Dear Editor,
I have had an undying affection for this waterway for 65 years, ever since my brother-in-law took me to fish it for the first time. At that time all the irrigation was ‘done by flood irrigating. The water soaked deep into the ground and created little creeks that harbored (kid fish) brook trout. Much of this seepage ended up in Mitchell Slough. In the spring a shot of river water would come down it and flush out the mud, but once in awhile too much water would come down it so, some of the farmers along the slough went up to where it came out of the river and dammed it off. Later on Strange decided to irrigate some ground near where the channel come out so, they removed the dirt dam and put in a concrete headgate so he could irrigate. This headgate was put in something like 50 years ago.
In later years sprinkler systems come into use and most people went to sprinklers. Now Mitchell Slough has many sprinklers drawing water out of it. This is coupled with the lack of springs that always helped to keep clean, cold water.
The slough is suffering, it desperately needs a supply of river water to be allowed to be turned down at the headgate where Mitchell comes out of the river. It is doubtful that this will happen because the big, monied land barons would have to admit that Mitchell is a channel of the river.
Opening day of fishing season my grandson and I went fishing (with permission) early in the morning in Mitchell Slough. Due to the fact that this slough is open year-round to flyfishing, it is evident by the tracks
in the mud that if is fished to death, by select fishermen who are allowed to fish it. It appears that the caught fish weren’t turned back, even though this is catch and release only. It looks very much like the same monied people are rubbing the noses of everyday fishermen in it, and therefore maybe we will stay to hell out of the slough.
Poor old Mitchell Slough is a lot like a good friend who has cancer, with care they may survive. Let’s hope that Mitchell Slough can get the necessary river water to bring it back like it was before this horrible devastation happened.
Please raise hell about this matter with the Fish and Game and those master minds that were sent to Helena.
Floyd Wood
Corvallis