November 4, 1970 (12 pages)

% Ey ¢ 4 The Nevada County Nugget, Wednesday, November 4, 1970 Trout anglers are reaping a pioneering wastewater reclamation lake By BOB THARRATT Fisheries Biologist California Department of Fish and Game (A reprint from "Outdoor California”.) The opening of the 1970 trout season may well have marked the beginning of an exciting new era for California fishermen and recreationists. About 900 trout anglers were on hand to try their luck in California's newest "fishing hole," Indian Creek Reservoir, and they were not disappointed. By sundown Sunday of opening weekend more than 1,200 trout averaging nearly 13 inches long and more than one pound each had been creeled by the lucky anglers. Born out. of the Lake Tahoe water controversy, this 160acre Alpine county lake represents the ultimate in the concept of water reutilization and provides a prime example of environmental enhancement through man's technology. Indian Creek Reservoir, situated in the eastern foothills of the Sierra Nevada in Diamond Valley near Markleeville, is the culmination of a 10-year program of the South Tahoe Public Utility District to preserve the clarity of Lake Tahoe. The lake water is reclaimed waste water produced by a tertiary treatment process in one of the world's most advanced wasietreatment plants on Tahoe's south shore. Following treatment, the water is transported through 27 miles of buried 18inch to 24-inch pipeline, including a lift of nearly 1,300 feet over 17,700-foot Luther Pass, to the reservoir site on Indian Creek. The Lake Tahoe pollution control effort began in 1960 when the South Tahoe Public Utility District began operating a conventional secondary treatment plant. The effluent was sprayed on Forest Service and private lands in the basin. While solving the immediate problem of waste treatment, it did not guarantee the higher goal of preventing nutrient enrichment of the lake, which might stimulate algae growth and thus impair for all time the clarity of one of the world's most beautiful fresh water lakes. A program was initiated by the utility district in 1961 to improve the waste treatment process. This work led to the development of advanced wastewater treatment. process which were incorporated into-the plant in 1965. Further additions to the treatment process were added, and the plant was expanded to a total capacity of 7.5 million gallons a day by 1968, \ While the plant expansion was underway, local, state, and federal regulatory agencies and political entities involved made the decision that the only completely safe way to protect Lake Tahoe within existing technology was to export all sewage and solid wastes out of the Tahoe Basin, Work was initiated on the export system, The pipeline was laid from the plant to the reservoir site in Alpine county, a pumping station was built at Luther Pass, and a dam and reservoir were constructed on a small tributary of Indian Creek. The water reclamation plant was completed and in operation in 1968, The effluent water of the Tahoe plant is of very high quality and is generally indistinguishable from water occurring naturally in other lakes. Although it meets Public Health Service standards for -drinking water, recycled water is not now used for domestic purposes-but is used-only for recreation and irri-gation, The high quality of the water is evidenced by the fact that rainbow trout are thriving. The first trout were planted by the Department of Fish and Game in October 1968, but none survived the winter. Apparently the heavy and prolonged winter ice cover led to a series of conditions whereby the lake's oxygen supply was depleted, and the fish suffocated, Additional fish tests were made in 1969 by the DFG, and when it was determined the water was satisBUSINESS . BILLBOARD _=S as E. M. DALPEZ sewer -310 THE GIPSON’S “279-2961 , have been announced by Pacific ‘Gas and Electric Company, The water from Lake Spaulding to project will be undertaken in Deer Creek Powerhouse and the ‘Len Gilbert 111 W. Main P.O. Box 1034 ST., N.C. 265-4501} . Grass Valley, Ca. Ph. 265-6166: factory for trout, the DFG planted 8,000 fingerlings in August, A “preview of coming attractions" was evident in October 1969 when DFG netting revealed that the four-inch fingerlings planted 75 days before were nine inches long! Even more startling was the growth of the smaller fingerlings planted by a DFG airplane at the same time. These rainbow-cutthroat trout hybrids were air dropped at a size more than 400 fish to the pound. When sampled in October, these fish were six inches long and had increased in weight 40 times, averaging nearly two ounces each! Things looked bright indeed for the fishing at Indian Creek, but the winter loomed ahead. Could the fish survive the winter? Technology once again came to the fore. The South Tahoe Public Utility District at the suggestion of the Department of Fish and Game, agreed to install an aeration system in the reservoir to provide oxygen during the freeze-over and. to hasten the breakup of ice once it had formed. The plan included the onshore installation of an enginedriven compressor systém and a series of weighted plastic hoses laid on the re oir bottom. In operations the system would deliver compressed air over the bottoih of the lake, providing oxygen for the fish and causing a gradual circulation of water. Water is heaviest at 39 degrees F., and hence a frozen lake is "warmer" on the bottom than at the surface just under the ice. The circulation of this warm bottom layer to the surface tends to help melt the ice. Indian Creek Reservoir froze over completely near the end of December before the air hoses were installed. It was necessary to break holes in the ice to get the aeration lines in place. The pumps were turned on the first week in January, and within 24 hours the small holes cut in the four-inch-thick ice had enlarged to several feet in diameter. Several fish were observed jumping at: rising air bubbles, and chemical tests throughout the lake revealed that oxygen was plentiful in all areas. The aeration system was doing the job. With continued pumping and a coincident break in the weather, the lake was entirely ice-free in less than two weeks and stayed that way the rest of the winter. Nets were set in the lake in March 1970 to see if the trout had survived. Fat, scrappy rainbow trout to nearly a foot in length attested to the success of the operation, What about the future? : Indian Creek owes its success to the fine cooperation among federal, state, and local agencies. The California Water Commission recently approved recreation grants of $180,000 under the Davis-Grunsky program, administered by the Department of Water Resources, for part of the construction cost of the reservoir project and for the construction of initial water supply and sanitary facilities for the recreation area. The Bureau of Land Management, which administers the project lands, is seeking funds to build and operate the recreational complex consisting of a campground, picnic area, and boat launching ramp. Alpine county plans to construct a new road to the nearby county airport, which will improve access to the lake, All of the above facilities should be in operation within two or three years, . The South Tahoe Public Utility District and its consultants, Clair A, Hill and Associates, have provided assistance in many ways, including project planning, water monitoring, and the aeration system. PG&E plans to rebuild old Spaulding flume Plans to rebuild a 15 to 25 helicopter, according to Ersyear old wooden flume on the kine, who described the area century-old South Yuba Canal below Bear Valley as "virtually system below Lake Spaulding inaccessible to vehicles," The South Yuba Canal carries the spring at a cost of about Nevada Irrigation District inthe $74,000, Grass Valley Nevada City area, Abe Erskine, superintendent . Physical work forces will be of hydroelectric production in from PG&E's general constructhe company's Drum Division, tion department, Erskine said, Said 1,050 feet of deteriorated The project is a part of PG&E's flume will be replaced in the continuing maintenance proCape Horn and Zeibright Mine gram. area with new treated wood . Erskine said work will begin flume, as soon after winter as snow Construction crews will use levels permit safe access to the 101,000 board feet of timber in area. He estimated the project the project. Most ofthe mater* will be completed before midae + ,.dals, will. be flown tothe site by May, 1971, -* . al ee 2 *. '? G CAC ERT EEE R NEP? bh sae 4a PS cee S969) £t0 2) ee eee ee ee ee . Pe ee a Nevada county somewhat reversed the statewide trend toward lower sales duringthe second quarter of 1969 as taxable sales here were up 7.8 per cent. _tion reported today that Nevada — county's 1,032 outlets had $10,104,000 in sales during those three months. For the cities, Grass Valley had $4,477,000 and Nevada City $1,338,000. ene '. Statewide, the physical volume of goods distributed declined from the previous quarter, despite a small increase in taxable transactions. In terms of 1969 — ‘dollars, sales were down about two per cent. This was reported today by Member Paul R, Leake of the State Board of Equaization on releasing a report, Trade Outlets and Taxable Retail Sales in Transactions subject to sales tax reached a second-quarter peak of $10.9 million and surpassed the year~earlier period by 2.7 per cent. This'was the smallest relative advahte since the second quarter of 1967. Bull sale set for Dec. 5 Tahoe Cattlemen's Association will hold its 4th annual Sierra All Breeds Bull Sale Saturday, Dec. 5, The event will be held at Placer County Fairgrounds in Roseville, and is scheduled to start at 11 a.m. Sierra Bull Sale Committee members include: Lou Chamberlain, Auburn; Louis Franceschi, Lincoln; Ad Long, Cool; Ed Leak, Loomis; Ernie Sultan, Lincofn. Assisting the committee are Dave Towns, Bank of America Appraisal Department and Placer Nevada Counties' Farm Advisor Bill Mason. It is anticipated the 75 registered bulls of the Angus, Hereford Polled Hereford, Shorthorn and Brangus breeds -will be consigned by members of the association, Plans are under way for a special afternoon and evening program at the fairgrounds on Friday, Dec. 4, to give prospective buyers an opportunity to view the bulls being offered for sale. Suddenly Bullion FD very busy Bullion Volunteer Fire Department suddenly has become busy. _The volunteers went. 1-1/2 months without any fires, then had two in as many days this week, “nee The latest was Friday, atrash fire in a wood pile next to the Martin Harmon residence on a private road off Highway 49 south of Grass Valley. There was little damage, and the cause is unknown, reports C.L. Glass, fire chief, 9 ae PP RAPP SP oe TLS ee

% Ey ¢ 4 The Nevada County Nugget, Wednesday, November 4, 1970 Trout anglers are reaping a pioneering wastewater reclamation lake By BOB THARRATT Fisheries Biologist California Department of Fish and Game (A reprint from "Outdoor California”.) The opening of the 1970 trout season may well have marked the beginning of an exciting new era for California fishermen and recreationists. About 900 trout anglers were on hand to try their luck in California's newest "fishing hole," Indian Creek Reservoir, and they were not disappointed. By sundown Sunday of opening weekend more than 1,200 trout averaging nearly 13 inches long and more than one pound each had been creeled by the lucky anglers. Born out. of the Lake Tahoe water controversy, this 160acre Alpine county lake represents the ultimate in the concept of water reutilization and provides a prime example of environmental enhancement through man's technology. Indian Creek Reservoir, situated in the eastern foothills of the Sierra Nevada in Diamond Valley near Markleeville, is the culmination of a 10-year program of the South Tahoe Public Utility District to preserve the clarity of Lake Tahoe. The lake water is reclaimed waste water produced by a tertiary treatment process in one of the world's most advanced wasietreatment plants on Tahoe's south shore. Following treatment, the water is transported through 27 miles of buried 18inch to 24-inch pipeline, including a lift of nearly 1,300 feet over 17,700-foot Luther Pass, to the reservoir site on Indian Creek. The Lake Tahoe pollution control effort began in 1960 when the South Tahoe Public Utility District began operating a conventional secondary treatment plant. The effluent was sprayed on Forest Service and private lands in the basin. While solving the immediate problem of waste treatment, it did not guarantee the higher goal of preventing nutrient enrichment of the lake, which might stimulate algae growth and thus impair for all time the clarity of one of the world's most beautiful fresh water lakes. A program was initiated by the utility district in 1961 to improve the waste treatment process. This work led to the development of advanced wastewater treatment. process which were incorporated into-the plant in 1965. Further additions to the treatment process were added, and the plant was expanded to a total capacity of 7.5 million gallons a day by 1968, \ While the plant expansion was underway, local, state, and federal regulatory agencies and political entities involved made the decision that the only completely safe way to protect Lake Tahoe within existing technology was to export all sewage and solid wastes out of the Tahoe Basin, Work was initiated on the export system, The pipeline was laid from the plant to the reservoir site in Alpine county, a pumping station was built at Luther Pass, and a dam and reservoir were constructed on a small tributary of Indian Creek. The water reclamation plant was completed and in operation in 1968, The effluent water of the Tahoe plant is of very high quality and is generally indistinguishable from water occurring naturally in other lakes. Although it meets Public Health Service standards for -drinking water, recycled water is not now used for domestic purposes-but is used-only for recreation and irri-gation, The high quality of the water is evidenced by the fact that rainbow trout are thriving. The first trout were planted by the Department of Fish and Game in October 1968, but none survived the winter. Apparently the heavy and prolonged winter ice cover led to a series of conditions whereby the lake's oxygen supply was depleted, and the fish suffocated, Additional fish tests were made in 1969 by the DFG, and when it was determined the water was satisBUSINESS . BILLBOARD _=S as E. M. DALPEZ sewer -310 THE GIPSON’S “279-2961 , have been announced by Pacific ‘Gas and Electric Company, The water from Lake Spaulding to project will be undertaken in Deer Creek Powerhouse and the ‘Len Gilbert 111 W. Main P.O. Box 1034 ST., N.C. 265-4501} . Grass Valley, Ca. Ph. 265-6166: factory for trout, the DFG planted 8,000 fingerlings in August, A “preview of coming attractions" was evident in October 1969 when DFG netting revealed that the four-inch fingerlings planted 75 days before were nine inches long! Even more startling was the growth of the smaller fingerlings planted by a DFG airplane at the same time. These rainbow-cutthroat trout hybrids were air dropped at a size more than 400 fish to the pound. When sampled in October, these fish were six inches long and had increased in weight 40 times, averaging nearly two ounces each! Things looked bright indeed for the fishing at Indian Creek, but the winter loomed ahead. Could the fish survive the winter? Technology once again came to the fore. The South Tahoe Public Utility District at the suggestion of the Department of Fish and Game, agreed to install an aeration system in the reservoir to provide oxygen during the freeze-over and. to hasten the breakup of ice once it had formed. The plan included the onshore installation of an enginedriven compressor systém and a series of weighted plastic hoses laid on the re oir bottom. In operations the system would deliver compressed air over the bottoih of the lake, providing oxygen for the fish and causing a gradual circulation of water. Water is heaviest at 39 degrees F., and hence a frozen lake is "warmer" on the bottom than at the surface just under the ice. The circulation of this warm bottom layer to the surface tends to help melt the ice. Indian Creek Reservoir froze over completely near the end of December before the air hoses were installed. It was necessary to break holes in the ice to get the aeration lines in place. The pumps were turned on the first week in January, and within 24 hours the small holes cut in the four-inch-thick ice had enlarged to several feet in diameter. Several fish were observed jumping at: rising air bubbles, and chemical tests throughout the lake revealed that oxygen was plentiful in all areas. The aeration system was doing the job. With continued pumping and a coincident break in the weather, the lake was entirely ice-free in less than two weeks and stayed that way the rest of the winter.

Nets were set in the lake in March 1970 to see if the trout had survived. Fat, scrappy rainbow trout to nearly a foot in length attested to the success of the operation, What about the future? : Indian Creek owes its success to the fine cooperation among federal, state, and local agencies. The California Water Commission recently approved recreation grants of $180,000 under the Davis-Grunsky program, administered by the Department of Water Resources, for part of the construction cost of the reservoir project and for the construction of initial water supply and sanitary facilities for the recreation area. The Bureau of Land Management, which administers the project lands, is seeking funds to build and operate the recreational complex consisting of a campground, picnic area, and boat launching ramp. Alpine county plans to construct a new road to the nearby county airport, which will improve access to the lake, All of the above facilities should be in operation within two or three years, . The South Tahoe Public Utility District and its consultants, Clair A, Hill and Associates, have provided assistance in many ways, including project planning, water monitoring, and the aeration system. PG&E plans to rebuild old Spaulding flume Plans to rebuild a 15 to 25 helicopter, according to Ersyear old wooden flume on the kine, who described the area century-old South Yuba Canal below Bear Valley as "virtually system below Lake Spaulding inaccessible to vehicles," The South Yuba Canal carries the spring at a cost of about Nevada Irrigation District inthe $74,000, Grass Valley Nevada City area, Abe Erskine, superintendent . Physical work forces will be of hydroelectric production in from PG&E's general constructhe company's Drum Division, tion department, Erskine said, Said 1,050 feet of deteriorated The project is a part of PG&E's flume will be replaced in the continuing maintenance proCape Horn and Zeibright Mine gram. area with new treated wood . Erskine said work will begin flume, as soon after winter as snow Construction crews will use levels permit safe access to the 101,000 board feet of timber in area. He estimated the project the project. Most ofthe mater* will be completed before midae + ,.dals, will. be flown tothe site by May, 1971, -* . al ee 2 *. '? G CAC ERT EEE R NEP? bh sae 4a PS cee S969) £t0 2) ee eee ee ee ee . Pe ee a Nevada county somewhat reversed the statewide trend toward lower sales duringthe second quarter of 1969 as taxable sales here were up 7.8 per cent. _tion reported today that Nevada — county's 1,032 outlets had $10,104,000 in sales during those three months. For the cities, Grass Valley had $4,477,000 and Nevada City $1,338,000. ene '. Statewide, the physical volume of goods distributed declined from the previous quarter, despite a small increase in taxable transactions. In terms of 1969 — ‘dollars, sales were down about two per cent. This was reported today by Member Paul R, Leake of the State Board of Equaization on releasing a report, Trade Outlets and Taxable Retail Sales in Transactions subject to sales tax reached a second-quarter peak of $10.9 million and surpassed the year~earlier period by 2.7 per cent. This'was the smallest relative advahte since the second quarter of 1967. Bull sale set for Dec. 5 Tahoe Cattlemen's Association will hold its 4th annual Sierra All Breeds Bull Sale Saturday, Dec. 5, The event will be held at Placer County Fairgrounds in Roseville, and is scheduled to start at 11 a.m. Sierra Bull Sale Committee members include: Lou Chamberlain, Auburn; Louis Franceschi, Lincoln; Ad Long, Cool; Ed Leak, Loomis; Ernie Sultan, Lincofn. Assisting the committee are Dave Towns, Bank of America Appraisal Department and Placer Nevada Counties' Farm Advisor Bill Mason. It is anticipated the 75 registered bulls of the Angus, Hereford Polled Hereford, Shorthorn and Brangus breeds -will be consigned by members of the association, Plans are under way for a special afternoon and evening program at the fairgrounds on Friday, Dec. 4, to give prospective buyers an opportunity to view the bulls being offered for sale. Suddenly Bullion FD very busy Bullion Volunteer Fire Department suddenly has become busy. _The volunteers went. 1-1/2 months without any fires, then had two in as many days this week, “nee The latest was Friday, atrash fire in a wood pile next to the Martin Harmon residence on a private road off Highway 49 south of Grass Valley. There was little damage, and the cause is unknown, reports C.L. Glass, fire chief, 9 ae PP RAPP SP oe TLS ee