THE TROUT LINE

February 4, 2019

Welcome to The Trout Line Newsletter! This is our Tualatin Valley Trout Unlimited Chapter newsletter that will be coming out twice a month on the 1st and 3rd Mondays of the month.

  Save Bristol Bay

In southwest Alaska, rivers, lakes and wetlands combine to provide some of the best wild salmon habitat on earth. Bristol Bay continues to produce the world’s largest sockeye salmon fishery and is one of the most prolific king salmon runs left on the planet. 7500 Native Alaskans who live in the Bristol Bay region rely on strong salmon runs for their subsistence way of life that have sustained them for generations. The Bristol Bay fishery supports over 14,000 jobs and is valued at $1.5 billion annually. Bristol Bay's rivers attract anglers from all over the world who seek the “once in a lifetime” Alaska fishing experience. The proposed Pebble Mine threatens all of this.  

The Pebble deposit is a massive storehouse of gold, copper and molybdenum, located in the headwaters of the Kvichak and Nushagak Rivers, two of the eight major rivers that feed Bristol Bay. If built, Pebble would be one of the largest mines in the world. Because of its size, geochemistry and location, Pebble runs a high risk of polluting Bristol Bay.  

Pebble officially filed for their key, phase-one permit application in December 2017. In response, the federal government has laid out an unprecedented, fast tracked 2-year permit review process, which is ongoing today. The American public will have an opportunity to tell federal agencies and Congress to stop Pebble mine once again in early 2019. Far from “just another comment period,” this is potentially the last opportunity to stop Pebble’s most important permit, which, if issued, would open Bristol Bay to becoming essentially an industrial mining district.  

Trout Unlimited’s Alaska program is collecting comments now and needs our fishing friends near and far to sign on and stand with Alaskan’s who overwhelmingly and consistently oppose this mine. Visit www.savebristolbay.org/take-action to sign a comment card, and tell the Army Corps of Engineers to not permit this project. 

Fishing on the Tualatin River 

Maddy Sheehan the author of the book Fishing in Oregon,  currently working on a new edition, and is looking for photographs to illustrate the text on the Tualatin River.  Please her know if you know someone that has a high quality photo that would work. Photo file size (indicator of resolution) must be 2 MB or greater.  She will need the name of photographer, and assurance that recognizable human subjects don’t mind being in the book; approximately where on the river photo was taken, season if not obvious, and fish species (if any). She is offering $50 per photo used for the text.

Her contact information:

Madelynne Sheehan
Flying Pencil Publications
33126 SW Callahan Rd.
Scappoose, OR 97056
cell phone: 503-680-8562
maddysheehan5@gmail.com

 Come Join Us on the Board! 

Your Tualatin Valley TU Chapter could use a couple of additional Board members.  The job description is pretty simple.  The Board meets monthly at 6 p.m. on the fourth Tuesday of each month (some months with no meeting needed) in the downstairs meeting room at the American Legion Hall in Tigard.  Meetings usually last an hour or a bit more.  TVTU has been quite successful in recent years, with projects such as the Christmas for Coho efforts and with good attendance at effective and entertaining Chapter meetings held most months at the Lucky Lab in Multnomah Village.  But we can always use fresh energy and fresh ideas.  If you are interested and would like to come to one of the Board meetings to test the water (barbless hook only), please contact Mike Gentry at  michaelgentry04@comcast.net or (503) 636-0061.  This is a feel-good volunteer opportunity.
  

Meetings Location and Dates

Regular chapter meetings are held at the Lucky Labrador Public House 7675 SW Capitol Hwy. Portland, OR 97219 (503) 244-2537.  Food and beverage available.  Social get together starts at 6:30 pm and formal meeting starts at 7:00 pm unless otherwise noted in the newsletter or website.

February Meeting Feb. 13 - Jonah Sandford, Executive Director - Deschutes River Alliance

The Deschutes River Alliance (DRA) is a nonprofit, science-based advocacy organization working to protect and restore the health of the lower Deschutes River. Since its founding in 2013, DRA's robust science program has documented multiple changes in the lower Deschutes, all coinciding with implementation of a new "Selective Water Withdrawal" at Round Butte Dam. These changes include new proliferation of nuisance algae, warmer water temperatures during the spring and summer months, and significant changes in aquatic insect populations and hatch timing. These developments, in turn, have led to impacts to the river's treasured fish populations and flyfishing experience, to birds and other wildlife, and to the economy of north Central Oregon. DRA's science program forms the basis of its outreach and advocacy efforts as DRA seeks to inform the public and advocate forcefully for the protection of this remarkable river. On February 13, representatives from DRA will provide updates on the organization's ongoing science and advocacy work, and look ahead to planned efforts in 2019 and beyond.

More Information:

TVTU Website: https://tualatinvalley.tu.org/

Current Board Members and Contact:https://tualatinvalley.tu.org/tualatinvalley/about

TVTU Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/tualatinvalleyTU/

C4C Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/christmasforcoho/