I am writing to give voice to those who have none, our nonhuman relatives, and many other members of our community who support protections that would be provided by Senator Wyden’s River Democracy Act. As a resident of Halfway — Nimiipuu Lands — I am happy to be joined in that support by many friends, neighbors, and, importantly, the Nez Perce Tribe.

Clean, cold waters sustain rich aquatic habitats that produce fish and wildlife in diversity and abundance. That so many rural voices have nominated not just big iconic rivers, but also smaller tributaries for protection bespeaks a collective wisdom in seeing our water cycle in a holistic manner.

Opposition to including these reaches is not unlike treating a cardiovascular problem by solely focusing on the arteries; a bad practice with a likely sorry outcome.

I invite readers to consider a case study I observed in the mid-2000s while working on salmon recovery with the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation (CTUIR) in Pendleton.

Studies of the Umatilla River demonstrated railroads and highways blocked the flow of surface and groundwater into the main channel. This disconnection prevented the mixing of cooler waters with the warming waters of the main stream, and degraded the habitat for cold water fish species.

The Tribe’s salmon restoration strategy aimed to reconnect these flows by protecting headwaters and breaching barriers across the flood plain.

Thermal pollution is a leading factor impairing the quality of our surface waters. This is a problem for humans and non-humans alike. If we genuinely care about protecting the values of our waterways, it would be irresponsible to exclude tributaries, intermittent streams, and wetlands from the protections of the River Democracy Act. I applaud Senator Wyden and his river nominators for their vision!

Michael Beaty

Halfway