What Happened To Our River? Part 2

Well, my attempt to bring attention to the water flows plaguing the Salmon River corridor was successful. I have been inundated with e-mails phone calls, letters, cries for help, questions and threats. Yep, even threats. The first person that really wanted to voice the other side of the coin was Bruce Carpenter, Executive Director for New York Rivers United. He expresses his views and opinions in an article that appears in this issue on Page 11. Lake Ontario Outdoors does not support nor denounce the opinions of New York Rivers United. As I mentioned in the last issue, there are positive sides to the FERC license, but is the good outweighing the bad?

I could respond to that article, but I would rather have my readers do this for me. This article, along with the one from the last issue, will be posted on our web site. Please respond on our reader's forum at www.lakeontariooutdoors.com. Why wait. Tell us what is on your mind now. Until then, isn't a picture worth a thousand words?

Here I am asking why we had 20-plus days of water in excess of 1200 cfs in March when there was little or no snowpack left on Tug Hill. I took photos of the mass destruction and bank erosion (right) being caused by the huge fluctuation of holding back the water, and then dumping it at one time.

The following is a response from Les Wedge, Regional Fisheries Manager for the DEC. Mr Wedge does not agree with my evaluation of the Salmon River water flows, and responds with the following...

Troy, Your article " What has happened to our River?" in the spring issue of Lake Ontario Outdoors is rife with misinformation, which I would like to clarify. Much of this you already know from frequent discussions with Fran Verdoliva, Steve Murphy from Orion Power and me.

First of all, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission license to the utility followed a Settlement Agreement that resulted from a long period of negotiations between the utility (Niagara Mohawk Power Corporation at the time), DEC, US Fish and Wildlife Service, American Rivers, and others. Each group was trying to get as much from the river for their interest as possible. DEC's interest included fishing and restoring as many natural process functions in the river as possible, such as, natural reproduction by fall spawning salmonids. We got nearly everything we wanted and all our core issues were addressed.

Included in the settlement agreement was the establishment of the Flow Management Advisory Team, comprised of seventeen members: DEC, the utility (now Orion Power), US Fish and Wildlife Service, National Park Service, NYS Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation, American Whitewater Affiliation, New York Rivers United, Trout Unlimited, Adirondack Mountain Club, Oswego County River Guides, Oswego County Federation of Sportsmen's Clubs, Oswego County Legislators, Mayor of the Village of Pulaski, County Legislator from the Town of Albion, Supervisor from the Town of Redfield, and the Pulaski/Eastern Shore Chamber of Commerce Fishery Committee ( now Corridor Committee). Those in bold print are local interest groups, including the Oswego County River Guides of which you are a member. The Trout Unlimited member is from the local Tug Hill Chapter. Therefore, eight out of seventeen members are from local interest groups!

You also stated, "We see 285 to 300 cfs more than we ever did." I hope so since these flows were rare, indeed, prior to the license. The flows were usually leakage (estimated to be 15 cuffs) or 750 cfs or more. The seasonal base flows are designed to maintain the biological functions of the river. The 285 cfs winter base flow is designed to protect trout and salmon eggs incubating naturally in the river's gravel. The tremendous amount of natural reproduction by Chinook salmon is testimony to the success of these flows. We used to see the river drop from high flows to leakage, often during the days when guides had clients, leaving them and their boats stranded. Winter weekend guided trips were usually impossible for boat guides since the peaking power production mode at the time didn't demand electricity production on those days. Leakage flows produced exactly the situation you described, "Nobody likes to fish in ankle deep clear water. The fish are packed into small areas and are spooky and seldom bite." That is never the situation with any of the base flows. Instead, most of the riverbed is wetted, there is an active guide boat fishery all winter, certainly not in"ankle deep water".

You also stated that the water flows caused poor returns of winter fish (steelhead, I assume). Declines in the steelhead run in the Salmon River were obvious before base flows were initiated. An article in the Post Standard on 4/25/96 discussed the subject at length. Adult returns to the Salmon River Hatchery of steelhead released from there were at their lowest that year. Base flows commenced the following November. If anything, these base flows benefit young steelhead traveling down to the lake, since flows do not drop precipitously, as they did prior, and temperatures do not experience rapid increases at this time.

We are concerned about the Salmon River steelhead run and made a major commitment of personnel time and funds to try to determine the stocking method, which maximizes both survival and returning adults. However, we have no evidence that the base flows are responsible for the decline in the steelhead fishery.

Poor returns of steelhead have been experienced by virtually all New York tributaries to Lake Ontario and by many on the Canadian side as well. The Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources' 1999 Annual Report of the Lake Ontario Management Unit-Lake Ontario Fish Communities and Fisheries reports that the Ganaraska River rainbow run, which has been monitored at a fishway frequently since 1974, has seen the size of the run decline since 1991. Certainly, Salmon River flows have no effect of the Ganaraska or other tributaries to Lake Ontario. We saw changes in survival of many trout and salmon species on the New York side during this time period as well, but cannot substantiate that the Salmon River flows are the cause. Broad changes in the Lake's ecology are more likely candidates.

The base flows have been one of the most positive influences on the river's ecology in the past eighty years. Production of aquatic insects, necessary for sustaining the increased fish community, has increased. Natural reproduction of Chinook salmon is occurring now in the river in large amounts. River flows allow fish to migrate upstream when they want, not just when electricity is in demand. Many of the river's biological functions have been restored.

Sincerely,
Les Wedge
Regional Fisheries Manager

Les,
As you know I am a major supporter of most of the DEC's programs. On this issue, my position stands. This license was shoved down the throat of the river guides and the individual anglers. Unless my memory is fading the Oswego County River guides were told, as I quoted in my article. To leave this to us (the DEC). Don't get involved, was Cliff Creech's exact words. We can go round and round on this, but as you stated in your letter, "We got nearly everything we wanted". Who are we? The fisherman did not. - Troy

How About This
I finally found out where this 285, 300 cfs water flow came from. The whitewater enthusiasts, (all 100 of them), looked at some computer model and decided that if they could shave 15cfs off of the base flows, originally 300 and 350cfs, they could miraculously gain two more white water releases in the summer. Imagine that, taking precious water from the system so a few dozen kayakers can float the river.

Where Are They Now?

It is safe to say that are four year drought is temporarily over. With all of the high water this spring, where are the canoer's and kayakers. In the last ninety days we have had water in excess of 1000 cuffs approximately 75% of those days. Great Whitewater! A kayakers dream flow. So where are all the white water enthusiasts? Why aren't they bringing in all of this revenue to the economy we hear so much about? I was on the river most everyday in March, April, and early May. I was seeing a dozen or so kayakers at best, and this was usually just on weekends. (This could be another good article). I am not against multiple user groups; I am not against the DEC's interests. I am just reporting facts as I see them. Next:

FEEDBACK

Troy, after reading your article about water flows, I wanted to respond about what I see on the river. I have fished the river for only five or six years, so I don't remember the early days that everyone talks about. What I have observed is exactly what you talk about. This huge fluctuation of high and low water. I see fish on nests and the next day those nests are two feet out of water. How can they reproduce that way? I know when that flow gets below 350, the fishing goes into the toilet. Everyone is in the same holes standing on top of each other whipping at fish. I see the drift boaters dragging their boats and having to get the clients out of the boat just to get through the holes. No wonder they make the bank fisherman mad. They have to spook every fish just to get down river. We should either eliminate the boats or not let them run when the water is low. I know that will hurt their business, but the river, like you said is really a creek. Too small for dozens of boats. Enjoy your magazine. Keep up the great work.

-Mike Henry, Phillipston MA.

Mike, thanks for your input. You are probably right. Drifboaters will go out of business with the current flows. It is only a matter of time until they start restricting boats, and it will probably be due to angler conflicts brought on by low water. - Troy

MORE FEEDBACK

Troy, you hit the nail on the head with the water level article. I thought I was going nuts. I kept saying that we keep getting flood water and a week later we see low water. When we got the heavy rains around the 4th of July last year, did they fill the reservoir? Or dump it? I was snorkeling around the river one day the next it's 2 feet over the bank. Last March/April we had low water around 3/27 and unfishable water buy 4/1. Then it goes to 5000, 2000, 700, 285 in 2 weeks. What happens to all the redds that were made in the side streams of the Salmon River? All dead. What happens to all the fry? Washed out? They announce a $181,000 grant to prevent silting. I'll save them a lot of money. Stop the flooding. I figure the river will flood a couple times a year , but we are seeing it go over the banks way to often. This is odd when everyone is saying we are getting less precipitation than normal. This inconsistency really screws up planning fishing trips. When guys travel from all over and get low water and no fish or unfishable water it's a waste of their hard earned money and they may not rush back. I was talking to a friend who works for NiMo. He says the hydro plant was sold. I don't recall the company how is operating it now. They way they are running things the lower river is unfishable most of the winter. Back when they raised and lower it during the winter it was always fishable. The high water always brought in fresh fish. The low water was fishable and didn't have a lot of slush. The water fluctuation moved the fish slowly through the system. The summer minimum flows are good. When there is excessive rain or they generate, fish enter the river. When they used to shut the flow down to a trickle, the fish would die. You would see this annually after the tube races or late August rains. If like anything that is regulated by the government the water levels fit some general purpose, they probably don't reflect the time of the year and the prediction of more or less precipitation. I'd like to see the level chart they are trying to hold. It would be interesting. Hopefully, the groups can get together and hash out a plan. The power company has 2 responsibilities, produce electricity and make a profit. The people who make a living on and around the river, rely on working with the power company so they can survive. I hope they can settle this soon.

I also agree totally with Tom Burke and the rest of your writers. They do a great job. Tom makes a great point that I have said for years. Why isn't there a no-kill area for true fishermen, egg sack casters? Especially, when using a bobber method, there is no way of lifting. Overall after 20 years, I still get excited when I'm going fishing on the Salmon River. It is still the best place to wade fish fresh water in the east, maybe in most of the country. The great fishing has survived the politics and the state does a great job. I wish you tight lines.

- Bob Sutay