The National Rivers Website, Rivers of Idaho:

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Colburn Creek

Salmon River

Snake River

Colburn Creek

Hoping for bigger and better trout now that dam's gone

The Internal Rivers Network writes that Idaho's Colburn Creek could see a healthier trout population, now that a sawmill's dam has been removed.

An industrial site isn't exactly the place you'd expect to find a trout stream. But for 70 years, the Colburn sawmill and Colburn Creek co-existed. Tiny trout lived in the creek's pools under the shadow of heavy equipment operation. But the dam that created the site's mill pond kept bigger trout from migrating up Colburn Creek to spawn. On September 17, construction crews tore out the last remaining piece of the 50-year-old dam, allowing the creek to flow freely again.

The dam removal, recommended by the Idaho Department of Fish and Game, is part of owner Crown Pacific's effort to spruce up the 90-acre industrial site north of Sandpoint, which is for sale. The Portland-based company was the last in a long line of operators of the Colburn sawmill, which closed in January.

"Anytime you can open up good habitat that's been closed off for 50 years, it has a tremendous impact," said Jim Frederick, regional fisheries biologist for the Department of Fish and Game. "This is an example of something that can be done without a lot of cost and effort to restore habitat." Fish biologists say the removal of the dam will have tremendous wildlife benefits.

For more information, e-mail Bob Dunnagan, Chairman of Trout Unlimited's Idaho Council at rdunnagan@nidlink.com.

Salmon River

NEW!!--Five-Day Floats Benefit Wilderness Groups

Oars-Dories and River Odysseys West are sponsoring a benefit float trip through the Salmon River canyon on September 5. The Hells Canyon Preservation Council (HCPC) and the Northwest Ecosystem Alliance, the beneficiaries of the event, are encouraging those interested in the float to make the reservations soon.

"Like a desert oasis, the last 60 miles of the Salmon River is an inspiring mixture of sun and water. It's the river of choice for anyone who wants hot sun, warm (70 degree) swimming water, and the most beautiful beaches of any river in the West.

"From our launch point near Whitebird, Idaho, we float through twisted volcanic canyons that open up to vast mountains soaring into an endless western sky. As cliffs and boulders constrict the river, raft-tossing rapids quench your thirst for excitement. Between the rapids we relax, drift and enjoy the mountain vistas and soaring eagles.

"The price for each trip is $1095 for five fun-filled days of breathtaking vistas and exhilarating rapids. All the net proceeds will go to HCPC and NWEA through the generosity of OARS-Dories and River Odysseys West."

To sign up for the trip, call 541-963-3950.

River alert: River permits for the Salmon River and the Middle Fork

The U.S. Forest Service is planning a new river permit system for the Salmon River and the Middle Fork of the Salmon in Idaho. A complete discussion of proposal can be found on our national news page.

New possibilities for Salmon and Middle Fork management

The U.S. Forest Service is offering the public five new alternatives for managing the Salmon and Middle Fork of the Salmon rivers.

Greg Moore of the Express reports that the Forest Service received too many complaints from boaters in response to the original five management models. The five new ones are designed to address some of those concerns, the highlights of which include:

#6: Non-commercial applicants would enter the river-running lottery as a group, rather than as individuals.

#7: Allowing the Forest Service such powers as refusing to reallocate cancelled trips would permit river managers to control pressures on the rivers during heavy use periods or other times when the rivers are stressed.

#8: Replace the lottery with a reservation system in which boaters apply for slots six months in advance of the proposed trip. Some commercial trips would also be reassigned to private users.

#9: The so-called "freedom of choice" would leave all slots open to river users, regardless of their private or commercial status. The proposal also reduces the number of launches and party size in some areas.

#10: The number of launches available to private boaters would increase from four per day to seven.

The earlier proposals, issued in January 1998, include:

#1: Management remains at the status quo.

#2: A reduction of launches on the Middle Fork to two a day, with no boating activity allowed on the tributaries.

#3: Reduce launches to three private and two commercial launches a day, with additional reductions on two tributaries.

#4: Increase launches on the main rivers to eight per day. Tributary use would vary according to season.

#5: This version combined elements of the first four suggestions and was originally declared to be the preferred alternative, although this is no longer the case.

Comments on these proposals must be received by February 1. You can submit your opinions to: Salmon-Challis National Forest; Attn: FC-RONRW SEIS; Box 600; Salmon, ID 83467.

Snake River

Dam removal hinges on public support

The federal government needs to hear that the public supports dam removal, the cornerstone for salmon recovery, according to American Rivers.

The group is calling on individuals to urge federal officials to make Snake River dam removal the cornerstone of efforts to avoid the extinction of Snake River salmon. Federal agencies will soon decide whether to remove dams to aid rapidly declining salmon runs.

You can help decide the fate of Snake River salmon. Your comments are needed now!! Email the letter found online at www.salmonforever.org or write your own. This will be your last chance to influence the fate of these magnificent fish. Your letter will automatically be emailed to the appropriate federal agency officials.

For more information, read about the hearings, visit www.amrivers.org/salmonforeverhearings.html. For more information on the Snake River, visit www.amrivers.org/salmondocs.html or contact Justin Hayes at hayes@amrivers.org.

Fiscal conservatives join river conservationists in fight for Snake River

American Rivers has announced that Taxpayers for Common Sense has sponsored an endorsement drive for restoring the Snake River. This new tool shows the national scope of the issue and its appeal to a broad audience. The listed endorsers advocate a variety of policies, but all agree on the need for partial removal of the four Lower Snake River dams.

To sign on in support, or to see the list of more than 700 groups, businesses, prominent individuals, and fishers who have signed onto the endorsement list, visit www.taxpayer.net or contact Kathleen McNeely at TCS or call 1-800-TAXPAYER ext.128.

Feds say alternatives to dam removal would be costly, less effective

Dams simply cost too much, reports Suzy McDowell of American Rivers. Alternatives to removing four dams on the Lower Snake River to aid endangered salmon and steelhead would be costly and less effective, according to a draft working paper released November 16, 1999, by federal agencies led by the National Marine Fisheries Service.

If the dams are not removed, new restrictions on logging, fish harvest, shipping channel deepening and irrigated agriculture would be needed to avoid the extinction of five runs of Snake River salmon and steelhead, the paper says. "Alternatives to dam removal may be both more economically painful than dam removal and less effective," said Rob Masonis, Northwest Director of Hydropower Programs for American Rivers.

The NMFS draft working paper, Conservation of Columbia Basin Fish, Building a Conceptual Recovery Plan With The Four H's, will be finalized in Mid-December. The draft working paper outlines habitat, hatchery, harvest, and hydropower reforms.

If the four lower Snake River dams remain, new restrictions might be placed on channel deepening in the Lower Columbia River, logging, and irrigated agriculture in Southern Idaho. "If the dams are not removed, we may well be forced to acquire 1 million acre-feet of water from Southern Idaho irrigators, taking up to 643,000 acres of land out of production, eliminating more than 6,500 jobs and eliminating as much as $430 million in income," Masonis said.

NMFS continues to downplay the benefits of dam removal, Masonis said, by underestimating dam-related salmon mortality. NMFS science has been rejected by tribal and state scientists, and by scientists with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Even so, NMFS acknowledges that dam removal alone may be enough to restore fall chinook and steelhead, and would make a significant contribution to spring/summer chinook recovery. In fact, dam removal is the only recovery action that would provide substantial benefits for all listed stocks. "If we don't remove the dams, the region will be covered by the dark cloud of uncertainty, " Masonis said. "We would trade the best recovery option with known, affordable costs for a bag of severe new harvest reductions and undefined habitat actions with scant scientific support, no timelines, and no price tag. That is a dangerous gamble when several stocks are at immediate risk of extinction."

For more information about the Snake River, visit their website or call Rob Masonis at (206) 213-0330 or Justin Hayes at (202) 347-7550.

Idaho Rivers United takes stand against dams

Idaho Rivers United is calling on river enthusiasts to join them in convincing Vice President Al Gore that removal of four dams along the Lower Snake River is the only way to save salmon and protect the delicate area from further degradation.

In addition, the groups points to savings in the millions of dollars, resulting from shutting down the costly and aging dams, and to the potential economic benefit brought on by revived fishing and recreational industries. Idaho Rivers United can be reached at PO Box 633, Boise, ID 83701, or at (208) 343-7481.

Breaching dams to bring back salmon on Lower Snake River

Salmon could have free rein on the Lower Salmon River between Ice Harbor Dam and Lower Granite Dam if a proposal to breach the barriers succeeds.

Salmon numbers have been drastically reduced since the dams were constructed beginning in 1962. Adult salmon are exhausted by the eight dams that block their passage from the ocean to spawning grounds in Idaho, while young salmon heading for the coast are confused by the barriers and are thus unable to return upon maturation. Breaching four of the dams would greatly improve the survivability of more salmon; calls for a five-year moratorium on the harvesting of wild salmon and steelhead would further assist the fish in regaining viable numbers.

The Idaho Statesman came out in 1997 in favor of the salmon, citing benefits to biological diversity, water conservation, and state economics due to reduced maintenance costs of the dams, among other things. In August 1999, Taxpayers for Common Sense (www.taxpayer.net) heralded a congressional letter, signed by 107 House representatives, that urges the administration to authorize breaching the dams. Doing so helps both the environment and the taxpayer, says Ralph DeGennaro, Executive Driverctor of TCS. "We need to start making some tough decisions in order to save money and save salmon. . . [Salmon] are a national and economic and environmental asset as well as a special concern for regional stakeholders." Taxpayers for Common Sense also coordinated the endorsement of 400 businesses and organizations, including National Organization for Rivers, in support of the retiring of the dams.

A U.S. Corps of Engineers report, to be released in October, will examine the costs and benefits to the many individuals and industries affected by the presence and absence of the dams. The Sunday Oregonian reports that engineering, construction, and land transportation businesses may bring in over $1 billion in new construction shipping needs, while industries related to improved fishing and scenery could add up to an additional $167 million. Also included in the report are less tangible benefits like cultural and quality-of-life issues. On the downside, barge operators and customers would lose up to $81 million, BPA $250 million. The loss of water would cost farmers around $10 million, and electricity customers would see their rates rise $1.50 to $5.30 per month.

The Corps is expected to release its final study on the Snake River in February or March 2000, and in April the National Marine Fisheries Service will give its final recommendation on the breaching of the dams. Congress will take these reports into consideration that summer; if it approves the removals, breaching will occur between 2006 and 2015.

In addition to writing your legislators, you can request more information from Michael Hogan at 1-800-829-7293 ext. 113.

In October, American Rivers further reported that an investment in highway and rail infrastructure would keep grain transportation rates affordable if the four lower Snake River dams are removed, citing a former high-ranking Corps of Engineers official.

Dr. G. Edward Dickey, author of the report, "Grain Transportation After Partial Removal of the Four Lower Snake River Dams: an affordable and efficient transition plan," concludes that prudent, timely investments in rail and highway infrastructure could provide an affordable transportation alternative to the lower Snake River waterway. (The report is available online at www.amrivers.org/snake.html.)

"Dickey's report shows that we can maintain a strong agricultural economy in the region and restore healthy salmon and steelhead runs in the Snake River," said Rob Masonis, Northwest director of hydropower programs for American Rivers.

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