While the degree to which accelerated runoff is exacerbating flood events remains a matter of debate, it's clear that continued watershed development and related erosion-control measures are increasing the rapidity and volume of water flowing from the watershed and into the river system. But while such drainage reduces sediment loads, it intensifies the runoff that is already accelerated by the removal of native vegetation. According to Dr. Martin Griffin, local conservationist and owner of the Hop Kiln Winery, the Gallo project will have a serious impact on the water loads in nearby tributaries. It's an industrial drainage system that's equivalent to what's used in cities. Included in Gallo's plans is the cutting and conversion of 174 forest acres.
Trees drip water for days, for weeks, and the soil absorbs it through root systems.
Last week, Gallo announced plans to hold off on the project for a year. Though the winery has not yet withdrawn its application to cut down the trees, doing so would make anEIR legally unnecessary. It's happening all up and down the river, on the ridges. Every time they clear an acre up on the steep hillsides, they're just increasing the flood potential for Guerneville. Griffin and Vilms both maintain that while gravel mining has created in-stream pits that ostensibly increase the river's capacity, the resultant channelization of the banks has simply heightened the pace at which water is delivered downstream.