State rejects tribe's bid to halt suction dredging

Early this month, the Karuk Tribe on the Klamath River had called for an end to suction dredging on parts of the river and many of its tributaries. The state Department of Fish and Game denied the petition Monday, saying such an immediate change of regulations may be made only if an emergency exists.

"There may be impacts (of dredging)," said Jordan Traverso, deputy communication director for DFG, "but these impacts are deferred, delayed over time."

The Karuk - which filed the petition along with the conservation groups California Trout, Friends of the North Fork and the Sierra Fund - contend salmon runs are collapsing partly because of the dredging, and the DFG should stop it.

"These guys are asleep at the switch if they don't think we have an emergency in terms of fisheries," said Craig Tucker, spokesman for the Karuk.

In search of gold, miners use gasoline- or diesel-powered pumps to suck up gravel from the bottoms of waterways and run it through sluice boxes.

Tucker said the dredging creates harmful conditions for salmon and steelhead by clouding the water with mud and stirring up mercury.

Some miners argue that the dredging actually improves the river for fish.

But the DFG said its scientists have found suction dredging harms fish, including coho salmon, and is in the process of doing something about it.

The agency plans to hire a consultant to conduct an environmental review of the rules guiding suction dredging, according to DFG's letter to the tribe.

"Based on that review, the department will propose amendments, as appropriate, to the regulations through the normal rulemaking process to ensure that suction dredge mining is not deleterious to fish," wrote Donald Koch, DFG's director.

Reporter Dylan Darling can be reached at 225-8266 or ddarling@redding.com.