Califia Rex – Chapter XII (con't)
The disappearance of salmon from Pacific Coast waters is due to one primary factor: loss of habitat. The destruction of watersheds by logging, mining, development, aqueducts, agricultural operations, and dams has destroyed one of the world's greatest fisheries. Every stream between Siberia and Mexico used to contain salmonid species. The Indians say salmon were once so numerous that you could walk across rivers on their backs.
As a sovereign nation, California took the lead role in restoring the worlds fisheries. The first order of business was a five year moratorium on fishing within 200 miles of the coast. These were considered territorial waters, and any boats found within these limits were immediately impounded and refitted to tackle the Texas-size mat of plastic that is presently circulating in the Pacific. The crews put on a slow freighter bound in the general direction of Russia, Japan, or China, which were the primary offenders. Despite some threats and blustering, these countries soon complied with the new international boundaries, because trade with the nation of California was their primary source of income.
Then the dams were removed. The electricity they used to produce was easily replaced by solar, wind, and tidal systems. The water they formerly stored was replaced by rain-water capture and storage technologies. All agriculture and horticulture became organic/bio-dynamic. Growing crops appropriate to their specific micro-climate, eliminating mono-cropping, and limiting agricultural operations to 160 acres or less allowed more people to live on and off the land. Eliminating chemical fertilizers, pesticides, and hormones eliminated toxic run-off into watersheds and aquifers. Micro-hydration technology took drip irrigation to the next level of efficiency.
The fish hatcheries were dismantled, and hatchery raised fish and their mutant genes were fished out and otherwise allowed to die off. Fish farming operations were suspended, not just because they were environmentally unsustainable, but because they didn't work as a business model. Eliminating Federal government interference in California's affairs made it possible to manage our resources responsibly.
Logging operations were replaced by sustainable forestry practices. Trees were no longer used for paper. Hemp, bamboo, flax, kudzu, kenaf, and rice all produced paper superior to wood-pulp, and on a sustainable basis. Mining operations were eliminated where they were shown to impact the environment, and alternative sources of supply or alternate materials were found. Since there was no such thing as "developers" anymore, that problem solved itself.
The Eco-Rangers got to work, and soon the reservoirs became meadows again. Alien species were eliminated, starting with striped bass. Estuaries and lagoons were restored to their function as nurseries for dozens of species, including salmon and steelhead. Rivers and creeks once again ran wild and free. Vegetation returned, stream banks were stabilized, and stream beds filled with gravel. Slowly at first, and then exponentially, the salmon returned.
