Trying to raise environmental awareness and gain status as a federally recognized tribe, members of the Winnemem Wintu are scheduled to hold a forum dubbed ‘When Salmon Speak’ Wednesday at Redding’s Old City Hall.
It’s part of the fourth annual ‘Run4Salmon,’ a series of sacred ceremonies and political events following the migratory path of salmon from the Golden Gate to the headwaters of the Sacramento River.
The Winnemem Wintu oppose plans to add 18-feet to the top of Shasta Dam. It will flood many of their ancestral areas not already beneath the reservoir and slow lower reaches of the McCloud River, altering a designated a wild and scenic river.
For insights into some of the group’s concerns I spoke with Tom Stokely, a co-director of Save California Salmon, who also works with the Pacific Coast Federation of Fisherman’s Associations, a frequent litigant in the state’s water wars.
I began our conversation by asking why the broader public should oppose to increasing Shasta Lake’s capacity.
If California is going to have a water-resistant future, we need to focus on the things that are cost-effective, like recycling, conservation, storm water capture, things like that. - Tom Stokely
Stokely is scheduled to speak at an event organized by the Winnemem Wintu people Wednesday at 6 at Redding’s old city.