A win for the fish

[Pauky]

Here's some good news we can all appreciate...

Dam Spills Ordered To Assist Salmon
Costly Action Had Raised Questions

Associated Press
Thursday, July 29, 2004; Page A02

PORTLAND, Ore., July 28 -- The federal government must keep spilling water over dams on the Columbia and Snake rivers this summer to help juvenile salmon migrate to the sea, a federal judge ruled Wednesday.

U.S. District Judge James Redden's decision came just three days before the Bonneville Power Administration planned to reduce those spills. Redden issued a preliminary injunction against the Army Corps of Engineers, blocking the proposed cutback.

The power agency had argued the effect on fish would be minimal, but reducing the spill at four key dams could save Western ratepayers $18 million to $28 million in electricity costs this year.

Redden rejected that argument, saying the long-term environmental health of the region outweighed the short-term economic benefits of increased hydroelectricity production this summer.

"I don't want anyone to walk out of here thinking I ignored the public interest in terms of ratepayer dollars," Redden said after announcing his ruling.

"It's a difficult case, but my job is to consider the Endangered Species Act and the fate of juvenile salmon," Redden said, calling the summer spill plan "arbitrary and capricious."

The power agency had received National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Fisheries approval to reduce spill in August at the Ice Harbor and John Day dams on the Snake, and at the Bonneville and The Dalles dams on the Columbia.

The Army Corps of Engineers, which operates the dams, also approved the agency's plan on July 6, prompting a lawsuit seeking the injunction.

Oregon Gov. Ted Kulongoski (D) joined the lawsuit on behalf of environmentalists, tribes and fishermen who argued that the power agency's summer spill plan offered little or no benefit to Northwest ratepayers while risking potential damage to the region's long-term environmental and economic health if salmon runs decline.

"I think the people in this region understand that wild salmon in their rivers are more valuable than a nickel or a dime on their electric bills," said Todd True, attorney for Earthjustice, one of the environmental groups that filed the lawsuit.

The governors of the other three Northwest states served directly by Bonneville -- Idaho, Montana and Washington -- supported the summer spill plan.

Source (http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A22809-2004Jul28.html)

[Orest]

helped the fish out. Too many structures being built on our waterway, killing way to many fish.

[OldBay]

What did the fish say when he ran into the concrete wall?


Dam!


It is an encouraging sign to see people acting with the well being of the fish in mind. Or do they have the well being of the comercial fishermen in mind? Either way, it is nice to see the fish getting a little help.

[Orest]

Something to laugh about for a change.

[Pauky]

Here's some good news that developed since this last posting. There's a lot of dams coming down around the nation and soon one on the Shenandoah River.

60 Dams in 15 States to be removed in 2004
Rivers and streams to be restored in AK, CA, CT, DC, IL, ME, MD, MI, NH, NJ, NY, OH, PA, VA, WI

July 21, 2004

Contact:
Serena McClain, Eric Eckl
(202) 347-7550

Click here (http://www.amrivers.org/doc_repository/DamRemoval/2004_Dam_Removal_List.pdf) for a full list of dams to be removed in 2004 (PDF)

Click here (http://www.amrivers.org/doc_repository/DamRemoval/1999-2003_Dams_Removed_list.pdf) for a complete list of dams removed between 1999 and 2003 (PDF)

(Washington, DC) The explosive breaching of Embrey Dam on Virginia’s Rappahannock River in February was broadcast nationwide -- and was just one of many dams to be blown up or torn down in 2004. According to American Rivers’ annual survey of government and private conservation organizations, 60 dams in 14 states and the District of Columbia have or will be removed in 2004.

More than 145 dams have been removed since 1999 when the breaching of Edwards Dam on Maine's Kennebec River first captured national attention. This promising trend is the result of two converging developments -- a growing appreciation of the ecological benefits of removing dams and the aging of much of the nation’s dam infrastructure.

"There comes a time in the life of many dams when they begin to make less sense than they have in the past," explained Serena McClain, of American Rivers’ Rivers Unplugged campaign. “Communities across the country are electing to remove derelict and obsolete dams to restore their rivers, eliminate safety hazards, and save money.”

Only four dams to be removed in 2004 were ever used to generate hydroelectric power and all of them have been off the grid for many years. Of the 77,000 dams greater than 6 feet high across the country, fewer than 2,500 generate electricity. Most were built for purposes such as running now obsolete mills, controlling floods, and creating water supplies or recreational lakes.

“For these communities, dam removal is not a radical environmental move, it is a common sense decision -- the old dam isn’t being used, the river would much nicer without it, and it’s cheaper to take it out than to repair it,” said Helen Sarakinos with the River Alliance of Wisconsin.

While dams can provide valuable services, the ecological price is high. Dams drown valuable habitat under reservoirs, block the annual migrations of fish, and can create downstream conditions inhospitable for fish and wildlife. Dams also create several safety hazards, some of which increase with age. Small dams are sometimes called “drowning machines” because they can create dangerous undertows.

Communities that choose to pull out obsolete dams enjoy once again the benefits provided by healthy free flowing rivers -- better water quality, revitalized fisheries, new recreational opportunities, and recovery of habitat suitable for parks and other public use. For example, on the Kennebec River in Maine, change has come quickly in the five years since the removal of Edwards Dam. Fish and other wildlife are returning to the river in numbers much larger than biologists predicted.

"Free flowing rivers are a magnet for anglers, boaters, and other river users,” said Leon Szeptycki, Eastern Conservation Director for Trout Unlimited. “Healthy, attractive rivers are unique assets for the communities on their banks, and can be an economic asset that others can't easily match."

American Rivers, Trout Unlimited, and River Alliance of Wisconsin all provide educational, technical, and financial assistance to communities that are considering or have committed to removing a dam it no longer needs.

Source (http://www.amrivers.org/60damsin15statestoberemovedin2004.html)

[OldBay]

I wonder how the land is distributed after the reservoirs drain. People who had lake front houses are now far from the water. Docks are dry. Hmmm. Sounds good for the fishes.