Wolk Cache Creek Bill passes Senate with bipartisan support

Legislation would protect and preserve stretch of Cache Creek in Yolo and Lake Counties

Legislation by Assemblywoman Lois Wolk (D-Davis) to designate 31 miles of Cache Creek in Yolo and Lake Counties as a State Wild, Scenic and Recreational River passed out of the State Senate today on a 25-14 bipartisan vote.

Assembly Bill 1328 will add Cache Creek to a prestigious list of California Wild & Scenic Rivers, designating a stunning stretch of the Creek, starting just below Clear Lake Dam and ending at Camp Haswell at the upper end of the Capay Valley, as well as the creek’s north fork downstream from Highway 20.

Cache Creek is so much more than a popular recreation site…it is a unique natural and cultural resource,” said Assemblywoman Wolk. “The Creek is home to the largest wintering population of Bald Eagles south of the Klamath Basin, and provides habitat for Tule Elk, Mountain Lion, Black Bear, and River Otter. And the Creek’s wilderness run holds some of the richest Native American archeological sites in the area. We need to protect this treasure from the pressures that threaten to change it forever.

This legislation represents a great deal of effort and negotiation,” said Wolk. “I and my staff met with those with concerns on the bill… and we listened. Now we have a bill that preserves Cache Creek in perpetuity, while acknowledging a need for both a stable water supply and adequate flood control. This is a good bill, and I look forward to seeing it sent to the Governor for his signature.”

Republicans for Environmental Protection is the latest group to support the bill, which is supported by a wide coalition of individuals, organizations, businesses and state officials, including State Congressman Mike Thompson (D-Napa Valley).

AB 1328 will be heard Thursday in the Assembly for concurrence, and will then proceed to the Governor’s desk for his signature. Other supporters include the Lake County Board of Supervisors, the Yolo County Board of Supervisors, the city of Davis, and the city of West Sacramento.