South Carolina groups want an increase in flows into Santee, Cooper rivers
By Gene Zaleski, The Times and Democrat, Orangeburg, S.C. -- June 26
Environmental and conservation groups are making their voices heard about management of the Santee Cooper lakes, one of the state's largest freshwater resources.
Santee Cooper (the nation's largest publicly owned electric utility among
state, municipal and district systems) filed for its renewal license March 15.
The license will be renewed in 2006 and will be a 30-year to 50-year license.
The SCCCL has joined with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the National
Marine Fisheries Service of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
and the American Rivers in bringing this issue to the forefront.
The groups would like to see the utility increase minimum flows into the
Santee and Cooper Rivers, although no exact flow numbers will be put forth until
the utility completes a stream flow study, said Gerrit Jobsis, a representative
of both the SCCCL and American Rivers.
"Santee Cooper has been delinquent in completing their licensing
study," Jobsis said, noting that some information, most notably a stream
flow study of the Santee River, is still said to be a year from completion.
"We are waiting for Santee Cooper to complete their requirement and to
provide the information the public needs."
Santee Cooper spokesman Willard Strong responded to the allegation by noting
that the study is to be completed by the spring of 2005, but he said weather
conditions prevented the conditions needed for an adequate lake level study.
"The stakeholders agreed to this," Strong said. "I would not
characterize this delay as delinquent in any way."
Santee Cooper is currently mandated by the FERC to flow a minimum of 500
cubic feet per second into the Santee River from the Santee Dam on Lake Marion,
and to discharge a 4,500 cfs weekly average from the Jefferies Hydroelectric
Station on Lake Moultrie into the Cooper River. The discharge is part of its
contract with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to prevent saltwater intrusion up
the Cooper River.
The Santee Cooper lakes were completed in 1942 after the Santee River was
dammed, part of the Santee Cooper Hydroelectric and Navigation Project.
Santee Cooper serves the municipal utilities in Bamberg.
Federal re-licensing is a complex and years-long process. Licensing applies
to all non-federal dams that produce hydropower.
Under federal law, a new license can be sought in two ways. The traditional
process is more formal, following a series of steps and public meetings. The
other alternative allows more negotiation among power companies, federal
regulators and interest groups.
"Santee Cooper has to look at the big picture when managing these
lakes," Strong said. "We have the unenviable position of trying to
balance the interests of all these constituents that use the lakes."
Strong said that Santee Cooper places a high priority on working with all
concerned agencies, but added that "you can't please everyone."
"There is no other practical way to do things ... if one group is
smiling and happy and overjoyed ... another group is really upset," Strong
said. "It is not an easy task to balance all of this."
On its Web site (www.scccl.org), the SCCCL cites that since the Santee Cooper
Hydroelectric and Navigation Project and rediversion attempts, the Santee River
has seen only 3 percent of its average yearly flow, while the Cooper River has
swelled to 200 times its natural flow.
Rediversion, the League states, "restored water flow only to the last 50
miles of the Santee," leaving 90 miles of the river down 3 percent from
original flows.
Jobsis, echoing what is posted on the SCCCL Web site, said the organization
desires to see river flows restored to natural levels. The result of the SCHNP,
he said, has thrown the system off-balance.
"The water quality is not good; there is low oxygen, high
temperatures," he said. "Santee has suffered drastically."
The League goes on to cite how restoring water flows would "allow fish
migrating upstream to reach historic spawning grounds currently blocked by the
dam and give an escape route to juvenile and adult fish striving to leave Lake
Marion."
Of particular note, the SCCCL notes how the "American shad and shortnose
sturgeon, an endangered species cannot get into the lakes because of the
dam" and how "continuing low water on the Santee hurts aquatic life
and hampers recreational pursuits such as canoeing, kayaking, boating,
fishing."
However, in a press release sent to various news outlets last week, the South
Carolina Waterfowl Association is crying foul over the "pressure" put
on by the various conservation and environmental groups as potentially damaging
to fish and waterfowl habitats and populations and, in turn, to the local
economy.
"It (the lowering of the lakes) would have tremendous economic damage to
communities around this lake," said David Wielicki, executive director of
the S.C. Waterfowl Association. "They want the world to go back to the way
it was 200 years ago and are not thinking about the impact it will have on the
existing fish, wildlife and the people who depend on the lake for their
livelihood."
Jobsis said the SCCCL plan would be to keep lake levels up and thus improve
the needed levels for waterfowl reproduction.
"You can't have it both ways," Wielicki said.
Wielicki noted that the SCWA will continue to address its concerns through
Congressman Jim Clyburn and by contacting the various Chambers of Commerce and
businesses along the lake.
"Increasing flows on the Santee Cooper lakes and building new fish
passages might be beneficial to the shortnose sturgeon, however, it will
devastate other fish populations," the release stated. "Fish need
rising water in the spring and high water in June to ensure a successful
spawning season. The new management would mean poor spawning conditions for
bass, bream, crappie, catfish and other fish species."
The loss, the release continues, would "decimate" species
population "resulting in poor fishing and the annual loss of millions in
revenue to the surrounding rural counties."
Dropping lake levels are also seen as detrimental to wood ducks by reducing
wetland acreage, resulting in low wood duck production and decreased winter
populations.
In the SCWA press release, the organization stated that it has an ongoing
relationship with the Santee Cooper Waterfowl and Fisheries Coalition and the
South Carolina Waterfowl Committee to develop a "comprehensive fish and
waterfowl restoration plan for the Santee Cooper lakes."
The SCWA highlights the fact that both Santee Cooper and the S.C. Department
of Natural Resources have endorsed the plan that is touted as "greatly
enhancing fish and waterfowl resources on this 160,000-acre lake system."
"We are worried we are going to lose our lake system," Wielicki
said.
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