REDMOND, WA (API) MICROSOFT (MSFT) announced today that the official release date for the new operating system "Windows 2000" will be delayed until the second quarter of 1901.
HAPPY Y1.999K! As we count down to the twenty-first century, and I get ready to begin my second quarter century as watersheder, I'd like to take a moment and reflect just how far we have come in the last couple of decades. The condition of most watersheds in the West is improving. We've got a long ways to go, but there is a tremendous and building commitment to do more.
This desire to do more and the public and private money being invested in these efforts are creating exciting new employment opportunities for folks in the watershed field. The Internet is a great place to look for these opportunities. There are many avenues to explore. Here is just one.
Watershed Management Council member Earle Cummings is providing a great service to those looking for a first job or a new job. Earle discovers lots of job opportunities during the course of his work at the Local Assistance Branch of the California Department of Water Resources. He regularly emails these job announcements to anyone who has asked to be on his cc: list. To get on Earle's cc: list, simply email Earle at earlec@water.ca.gov, tell him you are a WMC member, and ask to be added to his cc: list for job opportunities. The only thing that Earle asks is that if you are interested in one of these job announcements that you contact the person listed in the announcement and not him. Thanks, Earle.
Lots of upward mobility in the watershed world these days, and folks are moving around.
This winter solstice (December 21, 1998), Domoni Glass of Boise Cascade moved to a new office with the company located in Gig Harbor, Washington. Domoni formerly worked for Boise Cascade in Boise, Idaho. Her new address is: Domoni Glass, Boise Cascade Corporation, 9311 129th St. Ct. NW, Gig Harbor, WA 98335. Her new phone numbers are (voice) (253) 858-5444 and (fax) (253) 858-5443. Domoni's email remains the same domoni_glass@bc.com
Last October Robbie Van de Water left her position as hydrologist on Salmon River District, Klamath National Forest, to become the Forest Hydrologist on the Klamath National Forest. Except for a short stint with California Department of Fish and Game, and a longer stint getting her Master's degree at UC Davis, she has spent her entire career on the beautiful Klamath. She has worked most of these 2 decades on the Scott and Salmon River Districts, but also worked in the Supervisor's office in positions in engineering, hydrology (trainee), and land management planning.
Robbie writes: "I am looking forward to broadening the 'scalar grain' (as our editor, Mike Furniss, might say) of my perspective as I become involved with issues on the river- and province-wide scale. I am excited about joining a topnotch staff group under Alan Olson, Fish and Earth Program Coordinator for the Forest." Robbie can be reached by email at rvdw@sisqtel.net
Robbie left the management of the Salmon River to capable hands. Hydrologists Jay Power and Sharon Koorda will extend their Scott/Oak Knoll zone to take in Salmon River District, and Ukonom District geo-hydrologist Bill Snavely will continue to manage the lower watershed. Not to mention the Klamath National Forest's partners, most notably the Salmon River Restoration Council under the energetic leadership of Peter Brucker.
To hear more about collaborative watershed management on the Klamath, see some great footage of the river and its namesake fish, and to meet the Klamath's "cast of thousands", see the newly released 30 minute video entitled "From the Ground Up". Filmmaker Kevin White produced the video for the Pacific Southwest Region of the Forest Service. The video is available for short term loan by calling Audience Planners at (800) 683-8366 or for sale through Monaco Video at (415) 431-2761.
Back when the fall leaves were in full color, Joan Florsheim started a post-doc at UC Davis. She is working with distinguished faculty members Jeff Mount and Eric Larsen on a sediment budget for the Navarro River basin, one of California's north coast watersheds. California State Highway 128 runs the entire length of this long narrow watershed. Caltrans (California Department of Transportation) is a sponsoring this project. Dr. Florsheim was formerly with Phillip Williams & Associates based in San Francisco. Those of you who attended the WMC conference in Ashland , Oregon in 1994 may remember the excellent hillslope and fluvial processes workshop she helped organize and her presentation entitled "Geomorphic Effects of Disturbances to River Channels". Joan can be reached at the Center for Integrated Watershed Science and Management, UC Davis, Davis, California 95616. Her email address is florsheim@geology.ucdavis.edu
Speaking of Davis and my own backyard, the beginnings of a new riparian forest on the UC Davis Putah Creek Riparian Reserve just downstream from the I-80 overcrossing were planted Saturday, December 5, 1998. The riparian forest-to-be is visible from the highway and the Amtrak line. As it matures, travelers will be treated to a glimpse of what the Central Valley floor used to look like. This is Dan Leroy's master's degree project. Dan is a student in the UC Davis Graduate Group in Ecology and will continue working at this site with the help of community groups. Dan can be reached at (530) 297-5023.
More than 70 people planted over 1,200 Putah Creek native plants including valley oaks, box elder, white alder, Fremont's cottonwood, coyote bush, and four varieties of willow. The California Dept. of Fish & Game and the Yolo Basin Foundation generously donated the trees and shrubs. Maria Melendez led the group in a brief song to initiate the planting. The restoration day turned into celebration with a fabulous turnout, a break between rainstorms, and great refreshments donated by local businesses.
Much behind the scenes organization took place before dawn on Saturday morning. Plants were organized by geographic locationlow level by the creek, mid level on a terrace and high level on the top terrace. Each species was assigned to a terrace based on water availability.
The turnout of volunteers was given a boost by last year's well-documented sighting of Chinook salmon spawning in Putah Creek of all places (see NS&T in the Spring 1998 issue of the Watershed Networker), demonstrating that this badly abused creek can comeback. Lower Putah Creek will never be what it was before the construction on Lake Berryessa in 1959, but with help, decade by decade it will become better and better riparian and aquatic habitat.
Special recognition goes to Dan Tolson and Chris Marczak, UCD reserve steward and reserve intern respectively, who mowed and prepared the sites between rainstorms in the wee hours of the night and morning. Professor David Robertson was the official photographer. Jeanne Wirka, Liz Lynn, Alison Fisher, Katherine Jahnes, Petra Unger, and Jim Davis helped with the transport of plants, refreshments, and other preparations. The Putah Creek Council is looking for organizers and community groups to adopt additional project areas along the creek. Contact Ron Unger, Putah Creek Council Restoration Coordinator, at (530) 756-8611.
On a personal note, I really enjoyed helping with this project and spending a day on the creek with my daughter, Chloe (10), and our friends and neighbors, including old friend and famous fish-guy Peter Moyle. I know this kind of restoration is happening all over the country. E-mail me about your favorite hometown watershed project and we'll include it in a future issue.
Another Tributary note: former WMC President Richard Harris is now on sabbatical for 6 months at the University of Hawaii and can be reached at: Department of Agronomy and Soil Science, Sherman Laboratory, 1910 East West Road, Honolulu, Hawaii 96822. Temporary e-mail while on sabbatical is harrisri@hawaii.edu.
And remember, if you've reached a watershed in your career or have an interesting tidbit of watershed news, let your colleagues know about it. Drop a line to Tributaries, c/o Clay Brandow, 1528 Brown Drive, Davis, CA 95616, or call me at (916) 227-2663. Internet e-mail is best. e-mail me at: clay_brandow@fire.ca.gov or tributaries@yahoo.com .
