Our guest speaker for December will be Howard Silverman with Ecotrust, a non profit organization based in Portland, Or. Ecotrust works to build Salmon Nation; a place where salmon and people can thrive, and to help bridge the divide between environment and the economy.

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A proposal to rezone the JL Storedahl Daybreak Gravel mine on the East Fork Lewis River was approved with conditions Nov. 4. Daniel Kearns, Clark County Land Use Hearings Examiner approved the expansion which includes several land use and permit applications.

A quote from the FINAL ORDER… “This Order is the decision of the Clark County Land Use Hearings Examiner approving with conditions this application to rezone approximately 100 acres of Agriculture 20 (AG-20) land to apply the Surface Mining Combining District (AG-20-S), site plan review, habitat, wetland and shoreline permit approvals for the expansion of an existing surface mining operation onto 178 acres of an approximately 292 acre site.”

Fish First and Friends of the East Fork believe the correct combination of permits for JLS to legally mine the site has never existed. We have appealed Kearns’ decision to the Clark County Board of Commissioners who ultimately make the final decision. Several other conservation and fish groups have asked to join us in making comments to the Clark County Commissioners in response to the very important areas that the hearings examiner did not address.

If permitted, the gravel mine company will be allowed to continue for 25 years with projected completion of the mining process in 15 to 20 years. Our concern is that the salmon population is dwindling in that stream and may be non-existent in 25 years.

We believe that stopping the mining process at Daybreak will support the recovery of endangered and listed species of fish in the East Fork and that these efforts have to begin now. Mining in the floodway of the East Fork endangers downstream residences by allowing a river that has meandered over the valley floor for millions of years to enter the mined out ponds and proposed ponds over a shorter period of time. Agencies agree that the Daybreak gravel mine ponds will eventually be overtaken by the East Fork. They are unable to estimate when it will occur.Our recently acquired field data shows that it is highly likely that the lower East Fork will have an avulsion (divert into) the Storedahl pits soon and that the risks and impacts both upstream and downstream would be quite high. The river is currently aggrading (raising up) due to a high rate of erosion and deposition of associated bed load in the river channel.

National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), doesn’t support gravel mining in the river valley bottom because of the high risk of impacts to fisheries. Quoted directly from NMFS (now NOAA FISHERIES) www.noaa website: An Ecosystem Approach to Salmonid Conservation Chapter 1 1.5.5 Mining

“Sand and gravel mining in streams and on adjacent floodplains have substantial effects on stream channels and hydraulic characteristics. In addition to the immediate morphological changes in stream channels caused by excavation, channels continue to exhibit instability, accelerated erosion, and altered substrate composition and structure after extraction has ceased. Downcutting of stream channels frequently follows gravel mining, often exceeding 4-6 meters in depth over periods ranging from months to decades. The downcutting and simplification of stream channels results in increased flood peaks, increased sediment transport, increased temperatures, and decreased base flows. The most direct impacts to salmonids are degradation and simplification of spawning and rearing habitats and increased turbidity. . In addition, increased turbidity and decreased substrate stability influence lower trophic levels, upon which salmonids depend for food.”

Allowing this gravel mine to start up again, impacts the East Fork Lewis River and endangered species including Chum salmon, Coho salmon, summer and winter steelhead, Bull trout, and benthic macro-invertebrates on which salmon feed. It impacts our drinking water quality and quantity, and it has great impacts on downstream residences.

By ruling in support of mining activity at Daybreak, the Hearings Examiner is saying that these impacts can be mitigated. Kearns did find that past monitoring of discharge from the existing pond 5 into the East Fork Lewis River has been ineffective in keeping warm water and silt levels within permit requirements. He put a ban on wet processing on the Daybreak mine site, but allowed dry processing between the hours of 6 a.m. and 8 p.m.

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Mike Golick, (a Fish First member) is interested in joining the Washington Dept. of Fish & Wildlife Fish Policy Advisory Group and has asked for endorsement from Fish First.

He intends to participate in the Steelhead group and represent the views of Fish First. The board agreed to endorse his application at a board meeting in early December.

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By Dan Balch

We have new net pens at Speelayi Bay by the boat launch. We will be putting 60,000 kokonee and 60,000 steelhead in the pens Dec. 1. Volunteers should be at the boat launch by 8:00 a.m. and we plan to be done by 3:00 p.m. or sooner.

We need approximately eight people by 8 a.m. to put in the nets and anchors. By 11 a.m. things will slow down and 3 or 4 people will be enough for the rest of the day. Anybody interested in helping please call me by Nov. 30 at 360-225-7388.

The seven net pens at Echo Park will be filled Dec. 15. We will set up the pipe at 8 a.m. with fish delivery expected by 9 a.m. We need 8 to 10 people to help with this project. We will be planting 75,000 Spring Chinook. If everything goes well we will be done by 2 p.m.

Please contact me by Dec. 12 if you would like to volunteer.

Anyone interested in helping me feed fish? I will be able to give the schedule at our December membership meeting, or volunteers can call me at 360-225-7388..

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The Fish First newsletter is currently mailed to dues paying members monthly, September through June. All members receive a copy before banquet in the early Spring. It is also available on our website at www.fishfirst.org.

It has been recommended that we also offer this publication by e-mail in an effort to reduce mailing costs and to make it convenient to members with computer access.

We have always toldpotential members that a mailed copy of the newsletter is part of their membership fee, but will add an e-mail address mailing for the convenience of those that prefer it transmitted that way.

We plan to continue to mail out copies to those members who prefer a ‘hard copy’. If you would prefer an electronic copy of the Fish First newsletter, please e-mail me at fivestar@pacifier.com with Fish First Newsletter in the subject line or call me at 360-263-3104..

THANK YOU!

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