August 2004 Conservation Notes
by
Year Round Fishing on the Upper Sacramento
It's official! The California Fish and Game Commission voted last month to allow year-round fishing on the Upper Sacramento River, a landmark ruling that will allow catch-and-release, zero-kill fishing from November 15th through the last Saturday of April. The 38-mile stretch from Box Canyon Dam to Shasta Lake will be open for fishing during this period to anglers using barbless hooks and artificial lures. The exact changes to the regulation book are available at this (pdf file) location. Other areas that may follow this lead include the Fall River, the Pit River (Powerhouse 3 Section), and the Upper Klamath above Copco Lake. Stay tuned.
Major Ruling on Trinity River Water
Good news for those of us who fish the Trinity River. The U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals recently overturned a lower court ruling which blocked the implementation of the Interior Department plan to send more water down the Trinity River. After the completion of the Lewiston and Trinity Dams in 1963, up to 90% of the Trinity River flows have been diverted to the Central Valley. The decision allows for the implementation of a plan that resulted from 20 years of scientific studies and a series of long legal battles pitting Indian tribes, conservationists, and commercial and recreational fishers against Central Valley farmers and hydro power interests. Under this plan, the federal Bureau of Reclamation will be required to release 47 percent of river flows back into the Trinity River and allowed to use the remaining 53 percent for agriculture and power. This additional water promises to help prevent future Salmon kills on the Klamath like the 2002 die-off. More details can be found in the following two articles from the Associated Press and the Times-Standard.
Coho Salmon Populations Decline Despite Human Efforts
Hatcheries are planted at the base of nearly every major dam in California. Yet despite our best intentions to mitigate the effects of these blockages by rearing and releasing ever more fry into the rivers, it is becoming obvious that these efforts are ineffective against the insidious effects of habitat loss and water quality degradation. This article in the San Francisco Chronicle examines some of the reasons why the release of millions of hatchery-bred fish is not translating into stable returns of salmon. Part of the problem lies in the smolts' genes.
South Bay Salt Ponds to become Tidal Waters Again
Federal biologists have begun the process of turning the South Bay salt ponds – formerly owned by Cargill – back into natural wetlands. Cargill sold 16,500 acres of its salt-making ponds to U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the state Department of Fish & Game last year for $100 million. Details of the plan which affects 4,000 acres of wetland and some of the potential environmental side-effects are described in this SF Chronicle article published on July 18.
Tight Lines!
Rodney