Judged:
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There is a way to save the salmon and save the dams at the same time. The fall salmon run has just ended at the Iron Gate dam. The eggs are fertilized and placed in trays at the Hatchery. The cycle of life begins for the new fry. The young hatchlings will find themselves placed in raceways and fed several times a day. They will be pampered for several months. Then, as the water temperature in the Klamath begins to rise in early June, they will be flushed into the river. Suddenly, there is no more daily feeding and their environment drastically changes. Predators are everywhere, otters scoop up the fingerlings and fill their bellies. Larger fish make meals of them and birds of all kinds feast on the unsuspecting babies. For the ones who are fortunate to survive the river they must endure sea lions, sharks and killer whales not to mention man.
The cycle of life for these young salmon is a tough one. We can improve their chance of survival. First, the fish need to be released early in the spring. This will give them cooler water which increases their appetite and there are less parasites. Second, feed the fish. There are floating feeders, like the ones they use in the fish farms. These can float downstream as groups of fish are released in small groups of, let's say, 100,000. This may sound like a large number, but present practice is to release 2,000,000 at a time and let them fend for themselves. If the fish are fed with the floating feeders in the raceway prior to release they will be used to it, kind of a surrogate mother. These feeders could lead the fish clear to the ocean. Third, the fish need to be protected. They could be guided downstream in floating pens with covers. This will create many jobs. Individuals will be needed care for the feeders and the pens. In other words, the fish will be pampered all the way to the ocean.
The cycle of life continues in the ocean. Only this time there will be an abundance of fish and they will reach the ocean larger from being fed all the way down the river. In the following three to four years the fishing industry and the sport fishermen will have as many fish as there were 70 years ago. The returning salmon will fill the Native Americans nets and increase the tourist trade all along the Klamath. Jobs will be created and Siskiyou County will prosper.
Here is where the importance of the dams comes to play. When the spawners are ready to enter the river it is important for them to have plenty of water. If the dams are removed the river will flow heavy in the winter and the spring when there are rains. When the blistering hot summer comes the water levels will fall and the river temperature will rise. As summer turns to fall the water levels will continue to drop unless there are rains which would cause considerable muddy conditions in the shallow river. Without the rains the river is a series of pools waiting to be connected. At present the river flow is controlled by releasing water from the dam. This ensures a constant flow for the spawners. If the dams are removed, the spawners are capable of traveling further upstream. However, this is no more than a death sentence for the spawners and their young. How many salmon can survive in the Klamath? At present, estimated 30,000. The rest die of starvation, disease and predators.
It is time to pamper this great resource. This has been brought to the attention of politicians, California Department of Fish and Game, Native American tribesmen and many individuals throughout Siskiyou County. It is time to work together for the good of all. We can save the salmon and the dams.
George Steen
Montague,CA
Scorpio