Dam!

For those of you web jockeys that don't know, I have recently become an avid fly fisher. The sport brings together a number of my favorite things into an exciting and elitist format that I can really dig my teeth into. I get to be outside, which is always a good thing. I get to make intricate little flies which brings me back to my modelling days of old. It also lets me "hunt" with an option of not actually killing the animal. So as my new obsession began to take hold, I decided to do something very unlike me. I subscribed to a local chapter of a activist organization, Trout Unlimited.

Trout Unlimited (TU) is a national organization with more than 150,000 volunteers spread across approximately 400 chapters. Many of the members are dedicated conservation professionals including experts, scientist, and even lawyers. They are constantly working towards fishery restoration and widely known for their influences on policy around prominent fisheries across the country. It seems a little conceded though, saying you are saving the country's waterways when really you just want a nice place to fish. But that works for me, and more importantly they get the job done, in a big big way.

How big? Try the largest dam removal project currently being undertaken in the world at a cost of $450 million. Not bad for a grassroots fishing group.

The dams of the Klamath River flows from Oregon through over 250 miles of California. The four dams on the river were put up quickly from 1918 to 1962. The dams cut off approximately 300 miles of spawning habitat for fish species. The colder water released from the reservoirs severely inhibited smolt (bait fish) growth. Algae and agriculture runoff were also contributing to the rapid decrease in water quality along the river's length. Finally things came to a head in 2002, when low flows, warm water, and relatively high fish density caused an epidemic among migrating salmon and steelhead. At least 35,000 adult spawners died.

Only after this fishery disaster was action finally taken. TU began hosting talks with the damn operators, farmers, and regulators. Slowly progress was made and an agreement was finalized to remove all four of the major dams along the waterway by 2020. It was a huge win for the conservationists and an example of what can be done if people are brought together to work through public issues such as these.

It's exciting to be a part of an organization with this kind of dedicate and 'no fear' attitude. I am really looking forward to begin getting more involved with TU, and hopefully someday maybe fishing the Klamath myself. For anyone interested I recommend visiting their website and attending some of their chapter meetings. A lot of effort is currently being made to address the natural gas drilling in upstate New York.

Until next time, you can find me on my Croton River, not catching fish....