December 2004 Conservation Notes

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Attendees at the NCCFFF Conservation Network Meeting at Sugar Barge Marina

NCCFFF Conservation Network Meeting

The Fall NCCFFF Conservation Network meeting was held on November 13 this year, at the Sugar Barge Marina on Bethel Island in the Sacramento and San Joaquin River Delta. I attended as the PFF representative along with about 20 other members. A full summary of the meeting and some background information on the NCCFFF is available here. As a club, we have not undertaken any "hands-on" conservation projects in the period that I have been a member – a disappointing fact that I hope to address in 2005. Stay tuned for more information.

Restoring the Hech Hechy Valley

Although it is highly unlikely, there are periodic proposals to restore what John Muir called the "wonderful exact counterpart" to Yosemite Valley. The Tuolumne once ran down the course of this nine-mile valley which lies largely under water held back by the O'Shaughnessy Dam. A fascinating article published on Nov 21 in the SF Chronicle details the steps that would be required to bring the valley back to its original state and underscores the complications involved in restoring habitat for fish and wildlife.

Water Running Uphill

This alarming commentary from the Fresno Bee highlights the imminent water contract renewal between the Bureau of Reclamation and the Westlands Water District, which will continue to buy water at $14 to $44 an acre-foot from the Bureau. This water sells on the retail market for $250 to $750 an acre-foot, a subsidy that comes right out of the taxpayer's pocket. One consequence of these deals are the anticipated 25% increase in pumping of water out of the Delta via the "Napa Agreement" which was noted in the October conservation notes. On an ancillary note, there is an interesting discussion thread on the Northern California Fly Fishing Board regarding background reading on California water history, economics, and policy.

Bush Administration Proposal to Redefine Critical Habitat for Salmon

After the presidential election, President Bush announced that he had earned "political capital" during the campaign and he intended to use it. It now appears that one of policies he intends to spend his capital on is the redefinition of which areas are "critical" for the preservation of anadromous fish. The Bush administration proposed Tuesday (Nov. 30) an 80 percent reduction in designated habitat for endangered Pacific salmon and steelhead, leading environmentalists to charge that recovering populations of the rare fish could collapse once again. Articles regarding the policy shift are available at the Sacramento Bee and the SF Chronicle.

Salmon Returning to the Napa River

On a more optimistic note, a recent SF Chronicle article reported on the return of spawning Fall Chinook salmon to the Napa River. It appears that conservation efforts of several groups aimed at moving vineyards towards more sustainable agricultural practices as well as the termination of sewage discharges into the river have been successful. The article notes that most of the spawners are large wild fish.

That's all for this month. I hope everyone has a safe and happy holiday and here's to tight lines in 2005!

– Rodney