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<br />JUN-20-1994 10:16 FROM GJPO BUREFIU OF REC. TO 83038664474 P.02
<br />Daily Attinel editorials e..Jk ~ ~
<br />" 119/9i
<br />Another $1.5 million
<br />
<br />for squ~wfish to swUn in
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<br />The U.S. Fish and Wild.
<br />lire Service and the
<br />ti .S. Bureau of Recla-
<br />mation have SOIllt: explllin-
<br />ing to do at a Grand ,Junction
<br />meeting scheduled for Tues.
<br />day night. That's wheD
<br />they're going to talk about
<br />plans to install a fish ladder
<br />at the Redlands Water and
<br />Power Co. diversion dam on
<br />the GUllJ:lison River, as ",'ell
<br />as their plans for maintain.
<br />Ing andlor increasing
<br />instream fiows in the river.
<br />The aim is restoration of
<br />endangered fish s~cie~. ill
<br />particular the Colorado
<br />Rj\'er squawfish, humpback
<br />chub, bonrtail chub Ilnd
<br />ral:orback sucker. The Gun-
<br />nison River up to Delta bas '
<br />been 'designated critical
<br />habitat, which is problem-
<br />atic with respect to the Red.
<br />lands diversion dam. Thus.
<br />the nsh ladder.
<br />Cost estimates to construct
<br />the ladder run on the order
<br />of $1.5 million. The fir:ot
<br />question that comes to mind
<br />is whether there's an}' sO\lnd
<br />evidence it will do a bit of
<br />good.
<br />Fish ladders around dams
<br />in the Northwest. after all.
<br />haven't exactly panned out
<br />as hoped. That region's Spe<!-
<br />tacular salmon runs have
<br />continued to decline even in
<br />river systems .....here fish lad-
<br />ders have been in place for
<br />decades. And salmon pos-
<br />sess a fierce drive to sur-
<br />mount obstacles that stand
<br />between tbem and their
<br />upstream spawning beds.
<br />Moreover. salmon are more
<br />than capable physically of
<br />negotiating fish ladders.
<br />To our kno\l;Jedge. lumber-
<br />ing squawfish are secol)d
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<br />rate on both counts tiy com-
<br />parison. So it's only natural
<br />to wonder whether the antic-
<br />Ipated expenditure of $1.5
<br />million to build the ladder
<br />would be money well spent.
<br />Money, bowevel', dues Dot
<br />seem to present a challenge
<br />when it comes to these fish.
<br />re~ov.ry programs. The fed.
<br />eral,overnment has already
<br />spent $57 million to do so.
<br />What's another $1.5 million?
<br />Beyond th.at. though, there
<br />is an even more fundamental
<br />issue at stake. The meeting
<br />is part of the two agencies'
<br />environmental impact
<br />assessment. As such.. it is an
<br />informal meeting as opposed
<br />to a public hearing at which
<br />public input would carry
<br />more weight. "
<br />That's odd in light of con-
<br />cerns that during low-water,
<br />yeor:; ;omc observers sus-
<br />pect .....ater diven:ions into
<br />the Redlands canal could be
<br />l'P.r1u~f!d, whirh would have
<br />serious economic and social
<br />impacts. If irrigation .....ater
<br />on the Redlands is reduced.
<br />for instance. thousands of
<br />residents would be affected.
<br />At the ven' least, these
<br />agencies ought to do a thor-
<br />:ough economic analysis of;" .
<br />what their plans entail. And
<br />if Lllt:y intend to take mea-
<br />sures that could affect cur-
<br />rent water diverters. it is
<br />incumbent upon tbem to be
<br />upfront about it.
<br />The meeting is scheduled
<br />for June 21 at 7 p.m. in the
<br />Boettcher Room of the W.W.
<br />Campbell Student Center at
<br />Mesa State College. All those
<br />with a stake in the \Ise of the
<br />Gunnison River .....ill ignore
<br />it at their peril.
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