Cowlitz hatcheries to be dismantled

[salmoniac]

In case you haven't heard, the hatchery Sea-run Cutthroat program will be dismantled on the Cowlitz river in southwest Washington. In addition, Tacoma Power and Light is going to phase out the production of both Salmon and Steelhead.

While I have mixed emotions about hatcheries, this is one hatchery that I believe is necessary because the only means of adult fish to get upriver beyond the dams is via truck.

This move by Tacoma Power and Light will very likely spell the end of the great fishing that has been available to many northwest fisherman.

For those interested, there will be a public meeting Feb. 5. at the at the Elks Lodge, 2501 N.E. Kresky Ave. in Chehalis from 4:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m..

I believe that Tacoma Power and Light is using the guise of trying to "protect wild steelhead and salmon" as their argument to discontinue the costs associated with the hatcheries. I asked one of the biologists working for Tacoma Power and Light if the goal was to restore the wild populations of fish to their pre-dam levels and he said that it was NOT!!!

Comments can be sent to:
cowlitz@cityoftacoma.org

Here is the link that explains what Tacoma Power and Light is up to:
http://www.ci.tacoma.wa.us/Power/par...05_%202004.pdf

[ 02-05-2004, 07:56 AM: Message edited by: salmoniac ]

[Fishybill]

Good! Because of the eruption of Mt. St. Helens, the Cowlets is one of the biochemically richest rivers in our area. If genetically superior native runs can make it anywhere, they can make it on the Cowletz. Bank on nature and evolution before you bank on anything positive mankind might do for them.

[salmoniac]

FishyBill,
I would agree that a wild sustainable run of fish is exactly what we want BUT that will require that the dams on the Cowlitz are removed and that isn't going to happen.

To my knowledge, there has never been a healthy, wild population of anadromous fish above a series of dams, ANYWHERE.

The dams on the Cowlitz do not have fish ladders which means that all fish that make it into the upper watershed have to be trucked. This is simply not a solution.

When the dams were put in on the Cowlitz, Tacoma Power and Light agreed to mitigate the losses caused by the installment of the dams. It now looks like they are trying to cut costs.

I called and spoke to a biologist who is working for Tacoma Power and Light and asked if the goal was to return the native populations of Steelhead, Salmon, and Sea-run Cutthroat trout to their pre-dam historic levels and he said that that was not their goal.

So if that is not their goal, their only goal could really be to cut costs and use the argument of trying to save what few remaining wild fish are left to reduce/dismantle the hatcheries. Again, if Tacoma Power and Light were serious about trying to protect, enhance, and regenerate the populations of fish that have been decimated, step one would be the removal of the very dams that prevent nature from succeeding.

[ 02-04-2004, 07:31 PM: Message edited by: salmoniac ]

[Quasimodo the fish killer]

I would think if they agreed to do something with the fish above the damns in order to get their licences to put the dam there that they would legally be bound to continue the program.

a good laywer could probably put a damper on their ideas of getting out of the fish business I would bet. they may be ablet to shut down the hatcheries but I wouldnt think they could leagally just let the fish pile up below the dams to die.

I would think that there would be some place for the public to turn to for help in making them own up to their agreement.

I might be wrong about all that but sure dont seem right if they agree to do something in order to put the dams in they should have to continue doing it untill the dams are removed by law.


Quasi.

[glowball]

This just sucks. I have to work tomorrow, but I called some of my buddies in chehalis and hopefully they'll attend.

[salmoniac]

be sure to get you comments sent to the link listed above. They're supposed to be received by today!!!

[Cowlitzfisherman]

Please do what willametteriveroutlaw as said to do and check out what I and others have posted on this issue on the other site! Sorry that I don't have the time right now to get into a full discussion about this issue, so if you would please read what is on the other thread on the other board, I will come back tomorrow and discuss this issue and answer any questions that anyone may have. From the sounds of it, there is a lot of misinformation out there that needs to be corrected!

Salmoniac is correct, and you better believe that Tacoma is only trying to save themselves big bucks by eliminating the hatchery runs on the Cowlitz. If you know of anyone that can come to this meeting tonight, please tell them to try to attend it.

You will have till Feb. 12 to make your written comments, unless we can get them to give us a longer comment period. Tacoma only gave public notice of their new Plan in the papers on Jan. 30, 2004. Tacoma is trying to move this plan forward without first doing an economic study or an EIS. They are trying to sneak by without first doing SEPA and NEPA and we are trying to stop them until these two legal requirements are performed!

I got run and prepare for tonight's meeting.

Cowlitzfisherman

[Dragfreedrift]

Cowlitzfisherman has been talking about this for months and months...if you dont believe me take a look at the PP website.

He predicted the demise of the hatchery programs on the Cowlitz....and if you read between the lines of some of his posts, the Lewis may be next...(then what will all the SW Washington folks do?)

The great thing about these fishing websites is that they can get TONS of info. out to people very quickly. We have a chance to finally band together as sports fishers and LET OUR VOICES BE HEARD like never before.

Lets not let anything happen to the resource w/o a real discussion from the sportsfishers!!!


HC

[ssteelheadsteve]

If you can't deal with the truth please keep klicking.......
The Cowlitz hatchery system is the poorest performer in the world.Dramatic declines in the number of returniing fish yet production levels stay nearly the same.Average size of returning King Salmon has shrunk by 60 %. Something is very wrong on the Cowlitz. Do you really expect WA to continue to run hatcheries on the Columbia where the Native Americans are not getting their 50 % ? If you are your NUTS. I doubt that most WA anglers are aware that the Natives get part of their 50 % in a Ocean troll fishery. Whacko Enviros, misguided anglers,and longer range planners at TPL forced the fish over the dam and now according to YOUR wild fish advocates you now have ' wild fish " in the Cowlitz." They " did the same thing on the Clackamas. For years they trucked a non native stock of springers above the dams. Now "they" claim this is a native run and are managing accordingly. Short sighted stratagies and a more fish in the boat mentality have been the downfall of Sports. Stand by for more massive hatchery closures in the near future.Perhaps if we were paying a fair price for our fishing licenses we might have more clout.Would it not be totally outrageous to charge a $ 1 per pound for prime Salmon ? " Real men don't eat pen reared fish ". I would suggest that YOU
STOP TRUCKING FISH UP THE COLWITZ NOW ! or you are doomed. It may allready be to late.Without hatchery fish in the Cowlitz "you gota no fish boy !"

[willametteriveroutlaw]

Steve
The truth is that the cowlitz hatcheries are on the block because Tacoma power doesn't want to pay for their responsibility of replacing fish runs that their Dams Decimated. Its the power company shrinking their responsibility and getting misguided enviromentalists to go along with it. If we as a group do nothing about it, then whats gonna stop them from doing the same thing on the NFL, or Kalama.. Its a snowball effect, we must be heard.

CFM,
Who do we email to give our opinion?

[porter]

I went to my first fish planning meeting. It was disappointing to say the least. The meeting was a dog a pony show put on by Tacoma Power to show what a good job they are doing. The impression I got was that the guy Tacoma Power sent down had no decision making authority, had no fishing interests, and was only somewhat knowlegeable of the hatchery runs. The meeting was held in a noisy room and the speaker had no mike so you couldn't really here what he was saying. There were people coming and going all the time. While I was there I would estimate the attendance at some 30 people gathered around trying to listen. Is that good number? I did see the local newspaper reporter in the crowd. I hope there were other reporters as I don't think the circulation of the Centralia Chronicle is all that big. WDFW was not in attendance to provide any support or refute any information provided on either side.

I hope someone gives a more optomistic report on what happened tonight. My impression is that they did not come to listen and was a waste of time with one exception. The little smokeys and meatballs were good.

Beings that this was the first meeting of this sort that I have attended I am currious of how others viewed the meeting.

[willametteriveroutlaw]

Look at this thread on piscatorial pursuits for more info PP thread Anyone who like to fish the cowlitz is in the process of being screwed by tacoma power. Even if you don't fish there, where are the 100's of anglers who fish there going to end up? (your river is going to get crowded )

[salmoniac]

I think you pretty much hit it on the head. The only thing that I would add is that a follow up meeting has bee requested with the people on the board who are in power to make decisions.

I wrote down the names of those on the board and will be trying to find out how to get ahold of them and posting their contact info.

Shame on Tacoma P&L...if this meeting is any indication of how well thought out the FHMP is, we're in deep...

[Cowlitzfisherman]

This is a revised reply that I posted on another fishing board.

By the way, did I get to met any of you?

We sure could have used a few more of you fishermen to represent our general feelings to put Tacoma into there place! But, all and all there were over 100 people there to get their attention!

Well here is what happen!

The meeting was pre arranged to avoid answering the sport fishermen's concerns and organized questions. Things were going as Tacoma had planned.

Until it was time to get their attention to addressing our concerns. People were just milling around the room aimlessly, not knowing where to go or what to do. Worse yet, they were starting to leave because they didn't know how to get Tacoma to answer questions concerning the FHMP. Tacoma's plan was working pretty darn well until I stepped out and disrupted Tacoma's little game plan!

I thought that the sheriff Officer that Tacoma had arranged to be there was just about ready to nail me for interrupting Tacoma's party. Thankfully, a large portion of the people that were waiting around to discuss the FHMP quickly came over to where Mark and I were standing. Apparently the sheriff decided that he didn't want to step in front of the crowd of 50 to 60 grumbling sport fishers that were quickly moving towards me and Mark. I was the guy standing in front of Mark in the blue shirt that was holding the recorder!

Maybe you were not able to hear what happen when I first cornered Mark and Debbie Young and asked him to please answer our questions. Debbie Young, (Tacoma Power's natural resources manager and Marks boss) tried her very best to break up the group before it could even get stated! Unless you were standing right there up front, you probably didn't even know what she had said! My tape recorder heard her quite well, and it was recorded loud and clear!

She finally gave up when she realized that they were completely surrounded, the press was there, and the sheriff didn't come to her calling or over react because our actions and requests were all made civilly.

I too couldn't believe the bull ***** that was puking out of Marks mouth! Tacoma will do everything within their POWER (maybe that's why they renamed themselves as "Tacoma Power") to discourage and prevent us from forcing them into holding another meeting concerning their FHMP. I did get to corner our local county commissioner, and tried to get him to request more public meetings, and requested that the county request Tacoma to do both an EIS and an economic study before allowing the FHMP to move forward. I explained to him how Tacoma's Plan will affect our local fishery and local economic. I don't know how much he can/or will do, so we will just have to wait to see what happens. I did see that Congress Brian Baird's aid was there, so maybe we can get the Congressmen to apply some pressure on Tacoma because these are "federally listed fish" that Tacoma's FHMP will be affecting.

I personally would like to thank all of you that did take the time to come out and give us your support! I really don't think that Tacoma had any idea that so many sport fishers would be showing up. Clearly Tacoma was only prepared to wine and dine the few people who they believed were going to come to their "love in" social event.

They were totally unprepared to deal with the fact that we could unite in such short older and could effectively "break up" their well planed game. Lets all hope that our efforts will get Tacoma to take a much harder look at our concerns and hold a "real public meeting" so that we can really get down the gritty of the problems of the FHMP.

Obvious they thought that the "goodies" that they were serving up their meatballs, miniature wiener's in sauce, chicken wins, bread, cheeses and olives, and other hors d'oeuvre to would win the hearts of the people who had came to there meeting that night.

They were dead wrong…..as usual! If anything, it united us even more!

Our local newspaper ran a story today quoting Tacoma's Project Biologist (Mark) as saying that there has not yet been any hatchery cuts made yet, and that Tacoma is probably not going to make any cuts in the early winter run hatchery plants in 2005! (60 or more ****ed off fishermen standing by) That's just one more big lie among the thousands of others that Tacoma has given to the public! Anyone that has had the time to read the FHMP on page #38 already knows this all BS!

http://www.ci.tacoma.wa.us/Power/par...05_%202004.pdf
The FHMP states on page 38: 2003 current Early Winter run steelhead Brood Stock Program- 300,000 Smolts. Brood Stock Program from 2004-2008: 200,000 smolts! So now WHO is telling the truth and WHO is lying?

Cowlitzfisherman

[ 02-06-2004, 06:26 PM: Message edited by: Cowlitzfisherman ]

[porter]

I wish I would have hung around. I was one of those milling around. I'm glad someone showed up with some leadership skills. It didn't sound like Tacoma Power was too interested in having any further meetings but if they do I would like to go.

Seems to me that the data showing numbers of fish released should be fairly easy to obtain and have on a large poster board for the next meeting. It's hard to tell lies when the data is there. There isn't anything more fun than catching someone in a lie. Where can a person find information on numbers, types, and release dates of these fish. I would like to watch/participate in any further meeting should they take place.

I Need to know if I should keep the jet or trade it in for a big water prop boat.

[IFISH4U]

This is not a good thing for alo of people, it will hurt quite a bit.