November 5, 1964 (20 pages)

3 rey S J a > te g 3 ° Oo E) i] ES) > 0 a a ie] ® ei rod ad o Q = > 5 a COUNTY MONITOR & a % WASTES DOWNSTREAM TO CITIES (Editor's Note: This is the third in a four part series on water pollution problems in Nevada County.) By Tilly Hoagland Industrial wasteshave been polluting Nevada County streams ever since the days of hydraulic mining when tons of mud and sand poured down the mountains, over the fertile farming valleys and even clogged major state waterways until navigation was almost impossible. Logging and a fairly new industry, recreation, are heavy contributors to the county's present water pollution problems. Some of this pollution has to be tolerated in the interest of progress but there is no excuse for careless logging practices or unhealthy living conditions among Nevada Irrigation District project workers. Last year a major health menace wascreated in the mountains when 400 NID workers began construction of dams and flumes as part of the $60,000,000 NID hydro-electric and recreation project. Over 100 of these men were living and camping near their work without benefit of any sanitary facilities. All wastes were carried downstream in the drinking water to residents of Nevada City and Grass Valley. * tion, Harold Cox, County Sanitarian, said last November that tests in Jackson Creek showed pollution’ was occurring at the rate of 700,000 coloforms per 100 cubic centimeters of water andthat "we got through this summer (1963) without an outbreak of illness, but I don't know if we will be able to get through next summer”. Jackson Creek feeds directly into Lake Bowman, one of the NID reservoirs, and there were eight cases of hepatitis in a single crew of men working in the mountains this past summer, In conjunction with a County Health Department recommendation, the NID established a labor camp in an open field with sanitary facilities and it seemed the problem was solved. However, few of the men working on the project this past summer used the camp area. They preferred to settle among the trees in the shadeand continued to live pretty much as before. The problem that confronted the Health Department was one of mobilizaIn order to cite the offenders, Cox or a member of the State Water Pollution Control Board had to make a special trip toJackson Meadows, a long journey, plicated task to force men to live in any specific area. and even then it isa com-. The NID, after establishing the camp, had lived up to its end of the bargain and took no further responsibility. Paul Hardeman Inc., prime contractor for the project, took the position that it gives its men a flat fee for living expenses andcan not and will not dictate how they use it. Cox reported recently that things began to improve by the end of the summer when workers joined forces to purchase their own portable sanitary facilities. Happily, there is only a couple of weeks work left on the Jackson Meadows dam and this problem will have solved itself. Jack Witwer, Nevada County Game Warden for the State Department of Fish and Game is ‘faced with the problem of trying to build up or even just maintain the fish population in county rivers, streamsand lakes, Unfortunately, Witwer says, because of the terrific pollution from’construction debris, NID ditch breaks, careless logging practices and sanitary wastes, the fishlife is suffering. Over 200 private dams were constructed last year as part of county Soil Conservation projects and every time oneis built a certain amount of stream disturbance is caused no matter how careful construction workers may be. THIS WAS a clear spring on Deadman Creek until the logging operations started in the area turned it to a mudhole, Then, there is highway construction and the NID project. This situation is simply one that has to be tolerated for a while as heavy construction has become part of our daily life and looks like it is here to stay for some time. However, one day we are going to be faced with the choice of saving our recreation industry or losing it for good. For, once the new NID facilities are finished and opened to the public it will be even more important to keep the lakes and streams clear. RecFURNITURELAND NOW OPEN Berkliner : RECLINERS SWIVEL ROCKERS ROCKERLOUNGERS From. S A 850 USE YOUR BANKAMERICARD OR OUR LAYAWAY PLAN OF COURSE S&H GREEN STAMPS GRASS VALLEY 204 W. Main St. 273-8461 PLENTY OF FREE PARKING reation will loom larger than it does now as our greatest industry and what fisherman wants to travel to a lake filled with dead fish, mud and silt, and what camper will come twice to the banks of a reservoir cluttered with debris? No water pollution article about this county could possibly be complete without a word about logging and its contribution to stream damage. This subject will be discussed next week in the final article in this series. NEVADA CITY 210 Broad St. 265 -4503

3 rey S J a > te g 3 ° Oo E) i] ES) > 0 a a ie] ® ei rod ad o Q = > 5 a COUNTY MONITOR & a % WASTES DOWNSTREAM TO CITIES (Editor's Note: This is the third in a four part series on water pollution problems in Nevada County.) By Tilly Hoagland Industrial wasteshave been polluting Nevada County streams ever since the days of hydraulic mining when tons of mud and sand poured down the mountains, over the fertile farming valleys and even clogged major state waterways until navigation was almost impossible. Logging and a fairly new industry, recreation, are heavy contributors to the county's present water pollution problems. Some of this pollution has to be tolerated in the interest of progress but there is no excuse for careless logging practices or unhealthy living conditions among Nevada Irrigation District project workers. Last year a major health menace wascreated in the mountains when 400 NID workers began construction of dams and flumes as part of the $60,000,000 NID hydro-electric and recreation project. Over 100 of these men were living and camping near their work without benefit of any sanitary facilities. All wastes were carried downstream in the drinking water to residents of Nevada City and Grass Valley. * tion, Harold Cox, County Sanitarian, said last November that tests in Jackson Creek showed pollution’ was occurring at the rate of 700,000 coloforms per 100 cubic centimeters of water andthat "we got through this summer (1963) without an outbreak of illness, but I don't know if we will be able to get through next summer”. Jackson Creek feeds directly into Lake Bowman, one of the NID reservoirs, and there were eight cases of hepatitis in a single crew of men working in the mountains this past summer, In conjunction with a County Health Department recommendation, the NID established a labor camp in an open field with sanitary facilities and it seemed the problem was solved. However, few of the men working on the project this past summer used the camp area. They preferred to settle among the trees in the shadeand continued to live

pretty much as before. The problem that confronted the Health Department was one of mobilizaIn order to cite the offenders, Cox or a member of the State Water Pollution Control Board had to make a special trip toJackson Meadows, a long journey, plicated task to force men to live in any specific area. and even then it isa com-. The NID, after establishing the camp, had lived up to its end of the bargain and took no further responsibility. Paul Hardeman Inc., prime contractor for the project, took the position that it gives its men a flat fee for living expenses andcan not and will not dictate how they use it. Cox reported recently that things began to improve by the end of the summer when workers joined forces to purchase their own portable sanitary facilities. Happily, there is only a couple of weeks work left on the Jackson Meadows dam and this problem will have solved itself. Jack Witwer, Nevada County Game Warden for the State Department of Fish and Game is ‘faced with the problem of trying to build up or even just maintain the fish population in county rivers, streamsand lakes, Unfortunately, Witwer says, because of the terrific pollution from’construction debris, NID ditch breaks, careless logging practices and sanitary wastes, the fishlife is suffering. Over 200 private dams were constructed last year as part of county Soil Conservation projects and every time oneis built a certain amount of stream disturbance is caused no matter how careful construction workers may be. THIS WAS a clear spring on Deadman Creek until the logging operations started in the area turned it to a mudhole, Then, there is highway construction and the NID project. This situation is simply one that has to be tolerated for a while as heavy construction has become part of our daily life and looks like it is here to stay for some time. However, one day we are going to be faced with the choice of saving our recreation industry or losing it for good. For, once the new NID facilities are finished and opened to the public it will be even more important to keep the lakes and streams clear. RecFURNITURELAND NOW OPEN Berkliner : RECLINERS SWIVEL ROCKERS ROCKERLOUNGERS From. S A 850 USE YOUR BANKAMERICARD OR OUR LAYAWAY PLAN OF COURSE S&H GREEN STAMPS GRASS VALLEY 204 W. Main St. 273-8461 PLENTY OF FREE PARKING reation will loom larger than it does now as our greatest industry and what fisherman wants to travel to a lake filled with dead fish, mud and silt, and what camper will come twice to the banks of a reservoir cluttered with debris? No water pollution article about this county could possibly be complete without a word about logging and its contribution to stream damage. This subject will be discussed next week in the final article in this series. NEVADA CITY 210 Broad St. 265 -4503