CANADA: 'Hydro Power is breaking our hearts'

[Fresno Farms]

 In <OZgLc.19075$Vw3.1079653 at news20.bellglobal.com> 
 On Tue, 20 Jul 2004 18:25:50 -0400, Ian St. John said about: 
 Re: CANADA: 'Hydro Power is breaking our hearts' 


> Jeff Strickland wrote:
> > "Fresno Farms" <brutus at u.com> wrote in message
> > news:10fomt1ha98ufe1 at corp.supernews.com...
> >>
> >>   People see "pretty" mountain reservoirs and don't think
> >> much about it.  But building a reservoir results
> >> in 100% habitat destruction.  Typically, reservoirs
> >> (to maximize water volume) are built on rare "flats" and
> >> meadow areas, which are extremely important biodiversity areas.
> >>    Thus due to the rare topography, reservoirs are often
> >> located on critical migration routs (deer and such) and
> >> (say,) fawning areas.  Deer drowning mortality rates alone
> >> can be high enough to wipe out a deer population within
> >> a few years.  And of course, no more timber, into the
> >> foreseeable foture.
> >>
> >
> > Deer drowning!? We have a new reservior in our area, it was built
> > similiarly to the scenario you suggested, flat land surrounded by
> > hills. I have to take exception to your assertion that deer drown as
> > a result. We haven't got deer around here, but it took YEARS to fill
> > the reservior, certainly the deer would have migrated away long
> > before they were required to learn to swim. Not only did it take
> > years to fill, it took a decade to build. Surely the deer (if there
> > were any) would have moved on long before they drown.
> 
> I believe he is referring to flood release that raises river level rapidly
> and can drown animals crossing the river at the time. There was a major
> incident with migrating caribou a while back.

Good guess.  That may be a problem in Canada. 
But, no I'm talking about ~10% of
the mule deer drowning attempting to swim the reservoir,
twice a year. This according to a local (Fresno area)
EIS. Spillway elev 5713.  A 1000 acre (small) reservoir
with a 300-foot tall dam.
It's smack dab on a major migration corridor.  AND
population center, AND fawning area.  And Fish & Wildlife
say the population is already too low, way down.