Stauffer Creek @ Risk!!

[Smitty]

With Don's persuasion with the government, you would think he would rally for more money to give to our fisheries as a whole, and not just small projects in his area. Hes done alot for trout, but not our overall fishery. I never heard of him helping sturgeon, pike, whitefish and walleyes. How about saving the fish in our whole province for us (ALL SPECIES, not just trout)? If you can get a bit of money for one small area calling disaster, you could get enough for the whole province by doing the same thing. I think this province is a disaster

 

 

Steelhead

 

Steelhead:

 

I get what you're saying; it's a lot of expense and effort if Mother Nature is going to get her way anyways.

 

But;

1) If you're not orginally from around here, you might not get that Stauffer is a spring creek. Spring fed creeks that support trout fisheries are very few and far between in this province. Over 95% of the water leaving the mountains via streams are of the Freestone variety. I think that % could be higher. Certainly not I, nor is anyone else, gonna begrudge Don for being passionate about a "few" places.

2) You're being totally unrealistic by painting someone like Don as being selfish - cause that's exactly what you're implying, make no mistake - for having focus. Focus is good. You can't bite off more than you can chew. We had another fellow guide focus on helping out the South Ram. You're grasping here Steelhead, and your weakening your argument with these unnecessary potshots. Its not up to Don to save the walleye in Lac La Biche, it's up to the community of walleye anglers who use that fishery to protect it. It's not up to us to save Oregon steelhead, but we can help and sign a petition. The point is, we can all support each other in our pet causes, but part of leadership is directing your energy towards a few of them. You're a member of TU, what they heck have you done? And being a member of TU, what have you done to save sturgeon, walleye, pike, whitefish, and perch? The fact that Don and a few other sportsmen have even managed to get a little bit of pull speak volumes to the amount of effort they have put in.

 

Is it up to Don to put on cape and try and save this whole province? What about me? You? The rest of this board? The entire legion - thousands - of Alberta anglers? Who will take Don and Barry's place when they're gone? Someone ought to step up...

 

You think this province is a disaster? Again, what are you doing about it other than "whining" about it on a message board?

 

Just as an FYI, I have never met Don, and he likely hasn't much of a clue who I am, but I'd like to think I am both humble enough and smart enough to appreciate his work.

 

I sense your passion Steelhead, and your frustration, but I think it's completely misdirected. Better for you to sound off against the apathetic majority of this province who don't even bother to show up and vote, and don't even take the time to write letters.

 

Smitty

[johnbransfield]

Steelhead:

 

 

2) You're being totally unrealistic by painting someone like Don as being selfish - cause that's exactly what you're implying, make no mistake - for having focus. Focus is good. You can't bite off more than you can chew. We had another fellow guide focus on helping out the South Ram. You're grasping here Steelhead, and your weakening your argument with these unnecessary potshots. Its not up to Don to save the walleye in Lac La Biche, it's up to the community of walleye anglers who use that fishery to protect it. It's not up to us to save Oregon steelhead, but we can help and sign a petition. The point is, we can all support each other in our pet causes, but part of leadership is directing your energy towards a few of them. You're a member of TU, what they heck have you done? And being a member of TU, what have you done to save sturgeon, walleye, pike, whitefish, and perch? The fact that Don and a few other sportsmen have even managed to get a little bit of pull speak volumes to the amount of effort they have put in.

 

Is it up to Don to put on cape and try and save this whole province? What about me? You? The rest of this board? The entire legion - thousands - of Alberta anglers? Who will take Don and Barry's place when they're gone? Someone ought to step up...

 

You think this province is a disaster? Again, what are you doing about it other than "whining" about it on a message board?

 

Just as an FYI, I have never met Don, and he likely hasn't much of a clue who I am, but I'd like to think I am both humble enough and smart enough to appreciate his work.

 

I sense your passion Steelhead, and your frustration, but I think it's completely misdirected. Better for you to sound off against the apathetic majority of this province who don't even bother to show up and vote, and don't even take the time to write letters.

 

Smitty

 

I totally agree with you smitty, Don has done a great thing for one of the few and far between spring creeks of alberta.

 

Steelhead, why be so negative, Don has shed light on a terrible thing that could have happened to a very pretty creek that many people enjoy, that could have been changed for the worst.

Why shoot him down????

 

Just how i feel.....

[Ricinus]

Steelhead

 

The reason for going after Disaster Services for money is that no other department has any set aside for this sort of thing. We are dealing with a Govt Bureaucracy in its finest form. Everybody says something has to be done, but its not my department. The allusion that only 8-10 land owners are affected is not correct. That area is crisscrossed with older pipelines, compressor stations, wells etc. If one of the pipelines is unearthed and ruptured, I think that would make for a big disaster. What happens at Dickson Dam and downstream if the entire Clearwater River is added to the Drainage? I think this is a case of an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.

 

As for the fisheries themselves, we would be looking at the loss of two spring creeks ( Clear and Stauffer) and in a Province that has only a few, that is a significant loss. Think of the hundreds of thousands of dollars and Volunteer man-hours invested by TU and others that will lost if something is not done.

 

We are not talking a lot money here ( around half million for a permanent solution) When I look at the money this Govt has p*ssed away that's chicken feed.

 

Regards Mike

[shrek]

Rocky is the worst place to get things done ask anyone that lives there. I grew up in Rocky about 5 miles from Staufer creek. Neighbour was the one of the fish biologists.

 

One of the worst things in Rocky and area is the procrastination by all levels of government. It has been going on for years.

 

I hope this was a wake up call to locals. And the MLA's from that area. As Don has said having the flow from the clearwater being divered ino a different system has incredable effects.

 

I think I will have to bring my rod along and fish Stauffer creek when I visit the family.

 

 

Also thanks for the pictures of the home land. My parents told me abou the flood but it was hard to imagine the effects

[Brownstone]

wow..such tension..Stauffer is an incredible creek and would be a shame to loose it..I applaude Don for all his efforts regarding Stauffer and everything else he has done for us..

[DonAndersen]

Regarding Steelhead remarks:

 

1] He obviously has no idea where the headsprings are located. In Picture #4 in the previous post, the headspring for Stauffer is located mid-picture about 1/2 mile east. For Clear Creek headspring see picture #5 in the center of the picture in the grove of poplars.

2] He obviously can't read or he would have understood the danger to the infrastructure of the area if the Clearwater does go down the Stauffer drainage as both were detailed in my first post on the flooding. Curiously, neither did the Dept. of En. till last week. Maybe he has hope for work there.

3] He also doesn't understand that the land where the headspring of Stauffer is located is presently jointly owned by TUC, ACA & AF&G as part of those organizations efforts to protect this valuable fishery for all or the fact that the Rauch farm is located just south of the grove of poplars in picture #5 of the first set of pictures.

4] He doesn't know that over $250,000 has been spent renewing Clear Creek after the agri-damage.

5] And he clearly has no idea of the effort made by myself and others to enhance, preserve and protect these springs. There are quite rare in Alberta.

6] He doesn't have a clue that I've spent over 35 years in a host of activities related to the enhancement of all types of trout fishery in Alberta. Like the first C&R stream [ North Ram], like the first C&R low elevation lake[ ironside Pond] - aw *hit, I could go on for a while. As someone pointed out, if he had a clue, he wouldn't have posted his type of BS.

 

And finally, my thanks for the positive comments for you guys.

 

For those that are interested here are some pictures of the same site @ various points. Several of us were involved in the installation of tree roots in the areas of Clear Creek in 2003. This was in addition to the work previously done rebuilding the bank and revegetating the area.

 

 

Picture one is prior to the installation

 

 

Picture #2 after installation

 

 

 

Picture #3 was post June 2007 flood. Looks like the anchor points used for the tree revetments were adequate.

 

 

 

 

And fishing was OK today.

 

'nite

 

 

Don