Any more news?

Did it die?

Is the state going to roll over and play dead?

Is the county going to roll over and play dead?

Did the framer get away with murder? (lot of dead fish)

Homer - What I heared is that them tarheels up river caught them one sorry rebel what was rootin' in da river and they hog-tied him and made him squeal like a sow for bringing all that heat from da flat landers up der.

Heared dey rolled him in spruce pitch an den in da feathers from one a dem fish vultures and stretched his neck like a shypoke so's he won't be rootin' roun' like a hog no more.

Also heared da fish is all dead now so's the flat landers gots ta find elsewhere's ta fish.

Amen brother Plunker!

Put the fear of the fishaman in him!

It sounds like someone needs to donate a considerable amount of money and spend about 52 weekends on designated stream restoration projects.

Plunker,
Dafish are there, BIG ONES

State has let the County take over, Law Suit
(Sorry, to say that)

Wol,
Skagit Watershed Council

What did I miss? Can anyone fill me in, please?

Fun5Acres
Looks like the state gave up and pass the law suit to the county

You gotta be kiddin us homer.

Da state passed e buck? They been moonin'? Me thinks they been passin some o' dat up river shine dat them county boys get so fond of. They be staggerin' wit da persecution.

That's why dem fish be all gone. Dadburned flatlanders runnin' all roun' wit dem cameras scared dem good ol' boys into dumpin' all dat fine raw squeezins in da river.

Kilt half da fish and da other half done got so tipsy dey just slid on back to Lyman where da bonkers gots'm all put up for eatin's.

Sorry guys, I usually try not to take any kinda political stance on anything, especially over the web when it comes to fishing. It is my business and I try to stand by the rule I was taught a long time ago by another veteran guide, "No Negatives!" but this ones got me a little torqued.

I read the previous posts on this while over on the Olympic Peninsula a week or so ago and frankly the lynch mob mentality of many that posted outraged me.

Over 90% of you that posted on the situation are not local to the area and haven't even seen what was done first hand other than pictures and what you've read or heard. You are quick to condemn someone for something you really know nothing about.

"JUDGE NOT LEST THEE BE JUDGED"

I personally witnessed how the October floods up here absolutely devastated the local community, people & property, and that those 100+ CFS flows on the Sauk alone put the fear for life in many.

Take a walk in another man's shoes for a moment : Now you're a local up here and live riverside with 100+ CFS flows pounding yer property and home, you know personally many that have lost their homes to the river and lives that have been destroyed...and you know nothing about fisheries and spawning habitat, ect. You also feel strongly that local and federal Govt doesn't really give a crap about you and the local community. Do you try and save your property and way of life; the only life you know?

The subject on trial by you here was just trying to protect the only life he knows. Rather than condemn the local comunity why not try and educate them?

I did float the upper Sauk yesterday and saw the burm first hand. Yes, part of it does run through a small section of an old side channel of the Sauk and yes, maybe a few redds were damaged perhaps even destroyed.

Much of the local community up here already distrusts outsiders & the Govt. This kind of persecution can only divide anglers and the community further.

Johnny, You make some good points in your post, especially about walking in another man's shoes. However, just what part of living near a river was surprising to this landowner? That rivers flood? That they are protected by law? That he was at risk? I am sick and tired of folks believing that they "own" the river. I saw it in the article about WSR - believe the quote was about how Seattlites were coming over to fish their rivers. The rivers and the resource are owned by the public and when someone takes this kind of action, they are hurting everyone. They should be prosecuted to the full extent of the law and if necessary, be made an example of. Living on a river has many advantages, however, there are realities that one must be aware of. No man should be above the law. And, no man is above the laws of flowing water!!!

Thanks Eddie

My family has lost land on the Sauk River!
That one thing you know is going to happen when you live on a river, lake, or the sound.

Try again Johnny!

Plunker,
As long as themthere bigges dontget to JohnsonBar wherethem bonkersare!

Homer -
This type of violation (the hydraulics code) are prosecuted in County court (in this case Snohomish County) by the county propsecuting attorney. To get the case to court the agent (arresting officer) needs to met with the propsecuting attorney, present them with the evidence and the County bring the case to court. To bring all the need information together to gain a conviction takes a fair amount of time.

Do you suppose that you and others are jumping to conclusions?


Tight lines
S malma

Yep

Me for one

Thanks for clearing it up!

I know an individual just downriver from the site in question. He didn't build on the river, he built nearly 1/2 mile from the river, ten years ago. So far he has lost over 50 acres and the river is less then 1/4 mile away.

Nothing has been said about the county and state dumping thousands of yards of rock and rip-rap in the river to save the bridge and the highway. This has been going on almost non stop since the flood. They are the only ones who can afford this as mitigation.

I particularlly resent people living on the Skagit, with mowed lawns right down to the river bank, calling for someones scalp. When they have their 100 foot, native plant buffer firmly established, then they can talk.

I want to see some consistency. I share a class III stream with next door neighbors, who were told not to cut any trees within 100 feet or they wouldn't get a building permit. They waited one year after construction and cut and mowed right to the bank. Then they used a tractor to clean every log out of the bed. The county has come out and looked, has never done a thing.

OntheSauk, the fellow who lives downstream, has he been able to determine if man made factors (clearing, diversion, development) are a factor in his loss of land? If so, he at least has the possibility of trying to get compensation via the Courts. Given the wildness of the Sauk, a 1/4 mile movement is nothing. I've seen the Queets move the entire river channel by at least 1/2 mile within a week!! Once again, let the Buyer beware - rivers flood and sometimes rage. They take land and sometimes lives. So it goes.

Plunker, Homer, John, Justin, Smalma, Todd, someone, in plain English, please fill me in here....I musta missed something. I get the gist but I would like some details.

Fished the seemingly fishless Sauk (skunked again) last weekend and couldn't even scratch out a lousy Dolly.

The skunk day was at least brightened by the opportunity to fish for wild fish in marvelous spring weather on a local river, the outstanding air show put on by the Oak Harbor Flyboys (thanks guys), and had the chance to meet BB member Todd and his partner on the river.

Just in case any of you were wondering...my dog, who I consider an excellent judge of character, wholeheartedly approved of both Todd and his partner, evident by the many smooches I saw her giving them.

Sorry about those Zags Todd....Ouch!!! I e-mailed you my phone numbers, let me know if you don't get them.

Ike

One of our PSA members wrote to the WDFW asking the status of the Sauk River situation and was told that a press release from the WDFW was pending.

OnTheSauk:

I particularlly resent people living on the Skagit, with mowed lawns right down to the river bank, calling for someones scalp. When they have their 100 foot, native plant buffer firmly established, then they can talk.

I don't know of anyone who lives on the upriver part of the Skagit that does not take the river into acct. when planning their backyard landscaping...and if they didn't before they sure do now!

My neighbor has a nice lawn in back that runs right to the top of the bank edge, and when the Oct. 21st. flood came it (entire back yard) was totally immersed in water and ended up with an inch of pea sized gravel on it..but they also accept that's just part of the deal living here.

I live on the Skagit, and while folks work to improve their property everyone takes into account that whatever they do riverside is subject to being ripped right out come the spring/fall floods.

I lost a foot+ of property (80' of vertical bank moved (ie: ripped away) back towards my home. My neighbor is looking to have his house moved back 80', as what was once a balcony overlooking the short backyard now overlooks the cliff.

Also, just because the guy next door breaks the law, and is yet to be prosecuted for it, does not give others any right to break that same law without retribution. Being bitter about it and carrying a grudge against folks who (so far) have gotten away with illegal dirt moving, etc. will only give you an ulcer.

I've got/had/got my 100' native plant buffer...the river took what was there, left a bunch of new stuff and then has since remodeled that a couple of times...and that's just in the 6 months we have lived here. It's part of the "package" of living so close to such beauty.

The rivers got its own ways, and at anytime she can get a bug up her tail-end, get together with Old Mom Nature and and decide to just take out whatever she wants, including my house, yours and all the foo-foo yards within reach.

Mike B

Smalma,

Good call on the County taking the lead...it's especially true if there are any criminal issues to look at. The state and the feds would both likely thankfully allow the County to take charge.

On any civil actions, however, there are a few different possibilities. Some civil penalties that would come from the state would come directly from a successful criminal prosecution by the county, but others may have to be done in a separate WDFW vs. landowner action. Same with the feds, if they choose to pursue it, too.

For the most part, however, the investigating officers, regardless of their affiliation, would give evidence of crimes to the County Prosecutor's Office, who would develop the evidence into a charge, make the charge, and try it in the County Courthouse.

IKissMykiss,

Nice meeting you and your pooch on Saturday. Nice day to fish, too bad it wasn't a good day to catch, too! BTW, I didn't get your e-mail, so here's my address

c_n_r_nates@hotmail.com

What happened was that a few weeks ago a landowner on the upper Sauk trundled some heavy equipment out onto the flood plain and into the river to do a little flood damage rehab and preventive maintenance, apparently without permits, and likely in violation of county, state, and federal laws. The investigation is ongoing.

Mike B., I was going to stop by and see if the pot of hot coffee would be available, but we ran out of time, and it sounds like you were out fishing that day, anyway. Catch you next time.

Fish on...

Todd