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Intro | In Memory
| Central Bay | Peninsula | North Bay | Eastbay | Rio Vista Rio Vista Report 'Turmoil' seems to be the word that would best describe the beginning of 1998 for RVWA and Sherman Island. I will try to explain my understanding of the current situation. The politics are confusing and the agencies involved are many. The Army Corps of Engineers has decided that Sherman Island is the best place to do a test of a new levee design. They plan on tearing up the levee from 'Old Baja Road' to the entrance to the County Park (see the Rio Vista Web site for more info). The new parking lot at was just constructed will be destroyed by the project. The project is slated to last from late April through September. The government agency that owns most of Sherman Island is the Department of Water Resources. The body responsible for the maintenance of the levee system is the Reclamation District, which is made up of representatives for the various land owners. The Army Corps project will save the Reclamation District from having to repair this section of levee, easing the strain on their budget. We are allowed to park and sail on Sherman Island through the goodwill of these two agencies. The land that our new parking lot was built on is leased from the Department of Water Resources. Our cooperation with the Department of Water Resources and the Reclamation District is VITAL to our continued use of Sherman Island for our recreation. We are attempting to mitigate the loss of our existing sailing sites and have the potential to end up In a much better position at the conclusion of the project - -with expansion of existing sailing sites and the addition of new sailing sites. Currently, we are working with the Sacramento County Parks Department to expand parking and improve the facilities in the County Park. We are working with the Department of Water Resources to create a large new sailing site In the area of 'The Sign'. The various government agencies are spending many millions of dollars repairing
hundreds of miles of failing levees in the California Delta. They will be taking a close
look at the many factors that cause damage to the levees. All of these agencies will be on
Sherman Island for most of the summer. It is IMPORTANT that we do not give them
reason to close Sherman Island to recreational users.
If we don't pay attention to the details this year, we will not have the opportunity to park in the future! If you have any questions or comments, please feel free to give me a call. Brian Geasa Rio Vista Donations Encouraged In light of the large number of projects that the Rio Vista Windsurfing Association (RVWA) will need to tackle this summer to mitigate the effects of the Army Corps of Engineer's levee project (see separate article), and in the spirit of cooperation, the SFBA is donating $500 to the RVWA. We encourage our members to contribute to their need, as so many Bay Area sailors frequent their warm shores. If you'd also like to help out, send donations to: RVWA If you'd like to join RVWA, be sure and include your vital statistics (Name, Address,
Phone, & Email). Membership is $15 individual, $25 family, $50 sustaining, or $100
corporate. Of course, additional contributions are greatly appreciated! |
