South Dunes Ranger Station at Buttercup

[Jerry Seaver]

Equipment was mobilized last week and the surveying for the building was done today. The well is scheduled to be started later this week. Phase 1 is the building and Phase 2 is the parking lot grading with a little pavement. These two phases are scheduled to take up to six months to complete. Most of this projects funding has come from actions that Congressman Filner has done.

[RX 4 INSANDITY]

Hi Jerry--

Where is this new facility going to be built?? I don't know the Buttercup area all that well, but I would guess that it might be fairly close to the bridge to allow for the coverage of both Buttercup and Gordon's??

On a related question, how does the "relining" project affect the bridge??

--Mike

[Jerry Seaver]

The New Ranger Station is going to be located between the freeway and the entrance to the Buttercup Camping area. It's where the fee machines were located at one time. If the bridge you are thinking about is the Herman Schneider Memorial Bridge, it will be about 5 or 6 miles from there.

As far as the Canal Relining project affecting the Herman Schneider Memorial Bridge, here is how it is planned at this time.

[crash]

According to that map, it looks like 1) us duners are going to lose MORE camping area, and 2) if I'm looking at it correctly, those little squares running along the border are the electrical transmission towers. That map shows one of those being covered by a "spoil embankment". Not only would I doubt that the electrical companies would allow this to happen to their towers but seeing as though the embankment goes almost all the way to the border, it would make it almost impossible to not encroach on the U.S. - Mexico border in order to use the "BLM" bridge.

I'd say the lining people are giving inaccurate info here. Again, I just don't understand why one of two things can't happen.

1) Line the canal in place as the water is still in it. It has been proven that this is a viable alternative.

2) Divert flow to a TEMPERARY canal, line the original, and return flow to the original location.

I would be interested to hear why these alternatives have been disregarded.

[Jerry Seaver]

I found a map that shows the location of the new Ranger Station in the South Dunes.



Everything shown isn't going to be build right now. It will be done in phases as funding is available. I believe phase 1 and 2 which is what is going to be done first is the building and a gravel parking area.

[LoBuck]

I took some pics of the construction on the Ranger Station. Not much to see yet.

Drilling a well:






From the Overpass:

[Voice]

Amazing that they can find the money to build this monstrosity, but can't seem to find the money to open and then adequately patroll Comp or Olds.

Most of this projects funding has come from actions that Congressman Filner has done.

And where does most of the yearly upkeep money come from?