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So could this change anything for dredging or high banking where it's currently banned?
So could this change anything for dredging or high banking where it's currently banned?
The "Chicken Soup Theory" has already been held up in court; If you take a cup of chicken soup out of the pot and dump it right back into the pot again, its still the same soup it was before it was taken out. Most mining of wet material from the same creek or river totally apply here and a fact gov. regulators just hate and try to ignore.
There have been studies since the 1950s regarding the impact of dredging. The impact has been determined to be POSITIVE. Impaction of the stream bed is very detrimental to spawning. Loosening gravels and creating deep pools benefit all aquatic species. We sound like a broken record
Respectfully, I’m not sure I agree that is a strong analogy.
A stream is more than a collection of inert “ingredients” - it’s a biological environment that hosts and supports a diverse range of life and processes, many of which are interdependent, existing and thriving only through the maintenance of a delicate balance. Relatively clear/clean water running atop impacted rock and soil is much different than taking these various elements, mixing them up and dumping them back in the same space.
Certainly, disturbance of the stream bed, itself, and/or the introduction of sediments into the water occurs without any help from human beings through flooding and other natural processes. However, persistent external manipulation of these environments through activities such as mining fundamentally impacts the various flora, fauna and microorganisms that call the stream beds “home.”
I’m no biologist, but it seems clear that digging up a stream bed or discharging tailings into a stream necessarily displaces and damages biological life such as moss, lichen, fungi, eggs, larvae and bacteria. It suspends sediments in the water, which alters its temperature and chemistry, impacting fish, amphibians and a host of other organisms that live in and around streams.
I’m a farmer and an amateur miner/prospector, so I definitely understand the negative impacts of heavy-handed and overreaching regulations. I also believe we humans are part of nature and the environment; we deserve to use and enjoy it without tiptoeing around every mushroom and tadpole. That said, I feel there needs to be a balance and want to be informed and honest with myself about the impacts my chosen activities have on the beautiful and complex web of life of which we are a part.
Cannot support his position with facts, thus loses the debate. Resorts to name calling, sound familiar to anyone?Right. I just can't imagine how these ecosystems ever made it through the eons without a bunch of yokels out dredging...but keep fighting the good fight!