Our Klamath Basin Water Crisis
Upholding rural Americans' rights to grow food,
own property, and caretake our wildlife and natural resources.
Our Klamath Basin
Water Crisis
Upholding rural Americans' rights to grow food,
own property, and caretake our wildlife and natural resources.
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"This is a copy of a letter I sent
to have read at Rep. Thompson's fish status forum
today..." Marcia Armstrong, Siskiyou County Supervisor August 30, 2004 Attn: Elizabeth Murguia, District Representative Office of The Honorable Mike Thompson 317 3rd St., Suite 1 Eureka, CA 95501 Re: Klamath Fish Status Forum Dear Elizabeth, Please accept my regrets for not being able to attend the forum on Klamath River fish. I find that my schedule and budgetary constraints does not allow for this trip. I did want to say that I am very proud of all the voluntary efforts of the people in Siskiyou County to enhance and restore fish habitat. Agriculturalists in the Scott and Shasta Valleys are recognized statewide as leaders in their conservation efforts to benefit anadromous fish. For example, in Scott Valley alone, voluntary salmonid habitat restoration projects implemented or currently funded for implementation in the agricultural areas of the Scott River watershed include: 1. Completed 17,150 feet of stream channel enhancement projects such as fish friendly bank stabilization and installed 313+ instream structures on private property. 2. Livestock exclusion fencing completed on 95% of privately owned portions of the Scott River mainstem and 40% of the tributaries. 3. Installed over 75 fish screens on private water diversion structures. Only three unscreened diversions remain within known or suspected distribution of coho. 4. Planted 187 acres of riparian zone along the Scott River and its tributaries with pine, cottonwood and willows. 5. Continued transition from gravel push-up diversion dams to boulder weirs where applicable (12 have been constructed). 6. Outreach and educational activities. 7. Completed Phase I legal analysis of the Scott Valley Water Trust concept for increasing flows for fish. 8. Researched feasibility of improving existing high mountain lake storage at three sites for release in improving cold water refugia and over-summering habitat. The Shasta and Scott River Pilot Program for Coho Recovery (SSRT 2003), in combination with implementation of the Recovery Strategy for California Coho Salmon (CDFG 2003), represent ongoing recovery efforts that should have a measurable positive impact on coho populations in the Scott River, Klamath watershed and other tributaries within the range of coho salmon in California. A recipient of CSAC's Challenge award, Siskiyou County has engaged in a $1,217,000 effort to replace road structures that have posed barriers to fish migration. In addition to eliminating large potentials for road failure and sediment, 48 miles of previously blocked salmon habitat have been restored. I am very encouraged that recent data seem to indicate that the previous decline in coho populations appears to have leveled off in the 1980s and that stabilized populations are increasing in a trend toward recovery. I am, however, concerned about the developing data that appears to indicate that, despite all our efforts, diseases, such as Ceratomyxa Shasta, are taking a growing proportion of the juvenile fish populations that we are producing. I am excited about the growing cooperative relationship and positive energy among the people of the Klamath River system and its tributaries in working together to recover fish stocks. I look forward to the day when robust fish runs will return to healthy, local communities. Sincerely, Marcia H. Armstrong Supervisor, District 5 |
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