American Whitewater listed the Blackwater River in our Top 40 River issues in 1998, 1999, and 2000, based on concerns about logging and development. Now, another national recreation and conservation organization, the Federation of Fly Fishers, has added the Blackwater to their list too; thereby demonstrating once again that boaters have much in common with fishermen including our love for naturally clean and protected rivers.
NEWS FROM THE FEDERATION OF FLY FISHERS
Contact: Greg Pitts — President FFF — 406-222-6110
AMERICA’S MOST ENDANGERED FISHERIES ANNOUNCED
LIVINGSTON, MONTANA – With hundreds of rivers and lakes imperiled by neglect and abuse, the Federation of Fly Fishers (FFF) today announced its annual list of the nation’s most endangered fisheries. From watersheds in West Virginia’s scenic highlands to the rivers of the Pacific Northwest, some of America’s most beloved resources are facing unparalleled devastation.”For the economic benefit of a select few, we are destroying many of America’s most magnificent resources,” said FFF Endangered Fisheries Coordinator Bob Molzahn. “Protecting our environmental riches is, in economic terms alone, far more important than putting more money into the pockets of a few companies.”
The usual list of culprits is to blame for the poor condition of scores of our nation’s rivers, lakes and streams. Among these are careless and rampant: development, agricultural runoff, logging, coal and gravel mining, and cattle grazing.
“No matter what the basis, no outfit deserves to extract more from the land than it can sustain, especially not when it effects invaluable public resources such as clean water, flood control, fish and aquatic health,” said Molzahn. “Unfortunately, where resource conservation is concerned, we seem to be stuck in the Dark Ages.”
These four U. S. fisheries were determined by the FFF to face immediate danger, with each confronting an impending issue of staggering importance to its survival.
1. Lewis River, East Fork, Washington
2. Strawberry River, Ozark Mountains, Arkansas
3. Blackwater River, Tucker County, West Virginia
4. Kansas River, North Central Kansas
LEWIS RIVER, EAST FORK, WASHINGTON
The East Fork of the Lewis River is one of the few remaining rivers in the Columbia River Basin that is unhindered by dams. Flowing out of the Gifford Pinchot National Forest along a 212-square-mile watershed, it is a spawning and rearing habitat for three scarce salmon species already listed as threatened under the Endangered Species Act. In the past, the East Fork has been considered one of Washington’s premier steelhead streams and despite degradation from past mining practices, will be a key river in helping to re-establish native anadromous fish stocks, especially steelhead.
Now only a shadow of its former self, the fishery is further threatened by a proposed 4,000 ton a day gravel mine expansion. For more than three decades Storedahl & Sons Inc. mining company, and their predecessors in ownership have gouged the landscape, obliterated prime spawning beds and degraded thousands of feet of critical habitat. Reckless mining has also destroyed the natural flow of the river. Approving the expansion would setback the millions of dollars and countless hours already spent on salmon restoration. State officials have stated that no measures exist that can adequately mitigate the significant environmental impacts that will be caused if the mining company is allowed to expand.
“We’re not just talking about protecting a single species, we’re talking about saving an entire ecosystem,” says Molzahn. “We’ve only recently learned the staggering fact that more than 137 species of fish and wildlife depend on the Northwest salmon for their survival.”
STRAWBERRY RIVER, OZARK MOUNTAINS, ARKANSAS
The 70-mile long Strawberry River watershed lies within the Salem Plateau of the Eastern Ozark Mountains of Arkansas. According to the Nature Conservancy, it is one of the most aquatically rich systems in the Ozarks, and one of the most critical streams in the entire nation. The watershed contains an extraordinary variety of aquatic creatures, including over 100 species of fish; some found nowhere else in the world.
Even though gravel mining, chicken farming and cattle grazing are to blame for the steadily worsening water quality over the past 15 years, they are overshadowed by a deadlier threat. Though currently shelved by the Army Corp of Engineers, the Bell Foley Dam Project remains a threat, unless it is officially de-authorized in April 2002. The lake created by the Dam would flood over 6 miles of the best habitat along the Strawberry River. Proponents of the dam include a group known as Lawrence County 2000, the members of which own substantial acreage on the periphery of the proposed lake, including an Arkansas State Representative.
“The lack of development and access are the only things protecting this river,” said Molzahn. “This unique water system is in dire need of protection from the degrading land use practices of a select few.”
BLACKWATER RIVER, WEST VIRGINIA
The Blackwater River is considered one of the most superb trout fisheries found in the eastern United States. The 32- mile long river flows through Tucker County in West Virginia’s scenic highlands, beginning in a high mountain wetland and ending in a steep wild canyon. The river flows through the Monongahela National Forest, the Canaan Valley National Wildlife Refuge and Blackwater Falls State Park, plummeting 1,500 feet over its length and draining 142 square miles.
The risks to the Blackwater River are numerous. Sections of the Upper and Lower Blackwater and nine of its tributaries fail to meet state and federal water quality standards. Past and current mining activities have polluted portions of the river with acid mine drainage. The continued development of golf courses, condominiums and ski resorts in Canaan Valley threatens the river with depleted oxygen levels from sewage flows and increased water consumption. New condos planned for Blackwater Canyon will add to this pollution load.
As well, major corporate landowners have recently stepped-up logging in the area. This logging threatens the river with heightened sedimentation, increased likelihood of downstream flooding, and further threatens endangered species.
“Lovers of this fragile river system must continue to be watchdogs,” said Molzahn. “At stake is their health, and that of their economy. Studies continue to prove that the most competitive economies are those with strong environmental standards. West Virginia ranks near the bottom in both.”
KANSAS RIVER, NORTH CENTRAL KANSAS
The Kansas River meanders for 170 miles from Junction City to Kansas City, with its watershed boundaries extending into two other states: Nebraska and Colorado. Considered a recreational treasure, the river has a very diverse fish community, with at least 60 species occurring there today.
Threats to the river are numerous and severe. Pesticide and herbicide runoff from agricultural fields, toxic pollution from feedlots and commercial sand dredging have turned many areas of the river into a toxic soup, threatening both terrestrial and aquatic life. Also, public health is at risk as thousand of recreational users float the river each year. Sand dredging, mainly in the lower parts of the Kansas River, has altered the river forever. This activity destroys habitat for certain fish species and destroys important riparian areas along the river.
“That we would allow the continued degradation of a valued recreational resource for thousands of visitors each year is unconscionable,” said Molzahn. “Municipalities are as much a culprit as anybody, with wastewater treatment plants spewing out untreated sewage to the river for years, releasing deadly fecal coliform that can upset the balance of a whole ecosystem.”
The Federation of Fly Fishers is the voice of the millions of people who fly fish throughout the world. The Federation is dedicated to supporting fisheries research and restoration, improved water quality and flows, the perpetuation of wild fishery stocks, Catch-and-Release angling regulations where appropriate, and the establishment of a more adequate voice for angling interests. www.fedflyfishers.org