DOCSLIB.ORG

The Damnation of a Dam : the High Ross Dam Controversy

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
The Damnation of a Dam : the High Ross Dam Controversy THE DAMYIATION OF A DAM: TIIE HIGH ROSS DAM CONTROVERSY TERRY ALLAN SIblMONS A. B., University of California, Santa Cruz, 1968 A THESIS SUBIUTTED IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE OF MASTER OF ARTS in the Department of Geography SIMON FRASER UNIVERSITY May 1974 All rights reserved. This thesis may not b? reproduced in whole or in part, by photocopy or other means, without permission of the author. APPROVAL Name: Terry Allan Simmons Degree: Master of Arts Title of Thesis: The Damnation of a Dam: The High Ross Dam Controversy Examining Committee: Chairman: F. F. Cunningham 4 E.. Gibson Seni Supervisor / /( L. J. Evendon / I. K. Fox ernal Examiner Professor School of Community and Regional Planning University of British Columbia PARTIAL COPYRIGHT LICENSE I hereby grant to Simon Fraser University rhe righc to lcnd my thesis or dissertation (the title of which is shown below) to users of the Simon Fraser University Library, and to make partial or single copies only for such users or in response to a request from the library of any other university, or other educational institution, on its own behalf or for one of its users. I further agree that permission for multiple copying of this thesis for scholarly purposes may be granted by me or the Dean of Graduate Studies. It is understood that copying or publication of this thesis for financial gain shall not be allowed ' without my written permission. Title of' ~hesis /mqqmkm: The Damnation nf a nam. ~m -Author: / " (signature ) Terrv A. S.imrnonze (name ) July 22, 1974 (date) ABSTRACT In 1967, after nearly fifty years of preparation, inter- national negotiations concerning the construction of the High Ross Dan1 on the Skagit River were concluded between the Province of British Columbia and the City of Seattle. Under the terms of the agreement the dam would raise the level of Ross Lake by 122 feet flooding additional portions of the Ross Lake National Recreation Area in Washington and of the upper Skagit Valley in British Columbia. The purpose of raising the height of the dam is to provide additional hydroelectric capacity in order to meet peak period demands in Seattle. Only two years after the conclusion of the negotiations, a major international controversy erupted over the proposed dam construction. This study examines the history of the High Ross Dam controversy and of hydroelectric development on the Skagit River in order to explaln why this controversy arose. This controversy focuses upon the essential resource issue: is the environmental impact caused by the further flooding of the Skagit Valley justified by the additional electric power received by Seattle? The, present study addresses this general question by comparing the decision making processes in British Columbia and Washington and argues that the controversy results from the introduction by the conservation movement in Washington and British Columbia of a set of public interests in environmental issues which previously had not been articulated. iii Data, found in many scattered places, are taken from primary and secondary documents, field work, personal interviews, and from materials arising from the author' s position as a partici- pant observer. This study documents a convergence in'the development of the conservation movement between British Columbia and Washington in 1969. It is argued that the emergent climate of opinion allowed the conservationists in both areas to launch cooperative efforts to challenge Seattle's priority for the exploitation of the upper Skagit River region and the right of Seattle City Light to expropriate the upper river system for its own use. The conservationists therefore revived the High Ross Dam issue by creating a public debate, the existence of which depended upon the articulation of diff er5nt environmental value judgements and consequent resource management options. In the light of the trends identified, the study concludes by appraising the future of hydroelectric development on the Skagit River. ACKNOWLEDGMENT This thesis is about people and dams. The dams may be damnzd; but the people must. he thanknd for their part in the preparation of this thesis. Thousands of lives have been touched by the High Ross Dam controversy. This thesis reflects their experiences. Many of them have been consulted. In particular, I wish to thank Kenneth Farquharson and the members of the ROSS Committee and Patrick Goldsworthy and the North Cascades Conservation Council for their assistance and access to their files. I am grateful to Edward Gibson for his encourage- ment and advice. TABLE -014' CONTENTS Page Chapter One Introduction 2 The Thesis 2 The Perspective 3 The Data 8 The Method 10 The Organization 12 Part One Genesis Chapter Two From Mineral Claims to Water Claims: Early Obstacles to Hydro~lectricDevelopment 18 Mining Activity 19 Early Settlement and Condemnation 21 Land Tenure in the B, C. Skagit Valley 23 Conclusion 24 Chapter Three City Building in the Wilderness: J. D. Ross and the Skagit River Development 27 Electrical and Political Power- A Grand Speculative Venture 27 City Building and the Origins of Seattle City Light 29 J. D. Rosk 33 Municipal D3velopment on the Cedar River 36 -The Battle for the Skagit River 39 Early Planning on the Skagit River 44 The Gorge Dam 48 The Diablo Dam 49 The Ross Dam Conclusion Page I versy I Early Negotiations- Ignorance Compensation for Timber The International Joint Commission 1 The Skagit Valley Land Act i New Considerations-Downstream Benefits The 1967 Agreement Conclusion Chapter Five The Creation of Controversy: The Role of the Conservationists I The Conservation Movement as a Movement The Conservation Movement in Historical Pattern The Conservation Movement- Its Variety of Ocganizat ions 1 Run Out Skagit Spoil.ers North Cascades Conservation Council i Comparison of Two Organizations The Creation of the High Ross Dam Controversy in British Columbia The Campaign to Create the North Cascades National Park Conclusion I Part Three Synthesis vii Chapter Six Public Forum for Damnation: The Int ernat ionai Joint Commission Development of the Controversy The International Joint Commission Referencs and Public Hearings Legal Considerations Seattle City Light1s Submission Support for Seattle City Light Opposition to Seattle City Light The Hearings in Perspective The Final Report of the International Joint Commission Conclusion Chapter Seven Conclusions Summary Prospects Concluding Observations Bibliography Appendices A. Onomastic Notes Terminology Ross Dam/Skagit Valley Conservat ion/Environment/Ecology Preservationist viii Page B. Letter By Alex Robinson, April 1, 1931 198 C. International ~ointComrnissiorl Order of Approval 201 D. Agreement Between the Province of British Columbia And the City of Seattle 204 E. Threats to the North Cascades National Park 211 "Threat to Cascades", Letter by Grant McConnell, JU~Y20, 1969 211 11 North Cascades Dam ~hreat",New York Times, February 23, 1970 213 Do You Want THIS In Your Brand-New National Park And Recreation Area? 215 F. The 1971. International Joint Commission Hearings 216 Summary of Submissions to the International Joint Commission, 1971 216 Persons Presenting Briefs Or Testimony At The International Joint Commission Public Hearings 222 Text of Reference to the International Joint Commission '-LA33~ Figures Page Proposed High Ross Project, Location Map 7 Project Area 17 North Cascades National Park, Ross Lake and Lake Chelan National Recreation Area 227 CHAPTER I Tntrodu~t~ion . the historical achievement of science and tech- nology has rendered possible the translation --of val- -ues into technical tasks -- the materialization of values. Consequently, what is at stake is the re- definition of values in technical terms, as elements in the technological ends, would then operate in the project and in the construction of the machinery, and not only in its utilization. Moreover, the new ends might assert themselves even in the construc- tion of scientific hypotheses -- in pure scientific theory. From the quantification of secondary quali- ties, science would proceed to the quantification of values. --- Herbert Marcuse1 Were it situated almost anywhere else, the Skagit would be a major international river. While the Skagit is the largest river to flow into the Puget Sound, it has remained until re- cently remote and dwarfed in its significance by its neigh- boring continental giants, the Fraser and the Columbia, in one of the best watered regions of North Amsrica. Today, however, the Skagit River is the subject of several international natural resource management issues with significant implications for bi- lateral policy. The most important these issues currently concerns the High Ross Dam or Skagit Valley contro- versy. That is whether or not the City of Seattle, Department of Lighting, known commonly as Seattle City Light, should raise the height of Ross Dam 122.5 feet in order to provide more head for the generat ion of of peaking capacity . Despite its history of trapping, mining and hydroelectric development, the Skagit River country remains isolated. Its character is rugged and .wild. The Skagit is a full, fast, but regulated river. It rises in the mountains of Manning Provincial Park and flows approximately 125 miles to the shores of Puget Sound near Mount Vernon, Washington. It drains about 3105 square miles. Although about 13 percent of the total watershed area, about 400 square miles, lies in British Columbia, 94 percent of the runoff originates in Washington. The distance from the ocean and the configuration of the mountain ranges cause the upper basin to be drier. The basin has an average annual rainfall of 71 inches with an an- nual runoff of about 30 inches from the upper basin and of about 140 inches from the tributaries nearer the coast. The average annual runoff, measured at Marblemount, is about The Thesis This is a comparative study of the international decision making process concerning the High Ross Dam. After nearly fifty years of preparation, international negotiations for the High Ross Dam were completed between the Province of British Columbia and the City of Seattle in 1967.
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Ecosystem Status and Trends Report for the Strait of Georgia Ecozone
    C S A S S C C S Canadian Science Advisory Secretariat Secrétariat canadien de consultation scientifique Research Document 2010/010 Document de recherche 2010/010 Ecosystem Status and Trends Report Rapport de l’état des écosystèmes et for the Strait of Georgia Ecozone des tendances pour l’écozone du détroit de Georgie Sophia C. Johannessen and Bruce McCarter Fisheries and Oceans Canada, Institute of Ocean Sciences 9860 W. Saanich Rd. P.O. Box 6000, Sidney, B.C. V8L 4B2 This series documents the scientific basis for the La présente série documente les fondements evaluation of aquatic resources and ecosystems scientifiques des évaluations des ressources et in Canada. As such, it addresses the issues of des écosystèmes aquatiques du Canada. Elle the day in the time frames required and the traite des problèmes courants selon les documents it contains are not intended as échéanciers dictés. Les documents qu’elle definitive statements on the subjects addressed contient ne doivent pas être considérés comme but rather as progress reports on ongoing des énoncés définitifs sur les sujets traités, mais investigations. plutôt comme des rapports d’étape sur les études en cours. Research documents are produced in the official Les documents de recherche sont publiés dans language in which they are provided to the la langue officielle utilisée dans le manuscrit Secretariat. envoyé au Secrétariat. This document is available on the Internet at: Ce document est disponible sur l’Internet à: http://www.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/csas/ ISSN 1499-3848 (Printed / Imprimé) ISSN 1919-5044 (Online / En ligne) © Her Majesty the Queen in Right of Canada, 2010 © Sa Majesté la Reine du Chef du Canada, 2010 TABLE OF CONTENTS Highlights 1 Drivers of change 2 Status and trends indicators 2 1.
    [Show full text]
  • Flooding the Border: Development, Politics, and Environmental Controversy in the Canadian-U.S
    FLOODING THE BORDER: DEVELOPMENT, POLITICS, AND ENVIRONMENTAL CONTROVERSY IN THE CANADIAN-U.S. SKAGIT VALLEY by Philip Van Huizen A THESIS SUBMITTED IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE OF DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY in The Faculty of Graduate Studies (History) THE UNIVERSITY OF BRITISH COLUMBIA (Vancouver) June 2013 © Philip Van Huizen, 2013 Abstract This dissertation is a case study of the 1926 to 1984 High Ross Dam Controversy, one of the longest cross-border disputes between Canada and the United States. The controversy can be divided into two parts. The first, which lasted until the early 1960s, revolved around Seattle’s attempts to build the High Ross Dam and flood nearly twenty kilometres into British Columbia’s Skagit River Valley. British Columbia favoured Seattle’s plan but competing priorities repeatedly delayed the province’s agreement. The city was forced to build a lower, 540-foot version of the Ross Dam instead, to the immense frustration of Seattle officials. British Columbia eventually agreed to let Seattle raise the Ross Dam by 122.5 feet in 1967. Following the agreement, however, activists from Vancouver and Seattle, joined later by the Upper Skagit, Sauk-Suiattle, and Swinomish Tribal Communities in Washington, organized a massive environmental protest against the plan, causing a second phase of controversy that lasted into the 1980s. Canadian and U.S. diplomats and politicians finally resolved the dispute with the 1984 Skagit River Treaty. British Columbia agreed to sell Seattle power produced in other areas of the province, which, ironically, required raising a different dam on the Pend d’Oreille River in exchange for not raising the Ross Dam.
    [Show full text]
  • History of the Washington Legislature, 1854-1963
    HISTORY of the History of the Washington LegislatureHistory of the Washington 1854 -1963 History of the Washington LegislatureHistory of the Washington 1854 -1963 WASHINGTONWASHINGTON LEGISLATURELEGISLATURE 18541854 - - 1963 1963 by Don Brazier by Don Brazier by Don Brazier Published by the Washington State Senate Olympia, Washington 98504-0482 © 2000 Don Brazier. All rights reserved. No portion of this book may be reproduced or used in any form, or by any means, without prior written permission of the author. 10987654321 Printed and bound in the United States i Acknowledgments A lot of people offered encouragement and moral support on this project. I cannot name them all, but a few are worthy of mention. Nancy Zussy, Ellen Levesque, Gayle Palmer, and Shirley Lewis at the Washington State Library were extremely helpful. Sid Snyder and Ralph Munro have each been treasured friends for more than 30 years. They probably know more about the history of this legislature than any other two people. I am honored and flattered that they would write brief forwards. There are many who have offered encouragement as I spent day after day seated at the microfilm machine in the Washington Room at the library. It is a laborious task; not easy on the eyes. They include my sons, Bruce and Tom, Scott Gaspard, Representative Shirley Hankins, Shelby Scates, Mike Layton, the late Gerald Sorte, Senator Bob Bailey, Sena- tor Ray Moore and his wife Virginia, Rowland Thompson, and numerous others who I know I’ve forgotten to mention. My special gratitude goes to Deanna Haigh who deciphered my handwriting and typed the manuscript.
    [Show full text]
  • Skagit River Steelhead Fishery Resource Management Plan Under Limit 6 of the 4(D) Rule of the Endangered Species Act (ESA)
    Final Environmental Assessment Environmental Assessment to Analyze Impacts of NOAA’s National Marine Fisheries Consideration of the Skagit River Steelhead Fishery Resource Management Plan under Limit 6 of the 4(d) Rule of the Endangered Species Act (ESA) Prepared by the National Marine Fisheries Service, West Coast Region April 2018 Cover Sheet Final Environmental Assessment Title of Environmental Review: Skagit River Steelhead Fishery Resource Management Plan (Skagit RMP) Distinct Population Segments: Puget Sound Steelhead DPS Responsible Agency and Official: Barry A. Thom Regional Administrator National Marine Fisheries Service West Coast Region 7600 Sand Point Way NE, Building 1 Seattle, Washington 98115 Contacts: James Dixon Sustainable Fisheries Division National Marine Fisheries Service West Coast Region 510 Desmond Drive SE, Suite 103 Lacey, Washington 98503 Legal Mandate: Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended and implemented – 50 CFR Part 223 Location of Proposed Activities: Skagit River Basin including Skagit Bay and Mainstem Skagit River in Puget Sound, Washington Activity Considered: The proposed resource management plan includes steelhead fisheries and associated activities in the Skagit Basin 2 TABLE OF CONTENTS 1. Purpose Of And Need For The Proposed Action 12 1.1 Background 12 1.2 Description of the Proposed Action 13 1.3 Purpose and Need for the Action 16 1.4 Project Area and Analysis Area 16 1.5 Relationship to Other Plans, Regulations, Agreements, Laws, Secretarial Orders and Executive Orders 18 1.5.1 North of Falcon Process 18 1.5.2 Executive Order 12898 18 1.5.3 Treaty of Point Elliot 19 1.5.4 United States v.
    [Show full text]
  • Witd Attd Scettic "Ri()E1t Stadr "Repo1tt
    Ri.;-~, vev.:i A-':> l/1711at'U'"vr /J<.va AerJl../G.. /IS'iii·r. 1/1;([~~c":.b;f.. (i..C../J,~T!vt,~l.{·s NG~ oF r.Jv1,.,r I~ 1'?'7$ THE /2£;; 'te.t ~IU { 0 /~yu,,,/:--(,/tit,.J> J~<t 1L10 Witd attd Scettic "Ri()e1t Stadr "Repo1tt TABLE OF CONTENTS PART I - SUMMATION CHAPTER 1 - INTRODUCTION THE WILD AND SCENIC RIVERS ACT ............................................2 AGENCY INTERPRETATION ...................................................2 STUDY RIVERS ..............................................................2 STUDY APPROACH ..........................................................4 CHAPTER2-SUMMARYOF FINDINGS & RECOMMENDATIONS ......................... FINDINGS ..................................................................4 RECOMMENDATIONS ........................................................5 PART II - THE STUDY CHAPTER 1 - INVENTORY .......................................................... -8 THE DRAINAGE BASIN .......................................................8 THE STUDY AREA .......................................................... · 10 CHAPTER2-EVALUATION OF RIVERS &ADJOINING LANDS CRITERIA USED ............................................................ 13 ANALYSIS ................................................................. 15 OUTSTANDING CHARACTERISTICS ........................................... 20 CHAPTER 3 -CLASSIFICATION ALTERNATIVES, ANALYSIS & SELECTION OF STUDY PROPOSAL BASIS OF ANALYSIS ........................................................ 23 THE PRESENT SITUATION ..................................................
    [Show full text]
  • Enchanted Salish Sea Dinner & Auction 2019 Catalog
    2019 ONLINE CATALOG ORCA LEVEL SPONSORS OCTOPUS LEVEL SPONSORS ENCHANTED SALISH SEA Scott Zeeman Certified Public Accountants SZ Nancy Scott & Laurel Zeeman [email protected] Dinner & Auction (360) 385 – 6070 BUSINESS PARTNERS March 16, 2019 Allstate Insurance Coldwell Banker Best Homes The Food Co-op Gale Investment Services Gooding, O’Hara, and Mackey Homer Smith Insurance Jefferson Healthcare John L Scott Port Townsend Kristin Manwaring Insurance Kosec Funeral Home Port Townsend Sails Stephen C. Moriarty Law Office Tarboo Fire Extinguishers 360.385.5582 | www.ptmsc.org Enchanted Salish Sea Dinner & Auction 2019 Catalog Table of Contents Please click on the listing to jump to the individual sections: Live Auction ................................................................................................................................... 2 Silent Auction: Section One............................................................................................................ 6 Silent Auction: Section Two ......................................................................................................... 17 Fixed Price .................................................................................................................................... 29 Table of Contents of Trips Commanders Beach House Stay for Two ....................................................................................... 8 Kalaloch Lodge One-Night Stay for Two ....................................................................................
    [Show full text]
  • Columbia River Crossing I-5 Immersed Tunnel I-5 Immersed Tunnel Advantages Immersed Tunnel
    6 Sections 500 feet long x 170 feet wide 3,000 ft. Columbia River Crossing I-5 Immersed Tunnel I-5 Immersed Tunnel Advantages Immersed Tunnel Navigation clearances Aviation clearances No freeway noise on river front No mile-long elevated bridge ramps dividing Vancouver Aberdeen Casting Basin 165 x 910 feet Baltimore's Fort McHenry Tunnel Completed 1985 1.4 miles 8 lanes – 4 tubes 115,000 vehicles/day I-95 Immersed Tunnel saved Baltimore’s Inner Harbor 1985 1959 freeway plan Vancouver’s Massey Tunnel under Fraser River October 14, 2019 Vancouver’s Fraser River Bridge replaced by Tunnel 10 lanes April 1, 2020 Vancouver’s Columbia River Bridge replaced by Tunnel Øresund Bridge 20 sections x 577ft = 2.2miles & Tunnel 1999 138ft wide Øresund Tunnel Section 20 sections x 577ft =2.2miles 138ft wide Columbia River Tunnel Section 6 sections x 500ft = 0.6miles 170ft wide Immersed Tunnels About six 500 foot immersed tunnel sections could be a simple, elegant, and cost effective solution to the I-5 Columbia River Crossing. The Aberdeen Casting Basin used to build the SR 520 bridge pontoons would be well suited to casting tunnel sections. https://www.wsdot.wa.gov/sites/default/files/2014/11/12/SR520-Factsheet-Pontoons- February2017.pdf In 1985 Baltimore completed the Fort McHenry Immersed Tunnel and saved its famous Inner Harbor from encirclement by I-95 concrete bridge. https://www.baltimorebrew.com/2011/04/29/the-senator-and-the-highway/ Vancouver, Canada rejected a ten lane bridge over the Fraser in favor of an immersed tunnel. https://www.enr.com/blogs/15-evergreen/post/47724-vancouvers-george-massey- tunnel-replacement-may-now-be-a-tunnel-instead-of-a-bridge The 1999 Oresund Bridge & Immersed Tunnel connects Sweden to Denmark.
    [Show full text]
  • 108Th Congress of the United States WASHINGTON CANADA
    108th Congress of the United States WASHINGTON CANADA 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 33 3 3 3 333333 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 Osoyoos Nooksack 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 Lake Trust Land 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 r 3 e 3 3 v 3 3 i 3 R 3 Birch 3 ck 3 Ross Strait of Georgia 3 sa 3 3 Bay ok 3 o 3 N 3 3 Nooksack 3 Lake 3 3 3 3 Trust Land 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 North Cascades 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 National Park 3 WHATCOM 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 PEND 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 Lummi Nooksack Res 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 Res 3 3 3 OREILLE 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 Bellingham 3 3 3 Bay 3 33 3 3 Pend Oreille River 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 Bellingham 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 Ross Lake 3 3 Cowlitz 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 NRA 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 Bay 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 Okanogan River 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 Samish 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 TDSA 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 Samish 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 Rosario Strait Bay 3 3 FERRY 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 Upper Skagit Res 3 SAN JUAN 3 Haro Strait 3 North Cascades 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 National Park 3 OKANOGAN Upper Skagit Res 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 Skagit River 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 Padilla 3 3 3 3 Griffin Bay 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 Bay 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 US Coast Guard Station 3 3 3 SKAGIT 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 Neah Bay 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 STEVENS 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3
    [Show full text]
  • The Skagit-High Ross Controversy: Negotiation and Settlement
    Volume 26 Issue 2 U.S. - Canada Transboundary Resource Issues Spring 1986 The Skagit-High Ross Controversy: Negotiation and Settlement Jackie Krolopp Kirn Marion E. Marts Recommended Citation Jackie K. Kirn & Marion E. Marts, The Skagit-High Ross Controversy: Negotiation and Settlement, 26 Nat. Resources J. 261 (1986). Available at: https://digitalrepository.unm.edu/nrj/vol26/iss2/6 This Article is brought to you for free and open access by the Law Journals at UNM Digital Repository. It has been accepted for inclusion in Natural Resources Journal by an authorized editor of UNM Digital Repository. For more information, please contact [email protected], [email protected], [email protected]. JACKIE KROLOPP KIRN* and MARION E. MARTS** The Skagit-High Ross Controversy: Negotiation and Settlement SETTING AND BACKGROUND The Skagit River is a short but powerful stream which rises in the mountains of southwestern British Columbia, cuts through the northern Cascades in a spectacular and once-remote mountain gorge, and empties into Puget Sound approximately sixty miles north of Seattle. The beautiful mountain scenery of the heavily glaciated north Cascades was formally recognized in the United States by the creation of the North Cascades National Park and the Ross Lake National Recreation Area in 1968, and earlier in British Columbia by creation of the E.C. Manning Provincial Park. The Ross Lake Recreation Area covers the narrow valley of the upper Skagit River in Washington and portions of several tributary valleys. It was created as a political and, to environmentalists who wanted national park status for the entire area, controversial, compromise which accom- modated the city of Seattle's Skagit River Project and the then-planned North Cascades Highway.
    [Show full text]
  • Soil Survey of North Cascades National Park Complex, Washington
    UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR NATIONAL PARK SERVICE SOIL SURVEY OF NORTH CASCADES Joins sheet 11, Mount Prophet NATIONAL PARK COMPLEX, WASHINGTON UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE ROSS DAM QUADRANGLE NATURAL RESOURCES CONSERVATION SERVICE SHEET NUMBER 18 OF 34 121°7’30"W 121°5’0"W Joins sheet 12, Pumpkin Mountain 121°2’30"W 121°0’0"W Joins sheet 13, Jack Mountain 8006 6502 9001 9010 9003 9003 7502 9003 9012 7015 6015 9999 48°45’0"N Sourdough Mountain 48°45’0"N 9010 9016 TRAIL 9008 7502 6014 9001 9003 7501 TRAIL 8007 9003 9003 9010 SOURDOUGH 9010 7015 9016 6010 7502 9016 9997 TRAIL 6505 9010 9008 6014 BEAVER 7502 9003 BANK BIG 9008 MOUNTAIN Hidden Hand 9016 Pass TRAIL 6010 9012 7501 9999 9003 9012 7502 ROSS LAKE 9010 7003 EAST NATIONAL RECREATION AREA BOUNDARY 7501 LAKE ROSS MOUNTAIN ROSS 7015 NORTH CASCADES NATIONAL PARK BOUNDARY DAM 9997 9016 7502 7501 Ruby Arm 6015 9001 7502 7015 6015 6009 7003 7015 9016 7500 9003 Happy JACK 6009 9999 7003 7502 7501 NORTH CASCADES HIGHWAY ( closed mid-Nov to April ) 9999 7501 6015 6014 Creek Diablo Lake DIABLO 6014 7502 Resort 7501 9997 TRAIL 6014 7015 7501 7015 9997 LAKE 6014 7003 7003 20 9999 7015 6009 7015 7015 7003 9999 DIABLO LAKE 6010 20 7003 6014 9016 48°42’30"N 9003 48°42’30"N 20 6014 6015 7015 9016 7003 6015 9012 6014 9012 7015 7015 9012 9012 NORTH CASCADES HIGHWAY 9016 7015 9003 THUNDER 7502 9010 7015 7501 9016 Thunder 9010 6015 7003 Lake KNOB 7501 7015 9999 9012 Pyramid 7015 6014 Lake Ruby 7003 9998 Mountain TRAIL Thunder Arm 9012 8006 9003 9012 7502 6014 9010 7015 6014 9012
    [Show full text]
  • Skagit - Ferc Project #553
    SKAGIT - FERC PROJECT #553 EROSION CONTROL PROGRAM 2005 COMPLETION REPORT North Cascades National Park and Seattle City Light March, 2006 1 INTRODUCTION As stipulated in the 1991 Erosion Control Settlement Agreement (SA) between the National Park Service (NPS) and Seattle City Light (SCL), erosion control activities in Ross Lake National Recreation Area (NRA) continued for a twelfth year (including pre-license work). NPS crews, funded by SCL, conducted work at several sites in 2005 (Figure 1). Activity this year focused on contingency cribbing site E70A-6B, twenty yards south of E70A-6 on Ross Lake. In addition, site D-11, Thunder Point Campground on Diablo Lake was undertaken and completed. Detailed accounting of expenditures is provided in other reports and is not duplicated here. The purpose of this report is to update the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) on progress under the terms of the new operating license for the Skagit Project. PROGRESS REPORTS BY PROJECT SITE D-11, Diablo Lake: Thunder Point Campground Approximately 250 ft of shoreline fronting the campground had become severely eroded. NPS erosion control crews in coordination with Seattle City Light barge, tug and boat crew imported 23 dump truck loads of building rock and one hundred yards of gravel. As per settlement agreement erosion control design, dry lay rock wall was installed to a height of 5’ along the 250’ of shoreline. Upon completion of dry wall, armor rock placed along the toe for the entire span. On the southwest end of the site, an additional 60’ of eroded shoreline was protected by half burying stumps in the drawdown and locking in drift logs in between the buried stumps and the shoreline creating a wave energy break.
    [Show full text]
  • Overview of Wheat Movement on the Columbia River Report Prepared August 17, 2016 All Data Based on Five Year Averages (2011-2015)
    Overview of Wheat Movement on the Columbia River Report Prepared August 17, 2016 All data based on five year averages (2011-2015) The Columbia-Snake River grain handling system includes: o 7 grain export terminals. o 26 up-country grain barge loading terminals along 360 miles of navigable river. o Eight dams that lift a barges a combined 735 feet. o 80 barges controlled by two companies (Shaver and Tidewater). The seven export terminals on the Columbia River annually export 26.5 MMT of grain, including 11.7 MMT of wheat. This makes the Columbia River the third largest grain export corridor in the world behind the Mississippi River and the Parana River in South America. Grain exports from the Columbia River continue to grow each year. Every year approximately 4.0 MMT of wheat, largely Soft White, is shipped down the Columbia River via barge from the states of Oregon, Washington, and Idaho. This is equivalent to: o 34% of all wheat exports from the Columbia River. o 15% of all grain exports from the Columbia River. o 15% of all wheat exported from the United States. o 70% of all wheat exported from the Pacific Northwest. o 50% of all wheat produced in the Pacific Northwest. The wheat moved by barge is largely sourced from the upper river system. o 18% from between Bonneville Dam and McNary Dam. o 36% from between McNary Dam and Lower Monumental Dam. o 46% from between Lower Monumental Dam and Lewiston, Idaho. o 54% of the wheat moved by barge moves through one or more of the four Lower Snake River dams.
    [Show full text]