For information, questions, assistance, or to volunteer: contact any of the Steering Committee members below. You can also use their e-mail links.

Steering Committee

Goals: to work on the Friends of Smith Canal's mission and objectives; establish work plans and set dates for events; provide guidance to the other committees; manage organization funds; represent the organization to the public, and the city and county agencies.

Activities: monthly meetings; general meetings quarterly.

Achievements: won an excellence award for the Targeted Opportunities to Prevent Pollution in San Joaquin County (TOPPS); also recognition from the 8th annual Stockton Mayoral awards, and an award from the California Senate, both stemming from the TOPPS achievement.

Current needs: volunteer participation, ideas, and input.

Resources Committee

Goals: develop proactive relationships with governmental agencies; improve communications; identify and help resolve jurisdictional issues; identify public agencies and private resources that are responsible for canal concerns and/or available to address these concerns; identify individuals who are the contacts at each agency.

Activities: work with Reclamation Districts 828 and 1914; establish Pershing to Yosemite Lake responsibility; complete and distribute agency contact and responsibility list; maintain ongoing communications.

Current needs: persons willing to attend and report on Reclamation District meetings; persons willing to serve as liaisons with various other agencies.

Cleanup Committee

Goals: remove obstacles and debris from canal; improve navigability.

Activities: canal cleanup's in the spring and fall; facilitate resources for deteriorated docks, abandoned or sunken boats; levee patrols; dredging.

Current needs: person(s) to serve as contact and organize/manage cleanup's; volunteers to help on land or by small boats during cleanup's.

Water Quality Committee

Goals: identify water quality concerns and solutions; halt levee deterioration; work with agencies to implement improvements.

Activities: grant proposal; storm drain painting; runoff education; NPDES permit; coordinate riprap.

Current needs: persons to research and obtain bids for east end riprap and/or sea walls.

Safety Committee

Goals: promote safety on the canal by addressing issues of vandalism, theft, and speeding.

Activities: establish canal watch; report unlicensed and/or abandoned boats.

Current needs: pairs of individuals on opposite sides of canal (north and south) to work together as Block Chairpersons for Canalside Neighborhood Watch groups.

Public Relations Committee

Goals: provide information to Smith Canal residents and other interested persons on environmental information, canal issues, and FOSC activites; publish and distribute a periodic newsletter; maintain an up-to-date website.

Activities: complete and maintain membership list; survey canal residents; produce and distribute newsletters; maintain website; coordinate print communications to other agencies or individuals.

Current needs: help distributing newsletters in your neighborhood.

Other Possible Committees

Boating/waterway/navigation

Funding/sponsors

Other Members