[env-trinity] Trinity Journal- No gravel will be added in '12

[Kier Associates]

'sort of gives new meaning to 'adaptive mgt', doesn't it?

 

From: env-trinity-bounces at velocipede.dcn.davis.ca.us
[mailto:env-trinity-bounces at velocipede.dcn.davis.ca.us] On Behalf Of Tom
Stokely
Sent: Wednesday, February 01, 2012 8:22 AM
To: env-trinity at velocipede.dcn.davis.ca.us
Subject: [env-trinity] Trinity Journal- No gravel will be added in '12

 

TRRP: No gravel will be added in '12

http://www.trinityjournal.com/news/2012-02-01/Front_Page/TRRP_No_gravel_will
_be_added_in_12.html 

BY AMY GITTELSOHN

THE TRINITY JOURNAL

Answering a question of great concern to fishing guides, Trinity River
Restoration Program staff said Thursday there will be no high flow addition
of gravel to the Trinity River in 2012.

Gravel augmentation this year has been opposed by the Trinity River Guides
Association, which says the gravel meant to aid fish spawning has filled
deep pools in the river used by adult fish.

The restoration program has two channel manipulation projects planned for
2012 - the Upper Junction City project and half of the Lower Steiner Flat
project in Douglas City. The projects have been scaled down but still
include side channels and wood structures in the river, alcoves, an island,
a bar using large rock, a wood structure to protect a landowner's bank from
high flows and provide fish habitat, and other features.

Although river restoration staff hopes to break ground on the projects by
late June, an environmental assessment (EA) and the permitting process are
still pending with a draft EA expected to be released for public comment in
early February.

The restoration program's plans were shared during a public scoping meeting
held Thursday at the Douglas City Fire Hall.

>From the program, environmental specialist Brandt Gutermuth said, "This year
there will be no high-flow addition of gravel."

The Trinity River Guide Association strongly opposes addition of gravel to
the river until an analysis is complete and public comment received. Prior
to Thursday's meeting, the association sent out a letter clarifying its
position on the 2012 projects. The letter states that the association
supports the first phase of the Lower Steiner Flat project, with
modifications that were presented to them. They tentatively support the
Upper Junction City project, though they express concerns about some of the
features.

However, "If gravel is planned for augmentation at any of the sites for
2012, or if it is scheduled for injection during a high flow event, the TRGA
will withdraw its support for the aforementioned projects," the letter
states.

In his presentation, Gutermuth noted that the 2000 Trinity River Record of
Decision (ROD) called for higher river flows, addition of gravel, control of
fine sediments entering the river and infrastructure modification to make
the higher flows possible.

Fifteen years of flows of 150 cubic feet per second after Trinity and
Lewiston dams were constructed left the river with no connection with its
floodplain that otherwise would provide habitat and nutrition for fish, he
said.

Explaining why the program has done some things not called for in the ROD -
such as creating logjams and many more side channels than the ROD envisioned
- Gutermuth said early monitoring has shown fish are not using earlier sites
such as Hocker Flat in the Junction City area as much as had been hoped. In
addition to the low flows, mining may have contributed to elevating the
floodplain, he said.

In attempting to create habitat faster, he said, "The projects are quite a
bit bigger than originally envisioned."

Trinity County Sup. Debra Chapman asked why the second phase of projects is
going forward when the analysis of the first phase has not been completed.

"We picked a couple of projects where we think the impacts will be wholly
beneficial in those areas," Gutermuth said, pointing out that they include
no addition of small, mobile gravel.

He noted that fish live only four years, so "the time frame is pretty short
to recover those species."

In Lewiston, the Sven Olbertson project site with side channels and wood
logjams added is seen as a success by program staff.

"In Lewiston the second we moved off the site the fish were there,"
Gutermuth said. "We're still waiting in Hocker Flat."

Gail Goodyear, whose family owns property along the river, said the work on
the river has been, "much more invasive than was originally planned." And
Jim Smith pointed out that early pre-dam pictures of the river show no side
channels or large woody debris.

Gutermuth agreed but said the river is different now, giving the example
that the river is kept artificially high in the summer because spring
chinook salmon are no longer able to get to tributaries above the dams.

Also from the restoration program, implementation branch chief DJ Bandrowski
said the program staff is attentive to the concerns of river guides,
landowners and others.

However, the program's executive director, Robin Schrock, said the program
cannot just do what people want. Science and peer review must also be come
into it, she said.

On the topic of gravel injections, she said data from a bathymetric survey
looking at riverbed changes has not been completed. Program staff was
reluctant to approve more gravel injections until they can see those models,
she said. The water year determination also plays a part, as gravel
augmentation is not called for in very dry years - and this year may be dry.

There were questions about access to the river during construction.
Bandrowski said BLM's Primitive Campground will be closed. The river will
remain navigable by boat the entire time, he said. He made no promises about
a popular boat launching area for the fishing guides, but there was
discussion about the possibility of having itopenbefore7am.ifthatcanbedone
safely. Improvement of the ramp is to be part of the project.

Aesthetic concerns were also expressed.

"These engineered logjams on a scenic river look like World War I trenches
or bunkers," said Rich Lorenz of Douglas City.

Gutermuth responded that vegetation will grow on the logjams which have dirt
on them, and Bandrowski said the logjams can protect openings to side
channels from erosion and provide complexity that fish like.

"I agree I think we can make them look a little more natural," he said.

Averil Carmona of Douglas City said, "Those tons of gravel you dumped in
didn't stay in Junction City and didn't stay in Lewiston."

She asked if the impacts upstream and downstream of the projects have been
considered.

Bandrowski said the gravel injections are being evaluated, and it's looking
as if it did not move much farther than 1,500 feet. Gravel already in the
system moves as well during high flows, he noted.

Studies that will shed more light on the results of the projects and last
year's high spring flow release of 11,000 cfs are still pending. Those
studies include 40 miles of lidar using lasers to get elevations and
contours, an assessment by the U.S. Geological Survey and bathymetry using
sonar to map changes underwater.

 

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