[env-trinity] Times-Standard: Hoopa raises concerns over low Klamath flow...

[FISH1IFR at aol.com]

Colleagues...
 
For anyone who would actually like to see the NMFS 10/31st Concurrence  
Letter on these emergency measures, to the effect that this action would  
likely BENEFIT, rather than harm, Klamath salmonids including coho, that letter  
is posted at:
 
_http://www.usbr.gov/mp/kbao/docs/NMFS_proposal_acceptance.pdf_ 
(http://www.usbr.gov/mp/kbao/docs/NMFS_proposal_acceptance.pdf) 
 
And while people may legitimately disagree with NMFS on the science, the  
assertion that this emergency measures is "illegal" is clearly not the  case. 
 The BiOp contains a well specified process for making such  mid-course 
corrections and modifications to flows, when conditions warrant and  NMFS 
believes they are better for fish, and that legal procedure was followed in  this 
case to the letter.  
 
There is still significant risk, from a very dry October and first half of  
November, that we are sliding into a serious drought.  If this is the case, 
 it would be foolish in the extreme to put all the water downriver this 
winter  when the fish need it the least, and thus cause shortages of water when 
fish  next need it the most, which will be in the Spring.  This was clearly 
the  thinking behind this NMFS concurrence.  And it is thinking with which 
we at  PCFFA agree, at least in this instance.
 
 
======================================
Glen H. Spain, Northwest  Regional Director
Pacific Coast Federation of Fishermen's Associations  (PCFFA)
PO Box 11170, Eugene, OR 97440-3370
Office: (541)689-2000 Fax:  (541)689-2500
Web Home Page: _www.pcffa.org_ (http://www.pcffa.org/) 
Email:  fish1ifr at aol.com

 
=======================================================
 
 
 
 
In a message dated 11/19/2012 8:26:24 A.M. Pacific Standard Time,  
tstokely at att.net writes:

_http://www.times-standard.com/ci_22025422/hoopa-raises-concerns-over-low-kl
amath-flows-other?source=most_viewed_ 
(http://www.times-standard.com/ci_22025422/hoopa-raises-concerns-over-low-klamath-flows-other?source=most_viewed) 
 
 
     
Hoopa raises concerns  over low Klamath flows; Other agencies, tribe 
disagree
Luke Ramseth/The  Times-Standard Eureka Times Standard
Created:
_Times-Standard.com_ (http://times-standard.com/) 

 
After a record salmon year on the Klamath  River, the Hoopa Valley Tribe is 
voicing concerns that low water flows this  winter will harm the fish, 
especially the endangered coho salmon. Other  Klamath agencies disagree, saying 
there was no choice, and proper study and  precaution has been taken. 
”If this is any indication of the (Bureau  of Reclamation's) future water 
planning, I do not see how the salmon can  recover,” said Hoopa Valley Tribal 
Chairman Leonard Masten in a statement. 
Upper Klamath Lake in Oregon, which feeds  the Klamath River, is at an 
18-year low. The lake provides water to Klamath  basin farmers, wetlands, 
downstream reservoirs like Iron Gate, all while  maintaining flows in the river 
itself. The Bureau of Reclamation manages flows  coming out of Upper Klamath 
Lake, and said it has no choice but to hold back  on water releases this 
winter. Bureau spokesman Kevin Moore said his agency  consulted closely with the 
National Marine Fisheries Service to ensure salmon  go unaffected. 
Both Hoopa and Karuk tribe representatives  showed recent concern over how 
reduced flows will affect the record-breaking  salmon season, mostly made up 
of chinook, and the river ecosystem on the  whole. In a press release, the 
Hoopa tribe said the low levels violate  Endangered Species Act flows for 
coho salmon. The two tribes also have  conflicting opinions on how best to 
proceed this winter, given the  less-than-optimal circumstances with a 
record-low lake. 
At issue is a 2010 “biological opinion” by  the National Marine Fisheries 
Service that stipulates a minimum flow level in  the river to protect the 
coho. The opinion says flows for the next two months  should not go below 
1,300 cubic feet per second below Iron Gate Dam. The  Bureau of Reclamation 
plans to run the flows at 1,000 CFS through December,  which does not include 
added wintertime rain and runoff. One CFS equals 7.48  gallons per second. 
Irma Lagomarsino, the National Marine  Fisheries Service Northern 
California Office supervisor, said the 2010  biological opinion also has a term and 
condition allowing the Bureau of  Reclamation and NMFS to drop flows below 
Iron Gate Dam to under 1,300 CFS, if  certain conditions are met. She said 
both her agency and the BOR analyzed  whether lowering flows would harm coho, 
and they determined it would not. 
”We felt there are some situations where  the flows could be lower,” she 
said. 
Regina Chichizola, a spokeswoman for the  Hoopa Tribe, said the tribe is 
especially concerned lower winter flows would  have an acute effect so soon 
after such a prosperous salmon season. She  highlighted the coho salmon as the 
largest potential victim. 
”We have argued ecological collapse affects  coho, specifically,” said 
Robert Franklin, a Hoopa senior hydrologist. “Baby  coho are quite active this 
time of year. They need to be able to swim in and  out of tributaries and up 
and down the river.” 
The young coho leave the river in spring  for the ocean. There, they spend 
one to three years before returning to spawn.  Coho are about two feet long 
on average, and usually weigh seven to 11 pounds.  They go from silver and 
dark blue hues while in the ocean, but turn bright red  when they return to 
fresh water. 
Chichizola said this is the second time  flow agreements have been violated 
in the last two years. She said those  actions give the river, “a continual 
air of lawlessness.” 
'Rock-bottom levels' 
A massive 2002 fish kill on the Klamath --  resulting in the death of more 
than 60,000 migrating Chinook salmon -- is  mentioned in the Hoopa press 
release, and remains on some salmon advocates'  minds. Chichizola and Franklin 
said the tribe is more concerned about  dangerous, long-term effects on the 
fish and river, not a repeat of 2002. 
”We're looking at trying to get above those  rock-bottom levels,” Franklin 
said. He cited a late Thanksgiving-time run of  Chinook that could also be 
affected by low flows. 
The Bureau of Reclamation began releasing  additional water on Aug. 15 from 
the Trinity River reservoir to supplement  flows in the lower Klamath 
River. In an August Times-Standard story, Sarah  Borok, and environmental 
scientist with Department of Fish and Game said the  release has the water flowing 
at about 3,200 cubic feet per second. In 2002,  when the fish kill occurred, 
the water was flowing at 1,800 cubic feet per  second. Borok said fast 
water flows give the fish more room to avoid what she  calls, “Kindergarten 
Syndrome.” 
”When the water is running too slow, the  fish will bunch in close together,
” she said. “That is bad because if one of  them is sick it increases the 
odds of them all getting sick.” 
The Hoopa Tribe made their case in a recent  letters to the National Marine 
Fisheries Service in Arcata and the Bureau of  Reclamation, saying reduced 
flows would be “ecologically unsound,” and even  illegal. 
The Hoopa letter to the NMFS called the  August Trinity release a “
substantial investment in protecting this run  against possible fish disease.” 
”It seems illogical that this substantial  federal investment would now be 
abandoned, leaving salmon to fend for  themselves against unreasonably low 
winter flows that are scientifically known  to be ecologically unacceptable.” 
The letter continues, “Of all years, this  is the worst possible year for 
reducing winter flows in the Klamath River  ...” 
Demanding winter flows a mistake? 
Craig Tucker, a Klamath campaign  coordinator for the Karuk tribe, said he 
has similar concerns as the Hoopa  about the impacts of low-flow levels on 
salmon. He said the Hoopa Valley Tribe  might be making a mistake in 
demanding more winter water. 
”We're more concerned about low flows in  spring,” he said. Strong spring 
flows are crucial, he said, especially in  getting salmon juveniles flushed 
out of the system. 
Tucker said he would rather temper flows  now and fill up Upper Klamath 
Lake with plenty of water as an insurance policy  for spring, in case of a dry 
winter. 
”The problem is, you don't know whether  you're going to have a wet winter 
or a dry winter,” he said. If flows are held  back now, and it turns out to 
be a wetter than usual winter, Tucker said  that's OK too. When the Upper 
Klamath Lake floods, that's healthy for  downstream ecosystems. 
Moore agreed. He said big releases  mid-winter due to storms mimic a 
natural, undammed river, and are healthy for  salmon. Moore questioned whether 
people would even notice a difference of 300  CFS down the river. 
Tucker said it seems Upper Klamath Lake was  mismanaged and overdrafted 
this year. Too much water went to other major  interest groups like Klamath 
basin farmers, wetlands, and wildlife refuges.  Moore had two explanations for 
the record-low lake levels. He said his  department bases water deliveries 
to various groups off of a Natural Resources  Conservation Service forecast, 
and that forecast was inaccurate this year.  Last year's winter was 
particularly dry, he said, resulting in lake inflow  being 76 percent of average. 
He explained with a low lake, his  department comes up against two 
competing environmental standards. On one  side, they must keep flows high enough in 
the Klamath River to not place coho  and other species in danger. Moore 
said the bureau also must keep enough water  in the lake to mitigate any risk 
to two other fish species that live there --  the endangered shortnose and 
Lost River suckers. 
”That's the whole struggle here,” Tucker  said. “How you balance it all so 
everyone gets their needs met is unclear to  me. But given the position 
we're in, I want to fill up that lake. We want to  go along with that. If Hoopa 
got what they wanted, and we got a drought  spring, everybody is going to 
be mad at Hoopa.” 
Franklin, the Hoopa hydrologist, calls low  spring flows an “unknown risk.”
 What he said he does know is that flows are  too low right now, which 
needs to be addressed. 
After an analysis, the National Marine  Fisheries Service thought lower 
flows would both help refill Upper Klamath  Lake, and help increase spring 
flows for coho, Lagomarsino said. She said her  department also ensured lower 
flows would not affect coho in the short term  this winter. 
”I don't see it as a tradeoff,” between  flows in winter or flows in 
spring, Lagomarsino said. “I don't see coho as  even effected by this 
November-December period.” 
She said 1,000 CFS is enough to provide “a  lot of spawning habitat” for 
coho. 
Whether decreased flows are eventually  deemed ecologically harmful, a 
record salmon season has brought heightened  awareness of flows and conditions 
on the Klamath. 
“We've had this amazingly strong run of  fish this year,” Tucker said. “I 
think we're trying to figure out what this  means.” 
Luke Ramseth can  be reached at 441-0509 or _lramseth at times-standard.com_ 
(mailto:lramseth at times-standard.com) .

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