SAUSALITO, CA July19, 2010 – The Eel River Prayer
Ceremony and Summit, a historic 2-day event was held on the banks of the
Eel River near Willits, California on July 17-18. “We will not sit
idly by”, was the central message of the event, hosted by the Round
Valley Tribes of Covelo and Friends of the Eel River (FOER), which drew
concerned Eel River supporters from San Francisco to the Oregon border,
including biologists, hydrologists, fishermen and leading environmental
groups. It was the first time in 100 years, since traditional spiritual
ceremonies were banned among tribal governments, where members of the Round
Valley Tribes of Covelo; and their spiritual leaders and tribal dancers,
guided a sacred prayer ceremony for the relief of the long-suffering Eel
River.
The Round Valley Tribes with century-long fishing rights on the Eel River
have experienced devastating economic and health-related hardships from
the loss of the salmon fisheries. Saturday was devoted to the Sacred Tribal
Leader’s blessing of the river; which included all those attending,
as well as tribal dancing, and a shared traditional tribal meal of salmon--
not salmon from the Eel River, but salmon offered by an Alaskan tribe in
recognition of the plight of the Eel’s nearly collapsed salmon fisheries.
On Sunday, the participants, unwilling to rely solely
on the agencies of the federal and state government to force PG&E
to modify the flows on the Eel River, met to present observations and
research on a wide range of legal and scientific issues that effect the
Eel River and the health of its nearly 4000 sq mile watershed; with the
heart of the matter being the need to immediately increase the flows of
water during peak late summer and fall spawning months.
“In the face of a very grave situation for
the fish, all of the people attending the Eel River Prayer Ceremony were
deeply inspired and empowered not to sit idly by. The sacred tribal dances
and prayers were so profound that it infused all of those attending with
strength and perseverance,” said Nadananda, Executive Director and
founder of Friends of the Eel River. “The amplified energy among
the group was infectious.”
According to Ernie Merrifield, past Round Valley Tribal
Council member, “Water and salmon hold sacred value among the tribes
of the Round Valley, and both have been bankrupted.” He continued,
“Like a person, if you block the free flow of blood in your veins
you will die, just as PG&E’s dams are killing the Eel River.”
Because of past resource extract practices the best spawning and rearing
habitat left are above the PG&E Potter Valley dams, with no fish access.
Only time will tell if the Eel River sacred prayer ceremony
will bring back the salmon, but what it did accomplish was to bring powerful
forces together to end their need for a desperate plea for help. “Extinction
is not an option”, offered Nadananda.
About Friends of the Eel River
Friends of the Eel River (FOER), was founded in 1994 and has been acknowledged
and praised for its devotion to the monitoring, defense and advocacy of
the Eel River watershed. Through the education and support of residents,
businesses and visitors in this third largest watershed in California,
FOER has become a formidable challenger of large corporations and public
agencies in the interest of preserving California’s North Coast
public trust resources. FOER is supported by over 2500 members, a solid
volunteer base, a large contingent of scientists and fisheries experts,
sport fishing alliances, river enthusiasts, and concerned citizens who
are working together to meet the challenges to the Eel River’s watershed
integrity. For more information visit www.eelriver.org
About the Round Valley Tribes of Covelo
The Round Valley Reservation consists of the Covelo Indian Community.
This community is a culmination of small tribes; the Yuki, who were the
original inhabitants of Round Valley, and the Nomlacki, Wylaki, Lassik,
Sinkyone, Cahto, Kabeyo, Shadakai, Yokayo, Shokawa, Kashaya, Habenapo.
Wappo, Concow, Maidu, Colusa, and the Achamawi, who arrived during the
forced march of Nome Cult 1863.
The Round Valley Reservation is located between the two
tributaries of the Eel River; the Middle Fork and the North Fork. Fishing
and water rights were granted to The Round Valley Tribes in 1873, under
treaty with federal government. The Eel River and its salmon and Steelhead
are sacred in the tribal community; it feeds life to all “civilization”
on the river. Without adequate water in the main stem of the Eel River,
there is not enough water for spawning salmon and steelhead to reach the
Middle Fork Eel.
“The “Indian” people, now referred to
as First Americans, were in the way of the Gold Rushers in 1849, and their
populations nearly collapsed. Now the salmon are in the way of the power
company PG&E, corporate winemakers, and marijuana growers, and their
populations have nearly collapsed.
Key spokespeople for the event and contact information:
Nadananda * co-organizer
Executive Director, Friends of the Eel River
415 332 9810 office
415 717 9052 cell
nada@eelriver.org
Ernie Merrifield *co-organizer
Round Valley Tribal member; past Tribal Council member
707 983 8120 phone
*no cell phone, best time to call is 8:30am, noon, or 5:30pm
Pat Higgins, fisheries biologist
(707) 822 9428
phiggins@humboldt1.com
Press Contact:
Jenny Le Coq
Le Coq & Associates
(415) 215 3417
Jlecoq@pacbell.net
State Water Resources Control Board
Denies Legal Appeal for Life-line of Water to Save Eel River Salmon
SAUSALITO, CA May 4, 2010 – Friends of the Eel River
(FOER) announced today that the State of California Water Resources Control
Board (SWRCB), rejected the organizations petition to increase water flows
on the Eel River -- water that is critical for the survival of state and
federally listed endangered salmon, on what was once the third largest
salmon and steelhead producing river in the State of California.
Friends of the Eel River and organic seed farmer Bill
Reynolds petitioned the SWRCB on February 25, 2010, to end diversions
at Pacific Gas & Electric Company’s (PG&E’s) Potter
Valley hydroelectric project (PVP), consisting of two dams and a diversion
tunnel. The Petition asked the SWRCB to eliminate PG&E’s current
water rights for the PVP to protect public trust resources on the Eel
River, and prevent unreasonable use of water. (more)
SCIENTISTS CONFIRM MISMANAGEMENT BY PG&E IS KILLING
TWO
NORTHERN CALIFORNIA RIVERS AND DEGRADING SALMON HABITAT
One River
is Dying for Water, One River is Drowning
SAUSALITO, CA March, 1, 2010 -- Today the Friends of the Eel River (FOER)
brought legal action before the State Water Resources Control Board (State
Board), in an attempt to stop Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E),
from destroying two northern California rivers essential to the restoration
of California’s once-vibrant billion dollar salmon industry.
The FOER legal action challenges
the diversion of almost all of the flow of the Eel River to PG&E’s
Potter Valley hydroelectric project (PVP), consisting of two dams and
a diversion tunnel. During the dry season, almost 98% of the Eel River
flows are diverted into the Russian River. “The State Board has
an obligation to ensure that PG&E’s use of water is reasonable
and does not harm public trust resources in the Eel River,” noted
environmental attorney Ellison Folk, with the law firm Shute, Mihaly &
Weinberger. PG&E’s Potter Valley Project, however, is damaging
the public trust resources by threatening the survival of the remaining
populations of the state and federally listed endangered salmon and steelhead,
in exchange for a negligible amount of energy it produces. (more)
