Environmental disaster caused by three environmental groups.
These photos are from Brian Clift who urged people to share them so we could see the confluence of the North and South Santiam rivers. The South Santiam comes out of Green Peter and Foster Reservoirs, now forced into an extreme drawdown, from a lawsuit brought by three environmental grouops over salmon, dumping massive amounts of sediment into the river below them. The north and south Santiams converge just outside Jefferson at a place us river floaters know as "the Y". You can easily tell which is the south Santiam full of sediment. I call it our River of Mud. Some people now call it the Chocolate Milk river.
I think about what my brother told me, that the state DEQ makes them monitor and protect a stream of water that comes across his business property only in winters, for sediment or contaminents. So must be done at any construction near a river, to keep sediment out and yet this can be allowed? WTF, Oregon.
I feel bad for the Osprey and eagles who fished in Foster reservoir. They can't possibly fish there now, if there are any fish still alive in that gunk. It's so disgusting. I feel bad for me, and so many others like me, who loved kayaking and swimming in the reservoir summers, or drifting upstream, up the south or middle forks of the Santiam, for the peace and quiet.
Here's another story on the drawdown fiasco, that also threatens hydropower produced by the dams.
It's terribly sad. I think they can stop draining them middle of December. I don't know the future for any of us around here with the river and the reservoirs.
Aaaargh.
ReplyDeleteToo sad.
DeleteWTF, indeed. ~shakes head~ I believe Ohio is good in this regard. The Coast Guard actually visited one of my former workplaces to check a tiny stream running through the property. This was before my time working there and I wish I'd witnessed it. lol Then again, me imagining a tiny boat is probably better.
ReplyDeleteYeah, I get upset to think about it. There are/were, who knows if still alive, river otters too up and down the river. I wonder how hard life has become for them, if they survived. I don't like to think about it. It makes me upset and very sad.
DeleteI don't know how a state stops an action caused by a federal court injunction after a lawsuit against a federal agency but its consequences violate state environmental laws. I have no idea.
DeleteThat sucks. And there's nothing to do about it, is there? I suppose if you make a big enough outcry... But it would have to be a lot of folks doing that to get the media attention that would get the governmental attention that might get some change happening.
ReplyDeleteLots of people have written letters and such, contacted federal representatives, since its a federal issue, with a lawsuit directed at the Corp of Engineers in a federal court.
DeleteI think Oregon should sue the federal government to stop this. I have no clue how it could be stopped.
DeleteThat's awful!
ReplyDeleteIt is awful.
DeleteAbsolutely shocking. I will repost this later.
ReplyDeleteIt is shocking.
DeleteI now wonder how the Applegate reservoir is doing. I will give my son call down in Medford. Must got lot of rain.
ReplyDeleteCoffee is on
There are only certain reservoirs targeted by the lawsuit. Doubt the Aopplegate is one of them.
DeleteIt certainly doesn't look drinkable, I don't imagine any fish could live in it either.
ReplyDelete