Alex Breitler's Environment Blog

Friday, June 7: Presentation, “Water Bugs Live!” 7 p.m., Oak Grove Regional Park. Donnie Ratcliff with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service will talk about insects native to the Mokelumne River and other streams and rivers. Plus you can pick up some fly fishing tips. Free with $5 vehicle entrance fee to the park. More details here.

Saturday, June 8: Electronic waste collection event. 9 a.m., San Joaquin Delta College Shima 2 parking lot. Free. Hosted by Onsite Electronics Recycling.

Saturday, June 8: San Joaquin Audubon Society field trip to Calaveras Big Trees State Park. Meet in the North Grove at 8:30 a.m. More details here.

Saturday, June 8: San Joaquin Master Gardeners program, “Drops and Dollars.” Learn how to reduce the amount of water you use on your landscaping, allowing you to save on your monthly utility bills. 10 a.m. to 11:30 a.m., at the city of Stockton’s Delta Water Supply Project building, 11373 N. Lower Sacramento Road, Lodi. RSVP by calling 953-6100. More details here.

Saturday, June 8: Waldo Music Festival. 3536 Rainier Avenue, on the banks of the Calaveras River. Doors open at 11:30 a.m. Festival held in honor of the late conservationist Waldo Holt. More details here (see pg. 4).

Saturday, June 8: Program, ”Skins, Scat and Skulls,” at New Melones Lake. Rangers will display a collection of skins, scat and skulls from various creatures. 7 p.m. More details here.

Monday, June 10: Program, “Will Restoration Make a Difference in the Delta?” Scientists will talk about whether habitat restoration — a component of the governor’s twin tunnels plan — will be effective in helping the Delta’s ecosystem and native fish species. Hosted by the Delta Stewardship Council. 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., at the U.C. Davis Conference Center Ballroom B. More details here.

Tuesday, June 11: Stockton East Water District meeting. Noon. 6767 E. Main St. More details here.

Tuesday, June 11: Class, “Backpacking Basics.” 7 p.m., Stockton REI. More details here.

Saturday, June 15-Sunday, June 16: Woodbridge Wilderness Area open to the public from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. each day. The area is typically open the first and third weekends of each month. Explore a quarter-mile of Mokelumne River frontage. Free More detailshere.

Saturday, June 15: San Joaquin Master Gardeners program, “Drops and Dollars.” Learn how to reduce the amount of water you use on your landscaping, allowing you to save on your monthly utility bills. 10:30 a.m. to noon, at the Manteca Public Library, 320 W. Center St. RSVP by calling 953-6100. More details here.

Saturday, June 15: Stockton Astronomical Society presents “Astronomy in the Park at Oak Grove Regional Park.” 8 p.m. Free with park admission. Come peer through the telescopes of society members. More details here.

Saturday, June 15: Program, “Dangerous Creatures,” at New Melones Lake. Learn about the creepy critters found at the lake. 7 p.m. More details here.

Saturday, June 15: “San Joaquin Bike Fest” at the University of the Pacific. Four scenic routes begin and end at the university, ranging from 1.5 miles to 9.5 miles (or 25 miles if you do them all). 1980s “retro” costumes encouraged. Supports the Emergency Food Bank. Registration opens at 7 a.m. with rides beginning at 9 a.m. More details here.

Sunday, June 16: Guided paddle trip at the Cosumnes River Preserve. Meet at 8:30 a.m. in the visitor parking area. Bring own gear and life jacket. More details here.

Tuesday, June 18: Stockton East Water District meeting. Noon. 6767 E. Main St. More details here.

Tuesday, June 18: Presentation, “An Evening in the Life of John Muir.” 7 p.m., Stockton REI. Free. Robert Hanna, the great-grandson of the famous conservationist, will talk about Muir’s personal life “as can only be told by his family,” including photos and writings. More details here.

Wednesday, June 19: California Water Commission meeting. 9:30 a.m., Sacramento. Agenda available here.

Saturday, June 22: Annual “Summer Butterfly Count” at Oak Grove Regional Park. 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the nature center. Join Kathy Schick in a family-friendly field trip counting butterflies in the park. No experience necessary. Program is free, but parking at Oak Grove costs $6. To learn more call (209) 612-5130 or email kashick@berkeley.edu.

Saturday, June 22: Program, “Birds of New Melones Lake.” Learn about flight patterns, habitat, calls and songs. 7 p.m. More details here.

Sunday, June 23: Mokelumne River raft trip benefiting the Foothill Conservancy. Suitable for ages 6 and up. $70 per person and space is limited; for more information or for reservations, contact Randy Berg at (209) 295-4900 or email randy@foothillconservancy.org.

Wednesday, June 19: California Water Commission meeting. Agenda to be posted here.

Thursday, June 20: San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District meeting. 9 a.m., Fresno. Meeting available by webcast. Agenda and webcast here.

Tuesday, June 25: Stockton East Water District meeting. Noon. 6767 E. Main St. More details here.

Saturday, July 13: Stockton Astronomical Society presents “Astronomy in the Park at Oak Grove Regional Park.” 8 p.m. Free with park admission. Come peer through the telescopes of society members. More details here.

Tuesday, July 16: Presentation, “Paddling Northern California.” 7 p.m., Stockton REI. Author Charlie Pike will talk about the best kayaking and canoeing destinations. More details here.

Record photo by Clifford Oto

During public comment last night on the proposed $36 million Smith Canal flood gate, Country Club resident Virgil Halvorson asked if the infamously elevated home on Elmwood Avenue had been planted there as a “scare tactic” to get people to pay for the project.

Rebuilt or significantly remodeled homes in the flood zone must be elevated, and officials in the past several months have circulated a photo of the Elmwood home to help residents understand the significance.

“Who owns the house on Elmwood?” Halvorson asked. “Was it placed there as a scare tactic for the people in the neighborhood?”

County Supervisor Larry Ruhstaller, a board member for the San Joaquin Area Flood Control Agency, responded: “I know one thing: We don’t own it and we didn’t put it there.”

That’s correct. The last time I checked, the house was owned by a man named Daniel Pacho. I couldn’t track him down, but a real estate listing indicated the place was for sale and claimed it had never been lived in.

“I will tell you one thing,” Ruhstaller added, in response to Halverson. “When we go back to Washington and show that picture to the Congressmen and the folks back there, they are appalled. Have they fixed it for us yet? No. We hope if we keep banging on them, they will.”

Conspiracies aside, residents agreed to help fund the gate.

Here’s an ominous map from the National Weather Service depicting the worst of Saturday’s heat. No, white doesn’t mean “data unavailable” — it means white-hot (105-110). And good luck if you live in one of those little pink splotches (110-115).

Stockton’s predicted high temperature has been downgraded from 107 degrees to 104 degrees, but really — when it gets that hot, who can tell the difference?

Click here for Weather Service updates as the weekend approaches. Click here for beat-the-heat tips from the San Joaquin County Department of Public Health.

If you were to follow the Mokelumne River upstream past Camanche and Pardee reservoirs, past Salt Springs, all the way up beyond Cedar Camp and Camp Irene, you’d eventually reach a tributary — a cool, healthy stream splashing down the back side of Round Top Peak, in the upper Mokelumne Wilderness.

And at the head of this stream, there was once a silver mine and a town where Adaline Winaford (Winnie) Williamson Pleasant lived — and died.

This is Summit City, hidden in the upper reaches of a canyon just a couple of hundred feet below the crest of the Sierra Nevada.

My mind is on Summit City today; it tends to wander there each year when the snow melts off the high country.

These days, not many people venture into Summit City Canyon. While only a few miles from the busy Carson Pass area, backpackers don’t like having to drop down into the canyon because they know they’ll only have to climb back out again.

The few who do wander these parts probably have no idea of the history.

Summit City was a silver mining town that flourished for a few years in the 1860s before mysteriously vanishing almost overnight. There is very little left — only some level pieces of ground where cabins once stood, a lone piece of timber or two, and some interesting rock-work.

Oh yes, and Winnie’s grave. I’ll get back to that.

We backpacked this area when I was a boy, and I remember searching for ruins with my Dad. We never found anything. My future brother-in-law, Tom, found a rusted hammer, but who knows its origins.

Then, in 1999, a man named Roy Acker wrote a history of Summit City. Acker’s own grandmother lived there, and he was able to reconstruct many long-forgotten details by speaking with descendants of Summit City residents. Winnie, in fact, was Acker’s great-aunt.

Acker took his father and grandmother back to the town to learn more about it. He went so far as to inspect records at the Alpine County recorder’s office, with which he was able to draw a map depicting where various people lived in Summit City and what they did with their land.

So, while a person unaware of the area’s history would stroll right through the “city,” with Acker’s book it is possible to identify with relative precision where the butcher shop was, where the corral was, and yes, even where the two-story hotel was.

A cabin once stood here.

Last summer, Dad and I returned to Summit City Canyon one more time, armed with Acker’s book. We found the town site. We examined each of the plots. We stood among the evergreens and walked through the emerald meadows, and marveled that this was once a bustling community with hundreds of residents. Now all you hear is the wind in the trees.

Dad checks out an old collapsed mine shaft, the most obvious sign that people once lived in Summit City Canyon.

Perhaps remants of the Summit City corral?

While Dad rested, I wandered a little farther up the old wagon road (it has long been decommissioned as any official route — Summit City is only accessible via a seldom-used trial from Blue Lakes) in search of Winnie’s grave.

Acker’s book contains two black and white photos — one taken in the 1920s, another taken in 1990. The photos showed a large tree that appeared to have been struck by lightning, and scarred at the base.

I was stunned to find the tree. I was even more stunned to find Winnie’s grave marked and carefully preserved. The family must visit the area occasionally to maintain the site.

The site, much as it looked in Acker's old photographs. Dunno how I ever found this place.

Winnie’s story, according to Acker’s book: She married Beauford Pleasant at the age of 13. Letters to her family in Railroad Flat suggest she became ill not long after her marriage — she speaks of a “very severe headache” that laid her up for days. Yet in the same letter, she expresses excitement about a ball she plans to attend in West Point. “All the boys are going,” she writes. “I am going to wear a white dress trimmed in pink fluted silver and white.”

No one knows exactly how Winnie died. According to Acker, some speculate she died in childbirth. A doctor quoted in his book thinks there might have been parasites in the water supply.

But die Winnie did, on July 20, 1865. She is the only person known to have died and been buried at Summit City.

I stood near her grave for some time, admiring the wildflowers. This is one grave that needs no additional adornment.

What a peaceful place to rest, I thought. Personally, I’d prefer none other.

Winnie has the whole canyon to herself. Acker speculates that the Summit City silver miners left virtually overnight, in 1867, after an article appeared in a newspaper about a strike at White Pine, Nevada. “It seems logical that ‘White Pine fever’ affected the miners in Summit City and led to its demise,” Acker says.

Years later, a large flood might well have decimated most of the abandoned structures and washed away any historic relics, he says. And of course, the forest has been hard at work over the past 150 years, attempting to eliminate any evidence that civilization existed here.

I’m fine with that. Let nature have her way, though I have a hard time understanding man’s efforts to speed up the process by removing historic structures such as Monty Wolfe’s cabin, just a few miles downstream.

I love the fact that places like Summit City exist. And I’ll be back again, soon.

You can visit, too, if you like. It’s a reasonably short and easy day hike from Blue Lakes. Or you can backpack in from the Round Top Basin. You might even be able to pick up a copy of Acker’s book at the Pine Grove ranger station on your way up the hill; it will prove invaluable in your archaeological sleuthing.

Here’s a map with my best approximation of the location of Winnie’s grave. It’s hard to read — email me for a better version. This goes without saying, of course, but please treat the site with respect.

Historic sites like these abound throughout the Sierras. Each involved real people with real stories, even if the people are long dead and their stories are forgotten.

But I’m thankful for places like Summit City. And thanks to Acker, this is one story — almost 150 years later — that has not been forgotten. And won’t be.

In a letter to federal agencies, environmental group Friends of the River says it believes the Bay Delta Conservation Plan process is illegal.

The Climate Prediction Center says there is a better-than-equal chance for above-average temps across much of the West, including much of interior California, over the next three months.

For most of my life, Redding was just a pit stop on the way to Oregon — a place where you’d pump your gas and get the heck out of there, before your shoes started sticking to the pavement.

Then I was hired at the Record Searchlight. Into the furnace, I went. I spent the summer of 1999 sputtering about Shasta County in my aptly named Daihatsu Charade, which had no torque, no leg room and no air conditioning.

As if 118-degree heat wasn’t enough, part of my job was to cover wildfires. So rather than escaping the heat, the Daihatsu and I actually sought out additional heat.

This went on a few years. By the time I moved to Stockton — a place I would have considered intolerably hot as a Benicia boy – I’d deemed myself a grizzled veteran of extreme heat, a distinction I’ve claimed ever since.

Seeing as I fancy myself marginally qualified, let’s speculate about this summer.

If forecasts are correct, Saturday will be the hottest day in Stockton since August 2010. We are about to experience our earliest seasonal triple-digit heat since 2009. (Granted, June triple-digit heat is not unusual and the last three years have been strangely mild.)

Still, the Climate Prediction Center says interior California could see warmer-than-normal temperatures over the next 3 months.

The hills are dry and pretty soon the mountains will be, too. Already, there have been a couple of scary fires around here. And this ain’t Redding, where fires are as inevitable as the month of July.

Take it from the Redding guy: This could be a scorching – a downright dangerous — summer.

A Daihatsu Charade, in case you were wondering. But mine was blue.

Happy June! Summer’s soon to arrive, with temperatures expected to hit 99 degrees on Saturday. But there are some outdoors options fairly early in the morning, before it really starts to cook.

Saturday, June 1: Paddle tour at the historic Lower Beach Lake, Stone Lakes National Wildlife Refuge. The two- to three-hour tour begins at 9 a.m. More details here.

Saturday, June 1: Introductory birding field trip, hosted by the San Joaquin Audubon Society. Meet at the north end of Laurel Avenue in Lodi at 8 a.m. More details here.

Saturday, June 1-Sunday, June 2: Woodbridge Wilderness Area open to the public from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. each day. The area is typically open the first and third weekends of each month. Explore a quarter-mile of Mokelumne River frontage. Free More detailshere.

 Saturday, June 1: Catfish Derby, Oak Grove Regional Park. Free for kids 15 and under. Park entrance fees apply. 2,300 pounds of catfish to be planted. Gates open at 6:15 a.m. More details here.

Saturday, June 1: “Flying Rainbows,” program at New Melones Lake. Learn about butterflies and how you can encourage them to live in your own yard. 7 p.m. More details here.

Monday, June 3: Campaign for Common Ground meeting. 7 p.m., Family Resource and Referral Center. Carol Ornellas will speak about the status of Stockton’s Climate Action Plan.

Tuesday, June 4: Stockton East Water District meeting. Noon. 6767 E. Main St. More details here.

Friday, June 7: Presentation, “Water Bugs Live!” 7 p.m., Oak Grove Regional Park. Donnie Ratcliff with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service will talk about insects native to the Mokelumne River and other streams and rivers. Plus you can pick up some fly fishing tips. Free with $5 vehicle entrance fee to the park. More details here.

Saturday, June 8: Electronic waste collection event. 9 a.m., San Joaquin Delta College Shima 2 parking lot. Free. Hosted by Onsite Electronics Recycling.

Saturday, June 8: San Joaquin Audubon Society field trip to Calaveras Big Trees State Park. Meet in the North Grove at 8:30 a.m. More details here.

Saturday, June 8: San Joaquin Master Gardeners program, “Drops and Dollars.” Learn how to reduce the amount of water you use on your landscaping, allowing you to save on your monthly utility bills. 10 a.m. to 11:30 a.m., at the city of Stockton’s Delta Water Supply Project building, 11373 N. Lower Sacramento Road, Lodi. RSVP by calling 953-6100. More details here.

Saturday, June 8: Waldo Music Festival. 3536 Rainier Avenue, on the banks of the Calaveras River. Doors open at 11:30 a.m. Festival held in honor of the late conservationist Waldo Holt. More details here (see pg. 4).

Saturday, June 8: Program, ”Skins, Scat and Skulls,” at New Melones Lake. Rangers will display a collection of skins, scat and skulls from various creatures. 7 p.m. More details here.

Tuesday, June 11: Stockton East Water District meeting. Noon. 6767 E. Main St. More details here.

Tuesday, June 11: Class, “Backpacking Basics.” 7 p.m., Stockton REI. More details here.

Saturday, June 15-Sunday, June 16: Woodbridge Wilderness Area open to the public from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. each day. The area is typically open the first and third weekends of each month. Explore a quarter-mile of Mokelumne River frontage. Free More detailshere.

Saturday, June 15: San Joaquin Master Gardeners program, “Drops and Dollars.” Learn how to reduce the amount of water you use on your landscaping, allowing you to save on your monthly utility bills. 10:30 a.m. to noon, at the Manteca Public Library, 320 W. Center St. RSVP by calling 953-6100. More details here.

Saturday, June 15: Stockton Astronomical Society presents “Astronomy in the Park at Oak Grove Regional Park.” 8 p.m. Free with park admission. Come peer through the telescopes of society members. More details here.

Saturday, June 15: Program, “Dangerous Creatures,” at New Melones Lake. Learn about the creepy critters found at the lake. 7 p.m. More details here.

Saturday, June 15: “San Joaquin Bike Fest” at the University of the Pacific. Four scenic routes begin and end at the university, ranging from 1.5 miles to 9.5 miles (or 25 miles if you do them all). 1980s “retro” costumes encouraged. Supports the Emergency Food Bank. Registration opens at 7 a.m. with rides beginning at 9 a.m. More details here.

Sunday, June 16: Guided paddle trip at the Cosumnes River Preserve. Meet at 8:30 a.m. in the visitor parking area. Bring own gear and life jacket. More details here.

Tuesday, June 18: Stockton East Water District meeting. Noon. 6767 E. Main St. More details here.

Tuesday, June 18: Presentation, “An Evening in the Life of John Muir.” 7 p.m., Stockton REI. Free. Robert Hanna, the great-grandson of the famous conservationist, will talk about Muir’s personal life “as can only be told by his family,” including photos and writings. More details here.

Saturday, June 22: Program, “Birds of New Melones Lake.” Learn about flight patterns, habitat, calls and songs. 7 p.m. More details here.

Wednesday, June 19: California Water Commission meeting. Agenda to be posted here.

Thursday, June 20: San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District meeting. 9 a.m., Fresno. Meeting available by webcast. Agenda and webcast here.

Tuesday, June 25: Stockton East Water District meeting. Noon. 6767 E. Main St. More details here.

Saturday, July 13: Stockton Astronomical Society presents “Astronomy in the Park at Oak Grove Regional Park.” 8 p.m. Free with park admission. Come peer through the telescopes of society members. More details here.

Tuesday, July 16: Presentation, “Paddling Northern California.” 7 p.m., Stockton REI. Author Charlie Pike will talk about the best kayaking and canoeing destinations. More details here.

The Delta Stewardship Council issued a statement today expressing disappointment in the lawsuit filed last week by the Westlands Water District and San Luis Delta Mendota Water Authority.

Most of the time, state agencies won’t comment on pending litigation.

The DSC not only comments, but does so with vigor.

Read the whole statement here. The most interesting line, in my opinion: “It is unfortunate that these two public water agencies would rather waste time in court than certify that they are using water efficiently and are in compliance with existing state laws and regulations.”

San Joaquin Area Flood Control Agency

In a week, we should know the fate of the proposed $36 million Smith Canal flood gate.

Ballots are due at a public hearing at 7 p.m. June 6. After officials take public comment they will close the hearing and start opening ballots.

The count will likely be concluded about 11:30 p.m. that night, said Chris Neudeck, an engineer for two affected reclamation districts.

An announcement will then be made as to whether the assessments (there are actually two of them) are approved.

Quick refresher: The gate is intended to get thousands of property owners out of a FEMA flood zone, relieving them of the burden of mandatory flood insurance and building restrictions. The challenge, of course, is some folks don’t feel like paying an average $165 yearly assessment to improve flood protection in an area that has never flooded.

It’s hard to know what to expect next week. Neudeck said only about one-third of the ballots have so far been returned.

“We’re a bit shy on ballots,” he said. “We figure on the order of 40 to 60 percent is the normal count.”

That doesn’t necessarily mean anything, he said. It could indicate people are satisfied with the project, since “no” votes would seem likely to come in quickly. A smaller overall turnout, however, could make the proposal more likely to fail if supporters are under the false impression that they need take no action.

Neudeck said meetings continue to be held with property owners, and expressed optimism based on those meetings.

Last week, Stockton Unified approved the assessments for five of its schools located within the area. According to an SUSD staff report, the assessments will cost the district about $60,000 per year. Without the gate, SUSD officials said insurance rates for school facilities could go up, financially stressed residents might be less likely to support future school bond measures, school enrollment might be affected, and future state building standards and regulations might change.

Next Tuesday’s meeting is at the Amblers Club, off Country Club Boulevard.

Stockton got 0.01 inches of rain over the weekend. The city is in danger of its second straight year with less than 10 inches of precipitation.

It’ll be close. Stockton has 9.92 inches of rain after that Memorial Day “storm.” Typically the city gets about a tenth of an inch in the month of June. So, with a little luck we’ll just barely reach double digits.

Not that there’s anything especially significant about that threshold.

It’s worth noting, however, that every time Stockton has had back-to-back years below 10 inches of rain, the state has experienced a significant drought (1975-77, 86-89 and 06-09).

We shall see.