Putah Creek is being assaulted. The perpetrators are the off road vehicles and their drivers. Some say off roading is good clean recreation and in today’s cash strapped economy many more families are becoming off road enthusiasts. However, the cost goes beyond the gasoline used by the all terrain vehicles, the price is the environment and the waters of Putah Creek. Is it good ‘clean’ recreation or assault on the creek and the environment?
Putah Creek is in Northern California. The creek has its headwaters in the Mayacamas Mountains, and flows more than 70 miles. The creek makes its way through Lake, Yolo, and Napa, and Solano counties then feeding in to a canal and finally in to the Terminal Dam. The dam forms a small 119 acre-foot reservoir, which supplies drinking water to the city of Vallejo. The creek has been around since the days when the Miwok and Pomo Native Americans lived in this part of Northern California. “Puta wuwwe" or "grassy creek" in native Miwok was the original name for the creek. “But the "Puta" form was rejected by the United States Board on Geographic Names, likely because of the resemblance to the Spanish puta, meaning whore, (and) became Putah Creek in 1845.” (Durham, 1998, p126, 542) The locals also know Putah Creek as “the Green River” due to the buildup of algae and vascular plants in the late summer. .” (Durham, 1998, p126, 542)
Teeming with wildlife, “there are at least 25 species of reptiles and amphibians, 40 species of mammals (and 11 bats) and 114 species of birds” which call the creek and its banks home. (Putah Creek council, (n.d.) Additionally, there are over 60 different kinds of plants growing along those same banks including, native grasses, flowers, shrubs and trees. The natural beauty was seen and shared by John Fogerty, who is a singer /songwriter and part of the group Credence Clearwater Revival and served as a vacation spot for him over the years. Putah Creek is the subject of the Credence Clearwater Revival song Green River. (Thompson, 2005)
Today the creeks banks are devoid of most plants, flowers, and just a few grasses. A few shrubs and trees are all that remains. Instead, the banks are rutted, grooved, and all but destroyed. The shorelines are littered with trash, tires, and pieces of off road vehicles. The inhabitants have all disappeared but a few die-hard lizards and a vulture or two. The water in the creek has an unnatural sheen. Evidence of the of road vehicles smashing through the creek leaving fuel and oil slicks which float down stream. The shorelines have the same unnatural sheen, the rocks, and soil rich with gasoline, diesel, and oil
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The changes and damage is from the various off road vehicles, dirt bikes, quads, and other four-wheel drive vehicles. One any weekend you can observe dirt bikes, quad and even full size four-wheel drive vehicles tearing up the area. They drive in and out of the creak smashing shrubs and spitting up mud and dirt in to the air and creek. They are there every day at least a few, rain or shine, the constant assault continues. Putah Creek is just one of many such creeks, streams, and rivers being assaulted by off-road enthusiasts all over California.
Washington D.C. has also become aware of the damages caused by off road vehicles and their drivers. According to a press release, “Representative Maurice Hinchey (D-NY) and 10 House Appropriations Committee members wrote Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Director Kathleen Clarke urging the agency to fulfill its promise to conduct critical, on-the-ground planning for off-road vehicles.” Claiming (all terrain vehicles) “ are a major threat to the health and integrity of 264 million acres of BLM lands, approximately 93 percent of BLM land in 48 states is open to some form of off-road vehicle use.” (Natural trails and waters coalition, 2002)
The section of Putah Creek off Route 29 and Hartmann Road near Hidden Valle lake subdivision has “no trespassing “signs posted and the area is ‘fenced off’, however this seems to do little to deter off-road enthusiasts. After months writing to local newspapers and local law enforcement agencies I finally got their attention to the assault on Putah creek. According to Lake County Sheriffs Captain Jim Bauman, “deputies are focusing patrols on the lands to the east of rout 29 both sides of Hartmann Road. Those found trespassing would now be subject to arrest, citation, and criminal complaint.” Bauman added,” the State Department of Fish and Game will be working with the Sheriff’s Department on this matter.” (South county News, 2009 p.3)While I have witness less off roaders in this area they still ‘trespass’ and the assaults continue, little seems to deter them.
The once green, natural habitat, with its free flowing waters of the beautiful Putah Creek is now a depressing partially muddy, practically dusty whole with an oil and fuel contaminated creek compete with garbage. I see that as assault, while others feel it is just good clean recreation. While I feel people have the right to off-road, they need to do so responsibly and on their own land. If the lands which they chose to drive or ride their all terrain vehicles has flowing water they need to keep their vehicles out of the water and its shores. They may own the land but creeks and streams flow into other water sources, they do not own the water.
My plea to all who read this is stop the assaults on Putah creek and any creeks near you. Please respect ‘No Trespassing’ signs. Respect the environment if you chose to go off roading, Stick to your private land and public lands designated for all terrain vehicle use. Stay out of water sources and respect the habitats of the animals that live within the area. We need to leave some natural habitats, flora, fauna, as well as clean creeks and streams for our children and their children, before they are gone forever.
References
Agencies crack down on trespassing near HVL, (2009, June 24). South County News, p.3
Albee, A.J. (2009, April 15) Assault on Putah Creek. Lake County Record Bee p.A4
Center for Biological Diversity. (n.d.) Protect the Rubicon from off-road vehicle damage
Retrieved January 8th 2010 .from
http://salsa.democracyinaction.org/o/2167/t/5243/campaign.jsp?campaign_KEY=26793
Durham, David L. (1998). California's Geogra3phic Names: A Gazetteer of Historic and Modern Names of the State. Quill Driver Books
Natural trails and waters coalition, (2002, September 19) Congress calls on Bureau of Land Management to Uphold the Law. Retrieved January 10th, 2010. from www.naturaltrails.org/pressroom/releases/2002/09_19_02.html
Putah Creek Council, (n.d.) Putah Creek Explorer (online book). Retrieved January 12th, 2010. from http://www.putahcreekcouncil.org/
Thompson, Art. (2005, June) John Fogerty Summons His Creedence-Era Spirit on Revival. Paste Magazine (online). Retrieved January 9th, 2010. from www.pastemagazine.com/articles/2005/06
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