Friday, November 17, 2006

Scum Sucking Gold Mine?

Maybe for someone. I don't know.

I was glad to see the North Coast Journal's, Heidi Walters, give us a look at the end of the line for the stuff being dredged out of the bay.

I'd paid scant attention to the dredging issue, only vaguely remembering some mention that depositing the spoils on the west side of the North Spit had been approved by some powers- that- be. I hadn't realized they were already doing it.

Something I'd been wondering for years, was whether the stuff they dredge up had anything of value in it? Might there be all kinds of clams and/ or mudworms in it?

I know mudworms are a great bait for rock fish and spent a little time years ago- as much as I could tolerate, anyway- out in the bay mud digging for them. If they're getting sucked up by the dredge, might some entrepreneur out there find a way to screen them out of the dredgings?

Looks like the outflow pipe is pretty high up, but maybe you could get a fine mesh screen, put it on the end of a pole and stick the screen under the pipe when it's dumping the spoils. Might be messy, but if you got enough worms, you could make some money.

Anyone know if there's worms in that mud?

21 Comments:

At 9:53 AM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

Fred,

Mud worms are awesome bait for red tail perch and rock fish like you said. I remeber going down to the bay at low tide with my grandfather and digging in the muck. I also remember digging tons of Martha Washington and long neck clams off of Woodley Island. Grandmother had the tough job though; cleaning them when we got back.

Mike Harvey

 
At 10:29 AM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

If you remember, this project was scheduled to be done last year, until the Humboldt Bay Keepers(??) showed up at a hearing waving a jar full of mud and caused a year's delay and a huge increase in cost. And the additional testing done during the delay found what?? No cause for alarm!! Thanks alot for all that blathering HBK. How many more plans will they attempt to delay using their phony science??

 
At 11:32 AM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

It's official: Bay tainted with dioxins
John Driscoll/The Times-Standard
Article Launched:10/28/2006 04:24:25 AM PDT


The State Water Resources Control Board on Wednesday designated Humboldt Bay as polluted by dioxins, potentially harmful chemicals that may be left over from the area's industrial past.

Listed as “impaired” under the federal Clean Water Act, the North Coast Regional Water Quality Control Board will eventually have to develop a program to quantify the problem and begin to correct it.

 
At 1:15 PM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

In the mean time, lets see if we can find multiple business to sue to add to our environmental activist coffers.

 
At 2:34 PM, Blogger Fred Mangels said...

Mike Harvey wrote, "Mud worms are awesome bait for red tail perch and rock fish like you said".

Indeed. Frozen ones you could buy at the bait shops didn't work well, as I recall. Too soft and mushy by then so it wouldn't stay on the hook.

I'm wondering if the perch have gotten hip to this, assuming there's mudworms in that stuff, and are hanging out by the outflow?

As an aside, I've never found frozen bait to be of much use, especially anchovies. Falls apart too easy. My alternative to that was fresh smelt I'd buy at Safeway for dirt cheap. Really stayed on the hook.

 
At 6:10 PM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

The bay is on the State Water Board's list for being dioxin-contaminated and for being PCP-contaminated. Two proposed dredge sites were removed from the original plan due to "excessive" contamination -- after Baykeeper brought it to the Coastal Commission's attention.

The EPA and Coastal Commission only reluctantly approved the dumping site because of the severity of the problem -- but chastised the Harbor District for not planning better and using the HOODS site, which is the preferred option.

Also, besides the toxins factor, the dredge spoils are composed of silt, not sand, which is, according to the EPA, not compatible with beach sand.

Not to mention, for recreational users of the beach, it's just plain gross and eliminates a great place to walk one's dog.

 
At 12:04 AM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

For prison construction?

 
At 8:37 AM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

...or the solar powered monorail.

 
At 11:40 AM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

Well, sir, there's nothing on earth
Like a genuine,Bona fide, Electrified, Six-car monorail! What'd I say?
Monorail! I swear it's Eureka's only choice... Throw up your hands and raise your voice!
All: [singing] Monorail!
What's it called?
All: Monorail!
Once again...
All: Monorail!
But Main Street's still all cracked and broken...
Sorry, Sir, the mob has spoken!
All: [singing] Monorail!
Monorail!
Monorail!
[big finish]
Monorail!

 
At 11:44 AM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

Ah, just let it silt in. Who needs stinkin boats and ships to use the bay. Nothing larger than a kayak....ever. That will bring the economy way up. A regatta every week!

 
At 1:19 PM, Blogger Fred Mangels said...

Interesting idea, Steve, but first they should screen the stuff for mudworms.

 
At 5:30 PM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

No one (that I know of) is opposed to the dredging; it's the dumping of toxic silt on a heavily used beach instead of the offshore HOODS location that's the problem.

 
At 5:32 PM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

"just let it silt in"

No one is saying don't dredge. They are only questioning the method of disposal.

 
At 7:17 PM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

Yer right, Fred. What was I thinking. No petrified mudworms should show up in future ruins of Humboldt natives in the Dawn of History back in the early 21st Century. But if there are critters in the goop they shouldn't be killed but where to draw that line size-wise..? I'll go put on my face filter mask on now in time for O reng gay con..or whatever it is..

 
At 2:49 PM, Blogger Rose said...

What does the DA's office (yougofree.com) have to do with Baykeeper's lawsuit?

 
At 3:54 PM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

Jeff (yougo free.com) Schwartz, Baykeeper Pete Nichols and some gal were down there with a video camera...its too bad that yougofree can't protect the kids in this county from sexual assault and abuse and instead wants to try and pull a tim stoen.

 
At 5:27 PM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

Rose answering Rose again.

 
At 7:09 AM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

Horse shit - I am 3:54 and am not Rose. Whats the matter 5:27? Evidently you can't wrap your head around the fact that there are quite a few of us who know what is going on!

 
At 11:33 AM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

What does this have to do with the dredge spoils on the beach?

 
At 4:23 PM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

Or about free lightbulbs from PG&E. Did you get your's?

 
At 1:54 PM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

Sorry 3:54. Didn't know it was one or Rose's other personalities posting.

 

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