The Impact of Hydropower Dams on California's Populations of Anadromous Fish: What Can Be Done to Mitigate the Dams Effects and Restore California's Watersheds.
Running head: IMPACT OF DAMS ON ANADROMOUS FISH
The Impact of Hydropower Dams on California's Populations of Anadromous Fish: What Can be done to mitigate the Dams Effects and Restore California's Watersheds.
Russell Cole
Western Governors University The Impact of Hydropower Dams on California's Populations of Anadromous Fish: What can be done to mitigate the Dams Effects and Restore California's Watersheds.
The indigenous people of California were completely dependent on the seemingly infinite quantities of salmon and steelhead that annually returned to their coastal rivers. Upon their arrival, European settlers soon developed a commercial fishing industry, which supported them very well. Today, however, that never-ending supply of fish is ending. The effects of hydraulic mining, clear-cut logging, water diversion and most of all, the building of hydropower dams has decimated populations of anadromous fish, by cutting them off from their natural breeding and rearing habitat (i.e. critical habitat). California's populations of anadromous fish (steelhead and salmon) are quickly headed for extinction unless government agencies join with hydropower dam operators to initiate policy changes essential to restore the state's watersheds (Spain, 2007)
Anadromous fish spawn in fresh water (rivers, streams and tributaries); their young (fry) are born and reared in coastal rivers and streams. Then as juveniles they migrate to the ocean where they spend the next two to three years maturing into adults. When the fish become sexually mature they return to their home rivers to continue their breeding cycle. Some even follow their instincts to the same pool of their birth (M. Podlech, personal communication, January 15 2008).
There are many different species of anadromous fish found in California's watersheds, however this paper will focus on the most revered andromous fish of the California coast: salmon and steelhead trout. Fisheries biologists monitoring the
The Impact of Hydropower Dams on California's Populations of Anadromous Fish: What Can be done to mitigate the Dams Effects and Restore California's Watersheds.
Russell Cole
Western Governors University The Impact of Hydropower Dams on California's Populations of Anadromous Fish: What can be done to mitigate the Dams Effects and Restore California's Watersheds.
The indigenous people of California were completely dependent on the seemingly infinite quantities of salmon and steelhead that annually returned to their coastal rivers. Upon their arrival, European settlers soon developed a commercial fishing industry, which supported them very well. Today, however, that never-ending supply of fish is ending. The effects of hydraulic mining, clear-cut logging, water diversion and most of all, the building of hydropower dams has decimated populations of anadromous fish, by cutting them off from their natural breeding and rearing habitat (i.e. critical habitat). California's populations of anadromous fish (steelhead and salmon) are quickly headed for extinction unless government agencies join with hydropower dam operators to initiate policy changes essential to restore the state's watersheds (Spain, 2007)
Anadromous fish spawn in fresh water (rivers, streams and tributaries); their young (fry) are born and reared in coastal rivers and streams. Then as juveniles they migrate to the ocean where they spend the next two to three years maturing into adults. When the fish become sexually mature they return to their home rivers to continue their breeding cycle. Some even follow their instincts to the same pool of their birth (M. Podlech, personal communication, January 15 2008).
There are many different species of anadromous fish found in California's watersheds, however this paper will focus on the most revered andromous fish of the California coast: salmon and steelhead trout. Fisheries biologists monitoring the
References: Bailey, E. (2006, April 7). Cut salmon catch to the bone, U.S. panel says. Los Angeles Times. Retrieved December 29. 2007 from http://www.latimes.com Buck, E CalTrout (2005), Steelhead recovery projects. Retrieved December 17, 2007, from http://www.calttrout.org/pages/conservation/steelhead_Recovery_Project.asp Harling, W Knight, C. (2006), How do dams affect our fish? California 's dams: barriers to thriving trout and steelhead populations. Retrieved December 18 2007 from http://www.flyfishingoutfitters.com/p/p.aspx?mlid=37 Lane, N Pegg, J. R. (2005, May 27), Judge sinks Bush salmon plan. Retrieved December 22, 2007, from Environment News Service Web site: http://www.ens-newswire.com/ens/may2005/2005-05-27-10.asp Sleeth, P Spain, G. (2007), Dams, Water Reforms, and Endangered Species in the Klamath Basin. Journal of Environmental Law and Litigation 22 no1 49-129 Stranko, B