Dropping the Gloves to Fight for a River

Willie Mitchell, a rugged defenseman for the Los Angeles Kings and a former Vancouver Canuck, is dropping his gloves to fight for a river he has loved since he was a boy.

“The Kokish is close to my heart,” he said of the river on northern Vancouver Island where a proposed independent power project would divert a substantial amount of the water into a pipe to generate hydroelectricity.

LINK (Via: The Globe and Mail)

Montana FWP announces River Recreation Management Plan for Madison River

The Montana Department of Fish, Wildlife & Parks announced earlier this month that it will implement a River Recreation Management Plan for the Madison River. A Mecca for trout fishermen the world over – and a recreation hotspot for whitewater rafters, float tubers and other users – the plan will address social issues facing the river.

The Madison, among the most heavily-fished rivers in the state, is well regarded for its scenic beauty, variety of water and abundant public access. The question is whether the river’s renown has become a detriment to the experience of those who visit it.

LINK (Via:Chronicle Outdoors)

FOAM, the Fishing Outfitters Association of Montana, has more on their blog.

Management on the Madison Part One

Management on the Madison Part Two

Voice of the River

Ponder this while you sit in your office cubicle.

"And I had to walk from here down a mile to do it"

Upgrades to the tune of 300k are underway to keep anglers on the San Juan hog farm happy.

Skeena Steelhead Rules to Change

Earlier this year, it looked like changes wouldn't be introduced until at least 2013, but they're now set to take effect next spring.

A news release says, as of April 1st, 2012, river classification changes will hike fees for non-resident Canadian and foreign anglers, and classified waters licences and steelhead conservation stamps will be required through more of the season.

LINK (Via: CFTK-TV Terrace)

A River Reborn

STEVE RINGMAN / THE SEATTLE TIMES

The Elwha River has already begun to re-emerge as the reservoirs are drawn down in preparation for removing the dams. The river is slicing through deltas of sediment as much as 60 feet thick that was trapped behind the two dams.

Tim Randle of the Bureau of Reclamation's Denver office, helping to lead the team of scientists tracking erosion of the sediment, said he was astounded to see how much the deltas have eroded since he last visited in May and drawdown got under way in June.

"It's completely transformed," Randle said of the landscape, adding that so far, both deltas are eroding in a fashion that is in keeping with the restoration plan.

LINK (Via: The Seattle Times)