October Resource Report

Klamath River Fish Kill

At a joint meeting this month of the Klamath Basin Fisheries Restoration Task Force and the Upper Klamath Basin Working Group, the massive die off of salmon in the lower Klamath River was reviewed and discussed. While the causes are still being studied, it seems clear that they are directly related to low streamflows and high water temperatures.

The primary message from this crisis seems clear--in order to resolve existing problems for fish in the Klamath basin, it will require a coordinated effort from the states of Oregon and California and from interests in both the lower basin and upper basin. This is not an issue of fish vs. farmers, it's an issue of fish and farmers. To that end, the Task Force and the Working Group issued a joint statement after their meeting that stated their intent to work more closely together in the future to deal with Klamath basin problems from the perspective of the entire basin, not just upper basin or lower basin.

Sandy Basin Dams will be Removed

As a result of the signing of a decommissioning agreement by Portland General Electric Company and other interested parties, the Marmot Dam on the Sandy River and the Little Sandy Dam on the Little Sandy River will both be removed, beginning in 2007. This major action was approved after two years of negotiations, including an intensive facilitated process over the past six months. While some fish management decisions with regard to the restoration of naturally spawning wild fish remain unresolved, the settlement agreement signed on October 24th, will provide the basis for addressing these remaining issues. Oregon Trout is hopeful that the removal of these dams will lead to the restoration and protection of wild salmon and steelhead populations in the Sandy basin.

Native Fish Conservation Policy

The last meeting of ODFW's Native Fish Conservation Policy Task Force took place just before the end of October and the final draft of the policy will be presented to the Oregon Fish and Wildlife Commission for approval on November 8th at their meeting in Portland. Consensus of the Task Force was not reached on all issues and it will be up to the commission to decide how to resolve the remaining disputed issues. The primary unresolved issue is whether hatchery fish should be considered to be the same as wild fish for restoration purposes. The agriculture, timber, and property rights advocates on the Task Force continue to assert that there are no differences between wild and hatchery fish and the fishing interests and fish conservation organizations disagree with that assertion. Since the staff of the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife and the Attorney General's office have stated that the protection and restoration of naturally spawning wild fish is the Department's overriding obligation in future fish management decisions, Oregon Trout is confident that the commission will adopt a policy that protects wild fish first, while identifying an appropriate role for hatchery fish.

Once the NFCP has been adopted by the commission, ODFW staff will undertake a several months long process of reviewing and revising all existing administrative rules to assure they are consistent with the new NFCP. Department staff will also continue working on a Hatchery Management Policy that will supplement and support the Native Fish Conservation Policy.

Salmon Recovery Task Force

The Salmon Recovery Task Force met again this month and is zeroing in on a definition of "recovery" for purposes of salmon recovery efforts in Oregon. The work of the Task Force in this regard will likely show up in proposed legislation for consideration by the 2003 session of the Oregon Legislature. Final action by the Task Force should occur by early December in order to meet legislative timelines.

Oxbow Salmon Festival

The 19th annual edition of the Oxbow Salmon Festival was held earlier this month. The weather was great as the event attracted several thousand participants from throughout the region. Salmon viewing on Saturday was great, but dropped off on Sunday due to some unthinking fishermen who waded out into the spawning beds and scared away the fish. The annual River Stewardship Award was presented this year to Jim Lichatowich, one of the preeminent salmon scientists in the region and the author of Salmon Without Rivers, a seminal work on the effects of the northwest hatchery system on wild fish.

Don't Forget to Vote

Please carefully consider all of the candidates and measures on the November ballot and don't forget to mail or deliver your completed ballot before election day. Wild fish are counting on a good turnout.