| Van Norden Meadow in the 1860's |
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| Photo courtesy of The Society of California Pioneers |
Van Norden Meadow is the jewel of Donner Summit. This mountain meadow was used for thousands of years by Indian
tribes as a summer hunting ground, and as a passage over the rugged Sierra.
The meadow later became known as Summit Valley, providing a welcome haven for emigrants enduring the arduous
journey to a new life in the West. The high meadow also served as a summer grazing area for dairy cattle, which provided
milk for residents, and for passengers on the intercontinental railroad.
In 1900 a dam was raised on the meadow by the South Yuba Water Company, drowning thousands of years of history.
PG&E, subsequent purchasers of the meadow/lake, had to breach the dam because of seismic hazards. They later sold the
meadow to a consortium formed by Sugar Bowl and Royal Gorge, who split the property between them.
Despite an incomplete breaching of the dam, resulting in a small residual impound of water, Van Norden Meadow
has recovered beautifully, once more functioning as an integral component of the headwaters of the South Yuba River.
However, Van Norden Meadow and the headwaters of the South Yuba River are once again threatened, this time by Royal Gorge
LLC, as they seek to rebuild the dam, and inundate the meadow, submerging both a precious link to the past, and a vital
link to the future for the wildlife dependent upon the meadow and surrounding wetlands and woods. This website
will provide background on Van Norden Meadow, and it's unique place in a complex and delicate ecosystem. Various contributors
will detail, among other things, its role as a wildlife corridor, its historical significance, and its priceless contributions
to the health of the South Yuba River.
VAN NORDEN MEADOW: WHY DEVELOP WHAT DOESN'T NEED DEVELOPING? by Tom Appelbaum Printable Version... The idea of using any part of Van Norden Meadow for anything other than current
usages is a puzzler to me. As it is, the meadow is a multi-use property that must surely satisfy most if not all of
anyone's outdoor needs. Besides the Winter fun, hiking, running, treking, fishing, kayaking, birding, and taking
in the wonders of a meadow in transition are certainly as valid as anything proposed by Foster/Syme, and we don't
have to do anything to develop interest in these activities except leave the meadow alone. The folks from Royal
Gorge who work in and around the meadow (I'm talking about the guys in the company trucks) have been pretty
nice to us homeowners by allowing these low-impact off-season activities, asking only that we don't bring
motorized vehicles onto the property, and that we help watch over the meadow by reporting unauthorized use. It's
a nice relationship that seems to work all year.
So here, then, are some questions: Why rebuild
the dam and use the water for more homes? Well, we'd have a deeper lake to noodle around on from Spring until the
resource is used up, but to what end? The lake already exists (as do the Serene lakes, all the lakes around the
summit, and Donner Lake), and the seismic reasons for taking down the dam haven't gone away. In fact, with global
warming and the subsequent climate changes that are now predicted, it seems that water will be the next highly coveted
resource, rivaling oil as a cause for regional conflict. If you'd like to find out about the
need for a free-flowing Yuba River, just contact the members of SYRCL, the South Yuba River Conservation League... downstream
use is of paramount importance to the health of the river and everything living in and around it. It may even be
wise to think of taking down the rest of the dam, or at least cleaning up the area around the breached portion and
returning the rivers's pathway downstream of the spillway to a more pristine condition. It's
pretty grungy from late Summer to the first snowfall.
Why develop the area with an interpretive center, skating rink, parking, and employee housing? Yipes.
Perhaps a small kiosk for the purpose of disseminating information about how the meadow as part of the summit is
such a special place would be appropriate, as are the current Royal Gorge out-buildings for cross-country skiing, but
to surround the meadow with so many more potential sources of light and noise pollution, as well as site-source
pollution that would ultimately reach the river, is not wise, and seems contradictory to the values that a so-called
conservation community would emphasize. Why build out on 18 home sites?
Again, more potential sources of all types of pollution, as well as increasing the load on the area's resources. Why establish Soda Springs/Royal
Gorge as a destination for year-round activities? It already exists, albeit on a smaller scale than proposed.
Also, there's been a history of economic failure here at the summit for over a century, and the current scene is
no different. Check out the property from 1-80 to the intersection of Donner Pass Road and Soda Springs Road...not
too much going on. You don't own a business up here to make a lot of money. Why not invest whatever monies
are available in keeping the meadow as part of a prime example of a Sierra watershed? Sounds good to me...
To begin a question with why is to get, eventually, to the real reason behind any
activity, something I don't want to address in this little essay. This is simply a request to save Van Norden
Meadow. But beyond all these questions is the fact that there simply aren't enough resources here at the summit
to support a project of the magnitude that Foster/Syme proposes, and the fixes that have been floating around on the rumor
mill not only won't work, but won't be tolerated in the current and future conservation climate here in
California. Even though
I don't go for any part of the size and scope of the proposed development at the meadow, let alone the whole project,
I believe Foster/Syme should have an out that doesn't cost them any money, or that could even give them
a profit, at least as far as the meadow is concerned. The various land acquisition agencies that exist (reference the
Martis Valley compromise) could be contacted with the goal of saving the meadow from any unneeded changes. A true conservation
community would, I believe, already have thought of this in light of the results of the residents' survey that
have recently come to light. We don't want this kind of growth, and isn't it nice that vehicles exist that
could provide a win-win situation for all involved? I would ask Foster/Syme
to scale back the proposed development, and a good starting point would be to leave the meadow as is; then, move
toward scaling back their plans and working, REALLY WORKING, with the community to ensure development that would retain
the feel of the summit... conserve, if you will, those characteristics that make the summit a very special place.
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What You Can Do:
For further information related to the South Yuba River, please visit www.syrcl.org. SYRCL accepts donations to protect the headwaters of the South Yuba River. For information about Royal Gorge LLC's
development proposals for the larger Donner Summit area, please view www.saveserenelakes.org
Articles of Interest:
...AND WHAT OF THE TREES? The latest piece posted on
the Save The Summit web site, "The Case of the Missing Trees", has stirred some thoughts in this old conservationists mind, and I'd like to share them with you. I'll
relay a story of not 500 trees, but one tree, one majestic redwood, that fell for all the wrong reasons.
We value the trees around our modest cabin, the pine, fir, and different deciduous species that
climb gracefully to the sky, providing beauty, shade, and calming whispers in the wind on warm summer nights or, with
a bit more impact, during rowdy winter storms. They help to put us in what we believe is the proper
perspective. They are such an integral part of our lives, both at The Summit and at our home in the San Francisco Bay
Area. Read More...
THIS LAND IS YOUR LAND, THIS LAND IS MY LAND
After having attended many of the various meetings held so far with all concerned over the fate
of the Summit, here are what my wife Jeanne and I would like to see happen with regards to further development...nothing.
Of course, this is an unrealistic desire, but maybe something close to that is feasible. Read on.
We don't much like change. We mourn the loss of favorite places, whether they're
undeveloped areas or special restaurants, beloved landscapes or convenient small businesses that serve our needs.
Having been part of The Summit in varying degrees since 1962, we especially want this lovely area to remain isolated
from the rampant development that is threatening the entire Sierra range. Selfish? I suppose so. But
for those of us who have hiked, skied, biked, fished, or just generally enjoyed the relative solitude found at The Summit,
most notably in the off-seasons, the feeling of needing to be a steward of the land is certainly valid.
We relish our time here... Read More...
A CONFLICTED MEADOW ON DONNER SUMMIT? Summit
Valley, aka Van Norden Meadow, aka the headwaters of the South Yuba River- what does the future hold for it?
A quick recap: In three meetings held for the Donner Summit community
in March of 2007, Royal Gorge repeatedly made assurances that they'd protect Van Norden Meadow as a nature preserve, with
a history and nature interpretive center, and natural open space. They also said that they would work to improve the
headwaters of the South Yuba River. Read More...
A LEGACY OF WASTE IN THE SIERRA At least several times a week our
household receives thick, glossy invitations to invest in time-shares, fractional ownerships, or second homes in resort
communities near and far. Montana, Idaho, the Sierra, Palm Springs--the locations vary, but the message remains the
same. "You've earned this." "Live the good life." "Bond with your family."
"Build a legacy." More....
VAN NORDEN MEADOW MUSINGS Van Norden Meadow, with the passage of
time, has also been a place of passages for people and wildlife. Early Indian tribes used the meadow for literally thousands
of years; records of their time up at the summit can be found in petroglyphs, and tool fragments still found around the area.
More....
A SEWER RUNS THROUGH IT That the upper South Yuba River still exists
in its stunning, bouldered beauty, is a bit of a miracle. In the gold rush, rivers were diverted, channeled through
canals, and dammed in order to provide water for the hydraulic mining that so scarred the northern gold country, and the South
Yuba was no exception. Minerals were the prize most desired in the gold rush, but lumber and water ran them a close
second, More...
THE BUTTERFLIES OF DONNER SUMMIT Butterflies are
probably the last thing to come to mind when one hears of Donner Summit. One might think of the ill-fated Donner party,
the dramatic granite landscape, copious snow, and skiing- but fragile butterflies? Yet it turns out that Donner Summit
and environs contain an abundance of butterflies. Dr Art Shapiro, of UC Davis, has noted that, "Donner, for area,
has one of the richest butterfly faunas documented in North America." More....
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