Tippets: Importance of Sediment in Rivers, Demolition of Deadbeat Dam on the Eklutna, Decrease in Brown Trout in the Yellowstone River

June 28, 2017 By: Erin Block

  • Fish aren’t the only thing trapped behind dams. Sediment “that is badly needed to build up the marshes and wetlands that act as a buffer against rising seas” is also prevented from migrating down the watershed. This article by Jim Robins explains “Why the World’s Rivers are Losing Sediment and Why it Matters.” Via Yale.
  • After sitting unused for over 60 years, demolition is scheduled to begin on a “deadbeat dam” on Alsaka’s Eklutna River. “There is a lot of popular support,” says Brad Meiklejohn, Alaska state director for The Conservation Fund. “A lot of people see it as the right thing to do to fix the river.” Via Alaska Daily News.
  • The first population check since the parasite-caused fish kill of last summer has revealed a decline in large brown trout in the Yellowstone River. The decrease “looks like it’s maybe around 50 percent,” says Scott Opitz, biologist with the Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks. Via Bozeman Daily Chronicle.