WHAT'S NEW:
07-03-2008 Summer Newsletter 2008
04-03-2008 Spring Newsletter

Newsletters

Winter 2008: Inside this Issue

Looking Forward in 2008
A letter from our President: Dear Friends: Your support as a Friend of the Napa River has produced some exciting results and paved the way for more! During the past year, we organized and participated in many educational activities related to the river including: the In-School Watershed Education Program, the 3rd Annual "Celebrate the River" Spring Festival at the Napa Valley Yacht Club, Earth Day, and the Flyway Festival. We reviewed and contributed to Flood Control measures and the designs of new development along the Napa River, integrating the River Trail in Napa, American Canyon and Yountville. In St. Helena, we joined council member Eric Sklar, Napa Supervisor Diane Dillon and Congressman Mike Thompson in a meeting with State Senator Barbara Boxer in support of the local flood control project and its federal funding.
We have welcomed two new members to your Board of Directors, Arvis Northrop and Tim Yarish, who have immersed themselves in the publicity and governance of our organization. Unfortunately, we also lost two long-standing members of our Advisory Board. Vince DeDomenico, a founding member of Friends, passed away on October 18, followed a few weeks later by his wife, Mildred. We will miss them dearly as well as their personal involvement and staunch support of the River Festival. When the corporation, Dey L.P., our major donor, was sold, we were concerned that FONR would lose the support of CEO, Mel Engle. Fortunately, he graciously accepted an invitation to remain as a personal "friend of Friends" on the Advisory board. Good luck and welcome back, Mel!
In 2008 we expect to celebrate our two key events on the newly restored downtown river front. May 10th is our Spring Festival and on the Labor Day weekend, August 31st, the community's beloved "Take me to the River" Festival with the Napa Valley Symphony. These celebrations and a new series of member events will be your opportunity to meet other river friends, learn more about river issues and choose your level of personal activity. Happy New Year & here's to a river friendly 2008!
Bernhard Krevet, President
PS: Please don't forget to upgrade or renew your membership donation for 2008!

NEW! Members and guests are invited to a series of presentations designed to share knowledge about the Napa River and our community. Our First "Open House" Presentation: TUESDAY, JANUARY 22nd 6:30pm to 7:30pm Friends of the Napa River Office 68 S. Coombs Street, Napa FONR is proud to present: Water: H2O A short documentary produced by Alisa Koos, Lena Bailo-Lape and Gwen Von Klan From New Tech High School Join us for more river and environmental topics and refreshments! Call 254-8520 for more information

UPCOMING EVENTS
MARK YOUR CALENDAR! Spring Celebration set for Saturday, May 10, 2008 Exciting new developments to rejoice! The 2008 Spring Celebration will be held at the Hatt Mill Plaza and other locations along the River, celebrating our magnificent downtown riverfront promenade. Come enjoy the food and music! Bring the whole family for fun activities, educational displays and a river themed art exhibit by students from local schools. More exciting features are anticipated as the planning progresses. Volunteers needed! Please call Shari Gardner at 254-8520 or email friends@friendsofthenapariver.org to participate in making this year's Spring Celebration a huge success!

Earth Day River Cleanup, April 19, 2008
Celebrate Earth Day this year by helping clean up the Napa River. The Napa Resource Conservation District is coordinating a morning River Cleanup on Earth Day, Saturday April 19th . Friends of the Napa River will host the cleanup efforts along the Flood Plain Terraces on the east side of the river (near the animal shelter.) Join us before heading to the Earth Day celebration at the Napa Valley College. Call 254-8520 for more information.

Friends of the Napa River Hosts Weed Removal Parties! Various locations along the river
Volunteers are needed! There will be ongoing weed removal maintenance up and down the Napa River. A great reason to have a party! We are calling out to FONR members to come enjoy some time along the river, taking care of the vegetation (aka, pulling weeds!) and getting to know your fellow Friends of the Napa River. We're keeping a list of all interested volunteers to notify for the various dates and locations. To get on the list please call the office: 707-254-8520; or email friends@friendsofthenapariver.org

Volunteer Opportunities
Volunteers are needed! Conservation clean-up projects, the Spring Festival, the Annual River Festival and more. These are perfect opportunities to get involved with the organization and meet other members. And the more the merrier! If you have ideas for events or get-togethers, want to share your knowledge and passion for the river, and want to see more people involved in our conservation and organization, we welcome your inquiries and volunteer spirit! We are looking forward to hearing from YOU!
For information contact the FONR Office: 707-254-8520 or email friends@friendsofthenapariver.org


American Canyon Projects
by Barry Christian, FONR Board Member Although the Napa River flows near the entire western boundary of the City of American Canyon, there has not been any public access for walking, fishing, kayaking, bird watching, or just sitting and enjoying the Napa River. Maybe that situation is about to change. Three projects in the planning stages could have a major effect. The purchase of 16,000 acres of Salt Ponds by the State of California has resulted in a restoration plan by the State Department of Fish and Game for the former Cargill Salt Plant Site at the end of Green Island Road (near the Brazos Railroad Bridge), and 1400 acres of salt ponds extending south to the City of American Canyon. The restoration plan provides for public trails along parts of the levee, along with a kayak launch-site at the Green Island site. The plan has been approved by the Bay Conservation and Development Commission. For more details, visit: http://www.southbayrestoration.org/ Napa%20Plant.html. John Woodbury, Director for the newly formed Napa County Regional Park and Open Space District, obtained a grant for $85,000 from the California Coastal Conservancy to study the feasibility of a Napa River Trail between the cities of Napa and American Canyon, utilizing some of the levees of the Salt Pond Restoration Project. That study has been completed, and further efforts are underway. Information about the County Park District can be found on Napa County's website at : http: //www.co.napa.ca.us/GOV/ Departments/DeptPage.asp?DID=17500&LID=1373 . In 2005 the City of American Canyon created an Open Space Advisory Committee. The committee, with help from City Manager Rich Ramirez and Community Services Director Randy Davis, recommended expanding the Napa County River Trail Study, resulting in a recently approved engineering and implementation plan for local public access to the Napa River in American Canyon. The plan will utilize the City's Constructed Wetlands parcel and a grant from the federal SAFETEA-LU program for up to $800,000. Thank you Friends of the Napa River for all the advice and support on these projects.

FONR review Projects
By Francie Winnen, FONR Board Member Napa County General Plan Update - FONR has been involved in the process by attending meetings, reviewing documents, and submitting comments. Bernhard Krevet, Francie Winnen, Roger Hartwell, Barry Christian, Myrna Abramowitz, David Graves, Jim Hench, Tim Yarish and Moira Johnson Block have all worked on the effort. A revised draft plan was published Dec 3, 2007 and can be found on the Napa County website. The current draft appears to be much more complete and sensitive document to guide the county's future. The next meeting regarding the General Plan Update is a joint meeting of the Planning Commission and the Board of Supervisors on Tuesday Jan 15, 2008 at the Lincoln Theater. River Trail in downtown. Work continues on the river trail from the First Street bridge down around the Hatt Mill. An early spring 2008 completion is expected. The flood wall with the cantilevered river trail along the river side is nearly complete. FONR is very appreciative of all the efforts made by Harry Price, Mike DiSimoni, and Congressman Mike Thompson to make this location a reality. Harry has worked for years to get the trail to be on the river instead of through the parking lot. With the help of the two Mikes and Bernhard, Harry was able to convince the Army Corps of Engineers that his plan was very doable. This section of the river trail will be a tremendous asset to the Napa downtown area. Ritz Carlton Hotel project. The owner/developer of the project Brad Weiser presented his plans to FONR in November 2007. The urban riverfront review team has been working on comments regarding the preliminary plans that we were given. While the consensus is that the project is far superior to the plans previously approved for this site, there are areas of concern. We need to review how the final project will impact the river and the river trail interfaces, neighborhood flooding possibilities, increased traffic, employee housing and parking needs, event parking, and massing and scale along Silverado Trail, to name a few. We look forward to working with the owner, the city, and the community to find solutions for these issues.




Historical Ecology

By Shari Gardner, Historical Ecology Researcher Over the past several years, FONR has collaborated with the San Francisco Estuary Institute (SFEI) to research the historical Napa Valley landscape. Maps, photographs, journals, record books, land grant court cases, surveys and myriad other sources have been collected from far and wide and scrutinized. The data collection has been largely completed, producing a diverse array of information about local landscape conditions at the time of Euro-American settlement (circa early 1800's) and the changes that have occurred since. The challenge remaining is to synthesize this mass of information into a useful format.
One example of an exciting find from our historical ecology research was the family photo album of W. W. Lyman, shared with us by his great-nephew, Bill Lyman. The album contained photographs Lyman took of his family's land north of St. Helena (Bale Mill) between 1900 and 1910. The photographs, combined with W. W. Lyman's memoirs, proved an insightful compliment to the information already gathered. These photos of the Napa Valley near Mill Creek, taken around 1905, depict the once common valley oak savanna in the background and wet meadow in the foreground.
Further evidence for the wet meadow is provided by W. W. Lyman in his memoirs: "The Ranch contained two large fields lying between the highway and railroad track. One of these, containing some fifty acres, bordered the highway. It was called the "Wet Field" and was used only for pasturage. The name was derived from the fact that a lot of water from the western hills entered it and also because under portions of it there was a stratum of bedrock which prevented the winter rains from being entirely absorbed." As the historical landscape of the Napa Valley is gradually being pieced together, patterns of habitat type are emerging. Large areas of wet meadow were common in the Napa Valley at the base of alluvial fans and behind natural levees along the river. A mosaic of other wetland habitats throughout the valley included vernal pools, alkali meadows, tule marshes, and willow groves. The Napa River had a more complex and dynamic course, responding to surrounding land features. Some of the creeks maintained well-defined channels that connected to the Napa River, while others dissipated on the valley floor except during times of high flow. On the valley floor, valley oaks were a dominant feature, used as survey markers and frequently noted in early documents for their effect on the scenery. Land surveyor John Russell Bartlett wrote of his 1852 visit to the Napa Valley: "It is now studded with gigantic oaks, some of them evergreen [live oaks], though not so close together as to render it necessary to cut away to prepare the land for cultivation. These magnificent oaks are found sometimes in long lines and again in clusters of twenty or thirty, forming beautiful groves: then again a space of ten or twenty acres will occur without a single tree."
The end goal of this effort is to build a better understanding of our native landscapes and the changes that have shaped them. This heightened awareness can inspire stewardship, inform restoration efforts and guide conservation planning. Historical ecology will be directly useful to the development of a watershed management strategy for the Napa River watershed.
In 2008, Friends of the Napa River, San Francisco Estuary Institute and the Napa County Resource Conservation District hope to collaborate on a richly illustrated publication making the findings of the multiyear Napa River Watershed Historical Ecology Study widely accessible. Illustrated with dozens of rarely seen historical images, the Atlas will make watershed habitats and functions accessible to a wide audience. FONR can use the Atlas content in our watershed education program. The fascinating and useful Napa Historical Ecology Atlas will celebrate the natural heritage of Napa Valley and support current restoration planning efforts throughout the valley.



News and Views



NEW! NAPA VALLEY PADDLERS
There's a new group of kayak and canoe paddlers with a handy way to connect online. The group is called the "Napa Valley Paddlers"
and their purpose is to connect with other paddlers, explore and have fun on the water. From the group website paddlers can post trips,
but must be aware that there are no leaders. Each participant is responsible for his own safety and welfare.

This group was coordinated by several current Friends of the Napa River members. Check out the group and join in the fun!
For more information and to join, email: Owner-napavalleypaddlers@group.mac.com



Do you have information or news you'd like to share about the Napa River, its members or yourself for future newsletters?
Would you like to share your photos from Napa River excursions or past events?
We're also looking for historic or vintage family photos on the river.

We'd like to see and hear from all members of the Friends of the Napa River.
If you'd like to share your stories and/or photos please email them to:
friends@friendsofthenapariver.org
Please include your name and any captions you'd like to include with photos. Thank You!





In-school Watershed Education Program
An update from Kent Ruppert, Curriculum Developer and FONR Board Member
The popularity of the In-school Watershed Program continues to surpass all of the previous six years. Even though we are less than halfway through the current school year, I have conducted presentations during the months of August—December, 45 lessons to 420 students at 10 elementary schools. Most exciting is that half of the schools will have entire grade levels participating. Some schools will have two years of continuous watershed education and El Centro Elementary School has the honor of having all three grade levels (3rd, 4th, 5th) participate in the program! Being with the same students for two to three years creates a continuous flow of information and a special bond with the students that enhances their appreciation for the natural world.
An Intern for Friends

Gwendolyn Von Klan is a senior at New Tech High School in Napa. Last fall she began an internship at the Friends of the Napa River office. She works closely with Shari Gardner, the FONR Office Manager.
A 50-hour internship is a graduation requirement for seniors at New Tech High. Gwen approached FONR for the opportunity because of her "passion for the environment and thirst for knowledge about local issues." Together, Gwen and Shari set three goals for Gwen's work at FONR: to help update the FONR website to better accommodate members, assist with the Historical Ecology Study, and work on the coordination of the Spring Festival in May. All of these projects enhance Gwen's personal education and future career goals, as Gwen noted:
"A personal goal of mine has been to teach my peers about FONR and advertise the May event to the student body. As the Director of Activities, I will make a video or slideshow to show at all-school meetings. I'm also president of a club called Terra Mater (Mother Earth), and I hope to involve the club members in the May event somehow because I think it would be a great opportunity for New Tech to learn more about the river."
As a project for her Political Science class, Gwen and her classmates, Alisa Koos and Lena Bailo-Lape have produced a ten-minute documentary entitled "Water-H2O". Gwen explains, " We chose to focus on people's impact on water both in the home and on local natural resources, because we feel people should use water efficiently and respectably as it is the foundation of our lives and home of countless life forms. We interviewed three people: Pat Costello of the City of Napa Water Conservation District, Jonathan Koehler of the Flood District of Napa, and of course Shari Gardner. We learned that Napa gets its water from Lake Hennessey and Lake Milliken and about new appliances that help conserve water. We also became educated on positive impacts, such as planting native flowers and the new flood plan, and negative impacts, like fertilizers and human waste, on the river."
Shari Gardner and Bernard Krevet have acknowledged Gwen's "fresh perspective and positive attitude." In addition to her administrative duties, Gwen has proved to be a valuable asset to Friends of the Napa River!


New Membership Committee and a Call for Volunteers

A Membership Committee has been formed to develop methods to increase membership and broaden communications to the existing members. Heading up this committee is the new Membership Chairperson, Arvis Northrop, with committee member Shari Gardner. We need one more person to volunteer as a third member of this committee. The Membership committee will brain-storm together and develop fun and informative member events throughout the year. At this time we expect the term of office to be one year to work together on coordinating member events, soliciting support from existing members for volunteer projects, and more as develops.
Please email Arvis Northrop about this committee at: arvis@ecotravelconnections.com

Volunteers are needed! Conservation clean-up projects, the Spring Festival, the Annual River Festival and more. These are perfect opportunities to get involved with the organization and meet other members. And the more the merrier! If you have ideas for events or get-togethers, want to share your knowledge and passion for the river, and want to see more people involved in our conservation and organization, we welcome your inquiries and volunteer spirit!

Send all inquiries to friends@friendsofthenapariver.org or call the office: 707-254-8520. We are looking forward to hearing from YOU!

Friends of the Napa River Board Meetings are held the 1st Monday of every month at 5:30 p.m. at our office: 68 Coombs St. Bldg B in Napa. The public is welcome.
Call our office for details: 707-254-8520

 
About Friends  |   In The News  |   Projects  |   Newsletters  |   Links  |   Contact  |   Calendar  

Copyright 2008 Friends of the Napa River info@friendsofthenapariver.org | Admin