Introduction

Water is one of the defining crises of the 21st century. In Environmental Science class we have looked at water issues through political, social, economic and ecological lenses, all shedding light on how we are dependent and connected to water locally and globally.

To culminate our water unit, students were assigned roles, representing a variety of stakeholders that would be involved if a hydroelectric dam were proposed on the South Yuba River. We held a mock court hearing where each representative stated their case and cross-examined one-another with pertinent questions, then, based on the validity of facts and presentation of the cases, a jury decided whether this mock dam proposal would pass.

Some students showed up in suits, some in their best fishing hats, depending on the role they were representing. Some came with operations manuals from their agency, and others based their case on real interviews they conducted with people in the field. Debate was lively, and in the end the jury ruled that this mock dam proposal would move forward.

The mock court hearing was based on initial proposals of damming the South Yuba in the late 1980s, which prompted the formation of the South Yuba River Citizens League (SYRCL), now a prominent watershed advocacy group. Through their efforts, 39 miles of the river became designated as Wild and Scenic, to be protected against dams and development under federal law.

Dam that River!

by Katherine Stone, student
I am here today representing Pacific Gas and Electric Company. PG&E has pursued initiatives, implemented programs, and advocated for policies that raised the bar on environmental stewardship in industries across the United States. We feel that Nevada County could greatly benefit from the installation of a hydroelectric dam on the South Yuba River.

We have carefully constructed plans that will provide needed electric power to the community, while complying with all environmental regulations. To protect wildlife resources, fish ladders will be installed to accommodate migrating fish such as trout and salmon.  The fish ladder will be engineered to fit the needs of all species taking the journey upstream.

We ask you to approve PG&E’s proposal for a licensed dam, to provide clean, renewable energy for Nevada County, and to demonstrate that the state of California can develop and support an advanced hydropower system.

Save Our River!

by Ruthie Hawley, student
For the last 150 years humans have manipulated the South Yuba River without relent. The earth, water and life in this blue-green river basin have been blown-up, washed away, and dammed. We at SYRCL oppose the building of a dam along the South Yuba River because it would be detrimental to fish populations, catastrophic to Native American peoples, and would violate guidelines set by the federal Wild and Scenic Rivers Act.

The South Yuba River is a rare home to one of the last remaining Chinook salmon runs. Fish ladder or no, a dam would inhibit the return to native spawning grounds upriver, with devastating consequences to the fish populations. This in turn will be culturally damaging to local Native American peoples, whose culture stems from a respectful relationship with salmon. The fish are more than just a food resource; their survival is a metaphor for the survival of the earth.

Contrary to the protections established by the Wild and Scenic designation, a dam would cause water quality to suffer and the river to change shape. We have seen it happen time and again. Please do not rob the Yuba and undo the work our organization has done to restore habitat destroyed by dams. Today you are graced with the opportunity to stop this manipulation. Think like a salmon, do not build this dam.