Delta Doo Dah

Steamboat Slough Bridge Closures Caltrans District 3 Update January 18 to 22 7:00 PM to 6:00 AM... Caltrans is alerting motorists that the Steamboat Slough bridge on State Route 160 near Courtland will be closed to vehicle traffic nightly this week. Additional construction is needed to maintain and keep the bridge operational. Bridgework is scheduled through the morning of Friday, January 22 requiring a full closure to motorists lasting into the early morning hours. BRIDGE CLOSURE SCHEDULE: January 18, 19, 20, 21 and 22 Between 7:00 PM and 6:00 AM DETOUR: Use the Walnut Grove and Paintersville Bridges. Caltrans urges motorists to use this detour or use Interstate 5 in Sacramento County as an alternate route. Weather conditions could delay or cancel this scheduled work. For motorists using the State Route 84 Real McCoy and SR-220 Ryer Island Ferries as a bridge detour, additional ferry information is located on the Caltrans Delta Ferries website: https://dot.ca.gov//dist/d4-projects/d4-solano-delta-ferry The ferries appear to both be in service at the moment. More information about the project is available on the Caltrans District 3 website: https://dot.ca.gov//distric/d3-news/d3-news-release-21-004

Delta Doo Dah fleet members Mark and Catherine from the San Mateo-based Sea Ray 280 Cardinal Rule are still enjoying the Delta in December, and now they're joined by Bailey. "He’s our new family member," says Mark. "First boat trip, and he’s a natural."

Just as we were leaving Oxbow Marina (by car) to drive to Richmond on Saturday afternoon, we saw this huge cloud of smoke that appeared to be coming from somewhere in the direction we'd just come. We drove past River Delta Fire and the crew there did not appear too concerned. Someone on next door said that it was a controlled burn of corn stubble in a field on Tyler Island. A fire crew did go over there to make sure it wasn't getting out of control. That evening back in Isleton, we could still smell the smoke. The pictures and video were taken from the moving car (by the passenger) on Terminous Road and Oxbow Drive.

Bill Wells from the Delta Chambers writes: "Please be aware that Caltrans is continuing with a parts replacement project on the Rio Vista Bridge that will require nightly bridgework October 26, 2020 through November 7, 2020 between the hours of 8 p.m. to 7 a.m. Monday through Friday with one-way traffic control for motorists. In accordance with the U.S. Coast Guard the California Department of Transportation or Caltrans requires that at least a four (4) hour advanced notifica...tion be given by marine traffic to the drawbridge tender from October 26, 2020 through November 7, 2020 to pass the Rio Vista Bridge (Helen Madere Memorial Bridge)." CalTrans says: "For motorists using the State Route 84 Real McCoy and SR-220 Ryer Island Ferries as a bridge detour, additional ferry information is located on our Caltrans Delta Ferries website at: http://www.dot.ca.gov/d4/deltaferries/. "Bay Area motorists can check 511.org: https://twitter.com/511SFBAY or follow Caltrans District 4 on Twitter: twitter.com/CaltransD4. In the Sacramento region, Caltrans District 3 will issue construction updates on Twitter @CaltransDist3 and on Facebook at CaltransDistrict3. For real-time traffic, click on Caltrans’ QuickMap quickmap.dot.ca.gov/ or download the QuickMap app on iTunes or Google Play."

Normally we would see the firefighters on highway 160 with boots out to collect $$ from passersby. Apparently the boot drive has gone online this year, as have so many other things.

This survey is brought to us by the folks who want to build a tunnel through the Delta to carry water from the Sacramento River to points south ('Conveyance' = tunnel). (See https://water.ca.gov/deltaconveyance.) Let's tell them about all the fragile places we love and don't want harmed. The Department of Water Resources Wants Your Opinion... The California Department of Water Resources (DWR) launched an environmental justice community survey to inform Delta Conveyance Project planning. The survey seeks feedback from the communities that may be disproportionately affected by the proposed project. If you live work, recreate, or are an advocate for equity in the Delta, this survey is for you! DWR's 10-minute survey is designed to reflect how the members of a variety of Delta communities value the region's cultural, recreational and natural resources and the ways the project may impact these resources. The survey can be accessed by smart phone, tablet, or computer in English, Spanish, and Chinese. Take the survey or visit the DWR's Delta Conveyance Project webpage for more information about the project. https://yourdeltayourvoice.org

The Paintersville Bridge (near Courtland) on State Route 160 is scheduled to reopen to daytime traffic at midnight on October 4. Nightly closures begin October 5 through 23 between 8:00 PM and 6:00 AM. Work began on August 3 as part of The Moveable Delta Bridges Project to refurbish and replace parts on the Paintersville, Steamboat Slough, and Isleton Bridges. For upcoming roadwork on the state's highway system for the Sacramento region visit the District 3 Roadwork page (see link below). The bridge has been closed to vessel traffic during roadwork, blocking access to Sacramento via the Sacramento River. https://dot.ca.gov//d3-popular-l/d3-roadwork/d3-sacramento

The California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) has released its draft report exploring options for achieving recreation, ecosystem, water quality and other community benefits at Franks Tract, a 3,000-acre flooded island in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta. The public draft of the Franks Tract Futures Report, titled Franks Tract Futures 2020 reimagined, is now available for public review and can be accessed at https://franks-tract-futures-ucdavis.hub.arcgis.com. Comments can be emailed to [email protected] or submitted online. All comments must be received by 5 p.m. on Wednesday, Sept. 2.

The Ryde Hotel has replaced their traditional Sunday Brunch with an outdoor BBQ, complying with Sac. Co. health orders.