Another horrific American day, let’s sooth our ragged souls with this wonderful letter from Coos Bay in Oregon. Coos bay is on the pacific coast in about the middle of the state, and the author, Nicole Examilotis and her husband has been active in

The Morgan Creek Hatchery on the Coos River will be closed until further notice. Land owners won’t allow STEP volunteers to access the property because of a dispute — curtailing salmon releases for the year.
World Photos by Madeline Steege

watershed issues. For a while they allowed part of their property at Morgan Creek to be used as a salmon hatchery, but something tells me the marriage didn’t end well.

ODFW needs to make serious changes

Morgan Creek hatchery news flash: Salmon still haven’t grown legs, much to ODFW’s dismay.

As I write, returning salmon are struggling and dying on abandoned concrete structures in Morgan and Priorli creeks. ODFW stuporviser Mike Gray claims the department does not have the money to remove their old structures from the streams, yet can somehow afford dozens more loads of rock and concrete to their new facility. Meanwhile, salmon die long and hellacious deaths every year on the concrete. This continues 24/7 until it rains enough for them to pass.

Oooh she’s mad about the salmon. Guess what happens next? Shhh, this is my favorite part.

Worse, they have killed nearly the entire population of beavers on Morgan Creek. Beaver dams hold water, crucial to salmon habitat. “Disgusting” doesn’t begin to describe their continued unconscionable acts, “disturbing” does. The Konibear death trap illegally placed on our property, which nearly claimed my arm, was apparently targeting an otter that killed ‘excess fish’ they were supposed to kill anyway but “didn’t have the heart to.” What a consolation… So they don’t want to kill excess (illegal) smolt, yet they’re willing to kill anything else passing through their death trap, including me? They have no concept of their actions and are oblivious to the fact they consistently kill wildlife and destroy salmon habitat. They choose to remain ignorant of the laws they violate and basic stream ecology. It’s not rocket science, salmon need water.

Dam girl, we like your style! Feisty salmon woman who stands up for beavers.

ODFW needs to follow their own laws and make serious changes in their department. Their facility was built on emotions and false grounds, not reality and sound science. How much longer must this gross negligence continue? End it now. We owe it to future generations to leave them something we can all be proud of.

Nicole Examilotis

Nicely done Nicole! Hey when you’re done with ODFW do you think you could maybe write our folks at CDFW? They have a heck of a lot of learning to do, and I know you could help. Then maybe drop a note to our friends in Port Moody B.C. who are still trying to convince their politicians not to rip out beaver dams to save chum.

Yesterday the new guard held the first city meeting. It’s Canada so their were bag pipes, civility and a children’s chorus. Judy asked me to tape this little part and I thought you would appreciate it too.

Nice! I hope that getting some laughter and applause for that line reminds you how much beavers matter to public opinion. Although it still triggers my PTSD to watch even Canadian city council members talk about beavers. I realized watching this I shouldn’t complain so much. At least I never had to refer to the mayor as “his excellency.”