This is long but important! Rubicon is legendary!
Hey all,
Here's some more information regarding the Rubicon trail problems.
Just trying to keep everyone up to date. Feel free to pass this along
to
anyone else.
This is from the California Assn. of 4 Wheel Drive Clubs Natural
Resources
Consultant Don Klusman.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
CLARIFICATION OF THE RUBICON ISSUE
HISTORY
The California Association of 4-Wheel Drive Clubs (CA4WDC) has been
working
closely with the U.S. Forest Service, Placer County, and the Lahontan
Water
Control Board since the late 1970's on issues surrounding the
McKinney-Rubicon Road in the Lake Tahoe Basin. The goal of this
collaborative
effort has always been to insure recreational access and to protect the
water
quality of Lake Tahoe.
Planning in the early 1980's for a basin-wide effort to improve the
water
quality entering Lake Tahoe included water shed improvements along the
McKinney-Rubicon Road. These improvements were funded by State of
California
Bond Acts, OHV Trust Fund dollars (Greensticker funds as some of us
refer to
it) as well as Placer County. The improvements along this route included
the
construction of rolling dips, water bars, rock-lined ditches, sediment
basins, hardened water crossings, and rockwork structures as well as the
bridge over McKinney Creek just below the staging area. These
improvements
remove sediment and decrease vehicle interaction with watercourses. As a
provision of receiving the funding, Placer County agreed to maintain
these
improvements for a minimum twenty-year period (1986-2006).
In the mid 1990's the Lahontan Water Quality Control Board (who have
authority over all water quality issues in the Tahoe Basin) became
concerned
with the deterioration and lack of maintenance of these water quality
improvements. Funded by the OHV Trust Fund, Placer County, and federal
monies
applied for and received by CA4WDC, the county embarked on the
maintenance of
these improvements. Additionally there were concerns from private
property
owners about tow vehicle parking, and people doing "highway readiness"
activities in the Homewood subdivision. There were also concerns from
the OHV
community about the accessibility and safety of the staging area located
one
mile in on the route. It was determined that the best course of action
was to
pave the route from the subdivision to the staging area and handle all
run-off using culverts under the roadway. This process took two years
which
included the maintenance and/or reconstruction of all the improvements
between the staging area and the rim of the basin.
The Lahontan Water Quality Control Board still had great concerns about
two
issues along the route. They were travel during high run-off periods and
the
overflow through the flood plane just east of the McKinney Creek bridge.
CA4WDC again applied for and received a federal grant to fund
improvements
constructed by Placer County in this short section of the route. To
minimize
route travel during high run-off periods, Lahontan and the Forest
Service
felt a gate was the best management option. Placer County disagreed with
a
gate and, instead, an agreement was reached to pile snow from the
snowplowing
of the Homewood subdivision at the entrance/exit at the Homewood end.
This
snowpile concept has been a successful management tool for seven
winters. As
part of this agreement, CA4WDC and the OHV Division of State Parks have
publicized and developed educational material to inform area users to
please
keep vehicles off this route during high run-off periods.
Lahontan Water Quality Control Board has called the paving and flood
plane
improvement projects "the most significant water quality projects in the
last
ten years for the Tahoe Basin".
It is extremely difficult to traverse the Rubicon Trail above Cadillac
Hill
until the main spring thaw and run-off has occurred. Access to the trail
is
usually blocked at the west end by snow between Ellis Creek and Spider
Lake
until such time as the snow has melted above Cadillac Hill. The section
of
the McKinney Road in the Tahoe Basin running from the subdivision just
below
Miller Lake is considered by the 4-wheel drive community as ingress and
egress for the "true" Rubicon Trail. The trail between Wentworth
Springs/Loon
Lake and Hundred Dollar Hole above Cadillac Hill lies completely outside
the
Lake Tahoe water shed. There are many recreational demands along the
route
within the Lake Tahoe Basin other than the 4-wheel drive community, i.e.
mountain bikers, hikers, hunters, fishermen, sightseers, as well as
private
property owners whose accesses emanate from this route.
THE CURRENT CONDITION
Placer County received a letter in December 2000 from Lahontan Water
Control
board of Notice of Violation of Cease and Desist Order Against Placer
County
for Discharging and Threatening to Discharge Wastes From the McKinney
Springs
Road to McKinney Creek. Placer County was thereby put on notice that
Lahontan
Water Quality Control Board feels that Placer County has not performed
its
duty as rendered to ease the run-off and sedimentation off the route and
has
required Placer County to address these issues.
This has brought a renewed call from Lahontan, the Forest Service, and
several environmental groups to gate the route to stop traffic from
accessing
the route until the high run-off period is completed. Placer County has
not
agreed to a gate.
WHERE DO WE GO FROM HERE?
-The OHV community must continue to recognize the sensitivity of the
issue of
clarity of Lake Tahoe. We must remain supportive of Placer County's
efforts
to insure and enhance water quality through the ongoing maintenance
and/or
improvements of the water quality projects along this route.
-The entire OHV community must actively educate and enlighten the public
about the need to limit travel on this route during high run-off
periods.
-We must encourage Placer County to apply for maintenance grant funding
through the OHV Program. There are from time to time other funding
sources
both state and federal available. We need to support such funding grants
when
brought before bodies such as the Tahoe Regional Planning Agency, the
OHV
Commission, the Board of Supervisors, as well as other elected
officials.
-CA4WDC has and continues to oppose the construction of a gate on
several
grounds. A gate would create a danger and safety issue for over the snow
travel as well as access for snow related activities. A gate would
create a
"no man's" land for people who have traversed the trail from the west.
Without the ability to reach Highway 89 it would encourage people to
either
pioneer a route around the gate or return uphill doubling the impact on
the
route. The potential for arbitrary and contentious seasonal closures
would
place a high level of uncertainty of the public's ability to use this
route.
-Snow banks have been an effective management tool to keep travel to a
minimum on this route during high run-off periods. CA4WDC feels strongly
that
Placer County should continue to use snow banks as a resource protection
management tool.
-Common sense, the natural snow melt, and increased user education is
the
answer to vehicle management along this route, not a gate.
-There are two old log landings along the route near Miller Lake that
have
come "unstitched". Research should be done to find out if there are long
term
maintenance agreements on these areas. If not, Placer County should
develop a
plan to address these areas including funding requirements. The OHV
community
should work cooperatively with the County to seek funding for these
projects.
-There have been some minor parallel route proliferation along this
route
used primarily by mountain bikers and ATV's. These should be blocked and
posted to insure that additional erosion does not occur.
-We would hope that all OHV groups heed the call to work on a pragmatic
solution to these issues and continue to work with the Placer County
Public
Works Department and other agencies. Together we can manage this route
for
the maximum public enjoyment as well as resource and environmental
protection.
SUMMATION
CA4WDC staff and volunteers have spent thousands of hours in meetings,
work
groups, OHV Commission activities, and Forest Service workshops. Our
continued involvement in Rubicon related issues has helped insure public
access for more than forty years. We are by no means the only group
working
these issues. This is but one of many pressing issues facing the Rubicon
Trail. It is time to put together a group comprised of various concerned
user
groups to work on these issues. We will be far more effective as a
combined
voice. CA4WDC would take whatever role, leader, facilitator, member, or
advisor for such a group.
The upcoming meetings are extremely important to set the tone for future
management. Placer County has in the past rejected the idea of gates and
seasonal closures by date. We need to encourage them to continue this
policy.
I hope this has sheds some light on this important issue.
Don Klusman, Natural Resource Consultant for CA4WDC
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Steve Sampson
See my ALL NEW Jeep & Club sites!
http://mendocino4x4.org/members/sampson/index.html
http://www.mendocino4x4.org
Subject:
Rubicon
Date:
Sat, 24 Mar 2001 09:22:45 -0800
From:
"Don Klusman" <klusman@SYIX.com>
To:
"The Bond's" <bond@calinet.com>, "Sylvia Milligan"
<smilligan@shastalink.k12.ca.us>,
"Steve Sampson" <Sampson4wd@aol.com>, "Steve Nolan"
<jeepnsn@home.com>,
"rusty folena" <moose@d-web.com>, "Robert Reed" <nd-vp@home.com>,
"Ray DeLong" <raydelong@ncws.com>, "Pete & Peggy Cocores"
<pcocores@oakweb.com>,
"Pat and Mike Bashore" <patnmike@neworld.net>, "Ole & Sherry
Stortroen" <ole1@earthlink.net>,
"Lisa Wegman" <wegwoman@excite.com>, "John Stewart"
<jhstewart1@home.com>,
"Jeri Ferguson" <Jeriferg@aol.com>, "Jeff Shippen"
<jeepnjeff@pon.net>,
"Gary Johnson" <garyj@calweb.com>,
CLARIFICATION OF THE RUBICON ISSUE
<?xml:namespace prefix = o ns =
"urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" />
HISTORY
The California Association of 4-Wheel Drive Clubs (CA4WDC) has been
working closely with the U.S. Forest Service, Placer County, and the
Lahontan Water
Control Board since the late 1970’s on issues surrounding the
McKinney-Rubicon Road in the Lake Tahoe Basin. The goal of this
collaborative effort has always
been to insure recreational access and to protect the water quality of
Lake Tahoe.
Planning in the early 1980’s for a basin-wide effort to improve the
water quality entering Lake Tahoe included water shed improvements along
the
McKinney-Rubicon Road. These improvements were funded by State of
California Bond Acts, OHV Trust Fund dollars (Greensticker funds as some
of us refer to
it) as well as Placer County. The improvements along this route included
the construction of rolling dips, water bars, rock-lined ditches,
sediment basins, hardened
water crossings, and rockwork structures as well as the bridge over
McKinney Creek just below the staging area. These improvements remove
sediment and
decrease vehicle interaction with watercourses. As a provision of
receiving the funding, Placer County agreed to maintain these
improvements for a minimum
twenty-year period (1986-2006).
In the mid 1990’s the Lahontan Water Quality Control Board (who have
authority over all water quality issues in the Tahoe Basin) became
concerned with the
deterioration and lack of maintenance of these water quality
improvements. Funded by the OHV Trust Fund, Placer County, and federal
monies applied for and
received by CA4WDC, the county embarked on the maintenance of these
improvements. Additionally there were concerns from private property
owners about
tow vehicle parking, and people doing “highway readiness” activities in
the Homewood subdivision. There were also concerns from the OHV
community about the
accessibility and safety of the staging area located one mile in on the
route. It was determined that the best course of action was to pave the
route from the
subdivision to the staging area and handle all run-off using culverts
under the roadway. This process took two years which included the
maintenance and/or
reconstruction of all the improvements between the staging area and the
rim of the basin.
The Lahontan Water Quality Control Board still had great concerns about
two issues along the route. They were travel during high run-off periods
and the overflow
through the flood plane just east of the McKinney Creek bridge. CA4WDC
again applied for and received a federal grant to fund improvements
constructed by
Placer County in this short section of the route. To minimize route
travel during high run-off periods, Lahontan and the Forest Service felt
a gate was the best
management option. Placer County disagreed with a gate and, instead, an
agreement was reached to pile snow from the snowplowing of the Homewood
subdivision at the entrance/exit at the Homewood end. This snowpile
concept has been a successful management tool for seven winters. As part
of this agreement,
CA4WDC and the OHV Division of State Parks have publicized and developed
educational material to inform area users to please keep vehicles off
this route
during high run-off periods.
Lahontan Water Quality Control Board has called the paving and flood
plane improvement projects “the most significant water quality projects
in the last ten years
for the Tahoe Basin”.
It is extremely difficult to traverse the Rubicon Trail above Cadillac
Hill until the main spring thaw and run-off has occurred. Access to the
trail is usually blocked at
the west end by snow between Ellis Creek and Spider Lake until such time
as the snow has melted above Cadillac Hill. The section of the McKinney
Road in the
Tahoe Basin running from the subdivision just below Miller Lake is
considered by the 4-wheel drive community as ingress and egress for the
“true” Rubicon Trail.
The trail between Wentworth Springs/Loon Lake and Hundred Dollar Hole
above Cadillac Hill lies completely outside the Lake Tahoe water shed.
There are many
recreational demands along the route within the Lake Tahoe Basin other
than the 4-wheel drive community, i.e. mountain bikers, hikers, hunters,
fishermen,
sightseers, as well as private property owners whose accesses emanate
from this route.
THE CURRENT CONDITION
Placer County received a letter in December 2000 from Lahontan Water
Control Board of Notice of Violation of Cease and Desist Order Against
Placer
County for Discharging and Threatening to Discharge Wastes From the
McKinney Springs Road to McKinney Creek. Placer County was thereby put
on
notice that Lahontan Water Quality Control Board feels that Placer
County has not performed its duty as rendered to ease the run-off and
sedimentation off the
route and has required Placer County to address these issues.
This has brought a renewed call from Lahontan, the Forest Service, and
several environmental groups to gate the route to stop traffic from
accessing the route until
the high run-off period is completed. Placer County has not agreed to a
gate.
WHERE DO WE GO FROM HERE?
· The OHV community must continue to recognize the sensitivity of
the issue of clarity of Lake Tahoe. We must remain supportive of Placer
County’s efforts to
insure and enhance water quality through the ongoing maintenance and/or
improvements of the water quality projects along this route.
· The entire OHV community must actively educate and enlighten
the public about the need to limit travel on this route during high
run-off periods.
· We must encourage Placer County to apply for maintenance grant
funding through the OHV Program. There are from time to time other
funding sources both
state and federal available. We need to support such funding grants when
brought before bodies such as the Tahoe Regional Planning Agency, the
OHV
Commission, the Board of Supervisors, as well as other elected
officials.
· CA4WDC has and continues to oppose the construction of a gate
on several grounds. A gate would create a danger and safety issue for
over the snow travel
as well as access for snow related activities. A gate would create a “no
man’s” land for people who have traversed the trail from the west.
Without the ability to
reach Highway 89 it would encourage people to either pioneer a route
around the gate or return uphill doubling the impact on the route. The
potential for arbitrary
and contentious seasonal closures would place a high level of
uncertainty of the public’s ability to use this route.
· Snow banks have been an effective management tool to keep
travel to a minimum on this route during high run-off periods. CA4WDC
feels strongly that
Placer County should continue to use snow banks as a resource protection
management tool.
· Common sense, the natural snow melt, and increased user
education is the answer to vehicle management along this route, not a
gate.
· There are two old log landings along the route near Miller Lake
that have come “unstitched”. Research should be done to find out if
there are long term
maintenance agreements on these areas. If not, Placer County should
develop a plan to address these areas including funding requirements.
The OHV community
should work cooperatively with the County to seek funding for these
projects.
· There have been some minor parallel route proliferation along
this route used primarily by mountain bikers and ATV’s. These should be
blocked and posted
to insure that additional erosion does not occur.
· We would hope that all OHV groups heed the call to work on a
pragmatic solution to these issues and continue to work with the Placer
County Public
Works Department and other agencies. Together we can manage this route
for the maximum public enjoyment as well as resource and environmental
protection.
SUMMATION
CA4WDC staff and volunteers have spent thousands of hours in meetings,
work groups, OHV Commission activities, and Forest Service workshops.
Our
continued involvement in Rubicon related issues has helped insure public
access for more than forty years. We are by no means the only group
working these
issues. This is but one of many pressing issues facing the Rubicon
Trail. It is time to put together a group comprised of various concerned
user groups to work on
these issues. We will be far more effective as a combined voice. CA4WDC
would take whatever role, leader, facilitator, member, or advisor for
such a group.
The upcoming meetings are extremely important to set the tone for future
management. Placer County has in the past rejected the idea of gates and
seasonal
closures by date. We need to encourage them to continue this policy.
I hope this has sheds some light on this important issue.
Don Klusman, Natural Resource Consultant for CA4WDC
66 Coronet 440 400-4 727
73 Swinger /6 A999
Powermac G4 400
Powerbook 3400
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