Goatman said:
Memorandum
To: Mike Gray, El Dorado County Division of Airports Parks & Grounds
cc: Supervisor Jack Sweeney, Rich Platt, U.S. Forest Service, Mark
Smith & the Rubicon Oversight
Committee
From: Steve Peterson and Eve Kliszewski
Date: Thursday, July 8, 2004
Re: Rubicon Trail Project - Recommendation to Close Public Access to
Spider Lake
As you know, the ESP project team is currently completing resource
evaluations of the Rubicon Trail and adjacent, related recreational use areas. Our observations of resource abuse and environmental impacts at the Spider Lake area over the past five weeks prompt us to provide you with interim information and management recommendations.
Damage to Habitat Our surveys of 2004 use of the Rubicon Trail in the vicinity of Spider Lake indicate that vehicles are continually straying from the designated Trail and its variant, the Little Sluice Bypass, in the vicinity
of Spider Lake.
Specific impacts include sawing and burning of healthy, mature trees,
construction of numerous rock fire rings, numerous oil spills, and vehicle track damage to a variety of habitats, including stream, wet meadow and seasonal wetland areas adjacent to the Spider Lake outflow. Feces and Garbage
We continue to observe increasing amounts of human feces, toilet paper
and sanitary napkins at the northern and northeastern shore of the Lake. This problem has gotten significantly worse since it was first observed in May of this year, and has been exacerbated by the periodic use of a metal
outhouse that has been tipped over and righted in the past week.
The concentration of untreated, uncontrolled human waste generates a
disgusting stench and poses a significant health hazard.
ESP collected water quality samples in and adjacent to Spider Lake on
July 1, 2004 (before the 4th of the July weekend) and on July 6th to determine if these human waste impacts are evident in local waters. We are awaiting the laboratory results of these investigations will transmit the conclusions of this set of samples in the coming week.