First sighting of salmon in 100 years marks key milestone for California dam removal

[Derby]

First sighting of salmon in 100 years marks key milestone for California dam removal

https://www.sfchronicle.com/califor...m)&utm_source=share-by-email&utm_medium=email

The return of chinook salmon to the former Klamath River dam sites is being celebrated...

 

[Whole in the Water]

Very cool - great to hear some good news on the salmon front.

In BC we need to start getting rid of old, less needed dams - IMO we can start with removing the one on the Jordan River. Before this dam and all the irresponsible clear cut logging the Jordan River had good salmon runs. I say let's bring these salmon back!!!

 

[Dave H]

Very cool - great to hear some good news on the salmon front.

In BC we need to start getting rid of old, less needed dams - IMO we can start with removing the one on the Jordan River. Before this dam and all the irresponsible clear cut logging the Jordan River had good salmon runs. I say let's bring these salmon back!!!

Given the history of the Jordan River watershed and BC Hydro's research on the system plus the power it is still producing, I think there are a few other places and situations that would benefit a lot more if the monies it would take to remove the dams on the Jordan were applied to them.

The Jordan has been dammed for well over a century and historically never had large salmon runs as far as I can tell.
I lived there for over a decade and talked with several old-timers back then (1975-87) and the only salmon runs they recalled were pinks, that spawned in the tail-race below the old powerplant up until the system was upgraded in the late 60's and the old power plant ceased operations, so no water ran through it any longer.

One of my old surfing pals told me he once caught a spawned out coho in the river mouth back in the 60's, but it certainly hasn't had much in the way of salmon runs historically.

Used to be some lovely sea-run cutties at the mouth of the river at certain times of the year, but I don't know if any still around.

Here's a link to some fish-related BC Hydro studies previously done.

https://www.bchydro.com/content/dam/BCHydro/customer-portal/documents/corporate/environment-sustainability/water-use-planning/vancouver-island/jordan-river/jormon-2-yr6-2013-01-28.pdf

Hard to see a big salmon future for JR, given what it would cost to remove those dams associated with that system.




Just my opinion.



Take care.

 

[rockdog]

The Jordan River was once brimming with salmon, until three industries changed it forever

Restoration efforts are slow going, but changes in industrial practice could help bring it back

www.capitaldaily.ca

 

[Fishing?]

Hate to say it but if that river has already lost it's runs ....
The need for more electricity is only going to increase. maybe better to just not ruin another river?

 

[Whole in the Water]

Fish runs can be restored look at the Columbia and the Elwha for example. The dam on the Jordan River does not produce that much power. Basically built for the small logging community there.

 

[Dave H]

Fish runs can be restored look at the Columbia and the Elwha for example. The dam on the Jordan River does not produce that much power. Basically built for the small logging community there.

Uh, not quite.

Here's a cut-n-paste from one of the sites that will help educate people about the Jordan River hydro dams etc.

"When was the Jordan River Dam built?


For those looking to explore abandoned Jordan River Power Station that was constructed in 1911 by The Vancouver Island Power Company. The construction of this power station was for the purpose of providing power to the growing lower Vancouver Island communities, primarily Victoria."

Provided electricity for much more than the "small logging community there", now mostly gone.

One could also check this out for some history.

SOOKE HISTORY: The Jordan River project that powered Victoria

At the time of this photo in the late 1920s, the Vancouver Island Power Company had just finished rebuilding the flume that carried water from Diversion Dam, seen in the background, to the forebay, where steel penstocks forced the water into the turbines in the powerhouse.

www.vicnews.com

Note the size of the dam, which would be difficult to remove methinks. Might be a bit costly, too.

Back in 1975, after I moved to Jordan River, I became business partners with the fellow who owned the Jordan River Shell gas station.
One of his things was he'd done a deal with BC Hydro where he could salvage all the railway ties from the narrow-gauge railway that parallelled the flume for 5 1/2 miles.
It was built to allow workers access to all parts of the flume should a problem arise along it.
Spent many a foggy cool day at the gas station and then drove up to the access sites where we could salvage ties from, where, being above the fog, was often sunny and hot.
We sold the ties mostly to nurseries and could deliver a good load on the old flat-deck truck with a HIAB on it that Jim owned.
Mostly got two bucks each for them back then.
Spent many a sweaty hour getting ties with Jim that year.

Later we sold 32 cords of firewood in Victoria.

Then we surfed.

Photo of me, Jim's dogs on guard and old Fred Ita's cat on my lap at JR, 1975.
Note flat-deck truck in back.
We hustled to make money before surf season so we could surf when it was good.
I was 30 years old.





Take care.