Hardened wheel ruts from early 1900s travelers on Oat Hill Mine Road in Northern California. Photo credit: John Parker. NORTHERN CALIFORNIA – Mercury, which occurs naturally in many parts of California’s Coast Range, was mined during three eras in our region: the Gold Rush for recovering gold flakes (late 1800s), the two world wars for munitions (early- to mid-1900s), and most recently for products such as hearing aids, batteries and fluorescent light bulbs (up to the early 1970s).
We are now left with the legacy of about 80 abandoned mercury mines in the upper Cache Creek and Putah Creek watersheds.
This mining largely pre-dated two important developments: major water projects damming and diverting runoff from the two watersheds, and modern environmental laws. Enterprising miners simply dumped their contaminated waste downhill to be swept away in the next storm. That contaminated material still blankets our landscape.
Today’s mercury problem
Mercury is an odd element: it is liquid at room temperature, yet 13 times denser than water. In nature, mercury is a concern because one form, methylmercury, is extremely toxic to humans and wildlife – one droplet is enough to pollute several Olympic-size swimming pools worth of water.
Today, mercury is a common cause of contaminated waters statewide, including in our local watersheds.
Exposure to methylmercury comes largely from eating fish that have accumulated it through their diets to levels about one million times more concentrated than their water.
The state’s Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment has issued several warnings for people to limit their consumption of local fish.
But wait … there’s more! The LNU Lightning Complex Fires are burning around many mine sites. Fire impacts on mercury can vary depending on factors such as the fire’s temperature and the forms of mercury, but much more than usual can be released into the air (vaporized and adsorbed to smoke and ash) and downstream (adsorbed to eroded ash and soil).
A silver lining of fires is that they clear the vegetation, making it easier to identify, access and clean up mine sites.
Remains along Oat Hill Mine Road in Northern California of a brick furnace used to process mercury ore. Photo credit: James Scott
Tuleyome to the rescue
Tuleyome, a nonprofit organization based in Woodland, is a regional leader in cleaning up abandoned mercury mine sites.
Tuleyome led projects from 2012 to 2019 funded by the California Department of Fish and Wildlife's Ecosystem Restoration Program to clean up the Corona and Twin Peaks mercury mines in northwest Napa County. The site is in the Lake Berryessa watershed, and contributed to high mercury concentrations in fish and fish-eating birds in the streams and lake.
The core project team assembled under Tuleyome’s leadership included many regional experts: soil scientist Vic Claassen from UC Davis, mining geologist Greg Reller of Burleson Consulting in Folsom, general contractor Justin Smith from Middletown, attorney Michael Lozeau of Lozeau & Drury in Alameda, environmental engineer Peter Green from UC Davis, and chemist Tim Tsukamoto of TKT Consulting in Reno, Nevada.
As a “Good Samaritan,” Tuleyome worked with regulators to address the many environmental laws governing abandoned mine sites. The project team spent many hours studying the site’s cultural history, plants and animals.
Those efforts allowed the team to most effectively make the site safer, revegetate barren hillsides, and treat acidic drainage water. Researchers continue to study the bacteria found in the mine drainage water for their ability to thrive in such harsh conditions.
Tuleyome also recently completed a project funded by Napa County’s Lake Berryessa Watershed Improvement Program to improve nearly three miles of Oat Hill Mine Road, which passes by several mercury mines (including Corona and Twin Peaks).
The road, first constructed in 1867 for stagecoaches, ran into disrepair when the alternative toll road became a free public highway in 1924 and large-scale mining operations along the roadway ceased.
Most culverts were undersized and improperly installed, frequently failing during heavy rains. After culverts plugged, runoff flowed down the dirt road, scouring channels and washing away berms.
Tuleyome’s project team designed and constructed durable road improvements to reduce erosion (of mercury-rich sediment) and localized flooding, leading to better water quality downstream and access to the mine sites and road network.
This project also supported the planned Napa County Open Space Trail System and public primitive campground, potentially connecting to the popular Oat Hill Mine Trail.
Tuleyome project team members inspecting new improvements to Oat Hill Mine Road in Northern California. Photo credit: Stephen McCord. What’s next?
Regional water managers recently completed a project to identify and prioritize all of our region’s mercury mine sites, and then to conduct detailed site assessments and produce cleanup plans for a select few. Several stakeholders are now considering how to address those sites.
Tuleyome is also proposing to improve roads in a designated off-highway vehicle use area near Knoxville (in the Lake Berryessa watershed and beside a UC Davis reserve).
As for the recent road improvement project, these planned efforts will reduce mercury-laden soil erosion from contaminating local waterways and the lake.
Stephen McCord is president of McCord Environmental, based in Davis, California. As a registered professional engineer, he has more than 25 years of consulting, research and teaching experience in the environmental engineering field throughout the US and internationally. Dr. McCord has managed Tuleyome’s mercury cleanup projects since 2011. Tuleyome is a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization that engages in advocacy and active stewardship with diverse communities to conserve, enhance, restore and enjoy the lands in the region.
Low water conditions at Lucerne Harbor Park in Lucerne, California, have brought sunken hazards closer to the surface creating obstacles to launch. Lucerne resident Robert Maher warns about a rock obstructing the left side boat dock at Lucerne Harbor Park. Photo by John Jensen/Lake County News. LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – Users of Clear Lake are advised to use extra caution when operating motorboats around shallow waters and near the shores of Clear Lake during the fall and winter months due to submerged debris near the lake’s surface.
Due to low water levels, submerged debris such as rocks, trees, sediments and other objects can cause significant damage if hit or come in contact with boats operating at normal to significant speed.
Lake County Water Resources Department advises boaters to maintain a safe speed and keep a clear line of vision ahead of their vessel, especially in the shallow areas and shoreline of the lake.
The Water Resources Department, in coordination with Lake County Marine Patrol, actively monitors and identifies submerged hazardous debris as lake levels drop.
However, this is an ongoing process and boaters should remain aware of their surroundings and maintain a safe speed when in and around Clear Lake’s shallow waters and shoreline.
For questions regarding this topic, or to report in-lake hazards such as debris or missing or found hazard buoys, please contact the Water Resources Department at 707-263-2344.
NORTHERN CALIFORNIA – The August Complex is continuing to burn across forestland in four counties, with 20,000 more acres reported burned as of Sunday.
The US Forest Service said the August Complex in the Mendocino National Forest reached 325,172 acres and 24 percent containment on Sunday.
The Hull, Doe, Tatham, and Glade fires have merged to form one large fire, officials said.
There are 1,070 resources committed to the complex, including 22 crews, four camp crews, seven helicopters, 53 engines, 20 dozers, 32 water tenders, and two masticators.
Due to high temperatures and gusty winds, the potential for rapid fire spread throughout the complex will continue today through Tuesday, officials said. Temperatures could range from the mid-90s on the ridges to 110 degrees in the valleys.
A spot fire moved beyond the containment line in the Buck Rock area moving west towards an old burn scar. The Forest Service said crews will continue to contain and mop up the spot.
Firefighters were assisted with air operations dropping water from C-130 tankers and helicopters Saturday on the Hopkins fire, which is 15,466 acres and 10-percent contained, officials said.
The Forest Service said firefighters continue to use old burn scars and road systems in burnout operations, working along Rainbow Ridge with crews and heavy equipment, and air support.
Air operations also supported work in the areas around the M1 Road near the northwest corner of the Hull fire. Officials said a spot crossed the line during a burnout operation on Saturday. Fire retardant was used to cool down the area and hand crews worked to mop up the spot fire. That work continued on Sunday.
The burnout operations near Mendocino Pass to the west side of the Doe fire were successful and stayed within containment lines, officials said. Crews are also conducting burnout operations around the Mitchell Place on the north end of the Complex.
The Forest Service said crews are performing these operations in anticipation of potential rapid fire spread in the coming days. The burnout operations are aimed at slowing or stopping the fire as it reaches predetermined areas.
Mendocino National Forest officials updated the area closure for the August Complex on Sept. 5. The Forest Order 08-20-12 and map are posted on the forest website.
LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – Lake County and much of the rest of the state is under a fire weather watch for early in the new week due to extremely high temperatures.
The National Weather Service issued the fire weather watch, which is in effect from 10 p.m. Monday through 8 a.m. Wednesday.
A fire weather watch means that critical fire weather conditions are forecast to occur, the National Weather Service said.
The forecast calls for a prolonged period of hot and dry conditions that began this weekend and will continue into early next week.
The National Weather Service said that period will be followed by the potential for strong north to northeast winds on area ridges from Monday evening through Wednesday morning, with wind speeds estimated to be between 20 and 30 miles per hour, and gusts as high as 40 miles per hour.
These winds would primarily impact Lake County and extreme eastern portions of Mendocino and Trinity counties, based on the forecast.
Strong winds combined with low relative humidity values of between 10 and 15 percent on Tuesday afternoon with poor overnight recoveries in the 25- to 40-percent range could result in critical fire weather conditions, the National Weather Service said.
Forecasters said those conditions meant that any new fires that develop will likely spread rapidly.
At the same time, an excessive heat warning is in effect in Lake County and across the state through Tuesday at 6 p.m. due to temperatures topping the century mark.
Compounding the situation for Lake County is a continuing air quality alert that’s in effect through 10 p.m. Monday.
The Lake County Air Quality Management District issued the alert due to smoky and hazy conditions from the LNU Lightning Complex, which is nearly full containment, and the August Complex, which continues to grow in the Mendocino National Forest.
Email Elizabeth Larson at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. Follow her on Twitter, @ERLarson, or Lake County News, @LakeCoNews.
The California Independent System Operator said consumer conservation helped grid operators avoid rotating power outages on Saturday and Sunday, with another Flex Alert to be called on Monday as high temperatures continue across the state.
The grid operator declared a Stage 2 Emergency just before 6 p.m. Sunday when a transmission line from Oregon reduced capacity by 900 megawatts due to the heat. At the same time, generation totaling 260 megawatts tripped offline.
Conservation helped grid operators overcome those challenges and avoid rotating power outages.
“Consumer action to conserve energy tonight was key to helping us keep power flowing throughout the state,” said Eric Schmitt, ISO’s vice president of operations. “We recognize the sacrifice that consumers make in conserving energy during these very hot conditions, and appreciate their contribution.”
The ISO issued a Flex Alert to urge consumers to conserve energy during this statewide heatwave that’s driving up energy consumption.
The Flex Alert will be reissued on Monday, with conservation needed again from 3 p.m. to 9 p.m., the ISO said.
Consumers are urged to conserve electricity when the grid is most stressed in the afternoons and evenings, when temperatures remain high and solar production is falling due to the sun setting.
Between 3 p.m. and 9 p.m., the ISO is urging consumers to:
– Set air conditioning thermostats to 78 degrees, if health permits. – Defer use of major appliances. – Turn off unnecessary lights. – Unplug unused electrical devices. – Close blinds and drapes. – Use fans when possible. – Limit time the refrigerator door is open.
Consumers can also take steps to prepare for the Flex Alert by doing the following before 3 p.m.:
– “Pre-cool” their homes, or lower air conditioning thermostats. – Charge electric vehicles. – Charge mobile devices and laptops. – Run dishwashers, washing machines and other major appliances. – Set pool pumps to run in the early morning or late at night.
Temperatures on Monday will continue to be hot throughout the western US. The ISO is also monitoring numerous wildfires that may impact electrical lines.
For information on Flex Alerts, and to get more electricity conservation tips, visit the ISO’s Flex Alert website.
Bob Oertel of Middletown, California, displays chicken he grilled to perfection. Outdoor grills, barbecues and smokers will be used throughout the nation this holiday weekend to celebrate Labor Day. Photo by Esther Oertel.
LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – Many an American will be firing up the grill this Labor Day weekend. While today’s methods of cooking over fire can be quite sophisticated, the act of grilling is almost as old as humankind itself.
Before we go any further, it should be noted that there is a difference between grilling and barbecuing. The words are sometimes used interchangeably, but technically grilling is cooking at a high temperature directly over flame or another heat source (hot coals, for example).
Barbecue, on the other hand, is a low and slow method of cooking that utilizes indirect heat and smoke. The longer cooking time at a lower temperature allows the smoke to permeate and flavor what’s being cooked.
To take it a step further, smoking is a method similar to barbecue, but the temperature is even lower, typically under 225 degrees Fahrenheit, and the cook time is longer.
Now on to the history of grilling.
When our ancestors were able to tame fire, it changed the course of human evolution. Fire provided light on dark nights and a means to cook food, it warded off predators, and its warmth allowed humans to migrate to colder climates.
Up until recently, the oldest hard evidence of man using fire was found at Qesem Cave in Israel and dates to more than 300,000 years ago.
In April 2012, however, archaeologists found evidence of campfires that could have burned a million years ago. Charred bones and the ashy remains of plants were found at Wonderwerk Cave in South Africa, a dwelling place for humans and our ancestors for more than two million years.
The sharp edges on the bones and the excellent preserved state of the plant ash indicated that they would have been burned in the cave, rather than in a wildfire, as being blown into the cave by the wind would have blunted the bones and damaged the plant matter.
The discovery rekindled a controversy that’s been smoldering for decades. Could cooking over fire have allowed our ancestors to take in more calories, contributing to an increase in brain size? This theory of human origins is called the “cooking hypothesis.” Not all archaeologists agree, and other factors are cited as contributors to brain growth.
Either way, one thing is certain: cooking with fire and smoke make for some great tasting fare!
Let’s fast forward from a million years ago to a more familiar era: the 1940s.
During World War II, the U.S. government asked the Coleman Co. of Wichita, Kansas to develop a compact stove for military use.
The parameters were that the stove had to be lightweight for easy carrying, no bigger than a quart-sized bottle, able to operate in extreme temperatures (from -60 to +125 degrees Fahrenheit), and able to burn any type of fuel.
The result was the G.I. Pocket Stove, which was developed in only 60 days.
The stove was a hit among the soldiers and served the military well during the war. A side benefit was that it reintroduced the idea of outdoor cooking to the troops, perhaps contributing to the enthusiasm for backyard grilling in the post war era.
In the midst of post-war affluence and the resulting baby boom, people flocked to the suburbs from cities and rural areas. The same G.I.s who had used the Pocket Stove during wartime now had growing families and backyards, and a national obsession with backyard grilling was born.
The grills in most backyards at that time were not particularly sophisticated. They consisted of a place for charcoal with a raised grill grate above it, and the process was vulnerable to the elements, such as wind, which could affect the flame and therefore cooking temperature.
Enter George Stephen, a salesman for the Weber Brothers Metal Works in Chicago, who in 1952 decided he was going to make a better grill. Inspired by the shape of the round metal buoys made by the company at that time, he tweaked one and transformed it into a simple version of what we now know as a kettle grill.
A few well-placed holes and a removable top transformed the way a nation grilled.
Gas grills weren’t far behind, with the Chicago Combustion Co. producing a portable gas grill in 1954.
Now a word about fuel. The fuel of choice for barbecuing is wood, which is also used in smoking, though some smokers are designed to use pellets.
With grilling, it’s typically gas or charcoal. While wood charcoal has been around since ancient times, it was a man named Ellsworth B. A. Zwoyer who in 1897 invented and patented the charcoal briquet, a form of fuel designed for easier use in grills.
In 1919, Henry Ford of car assembly line fame further popularized Zwoyer’s invention by using wood and sawdust byproducts from automobile manufacturing to mass produce briquets. His colleague Edward Kingsford assisted him in this process and an industry was born.
These days there are a plethora of ways to grill, barbecue or smoke food, with ever advancing technology to make things easier, or at least fancier. Even so, we must give a nod of thanks to our human ancestors for blazing a trail by igniting the grilling fire a million years ago.
Today’s recipe is for barbecue beans made on the grill a la Bob Oertel, my oldest son. I thank him for sharing his methods with us!
Bob’s Barbecued Beans (they’re delicious!)
Use a pot that can withstand the heat of a grill, such as one that’s oven safe. Bob uses an aluminum Dutch oven.
Ingredients:
Olive oil for the pot 1 diced onion, any color 1 diced bell pepper, any color A couple of Mexican peppers of your choice, such as jalapeno, Anaheim, or poblano, diced (use a jalapeno pepper or two if heat is desired) A couple of garlic cloves, minced, or a spoonful of jarred minced garlic 4 cans of assorted beans, drained (Bob likes to use one can each of kidney and black beans, plus two cans of pinto beans) 1 regular sized bottle of barbecue sauce 1 can beer, any type Seasonings to your liking, such as Italian seasoning, garlic salt, dehydrated onion, black pepper, smoked paprika, or pre-made barbecue rub (Bob likes to use them all) ½ cup brown sugar ¼ cup molasses if you’ve got it 4 strips bacon, cooked and chopped
Procedure:
Place the pot with olive oil on the grill over indirect heat (meaning hot coals on the opposite side of the grill).
Heat olive oil, then add onions and peppers and cook until soft, stirring occasionally.
Add garlic and stir, cooking until soft (be careful not to burn).
Add beans, barbecue sauce, beer, seasonings, brown sugar, molasses, and bacon; stir to combine.
Cook for 2 to 3 hours until liquid is mostly reduced and the flavors permeate beans.
Stir occasionally to prevent burning.
This makes about eight hearty side dish servings.
Notes:
Be sure not to use a pot that’s Teflon coated or has plastic handles.
Beer may be replaced with a juice, such as apple or orange.
Bacon may be cooked on the grill before chopping and adding (see below).
Leftover grilled or barbecued meat may be added. (For example, if Bob makes these beans on a Sunday, he might add leftover pulled pork, tri tip, sausage or chicken that he barbecued or grilled on Friday or Saturday.)
If you want lots of heat, keep the seeds in the jalapenos.
How Bob cooks bacon on the grill:
There’s no need to grease the grill if it’s seasoned. (If not, spray a little grilling oil, such as Pam, on it.)
Lay bacon strips on the grill over indirect heat.
Depending on the temperature, the bacon may take 20 to 30 minutes to cook on a kettle grill. (If using a low temperature smoker, it can take up to an hour and a half.)
Flip bacon three to four times during the process.
Note: Do not cook over direct heat as dripping grease can cause flare-ups.
Esther Oertel is a writer and passionate home cook from a family of chefs. She grew up in a restaurant, where she began creating recipes from a young age. She’s taught culinary classes in a variety of venues in Lake County and previously wrote “The Veggie Girl” column for Lake County News. Most recently she’s taught culinary classes at Sur La Table in Santa Rosa, Calif. She lives in Middletown, Calif.
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