Re: [env-trinity] KlamBlog-Before the storm – Behind the scenes

[FISH1IFR at aol.com]

In a message dated 9/22/2011 10:32:36 A.M. Pacific Daylight Time,  
t.schlosser at msaj.com writes:

We  should all look carefully at the Klamath DEIS to see if it confirms 
Glen's  claim that KBRA provides "up to 230,000 more acre-feet of water  back 
into the river for salmon recovery "  I  think you'll find that it says:

"Water Diversion Limitations would be  implemented during dry years to 
increase flows for fisheries by reducing  Reclamation’s Klamath Project 
diversion upstream of approximately 100,000  acre-feet." e.g., page 3.8-20.
Tom.... You have misunderstood me.   The additional water available to 
salmon use during the non-winter months under  the KBRA include much more than 
just that "up to 100,000 acre-feet" from  the Water Diversion Limitations on 
the Klamath Project.  To be more  precise, the KBRA provides for:
 
(1)  Up to 100,000 acre-feet additional water, as  compared to a baseline 
of actual Project usage 1960-2000, from the Project  through the "Diversion 
Limitation."  This would hit maximum in dry years,  when the fish need it 
most (but under past Project practices, when irrigators  got the most instead, 
thus exacerbating every drought for fish), but in wet  years (when there is 
plenty of water) would be much less water savings.   This Project reduction, 
as you know, is scaled so that the TOTAL MAXIMUM  Project diversion remains 
between 330,000 af and 385,000, the actual  Limitation based on annual 
rainfall.  Assuring more water for fish during  any future drought is VERY 
important as a major benefit from the KBRA. (KBRA  Sec. 15.1)
 
(2) Plus the addition to the total UKL  water supply from above-Project 
water users of a target of 30,000  additional acre-feet, through voluntary 
water right retirements and  such measures...  and this has to be verifiable 
additional water, not  "paper water" as you claim (KBRA Sec 16.2.2 -- Off 
Project Water Use Retirement  Program).
 
(3) Capturing, through the restoration of  additional wetlands (Willamson 
Delta, Agency Lake Ranch and Barnes Ranch, and  Wood River Projects), enough 
new storage calculated to collectively produce  an additional 108,570 gross 
acre-feet of storage next to Upper  Klamath Lake -- water that would 
ultimately be available to flow into Upper  Klamath Lake and then downriver, since 
it has nowhere else to go.  I round  this down to an additional 100,000 
acre-feet of storage capacity added  to the system, as restored wetlands (thus 
also a benefit to the  wildlife refuges and waterfowl).  True, this is water 
that would otherwise  have flowed down in the winter floods for lack of 
anywhere to store it, but  under the KBRA it will instead be shifted back to 
being available( by  being naturally stored) over the part of the year where it 
is most  useful to augment spring, summer and fall flows for salmon.  (See 
KBRA  Sec. 18.2).  I would also note that if, for any reason, any of these  
projects becomes unfeasible, something of equivalent storage will be 
developed  elsewhere in the upper basin (KBRA Sec. 18.2.5 --  Alternatives).
 
Added together this means that  100,000 + 30,000 + up to 100,000 = up to 
230,000 additional acre-feet  of water per year will be available for salmon 
in-stream as a result  full  implementation of the KBRA.  
 
The model that predicts this, by the way,  is a much used model that has 
been multiply peer reviewed, validated, and  is used in many other basins.  
And its output results have been  corroborated by a differently construct and 
independent  USGS model to within a very few percent in all time  steps.
 
Since you raised the crediblity of my  numbers, the above explanation 
seemed warranted.  I generally try hard to  have my facts straight whenever I 
post to public, or private, email forums, and  owed you and the other 
participants in this forum a thoughtful  response.  I do not "shoot from the hip" as 
so many seem to do, in email or  otherwise.
 
=============================================
Glen H. Spain, NW  Regional Director
Pacific Coast Federation of Fishermen's Associations  (PCFFA)
PO Box 11170, Eugene, OR 97440-3370
O:(541)689-2000 --  Fax:(541)689-2500
Email: fish1ifr at aol.com
Home Page: _www.pcffa.org_ (http://www.pcffa.org/)   


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