GARRAPATA CREEK WATERSHED COUNCIL (GCWC) GENERAL MEETING MINUTES 6/17/01

Held at Bill and Bette Nelson’s home on Garrapatos Road. Approx. 26 people attended

Agenda

2 pm Welcome and Updates - Ken Ekelund

History of our community - Martha Diehl

Social Time - 3 pm

Updates from members of the Planning Group

Ken Ekelund: Ken gave a brief overview of what a watershed council is. Councils are non-regulatory and offer a framework for neighbors to work together on issues that affect all. These groups have sprung up all over the state in response to declining salmon populations and water quality concerns; they give residents a voice that state and federal agencies listen to and allow us to receive money that is not available to individual landowners. The council allows us to make decisions based on our concerns, instead of having a solution dictated by government agencies.

Ken talked about the council’s move to become a non-profit corporation. The council has a federal tax ID number. This will not only allow us to accept donations which are tax-deductible but will also allow us to receive money directly from state and federal agencies as well as private foundations.

For the first time, the council is asking for donations to help with our projects. We are raising money for the stream gage project (see below). Up until now, all costs have been borne by members of the Planning Group; this includes becoming a non-profit incorporation, which ran almost $1700.00. Please help if you can. We are especially interested in securing funding for a permanent stream gage, which will cost about $1200 to install.

Ken gave an update on the $54,000 grant that we received from State Fisheries Restoration Grants Program for Pacific Watershed Associates (PWA) to do a Road and Erosion survey. PWA will be in our watershed in the late fall (we hope) and will walk roads on the land of willing landowners. They will come up with a list of areas where erosion should be addressed and also provide free consultation with the landowners about their roads. This survey is required for any restoration project using state funding. Letters are going out to individual landowners who have not signed up explaining the process. Ken showed a map of the watershed and the percentage of the land that is now covered by the survey. It is not too late to sign up. The results will only be used to help the landowner regrade their road and help secure grants for those owners who are interested. Typically, the grants will pay more than 75% of the work and with some creativity; it is possible that it will cost the owner nothing. Call Ken if you have any questions (625-9621).

Ken talked about scientific studies being conducted in the watershed. CSUMB students have taken creek flow measurements and one student is doing a more extensive project on part of the creek at the Garrapata Trout Farm. We have attracted a one-year student project called a Capstone Project which will provide a great deal of information about our stream flow rates and also measure how much sediment is currently I the stream. The most significant part of this project will be the installation of a permanent stream flow gage on the lower Garrapata Creek on the Trout Farm property that will give us for the first time flow information throughout the whole year. Up until now flow data has only provided snapshots.This data is critical to understand how much water we really have and also to determine how long it will take to flush the existing sand and sediment out of the creek.Ken asked for donations to help fund the project, which will include an $800 device and pay some work hours for the student to design and install the gage (total cost about $1200).

Road above Joshua Creek

Several residents asked to be able to speak about the roadwork that has occurred above Joshua Creek over the last year. Concerns were heard about lack of permits, extent of the roadwork, damage to the creek and the potential for large development to occur without the regular process of hearings and oversight.

Lisa Kleissner was not able to attend the meeting but asked Rob Carver to come and answer questions. Rob stated that the county had been notified at the start of the project. At that time they were given the go-ahead to do maintenance on the existing roads. Rob was not sure of all of the details of the project. Rob stated that his partner was the person actually working on this project. He acknowledged that at some point the county did express concerns that the project needed permits and told them to apply for them. Ms. Kleissner was in the process of creating an overall plan for the property. They have 7 parcels that they could be built on but they only intended to build on one of them.

  Many expressed a desire for the council to address the issue. A consensus vote was taken and it was resolved that the council would submit a letter to Supervisor Potter asking him to help residents get answers about lack of permits, ask that environmental damage be addressed, that the need for public hearings and express concern that non-permitted development presents a real danger to efforts to protect the watershed. (Note: a letter was hand delivered to Supervisor Dave Potter on 21 June 2001 expressing these concerns. If you would like to get a copy please contact Ken Ekelund at 625-9621)

History

Martha Diehl gave the introduction. She spoke of her desire to collect information and experience from all parts of the watershed, including the histories of the people who are here or who have been here, so that the eventual Watershed Assessment will provide an accurate picture of the community as well as of the natural environment. She prepared a time-line of major historical events and encouraged people to put in other dates that they knew about. She invited several people who brought photos or historical documents to share with everyone what they had brought, and suggested that eventually this information might be collected for everyone to share either as a small publication or online.

Jeff Norman brought some terrific family photos that were taken in the area; some of these go back to 1912. The most amazing was a photo of the old coast highway bridge area taken in 1912 after the big flood of 1910-1911. He also brought a copy of the County Surveyor map from 1909 and the diary of Ester Ewolfson.

Lloyd Jones had a large amount of material including a video of the Trotter Brothers, articles from 1983 flood and a lot of really interesting photos and maps.

Maureen Maupin brought a bound copy of the Big Sur Gazette from the late 70’s and early 80’s which contained stories about Federalization efforts in Big Sur and countless other stories.

Although she could not make it, Lisa Kleissner provided a history of her house on the point, which was built by Rose Mary Rodgers, a popular author.

The official portion of the meeting was concluded at 3:30 and everyone retired to a great Pot Luck.

We would like to welcome several families who attended their first General Meeting. Hello to Mary Doud Detels, Martin and Lara Detels, Lawrence Miracle and Axina Adlerbert, and Kevin Robinson and family!

 Our Very Special thanks to Bill and Bette Nelson for offering their house for this meeting. Thanks to Lynn Overtree for taking notes!

/Ken Ekelund  29 June 2001

P.S

Garrapata Creek Watershed Council

35811 Highway 1

Monterey CA 93940

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