I live in a town where there is a beautiful class 4+ creek (Whatcom Creek in Bellingham, WA) running through a beautifully managed park. The creek flows from a lake and is controlled by a small dam, which is the city's drinking water source. Every year the city lowers the lake by opening up the dam. The problem is that since the creek no longer floods, it is choked with logs that have either natually fallen into the creek or been placed there for fish habitat. Thus really inhibiting the recreation opportunites on this run.

In the past, this run has been a fun, easily accessible run for paddlers.

I would really like to work with the city and the park to slightly alter the position of these logs as to provide for fish habitat but also allow safe passage for river recreation.

I am wondering if anyone has successfully convinced a management agency of the danger of allowing river wide logs in a section of river accessed by swimmers, fishermen, joggers and whitewater enthusiasts?

Does anyone know of any successful campaigns like this or any resources I could use to convince the city that this is in their best interest?

I am planning on writing a letter with photos of the log choked areas of the stream. I would like to include any kind of research or explanation as to why damned creeks and rivers accumulate logs. Does anyone have info like this?

I want to make the argument that we can have healthy fish habitat without endangering the lives of fishermen, swimmers and paddlers by simply adjusting the log jams to allow an option for safe passage.

I want to be as convincing as possible and as much data and examples as I can find would be helpful.

Thanks
Jesse