Conservation

Arkansas, Kansas and Tennessee Residents Contact Your Senators! RE: Senate Bill 881 and House Bill 2099

"An emerging threat to the nation’s largest national forest – the Tongass NF in Southeast Alaska – which could have significant impacts on fish and game, and opportunities for fishing and hunting in the region." says Scott Hed, Director, Sportsmen's Alliance for Alaska. Scott is asking those from Arkansas, Kansas and Tennessee to write a letter to their Senators, who are on the Senate Energy & Natural Resources Committee about pending legislation which may be coming up for debate in the coming weeks. Download Scott Hed's PDF letter to discover the remaining details of his urgent request if you live in AR, KS or TN.

Larry Murphy
VP Communications

Lower Mountain Fork River Foundations says "Thanks!"

To: Federation of Fly Fisher – Southern Council

Re: Re-regulation dam clean out, Lower Mountain Fork River

To All Members,

As project manager, I would like to take a moment and thank you for your generous donation to get the low flow pipes cleaned out at the re-regulation dam on the Lower Mountain Fork River. As many of you may know and seems obvious, one of the major problems that plague southern trout fisheries is warm water. This is as true on our river as it is anywhere else.

Over the years, these major problems have been identified and actually led to the formation of the Lower Mountain Fork River Foundation to help the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation fund and correct these areas of concern as well as to provide funding for general restoration of, and improvements on the river.

Zone III, the stretch of the LMFR below the re-regulation dam, is some of the best naturally occurring trout habitat on the river. In fact, the Oklahoma State record brown trout was caught in the section a few years ago. However, it has been plagued by the inability of cold water to get past this dam during the summer months. It has been this way since the inception of the fishery. With the cooperation of the United States Corp. of Engineers, the ODWC, the Oklahoma Board of Tourism, Southwestern Power Administration, and with donations from groups like yours, we have been able to come up with a viable plan, and all necessary funding, to remedy this problem once and for all.

If the final few pieces of the puzzle fall into place, we will see this project completed during the fall months of this year.

Once again, for all the people who call the LMFR their home waters or who come and fish occasionally and for the future fisherman who will come to this great fishery, I want to thank you for your support in a project that is so important to sustaining and improving year-round trout habitat on the Lower Mountain Fork River.

Best Wishes and Tight Lines,

Dr. Patrick Waters
Board Member
Lower Mountain Fork River Foundation

Conservation Concerns

By Paul Goodwin, SOC VP of Conservation

SOC Endorses LMFR Foundation Funding Request

FFF Southern Council has endorsed FFF national conservation funding of a request from the Lower Mountain Fork River Foundation. LMFR Foundation submitted a plan to restore functioning to the low-flow discharge pipes in the re-regulation dam eight miles below Broken Bow Reservoir in Beaver's Bend State Park.  Beaver's Bend State Park is located in extreme south eastern Oklahoma.  The re-regulation dam was built to mitigate damage from high river flows caused by power generation.  The low-flow pipes are supposed to allow a gradual release of water behind the re-regulation dam, but these pipes have become clogged by debris.  As a result, higher temperature water is retained behind the dam and flows over the dam spillway.  This limits trout-friendly habitat below the dam.  The project will utilize funding from a variety of sources, including matching funds from the Federal Sport Fish Restoration Fund and the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation.  Once completed, the project hopes to create viable year-round trout habitat, stabilize river flow and decrease average water temperature below the re-regulation dam.  This in turn, should help to relieve ever-increasing fishing pressure on the upstream areas of the Lower Mountain Fork River.  FFF SOC will also consider funding this project at the January 2010 SOC board meeting.

Return to Crane Creek

SOC provided conservation funds to Southwest Missouri Fly Fishers in 2008 to remediate erosion by planting 36 three-gallon trees along Crane Creek.  Since that time, there have been three major floods whose waters rose above the trees, their support posts and protective fencing.  The most recent flood scoured soil from around the root balls and severely bent many of the sapling trees.  SMFF members added six-foot T posts to support the trees, replaced scoured out soil and re-mulched.  This serves as a good example of the kind of on-going monitoring that is often necessary in order to ensure a positive return on the initial investment of labor and funding for a particular conservation project.

Talk about high water!  This shed was carried 300 yards from Crane City Park and then deposited on a debris pile along with two picnic tables.

This tree demonstrates the damaging power of flood waters on Crane Creek.  SMFF planted it here to help reduce erosion of the creek bank seen behind it.

Issues of national concern

FFF is monitoring two important pieces of federal conservation legislation.  HR 2565 is called the National Fish Habitat Conservation Act.  The National Fish Habitat Conservation Act was introduced to conserve the United States fish and aquatic communities through partnerships that foster fish habitat conservation and improve the quality of life for the people of the United States, and for other purposes.  The 2009 House version, mirrors the 2008 version of the bill that was introduced by Congressman Kind and co-sponsored by now-retired Congressman Wayne Gilchrest (R-MD-1st).  Find out more at this link http://fishhabitat.org/.

HR 2055 is called the Pacific Salmon Stronghold Conservation Act.  The North American Salmon Stronghold Partnership complements salmon recovery activities by supporting proactive, collaborative conservation projects, and focusing resources on a network of our most abundant, productive and diverse salmon river ecosystems--America's wild salmon strongholds.  Find out more at this link http://www.wildsalmoncenter.org/programs/north_america/strongholds.php.

"Minimum Flow" Crosses First Hurdle

Members urged to write Congressional Delegation regarding required funding.

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers just completed a huge step toward making into reality the "Minimum Flow" projects on the North Fork and White River tailwaters. By signing the "Record of Decision" on Friday, January 16, the Corps officially opened the doorway to the two projects.

"This is a big development for the quality of these waters," said Steve Wilson, a Friends board member, and an expert on Arkansas fisheries (Wilson retired from the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission).

Mike Biggs, project manager at the Corps of Engineers' Little Rock district, listed to the RiverReport last September the remaining steps for the completion of the project:

• Project Participation Agreement (PPA) signed by Arkansas Game and Fish, and Lakeside Facility owners with impacted facilities (Biggs: "hopefully May 2009");
• Siphon and bulkhead installed at Norfork Dam;
• Lake Facilities modified based on scope and schedule (as agreed in the PPA);
• Congressional funding for an Empire Electric buyout;
• Storage captured

The biggest of these hurdles appears to be funding for the Empire Electric buyout (which in the Environmental Impact Study was set at $35 million). This funding will require Congressional authorization. (See sidebar for tool.)

"We applaud Congressman Berry for publicly stating his commitment to this project," said Wilson. "His leadership in keeping the momentum will be crucial."

The following information summarizes benefits predicted by the Corps' Environmental Impact Study (for a more detailed analysis, see September's RiverReport page 3; for the complete and final EIS document, click here). The EIS projects increased natural production of trout food, and improved water temperatures for trout.

Write Congress Now !

Download and edit a sample letter to our congressional delegation (MS Word).

The sample contains only a starting point for your letter. It also includes mailing addresses and fax numbers for Congressman Berry, Senator Pryor and Senator Lincoln.

For effectiveness, these letters should be either mailed or faxed (email not recommended for this effort);

Impact Study: Key Findings

White River Quality:

• Minimum flow increases from 210 to 800 cfs (flows under 1,000 cfs best for all except adult rainbows)
• Dissolved Oxygen increases but not necessarily year-round
• \Water to be about 6-7 degrees cooler at mile 388 (Buffalo River confluence) during hottest June periods; more difficulty below Calico Rock during extreme heat under 3,000 cfs
• Minimum flows likely suspended about 2.3% of days (in droughts when conservation pool emptied)

Norfork River Quality:

• Minimum flow increases from 115 to 300 cfs
• Dissolved Oxygen increases but not necessarily year-round
• Temperature cooler
• Minimum flows likely suspended 10.1% of days (in droughts when conservation pool emptied)
• Trout Food Production
• White: "wetted area" increases 33%;
• increased production of invertebrate and other trout foods
• Norfork "wetted area" increases 53.7%
• Increases in duration of larger "wetted areas" in both tailwaters magnifies the effect of more areas

Wading Conditions

• White: minimum depth increases about 7", with wading difficulty increased about 35% (velocity x depth)
• Norfork: increases about 5"

Infrastructure

• Bull Shoals Dam could accomplish via use of main turbine
• Norfork Dam would require additional infrastructure

Benefits-to-Costs Ratios:

• Excludes initial costs
• Bull Shoals: 11.78
• Norfork: 1.39

Source: Friends of the North Fork and White Rivers

Report on the Status of 2008 SOC Conservation Grants
January 2009

Friends of the Norfork National Fish Hatchery, Inc. (FNNFH -as reported by Davy Wotton) was awarded $3,000 to help construct a boardwalk to expand handicapped access to Dry Run Creek. The Dry Run Creek (DRC) project is an ongoing project that includes both the handicap access and in-stream habitat work. FNNFH (supported by several SOC clubs) is very thankful to SOC for the funds provided  towards the overall costs required to complete the entire DRC Enhancement Project.

SOC funds provided part of the costs to bring on board Dave Whitlock as the consultant for the DRC project. A plan of action was needed that included art work that Dave has undertaken to provide for the handicap access and the work needed for both in-stream habitat and bank-side erosion control.

At this time, the requirements for construction of the handicap boardwalk are in the hands of the US Fish and Wildlife Service. Go to the FNNFH web site at www.norforkhatcheryfriends.org, for further information related to the DRC project.

Flatland Fly Fishers, Inc. (as reported by Neal Hall) was awarded $1,000 to plant willow stakes, cottonwood cuttings, trees and shrubs on the Smokey Hill River in partnership with Free State Fly Fishers, Fly Fishing Venture Crew BSA and the Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks. Go to this web site to see pictures of the project: http://www.flatlandflyfishers.org/kanoplis.html.

When the state of Kansas got ready to do the work on the stream it was August. They gave the clubs very little notice and changed some of the construction plans because of unknown regulations about putting trees on the dam side of the stream. Consequently, there was no one from the clubs there to help with the construction. No trees were planted and won’t be until the regulations can be sorted out.

As the project stands, all of the people in KDWP are very excited about what they have created. The project is not completed. There are plans to add one more dam to the stream and put in protective structure and large rocks for the fish to hide under and around. After the trout season in April the clubs will go in and plant the rooted trees and shrubs, probably on the west side of the stream, away from the dam.

KDWP stocked several hundred browns just after the construction was complete in August. Fish samples show that they survived the heat of the summer and are thriving. They also stocked 2,000 more browns, as well as some rainbows in October for the trout season.

The $1,000 from SOC has not been used yet. Flatland Fly Fishers was instructed to use these funds to pay for some of the rooted trees that will be planted in the spring of 2009 and towards completing the goals of the project.

Tulsa Fly Fishers (as reported by Fred Kirk) was awarded $1,000 for stream improvements to the Lower Illinois River in partnership with the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation and the Federal Sport Fish Restoration Program.  On November 3, 2008 the grant of $1,000 for the Lower Illinois River was presented to the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation (ODWC) on behalf of the FFF-SOC along with another $14,000 raised by Tulsa Fly Fishers/Oklahoma Chapter of Trout Unlimited. These funds will be matched 3 to1 and ultimately will provide a total of $60,000 for the project.

The project plan is in place and most likely will begin in the spring of 2009 when the ODWC completes their current work on another project. Here is a link to the “ODWC Watts Plan for the Lower Illinois River” on the home page of the club’s web site: http://tulsaflyfishers.org/files/Watts_Plan_Document2.doc [Requires MS Word]  and another link to a PowerPoint of the Watts Plan  http://tulsaflyfishers.org/files/Watts_Plan_Powerpoint.ppt [Requires MS Powerpoint] You can see from these documents that it is an extensive plan and is running a little behind schedule. When the project gets underway and completed, Tulsa Fly Fishers will provide photos to SOC.

Southwest Missouri Fly Fishers (SMFF – as reported by Paul Goodwin) was awarded $1,500 to stabilize creek banks and remediate erosion that was causing siltation/sedimentation of Crane Creek. The project involved planting 36 “three gallon” trees to replace missing natural riparian vegetation in the Crane City Park and repairing/preventing further erosion beneath the Highway 413 bridge.

Spring tree planting labor was provided by the teenage residents of two Missouri Division of Youth Services residential homes. Five trees succumbed to death or damage caused by two unusually large floods and had to be replaced this fall. The Missouri Department of Transportation provided equipment and materials to repair the erosion under the bridge, saving grant funds. SMFF returned to SOC $366 in unused grant funds.

To see photos of the project go to http://www.southwestmissouriflyfishers.org/. Under pictures click on SMFF Conservation Projects.

Natural resources advocacy

The following information concerns a "thank you" letter to the Obama administration being originated by the National Wildlife Federation and endorsed by many major national sportmen's groups, including the Federation of Fly Fishers. I hope you will give consideration to advocating that your club be added as a co-signer of this letter [MS Word document]. Endorsers are asked to reply by January 20th. If you club does choose to sign on, please provide the information requested and respond directly to Zach Cockrum at the e-mail address below.

The original e-mail message follows:

Updated: 02.15.10