Page 8 February 2,1982
Spilyay Tymoo
Chinook being reared to protect resource
by Marsha Shewczyk
Sixty-thousand fall Chinook
fries (young Chinook) have
recently been released into ten
tanks situated adjacent to the
D e s c h u te s R iv e r in a
prevention program initiated
by the Warm Springs Natural
Resources Department.
This preventive action was
planned to assure an adequate
number of emerging Chinook
for this year in case there was a
problem in the number of fall
Chinook hatching due to silt
deposits caused by the recent
removal of one of two coffer
dams at the Warm Springs
hdroelectric project.
With construction of the
Warm Springs hydroelectric
dam on the Deschutes River a
c o ffe r d am had to be
constructed in order to hold
w ater back allow ing the
pouring of concrete. There was
fear by many that the removal
of the coffer dam would create
enough mud and silt to cause
suffocation of fall Chinook
eggs deposited on the river bed
amidst the rocks. The silt
would prevent oxygen from
reaching the eggs.
The area near Pelton Dam
on the Deschutes River is used
by n u m e ro u s r e tu r n in g
chinook as spawning grounds.
They deposit eggs in the gravel
where there remains space
enough to allow sediment to
collect.
N orm ally, according to
wildlife biologist Terry Luther,
an annual flushing takes place
But with the dam regulating stressed th a t even m inor was difficult to measure,
water the sediment rends to sediment could suffocate the according to Luther, but he
collect more easily. Luther eggs.
said, “It looked good, but we
mav never know for sure, how
many, if any, of the Chinook
Concern in this matter was
expressed by representatives of were destroyed. There may be
v a rio u s a g e n c ie s a t an indications four years from
now but then there may be
environm ental task force factors
that occur else where to
meeting held' on August 11,
1981. A t t e n d i n g w e re change the n u m b e r” of
re p re se n ta tiv e s from the returning Chinook.
Confederated Tribes of Warm
Because the effect of removal
Springs, the Oregon Depart of the coffer dam is still
ment of Fish and Wildlife, the unkown the ten fish-rearing
U.S. Department of Fish and tanks were set up and and sixty
Wildlife, the National Marine thousand fall Chinook fries
F is h e rie s S e rv ic e , A SC were deposited in them. The
Construction Company and juveniles will be released in the
Portland General Electric.
re-regulating resevoir when the
number reach one hundred per
T h e re w as d is c u s s io n pound or on.April 15.
concerning the best time to
remove the coffer dam causing
Caretakers feed the fries
the least damage to the fall every 45 minutes, keep the
Chinook eggs and fries which tanks clean and are responsible
were expected to emerge about for their rearing.
the same time as the scheduled
dam removal operation. The
With concern of so many and
lives of thousands of Chinook with this preventive action, the
which would return in four fall Chinook run four years
years as full-grown spawning from now should remain
fish were at stake.
stable. What could have been a
L u th e r along w ith A1 disastrous move for the
L ic h e n s o f th e O re g o n Chinook and the W arm
D epartm ent of Fish and Springs environm ent, has
Wildlife emphasized mid-April turned out to be a lesson
as being the best time to remove environmental concern due to
the dam. Even an earlier time the many people who became
than the scheduled January involved and concerned for the
date was suggested to prevent naturally occuring Chinook
run threatened by technology.
damage.
This is something that should
Round Butte Fish Hatchery manager Ray H ill deposits some of
coffer dam was removed be of concern now and in the
60 thousand Chinook fries into tanks where they will be reared in The
late December. The silt level future.
until old enough to be released into the Deschutes River.
Spilyay Tymoo photo by Shewczyk
in the river with high water
removing much of the sediment
accumulated during the year.
Queen Sheilah Wahnetah
Local girl to reign as Hobbema princess
Thirteen year old Danell
Macy was selected last fall to
reign as the Hobbema princess
for the four band tribes of
Hobbema, Alberta, Canada.
The four bands are composed
of the Cree tribes of Sampson
band, Ermineskin band. Bull
band and Montana band.
Danell is a member of the
Princess Danelle Macy
Wasco/ Paiute tribe and is from
Warm Springs.
She is the great, great, great
grand-daughter to Chief Frank
Queahpama of the Warm
Springs tribe. She is an adopted
grand-daughter to Joe Rhoan
who gave her the Indian name
“Sky Woman.”
Nine months out of the year •
Danell attends Madras Junior
High school and helps at home.
The summer months are set
aside for traveling throughout
Canada and the United States
to many different powwows.
She says she enjoys meeting
different people from all over
and seeing many of her old
friends.
H e r h o b b ie s in c lu d e
horseback riding, bicycle riding
and dancing. She enjoys school
as well and has been named
student of the month. She has
been named to the honor roll
three times.
Danell’s parents are Charles
and Nancy Tailfeathers. She
has one sister, Shari and a
brother who is now married,
Craig Tailfeathers.
T o h e lp D a n e ll w ith
expenses during her reign her
parents are raising money with
a raffle and selling T-shirts.
Raffle tickets for a large stuffed
animal are selling for 50 cents a
piece or 3/$1.00. They may be
purchased from Charles or
Nancy Tailfeathers and from
various community members.
The T-shirts imprinted with
Lincoln’s Birthday Powwow
will be on sale beginning
February 1.
Queen Sheilah Wahnetah
reigned over the 23 rd Annual
Holiday Tournament held in
Warm Springs December 31
through January 2, 1982.
Seventeen year old Sheilah is
a senior at Madras High
School. Her favorite pastime is
being with her friends and
doing things together with
them.
She is Warm Springs/
C h e ro k e e a n d Y a k im a /
Umatilla. Her mother is Kate
Jackson and her grandmother
is Isabelle Keo.
F irst runner-up at the
to u rnam ent was L ucinda
H eath. O ther contestants
in c lu d e d S a n d r a S h ik e ,
Lorraine Suppah and Kathy
Danzuka.