I've got a better one and more damaging in the near term, to our native
trout fishery on the Yakima River. The State, in cooperation with the
Yakima Indian Nation, is using the ponds at Easton, to hold 250,000 silver
salmon that have access to the river at that site. They are re-introducing
silvers, that they say were present some 100 years ago. These ponds were
planted with trout in the past and anglers could fish there. Along with the
king salmon hatchery above Cle-Elem, it is my feeling, that in due time, we
will see a drastic reduction in native rainbow numbers throughout the
system. Presently, we are experiencing much bigger fish throughout the
system and streamers are a productive technique since the bigger trout have
gotten bigger feeding on the salmon smolt. However, next generation fish
are the ones that will be severely effected. Many of the smolt
resigilize(sp?) and do not migrate out competing for food with the native
trout. There is virtually no native trout fishery in the state that has a
fair return of salmon. Why they choose to aggressively restore salmon in
one of our few, decent, native trout waters is beyond my understanding.
There are many other rivers they could choose for restoration. Jere
----- Original Message -----
From: Moore, Tom <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
To: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Sent: Friday, April 07, 2000 2:35 PM
Subject: "Dams help salmon. . .
> . . .according to the Whatcom County Council"
>
> Honest folks!!! You are going to get a hoot out of this one:
>
> >From the Bellingham Herald, Wednesday April 5, 2000: Front page article
> entitled "County Council approves letter supporting dams"
>
> And I quote:
>
> "A majority of the council members Tuesday endorsed a letter to the U.S.
> Army Corps of Engineers, President Clinton, presidential candidates Al
Gore
> and George W. Bush, and federal legislators which notes the dangers rivers
> can pose to fish and ways in which dams can alleviate those hazards.
> Council Chairwoman Marlene Dawson proposed the letter in reaction to a
> request from the Franklin County Board of Commissioners which passed a
> resolution last month against breaching Snake River dams.
> 'Natural rivers have always presented certain hazards,' the letter states.
> 'The shallows create higher temperatures and constricted areas where
> predators find the fish easy prey. The rapids are notorious for bruising
> and damaging fish.'
> Dams, it says, make passage less demanding for fish."
>
> . . . "council members Connie Hoag, Sam Crawford and Robert Imhof endorsed
> the letter, giving it the necessary council majority. Hoag did not sign
the
> letter Tuesday night because she missed the night meeting. Council member
> Ward Nelson also was absent."
>
> The article goes on to describe discussions that went on before adoption
of
> the letter.
>
> Yep, I am lost for words!
>
> Moore later,
> Tom
>
>
