Environment
The Puyallup Tribe Triumphs Over Electron Hydro in Court:
The Damn Dam Must Go
BY Lahar
In the shadow of Mount Tahoma, the Puyallup River is reborn daily, cradled by glaciers that grind rock into silt and gravel. These icy midwives sculpt the river’s path, creating bars of sand and gravel that release the waters to wander. The river, laden with this glacial gift, swells and spills over its banks when the rains come, painting the landscape with a broad brush of braids and meanders.
Once not too long ago, this dance between water and sediment wove a rich tapestry of wetlands, a haven for fish and fowl, where the river bridled the sea at Commencement Bay as a bejeweled emerald necklace: the tide flats. But the march of progress has throttled the river’s natural rhythm. Dams and levees now cinch its flow, and where the estuary once sprawled, like a multi-tentacled arthropod, the Port of Tacoma now squats—a parking lot of consumer junk where a natural masterpiece once lay.
The river still remembers the salmon, though. Chinook still occasionally leap in its fall run, joined by coho, pink, and chum. Steelhead and cutthroat trout navigate its currents, and the rare bull trout whispers of a time before. The fish are not gone, yet, but they are fading with each year. They are on the express train to Nowheresville (not far from the City of Destiny), thanks to us humans. They've been given a spot on the endangered species list, which is a bit like getting a reservation at a restaurant that's burning down, but at least it has been documented. The sockeye, once native to these waters, are but ghosts, seen as often as bigfoot or space aliens.
Listen: In case you haven't heard, the Puyallup River is in a pickle, and we're not talking the Nalley kosher type. Pollution, they say, has somehow become the river's middle name: it’s now a cocktail of Astroturf, old tires, brake pad filings, antifreeze, motor oil, ammonia, TAGRO, plastic sputum, and myriad other unsavory elements that make it more of a chemical soup than a waterway.
Then there's the antique Electron Dam, which is like that old family heirloom that everyone's afraid to throw out (it might be worth something!). But the Puyallup Tribe, they're not having it. They and Earthjustice took Electron Hydro LLC to court, waving treaty rights, the Clean Water Act, and the Endangered Species Act as battle flags.
Economically speaking, the river's woes are a thorn in the side of the fishing industry. The Puyallup Tribe's culture and subsistence are woven into the river's fabric, but now it's unraveling faster than a cheap sweater. But they have casinos and stores and gas stations and warehouses, and... yes, they are understandably diversifying. However, they have not, and likely will never, give up on their most valuable living asset, the river.
So it goes: The Puyallup Tribe, with Earthjustice in their corner, took the dam owners to court. The verdict? The dam's a no-go, says the judge. By summer, it must be history, or at least most of it, making way for fish there to swim free for the first time in 100 years.
The dam's downfall is a win for the fish and the tribe, whose lives and legends are intertwined with the river's flow, and whose futures are tied together for seven generations into the future. And it is a win for all of us who live in the South Salish Sea region. It's a story of resilience, a legal battle for the ages, and a reminder that sometimes the good guys do finish first.
Still, the Puyallup flows on, against the tide of toxins and pain,
Her spirit unbroken, her message plain:
"Unbind these braids," she cries, "set my waters free,
Restore the life that once was me."
Note: The City of Tacoma's Tideflats Subarea Plan Draft is available for public review and comment. If you are interested in seeing more done to restore and sustain the Puyallup River as a natural habitat, here is a unique opportunity. All comments are due no later than 5 p.m. on May 23, 2024.
Public Comment Meeting: April 25, 2024, at 6 PM
Email – planning@cityoftacoma.org
Mail – Planning, 747 Market Street, Room 345, Tacoma, WA 98402