Ideas For Informal Discussion

This informal page has ideas being discussed among various peoples involved in the Kilarc-Cow Creek Project. This page is full of changing opinions. We would be interested in your discussion. The simplest place to discuss these is our BLOG, The Cow Paddy.

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

On this page are ideas that people have suggested and are being discussed. There is no a-priori agenda here other than KC LLC would like to operate the Kilarc powerplant for profit and to generate resources to successfully restore the anadromous fish. How we do this is up to the biology, physics, and economics of the site, and the constraints imposed by resources, private property rights and the regulatory agencies.

Ideas being discussed (July 2007) include:

Maintain Kilarc as it is so that it can continue to deliver excellent trout fishing. It also injects cold water above large salmon and trout spawning and habitat areas making it a valuable source of cold water for the extensive fish habitat below the project area.
How to best design the Kilarc Canal fish habitat area to produce anadromy behavior.

Fish

Perhaps nothing is more mysterious at this site than fish. It is clear the the economical os the site are controlled by the fish. The NMFS and CDFG want a lot of water to pass down the bypass.This would make the site uneconomical. We are suggesting that the canal is actually a better habitat and more fish will be produced since they are already spawning there. This should be studied. Second the cold water that comes through the hydropower cools downstream habitat for both salmon and steelhead in the Lower Old Cow and Cow Creek proper. This effect is small but the habitat large. Finally, we are working on other projects such as the German Ditch / PG&E water rights issues. We have a suggestion for that which is available here in the documents section.

The other confusion we have is whether it is OK to let hatchery fish intermix with the supposed desired migrants. We do not know the difference, but clearly they are interbreeding and have been doing so for many decades. Exactly what fish are being promoted may be an issue. This is unclear.

Performance Standards

When we started to think of how we could use the Kilarc facility to improve fish, we immediately came to the dilemma that we had no metrics - no way to judge if there was an improvement. So we have proposed one. This is in the documents section of this site as a Working paper KC-2, "Performance Measures for Recovery of Endangered Species Act-Protected Anadromous Fish".

It suggests that we use the best science available to estimate how the habitat will improve in the bypass region if the hydropower flows were returned there. Then that becomes the standard we have to beat with our Alternative Plan : The reconstruction Alternative.

Acid Rain

If local CDFG biologists get credit for local fish restoration, and local NMFS staff get credit for local habitat creation by dam removal and restoration, then who is responsible for the larger consequences of their actions. Removing this Green Power source will cause a fossil based replacement generation to poison our air and water. The acid rain effects, global warming, and other process pollutants are killing our environment. Doing away with Green Power sources such as this project as is advocated by some means the incremental destruction of our environment. Is this really what we want?

It seems that no entity, CDFG, NMFS nor PG&E are willing to address the larger effects of their self-interested local actions, or are we missing something?

Water Temperature

The target fish need cold water. Local people have shown KC data that the water coming from the Kilarc powerhouse is a lot colder than the water coming down the Old Cow. If water were returned to the Old Cow, the resulting water would be warmer because it is exposed to the sun less, the hydropower energy is not removed, and it is warmed by the warm summer air.

Also the Old Cow bypass waters are further warmed by water that gets washed off the fields. In summary, water temperatures could be analyzed to find out how this effects downstream fish habitat. Further as part of a development project we might help solve the field run-off problems.

Recreation

We are trying to find a partner interested in taking over some of the Kilarc site for recreation. The County has shown little interest primarily as the result of heavy handed discussions by PG&E staff emphasizing how difficult it is to operate.

PG&E has also visited with California State Parks - again trying to convince the that they do not want to take over the site for recreation. Why PG&E is so anti-recreaton and implicitly anti-Green Power is unknown.

South Cow

Davis Hydro is not focusing on the South Cow at the present moment.

The Kilarc project is quite likely to be successful in producing fish restoration so that Davis Hydro's primary focus to get the agencies to consider an alternative to PG&E's demolition plan.

Further, several other factors suggest starting with the Kilarc Project.

For the moment There is less interest in the South Cow, because the Forebay is a favorite fishing and recreation site. There is no public fishing access on the South Cow.
The South Cow is primarily on the Tetrick ranch, which may be interested in operating the power plant, and may be interested in operating the facility.
The Kilarc Canal has more stream-like area that is convertible to fish habitat.
On the other hand, the field run-off is far more severe in the South Cow Valley therefore the opportunity for improvements are greater.
Finally Later, in a collaborative way, the Abbott Ditch may provide interesting habitat experiments that may generate a lot of fish at little cost to anyone.

Ditches

KC LLC has visited the Abbot and German Ditches to get an understanding of the problems and opportunities.

These ditches are primary point sources of opportunity to help the fish in this area. Ideas on cleaning screens, diversion maintenance, upstream fish passage and ditch maintenance were discussed. Screens are expensive and have to be maintained. By having the FERC mandate that a new Kilarc or South Cow Licensee be the steward of the ditch diversions, multiple benefits may result for all parties.

Home Contacts Photos

The Kilarc Project