Press Democrat, Santa Rosa, Calif., Thursday, August 12, 1971
Gravel Dredging
Cuts Water Supply
The shortage of water on the site upstream from Wohler. He
county aqueduct system this called ita "big parlof the prob-
. week can be traced to a "liUle 'lem."
bit of several things,"according The Maxwell excavation and
to a Sonoma County Watcrtho3e farther upstrcam, he exAgency
engineer. plained, take "potholes" out of
Richard Norton specifically the riverbed
listed the "prolonged" hot spell. The hole~ liU up with sedi·
higher usage with less water, ment and fine particles - r~thand
the effects or gravel exca.er than gravel. The result 18 a
valion upstream from the "sealing orr' effect. It won't
county's prime water source, pass. a~ mu~h water Under[low
the Woh.ler pumpingstationonandlllfLltratlona~reduced.
the Russian Rh'er. Mr. Norton saId the recently
Problems diminished yesler. approved and. contro.verslal ABday
as temperatures and de_ISCO excavatIon sIte OO"."ll'
maf'l {or water leveled off. stream from Wohler has nothing
r... equests for ra ti on i n g to do\\ith thesh~rtagc .
• wer.,- involved. The City of San. Downstrea~ Sltcs affect wa·
ta Rosa went to its aUXiJiarYlter capacity dlffcrently.
~~.II~ ~~~O~~:I~~~~l:~ ~~~~~ w:':f~~~ro~!J, A~!t~ c~~:e!~!
t~~%:;~r,;~s ~ap:1~i.tYNorton, ca.l~oa\~~~1re!~th::r;'~~:hi~a~~:
pad!y at Wohler this week was,effect upstream at the water ID·
~~~~~~~~i~~f:I~~~s3;faait·ta~~. the gravel seeks its o\\n
),ear _ despite increases inl.evel downstl'e.am, t!le
; s~~:eO~n1h~~~:~~s: he said, l~\~~~adm~d d~~~:;et~kewos~:~
was the abscnce of a long hot, water capacIty.
Ispeillastyear. IdU~~negP~~~~oU~at~rke~~~~~
Gra\cl Excavation months. There have been no I Mr, l\orton said another \~as wint~r month~ since ABSCO bethe
\laxwell gravel excavatlonlgan Its operatIon.
