[env-trinity] FW: Trinity River Water

Mon Mar 1 12:41:20 PST 2004

-----Original Message-----
From: Byron Leydecker [mailto:bwl3 at comcast.net]
Sent: Monday, March 01, 2004 12:38 PM
To: Michael Ryan; jbryant at awwwsome.com; jim.spear at ca.usda.gov;
timr at calwater.ca.gov; jmorrison at ci.redding.ca.us;
jrsmith at co.humboldt.ca.us; sturek at dfg.ca.gov; sheywood at fs.fed.us;
wbrock at fs.fed.us; MaryEllen_Mueller at fws.gov; bsullivan at fwua.org;
zgrader at ifrfish.org; whuber at jeffnet.org; Daryl Peterson; Doug
Schleusner; Ed Solbos; Kirk Rodgers; Russell Smith; sergebirk at msn.com;
yen2fish at netzero.net; Irma.Lagomarsino at noaa.gov;
naypooie at northcoast.com; Director at pcweb.net; djordan at pcweb.net;
hupafish at pcweb.net; caltrout at reninet.com; awhitridge at snowcrest.net;
haycox at snowcrest.net; klewis at snowcrest.net; rlorenz at snowcrest.net;
splash at snowcrest.net; tcrcd at snowcrest.net; tlrm at tds.net;
tstokely at trinityalps.net; rmodine at trinitycounty.org; billm at water.ca.gov;
elizasteve at yahoo.com; tfletcher at yuroktribe.nsn.us
Cc: Chester 'Chet' Bowling; Donald Bultema; Debbie Miller; David Poore;
George Gardner; June Borgwat; Janice Heller; Larry Ball; Paul Freeman;
Paul Fujitani; Roger Pitts; Tom Morstein-Marx
Subject: RE: Trinity River Water

Thanks very much, Mike...

The sediment introduction issue obviously needs more investigation.
Lewiston Lake is pea green - maybe all attributable to watershed runoff into
both Trinity and Lewiston Lakes? I doubt it.  It remains in question whether
the sediment is coming from tributaries or dam release site locations.
Whatever area from which releases are being made may not be the problem.  My
causal attribution may not be correct.  BUT, there is a problem, it starts
at the dam, and it needs corrective action.  It does not appear to be merely
a problem caused by nature.

Instead of trying to analyze the cause or lack of cause of this problem from
our armchairs, perhaps someone knowledgeable could go out and look at
Lewiston Lake, look at the river for a reasonable length - several miles of
it - and tributaries where they enter the mainstem, and assess the problem,
it's cause(s) and thereafter, with others who are knowledgeable - consider
and implement possible corrective actions.  Perhaps this would be a good
time to assess turbidity levels and dam release site locations.

This problem is particularly distressing because for the past few years the
riverbed and its gravels have been in the best shape that they've been in
for decades -  possibly since the dam was built based upon my own empirical
knowledge.  This has been the result principally of several very wet
winters, starting in 1999-2000 as I recall.  These wet years have provided
water flows that have dramatically changed the river channel and destroyed
riparian encroachment of trees and other growth, but also have had a
significant and favorable impact upon riverbed sediment removal and fish
returns.  The 6,000 cfs spring releases from the dam the past few years also
have been helpful.

I believe the current problem clearly needs further investigation,
determination of actual cause(s) and corrective action to every extent
possible.  While it may be that the cause of turbidity levels in the upper
watershed remain in question, it may be that high spring water releases may
provide the only reasonable answer to this problem.

Thanks, Mike!

-----Original Message-----
From: Michael Ryan [mailto:MRYAN at mp.usbr.gov]
Sent: Monday, March 01, 2004 10:28 AM
To: jbryant at awwwsome.com; jim.spear at ca.usda.gov; timr at calwater.ca.gov;
jmorrison at ci.redding.ca.us; jrsmith at co.humboldt.ca.us; bwl3 at comcast.net;
sturek at dfg.ca.gov; sheywood at fs.fed.us; wbrock at fs.fed.us;
MaryEllen_Mueller at fws.gov; bsullivan at fwua.org; zgrader at ifrfish.org;
whuber at jeffnet.org; Daryl Peterson; Doug Schleusner; Ed Solbos; Kirk
Rodgers; Russell Smith; sergebirk at msn.com; yen2fish at netzero.net;
Irma.Lagomarsino at noaa.gov; naypooie at northcoast.com; Director at pcweb.net;
djordan at pcweb.net; hupafish at pcweb.net; caltrout at reninet.com;
awhitridge at snowcrest.net; haycox at snowcrest.net; klewis at snowcrest.net;
rlorenz at snowcrest.net; splash at snowcrest.net; tcrcd at snowcrest.net;
tlrm at tds.net; tstokely at trinityalps.net; rmodine at trinitycounty.org;
billm at water.ca.gov; elizasteve at yahoo.com; tfletcher at yuroktribe.nsn.us
Cc: Chester 'Chet' Bowling; Donald Bultema; Debbie Miller; David Poore;
George Gardner; June Borgwat; Janice Heller; Larry Ball; Paul Freeman;
Paul Fujitani; Roger Pitts; Tom Morstein-Marx
Subject: Re: Trinity River Water

Good morning Byron,

I just spoke with Larry Ball.  Larry is chief of our operations group
for Reclamation's Northern California Area Office.

I believe your information is not accurate.

Releases from Trinity Dam continue to be made from the powerplant.  The
Auxiliary Outlet Works (with an intake approximately 150 feet lower in
elevation) are not releasing any water.

Releases from Lewiston Dam to the Trinity River are being made from a
combination of the powerplant, hatchery, and the spillway.  The
powerplant and hatchery are a minor amount.  Most of the flow comes from
the spillway.

Perhaps sediment coming into the reservoirs and/or river as a result of
recent rainstorms is causing someone concern.

Hope this helps.
Mike.

Michael J. Ryan, Area Manager
Northern California Area Office
US Bureau of Reclamation

>>> "Byron Leydecker" <bwl3 at comcast.net> 03/01/04 09:18AM >>>
Since the Bureau recently increased releases to 2,000 cfs for dam
safety
reasons into Trinity River, it apparently has used the lowest release
point
from the dam.  This has resulted in sediment from behind the dam
choking the
river.

Unless clean water flows of up to 6,000 cfs or whatever are released
later
this year, this sediment will remain stuck in the upper river for the
coming
year, or until higher clean water releases are provided.

In the meantime, is it not possible to change the release point from
the dam
to a height at which sediment will not pour into the river?

This current release arrangement seriously undercuts efforts to
restore
sediment reductions in the river, if not the Restoration Program
itself.

I ask that those in the Bureau in a position to do so make every effort
to
change the current release method to eliminate these highly damaging
sediment introductions into the river.

Byron Leydecker
Chairman, Friends of Trinity River
Consultant, California Trout, Inc,
PO Box 2327
Mill Valley, CA 94942-2327
415 383 4810 ph
415 519 4810 cell
415 383 9562 fx
bwl3 at comcast.net
bleydecker at stanfordalumni.org (secondary)
http://www.fotr.org
http://www.caltrout.org