SALMON: Proposed coal mine threatens salmon streams

Posted on August 17, 2009 by Buck

This blog post was made through a news or press release.

Studies: Coal mine would destroy Cook Inlet salmon streams

Analyses show that damage from PacRim’s proposed Chuitna strip-mining operation would be irreversible

ANCHORAGE, Alaska — Three new scientific reports conclude that critical salmon fisheries along the Chuit River will suffer severe long-term damage and never fully recover from the impacts of PacRim Coal LP’s proposed Chuitna coal strip-mine.

The scientists who completed the analyses concluded that PacRim’s plan to strip-mine for coal directly through 11 miles of salmon-bearing streams would significantly damage local wetlands and headwater streams in an area 45 miles west of Anchorage. Restoration of the fragile and valuable wetlands and streams that feed the salmon-rich Chuit River would be virtually impossible, they determined.

The researchers, whose expertise is in reclamation, restoration ecology and fishery and aquatic biology, based their findings on a review of PacRim’s hydrology reports and preliminary mining and reclamation plans. The reports are available online at: www.inletkeeper.org/energy/Chuitna90813.htm.

“There is no scientific evidence that wetlands or streams can be put back together to be living, healthy ecosystems after the kind of mining impacts described in the PacRim reports,” said Dr. Margaret Palmer, who analyzed PacRim’s restoration plans. “The science just isn’t there. Experimentation should not be confused with sound, science-based knowledge.”

PacRim’s Chuitna proposal is in the advanced stages of permitting. If permitted, it would be the first strip mine in Alaska excavated directly through salmon spawning habitat. Despite the damage Alaskan communities will face from the PacRim proposal, almost all of the coal the Delaware-based company produces would be shipped to China and other Pacific Rim countries for their coal-burning power plants.

Key findings of the three analyses include:

Stream restoration following mining is not possible. PacRim’s reclamation plan is based on digging a “new stream” to replicate the physical appearance of the original. There is no evidence that simply restoring the shape of a channel will bring back salmon runs, riparian corridors or other essential biological functions. Past stream restoration projects involving channel modifications with much less damage have been unsuccessful, making PacRim’s plans a grand experiment with a stream that produces a significant portion of Chuitna’s salmon. (Palmer)

An extensive search of scientific literature, and discussions with stream restoration and in-stream flow experts did not yield a single documented example of strip-mined salmon habitat being successfully restored. (Trasky)

The company’s surface and groundwater studies are inadequate to determine impacts to the Chuit River drainage from strip-mining and groundwater pumping associated with mining or for restoring essential groundwater flow. Salmon are dependent on groundwater to bring nutrients and oxygen to eggs, and to keep water flowing in streams. (Trasky)

Re-creating the complex three-dimensional diversity of interconnected underground sediments in salmon habitat, such as Middle Creek, would be impossible. (Wipfli)

There are no data on the Chuit River’s food webs, including type of prey, where the prey comes from, and when and where they are important. There have been no studies on marine nutrients from salmon runs, wetlands, riparian corridors, or headwater streams in supporting the food webs, or how aquatic productivity will be affected by damage from mining. (Wipfli)

Because salmon populations fluctuate dramatically over decades-long cycles, the few years of data collected is not sufficient to determine natural ranges in salmon populations that would be affected by the Chuitna coal strip mine. (Trasky)

Commercial fishermen, subsistence users and local property owners oppose the mine on the grounds it will contaminate the Chuit River, which supports all five species of Alaska’s salmon and has been recognized as one of America’s most endangered rivers. They also fear it would destroy surrounding wetlands, wildlife habitat, tributaries and ruin traditional fishing grounds in Cook Inlet. This year, the Chuit River was one of the few rivers in the Cook Inlet region where fisherman enjoyed a healthy King Salmon run.

Terry Jorgensen, a commercial fisherman and Beluga resident, said the reports raise questions about Pac Rim’s claims that its mine won’t have significant impacts on the Chuit River, and the people who depend on it for their livelihoods.

“The law requires that the mined areas be returned to pre-mining condition after the coal has been extracted, but there is no scientific evidence that a salmon stream mined through in the manner PacRim proposes can ever be restored,” Jorgensen said.

Trustees for Alaska commissioned the reports and they were prepared for the Chuitna Citizens Coalition and Cook Inletkeeper. Full titles of the reports are:

“Report on Chuitna Coal Project Aquatic Studies and Fish and Wildlife Protection Plan,” by Lance Trasky, retired habitat biologist, Alaska Department of Fish and Game.

“Chuitna Coal Mine Baseline Monitoring and Restoration Plan Review,” by Dr. Mark Wipfli, Associate Professor of Aquatic Ecology & Fisheries, Institute of Arctic Biology, University of Alaska Fairbanks, an expert on riverine ecology and food webs.

“Report on Chuitna Coal Project of PacRim Coal,” by Dr. Margaret A. Palmer, Professor and Director of the Chesapeake Biological Laboratory, University of Maryland, author of “The Foundation of Restoration Ecology” and expert on watershed science and stream ecology and restoration.

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ENDANGERED SPECIES: Hydroelectric dams a major obstacle for salmon

Posted on May 14, 2009 by Buck

Today, I read a very interesting and descriptive court case that discussed the pros and cons of various methods used by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to help juvenile salmon migrate from the rivers to the sea, since “it is generally accepted that the Basin’s [Columbia and Snake River Basin] hydropower system is a major factor in the decline of some salmon and steelhead runs to a point of near extinction.” From the United States Court of Appeals, Ninth Circuit:

[D]ams kill some fish as a result of “[b]lockage and inundation of habitat, turbine-related mortality of juvenile fish, increased delay of juvenile migration through the Snake and Columbia Rivers, increased predation on juvenile salmon in reservoirs, and increased delay of adults on their way to spawning grounds.” 57 Fed.Reg. 14,660 (1992).

. . .

Three major methods are employed to help juvenile salmon in their migrations-river flow improvement, spill control, and surface transportation. Each of these methods has its advantages and disadvantages, both for the salmon and the hydropower interests that benefit from the inexpensive electricity generated by the dams. First, the Corps can increase the amount of water released from storage reservoirs and thus increase the flow in the rivers. According to some scientific studies, increased flow decreases the time juvenile salmon spend migrating through the system and reduces their exposure to predators and other adverse effects of the system. The peak natural flow period is in the spring and early summer due to the winter runoff. Increased flow may be of greatest benefit to the juvenile salmon during their downstream migration, which varies from species to species but generally occurs in the spring and summer. However, increased flow in the winter is of greater benefit to the electric utilities because that is when the peak demand for electricity occurs. By adjusting the amount of water that is drawn down from the system of storage reservoirs, the Corps can control the timing and amount of flow to some extent.

Second, the Corps can increase the amount of water that spills over the spillways to allow more juvenile salmon to pass the dams without going through the turbines. Turbines kill or injure a significant number of juvenile salmon in their downstream migrations; thus, increased spill should increase salmon survival. According to some scientific studies, however, increased spill also causes the water to become supersaturated with nitrogen, which in turn may cause gas bubble disease in the fish. But there are economic consequences: water spilled over the spillways does not pass through the turbines and thus does not produce electricity.

Third, the Corps can physically transport juvenile salmon around the dams. The existing transportation program involves collecting juvenile salmon at four dams along the rivers, piping them into barges or trucks, and transporting them down the river past the dams to be released. According to some scientific studies, transportation decreases migration time and avoids exposure to predation and other adverse effects of the system. Critics, however, point to studies suggesting that the transportation program kills some juvenile salmon due to stress from crowding and increased disease transmission.

The Corps currently uses a “spread-the-risk” approach. All juvenile salmon that are collected at Lower Granite Dam (the dam farthest upstream) are transported downstream. At subsequent dams, when the flow in the river exceeds a certain rate which excess is predicted to prevail for at least five consecutive days, the Corps leaves the fish in the river instead of collecting them for transport. Otherwise, the Corps transports the juveniles collected at these dams to a point below Bonneville Dam (the dam farthest downstream) where they are reintroduced into the Columbia River. The transportation program began in the 1970s, and the Corps has operated it since 1981. The Corps transports approximately 20 million juvenile salmon per year, more than half the total number of migrating juveniles.

For more see Nw. Res. Info. Ctr., Inc. v. Nat’l Marine Fisheries Serv., 56 F.3d 1060 (9th Cir. 1995).

Image of juvenile coho salmon is by Brian Lance/NOAA Fisheries.

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SALMON face extinction in California as water availability shrinks

Posted on January 23, 2009 by Buck

California salmon can’t survive if we continue to divert water, place dams upstream, and consume water wastefully. Furthermore, building homes in areas where homes shouldn’t be built (think hurricane and wildfire prone areas, in addition to naturally dry regions) affects water availability too. Drought exacerbates the situation as well. From the Napa Valley Register, CA:

Water is at the heart of the issue. Salmon require consistent flows of cold, fresh water in the rivers and streams in order to successfully spawn.

Prior to human influence, winter rainstorms would create massive river flows, making for just the conditions salmon need to migrate upstream to their spawning grounds.

But in modern days, a combination of upstream dams and diversion programs has drastically reduced flows in most river systems. In many cases, so much water is extracted or held back that the salmon are left with far less-than-ideal habitats for spawning, and have great trouble even reaching the spawning grounds.

These issues become painfully evident in seasons of drought like we are experiencing right now. In wet years, there is enough water to go around to irrigate all the farms, supply all the cities, and leave good flows for the fish.

. . .

More rivers may face this same fate. The state’s human population continues to expand, most dramatically in regions which Mother Nature had designed as a desert and suitable for only a small community of people.

These new desert-dwellers demand more water, and that water now comes from river systems in the north part of the state.

The California State Water Project transports billions of gallons around the state each year. Much of this goes to the farms of the San Joaquin Valley and the urban areas of Southern California.

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ENVIRONMENTAL NEWS PICKS

Posted on October 29, 2008 by Buck

ANIMAL WELFARE: Animals Often Victims of Foreclosures, More pets are being cut loose as owners respond to economic hard times: During an economic downturn what’s the first expense to go? Some may say dining out or taking lavish trips. How about the family pet? Rising home foreclosures, food…, Military Dogs Get New Vet Hospital, Modesto police dog helps save suicidal teen

BIOGAS: London gets its first biogas fueling station

CARBON: Obama’s Carbon Ultimatum

CARPOOLING: Vote and save gas with Zimride’s “Carpool to the Polls”

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ELECTRIC VEHICLES: Electric black cab project makes progress: Londoners could be hailing the first battery-powered black cabs in early 2009

ENDANGERED SPECIES ACT: Species review begins: The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service published a notice of review in the Federal Register initiating 5-year reviews for wildlife and plant species as required under the Endangered Species Act. The species in consideration in the notice of review are…

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FUEL CELLS: Pepperidge Farm Opens Largest Fuel Cell Plant In United States

GEOTHERMAL ENERGY: 12,100 Megawatts of Geothermal Power by 2025: Department of Interior Opens Up Lands For Leasing

GLOBAL WARMING: Global Warming Good for Sharks?

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“Environmental News Picks” are made possible with help from Kevin.

MARINE MAMMALS: Orcas go missing

Posted on October 29, 2008 by Buck

Two populations of orcas, known as the northern and southern populations inhabiting the waters surrounding southern British Columbia and northern Washington, are going missing.

Orca hunting behavior and diet are geographically dependent. As a result, three types of orcas are recognized: resident, transient, and offshore. Although these orca types appear the same, each type has “specific genetic differences and specific food preferences and habits.” The resident orca type are salmon specialists, so declining salmon stocks are probably having a negative impact on these orcas. Certainly there are probably other related factors, but it’s safe to postulate that these animals require their main source of protein—salmon—in order to sustain their massive bodies. “Peanut head,” a term of art describing an orca’s condition, is a sign of starvation, and it has been reported from the area by fisheries observers and researchers. From Canada.com, Canada:

Some endangered southern resident killer whales are developing “peanut heads,” showing they are not getting enough food, said Howard Garrett of Washington-based Orca Network.

“They are looking sick. There is usually a thick layer of blubber just behind the skull, and that seems to be the first place to be drawn from when they need to draw down blubber,” he said. “In some of them, there’s a dip right behind the blow-hole and, when you see that, you know the whale has been hungry.”

. . .

Unusual liaisons are happening as the whales search for elusive chinook salmon, Garrett said.

“A small group from L Pod have been traveling with J Pod all summer long, and twice J Pod has split into two completely separate groups, out of acoustic range from each other,” he said. “It’s an indication that they are searching high and low and in every nook and cranny for fish.”

. . .

The strategy’s objectives are to ensure the whales have an adequate and accessible food supply, that chemical and biological pollutants and disturbance from human activities do not prevent recovery and that critical habitat is protected.

John Ford, marine mammal scientist at DFO’s Pacific Biological Station, is an expert on the eating habits of resident killer whales. Ford wrote last year in a University of British Columbia paper, that “resident killer whales may be dependent on chinook salmon, and the abundance of this prey species may have a direct effect on their survival.”

From the Globe and Mail, Canada:

The northern resident population, which ranges around the northern end of Vancouver Island, has relatively stable numbers. The group has about 200 whales, a decline of about 7 per cent since 2000. But reports this summer indicate the population has been struggling to find food.

The southern residents, a population of 83 whales found in Puget Sound and the southern end of the Strait of Georgia, have been hit harder. Not only have they had few salmon to feed on, but the Center for Whale Research, a U.S. facility that has been studying the population for 30 years, reported last week that seven adults – including two reproductive females – have vanished. Two calves are also missing.

Observers had earlier reported signs of starvation in some of the whales, which develop a distinctive condition known as “peanut head” when they lose weight. And the birth rate has declined – with only one calf born this year.

Dr. Barrett-Lennard said the southern resident population fell to 90 in 2004 from a historic level of about 200 and now is at 83.

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The Conservation Report

Tracking news regarding conservation, the environment, energy, politics, and technology

Tag Archives: Salmon

SALMON: Proposed coal mine threatens salmon streams

Studies: Coal mine would destroy Cook Inlet salmon streams

ENDANGERED SPECIES: Hydroelectric dams a major obstacle for salmon

SALMON face extinction in California as water availability shrinks

ENVIRONMENTAL NEWS PICKS

MARINE MAMMALS: Orcas go missing

Studies: Coal mine would destroy Cook Inlet salmon streams

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