Conservation News
Conservation Roundup
By Dougald Scott
Conservation Roundup
By Dougald Scott
Removing Klamath Dams
The Klamath was once the third most productive salmon fishery river in the United States. Today, because of ill-conceived dams and a legacy of mismanagement, the Klamath is a shadow of its former self. Before the dams, a million salmon returned to spawn each year. This year, for the third year in a row, fewer than 30,000 fish returned. This in turn forced fisheries managers to dramatically curtail the salmon fishing season, putting fishermen up and down the California and Oregon coasts out of work.
Additionally, the dams have devastating impacts on water quality in the Klamath. Recent analysis of water samples from Copco and Iron Gate Reservoirs reveal extremely high levels of the toxic blue-green algae Microcystis aeruginosa, which produces a compound know to cause liver failure and promote tumor growth in humans. Samples take from areas frequented by recreational users of the reservoirs contained cell counts as much as 3,900 times greater than what the World Health Organization considers to be a "moderate health risk."
The Klamath is in dire need of restoration. One key to restoring the Klamath is the removal of the lower four dams that block more than 300 miles of historic salmon spawning habitat. The opportunity to permanently remove the dams is on the table, but may be taken off soon. To continue operation, the dam owners must negotiate a new licensing agreement with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC).
As part of the relicensing process, FERC issued a draft environmental impact statement. Unfortunately it overlooked several key issues that should be evaluated and incorporated into a final environmental impact statement:
FERC should follow the recommendations of tribes, conservation groups and NOAA Fisheries to remove the four dams. The lower four dams are where most of the problem exists. All the agencies, tribes, and other stakeholders agree that removing the lower four dams will improve water quality and open up a vast amount of habitat for salmon, steelhead, and other species.
FERC's recommendation of driving fish around the dams and introducing a small, experimental population of salmon to one stretch of river is completely inadequate and ignores the requirements of federal fish agencies which call for full volitional fish passage.
FERC should consider and incorporate into the final environmental impact statement the sediment study from the California Coastal Conservancy and the ruling of the administrative law judge in the Energy Policy Act hearings. The Conservancy's study concludes dam removal could be done safely and affordably without leading to floods or exposing the river to toxins.
FERC is currently gathering public comment on the draft EIS. Apparently the dams are not a significant revenue source for the damÕs owners and if enough pressure is applied, along with sufficient monetary compensation, the owners would consent to removal of the dams. This is possible! We have to let FERC and the Congress know how strongly we feel about this issue.
At its November meeting, the SCFF board directed me to write letters to FERC, Senators Boxer and Feinstein, and Congressman Farr in support of incorporating the elements noted above into the final document. The letters have been sent. If each club member also writes a letter, the impact would be greatly enhanced. More information and a sample letter is available at: http://ga3.org/campaign/klamath/wdne8d52l5x5m5t. The deadline for comments has been extended to Friday December 1st. Please write, this is important.
American River Settlement
Thanks to many individuals, conservation, and recreation organizations working together, a settlement to restore the South Fork of the American River has been achieved. Under the FERC relicensing process and with only the final details to be worked out, SMUD (Sacramento Municipal Utility District) and PGE have agreed to significant habitat improvements.
Presently, much of the natural runoff from the Rubicon River, Silver Creek and the American River's south fork is diverted through tunnels into hydroelectric turbines. This changes the timing and intensity of river flow, affecting fish habitat and boating opportunities. SMUD's current federal license allows flows as low as 36 cubic feet per second in some areas where natural flows might be near 1,000 cfs.
As a result of several years of negotiations during the relicensing process, the South Fork of the American River below Slab Creek Reservoir will begin to function as a river again. In addition, there are a number of other very good fishery improvements in Gerle Creek below Loon Lake (including a channel stabilization to restore the meadow), in the South Fork Rubicon River below Robbs Diversion Dam, and in the South Fork Silver Creek.
Those involved say this success is the result of all the conservation interests working together, and thus avoiding the divisiveness that has paralyzed other conservation efforts in the past. Mark Rockwell of NCCFFF appropriately summarizes the result: "Once conservation groups are able to come to an agreement among themselves, much can be achieved. The resulting cohesiveness creates opportunity."
Study favors wild vs. hatchery steelhead (from Oregon State University)
A 15-year analysis of spawning steelhead in one Oregon fishery has proven what many experts suspected for some time - that after fish from traditional hatcheries migrate to the ocean and return to spawn in natural habitat, they leave far fewer offspring than their wild relatives.
The study used DNA tracking technology of fish breeding in Hood River, and showed that traditional hatchery steelhead produced 60-90 percent fewer surviving adult offspring than wild steelhead. However, the research also confirmed that fish from modern "supplementation" hatcheries [such as the Monterey Bay Salmon & Trout ProjectÕs hatchery on Big Creek], which begin with eggs from native, wild fish, are about as successful as wild steelhead. These fish can be used to boost the size of native populations without causing obvious genetic harm, at least for one generation.
Roadless Ruling
Last September a federal district court ordered reinstatement of the Clinton era roadless rule to protect almost 50 million acres of wild national forests and grasslands from road building, logging, and development. Roadless areas on public lands represent most of the last best coldwater fish habitat left in the United States. Undamaged by roads and other development, the headwater streams and rivers that flow through them offer some of the last refuges for many of the West's native trout, salmon and steelhead.
Here are some interesting numbers regarding the Forest Service and roadless areas:
430,000 miles - the total length of Forest Service roads in 1999 (10 times longer than the U.S. Interstate system).
$8 billion - maintenance backlog for existing USFS roads in 1999 when new road construction was banned.
62% - Remaining Colorado River cutthroat habitat in roadless areas
71% - Remaining westslope cutthroat habitat in roadless areas
75% - Remaining greenback cutthroat habitat in roadless areas
76% - Remaining bull trout habitat in roadless areas
99% - Remaining Gila trout habitat in roadless areas