Fish Farms & Flooding

There was high water in Western Wahkiakum County last December and January.

It's not hard to predict flooding in the lowlands that buffer the Columbia River and Willapa hills. You just have to look on the charts for a 10+’ tide then factor in forecasted heavy rainstorms.

Both the East and West Deep River Rd. levees sustained damage this year. And we had plenty of standing water around the Hendrickson Creek that winds up the Deep River Valley too.

Across the Columbia, a levee breeched in Brownsmead OR, damaging the Lewis & Clark Train tracks. A local 74 year old told an estuary expert that he’s never seen water that high in Knappa OR, before.

Much of the Grays River valley found itself under water too. But many Grays River residents claim this year was different than usual.

Many believe the reason for the flooding is due to the activities of the Columbia Land Trust (CLT). The CLT has been acquiring land at the mouth of the Grays and Deep Rivers, (both rivers feed into Grays Bay) for fish habitat.

Juvenile fish need tidal wetlands to protect them. The CLT’s activities include breeching dikes so their land becomes wet habitat for the rearing of juvenile salmonid’s.

The dikes that CLT have altered were put in many years ago. Even before any CLT alteration, the Grays River Valley was no stranger to high water and flooding.

The big water came this winter. Was it global warming? Did the big rains make the Columbia River flow at an exceptional volume? What about sediment collected in the Grays? And did the CLT’s activities add to the problem?

PUBLIC MEETING

On the evening of March 21, 2006 the community of Grays River converged at the Rosburg Hall to find answers to the high water problem.

The CLT, like their neighbors, are a private entity. The CLT does receive public money but their status as an organization falls under the 501c3 category.

CLT wasn’t obligated to attend public meetings. Under state law governing habitat restoration, they aren’t obligated to pay property taxes either. Yet these enviro-activists feel compelled to do both.

RIVER CREST

Alan Whiting works with the Columbia River Estuary Study Taskforce (CREST). He studies lowlands on both sides of the mouth of the Columbia. He’s done work for Wahkiakum County.

He showed a chart of the Columbia River flow volume dating back to 1858. Some years there’s more water than others. And of course the flow changed after the big dams were put in up river in the 1930’s. I had to ask him who was compiling this data in 1858? He said there are studies that go back that far.

He produced a chart that tracked how the high tides, heavy rains and large flows made for big floods around these parts.

A FANCY WORD FOR SCIENCE

Next up was Chris May, a professor from the University of Washington. In his presentation, it seemed like he was trying too hard not to sound like a scientist. Regardless, he claimed the river is carrying more sediment that what is natural. He said trees, beaver ponds, log snags and stump roots hold silt. But when the stump roots rot away, the soil they hold gets washed out. Sometimes, hillsides with trees collapse on their own, he said. It takes 35 years for silt to get washed out. The energy from the heavily silted river flows over onto the fields because it needs to dissipate.

THE COLUMBIA LAND TRUST

Ian Sinks spoke representing the CLT. He was on the spot facing anxious valley dwellers.

He showed aerial photos of CLT property. The photos highlighted the work done to the property.

Many thoughtful questions arose by concerned residents about CLT activities. One of the first was if the CLT has plans on buying any more land? Mr. Sinks said that he’s not aware of any.

A big issue was the replacement of tide gates with large free-flowing culverts. Many in the audience claimed that this was the cause of much of the high water. They say the water is now flowing in another direction than usual.

Mr. Sinks replied that he didn’t know if this was so, but he intended to look into any potential impact of the new culverts on the valley.

SALMON?

Mr. Sinks spoke to the importance of wet spruce and hemlock land for juvenile salmonids. That’s when one stirred up person said, “Piss on the salmon!”.

This was the low point of the evening. The comment was unchallenged thus confirming my thinking that the meeting was devoid of any fishermen.

That crass comment is also a poor reflection of the sensibilities of the Grays River community at large.

There are valley landowners concerned about CLT activities that are participating in Conservation District programs for fish habitat restoration. Another entity, the Grays River Habitat Enhancement District -GRHED- (click here, here and here) is also very active in preserving fish for the river. (Our Grays River Grange, has endorsed two of their projects.)

Delvin Fredrickson is the chairman of the GRHED. He shared to those assembled the activities and various projects of the organization. He stressed that the GRHED seeks to make opportunities for salmon and people. Mr. Fredrickson got a rousing applause for this statement.

BARRIERS

More words were flying that week on the mouth of the Columbia. In Astoria OR, fisherman families held a rally protesting Bush policies on salmon. The Daily Astorian 3.24.06 headline read, WHITE HOUSE IS ‘SCREWING FISHERMEN’. In the story US Rep. David Wu said, “What we don’t need is some pencil-necked presidential science advisor come in here to build a wall between us and our river, between us and our fish,”

According to the paper, “Studies have shown that the dams account for approximately 80 percent of salmon mortality in the Columbia River system, said Jim Wells, president of Salmon For All. Habitat loss accounts for another 15 percent, he said, and fishing of all kinds – tribal, commercial, and sport - makes up the remaining 5 percent of salmon deaths.”

SMOKING GUN?

There was a document distributed to attendees that evening.

It was dated June 1, 2000, under the letterhead of the State Department of Fish & Wildlife and signed by Jeff P. Koenings, Ph.D., the agency Director. Addressed to then State Representative Mark Doumit, the letter summarized the “plans … to allow the Grays River to run its natural course in the flood plain”. And “unfortunately … this will affect landowners in the floodplain”. It also mentions of efforts to “buy property from willing sellers and create a habitat reserve”.

If the intention of the CLT is sincere concern for the community, this letter undermined them in the eyes of many.

The letter spoke to flooding regarding the upper Grays River and property near Satterlund Rd. Over half a decade ago a dike breached above the farms in that area.

The letter can come off as a cold bureaucratic slight toward the community. But it also speaks to national policy regarding wetlands. Current wetland preservation policy goes back to the Bush I administration. The idea was to preserve these lands without pushing people off through onerous regulations. Basically, the government wants to purchase wetlands.

TIME

If those new free flowing culverts did indeed cause damage, I believe they should be removed and replaced by functioning tide gates.

Ian Sinks told his neighbors that the CLT will look into any impact of their work.

But don’t hold your breath for any results soon. There will have to be an examination of empirical evidence on what is causing problems in Grays River before the CLT removes or alters any of its installations.

Maybe Grays River was hit by a confluence of silt, rain, tides and large flow volume, i.e. a perfect storm this year?

Maybe this is a cyclical event with a few more years of heartbreak in store? And it seems like a week doesn’t go by without yet another news story on global warming.

In the mean time, summer is coming. Better weather will take some pressure off the situation – for now.

LIBERTY

Wahkiakum County residents share a strong libertarian ethic. Live and let live is taken seriously in these parts.

The majority of residents take pride in ownership of their property. However, there are a few examples of those who don’t take the responsibilities of liberty seriously.

Some places around Deep River and the Grays look like an industrial dump. There are significant accumulations of derelict vehicles and machinery.

It’s been said that one person’s junk is another’s treasure. I’m sure there are hopes and dreams for the resurrection of that “vintage” arc welder that’s been in the rain for years. And the old, worn out line truck could roll on down the road some day again. As for that pile of mangled lawnmowers?

There are more adages – “Beauty is in the eye of the beholder.” And – “If you mind your own business, you won’t be minding mine.”

COMPULSION

Many are concerned that the CLT will buy more property. But how can we compel anyone from not buying or selling property – land or otherwise? To do so is an intrusion of government into private affairs. These intrusions do exist in the form of regulations and prohibitions. And when we head in that direction, for better or for worse, we impact liberty.

There is no eminent domain seizure or some kind of regulation like King County’s Critical Areas Ordinance at play here. The dynamic is set in free enterprise.

The Land Trust has purchased from willing landowners.

The property owners on the lower Grays could get tired of the problems regardless of what is causing them. Some could start to consider their property a liability.

Beleaguered landowners could easily change their perspective and see the situation as an opportunity. They could always offer their property at the best price a buyer will pay.

What is seen as flood prone swampland to one buyer is valuable riparian habitat to another. So there you have it – another willing seller to preservation efforts!

GRAYS RIVER GRANGE CARES

There are the real needs and values of the Western Wahkiakum community. There are also the needs and values of individuals. It’s up to individuals to make a community.

Like time itself, the river flows constantly. The forces of commerce flow in the same way. Let’s not get swept away. The important thing is to keep the dialog going.

Please post your comments and use this Blog as a way to work towards solutions. Non-Grange members are welcome to post.

Krist Novoselic, Master Grays River Grange