Posted:   05/01/2012 02:32:18 PM PDT

Environmentalists, activists, and friends of the Eel River filled River Lodge in Fortuna on Saturday, April 14 to hear presentations about dam removal, water law, and the meaning of “ecohydroatmogeomorphic” at an all-day symposium hosted by Friends of the Eel River. The following is continued from an article that began in last week’s Redwood TimesPart 2 of 2Virginia Graziani

Redwood Times

Four scientists, who have all worked at the University of California-Berkeley’s Angelo Coast Range Reserve, introduced the topic of “ecohydroatmogeomorphology,” the interconnection of water, atmosphere, and geology, and how this affects fisheries.

The Angelo Coast Range Reserve is on Elder Creek, a tributary of the South Fork Eel River high in its watershed west of Laytonville, a long way from the confluence of the South Fork with the main stem Eel at Dyerville, but the interplay of impacts on fish is felt throughout the system.

River incision, the carving of the landscape by the river, drives evolution of fish species because it determines fish barriers and habitats, said Bill Dietrich. He described the mapping of the upper South Fork, including the incision of the river, topography, water temperature, soil and vegetation types, and how each of these factors affects the others.

Biologist Mary Powers talked about the food web in the upper South Fork, which she and a team of her students have studied extensively.

Those long green strands of the algae Cladophora, which most people find ugly but which Powers describes as “beautiful green Rapunzel’s hair,” harbor food for young salmonids in the form of microscopic silica-encased diatoms and the insects that feed on them. Even when the algae turn yellow and eventually rusty as the water warms in summer, it remains a food source for fish.

Diatoms are full of polyunsaturated fatty acids, Powers said, the same nutrient that makes wild salmon so healthful for humans.

Cladophora algae becomes toxic only when the bloom is so dense and heavy that it sinks, causing anaerobic (without oxygen) conditions in the water. Some other species of algae are more toxic, or may become toxic more readily, Powers said.

Powers introduced Sarah Kupferberg, a field biologist who has extensively studied the Foothill Yellow-legged Frog, which lives in many California rivers. Kupferberg has been comparing populations of the frogs living in free-flowing streams with those living in dam-restricted streams, including the Eel River.

Eight hundred dams exist in the frogs’ entire range, and studies show that the frogs are absent more often in dam-restricted streams, and that the height of the dam correlates to the scarcity of frogs.

Frogs need consistent water flows, and because the tadpoles are small and fragile, they need slow-moving water so that they can swim against the current to hide from predators.

Unlike young salmonids, tadpoles and “metamorphs” (tadpoles whose front legs have emerged but who have not yet matured as frogs) prefer warm water to cool water. On the main stem Eel, frog populations have declined near the base of Scott Dam because the needle valve releasing water from Lake Pillsbury into the river draws cold water from the bottom of the reservoir.

Bill Trush, described as a leader in the applied science of river restoration and management, spoke about methods for determining cumulative impacts, particularly as applied to salmonid species.

He began with a quote from Voltaire, the 18th century philosopher who said, “No snowflake in an avalanche ever feels responsible.” Trush continued by presenting a step-by-step process of analyzing causes and effects, using a chain of simple graphs with each conclusion leading to the next graph. In the end the larger connection between the original cause and the final effect is established.

In his example, Trush demonstrated how increases in turbidity so small that the human eye can’t detect them can lead to decline in fish population because turbidity interferes with light in water.

For more information about the Angelo Coast Range Reserve, visit the website www.angelo.berkeley.edu. The reserve is open to visitors.

With so many speakers and topics, the symposium went into overtime. For those who missed it, more information can be found on FOER’s website, www.eelriver.org, or by calling them at 822-3342.

Posted:   04/24/2012 11:07:02 AM PDT

Part 1 of 2

Virginia Graziani

Redwood Times

Environmentalists, activists, and friends of the Eel River filled River Lodge in Fortuna on Saturday, April 14 to hear presentations about dam removal, water law, and the meaning of “ecohydroatmogeomorphic” at an all-day symposium hosted by Friends of the Eel River.

FOER’s founder, Nadananda, who recently retired as executive director, was honored at a luncheon, one of the highlights of the day.

Bridgeville artist Michael Guerriero, chairman of the FOER board of directors, described Nadananda as “a flower child with a background in the performing arts” who “felt the power” of the Eel River back in the 1990s and became determined to do all that she could to save it from decline, creating a non-profit organization that is respected by key figures at the state and national level today.

Scott Greacen, the new executive director of FOER, along with Guerriero and FOER’s Bay Area director David Keller, presented Nadananda with a “celebration flag” created by Guerriero from salmon stencils made by his young art students. Greacen thanked Nadananda “for your gift to us … for giving us the opportunity” to work for the Eel River.

“Straightening out this river system is akin to everything else that’s happening in the world,” Nadananda told the audience. “Change happens on a dime – well, with the Eel River, sometimes on a quarter,” she added.

Greacen urged everyone to participate in the struggle to “take back our country, take back our watersheds… We’ll never get anything done unless we’re all standing together.”

Keynote speaker Brock Dolman of the Occidental Arts and Ecology Center gave a stirring and humorous overview of the challenges of global climate change and its impact on world water.

Keynote speaker Brock Dolman of the Occidental Arts and Ecology Center gave a stirring and humorous overview of the challenges of global climate change and its impact on world water.

Dolman quoted Aldo Leopold, “The health of our waters is the principal measure of how we live on the land,” as well as other environmental sages, and included many quotable puns of his own.

“Our head waters are in need of ego-system restory-ation,” Dolman said, displaying a drawing of the human brain. He urged the audience to find ways to use water carefully, such as collecting and storing water from roofs and looking at beavers as model hydrologists for stream restoration.

Since it was founded in 1995, Friends of the Eel River’s most important issue has been pressing for larger and more effective releases of Eel River water back into the main stem Eel from the diversion into the Russian River at Pacific Gas and Electric’s Potter Valley Project east of Ukiah.

FOER’s ultimate goal has always been removal of the two dams that capture water for the diversion, Scott Dam and Van Arsdale Dam, to restore natural flows to the main stem of the Eel River. The diverted water, once it passes through the Potter Valley hydroelectric plant, becomes part of the Russian River, where it is drawn upon by farmers, municipalities, and other users in Mendocino, Sonoma, and Marin counties.

PG&E’s license to operate the Potter Valley Project expires on April 14, 2022 – exactly 10 years from the date of the FOER symposium, as several speakers noted – and FOER is hoping to see the project de-licensed because of its environmental impacts, age, and relatively small production of electricity.

But even de-licensing may not lead to removal of the Scott and Cape Horn Dams, which impound Eel River water in Lake Pillsbury and the Van Arsdale Reservoir respectively.

The Sonoma County Water Agency has expressed interest in purchasing the system if PG&E abandons the Potter Valley Project. SCWA not only provides water to the Russian River to its own customers, it also sells water to Marin County.

Kevin Bundy, formerly a staffer for the Environmental Protection and Information Center and now senior attorney for the Center for Biological Diversity, described the tangle of state and federal law that regulates many aspects of water use in California, and specifically the Eel River system.

Bundy noted that over 500 entities claim rights to Eel River water in both the Eel and Russian basins, as well as unknown numbers of unofficial, extra-legal users. Additionally, land use such as road building and gravel mining also affect water quality and quantity.

Seven different categories of law directly or indirectly affect water use and impacts, including the federal Endangered Species Act, the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) and the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act, the Clean Water Act, federal Indian law, California state water rights laws, and – in the case of the Eel and Russian Rivers, the Federal Power Act, which governs licensing of hydroelectric generation plants. Additionally, numerous private agreements can come into play, such as the 1946 agreement between PG&E and the Potter Valley Irrigation District.

Widespread marijuana cultivation is having an impact on rivers as well, Bundy said. “I don’t know of any studies, but anecdotally, it’s clear it’s happening,” he said.

Among future issues, Bundy saw the problem of meeting the water needs of users in the Russian River basin if the diversion at Potter Valley ends. In Humboldt County, proponents of harbor development see gravel mining as critical to commercial revitalization of Humboldt Bay, which would require rebuilding the Northwest Pacific rail line through the Eel River Canyon.

Examples of dam de-commissioning projects in the west were presented by Brian Cluer, a geomorphologist and dam removal specialist for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Agency (NOAA).

Cluer described several projects in which he was involved, most notably the removal of two dams on the Elwha River in Olympic National Park, Washington state. In each case the major risk posed by dam removal is movement of the sediment that has accumulated behind the dam, which can cause massive flooding.

In some cases, especially if lots of people are living downstream of the dam, the solution was to route the water release around the sediment and then remove the sediment and deposit it elsewhere.

But the best solution, if chances of impacts to human population are low, usually is to remove the dam at the onset of the rainy season and let the sediment wash out with the torrent.

While this method may impede fish passage temporarily, and possibly wipe out a year-class of eggs, the river and the fish population will recover more quickly than if they must contend with the gradual, cumulative impacts of leaving the dam in place, Cluer explained.

When the Condit Dam on the White Salmon River in Washington was breached, the lake behind the dam drained in less than an hour. The Elwha and Grand Clines Dams on the Elwha River, however, are being removed in controlled increments to mitigate the impacts of dam removal.

Additionally, impacts to water quality were mitigated by building treatment plants to handle the increased turbidity of the released water and, at the insistence of local tribes; a fish hatchery was constructed to protect populations of the seven salmonid species in the Elwha.

 

 

Nadananda served as the organization’s executive director for 17 years and has overseen the group’s most notable accomplishments, including successfully advocating for increased flows out of PG&E’s Potter Valley Project.

”When I started advocating for the recovery of the Eel River in 1994 I never imagined we would have progressed so far, and yet there is still much work to be done,” said Nadananda, founder of Friends of the Eel River. “I first spent time by the Eel River in the early 1990s, and at the time California Department of Fish and Game officials declared the river dead. I did not accept that assessment then, and I don’t accept it now. The progress we have made over the past 17 years is proof that with more water, the river and its fisheries can and will recover.”

Nadananda first moved to the North Coast in the 1970s. After leaving the region for a number of years she returned to the area in the early 1990s, when she learned of the environmental damage caused to the Eel River and its fisheries by the dams that divert its cold headwaters into the Russian River.

What began as a study group into the health of the Eel River, supported by the Environmental Protection Information Center (EPIC) in Garberville, soon evolved into an independent non-profit organization. Since its formation in 1995, Friends of the Eel River has successfully advocated for increased flows into the river to the benefit of the native salmon and steelhead that once numbered in the hundreds of thousands. Thanks in part to the organization’s work under Nadananda’s leadership, the 2011-2012 chinook spawning run is one of the strongest in decades.

”It is my great honor to accept the baton from Nadananda and continue advocating for the full recovery of the Eel River,” said Mr. Greacen. “I look forward to an ongoing partnership with our community and the board as Friends of the Eel River works toward removal of the Eel River dams and recovery for the river and its fish.”

Prior to joining Friends of the Eel River as North Coast director in 2010, Mr. Greacen worked with EPIC, serving as its executive director since 2006. A graduate of Reed College and Lewis and Clark Law School, Mr. Greacen is an attorney. He lives with his wife, two children, and a number of animals near Arcata. David Keller, of Petaluma, will continue to serve as Bay Area director for Friends of the Eel River.

Posted: 10/19/2011 01:33:09 PM PDT

The fall salmon run up the Eel has begun, but low water levels upstream have led to concern about potential fish kills if this threatened species are left stranded by insufficient flows. This information could also help federal and state fisheries agencies decide whether to release additional water from the Potter Valley Project to augment flows in the mainstem Eel in the next few weeks, if the area doesn’t get more rain soon.

The group is asking the public to call or e-mail their main office to report sightings. Reports should note the date and time, specific location, and the number and condition of the fish sighted when calling in reports. If possible, observers should take note of whether salmon were bright silver or dark, strong or struggling, and whether there is any evidence of or potential for stranding. Friends of the Eel River can be reached at (415) 332-9810 or by e-mail at foer@eelriver.org.

The Eel River is California’s third largest watershed, third largest salmon producing river, and second largest steelhead producing river. The vast majority of Eel River water is diverted into the Russian River through the dams and diversion tunnel that comprise PG&E’s Potter Valley Project. This highly controlled river system is vulnerable to insufficient flows unless the river system either experiences high levels of rainfall or water is released into the river under the direction of California’s Department of Fish and Game (DFG).

”Salmon runs on the Eel River are an important part of our local heritage and our economy,” said Nadananda, executive director of Friends of the Eel River. “Local residents helping to track and count these fish will assist greatly in our work to preserve these fish and improve river conditions on the Eel.”

The Eel River is proving to be a rare bright spot in efforts to recover endangered Coho and Chinook salmon, in part because the migratory fish returning to this watershed are wild and not of hatchery origin. The fall run of salmon in 2010 was the largest seen in 77 years due to increased flows to the Eel River mandated by FERC and advocated for by Friends of the Eel River. Friends of the Eel is greatly concerned that this recovery will lose ground if DFG does not release sufficient water to support consistent water flows on the river during these important weeks.

_Friends of the Eel River (FOER) is an environmental advocacy organization with more than 2,200 members. The organization strives to restore the Eel River and its tributaries to a wild and natural state of abundance. FOER works with scientists, fisheries experts, sport fishing alliances, river recreationalists, and concerned citizens to advocate for an increase in flows to the river that would enable native salmon and steelhead to once again thrive in the watershed. Friends of the Eel River can be reached by email at www.eelriver.org

By Dan Bacher October 21, 2011

Posted: 10/20/2011 07:43:20 AM PDT

I was itching to fish the Eel River as I heard reports of big fish from the guides over the weekend. I convinced my girlfriend, Tracy, to take a day off from work last Thursday to do some “fish research” with me. She brought along our friend, Margee – the owner of the Cutten Inn restaurant – who was also itching to take a day off.

Margee, over the years, had heard of all our tall tales of great fishing and had seen photos, but had never fished with us. Thursday just happened to work out for everybody. We had no idea what we’d find or how the day would go. I informed Margee the Eel River was catch and release. I didn’t want her to think she’d be mounting a big, Eel River fish on her mantle after today’s drift.

When we picked up Margee, she had a banana in one hand and her big, tote-like purse on the other. I laughed. “Just bring only what you need – your license and a jacket,” I told her. Most boat captains believe bringing a banana on any boat is bad luck and may influence your ability to catch fish. I wasn’t taking any chances. I already had two women in the boat, so the banana was discarded.

The plan was to drift from Holmes down to Stafford. After some quick instructions, we made out way to the top of the first riffle. The girls let out their Kwikfish and we started our slow decent down river. We saw a few fish roll, so I was optimistic we’d get some action. We had our first takedown in the first five minutes. Tracy’s rod doubled over hard and then immediately went slack. “Reel, reel, reel!” I shouted as I guessed the fish was swimming right towards us. As the line came tight, we realized we had a good-sized fish hooked. After a 10-minute battle, the adult salmon finally tired and slid into my net. We took some photos and then safely released the salmon. High five! The skunk was off the boat and we were hoping Margee would hook the next fish.

A little later, we moved down to the next hole. It had the two things salmon like – good current and depth. Right after we let out the plugs and they started working, Tracy’s rod went down again. She handed the rod off to Margee. Coupled with some more instructions on how to hold the pole and when to reel down, Margee landed the fish nicely. It was another nice salmon, around 20-pounds that I revived and released.

Before the next pass, the girls decided to trade seats – trying to disprove the theory that all the fish were on the right side of the boat. Tracy – now sitting on the left side – hooked up again. The fish didn’t stick, but clearly it wasn’t about what side of the boat to sit on, but what plug was annoying the fish more. Tracy’s plug was definitely averaging more grabs than Margee’s lure, but I felt like both plugs had good wiggle and there seemed to be plenty of fish around. So, we kept at it.

Tracy was able to land another big, bright salmon. Margee’s lure did get hit a couple of times, but the fish just wouldn’t stick. It was just a matter of time I determined. A few seconds later wham! Margee’s rod went down hard. This one stuck. Margee hooked and landed her first-ever Eel River salmon! I showed her how to hold the fish carefully, not touching its gills and firmly holding onto to the tail while keeping it in the water. When Tracy snapped the photo, we knew this picture was going in a frame and on the bar at the Cutten Inn. This photo would replace her husband’s halibut photo that had been on the bar for years. It was finally Margee’s turn for a bragging rights fish photo.

Tracy hooked up again on the next pass, but we ended up losing the fish as both lines tangled. I was just excited that my boat and both lures were finally moving like a well-oiled exotic dancer. On the very next pass, both rods went down simultaneously – a double hook-up! As luck would have it, each fish went on separate sides of the boat, making it easy to keep the lines away from each other. Tracy coaxed her fish into the net first like a pro. Margee’s fish was much larger and she had to battle it for another 10 minutes. Once we had both fish in the net and safely released back into the river, we celebrated like true sportsman – the girls popped open the cooler and reached for some frosty beverages.

We realized we had already hooked about seven or eight good-sized fish and it was only Noon. We were now fishing in our T-shirts, we had the river all to ourselves and there was a nice breeze. We felt like it couldn’t get any better than this. Even thought, we didn’t catch any more fish, the Eel River adventure wasn’t over just yet.

Out of nowhere, a large railcar bridge appeared on the horizon. It was essentially blocking our main drift down river. We pulled over and decided we’d have to drag the boat across a gravel bar, paddle into some deeper water and go around it through a narrow stretch of shallow water. It took all three of us to drag the boat across the river. We all got wet, up past our rubber boots. Trying to get back into a moving boat when you’re your boots are filled up with water is no easy task. There was a couple watching us from the bank and we thought how hilarious this must look to them.

There was another spot down river where we had to drag the boat across a gravel bar. So, now fishing had turned into a sweaty, wet work out. Margee was unfazed. She was just glad to finally have the chance to see how beautiful the Eel is.

When we finally arrived at the Stafford take out point, we talked about how fun the day was – even the parts where we had to drag the boat. We had inadvertently picked a great day to fish. It was one of those days where you tell all your fishing friends, “You should have been here yesterday.”

The Rivers:

As of Wednesday afternoon, the main stem Eel, from the paved junction of Fulmor Road with the Eel River to the South Fork Eel River was the only river that is regulated by low flow closures that was still open. All other North Coast rivers regulated by low flow closures were closed. The Department of Fish and Game will make the information available to the public by a telephone recorded message updated, as necessary, no later than 1 p.m. each Monday, Wednesday and Friday as to whether any stream will be closed to fishing. The rivers can be opened up at anytime. The low flow closure hotline for North Coast rivers is (707) 822-3164.

Eel River

The main stem is still open as of Wednesday afternoon and was flowing at 550 cfs and dropping. Minimum flows to keep it open are 350 cfs on the Scotia gauge. With no rain on the horizon, it will likely close before the weekend. Last week saw some dynamite fishing on the Eel, with guides reporting double-digit days. Thursday was probably the day to be there as the river had just peaked and starting dropping. NOTE: CA Fish and Game would like to remind anglers to check the CA DFG Sport Fishing Regulations booklet for the Eel River and other catch and release, barbless hook-only north coast streams and rivers. For more information, visit www.dfg.ca.gov/regulations/FreshFish-Mar2011/ccr-t14-ch3-art3.html. Also, in waters where the bag limit is zero for trout and salmon, the fish must be released unharmed and should not be removed from the water.

 

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