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Fishery or Laboratory?
When Mount St. Helens erupted in 1980, the surrounding area was devastated. In a matter of minutes, the lake at the base of the mountain — Spirit Lake — turned from a scenic tourist destination to a lifeless pool filled with debris and toxic volcanic gasses. Shortly after the disaster, scientists began studying the lake, which was soon designated as a natural laboratory within the Mount St. Helens National Volcanic Monument. Over almost three decades, researchers have carefully documented the recovery of Spirit Lake, while it has been closed to recreation. Plants have grown back, amphibians and insects have returned and in 1993 rainbow trout were discovered in the lake. No one quite knows how they got there, but now the fish are big enough that anglers are calling Spirit Lake a world-class fishery (pdf) and seeking legislative action that would put their lines in the water.
The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife will change the rules if the state legislature passes the bill that would allow limited access to Spirit Lake for recreational fishing. But researchers say fishing would disrupt their work both in the lake and on its banks and should not be allowed.
At the same time, conservationists are advocating for the area to be designated as a national park, something they say would bring more tourists to visit the site but restrict hunting and other activities. An advisory committee met earlier this year and initially recommended the monument stay under the auspices of the U.S. Forest Service. The committee is seeking input from the public and will make its final recommendation in May.
Have you hiked up to Mount St. Helens? Have you hunted or fished in the areas where this is allowed? Have you studied in the monument's natural laboratory? Would you like to see greater public access to the area around Spirit Lake?
GUESTS:
- Doug Larson: Writer and consulting scientist on water quality and lake issues, retired limnologist for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and former aquatic biologist for the Department of Environmental Quality
- Kemper Hall: First Vice President of the Clark-Skamania Flyfishers and a volunteer for the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife
- Tom Mulder: Mount Saint Helens National Volcanic Monument Manager
- Sean Smith: Northwest regional director of the National Parks Conservation Association and former forest naturalist at Mount St. Helens
Tagged as: fishing · forest · mt. st. helens
Photo credit: pictoscribe/Flickr/Creative Commons
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There is no restricted access. It is NO legal access.
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Restricted access should be maintained. In this case let the experiment continue with as little human interference as possible. This is a rare opportunity to study natural recovery.
Before the explosion my family hiked and camped on the north face. Spirit Lake and Mt St Helens was my favorite place growing up. From my childhood perspective Spirit Lake was super clear, deep and very spooky.
We'd chuck pumice stones into the lake and watch them float. I enjoyed how quiet Spirit Lake was. We always expected to encounter Sassquatch at the bottom of Ape Cave or find D.B. Cooper's parachute or cash in the forest.
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There is no restricted access. It is no access.
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There are 40 lakes in the Mt. St. Helens Monument, and only two have no fishing allowed. Many of the other lakes, such as Coldwater, are stocked with rainbow trout. Anglers want access to Spirit Lake because of the trophy-sized fish there--in a few years these will become normal-sized as the fish population increases and stablizes. Fishing folks should be content with all the other beautiful lakes and normal fishing. They should not have access to Spirit Lake for a few years of trophy fishing. Fishing in the lake can bring many potential problems, including bank erosion, garbage, and most important, a high probability of non-native species introduced on gear and boats. Efforts to prevent this kind of contamination of lakes in the past have not been successful. Introduced species can wreck havoc with the natural balance of any lake, and in this case would also create problems in the scientific studies of recovery. Let's keep this beautiful lake intact for future generations.
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Cpersons is on target on this issue. Spirit Lake is the gem of the Monument. Its changes over time on the volcanic landscape should continue to be monitored by scientists and appreciated by visitors -- as the Monument legislation intended -- without distorting nature's work by opening the lake to fishing. I have enjoyed hiking many times in the Spirit Lake area and on Mt. St. Helens before and since the 1980 eruption. From my angle, changing the rules now for Spirit Lake makes no sense.
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I can see your side to the argument, I know some guys who fish there already, unless the whole area gets locked down how can you stop fishing?
Hikers and nature observors can walk up to it now, son't you think the only way to preserve it for science would be to stop everyone from coming near it? Hikers can introduce things from thier boots too.
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Spirit Lake has not been left to natural recovery. There is a boat with outboard motor on the lake.
The fish are not part of a natural recovery. They have been stocked.
The law sets the area aside for research AND recreation.
Yes let the scientists monitor the area but quit pretending and face the reality of what is really there.
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Spirit Lake is not just any lake - it should be protected from man's influence to the fullest extent possible. Imagine what scientists around the world, and for years to come, would think of the State of Washington for allowing sport fishing in a volcanic monument. Maybe we need Dixie Lee Ray back!
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Protection from man's influence was lost almost as soon as the mountain blew. We built a tunnel to protect ourselves. We flew aircraft into the lake. We brought in great quantities of diesel fuel and pumps to control this lake and large construction equipment. The pristine nature of this lake flys in the face of reality.
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Spirit Lake should be kept for research. The intrusion of the public would risk nearly 3 decades of research on how a mountain lake recovers from a catastrophic event. The knowledge gained can be applied to many places in the world. I know how it is to have a scientific study disrupted by people ignorant of what they are doing. As others have pointed out, the risk of introduction of invasive exotics is much to great. There are plenty of places to fish in the Mount St Helens Monument. The fishers don't have to have everything. And, no, scientific research and the public tromping through cannot co-exist, especially in this case.
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I agree that the introduction of exotics is a concern. Adding more fishermen does increase the probability of this happening. Hikers, bird watchers, and hunters as well as 'researchers' already pose this threat. That is why the proposal would limit fishers to a small number and under the watchfull eye of a host who would try to disinfect such things as waders or floating devises and try to ensure fishers kept to known and approved routes.
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I grew up in a family of fishing enthusiasts. My grandparents and parents and brother and I (and later my husband) enjoyed the experience very much. We've traveled throughout the US and Canada to fish a wide variety of waters. Our children are learning about the fun of this now. Nothing beats the taste of a fish you've caught yourself. And Spirit Lake would be a spectacular setting for our sport.
But some places should be left alone. And Spirit Lake is one of them. It's an important research site and should be protected. We love visiting Mount St. Helens, but don't feel that we have to dip our lines in every body of water on earth.
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Here we have a chance of our lifetimes to study how so much of our NW areas have evolved after volcanic eruptions. To sacrifice the knowledge we may gain for the sake of a few moments of fishing success, much of which can be obtained in thousands of other places, is to return to the stupidity of the last 8 years, where science was trounced for a little political gain. Won't we ever learn?!!
Valerie Alexander -
As special as the memories of Spirit Lake and Mt. St. Helens are, it is far more special in the present time. This is an unprecedented opportunity to learn about the amazing resilience of the Cascade ecosystem. It didn't die, it showed life respond immediately. We should take all measures to support and protect the mountain and Spirit Lake. The "restrictions" are only restrictions if you can't see the opportunities of the moment. Science has rarely been so beautiful!
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generally I do not support locking the public out of public land as has recently been done on millions of acres with the misguided federal omnibus land grab just passed in congress.
In this case as a fisherman this lake needs to be closed so that it can be studied; for the betterment of all PNW fisheries.
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I hiked and camped on the shores of Spirit Lake before the eruption. I enthusiastically supported creation of the Mount St. Helens National Monument in 1982 and I have climbed the volcano and hiked all the trails in the monument since then. I have watched the evolving landscape as Spirit Lake and the lands around it have recovered. Congress made scientific research the primary management objective with recreation to be allowed where it does not conflict with science and natural recovery. Spirit Lake is the largest lake in the US not open to human intervention and devoted to long term science. Nowhere else has natural aquatic ecosystem recovery at this scale been implemented and studied. It's the one place in the world where this kind of science is going on and it should not be wasted for short-term recreation for a handful of anglers.
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It is not a 'natural aquatic ecosystem'. The fish are planted. There is a motor boat with outboard motor on the lake. Thousands of gallons of fuel have been brought in. The lake is controled. It's about as natural as the Columbia River.
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I am a former park ranger that worked at Mount St. Helens for several season including during the recent 2004 – 2008 dome building eruption. I also had the opportunity to witness the mountain erupt when on May 18, 1980. Needless to say the mountain means a lot to me. I have spent countless hours hiking, climbing and fishing in the Monument. The lake where I have done most of my fishing is called Coldwater Lake. This is a lake that was form the 1980 eruption and has been set aside for recreation, including fishing. In many ways, Coldwater Lake gives people the opportunity to recreate and protects the research zone. There is a boat launch, fish cleaning station, bathrooms and picnic area just to name a few amenities located at Coldwater Lake. Coldwater Lake was stocked with fish and has great fishing. Large trout in the lake can be over 20”. You would think that there would be tones of folks fishing the lake right? The answer is no. It is virtually deserted on the busiest of weekends. If these folks who want fishing on Spirit Lake, then we should let them in on the secret of the great fishing at Coldwater Lake. I believe Spirit Lake should not be opened up to fishing so that we can continue to protect the research area and the science that has been done out there. Human have exploited most of their environment, why not keep our hands off this little part of the world?
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I am a former park ranger that worked at Mount St. Helens for several season including during the recent 2004 – 2008 dome building eruption. I also had the opportunity to witness the mountain erupt when on May 18, 1980. Needless to say the mountain means a lot to me. I have spent countless hours hiking, climbing and fishing in the Monument. The lake where I have done most of my fishing is called Coldwater Lake. This is a lake that was form the 1980 eruption and has been set aside for recreation, including fishing. In many ways, Coldwater Lake gives people the opportunity to recreate and protects the research zone. There is a boat launch, fish cleaning station, bathrooms and picnic area just to name a few amenities located there. Coldwater Lake was stocked with fish and has great fishing. Large trout in the lake can be over 20”. You would think that there would be tones of folks fishing the lake right? The answer is no. It is virtually deserted on the busiest of weekends. If these folks who want fishing on Spirit Lake, then we should let them in on the secret of the great fishing at Coldwater Lake. I believe Spirit Lake should not be opened up to fishing so that we can continue to protect the research area and the science that has been done out there. Human have exploited most of their environment, why not keep our hands off this little part of the world?
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As you talk of sports fishing versus science, you leave out one crucial player in this discussion: wildlife. The lake is slowly coming back to life. I'm not aware if anyone knows if it is fully recovered in all of its diversity, down to the algae and minute insects that make a lake a fully functioning ecosystem, but prematurely taxing a larger predator in the food chain (the rainbow trout) may have long lasting effects on the health of this lake that we cannot forsee. All too often humans frame any debate in terms that are agreeable to humans, and forget that our actions have devastating repercussions for the rest of life. Perhaps we can be a bit more conscientious with this special case.
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The fish in this lake are planted. A natural recovery is not available here to study. The fish are there. Left alone probably means over population, malnourishment, and death. I favor monitoring and use of best science to maintain a healthy population with or without fishing. While the resource is there I favor enjoying it and using the funds obtained for proper study and management.
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It is sad to hear the anglers -- especially the self-righteous "catch and release" fly anglers who consider themselves so spiritually in touch with nature -- chomping at the bit to stick their hooks in the mouths of some of the few fish that have been left in peace, even if only for a brief time. Leave them alone please. There are plenty of places to fish already. Let's have a few, including Spirit Lake, where fish can exist in their natural state without humans harrassing them.
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I agree! Fish shouldn't be harrassed, the scientists should set up an underwater polling station and ask the fish how they feel, then we could make changes for them. This is a great scientific opportunity to get to know the fish, find out what thier interests are, other than eating and spawning, see how they feel about the water temperature, and eventually give them the right to vote!
Sorry you brought out my sarcasm by referring to a group you don't know anything about as self-righteous - you probably feel the same way about people who don't look like you too.
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sa a advid flyfisher my self
i saw this same thing happen in colorado
within a few years it wae out of control
with people saying why can,nt I fish it
open it to everyone or no one
thanks dan
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I would like to see it open. It is a hike to get to the lake and I doubt that there would be hoards of fishers tromping through the area. The restrictions are offered as an accomodation to researchers and others who feel fishers should be denied the opportunity to enjoy this fishing experience.
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Interesting to hear the memories of Mount St Helens and Spirit Lake. For those who want to learn more about the history of recreational activity at MSH, there is a new exhibit opening up at the Hoffstadt Bluffs Visitor Center on the Spirit Lake Highway. Titled Memories of a Lost Landscape this exhibit chronicles the stories of the campers, hikers, mountain climbers, picnickers, fishermen and other outdoor enthusiasts for which Spirit Lake was such an important part of their life. The exhbit is presented by the Cowlitz County Historical Museum and will open by May 18.
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Regardless of the impact on how ethically the fishermen try to be, it is much more likely that fishermen will bring further impacts and degradation to the environment, and change the nature of the experiment and recovery efforts. Clearly, someone who wanted to fish up there already planted fish, even one person's indescretion can ruin it for everyone else.
All of us will benefit from this research. Other places where disasters on this scale take place can benefit from research on ecological recovery. Volcanoes erupts in highly populated areas in regions where recovery efforts need to work in order to support economies, agriculture and people's lives. Should we jeapordize that for the benefit of a few individuals' pursuit of sport? These fishermen should go to Coldwater lake and leave the Spirit Lake to benefit everyone.
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This is a very imp. topic. However, the larger question looms...how is the Mt. St. Helens Monument being managed and how should it be managed? What federal government agency is best equipped to manage it, for the landscape and wildlife, and for the human appreciation of nature and low impact outdoor recreation? I am not one to take sides, still reserving judgment on the Forest Service vs. National Park management model. But there are a ton of overarching issues that impact on this specific question of to fish or not to fish at Spirit Lake. Please pay attention to the work of the Mt. St. Helens Advisory Committee's deliberations on this. Thank you T.O.L. for attention to this story...and please consider planning another one to address the larger issues. Do keep in mind that there are a host of economic and political issues here, as well as natural resource management issues.
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If these fish were planted illegally then fishermen ought not be rewarded for illegal behavior.
The government ought to contract with former commercial ocean fishermen to make this illegal fish population extinct, just like they have made so many ocean fish populations extinct. Fish it out commercially and so restore it to the pristine fishless state for the legislated research purpose.
It would be wrong for anyone to benefit from criminal behavior.
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It is not the point to dance around the exact meaning of "natural" and what can be done with the lake if it is any degree less than natural.
The point is that we know very little about how damaged environments recover. The processes. The timetables. THe pendulum swings of ecosystems seeking a new stable point. We know very little, and this opportunity for study is precious. The topic is crucial for a planet where man's footprint teeters on the brink of making the ecosystem collapse.
There are other places to fish. Ther may be no other places with such an opportunity to learn. The anglers are being shortsighted and selfish.
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All these people are so funny. Give me a break its all about money. Both of the people you had on first said it perfect. Its a world class fishing area, lets have people pay to get a chance to fish there. The other one talked about his book that he had for sale. If they make this public how would they get any money out of it.
NO matter how you look at it its all about money.
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Neither Doug Larson, nor I, nor any of the other scientists writing the book (Mount St. Helens ecological research: Ecological recovery of Mount St. Helens after the 1980 eruption), save possibly the editors, earned a dime from it. We did not write it to make money, we wrote it to share our findings with the public and other scientists.
However, I think WDFW is advocating the fishery partly for the money the will earn from the lottery. They estimate about $75,000/yr in income.
John Bishop
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I am a diver, and feel that Spirit Lake is a jewel that should remain closed to fishing. My family fishes a lot, and I have studied the impact of fishing in rivers. I have a degree in zoology, and know that if fishing is allowed, we will loose a very unique opportunity to study a new ecosystem as it develops without human impact. There is no where else where this kind of study can be conducted in the continental USA that I know of. People, especially especially people who fish, need to understand the unique aspect of this lake. It was destroyed thirty years ago, and has developed independent of human activity. That means we have a very unique situation, one which should not be squandered by allowing fishing. The research is the priority, as there are many other fishing opportunities close by. There is no reason other than ego to allow fishing in Spirit Lake, and that is not a good reason.
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scientists like to keep the amount of variable to a minimum. allowing fishermen in is an additional variable.
SOrta like the dermatoligist who wants to study intact skin and the tattoo fan who just wats to put tatoos over >all< of it.
Aafter all the skin is still there, whats the problem.
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As a person who watched a "world class fishery" be destroyed by these exact same actions, I think Spirit Lake should be left alone.
I grew up in Burns, and we used to fish Lahoten Cutthroats from Mann Lake in the 80's. Mann Lake is barbless, single hook, artificial lures only. Which meant that is was really only the fly fishers out there. Add the unstable weather that came from the Steens Mtns, and you had maybe a few people out there fishing.
When a picture was taken of a little girl holding a 32" cutthroat caught there, everyone flocked to it. The agency responce was to build a parking lot, add bathrooms, create a campground, all while trying to maintain the barbless, single hook, articifial lure poilcy. Now there is trash everywhere, a parking lot, pit toilets, and the lake is being considered for "Chemical Cleansing" because people snuck non native fish in they were using for bait (gold fish I believe). Now a world class fishery, Mann Lake, is destroyed because a few people decided the everyone has the right to be everywhere.
Can't we enjoy the fact that a place like Spirit Lake exists and we don't have to "harvest" from it or take something away because we feel we need to fulfill some need of the ultimate experience? That is what got our world in trouble right now: everybody thinking they were entitled to everything.
Once you open that door to one group, everyone will want in! The bait fishers and hardware throwers won't wait for there turn!
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Good point, the public has a great ability to ruin a place. This I see at work on a daily basis...I use the following places as examples: Lake Helen (Mt. Shasta) Ramona Falls, (Mount Hood) Ochocco National Grasslands (most free campsites are trashed). Hike to any ill-frequented USFS trailhead and you'll find plenty of illegal dumping, often in some very pristine areas. Build a road/trail, and the irresponsible parties will find it. Leave the lake as wilderness, don't build a trail and it will be protected.
Diamond lake. A massive effort that has had to repeated 3x because someone, probably with a bit of ego, decided that invasive fish would be fun to introduce, and easy to catch. The list goes on and on...
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This is an ethical debate and the two sides will never agree. On one side you have the recreational fisherman who want to utilize this "limited time opportunity." Because of there focus on this, they will never be able to understand or embrace the scientists. Then there are the scientists, researchers and naturalists who have been conducting amazing and groundbreaking research and education inside this monument. Because of their drive to continue this research, they (including myself) well never understand why recreators would want to take that away? The only difference (and deciding factor in this stalemate) is there are thousands of lakes in Washington and the surrounding areas - including Coldwater lake (which is under utilized), while there is only one lake with the on-going research, only one Spirit lake. Once we alter it, we can’t go back... scientists should be able to keep this ONE lake.
Like many of us warned before - allowing in hunters was a slippery slope.
This will continue to be issues while the Monument is under the control of a multi-use agency. It’s a Forest Service site acting like a Parks Service site – but without the funding, and being forced to walk that “multi-use” line. Give it a line-item budget! (Forest Service or Park Service) and give the people who love the place a fighting chance! Then maybe we wouldn’t have to be making all sacrifices??!
Holly, former Park Ranger at Mount St. Helens
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The only reason I can think of for not letting fishermen on Spirit Lake, is because it's a "cash cow" for the scientist. Research for the last 30 years has cost the taxpayers tens, if not hundreds, of thousands of dollars in grants. To keep the lake as "research only" will continue to cost the taxpayers tens of thousands of dollars in grants.
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Here's a different way to look at it:
1) Researchers have competed for and obtained millions of dollars (not thousands!) of federal research dollars that otherwise would not have come to Washington/Portland area. My own research group at WSU has averaged about $80,000/yr from NSF and private foundations for the last decade, and I'm one many biology researchers. Most of that money is spent hiring and training young scientists. We also host visiting scientists from around the world every year, who bring additional $ to the economy.
2) Tourists are attracted by science: Hundreds of thousands of tourists flock ot Mount St. Helens every year. MANY of these tourists want more than to just look at the crater, they want an educational experience, they want to learn about what scientists have discovered at the Mountain. This results in longer stays by tourists, who spend more money on the economy.3) Many of the scientists working at Mount St. Helens have taken the lessons learned at Mount St. Helens and applied them to important problems elsewhere. To give just two examples, the concept of variable retention forestry, which is now widely practiced, was introduced by Jerry Franklin (University of Washington) based on his work at Mount St. Helens. Roger del Moral (University of Washington) recently published the book "Environmental Disasters, Natural Recovery, and Human Responses", which applies the lessons from MSH to help guide responses to natural disasters.
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SWCushing has brought up a "issue" that is really not valid. I don't think you will find any of the scientists growing rich off this lake. I had to get out of zoology because "there were no jobs" in the 1970s. Those who stayed in and got their doctorates sacrificed a great deal of potential wealth that they could have gotten in different career fields. Yes, there are grants, but nobody gets rich off biological study grants.
The reason for continuing study of this lake, and not letting fishing to occur, is to see the dynamics of the entire population. We (and I'm not one of the researchers) will never get another opportunity like this one and it should not be sacrificed to the desires of people to have a large fish on the line. Fishermen and women have ample opportunities elsewhere to fish.
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I actually see research not as a cost but as an investment. Browse human history for unlimited examples. I'd rather my 10K go to studying Spirit Lake than given to Raytheon to build missiles.
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I am a zoology major, who went into medicine. Oregon Field Guide has repeated a program about Spirit Lake that showed these large rainbow trout that appeared to grow extremely fast but did not live beyond a certain young age, well below what is found in the wild.
Is this still the current truth and if so, why not let these large trout be fished? Or at least why was this not part of the discussion?
I have no interest in fishing just the science of what is going on with these trout and Spirit Lake. Thanks.
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I'm a terrestrial biologist at Washington State University who has worked at Mount St. Helens for nearly 20 years. I would like to comment on what Dr. Larson and Mr. Hall have said:
1) What is being studied? USFS and university researchers (but NOT WDFW staff) are studying the detailed dynamics of fish, zooplankton, phytoplankton, water chemistry and physical properties, and other aspects of the lake, as well as all around the lake on land, and how the two influence each other. These dynamics have never been studied before in a lake like this one.
2) This is a unique opportunity to study these dynamics, and while life is teeming in the lake, it is nowhere near the equilibrium that an undisturbed lake would eventually reach. This is illustrated by the Hall's comments - out of hundreds of fish, none were less than 18". In fact, the real researchers also never see fish smaller than that. No young fish can be found! This is an extremely unusual situation that will certainly change over time, exactly the kind of dynamics we wouldn't learn if the lake is fished.
3) Mr. Hall says the lake is not natural because it empties through a tunnel. He is wrong. If left to its own, it would have created its own outlet. So it would have had an outlet either way. The main difference is that fish might have been able to return up a natural outlet, though not even that is guaranteed. There are some other effects too, but for the most part man-made instead of natural outlet does not create different dynamics in the biological communities.
John Bishop
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Will fishing impact biological communities or research in the Spirit Lake basin?
Mr. Hall seems to advocate that WDFW should manage the fishery so as to maintain large fish and prevent the predicted (and already observed) decrease in size over time. This would involve harvesting the fish. Certainly Rep. Ed Orcutt, the sponsor of the house bill 1838, has gone on the record stating that he wants to see management for this purpose. The bill includes no specifics (or limits) about how WDFW would have to manage the fishery, whether it would be catch and release, barbless, how many would have access, etc. At the outset, the numbers Mr. Hall's provided add up to several hundred person days per year. This is more than enough to have an impact on the lake. Nearby lakes with fewer anglers already display these impacts. Mr. Orcutt is on record saying that he wants to see additional trails to the lake, through the class I research area. These trails, and additional activity at the lake shore, would impact the development of new terrestrial communities and research on them. There is NO QUESTION the proposed activities will change the dynamics of this area. The proponents of fishing admit this in one sentence, while seeking to deny it in the next!
To learn more about science and educational activities at Mount St. Helens:
a) See www.mshinstitute.org
b) I'll be giving a talk this coming Thursday at 7pm: "The Pumice Plain Turns Thirty", at the Clark County Historical Museum, Vancouver, WA
John Bishop
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Volunteering at Mount St. Helens (www.fs.fed.us/gpnf/volunteering/) is a great way to gain a better understanding of the scientific research that is being conducted at the monument. Additionally, it is a great way to learn more about conservation and recreational opportunities. By being more involved, we, the public, can gain a better understanding of these land use battles and enrich our own knowledge to come up with the best solutions.
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I favor maintaining restrictions. There are very few opportunities that offer themselves up to us for study in the way Spirit Lake has offered itself, and we need to err on the side of caution and not cause disturbance to the natural recovery cycle that has been occurring since 1980.
It is important to realize that if we only define the public interest as a narrow set of traditional outdoor extractive activities, then the logical conclusion would be that something is being taken away by maintaining restrictions. We must widen our viewpoint to include as a significant public interest the scientific knowledge gained from undisturbed areas. I would offer that the constituency for the latter is a much more broad-based than the former.
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I favor allowing fishing in Spirit Lake. Allow public access under regulations set up by WDFW and the forest service with full consideration given to procedures to protect scientific interests.
The law states that the area should be used for research and recreation.
The idea that this lake has been left 'pristine' is ridiculous. The lake has a boat with outboard motor for 'research'. Aircraft have been allowed on the lake. Thousands of gallons of diesel fuel have been brought in and pumps and construction equipment.
The fish are not native. They were not hiding in a protected pocket when St. Helens blew. The fish have been stocked. They are not a part of a 'natural recovery'.
People are allowed to walk to the lake. Once they are there why should they not be allowed to fish?
Hunters are given very free access to the area. Fishers could be given much more controled access. Bird watchers and hikers are allowed access to the area.
The opposition leaves one with the impression that there would be large numbers of people crowding the lake and detracting from the enjoyment of other visitors. This would be a far stretch of the imagination even if there were no restrictions on access. It is hard enough to see the numerous elk in the area which are considerably larger than people.
Fishing in the lake is already taking place. Why should this be restricted to those willing to break the law.
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Is the lake "pristine" - No, but it is arguably the least human-altered lake of its size in this region, save Crater Lake.
1) I believe the boat uses an engine that does not mix oil and gas and therefore doesn't spew oil into the water. It also is on the water only a handful of days each summer.
2) Although I'm sure you're right about the aircraft, in my 20 summers working on the south side of the lake I've never seen one land.
3) the diesel fuel, pumps, equipment have been gone more than 20 years, and there is no residual evidence of them in the lake or even on land.
4) I think it is reprehensible that someone planted these fish. Nevertheless, the fish ARE native to the area (based on genetic studies), though of course they did not colonize naturally. However, if the lake had been allowed to form an accessible outlet, these fish are very similar to what would have colonized. Therefore, this is still a fairly natural situation.
5) People are not actually allowed to walk all the way to the lake. The trail ends a little bit away from the lake and no off trail travel is allowed. "Once there why are they not allowed to fish". This is like asking "once you're allowed to walk up and look at the Mona Lisa, why can't you touch it too?".
6) Hunters ARE NOT given free access to the class I research area where the anglers want access. Last year, for the first time, 10 hunting permits were issued for this area, only to master hunters. The hunting occurred in November, when most plants and animals are dormant. Many of the scientists, including myself, are very opposed to allowing this hunt, but those who favored it argued that hunting and bough-harvesting at the monument boundar push so many elk onto the Pumice Plain it was necessary to allow some hunting to push them back out.
John Bishop
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This is a time limited, world class outdoor experience opportunity that should be made available to the general public while it still lasts. The lake is clearly not a "natural preserve". Army Core of Engineer tunnel drilling changed that idea forever. Hikers and elk hunters now already access the area. A boat & motor is used by scientists while they have fished the lake for 28 years.
A limited raffle system along with strict training by the FS and WDFW will ensure protection against invasive species, safe fish handling and absolute protection of this beautiful area.
Agecy heads must be held accountable to work together in partnership to ensure that the interests of BOTH the science and recreational communities are met.
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The fact that its natural outlet was not allowed to re-form, and a man-made one was created instead, does not invalidate studying this lake's recovery from catastrophic disturbance or applying those lessons elsewhere. If the tunnel wasn't there, a channel would have re-formed through the debris avalanche, and its effect on the lake may not have been much different than water exiting the tunnel. Though this is out of my field, if they outlet had re-formed naturally a lake with similar geomorphic boundaries and hydrologic properties was a plausible outcome.
"...WDFW will ensure ... absolute protection"!? The sponsor of this bill (Orcutt), as well as some fisherman contributing to this discussion advocate managing the trout population to maintain large size; they advocate adding new trails and new, multiple access points; Mr. Cox suggests that plenty of fisherman will illegally fish the lake even now, so what else can we expect them to do? My sources tell me that it was fisherman who introduced these trout in the first place. How long will it be before bait fish are introduced? And this is the attitude even before legal fishing is allowed? Will the next request be to remove the logs from lake so float fishing will actually be safe?
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This discussion about fishing in Spirit Lake needs to be placed in a larger context. The National Volcanic Monument is under assault from all sides. Substantial development of vacation homes has occurred on the south side and massive amounts more have been proposed. A square mile on the NW boundary was recently sold by Weyerhaeuser for development. The Citizens Advisory Committee, which is dominated by people whose job it is to ensure economic development and security of nearby communities, has recommended new roads, trails, campgrounds, visitor facilities, and other forms of use and exploitation within or at the margins of the monument. The Monument is not large enough to accomodate all of the proposed activity without severe degradation of its natural resources. From the outset, the monument was not large enough to protect natural recovery processes, but at least it was buffered by relatively low intensity use of forestlands at the edges of the monument, this buffer is shrinking. If greater recreational use is to occur, the area set aside for recreational use and protected from more intensive harvest and other uses needs to expand by enlarging the Monument. It seems to me that environmentalists, conservationists, and recreational users of all stripes, and even those seeking greater economic return from the monument, could find some common ground on this.
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Hello,
I am a former proprietor of Harmony Falls Lodge on Spirit Lake. My sons are now catch and release flyfishermen who learned to fish growing up on Spirit Lake. As a child, I caught my first wild fish from our dock at the base of Mt. Saint Helens . It was a most exciting , magical and beautiful encouter with a wild fish and I will never forget that early morning as a little girl, alone on the dock at dawn with this fantastic Rainbow trout on my line. I wrangeled that mythical fish to shore and then shaking with excitiment and weeping , released him knowing noone would believe my fish story when they woke up that morning.
Those days are gone to us now. They should be. This wilderness area is in a genesis that should be allowed to evolve unmolested . I lost Harmony Falls Lodge. I was forced to give it all up to the Mountain and then, the Federal Government followed with no rembursement of any kind except the legacy of a National Monument. Why should anyone be allowed to sport fish on a lake that was returned to the natural world with this promise in 1980. It must remain prisitine.
Respectfully,
Laura (Berry) Bernad
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I am a scientist and a fisherwoman. There are many great OR and WA fisheries but few lakes/sites that present the opportunity to learn for the future and are as unique as Spirit Lake and Mt St Helen's. Restricted access should be maintained.