Maximum Restoration Of Battle Creek Needs Your Support!

Please Attend Public Meeting In Red Bluff on March 15.
By: Steve Evans

Two competing restoration visions for Battle Creek are the subject of a Bureau of Reclamation public meeting in Red Bluff on Monday, March 15, 6-9pm, at the Red Bluff Community Center, 1500 S. Jackson Street.

Battle Creek is considered by fish biologists to be the best opportunity to restore threatened and endangered salmon and steelhead in the Sacramento River watershed. The Pacific Gas & Electric Company (PG&E) and government agencies are proposing to restore Battle Creek by removing five small hydroelectric dams and building multi-million dollar fish ladders, screens, and tail-race connectors on three remaining dams. The total cost to the public for this restoration plan is more than $70 million.

A recent economic analysis of the project determined that removing all eight dams on Battle Creek is cost competitive with the five removed dams/three retained dams project. This is due to the high cost of the ladders and other improvements required for retaining and operating the three remaining dams.

The March 15 public meeting will focus on which alternative provides better biological value. Conservationists believe that removing all eight dams provides maximum restoration of Battle Creek's aquatic ecosystem, as well as ensuring 100% effective passage for migrating salmon and steelhead. PG&E and government agencies contend that their alternative provides up to 98% of the needed habitat for salmon and steelhead. But they also assume that the fish ladders on the three retained dams will be 100% effective. Unfortunately, no fish ladder meets this standard.

What You Can Do:

Conservationists should attend the March 15 meeting in Red Bluff and speak out for the maximum feasible restoration of Battle Creek's aquatic ecosystem and 100% effective fish passage. Key points to mention include:

• Removing all eight dams ensures 100% effective passage for threatened and endangered salmon and steelhead.
• Removing all eight dams most closely restores pre-dam flows to Battle Creek.
• Removing all eight dams provides the best restoration bang for the public's buck.

Again, the Battle Creek meeting is on Monday, March 15, 6-9pm, in the Red Bluff Community Center, 1500 S. Jackson Street, in Red Bluff.

For more information, contact Steve Evans at Friends of the River, (916) 442-3155, Ext. 221 or via email at sevans@friendsoftheriver.org.