> 18 feb 2007 / OLD CALABASAZ CREEK - i noticed a chain link fence around the 1333 lawrence expressway parking lot where a natural pond used to be (see photo above) - the biologically diverse old calabasaz creek pond was illegally paved over, and i'm wondering if this is a sign the vital habitat will finally be restored (because after all; the city of santa clara can't use me as a scapegoat for their well-documented and brazen illegal environmental actions over 6 years ago)...
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i have heard from many people that the old calabasaz creek was re-routed from a north/south direction along lawrence expressway (see sections X&Y below) to a north/east direction in the 1950s due to flooding (see section Z below) - i also heard from a santa clara city employee who used to regularly fish at the old calabasaz creek way back when (see sections X&Y below - section Y is the marina playa apartment pond) and he said that many people who worked for the city of santa clara in fact knew the pond that used to reside at section X was in fact a NATURAL POND, as this was the remains of the old creek, not an artificial pond as stated in the city planner's recommendations (and it really doesn't matter what the city planner recommended; what do the county records say?)
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oh, and what about that big old bird sitting up in the trees, swooping down and fishing at the pond? that was in fact a BLUE HERRING not a HERON! (i guess laws only apply to us little people, is that it? - blue herrings are extremely endangered) - the pond also contained a variety of fish species, including indigenous ones trapped when the creek was re-routed - to make matters worse; 1) thousands of botulism infected fish were illegally drained into the new calabasaz creek by the management of 1333 lawrence expressway; 2) the petition i passed around was illegally confiscated and/or stolen; 3) and after speaking at a santa clara city council meeting about 1333 lawrence expressway, my disciples were forced to turn on me when the security guards who helped in the effort to distribute the petition were told to have me arrested if i stepped foot on 1333 again, even though i was a paying kaiser member...
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(at the time, that is - i have since canceled my kaiser health care plan and i now have no health insurance due to this chain of events - ah, the joys of activism! [click here] and speaking of activism, a fellow activist friend of mine has scoured the new homeland security requirements, and apparently water retention ponds are necessary for emergency situations when water pressure can be compromised [earthquakes etc] therefore both sections W&X are needed not only for wildlife habitat and human enjoyment, but also for emergency situations where water reservoirs are critical)
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ultimately; both the 1333 (X) and the lake terrace pond (W) need to be restored, and since it wasn't done correctly to begin with; a bridge is needed between sections X&Y to allow wildlife to go under the granada avenue roadway (see photo above) to reduce road accidents between cars and ducks etc - and finally; what i have just explained above is the main reason why it is so important the lake terrace apartment pond be preserved (see section W below); because ducks often fly between the lake terrace and marina playa ponds during spring and fall, and this habitat is critically needed...the bottom line is this: much like human populations; wildlife populations increase as well - and they need habitat for this population expansion...
