Engineers News - April 2015

Unit 12
Maintaining the Delta fish population
By Carl Carr, business representative
At the John E. Skinner Delta Fish Protective Facility, a crew of
Utility Crafts Workers (UCWs) are working around-the-clock to
maintain behavioral guidance devices (known as louvers) and a
system of fish diversion implements. There are approximately
10 members working at this facility on rotating 12-hour shifts,
allowing for 24-hour coverage. They work to keep fish away from
pumps that lift water into the California Aqueduct. UCWs who
work at the Delta Field Division, home of the Banks Pumping
Plant just two miles downstream, also come to the facility to
ensure that this important piece of the California Water Project
is up and running 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days
a year.
Up to 15 million fish are saved from the pumps and returned
to the Delta at the Skinner facility each year. The facility is
operated by the Department of Water Resources (DWR) and
has been playing an integral role in protecting Bay-Delta fish
since 1968. The system is very effective in its mission, but some
fish will fall prey to predatory fish in the Clifton Court Forebay
before reaching the screens. Small fish, larvae and eggs will also
slip through the louvers and make their way down the Delta,
with some becoming the basis for recreational fisheries.
Members at the Skinner facility are literally Jacks and Jills
of all trades and perform a wide variety of duties, from water
operations and hyacinth clean-up to data-entry work for state
and federal regulators. So when you see the water flowing in the
California Aqueduct, remember that thanks to the work of our
members, millions of fish were saved the long trek to Southern
California and returned to their proper place in the Delta.
Showing appreciation through
simple action
Caltrans Workers Memorial this month
Every year in April, Caltrans honors the
brave workers across California who lost
their lives while on the job. This year,
the memorial will be held April 16 at
11 a.m. on the west steps of the state
Capitol in Sacramento. During the
ceremony, several state dignitaries and
transportation officials will discuss the
need for safety and awareness from the
driving public who often forget to think
about the lives at risk along the highway.
On average, 1,000 Caltrans vehicles are
struck each year, making highway work
one of the most dangerous occupations
in the United States. The risk of death is
seven times higher for highway workers
than for an average worker, according to a recent study by the
U.S. Department of Labor. Please attend and honor those who
have made the ultimate sacrifice.
Longtime member and Steward George Starkey checks on the effectiveness of the
Move Over/Slow Down laws on the side of Hwy. 101 in Novato.
Caltrans workers are devoted to securing the safety of the
general public who travel and commute within the state of
California. Whether ensuring a smooth ride by improving
the condition of roads and highways, signaling drivers of
construction hazards on the road ahead or clearing away
landscape that obstructs a driver’s line of sight, their work
helps make driving in California safer for everyone. In
their efforts to protect drivers, however, their own safety is
put at risk, as they frequently work a short distance from
fast-moving traffic. Drivers can show their appreciation for
these hard-working individuals by simply moving over and
giving an additional lane of space, as well as slowing their
vehicles down. It’s not just a courtesy – it’s the law! Violating
it not only endangers the lives of Caltrans workers and other
drivers, but can result in hefty fines.
It’s not just
a courtesy –
it’s the law.
April 2015 |
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