Department of Water Resources
A daily compilation of significant news articles and comment
February 18, 2009
3. Watersheds –
As salmon go, so go the killer whales
The
Our Opinion: Kalin, others help
The
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As salmon go, so go the killer whales
The
By Matt Weiser
In a draft ruling, the National Marine Fisheries Service says the southern resident population of killer whales may go extinct because its primary food – salmon – is imperiled by the state's vast network of dams and canals.
This killer whale population is a unique species, already endangered under federal law. They number only 84 animals. They normally reside in and near Puget Sound, but in recent years have spent more time off
Killer whales, also called orcas, never venture into freshwater. But their food does. The
The fisheries service last month determined that Central Valley salmon populations will go extinct unless state and federal agencies change their water operations in
"There's so many parts of our (aquatic) system that depend on salmon," said Maria Rea, Sacramento-area supervisor of the National Marine Fisheries Service. "It does really highlight the interconnected nature of what happens in the
The California Department of Water Resources and U.S. Bureau of Reclamation operate separate systems of dams, canals and pumps that are key to both urban and farm water supplies in the state. Though other factors contribute to the fish declines, including water pollution, the water projects have been targeted for much of the blame.
As part of its final report, the fisheries service has the power to impose new operating rules on the water systems to protect fish. It has not revealed what these recommendations will be, but they could dramatically change water supplies – and water bills – across
Rea's agency is assessing the effect of
Several observers said the link between salmon and the charismatic orca is certain to elevate
Though last year was historically bad for
The orca could change the game.
"It's not just an obscure little fish anymore," said Zeke Grader, executive director of the Pacific Coast Federation of Fishermens Associations. "It's all one ecosystem."
Ken Balcomb, executive director of the Center for Whale Research in
The population eats about 500,000 salmon a year to sustain itself, he said. To reach a healthier population of 100 to 120 orcas, it would need about 30 percent more salmon.
Coincidentally, Balcomb grew up in Carmichael and spent most of his free time as a teenager along the
"I remember the river changing," he said. "All things are connected. Our own neighborhoods are part of this ecosystem fabric that we have to restore."
Among the fixes the fisheries service is weighing, Rea said, is installation of fish ladders on major dams that sealed off hundreds of miles of salmon habitat in
If the agency required fish ladders to reopen this habitat, it would cost water agencies – and ratepayers – billions.
Water agency leaders were unwilling to comment on whether they're prepared to pay for such projects.
Laura King-Moon, assistant general manager of the State Water Contractors, said a key concern is whether other factors, such as ocean health, share the blame.
"It still begs the question of whether our activities are causing the decline of these these species," she said. "That is the key to our willingness to pay for things like that."
Rea said the fisheries service also may propose new hatchery practices to enhance fall-run chinook salmon. It is the most populous
The fall run set a historic population low in 2008, prompting regulators to ban commercial salmon fishing in
http://www.sacbee.com/topstories/story/1632840.html?mi_rss=Top+Stories
Our Opinion: Kalin, others help
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The fact remains that with a $10 billion price tag attached to a Salton Sea restoration project and the state in financial turmoil, there is no way
Large-scale action is not going to be taken anytime soon, no matter the dire condition of the state’s largest inland body of water, but that doesn’t mean people closer to home aren’t trying to do their little part to make the sea a better, safer place.
Northend farmer Al Kalin, the Imperial Irrigation District and the state Fish and Game Department recently finished a project that diverted water back to a dried up bay on the southern portion of the sea, which affected both the ecosystem of that portion of the sea and exposed 500 acres of noxious salt dust.
The 500 acres of exposed playa that was uncovered when the bay dried up is small in comparison to the 5,000 acres total uncovered around the sea, but Kalin and wildlife officials saw that it was causing specific difficulties and acted.
The Salton Sea, for those who may have forgotten, is a major landmark in the migratory patterns of birds in
Also, Kalin said the exposed salt was damaging crops growing in the area, as the dust also had chemicals in it that was burning vegetation.
The work Kalin and the others did is commendable because it showed that even on a small scale work can be done to improve the sea.
But as the sea recedes in the future, through a lack of agricultural runoff, these problems will become more pronounced and frequent. People like Kalin and those who helped fix this one problem won’t be able to do the same forever. It’s going to be up to the state to fix the sea, but who knows if that will ever happen?
The work Kalin, the IID and Fish and Game have done is great and should be recognized and applauded, but the sea needs so much more — more time, attention, political will, and of course, money.
Maybe what it’s going to take is hundreds of smaller projects the likes of Kalin’s to start making a dent in the problems. It’s a start, at least.#
http://www.ivpressonline.com/articles/2009/02/17/our_opinion/ed02_02-17-09.txt
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