A daily compilation of significant news articles and comment
December 3, 2007
3. Watersheds
Save a fish, please an angler; Volunteers scramble to free bass in the Delta - Sacramento Bee
Fisherman salvage fish on delta island after thousands died - Associated Press
Operation of Lake Piru may change; Water district undergoes relicensing process - Ventura County Star
Colorado River fosters life - Imperial Valley Press
Ponds project reclaims ecosystem - Imperial Valley Press
Reclamation attempts to balance people, wildlife on lower
Save a fish, please an angler; Volunteers scramble to free bass in the Delta
Sacramento
By Carrie Peyton Dahlberg, staff writer
"We want to give back to the fisheries," said Jeff Nash as an ad hoc rescue crew gathered on a Delta levee just after sunrise.
The group had come to save fish stranded when levee repairs cut off their passage back to the Sacramento River Delta.
Nash, a
"Most of us are parents, or we've been out here with our fathers or grandfathers," said Nash. "We don't want to see the fisheries depleted."
So they donned chest-high waders, shouldered their bass nets and waded into reedy pools to deploy long panels of netting.
For some of the rescuers, it felt unreal.
"Oh man, there's thousands of them," said Alan Ferreria of
Around him, men swept one, two, sometimes three fish at a time into their nets.
The aim was first to pen the fish, then scoop them into improvised tanks on the back of a borrowed caterpillar-tread vehicle that could trundle through the muck.
Like a reverse ark, the sturdy orange Arctic Cat bore the fish across drier land to the base of a levee beside Miner Slough.
There, another team of rescuers used nets to carry fish up the levee and then dropped them, one or two at a time, into a pipe for their final plunge to freedom.
"They have an excellent chance of survival, even after all this handling," said Mike Chotkowski, acting chief of the environmental monitoring branch of the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation, which owns
Chotkowski said the fish looked healthy but hungry, lacking the slightly pouched sides of a striped bass that had eaten recently.
He guessed that they'd consumed all the small prey fish where they'd been trapped and hadn't been eating since.
Tens of thousands of fish have died on
For nearly two years, since a levee protecting the low-lying island broke in January 2006,
That ended last month, when a Reclamation Bureau contractor finished patching the levees and began pumping most of the water out into surrounding sloughs.
The pumps mangled some fish. Others died in water too shallow to survive. Word began spreading through fishing newsletters and Web sites as furious anglers pushed for a rescue.
Finally, state wildlife officials began a probe and federal crews cleared out many of the dead fish to keep their decomposing bodies from depleting oxygen.
On Friday, with federal approval, the outdoors enthusiasts who had been demanding action got their first official chance to try to save what was left.
They focused on a wide stretch of water, still a foot or more deep, that was swirling with the silver fins of striped bass, the fish they treasured for catch and release or the occasional feast of what one called "white steak."
Unlucky carp, too bony for this crowd, were left behind.
It was tough going, with just 188 fish released to Miner Slough on Friday. Saturday, as more volunteers showed up and the group streamlined its efforts, 1,466 fish were plucked from their dead-end pool.
By midafternoon, worn out from fish-hauling and worried about rising water seeping back onto the island, the group called it quits temporarily but vowed to return today.
"I'll be back out here again tomorrow morning and as long as it takes until it's done," said Bob McDaris, a marina owner who's been active in mustering the rescue teams.
The volunteers are desperate for amphibious vehicles now, and put out pleas for help from anyone who owns one big enough to haul fish.
Six- or eight-wheel-drive
Anyone who has one, he said, should just show up around 7:30 a.m. today at the Bureau of Reclamation gate to
Chest-high waders and a bass net – essential for any other volunteers – would help, but are not required for those able to loan their amphibious vehicle as a fish shuttle car, McDaris said.
He, like many others scrambling over
They commiserated with each other that fish aren't as big as the ones their fathers caught, and grumbled quietly at government acts that had left so many to die.
"It's a shame, definitely a shame," said Greg Soto of
Striped bass, equally at home in fresh or salt water, aren't native to
They're common enough in the Delta to be fished legally, but their numbers have declined sharply in the past two decades, with the drop-off especially noticeable among juveniles, he said.
Once the fish saved from the pools are released, they'll just need to regain their equilibrium and start eating. For a striped bass, Chotkowski said, that means finding a quiet place to lurk and then darting out when a small fish – "virtually any kind of fish they can fit in their mouths" – comes too close.
On Saturday, state Fish and Game wardens patrolled near the rescue site to ensure that no humans were lurking in a quiet place to make an easy catch of the extra hungry stripers.
Chotkowski expected the outlook to be bright for the fish that escaped the pumps and low water spots and made a human-aided splashdown into Miner Slough. "There's no reason to think they won't go on to lead normal bass lives," he said. #
http://www.sacbee.com/101/story/536410-p2.html
Fisherman salvage fish on delta island after thousands died
Associated Press – 12/1/07
The U.S. Bureau of Reclamation are coordinating Saturday's volunteer effort after thousands of fish died last week during the agency's pumping operation on
Bureau spokesman Jeff McCracken says between 45 and 50 fishermen have caught and released more than 1,300 stripped bass into
Federal officials blocked local fisherman from helping save fish last week.
Volunteers also plan to work Sunday. #
http://www.mercurynews.com/breakingnews/ci_7611543?nclick_check=1
Operation of
By Zeke Barlow, staff writer
The United Water Conservation District might have to dramatically change the way it operates
According to proposals in a recently released biological opinion, the district could be forced to change the way it releases water and find ways for the fish to get around the 200-foot Santa Felicia Dam.
Although the report is one step in a long process that is far from final, the potential for change has environmentalists cheering and the district worried it could face multimillion-dollar improvements.
"We have a great deal of concern," said Dana Wisehart, United Water's general manager. "I expected some level of responsibleness, but I guess I shouldn't have."
The district is having to undergo its first Federal Energy Regulatory Commission relicensing since the dam was built in the 1950s. As part of that, it must undergo an environmental review by the National Marine Fisheries Service, which wrote the draft biological opinion.
The regulatory world is a much different place than it was a half-century ago. The Endangered Species Act didn't exist at the time, and dam building was a popular way to capture water for resale in the populating West. Other water agencies across the West coming up for their first FERC re-licensing are facing similar challenges, said Russell Strach, the Fisheries Service's assistant regional administrator for protected resources.
The biological opinion suggested United Water might have to:
n Examine ways to establish a fish passage around the 200-foot tall Santa Felicia Dam.
n Change water-release schedules from the dam to better mimic natural flow conditions.
n Monitor steelhead populations in Piru Creek.
United Water can comment on the biological opinion before it is finalized, but ultimately FERC can do what it wants. Although concrete details of what might happen are still a long way off, some action is inevitable, Strach said.
"Things certainly will need to change, but I can't comment on the nature of the change at this point without feedback from United," he said.
The possibility of creating better steelhead habitat on Piru Creek, a tributary of the
"Piru is a historical steelhead stream," said Ron Bottorff, chairman of Friends of the
Whether Piru Creek historically had a vibrant steelhead population is exactly the issue United Water intends to press. Wisehart recently hired a historian to help prove that the stocking of rainbow trout in the creek diminished the gene pool of the steelhead to the point that there was no longer a viable population of the native fish.
"We are not sure there is a fishery worth preserving up there," Wisehart said.
The Fisheries Service disagrees, writing in a comment letter that the district's stance has "no bearing in the conclusions in our report." Strach pointed to genetic testing done that shows fish-stocking did not diminish genetics of the native fish.
The agency also cites numerous newspaper articles from the early 1900s detailing steelhead runs in the creek, including one picture of fishermen with a string of freshly caught steelhead.
The district faces spending tens of millions of dollars if it is forced to build something to help the fish get around the dam.
The Casitas Municipal Water District spent $9 million building a fish ladder on the
Strach, however, said there are numerous options for getting fish around Santa Felicia Dam, including a ladder, elevator or trucking them around it.
He said that after the biological opinion is complete, a second study will look at the economic and technological feasibility of carrying out the recommendations.
Also in question is the operation of the Freeman Diversion, which channels water away from the
In 2005, the Fisheries Service said the diversion diminishes steelhead habitat, but the district is working on operational changes that would minimize the impacts.
The process of figuring out and implementing changes involving Santa Felicia Dam will likely take years.#
http://www.venturacountystar.com/news/2007/dec/02/operation-of-lake-piru-may-change/
By Brianna Lusk, staff writer
There’s no roaring, no rushing, only the ripple of a current flowing steadily upstream.
It doesn’t even babble.
The wide and picturesque Colorado River is an oasis in the desert, the ever-pulsating lifeblood of the
But though it is talked about in the abstract form as a source of water, it is also a recreational haven, a wildlife refuge and ever-evolving source of life.
“Many are surprised by the beauty of it,” Jack Simes said. “People should understand the source of their water supply and take an interest in it.”
In his job with the Bureau of Reclamation, Simes is one hand in the line of many that work to maintain the ecological resource.
The river’s history is deep and controversial — a topic of heated debate since the 1920s. Although water issues continue to be a key factor of the
“Every drop of water is accounted for,” Simes said. “The river is responsible for keeping over 3.5 million acres of ag land in production.”
Its contributions to the desert Southwest are figurative and literal.
But between water conservation efforts, wildlife restoration and recreational uses, the impact human actions have on the
“It’s difficult to find a balance for competing interests … agricultural, urban, environmental,” Simes said.
Flowing from the Rocky Mountains to the Gulf of California, the Colorado River along the
Portions of the water here are calm and glass-like, a water skier’s dream. Anglers find a variety of ideal fishing spots along the lakes and channels fostering bass and catfish.
Years of work has gone into making sure the high sediment content of the river does not result in the diminishing flow of the water. Elizabeth Kennet, an environmental protection specialist with the Bureau of Reclamation, said 10 years ago work began on the channel project known as the
More than 5 acres of wetlands have been created by dredging the sand from the river, creating life where it was once stilted.
“It looks like a war zone,” Kennet said with a laugh.
“The amphibious excavators chew everything up.”
New channels along the river are created as stalks of cattail and bull rush re-grow into the area. Preventing unfavorable plants called “trash vegetation,” Kennet said, prevents the river from being stifled.
“The river is not a static entity. It’s something that’s continuously changing,” Kennet said.
Sandbars form on the river over time, a testament of the ongoing struggle to keep sediment brought down from the mountains from impacting the ecological balance.
Areas get choked off by the sand, Simes said, disturbing the natural harmony that keeps the river flowing.
“You have to sustain the needs of the fish, waterfowl and wildlife as well as the human population that surrounds the area and rely on (the river) for an economy,” Simes said.
Kennet said work is continuing on the channel projects, an effort that could last another 15 years in conservation.
Fresh water brings a variety of life to the area, including the big horn sheep that live in the mountains that surround the
Some have already become privy to the untapped beauty of the river, moving in along the cliffs above
Although the banks are quiet during the winter months, it is an ideal time for bird watching fowl that travel along the Pacific Flyway.
The dialogue over conservation and preservation of the river and its resources is likely to continue over the decades to come.
With land resources exceeding water resources hundredfold, Simes said, the Bureau of Reclamation’s work may never be done.
“Without water the vast desert and arid basins cannot be developed,” Simes said. #
http://www.ivpressonline.com/articles/2007/12/01/if_you_missed_it/satnews02.txt
Ponds project reclaims ecosystem
By Brianna Lusk, staff writer
It sounds like an undesirable fish but it’s one that an entire conservation project has centered around. The razorback sucker (it is OK to laugh), is on the endangered species list but is thriving in the lower
As part of the Bureau of Reclamation’s mission to maintain the ecological and biological balance of the river, channels have been dug and ponds created to foster wildlife in the area.
“The ponds provide an area where we can safely bring the razorback suckers back and reintroduce them to the river system,” Jack Simes, Bureau of Reclamation external coordination group manager, said. The evolving conditions of the river have led to several special projects in order to maintain nature’s harmony in the water.
An ambitious and extensive 50-year $626 million project has allowed the creation of the habitat restoration along the riverbanks.
Simes said over time fish species like the razorback and birds like the
The construction of the Imperial Ponds Conservation Area Project will create the ideal conditions to attract the endangered species.
A 12-acre marsh area and 34 acres of native cottonwood-willow tree habitat are also planned for the more than 500 acres in the project.
The project involves state and federal agencies as well as private entities in the massive conservation undertaking. The
The channels curtail from the river flow, expanding the wetlands on the riverbanks edge. More than five acres of wetland have been created, resulting in the resurgence of favorable plants and animals in the area.
The channels have served the likes of fishermen in catching bass and catfish while canoeing and boating enthusiasts have explored the new waterways. “It makes for better wildlife viewing,” Myer said. The hopes are that the backwater project will sustain itself for another 15 years. But as the river is a source of life, it is also plagued by high sediment and non-native plants that threaten its sustainability.
Most recently the giant salvinia, a Brazilian water weed, has worked its way into the river. When it matures, the weed can grow on the surface in a tangled mat-like web, blocking light and oxygen to the water below. An idyllic recreation setting and a refuge to species of wildlife, the
“Restoration is a key component to minimizing the impact that will be made on this resource for years to come,” Simes said. #
http://www.ivpressonline.com/articles/2007/12/01/local_news/news03.txt
Reclamation attempts to balance people, wildlife on lower Colorado
By William Roller, staff writer
"Water in the lower basin is considered liquid gold - one of the most sought-after resources," said Jack Simes, manager of the
On a cool, overcast Thursday at the end of November, Simes, with the bureau's Elizabeth Kennett and Richard Myers, wildlife manager of the Arizona Game and Fish Department, led seven media representatives along the lower
The tour traveled 20 miles between Imperial Dam and Norton's Landing. Simes explained how the bureau improves this critical resource for both the natural and agricultural world.
"The river is the lifeblood of the Southwest," Simes said. "We do this tour annually for the media to keep them informed of what's going on. Even though recreation is not flourishing (now), maintenance continues."
With the
The
The
The Imperial Dam was built in 1938 along with the
"The water quality is extremely good," Simes said. "We don't want a lot of sediment going on irrigated crops."
Maintenance also includes environmental restoration such as widening river channels to provide freshwater flows to backwater areas. There are 400 backwaters of varying sizes along 275 river miles between the Imperial Dam and the Davis Dam in
Farther upriver, with the
"The river is not a static entity but we must continuously monitor it," Kennett said. "When vegetation overgrows, we maintain the channels. But if it's nice vegetation like cattail or bullrush, we leave it alone."
One of their biggest challenges is to remove invasive species such as phragmites, arundo and arrow weed that have inundated the riverbanks, she noted.
Widening the channels along the
Back in 1900, the U.S. Geological Survey estimated the
All of the
"The tree ring study provides a snapshot of over 400 years of the
"Everybody should know their water supply and the source. The history helps the foundation for understanding." #
http://www.yumasun.com/news/water_38126___article_news.html/river_colorado.html
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