A stealth proposal by the state to create a $2.7 billion, 250 foot tall by 1.5 mile wide dam across lower Crab Creek just east of Beverly has been submitted to the feds for a feasibility study grant. If built, the dam will innundate the trophy trout fisheries at lakes Nunally, Bobby, Merry, and Lenice as well as other wildlife habitat east nearly to Othello.
This is from today's Seattle Times (http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/opinion/2003917219_crabcreek02.html):
Not surprisingly, the Center for Environmental Law and Policy has come out against the posposed dam. Read their anaylsis at http://www.waterplanet.ws/crabcreek/ccrhome/Home.html
If you agree that these fisheries are simply to valuable to be sacrificed to a $2.7 billion governmental boondoggle, please join me in contacting our elected representatives to strongly voice your opposition.
K
This is from today's Seattle Times (http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/opinion/2003917219_crabcreek02.html):
"Washington's proposed Crab Creek Dam would cost $2.7 billion and flood tens of thousands of acres of wetlands, streams, lakes and shrub-steppe habitat. The dam would also flood up to 8,600 acres of existing farmland, requiring the state to use its eminent domain powers to condemn private property.
Why are elected officials pushing new dams? Their stated purposes are to provide water to industrial farms along the Columbia River; and, "augment" streamflow in the Columbia River for the benefit of endangered salmon.
Flooding farms in Lower Crab Creek to provide water to farmers elsewhere makes no sense. Nor does it make sense to flood out critical fishery habitat under the guise of helping migrating salmon - not to mention the water-quality problems that would occur when solar-heated, chemical-laden slackwater from Crab Creek Reservoir is released into the Columbia.
Why are elected officials pushing new dams? Their stated purposes are to provide water to industrial farms along the Columbia River; and, "augment" streamflow in the Columbia River for the benefit of endangered salmon.
Flooding farms in Lower Crab Creek to provide water to farmers elsewhere makes no sense. Nor does it make sense to flood out critical fishery habitat under the guise of helping migrating salmon - not to mention the water-quality problems that would occur when solar-heated, chemical-laden slackwater from Crab Creek Reservoir is released into the Columbia.
Not surprisingly, the Center for Environmental Law and Policy has come out against the posposed dam. Read their anaylsis at http://www.waterplanet.ws/crabcreek/ccrhome/Home.html
If you agree that these fisheries are simply to valuable to be sacrificed to a $2.7 billion governmental boondoggle, please join me in contacting our elected representatives to strongly voice your opposition.
K