IS APPROPRIATE TO DO THE APPROPRIATE DIGITAL PRESERVATION OF THE PHOTOS.
SO WE'RE NOT LOSING ANYTHING IN THE FUTURE.
AND THEN NOW IT'S A MATTER OF IDENTIFYING THE PHOTOGRAPHY AND CREATING A SIGNIFICANCE OF WHAT THESE PHOTOS ARE. SO WE DID GO THROUGH ALL 15,000 PHOTOS.
I SORT OF WE ME AT FIRST AND REALLY PULLED OUT WHAT WE THOUGHT WERE SOME OF THE MORE CATCHING PHOTOS. AND SO WE STARTED LOOKING AT THEM.
[01:15:03]
WHAT PHOTOS ACTUALLY TELL A STORY? AND WHAT FEATURES IN THE PARKS WERE WE WANTING PEOPLE TO LOOK AT? SO I ALSO WOULD LIKE TO MENTION THAT IN THE 1960S NANCY MCKAY, WHO WORKED AT THE PARK DISTRICT TOOK ON WANTING TO LEARN FROM MARTIN J.COONEY ABOUT HIS PHOTOGRAPHY AND A MAJORITY OF THE PHOTOS THAT ARE TAKEN FROM THE 70S AND 80S LIKE LATER THAT ARE IN THESE COLLECTIONS WERE TAKEN BY HER.
SO WE HAVE A FEW OTHER STAFF PEOPLE WHO CONTRIBUTED TO THE PHOTOGRAPHY OF THIS.
BUT DEFINITELY WERE UNDER THE HAND OF MARTIN J COONEY.
WE DID INTERVIEW NANCY COONEY AS AN ORAL HISTORY AND LEARNED THAT HER FATHER HAD A DEEP LOVE FOR THE PARK DISTRICT AND THIS COLLECTION THAT HE KEPT AND THE FAMILY KEPT EVEN AFTER HE PASSED AWAY.
ALWAYS HAD A NOTE TO SAY, PLEASE GIVE THESE TO THE EAST BAY REGIONAL PARK DISTRICT.
HIS OTHER COLLECTION, WHICH SPANS MANY YEARS, EVEN IN ILLINOIS, HE'S AN AWARD WINNING PHOTOGRAPHER, A PHOTOJOURNALIST.
ARE AT THE OAKLAND MUSEUM, AND THOSE ARE UNDER THE OAKLAND TRIBUNE ARCHIVES.
SO I SHOULD SAY THAT THESE PHOTOS WERE TAKEN BETWEEN THE YEARS 1964 AND 1980.
AND I'M GOING TO SHOW THE NEXT SERIES, WHICH IS THE PARK LANDSCAPES.
THIS ONE I JUST POSTED YESTERDAY WITH THE HELP OF THE PUBLIC AFFAIRS DEPARTMENT, AND THIS ONE IS VERY MUCH DEAR TO MY HEART BECAUSE IT'S OUR PARKS.
IT'S WHAT OUR PARKS LOOK LIKE.
WILLIAM PENN MOTT JUNIOR WAS OUR GENERAL MANAGER.
HE WAS LOOKING AT PARKLANDS WHEREVER HE COULD AND SOME OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS THAT HE TOOK, THAT HE THAT ARE IN THIS EXHIBIT ARE JUST AMAZING TO SEE THE PARKS THAT WEREN'T PARKS THEN.
AND SO I'M GOING TO I'M ACTUALLY THERE IS A CULL CANYON PHOTO IN HERE WITH THE ADJACENT LAKE.
AND I MEAN, IT'S JUST WE DID IT CHRONOLOGICALLY FOR THIS ONE.
SO THE PARKS KIND OF LIKE, GO BACK AND FORTH.
AND THAT'S LAKE TEMESCAL THERE.
SO WE THESE PHOTOS ARE ABOUT 120 EACH, AND WE HAVE TWO OTHER SERIES LEFT TO GO.
THERE WAS PARKS AND PEOPLE OR PARKS AND PEOPLE, I'M SORRY, PEOPLE AND PARKS PARK LANDSCAPES.
AND THEN THE LAST WILL BE SPECIAL EVENTS AND THOSE WILL BE, YOU KNOW, COMING OUT LATER THIS YEAR.
A NICE SHORT ONE AFTER AFTER THE VERY IMPORTANT ONE WE HAD PREVIOUSLY.
AND YOU CAN VIEW THESE IN SEVERAL DIFFERENT WAYS.
YOU CAN SEE THESE AS THUMBNAILS AND SCROLL THROUGH.
THIS IS THESE PHOTOS ARE POINT PINOLE.
THIS IS ACTUALLY DOTSON FAMILY MARSH NOW AND THESE PHOTOS WERE TAKEN IN 1969.
AND WAY BEFORE THE PARK DISTRICT ACQUIRED THE LAND.
[01:20:03]
AND THAT.AND THAT IS THE END OF MY PRESENTATION.
SORRY. AND THAT'S THE BEAUTY OF THIS AND I, WE IT KIND OF HIT REALLY HARD LAST YEAR BECAUSE CRYSTAL AND I HAD DECIDED WE WERE GOING TO DO HISTORY BOOTHS AT SOME OF THE EVENTS.
AND WE STARTED OUT WITH GARIN APPLE FESTIVAL.
AND I WILL TELL YOU, ALTHOUGH PEOPLE WERE ENTHRALLED WITH WHAT WE BROUGHT ABOUT THE HISTORY OF GARIN PARK AND ALL THE, YOU KNOW, THE [INAUDIBLE] WE BROUGHT THE FIRST QUESTION THEY ASKED IS, IS THIS ONLINE? SO I AM HAPPY TO START SAYING THAT A LITTLE BIT MORE OFTEN AS WE INCREASE THE CAPACITY IN THE ARCHIVES DEPARTMENT AND WORK ON THAT.
OKAY, I'LL TURN IT OVER TO MY COLLEAGUES.
JOHN. WELL, I HAD ACTUALLY COULDN'T RESIST.
AND I WENT ON AND LOOKED AT ALL THE PEOPLE IN PARKS, I DON'T KNOW, A COUPLE OF WEEKS AGO MAYBE.
AND YOU KNOW WHAT STARTED OUT AS LET ME JUST TAKE A QUICK LOOK.
WELL, YOU KNOW HOW THIS GOES, RIGHT? [LAUGHTER] ANYBODY WHO EVER DOES RESEARCH KNOWS I'M JUST GOING TO GO AND FIND THIS ONE THING.
AND THEN TWO HOURS LATER YOU HAVE TO GO TO THE BATHROOM OR SOMETHING, AND THEN YOU STOP, YOU KNOW.
I MEAN, IT WAS YOU KNOW, AND IT GOES BACK FAR ENOUGH WHERE IT'S BEYOND MANY PEOPLE'S MEMORIES NOW, YOU KNOW? SO THOSE ARE REALLY GREAT.
BUT I'M REALLY HAPPY TO SEE THAT YOU HAVE THE OTHER SERIES NOW I HAVEN'T LOOKED.
WELL, WE'VE GOTTEN A THERE'S MORE THAN WHAT WE SAW THERE.
I GUESS THAT YOU HAVE POSTED ONLINE.
IT'S I JUST POSTED IT YESTERDAY.
AND THEN THE FUTURE ONES TOO, THAT YOU'VE INDICATED ARE GREAT.
AND THEN WE MUST HAVE OTHER COLLECTIONS OF PHOTOS THAT ARE TAKEN JUST IN THE COURSE OF OUR STAFF'S WORK, YOU KNOW, ESPECIALLY WITH I'M THINKING, YOU KNOW, CAPITAL PROJECTS OR, YOU KNOW, THINGS THAT ARE NOW TAKEN FOR GRANTED IN A COMMUNITY.
YOU KNOW, WHAT WAS THERE BEFORE? YOU KNOW WHAT WASN'T THERE BEFORE? THOSE ARE KIND OF INTERESTING, TOO.
BUT I'M GLAD YOU WERE STRATEGICALLY.
IT'S GREAT. SO IT'S GOOD TO KNOW THAT WE WE HAVE ALL THAT.
DO YOU HAVE ANY FUTURE PROJECTS THAT YOU WOULD CARE TO JUST SORT OF? WELL, FOR THE ONLINE PORTION WE DID DO TWO OTHERS, WHICH ARE STORY MAPS AND I BLURRED THROUGH THAT WHEN I WAS SHOWING THE WEB PAGE, BUT I'M NOT QUITE SURE IF YOU'VE SEEN THOSE.
BUT WE STARTED WITH THE TILDEN STORY MAP.
AND THAT IS USING A PING ON EACH ON THE PARK DISTRICT MAP AND THEN DEMONSTRATING, YOU KNOW, A LITTLE BIT OF HISTORY OR DID YOU KNOW HISTORY? AND SO WE STARTED WITH TILDEN.
BUT WE DO HAVE A NUMBER OF PARKS.
THAT WE'RE GOING TO PLAN ON DOING THIS YEAR.
WE STARTED OUT WANTING TO GET THEM DONE SOONER.
I THINK THAT THIS IS SOMETHING THAT WE'VE WANTED FOR A LONG TIME, WHICH IS A WAY FOR PEOPLE WHEN THEY GO TO A PARK, IF THEY'RE WALKING ON A TRAIL TO IF THEY WONDER WHAT WAS THERE BEFORE OR WHAT WAS THE DISTRICT THINKING WHEN THEY DID THIS THAT WE MIGHT HAVE A LITTLE BIT OF PIECES OF HISTORY THAT PEOPLE COULD LOOK AT.
THAT'S GOOD. MAKING HISTORY AVAILABLE AND SORT OF EASILY TO MANAGE PIECES.
DENNIS. JUST FANTASTIC IT'S AMAZING WHAT YOU DO.
[01:25:01]
AND I KNOW HOW YOU STARTED.AND I WOULDN'T NEVER WANT TO LAY MORE WORK ON YOU.
AND YOU'VE GOT GREAT VOLUNTEERS.
ONLY ONE OF YOUR MANY VOLUNTEER EFFORTS IN THE PARK DISTRICT.
BUT SO IS PEOPLE IN PARKS AVAILABLE YET? OR YOU SAID IT'S COMING. YES, IT'S THERE ON THE WEBSITE NOW.
BUT IF YOU GO TO THE 90TH ANNIVERSARY WEB PAGE THEIR LITTLE STORY BUTTONS, YOU DO HAVE TO START SCROLLING DOWN BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE THIS REALLY GREAT EVENT TOMORROW THAT WE'RE TRYING TO MAKE SURE PEOPLE KNOW ABOUT.
BUT YOU COULD SCROLL DOWN AND WE'RE BUILDING OUT THE HISTORIES.
ALL RIGHT. AND THEN, YOU KNOW, FUTURE STUFF.
I WOULD NEVER, EVER SUGGEST YOUR FUTURE STUFF BECAUSE YOU I KNOW YOU'VE BEEN PILED ON AND YOU'VE GOT TONS OF STUFF TO LOOK AT, BUT IT'S BEEN MY EXPERIENCE, HAVING BEEN AT THE ARCHIVES ONCE OR TWICE, THAT YOU WERE, DEPENDING IN THE OLD DAYS, UPON ANYBODY THAT HAD PHOTOGRAPHS OR ANY OF NANCY'S STUFF.
AND WITH MR. COONEY'S COLLECTION, HAS THERE EVER BEEN THOUGHT OF MAYBE APPEALING VIA SOME SOCIAL MEDIA DEAL TO SAY, HEY, IF YOU HAVE ANY PHOTOS OF YOU AND YOUR FAMILY GOING TO DEL VALLE AND, YOU KNOW, 1969.
I KNOW THAT'D BE WAY TOO MUCH.
BUT THAT MIGHT BE AN IDEA FOR THE FUTURE.
AND I KNOW YOU'LL PROBABLY BE PUBLISHING A BOOK.
[LAUGHTER] WHEN I SAW THIS, I THOUGHT OF THE ONE OF THE GREATEST BOOKS I'VE EVER SEEN, A PHOTO ESSAY BOOK CALLED SUBURBIA DONE BY BILL OWENS, WHO BILL OWENS ALSO FOUNDED BUFFALO BILL'S BREWERY, THE FIRST MICROBREWERY IN THE UNITED STATES.
BUT HE DID A GREAT BOOK CALLED SUBURBIA, AND WE COULD EASILY DO THAT.
IT JUST EVOKES ALL KINDS OF MEMORIES.
I'M HOPING A LITTLE BIT THAT PEOPLE GET INSPIRED WHEN THEY DO SEE THESE PHOTOS, BECAUSE IT IS SO.
I MEAN, THE PEOPLE IN PARKS ONE, I MEAN, IT'S PEOPLE'S FAMILIES THAT THESE PICTURES ARE OF.
AND YOU KNOW, THIS IF THEY'RE FROM THE 1970S, THAT'S 50 YEARS AGO.
SO SOME OF THOSE PEOPLE ARE, YOU KNOW, MUCH OLDER OR PASSED AWAY.
BUT IT'S A WAY TO SAY, HEY, WE VALUE THOSE THAT TYPE OF IMAGERY.
WE VALUE THAT FOR OUR CONNECTION TO THE PEOPLE WHO USE THE PARKS.
WHAT A GREAT IDEA TO WRITE A BOOK.
I JUST WANTED TO SAY TO YOUR POINT ABOUT JORDAN TRAVERSO, CHIEF OF COMMUNICATIONS FOR THE DISTRICT, YOUR POINT ABOUT THE YOU KNOW WHAT ELSE IS THERE? SHE'S IN AN OFFICE IN TRUDEAU WITH JUST SO MUCH STUFF COMING IN AS WELL.
THERE'S A MILLION PROJECTS THAT WE COULD DO HISTORICALLY.
THERE'S JUST NOT ENOUGH PEOPLE RIGHT NOW TO DO THEM AND GO THROUGH THEM.
AND IT DOES TAKE THE EFFORT OF A NUMBER OF VOLUNTEERS.
I'D BE REMISS IF I DIDN'T SAY CONGRATULATIONS OR THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR ALL THE WORK THAT YOU DO.
AND, YOU KNOW, UNDER BRENDA'S TUTELAGE AND IT'S AMAZING.
BUT THERE ARE SO MANY COOL THINGS THAT COULD BE DONE WITH SOME OF THE STUFF THAT'S IN THERE AND YOU KNOW, AS THESE THINGS COME OUT, MORE PEOPLE GO, OH, WAIT, I'VE GOT SOMETHING IN MY CLOSET, OR, OH, I HAVE A BOOK FROM, YOU KNOW, THIS ERA.
AND SO THERE'S CONSTANT COLLECTING OF MORE AND MORE STUFF, WHICH I THINK IS THERE REALLY SHOULD BE SOMETHING STRATEGIC TO ANALYZE WHAT IT IS AND THEN MAKE SURE THAT IT'S AVAILABLE FOR THE PUBLIC MOVING FORWARD.
BRENDA KNOWS I HAVE ALL SORTS OF BRILLIANT IDEAS FOR THE USE OF THE MAGAZINES AT THURGOOD MARSHALL.
THERE ARE A FEW PROBLEMS HERE AND THERE, BUT WE'LL DEAL WITH IT.
IS THAT GOOD FOR YOU? YES. THANK YOU. TOMORROW I MIGHT HAVE MISSED IT, BUT IF YOU MENTIONED IT.
BUT WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO FEATURE AT THE 90TH PARTY TOMORROW? THE HISTORY OF THE PARK DISTRICT.
SO YES, I WAS TASKED EARLIER TO WRITE 90 YEARS OF HISTORY OF THE PARK DISTRICT, AND THIS WAS TO PROVIDE THE NARRATIVE FOR A 90TH ANNIVERSARY EXHIBIT IN PERSON EXHIBIT.
EXHIBIT DESIGN IS WORKING REALLY HARD TO PRODUCE THIS EXHIBIT.
I'VE SEEN THE PREVIEWS FOR IT AND SOME OF THE DESIGNS AND WELL, I MEAN, YOU KNOW, I'M PART OF THE CREATION, SO I'M LIKE, THIS IS IT'S SO BEAUTIFUL, YOU KNOW, IT'S JUST AMAZING TO SEE THE STORIES COME TO LIFE AND YEAH, IT'S
[01:30:07]
GOING TO BE IT'S A TEN BY TEN.IT CAN TAKE UP A TEN BY TEN, BUT IT CAN BE EXPANDED.
AND SO TOMORROW IT'LL BE A MORE EXPANDED.
IS ALSO TO ENCOURAGE PEOPLE TO BE ENGAGED WITH IT.
AND THEN NOW ALL THESE ISSUES THAT WE NEED TO DEAL WITH FOR THE FUTURE.
WHAT DO YOU SEE? WHAT DO YOU IMAGINE? SO WE MADE IT VERY PEOPLE ORIENTED.
THAT'S TOMORROW. SO YOU GOT TO COME AND SEE IT.
HEY, I TEND TO THINK OF THE 2020S AS THE GLORY YEARS, RIGHT? RIGHT, RIGHT. [LAUGHTER] YEAH.
THANK YOU. AND THANK YOU, AMELIA.
WHERE ARE WE? ALL RIGHT. NEXT IS 5C, OUR LAST INFORMATION ITEM FOR THE MORNING.
OAK HABITAT RESTORATION IN THE EAST BAY HILLS.
WHO WILL BE DOING THAT? PRESENTING. GOOD AFTERNOON, COMMITTEE.
THANK YOU. I THINK IT'S AFTERNOON.
YES. 12:07 I APPRECIATE YOUR ATTENTION DURING LUNCH, I HOPE TO HAVE SOME REALLY EXCITING AND BEAUTIFUL PHOTOS FOR YOU TODAY, SO HOPEFULLY THAT'LL BE ABLE TO KEEP YOUR ATTENTION UNTIL YOU GET TO EAT.
AND YES, TODAY I'M PRESENTING ON OAK RESTORATION IN THE EAST BAY HILLS.
THANK YOU. [INAUDIBLE] YEAH, I USED TO KNOW HOW TO USE ZOOM.
ALL RIGHT. SO THANK YOU SO MUCH.
OAKS ARE AN INCREDIBLE NATURAL AND CULTURAL RESOURCE.
THEY ARE A VERY, VERY IMPORTANT COMPONENT OF MANY OF OUR PARKLANDS.
AND THEY ARE MANY OF THEM ARE, ARE CURRENTLY THREATENED.
THEY ARE SOME OF OUR OLDEST AND MOST ICONIC TREES.
AND IT DOES THREATEN THESE OLD TREES.
SO THERE IS REALLY AN IMPORTANT MOTIVATION TO PROTECT THEM AND ALSO TO RESTORE THEM WHEN AND WHERE IT'S POSSIBLE AND APPROPRIATE. SO THESE SYSTEMS ARE OUR KEYSTONE ECOSYSTEMS. IN OUR PARKS THEY SUPPORT THOUSANDS OF SPECIES, FROM LICHEN TO LARGE MAMMALS OVER 300 TERRESTRIAL VERTEBRATES AND OTHER KEYSTONE SPECIES AS WELL.
I APOLOGIZE, MY SLIDES GOT A LITTLE FUNKY.
AND THEY ARE A DOMINANT COVER TYPE THROUGHOUT THE DIABLO RANGE AND THE EAST BAY HILLS.
AND YEAH, AS I SAID, THEY ARE CULTURAL AND NATURAL RESOURCE FOR MANY, MANY PEOPLE.
EACH OLD OAK IS ITS OWN ECOSYSTEM, ITS LICHENS, CREVICES, CAVITIES, LEAF LITTER, AND THESE CREATE HABITAT NICHES THAT OTHER ANIMALS BASICALLY DEPEND ON TO SURVIVE.
THEY USE MULTIPLE TREES WITHIN A COMPLEX, SOMETIMES VERY, VERY COMPLEX SOCIAL GROUPS IN THESE BIRDS.
AND REALLY ONLY LARGE OLD TREES CAN PROVIDE THIS SERVICE.
[01:35:06]
YOU KNOW, MANAGEMENT MAINLY, WE DO SEE A LACK OF RECRUITMENT IN SOME OF THESE SYSTEMS, AND WE DON'T ALWAYS KNOW WHY THAT IS.GRAZING DOES HAVE A COMPLEX RELATIONSHIP WITH OAK WOODLANDS FIRE REGIMES MAINLY ACTUALLY THE REMOVAL OF SMALLER FIRES, MORE FREQUENT FIRES FROM THE LANDSCAPE AND HAVING EFFECTS ON THOSE RECRUITMENT REGIMES OF THESE ECOSYSTEMS AND MANY OAK SPECIES DON'T RECRUIT. WELL, THAT IS THEY DON'T CREATE NEW OAKS UNDER OTHER OAKS.
YOU KNOW, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT ARCHIVES AND THE HISTORY.
WE HAVE A VERY VAST AND SOMETIMES WELL DOCUMENTED DECLINE IN OAK COVER OVER TIME FROM, YOU KNOW, BASICALLY WHEN THE SPANISH MOVED IN. WHEN WE STARTED SEEING OUR LANDS, YOU KNOW, THE MANAGEMENT REGIMES CHANGED.
WE LOST A LOT OF THE INDIGENOUS MANAGEMENT OF THE LANDSCAPE.
AND SO THIS IS ONE STUDY THAT I OFTEN REFER TO.
THIS IS SANTA CLARA VALLEY HISTORICAL ECOLOGY DONE BY SFEI IN 2008.
AND SO THEY WERE ABLE TO DOCUMENT THAT 95% OF THAT VALLEY'S OAKS WERE LOST BY THE YEAR 1940.
THEY ARE ALREADY NOT CAPTURING, YOU KNOW, CAPTURING THE LOSS.
AND THEN, OF COURSE, AT 50% AGAIN, OF THOSE REMAINING WERE LOST POST 1940.
AND WE CONTINUE TO LOSE THEM TO THIS DAY.
AND THIS IS HAPPENING IN OUR PARKS AS WELL.
SO, LIKE SANTA CLARA VALLEY, MUCH OF THE EAST BAY WAS OAK WOODLAND SAVANNA.
AS YOU KNOW, MOST OF THE VALLEY FLOORS WERE HEAVILY URBANIZED, CONTINUED TO URBANIZE.
AND THIS BASICALLY RESULTS IN A LOSS OF OAK COVER.
WE SAW VALLEY OAK, THOUGH THAT WAS THE PICTURE YOU SAW BEFORE COVERING THE VALLEY FLOORS.
IN SAVANNAS AND, WOODLANDS AND AS WELL AS THE RIPARIAN CORRIDORS, RIPARIAN SYSTEMS HAVE A VERY CLOSE RELATIONSHIP WITH VALLEY OAKS IN THIS AREA. AND BLUE AND COAST LIVE OAKS ARE OFTEN ASSOCIATED WITH HILLS AND DRAWS AND CANYONS.
SO YOU'LL SEE WHAT WILDCAT CANYON USED TO LOOK LIKE.
FOR INSTANCE, IT WAS A VAST GRASSLAND PUNCTUATED BY THESE LITTLE RILLS OF OAK WOODLAND.
SO THAT'S KIND OF AN EXAMPLE OF WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO GET BACK TO IN THESE AREAS.
SO WE ARE A HUGE PIECE OF THE OAK CONSERVATION PUZZLE.
LAND ACQUISITION OF COURSE, PROTECTS OAKS.
BUT AS YOU SEE, WE'VE LOST A LOT OF THE COVER.
AND WE REALLY NEED TO DO SOME WORK TO LOOK AT WHERE HAVE WE LOST THAT OAK COVER AND WHERE CAN WE BRING IT BACK? OF COURSE, WE ARE LEADERS IN THIS CONSERVATION SPACE.
WE CAN INITIATE RESEARCH AND RESTORATION INITIATIVES.
WE CAN PRODUCE AMAZING PROJECTS LIKE THE FINE SCALE VEGETATION MAP, WHICH WAS HANDLED BY PROJECT MANAGED BY MY BOSS, DEANNA ROBERTSON. AND WE HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO DO HISTORICAL ECOLOGY AS WELL THAT WILL REALLY TELL US A GREAT DEAL.
YOU KNOW, OUR OWN ECOLOGICAL ARCHIVE OF WHAT WE USED TO HAVE OUT THERE AS A GUIDE.
AND IT MAY INVOLVE MANY, MANY DIFFERENT MANAGEMENT AND RESTORATION ACTIVITIES.
REMOVING INVASIVE SPECIES IS RESTORATION.
EROSION CONTROL IS RESTORATION, PLANTING AND SEEDING, OTHER TYPES OF INTERVENTIONS, EVEN GRAZING.
SO WHY SHOULD WE BOTHER? WHY SHOULD WE DO THIS? OUR PARKLANDS HAVE EXPERIENCED DEGRADATION FROM THESE HISTORIC LAND USES OVER TIME.
I THINK WE'VE ALL SEEN THAT OUT ON THE LANDSCAPE.
AND THAT IMPACTS ECOSYSTEM FUNCTION AND BIODIVERSITY.
AND ALL OF THESE CHANGES WE'RE SEEING THIS IS MORE IMPORTANT THAN EVER.
AND SO RESTORATION DOES SUPPORT THEN CLIMATE AND FIRE RESILIENCE.
SO IT'S A VERY IMPORTANT RELATIONSHIP.
AND SO FOR OUR OAKS THIS MEANS PLANTING THE NEXT GENERATION OF OLD TREES.
[01:40:10]
SO WE WERE ABLE TO USE PART OF THOSE FUNDS TO DEVELOP A RESTORATION PLAN.AND I THINK IT'S A REALLY WONDERFUL PLAN.
IT'S GOT A LOT OF WONDERFUL IDEAS IN IT.
AND WE'RE BASICALLY FOLLOWING THAT PLAN AS WE PUT THESE PLANTS INTO THE GROUND.
PART OF THIS PROJECT DEVELOPMENT I THOUGHT WAS REALLY AMAZING WAS A HABITAT SUITABILITY ANALYSIS.
SO WE ACTUALLY WENT OUT TO FUELS MANAGEMENT TREATMENT AREAS AND IDEALLY WHERE EUCALYPTUS HAVE BEEN OR ARE PLANNING TO BE REMOVED WHERE OAKS MAY HAVE BEEN IN THE PAST.
HERE'S THE EXAMPLE OF A REFERENCE SITE.
THIS IS ONE OF THE ONES WHERE YOU WILL SEE THERE'S NOT A LOT OF RECRUITMENT.
THE OAKS, THEY LOOK LIKE THEY'RE ALL EVEN AGED.
BUT IT'S A BEAUTIFUL WOODLAND.
AND THIS IS A BASICALLY A SHADED FUEL BREAK IS WHAT THIS IS FUNCTIONING AS.
SO THIS IS A VERY HIGHLY COMPATIBLE COVER TYPE WITH SHADED FUEL BREAKS AND FIRE SAFETY.
SO THE METHODS WE USE, WE PLANT ALL OF OUR ACORNS.
ALL OF OUR PLANTS ARE FROM SEED.
AND THEN TYPICALLY WE'LL JUST PUT THEM RIGHT IN THE GROUND IN WIRE EXCLOSURES.
AND THE ONLY THAT'S ALL THEY NEED.
EVERY ONCE IN A WHILE, WE'LL DO, WE'LL WATER THEM, WE'LL KEEP THE WEEDS OUT.
BUT THESE LITTLE GUYS REALLY WANT TO LIVE.
AND WE HAVE USUALLY TYPICALLY GREAT EMERGENCE FROM THESE PROJECTS.
IT WAS WHAT I DID MY MASTER'S DEGREE ON AT BERKELEY.
SO IN TERMS OF HISTORICAL ECOLOGY, WE CAN LOOK AT WHAT TYPE OF CANOPY COVER WE SAW.
WE CAN LOOK AT HOW MANY TREES PER ACRE A MATURE OAK WOODLAND WOULD TYPICALLY HAVE.
AND WE CAN ACTUALLY PLANT AND DESIGN FOR THOSE TYPES OF PATTERNS.
SO THESE ARE WELL KNOWN AND DOCUMENTED BY MANY DIFFERENT STUDIES AND AND BITS OF RESEARCH.
SO MATURE WOODLANDS OF COURSE ALMOST ALWAYS HAVE TREES OF MOSTLY THE SAME SIZE.
SO THE STEWARDSHIP DEPARTMENT, I'M SO EXCITED.
IS EXPANDING ITS CAPACITY TO IMPLEMENT RESTORATION PROJECTS.
AND WE ARE OFTEN COMING TO THE BOARD TO LOOK FOR BUDGET FOR THOSE TYPES OF PROJECTS.
WE THINK VERY LONG AND HARD ABOUT PRIORITIZING.
WHERE SHOULD WE PUT THESE THESE DOLLARS FOR THE BEST EFFECT.
THE WONDERFUL THING ABOUT OAK RESTORATION IS IT'S WHAT WE REFER TO AS LIGHT TOUCH.
THERE'S NOT EVEN IRRIGATION SYSTEMS. WE ARE NOT PUTTING ANYTHING IN THE GROUND.
THAT IS GOING TO BE, YOU KNOW, THERE FOR, FOR THE LONG TERM EVEN THE CAGES ARE REUSABLE.
AND THEY'RE INCREDIBLY COST EFFICIENT, WHICH IS MY STYLE.
SO HERE'S AN EXCITING PROJECT AS WELL.
WE'RE GOING A LITTLE BIT NORTH NOW TO CARQUINEZ STRAIT.
THIS WAS THE SCENIC FIRE IN JUNE OF 2022.
AND TO THE LEFT THERE, KIND OF THE TOP LEFT OF THE PHOTO WAS MOSTLY GRASSLAND.
AND THE FIRE REALLY BURNED BEAUTIFULLY THROUGH THAT GRASSLAND.
AND THEN IT HIT A EUCALYPTUS STAND, WHICH YOU CAN SEE HERE IN THE CENTER OF THIS PHOTO.
YOU CAN ACTUALLY SEE THIS WAS A STAND THAT WAS SUFFERING FROM TREE DIEBACK.
YOU'VE HEARD A LOT ABOUT TREE DIEBACK AND DROUGHT AFFECTING THE EUCALYPTUS.
IF YOU LOOK CLOSELY YOU CAN SEE ALL THIS BLUE, YOU KNOW, IN WHAT LOOKS USUALLY LIKE A, YOU KNOW, A KIND OF A REDDISH DARK BROWN THAT'S EPICORMIC GROWTH, STRESS, GROWTH BASICALLY. SO THESE TREES WERE ALREADY STRESSED BY THE TIME THE FIRE HIT THEM.
AND THIS IS WHAT THEY LOOK LIKE AFTERWARD.
OUR WONDERFUL FUELS ECOLOGIST ROSE SAMUELSON PROJECT MANAGED THIS.
WE REMOVED ALMOST 18 ACRES OF THESE DEAD TREES.
THEY WERE MASTICATED IN PLACE, SO WE DID NOT EVEN HAVE TO REMOVE THEM FROM THE LANDSCAPE.
WE JUST ENDED UP WITH A REALLY NICE MULCH LAYER, WHICH IS WHAT YOU SEE HERE.
AND WE ARE CURRENTLY RESTORING THIS LANDSCAPE TO OAK WOODLAND.
SO THIS WAS WHAT IT LOOKED LIKE IN 2023.
[01:45:01]
YOU CAN SEE THAT KIND OF FINE MULCH THAT THE MASTICATORS LEFT BEHIND.MANY PEOPLE ASK ABOUT THE TREES ON THE RIGHT HAND SIDE.
THOSE ARE, UNFORTUNATELY ON A PROPERTY THAT DOES NOT BELONG TO US.
SO WE WILL PROBABLY NEVER SEE THOSE TREES DISAPPEAR.
I DON'T KNOW IF THIS IS GOING TO PLAY.
SO THIS IS WONDERFUL FOOTAGE FROM OUR GIS DEPARTMENT.
DAVID DRUECKHAMMER DID A PROJECT FOR US, AND THEY DID A WONDERFUL DRONE FLYOVER.
SO JUST ENVISION IN MAYBE 20 YEARS A BEAUTIFUL OAK STAND SITTING ON THIS LANDSCAPE AND FLYING OVER THE STRAIT AND SEEING A VERY KIND OF A DIFFERENT, MUCH GREENER COVER TYPE THAN YOU SEE NOW FROM THIS VANTAGE POINT.
SO THE PLANTING, THIS IS WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE RIGHT BEFORE THE ACORNS GO IN.
WE HAVE WE'RE USING ACTUALLY OUR BIOCHAR THAT WE HAVE GENERATED FROM THE ANTHONY CHABOT PROJECT TO SEE IF THAT HELPS US IN TERMS OF SURVIVAL OF THE SEEDLINGS THAT COME UP.
WE ALREADY DO HAVE SEEDLINGS COMING UP FROM THIS PROJECT, WHICH IS VERY EXCITING.
WE COLLECTED ALL THE ACORNS THAT WE USED HERE FROM JUST ABOUT A MILE EAST.
IN THE BEAUTIFUL OAK WOODLAND ALONG THE CARQUINEZ STRAIT.
AND THAT INCLUDES THREE SPECIES OF OAKS, BLUE OAK, VALLEY OAK, AND COAST LIVE OAK.
SO I'D LIKE TO GET ACROSS THAT THESE SYSTEMS ARE FIRE RESILIENT.
THIS IS THE SEU COMPLEX FIRE THAT OCCURRED, AND THIS IS OHLONE REGIONAL WILDERNESS FROM 2020.
I WANT TO SAY AND JUST LOOK, THE ONLY THING THAT'S GREEN LEFT IS THE OAKS ON THIS LANDSCAPE.
RIGHT? AND IT'S IT'S JUST A VERY FIRE SAFE AND FIRE RESILIENT COVER TYPE TO RESTORE.
HERE'S AN EXAMPLE OF A REFERENCE SITE.
THIS IS KIND OF WHERE WE WERE COLLECTING THE OAKS UP IN THESE BEAUTIFUL CANYONS.
YOU CAN SEE IT'S A COMPLEX RIGHT.
YEAH. THERE'S GRASSLAND THERE.
AND SO THIS IS JUST AN EXAMPLE OF WHAT THIS, THIS SITE MIGHT LOOK LIKE IN 30 OR 40 YEARS HOPEFULLY.
YOU CAN ACTUALLY SEE WHERE THE OAKS BELONG ON THE LANDSCAPE IN THIS PHOTOGRAPH.
THEY'VE BEEN HERE LONG ENOUGH.
AND THIS PARTICULAR AREA JUST IT WASN'T OVERGRAZED.
AND THEY ALTERNATE WITH GRASSLAND.
I WISH I COULD DO THAT FROM 1800, BUT THAT'S A JOB FOR HISTORICAL ECOLOGY.
SO FUTURE DIRECTIONS FOR THIS SITE.
WE DID DO THE FIRST ROUND OF PLANTING THIS YEAR.
WE WILL CONTINUE TO COLLECT SEED EVERY YEAR AND MONITOR SUCCESS.
WE ARE GOING TO BE RETURNING GRAZING TO THIS PARK WHICH IS ALSO COMPATIBLE WITH OAK WOODLAND.
AS SOON AS THE TREES ARE LARGE ENOUGH, OLD ENOUGH TO SURVIVE BROWSE, THEY WILL DO JUST FINE.
AND OAKS LOVE OR COWS LOVE OAKS.
AND WE HAVE PLANS IN DEVELOPMENT.
WE ARE LOOKING FOR FUNDING TO REMOVE MORE OF THE EUCALYPTUS FROM THE PROJECT SITE AS WELL.
THE EUCALYPTUS THAT IS STILL STANDING IS STILL A FIRE HAZARD.
BUT THERE'S IF WE FIND THE FUNDING, WE CAN POSSIBLY DO THAT.
SO WHAT ARE THE OVERARCHING GOALS FOR STEWARDSHIP REALLY, IN TERMS OF OAK WOODLANDS? WE DO WANT TO INCREASE THE ACREAGE MEASURABLY.
WE WANT TO INCREASE THE CONNECTIVITY OF THESE RESTORED LANDS FOR WILDLIFE.
WE REALLY WANT TO REVERSE HABITAT SIMPLIFICATION, WHICH IS JUST IT'S THE REVERSE OF BIODIVERSITY.
RIGHT. SO FEWER SPECIES FEWER NICHES.
RIGHT. AND THESE YOU KNOW, TYPICALLY IN RESTORATION, WE DON'T SEE THOSE SITES CONVERT FROM A CARBON SOURCE TO A CARBON SINK FOR 30 TO 40 YEARS. SO IT'S VERY LIKELY THAT WE WILL NOT SEE, YOU KNOW, THE TRUE BENEFITS OF THESE RESTORATION ACTIONS UNTIL AFTER WE'RE GONE.
SO THESE ARE WONDERFUL, YOU KNOW, INITIATIVES THAT ALSO CORRELATE WITH OUR 30 BY 30.
WHICH ALL OF OUR DEPARTMENTS HAVE BEEN VERY, VERY JUST DEVOTED TO.
[01:50:05]
I'VE BEEN AMAZED TO SEE ALL OF OUR STAFF REALLY ENGAGE WITH 30 BY 30.THANK YOU SO VERY MUCH AND I APPRECIATE ANY QUESTIONS.
THANK YOU, KRISTEN. WHAT A GREAT PROJECT.
I'M WONDERING, SO IN SOME OF THESE AREAS OR THE, LIKE CARQUINEZ STRAIT, WHICH YOU FEATURED, YOU PLANT A SEEDLING, YOU'VE GOT A CAGE AROUND IT IS THERE AND 30 TO 40 YEARS TO MATURITY IN THAT TIME IS THE MULCH ISN'T GOING TO LAST.
AND AS I'M ALWAYS TAUGHT AROUND HERE, FIRE IS GENERALLY GEOGRAPHICALLY.
THE FIRES OCCUR IN THE SAME PLACES OVER HUNDREDS OF YEARS.
THERE'S LITTLE DOTS AND THEY ALL SEEM TO BE IN THE SAME SPOTS.
SO HOW ARE YOU GOING TO PROTECT THESE TINY LITTLE OAKS AGAINST FIRE? AND I KNOW THEY'RE VERY SUSCEPTIBLE AND RESILIENT.
I'M WONDERING, WAS THAT A RUMOR THEN, THAT THE LARGEST BLUE OAK IN THE WORLD BURNED TO A CRISP IN THE SEU FIRE? RIGHT. YEAH. WHY DID THAT HAPPEN? THAT'S LIKE. I DON'T KNOW.
I MEAN, WILL THE FUELS CREW HAVE TO COME AROUND THERE AND WEED AROUND IT, OR IS THERE SOME TYPE OF I MEAN, DO YOU MAKE A FUEL BREAK AROUND THAT? DO YOU. BECAUSE IT'S A TREMENDOUS INVESTMENT OR DO YOU TREAT IT LIKE A HOUSE AND FOR WILDLAND FIREFIGHTERS AND PROTECT THAT? THE IDEA IS TO HAVE IT BE KIND OF THE OPPOSITE OF A HOUSE OR A CAPITAL PROJECT.
RIGHT? THE IDEA IS TO MAKE THE VERY LANDSCAPE ITSELF RESILIENT TO FIRE.
I WISH CHIEF THEILE WAS HERE TO SPEAK WITH ME, BUT YEAH, THE YOU KNOW, AS YOU SAW FROM THAT PHOTO OF THE SEU FIRE COMPLEX, THOSE OAKS DID JUST FINE IN MOST AREAS.
YOU KNOW, THEY ARE ADAPTED, RIGHT? THEY HAVE ADAPTED TO FIRE AND IDEALLY MORE FREQUENT, LOWER INTENSITY FIRE THAN WE SAW WITH THIS UNNATURAL FIRE THAT HAPPENED IN THIS UNNATURAL EUCALYPTUS STAND.
YEAH. AND HOW IS SUDDEN OAK DEATH GOING? I MEAN, ARE WE SEEING INCREASES OR DECREASES, OR HAS IT SLOWED DOWN ANY OR IT'S STILL WITH US, RIGHT? THIS DISEASE CONTINUES TO SURPRISE US.
YES. YOU KNOW, STEWARDSHIP STAFF ARE BUSY IN A CHANGING WORLD.
WITH MANY, MANY. IT'S JUST LIKE LAKE MANAGEMENT, RIGHT? WE DON'T KNOW WHAT WE'RE GOING TO HAVE THROWN AT US YEAR TO YEAR.
SO THE WHITE AND THE BLUE OAKS, WE WILL NOT EXPECT TO SEE ANY PHYTOPHTHORA EFFECT ON THOSE AT ALL.
THERE IS A SUBSET OF COAST LIVE OAKS THAT APPEAR TO BE RESISTANT.
RIGHT? SO THERE'S GREAT INTEREST IN THAT.
I THINK THAT POTENTIALLY IT HAS NOT BEEN PROVEN, BUT PERHAPS COLLECTING SEED FROM OLD TREES THAT APPEAR TO BE, YOU KNOW, WITHSTANDING THE CONSTANT ASSAULT OF THE DISEASE AROUND THEM MIGHT LEAD US TO, IN GENERAL, A MORE RESISTANT CANOPY IN THE FUTURE.
AND THE SUDDEN OR THE, WHAT DO YOU CALL IT? THE TREE DIE OFF THAT'S OCCURRING.
THE NEW STUFF IN THE LAST COUPLE OF YEARS DOWN IN THE SOUTHERN PORTION OF THE [INAUDIBLE].
YEAH. DOES THAT AFFECT OAKS? IT SEEMS LIKE EVERY OTHER TREE.
BUT IN GENERAL, OUR OAK ECOSYSTEMS ARE A LOT MORE RESISTANT TO THOSE TYPES OF CLIMATE EFFECTS, DROUGHT AND JUST EXTREME EVENTS IN GENERAL, BECAUSE THEY HAVE, AGAIN, YOU KNOW, EVOLVED WITH THOSE THINGS.
CALIFORNIA HAS SEEN DROUGHTS FOR, YOU KNOW, A LONG TIME, NOT ALWAYS THE WORST THAT WE'RE SEEING NOW.
BUT, YOU KNOW, WHEN YOU LOOK OUT ON THE LANDSCAPE, THEY ARE DOING WELL.
[01:55:01]
HANGING ON. AND SO, YOU KNOW, WHEN WE RESTORE THEM IN A THOUGHTFUL WAY, NOT, YOU KNOW, PACKED LIKE OUR EUCALYPTUS PLANTATIONS ARE, FOR EXAMPLE.RIGHT. THAT'S JUST THAT'S AN UNHEALTHY FOREST OF ANY SPECIES.
SO WE WILL DEFINITELY AVOID THAT KIND OF OVERCROWDING.
AND THAT MAKES THEM MORE DROUGHT RESISTANT AS WELL.
THANK YOU FOR SHARING ALL THIS WITH US.
WHAT KIND OF A HELLHOLE LANDSCAPE WOULD BE OUT THERE IF THERE WAS ANY LEFT? IF THERE WERE ANY, IF IT WASN'T COVERED UP BY HOUSES, YOU KNOW, I MEAN, IT'S JUST A IT'S A TERRIBLE THOUGHT.
HOPE THAT WE CAN PASS ONTO FUTURE GENERATIONS.
BECAUSE AS YOU SAID, YOU KNOW, WE LOOK AT AN AREA WHERE WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE NOW AND THEN IN 40 YEARS, IT'S GOING TO BE THESE BIG TREES THERE, YOU KNOW, AND IT'S GOING TO BE THE WAY IT'S SUPPOSED TO LOOK. RIGHT? YEAH. JUST A KIND OF A DETAILED QUESTION HERE.
I'M KIND OF WONDERING HOW EXACTLY THE BIOCHAR IS USED IN AN INDIVIDUAL PLANTING.
HOW IS IT INCORPORATED? SURE. YEAH. THINK OF IT LIKE A SOIL ADDITIVE.
SO IT'S ADDED SORT OF LIKE AS YOU WOULD MAYBE A FERTILIZER WHEN YOU PLANT A TREE OR A SMALL PLANT, IT'S A SPRINKLE AND IT'S KIND OF, YOU KNOW, INCORPORATED INTO. GROUND UP INTO REALLY, REALLY, REALLY FINE.
YEAH. IT'S THE PICTURE YOU SHOWED.
LITTLE CHUNKY. YEAH, YEAH THEY VARY, BUT THAT'S PRETTY MUCH WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE WHEN IT COMES OUT.
SO I KNOW I'M GETTING REALLY TECHNICAL HERE.
[LAUGHTER] BUT YOU KNOW, I GUESS, YOU KNOW, IF YOU GOT TO DIG A SMALL HOLE, THEN YOU'RE GOING TO BE FILLING THE ACORN WITH A MIXTURE OF SOIL AND GROUND UP BIOCHAR.
YES. BASICALLY WHAT IT IS? YEAH, YEAH, IT'S ACTUALLY QUITE SIMPLE.
NO. MINE DID I GUESS WHATEVER I DID WAS OKAY.
THERE YOU GO. I'VE NEVER HAD TOMATOES THAT WERE 5.5FT TALL BEFORE, YOU KNOW? SO, WHO KNOWS.
THANKS. KRISTEN, YOU MENTIONED AT THE OUTSET OF THE PRESENTATION THE CONCEPT OF GRAZING HAVING A COMPLICATED RELATIONSHIP WITH THE OAKS.
I'VE ALWAYS THOUGHT OF GRAZING, AT LEAST IN TERMS OF THE HIGHLY MANAGED SCIENTIFIC GRAZING PROGRAMS THAT WE PURSUE, THAT THERE ARE BENEFICIAL ASPECTS OF GRAZING FOR THE ENTIRE ECOSYSTEM. IS THERE AN ISSUE WITH OAKS IN PARTICULAR AND GRAZING? YOU'RE CORRECT.
THAT'S THE MAIN ISSUE IS THAT IF THERE ARE A LOT OF COWS OUT ON THE LANDSCAPE ALL THE TIME, LIKE, YOU KNOW, YEAR AFTER YEAR, YOU JUST START TO SEE THE OAKS WINK OUT FROM THAT LANDSCAPE BECAUSE THEY JUST EAT THE SEEDLINGS YEAR AFTER YEAR AFTER YEAR.
AND THAT BASICALLY ELIMINATES ANY RECRUITMENT.
WE HAVE THE SAME ISSUE WITH SYCAMORE ALLUVIAL WOODLANDS, WHICH ARE EVEN RARER THAN OAK ECOSYSTEMS. AND THAT'S JUST IF THERE ARE IF THERE'S ANY UNGULATE OUT IN THAT LANDSCAPE THAT'S EATING YEAR AFTER YEAR, WE JUST WON'T SEE ANY NEW TREES COME UP.
BUT THERE ARE A LOT OF AREAS, EVEN AROUND THE SCENIC FIRE WHERE THAT'S OCCURRING.
AND YOU CAN ACTUALLY SEE THE SIGNATURE OF THAT LOSS YOU KNOW, FROM SPACE, WHICH IS KIND OF AMAZING.
I'VE NOTICED AROUND MY HOME THAT WE HAVE A LOT OF BUCKEYE AND THE BUCKEYE SEEDLINGS ROLL DOWN THE HILL, THEY PLANT THEMSELVES AND THEY START GROWING, AND THE DEER ALWAYS EAT THEM.
YEAH. SO THERE'S NO RECRUITMENT FOR THE BUCKEYE SURROUNDING THE ACRE OR SO THAT WE HAVE.
I'VE NOTICED THAT OVER THE YEARS.
I THINK IT'S I GUESS THAT'S THE SAME ISSUE.
ONE LAST QUESTION. AGAIN, IT COMES FROM OUR OWN EXPERIENCES OF WHAT, IF ANY,
[02:00:09]
ROLE DOES BAY OAK PLAY IN RESTORATION? WE HAVE LOTS OF BAY TREES IN OUR RIDGE LANDS.AND I JUST HAVE NOTICED THAT IN TERMS OF RESTORATION PROJECTS, WE'RE NOT REPLANTING WITH BAY, EVEN THOUGH IT SEEMS TO BE PREVALENT IN OUR REGION.
DO THEY BURN EASIER OR IS THERE SOME OTHER REASON? HOW MUCH TIME DO WE HAVE? YEAH, I COULD GO INTO THIS.
[LAUGHTER] I KNOW I KEEP SAYING THAT.
SO BAYS ARE A CARRIER OF SUDDEN OAK DEATH.
AND THAT'S JUST IT'S INCREASING THE CHANCES THAT THEY'RE GOING TO BE INFECTED AND DIE.
ALSO BAY TREES TEND TO, YOU KNOW, IN THE OAK BAY WOODLANDS THAT WE DO SEE ESPECIALLY IN THE PRESENCE OF SUDDEN OAK DEATH, THEY BECOME VERY AGGRESSIVE AND YOU ACTUALLY START TO SEE THE OAK BAY WOODLAND CONVERT JUST TO BAY WOODLAND.
YEAH. I WAS JUST CURIOUS BECAUSE THEY ARE NATIVE AND THEY SEEM TO THRIVE.
BUT I HAVEN'T SEEN THEM IN RESTORATION PROJECTS.
THEY'RE VERY SUCCESSFUL ON THEIR OWN.
KRISTEN. 30 YEARS AGO, THERE WAS AN ORGANIZATION THAT WAS FOUNDED JUST TO SAVE OAKS IN CALIFORNIA, AND IT WAS FOUNDED BY A WOMAN WHO WAS THE HUMAN RESOURCES OR NOT, HUMAN RESOURCES, PUBLIC AFFAIRS AGM OF THIS DISTRICT, DO YOU REMEMBER? IS THAT STILL AROUND? THE CALIFORNIA OAKS FOUNDATION? IS THAT WHAT IT WAS? THAT'S WHAT I'M THINKING.
IS IT STILL AROUND? AND I BELIEVE SO.
YES, THERE ARE MANY ORGANIZATIONS DEDICATED TO RESTORATION NOW MORE AND MORE I THINK EVERY YEAR.
BUT YES, I BELIEVE THE OAKS FOUNDATION IS STILL VIABLE.
KRISTEN ARE THE TREES THAT REMAIN AT CARQUINEZ STRAIT WITHIN THE RAILROAD RIGHT OF WAY ARE THOSE DEAD OR DYING? THEY LOOK PRETTY BAD.
I WOULD SAY PROBABLY 80 TO 90% OF THEM ARE DEAD FOREVER.
AND THERE ARE A LOT OF LITTLE TREES DOWN THERE.
SO THAT WILL BECOME A PROBLEM IN THE FUTURE.
OKAY, SO THERE'S A LIMITED AMOUNT OF DETAIL WE WANT TO GO INTO IN A PUBLIC SESSION.
BUT WE WERE ALL OUT THERE ON A FIELD TRIP, AND IT JUST STRUCK ME AS OBNOXIOUS THAT THE RAILROAD WAS ALLOWING THAT THOSE TREES TO REMAIN AFTER ALL THE WORK WE HAD DONE.
HAD WE OFFERED TO AT COST, TAKE CARE OF THAT, THOSE TREES FOR THE RAILROAD OR WHAT? WELL, MAYBE THAT'S NOT WITHIN YOUR REALM OF EXPERIENCE, BUT I'M JUST GOING TO TRY AND MAYBE FOLLOW UP WITH WHETHER THERE'S ANYTHING WE CAN DO ABOUT THAT.
I DON'T HAVE A RELATIONSHIP WITH THE RAILROAD.
YEAH, THAT WAS THE IMPRESSION THAT I GOT.
NUISANCE, ACTIVE NUISANCE ON ADJOINING PROPERTY.
IT'S YOU LEARN THAT STUFF IN LAW SCHOOL.
OKAY. WE SHOULD HAVE A CONVERSATION.
SO THEY'RE ALSO A HUGE PART OF THE FUTURE OF THAT SITE GOING FORWARD.
I'M JUST SORRY TO RAISE IT HERE, BUT IT'S JUST BEEN ON MY MIND.
ANYTHING ELSE FROM THE COMMITTEE? KRISTEN, WE ALL APPRECIATE YOUR WORK.
AND ROSE, I GOT TO WALK AROUND OUT THERE A MONTH OR TWO AGO WITH ROSE.
[02:05:09]
A DEMONSTRATION PROJECT FOR THE ENTIRE STATE AND THOSE BEYOND THE STATE AND THEREFORE ATTRACTS MORE FUNDING.THAT'S THE HOPE AND IT'S LIKELY BECAUSE I THINK IT'S GOING TO BE SUCCESSFUL.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR SUPPORT.
THANK YOU. SO THAT ENDS THE ACTIVE AND INFORMATIONAL PART OF OUR AGENDA. WE LEAVE WITH ANY ANNOUNCEMENTS.
[Announcements]
I HAVE ONE FROM THE BOARD.THEN WE'LL GO TO KEN. SO I HAVE MY HISTORY FOLKS HERE.
SO I WANT TO SHOW OFF A LITTLE BIT AND JUST POINT OUT THAT MAY 10TH, 1869, 155 YEARS AGO, WHAT HAPPENED? IT WAS A MOONSHOT, THE MOON LANDING OF THE 19TH CENTURY, WHICH WAS THE DRIVING OF THE GOLDEN SPIKE IN UTAH.
SO AND THAT CHANGED THE HISTORY OF THE WORLD, REALLY, REALLY CHANGED THE HISTORY OF CALIFORNIA.
AND IT'S JUST A IF YOU GO TO THAT PLACE AND LOOK AT IT, IT LOOKS WE'LL TALK ABOUT PRESERVATION.
IT LOOKS EXACTLY THE SAME AS IT DID IN 1869 BECAUSE IT'S BEEN PRESERVED.
IT'S THE NATIONAL HISTORIC SITE.
BUT EVER HAVE A CHANCE IF YOU'RE NEAR OGDEN, GO OUT THERE AND LOOK AT IT.
IT'S A BEAUTIFUL LANDSCAPE, VERY STARK, AND IT LOOKS EXACTLY THE SAME AS IT DID THEN.
IF YOU LOOK AT THOSE OLD PICTURES, YOU CAN DO THIS.
YOU CAN REENACT THOSE PICTURES.
SO ANYWAY, THAT'S MY ANNOUNCEMENT.
BUT THE REAL COMPLETION OF IT, THOUGH, WAS HERE IN THE BAY AREA BECAUSE THEY ONLY BUILT TO SACRAMENTO, AND THEN IT HAD TO GO THROUGH NILES CANYON TO GET TO, I THINK, ALAMEDA TO REALLY GET COAST TO COAST.
SO WE KNOW THE REAL STORY HERE.
AND RICHMOND. YEAH, THAT WAS LATER.
KEN. THANK YOU, DIRECTOR COFFEY.
THANK YOU, DIRECTORS, FOR ATTENDING TODAY'S MEETING.
BUT I APPRECIATE THAT WE'RE FLEXIBLE AS WELL.
THE NEXT NCRC MEETING IS JULY 31ST.
AND IF THERE'S ANY CHANGES OR ANY CONFLICTS, WE DEFINITELY ARE FLEXIBLE TO MAKE SOME SHIFTS.
WE DO THINK THIS IS A VERY IMPORTANT MEETING.
AS YOU CAN TELL, THERE'S SOME GREAT WORK WE'RE DOING HERE, BUT ALSO TO BRING TO LIGHT THE NEEDS THAT WE HAVE, ESPECIALLY IN THE STEWARDSHIP DEPARTMENT AND OUR CULTURAL AND HISTORICAL RESOURCES AND WANT TO BRING THAT FORWARD, ESPECIALLY BEFORE, YOU KNOW, AS WE WORK ON THE PRIORITIZATION GOING FORWARD AND, AND BUDGET PLANNING.
OH, COULD I ADD TO THAT, THAT MAYBE AS CHAIR OF THE COMMITTEE, YOU AND I COULD AT SOME POINT BEFORE THE JULY AGENDA IS PUT TOGETHER LOOK AT THAT RUNNING LIST THE COMMITTEE'S KEPT FOR THE LAST COUPLE OF YEARS.
SO I'D LIKE TO LOOK AT WHERE WE ARE WITH THAT LIST AND HELP WITH AGENDA PLANNING.
PERFECT. THANK YOU. SOMETIME BEFORE JULY 31ST.
SO WITH THAT, WE ARE ADJOURNED.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH. THANK YOU.
* This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.