Keep Shasta Full

What a great year!

2011-12-03T13:29:00.001-08:00

Water was up to the top, and the second great year in a row. We can't help but think water conservation might have something to do with it. Watering your lawn less, not washing your cars in the driveway, fixing leaky toilets. Every little bit helps. Well, that, and lots of wishful thinking and rain dances so we can enjoy this great lake.

Here's to the happiest of holidays! from your friends at Holiday Harbor and Keep Shasta Full

3.07 feet from the top!!

2011-05-21T13:54:00.000-07:00

We are full again friends. It's going to be a great summer. It's such an amazing thing that ever since we started Keep Shasta Full we've had some incredible rain and runoff years bringing our lake levels all the way to the top every spring. We'd like to think it's equal parts thinking positive about this lake we all love, and people conserving more water every day so we don't use it all up too quickly.

Now's the time folks, book your trip to the lake because summer is just around the corner. And for those that want to support us with stickers for their cars, boats, wakeboards or tackle boxes, email us at Holiday Harbor with your name and address and we'll send you one.

holidayharbor@lakeshasta.com

onelove,
KSF

photo courtesy of our Facebook friend Jay Dannenmann

Snow at Lake Shasta!

2011-02-22T08:46:00.000-08:00

Lots of snow at Lake Shasta this past week. Looking for a full lake this Spring and Summer. We can't wait!

It's full! It's full! We did it. (Now time to keep it full.)

2010-05-03T08:31:00.000-07:00

Less than 5 feet from the top. We did it. It's been a good year, and with lots of snow still in the foothills and on Mt. Shasta, it should hopefully stay pretty darn full all through the summer season. But you never know. It's up to us to keep it as full as we can. As you are setting up your sprinkler systems on your lawns and gardens, and you start washing your car in your driveway, think about all that water you waste and where it comes from. Do your part to not waste it. Then get out to this most spectacular place and enjoy it.

So I've heard rumblings that people are saying the lake is so full it's hard to find a spot on the shore to fish from, if you have the means rent a boat and get into some of those coves that are overgrown with brush and trees from when the water was down. It makes for the best bass fishing you'll ever experience.

There are lots of place to rent boats, but we're particularly biased for where we grew up. And that's Holiday Harbor. Call them up now to reserve a boat for the summer, or get out this weekend on one of their fishing boats. Here's the latest deal they've got going on: 7-Night Summer Season Special - 20% OFF the Empress model houseboat, and 10% OFF all other houseboat models (exlcuding the Grand Marquis). Call 1-800-776-2628 or email them now, and get out there to enjoy this amazing lake. Tell them you heard about it here. If you beg them hard enough, maybe they'll bring back that Parasail Boat and that Shaved Ice Shack this summer!!

For those that emailed us recently about KSF stickers, we'll send them this week. They're on their way. If you can't wait, pick them up in person at Holiday Harbor!

Keep up the good work. Tell all your friends and neighbors about us.

onelove,

KSF

(photo courtesy of the Shasta Lake fanpage on Facebook, a great recent shot looking at the Caverns from across the way at Holiday Harbor!)

Friends at Wend

2010-03-29T13:11:00.000-07:00

WEND Magazine is a pretty kickass publication that talks about, and shows off, all things great outdoors. From adventure travel to real environmental issues that effect us all.

Since World Water Day was just a few days ago, they posted a very interesting article on solutions to the world's water problems. The best part, here's what the last part of the article said:

"Of course the number one solution to all of our water woes is you! You can conserve water. You can conserve energy. You can reduce pollution. You can educate. You can lead."

We couldn't have said it better ourselves.

onelove,

KSF

The World's Water

2010-02-23T22:27:00.000-08:00

It's amazing how much we take water for granted while we overwater our lawn, wash our cars in the driveway, and leave the faucet on when we shave or brush our teeth.

This should put some things into perspective.

World Water Day is just about a month away, on March 22, 2010. While we think about all the things we can do to conserve water for our own good, and enjoy the amazing lake that holds it all for us, let's also think about giving back to others where simply having clean water is a crisis.

http://www.worldwaterday2010.info/

Learn about other things you can do here and here.

Holiday Harbor featured on the front page of the Record Searchlight

2010-02-03T21:32:00.000-08:00

Redding's newspaper, The Record Searchlight, featured a front page article on how high the water is rising at Lake Shasta because of the recent storms. Lots of shots of Holiday Harbor and the crew out there moving the docks around to keep up with the rising shoreline.

All great signs that water is more plentiful this year than over the last few. Now, to just keep it there. Just because rain and snow are filling the lake, doesn't mean we shouldn't keep conserving wherever we can. Remember, don't waste. Now go book a houseboat vacation, and start dreaming about summer wakeboarding and fishing. Looks like it's going to be a good year.

Snow and Rain

2010-01-26T21:53:00.001-08:00

Lots of great storms in the north state are bring the lake level up. We're only 85 feet from the top. The Mt. Shasta area got hit with so much snow a lot of folks were without power for a few days. Even the ski area on Mt. Shasta was shut down for a few days without power, only to open up recently with 9 feet of fresh powder. The recent Redding Marathon was a rainy day too.

All of these things are great signs that we are on our way to getting a full lake by the time summer rolls around. Keep doing those dances folks.

Photo courtesy of shastalake.com

"Whiskey is for Drinking, Water is for Fighting Over" - Mark Twain

2009-12-30T19:50:00.000-08:00

60 Minutes aired a segment on California's water problems this past Sunday. Focusing on the 3-year drought's effect on the state, they spoke primarily to Schwarzenneger on the endangered delta smelt that resulted in shutting down water pumps that supply an abundance of water for the farmer's in southern California. No matter what side of this story you sit on, it is true that there is a lot of fighting over water and the drought's effect on agriculture, which no doubt is a huge deal.

But let's not forget tourism. Lake Shasta is a huge tourist draw, not to mention, the entire state of California is known for the revenue that tourism brings in. That's why we always see Arnold's smiling face in those California - Find Yourself Here commercials. We want more water in our lakes and rivers and deltas so we can enjoy them no matter how we do it.

Many of the solutions to all of these water problems - rebuild the water system. Or build more of it. New levees. New canals. New pumps. And we know they are still talking about raising Shasta Dam up to 18 feet, which would then allow for more water storage (see map below). Unfortunately, that would wipe out almost all of the buildings of all the houseboat resorts around Lake Shasta. Good thing those boats and all the docks they moor will all stay float no matter how high the dam goes.

But truth of the matter is, if we don't stop using so much of our water...especially in times of drought, we won't ever have an opportunity to use an expanded dam if the water levels don't come up. So our solutions - whether you are a farmer, a fisherman, a houseboater, an environmentalist, or the governor - be smart about the water you do use and stop wasting it! In the meantime, we'll keep doing our rain dances.

onelove,
KSF

Map courtesy of the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation.

Water saving tips by way of Mt. Shasta

2009-12-16T08:37:00.000-08:00

As we wait for more storms, with more rain and snow to hit the north state, let's remind ourselves of other ways to conserve water. Thanks to the folks up in Mt. Shasta who know what they are talking about. Check out their environmental blog here, with a recent post about the "Cash for Clunker Appliances" program. If we get a big snowfall up on Mt. Shasta, that will lead to lot's of runoff. So when you aren't wakeboarding this winter, maybe you're up there snowboarding.

Here's their community's other water saving tips:

Water your lawn ONLY when it needs it. Set your sprinklers for more days in between watering. (Saves 750-1,500 gallons per month) In times of drought, use a hose.
Fix leaky faucets and plumbing joints. (Saves 20 gallons per day per leak stopped)
Don't run the hose while washing your car. Place a spray fixture on your hose so the water won't run continuously. Use a bucket of water and a quick hose rinse at the end. (Saves 150 gallons each time)
Install water-saving shower heads or flow restrictors in your home. (Saves 500-800 gallons per month)
Run only FULL loads in the washing machine and dishwasher. (Saves 300-800 gallons per month)
Shorten your showers. A one or two minute reduction can save up to 700 gallons per month.
Use a broom instead of a hose to clean driveways and sidewalks. (Saves 150 gallons or more each time)
Don't use your toilet as an ashtray or wastebasket. (Saves 400-600 gallons per month)
Capture tap water. While you wait for hot water (or colder water) to come down the pipes, catch the flow in a watering can to use later on house plants or your garden. (Saves 200-300 gallons per month)
Don't water the sidewalks, driveway or gutter. Adjust your sprinklers so that water lands on your lawn or garden where it belongs — and only there. (Saves 500 gallons per month)

PULL from FUEL TV, this ain't no skeet shooting show

2009-11-13T13:02:00.000-08:00

This show is great for all you wakeboarding and wakeskating fans out there. It's on FUEL TV and sponsored by the good crew over at Alliance Wakeboard Magazine. It's one of those channels where I don't mind watching the commercials because there's always great snowboard, skate or wakeboard footage happening. Props out to these guys for keeping the wakeboard love alive. Now, let's hope these water lovers find out about Keep Shasta Full and call up Holiday Harbor to get out on some houseboats. A weeklong excursion for them would serve up some epic footage of the lake. Here's to hoping they make it out on Lake Shasta for an upcoming episode. Then maybe we can get some product placement of our stickers all over the show too!

Here's just one clip from the show, lots of NorCal riding on Lake Nacimiento. Check out more on their site or be sure to TiVo this masterpiece of a program.

Onelove,

KSF

Up to the top of the Shasta gulch

2009-10-01T12:23:00.001-07:00

Just remembering that the band Pavement has a great lyric that references Lake Shasta. It's in the song Unfair off the album Crooked Rain, Crooked Rain. I'm posting this one because Pavement is an incredible band with a huge cult following, and they are straight out of Stockton, Northern Cal. Lucky for their adoring fans and any music geeks like myself who never got to see them, they are reuniting for some shows next year. Take the lyrics for what they are worth. To me, a reference to the waters of Shasta feeding all of California. So what do we say to this, respect the water and save it wherever you can. Don't waste. Then go see Pavement when they go on tour!

Up to the top of the Shasta gulch

And to the bottom of the Tahoe lakes
Manmade deltas and concrete rivers
The south takes what the north delivers

Pavement |MTV Music

Good news...El Nino is Spanish for "The Nino!"

2009-09-18T12:43:00.000-07:00

I couldn't resist the late, great Chris Farley's weather forecast for El Nino. So that's the prediction this year which is great for NoCal rainfall. Read more about what that means here. El Nino courtesy of UCSD. And to put this all into perspective, here's a report on another El Nino back in 1997 and it's rainfall just in San Francisco alone...

What past Type 1 El Niño events tell us about San Francisco rainfall in the winter?

a. AS THE PRESENT EL Niño PERSISTS THROUGH THE WINTER, IT IS REASONABLE TO EXPECT GREATER THAN NORMAL PRECIPITATION. 6 out of 8 past Type 1 El Niños (75% of an admittedly small sample) had greater than normal precipitation. Hence, the concerns that the upcoming winter (1997-1998) will be wetter than normal appear reasonable.

b. ALSO, AS THE PRESENT EL Niño PERSISTS THROUGH THE WINTER, IT IS REASONABLE TO PREPARE FOR MUCH HEAVIER THAN NORMAL PRECIPITATION (defined as greater than roughly 170% of the normal rainfall--35.70"). 3 out of the 8 past Type 1 El Niños (82-83, 72-73 and 57-58) had about 170% (or greater) of the normal precipitation. Again, this is a small sample upon which to make generalizations. However, the history of these recent events suggests that San Franciscans should be prepared for a winter potentially much wetter than normal.

Read more about the reports here. El Nino 1997 courtesy of SFSU.

Showing the Keep Shasta Full Love!

2009-09-10T09:13:00.000-07:00

I asked our Facebook friends to send in any photos they had of their Keep Shasta Full stickers on their cars or boats or wherever. Got some good ones! Thanks John and Craig. Craig actually has his sticker up next to his desk where he works at Nike, right along side two other Lake Shasta classics...a sticker for Aunt Joe Mama's Boot Syrup and a brochure for the Parasailing boat that Craig and I use to work on at Holiday Harbor. Hopefully if that water gets up next summer, they can get that parasail operation running again. No better way to see the lake than from 500 feet above it! Also here's a nice shot of a KSF sticker parked right behind a Keep Tahoe Blue sticker (it's the blue sticker on the cargo box, sorry, a little tough to see in this shot!) Funny enough, this was taken in Boulder, Colorado. Sharing the love for all the great Northern California lakes!

Send us photos of your sticker and we'll post it to the blog. Email us at keepshastafull@gmail.com

Inspiring organizations - Save The Bay and Klean Kanteen

2009-08-23T14:16:00.000-07:00

Ultimately all the water from Lake Shasta, by way of the Sacramento River and the Delta, ends up in the San Francisco Bay. We here at KSF care about all water related issues. There is one that is of of particularly larger concern for the world...plastics. More specifically plastic bags. If you haven't seen the documentary movie, Addicted to Plastics, check it out. It'll open your eyes. Check out the trailer here.

Save the Bay is taking on plastic bags and they've got a cool video to show the impact here.

Anyone ever hear of the giant plastic swirl in our oceans?! It's enough to freak anyone out. So when you are doing your best to conserve water, do what you can to reduce your plastic waste. Try a Klean Kanteen from the good people down in Chico, CA, making them.

Shout outs to some new and old friends of KSF

2009-08-21T21:07:00.000-07:00

I went out on the lake this past week. A great time with a lot of great, old friends. Couldn't believe how low the water was getting. Especially in the harbor. Sure was nice seeing all our stickers on those cars. Thanks for representing everyone!

When you are out their houseboating, you really notice the difference in the lake level. We placed some rocks on the shore noon one day so we could measure where the water line was 24 hours later. Pretty drastic difference. Word was that they were dropping the level almost a foot a day. Sure did make it hard to get those boats off the shore. What's strange to me and a lot of employees out there at Holiday Harbor is how much the Sacramento River was flowing through Redding, Anderson and Red Bluff. Looked like that foot a day was going to no good use, just excess flow. Who knows, but definitely a shame.

We did manage to stop by a couple friends of Keep Shasta Full. Harrison's Marine is kind enough to display our stickers at their location off Oasis Road in Redding. And the good folks over at Sports LTD on Hilltop Drive in Redding our showing them off as well. Stop by either of those locations and pick up a sticker for free. They've got about a hundred at each location, and if they go fast, we'll get them some more. Thanks to those great supporters of our cause. If any other businesses are interested in distributing stickers, send us an email at keepshastafull@gmail.com. We'd love to hear from you and tell our fans about you here on this site as well.

In the meantime, turn off that hose and get out on the lake!

onelove,

KSF

PS- great to see Kevin, Kyle, Scotty, Lisa and Frank, and meet Matt, Barry and James as well. that's a good crew out there at Holiday Harbor. you've got your hands full moving those docks like you all do. here's praying for early rain!

Old School

2009-08-07T20:45:00.000-07:00

Just happened upon this old postcard of Holiday Harbor back in the day. Love the old school layout of the place. If anyone knows Holiday Harbor now, it's changed quite a bit.

One thing is for sure, that water is pretty damn high.

Holy Kite Look at that Height

2009-08-07T20:34:00.000-07:00

This is our friend Joe Vine. Joe is a longtime friend of Lake Shasta. I've known him for almost 20 years. He use to teach waterskiing, wakeboarding and barefooting at John Steiner's Ski School on the lake. This is a shot of Joe riding one of those kiteboard setups towed behind the boat. This is a sweet shot. Lake looks pretty nice too. The water level is low, but that water still looks great. Pretty inviting if you ask me. Get out there people!

You are a better man than I Gunga Din

2009-07-31T23:04:00.000-07:00

One of my Dad's favorite movies. Rudyard Kipling wrote it about a heroic Indian water carrier. Here's just a 'lil bit from the original poem...

I shan't forgit the night 
When I dropped be'ind the fight 
With a bullet where my belt-plate should 'a' been. 
I was chokin' mad with thirst, 
An' the man that spied me first 
Was our good old grinnin', gruntin' Gunga Din. 
'E lifted up my 'ead, An' he plugged me where I bled, 
An' 'e guv me 'arf-a-pint o' water-green: It was crawlin' and it stunk, 
But of all the drinks I've drunk, I'm gratefullest to one from Gunga Din.   
 It was "Din! Din! Din!   'Ere's a beggar with a bullet through 'is spleen;       
'E's chawin' up the ground,       
An' 'e's kickin' all around:   
For Gawd's sake git the water, Gunga Din!"

Of course he's a hero, he takes care of the water. We could all learn a thing or two from the guy.

Onelove,

KSF

20 X 2020 Water Conservation Plan

2009-07-31T22:59:00.000-07:00

I came across this on the interwebs today. It's California's water conservation plan.

Here's the executive summary:

In February 2008, Governor Schwarzenegger introduced a seven-part comprehensive plan

for improving the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta. As part of this effort, the Governor directed

state agencies to develop a plan to reduce statewide per capita urban water use by 20 percent by

the year 2020. This marked the initiation of the 20x2020 Water Conservation Plan (20x2020

Plan) process.

California’s water resources are finite and now require managing for sustainability.

Multiple benefits can be realized as a result of more aggressive water conservation including:

reduced stress on the environment of the beleaguered Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta
delayed capital cost of new infrastructure to treat and deliver water
reduced demand for wastewater treatment, including capital costs and ongoing treatment costs
reduced water-related energy demands and associated greenhouse gas emissions
improved ability to meet environmental needs
improvements in the quality of receiving waters related to reduced discharge
reduced use of fertilizers, pesticides, and herbicides, reduced escape of these chemicals into surface waters, reduced production of green waste, and improved
habitat value of urban landscapes
enhanced flexibility in water management and delivery systems, especially during dry periods
better capacity to meet the challenge of California’s growing population.

California can reduce its per capita use 20 percent, from the current 192 gallons per capita

daily (GPCD) to 154 GPCD. This amounts to an annual savings of about 1.74 million acre-feet.

A great question, with a complicated answer

2009-07-20T21:03:00.000-07:00

We got a question today on our Facebook wall. I've copied it here, start from the bottom. Unfortunately water is a complicated business and we can't get all the specific answers. But there are some good links where you can find out more info about water usage across the state of California. As well as information about the drought. The Keep Shasta Full crew doesn't admit to have all the answers or solutions, but we do know water is a nice thing to have for our own uses as well as the state's, so we'll keep pushing the good word out about taking care of it.

Great question. Here's a PDF document that shows a breakdown of some of the uses. Looking at Sacramento River, you'll get some sense of some of the general breakdown. Unfortunately, the data isn't as current as we'd like. But you can get an idea of the increase in Urban use across the board over the years, which is what most of us can effect. http://www.waterplan.water.ca.gov/docs/meeting_materials/ac/06.16.09/WaterBal_2Page.pdf

You can also go to this site to get information on the hydroelectric output and current water elevations, seeing how much they pull out on a daily basis.
http://cdec.water.ca.gov/cgi-progs/staMeta?station_id=SHA

Lake Shasta as a reservoir for supply, as opposed to just recreation, is obviously a necessity. We just know a lot of folks waste water far too often, whether it's broken sprinklers spraying sidewalks or washing your car in your driveway. A lot of it is going down the drain.

Delete

Chad Scott (Italy) wrote
at 6:09pm on July 18th, 2009

Does anyone have water use information for Shasta? Like what percentage is used for the following: irrigation, residential, commercial (light and heavy), hydro-electric generation, river water quality, down-river recreation, etc?

Good times in July

2009-07-12T13:24:00.000-07:00

The crew at Shasta Wakeboard School is definitely living it up out on Lake Shasta. Check out these photos. I know I can't wait to get out on the lake after looking at some of their recent shots. Check some more out here. Hope you all are doing your part to conserve water, and getting up to the lake when you can too!

Houseboats. Our floating home away from home.

2009-06-29T06:34:00.001-07:00

Just thought I'd throw in a couple of shots of houseboating. Definite good times to be had by all. Can't believe some of these shots and how high the water is. Up to the trees. Looks pretty nice, doesn't it? Let's get it back there next year! It's hot up in the North State. Get up to the lake to cool off!

Good things come to those who bait.

2009-06-27T12:58:00.000-07:00

Fishing. There's no bigger fish than the one that got away at the last minute!! Here are some nice shots of some Lake Shasta fish. Yet another reason to SAVE WATER so we can catch big fish and tell even bigger tales about it. Photos courtesy of these guys: Shasta Tackle

Can't forget why we love being at Lake Shasta

2009-06-27T12:50:00.000-07:00

Here's another great Shasta wakeboarding video. Props to the riders Jared Comingdeer and James Watts, as well as Dirk Engstrom who put this vid together.