• Posted on 06/08 at 08:44 AM
By now, most of you have heard of the monumental biological opinion announced last Thursday by the National Marine Fisheries Services. Sacramento Bee reporter Matt Weiser stated, “The new rules mark the largest single rulemaking action ever in the United States to restore fish access above habitat-blocking dams, according to the environmental group American Rivers. The goal is to protect Central Valley steelhead, winter- and spring-run salmon, and green sturgeon, all protected by the Endangered Species Act.”
The ruling, which officially is just called a biological opinion, requires the rivers above several major California reservoirs be restored and made accessible to salmon and steelhead trout. Expenses of the several billion dollar project will most likely come from increased water costs for both municipal and agricultural users.
Weisser continued “The U.S. Bureau of Reclamation will be required to restore fish populations above Nimbus and Folsom dams on the American River, Shasta Dam on the Sacramento River, and New Melones Dam on the Stanislaus River.”
The preliminary planning for the monumental and massive project begins with large-scale testing, followed by inter-agency recommendations on the best possible solutions by 2016. The recommendations are scheduled to be carried out by 2020.
Posted by Justin on 06/08 at 08:44 AM in
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• Posted on 06/04 at 02:01 PM
Thursday, Jun. 04, 2009
SAN FRANCISCO—Federal fisheries regulators are planning to release a court-ordered plan to protect chinook salmon in the Central Valley.
The plan to be unveiled Thursday could end up further limiting the amount of water pumped to farmers and Southern California residents. Commercial fishing for the struggling species has been canceled off the California coast for two seasons.
The agency had to redo its management plan for the fish because U.S. District Judge Oliver Wanger in Fresno threw out its previous plan last year. He found that allowing the Delta water pumps to continue operating as they have would threaten the species.
Fishing industry representatives argue the Sacramento River salmon need adequate river flows and relatively uninterrupted transit through the Delta.
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• Posted on 05/29 at 08:55 AM
Scientists are inserting small pencil-eraser sized tracking devices into juvenile salmon and steelhead at the John Day dam on the Columbia River. The study hopes to improve knowledge about juvenile salmonid escapement patterns and timing. Researchers are hoping the data from the high-frequency tracking devices will help regulators institute more fish friendly dam operations.
Seattle Times piece
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• Posted on 04/30 at 07:28 AM
Two salmon bills are coming out of the house and senate, each claim to protect rivers and watersheds currently supporting strong runs of Pacific Salmon. At first glance, the two bills seem similar but upon further review, Senate Bill S.817 the Pacific Salmon Stronghold Conservation Act of 2009 seems to be the bill with enough weight behind it to actually do something.
According to The Wild Salmon Center, The Pacific Salmon Stronghold Act of 2009 will establish a federal program to support protection and restoration of a network of the healthiest remaining wild Pacific salmon ecosystems in North America - “Salmon Strongholds.” These Salmon strongholds will sustain core centers of wild salmon abundance, productivity and diversity, reflecting a basic principle of conservation biology: protect the best, first.
This act will complement efforts to recover threatened and endangered stocks by directly supporting public-private incentive-based efforts to maintain strong “seed” stocks, sustaining the economic, ecological, cultural, and health benefits of Wild Pacific salmon for future generations.
Posted by Justin on 04/30 at 07:28 AM in
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