I saw an article on Kezi news out of Eugene that shocked me.
I realized this could be the beginning of the end for our area reservoirs.
We're not celebrating here all the rain that fills reservoirs like California is doing. We're making sure they're empty.
First there was the fish people lawsuit, that demanded our reservoirs, Foster with Green Peter above it, not start to refill to mid May. This means we need a lot of late snow and rain run off to fill up both reservoirs. Or Green Peter has to be used to fill Foster.
This year, they announced the latter would be the method to fill Foster. What about Green Peter and those who love to use it for boating and camping along the banks? Well, now, according to the Kezi report, Green Peter will be drawn down, starting in June, to a historic low that has not been seen since it was built. 120 feet below full pool. WTF? The full draw down will not be complete until December. Then the refill will begin.
Wait though. We've had historic rain and snow due to three years of La Nina, which won't last and sometimes we have dry late winters and springs. So when Green Peter doesn't fill much before the mid May wait to even fill Foster, there ya go, the dam haters win and we've nothing left and nowhere left to go for water recreation.
It's disgusting. The article says they don't even know if low water levels will help salmon. This is all for the fisher people because if they wanted to increase runs the feds and state would just stop people from killing so many. For gosh sakes the banks are lined in fish people with poles and the water is wall to wall boats sometimes and how do any get through to spawn?
I feel this is an attempt to kill off the reservoirs by the fisher people groups, who want more salmon to kill and they don't give a fuck about anybody else.
Link to KEZI article about Green Peter draw down.
Because information on this is extremely difficult to come by, I hope I'm wrong. I hope they're not giving the people of the mid valley the middle finger. I suspect they are.
Salem Statemans Journal article about sacrificing the reservoirs for the fishermen.
I need to find a way to move. Fuck you fish people.
After I read the corp of engineers reports on fish in each basin, and read that no breeding spring chinook or steelhead populations exist in or upstream of Green Peter, I wondered why would they be emptying Green Peter? Then I also read the hatchery facility just below Foster, takes Spring Chinook from the river and sacrifices them for their eggs and the hatchlings sent to another location, then they are released all over the basins, I realize we are being sacrificed for fish production for other areas of the state. What stooges we are here. What easy marks.
Wade through this data on the fish and reservoirs and hatcheries.
You might begin to think something's very very fishy.
One of the most ignorant comments in the article comes from Jennifer Fairweather of Native Fish something or other, one of the asshole groups behind the lawsuit. She is obviously not poor or she would understand the stupidity and crudeness of this comment: "“We are sympathetic to the impacts of these changed operations, but the beauty of Oregon is we do have a large number of lakes and rivers where people can continue to recreate.”"
If it is true that is awful. I am so very sorry.
ReplyDeleteUnfortunately it is true. The saddest statement in that statesman journal story is from the sweet home chamber of commerce lady, who didn't say much, said they'd have to wait to see how bad it will impact the town but that it will decrease quality of life for the locals. And if you knew Sweet Home, there's not a lot of quality of life to begin with there. It was sad, yet humble, what she said.
DeleteFrom your posts, I've considered Sweet Home a poor choice of name. :( I can only wish you and all local residents the best. Take care, my dear.
DeleteYikes. That seems very short-sighted of the state. I wonder if the mainstream got a hold of this if things would change. Likely not, sadly. I hope you get some water time this summer.
ReplyDeleteThe corp of engineers runs the dams, that's federal, but its happening because three groups, one not even in Oregon but New Mexico, found a judge in California to order these changes to get more chinook salmon. The main group, Native Fish Society or something, from Portland area, a bunch of activist fisher people, who really don't even like hatchery fish or something. All a small group of people need as weapons to attack people they've never met, violently too, although they didn't use guns, and alter their lives, is some high paid lawyers and a sympathetic federal judge.
DeleteHow far away is the next place you could take your kayak?
ReplyDeleteDon't even know. Too far. Clear lake is tiny and freezing, can't swim in it, its just over the mountain pass, another hour, Suttle lake is beyond that and uninteresting, no rivers, about two hours I'd say drive, as compared to 40 minutes to Foster. Its a hopeless thing. We should get at least half or more of the summer this year with Foster full. But then once Green Peter can't fill Foster, whenever that arrives, since they'll draw it so low and Foster can't be filled til mid May, probably by next summer it will all be dead. we've been sacrificed.
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