Middle River Dispatches

A gumbo of fly-fishing, conservation, politics and days afield, for what it is worth....

Liam Diekmann and Odell Creek.

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O’Dell Creek holds a special place in my heart.

The first time I saw it was in August 2006 with Alex Diekmann. Alex and I worked together at the Trust for Public Land; he was a project manager, and I was a lobbyist. He found the places to protect, and I helped find the resources to try and protect them. One of the last times I was with Alex we fished O’Dell together.

photo:Alex Diekmann

The O’Dell project as it has come to be known is the conservation vision and hard work of Jeff Lazlo. Jeff  has made O’Dell Creek wetlands restoration an award winning model for citizen-driven conservation. In doing so he created a source of cold, clean water and a haven and breeding ground for native cutthroats in the Madison River.

Alex’s death was a blow to many of us, but his legacy of fishing and conservation I am delighted to say lives on in his youngest son Liam.

Liam writes of fishing and conservation for Mountain Journal. His latest article, For Every Great Trout Stream, There’s a Conservation Map, is his story about working on Lazlo’s, Granger Ranch, home to O’Dell Creek.

I thought the way you learned about trout was by catching them. But my project taught me how and why a good trout stream exists. Clean, cold water filled with healthy amounts of natural fish food doesn’t just happen.”

Liam is a fine young outdoor writer, and his work reflects a conservation ethos steeped in things he learned at his mother’s and father’s side. His articles in Mountain Journal are worth the read.

If you don’t know Mountain Journal, it is a new publication keeping a weather eye on the Yellowstone ecosystem. They are a not-for-profit public interest journalism outfit, check it out and shoot them a few buck so they can keep lights on and the presses running.

Tom, Liam, Alex photo: Logan Diekmann

Good news for wetlands protection

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Those of us who care about wetlands got some great news this week. the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee passed an amended version of the Clean Water Restoration Act. There is much work ahead but at least things are moving now.

Here is the release from the Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership:

Sportsmen Laud the Senate Advancement of the Clean Water Restoration Act
The Senate Environmental and Public Works Committee moves this crucial conservation legislation forward to protect America’s waters

WASHINGTON – In a clear vote to protect clean water and essential habitat for fish and wildlife, the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee today passed an amended version of the Clean Water Restoration Act.  The bill as approved reaffirms the original intent of the Clean Water Act to broadly protect water quality and the streams, lakes and wetlands important to our country.  The vote today creates momentum for legislation to be introduced and quickly considered in the U.S. House of Representatives.

“ America’s waters are closer to again having the comprehensive Clean Water Act protections that Congress intended,” said Jan Goldman-Carter, wetland and water resources counsel at the National Wildlife Federation. “This bill restores critical protections for our nation’s increasingly-precious fresh water resources while respecting private property rights and continuing longstanding Clean Water Act exemptions for agriculture and forestry.”

“This is a huge step toward restoring the Clean Water Act’s safety net for prairie potholes and well over 20 million acres of wetlands throughout the U.S. that provide critical habitat for waterfowl and other fish and wildlife – and hunters and anglers,” said Scott Yaich, director of conservation programs for Ducks Unlimited

By a vote of 12 to 7, the committee approved a substitute amendment offered by Sens. Max Baucus (Mont.), Amy Klobuchar (Minn.) and Chairman Barbara Boxer (Calif.) that:

  • Adopts a statutory definition of “waters of the United States” based on the long-standing definition in EPA and Army Corps regulations.  In addition, the amendment specifically excludes previously converted cropland and manmade waste treatment systems from the definition.
  • Deletes the term “navigable” from the Clean Water Act therby clarifying that Congress’ primary concern in 1972 was to protect waters from pollution rather than simply sustain navigation.
  • Includes a set of findings that clearly explains the Constitutional authority Congress has over an array of waters and wetlands.
  • Preserves existing exemptions from the Clean Water Act for farming, ranching,mining, energy development and forestry activities.  

A series of amendments to gut the definition of “waters of the United States,” including removing protections for streams and prairie potholes, were defeated.

“Hunters and anglers know first-hand the importance of wetlands, lakes and streams,” said Geoff Mullins, Policy Initiative Manager at the Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership. “Restoring these clean water protections will ensure that sportsmen can enjoy these resources for generations.  Thursday’s committee vote represents the biggest step yet towards restoring these much needed protections in the past eight years.”

“Today’s vote is a major step toward restoring traditional Clean Water Act protections for streams, lakes and wetlands in our communities,” said Scott Kovarovics ,Conservation Director at the Izaak Walton League of America.  “There’s clear momentum now for legislation to be introduced and considered in the House of Representatives this summer.”

“This is not ‘the biggest bureaucratic power grab in a generation,’ as some have said, but rather it is about clean water and healthy watersheds for future generations,” said Steve Moyer, Vice President for Trout Unlimited. “Two bad Supreme Court decisions have derailed the Clean Water Act, and today’s courageous action by the Committee gets us a big step closer to getting the law, and all its clean water benefits, back on track,” said Moyer.

Thursday’s vote would not be possible without leadership from Sen. Russell Feingold (Wisc.) and EPW Chairman Barbara Boxer (Calif.).  Sen. Feingold has introduced the Clean Water Restoration Act in multiple Congresses and consistently championed the fight to protect drinking water and critical habitat.  This year, Chairman Boxer seized brought the bill to a vote less than three months after it was introduced.  We also commend Sens. Baucus and Klobuchar who brokered the amendment language that facilitated passage of the bill.

Contact: Geoff Mullins, 202-654-4609, gmullins@trcp.org

Sportsmen Laud the Senate Advancement of the Clean Water Restoration Act
News for Immediate Release
June 18, 2009
Contact: Geoff Mullins, 202-654-4609, gmullins@trcp.org