6 MAY 2011 THE OSPREY • ISSUE NO. 69 ’s Dirty Secret: Searsville Dam By Matt Stoecker — Beyond Searsville Dam — Matt Stoecker grew up next to Corte option for most parties involved and ed watershed, but none have returned Madera Creek, upstream of Searsville for a variety of safety, biological, and for the last half-century. The once siz- Dam, and is director of the non-profit operational standpoints. The dam pro- able, and still persistent, annual adult coalition Beyond Searsville Dam. To vides no flood control function, pro- steelhead run has been well document- find out more and join the coalition duces no hydro power, produces no ed for over a century, with consistent visit their website at: drinking water, and supplies a small observations to the present. In the BeyondSearsvilleDam.org amount of Stanford’s total “lake” irri- 1990s, I watched in amazement as 30- gation water supply. Stanford diverts inch steelhead launched against the ehind the locked gates and water from three San Francisquito face of the concrete dam only to fall tall, barbed wire fencing of Creek watershed locations and into back in defeat. Stanford University’s this lake system to feed the thirsty golf The impassable Searsville Dam has Jasper Ridge Biological course, playing fields, and landscaping. been identified as the most limiting Preserve hides the institu- Searsville Dam is one of the diver- factor to the persistence and recovery tBion’s dirtiest and most misunderstood sions. The relatively small amount of of steelhead in the San Francisquito secret: Searsville Dam. For 120 years Creek; one of the last, sizable, wild this antiquated dam and artificial populations left in streams of the San reservoir have devastated the . The Center for Francisquito Creek watershed and San The impassable Ecosystem Management and Francisco Bay ecosystems. Restoration identified the watershed as Searsville Dam is the a key “anchor watershed” for wild The obsolete dam steelhead recovery in the San most limiting factor Francisco Bay. Interestingly, politics Built between 1888 and 1892 by the played a role in preserving the creek. Spring Valley Water Company, the 65- in recovering the The lower mainstem of San foot tall concrete block dam was Francisquito Creek was designated the intended to divert the captured waters steelhead of San boundary between San Mateo and of Corte Madera Creek through a Santa Clara counties long ago. pipeline to the Crystal Springs Francisquito Creek. Fortunately, the two counties couldn’t Reservoir, being built to the north, and agree upon how to put the creek in a supply drinking water to the San Searsville water could be captured concrete channel, like other Bay Francisco Peninsula. When the stag- with a damless diversion and stored in streams, or on who would pay for it. nant reservoir filled up, the unpleasant expanded and existing off-stream The result is that the creek is one of smelling water derailed the original reservoirs. the few urban streams left that drains purpose and the pipeline was never into the Bay without concrete channels built. Searsville Dam never served its Salmon and steelhead be dammed and in a relatively natural state. The intended purpose as a potable water headwater streams of the watershed source and was taken over by Stanford Stanford Historical Society book drain extensively protected open in the early 1900s. Today, the reservoir “The History of Jasper Ridge” recalls space lands along the spine of the is over 90% filled in with almost 1.5 that after construction of Searsville Santa Cruz Mountains above the towns million cubic yards of trapped sedi- Dam, the dam caretaker harvested of Woodside and Portola Valley. For ment and may fill in completely in one salmon at the base of the dam where these reasons, steelhead continue to or several years, depending on flows they were blocked. “When the dam was hold on below Searsville Dam and in and erosion upstream that awaits input “wasting” (i.e. overflowing) in the win- the other two tributaries downstream. from winter rains, landslides, potential ter, salmon would swim upstream as Native , the descen- fires, and movement on the San far as the dam. Using a pitchfork, the dents of sea-run steelhead, also persist Andreas Fault. One thing that most caretaker could spear them to supple- in Corte Madera Creek and tributaries people agree on is that if nothing is ment the family’s diet”. Additional upstream of the dam. These upstream done, the remnant reservoir will com- oral, written, and archeological lines of trout are also at risk of extinction due pletely fill in with sediment in the very evidence support the historic presence to the upstream migration barrier of near future. This is not an acceptable of in the redwood-forest- Continued on next page THE OSPREY • ISSUE NO. 69 MAY 2011 7

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Searsville Dam, which has fragmented and genetically isolated the population, causing inbreeding and susceptibility to climate change impacts. The ecolog- ical significance of the loss of steel- head and salmon to the upper water- shed cannot be overstated. Historic annual runs of these amazing fish transported tons of ocean-derived nutrients back to the Bay, up , and throughout the many headwater streams to the benefit of dozens of other species of animals and even creekside vegetation and the redwood forest. Juvenile steel- head and salmon migrating from San Francisquito Creek to the sea, as well as outmigrating adult steelhead, also fed marine fishes, birds, seals, dol- phins and even orca whales thousands of miles away. Like so many others, Searsville Dam has severed that criti- cal flow of nutrients between our conti- nental and oceanic ecosystems.

Over a century of damage continues Steve Rothert, with American Rivers, ponders the future of Searsville Dam as the lack of bypass flows dewater and degrade the creek below. Photo by Matt Stoecker The dam and reservoir buried and submerged a unique valley where over crawfish, and bullfrogs are known to Stanford’s plan and included in Beyond six streams flowing from all directions be detrimental to steelhead and red- Searsville Dam’s public comment let- came together among natural wetlands legged frogs.” Surprisingly Stanford’s ters for the draft HCP and draft before squeezing through a small recently proposed Habitat Environmental Impact Statement gorge where the dam was built. This Conservation Plan (HCP) states that (DEIS). intersection of riparian forests, the Jasper Ridge Biological Preserve The administrative director at Jasper streams, and natural ponds was a criti- “is not operated as a refuge for native Ridge, Philippe Cohen, often describes cal wildlife corridor for aquatic and plants and animals” and the HCP the artificial reservoir as somehow terrestrial species and a unique wet- includes no proposal to rectify this being integrated into the environment, land habitat. The dam’s concrete wall destructive condition. This situation after more than a century, and valu- and artificial swamp submerged this makes one wonder exactly what is able as wetland habitat that supports natural wetland ecosystem and is now being “preserved” at Jasper Ridge and high densities of birds and bats. This filling it with sediment that is so des- if the Preserve’s stated mission is con- portrayal fails to recognize that the perately needed for wetland survival sistent with Stanford’s stated goals of artificial reservoir destroyed exten- and restoration efforts downstream in protecting endangered species and sive natural wetland habitat that the San Francisco Bay. native habitat. There are evidently native species evolved with, and The warmwater habitat of the rapid- multiple issues of consistency. Searsville operations continue to ly disappearing reservoir supports The draft HCP also states that “about degrade the environment far beyond non-native and predatory fish, bull- 3 to 5 miles of suitable spawning habi- the No Trespassing signs surrounding frogs and crawfish. These predators tat” for steelhead occurs upstream of Jasper Ridge. The U.S. Geological disperse downstream to compete with Searsville Dam. Our analysis identified Survey (USGS) recently reported that and prey upon endangered and native almost 2.5 miles of steelhead habitat “major causes of wetlands loss and steelhead, red-legged frogs, San buried and submerged by the reser- degradation” include “damming, Francisco garter snakes, juvenile voir and trapped sediment alone. changing nutrient levels, introducing western pond turtles, and other aquat- National Marine Fisheries Service non-native species to the ecosystem.” ic and terrestrial species. Stanford’s (NMFS) recently completed a separate Searsville scores three for three there. own Philippe Cohen and David analysis and estimated that 20 or more A Heinz Center report, “Dam Removal: Freyberg report that Searsville miles of upstream steelhead habitat Science and Decision Making,” states Reservoir is the “primary source” of may be blocked by the dam. This is that “more than half of all the animals non-native fish in the watershed and just one of the dozens of significant and plants on the endangered species that non-native “fish species, both inaccuracies we identified in Continued on next page 8 MAY 2011 THE OSPREY • ISSUE NO. 69

Continued from previous page list owed their precarious positions to water control structures” such as dams.

A vision for the future?

The dam’s supporters often speculate that removing the dam and reservoir may have an overall negative impact to the Jasper Ridge ecosystem despite no studies to support this notion and evi- dence to the contrary. A recent study and report by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and the University of Idaho found that this year’s removal of two large dams, and their artificial reservoir habitats, from the Elwha River in Washington would benefit native birds, fish, frogs, salamanders, and other species. “On the whole, the negative wildlife impacts caused by the dam removal will be negated by the positive effects on the wildlife of the Elwha.” In addi- tion to the above, Searsville Dam removal could be accomplished while stabilizing much of the riparian forest habitat that has grown up on the edge of the reservoir sediments and retain- ing significant open water habitat at historic wetland ponds and enhanced natural flood protection features. As the summer sun heats up the exposed Searsville Reservoir, the aquatic conditions degrade as algae bloom, dissolved oxygen levels drop, and water temperatures and turbidity increase. The combined impacts of water evaporation from the reservoir, water diversions, and no downstream bypass flow agreement at the dam causes the downstream creek to dry up A late 1800’s survey map that shows the proposed Searsville Dam site (upper right) for a longer period in the summer and and the unique confluence of meandering streams, wetlands, and small gorge now fall and water quality to decline. These buried by the dam and reservoir. A vision for the future? degraded habitat conditions extend downstream of the dam the full length and its 19th century operations appear and operations are so far out of envi- of San Francisquito Creek to the Bay. to be in violation of over a dozen state ronmental compliance that the HCP The fact that a leading institution and federal laws. would never be permitted with them in preaching “water sustainability” and it. For at least four of the species they endangered species protection has no A flawed Habitat Conservation seek coverage for in the HCP (steel- operational bypass flows at a dam, reg- Plan...again! head, red-legged frog, San Francisco ularly dewaters listed Critical Habitat garter snake, and western pond turtle), for steelhead and other federally listed Amazingly, Stanford’s current HCP Searsville Dam and its operations are species, and that the resource agencies proposal to NMFS and the U.S. Fish one of, if not the, most limiting factor are letting them do it, is a sad report and Wildlife Service (USFWS) for their to their persistence and recovery on card on the current state of Stanford over 8000 acre campus has requested Stanford lands and beyond. On May 1, education, leadership and public that Searsville Dam and its activities 2011, along with our partner American agency protection of our imperiled be excluded from the HCP. This is a Rivers, Beyond Searsville Dam has natural heritage. The antiquated dam blatant acknowledgement that the dam Continued on next page THE OSPREY • ISSUE NO. 69 MAY 2011 9

Continued from previous page alone meet the objec- tives of one of the submitted a letter to NMFS and nation’s largest restora- USFWS stating that Stanford cannot tion efforts to convert legally separate Searsville Dam and its thousands of acres of diversion activities from the lake former salt evaporation water diversion system for which they ponds back to natural seek coverage and of which Searsville wetlands. Billions of activities are an integral component. If restoration dollars are Stanford is unwilling to address the at risk of disappearing many state and federal non-compli- underwater. One of the ance issues related to Searsville in this only cited long-term HCP, then the federal agencies must solutions to restoring ensure that they cannot obtain cover- sediment transport to age for their intergraded and improp- coastal wetlands so erly operated lake water system either. they can survive pro- Stanford’s own documents state that jected sea level rise is Searsville is an integral part of the the removal of dams The LEED certified “green” field station at Jasper Ridge lake water system. that are trapping this next to the destructive, non-compliant, Searsville Dam critical building block. and disappearing reservoir. Photo courtesy Beyond Damming the Bay Searsville Dam Hypocrisy at the high- est level Recent studies are showing that trap- evaluate and consider removing ping sediment behind dams is also Searsville Dam in a manner that is The disconnect between what putting coastal wetlands at risk of col- beneficial to protecting creekside com- Stanford faculty is teaching about eco- lapse due to climate-change-induced munities, watershed health, and the logical preservation, water conserva- sea level rise. The State of Delaware San Francisco Bay. tion, and climate change, and how the and University of Maryland recently For over a decade, stakeholders have university is addressing Searsville reported that, “diminished river sedi- been trying to collaborate with Dam, an embarrassing HCP proposal, ment is a significant problem, and Stanford on studying dam removal as operations of their own water supply, when coupled with continued sea level an option to consider for Searsville. An and their stewardship of the San rise, the Delaware and Chesapeake offer by the Department of Water Francisquito Creek watershed and SF Bay estuaries may see the potential Resources to conduct a dam removal Bay region begs the question: ‘Who’s at collapse of hundreds of thousands of feasibility study for free was turned the helm of this ship and are they lis- hectares of coastal marsh in the com- down. Stanford has resisted involve- tening to what their own scientists and ing decades.” Along the Texas coast ment from stakeholders and flood pro- experts are teaching and promoting USGS found that “…upstream reser- tection agencies downstream who are elsewhere?’ While many scientists and voirs have reduced wetland sedimen- significantly impacted by any decision leaders at Stanford are teaching and tation rates, which are now about one- at the dam. To this day, a dam removal doing exactly the right things, there half the local rates of relative sea-level feasibility study has never been con- are others involved with Searsville and rise” and that coastal wetlands “will ducted. The science is clear that the HCP process that are promoting continue to be lost as a result of sub- restoring free-flowing streams by inaccurate information that is discon- mergence and erosion.” On the Gulf removing antiquated dams is not only nected from accepted scientific fact, coast, another team of USGS scientists feasible, but is accelerating at a rapid environmental laws, and informed found that, “There are many causes of pace and provides enormous environ- decision making. The single biggest wetland loss, but chief among them are mental, economic, and social benefits. challenge for the leadership at the dams, levees, navigation projects The Aspen Institute report, Dam Stanford in addressing the complex and channels erected along the main- Removal: A New Option for a New Searsville Dam situation may very stem and major tributaries of the Century, states: “Dam removal may well be the ability to distinguish Mississippi River. They have resulted result in environmental improvements between the bright minds available to in a 67 percent decrease in sediment by restoring natural flows to a river, lead on this issue and the misguided delivered to the Louisiana coast, a nec- removing blockages to fish movement, ones that continue to hold it back. essary process to keep marshlands reestablishing healthy river habitat replenished.” And right here in the San for fish and wildlife and improving Opportunity amid the muck Francisco Bay, near the mouth of San water quality. Dam removal may pro- Francisquito Creek, teams from USGS vide social benefits by eliminating Beyond Searsville Dam is a non-profit are finding that there may not be safety hazards... and economic benefits coalition of over three dozen groups enough suspended sediment from by avoiding costs associated with dam and businesses and over 3000 mem- rivers and streams draining into the safety improvements and environmen- bers and supporters that share a com- Bay to prevent coastal wetland col- tal impact mitigation.” According to lapse in the face of sea level rise, let mon interest in supporting actions to Continued on next page 10 MAY 2011 THE OSPREY • ISSUE NO. 69

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American Rivers, more than 600 dams in the U.S. have been removed over the past 50 years. Owners of antiquated dams are lining up to take advantage of the funding and regulatory benefits afforded with dam removal projects. Stanford University has an amazing opportunity to work collaboratively with the surrounding communities to show leadership in community plan- ning, land stewardship, sustainable water use, and the science of water- shed-scale ecosystem restoration at a revived Jasper Ridge Biological Preserve. With over a century of scien- tific investigations at Jasper Ridge, surrounding Searsville Dam and Reservoir, the potential to remove the dam and study the restoration is a research opportunity of international significance and would establish A 31-inch San Francisquito Creek steelhead is rescued from a drying reach below a Stanford as a leader in environmental- diversion dam and transferred to a deep pool. Photo by Matt Stoecker ly beneficial science and responsible land and water stewardship. Alternatively, if the university contin- ues sailing on the same misguided The Osprey on the Web course, there appears to be an iceberg The Osprey now has its own website, http://www.ospreysteelhead.org/. ahead. Learn about our history, check on the status of wild steelhead and salmon populations and download past copies of The Osprey. Take action! To donate to The Osprey, go to: www.fedflyfishers.org and click on the Demand that our federal agencies not “Support Us” tab under the “Home” tab. Be sure to specify your donation is consider finalizing their draft EIS for for The Osprey. Stanford’s flawed Habitat Conservation Plan, that Stanford acknowledge and Also,check out our blog at: http://ospreysteelheadnews.blogspot.com/ adequately address Searsville Dam as an integral part of their “lake” Water system in their HCP, and that a revised THE OSPREY NOW OFFERS ELECTRONIC MAILING and corrected HCP and supplemental draft EIS be released to the public for review and comment. Thanks. Subscribers may now, at their option, receive The Osprey as a PDF file attached to an e-mail. Please send an email to: The Osprey staff wants to emphasize that this is subscribers’ choice based on how you prefer to receive mailings and what fits your lifestyle. Some pre- Gary Stern, National Marine Fisheries fer the speed and ease of forwarding, copying, and manipulating that elec- Service: [email protected] tronic documents provide. For others, there is no substitute for a printed doc- ument that can be read anywhere. To open PDF files, e-mail subscribers will Sheila Larson, U.S. Fish and Wildlife require the Adobe Acrobat Reader, which can be downloaded free of charge Service: [email protected] at: www.adobe.com/products/reader/ Catherine Palter, Stanford If you are an existing subscriber who would like to switch to e-mail deliv- Environmental Planning: ery or a new subscriber for either printed or e-mail delivery, please complete [email protected] the redesigned coupon on Page 19 and send it to the Federation of Fly Fishers with your contribution to support The Osprey and the cause of recovering John Hennessy, Stanford President: wild steelhead and salmon. [email protected] Effective immediately you also have the option of making a secure credit card donation to support The Osprey and wild steelhead and salmon by going Please copy Beyond Searsville Dam to the following link: http://www.fedflyfishers.org/Default.aspx?tabid=4329. at: [email protected] By either means, the steelhead and salmon will thank you for supporting The Osprey.