On 5/13/14, the Stanislaus Fly Fishers will be hosting a screening of DamNation. This film challenges the notion that dams, the once prized feats of engineering and human achievement, are in fact crippling environmental ecosystems and killing off once plentiful and abundant salmon and steelhead runs by blocking access to miles and miles of prime spawning grounds. An old theory that "the damage is already done" and that these species can't rebound by dam removal, is shown to be proven wrong is this film as well. As fly fisherman, our thoughts and actions simultaneously fluctuate with the rivers we fish. For myself, this ultimately means that many of my days on the water change with the season and also unfortunately with the scheduled flow releases from our dams nearby. I've often pondered what life was like here in our Central Valley when our rivers ran free. In the fall, when I watch what few salmon are able to navigate the seemingly unnavigable local rivers, I think back to my childhood when my dad would take us to the Knight's Ferry bridge to watch the salmon spawn below. I would always stand there in awe of these marvelous creatures and only now as I've grown older does my appreciation for them deepen. There are countless threats against these fish, but undoubtedly the damming of our rivers were the first proverbial shot fired. If you think about rivers as the veins and arteries of this earth, than unequivocally, dams are the plaque build-up, that over time painfully leads toward a slow death. Just look at anadromous fish population records over time if you don't believe me. Sometimes a metaphorical quadruple bypass is needed and dams should come out. The time for this action is now, before we lose what we barely have left. Come to our screening of DamNation and see for yourself what our future could have in store if the right actions are taken!
Details:
When:
May 13, 2014
6:00 PM
Where:
Mill Creek Church
147 Auto Center Ct, Modesto, CA 95356
Cost:
FREE! (Dinner will be optional for a small cost)
