During this governor-declared drought year of 2008, many California reservoirs have been drawn down to historically low levels.

Hit particularly hard have been the Northern California lakes that are part of the California Water Project, which sends water to points south through a system of aqueducts.

Check out the chart on some of California’s largest reservoirs — along with their current water level conditions — as compared to the average water level for this time of year.

On the other hand, our local reservoirs are faring rather well this year.

This is despite the fact these lakes did not completely refill over the winter after the extremely low levels found last autumn.

We had a “normal” rainfall year in the winter of 2007-2008, but this was not enough to recover from the very low rainfall of the 2006-2007 season.

It cannot be said for certain whether our favorable situation is due to good water management, responsible water conservation by our citizens, or a combination of both.

Regardless, it’s critical that we all continue to be smart about our water usage as we enter the final months of the dry season.

Hunting/fishing bill sent to governor

The California State Senate recently voted 27-7 to approve AB 815 (Berryhill), which would curtail local government ordinances that negatively impact hunting and fishing opportunities.

The bill is derived from several State Attorney General’s opinions which have determined that local governments cannot regulate the taking of fish and game.

However, because there is currently no clear statutory language in either the government code or the fish and game code, California cities and counties have increasingly tried to restrict and even ban hunting and fishing activities.

These efforts have particularly inhibited sportsmen’s use of certain public lands and waters.

AB 815 would help protect hunting and fishing opportunities from local government interference and ensure that California follows a statewide, science-based approach to its hunting and fishing regulations to best conserve our fish and game populations.

Concerned hunters and fishermen are urged to contact the governor’s office and request support of AB 815.

For contact information, as well as a sample letter, please visit the California Outdoor Heritage Alliance’s Web site at  www.outdoorheritage.org.

Bass Edge to film in California

The Bass Edge (www.bassedge.com) television show is coming to Northern California.

Host Aaron Martin and three co-hosts plan to film several bass fishing episodes beginning Labor Day Weekend 2008.

Martin and pro angler Jamie Cyphers will film on Clear Lake from Aug. 31 to Sept. 2. Martin and pro anglers Chris Ball and Jared Lintner will film on the Delta from Sept. 4 to 10. The episodes are expected to begin airing in 2009.

Bass Edge is filmed in high definition on fisheries throughout the U.S.

On each episode, a pro angler joins Martin to teach viewers of all skill levels the fundamentals and finer points of bass fishing.

Bass Edge is broadcast on the Versus network, which can be found on Comcast channel 81, DirecTV channel 603, and Dish Network channel 151.

The program also airs on the World Fishing Network HD on Dish Network channel 394.

How Low Can They Go?

Here are some of California’s largest reservoirs — along with their current water level conditions — as compared to the average water level for this time of year:

Reservoir    Percent Full (Aug. 2008)    Aug. Average

Lake Shasta    35            65

Lake Oroville    32            67

Trinity Lake    53            75

On the other hand, our local reservoirs are faring well this year:

Reservoir    Percent Full (Aug. 2008)    Aug. Average

Lake Berryessa    75            78

Lake Hennessey    74            75

Lake Sonoma    55            53

Guy Carl is a CPA and partner with BDCo Accountants and Advisors in St. Helena (www.bd

cocpa.com). Contact Guy at GC.outdoors@sbcglobal.net.