Capitol Hill Blue Forums Political Issues Climate Change and Environmental Issues Pacific Northwest Weather

I live in a place called Port Angeles, WA. We get our water from the Elwah river. Back in the 20's the city built 2 dams on the Elwah river to supply power and water to the city and the City's mills. This worked fine for a long time. However, a decision was made to remove the dams to restore salmon runs. Up here salmon is a big deal. They are the food for the beloved Killer Whales, especially those who have made their food salmon and nothing else. The problem is that there are fewer salmon to feed the whales and this is blamed on the dams. The fact is that what REALLY lowers the salmon population are the sea lions which are salmon eating machines. It used to be that professional fishermen would kill any sea lion seen. This didn't harm the sea lion population but, rather, contained them. They are no longer contained. San Francisco and Astoria, Ore. will attest to this as sea lions have, basically, commandeered entire docks of these and other towns. They have also been responsible for a serious drop in salmon populations. Since sea lions are now a protected species their population is serious growing. I think there is one Indian tribe that now has been given the right to kill off some of the sea lions destroying the salmon runs. Anyway, this is a very simple explanation of the the Salmon problems.

So they ripped out the dams on the Elwah. here is a report on that one https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elwha_Ecosystem_Restoration
The cost ended up approximately 10 times more than initially thought. Since Port Angeles depends on the Elwah river for its water supply All of this is important. The problem, now, is the heat wave blob (https://news.mongabay.com/2019/09/t...lready-second-largest-in-recent-history/). What is happening is that our snow pack is, right now, a little more than 20% of 'normal'. The snow pack problem will effect not only Port Angeles but places like Seattle as well. On top of that we are also expecting serious fire problems.

So, to recap. We ripped out our dams, which supplied our water to save the salmon for the killer whales because we refused to deal with the eating machines called sea lions (seals also eat a lot of them but, we are told, sea lions are the main culprit). Basically whilst salmon runs have returned to the Elwah river their population is actually continuing to decrease due to protection sea lions and seals. If you google "sea lions and salmon" you will find a lot of information on this one.

So, we no longer have our dams, our snow pack is a bit more than 20% of normal and in decline and our water supply is seriously jeopardized. Add in that Washington state has a serious problem allowing anybody to drill wells or even capture rain water and you might start to understand that there are problems coming.

In spite of this those determined to save the salmon, killer whales, sea lions, etc. have decided that several dams, on the Columbia river must be remove to do all of this. Even though it is not working and will cost, in the end, literally billions of dollars so that they can say they tried and failed (the American way).

The really strange thing is that they now have something called a "salmon canon". This is a system to shoot salmon through a tube hundreds of feet. The salmon actually shoot themselves through said tube. You can google "salmon cannon" to learn more about this (its pretty neat). Salmon cannons, basically, means that tearing out existing dams is no longer necessary to save the salmon runs. (if you googled "salmon cannon" you know about that which I speak and its pretty clever).

So, to recap yet again. The pacific northwest is about ready to experience record fires and water shortage due to "the weather blob". If those determined to fix it by ripping out dams to save the salmon get their way the coming water shortage will increase exponentially. They are likely to get their way anyway and a lot of people are going to serious suffer as a result.

Just thought I would post this just to see if there is any reaction whatsoever. Not only that but it is, I think, a great example of "doing the right thing" is not always "the right thing". Thought I would add that this may be considered another "ain't nature grand" things.

Should also probably apologize as this seemed to go on, and on, and on so - Sorry!

Orcas and Great Whites both eat seal lions. I wonder why they are not taking advantage of the large concentrations of them. Inuits eat them, too. They may be easier to import and convince them to hunt sea lions than orcas or sharks.

Unintended consequences. Which, more often than not prove to be completely unsolvable, irreparable, and total f*ckups.

We have a bit of a backlog of those plaguing us at the moment.

Down here it's algae blooms on both coasts. Because they drained the everglades and built houses farms and cities on the drained swampland.

There's no way to fix it without more unintended consequences.

Most everything the human race has ever touched has turned to shite.

Only because we try VERY HARD! <G>

You, me, and NW_P should meet-up some weekend. NW_P and I are in the south Sound. We could meet halfway.

I live on the Olympic peninsula and don't get out very often <g> (unless my wife is dragging me off someplace) I suspect (for no real reason) that you live in Portland. We used to go down there every now and then to visit with my wife's brother but not recently as he is a Fox news watcher and always really pissed off.

Tacoma

6th District?

I'm in Tacoma.

Wow! Pretty close! I go up to American lake to the VA every now and then.