A daily compilation of significant news articles and comment
January 23, 2008
3. Watersheds
No 'Kumbaya moment' on Klamath deal -
CENTRAL COAST CHINOOK SALMON:
Here’s the catch: fewer salmon; So few Chinook migrated upstream last year that no fish will be available for pen-rearing programs — a setback for a local fisheries conservation group - Monterey
DELTA ISSUES:
Guest Opinion: Canal would destroy Delta; A Delta advocate argues against a plan that would direct fresh water around, rather than through, area waterways - Tracy Press
No 'Kumbaya moment' on Klamath deal
By Jessie Faulkner, staff writer
Nonetheless, the Humboldt County Board of Supervisors voted unanimously Tuesday to continue discussion of the agreement and keep the public comment period open when the matter comes before the board again on Feb. 19.
Several representatives from among the 26 parties to the agreement testified and it was not -- as 5th District Supervisor Jill Geist outlined -- a “Kumbaya moment.”
All of those speaking, ranging from representatives from the
Geist introduced the lengthy presentation with a review of the process and the need for a grassroots solution.
”If we can't develop a solution,” she said, “the basin -wide conflicts will continue.”
At the heart of those conflicts is the dichotomy between the use of the river's water for agriculture in the upper basin and the need to restore flows to the rest of the river for the health of the fisheries.
That need became even more apparent -- particularly to those on the periphery -- with the 2002 fish kill in which more than 30,000 salmon died due to low flows. The key provisions, Geist explained, are rebuilding the fisheries, water for upper basin farmers and wildlife refuges.
Craig Tucker, the Klamath campaign coordinator for the Karuk Tribe, stressed the importance of the agreement.
“What we're talking about is resetting the bar in environmental restoration,” he said.
That, of course, is hinged on removal of the four PacifiCorp-owned dams. “Unless we get the dams out, we can't fix the
For Lyle Marshall, chairman of the Hoopa Valley Tribe, the emphasis was on the fact that Klamath settlement agreement does not include removal of the dams. And, he said, it appears that the PacifiCorp is unlikely to enter into a separate agreement.
The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission is currently considering PacifiCorp's request to relicense the dams, a move recommended by the commission's staff.
But,
”We believe that request in and of itself is unconscionable,”
However, Yurok Tribe Senior Biologist Michael Belchik had a different take on the agreement's details. After considerable internal deliberation, Belchik said, the tribe is prepared to support the settlement. The Yurok Tribe is never going to waive its water rights or fishing rights, he said, but the agreement only requires a limited waiver if a series of conditions are met. #
http://www.times-standard.com//ci_8052063?IADID=Search-www.times-standard.com-www.times-standard.com
CENTRAL COAST CHINOOK SALMON:
Here’s the catch: fewer salmon; So few Chinook migrated upstream last year that no fish will be available for pen-rearing programs — a setback for a local fisheries conservation group
Monterey
By David Sneed, staff writer
For the first time in its 25-year history, Central Coast Salmon Enhancement will not raise and release Chinook salmon into the ocean at Port San Luis this year.
The Grover Beach-based fisheries conservation group endured a series of setbacks last month, including its four rearing pens washing up on the beach during heavy swells.
But the biggest problem facing the group is the state’s collapsing salmon fishery.While volunteers were working to salvage the pens, word came from the Department of Fish and Game’s Mokelumne River Hatchery in San Joaquin County that so few fish migrated upstream from the ocean last year that no fish will be available for any pen-rearing programs.
“It’s not going to happen this year — maybe 2009,” said Thorv Hessellund, president of the group’s board of directors.
Although the group does habitat restoration and public education work, pen-rearing as many as 140,000 small fish each year is Central Coast Salmon Enhancement’s cornerstone activity.
Over the years, the group has released more than 1.5 million salmon into the ocean, where they are caught by recreational and commercial anglers.
“This is a big loss in terms of the mission of the program,” Hessellund said.
The group has also lost two of its 20-by-40-foot rearing pens. Unusually large swells in December ripped all four of the pens out of their moorings and washed them onto the beach at Port San Luis.
Workers were able to refloat two of the pens, but the other two were so badly damaged that they had to be disassembled to be used as spare parts, said Stephnie Wald, the group’s watershed program manager.
The collapse of the state’s salmon fishery also is causing financial problems for Central Coast Salmon Enhancement.
Every year, the group applies for state grants to cover the costs of the pen-rearing pro-gram that is funded by salmon stamps purchased by commercial fishermen.
Fewer fish means fewer fishermen and fewer salmon fees paid, Wald said. State grants for pen-rearing programs are getting harder to come by.
“It’s not a sure thing every year; it’s a vagary,” she said.
With the availability of state-supplied salmon questionable at best in the coming years, the group is looking for other sources of fish, including bringing them in from out of state or finding a way to raise salmon eggs locally.
“While the solution is not clear yet, what is clear is our dedication to seeing our stock enhancement project continue well into the future,” the group’s executive director, Sarah Paddack, said in a recent newsletter to supporters. #
http://www.sanluisobispo.com/news/local/story/254387.html
DELTA ISSUES:
Guest Opinion: Canal would destroy Delta; A Delta advocate argues against a plan that would direct fresh water around, rather than through, area waterways
Tracy Press – 1/23/08
By Blair Hake, immediate past president of the California Delta Chambers and Visitors Bureau
There has been much talk recently about a Delta conveyance system to transfer water from the Sacramento River to the federal and state pumps northwest of
Let’s call it what it is: the revival of the
Voters defeated the
The Delta is enjoyed and used by a variety of Californians. Farmers grow crops in the rich island peat soil. Businesses of the Delta rely on visitors enjoying the more than 1,000 miles of waterways. Wildlife of all kinds thrives in the diverse ecosystem. Oceangoing cargo ships navigate the channels to the deepwater ports of
A canal would irreversibly damage this unique area. If the canal were built, there would no longer be the need to maintain the existing levees to the highest standards, increasing their vulnerability. The resulting saltwater intrusion from a levee failure and/or lack of fresh water to maintain the water quality of the Delta would destroy its ecosystem. The fear that an earthquake would collapse Delta levees was misconstrued from a report published in March 2005 by the San Francisco Estuary and Watershed Science. What is needed in
It is time for Californians to look for alternatives, such as increasing water storage in wet years, conservation of existing supplies and investing in saltwater desalinization projects.
The board of directors of the California Delta Chambers and Visitors Bureau strongly encourages Californians to help protect this unique resource by contacting their elected representatives and urging them to explore alternatives to the
http://tracypress.com/content/view/13209/2244/
####
No comments:
Post a Comment