[env-trinity] Various Klamath-Trinity/CVP Stories- Weak salmon runs/Millions for Klamath projects, etc

[Tom Stokely]

http://159.54.226.83/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20041122/STATE/411220331/1042

KLAMATH RIVER BASIN

Salmon returns weak at Klamath

Researchers find more disease among river's young Chinook

Associated Press - 11/22/04

BY Jeff Barnard, staff writer

HORNBROOK, Calif. -- Walking the banks of Bogus Creek, state fisheries biologist Mark Hampton stopped and pointed to a black-and-white shape in the shallow water -- a battered female chinook salmon lying on its side and thrusting its tail into the gravel to dig a nest for its eggs.

This fall, the returns of chinook salmon to Bogus Creek and the Shasta, Scott and Salmon rivers -- Northern California tributaries to the Klamath River -- have been disappointing. Estimates based on fish and carcass counts are showing less than 25 percent of last year's returns and less than 10 percent of the strong returns of 2000.

The reasons are difficult to nail down, but the more researchers look, the more disease they are finding in young chinook migrating down the Klamath River. The fish that survive to reach the ocean are finding less food than they did a few years ago.

Meanwhile, an El Niño building in the South Pacific could reduce the mountain snowpack that feeds the Klamath River and make food even more scarce for salmon in the ocean.

The disease and ocean conditions come on top of the continuing struggle to balance scarce water between threatened coho salmon and farms on a federal irrigation project along the Oregon-California border. A drought in 2001 prompted the federal government to shut off water to most farms on the Klamath Reclamation Project.

The health of the Klamath's chinook salmon also has widespread effects because when runs are down, harvests in the ocean off Southern Oregon and Northern California are cut back to allow more to return to the river to spawn.

Declines blamed on habitat loss, poor water quality and overfishing prompted Congress to initiate a rebuilding effort in 1986, which led to increased research that has uncovered an alarming rate of disease.

Understanding the role that diseases play in salmon returns is becoming increasingly important in the rebuilding effort, said Nick Hetrick, fisheries program leader for Fish and Wildlife in Arcata, Calif.

That's where Scott Foott comes in. He is a fish pathologist at the agency's California-Nevada Fish Health Center who has been studying fish diseases in the Klamath Basin.

Samples taken from traps and seining indicate that as many as 80 percent of young Klamath chinook are infested with the parasite parvicapsula minibicornis by the time they reach the ocean. It doesn't appear to be fatal, but it weakens fish by making their kidneys less efficient at filtering their blood, Foott said.

Another parasite, Ceratomyxa shasta, infests the intestines. Between 30 percent and 40 percent of young chinook swimming down the Klamath get infested with it, and nearly all of them die.

Biologists don't know how many salmon are spawned in the wild in the Klamath Basin, so they cannot estimate how many are being killed by disease. Overall, though, the chances of salmon surviving from egg to spawning adult generally are tiny.

The numbers of chinook smolts released from Iron Gate Hatchery on the Klamath River that survived to return to the hatchery averaged less than 1 percent from 1979 to 1999, said Hampton, a biologist with the California Department of Fish and Game.

"This disease problem hits much harder in some years than other years," he said. "We're just now finding out what it's doing."

The fish do not appear to become infested with C shasta in their home tributaries, Foott said. It all appears to happen after they enter the Klamath. The rate of infestation appears to be related to the prevalence of a tiny worm, found in fine sand at the bottom of river pools and in algae that grows on rocks, that serves as an intermediate host for the parasite.

"The general thought is, if you have high concentrations of (the worm) in the upper river ... you are creating this condition of a higher rate of infection than you normally have," Foott said. "It could be a cyclic phenomenon. It could be due to a lack of flushing flows in winter. These are just open questions right now.

"A river is a very dynamic creature. When you turn it into a drainage canal, it doesn't operate like it used to."

Diseases could become another issue in the debate about water allocations in the basin. Right now, the timing and amount of flows down the Klamath River are dictated by the needs of coho salmon under the Endangered Species Act.

That could change if the Yurok Tribe wins a lawsuit against the Bureau of Reclamation demanding more water for chinook and other fish to fulfill tribal trust responsibilities. Also, PacifiCorp is seeking a new license to operate dams in the basin.

Beyond anyone's control are changing conditions in the ocean based on climate drivers such as El Niño in the South Pacific and the Pacific Decadal Oscillation in the North Pacific.

Because an El Niño is building, the Northwest might see a warmer winter and less precipitation, producing less snowpack in the mountains to feed salmon streams. The ocean is likely to be warmer close to shore off Oregon California and Washington, making for less upwelling.



http://www.eurekareporter.com/Stories/fp-11240413.htm

     
It appears Chinook salmon are spawning at record low numbers this fall. 

"In the main tributaries - the Scott, Shasta and Salmon rivers - the numbers of spawning Chinook appear to be lower than ever," said Nat Pennington, Salmon River Restoration Council Fisheries Program coordinator. "As of now our numbers are lower than the lowest numbers ever."

The Salmon River Restoration Council is a nonprofit that "works with tribes and agencies to monitor fish numbers in the Klamath and its tributaries," Pennington said.

The California Department of Fish and Game has recorded fall Chinook spawning numbers since 1978 from numbers attained by the Klamath Basin Cooperative Chinook Spawning surveys, Pennington said. 

Local tribes, the U.S. Forest Service, DFG, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, local schools and community groups have been involved with counting Chinook for the survey, he said. 

The Chinook salmon count began on Oct. 18 and most of the tributaries'counts for the Klamath are completed now, with a few tributaries still being counted until Dec. 2. The total numbers of the final count will not be known until January or February, he said.

Pennington said the Salmon River enters the Klamath at Somes Bar on the Humboldt County line and "hosts populations of all the remaining anadromous fish runs still present in the Klamath." 

Anadromous means species of fish which spawn in fresh or estuarine waters of the United States and which migrate to ocean waters.

The salmon run appeared to be average earlier this year, he said.

"The Yurok tribe commercial harvest in the Klamath estuary caught their quota of 12,698, as did recreational fishers, which were allotted 2,350," Pennington said. "Upriver the Karuk Tribe . was only able to catch 100 fall Chinook for their over 3,000-member tribal roll. The Karuk are only allowed to fish with traditional dip nets at Ishi Pishi Falls near Somes Bar. Their harvest this year was hampered by the small run size and low flows in the Klamath." 

Salmon die after they spawn. However, cooperative fish counts had only found 57 carcasses three quarters of the way through the counting season compared to the 70 carcasses found at this same time period in 1999, the lowest spawning year on the Salmon River up to this point, Pennington said.

The Pacific Fisheries Management Council and the California Fish and Game Commission regulate fishing and protect fish populations along the Pacific Coast, he said.

The Magnuson Act requires that at least 35,000 spawning Chinook salmon be accounted for in the Klamath River basin every year. If for three years in a row at least 35,000 Chinook salmon have not spawned, then the PFMC and the CFGC will stop commercial and recreational fishing of Chinook salmon, he said.

"I don't think we're going to meet that this year," said Sara Borok, associate fisheries biologist for DFG.

She said this means there will not be as many harvestable fish.

"The size of the Klamath fall Chinook run affects the future salmon fishing regulations and commercial quotas from San Francisco to Southern Oregon," Pennington said.

A low year can really set back the amount of fish that commercial and recreational fishers can catch, he said.

The Klamath River Basin Fishery Resources Restoration Act is a 20-year program created in 1986 to restore salmon and steelhead runs on the Klamath River basin. 

The Klamath Act created the Klamath River Basin Conservation Area Restoration Program and with it a federal advisory committee - the Klamath River Restoration Task Force.

"We're now in the 18th year of that act and it does not look like the goal of the act has been successfully accomplished," Pennington said.

He said the task force has done a good job, but it has not been able to address major current issues because of political sensitivities surrounding the Klamath basin.

"It is looking like it will be below 700 salmon returning to spawn on the Salmon River, which is the worst year on record for returns in this river," Pennington said.

Last year was a good year with 3,300 Chinook salmon spawning in the Salmon River. As of Nov. 18 a total of 76 had been counted, Borok said.

Throughout the basin all counts for spawning salmon are at about 25 percent of last year, Borok said. 

The lowest salmon spawning run for the entire Klamath basin was in 1992. Those salmon spawned one of the largest runs in 1995 which means there was a good survival rate. 

"We're seeing real good jack runs or two-year-old (salmon) returns this year, which means next year's three-year-olds and the following years four year olds should be strong runs," she said.

Last year was the lowest jack run in 26 years. This year there are four times as many two-year-old jacks so far, Borok said.

"The future doesn't look too bad. It's kind of scary for now," she said.

The spawning numbers will be used for setting quotas for harvest for next year. Borok said people will not be able to keep as many fish for next year.

"Unless we fix the whole system (the Klamath basin) we're probably going to lose the whole fish run," Pennington said. "The entire basin seems to be broken."

For more information contact Nat Pennington or the Fisheries Program at fisheries at srrc.org.
Smith, Wyden secure funding for Basin projects 

Published November 22, 2004 
http://www.heraldandnews.com/articles/2004/11/22/news/top_stories/atop3.txt 

H&N Staff Report 

A massive federal spending bill approved in Congress over the weekend includes millions of dollars 
for the Klamath Reclamation Project as well as city and county projects and a new program being 
developed at OIT. 

Funding for projects in Oregon was announced Sunday by Oregon Sens. Gordon Smith, a 
Republican, and Ron Wyden, a Democrat. 

The money is included in the omnibus spending bill for fiscal year 2005, which starts July 1. It now 
awaits President Bush's signature. 

The bill provides for a $27 million budget for the Klamath Reclamation Project. 

Dave Sabo, Project manager, said Reclamation officials requested that amount for the upcoming 
fiscal year. He expects, however, that some will be cut as the year proceeds. 

"I don't know what my final budget is," he said. 

Last year's budget appropriation was $25 million, but the Project ended up getting about $22 
million, Sabo said. 

In this year's request, $8 million would go to the Bureau's water bank program, and $10 million to 
support federally required fish monitoring and studies and water supply enhancement program. 

Much of the rest would go for operation and maintenance of the Project, paying the Project's staff 
and other annual costs. 

Another $1 million is set aside for water quality and flow measurement equipment on the project, 
according to the release. Oregon will share the money with the state of California. 

Oregon Institute of Technology will receive $120,000 for a program it is developing. 

"We are excited about this new funding," said OIT President Martha Anne Dow. "This money will be 
used to advance OIT's major initiative this year, which is our vision for a new Center For Health 
Professions." 

"It will help us advance our business plan for the center, including expanding our network of 
support in Oregon for the construction of a new facility on the Klamath Falls campus," she said in a 
statement issued this morning. 

OIT's business model focuses on three strategic initiatives - increased enrollment capacity, upgraded 
facilities, and expanded outreach, she added. 

"We appreciate tremendously the support of our Congressional delegation in making these funds 
available. I especially want to recognize the support of Rep. Greg Walden and Senators Gordon 
Smith and Ron Wyden have provided to this OIT initiative," Dow said. 

The city of Klamath Falls will receive $250,000 to do preliminary work on its wastewater 
treatment facility, and $200,000 to be used for infrastructure improvements on the facility. 

City Manager Jeff Ball said the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality will be making 
stricter standards for businesses and governments that add any waste products to their local rivers 
and lakes, and the money the city receives will go to meeting the higher standards. 

Ball said the higher standards have been in the works for a while. 

"This has been going on for 15 years and the study money will help us determine what we need to do 
in terms of improvements to meet the new standards," Ball said. 

The city is not yet sure how infrastructure money will be used, but Ball said it is considering either 
making improvements to the current treatment plant or finding a land-based method to treat 
wastewater. 

Local delegates that brought federal money to Klamath Falls should be acknowledged, Ball said. 

"The grant money is something Mayor (Todd) Kellstrom and I went back to Washington, D.C., and 
worked on earlier this year. We really appreciate our delegates that worked on this. It really helps 
the whole community," Ball said. 

The Klamath County Public Health Department also received $75,000. There was no information 
immediately available on how the money would be used. 

Also in the bill are: 
  

$1 million for the Rogue River Basin Project. 
  

$631,000 for the management and operation of the Deschutes Project. 
  

$500,000 for the Deschutes Ecosystem Restoration project. 
  

$1.2 million for terminal construction at the Rogue Valley International-Medford Airport. 

0 0 0 

Dylan Darling, Angela Torretta and Doug Higgs contributed to this report. 
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http://www.sacbee.com/content/news/story/11527399p-12429402c.html

Concrete solution for water?

Raising Shasta Dam's height looms large among ideas to boost state's
dwindling storage.

By David Whitney -- Bee Washington Bureau
Published 2:15 am PST Monday, November 22, 2004
Get weekday updates of Sacramento Bee headlines and breaking news. Sign up
here.
REDDING - From Highway 151, Shasta Dam emerges through the fog and rain like
an awesome apparition, a giant wall of concrete whose power generators
humming eerily far below add to its supernatural dimension.

As California looks for new ways to increase water supplies in the face of
mounting shortages, this monstrous 602-foot facade holding back the
Sacramento River seems destined to grow even taller.

It's a perfect spot for expansion, although it's not the only site under
intense scrutiny in this scramble for new water storage.

Shasta Dam was designed to be 800 feet tall, so adding concrete to its top
presents no significant engineering obstacles.

  "This is like adding a room on a house, rather than building a new house,"
said Michael J. Ryan, the Bureau of Reclamation's Northern California area
manager, whose small office overlooks the dam, the lake and, on a clear day,
Mount Shasta looming large in the distance.

But most importantly, the clean, cold water it would add to the state's
supply is exactly what water managers are looking for. A taller dam means
additional downstream protection against floods, more downstream supply for
farms and cities and, because Shasta Lake would be deeper, more cold water
to send downriver when the salmon are looking for a place to spawn.

A recently enacted federal water bill governing the state-federal San
Francisco Bay-Delta restoration and water program commonly known as Cal-Fed
revs up studies to add as much as 18.5 feet of concrete to the top of the
dam. That would boost the size of the lake behind by some 15 percent, or
636,000 acre-feet - enough water for 1.2 million households.

At an estimated cost of nearly $500 million, the project would be relatively
cheap. Under the Bureau of Reclamation's current timetable, construction
could be under way in five years and completed in 10.

All that looks promising for Northern and Central California, where water
shortages in a normal year are expected to be 1.4 million acre-feet by 2020
- and three times that in a drought year.

But for some whose lives and businesses are on the upstream side of Shasta
Dam, adding 18.5 feet of concrete to Shasta Dam is a disaster in the making.

"It's dubious at best," said Steve Barry, owner of Holiday Harbor Resort and
Marina and president of the Shasta Lake Business Owners Association.

"And the proposal doesn't even take into consideration the impact on
recreation," he said, estimating annual revenues from shore-side businesses
on the plus side of $80 million. "This is going to put some guys out of
business."

When the lake is at full crest, an 18.5-foot raise would mean that
houseboats popular with tourists will be stranded on one side or the other
of the Pit River Bridge, which carries Interstate 5 and the Union Pacific
Railroad over the lake.

Layton Hills, heir to the Hills Bros. Coffee fortune, oversees from his Mill
Valley office the Bolli Bokka Fishing Club, which brothers Austin and Reuben
Hills started on the McCloud River in 1904. The club's historic houses are
among those that would go underwater, he said.

"It's too bad," Hills said. "One is a log cabin dating from the 1860s, and
another is the so-called rock house made out of river cobble from about
1915. The regular clubhouse dates from around 1924."

Nearby, on the club's 4,000-acre property, is an old Wintu Indian village
site and burial ground that would be inundated.

Environmentalists also are organizing to fight any raise to the dam.

"I have a lot of problems with raising the dam," said Steve Evans,
conservation director at Friends of the River in Sacramento. "For one thing,
it violates state law that protects the McCloud River from any more dams or
reservoirs."

But more than that, said Evans and others, state and federal water planners
seem stuck in the old mold of looking for new dams and reservoirs to find
water that can be benignly obtained from better operations of facilities
they've already got.

"I don't think there is anyone in the environmental community who believes
there is any general benefit from this kind of stuff," he said.

Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., chief author of the Cal-Fed bill, is
irritated by this sudden surge in opposition to the Shasta raise.

"I believe it is a God-given right as Californians to be able to water
gardens and lawns," the California Democrat said. "The state is growing by
700,000 to 1 million people a year. It is going to need new water storage."

Not until she was contacted by Hills' lobbyist had anyone complained about
raising Shasta, she said, adding that raising the dam was considered the
"most benign" of the water storage projects in the bill.

"This is one family with a private facility there," she said. "And that's
all I am going to say about this."

Raising Shasta Dam has been under on-again, off-again consideration for at
least two decades. Some of the most detailed studies date back to the 1980s,
when Don Hodel, who served as energy secretary and then Interior secretary
under President Reagan, proposed the project as an alternative source of
water for San Francisco if Hetch Hetchy Dam in Yosemite National Park were
knocked down.

>From an engineering standpoint, it's a piece of cake. The dam, built between
1938 and 1945, was originally planned to be 200 feet taller. At 800 feet, it
would have been the highest and biggest in the world.

Sheri Harral, public affairs officer at the dam, said World War II and
materials shortages associated with the war effort led to a decision to stop
construction at 602 feet.

"The thinking was to come back and add on to it if ever there was a need
to," Harral said. "They started looking at raising it in 1978."

If Shasta Dam had been built up to its engineering limit in 1945, it is
arguable that Northern and Central California would not be facing a critical
water shortage now.

According to a 1999 Bureau of Reclamation study, a dam 200 feet taller would
be able to triple storage to 13.89 million acre-feet of water.

Still, tripling the size of Shasta Lake, on paper at least, would store nine
times the projected 2020 water deficit for the Sacramento, San Joaquin and
Tulare Lake basins during normal water years.

But the Bureau of Reclamation concluded in its 1999 report on Shasta Dam
that raising it by 200 feet would be prohibitively expensive - $5.8 billion.

Given what's under discussion now in the Cal-Fed process, however, the cost
of a maximum raise of Shasta is not that far out of line with other projects
authorized for study by the recent California water bill.

One of the projects with growing political support is damming a small valley
west of Maxwell and pumping it full of excess Sacramento River spring
runoff. That project could cost as much as $2.4 billion to store 1.8 million
acre-feet.

Other projects under intense investigation include quintupling the size of
the Los Vaqueros Reservoir in Contra Costa County to add as much as 400,000
acre-feet of capacity for perhaps $1.3 billion, and 1.2 million acre-feet of
storage on the Upper San Joaquin River for roughly $800 million. Two smaller
projects also are being looked at.

Steve Hall, executive director of the Association of California Water
Agencies, said a combination of projects is most likely, because where the
additional storage is in relation to where the water is needed can be as
important as total storage or cost.

Still, it's hard to see how raising Shasta Dam doesn't figure into the final
mix. The sure signs of inevitability are what have Shasta Lake business
owners concerned.

"Southern California is losing access to Colorado River water," said Bob
Rollins, general manager of Digger Bay and Bridge Bay resorts. "I don't know
where Los Angeles is going to get that water, but I assume it is going to
start coming out of here."

About the writer: 

    The Bee's David Whitney can be reached at (202) 383-0004 or
dwhitney at mcclatchydc.com.

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