Wild and Scenic participants take action to restore Yuba Salmon

Cover of postcard to National Marine Fisheries Service

SYRCL has mailed over 500 postcards to agencies that have the authority to create fish passage for salmon above Englebright Dam and provide cold water flows to restore salmon and steelhead to the upper Yuba River Watershed.  Restoring salmon to the upper Yuba River will require many bold actions and SYRCL is leading the way by allowing citizens to comment directly to the key agencies on decision points. Of the two current postcards, one is addressed to the Regional Administrator of National Marine Fisheries Service and includes a detailed request: Require the Army Corps of Engineers to provide fish passage for salmon and steelhead at Englebright Dam.  This opportunity for such a requirement stems from SYRCLs successful legal action requiring a new Biological Opinion for the dam due February 29.  The second postcard is addressed to the US Forest Service and requests that the agency use its authority from the Federal Power Act to require PG&E and the Nevada Irrigation District to release enough water into the South and Middle Yuba Rivers to provide necessary habitat for salmon.  Currently, more than 80% of the water is diverted by these hydropower projects and the rivers are too warm to support salmon.  These projects must obtain new federal licenses to operate by 2013.

SYRCL thanks all the participants in this year’s actions at Wild and Scenic, and invites anyone interested in participating in our ongoing actions to restore wild salmonids in the Yuba Watershed to visit our office at 216 Main St. Nevada City, CA.

Filed under:
Action, Fish Passage, Policy, Restoration, Salmon by billjacobson