161 



3 



1 (5) Development of the Russian River for bene- 



2 ficial uses has resulted in the degradation of the 



3 river system's riparian areas, streambed, water qual- 



4 ity and stream flows. The net result of construction 



5 and operation of dams and agricultural water diver- 



6 sions, water conveyance from the Eel River, past 



7 gravel mining, timber harvest practices, road build- 



8 ing activities, and residential and agricultural devel- 



9 opment of flood plains has been a substantial deg- 



10 radation of fish habitat in the River. These environ- 



11 mental alterations have caused a major decline in 



12 salmon and steelhead fish populations in the River, 



13 and have also had a negative impact on several other 



14 beneficial uses. 



15 (6) The Federal Government, through the con- 



16 struction of Coyote Dam in Mendocino County and 



17 Warm Springs Dam in Sonoma County and the 



18 Russian River Flood Control Project, is substantially 



19 responsible for the loss and degradation of fish habi- 



20 tat in the River. 



21 (7) Overlapping Federal, State, and local juris- 



22 dictions have historically hampered fishery conserva- 



23 tion efforts and prevented the Federal Government 



24 and the State of California from fulfilling their re- 



•HR 4408 IH 



