The 70 year old Hemlock Dam, northwest of Carson, Washington has been put on the endangered species list...by 2007 it may be gone, according to a the Mt. Adams District Ranger, Nancy Ryke, who signed a Record of Decision today.
Here's an excerpt from the news release that just came over the transom:
Ryke chose Alternative C of the final Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS)
for the Hemlock Dam Fish Passage and Aquatic Habitat Restoration Project. *That means she could have kept it open and improved the fish ladder but chose to tear down the dam instead.
"Removing the dam and its sediment is the best way to fulfill our
obligation to enhance fish passage for threatened steelhead," Ryke said.
"We have put a lot of effort into this study, and I believe it’s the right
course of action to achieve our objectives for steelhead recovery."
Monday, December 05, 2005
Dam: 0, Fish: 1
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1 comments:
God didn't dam it, the beavers did.
"In an EIS prepared in 1999, the Forest Service chose dam removal as the preferred alternative for addressing the problems of fish mortality and water quality degradation. This option, in addition to being the most effective at addressing these problems, was also found to be the cheapest by far, saving taxpayers millions over any of the dam upgrade and partial removal options. The EIS process was stalled however, by a powerful recreation lobby consisting of local interests who use the reservoir for swimming and picnicking.
Now, the Forest Service is reinitiating an EIS, and is in the process of gathering research to support the decision to remove the dam. The Task Force has assisted the Forest Service biologists working on the project in assembling research on fish mortality in association with dams, and has offered to assist in on-the-ground research on fish survival at Hemlock Dam this summer.
In addition, we met with one of the leaders of the recreational lobby that has opposed dam removal, and expected a spirited brawl when he came to our office to discuss his opposition. Much to our surprise and delight, we found that he would support dam removal under one condition-- if he could be assured of the presence of beavers in the area! According to local residents, beavers were abundant in the area through the 1970s, when beavers were widely poisoned by the Forest Service and residents along Trout Creek."
Hemlock Dam Must be Removed...
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