60 



TESTIMONY OF DR. JAMES R. KARR, DIRECTOR 



INSTITDTE FOR ENVIRONMENTAL STUDIES 

 UNIVERSITY OF WASHINGTON, SEATTLE. WASHINGTON 



BEFORE THE COMMITTEE ON MERCHANT MARINE AND FISHERIES 



and 

 SUBCOMMITTEE ON ENVIRONMENT AND NATURAL RESOURCES 



MARCH 9, 1993 



Thank you, Mr. Ch«lmuin, for Inviting im to «pp««r b«for« this conmlttBe to 

 cominent on the ctatue of watersheds In the Pacific Northwest and solutions to 

 restore them, including naturally spawning aalmon populations. 



^ What <« vour ss»e««m.nt o f rh« eondltton of rtvar BYStene In Ch« Pacific 

 Northwest und«r the present nanagentent reginte? 



Like rivers throughout North Anerica. the rivers of the Northwest have 

 been decimated in the last century. The magnitude of degradation In river 

 resources eclipses that of other resources that have received far more 

 attention (e.g., wetlands). That degradation is manifest in alteration and 

 destruction of stream channels, alteration of river flow patterns, speciee 

 endangerment and extinction, introduction of contaminants, declines in 

 commercial- and sport-fishery harvests, consumption advlsorlas due to 

 contamination of fish and shellfish, and degradation of the aesthetic values 

 of those river systems. An abundance of clean, productive streams and 

 riparian corridors has been reduced to vestiges. Appendix I provides more 

 detail on these points with quantitative Information and citations (Appendix 

 II) for the Northwest and nationally. 



Although continuing degradation of aquatic systems is obvious, even to 

 the untrained eye, concern by government agencies has been weak, 

 inappropriately focussed, and largely ineffective at reversing resource 

 declines. Failure to reverse the trend of aquatic degradation is xinacceptable 

 on legal, scientific, economic, and ethical grounds. 



2a. What are the essential arcribures of healthv vatershcdt nnd f lab 



habitat? 



A watershed "can be considered healthy when its inherent potential is 

 realized, its condition is stable, its capacity for self -repair when perturbed 

 is preserved, and minimal oxcamal support for management is needed" (Karr et 

 al. 1986). By any of these eriterle the watersheds of the Northwest cannot be 

 considered healthy. Over 97% of the naturally spatming salmon runs of the 

 Columbia River have been lost. Further, and perhaps of greater relevance, 

 100% of the production of major areas of the Columbia River watershed have 

 been lost. The situation Is similar for salmon, trout, and steelhead 

 throughout the region. How would we respond as a society if our agricultural 

 productivity declined by over 90%7 



All watersheds cannot be preserved in pristine condition. But we can 

 and should seek to protect rivers and their watersheds from the more egregious 



