(click to see it online)

He tells us why few people fish it, why that’s a shame (hint: it’s great for swinging flies and two-handers), and how much better he thinks it could be — if we can get the Klamath River dams out.

It’s a short-but-interesting interview (he opened my eyes to a few things), and worth a few minutes.

If you don’t know why the Klamath River dams should come down, here’s a CalTrout article making a case for dam removal — and also a recent update on the status of dam removal (and the KBRA).

Despite the quality of the Klamath’s fishery — and its potential — the Klamath isn’t really on the radars of a lot of California and Oregon’s steelhead fishermen, but it probably should be.

It’s going to be a big year in California on so many fronts; the Klamath thing might be decided, we’ll see if moves to raise Shasta Dam acquire any momentum, we’re supposed to see good salmon returns, and, oh yeah — because of the drought, the water wars should prove especially interesting.

I still owe the Undergrounders a pair of posts about those wacky Sisikiyou Board of Supervisors, including a look at their attempts to “prove” the coho salmon isn’t native to the Klamath Watershed.

It’s like a satirical TV sitcom, only they mean it.

See you hammering the bad guys, Tom Chandler.

For some time, I’ve been trying to write a comprehensive piece about river access, dam removal and salmon recovery in Siskiyou County — and the vicious, detached-from-reality politics surrounding them — but it’s like trying to drink from a fire hose pumping “crazy” instead of water.

Instead, I decided to feed the Undergrounders the crazy in bite-sized chunks, starting with today’s post, which amounts to a singular appetizer: A Bold, Constitutionally Based Declaration From An Angry Voter That Just Happens To Be Wholly Wrong.

(Warning: those with nut allergies or an aversion to constitutional abuse may want to stop reading.)

Today’s nugget comes to us in a letter to the editor to the Siskiyou Daily News, where the writer takes a bold new tack in challenging the removal of the Klamath River dams.

Ownership.

You, as representatives of We The People, need to first fulfill your obligations to the U.S. Constitution that you all took an oath of office to uphold. As public servants, you are to uphold the constitutional rights of We The People, which includes the people of Siskiyou County, California. Not serve special interest groups.

As for the removal of dams within the borders of Siskiyou County, you will have to prove to us, the people of Siskiyou County, proof of private ownership of these dams by Pacific Corp. We are demanding the notarized Deed of Trust proving such ownership.

Wow. I never saw that one coming. But why is dam ownership even in question? He continues:

For the background of the dams within Siskiyou County, they were originally built within hard economic times by the Bureau of Reclamation to help create employment and produce power for the communities within our county.

Frankly, it gets better (see below), but one little tiny fact kinda ruins things early.

The dams weren’t built by the Bureau of Reclamation (this direct from the Bureau).

They were privately built and are privately owned.

The funny fish: A Shasta River salmon

Oh.

This is important because some people are wondering why Siskiyou County is trying to force a private company (PacifiCorp) to retain private structures which it no longer wants — dams which will require $450 million to retrofit to existing standards, and will then operate at a $20 million annual loss.

It’s an odd stance to be taken by a county government riddled with property rights extremists.

In fact, an objective observer might suggest it was a fairly socialist act [Gasp, Commies!].

You might dismiss this letter as the work of a single, factually challenged individual, but it’s not; it’s a “fact” that is rapidly gaining traction in this county, uttered by people who will also tell you — with a straight face — that the endangered Coho Salmon isn’t native to the Klamath watershed, so its ESA listing is unconstitutional (we’ll mine that rich comedy vein soon).

In other words, there are damned few facts supporting the dams, but in Siskiyou County, that’s when the real patriots stand up and start inventing their own.

After his early stumble, our letter writer keeps blasting away at shadows, using lots of Clearly Important Capitalized Words for ammo:

Public property belongs to We The People of the United States of America. Public property within Siskiyou County is under control of We The People of Siskiyou County. We are now taking it back.

Siskiyou County voted “no” on dam removal. Our dams will not be removed! That is our choice, not yours!

Siskiyou County public property is protected by our Siskiyou County Sheriff-Coroner Jon Lopey. He is an elected public official; a public servant. Yes, he will do his job and protect the rights of the citizens of Siskiyou County.

Now any state or federal agent coming to the dams within Siskiyou County will need to ask our sheriff-coroner’s permission.

Notice how “public” property isn’t really public, unless your concept of “public” extends only to the residents of this county (and it’s pretty clear the residents of the southern end don’t really count).

Also note the reliance on Sheriff Lopey to protect us from the meanies, despite the fact that county governments are extensions of the state government, and that state and federal “agents” have every right to enter this county without his permission.

Coming soon: Navigability and Is the Coho native?

See you in the comedy zone, Tom Chandler.

That’s the short version of this post.

The Longer Version

The four lower Klamath River dams (which are currently throttling the salmon and steelhead populations on what used to be the west coast’s third-most productive salmon fishery) are not only bad for fish, it turns out they’re bad for the economy.

The owner of the dams (PacifiCorp) is in the midst of a FERC relicensing, and if they were to update the dams with fish ladders (as would be required), they’d operate at a $20 million annual loss.

If taken out, they’d:

• Create 4600 jobs
• Provide an estimated 86% bump in Chinook salmon populations
• Open up an additional 300-400 miles of spawning habitat to salmon and steelhead
• Make my day

In literally thirty seconds, you can help us take them out. This isn’t some pie-in-the-sky thing — we’ve got a fair to good chance to make this happen, though it’s going to require putting pressure on legislators over the next couple years.

Still, you want to know how easy this comment will be?

Here’s a picture of the form (click it to go to the real form):

How hard could this be? (We even wrote the comment -- click image to go there now.)

And here’s your cut and paste comment:

Subject: Klamath Draft EIS/EIR: I support Alternative 2

Comment: I support Alternative 2 of the Klamath Draft EIS/EIR proposal (full removal of the Iron Gate, Copco1, Copco2, and J.C. Boyle dams).

• These dams are decimating one of the west’s most prolific salmon and steelhead fisheries and strangling the area’s economy
• Alternative 2 will help restore salmon runs (dramatically increasing steelhead populations), and ensure predictable water deliveries to irrigators
• The dams don’t make economic sense: if upgraded to modern standards they’ll actually operate at a $20 million annual loss
• Even the owner (PacifiCorp) wants these privately owned dams taken out

I support healthy fisheries and a healthy local economy (dam removal brings many jobs to the area) — and I support Alternative 2.

Thank you,
[your name]

****************************************

I try not to bombard you guys with a lot of “Save The World” stuff but the Klamath River dams issue is about to hit a series of critical moments.

At stake is the future of what used to be one of the west coast’s best salmon rivers (and let’s not forget the steelhead fishery, which is good, but could become stellar).

With a little more water and a little less dams, the Klamath could become a wholly kickass salmon and steelhead fishery (again).

Want More Information?

For an executive summary of the Klamath River dam removal Draft EIS/EIR, click here.

For more information about the Klamath River Basin Restoration Agreement (KBRA) and other Klamath Issues, click here.

And it turns out, it’s maybe for a good cause (ridding salmon of parasites):

Flows will rise from from base of 1600 cfs to 5000 cfs and back to 1600 cfs between noon and midnight Wednesday. These flows are designed to flush fine sediments that harbor polycheate worms—the intermediate hosts for fish parasites such as Ceratomyxa shasta. As most of you are aware, a large percentage of outmigrating juvenile salmon are infected with parasites which can be lethal.

This flow change is a result of the Klamath Settlement Agreements and in particular the ability to more flexibly manage the river.

Right now, the Klamath River is sick as hell. Every summer, the river below two of its reservoirs runs bright green with toxic algae, and while I could write a good fifteen paragraphs of text outlining the latest move on the part of the Siskiyou County Board of Supervisors  to keep it that way (Measure G), but rather than bore the Undergrounders as a whole (99% of whom won’t get to vote on this subject), let me just say this to my Siskiyou County readers:

Vote “Yes” on Measure G

Below is a letter to the editor I wrote (the local paper didn’t publish it). Just to be clear, a “No” vote means you don’t support dam removal, and the Supes are hoping to use an overwhelmingly “No” vote to springboard a later (and expensive) lawsuit.

Yes Vote on Measure G Means Jobs

With Siskiyou County’s economy faltering and unemployment near 20%, it’s hard to understand why the Siskiyou County Board of Supervisors are so rabidly opposed to the recovery of Klamath River salmon and steelhead – especially given the huge economic stimulus that dam removal and the Klamath Basin Restoration Agreement (KBRA) would bring.

Independent economic analysis says dam removal and habitat improvement projects would lower unemployment, provide sustainable tourism-related jobs, and result in lower power rates (compared to retrofitting the dams to current standards).

Also, the KBRA’s adaptable flow regimes offer us water for salmon and water for farmers, who need some idea what they’re getting so they can plan ahead (many are also getting way-below-market-price power too).

Tellingly, the Board of Supervisors have repeatedly called for in-depth studies of the effects of dam removal, yet they’re now asking citizens to make up their mind before the asked-for studies have been completed.

Simply put, they’re hoping to use an overwhelming “No” vote to springboard this county into an expensive lawsuit which we can’t afford – and will delay the jobs this county so desperately needs.

Returning the Klamath to a healthy state delivers many economic benefits to Siskiyou County – including to our vital (and wholly sustainable) tourism industries. After all, once they stopped shipping all of Northern California’s water south out of the Trinity River, the steelhead and salmon runs came back strong, and on some weekends, you can’t find a place to park along the river.

Those who want you to vote “No” on Measure G will tell you the dams provide irrigation water and flood control, yet they don’t.

Instead, they offer us terrible water quality (the Klamath runs pea green with toxic algae every summer), and because they’d cost us power users $500 Million to retrofit yet only $200 Million to remove, we’re simply better off without them, and in almost every way possible.

Please vote “Yes” on Measure G. Our local economy will thank you for it.

Note to the Board Of Supervisors

Turns out salmon restoration – and a healthy river – actually creates jobs. To see how, watch the video below from Chelan County, WA.

And – Siskiyou County’s Board of Supervisors take note – the restoration actually helps the local economy.

Click here to view the embedded video.

The following is a press release received from Craig Tucker (of the Yurok Tribe) and the Klamath Riverkeeper. It’s not what you’d call great news: Excessive agricultural surface and groundwater withdrawals – and the willingness of state and federal agencies to look the other way – are imperiling salmon and steelhead populations in these two major spawning tributaries of the Klamath River:

Thursday, September 24, 2009

High numbers of fall Chinook salmon returning to the Shasta River are coming home to record low flows and extremely hot weather this week, creating ideal conditions for a large-scale fish kill in the Shasta River. Biologists and water managers with state and federal agencies are monitoring the situation closely as irrigators continue to maximize water withdrawals through the late September heat wave.

“We need to get more water in the river immediately,” said Erica Terence of Klamath Riverkeeper. “Unfortunately, the fish are moving much quicker than the resource managers on the Scott and Shasta Rivers this year.” The USGS realtime streamflow gage on the Shasta River shows record low flows for the last several days, as it has much of the summer. Temperatures are forecasted to be in the 90s through the weekend.

With 1,319 fish past the California Department of Fish and Game’s counting station in the Shasta River canyon as of Sept 22nd, this year’s fall Chinook run is shaping up to be among the largest in the last 20 years on the Shasta. Whether the fish are able to migrate and spawn throughout the basin, or whether the fish turn up dead, will be determined by the extent of irrigation deliveries over the next week. CDFG’s fish counting station on the adjacent Scott River is not yet operational.

“Unfettered agricultural diversions are playing Russian roulette with salmon, and it’s the commercial fishermen and Tribal people downriver who will deal with the consequences,” said Terence. She noted that the sacrifices of commercial salmon fishermen, who face a season closure caused by low returns to the Sacramento River, may be in vain if river conditions do not allow a successful spawning season.

Klamath Riverkeeper is surveying the Shasta River for fish mortalities and is monitoring locations where fish are currently holding in deeper, colder pools. Representatives of multiple organizations and agencies are also keeping tabs on the situation. Unofficial reports indicate at least 7 dead adult Chinook have been documented in the river at this time and fisheries managers and advocates would like to avoid an increase in that number.

Agricultural diversions and groundwater pumping have de-watered the Scott and reduced the Shasta to a trickle for much of the summer. Both tributaries were once abundant salmon producers and are recognized by scientists as key priorities in the effort to restore Klamath basin salmon. Terence added, “We cannot rely on dam removal alone to fix this watershed, it’s time to address the steadily increasing agricultural demand on the Klamath’s water.” The Shasta River was once the most productive salmon stream, for its size, in the state of California. Peer-reviewed science on the adjacent Scott River has demonstrated that decreasing flows cannot be fully explained by climate change.

This year’s record low flows come as CDFG is releasing its final Watershed Wide Incidental Take Permit Program for the Scott and Shasta basins – a controversial and potentially precedent-setting project that would widen allowances for coho kills from agricultural de-watering and other impacts. Klamath Riverkeeper is joining with other salmon allies to oppose the program. Terence said, “With conditions deteriorating for fish every year on the Scott and Shasta, CDFG should be proposing programs that expand protections for fish, not destroy them as the watershed wide permits would do.” She added, “the Scott and Shasta are now growing more alfalfa than they are fish – and its time for that to change.”

Irrigation season ends on the Scott and Shasta Rivers during the month of October.

I’d love to add a poignant twist to all this, but in truth, I’m too pissed off to do so. The politcal environment up here is so backwards (those who participated in our Stream Access/Land Use Planning Nightmare know the County Board of Supervisors would happily see every last fish disappear from the area), and it seems the agencies charged with protecting wildlife are willing to turn a blind eye in efforts to maintain good working relationships with irrigators.

How’s that working for us?

Just so you can watch the water levels dwindle in near realtime, here’s the USGS Streamflow Gage for the lower Shasta River can be found here.

More information on this summer’s Shasta and Scott flow crisis can be found here.

The story – originally broken by North State water activist Felice Pace on his Klamblog site – made it clear that flows had fallen so low, that salmon and steelhead populations simply weren’t going to survive.

Pace noted that the federal government has an adjudicated water right that it seemed unwilling to exercise, and that unlimited groundwater pumping was a big part of the problem.

Now the story’s made it to the pages of the San Francisco Chronicle, which offers up a fairly grim prognosis:

“Large areas of the (Scott) River have gone completely dry, stranding endangered coho salmon as well as chinook and steelhead in shallow, disconnected pools of water,” said Greg King, president of the nonprofit Siskiyou Land Conservancy, which has fought to protect the salmon runs in the Klamath River system.

“This could be the year that causes the coho to go extinct if they can’t get upstream in the Scott and Shasta.”

You can read the entire article here: Key salmon spawning rivers all but dry.

This whole mess isn’t simply the result of a three-year drought; excessive surface water diversions are a long-time problem, and the overharvesting of groundwater is a major factor in low stream flows.

Farmers and ranchers – trying to increase their harvest of often-marginal crops like alfalfa – have been increasingly turning to unregulated groundwater pumping to do so.

Low Flows Not the Whole Problem

The loss of some of the Klamath Basin’s best salmon and steelhead spawning habitat is only part of the problem.

The Scott and Shasta contribute badly needed cold water to the Klamath River, which suffers from high water temperatures and poor water quality – due in large part to the four Klamath River dams.

Remarkably, the Siskiyou County Board of Supervisors are fighting hard to retain the Klamath River dams and resisting any attempt to leave water in the rivers, in many cases suggesting the dams are actually helping salmon populations – despite the fact that the waters flow pea-soup green below the lowest dams in summer (the result of a toxic algae bloom).

In fact, a commonly heard refrain in Northern Siskiyou County is that “the salmon are gone anyway,” so no measures need to be taken.

In a political environment like that, it’s hard to imagine we’ll be reading too much good news about salmon and steelhead anytime soon.

See you on the non-existent Scott and Shasta Rivers, Tom Chandler.

In fact, both the Scott and Shasta Rivers are almost wholly dewatered – and this despite the fact they’re populated by endangered Coho salmon.

Making matters worse is California Fish & Game’s willingness to look the other way as Siskiyou County ranchers and agriculture hammer salmon populations – even after those same populations were listed and (supposedly) received federal protection.

It’s one more example of Siskiyou County’s crazy inbred politics, where extreme ideology serves as a substitute for facts, science and (dare we say it) reality.

This lengthy excerpt is from Pace’s Klamblog post on the Scott & Shasta’s flows, though the whole post is worthwhile reading for any taxpayer who wonders what current stupidity is going to require salvaging in the near future – at the cost his or her tax dollars:

The Shasta and Scott are spawning grounds for most of the Fall Chinook produced in the Upper Klamath River watershed; the Scott has the most Coho. If spawners do not reach their natal streams, Klamath River salmon production will be low and the impact on tribal, commercial and sport fishing – and related economic activity – will be great.

Here is flow data for the Shasta from the US Geological Service ~

* Early on October 11th Shasta River flow declined to nearly 6 cubic feel per second. The flow then became too low to measure for several hours. http://waterdata.usgs.gov/nwis/uv?site_no=11517500

* The minimum daily flow recorded during the 2008 water year was 14 cfs.

* The lowest minimum mean flow during August for the period of record (1934-2008) was 8.35 in 1939.

From this data we conclude ~

THE SHASTA RIVER CURRENTLY IS EXPERIENCING THE LOWEST RECORDED FLOW DURING AUGUST SINCE FLOW RECORDING BEGAN IN 1934!

Precipitation at Yreka in the Shasta River Valley during 2008 was 77% of long-term mean annual precipitation. This is a dry year but not a drought.

The flow situation in the Scott is just as bad or worse ~

* On August 14th flow at the Scott River gauge operated by the USGS was less than 2 cubic feet per second (cfs).

* The lowest mean flow for the period of record during August was 5.52 cfs in 2002. The lowest daily mean flow in August was 3.4 cfs also in 2001.

From this information KlamBlog concludes ~

THE SCOTT RIVER CURRENTLY IS EXPERIENCING THE LOWEST RECORDED FLOW DURING AUGUST SINCE FLOW RECORDING BEGAN!

The rest of Pace’s article makes for interesting reading – especially when he notes that Fish & Game and other agencies are spending $500,000 to fund “improvements” for diversions (screening a diversion), but nothing is being done about flows.

That sounds about right given the backwards politics of the area. You don’t have to scientist to know that salmon and steelhead need something to survive, and it’s wet.

All the “diversion improvements” in the world – which could easily be construed as another giveaway to ag interests – won’t matter one bit if the water’s gone.

From the Redding Record Searchlight:

Concern over an endangered crawfish’s dwindling numbers on the Pit River could end summer white water that has become a popular ride for rafters and kayakers.

“What those flows do is bring warmer water from upstream down to that area,” said Al Donner, spokesman for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in Sacramento. “The crawfish need cool water.”

The agency is asking the state Water Resources Control Board and the Federal Energy Regulation Commission (FERC) to end the increased flows immediately.

But white water enthusiasts say they don’t think Fish and Wildlife has data to support its call for the end of the increased flows that Pacific Gas and Electric Co. turns on one weekend a month in June, July and August.

Fly fishermen and guides have contended the abrupt flushing flows are hard on insect life, though we’re only talking about one weekend per month during the summer.

It’s an interesting time to be a coldwater fisherman in Northern California.

• There are rumblings about salmon & steelhead returning to the Upper Sac (which hasn’t seen them in 70 years).
• The Klamath Dams may finally come down (beginning the salmon and steelhead restoration process.
• The Lower Sacramento salmon runs have cratered along with the state’s water supply, fueling California’s Water Wars and exposing the madness of increased pumping from the Delta.

There’s more to come from the mountains of Northern California. I’m sure of it.

Given the stone-age perspective of Siskiyou County’s Board of Supervisors, it’s clear we need the help.

At a recent meeting, Supervisor Jim Cook astonishingly said “This is the first time I’ve seen anything that CalTRout has been involved with that wasn’t a piece of crap,” while Wise Use Cartoon Character (from way back) Supervisor Marcia Armstrong asserted that “fishing is no longer a vital activity in the county.”

Cook even suggested the Shasta River (major spawning tributary of the Klamath) simply wasn’t a good salmon river when he said “…the stream channel is not what you normally see in salmon areas.”

Jim “I’m not a biologist, but I’ll pretend” Cook is completely wrong, of course – every biologist who knows the Shasta River practically wets their pants explaining why it’s perhaps the most productive trib on the whole Klamath River.

Good call, Jim.

As you can see, the mess up here is considerable. At times it’s even despressing, especially given that the quotes you read above are not fictional – and that the people issuing them are using public funds to foul our own own nest.

It’s galling to think my property tax dollars are fighting salmon recovery on the Klamath – and this despite the economic boon a healthy fishery would bring to this county, which is suffering an 18% unemployment rate.

After all, we put a little water back in the Trinity and now the flood of steelhead fishermen means you can’t park your car there most weekends.

And the Lower Sac sees somewhere between 4000-6000 boat trips annually – the cumulative economic affect of which is considerable.

Meanwhile, the salmon on the Klamath are dieing in droves, and scientists aren’t even sure why, though it’s pretty clear the Klamath’s atrocious water quality is playing a role.

My close friends know the Klamath River/Nestle/Shasta Dam stuff alternately works me up and knocks me back – a fact exacerbated by this reality: there’s only a few of us, and a lot of them, and the “bad guys” all seem to be getting paid.

It’s as if the barbarian hordes were fulltime professionals, while the guys charged with defending Rome buckled on the old broadsword only after working a hard shift in the catacombs.

With that as a backdrop, you’d think CalTrout wouldn’t want to bite off any more regional office goodness, but they’re slow learners (thank goodness), and they just announced the opening of a field office in the Tahoe area.

That’s good because – when it comes to fishery issues – nothing really beats a “boots on the ground” presence (though we wonder why Tahoe gets a babe for a regional rep, while here in Shasta we’re stuck with some skinny guy).

I imagine the recession is playing havoc with CalTrout’s budgets, and while I’m all for the Undergrounders becoming members of the organization (it’s $35 for chrissakes), it would be a lot better if some undeserving AIG bonus baby threw a couple hundred thousand at the organization instead.

Of course, that’s about as likely as an Undergrounder throwing away a Victoria’s Secret catalog without a peek, so in truth, I guess I am suggesting the Undergrounders throw down for a yearly CalTrout membership (nothing’s changed from the previous sentence: it’s still $35 for chrissakes).

Somebody’s got to beat back the Barbarian Hordes, and while it doesn’t have to be CalTrout ($35), there’s probably somebody in your neck of the woods beating back the barbarians, so consider joining them.

Clearly, this is all getting to me, so after I write this, I’m going to get up, walk out of my dungeon office, and shoot a few paper targets (which is calming and a little zen – nobody hits the 10 ring in a frazzled state of mind).

The Upper Sacramento’s falling slowly, so even though it’s probably not fishing great, I expect I’ll find out for myself this weekend.

See you fighting the barbarians, Tom Chandler.

siskiyou county, salmon, klamath river, caltrout