Conservation News
Conservation 2006 in Review
By Dougald Scott
Conservation 2006 in Review
By Dougald Scott
There were a number of positive results from conservation efforts in 2006; but there were also some setbacks and areas of no gain, or loss, where we need to focus our attention.
First, a roundup of the good news:
Klamath River Dam Removal. The momentum for removing the lower four dams on the Klamath River continues to grow. A recent government study found that decommissioning the dams could cost $100 million less than operating them for another generation. Dam removal will open 300 miles of historic salmon spawning habitat and relieve many of the problems caused by warm water and toxic organisms.
SCFF donated $2,000 to local, state and national conservation organizations. This year's recipients are: Monterey Bay Salmon & Trout Project; Coastal Watershed Council; California Trout; Mono Lake Committee; Friends of the River; California Sportfishing Protection Alliance; and the Sempervirens Fund. At its November meeting, the SCFF Board authorized an additional $500 be awarded to a worthy conservation effort.
San Joaquin River Settlement. After an 18-year court battle to restore California's San Joaquin River and revive the southernmost run of Chinook salmon in North America, a historic settlement was reached. Unfortunately, the agreement requires congressional appropriations that are subject to political manipulation. We need to keep pressure on our legislators to follow through on the intent of the settlement.
American River Settlement. As a result of several years of negotiations during the FERC re-licensing process, the South Fork of the American River below Slab Creek Reservoir will begin to function as a river again. 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 drastically reducing flow in the natural streambed.
Flows restored to Mill Creek, Mono Lake's third largest tributary. Although it took more than a decade to work out, the settlement is considered a win-win. The water rights holders get their allotments and Mill Creek will get its fair share. Streamside forests and habitat will rebound, and fish populations will be restored. Many thanks to the Mono Lake Committee for diligence and hard work on this project.
Roadless Rules in National Forests Reinstated. A federal judge overturned a rule that would have allowed new roads to be built through nearly 60 million acres of national forest land, including 4.4 million acres in California.
South Fork of the Pit River. The proposed hydroelectric diversion project on the South Fork of the Pit River has been dismissed, although the decision can be appealed. We need to keep our eye on this one.
Research Projects on Local Salmonid Populations. National Marine Fisheries Service is conducting several ongoing studies of steelhead and coho salmon in our local streams. Results from these studies will provide concrete information on how best to preserve and enhance our precious salmonid resource. One recent report from this group revealed a previously unrecognized factor in steelhead survival; the importance of coastal lagoons in preparing juvenile steelhead for ocean life.
And now some of the continuing challenges:
California Water in General. As California's population continues to increase, so will the demand for water. Keep in mind, water diverted to urban and agriculture uses is at the expense of fish and wildlife. California water interests presently have two lawsuits pending to remove steelhead from endangered species protection. Their success in these suits would mean less water for fish. After these suits are settled (hopefully in favor of steelhead), there will be more. We must continually monitor plans to increase water diversions and work to minimize their impact on fish and wildlife.
South Delta Improvements Program. The final EIS/EIR on this project was released on December 1st. Although I haven't had a chance to read the whole document, it appears that the principal concerns outlined in the NCCFFF letter (Catchy Releases March 2006) were not addressed. The proposed mitigation measures to compensate for an almost 30% increase in pumping from the Delta are not adequate. Data show that when pumping is increased, Delta fish populations decrease. Keep your eye on this project as it is a disaster for the Delta ecosystem.
San Clemente Dam on the Carmel River. The draft EIS/EIR is still under review by the Army Corps of Engineers and California Department of Water Resources. There was tremendous public pressure for the option to completely remove the dam and restore the river channel. I'm hopeful on this one because none of the options for leaving the dam in place were very good.
McCloud River water bottling plant. Nestle has proposed building a 1,000,000 square foot plant in McCloud on the site of the old saw mill. The contract to build the plant with the McCloud Services District was declared void by Siskiyou County Superior Court, who ruled the contract was not in compliance with the California Environmental Quality Act. An appeal by Nestle is pending. Meanwhile, the public comment period on the draft Environmental Impact Report has ended and the task of sorting out the 4,000 comments and including them into the final EIR is underway. SCFF sent a letter opposing the project.
Pajaro River Tops the List of America's Most Endangered Rivers. This was a very shocking though not surprising revelation. The Pajaro's watershed is almost ten times that of the San Lorenzo and spans five counties, making it a very difficult management undertaking. Proposed flood control on the lower river could make the situation worse for fish and wildlife (see May Catchy Releases for more details).
Farmed Salmon. Research over the past several years has shown many negative effects of salmon farming. Prominent among these are: parasites from farmed fish harm wild fish; pollution; introduction of non-native species; depletion of other fish stocks; nutrition and health concerns. Bottom line, don't buy farmed salmon! See the February 2006 Catchy Releases for more details.
And Finally Global Warming, Conservation's "Elephant in the room."
We need to recognize that in several decades, all of the conservation gains we might now make on behalf of fish and wildlife, will be in jeopardy unless the trajectory of global warming is addressed and modified. Recently, news media have reported on numerous topics on global warming presented at the American Geophysical Union meeting in San Francisco. At the same time, considerable coverage was given to a few skeptics who claim that global warming is just part of a natural cycle, and that there is no consensus among climate scientists that much of the cause is human induced. This is absurd. Thousands of scientists working independently in many different fields have come to the same conclusions:
1) the earth is warming at an alarming rate;
2) the cause is a dramatic increase in greenhouse gases, mainly of human origin; and
3) the consequences of global warming will affect all of us in one way or another, most all of them undesirable.