Symposium Presenters Finalized: White Salmon River Fest 2011

With the removal of Condit Dam less than 4 months away, the White Salmon community has been buzzing with questions.

What will the river beneath Northwestern Lake look like?

How far will the salmon make it up the river?

What access point changes are taking place for kayakers, rafters, and fisherman?

This year's White Salmon River Fest and Symposium will help to clarify many of these burning questions.

While planning the festivities, we decided that symposium presentations should encompass as many different aspects of the landmark removal of Condit Dam as possible.  Just take a look at PacifiCorp's management plans and you'll understand how complicated this event really is.  With only 2 hours to convey all this juicy information we have narrowed it down to three speakers:

Amy Kobers from American Rivers will help us to understand hydropower removal on a broader scale.  While dams are beginning to come out of rivers all over the country, the Pacific Northwest is currently the hotbed for river restoration.  Learn why power companies are choosing to decomission hydropower projects and what this means for rivers throughout our nation.  

Learn more about Amy's work at American Rivers.  

Jeanette Burkhardt from Yakima Nations Fisheries will speak about past and present cultural significance of salmon on the White Salmon River.  One of the primary reasons for dam removal, fish passage up the river will not only change the biological characteristics of the river, but also social.  Once a popular fishing location for the Yakima Nations, the river has not seen naturally migrating fish since 1913.  Learn what this means for the current river enthusiasts and community members alike.

The final presenter will be announced in a few days once we have worked out the details.

We look forward to seeing all the community members come together for this exciting event!