YOUR INDEPENDENT SOURCE FOR BAY-DELTA NEWS & VIEWS THE SOUNDS OF SALMON SPAWNING on the San Joaquin were once so loud that riverside residents couldn’t sleep at night, according to testimony in a 16- year-old lawsuit to restore flows to the river below the giant Friant Dam. These days, no one has trouble sleeping because there are few fish left. But fishing and conservation groups say the fish can now return, hailing a ruling by U.S. District Court Judge Lawrence Karlton that found that BurRec has violated state and federal laws by sending most of the river’s water "If you had talked to me about this three to agriculture for the past 50 years. Pandora’s or four years ago, I would have said that it’s Enviros and some water agencies also pre- Cauldron still not an important concern for San dict that greater flows in the river will Francisco Bay," says U.C. Berkeley’s David help improve water quality in the Delta. Sedlak, who is working with U.C. Davis’ For a charm of pow’rful trouble Meanwhile, downstream water users say Bernie May to study fish in the Central Valley the judge misinterpreted Cal Fish & Game like a hell-broth boil and bubble rivers that flow to the Bay. "But then we started looking at some streams in the Code Section 5937, which states that William Shakespeare, MacBeth BurRec must "allow sufficient water to Central Valley and found concentrations of steroid hormones similar to what was com- pass over, around, or through the dam, to From the aspirin we gulp for headaches, keep in good condition any fish that may ing out of wastewater treatment facilities." In to the lotion we smooth on to soothe our streams consisting largely of wastewater, be planted or exist below the dam." skin, to the deodorants and perfumes we Downstream water users claim fish below says Sedlak, the researchers are finding femi- spritz to avoid offending or to attract other nized fish—male fish that are putting their the dam have been maintained in good human beings, to the insect repellant we condition, while enviros point to stretches energy into building female egg sacs. "That coat ourselves with to offend virus-carrying can’t be good at a population level," of the river that are completely dry during mosquitoes, to the sunscreen we apply to certain periods of the year. says Sedlak. stave off cancer, to the myriad Bryan Brooks at Baylor University, pharmaceuticals we take to who is studying wastewater-domi- URBAN CREEKS ARE FOR THE BIRDS— lower blood pressure, regulate nated ephemeral streams in Texas and fish. In a discovery that surprised our hormones, stay happy, or and the arid Southwest, has found even local creek activists, more than 130 rev up our sex lives, our drugs trace amounts of antidepressants in steelhead trout—some at least a foot and "personal care products" fish living in a creek downstream of long—were relocated recently from a seem to be turning up every- a wastewater treatment plant. reach of Codornices Creek that is being where in the environment, Brooks is interested in such situa- dewatered for restoration. The restoration often via treated—or some- tions because they are what he calls work on Codornices Creek, which defines times untreated—wastewater. "an excellent example of a worst- the border between Albany and Berkeley, Each year, wastewater treat- case scenario." Closer to the Bay, is part of a larger effort—paid for by ment plants around the Bay while most of our treatment plants grants from CALFED, the State Water discharge approximately 230 discharge directly into the Bay, sev- Resources Control Board, the Coastal million gallons of treated efflu- eral Central Valley streams (some Conservancy, CALTRANS, and a creek ent directly into the Bay, not ephemeral) and rivers receive direct dis- restoration fund passed by voters in including what gets discharged into the charges of treated wastewater. "During the Albany—that will reshape and revegetate Delta and major rivers, according to the S.F. dry season, the only source of flow in a lot of the creek between I-80 and San Pablo Estuary Institute’s Daniel Oros. With our the small creeks and streams tributary to the Avenue. In the long run, the re-vegetated, growing population, increasing volumes of Sacramento River is [treated] wastewater," restored creek should offer better habitat effluent, and new chemicals continually says the Central Valley Regional Board’s for the fish, says project director Drew being introduced to the market, are the Bay Robert Holmes. The City of Vacaville dis- Goetting of the Restoration Design and its tributaries becoming a witch’s brew charges to a creek that flows to the Group. for the critters that live in and around them? Sacramento River, Napa discharges to the Some scientists and resource managers are Napa River, Petaluma to the Petaluma River, worried that "feral pharmaceuticals" (over- BUSINESSES NEED TO PAY MORE atten- and Sonoma to Sonoma Creek, while the-counter and prescription drugs) and per- Stockton and other cities discharge into the tion to water as prices go up, demand for sonal care products—together referred to as urban and agricultural uses increases, San Joaquin River, which, though not "PPCPs" for "pharmaceuticals and personal ephemeral, already has considerable water water quality declines, and water care products"—have run amuck and could resources become more limited, accord- quality problems. The City of Brentwood dis- be having impacts we don’t yet understand charges its wastewater into Marsh Creek, ing to Freshwater Resources: Managing the on aquatic and other life forms. Risks Facing the Private Sector, a new which at times, says the Board’s Renand report by the Pacific Institute (August continued - page 5 2004; www.pacinst.org). According to the continued - page 2 VOLUME 13, NO. 5 OCTOBER 2004 2 OCT 2004 For all his passion and work to keep the BULLETIN BOARD CONTINUED PEOPLE Bay vast and clean, Siri’s style was always civil and never strident, says environmental author report, during a recent drought in BAY LOVER’S LEGACY and former S.F. Chronicle environmental India, Pepsi and Coca-Cola bottling reporter Harold Gilliam. "His effort was to Biophysicist Will Siri, build bridges between opposing groups, plants lost their licenses to pump local who frequently trav- groundwater, while Anheuser-Busch, whether they were developers, power com- eled to—and panies or various factions within the environ- the world’s largest beer brewer, found climbed— some of the itself low on barley (a key brewery mental movement. He tried to accommodate highest peaks in the differing interests while acting decisively on ingredient) after water for irrigating world, never lost his the crop was cut back. The report rec- his deeply held convictions about defending love for the lower ele- the natural environment." As a result, says ommends that companies measure vations of the Bay their current water use, assess local Gilliam, Siri held the respect even of those he Area. In a 1960s KQED lobbied against. "By any measure, he rightful- water conditions and risks, consult interview conducted community and other stakeholders, ly belongs in California’s environmental hall after Siri returned from an Everest climb, he of fame." and establish a water policy with clear told anchorman Mel Wax, "No, Mel. goals for reducing energy and water Returning to San Francisco Bay is never an Siri’s reputation and esteem became invalu- use. anticlimax." able to the growing environmental communi- ty in the mid-1980s. "The Bay Institute I start- Siri died in August at the age of 85, after a ed in 1981 needed a name like Will Siri on its WANT TO TRACK wetlands restora- life of research, adventurous climbs, and board to help gain recognition of TBI as a tion projects around the Bay or let activism to protect the Bay. Siri was president major player in Bay issues," says William others know about your project? Visit of Save the Bay from 1968-1988 and vice Davoren, who had admired Siri ever since http://www.wetlandtracker.org, the chairman of the Bay Institute from 1985- that post-Everest KQED interview. Bay Area Wetland Project Tracker cre- 1999. He was also president of the Sierra ated by the S.F. Estuary Institute. The Club from 1964-1966 and a director from Jean Siri says she hopes her husband’s lega- site provides free public access to 1956-1974. cy will be the continued strengthening of information about the location, size, environmental activism in the Bay Area. "You "He was very motivated, very dedicated to just hope that you have motivated a lot of sponsors, habitats, contacts, and sta- working with individuals and organizations to tus of wetland restoration, mitigation, people. You have to leave people who will reverse the damage that had been done by keep working at it, or it will disappear." DO creation, and enhancement projects in filling [and dumping]," says Doris Sloan, who the Bay Area. Planned and completed succeeded Siri as president of Save the Bay. wetland projects are displayed on an Sloan also praised Siri as being vital to the interactive regional map. Summary efforts of Citizens for the Eastshore State Park, SEND information is displayed alongside the which protects more than 1,800 acres of map. More information is found on shoreline between Richmond and Emeryville. YOUR FRIENDS separate project information sheets. AND CO-WORKERS Each project can have files associated Siri worked on the Manhattan Project dur- with it, such as reports, data, photos, ing World War II, but his career at Lawrence ESTUARY NEWSLETTER videos, other maps, or commentary.