.sg
It
E
v
WWCN - World Water and Climate Network
www.wwcn"info
[email protected]
President:
C'harles R. Goldman
Professor
Departmerrt of Errvironmental Science
and Policy
University of California, Davis
Catilbnria 956 16-85?6, USA
TEL:+l-530-752-1557
FAX:+1-530-752-3354
l4ve Preside*;
Warwick F.Yincent
ivtareh 8,
2fii2
Attention: Brian Judge, Principal Planner
TRPA
PO Box 5310
Zephyr eove, NV 89449
Profesg*r
Depaxtment of BiologY
Laval University
Quetwc Clit-v. ()uetec G1K ?P4 Canada
TEL: +1-418-656-5644
FAX: +l-418-656-2443
Subject: Project: Upper Truckee River Restoration and Golf
Course Reconfiguration Project, (State Clearinghouse
#20060821 50)
Secramlt General;
Michio Kumagai
Chief Research Scientist
["ake Biwa Research Instilute
1-10 Llchide-Hama, Otsu, Shiga
520-0806, Japan
TEL: +81-77-526-4BS
FA-X: +81-77-526-4803
N *i o nal R ep r es e ntat iv es
It4'lSCNJap*n;
Mltsuru Sakamoto
Emeritus Professor
The tinivesity of Shiga Prefecture
W"WCN-France;
Louis I-cgendrc
Director
Villefranche Oceanography I-aboratory
!.__!_._
- __ _._ *-r._
uea[
lv|r. Juoge,
ihe scientists that commented in 1972 TRPA
meetings on the development proposal for the "Lake Country
Estates Project" and I was dismayed to learn last Fall that a golf
course was again proposed for this sensitive riparian area. I am
well a.equainted with the area having walked over it with Dr'.
Robert Leonard when the matter came up in 1972. We were
particularly impressed by the numerous fens and the trout they
contained. My opinion is substantially unchanged from that time
and aspects of it still apply and are worth repeating.
I was one of
!
WWCN-C'anaila;
Richard D. Robarts
Director
Global Er*'irormrertul h{srrittritg Syrten
Programme Office
for Freshwater Qualtty
Mtxitoring and .Assessmqtt
i
t-
_ _t
_ _!
_ _! !-r__r_
_-!_
_ _
*l'_
_ _!
4
vvasnoe ivieafiows uommuntty to eoRvey my
general concerns regarding Alternative 2-- which they did in
their comments submitted orally and in writing at the October
2Q11 meeting of the CA Park & Recreation Commission. I would
like to extend my comments on the current proposal.
Raci asKeel
iiaving examiRecj ihe proposai in ihe enviroRmeniai eioeumenis,
I have the general observations related to Alternative 2 which
includes the proposal to move up to g holes of the golf course
into land west of the Upper Truckee River.
The seleetion of Alternative 2 a.s the f)!'efe!'red alter"native loses
sight of the environmental ranking of the alternatives. As
mentioned in the draft EIR page 4-5, Alternative 5 is the
environmentally superior alternative because it reduces land
coverage the most among the alternatives resulting in lesser
impacts on soils, hydrologic and biological resources.
r\ITETRATIVE o lS AISO Superior DeGAuSe it wouiei resicr-c iRe
-.-!i_--___i:
_
-
,-
_!_
__ _._:-_-
!_ _ __
:!
__
-!_!
-_-_1_--_
.r
iargesi area sf SEZ anu wsuiei provieie ihe benefiis of river
restoration. For similar reasons, Alternative 3 is environmentally
superior when compared to Alternative 2.
It is extremely important to minimize the use of fertilizers in the
Tahoe basin. especially where irrigation is involved !n -1 972
there were concerns about areas in the park with a high water
table. Application of irrigation water will increase the risk of
nutrient percolation to the water table. The risks of surface or
subsurface transport of nutrients or other materials applied for
golf course maintenance remains of particular concern today as
w-e aiiempi io siow anej eveniuaiiy haii ihe r;erV gi-aduai
eutrophication of Lake Tahoe.
The proposal in Alternative 2 puts lake clarity at risk from
potential fertilizer entranee into the wa.tershed. Sinee !
commented tn 1972 ahout these concerns, Lake Tahoe has
changed from a nitrogen limited system to a highly phosphorous
sensitive system. While phosphorous is now the nutrient most
limiting both elements are detrimental to the lake since they are
a driving force for algal growth and accelerate the eutrophication
_i'?_!_
_ _
uT ! anoe.
Though the FEIR states that there would be an approximately
75 to 100 foot buffer between the golf course and the river, the
topography of the golf course placement as outlined in
Alternative 2. with greens in the ucrhill forest a.s well as in the
flood plain and SEZ, provide a system in which ihe normal
hydrological force of gravity will move the nutrient load towards
the river. The FEIR also mentions that two new golf course
holes will cross the river and be adjacent to 850 feet of river,
further compounding the issue. With the predicted extreme
fiows eiue to eiimaie ehange, whieh are expceteei io inerease ihc
SEZs and flood zones, this could easily result in increased
flushing of nutrients, herbicides if used on the golf course and
sediment into the river. Sediment is a major concern since it
reduces transparency and also is a potent source of phosphorus
whieh ad*qorlr-q to particles and then detaehes onee susnended
in the lake water.
Land disturbance is of course an important source of sediment
related phosphorus from the watershed. Alternative 2 involves
a large amount of soil disturbance to grade the area for the golf
eourse anej ass*eiateei goif eari r-oadways anei mainicnaRee
avenues. Removal of over 1600 trees, as planned for
_:-
1--:!---4-
!-
'
_!.-'-,-1
At{ernaltve 1, woutg aisu conrnDule Io lnei-eastng nulnenr ano
sediment yield from the watershed by exposing more surface to
the impact of rain on the soil .
-A-!r_
-
-^-at
-_.!-!
-
-.--!
The practices of water quality oversight and monitoring related
to many golf eor-trses have not kept up with the need for earefirl
scientific monitoring with detailed testing by an independent
party. Water quality is particularly threatened near a golf course,
not only because of the use of fertilizers and other chemicals,
but also because of the necessity for irrigation. A good aspect
of Alternative 3 would be to reduce the amount of irrigation,
nuii-ienis anci oihei- ehemieais ihai are rouiineiy requircei for ihc
golf course maintenance.
My colleague, Dr. Jerry Qualls, at University of Nevada, Reno,
has commented with concerns on the close proximity of the
Alter-native 2 golf eourse to fen,q and other impoftant wetland
areas such as a spring complex. I concur with the concerns he
has including the lack of a detailed mapping or the limited
understanding of the underground hydrology in these areas.
The extensive construction activity required by Alternative 2
would not only have potential impacts on the nearby fens and
spflRg Compicx. DUI wouici aiso De rietrimeRTai io tRe air aRei
water quality by virtue of the amount of excavation, soil
movement and general construction activity. Alternative 3 would
greatly reduce these potential impacts.
-,-!---
!-
-!
---!-!:!::
:--
-:-1--:
a-!
i-
a!--
As a limnologist and President of the World W.ater and Climate
Network (! nIdCN), I have recently been lecturing on the effects
climate change will have globally on our lakes and rivers.
Alternative 2 would not represent the best choice from the
standpoint of climate change for many reasons. In addition to
the issue of extreme flows mentioned above, some other issues
rcsui'ring from eiima're ehange ineiueie ihe effeeis of removai of
CO2 absorbing trees, the use of irrigation water in a time when
precipitation is predicted to decline and the potential for
increase in river water temperature if irrigation water is taken
from the river or if shade is reduced by riverside tree removal.
_- ___!-:-!_----a_.-:.,
a:
=_--.- ___
-1:
-!1---_^-r:.
-:31:::
wnien prorEers
rarner
you ro
! urge
onry approvE an airernailve
lake
the
not
harms
health
of
and
approve
an
alternative
than
the
which has the potential for so many negative environmental
impacts. I would support Alternative 3 or another to-bedeveloped solution which would address the concerns I have
!
eJeseribed.
i have reaei ihe ariieie in ihe on-iine Tahoe iriews oR January 27
regarding the recent Park & Recreation Commission meeting on
the project in which you were quoted. I was surprised by the
abruptness of the Commission's decision to approve the EIR
without appearing to discuss or address the negative impacts of
the propo-sal.
Sincerely,
tharies R. GoieimaR
Former Director, Tahoe Research Group
Distinguished Professor of Limnology Emeritus
Senior Advisor, Tahoe Environmental Research Center
Adjunct Professor UNR and DRl, Reno NV
Department of Envrronmental Science and Policy
University of ealifornia, Davis, 95616