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HomeMy WebLinkAboutLetter from Barbara Brazil - History of Ruddy Crk Thermalito BUT­Tj.-,,'c0(jyj y A HISTORY OF RUDDY CREEK IN THERMALITO AS I KNOW IT sms JUN 2 6 2015 16" OROwu_f�,CALWORNIA 6 %ills CALIFORNIA Prior to the State of California's construction in BUTTE County of Oroville Darn in the 1960s, Rudy Creek (now misnarried Ruddy Creek) in Thermalito-a "suburb'of Oroville-was a free flowing creek coming down from'Table Mountain, through Thermalito,the State Wfldlife Area and then entering Feather River below State Highway 162. Wild salmon could be caught therein. On completion of the Darn and by construction of the For ebay for electric generation and the Afterbay to warm water for agriculture,this strearnwas cut off and became a "ditch' and the main drain for all of Thermalito. During heavy rains the spate of water rushing down this drain is awesome to behold. In 1977 a BUtte COILAnty Survey showed it would Cost just under 3,million dollars to properly fix drainage problems in Thermalito. The County thereafter decided to "gift" Ruddy Creek to the adjoining property owner's who would then pay real estate taxes and be responsible for keeping the"ditch" clear. The County still has the responsibility to clear each side of the bridges as far as,owners' property lines. HOWEVER RUDDY CREEK IS STILL UNDER CONTROL OF THE U.S. DEPARTMENT OF FISH AND GAME AND NO ONE IS ALLOWED TO TOUCH IT! Fast forward SO years to 2015. Ruddy Creek is bei rig silted closed between Feather Avenue and State Highway 162 and no authority claims any responsibility for the impending flood disaster. Personally l gave up after I was told by a County Official that"when it floods we wffl get Federal Money to fix it". A Watershed,also called a drainage basin, is the area in which water, sediment and dissolved materials flow or drain from the land into a common river, lake, ocean or other body of water, It can be as large as the Mississippi River drainage basin or as small as a back yard. Just what is the status of Ruddy Creek? Is it still a creek? Is it a drainage ditch? Is it part of a Watershed? What powers-that--be has ultimate jurisdiction over poor,former Rudy Creek? Can a,n:yone figure out how to forestall the coming flood disaster? Barbara Brazil 1590 Biggs Ave Oroville,CA 9596,5 As you can see, Chico seems to know how to get sediment removed from a "creek". 146TICE OF SEDI4►1EN'F REM011p1,PROJECT WITHIN SYCAMOIRE CREEK,CHICO CA. ;Tile State f California's,;;Department of Water Resour ccs, Divist n`of Flood Management has enured into ;a 'contract necessary: fQr the removal ;o# approxamately X0,000 cubic yartl of excess sediment from with%n the Sycamore Creek Inthe vicinity of Cohasset toad l3ridge, Chico;CA, This work will take place between';;Octafaer 1st and November 1st ';2010.''This pro)ect; will :return 'Syca rnbre,Creek'' geometry :(bed),to the ;as built condition which will.reestablish the design flood flow capacity of 10,000 cubic- feet per second. Sediment re;rrioved from the up.=stream' portion of the project (east ;of Cohasset Road-i3ridge),may,666r at might to minimize traffic im pacts due to crossing Cohasset oad. The rernarning por tions of the,project{west of Cohasset Road Bridge) will occur`during day light hours. 'A series of Public Heatings :have taken place and a copy of the Notice of intent may :be reviewed; at fife'City;of Ch c Planning.Services,;411 Main Street,` Chico, '.CA 9W1 `during normal business .hours,.'The required on site mitigation associated with this,project,,inciud h9 installation of riparian habitat and.' emergent wetland: vegetation;`'will, take place in the: spring of 201 Pubtish.09/08,o9/b9/2610- Around 2006 Butte County widened Feather Avenue in Thermalito from 14`x'St. to about 1000'from 1g1h St. This was to accommodate the proposed (and ultimately rejected) Ruddy Creek Village at Feather and 18�". During this 2006 road construction the FEATHER AVE BRIDGE over Ruddy Creek was completely rebuilt. Who can untangle this sediment bottleneck on Rudy Creek at the BIGGS AVE BRIDGE? Who takes charge of a "watershed"?