Upvalley winery hit with water agency violation

Jul 18, 2017 at 12:00pm

St. Helena Star


The San Francisco Bay Regional Water Quality Control Board on July 6 issued a cleanup and abatement order. It is requiring Bremer to restore the creek to prevent sediments from entering waterways that ultimately drain into the Napa River.

“Fine sediment clogs spawning and gravels and degrades rearing habitat, contributing to the decline of salmon and steelhead in the Napa River watershed,” the order says.

Attorney Scott Greenwood-Meinert on behalf of the winery said that, as of Wednesday, the Bremers intended to comply with the order rather than file an appeal. Regional Water Board orders can be appealed to the state Water Resources Control Board.

“We may still deep down in our heart dispute some things, but given the scope of the order itself, we believe moving forward with compliance is the best course of action,” he said.

The Bremer Family Winery vineyard project included placing stones along the banks of the unnamed creek and installing temporary culverts. Greenwood-Meinert said the Bremers didn’t know they were doing anything wrong when they made what he called “improvements” to the small, seasonal waterway.

 

You can read the full article here.