[env-trinity] Fw: Stop finger-pointing on the Klamath Basin
Jay_Glase at nps.gov
Jay_Glase at nps.gov
Thu May 18 09:07:09 PDT 2006
Gibbs and others of his time were much more eloquent in their writings than
most things I've seen recently, but I sometimes struggle to interpret their
meaning. Does anyone have any further description from Gibb's writings
that help define phrases like "of transcendent purity" and "never lost the
taint of their origin." It might seem obvious to some, but I can infer at
least a few different meanings from phrases like these, and the article
below appears to infer that the water quality in the Klamath 155 years ago
was possibly as inadequate at sustaining fish life as it sometimes is in
current times. Maybe I'm reading that incorrectly. If I am, I won't
complain about the barrage of emails I'll receive.
I work in an area where streams often begin in or flow through cedar and
alder swamps, beaver ponds and other relatively warm areas. They tend to
be stained from tannins, and often have high levels of organic nutrients
due to the forests they flow through. Compare them with the Trinity River,
and one might be inclined to say these streams are tainted in comparison.
Yet they still support populations of cold and cool water species like
brook trout, sculpin and others. Granted, this is a much different area
than the Klamath Basin, but I see some similarities. The upper St Croix
River at Danbury, Wisconsin will flow at about 1200-1500 cfs in mid July in
most years. Temperatures can approach 25 degrees C in mid summer. Upstream
of this point, the mainstem and it's major tributary have at least seven
impoundments, yet I've not heard of any natural events creating lethally
low levels of dissolved oxygen in this river. The lowest DO reading I've
been able to find between 2000 and 2003 is 7.6 mg/l.
I'll stop here, because maybe this isn't a fair comparison due to the
differences between locations, and I don't want to be accused of finger
pointing. I'm very glad that the two states on each side of the St Croix
aren't practicing disjointed management, we don't need to rely on
hatcheries to maintain a livelihood since brook trout aren't a commercial
species, we don't have freshwater sea lions eating all the brook trout
here, and there's no ocean to wreak havoc (although I suspect that last one
might not be entirely true).
Unfortunately, it seems to me that it's human nature that if we still have
fingers on our hands, and something goes wrong, our fingers will be pointed
somewhere.
By the way, has anyone looked at how many pacific lamprey the sea lions are
eating?
cheers,
jay
Jay Glase
Great Lakes Area Fishery Biologist
National Park Service
(906)487-9080 x27
|---------+---------------------------------------------->
| | "Tom Stokely" |
| | <tstokely at trinityalps.net> |
| | Sent by: |
| | env-trinity-bounces at velocipede.dcn.|
| | davis.ca.us |
| | |
| | |
| | 05/16/2006 11:21 AM MST |
| | Please respond to Tom Stokely |
| | |
|---------+---------------------------------------------->
>-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| |
| To: "env-trinity" <env-trinity at crank.dcn.davis.ca.us> |
| cc: (bcc: Jay Glase/Omaha/NPS) |
| Subject: [env-trinity] Fw: Stop finger-pointing on the Klamath Basin |
>-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
----- Original Message -----
From: Dan Keppen
To: 'Dan Keppen'
Sent: Tuesday, May 16, 2006 7:54 AM
Subject: Stop finger-pointing on the Klamath Basin
In today’s “Commentary” section of the Portland Oregonian .
(Embedded image moved to file: pic26880.gif)
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IN MY OPINION - THE COASTAL FISHERY CRISIS
Stop finger-pointing on the Klamath Basin
Tuesday, May 16, 2006
GREG ADDINGTON AND DAN KEPPEN
George Gibbs, traveling through Northern California in 1851, was struck by
conditions at the confluence of the Klamath and Trinity rivers.
The Trinity, wrote Gibbs, "is in size about half that of the Klamath, and
its waters, likewise rapid, are of transcendent purity; contrasting with
those of the latter stream which never lost the taint of their origin."
The origin of the Klamath River is warm, shallow Upper Klamath Lake, which
feeds the federal Klamath Irrigation Project. More than 150 years after
Gibbs' visit, the Klamath River and the irrigation project are now in the
sights of the national media and environmental activists. Every week, we
read claims that the river and the coastal salmon fishery are being
destroyed by the project, a convenient source of blame for all that is
apparently tainted in the Klamath ecosystem.
What we don't see in the papers is the fact that, over the past four years,
between 40,000 and 100,000 acre-feet of water originally developed for
agriculture has instead been bought by the federal government and dedicated
annually to an environmental water bank to "protect" fish. In 2005, nearly
30 percent of the water traditionally used in an average water year by the
Klamath Project and wildlife refuges was reallocated in this manner.
Further, even though the Klamath Project is one of the most water-use
efficient reclamation operations in the country, more than 800 growers have
applied for 2002 Farm Bill funding to implement cost-share projects that
conserve water.
These actions are laudable. However, one has to remember that there is only
so much water that can be squeezed from an area that is just 2 percent of
the watershed and uses only 3 percent to 4 percent of Klamath River flows
in an average year.
Despite these efforts, irrigators are now being blamed in the media by
environmental activists for a looming crisis on the coast. This spring,
commercial salmon fishing has been closed along 700 miles of Pacific
shoreline, which federal regulators believe will prevent "take" of Klamath
River salmon. This very complicated issue is deftly and simply portrayed by
faraway activists as " fishermen vs. farmers."
Once again, they've got it wrong.
Recently, a group of irrigator representatives traveled to Coos Bay and met
with more than 50 coastal fishermen and political leaders. It was somewhat
of a revelation that not a single fisherman at the meeting pointed to the
Klamath Project as the cause for the fishery closure. Instead, they offered
up other explanations, including:
· Insufficient hatchery production and failure to count
hatchery fish.
· Disjointed stock management by state and federal
agencies.
· Sea lion predation.
· Unfavorable ocean conditions and several years of
drought.
The meeting ended in mutual pledges by the irrigators and the fishermen to
work together. As a first step, the Klamath Relief Fund -- created to
assist distressed farmers in 2001 -- has been re-activated by the Klamath
farming community. This time, the money raised will be used to help
fishermen and their families.
We're tired of the Klamath finger-pointing. Instead, we want to extend a
helping hand.
Greg Addington is executive director of the Klamath Water Users
Association. Dan Keppen is former executive director of the association and
is now executive director of the Family Farm Alliance. They both live near
Klamath Falls. You can donate to the Klamath Relief Fund for Commercial
Fishermen at P.O. Box 5252, Klamath Falls, OR 97601.
Dan Keppen
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