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LakeTulloch.Org
The Website of the Lake Tulloch Alliance
Providing news and information focused on the Lake Tulloch Basin and dedicated to encouraging citizen involvement to protect and preserve the natural environment, rural way of life, and smart growth for the Central Sierra Foothills Join Us - Click here
  
Calaveras County Board of Supervisors Backs Off Commitment to the US Government
The Calaveras County Board of Supervisors has gone back on its promise to enforce the Lake Shore Management Plan it committed to support in exchange for an agreement by the Tri Dam Authority to lift a moratorium on the placement of docks on Lake Tulloch. In 2003, the Board agreed to enforce the plan which would end construction over the surface of the lake among several provisions that would preserve the lake.
On August 12th the Board voted by a 3-2 vote to approve a proposal to build 30 town houses over the surface of Lake Tulloch. The project will remove hundreds of thousands of square feet of the lake from public use and allow a private developer to control areas of the lake that are, under law, prohbited to be developed. The Board overruled the decision by its own planning commission that had rejected the project. Paul Stein, the former Supervisor that signed the letter committing county support of the Lake Shore Management Plan, spoke at the hearing reminding the board of the commitment it had made to the agency.
The TriDam Authority is licensed by the United States Government through the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) to operate the lake. FERC recently approved a new multi-decade license for the agency to continue to operate the lake. The license includes strong provisions protecting the environmental integrity and public use of the lake. Tri Dam Manager Steve Felte told the Supervisors that the project was unacceptable since it was inconsistent with the agency's license and the Shore Line Management Plan.
Supervisors Russ Thomas, Copperopolis, and Steve Wilensky voted against approval of the project.
"The Board of Supervisors of Calaveras County is guilty of total incompetence and is irresponsible in its conduct." declared Jack Cox, Steering Committee Member of the Lake Tulloch Alliance. "Since the mid 1990's the board has refused to protect the lake except for one issue. They have allowed developers to run rampant and to rip off the public and destory the natural resources that make the lake a wonderful place to live and visit."
"We are gratified to have had the strong support of local realtors including those from GMAC, Century 21, Coldwell Banker Lake Tulloch and others along with Castle and Cook, and other business people. These people have provided real leadership!" noted Cox. "These business people joined with citizens and our elective representative to support proper public policy and three Supervisors simply rejected good planning, their own committment, and the will of the public."
The Lake Tulloch Alliance strongly supports Tri Dam's shoreline management plan and their opposition to this project. It will be vitally important for local citizens to support Tri Dam and its sole effort to protect the lake. "It really is sad that the public cannot trust elected officials to do the right thing and for them to again rip off the public." concluded Cox.
What you can do?
You can support Tri Dam Lake Shore Management Plan. Please send an email to Steve Felte, Manager of Tri Day at sjf@tridamproject.com. Make your position clear that you support the agency and reject the county. You can also attend the August 21st meeting, 9:00 am, of the Tri Dam Authority at South San Joaquin Irrigation District 11011 E. Highway 120 Manteca 95336.
To learn more check out these stories.
Sonora Union Democrat - http://www.uniondemocrat.com/news/story.cfm?story_no=27302
Mother Lode.Com - http://www.mymotherlode.com/News/article/kvml/1218655778
Stockton Record - http://www.recordnet.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080813/A_NEWS/808130324/-1/A_COMM02
"INVASION OF THE KILLER WEEDS" : A NEW MOVIE? NO -- ANOTHER THREAT TO LAKE TULLOCH
Click here for details.
Lake Tulloch: 2008
2008 will be an important year for the future of Lake Tulloch and our region. Supervisor Russ Thomas has now completed his first year and is planning an active year to see final action on critical issues that have languished for years under the tenure of the two previous supervisors. Supervisor Thomas has spelled out these issues to the LTA. They include:
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Law Enforcement - Finalize a plan to create a multi-county boat registration fee structure to obtain the funds to increase law enforcement on the lake particularly during the boating season. Calaveras County has received funding to purchase another patrol boat.
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Copperopolis New Melones Access - Supervisor Thomas and LTA have longed pressed for the creation of a road to Melones and a marina on the western shore of the reservoir. This would provide quick access for the growing number of Copperopolis to a lake that is 10 times larger than Tulloch.
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Copperopolis Community Plan - Finalize a Copperopolis Community Plan that provides for a sensible approach to planning for the future. LTA supports a plan that protects the remaining shoreline of lake including no increased density for construction on the shoreline with the addition of more marinas and docks. LTA believes that the Tuscany Hills Project should be model Castle and Cookes proposed project on the lake.
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General Plan - Continue the process to complete a new general plan that would prevent future overdevelopment around the lake and in the region.
The LTA also strong supports action by Tri Dam this year to insure that the lake is open as much as possible for public use. This includes restriction on the placement of any buoys in the lake that reduce the net surface of the lake for boating and water sports. Last summer some homeowners placed buoys more than 200 feet into the lake with no lgovernment approval. We urge you to voice your support of Supervisor Thomas.
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New Melones: Tulloch's Pressure Valve
New story in Union Democrat points to New Melones as the pressure valve for Lake Tulloch and notes the lake has never reached it's full use potential after more than 3 decades. Click here for the story.
New Sheriff's Finds 1,183 Boats on Lake Tulloch: Makes the Case for Change
A new boat count the Tuolumne County Sheriff's Office performed on June 14 found 785 boats on the 21-square-mile Don Pedro Reservoir, 250 on New Melones' 17 square miles, and at Tulloch, which is only 2 square-miles, there were 1,183. Click here for details
Tri Dam Finalizes
Lake Tulloch Management Plan
Tri Dam has completed the Lake Tulloch Management Plan which will create a new, more comprehensive and needed plan to operate the lake. Citizens may comment on the plan and it has been submitted to local government officials. It is critically important that the lake have a new plan that will protect the lake from inappropriate development and improved law enforcement and lake protection.
Click here to read the plan
Your Invitation to Comment on the plan
click here
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Tuscany Hills: A Precedent for New Development
in the Lake Tulloch Basin:
Board of Supervisors Grand Indicate Support
Tuscany Hills 27 slip Marina site in Lake Tulloch cove (LTA Photo)
The Lake Tulloch Alliance voiced its support of the Tuscany Hills Project for its innovative solutions to dealing with many of the development issues that have plagued the lake at the June 7th meeting of the Calaveras County Planning Commission and the July 10th meeting of the Board of Supervisors
Read Board Comments from LTA
Read Union Democrat Story
Read Stockton Record Story
Read Calaveras Enterprise
The Alliance noted that the developer has created a project that is consistent with many of the organizations key initiatives designed to protect the natural environment and use of the lake.
The developer has accepted Lake Tulloch Alliance proposals to establish first fee system for boat usage on the lake which would contribute thousands of dollars for law enforcement and lake protection. The company also has set up innovative "tea time" system for boat launching similar to golf courses. Read our complete statement for details.
Check these stories:
Stockton Record
Calaveras Enterprise
Click Here for LTA Statement at Hearing
Tuscany Hills Project Background from LTA
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Preservation of
Lake
Tulloch:
Top Concern of Citizens at
County
Plan Meeting:
Special Report from
Lake Tulloch.Org
Supervisor Russ Thomas and Community Development Director Stephanie Moreno lead a discussion to obtain citizen input on a new general plan for Calaveras County that would be the basis for county decisions for as long out as 2037. Read our report on the meeting and stay informed on this important project. The next meeting will be held this summer in Copperopolis.
Click Here for the LakeTulloch.Org Report
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2007 VITAL YEAR FOR LAKE TULLOCH BASIN'S FUTURE
Stockton Record publishes feature story on Lake Tulloch - Click here
2007 will be a vital year for the future of the
Lake
Tulloch
Basin . In 2006 several of the Lake Tulloch Alliances initiatives were implemented including the first steps to end underwater lake development and density transfers. The County Planning Staff and the board took other steps that were in the best interests of the lake's preservation.
This year there will be a number of key issues that the community must continued to voice its position for sensible planning and development. These will include:
Marina Villas - Developer Merle Holman has vowed to press ahead and get county approval of the 20 unit townhouse project that will consumer 300,000 plus square feet of the lake's surface. This project was turned down by the Planning Commission last year and the county board of supervisors was to formally end the permitting of underwater land development but then Supervisor Victoria Erickson failed to take the lead the end the policy more than eighteen months ago so now the See Marina Villas Story. and Read the County Staff Report by Clicking Here
Holman contended, in a recent article in the Stockton Record that his project is grandfathered under original plans for the lake which is disputed in both county records and according to the original developers of the Lake Tulloch Resort and Poker Flat. There was no prior approval of the project. Holman has indicated he plans to apply for a negative declaration to gain county approval but the project will definitely require an environmental report. It also does not comply with the new Lake Tulloch Management Plan which is part of the new federal license for the
Lake .
Watch more updates.
Tuscany Hills Subdivision - The Hix Companies, developers of the Tuscany Hills Subdivision, have developed a plan to address the problems revealed in the environmental impact report on the project. One of the problems is that the development and its marina would bring boats to the lake and take more water out of boating use. The California Environmental Quality Act specifically notes that projects cannot have a negative impact on recreation or the ecology of a body of water. Fortunately the company has developed a solution. See previous section of Lake Tulloch.org.
New County General Plan - The County Board of Supervisors of Calaveras County will continue to move ahead on a new general plan for the county which will hopefully have a positive impact on the lake by making county ordinances more relevant to environmental and recreational protection of the lake and permit no future high density development around the shore of the lake. See special report on laketulloch.org. Watch for the next Copperopolis Meeting.
Latest News: Calaveras County Extends Building Moratorium
Lake
Management - Supervisor
Russ Thomas has indicated his support for new user fee boaters on the lake. The LTA supported a fee to provide more money for Sheriff Patrols on the lake and for lake management and protection but only those purposes. The fee might also encourage visiting boaters to make more use of New Melones or Don Pedro Reservoirs.
New Road to New Melones - The Lake Tulloch Alliance strongly support Supervisor Thomas effort to build a road between Copperopolis and New Melones. This would be a great step forward in taking more boating pressure off the lake.
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New General Plan Called for Calaveras Enterprise Column presented by the Lake Tulloch Alliance
Click here for column
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Your Invitation
Join hundreds of citizens in the Lake Tulloch Basin from every homeowners assocation in both counties as a supporter of the Lake Tulloch Alliance. We are dedicated to preserving the natural environment and recreation opportunities provided by the lake. We need your support.
Join as an Alliance supporter - Complete the registration form and lend your support to the LTA Initiatives
Click here
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CHECK OUT THIS GREAT AERIAL PHOTOGRAPHY OF LAKE TULLOCH THAT PUTS THE NEED FOR PLANNING AND PRESERVATION IN PERSPECTIVE
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