-73 i 1 Sent by MT. BAKER-SI ' ' ; Stationed at " -------- SEATTLE, WASHINGTON Naiuo of paper —— SEATTLE TIMES Where published SEATTLE, WASHING Date of Issue a to preserve the Skagit and sev- ~~f' r ~r1**-' 3 f Outdoorsmen assail Sauk dam proposal Environmentalists and sport firshermen yesterday reacted with unanimous opposition to a proposed study for a dam on the Sauk River, a major tributary of the Skagit River. “A very large part of the fish runs in the Skagit comes from the Sauk Riv­ er,” said Herb Sargo of the Skagit River League, a con­ sortium of environmental and fishing groups. "A dam would effectively eliminate all anadromous (migratory) fish runs on the Sauk.” Tom Wimmer of the Seattle Audubon Society called the river “one of the most beautiful, free-flowing and natural rivers in the state. It always seems like you get these kind of pres­ sures when you want to pre- serve something, but it would be a tragedy if the Sauk were omitted from protective status." Wimmer referred to Forest Service proposal eral of its tributaries (in­ cluding the Sauk) under the federal Wild and Scenic Rivers Act of 1968. HEARINGS began yester­ day on the proposal in Mount Vernon. Additional hearings are scheduled for today in Everett and tomor­ row in the Federal Building here. The hearing here will be from 10 a. m. to noon, 1 to 5 p. m. and 7 to 10 p. m. Controversy over the Sauk dam proposal erupted after Skagit County com­ missioners asked the Army Corps of Engineers to study the possibility of a flood­ control dam on the tribu­ tary. The Forest Service has proposed scenic classifica­ tion for 50.8 miles of the Sauk. The classification, which places “an emphasis on preserving scenic quali- ty” and "free-flowing char­ acter" of the river, would prohibit construction of dams. Conversely, dam con­ struction on the river would preclude classification un­ der the act. The Sauk is a prime source of steelhead, and contains salmon and cut­ throat trout. Construction of a dam would mean that "even a one-time flood would have a disastrous ef­ fect — not only on the fish­ ery but the eco-systems be­ hind the dam,” Sargo said. WIMMER SAID “there's no question the minor bene­ fits supplied by a dam are vastly outweighed by the potential harm. Flooding in the Skagit Valley is not that much of a problem any more. If the countv is con­ cerned. there must be other alleviating measures that cou'd be taken.” Lloyd H. Johnson, county engineer, said the dam de­ sign would be aimed at “keeping the river as free- flowing as possible. The only time water would be backed up would be in flood conditions. “We’re looking at trade­ offs here,” Johnson added. “If we have a dam it will mean inundating a few for­ ested areas for a certain length of time. But it’s ei­ ther that or flooding the people down in the valley, where it’s heavily populated and you have business and industry.” Construction of a Sauk dam has been studied sever­ al times in the past, usually along the lines of a power­ generating or multipurpose dam. An Army Corps of En­ gineers study five years ago noted that the Sank could he a potential site for a multi­ purpose dam. , OCR Text: -73 i 1 Sent by MT. BAKER-SI ' ' ; Stationed at " -------- SEATTLE, WASHINGTON Naiuo of paper —— SEATTLE TIMES Where published SEATTLE, WASHING Date of Issue a to preserve the Skagit and sev- ~~f' r ~r1**-' 3 f Outdoorsmen assail Sauk dam proposal Environmentalists and sport firshermen yesterday reacted with unanimous opposition to a proposed study for a dam on the Sauk River, a major tributary of the Skagit River. “A very large part of the fish runs in the Skagit comes from the Sauk Riv­ er,” said Herb Sargo of the Skagit River League, a con­ sortium of environmental and fishing groups. "A dam would effectively eliminate all anadromous (migratory) fish runs on the Sauk.” Tom Wimmer of the Seattle Audubon Society called the river “one of the most beautiful, free-flowing and natural rivers in the state. It always seems like you get these kind of pres­ sures when you want to pre- serve something, but it would be a tragedy if the Sauk were omitted from protective status." Wimmer referred to Forest Service proposal eral of its tributaries (in­ cluding the Sauk) under the federal Wild and Scenic Rivers Act of 1968. HEARINGS began yester­ day on the proposal in Mount Vernon. Additional hearings are scheduled for today in Everett and tomor­ row in the Federal Building here. The hearing here will be from 10 a. m. to noon, 1 to 5 p. m. and 7 to 10 p. m. Controversy over the Sauk dam proposal erupted after Skagit County com­ missioners asked the Army Corps of Engineers to study the possibility of a flood­ control dam on the tribu­ tary. The Forest Service has proposed scenic classifica­ tion for 50.8 miles of the Sauk. The classification, which places “an emphasis on preserving scenic quali- ty” and "free-flowing char­ acter" of the river, would prohibit construction of dams. Conversely, dam con­ struction on the river would preclude classification un­ der the act. The Sauk is a prime source of steelhead, and contains salmon and cut­ throat trout. Construction of a dam would mean that "even a one-time flood would have a disastrous ef­ fect — not only on the fish­ ery but the eco-systems be­ hind the dam,” Sargo said. WIMMER SAID “there's no question the minor bene­ fits supplied by a dam are vastly outweighed by the potential harm. Flooding in the Skagit Valley is not that much of a problem any more. If the countv is con­ cerned. there must be other alleviating measures that cou'd be taken.” Lloyd H. Johnson, county engineer, said the dam de­ sign would be aimed at “keeping the river as free- flowing as possible. The only time water would be backed up would be in flood conditions. “We’re looking at trade­ offs here,” Johnson added. “If we have a dam it will mean inundating a few for­ ested areas for a certain length of time. But it’s ei­ ther that or flooding the people down in the valley, where it’s heavily populated and you have business and industry.” Construction of a Sauk dam has been studied sever­ al times in the past, usually along the lines of a power­ generating or multipurpose dam. An Army Corps of En­ gineers study five years ago noted that the Sank could he a potential site for a multi­ purpose dam. , Granite Falls Historical Society,Documents (articles, clippings, letters, papers),USFS Scans,Box 9,1680 History 8 Sauk Valley.pdf,1680 History 8 Sauk Valley.pdf Page 1, 1680 History 8 Sauk Valley.pdf Page 1