Authorities have closed a large swath of Smith Canal in Stockton for fishing after an oil spill late last week.
A safety zone also has been established for all of Smith Canal, limiting public access to the area “for safety and environmental purposes.”
On Sunday, California’s Department of Fish and Wildlife issued the closure after it was determined “a threat to public health is likely” for those fishing in the area or consuming fish or shellfish caught in the vicinity of the spill or anywhere the petroleum is anticipated to spread.
About a mile of the canal’s waterway from Yosemite Lake at the American Legion Park to Mission Road are off limits to all fishing until further notice, as cleanup and containment efforts are underway.
“This closure prohibits the catch and consumption of fish and shellfish in the area while an investigation is conducted to assess the extent of the public health risk,” Fish and Wildlife officials said. “The closure boundaries may change as conditions change.”
The safety zone, limiting public access to the canal, was announced later Sunday. Officials say the safety zone’s boundaries may also continue to shift as spill response efforts evolve.
Fish and Wildlife was notified Friday that a petroleum spill had occurred in the state waters of Smith Canal, according to department officials. The source of the spill appears to be from an oil burner that had a potential maximum capacity of 380 gallons, though authorities have not specified how much oil has gone into the canal.
Stockton Fire Department crews and the Fish and Wildlife’s Office of Spill Prevention and Response initially responded and deployed a sorbent boom to minimize environmental impacts, officials said Saturday.
“An additional layer of hard boom was (also) deployed on both sides of the spill site to prevent product from entering into the San Joaquin River,” officials added.
A sorbent boom is a tube-like, floating barrier made of materials that absorb oil, while a hard boom is a cylindrical floating piece of plastic that sits on top of the water and has a below-water, weighted skirt to help keep oil from going under the boom.
A unified command post with representatives from the U.S. Coast Guard, Fish and Wildlife’s Office of Spill Prevention and Response and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has been set up.
The Coast Guard also has a federal Oil Spill Liability Trust Fund, established to the cover the costs of various issues related to oil spills, to pay for the initial response to the Stockton spill, as well as containment and cleanup.
The San Joaquin County Office of Emergency Services has advised community members living along the banks or near the canal to avoid the area and stay out of the water. Officials also cautioned pet owners to keep animals away from the canal and not let them drink from its waters.
County Board of Supervisors Chairman Miguel Villapudua and Vice Chair Paul Canepa released a statement Saturday saying they are keeping tabs on the situation and appreciate the “prompt response” from state and federal agencies.
“The San Joaquin Delta is a vital resource for water and recreation in our community, and we are dedicated to doing all we can to ensure that it is a clean, healthy and safe place to work and play,” the two said in the statement.
County officials say they will continue to update the community as the situation evolves.
Anyone with information about illegal pollution of state waters is being encouraged to call the CalTip 24-hour hotline at (888) 334-2258.
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