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Stillwaters Environmental Center for fish habitat enhancement gets it done

Olympic Fly Fishers of Edmonds plan Dec. 14 fund-raising auction

The Olympic Fly Fishers of Edmonds are hosting their annual dinner/auction Wednesday, Dec. 14th, to raise funds for a variety of conservation programs. The event begins at 6 p.m. at the Edmonds Senior Center. See the dozens of unique artificial fish habitat models, fish attractors and fish cover used at fishiding.com, the industry leader in science based, man made and artificial fish habitat, proven to provide all fish with cover they prefer to prosper.

Last year’s dinner raised more than $4,000 that was used to support the Western Rivers Conservancy, an organization that focuses on the purchase of critical stream and estuary habitat; the Coastal Conservation Association of Washington, a grassroots organization that advocates for fish and fish habitat; and Long Live the Kings, which works toward restoring wild salmon to Pacific Northwest waters.

Last year the club also donated funds to the Stillwaters Environmental Center for fish habitat enhancement and is currently working with the Edmonds School District to encourage teachers to incorporate fish conservation into elementary school science projects.

This year’s auction will include a traditional live auction for a number of guided fishing trips, fishing equipment and an estate planning and will development session with a local attorney. The silent auction portion of the event will feature a large assortment of fishing-related equipment, outdoor clothing and gear, and raffle tickets will be sold for a chance to win gift baskets, books, wines, a barbecue grill and other items.

Tickets for the dinner are $50 per person. For more information and ticket-reservations for the dinner auction, contact Dave Gross at 425-582-7290 or by email: gross1@illinois.edu.

BUREAU SLAMMED FOR ‘NEEDLESS’ LOSS OF SALMON EGGS AND FISH HABITAT

 

 

 

 
   
 
   
 
   
 
 
 

 

 
 
   
   
   
   
   
 
 
 
   
   
 
 
 
   
   
 
 
 
   

Three irrigation districts are blaming the federal Bureau of Reclamation for failing to adjust water releases from New Melones Reservoir to protect spawning Chinook salmon in the Stanislaus River.

The districts contend the federal agency failed to heed their repeated warnings to more aggressively reduce reservoir storage throughout the year. As a result of high flows during the fall spawning season, more than 10 percent of the salmon eggs appear to have been wiped out between the Knights Ferry and Orange Blossom (Honolulu Bar) area on the Stanislaus River based on work conducted by a team of fishery research scientists with the Oakdale-based FISHBIO firm.

Nearly continuous high water flows during October resulted in salmon spawning in side channels and other areas of high flow. The lowering of the flows led to the eggs of the “species of concern” under the federal Endangered Species Act being wiped out. The eggs were destroyed in at least 23 redds, where salmon nest and spawn, in the Knights Ferry to Orange Blossom area alone.

“We have been warning the Bureau since mid-summer,” noted Steve Knell, general manager of the Oakdale Irrigation District. “We told the (Bureau) this would happen if they didn’t manage their water releases. We didn’t want the salmon to nest in the floodplain during high flows, only to get stranded if the flows were reduced. For whatever reason, the (Bureau) ignored our concerns and the result was a significant and needless loss of salmon.”

Joining OID in criticizing the Bureau were the South San Joaquin Irrigation District and the Stockton East Water District. The OID and SSJID have spent over $1 million in the past decade working to improve fish habitat and survival on the Stanislaus River.

Fall-run Chinook salmon represent the only race of salmon that spawn in the Stanislaus River. Fall-run Chinook salmon need flow rates of approximately 300 to 500 cubic feet per second of water flow beginning in early October each year, to maximize spawning success.

“This year, the (Bureau) maintained flows in excess of 2,000 (cubic feet per second) until Nov. 2,” according to Jeff Shields, SSJID general manager.

“These salmon spawned in areas where the high flows covered the redds,” he added. “When the (Bureau) reduced the river flows, the redds became dewatered.”

Earlier this year the SSJID and OID succeeded in convincing the federal district court judge that a proposed federal operating plan to send massive amounts of water down the Stanislaus in a bid to protect salmon would ultimately be counterproductive. That’s because the pool of water behind New Melones would be so low in some years that the temperature of the “cold water storage” on the bottom of the reservoir would raise water temperatures sufficiently to kill fish.

Fish biologist Doug Demko said there had been an increase in the number of fall-run salmon returning to spawn in the Stanislaus River this year. The OID invested heavily in creating new spawning areas for the salmon as well. Demko said the Bureau’s management of New Melones releases means the number of juvenile fish heading to the Pacific Ocean this year will be reduced, which in turn will further cut the amount of adults that return in subsequent years to spawn.

Demko said the Bureau was sent a memorandum in July warning of the danger of heavy release in the spawning season but got no response.

The Bureau has not responded to requests for an explanation of why releases were allowed to jeopardize the survival of the Chinook salmon.

See the dozens of unique artificial fish habitat models, fish attractors and fish cover used at fishiding.com, the industry leader in science based, man made and artificial fish habitat, proven to provide all fish with cover they prefer to prosper.

Manteca Bulletin Managing Editor Dennis Wyatt contributed to this report.

 
   
 

 

Wonder Lake Sportsman’s Club adds over 50 more Fishiding artificial fish habitat

 
Published 17th Nov 2011
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a15veu8Onlg&feature=player_embedded
Members of the Sportsman’s club are at it again, enhancing their lake with more long term habitat, teamed up with Fishiding, 56 units of all varieties were dropped in a key area adjacent to spawning grounds. About 10 shallow Cradle models were sunk in 3-5 feet of water, with a line of Safehouse structures leading out to deeper water. The Cradle model consists of hundreds of fine strands of reclaimed PVC designed to give fry and baitfish areas to grow and hide from predators. When the fry have adequate habitat, they are given time to grow to the preferred size of 4-6 inches before venturing out into deeper water to become forage for predators.See the dozens of unique artificial fish habitat models, fish attractors and fish cover used at fishiding.com, the industry leader and only science based, man made and artificial fish habitat, proven to provide all fish with cover they prefer to prosper.

The key is to make sure there is a continuous line or “tree row” of habitat from shallow spawning grounds out to deep water.

If the fish have to swim from shallow areas out to deeper cover without cover to hide in, they get eaten prematurely, or before growing large enough to best benefit the larger predators like bass, walleye, crappie and musky.

The club members clipped structurespot markers to each unit as it was dropped, to see where each one lands to ensure the continuous coverage.

When all units are installed, they took some pictures to refer to the shape and design they created.

After the pics, they simply pull the clip free on the structurespot markers and wind them  up to re-use.

The Safehouse models were installed from about 5 feet deep out to 8 feet and deeper where a huge cluster of the largest Keeper models were dropped.

Algae begins to grow immediately in this dark, fertile water and the club will be fishing over them this winter through the ice.

To date, over 125 fishiding fish habitatunits have been installed, with more being put together by members, donated by fishiding.

Wonder Lake, at 830 acres, is the largest private lake in Illinois and Wisconsin.

Through many different fund raising events, the club stocks fish twice a year as well as building and installing over 100 Wood duck houses, maintaining them and even video recording the hatching of chicks too.

Annual lake cleanups, fish shocking surveys, carp derbys and kids fishing events are just a few of the things the club does for the lake and the community.

Project to improve fish habitats begins in Missouri


The Missouri Department of Conservation began a project last week to increase fishing opportunities on Lake Taneycomo.

    On Friday, the department began placing fish habitats in the upper mile of the lake.

A press release said periods of heavy hydropower generation below the dam leaves “trout vulnerable to swift currents and (limits) fishing access for wade and bank fishermen.”

Newly installed structures in the lake will include boulder clusters, which should provide trout areas to rest and feed and provide anglers with more accessible fish habitats during periods of generation.

The project will be in conjuction with a drawdown of Lake Taneycomo requested by Empire District Electric Co., which will enable improvements to be constructed on Powersite Dam.

The department “plans to utilize this drawdown period to use large equipment near the lake to place the boulder clusters,” the release said.

Conservation officials will be at the project site to monitor the work and answer any questions from the public.

The department will use machinery to move the boulders into place, however, fishing will still be permitted in areas near where the work is being done.

The project is expected to conclude by the following Friday, Nov. 4.

The project is part of the Table Rock Lake National Fish Habitat Initiative, which is designed to maintain and improve fish habitats in Table Rock Lake and Lake Taneycomo.

This project is a joint effort of the Missouri Department of Conservation, the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, Bass Pro Shops, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and other organizations.

It is designed to be a pilot project for a broader national program focused on habitat protection and restoration in reservoirs throughout the country.Tyler Francke

Visit mdc.mo.gov for more information on Missouri fishing.

See the dozens of unique artificial fish habitat models, fish attractors and fish cover used at fishiding.com, the industry leader and only science based, man made and artificial fish habitat, proven to provide all fish with cover they prefer to prosper.

Arkansas protecting fish habitat

Fish habitat in 4 Arkansas counties

HEBER SPRINGS, Ark. (KTHV) — The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is proposing that 224 river miles, including 98 in Arkansas, be protected as a critical habitat for five endangered species of fish.

But only one of those species dwells in Arkansas: The “yellowcheek darter,” a bottom-dwelling fish found in the Little Red River and several of its tributaries.

Construction of a dam on the Little Red River destroyed its original habitat to create Greers Ferry Reservoir. See the dozens of unique artificial fish habitat models, fish attractors and fish cover used at fishiding.com, the industry leader and only science based, man made and artificial fish habitat, proven to provide all fish with cover they prefer to prosper.

The Center for Biological Diversity first sought Endangered Species Act protection for the yellowcheek darter back in 2004.

Steve “Wildman” Wilson is the Public Affairs Coordinator for the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission.

He said it all boils down to one thing: habitat.

“It’s food, water, shelter, space, air — and not only quantity of it, but you have to have quality of it as well,” Wilson said.

The yellowcheek darter is also threatened by natural gas development, animal feedlot pollution, cattle grazing, clear-cut logging and gravel mining.

“If you look at everything on the endangered species list, it’s there because of habitat destruction or loss of habitat — it has the worst effect on wildlife populations than anything else,” Wilson added.

But with this proposal for critical habitat protection, it will ensure that the species will stick around.Matt Buhrman

No word yet on when or if this proposal will be approved.

Anglers to be honoured for support for salmon renewal

Larry Peterson and Nick Strussi met through their shared love of fishing.

When they came together in the late 1990s to help protect fish habitat during construction of the Island Highway through the Comox Valley, they became a formidable force Continue reading “Anglers to be honoured for support for salmon renewal”

Scientists Monitor Caney Fork Fish Habitat

Press Release from Tennessee Tech University in Cookeville, TN, Sept. 1, 2011:

A group of fisheries scientists from Tennessee Tech University are busy monitoring the health of the Caney Fork River by pumping electricity into the water.

Though water and electricity are not usually a good mix, the combination is one of the best methods for collecting fish and determining their health Continue reading “Scientists Monitor Caney Fork Fish Habitat”

Oregon Governor’s Fund Awards More Than $480,000 For 2012 Restoration Projects

Oregon Governor’s Fund for the Environment Awards More Than $480,000 in Grants, Announces New Grants Available For 2012 Restoration Projects

PORTLAND, Ore. – On Thursday, August 25th in Portland, Oregon, Governor John Kitzhaber will award $481,690 in thirteen grants to aid farmers, landowners, and local governments for being stewards of our natural resources.

The grants are funded by the Oregon Governor’s Fund for the Environment Continue reading “Oregon Governor’s Fund Awards More Than $480,000 For 2012 Restoration Projects”

River Maine is getting a makeover under The Environmental River Enhancement Programme


As a boy, I often listened to old anglers’ stories about the might of the River Maine and its yield of catches before my time.

They’d tell of how it used to burst its banks and flood half the town and how salmon used to go tearing upstream Continue reading “River Maine is getting a makeover under The Environmental River Enhancement Programme”

Inmate crews “con” logs to restore natural fish habitat

Upper Washougal River restoration moves ahead

Project anchors logs to create fish habitat

The Lower Columbia Fish Enhancement Group has anchored nearly 160 logs along the Upper Washougal River this year in an effort to restore natural fish habitat. Inmate crews from Larch Corrections Center work above Dougan Creek Campground earlier this week.

GREG WAHL-STEPHENS

The Lower Columbia Fish Enhancement Group has anchored nearly 160 logs along the Upper Washougal River this year in an effort to restore natural fish habitat. Inmate crews from Larch Corrections Center work above Dougan Creek Campground earlier this week.

photo

GREG WAHL-STEPHENS

Logs have been fastened to the Upper Washougal River in recent years using a variety of methods, including bolts and chains and a binary glue.

photo

GREG WAHL-STEPHENS

Glenn Saastad, a project coordinator with the Lower Columbia Fish Enhancement Group, says the third phase of the group’s Upper Washougal River restoration should wind down by fall.

Just below the popular swimming spot known as Naked Falls, the Upper Washougal River navigates an unusual landscape. About a dozen logs, bark mostly stripped, lie fastened to the river’s bare rocky bed in a seemingly random arrangement.

Glenn Saastad doesn’t see it that way.

Standing in the middle of the low-running river this week, Saastad looked into the future. He described a mix of natural gravel — perfect for salmon spawning grounds — among sediment gathered on each side. He saw slow-moving pools of water formed behind the logs. He saw riparian plants dotting the river’s path.

All of that could take five years or more to materialize. But it’s part of a carefully planned, fish-friendly vision that the Lower Columbia Fish Enhancement Group has worked from to transform the Upper Washougal since 2004. The third stage of the sweeping project — already starting to see results — is set to finish by this fall.

“We’re not doing anything that Mother Nature wouldn’t have done,” said Saastad, the project coordinator. “We’re just doing a sped-up version.”

Leading the effort is Tony Meyer, executive director of the group for the past 10 years. The $800,000 project has covered about five miles of the river so far, he said, mostly where impacts to roads and residents is minimal. Many other parts of the Upper Washougal could use some help as well, he said.

“The area we’re addressing is actually quite small,” Meyer said.

River ‘scoured out’

Logs are the main tool the project uses to restore complex natural habitat to the Washougal River. They’re also the main reason it was wiped out in the first place.

In the late 1800s and early 1900s, the logging industry functioned under a very different set of rules than it does today. Back then, loggers used “log drives” to move timber by building dams, then sending a torrent of water and felled trees down the river. The process also carved away many of the natural features fish depend on, Saastad said.

“All life is basically scoured out,” he said.

By putting fixed logs back in the river, the fish enhancement group is creating a system of anchors that collect gravel for spawning beds and add complexity to the flow of the river. In the high-flowing winter and spring months, the logs are submerged in water while that process takes place. Saastad hopes they’re eventually buried by natural ground cover in a new landscape.

Just as important are the changes in flow that result from the added terrain, Saastad said. Forming pools behind logs gives fish a respite from water current as they work their way upstream to spawn, he said.

“They need cover,” Saastad said. “They need those pools and those holes so they can make that trip. It’s a grueling trip.”

The goal of restoration remains the same, but the methods used in the project have evolved over the years. Crews have used everything from chains and bolts to a binary glue to attach logs to the river bed.

Not everything has worked. Smaller logs fastened early on have since begun to rot, Meyer said. The group even tried setting down boulders at first, he said. Turns out, they didn’t last very long.

“The river just pushed the boulders out,” Meyer said. “Just pushed them on down the river.”

Most of the logs used now measure more than 60 feet long, and at least a few feet in diameter. They’re fastened strongly enough to withstand a 300-year flood event, Saastad said. Actually attaching them are inmate crews from the Larch Corrections Center.

Bolting logs to a river bed isn’t a typical strategy for habitat restoration. Meyer said it started with his fish enhancement group before being tweaked in recent years.

“It’s a pretty new, innovative approach,” said Dave Howe, a regional habitat program manager with the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife.

The condition of the Upper Washougal leaves no other choice, Howe said. With the river bed scraped completely down to bare rock, bolting and attaching log jams is the only way to get the features to hold, he said.

The unique project navigated several layers of review from various jurisdictions before taking off. It wasn’t always an easy sell, Meyer said.

The group now works closely with those agencies, and has found favor as it works a wide variety of projects stretching from the Bonneville Dam to the Washington Coast.

“The Lower Columbia Fish Enhancement Group is really one of the key restoration entities here in Southwest Washington,” Howe said.

Seeing results

In just a few short years, the project has produced noticeable changes to the Upper Washougal River, but not always what Meyer and Saastad had envisioned.

Some spots haven’t replenished gravel cover as fast as anticipated. Other spots, like one log jam near Dougan Creek Campground, have piled up much more than expected at a narrower portion of the river. Crews are now working about 20 miles upstream from Washougal.

“You have to kind of picture it in your head,” Saastad said of the planning process. “You don’t always get the result you expect.”

The work is always at the mercy of the weather. Crews operate in a short time window that only lasts from about July until October, Saastad said. By then, the river level comes back up and makes work impossible.

The Fish Enhancement Group has put close to 160 logs into the Upper Washougal this year. Next year likely won’t be as ambitious, Saastad said, but the group hopes to get a couple more years’ work out of its grant from the state Salmon Recovery Funding Board, even as Phase 3 winds down this fall. For a group that relies heavily on state and federal grants, making dollars last is key, Meyer said.

The Upper Washougal work has produced results so far — Saastad and Meyer said they’ve already seen increased salmon activity that wasn’t there several years ago.

The project is also unquestionably aggressive, reshaping the river in a short time period. But Saastad shrugs at the notion that it’s too heavy-handed.

“I don’t think it’s heavy-handed enough,” Saastad said. “The salmon are basically going to die off unless we do something.”

See the dozens of unique artificial fish habitat models, fish attractors and fish cover used at fishiding.com, the industry leader and only science based, man made and artificial fish habitat, proven to provide all fish with cover they prefer to prosper.

eric.florip@columbian.com.

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