Jun 11 2010
Casitas Lake Fence Letter
June 11, 2010
To: Mr Jack Collins, Bureau of Reclamation, jwcollins@usbr.gov,
Re: Construction by Lake Casitas Municipal Water District of new six foot chain link fence topped with barbed wire tilted inward, along Santa Ana Rd. from Highway 150 to Lake Casitas Dam
It is our understanding that the Bureau of Reclamation is the agency acting as the landlord and property owner of Lake Casitas, including the land under and adjacent to the lake. It is also our understanding that lands under the umbrella of the Bureau of Reclamation are to be protected from development, thus implying they are to be left in a natural state, including the wildlife that live there. We understand that you have a final say on whether or not this fence can be built and therefore we address our concerns to you, especially in the face of having been overruled by the Lake Casitas Municipal Water Board at their meeting of May 28, 2010. .
The Ojai Wildlife league sees this fence as being in direct conflict with the Bureau of Reclamation’s stated purposes on behalf of the taxpayers. We feel that this fence will cause harm to local wildlife, especially larger animals, and could inadvertently cause a danger to motorists affected by disoriented wildlife attempting to get access to the lake.
These are open lands that house a myriad of wildlife who use this lake as a water source. As the water drains in from streams surrounding the lake, both above ground and underground, it becomes a primary source of water for wildlife in summer and fall as streams go dry.
Currently, the Lake Casitas Municipal Water Board are claiming that this fence will have no impact as they claim that wildlife can crawl through “some of the 18 inch culverts under the road or climb through thickets within the gullies that are too difficult to fence”. The board didn’t seem to know exactly how many of these culverts and thickets there were.
Clearly these few culverts and thickets do not meet the definition by Department of Fish and Game as wildlife corridors, which are miles wide, not inches wide. Especially when it is considered that this fence will create a solid high fence line all along Santa Ana road as it links up with pre-existing fences erected by Casitas and other private landowners.
This fence, if allowed to progress, will in effect be a wall that is miles long. There is also a question as to the legality of this type of fencing under the currant zoning laws in this county.
No environmental impact report was done concerning impact on wildlife:
“Director Kaiser questioned the current wildlife corridors and paths and asked if they were studied. Mr. Cole explained that specific studies on that were not conducted.” From hearing on May 28, 2010.
We need to ask ourselves what was and is the intent of the bureau when they created this watershed and lake for a water supply. Was it to provide recreational businesses for the profit of a small group of owners? Because we believe that the motivation behind this fence is to prevent people from entering the lake without paying fees.
They are claiming that they are concerned because someone allegedly tried to bring a boat in along some area which could pose a danger by bringing in the quagga mussel. However exactly where and when this occurred is unclear. And looking at the terrain, we doubt this could have happened. And “Trying to enter” and succeeding are two different things. There is so much activity and people that we doubt anyone could ever be successful at entering with a boat in this area.
Also there is a berm that runs along the side of the road, with a drop off of between one foot to almost four feet before the land becomes rough terrain. We feel this is a natural and effective deterrent and there is no need for any type of fencing.
Additional Concerns:
The Federal Government, through the arm of the Bureau of Reclamation, has given this for-profit partnership a gift–the gift of essentially free water, the gift of a very favorable 50 year lease of the land, the allowing of tremendous improvements which generate major cash, the allowing of major events, boating, fishing, camping, a water park for children, a fee for coming into the park, a fee for dogs etc. etc, and the many other cash opportunities that the lake has relentlessly pursued.
These activities seriously degrade the quality of the water being sold to the Ojai Valley community. The Lake Casitas Board continues to allow the use of lead sinkers by fishermen, which have been further adding to this degradation of the water.
As an active wildlife organization in the Ojai-Ventura area we believe that this is a travesty to the lands, wildlife and people that live in this area. We hope you will reject this plan, or at the very least require an environmental impact study and reconsideration of the type of fencing being proposed.
Thank you for your consideration of our concerns.
For the Ojai Wildlife League:
Sue Williamson
Jean Marie Webster
Marty Fast
Suza Francina
Jodi Brandt
Cc: Casitas Municipal Water District Board of Directors
Ojai City Council Members
Steve Bennett, District 1 Supervisor, County of Ventura
The Ojai Valley Municipal Advisory Council
Ojai Valley News