Yuba -- Dams to be removed?

**Darian** · 01-07-2014, 10:42 AM

Ralph,.... Do you know what happened to the proposal by Archon to construct a power generation station on one side or the other of Daguerre??? Is Archon still pursuing that proposal??

**Ralph** · 01-07-2014, 10:55 AM

It may still be a "plan" on paper somewhere but everyone from the feds, the state, the local water authorities and the enviros were unanimously opposed. A pretty formidable wall of resistance. It looked more like a plan to raise funds from possible stakeholders rather than a realistic scenario.
Biops for Daguerre have been volleyed for years and are still being litigated between USFWS, Army Corp, SYRCL, etc. Until they come up with a biop that sticks, no one will be doing anything.

**wineslob** · 01-07-2014, 12:59 PM

I'd say, be careful what you wish for. While this is not the "same" an example would be Butt Valley Res. At one time Butt was a "Trophy Trout Lake" And I mean Trophy. However, do-gooders complained of "fish kills" from the Power House on Butt. This turned into PG&E having to pull water from deeper (not near the surface) in Almanor cutting off the pond smelt supply. The very supply that MADE Butt what it was.

Compound this with the cry from more do-gooders for lowering the temp in the NFF (the infamous and ill conceived curtains), cabin owners wanting no draw-down from Memorial Day to Labor day, gotta have their dock accessible, don't cha know, and you now have a lake that is a shade of it's former self.

So, just like with Englebright, it may screw things up more than you know.

**Ralph** · 01-07-2014, 02:36 PM

WS-
I hear you loud and clear. Butt used to be one of my favorite "secret" spots.
Temps in the Lower Yuba are kept cold by pulling water from various strata in New Bullards. You can believe the water skiers in Englebrite don't like that but it is dictated by some pretty strong Federal Law and does seem to have impacted the Lower Yuba fishery in nothing but positive ways. I think the bigger unknown is what might happen when shad and stripers can freely access the water above Daguerre. Depending on the biologist and the model, you'll get a variety of answers. I have an opinion, but you know what that's worth!

**wineslob** · 01-07-2014, 03:05 PM

Butt used to be one of my favorite "secret" spots.

Oh, the stories I could tell you from the late 80's to the mid 90's.....

**cyama** · 01-07-2014, 09:01 PM

From Ralph "I think the bigger unknown is what might happen when shad and stripers can freely access the water above Daguerre. Depending on the biologist and the model, you'll get a variety of answers. I have an opinion, but you know what that's worth!"
From earlier posts Ralph has dived the area below Daguerre, I can't remember if it was biologists or not, but it is known fact that at certain times there are several large stripers right below Daguerre. It is believed that the "big trout" do not pass much below Daguerre due to the stripers. If they do they swim back upstream to the bountiful food sources on the Yuba. It is one reason that there are only a few real steelhead on the Yuba. I guess the real test for all dam removal on valley rivers is the Lower Sac. This year or last the gates at Red Bluff were removed to allow sturgeon and steelhead upriver. No one really talked about the stripers going up to Keswick. As a reference for the Striper fishers fishing around the lower lower Feather you will not see too many trout. I have nothing against fishing for stripers, but some barriers may be good for the trout....