From tstokely at att.net Wed Jan 2 11:34:26 2019 From: tstokely at att.net (Tom Stokely) Date: Wed, 2 Jan 2019 19:34:26 +0000 (UTC) Subject: [env-trinity] Group suing Trinity County over cannabis impacts References: <1923110979.13131517.1546457666580.ref@mail.yahoo.com> Message-ID: <1923110979.13131517.1546457666580@mail.yahoo.com> Group suing county over cannabis impacts | | | | Group suing county over cannabis impacts The Trinity Action Association announced in a press release Friday it is suing to compel Trinity County to follo... | | | Group suing county over cannabis impacts The Trinity Action Association announced in a press release Friday it is suing to compel Trinity County to follow state environmental laws spelled out in the California Environmental Quality Act when it comes to issuing commercial cannabis cultivation licenses. The TAA lawsuit alleges that before the county issues a license to cultivate cannabis commercially, CEQA requires it to conduct a site-specific analysis to determine if a project has the potential for causing a significant effect on the environment. It argues that if the answer is ?yes,? further analysis and reporting to the public is required, similar to the process necessary for other types of land uses such as timber harvesting and construction. Instead, it alleges that the county has issued more than 200 commercial cultivation licenses without following these basic requirements of CEQA. It says the CEQA process that TAA claims the county is improperly ignoring also requires certain public notice in order to give all voices, including other interested agencies and members of the public, an opportunity to be heard on possible adverse impacts that should be adequately mitigated before license issuance if such projects are approved. The TAA lawsuit claims that since it began approving cannabis cultivation licenses, the county has allowed most applicants to bypass mandatory CEQA review, resulting in ?wholesale disregard? of public review requirements and environmental safeguards. The suit also contends that the county?s ?non-public licensing process has caused confusion and disharmony for both the license applicants and the public in general, and that compliance with CEQA would also address this local problem.? TAA is a local grassroots organization formed in 2015 to influence the county on cannabis policies and enforcement. Its goals, as stated in its press release, are to protect the environment ?and make Trinity County a safe, healthy place to live, to work, and to raise a family,? and its lawsuit ?follows months of unsuccessful attempts to persuade county officials to comply with applicable California environmental review laws.? TAA representatives indicated the lawsuit ?has not been undertaken lightly, but rather as a last resort after repeated efforts to convince county officials to require compliance with CEQA. TAA hopes for a quick resolution to this problem that does not waste county resources.? ?Our goal is simply to get the county to follow CEQA because we don?t think they are. Several of us have met multiple times with county representatives and they have not heard us, leaving us no choice but to pursue litigation to try and get where we want to be,? said Paul Hauser on behalf of TAA, a group that he said numbers over 200 individuals. The press release was issued Friday, and the county was notified that the suit would be formally filed on Monday, Dec. 31 in Trinity County Superior Court. Weaverville Attorney Jim Underwood is representing TAA in the litigation. - Facebook - Twitter - Email - Print - Save -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From tstokely at att.net Wed Jan 2 15:43:16 2019 From: tstokely at att.net (Tom Stokely) Date: Wed, 2 Jan 2019 23:43:16 +0000 (UTC) Subject: [env-trinity] Fw: Reclamation finalizes Klamath Project Biological Assessment In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: <1015922646.13304131.1546472596119@mail.yahoo.com> Mid-Pacific Region Sacramento, Calif. MP-19-002 Media Contact: Erin Curtis, 916-978-5100, eccurtis at usbr.gov For Immediate Release: Jan. 2, 2019 Reclamation finalizes Klamath Project Biological Assessment KLAMATH FALLS, Ore. ? The Bureau of Reclamation completed the Final Biological Assessment on ?The Effects of the Proposed Action to Operate the Klamath Project from April 1, 2019 through March 31, 2029 on Federally-Listed Threatened and Endangered Species.? The document was submitted Dec. 21, 2018 to the National Marine Fisheries Service and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. The 2018 BA was written as Reclamation?s portion of the reinitiation of consultation with the services. Reclamation believes all information necessary to continue and complete the formal consultation process with the services has been provided. However, exchange of information will continue during the development of the services? coordinated biological opinion which is anticipated to be complete before the 2019 irrigation season. The BA contains: (1) a detailed description of the Klamath Project and its operation; (2) a description of the specific area that may be affected by the action and the environmental baseline; (3) a description of Endangered Species Act-listed species and critical habitat; (4) a description of the effects of the proposed action on ESA-listed species and associated critical habitat; and (5) other relevant available information incorporated by reference and citation. The information in the BA represents the best scientific and commercial data available. Reclamation?s proposed action analyzed in the BA proposes to continue to: store waters of Upper Klamath Lake (or UKL) and the Klamath and Lost rivers; operate the project for the delivery of water to meet authorized project purposes and contractual obligations inclusive of deliveries to national wildlife refuges; conduct routine maintenance activities on project facilities; and, implement conservation measures intended to minimize impacts of the proposed action. The proposed action includes a water supply based operational strategy and consists of a water management approach for UKL and the Klamath and Lost rivers that mimic natural hydrologic conditions observed in the Upper Klamath Basin. This approach attempts to optimize the ecologic benefit of the available water supply, resulting in the ability to maximize the amount of remaining water available for the project while seeking to fill UKL during the fall/winter to increase the volumes available for the Environmental Water Account (including disease mitigation flows), UKL, and project irrigation supply during the spring/summer operational period. Reclamation appreciates the contributions provided by tribes and key stakeholders during the development of the BA. The 2018 BA and its appendices are available at www.usbr.gov/mp/kbao. For additional information, contact Laura Williams at ljwilliams at usbr.gov or 541-880-2581 (TTY 800-877-8339). # # # Reclamation is the largest wholesale water supplier in the United States, and the nation?s second largest producer of hydroelectric power. Its facilities also provide substantial flood control, recreation, and fish and wildlife benefits. Visit our website at http://www.usbr.gov. Follow us on Twitter @USBR and @ReclamationCVP. Bureau of Reclamation, Denver Federal Center, Alameda & Kipling Street PO Box 25007, Denver, CO 80225 United States -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From tstokely at att.net Sat Jan 5 07:56:30 2019 From: tstokely at att.net (Tom Stokely) Date: Sat, 5 Jan 2019 15:56:30 +0000 (UTC) Subject: [env-trinity] Fw: NCRP 2019 Proposition 1 IRWM Project Proposal Solicitation Workshops - January 14 - 18 In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: <1874227181.14784913.1546703790911@mail.yahoo.com> ----- Forwarded Message ----- From: North Coast Resource Partnership To: "tstokely at att.net" Sent: Friday, January 4, 2019, 6:47:09 PM PSTSubject: NCRP 2019 Proposition 1 IRWM Project Proposal Solicitation Workshops - January 14 - 18 Please distribute this announcement along to colleagues you think would be interested. | | | | | | | | | | | | | JOIN US! NCRP 2018/19 Proposition 1 IRWM Implementation Project Solicitation INFORMATIONAL WORKSHOPS Workshops are being held throughout the North Coast to provide information about the upcoming NCRP 2019 Proposition 1 IRWM Implementation Project Solicitation. Workshops will cover: - Background Information - North Coast Resource Partnership (NCRP), Proposition 1 & IRWM Program - DWR & NCRP eligibility criteria - Project application preparation and submission - NCRP review process & criteria - Round 1 funding availability & approaches - Tips on what makes a good application - Proposal development Technical Assistance - Discussion, Questions & Answers WORKSHOP SCHEDULE: - January 14, 2:00 ? 4:00 pm, Yreka: Historic Yreka Elks Lodge, 332 W Miner Street - January 15, 10:00 am ? noon, Weaverville: Trinity County Solid Waste Transfer Station Offices, Conference Room, 173 Tom Bell Road - January 16, 9:00 ? 11:00 am, Willow Creek: Willow Creek Community Service District, 135 Willow Road - January 16, 2:30 ? 4:30 pm, Crescent City: Lighthouse Inn, 681 Highway 101 South - January 17, 8:30 ? 10:30 am, Eureka: Sequoia Conference Center, 901 Myrtle Avenue - Webinar: Join Skype Meeting - https://meet.lync.com/humboldtcoe-sequoiacenter/info/NBPZ2SHI?sl=1 - Join by Phone: +12134363150 Conference ID: 21780050 - January 17, 2:30 ? 4:30 pm, Ukiah: Ukiah Valley Conference Center, 200 S School Street - January 18, 9:00 ? 11:00 am, Fort Bragg: C. V. Starr Community Center, Multi-Purpose Room 2, 300 S. Lincoln Street - January 18, 2:30 ? 4:30 pm, Santa Rosa: Sonoma County Water Agency, Redwood Conference Room, 404 Aviation Blvd Project proponents are invited to bring project concepts and preliminary proposals to the meeting for discussion with the NCRP staff team. | | | | More Information and to Dowload Solicitation Materials | | | | If you have questions, need additional information or proposal development assistance please contact: - Katherine Gledhill at kgledhill at westcoastwatershed.com or 707.795.1235 - Tribal Projects: Sherri Norris, NCRP Tribal Coordinator at sherri at cieaweb.org?or 510.848.2043 | | | | | | | | | | | | Copyright ? 2018 North Coast Resource Partnership, All rights reserved. Our website address is: https://northcoastresourcepartnership.org/ ? | | | | | | | This email was sent to tstokely at att.net why did I get this?????unsubscribe from this list????update subscription preferences North Coast Resource Partnership ? PO Box 262 ? Healdsburg, CA 95448 ? USA | | -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From tstokely at att.net Sun Jan 6 08:13:25 2019 From: tstokely at att.net (Tom Stokely) Date: Sun, 6 Jan 2019 16:13:25 +0000 (UTC) Subject: [env-trinity] =?utf-8?q?Will_Gavin_Newsom_change_the_state?= =?utf-8?q?=E2=80=99s_water_course=3F_Fish_and_farmers_will_soon_find_out?= References: <2094604631.15151958.1546791205519.ref@mail.yahoo.com> Message-ID: <2094604631.15151958.1546791205519@mail.yahoo.com> https://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-pol-ca-water-decisions-20190104-story.htmlWill Gavin Newsom change the state?s water course? Fish and farmers will soon find outBy?BETTINA BOXALLJAN 04, 2019?|?4:00 AM???Water from the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta flows into the C.W. "Bill" Jones Pumping Plant in Tracy, Calif. (Katie Falkenberg / Los Angeles Times) In the final weeks of Gov. Jerry Brown?s administration, his appointees on a state board ordered some powerful water districts to cut their historic river diversions to protect endangered salmon populations. It was a major move by a panel that in the past has often been leery of flexing its regulatory muscles. But while the State Water Resources Control Board was demanding more water for fish, other Brown appointees were busy crafting deals that could ultimately mean less water for the environment. Despite a flurry of activity, Brown is leaving plenty of unfinished water business as he heads to his ranch in the Sacramento Valley. PAID CONTENTWhat Is This?Brown-backed plans to build two giant water tunnels still need key state permits. The water board is in the midst of adopting new flow standards for the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta and the rivers that feed it. Federal agencies are revising Endangered Species Act protections in the delta, the center of California?s vast water system. After Gavin Newsom moves into the governor?s office, the state?s position could change on all of those initiatives. Newsom has previously said he favors a scaled-down tunnel project. Whether he reappoints state water board chair Felicia Marcus will signal whether he wants the board to stand firm or back down on the flow requirements. His picks for top posts in the Natural Resources Agency will determine whether his administration goes along with a potential weakening of delta protections by the Trump administration ? or fights it. ?I?m sure we?re going to get a different view and philosophy from the Newsom administration. But I also expect they will respect decisions made under the Brown administration," said Jeffrey Kightlinger, general manager of the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California, which has played a key role in those decisions. Metropolitan gets roughly a third of the Southland?s water supply from the delta in the form of State Water Project deliveries. That means that flow requirements and endangered species protections in the delta and its huge watershed influence how much water goes into the California Aqueduct for the 444-mile trip south. State water board demands more water for fishDEC 12, 2018?|?9:10 PM? So even though Metropolitan is not directly affected by the state board?s December order to leave more water for migrating salmon in three tributaries of the San Joaquin River, MWD is advocating settlements that would pare those requirements, as well as avert tougher ones in the offing for the Sacramento River basin and the delta itself. ?We?ve been throwing flow at the fish for a couple of decades and they?ve gotten worse every year,? Kightlinger argued. ?What we really need to do are non-flow measures, such as acquiring habitat, restoring marshlands, setting back levees, creating better food supply for the fish ? more predation control measures.? The state board would have to approve any settlements. But it is not involved in the negotiations with diverters, which have been conducted by directors of the state Water Resources and Fish and Wildlife departments. The state is also consulting with federal agencies in a periodic review of environmental limits on the delta pumping operations that are part of the State Water Project and the federal Central Valley Project. The projects will ?basically be making the case for different types of outflow at different times of year based on the science we?ve been conducting,? Kightlinger said. Department of Water Resources Director Karla Nemeth said proposed changes in the pumping operations could involve fewer restrictions and more exports. ?But I want to be really clear that DWR has not made any commitments on that front. I want to be really, really clear about that.? Combine the potential for settlements and relaxed pumping limits in the delta, and environmental flows through the delta and out to sea could actually wind up lower than they are today. ?There was the big effort to present this grand bargain, in part to stop the water board from adopting these new standards, but in part to try to build political momentum for what appears to be a bait and switch,? said Doug Obegi, an attorney with the Natural Resources Defense Council, an environmental group. The settlement framework ?does not appear to be addressing the most fundamental part of restoring the health of the delta, which is increased water flowing through the delta to Suisun Bay and San Francisco Bay," he added. Nemeth defended the proposed settlement, saying proponents will have to show that habitat improvements tied to some additional river flows will provide enough environmental benefits to satisfy the water board. ?I think [the system] needs water and physical restoration,? she said. ?What is the right combination that ? provides comparable or better benefits,? to the board?s flow standards. So much water is diverted by farms and cities upstream of the delta and pumped from the delta itself that the average volume of flows out to the bay is about half of what it once was. That has distorted hydrological patterns and altered salinity levels, making the delta more hospitable to a host of invasive aquatic species than native fish. Diversions have so depleted the San Joaquin River and its tributaries that once-abundant salmon runs have all but disappeared. New flow standards ? part of a long overdue update of a water quality control plan for the delta watershed ? are intended to halt that decline. Whether they are implemented or diluted by accords will ultimately be up to the board, whose members are appointed by the governor to four-year terms. Newsom will have only one board opening to fill soon after he takes office. Marcus? term expires in January. Marcus has said she is open to voluntary agreements, but also led the panel?s 4-1 adoption of the first round of flow requirements in the face of threatened lawsuits and loud protests by river users. In coming weeks, the water world will be watching to see if Newsom steers a new course. His spokesman declined to discuss Newsom?s positions, saying Brown was still the governor. ?It remains to be seen,? Kightlinger said. ?But you can?t do long-term things if each administration starts from scratch.? -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From MaryClaire.Kier at wildlife.ca.gov Mon Jan 7 14:50:55 2019 From: MaryClaire.Kier at wildlife.ca.gov (Kier, Mary Claire@Wildlife) Date: Mon, 7 Jan 2019 22:50:55 +0000 Subject: [env-trinity] CDFW Trinity River trapping summary through Julian week 1 Message-ID: Greetings! Attached please find the TRP trapping summary through JWeek 1 (January 7). Cheers! MC -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: 2018 TRP_ trapping_summary_thru_JW1.xlsx Type: application/vnd.openxmlformats-officedocument.spreadsheetml.sheet Size: 70261 bytes Desc: 2018 TRP_ trapping_summary_thru_JW1.xlsx URL: From tstokely at att.net Wed Jan 9 08:26:30 2019 From: tstokely at att.net (Tom Stokely) Date: Wed, 9 Jan 2019 16:26:30 +0000 (UTC) Subject: [env-trinity] Governor Newsom Appoints Secretaries for CalEPA and Cal Food and Ag References: <415154024.17043456.1547051190863.ref@mail.yahoo.com> Message-ID: <415154024.17043456.1547051190863@mail.yahoo.com> https://www.gov.ca.gov/2019/01/08/calepa-cdfa/ Governor Newsom Appoints Secretaries for California Environmental Protection Agency and California Department of Food and Agriculture Published:?Jan 08, 2019 SACRAMENTO ??Newly sworn-in Governor Gavin Newsom today announced his choice for leaders ? one a new appointment, the other a reappointment ? of two vitally-important California state agencies. Jared Blumenfeld, 49, of San Francisco,?has been appointed Secretary of the California Environmental Protection Agency (CalEPA),the state cabinet-level agency established in 1991 to restore, protect and enhance the environment and to ensure public health, environmental quality?and?economic vitality. Blumenfeld is widely recognized as one of America?s most innovative environmental leaders. In 2016, he founded his own private firm advising?clean tech?companies in best practices after serving eight successful years as Regional Administrator of the United States Environmental Protection Agency for the Pacific Southwest, including California, Arizona, Hawaii, Nevada, the Pacific Islands, and 148 tribal nations, under President Barack Obama. Previously, he was Director of the San Francisco Department of Environment for nine years, where he and then-Mayor Newsom worked effectively to make San Francisco the most sustainable city in the nation. He also served as General Manager of the San Francisco Recreation and Park Department, Director of the Treasure Island Redevelopment Authority, Chairman of United Nations World Environment Day, Director of Habitat Protection at the International Fund for Animal Welfare, and Executive Director of Earth Summit Watch for the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC). He graduated from Cambridge College of Arts and Technology and earned?a Master of Laws degree from the University of California, Berkeley School of Law and a Bachelor of Laws degree from the University of London.?This position requires Senate confirmation and the compensation is $209,943.?Blumenfeld is a Democrat. Karen Ross, 67, of Sacramento,?has been reappointed Secretary of the California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA),?the state cabinet-level department established in 1919 to promote and protect?a safe, healthy food supply, local and global agricultural trade, and environmental stewardship. Ross successfully served as CDFA Secretary under Governor Edmund G. Brown Jr. for 8 years. She has unmatched leadership experience in agricultural issues nationally, internationally, and here in California. Prior to joining CDFA, Ross was chief of staff to U.S. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack, a position she accepted in 2009. Prior to that appointment, she served as President of the California Association of Winegrape Growers from 1996 to 2009, and as Vice-President of the Agricultural Council of California from 1989 to 1996. Before moving to California, Secretary Ross served as Director of Government Relations for the Nebraska Rural Electric Association and as Field Representative for U.S. Senator Edward Zorinsky. Ross grew up as a 4-H kid on a farm in Western Nebraska. She and her husband, Barry, own 800 acres of the family farm where her younger brother, a fourth-generation farmer, grows dryland wheat, feed grains?and?cattle. She earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and is a graduate of the Nebraska Ag Leadership Program. This position requires Senate confirmation and the compensation is $209,943. Ross is?a Democrat. ? ? ### -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From tstokely at att.net Wed Jan 9 08:49:34 2019 From: tstokely at att.net (Tom Stokely) Date: Wed, 9 Jan 2019 16:49:34 +0000 (UTC) Subject: [env-trinity] =?utf-8?q?Newsom_inherits_a_=E2=80=98whole_bunch_of?= =?utf-8?q?_headaches=E2=80=99_despite_last-minute_water_deals_by_Brown?= References: <472865774.17031421.1547052575000.ref@mail.yahoo.com> Message-ID: <472865774.17031421.1547052575000@mail.yahoo.com> Newsom inherits a ?whole bunch of headaches? despite last-minute water deals by Brown BY DALE KASLER?AND RYAN SABALOW? - - - - JANUARY 09, 2019 12:00 AM, UPDATED 8 HOURS 39 MINUTES AGO As his term as governor drew to a close last month, Jerry Brown?brokered a historic agreementamong farms and cities to surrender billions of gallons of water to help ailing fish species. He also made two big water deals with the Trump administration ? one to shore up support for his struggling Delta tunnels project, the other to transfer some of urban California?s water?to Central Valley farmers?whom the White House supports.It added up to a dizzying display of deal-making over an issue that confounded Brown during much of his four terms in Sacramento. His top aides said the agreements represented a bold attempt to calm California?s notorious water wars and inject a dose of common sense into a system traditionally ruled by strife and paralysis. ?We rise together, we fall together,? Fish and Wildlife Director Chuck Bonham said in rolling out Brown?s plan for the fish. ?I see a future that can help us bring all parties together.? Yet as Gavin Newsom takes over as governor, the state of water in California seems as unsettled as ever. The centerpiece agreement Brown made ? a giant compromise on reallocating water to help the fish ? ran into immediate trouble. The State Water Resources Control Board, a powerful agency governed by Brown appointees, essentially shelved the plan hours after it was unveiled Dec. 12.? The board agreed to reconsider the compromise in the coming months, but opposition to Brown?s plan was instantaneous. Environmental groups ? always a powerful voice in California water ? say they?ll do what?s necessary to kill the compromise for good. They say the Brown plan is a sham, part of a broader sellout of environmental concerns to appease Donald Trump. Environmental attorney Doug Obegi, of the Natural Resources Defense Council, said Brown?s various deals are likely to produce ?a whole bunch of headaches rather than a grand bargain.? On the other side of the spectrum, the Merced Irrigation District, representing 2,000 Valley farmers who haven?t agreed to surrender any water, sued the state board to block what it called an illegal ?water grab.? The district is one of several in the San Joaquin Valley that so far have refused to sign on to Brown?s water-sharing compromise. The Trump administration, which has been aggressively pushing for?more water for agriculture,?also has threatened to sue ? even as it made peace with California officials on other water issues.? Newsom has talked about scaling back the Delta tunnels project but otherwise has said little about water. He barely mentioned the topic in his?inaugural speech Monday. All about the Delta Like practically everything in California water, the agreements revolve around the rivers that flow into the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta. The estuary is the hub of the state?s network of dams and canals that supply water to the farms and cities that belong to the State Water Project, built by Brown?s father Gov. Pat Brown in the 1960s, and the U.S. government?s Central Valley Project, begun by Franklin Roosevelt during the New Deal. Water users and environmentalists have fought over the Delta for decades ? how much flows in, how much reaches the ocean and how much gets pumped south.? State scientists say farms and cities take as much as 90 percent of the natural flows on some of the tributaries, leaving salmon, steelhead and Delta smelt on the brink of extinction. To revive the species, scientists say more water needs to follow its natural flow to the Pacific. Since 2016 the state water board has been working on a proposal to re-divide the Sacramento and San Joaquin rivers and their tributaries and allow more water to rush through the Delta. The state proposed leaving almost 300,000 extra acre-feet of water in the San Joaquin watershed, plus anywhere from 1.1 million to 3.1 million acre-feet in the Sacramento and its tributaries. By comparison, Folsom Lake can hold around 1 million acre-feet. The plan would mean substantially?less water for farms and cities?that draw from those rivers ? including the city of San Francisco and several Bay Area suburbs, which rely heavily on the Tuolumne River, a tributary of the San Joaquin, to serve 2.6 million people. The state board?s proposal would also spell trouble for numerous water agencies that don?t feed directly from those rivers but count on lots of water being available for pumping out of the Delta. Among them: the giant irrigation districts controlled by San Joaquin Valley farmers, and the 19 million customers of the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California. Already struggling with frequent shortages, water agencies began negotiating with environmental groups over alternatives to the state board?s proposal.? The talks intensified last summer. That?s when the board?s staff finalized its proposal for the San Joaquin watershed ? and Ryan Zinke, who was then Trump?s Interior secretary, jumped into the fray. The U.S. Bureau of Reclamation, which runs the Central Valley Project, threatened to sue the state if it took water from farmers. Zinke and his deputy David Bernhardt, a former water lobbyist for Valley farmers,?began pressuring California?to find more water for agriculture, not less. Environmentalists say Zinke?s team also threatened to fight the Delta tunnels project, Brown?s controversial plan to re-route the estuary?s water flows in an effort to improve conditions for fish. Losing the feds would send the project back to square one after ten years and $200 million worth of planning. Zinke?s initiatives ?really changed the dynamic,? said Rachel Zwillinger of Defenders of Wildlife, one of the environmental groups at the negotiating table. ?There were more pieces of the puzzle being negotiated.? The puzzle began taking shape in early December. First Brown endorsed a proposal in Congress?to extend a 2016 law?signed by former President Barack Obama that relaxes some of the environmental restrictions on Delta pumping. The proposed extension, backed by Democratic Sen. Dianne Feinstein and House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, R-Bakersfield, is still pending. Then came a series of agreements unveiled Dec. 12. Two deals with Trump In one deal, the Trump administration pledged to continue working on Brown?s Delta tunnels project. In return, the state guaranteed that Valley farmers wouldn?t lose any water to the project. Farmers had feared they could wind up with less water because they?ve refused to contribute money to the tunnels project. Brown also agreed to renegotiate the ?coordinated operating agreement,? an arcane rulebook that governs the Delta pumps.? The rewrite is a concession to the Trump administration. It allows the feds? Central Valley Project and its mostly agricultural customers to take a bigger share of the Delta?s waters ? as much as 200,000 acre-feet a year ? from the mainly urban customers of the State Water Project. An acre-foot is 326,000 gallons, a year?s supply for one to two households. The extra water proved critical to securing agriculture?s support for the biggest deal revealed that day: Brown?s settlement plans for the rivers. Jeff Kightlinger, whose Metropolitan Water District of Southern California is the State Water Project?s biggest customer, said the state had to give farmers additional water from the Delta so they?d be willing to surrender a portion of their supplies to help Brown?s plan for the fish.? ?You have to have the Central Valley part of it,? he said last month. Brown?s people described the compromise as a breakthrough. San Francisco would take less from the Tuolumne. Water agencies from greater Sacramento would take less from the American. Many of the Central Valley?s farming districts kicked in water, too, with some agreeing to idle land. The new water for fish would total at least 740,000 acre-feet a year, for 15 years. It could grow to 1 million if scientific studies proved more was needed for the fish. While this was less than the volume sought by the state board, the offer included a sweetener. The water districts promised $800 million over 15 years, and the Brown administration pledged $900 million in bond funds, to revive fish populations through other means: spawning grounds, nutrient-rich floodplains and other habitat projects. Some of the cash would compensate water districts for coughing up water, particularly the agricultural districts where farmers have agreed to fallow land. Brown?s administration saluted the willingness to surrender water. ?There?s a touch of courage here,? Karla Nemeth, director of the Department of Water Resources, told the state water board. ?Smoke and mirrors? But as Nemeth spoke, environmentalists and fishing groups were fuming. They said the water wasn?t nearly enough, and the habitat projects were inadequate. Zwillinger of Defenders of Wildlife said environmentalists were essentially frozen out of the negotiations in recent weeks, and the deal ?really did not reflect input from the conservation community.?? And, as environmental groups went through the details of the settlements, they were troubled by what they saw: Many of the habitat projects have been on the drawing board for years and would likely get completed anyway, they said. Some are already underway. For instance, almost all of the habitat projects proposed for the Tuolumne had already been promised by regional water districts to secure a new federal license for New Don Pedro Dam. An official with the dam?s part-owner, the Turlock Irrigation District, acknowledged as much in an interview with the Sacramento Bee, though he said the proposed deal would speed up the process to getting them done. ?We hope we can start making progress on the river sooner rather than later,? said Steve Boyd, the Turlock district?s water resources director. In the Glenn County community of Hamilton City, a $90 million?floodplain restoration projecthas been under construction since 2015, yet it?s listed under the proposed agreements. The project consists of moving a levee further back from the Sacramento River to create more habitat on a wider floodplain. When a Bee reporter visited the site in December, a worker was driving an ATV between rows of freshly planted native trees. About 30 miles east of Hamilton City, crews in hard hats were wrapping up work for the winter season last month on another project on Brown?s list. This one involves cutting a notch into a levee on the Feather River to allow more water to flow into seasonal marshlands south of Oroville.? John McManus of the Golden Gate Salmon Association, which represents fishermen, said it?s ?smoke and mirrors? to count ?required habitat restoration that?s already built or been in the works for years? as something new. State officials counter by saying that that many of these projects ? even ones that may be underway ? need funding to get finished, and the proposals provide that certainty. Michael Bessette of the Sutter Butte Flood Protection Agency, which is overseeing the Oroville levee work, said $12 million has been spent on the project, but another $7 million is needed to finish the job.? He was thrilled Brown?s proposal appeared to make it a priority. For now, though, the Brown settlements haven?t convinced the state board. It voted 4-1 to go ahead with its original plan to reallocate water to the fish ? more water than Brown?s compromise offered. The vote only covered the San Joaquin River watershed; a second vote is scheduled for March on the rivers of the Sacramento Valley. Board members promised to continue studying the settlement plans in the meantime. Chairwoman Felicia Marcus called them ?intriguing? but also hinted she was disappointed that environmentalists had been cut out of the talks. ?I would encourage ... that the process become more open, and more players be involved,? she said in a reference to environmentalists. Whatever the state board decides, however, the courts will probably have the last word. There?s ?going to be litigation anyway, right? It?s a given,? said water policy expert Jeff Mount of the Public Policy Institute of California. ?Hardly anything happens in water without litigation; that?s just what we do here in California.? RELATED STORIES FROM SACRAMENTO BEE CAPITOL-ALERT Deal could avoid shutdown, but California wildfire and water measures have to wait DECEMBER 19, 2018 03:41 PM CAPITOL-ALERT Jerry Brown wanted to save the planet and the California budget. How did he do? DECEMBER 18, 2018 12:01 AM POLITICS-GOVERNMENT California vs. Trump ?will be a giant case? over air rules, could end up in Supreme Court JULY 24, 2018 02:07 PM? -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From tstokely at att.net Thu Jan 10 12:58:49 2019 From: tstokely at att.net (Tom Stokely) Date: Thu, 10 Jan 2019 20:58:49 +0000 (UTC) Subject: [env-trinity] Fw: Proposal Development Technical Assistance - NCRP 2019 Proposition 1 IRWM Project Proposal Solicitation In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: <1592593030.17887742.1547153929070@mail.yahoo.com> ----- Forwarded Message ----- From: North Coast Resource Partnership To: "tstokely at att.net" Sent: Thursday, January 10, 2019, 10:06:45 AM PSTSubject: Proposal Development Technical Assistance - NCRP 2019 Proposition 1 IRWM Project Proposal Solicitation To support project proponents develop application materials for the NCRP 2019 Proposition 1 IRWM Implementation Project Solicitation | | | | | | | | | | | | | NCRP 2018/19 Proposition 1 IRWM Implementation Project Solicitation ? PROPOSAL DEVELOPMENT TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE GOAL: To support project proponents develop application materials for the NCRP 2019 Proposition 1 IRWM Implementation Project Solicitation in accordance with the source funding guidelines and eligibility requirements. This includes but is not limited to the following: - Project and sponsor eligibility - Identifying whether a project area is entirely or partially comprised of Disadvantaged Communities (DAC), Severely Disadvantaged Communities (SDAC), Economically Distressed Areas (EDA) or Tribal Communities - Describing how projects may contribute to regional and statewide priorities related to climate change, adaptation, regional water self?reliance, endangered/threatened species and sensitive habitats, etc. - Strategies for gaining political support and notifying affected agencies, including the County and/or Tribes within the proposed project impact area - Reviewing and developing project tasks, budget and schedule documentation - Documenting CEQA and permit acquisition plan and justification - Describing cost considerations, project budget and matching funds - Developing Major Tasks, Schedule and Budget (project application excel file) - Describing and quantifying project benefits in monetary terms - Providing assistance with project justification WHO: The team of technical assistance providers is made up of regional experts that can provide one-on-one proposal development assistance based on project need. The time allotted to each agency receiving technical assistance may vary but is estimated between 2-6 hours or more based on need and availability. It is recommended that project proponents attend one of the informational workshops being held throughout the North Coast and become familiar with the project application preparation and submission requirements. The workshop schedule can be found here. HOW: Please contact Katherine Gledhill at kgledhill at westcoastwatershed.com or 707.795.1235 who will schedule a project proposal assistance phone meeting. Tribal Projects: Sherri Norris, NCRP Tribal Coordinator at sherri at cieaweb.org or (510) 848-2043 | | | | More Information and to Dowload Solicitation Materials | | | | | | | | | | | | Copyright ? 2018 North Coast Resource Partnership, All rights reserved. Our website address is: https://northcoastresourcepartnership.org/ | | | | | | | This email was sent to tstokely at att.net why did I get this?????unsubscribe from this list????update subscription preferences North Coast Resource Partnership ? PO Box 262 ? Healdsburg, CA 95448 ? USA | | -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From tstokely at att.net Fri Jan 11 08:22:09 2019 From: tstokely at att.net (Tom Stokely) Date: Fri, 11 Jan 2019 16:22:09 +0000 (UTC) Subject: [env-trinity] =?utf-8?q?California_water_projects_could_be_tapped?= =?utf-8?q?_to_pay_for_Trump=E2=80=99s_border_wall__By_SARAH_D=2E_WIRE_JAN?= =?utf-8?q?_11=2C_2019?= References: <600685066.18333173.1547223729708.ref@mail.yahoo.com> Message-ID: <600685066.18333173.1547223729708@mail.yahoo.com> California water projects could be tapped to pay for Trump?s border wall | | | | | | | | | | | California water projects could be tapped to pay for Trump?s border wall Sarah D. Wire President Trump may try to use billions of dollars meant for projects in California and Puerto Rico if he uses e... | | | California water projects could be tapped to pay for Trump?s border wall By?SARAH D. WIREJAN 11, 2019 Officials have given President Trump a plan to divert funds designated for Army Corps of Engineers projects in California and Puerto Rico to help pay for a wall along the southern border, a leading member of Congress said Thursday. On his way to the Texas border Thursday, Trump was presented with 13 Army Corps of Engineers projects for which Congress has allocated money, but which have not yet been put under contract, according to Rep. John Garamendi (D-Walnut Grove). Those funds potentially could be tapped for building a border barrier if Trump?declares a national emergency,?which he said Thursday he is strongly inclined to do. Members of Congress in both parties have said that would be an abuse of executive power, but many also have noted that a declaration would seem to make moot the issue at the center of the government-funding impasse that?s shuttered many federal agencies for three weeks ? Trump?s demand for $5.7 billion to build a 234-mile stretch of wall. Once the president got his money elsewhere, Congress could pass and he could sign legislation funding the quarter of the federal government for which spending hasn?t been approved for the remainder of this fiscal year, through Sept. 30. Yet White House officials on Friday could not say whether Trump would do so. On Saturday, the shutdown will be in its 22nd day, making it the longest ever. Administration officials on Thursday confirmed that they were looking at a range of government accounts that Trump potentially could tap into, but would not comment specifically on which projects were being eyed. Garamendi, however, who serves on the House committee that oversees water projects, said he had been told that a series of specific California projects were targeted, some of which are in his congressional district north and west of Sacramento. He would not say who provided the information. ?Word came to us? that Lt. Gen. Todd Semonite, the commanding general of the Army Corps of Engineers ?accompanied the president to Texas to specifically discuss projects that could be reprogrammed to provide $5 billion for Trump's wall,? Garamendi said. ?I know that these projects were identified. I do know that these projects were presented to him.? ?I am very comfortable in saying these were the projects that were discussed to be presented to the president,? he said. The latest from Washington ? Trump has been considering an emergency declaration as a way around the current standoff in which a large part of the federal government has been closed for three weeks in a fight over how much ? if any ? money Trump should get for his long-promised wall at the southern border. Trump says a?wall is needed to solve what he calls a ?crisis??at the border. Democrats say it would be costly and ineffective.?Negotiations to resolve the shutdown broke down?earlier this week. Some administration officials believe existing laws would give Trump authority to move funds from other projects to the border wall if he declares an emergency. Doing that would allow him to sign the bills needed to reopen government agencies while still saying that he is seeking to build the wall. Democrats have said they will challenge any such move in court. Whether Trump will take that step remains uncertain; several of his advisors and Republican members of Congress have cautioned against it, fearing that he would lose in court or that the attempt to use emergency powers would set a precedent that a future Democratic president could use to bypass Congress. Pictures in the News | Friday Jan. 11, 2019 ? Several of the projects Garamendi said were identified have been in the works for years if not decades, and some are in their final stages. The projects include raising the height of Folsom Dam on the American River in Northern California, protecting Lake Isabella in Kern County from leaking as a result of earthquakes, enlarging the Tule River and Lake Success in the Central Valley and building shoreline protections in South San Francisco. Together the California projects total $2.46 billion. The projects identified in Puerto Rico total $2.5 billion, Garamendi said. ?Each of these flood-control projects are specifically designed to save the lives of millions of Americans,? Garamendi said. ?If it?s not done this year, or next year, will it make a difference? Maybe not, or maybe it will make all the difference.? Californians in Congress from both parties said Thursday they?d oppose taking the funds from the state projects. ?It?s a declaration of war on Californians if he were to do that,? said Rep. Jared Huffman (D-San Rafael). Rep. Doug LaMalfa (R-Richvale) said he was concerned about taking money from projects in Puerto Rico, which was recently hit by a disastrous hurricane, or from flood control in California, and that any move needs careful consideration. ?Let?s do a cease-fire on this stuff ? have everyone turn off their Twitter for seven days,? LaMalfa said. More stories from Sarah D. Wire ? -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From MaryClaire.Kier at wildlife.ca.gov Mon Jan 14 09:56:52 2019 From: MaryClaire.Kier at wildlife.ca.gov (Kier, Mary Claire@Wildlife) Date: Mon, 14 Jan 2019 17:56:52 +0000 Subject: [env-trinity] CDFW Trinity River trapping summary through Julian week 2 Message-ID: Attached please find the TRP trapping summary through JWeek 2 (January 14). A single steelhead spawning day at the hatchery this past week, as per the norm this time of year. Cheers! MC -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: 2018 TRP_ trapping_summary_thru_JW2.xlsx Type: application/vnd.openxmlformats-officedocument.spreadsheetml.sheet Size: 70314 bytes Desc: 2018 TRP_ trapping_summary_thru_JW2.xlsx URL: From tstokely at att.net Mon Jan 14 13:08:32 2019 From: tstokely at att.net (Tom Stokely) Date: Mon, 14 Jan 2019 13:08:32 -0800 Subject: [env-trinity] Fwd: Trinity River Survey References: Message-ID: Sent from my iPhone Begin forwarded message: > From: Amanda Starlight > Date: January 14, 2019 at 12:12:13 PM PST > To: tstokely at att.net > Subject: Trinity River Survey > > Tom, > We were hoping you could share this email with the Environmental-Trinity email list. > Thanks! > Amanda > > > Hello, > > The Trinity River Restoration Program (TRRP) is doing a Community Perception Survey for the Trinity River. The goal is to gauge information about community understanding of the Trinity River Watershed, TRRP projects, glean information to tailor future outreach events, and measure community educational needs about their local watershed. > > We would really appreciate it if you could participate in this survey, as well as share this email with your networks. > > The online survey is fast and easy and it's link is: > https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/7BBLP3R > > We'd like to implement this same survey annually to measure perception over time. > > This survey is open until March 31, 2019. > > Aside from the online survey link, pdf documents are also attached. Either method is fine, however, the online version will only take a few minutes of your time. > > Please feel free to ask if you have any questions. > > Thanks for your help, > > Amanda Barragar > Trinity County Resource Conservation District & > Trinity River Resource Program > Public Outreach and Education Project Coordinator > > > -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: Trinity River Survey - fillable PDF.pdf Type: application/pdf Size: 463707 bytes Desc: not available URL: -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: Trinity River Survey.pdf Type: application/pdf Size: 414994 bytes Desc: not available URL: -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From MaryClaire.Kier at wildlife.ca.gov Thu Jan 17 15:16:49 2019 From: MaryClaire.Kier at wildlife.ca.gov (Kier, Mary Claire@Wildlife) Date: Thu, 17 Jan 2019 23:16:49 +0000 Subject: [env-trinity] CDFW Trinity River trapping summary through Julian week 3 Message-ID: Attached please find the TRP trapping summary through JWeek 3 (January 21). More steelhead came in this week than last week, thankfully. Hopefully they just keep a'coming. And I hope you are all staying dry and warm, whether you are in the river or out. Cheers! MC -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: 2018 TRP_ trapping_summary_thru_JW3.xlsx Type: application/vnd.openxmlformats-officedocument.spreadsheetml.sheet Size: 70312 bytes Desc: 2018 TRP_ trapping_summary_thru_JW3.xlsx URL: From tstokely at att.net Thu Jan 17 16:00:36 2019 From: tstokely at att.net (Tom Stokely) Date: Fri, 18 Jan 2019 00:00:36 +0000 (UTC) Subject: [env-trinity] Fw: Bureau of Reclamation names Ernest A. Conant Mid-Pacific Regional Director In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: <1383535378.1282863.1547769636691@mail.yahoo.com> ----- Forwarded Message ----- From: Peter Soeth To: "tstokely at att.net" Sent: Thursday, January 17, 2019, 2:31:43 PM PSTSubject: Bureau of Reclamation names Ernest A. Conant Mid-Pacific Regional Director Commissioner's Office Washington, DC Media Contact:??? Theresa Eisenman, Chief of Public Affairs, 202-513-0574 or Erin Curtis, MP Region Public Affairs Officer, 916-978-5100 For Immediate Release:?January 17, 2019 Bureau of Reclamation names Ernest A. Conant Mid-Pacific Regional Director WASHINGTON ? Bureau of Reclamation Commissioner Brenda Burman today named Ernest A. Conant director of the Mid-Pacific Region. Conant has nearly 40 years of water law experience and previously served as senior partner of Young Wooldridge, LLP. ?Ernest has been at the forefront of California water for nearly four decades, advocating for water for both agriculture and municipalities,? said Commissioner Burman.??His experience with California water will serve our Mid-Pacific Region well as we continue to develop new, innovative strategies to meet the needs of water users.? As director of Reclamation's Mid-Pacific Region, Conant will manage one of the nation's largest and most complex water projects, the Central Valley Project, as well as Oregon's Klamath Project; Nevada's Newlands, Humboldt, Washoe and Truckee Storage projects; and California's Cachuma, Orland, Santa Maria, Solano and Ventura River projects. Most recently, Conant served as chair of the Water/Special Districts/Environmental Law Practice Group for Young Wooldridge where he was involved in negotiating major water agreements and has led water banking and other storage initiatives.?? Conant, whose family has been farming in California for six generations, was born in the northern California city of Marysville. He earned his Bachelor of Science degree in 1975 from Cal Poly San Luis Obispo,?where he?was named Outstanding Senior by the School of Agriculture and Natural Resources.? In 1984-86, he participated in the Class XV California Agricultural Leadership Program. He earned his Juris Doctorate from Pepperdine University in 1979. # # # Reclamation is the largest wholesale water supplier in the United States, and the nation's second largest producer of hydroelectric power.? Its facilities also provide substantial flood control, recreation, and fish and wildlife benefits.? Visit our website at https://www.usbr.gov/ and follow us on Twitter?@USBR. Bureau of Reclamation, Denver Federal Center, Alameda & Kipling Street PO Box 25007, Denver, CO 80225 United States -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From tstokely at att.net Fri Jan 18 08:28:18 2019 From: tstokely at att.net (Tom Stokely) Date: Fri, 18 Jan 2019 16:28:18 +0000 (UTC) Subject: [env-trinity] Shasta Dam raising project runs into legal, congressional roadblocks References: <325455441.1769623.1547828898518.ref@mail.yahoo.com> Message-ID: <325455441.1769623.1547828898518@mail.yahoo.com> https://www.redding.com/story/news/2019/01/17/shasta-dam-raising-project-runs-into-legal-congressional-roadblocks/2585338002/ Shasta Dam raising project runs into legal, congressional roadblocks At least one state agency has indicated it will not issue necessary permits to allow federal officials and a Fresno-based water district to begin construction to raise the height of Shasta Dam. In addition to facing opposition from the state, the project could also face fresh hurdles from Congress, which this year came under control of Democrats. In a letter to the Fresno-based Westlands Water District, the State Water Resources Control Board says raising the height of Shasta Dam would violate state law. The letter refers to a law that prohibits state or local agencies from participating in planning for projects that ?could have an adverse effect on the free-flowing condition of the condition of the McCloud River, or on its wild trout fishery.? ?This language bars the State Water Board and other agencies of the state from issuing any permit or other approval for a project that could adversely affect the free-flowing character of the McCloud River or its wild trout fishery,? according to the letter, which was signed by Eileen Sobeck, the board?s executive director. The U.S. Bureau of Reclamation wants to raise the height of the dam 18? feet, which would increase the amount of water that could be held in Lake Shasta by about 14 percent. The U.S. Bureau of Reclamation increases the outflow of water from Shasta Dam on Feb. 22, 2017.Wochit The proposal has been on-again, off-again for decades, but last year Congress approved $20 million for preconstruction and design work on project. Designs were drawn up and?core samples were taken from the concrete in the dam?to see if it could withstand the extra weight of a taller dam. The bureau has said it will only pay 50 percent of the $1.4 billion project. The rest of the money would have to be raised from ?nonfederal? partners, the bureau said. The Westlands Water District, which provides water to farmers in the western San Joaquin Valley, has stepped up as one partner. Last year,?the district began an environmental review of the project and asked the public and various government agencies for comments?to help focus the direction of its study. Buy Photo In September 2018, Nathan Morgan hangs over the side of Shasta Dam. Morgan and others were drilling holes in the dam to test the strength of the concrete in preparation for raising the height of the dam.?(Photo: Damon Arthur/Record Searchlight) Westlands and bureau officials have said they plan to complete environmental review, obtain full funding from nonfederal partners and get the necessary federal and state permits in time to issue the first construction contracts by the end of this year. The state Water Board submitted its initial environmental comments Monday, pointing out what federal officials and Westlands had heard before ? that the state considers raising the dam illegal. John Laird, the state?s natural resources secretary, sent a letter in March 2018 to leaders in the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives informing them that the dam raise would violate state law because it would inundate ?several miles? of the McCloud River. Monday?s letter from the water board says the bureau would need to get extensions on its right to divert and store water behind Shasta Dam. The bureau and Westlands also would need to obtain permits under the Clean Water Act. Redding rally backs Trump's push for border wall Both of those would be issued by the state water board, the letter says. Erin Curtis, a spokeswoman for the bureau, said the agency officials feel they can persuade the state the dam raise is not against the law. When the state Legislature passed the law in 1989 prohibiting state agencies from participating in the planning of projects that would affect the McCloud River, the bureau was contemplating raising the height of the dam 200 feet, rather than the current plan for 18? feet, she said. Bureau officials plan to go back to state officials and make the case that current plans to raise the height of the dam will have minimal effect on the McCloud River, Curtis said. But getting cooperation from state officials is just one of the obstacles facing proponents of the project. RELATED:?Tiny salamanders could stand in the way of massive $1.4 billion project to raise dam In November, Democrats gained a majority in Congress, which could also stop the project. Buy Photo Federal officials want to raise the height of Shasta Dam to store more water in Lake Shasta.?(Photo: Damon Arthur/Record Searchlight) U.S. Rep. Jared Huffman, D-Arcata, said he opposes the project and believes Congress isn?t likely to approve further funding for construction. ?You can?t really justify any money for this because of this legal roadblock,? Huffman said. Even if there weren?t legal issues standing in the way of the dam project, he said he would rather see other water projects built, such as?Sites Reservoir in Colusa County. Couple claimed to use more water than there is on Earth A spokesman for U.S. Rep. Doug LaMalfa, whose district includes Shasta Dam, on Wednesday said he would get back to a reporter for comment from the congressman. On Thursday, he did not return a second call seeking comment. Nonetheless,?LaMalfa has said in the past?that he would support the dam raising project as long as the government helps residents and businesses around the?Lake Shasta area affected by the higher water level in the lake. The federal government would either need to buy out or move to higher ground dozens of residents and businesses that would be affected by a deeper lake, he said. California Sen. Dianne Feinstein and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi supported last year?s bill providing $20 million for preconstruction and design work on the project, with the caveat that the project comply with state law. Water agencies have been trying for many years to either change the law protecting the McCloud or protect their interests in raising the height of the dam. In 2012 the directors of the Metropolitan district ? a wholesale water supplier to about 19 million Southern California residents ? voted to lobby to change the law so the state could help pay for raising the?dam. UPDATE: Pair in Botox case appear in court A spokesman for the Metropolitan district said at the time the board approved the measure because in general it supports creating more water storage statewide. In 2007 the Westlands district paid about $33 million to buy about 3,000 acres bordering the McCloud River, including the Bollibokka Fly Fishing Club. Its property extends south to just downstream of the?McCloud?River bridge at Lake Shasta.? Westlands General Manager Tom Birmingham said in 2007 the district, which supplies water to some 600 farms in the San Joaquin Valley, bought the land to protect its interests along the river and around Lake Shasta. ?We did not want to see the use of this land to be changed to impede the potential of raising the?dam,? he told the Record Searchlight in 2007. Westlands officials did not respond to phone messages or email for comment on this story. -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From tstokely at att.net Sat Jan 19 07:41:40 2019 From: tstokely at att.net (Tom Stokely) Date: Sat, 19 Jan 2019 15:41:40 +0000 (UTC) Subject: [env-trinity] Feinstein Drops WIIN Amendment, for now References: <686993625.293628.1547912500445.ref@mail.yahoo.com> Message-ID: <686993625.293628.1547912500445@mail.yahoo.com> From:??Senator Dianne Feinstein [mailto:senator at feinstein.senate.gov]?? Sent:??Thursday, January 17, 2019 4:58 PM Subject:??U.S. Senator Dianne Feinstein responding to your message ?? | ?? Dear??Mr. XXXXX: ?? Thank you for contacting me regarding the management of California???s water supply.?? I appreciate the time you took to write, and I welcome the opportunity to respond.?? I understand that you are concerned about a proposed amendment to fiscal year 2019 funding legislation that would have extended portions of the??Water Infrastructure Improvements for the Nation (WIIN) Act??(Public Law 114-322) related to California drought.?? You may be pleased to learn that this amendment is no longer being considered for inclusion in any current legislative package.?? However, I strongly believe that we must continue to look for ways to address the increasing threat of drought by investing in water infrastructure, ensuring a reliable water supply, and protecting our sttFrom tstokely at att.net Sat Jan 19 12:11:05 2019 Return-Path: X-Original-To: env-trinity at velocipede.dcn.davis.ca.us Delivered-To: env-trinity at velocipede.dcn.davis.ca.us Received: from bikepath.dcn.davis.ca.us (bikepath.dcn.davis.ca.us [168.150.253.5]) by velocipede.dcn.davis.ca.us (Postfix) with ESMTP id 2C85F259A for ; Sat, 19 Jan 2019 12:11:05 -0800 (PST) X-ASG-Debug-ID: 1547928662-0f977f0272118e30001-wGOHcq Received: from mail20.ess.barracuda.com (mail20.ess.barracuda.com [209.222.83.71]) by bikepath.dcn.davis.ca.us with ESMTP id sxh2Eg6VrvO981Q1 (version=TLSv1.2 cipher?DHE-RSA-AES256-GCM-SHA384 bits%6 verify=NO) for ; Sat, 19 Jan 2019 12:11:02 -0800 (PST) X-Barracuda-Envelope-From: tstokely at att.net X-Barracuda-RBL-Trusted-Forwarder: 209.222.83.71 Received: from sonic302-25.consmr.mail.gq1.yahoo.com (sonic302-25.consmr.mail.gq1.yahoo.com [98.137.68.151]) by mx2008.ess.tym.cudaops.com (version=TLSv1.2 cipher?DHE-RSA-AES128-GCM-SHA256 bits8 verify=NO); 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Sat, 19 Jan 2019 20:10:59 +0000 Date: Sat, 19 Jan 2019 20:10:55 +0000 (UTC) From: Tom Stokely Reply-To: Tom Stokely To: Env-trinity Message-ID: <1445209047.377226.1547928655657 at mail.yahoo.com> MIME-Version: 1.0 X-ASG-Orig-Subj: Ramp improvements a work in progress Content-Type: multipart/alternative; boundary="----=_Part_377225_1013384639.1547928655655" References: <1445209047.377226.1547928655657.ref at mail.yahoo.com> X-Mailer: WebService/1.1.13016 YMailNorrin Mozilla/5.0 (Macintosh; Intel Mac OS X 10_14_1) AppleWebKit/605.1.15 (KHTML, like Gecko) Version/12.0.1 Safari/605.1.15 X-BESS-ID: 1547928659-1006572-27129-78993-1 X-BESS-VER: 2019.1-r1901181856 X-BESS-Apparent-Source-IP: 98.137.68.151 X-BESS-Spam-Status: SCORE=0.50 using global scores of QUARANTINE_LEVEL=N/A KILL_LEVEL=5.0 tests=HTML_MESSAGE, BSF_SC0_SA085, BSF_SC0_SA085b X-BESS-Spam-Report: Code version 3.2, rules version 3.2.2.207988 Rule breakdown below pts rule name description ---- ---------------------- -------------------------------- 0.00 HTML_MESSAGE BODY: HTML included in message 0.10 BSF_SC0_SA085 META: Custom Rule SA085 0.40 BSF_SC0_SA085b META: Custom Rule SA085b X-BESS-Spam-Score: 0.50 X-BESS-BRTS-Status: 1 X-Barracuda-Connect: mail20.ess.barracuda.com[209.222.83.71] X-Barracuda-Start-Time: 1547928662 X-Barracuda-Encrypted: ECDHE-RSA-AES256-GCM-SHA384 X-Barracuda-URL: https://mx.dcn.davis.ca.us:443/cgi-mod/mark.cgi X-Virus-Scanned: by bsmtpd at dcn.davis.ca.us X-Barracuda-Scan-Msg-Size: 12293 X-Barracuda-BRTS-Status: 1 X-Barracuda-Spam-Score: 0.50 X-Barracuda-Spam-Status: No, SCORE=0.50 using global scores of TAG_LEVEL=3.5 QUARANTINE_LEVEL00.0 KILL_LEVEL=5.0 tests=BSF_SC0_SA085, BSF_SC0_SA085b, HTML_MESSAGE X-Barracuda-Spam-Report: Code version 3.2, rules version 3.2.3.65974 Rule breakdown below pts rule name description ---- ---------------------- -------------------------------------------------- 0.00 HTML_MESSAGE BODY: HTML included in message 0.10 BSF_SC0_SA085 Custom Rule SA085 0.40 BSF_SC0_SA085b Custom Rule SA085b Subject: [env-trinity] Ramp improvements a work in progress X-BeenThere: env-trinity at velocipede.dcn.davis.ca.us X-Mailman-Version: 2.1.18-1 Precedence: list List-Id: Trinity River Restoration List-Unsubscribe: , List-Archive: List-Post: List-Help: List-Subscribe: , X-List-Received-Date: Sat, 19 Jan 2019 20:11:05 -0000 ------=_Part_377225_1013384639.1547928655655 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=UTF-8 Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable http://www.trinityjournal.com/news/local/article_ba4d6562-1927-11e9-9935-0b41f8c9cf0c.html Ramp improvements a work in progress - By Sally Morris The Trinity Journal ?? - Jan 16, 2019 ?? - ??0 Trinity Center boat ramp improvements are still a work in progress through the partial government shutdown. Sally Morris | The Trinity Journal - The rebar was all set for the concrete pour, and then the partial federal government shutdown over funding a wall on the U.S./Mexico border resulted in a federal cease and desist order being issued Dec. 21 on the state grant-funded Trinity Center boat ramp improvement project.?? With rising Trinity Lake levels threatening to soon close the window of opportunity to complete the boat ramp expansion before it???s under water, North Lake promoters of the project were quickly on the phone to U.S. Rep. Jared Huffman and California Sen. Mike McGuire to intervene and seek an exemption for the project. President of the Trinity Lake Revitalization Alliance, Kelli Gant of Trinity Center, reported last Friday they were successful in obtaining an exemption to the closure, allowing the state grant project to continue as funded by a $1.64 million allocation from the California Boating and Waterways Commission. Noting the rising lake level is within six feet of the concrete pour, Gant said delay from the federal government shut-down could have resulted in no boat ramp until late summer or fall when the water recesses again, adding ???not good for North County or the Trinity County economy this summer.??? Not receiving any responses to her inquiries from the U.S. Forest Service which is closed due to the shut-down, she contacted Huffman and McGuire offices that helped secure the boat ramp grant in the first place to improve the Trinity Center facilities located within the Shasta-Trinity-Whiskeytown National Recreation Area. ???They were out contacting people and working together,??? Gant said, thanking them for their efforts that resulted in a positive outcome. The improvement project includes reconstruction of the parking area to include additional stalls and pull-through trailer spaces; repaving and widening the ramp to accommodate two full lanes and two turnarounds; installation of a new floating courtesy dock; sidewalk construction and new restrooms. - ------=_Part_377225_1013384639.1547928655655 Content-Type: text/html; charset=UTF-8 Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable
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Ramp

Trinity Center boat ramp improvements are still a work in progress through the partial government shutdown.

Sally Morris | The Trinity Journal

The rebar was all set for the concrete pour, and then the partial federal government shutdown over funding a wall on the U.S./Mexico border resulted in a federal cease and desist order being issued Dec. 21 on the state grant-funded Trinity Center boat ramp improvement project. 

With rising Trinity Lake levels threatening to soon close the window of opportunity to complete the boat ramp expansion before it???s under water, North Lake promoters of the project were quickly on the phone to U.S. Rep. Jared Huffman and California Sen. Mike McGuire to intervene and seek an exemption for the project.

President of the Trinity Lake Revitalization Alliance, Kelli Gant of Trinity Center, reported last Friday they were successful in obtaining an exemption to the closure, allowing the state grant project to continue as funded by a $1.64 million allocation from the California Boating and Waterways Commission.

Noting the rising lake level is within six feet of the concrete pour, Gant said delay from the federal government shut-down could have resulted in no boat ramp until late summer or fall when the water recesses again, adding ???not good for North County or the Trinity County economy this summer.???

Not receiving any responses to her inquiries from the U.S. Forest Service which is closed due to the shut-down, she contacted Huffman and McGuire offices that helped secure the boat ramp grant in the first place to improve the Trinity Center facilities located within the Shasta-Trinity-Whiskeytown National Recreation Area.

???They were out contacting people and working together,??? Gant said, thanking them for their efforts that resulted in a positive outcome.

The improvement project includes reconstruction of the parking area to include additional stalls and pull-through trailer spaces; repaving and widening the ramp to accommodate two full lanes and two turnarounds; installation of a new floating courtesy dock; sidewalk construction and new restrooms.


------=_Part_377225_1013384639.1547928655655-- From danielbacher at fishsniffer.com Sun Jan 20 16:06:26 2019 From: danielbacher at fishsniffer.com (Daniel Bacher) Date: 20 Jan 2019 19:06:26 -0500 Subject: [env-trinity] Fishing Groups, Winnemem Wintu Tribe Sue CA Department of Water Resources to Protect Delta Flows Message-ID: <8b80baf6-5c4b-4efb-899e-026364cb9553@mtasv.net> https://fishsniffer.com/index.php/2019/01/19/fishing-groups-winnemem-wintu-sue-department-of-water-resources-to-protect-flows/ https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2019/1/17/1827156/-Fishing-Groups-Winnemem-Wintu-Tribe-Sue-CA-Department-of-Water-Resources-to-Protect-Delta-Flows Fishing Groups, Winnemem Wintu Tribe Sue CA Department of Water Resources to Protect Delta Flows By Dan Bacher The avalanche of lawsuits filed against Jerry Brown?s Delta Tunnels project over the past couple of years has continued into the new administration of Governor Gavin Newsom. In the latest legal battle in the California water wars, a coalition of environmental, fishing, and Native American groups led by the Pacific Coast Federation of Fishermen Associations (PCFFA) filed suit on January 16 against the California Department of Water Resources (DWR) to ?overturn its latest attempt to force former Governor Jerry Brown?s Twin Tunnels (California WaterFix) proposal upon California taxpayers,? according to a press release from PCFFA. The suit, filed in Sacramento Superior Court by the Law Offices of Stephan C. Volker, challenges DWR?s attempt to revamp its 30-year-old Coordinated Operations Agreement (COA) with the federal Bureau of Reclamation to export more water from the Delta through the Twin Tunnels while evading scrutiny under California?s environmental laws, including the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), the Delta Reform Act and the Public Trust Doctrine. TheNorth Coast Rivers Alliance and the Winnemem Wintu (McCloud River) Tribe are joining the PCFFA in filing suit against DWR. The Tribe, under the leadership of Chief Caleen Sisk, is currently fighting to bring the winter-run Chinook salmon, now thriving in the Rakaira River in New Zealand after eggs were shipped there over 100 years ago, back to the McCloud River above Shasta Dam. On December 12, 2018, the Department of Water Resources entered into two controversial agreements before Jerry Brown left the Governor's Office: (1) an Addendum to the Agreement between the Trump administration and the Department of Water Resources for coordinated operation of the Central Valley Project and the State Water Project and (2) an Agreement to address the Effects of the California WaterFix on Central Valley Project Operations by and between the Bureau of Reclamation and DWR (?Hold Harmless Agreement?) and collectively with the COA Addendum Project. "In taking these actions DWR violated CEQA, the Delta Reform Act, and the Public Trust Doctrine," the lawsuit states. The lawsuit alleges that DWR?s attempted COA addendum would export more water from California?s Delta and its upstream reservoirs when imperiled fish populations can least afford it ? during drought years ? for export to San Joaquin Valley corporate agribusiness and Southern California water interests. ?Although the impacts on the Delta?s beleaguered salmon and other fisheries could be potentially calamitous, DWR has claimed no environmental review was needed. It granted itself an exemption from the California Environmental Quality Act on the grounds that their action was merely an 'ongoing operation' of the State Water Project (SWP)," according to PCFFA. Delta Tunnels opponents argue that DWR?s revision of the COA would worsenexisting SWP operations by increasing exports when the Delta has the least water available for fish. PCFFA Executive Director Noah Oppenheim likened this evasion of environmental review to ?old-style political double-speak.? ?Instead of restoring the Delta as scientists agree is critically overdue, the Twin Tunnels would steal its flows when fish most need protection, pushing salmon fishermen closer to the brink,? said Oppenheim. The litigation also charges that DWR?s COA addendum would violate the Delta Reform Act and the Public Trust Doctrine, both of which forbid DWR from exporting more water and require instead that it restore natural flows,. ?Before DWR began exporting Delta waters south some 50 years ago, historic outflows to San Francisco Bay supported salmon runs in the millions of fish. Today, several salmon species are clinging to survival as their numbers have dwindled to a fraction of their historic population,? said Oppenheim. Oppenheim said excessive Delta exports have resulted in ?drastically lower Delta flows and higher water temperatures, destroying the habitat salmon need to migrate upstream to their spawning grounds to reproduce, and then return to the ocean as juveniles.? As Oppenheim observes, ?we are now facing extinction of the Bay Area?s salmon, and the livelihood of those fishing families who make up the backbone of our local fishing industry.? I have contacted the Department of Water Resources for a comment on the lawsuit, but haven't heard back from them yet. The Delta Tunnels are not an isolated project but part of a much larger water diversion and privatization scheme. Chief Sisk emphasizes the deep connections that exist between the Twin Tunnels, Sites Reservoir and the Shasta Dam raise proposals. ?The Twin Tunnels, Sites Reservoir, and the Shasta Dam raise ?are all 1 Brown WaterFix project? to get the Water Mongers more water to sell back to the communities, towns and cities,? Sisk said before Brown left office on January 7. More information about the 2018 Winnemem Wintu Run4Salmon held in September 2018 is available here: www.dailykos.com/? The California WaterFix is a proposal to build two massive 35-mile long tunnels under the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta to facilitate the export of Delta water to corporate agribusiness interests and Southern California water agencies. The project would not only hasten the extinction of Sacramento River winter and spring-run Chinook salmon, Central Valley steelhead, Delta and longfin smelt, green sturgeon and other fish species, but would imperil the salmon and steelhead populations on the Trinity and Klamath rivers. As the lawsuit was filed, populations of Delta smelt and other pelagic (open water) fish species in the Delta continue to collapse. For the first time ever, a fish survey that the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) conducts every autumn turned up zero Delta smelt throughout the monitoring sites in the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta in September, October, November and December 2018. The smelt, a 2 to 3 inch fish listed under both federal and state Endangered Species Acts, is found only in the Delta estuary. It is regarded as an indicator species, a fish that demonstrates the health of the entire Delta ecosystem. More information: www.dailykos.com/... -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From tstokely at att.net Wed Jan 23 08:05:30 2019 From: tstokely at att.net (Tom Stokely) Date: Wed, 23 Jan 2019 16:05:30 +0000 (UTC) Subject: [env-trinity] =?utf-8?q?New_research_is_rewriting_the_history_of_?= =?utf-8?q?Klamath-Trinity_Chinook_Salmon_=E2=80=98Run_time_gene=E2=80=99_?= =?utf-8?q?upends_historical_narrative_of_spring_vs_fall_runs?= References: <802266018.2486529.1548259530142.ref@mail.yahoo.com> Message-ID: <802266018.2486529.1548259530142@mail.yahoo.com> https://www.times-standard.com/2019/01/22/ets-l-salmonsaver-0123/ New research is rewriting the history of Klamath-Trinity Chinook Salmon ?Run time gene? upends historical narrative of spring vs fall runs - - - Spring-run Chinook salmon swim in the south fork gorge of the Salmon River in this 2009 photo. (Mike Bravo? contributed)By?PHILIP SANTOS?|?psantos at times-standard.com?|?PUBLISHED:?January 22, 2019 at 9:40 pm?| UPDATED:?January 22, 2019 at 9:41 pm Recent research has identified a genetic variation in Klamath-Trinity spring-run?Chinook?salmon which is upending prevailing scientific narratives about the fish. Scientists are calling it the ?run time gene,? as it appears to be the factor which controls whether the salmon will migrate in the spring, or fall. The research, spearheaded by Daniel Prince and Michael Miller of UC Davis, is being utilized by the Karuk Tribe and the Salmon River Restoration Council in a renewed effort to list the Spring Chinook Salmon under the state?s Endangered Species Act. Craig Tucker, a natural resources consultant for the Karuk Tribe, said the finding may positively impact the chances for success. Spring Chinook migrate early in the year, meaning they require habitats with cold water to spend the summer layover period until spawning season in the fall. This has made them particularly vulnerable to?the dams on the Klamath River, which have severely reduced suitable areas for the Spring Chinook. There are only two main areas where Spring Chinook can be found, Tucker said. ?Spring Chinook used to number in the hundreds of thousands every year,? he said. ?Today, it?s in the hundreds of fish ? we actually count them by hand.? Despite dwindling numbers, previous attempts to list the Spring Chinook under the state?s ESA have been denied in part due to the genetic similarities of fall and spring Chinook. ?Miller?s work is rewriting what we know about evolutionary history of salmon,? Tucker said. ?The prevailing view was that a subset of fall run salmon formed the spring run trait, which suggested that if you killed the spring run salmon, they would eventually reproduce from the fall run.? In essence, the fall run of Chinook salmon were viewed as a fallback if the spring run population were to disappear because it was believed that Spring Chinook evolved from Fall Chinook in every river, said Tasha Thompson, one of the researchers involved in the findings. ?The divergence is obviously ancient,? Thompson said. ?Finding the spring run gene arose from a single evolutionary event means that if (Spring Chinook) are lost, we can?t expect them to just evolve (from the fall run Chinook).? The idea that the Spring Chinook is distinctly different from its fall run counterpart may be catching on in the world of western science, but it?s nothing new to the Karuk Tribe. In a recent article published by?Science Magazine, Leaf Hillman, who is described as ?a ceremonial leader of California?s Karuk Tribe,? said the recent revelation has long been common knowledge. ?This is what we?ve always known,? he said, ?that the Spring Chinook is not the same animal as the fall Chinook.? Karuna Greenberg, restoration director at the Salmon River Restoration Council, said previous management efforts have failed to benefit Spring Chinook, stating that the danger of permanent loss of the Spring Chinook is a real threat. ?There are lots of reasons why Spring Chinook need to get the protection, and funding (for restoration work) that listing would allow,? she said. ?I?m really happy to be a part of this ? SRRC was really formed around Spring Chinook.? Various organizations are urging the public to submit written comments to the?California Fish and Game Commission by 5 p.m. on Jan. 24 by mail or email at fgc at fgc.ca.gov. The?California Fish and Game Commission will then be holding a hearing on Feb. 6 in Sacramento to discuss the petition. ?It?s critical to act now and save this important fish,? Greenburg said. ?We?re trying to do everything we can.? Philip Santos can be reached at 707-441-0506. ? -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From MaryClaire.Kier at wildlife.ca.gov Thu Jan 24 12:14:00 2019 From: MaryClaire.Kier at wildlife.ca.gov (Kier, Mary Claire@Wildlife) Date: Thu, 24 Jan 2019 20:14:00 +0000 Subject: [env-trinity] CDFW Trinity River trapping summary through Julian week 4 Message-ID: Attached please find the TRP trapping summary through JWeek 4 (January 28). More steelhead and a very slow Chinook to the hatchery this week... Just a reminder, folks. If you've got tags you've removed from Trinity River fish I encourage you to send them in, sooner than later. Tag return information is used each year to calculate harvest and help us estimate population size of steelhead and salmon runs. This information feeds into the Klamath basin fall Chinook run-size estimate and informs the Pacific Fishery Management Council's creation of regulations and quota sizes for the Klamath fishery. The information is ONLY useful in the season you collect the tags (for Chinook we really need the tags by January 15). Although we have always paid on old tags in the past we will soon no longer be paying on old tags. Most of the tags now have "EXPIRES MAY 1" printed on them as a reminder to send them in. Chinook tags, especially, please send in as you get them. For information forms to send in with your tags go here: www.wildlife.ca.gov/fishing/inland/fish-tags Cheers! MC -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: 2018 TRP_ trapping_summary_thru_JW4.xlsx Type: application/vnd.openxmlformats-officedocument.spreadsheetml.sheet Size: 69541 bytes Desc: 2018 TRP_ trapping_summary_thru_JW4.xlsx URL: From tstokely at att.net Sat Jan 26 09:36:25 2019 From: tstokely at att.net (Tom Stokely) Date: Sat, 26 Jan 2019 17:36:25 +0000 (UTC) Subject: [env-trinity] Hoopa Valley Tribe wins lawsuit against feds-The victory may expedite Klamath dam removal References: <548829983.1620790.1548524185735.ref@mail.yahoo.com> Message-ID: <548829983.1620790.1548524185735@mail.yahoo.com> https://www.times-standard.com/2019/01/25/ets-l-ferc-0126/ Hoopa Valley Tribe wins lawsuit against feds The victory may expedite Klamath dam removal - - - Water trickles over Copco 1 Dam on the Klamath River, one of the dams set to be removed by the Klamath River Renewal Corporation. (Jeff Barnard?Associated Press)By?PHILIP SANTOS?|?psantos at times-standard.com?|?PUBLISHED:?January 25, 2019 at 8:20 pm?| UPDATED:?January 25, 2019 at 8:20 pm A federal court of appeals ruled Friday that PacifiCorp, which currently owns and operates several dams along the Klamath River, can no longer continue to use a controversial tactic which has allowed the company to avoid implementing mandatory requirements meant to protect the health of the Klamath River for over a decade. The decision marks a victory for the Hoopa Valley Tribe, who filed the lawsuit, and may expedite the removal of several Klamath River dams. In order for PacifiCorp to operate the dams they own, they need a license from the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission. But the last license they acquired expired in 2006. Since then, PacifiCorp, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, and the states of Oregon and California each acted to enable PacifiCorp to utilize temporary operating licenses without completing a pre-requisite water certification which would require dam modernization ? a process that court documents say is presumably not cost effective, which is part of the reason PacifiCorp ?sought to recommission the lower dams.? ?(The arrangement)?serves to circumvent a congressionally granted authority over the licensing, conditioning, and developing of a hydropower project. ?Thus, if allowed, the withdrawal-and-resubmission scheme could be used to indefinitely delay federal licensing,? the court document stated. ?The record indicates that PacifiCorp?s water quality certification request has been complete and ready for review for more than a decade? .? Michael Orcutt, who is the Fisheries Director for the Hoopa Valley Tribe, and a Hoopa Tribal member himself, said the victory is a small part of a long fight for what the Klamath river needs. ?Today is but one part of the picture ? there are still lots of challenges before us,? he said. ?The Hoopa Valley Tribe has consistently from the start been an advocate for dam removal, but we haven?t been in the boat of saying that?s the only thing that needs to be done.? Litigation is at times the last way to ensure compliance, he said, something that the tribe has unfortunately had to resort to frequently.?The courts, Orcutt said, are just another tool in the toolbox to work towards a healthier Klamath. ?We are just frustrated,? he said. ?We live on the Klamath-Trinity River, we see health warnings, decimated fish populations ? we?need to step up to make meaningful changes in turning this fishery around along with other related issues.? Tom Schlosser, an attorney who represented the tribe in the case, said the temporary licenses allowed PacifiCorp to operate under standards from a license granted to PacifiCorp in 1956, before the Clean Water Act, the National Environmental Policy Act, fish passage provisions, water flow requirements and many other important laws were passed. ?None of these existed in 1956, but with a new license all of those laws have to be complied with,? he said. ?The upshot of today?s decision is that it creates a backstop if (the current dam removal) process fails ? if FERC issues a new license to PacifiCorp they?ll have to remove the dams.? It?s either that, or PacifiCorp will have to invest tens of millions of dollars into modernizing the dams?? which wouldn?t get reimbursed, he said. Bob Gravely, a spokesperson for PacifiCorp, said the company is ?still reviewing the decision to understand the implications fully.? ?We are still operating under the (current) settlement agreement,? he said, referring to the amended Klamath Hydroelectric Settlement Agreement which created the Klamath River Restoration Corporation that plans to take on dam removal efforts. ?Following through with the full water certification process when the dams were supposed to be removed did not make sense,? he said. Initial conversations surrounding dam removal began in the early 2000s Gravely said, before the 50-year license granted to PacifiCorp in 1956 expired. The company never planned on re-licensing, he said. Although the decision doesn?t necessarily impact the removal efforts pursued by KRRC, it may expedite the process, according to a press release from the Hoopa Valley Tribe. But while those efforts have taken place, during the 13-year period PacifiCorp operated on interim licenses, they made about $27 million a year, Schlosser said. ?Why the states went along with it is just beyond me,? he said. ?If they would?ve listened to the Hoopa Valley Tribe we would?ve figured this out 15 years ago ? they should?ve listened when they said (the initial KHSA) is a steal for PacifiCorp!? Schlosser?s sentiment was echoed by Hoopa Tribal Chairman Ryan Jackson. ?This case shows that states must not ignore the rights and interests of tribes with co-management authority regarding fisheries,? he said. Philip Santos can be reached at 707-441-0506. -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From tstokely at att.net Mon Jan 28 15:39:04 2019 From: tstokely at att.net (Tom Stokely) Date: Mon, 28 Jan 2019 23:39:04 +0000 (UTC) Subject: [env-trinity] Shasta Dam Project Sets Up Another Trump-California Showdown References: <99645659.2732183.1548718744546.ref@mail.yahoo.com> Message-ID: <99645659.2732183.1548718744546@mail.yahoo.com> https://www.kqed.org/science/1937108/shasta-dam-project-sets-up-another-trump-california-showdown Shasta Dam Project Sets Up Another Trump-California Showdown The Trump administration is laying the groundwork to enlarge California?s biggest reservoir, the iconic?Shasta Dam, north of Redding, by raising its height. It's a saga that has?dragged on for decades, along with the controversy surrounding it. But the latest chapter is likely to set the stage for another showdown between California and the Trump administration. 'We?re not talking. We?re explaining what we?re losing. And they?re not listening.'Winnemem Wintu Chief Caleen Sisk Last fall, crews already had drilling rigs in place, taking core samples from the earthen banks around the 600-foot dam. That process was part of testing to see if its World War II-era foundation can support additional bulking up of the dam. Taller Dam Means a Bigger Reservoir This is what the federal Bureau of Reclamation calls ?preliminary construction? work. For now, that?s all they have funding for, but the Trump administration is keen to press on with a $1.3 billion project to add more than 18 feet to the top of the dam, which is already taller than the Washington Monument. That would increase the size of the reservoir, Shasta Lake, by 14 percent. "We?re extremely confident that there?s a lot of momentum behind this right now," says Don Bader, area manager for the reclamation bureau, which operates the dam. But that momentum is coming from Washington, not Sacramento. "The new administration came in and they?re looking to add storage in California," Bader explains, "and this was the one project that was ready to go, so that?s why it?s got most of the attention right now." Wild & Scenic The project has also caught the attention of California officials, who say it violates the state?s?Wild & Scenic Rivers Act, which protects one of the three major rivers that flow into Shasta Reservoir. "The California Legislature protected the?McCloud River?from any construction that would expand the reservoir," says Ron Stork, of? the advocacy group?Friends of the River. "It?s been illegal to expand this reservoir since 1989." The McCloud River is a legendary trout-fishing stream and sacred grounds for the Winnemem Wintu tribe. It's protected under state law.?(Craig Miller/KQED) Environmentalists say that the $1.3 billion dollars could be better spent on more creative ways to conserve water, such as recycling, stormwater capture, and storing more water in underground aquifers. But President Trump is?on the record?promising Central Valley farmers more water. "Any bean-counter would say this is crazy," says Stork. "But this is a political dam." The additional 630, 000 acre-feet of capacity would be like taking?Hetch Hetchy Reservoir?-- the Sierra lake that supplies San Francisco -- and dumping it into Shasta ... twice. But nature is not likely to fill that order every year. Stork says the project would likely yield only about 50,000 acre-feet of water on average, annually. That's a drop in the bucket relative to California's water budget. SPONSORED BY Sacred Grounds In December, Stork joined about 200 others at an ?open house? in Redding, designed to inform stakeholders about the project. One of them was Caleen Sisk, chief of the?Winnemem Wintu?tribe, whose sacred grounds run along the McCloud River. At a public meeting in Redding, Winnemem Wintu Chief Caleen Sisk appeals to stakeholders to oppose the expansion of Lake Shasta.?(Craig Miller/KQED) She says the tribe already lost many of its sacred sites when the original reservoir was filled, back in the 1940s. The expansion would raise the lake level by about another 20 feet, pushing it farther up the McCloud River. "For us, we have to be connected to those sacred places," says Sisk. "And we?ve already lost 26 miles in the building of Shasta Dam -- 26 miles have been given up." Sisk's people still use numerous sites along the lower river for rituals, including rites of passage for young Wintu coming of age. Sisk says nearly all of the tribe?s remaining sites would be put permanently underwater with the reservoir?s expansion. Reclamation says it?s ?talking? with the Winnemem Wintu, but Sisk has a different take. "We?re not talking," she says, "we?re explaining what we?re losing. And they?re not listening." Powerful Player Sisk was distressed to see the meeting in Redding being run by?Westlands Water District, a politically powerful irrigation district? based more than 300 miles away, in Fresno, which could be the chief beneficiary of any additional water from the project.? It has also raised eyebrows that David Bernhardt, Trump's acting head of the Interior Department, which includes Reclamation, is a former lobbyist for Westlands. Westlands was hosting the Redding meeting because it?s preparing an environmental impact report for the project. Reclamation needs an investment ?partner? to close the deal, and though there?s been no formal announcement, many assume that Westlands will put up hundreds of millions of dollars toward the project, in exchange for rights to the water it yields. "That they would have the sheer boldness to do an EIR for an illegal project is still -- it?s stunning to me," says Stork. State officials have reacted with similar dismay. This month, the state?s Water Resources Control Board sent Westlands a letter confirming that what they?re proposing is illegal under state law, and that as a state agency, Westlands ?participation is prohibited.? A consulting firm conducted the meeting on Westlands' behalf, and while there was one Westlands official in attendance, consultants said he was "not authorized to talk to the media." Several subsequent calls and emails to Westlands for this story went unanswered. Still, the Bureau of Reclamation has made it clear that it intends to press on. "We?re proceeding along the federal route here," says Bader. "If California does not participate in this process, we?ll move along forward by getting the federal approval." Some might interpret that as saying they?re going through with this regardless of what California thinks. "That?s one way to say it," says Bader. >From Bader?s standpoint, there?s a lot at stake. Shasta?s the keystone in the giant?Central Valley Project, which sends water to farms and cities in 29 California counties. But dams have consequences. Insult to Injury "Every time you put up a dam on the Sacramento River, it's going to be bad for wildlife." John McManus heads the Golden Gate Salmon Association, an advocate for protecting the threatened fish ... and the industries they support. "And right now," he says, "what they're talking about is adding more insult to injury by raising that dam, impounding more water behind it, and further impairing salmon runs downstream." Federal dam operators say that a deeper reservoir would allow them to send more cold water downstream, to support salmon in the Sacramento River.?(Craig Miller/KQED) Reclamation says a deeper water pool behind the dam will allow them to put more cold water downstream to support the fish. In its project description, the bureau claims it will: ?...improve water supply reliability for agricultural, municipal and industrial, and environmental uses; reduce flood damage; and improve water temperatures and water quality in the Sacramento River below the dam for anadromous fish survival.? But in 2014, the federal government?s own Fish & Wildlife Service recommended against the project, concluding that it would fail to protect endangered salmon in the Sacramento River and its tributaries. That report was later ?rescinded? for further review, and has not resurfaced officially. Reclamation officials hope to award a construction contract by the end of next year, and?complete the project?by 2024. McManus thinks the courts will ultimately rule against the project -- if it gets that far. With Democrats now in control of the House, congressional funding to elevate Shasta Dam might be another stream that gets cut off. "My view is they will ultimately be stopped," offers McManus, "but I could be wrong. It wouldn't be the first time." -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From tstokely at att.net Wed Jan 30 08:09:50 2019 From: tstokely at att.net (Tom Stokely) Date: Wed, 30 Jan 2019 16:09:50 +0000 (UTC) Subject: [env-trinity] Times Standard: Judges rule for Klamath, wolves References: <824909539.234438.1548864590859.ref@mail.yahoo.com> Message-ID: <824909539.234438.1548864590859@mail.yahoo.com> ENVIRONMENT Judges rule for Klamath, wolves A pair of judicial rulings in the past week?werehailed by local groups as victories for environmental protection and wildlife safety. In one decision, a federal judge ruled last Friday that a planned timber project at the Klamath National?Forest would cause ?irreparable? harm to the forest?s aquatic resources and target the forest?s valuable large-growth trees for post-wildfire logging. On Monday, a state court judge in another case sided against the cattle ranching industry?s claim that a wolf sighted in California belongs to a different subspecies than the wolves that exist on the state?s Endangered Species Act. The decision will prevent local farmers from hunting wolves to protect their livestock. ?It?s been a good week for us,? said Tom Wheeler, executive director of the Environmental Protection Information Center in Arcata. ?We always say, ?When it rains, it pours.?? Multiple factors played a part in a judge ruling the Klamath National Forest services? plan to log the forest?s larger trees would disrupt the area?s?longterm?sustainability as a natural habitat. For one, the court determined the plan would disproportionately log the forest?s large-diameter trees over its smaller growth. Animals like the northern spotted owl that rely on large trees would see their habitat threatened, the judge decided. Cutting down smallergrowth trees does more to help a forest prone to wildfires than going after the big ones, said Susan Jane Brown of the Western Environmental Law Center. ?The Klamath National Forest focuses on economic recovery rather than looking at wildlife and public safety,? Brown said. ?We?ve been suing them quite a bit to get them to look at the harm of focusing on largediameter trees.? The idea, Brown said, is that by cutting down only the larger trees, the forest services management can ?salvage? large trees with short shelf lives after a wildfire season. Loggers want to buy fresh wood, not burnt wood with infestations, so the forest services try to cash in as quickly as possible on what remains of the big trees, she said. But there?s an irony to such thinking: Going after large grows ends up costing more in work and effort than the revenue from selling them off, bringing pennies on the dollar, Wheeler said. ?You could buy entire log trucks of salvaged wood for less than the price of a latte,? Wheeler said. Meanwhile, the court determined that forest services needs to develop an environmental impact statement instead of a regular environmental assessment report, the former being a much deeper dive into the potential harms posed by the Klamath project. Post-fire forest clearing is necessary, Wheeler said, but not in the way the Klamath National Forest services designed its plans. Wheeler noted other national forests ? like Six Rivers, Shasta-Trinity and Mendocino ? have taken on much safer post-fire safeguarding projects. Klamath forest supervisor Patty Grantham, listed as a defendant in the case, didn?t respond to a request for comment. Protecting gray wolves In Monday?s court ruling, a state court judge determined gray wolves belong on the state?s Endangered?Species Act, despite pushback from cattle ranchers who argued the wolves aren?t of a subspecies that originated in California. So much historical debate surrounds how wolf species should be classified that the state Fish and Game Commission acted ?reasonably? in listing the gray wolf on the Endangered Species Act without getting caught up in the specifics, the judge determined. ?A wolf is a wolf is a wolf,? said Amaroq Weiss of the Center for Biological Diversity. ?They fit the same ecological niche.? The cattle ranching industry had acted out of a desire to protect livestock from wolf attacks. If the wolves weren?t classified as an endangered species, then farmers could be within their rights to kill them. ?Wolves hurt and kill?cattle and other farmanimals, which is why?ranchers need more flexibility?in co-existing with wolves ? and why we filed the lawsuit,? Jim Houston of the California Farm Bureau Federation said in an email. ?The state listing gives ranchers limited options to protect their animals.? ?We are committed to working with the state Department of Fish and Wildlife to figure out ways to reduce the burdens of raising livestock in areas with wolves,? Houston continued, ?but we do not expect it to be easy.? Only around 5,500 wolves even exist in the contiguous 48 United States, Weiss said. Addressing wolf attacks with violence, she said, is scientifically proven to be counterproductive. ?Killing wolves disrupts the pack,? Weiss said. ?It kills off the older wolves that know how to hunt wild prey, leaving the younger wolves who are more inclined to hunt livestock. It?s also been established that if you kill the wolves at one ranch, the next wolves go to the next ranch to kill cattle.? Setting up red-f lag fences, sometimes electrical ones, or even bordering a farm with wolf urine can repel wolves without threatening their existence, she added. She added that wolves tend to be shy, making them not much of a threat to humans. For some cattle ranchers, the thought of wolves signifies danger. To some wildlife conservationists, the sight of one is a source of joy. ?I, for one, am excited about the return of wolves to California,? Wheeler said. ?They?re important players in our ecosystems, and they regulate the populations of prey species beneath them. I hope to see a wolf in the hills at some point soon.?? Times-Standard -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From tstokely at att.net Wed Jan 30 08:11:01 2019 From: tstokely at att.net (Tom Stokely) Date: Wed, 30 Jan 2019 16:11:01 +0000 (UTC) Subject: [env-trinity] FOIA fight draws huge crowd References: <1262751564.234793.1548864661887.ref@mail.yahoo.com> Message-ID: <1262751564.234793.1548864661887@mail.yahoo.com> https://www.eenews.net/greenwire/stories/1060118879/print INTERIOR FOIA fight draws huge crowd Michael Doyle, E&E News reporter Published: Tuesday, January 29, 2019 Interior Department headquarters in Washington.?Interior Turns out, tens of thousands of people care about the Interior Department's plan to constrict the Freedom of Information Act. Furloughed Interior workers returned this week to find more than 46,000 public comments responding to the department's controversial FOIA proposals first floated in late December. The comments were overwhelmingly negative. The comment period is set to expire at midnight tonight, and more responses are likely to flood in at the last minute. "I am very concerned ... because these revisions will negatively impact my ability to access government information," an individual identified as Terry McClellan declared, adding that "Interior's proposed rule undermines ... transparency by imposing excessive burdens on the public." Numerous comments deployed identical language, including some minor grammatical errors, in a sign of mobilized group protest. More detailed complaints, though, have also been posted, including a 10-page critique by the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press and 39 media organizations. "Increased public interest in the activities of the Department ... should be welcomed and, in any event, is not license for the Department to impose unlawful restrictions and unnecessary, unwarranted burdens on FOIA requesters," the news media organizations state. Under Interior's new FOIA proposals, the department declares it "will not honor a request that requires an unreasonably burdensome search or requires the bureau to locate, review, redact or arrange for inspection of a vast quantity of material" (Greenwire, Jan. 25). In addition, the changes would allow Interior to "impose a monthly limit for processing records ... in order to treat FOIA requests equitably by responding to a greater number of FOIA requests each month." The new proposal would also allow Interior to demand to know how FOIA requesters who identify themselves as educators, students or journalists intend to use information that is provided to them, with higher standards applied. "Exponential increases in requests and litigation have made updates to these regulations a priority," Interior stated. Between fiscal 2016 and fiscal 2018, incoming FOIA requests to Interior increased 30 percent, from 6,428 to over 8,350. Some bureaus and offices have been "hit especially hard," the department stated, with the Office of the Secretary's FOIA office experiencing a 210 percent increase since 2016. In fiscal 2010, Interior reported receiving 6,127 FOIA requests. It had 1,200 pending requests at the end of that year. Since then, the backlog has grown. At the end of fiscal 2017, the department reported having 2,318 pending requests. The 2017 requests ranged from then-Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke's noncommercial travel records and the schedules for the department's top lawyer, Daniel Jorjani, to National Park Service correspondence with the Trump Organization hotels, among many other topics, the?FOIA log?shows. The FOIA requests, and the grumbling, don't just come from environmentalists and reporters digging for dirt. The Wyoming Coalition of Local Governments, for instance, noted that local agencies "often" file FOIA requests for important project documents. "It is not unusual, however, for Coalition requests to go unsatisfied for years," the Wyoming group recounted, adding that "by the time the information is provided, the utility of that information will be minimized or even mooted due to the delay." Interior's first follow-up decision on the FOIA proposals will be whether to keep the public comment period open longer, as environmental groups and lawmakers have urged. The Democratic chairman of the House Natural Resources Committee, Rep. Ra?l Grijalva of Arizona wrote acting Interior Secretary David Bernhardt asking for public hearings and for a 120-day extension to the written comment period. Twitter:?@MichaelDoyle10?Email:?mdoyle at eenews.net -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From tstokely at att.net Wed Jan 30 11:07:12 2019 From: tstokely at att.net (Tom Stokely) Date: Wed, 30 Jan 2019 19:07:12 +0000 (UTC) Subject: [env-trinity] =?utf-8?q?My_Word=3A_Dam_removal_isn=E2=80=99t_over?= =?utf-8?q?_yet/Feb_2_Fundraiser?= References: <495941722.382870.1548875232740.ref@mail.yahoo.com> Message-ID: <495941722.382870.1548875232740@mail.yahoo.com> Also, please see flyer at end of message for Feb 2 Fundraiser https://www.times-standard.com/2019/01/30/my-word-dam-removal-isnt-over-yet/ My Word: Dam removal isn?t over yet - - - By?REGINA CHICHIZOLA?|?January 30, 2019 at 12:00 am After many years of hard work, North Coast dam removal efforts are now rapidly accelerating. On Friday, Pacific Gas and Electric Co. announced that it is pulling the application to relicense the Potter Valley Project, a series of two dams and a large diversion on the Upper Eel River. On Feb. 6, the California Water Resources Control Board is coming to Arcata to take comments on their final 401 (Clean Water Act) permit to remove four dams on the Klamath River. What does this all mean? Are we really about to see the Eel and Klamath River dams come down? The answer is it is now likely that both the Klamath dams, and at least one of the Eel River dams, will come down through the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission process (FERC). These decisions, if coupled with flow restoration and pollution reduction, could be the key to saving our North Coast salmon in the age of climate change. Bringing back the salmon is also key to bringing back fishing related industries, and to helping right some of the historical wrongs that have been done to local Tribal communities. There are several ways dams can come down through the FERC process. One of them is now likely on the Eel River. With PG&E moving to abandon the Potter Valley project, FERC will designate it as ?orphaned.? FERC can order PG&E to file a surrender agreement and decommissioning plan. This is the likely outcome if no one buys the project, which only produces about 9 megawatts of power and had significant seismic and ecological problems. What will happen to the large diversion from the Eel River to the Russian River, and powerful Russian River farmers, is still in question. Another dam removal option is playing out in the Klamath River. In this situation the project is being transferred to a dam removal entity which is applying for permits and a license to decommission the dams. This current process is different to the former (and controversial) settlement process and Klamath Basin Restoration Agreement (KBRA), which included a water settlement. This new dam removal process restarted both federal and California public processes, as the FERC license application one was for relicensing. On Feb. 6 and Feb. 7, the state of California Water Resources Control Board with be taking comments for their 401 (Clean Water Act) permit to take down the Klamath Dams. We hope to see the community out in mass to support this permit, as there is no doubt that powerful water interests will try to challenge the permit. It is not all good news for our local rivers, though. The Trump administration has several proposals that threaten to lower needed flows in the Klamath River, and its largest tributary, the Trinity River. One is a new Biological Opinion (BO) on the Klamath River, which could lower flows during key times of year and possibly cause new fish kills. If the Klamath Project Biological Opinion sounds familiar, it is likely because the 2001 biological opinion caused the Klamath adult fish kill of 2002, and the most recent BO caused up to 95 percent of the Klamath juvenile salmon to die during the California drought. Furthermore, at least three proposed California water projects threaten the Trinity River. Much of the Trinity River is diverted into the Sacramento River and therefore the Trump efforts to keep the Sacramento River water from reaching the ocean also impacts the Trinity. These proposals include the Bureau of Reclamation (BOR) plan to maximize water deliveries to the Federal Central Valley Project (Trump Water Plan), Jerry Brown?s Twin Tunnels, and the Sites Reservoir Project. Even the efforts to raise the Shasta dam and increase flows to the Sacramento River can impact the Trinity because the Trinity is often diverted to the Sacramento when flows get too low for their salmon. A proposed Liquified Natural Gag (LNG) pipeline also threatens the upper Klamath River, and continued unchecked water diversions threaten the Eel River and the Klamath?s tributaries. It is time to celebrate, but also to stand strong for our rivers. The people of the North Coast are invited to come out to the Arcata Veterans Hall for a Dam Removal and Water Update and Benefit Dinner on Feb. 2 at 6 p.m. to learn more about these threats and opportunities. We hope to see you there. Regina Chichizola works for both Save California Salmon and the Pacific Coast Federation of Fishermen?s Associations and has worked on Klamath dam removal and California water issues for 15 years. -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: 1548875170379blob.jpg Type: image/png Size: 1032257 bytes Desc: not available URL: From tstokely at att.net Wed Jan 30 11:16:17 2019 From: tstokely at att.net (Tom Stokely) Date: Wed, 30 Jan 2019 19:16:17 +0000 (UTC) Subject: [env-trinity] Bernhardt may be auditioning for role of a lifetime References: <1881590085.393738.1548875777234.ref@mail.yahoo.com> Message-ID: <1881590085.393738.1548875777234@mail.yahoo.com> INTERIOR Bernhardt may be auditioning for role of a lifetime Michael Doyle, E&E News reporter? Published: Wednesday, January 30, 2019 Acting Interior Secretary David Bernhardt delivers a speech last year.?Interior Department Acting Interior Secretary David Bernhardt looks increasingly like he's in the midst of a high-stakes tryout for the starring role. Thrust into the temporary job by the departure of former Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke, Bernhardt has since been polishing his performance even amid the partial government shutdown that shuttered most of his department while some potential competitors began to fade. For those reading the tea leaves: The 49-year-old lawyer and former lobbyist has had several meetings at the White House, including a Jan. 15 morning get-together with presidential counselor Kellyanne Conway and, according to an informed source, a Dec. 18 meeting with President Trump. He emphatically praised Trump and his border security priority when the shutdown ended, always a good play with the praise-loving president. Substantively, Bernhardt has been advancing the administration's agenda with moves like continuing oil and gas permitting amid the shutdown (Greenwire, Jan. 17). Competence is one of Bernhardt's chief selling points, his allies and antagonists agree. "If they don't nominate David, it would be a colossal mistake of epic proportions. No one knows the agency better and how to get things done. Very little will be accomplished without him at the helm," said a former Interior official, speaking on the condition of anonymity. "I suspect if he doesn't get the nod, he leaves. Then nothing gets accomplished." And in a backhanded acknowledgement of Bernhardt's status, the environmental group Center for Western Priorities commissioned a warning-shot poll last week in his home state of Colorado. "Bernhardt ... is in the running for the job permanently and is expected to continue pursuing President Trump's agenda to increase oil and gas development," surveyors told residents, before prompting them with questions like "How concerned are you that clients he previously lobbied for have business before the Department of the Interior that he now manages?" When Zinke announced Dec. 15 that he would be resigning, Trump declared on Twitter that he would name a replacement "next week." Since then, other potential candidates' stars have risen and fallen while Bernhardt has kept steadily plugging away at Interior headquarters (Greenwire, Dec. 19, 2018). Former Republican Sen. Dean Heller of Nevada, once deemed eminently confirmable by his former Senate colleagues, has since dropped off the speculation radar, with one connected source stating flatly that he's out of contention. Another early candidate who had rallied some key support, former California GOP congressman Jeff Denham, has likewise seemed to sink in the standings. Some White House officials, meanwhile, reportedly remain keen on former Colorado Rep. Cynthia Lummis, while the chairman of the House Natural Resources Committee, Utah Republican Rob Bishop, has champions of his own. But one school of thought is that the longer the administration waits, the more opportunities Bernhardt has, both to show his suitability to the White House and to grow comfortable with a position that would require him to endure renewed Senate scrutiny. Turnover at the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee could also help Bernhardt's cause and ease at least some of the decisionmaking by the married father of two teenagers. The panel's former top Democrat, Sen. Maria Cantwell of Washington state, led opposition to Bernhardt's initial 2017 nomination as deputy secretary. "I cannot support Mr. Bernhardt," Cantwell said then. "I don't think he would provide the proper consideration and implementation of public policies that represent interests across the United States of America." But Cantwell has since moved back into the committee's rank and file. The current ranking Democrat, Sen. Joe Manchin of West Virginia, was one of only four Senate Democrats, along with an independent who caucuses with the Democrats, to support Bernhardt. For now, Bernhardt is doing what Cabinet secretaries do, as when he greeted returning Interior workers back to headquarters Monday morning. "Bernhardt shook my hand and said 'I'm glad you came back!'" one current Interior employee recounted in an email, provided on the condition of anonymity. "Not sure if he was trying to be funny or serious?!" Twitter:?@MichaelDoyle10?Email:?mdoyle at eenews.net -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From danielbacher at fishsniffer.com Fri Feb 1 23:43:24 2019 From: danielbacher at fishsniffer.com (Daniel Bacher) Date: 2 Feb 2019 02:43:24 -0500 Subject: [env-trinity] State Senator Bill Dodd Introduces California WaterFix Oversight Bill Message-ID: <69c0d29c-32dd-49b2-b373-229c215631b9@mtasv.net> https://fishsniffer.com/index.php/2019/02/01/senator-bill-dodd-introduces-delta-tunnels-oversight-bill/ https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2019/2/1/1831559/-Senator-Bill-Dodd-Introduces-Delta-Tunnels-Oversight-Bill State Senator Bill Dodd Introduces California WaterFix Oversight Bill by Dan Bacher | posted in: Spotlight | 0 On February 1, Senator Bill Dodd (D-Napa) introduced legislation that will require more legislative oversight and public scrutiny of former Governor Jerry Brown?s controversial Delta Tunnels/California Water Fix Project. The bill was introduced as Delta advocates are criticizing the Department of Water Resources (DWR) and the Delta Conveyance Design and Construction Authority(DCA), a Joint Powers Authority (JPA), for approving contracts to move forward with project even though the required permits haven?t been obtained yet. Senate Bill 204 would establish requirements for both DWR and the DCA to submit information about pending State Water Project contracts to the Legislature for public review, prior to those agencies moving forward with Delta Tunnels work, according to a statement from Senator Dodd?s Office. The California WaterFix calls for the construction of two 30-mile long tunnels that would divert water from the Sacramento River, around the Delta, to the state and federal pumps in the South Delta for export to San Joaquin Valley agribusiness and Southern California water agencies. ?In years past, there has been too little opportunity for impacted communities to influence this flawed project, which will have a massive impact on the Delta?s environment, the local economy and drinking water quality,? said Senator Dodd, co-chair of the Legislative Delta Caucus. ?This bill will gives the Legislature and Delta residents a place at the table to learn about what?s going on, express concerns and offer solutions that will serve Californians. We?re eager to begin a new chapter, where the voices of those who live in our Delta communities are adequately considered.? The bill is supported by Delta advocates such as Restore the Delta and is co-authored by members of the Legislative Delta Caucus, including co-chair Assemblymember Jim Frazier, Assemblymembers Susan Eggman, Jim Cooper, Tim Grayson, Kevin McCarty, and Senators Cathleen Galgiani, Richard Pan, and Steve Glazer. ?Californians deserve to know the true financial and environmental impacts of WaterFix, the largest public works project in state history,? said Barbara Barrigan-Parrilla, executive director of Restore the Delta. ?SB 204 will help make the planning process more transparent so members of the public can evaluate WaterFix for themselves.? ?This is a commonsense, good-government bill that increases accountability,? said Assemblymember Frazier, D-Discovery Bay. ?Any large infrastructure project or major decision by a state agency should have legislative oversight. This is why people elect us.? ?To protect their interests. Hopefully, the foolish WaterFix proposal will never be allowed to move forward. It would be the most expensive project in the state?s history and we are still totally in the dark about what the true costs will be. But if it does move forward, this bill will provide another level of scrutiny by the Legislature,? said Frazier. Senator Dodd introduced the bill at a critical time for the future of the Delta and West Coast fisheries. Following the news that the Delta Conveyance Design and Construction Authority had selected the Jacobs company to be the engineering design manager for the Delta Tunnels, the DCA last week awarded Fugro a contract for a major geotechnical investigation to support the California WaterFix project. The DCA has awarded the geotechnical investigation to Fugro and selected Jacobs as engineering design manager even though the State Water Resources Control Board has not yet approved the petitions by the Department of Water of Resources and U.S. Bureau of Reclamation to change the point of diversion, a requirement for the project to be constructed. The project needs over a dozen permits in order for construction to begin. For more information, go to: https://fishsniffer.com/index.php/2019/01/29/fugro-awarded-geotechnical-investigation-for-delta-tunnels-even-though-project-not-yet-approved/ The awarding of contracts to Fugro and Jacobs by the DCA also takes place despite an avalanche of lawsuits by cities, counties, water districts, Tribes, fishing groups, environmental NGOs and other organizations against a project opponents consider to be the most environmentally destructive public works project in California history. Yesterday, Barrigan-Parrilla spoke at the DCA Board of Directors meeting in Sacramento to remind them that the joint powers authority may not initiate construction of a new Delta conveyance facility under certain conditions are met under state law: ?Today, I would like to remind the DCDCA of Water Code 850589 ? provision b Construction of a new Delta conveyance facility shall not be initiated until the joint powers authority representing those entities have made arrangements or entered into contracts to pay for both of the following: (b) Full mitigation of property tax or assessments levied by local governments or special districts for land used in the construction, location, mitigation, or operation of new Delta conveyance facilities. This has not been completed, and speaks to a broader issue ? dozens of permits and processes legally required remain incomplete ? yet this body is approving contracts in the tens of millions of dollars to move forward with the project. And we still do not have a fully flesched financial plan for the tunnels.? She also brought to light reports about meetings between JPA members and ?select? members of the Delta community regarding the California WaterFix that weren?t publicly noticed: ?I also want to remind the DCDCA that Delta County supervisors, assemblymembers, state senators, local district officials and mayors represent the people of the Delta. We are very concerned hearing about meeetings betweeen JPA members and ?select? members of the Delta community to work through issues regarding WaterFix. Elected officials represent the people of the Delta. Period. Even our organization with 60,000 followers does not represent the local government interests of the Delta. We understand that past meetings have ocurred ? a dinner here, a meeting there. We expect to see minutes from community meetings and for proper public notice of such meetings before they are held.? Finally, she pointed out that the video for the JPA meetings is ?regularly intermittent.? She urged the board to provide video services for all meetings and create a video archive: ?Last, video for this meeting is regularly intermittent ? there is no video archive. There are no video services for the DCFA meetings. WaterFix it the second largest public works project in CA. There are good government groups from throughout the state that want to understand what it is you are doing. If WaterFix is as good as all of you claim it is, then you should want meetings to be transparent. It?s time for you to take a page out of the High-Speed Rail playbook and to provide video services for all meetings and create a video archive. The people of California have a right to know what it is you are planning, the impacts on water supplies, the environment, and finances.? -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From tstokely at att.net Tue Feb 5 13:19:37 2019 From: tstokely at att.net (Tom Stokely) Date: Tue, 5 Feb 2019 21:19:37 +0000 (UTC) Subject: [env-trinity] Klamath dam removal meetings begin this week References: <1951662757.3940359.1549401577446.ref@mail.yahoo.com> Message-ID: <1951662757.3940359.1549401577446@mail.yahoo.com> https://www.heraldandnews.com/news/local_news/klamath-dam-removal-meetings-begin-this-week/article_3e8a9363-4ef3-55e6-b137-cb05d1735cd5.html Klamath dam removal meetings begin this week - Holly Owens ? - Feb 4, 2019 Subscribe now! Copco No. 1 dam and powerhouse on the Klamath River. Submitted photo - Facebook - Twitter - Email - Print - Save Public meetings seeking comment on a draft Environmental Impact Report (EIR) for surrender of the Lower Klamath Project license begin this week, according to a news release from the California State Water Resources Control Board. The license surrender is one step toward the proposed removal of four PacifiCorp dams on the Klamath River, three of which are in California. The meetings will be: n Tuesday, Feb. 5, 5 to 8 p.m., Best Western Miner?s Inn, 122 E. Miner St., Yreka n Wednesday, Feb. 6, 5 to 8 p.m., D Street Neighborhood Center, 1301 D St., Arcata, Calif. n Thursday, Feb. 7, noon to 3 p.m., Karuk Tribe Council Chambers, 37960 Highway 96, Orleans, Calif. n Friday, Feb. 15, 1 to 4 p.m., CalEPA Building, Sierra Hearing Room, 1001 I Street, Second Floor, Sacramento The Sacramento meeting will be webcast live on the California Environmental Protection Agency (CalEPA) website at:?www.calepa.ca.gov/broadcast. During the webcast, participants can submit email comments to:?wr401program at waterboards.ca.gov. The public meetings will provide information and allow oral comments on the draft EIR. The time allotted at the meetings for each individual or organization to comment may need to be limited depending on the number of people in attendance. No action will be taken during the meetings and no decisions will be made. The Klamath River Renewal Corporation (KRRC) applied to the board in September for a Clean Water Act section 401 certification for the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) license surrender of the Lower Klamath Project. KRRC, a nonprofit, is charged with removing the dams, restoring formerly inundated lands, and implementing required mitigation measures. The hydroelectric project in Siskiyou and Klamath counties consists of seven dams: East Side; West Side; Keno; J.C. Boyle; Fall Creek (located on Fall Creek, a Klamath River tributary); Copco No. 1; Copco No. 2; and Iron Gate. Removal of J.C. Boyle in Oregon, Copco No. 1, Copco No. 2 and Iron Gate dams in California, and associated facilities is proposed. This would implement portions of the 2016 Klamath Hydroelectric Settlement Agreement which seeks to return the river to free-flowing conditions to benefit fish passage. The Notice of Availability and Draft EIR are available at:?https://bit.ly/2TcxefF. Additional information related to the Lower Klamath Project water quality certification and California Environmental Quality Act process can be found at:?https://bit.ly/2jwgIcL. Comments on the draft EIR are due by noon, Feb. 26, and can be sent to?wr401program at waterboards.ca.gov, or Ms. Michelle Siebal, State Water Resources Control Board, Division of Water Rights ? Water Quality Certification Program, P.O. Box 2000, Sacramento, CA 95812-2000. - -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From tstokely at att.net Tue Feb 5 15:27:06 2019 From: tstokely at att.net (Tom Stokely) Date: Tue, 5 Feb 2019 23:27:06 +0000 (UTC) Subject: [env-trinity] Fw: Breaking: Reclamation releases Biological Assessment for California water operations In-Reply-To: <5a47c3dc-1e90-4988-a450-f30d99b7cb43@mtasv.net> References: <5a47c3dc-1e90-4988-a450-f30d99b7cb43@mtasv.net> Message-ID: <1150491394.4010417.1549409226262@mail.yahoo.com> ----- Forwarded Message ----- From: Daniel Bacher Sent: Tuesday, February 5, 2019, 2:21:24 PM PSTSubject: Breaking: Reclamation releases Biological Assessment for California water operations https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2019/2/5/1832533/-Breaking-Reclamation-releases-Biological-Assessment-for-California-water-operations This just in:?The Bureau of Reclamation released late yesterday the Biological Assessment for the re-initiation of consultation on the coordinated long-term operation of the Central Valley Project and State Water Project. Below is the announcement for Reclamation. I will post responses as they become available: SACRAMENTO, Calif. - The Bureau of Reclamation released late yesterday the Biological Assessment for the re-initiation of consultation on the coordinated long-term operation of the Central Valley Project and State Water Project. The document was transmitted to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the National Marine Fisheries Service for consideration in developing new biological opinions covering CVP and SWP operations. Reclamation and the California Department of Water Resources re-initiated consultation in 2016 based on new information related to multiple years of drought and ongoing science efforts. In October 2018, President Donald J. Trump signed the?PresidentialMemorandum on Promoting the Reliable Supply and Delivery of Water in the West, citing the "diminished...ability" of America's infrastructure "to deliver water and power in an efficient, cost?effective way." To that end, the Memorandum directed the Secretary of the Interior and the Secretary of Commerce to work together to complete the consultation process in a timely manner. The Biological Assessment supports Reclamation?s consultation pursuant to Section 7 of the Endangered Species Act of 1973. It was prepared consistent with the timeline outlined in the Presidential Memorandum. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and National Marine Fisheries Service are expected to issue final biological opinions within 135 days. ?It has been 10 years since the biological opinions on the coordinated long-term operation of the CVP and SWP were issued. Since then, we?ve experienced extreme drought and invested significant resources to advance the science of the Central Valley and the Delta in coordination with our state and federal partner agencies and stakeholders. The result of our investments is an improved understanding of the system,? said Mid-Pacific Regional Director Ernest Conant. ?By expanding our toolkit with the best science and using what we know today, new biological opinions will allow us to maximize water and power benefits while supporting endangered fish populations.? The Biological Assessment analyzes potential effects of the proposed action on federally listed endangered and threatened species and critical habitat for these species. The proposed action incorporates the best available science into the operation of the CVP and SWP. Proposed actions outlined in the document include temperature management at Shasta Dam, fall habitat and salinity measures in the Delta, and entrainment management related to water exports. Together, these proposed actions aim to give water operators more flexibility, maximize water supply delivery and optimize power generation consistent with applicable laws. The Biological Assessment is available?here. -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From tstokely at att.net Tue Feb 5 15:28:04 2019 From: tstokely at att.net (Tom Stokely) Date: Tue, 5 Feb 2019 23:28:04 +0000 (UTC) Subject: [env-trinity] Fw: Reclamation releases Biological Assessment for California water operations In-Reply-To: <162695a03d5c4bc7bf86016d7c4a4f06@usbr.gov> References: <162695a03d5c4bc7bf86016d7c4a4f06@usbr.gov> Message-ID: <1631346722.4013144.1549409284179@mail.yahoo.com> ---- Forwarded Message ----- From: Lauren Meredith Sent: Tuesday, February 5, 2019, 2:04:40 PM PSTSubject: Reclamation releases Biological Assessment for California water operations Mid-Pacific Region Sacramento, Calif. MP-19-009 Media Contact: Erin Curtis, 916-978-5100, eccurtis at usbr.gov For Immediate Release: February 5, 2019 Reclamation releases Biological Assessment for California water operations SACRAMENTO, Calif. - The Bureau of Reclamation released late yesterday the Biological Assessment for the re-initiation of consultation on the coordinated long-term operation of the Central Valley Project and State Water Project. The document was transmitted to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the National Marine Fisheries Service for consideration in developing new biological opinions covering CVP and SWP operations. Reclamation and the California Department of Water Resources re-initiated consultation in 2016 based on new information related to multiple years of drought and ongoing science efforts. In October 2018, President Donald J. Trump signed the Presidential Memorandum on Promoting the Reliable Supply and Delivery of Water in the West, citing the "diminished...ability" of America's infrastructure "to deliver water and power in an efficient, cost?effective way." To that end, the Memorandum directed the Secretary of the Interior and the Secretary of Commerce to work together to complete the consultation process in a timely manner. The Biological Assessment supports Reclamation?s consultation pursuant to Section 7 of the Endangered Species Act of 1973. It was prepared consistent with the timeline outlined in the Presidential Memorandum. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and National Marine Fisheries Service are expected to issue final biological opinions within 135 days. ?It has been 10 years since the biological opinions on the coordinated long-term operation of the CVP and SWP were issued. Since then, we?ve experienced extreme drought and invested significant resources to advance the science of the Central Valley and the Delta in coordination with our state and federal partner agencies and stakeholders. The result of our investments is an improved understanding of the system,? said Mid-Pacific Regional Director Ernest Conant. ?By expanding our toolkit with the best science and using what we know today, new biological opinions will allow us to maximize water and power benefits while supporting endangered fish populations.? The Biological Assessment analyzes potential effects of the proposed action on federally listed endangered and threatened species and critical habitat for these species. The proposed action incorporates the best available science into the operation of the CVP and SWP. Proposed actions outlined in the document include temperature management at Shasta Dam, fall habitat and salinity measures in the Delta, and entrainment management related to water exports. Together, these proposed actions aim to give water operators more flexibility, maximize water supply delivery and optimize power generation consistent with applicable laws. The Biological Assessment is available here. ### Reclamation is the largest wholesale water supplier in the United States, and the nation?s second largest producer of hydroelectric power. Its facilities also provide substantial flood control, recreation, and fish and wildlife benefits. Visit our website at http://www.usbr.gov. Follow us on Twitter @USBR and @ReclamationCVP. Bureau of Reclamation, Denver Federal Center, Alameda & Kipling Street PO Box 25007, Denver, CO 80225 United States -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From MaryClaire.Kier at wildlife.ca.gov Mon Feb 4 10:34:30 2019 From: MaryClaire.Kier at wildlife.ca.gov (Kier, Mary Claire@Wildlife) Date: Mon, 4 Feb 2019 18:34:30 +0000 Subject: [env-trinity] CDFW Trinity River Project trapping summary through Julian week 5 Message-ID: Greetings! Attached please find the TRP trapping summary through JWeek 5 (February 4). Only steelhead into the hatchery last Tuesday... Stay warm! MC -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: 2018 TRP_ trapping_summary_thru_JW5.xlsx Type: application/vnd.openxmlformats-officedocument.spreadsheetml.sheet Size: 69553 bytes Desc: 2018 TRP_ trapping_summary_thru_JW5.xlsx URL: From tstokely at att.net Wed Feb 6 08:42:22 2019 From: tstokely at att.net (Tom Stokely) Date: Wed, 6 Feb 2019 16:42:22 +0000 (UTC) Subject: [env-trinity] =?utf-8?q?Will_Trump=E2=80=99s_California_water_pla?= =?utf-8?q?n_send_more_to_Republican_farmers_and_short_Democratic_cities?= =?utf-8?q?=3F?= References: <578171884.4444749.1549471342894.ref@mail.yahoo.com> Message-ID: <578171884.4444749.1549471342894@mail.yahoo.com> https://www.sacbee.com/news/state/california/water-and-drought/delta/article225376065.html Will Trump?s California water plan send more to Republican farmers and short Democratic cities? BY RYAN SABALOW?AND DALE KASLER? - - - - FEBRUARY 05, 2019 04:03 PM, UPDATED FEBRUARY 05, 2019 05:10 PM While campaigning for president in 2016, Donald Trump promised a?cheering Fresno crowd?he would be ?opening up the water? for Central Valley farmers who?d been victimized by ?insane? environmental rules to protect fish. Trump took one of the most aggressive steps to date to fulfill that promise Tuesday by proposing to relax environmental regulations governing how water is shared between fish and human uses throughout the Central Valley. The U.S. Bureau of Reclamation released an 871-page ?biological assessment? of conditions in the Delta that it said is designed to ?maximize water supply and delivery? while maintaining protections for fish. But environmental groups said the move would put new strains on the Valley?s struggling salmon and smelt populations ? and could also force the state to cough up some of its urban water supplies to keep the fish from declining further.? Just a few weeks ago, former Gov. Jerry Brown?s administration?agreed to surrender?some of the State Water Project?s supplies to the federal government?s Central Valley Project. The state project?primarily serves urban populations, which lean Democratic, while the federal project delivers its water to rural San Joaquin Valley, a bastion of pro-Trump Republican voters. The new plan by the Trump administration poses a direct challenge to Brown?s successor, Gavin Newsom, who so far has said little about water policy. His fish and water agency chiefs said they were still reviewing the document Tuesday. ?Our review will take a hard look at the proposed operations, focus on the biological needs of important fish and wildlife species, and determine whether the Bureau responded to our previous concerns,? said Chuck Bonham, director of the Department of Fish and Wildlife. Farmers welcomed the document. Mike Wade of the California Farm Water Coalition called it an antidote to outdated rules that ?have failed all parties ? fish and wildlife, communities, and farmers.?? ?We have to do better than what we?ve done,? Wade said.? Environmentalists were appalled. ?It sure looks like a plan for extinction,? said Doug Obegi, an attorney with the Natural Resources Defense Council.? Obegi said the proposed rules would relax a number of standards for the federal Central Valley Project, which includes dams such as Shasta, the state?s largest in the northern Sacramento Valley, as well as the massive pumping stations at the south end of the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta.? Federal officials, however, said they?re simply trying to build more flexibility into a system that they say is overly rigid.? Russ Callejo, a Bureau of Reclamation project manager, said in an interview that the proposal would give project operators more leeway in managing crucial conditions such as Delta salinity levels, cold water requirements in the Sacramento River, and restrictions on Delta pumping that confuse migrating fish and draw them into harm?s way. Because of state and federal endangered species protections, the two projects often have to throttle back their deliveries in order to protect the salmon, smelt and other imperiled Delta fish species, allowing water to follow its natural course to the Pacific Ocean. Callejo said the new plan would rely more ?on what the fish are doing and where they?re located ... as opposed to a rigid ?this is what you?ll do.?? He said he couldn?t speculate how much more water the proposal would free up for human demands. ?That number?s not ready right now,? said Callejo. Environmentalist critics say what the Trump administration is proposing would allow the federal government to walk away from many pumping restrictions, such as a requirement that the Sacramento River below Shasta Dam be kept cold enough to protect spawning salmon. Trump?s proposed changes could put state officials in a bind. The State Water Project traditionally relies on the feds? scientific data to get permits from the California Department Fish and Wildlife to operate the state pumps. Obegi said the science in Trump?s proposal is so indefensible that the wildlife agency could force the State Water Project to dial back its pumping to compensate for increases in federal pumping and avoid violating the state?s Endangered Species Act. Trump?s plan would mean ?the state has to pump less to meet its obligations? to meet state law, said Obegi, the environmentalist attorney. He said it?s unclear whether the state could use the Endangered Species Act to force the feds to back down. The two projects have historically operated in tandem, under the same general rules.? ?Now we?re in a new situation where, well, this is uncharted territory,? said water expert Jeff Mount of the nonpartisan Public Policy Institute of California. It?s not clear how much the State Water Project stands to lose. The project?s largest contractor is the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California, with 19 million customers, but it also serves the Kern County Water Agency and some other farming districts. Roger Patterson, Metropolitan?s assistant general manager, said he hadn?t reviewed the massive document in its entirety and was reluctant to comment on its ramifications for his agency?s supplies. ?We want to have changes that are scientifically supportable, and ... the critical criteria that both projects have to operate are the same,? he said. ?You can?t operate to different criteria.?? The environmental proposals are the latest chapter in the Trump administration?s ongoing efforts to bring more water to Valley farmers as the Department of Interior, which oversees water in the West, is being run by Acting Secretary David Bernhardt, a former lobbyist for the largest and most influential Central Valley Project member agency ? the Westlands Water District. Trump announced Monday he was nominating Bernhardt to be secretary permanently. Westlands officials played a key role in bringing Trump to Fresno to campaign in 2016. A month ago, under pressure from Interior,?the State Water Project?coughed up an average of 100,000 acre-feet of water a year to the feds? Central Valley Project. In exchange, the farmers who rely on the CVP agreed to relinquish water to fish through a complicated and tentative plan brokered by former Gov. Brown. The new proposal is a separate proceeding that stems, ironically, from a plan launched by?Trump?s predecessor, Barack Obama.? In 2016, with fish populations in decline, the Obama administration started taking a fresh look at decade-old environmental restrictions governing the Delta pumps. At the time, administration officials believed Obama would be succeeded by fellow Democrat Hillary Clinton and the environmental rules would be tightened. Instead, Trump has made it clear that he wants environmental rules streamlined to push more water to the Valley through the Delta pumps. Trump?signed a memorandum?in October that ordered his staff to review a broad swath of federal water regulations in order to ?eliminate all unnecessary burdens? to free up water for human use. Delta smelt are among the fish species struggling for survival in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta.SACRAMENTO BEE FILE Read more here: https://www.sacbee.com/news/state/california/water-and-drought/delta/article225376065.html#storylink=cpy -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From klamathtrinityriver at gmail.com Wed Feb 6 09:16:14 2019 From: klamathtrinityriver at gmail.com (Regina Chichizola) Date: Wed, 6 Feb 2019 09:16:14 -0800 Subject: [env-trinity] Dinner gives update on Klamath, Eel dam removal, Groups ask locals to attend hearing on Feb. 6 Message-ID: Dinner gives update on Klamath, Eel dam removalGroups ask locals to attend hearing on Feb. 6 - A fundraiser dinner at the Arcata Veterans Hall hosted by Save California Salmon and Friends of the Eel River provided updates Saturday on the status of the removal of several Klamath River dams, as well an insight into the future of dam removal on the Eel River. ADVERTISING Regina Chichizola, who works with Save California Salmon, said the process of removing the Klamath dams has been complicated, and the dinner was intended to clarify any uncertainties that might exist. ?PacifiCorp was re-licensing the dams through the FERC (Federal Energy Regulatory Commission) process,? she said. ?Now that the dams are being transferred to a dam removal entity, they have to redo the process for the (water quality) certification and for the FERC EIS (environmental impact statement) ? this is the public process for the state of California to remove the dams.? Because of the change up from re-licensing for continued operation to licensing with the intent to decommission the dams, hearings that have already occurred for the initial re-licensing process have to happen again for the purpose of dam decommissioning, she said. Chichizola said a hearing for public comment on a draft version on an environmental impact report, which is the next step in dam removal that will factor into the state?s decision to grant a water quality certification for the decommissioning project, will be taking place on Wednesday, Feb. 6, at the D Street Community Center in Arcata from 5 to 8 p.m. Chichizola encourages people to come and offer their support for Klamath dam removal. ?I think it?s going great. I?ve been working on dam removal now for 15 years,? she said. ?All the evidence shows taking the dams down means that we will have clean water and that salmon will be able to rebound in the Klamath River ? if we take the Eel River dams down too we might be able to bring back the fishing industry.? According to a document circulated at the event, ?the Water Board staff finds that, ?In looking at the range of benefits and impacts the State Water Board has identified the Proposed Project as the environmentally superior alternative.'? ?The removal of the four dams ? is definitely their preferred alternative,? she said. After the comment period on the draft Environmental Impact Report, the state may issue a ?final permit to remove the dams,? which will leave the Klamath River Renewal Corporation waiting on the completion of another process on the federal level for other permits required for dam removal, Chichizola said. Frankie Myers, vice-chairman of the Yurok Tribe, spoke briefly at the event, but his words were met with a room full of applause. ?Dam removal on the Klamath is nearing the end,? he said. ?On the Eel we are making progress; the same efforts need to be shown to both at this time ? we are very close.? Stephanie Tidwell, the executive director of Friends of the Eel River, said the movement around the dams on the Eel River has been an interesting process. ?Things have changed so rapidly for the dams? re-licensing process,? she said. ?I?m actually hopeful ? . PG&E?s announcement that they?re going to withdraw their application to re-license the dam basically means they have to take Scott Dam out ? I don?t see any way around it.? The announcement, she said, has left the dam in an ?abandoned state,? and with the Pacific Gas and Electric Co. failing to find another party to purchase and run the dam, removal is likely. ?They?ve been losing money on the power generation process for many many years,? she said. ?When those dams were built we didn?t have the Endangered Species Act, we didn?t have the clean water act ? . Basically it requires fish passage; Scott Dam has no fish passage.? Tidwell likened Scott Dam to ?a wall of death,? and said the initial cost analysis for installing fish ladders would number into the tens of millions. ?What was already a money-losing project becomes untenable from a corporate perspective,? she said. ?And so we and a lot of other groups have been involved ? to try and hammer out a solution.? What we?re looking at now, Tidwell said, is a very different situation from what things looked like eight days ago. The withdrawal of an application for re-licensing by PG&E was akin to the company giving up on finding a purchaser, she said, and, reading between the lines, it appears the dams are likely to come down. ?We?ll know more as this process goes along,? she said. ?Basically there is now a 90-day window in which someone else could apply to buy the dam, but if they couldn?t do it with PG&E offering them a lot of carrot and money and studies, we can?t just possibly imagine how someone else could take it on and continue with the federal re-licensing process which is what they?d be required to do.? For more information on the Feb. 6 hearing, visit the event page on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/events/319789575304930/. *Philip Santos can be reached at 707-441-0506.* Sign up for email newsletters SUBSCRIBE Follow Us - - - - MOST POPULAR 1. Former Raiders QB dies; handed Bill Walsh ?the most traumatic? loss of his career 2. Plan for Eureka to reconsider marketing services draws large crowd 3. Crab season sees ?sharp dropoff,? fishermen say 4. UPDATE: Crews continue to cleanup oil spill on Highway 101, which remains closed in both directions 5. Mad River Community Hospital lays off handful of employees 6. Man accused of child sex abuse takes 20-year plea deal https://www.times-standard.com/2019/02/02/dinner-gives-update-on-klamath-eel-dam-removal/ -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From tstokely at att.net Thu Feb 7 16:17:40 2019 From: tstokely at att.net (Tom Stokely) Date: Fri, 8 Feb 2019 00:17:40 +0000 (UTC) Subject: [env-trinity] Fw: CALIFORNIA ADDS PROTECTIONS FOR SPRING CHINOOK SALMON In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: <507468744.124836.1549585060599@mail.yahoo.com> ----- Forwarded Message ----- From: craig tucker Sent: Thursday, February 7, 2019, 4:05:36 PM PSTSubject: CALIFORNIA ADDS PROTECTIONS FOR SPRING CHINOOK SALMON ? ? P R E S S? R E L E A S E ? Karuk Tribe?? Salmon River Restoration Council? ? ? For Immediate Release:?? February 7, 2019 ? For more information: Craig Tucker,Natural Resources Policy Advocate, Karuk Tribe, 916-207-8294 Karuna Greenberg, Restoration Director, SRRC, 530-462-4665 ? ? ? CALIFORNIA ADDS PROTECTIONS FOR? KLAMATH SPRING SALMON - Klamath Spring Chinook a Candidate for CESA Listing - Fishing Restrictions Take Effect Immediately ? Sacramento, CA ? Yesterday the California Fish and Game Commission made Klamath-Trinity Spring Chinook salmon a candidate for listing under the California Endangered Species Act (CESA). The decision was in response to a petition filed last year by the Karuk Tribe and the Salmon River Restoration Council. A final decision to list the species will be made within 12 months; in the meantime Klamath-Trinity Spring Chinook will be? afforded all the protections of a listed species. ? The move by the Fish and Game Commission forces California to restrict fishing to protect the fish, however, the Tribe and SRRC want to work with fishermen and the agency to develop common sense fishing regulations. ?There is a population of hatchery born spring Chinook on the Trinity River that can and should be fished,? says Karuk Tribe Executive Director Joshua Saxon. ? ? Researchers at the University of California, Davis led by Dr. Michael Miller, recently published two reports in the journalScience Advances and theProceedings of the National Academy of Sciences that explains the genetic differences between fall Chinook and spring Chinook. The research provides new insights into salmon evolution and reveals that spring Chinook salmon deserve to be treated as its own evolutionarily distinct unit separate from fall Chinook. Before the age of dams, industrial mining, and clear-cut logging, spring Chinook salmon were the most abundant run of salmon in many Pacific Northwest Rivers. Today these fish are nearly extinct throughout much of its historic range. ? ?These fish have been on the brink of extinction for years,? explains? Saxon, ?but no one believed us when we said they were a distinct species from fall Chinook until now.? ? Spring Chinook enter rivers in the spring when snow melt swells rivers allowing the fish travel into the upper reaches of a watershed. Then they must reside in cold water areas all summer until they spawn and die in the fall. Fall Chinook migrate into rivers in the fall where they spawn and die relatively soon after entering fresh water. Having two life strategies allow Chinook to take advantage of the entire watershed instead of just the upper or lower reaches. This behavioral diversity enhances the chances of long-term survival for the entire population. ? ?Dams are the single greatest threat to Spring Chinook,? explains Karuna Greenberg of the Salmon River Restoration Council. ?Dams prevent Springers from accessing the upper reaches of watersheds where most of the cold-water habitat they need to survive the summer is located.? Greenberg cites diversions, mining, and poor logging practices as additional factors. ? ? Miller and his colleagues? research rewrites our understanding of Chinook salmon?s evolutionary history. ?By using new advances in molecular biology, they quickly compared hundreds of thousands of DNA segments of one individual salmon to hundreds of others. This allowed them to locate a very small region of DNA that is always different between spring and fall Chinook,? explains Craig Tucker, Ph.D., Natural Resources Consultant to the Karuk Tribe. ?Miller?s research shows that the difference between spring and fall run Chinook is a small change in a single gene. This change has occurred only once in Chinook?s evolutionary history which means that if we lose spring Chinook, we can?t expect them to re-appear for millions of years.? ? Miller?s findings contrast with the previously held notion that salmon populations evolved the spring run behavior many times over across watersheds. If that were true, it would mean that the spring run behavior is relatively easily for Chinook to develop. In the past, federal agencies have declined to add spring Chinook to the Endangered Species List for this very reason. ?This new finding is forcing agencies to reconsider their stance on spring Chinook in the Klamath and many other watersheds,? says Tucker. ? The genetic difference between spring and fall Chinook is in a gene calledGreb1L which has been shown to play a role in fat metabolism. This makes sense to Saxon. ?We can taste the difference. Springers have a long way to swim before reaching their spawning grounds so they enter the river full of body fat which is why they taste so good.? Spring Chinook typically have 30% more body fat than fall Chinook. ? The population of Chinook salmon that swims up the Klamath River in the spring once numbered in the hundreds of thousands. Last summer, divers at the Salmon River Cooperative Spring Chinook and Summer Steelhead Population Snorkel Survey only found 160 Spring-run Chinook, which is the third lowest return in over 28 years since the counts started, divers found even less on the South Fork of the Trinity River, another location of a remnant population of wild Spring Salmon in the Klamath-Trinity River system. ? A similar petition to list Klamath Trinity Spring Chinook under the federal Endangered Species Act is currently under review. ? Spring Chinook advocates currently have January 2021 circled on their calendars. That?s when the removal of the lower four Klamath River dams is slated to begin pursuant to an historic agreement between dam owner PacifiCorp, California, Oregon, Tribes, and conservation groups. The project would be the largest salmon restoration project in US history. For spring Chinook and the Karuk Tribe, it can?t come soon enough. ? # # #? ? Editor?s notes: ? To learn more about the Karuk Tribe go towww.karuk.us ? To learn more about SRRC got towww.srrc.org ? To learn more about Klamath dam removal seehttp://www.klamathrenewal.org/ ? -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From tstokely at att.net Sun Feb 10 15:14:12 2019 From: tstokely at att.net (Tom Stokely) Date: Sun, 10 Feb 2019 23:14:12 +0000 (UTC) Subject: [env-trinity] Humboldt Bay harbor district eyes salmon/steelhead fish farm References: <2013124533.1223041.1549840452627.ref@mail.yahoo.com> Message-ID: <2013124533.1223041.1549840452627@mail.yahoo.com> https://www.times-standard.com/2019/02/09/humboldt-bay-harbor-district-eyes-fish-farm/ Humboldt Bay harbor district eyes fish farm Monday meeting set to OK 30-acre lease; 80 local jobs foreseen - - - By?THE TIMES-STANDARD?|?PUBLISHED:?February 9, 2019 at 9:40 pm?| UPDATED:?February 10, 2019 at 1:38 pm Hundreds of millions of dollars and 80 jobs are coming to Humboldt Bay, according to recent announcements from the harbor district and a Norwegian-owned fish farm company. The Humboldt Bay Harbor, Recreation and Conservation District Board of Directors at a special meeting Monday is set to consider leasing 30 acres on the Samoa Peninsula to?California Marine Investments, a subsidiary of Norway-based?Nordic Aquafarms, for use as a?land-based aquaculture facility. ?This site meets all of our criteria for building a safe, clean, and sustainable fish farm,??Nordic Aquafarms CEO and president Erik Heim said in a Saturday press release, ?and we have been welcomed by local authorities who are excited about the many benefits this project can bring to the area.? Harbor district executive director Larry Oetker said in the release that he hoped to get the project under way as soon as possible. ?We have been looking for an anchor project that will be a catalyst for attracting and developing an aquaculture cluster,? he said, citing properties on the Samoa peninsula previously permitted by the district for aquaculture. Nordic is considering raising salmon or steelhead at the proposed facility, pending negotiations with local permitting authorities. The company plans to submit permit applications by spring 2020, according to the release, which also highlighted local government support for the project. ?Humboldt County is a leader in the fisheries industry, and our community recognizes that it must continue to build on these strengths in order to achieve further economic success,? said Humboldt County?Director of Economic Development Scott Adair in the release. ?This project fits well with that strategy. Nordic Aquafarms is an innovator within their own industry. Their project will create opportunity to improve local job quality and career potential, add to the overall vibrancy of the community and enhance quality of life for our residents. We are very excited for the potential of this project.? Division 4?Harbor Commissioner Richard Marks wrote Saturday, sharing reports that the project would bring 80 jobs to the area and produce 22,680 metric tons of fish annually, that 600,000 square feet of new construction ?will bring many hardhats to the area and then many high-end fishery jobs for biologists from Humboldt State.? A Friday press release from the harbor district further highlighted the project?s economic benefits. ?This project is a significant advancement of the District?s revitalization strategy for the property, and will include the removal of all remaining deteriorating buildings and unutilized infrastructure, and the construction of a modern facility that will create local living-wage jobs for the next 30-50 years,? the harbor district press release said. ?The project is expected to result in the investment of hundreds of millions of dollars in the local economy.? Contacted Saturday by the Times-Standard, Jennifer Kalt, director of the Arcata-based environmental nonprofit?Humboldt Baykeeper, said she had met with project proponents. ?They seem to have considered a lot of the major issues,? she said. ?They aren?t going to be using nonnative fish, growth hormones or genetically modified fish.? Kalt said she was ?cautiously optimistic? that this is the type of project that can be developed in the bay and be respectful of coastal resources, contrasting Nordic Aquafarms? plans with a previous proposal by the US Mine Corporation in 2015 to build an ore processing plant at the Samoa pulp mill site?? a proposal that the company ultimately withdrew after encountering?strong community concerns at a packed harbor district meeting. ?We?ll be looking very closely at what they?re proposing to discharge,? Kalt said of Nordic?s proposal. ?They?ve said it?s a closed system, but it would discharge up to 7 million gallons [of water] a day? into the ocean, she said. If you go What: Special meeting of the Board of Directors of the?Humboldt Bay Harbor, Recreation and Conservation District Where: Woodley Island Marina Meeting Room, 601 Startare Dr., Eureka When: Closed session, 12:30 p.m, Monday, with open session to follow at 1:30 p.m. The agenda is available online at?http://humboldtbay.org/sites/humboldtbay2.org/files/Agenda%20Special%20Meeting%2002-11-19.pdf. Sign up for email newsletters SUBSCRIBEFollow Us - - - - MOST POPULAR - Historic snowfall brings road closures; storm conditions cause power outages - Humboldt County native uses platform to talk about breast implants, transgender athletes - Humboldt Bay harbor district eyes fish farm - NJ advances bill barring drunken drone flying - Gov. Brown signs Great Redwood Trail bill - New county agreement promises to keep Hoopa Tribe involved in child welfare decisions -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From tstokely at att.net Tue Feb 12 12:25:52 2019 From: tstokely at att.net (Tom Stokely) Date: Tue, 12 Feb 2019 20:25:52 +0000 (UTC) Subject: [env-trinity] Fw: NEWS: Governor Newsom Ends Twin Tunnels In-Reply-To: References: <06887fa70084fef8e939fef63.2ca461c02c.20190212202107.2a1c4b5cfc.6d84255c@mail182.suw14.mcdlv.net> Message-ID: <1042327103.571625.1550003152715@mail.yahoo.com> Yippee!---------- Forwarded message --------- From: Barbara Barrigan-Parrilla, Restore the Delta Date: Tue, Feb 12, 2019 at 12:21 PM Subject: NEWS: Governor Newsom Ends Twin Tunnels To: | | | | | | | | | | | | For Immediate Release: 2/12/19 Contact: Barbara Barrigan-Parrilla, Restore the Delta, barbara at restorethedelta.org ? Governor Newsom Ends Twin Tunnels, Restore the Delta Responds ? Stockton, CA ? At the State Capitol in Sacramento, Governor Gavin Newsom gave his first State of the State Address today. In a highly-anticipated decision, Governor Newsom pulled the plug on the decade-long proposal known as the California Water Fix (Twin Tunnels.) On water issues, Governor Newsom said: ?There are no easy answers. But let me be as clear as I can be. I do not support, the WaterFix as currently configured, meaning I don?t support the Twin Tunnels.? ? Barbara Barrigan-Parrilla, executive director of Restore the Delta responds: ?We are grateful to Governor Newsom for listening to the people of the Delta, and California, and putting an end to the boondoggle WaterFix, twin tunnels project. ? "We look forward to working with his administration and the State Water Resources Control Board to create and enforce policies that will restore Delta water quality and quantity, lessen water dependence on the Delta, and promote clean drinking programs and regional self-sufficiency for the benefit of all Californians. ? "As we testified under oath at the State Water Resources Control Board, we will re-evaluate any proposed new conveyance projects for their merits and weaknesses and share our findings with Californians.? ?### | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | ? | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Copyright ? 2018?Restore?the?Delta, All rights reserved. You are receiving this e-mail because you signed up for our mailing list to receive updates and news about?Restore?the?Delta. Our mailing address is: Restore?the?Delta 42 N. Sutter Street, Suite 506 Stockton,?CA?95202 Add us to your address book | ? | | ?unsubscribe from this list?|?update subscription preferences? | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | This email was sent to tgstoked at gmail.com why did I get this?????unsubscribe from this list????update subscription preferences Restore the Delta ? 42 N. Sutter Street, Suite 506 ? Stockton, CA 95202 ? USA | | -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From tstokely at att.net Tue Feb 12 12:32:13 2019 From: tstokely at att.net (Tom Stokely) Date: Tue, 12 Feb 2019 20:32:13 +0000 (UTC) Subject: [env-trinity] Top Leader at Interior Dept. Pushes a Policy Favoring His Former Client References: <794725397.568836.1550003533321.ref@mail.yahoo.com> Message-ID: <794725397.568836.1550003533321@mail.yahoo.com> - https://www.nytimes.com/2019/02/12/climate/david-bernhardt-endangered-species.html Deputy secretary of the interior David Bernhardt, right, at a meeting of the Colorado Petroleum council in Denver in July.CreditCreditDavid Zalubowski/Associated Press Top Leader at Interior Dept. Pushes a Policy Favoring His Former Client David Bernhardt, the agency?s acting chief, wants to roll back endangered-species protections on a tiny fish, a change that benefits few outside a California group he once represented as a lobbyist. ? By?Coral Davenport ?????????Feb. 12, 2019 ?????????? WASHINGTON ??As a lobbyist and lawyer, David Bernhardt fought for years on behalf of a group of California farmers to weaken Endangered Species Act protections for a finger-size fish, the delta smelt, to gain access to irrigation water. As a top official since 2017 at the Interior Department, Mr. Bernhardt has been finishing the job: He is working to strip away the rules the farmers had hired him to oppose. Last week?President Trump said he would nominate Mr. Bernardt to lead the Interior Department,?making him the latest in a line of officials now regulating industries that once paid them to work as lobbyists.?Others include Andrew Wheeler, a?former coal lobbyist?who now heads the Environmental Protection Agency after the resignation of Scott Pruitt amid ethics scandals. William Wehrum, the nation?s top clean-air regulator, is a lawyer whose former clients included?coal-burning power plants and oil giants. If confirmed as the next Secretary of the Interior, Mr. Bernhardt would succeed Ryan Zinke, who left in January under a cloud of ethics investigations. For the California farmers on whose behalf he once lobbied,?Mr. Bernhardt?s actions to weaken environmental protections would free up river water, an asset of incalculable value as climate change propels California toward a hotter, drier future.?Rerouting river water would also devastate the regional ecosystem of the San Francisco Bay Delta, scientists say, imperiling dozens of other fish up the food chain and affecting water birds, orcas and commercial fisheries and encouraging toxic algal blooms. Mr. Bernhardt received?verbal?approval from?an?Interior Department ethics official before initiating the rollback of protections for the smelt, delivering on a campaign pledge by President Trump to release water for the farmers.?If the plan goes through, the water could be diverted from the rivers to the fields as soon as December. It?is not the first time Mr. Bernhardt?s official duties have converged with his earlier work as a lobbyist. Before joining the Interior Department in 2017 as the second in command, he lobbied for oil and gas companies. The?Interior Department controls drilling rights for millions of acres of federal land and coastal waters. ? A delta smelt from the San Joaquin-Sacramento River Delta in central California.CreditJim Wilson/The New York Times Mr. Bernhardt also worked as a lobbyist and lawyer for the Westlands Water District, which represents California farmers who have been fighting for decades against the delta smelt for access to the river water that both need to survive. The smelt is at the heart of one of the fiercest battles in California?s decades of water wars. It is a fight that pits agribusiness, which needs irrigation to thrive, against environmentalists and commercial?fishermen?defending the ecosystem of the vast San Francisco Bay Delta,?the rivers that drain it, and the stretch of the Pacific Ocean into which it empties. The environmentalists have long had the Endangered Species Act on their side, thwarting agricultural interests like the Westlands Water District. Mr. Bernhardt?s efforts to weaken the Endangered Species Act represent a historic power shift. Mr. Bernhardt has opened?a broad, national effort to overhaul the Endangered Species Act. At the same time, he has taken a hands-on approach in the narrow policy change of removing protections for the delta smelt, which could deliver an economic win in the Westlands Water District. In an interview, Mr. Bernhardt?acknowledged?that, in late 2017, four months after joining the Interior Department, he directed David Murillo, a senior water-resources official for the mid-Pacific region, to begin the process of weakening protections for the smelt and another fish, the winter-run Chinook salmon, to free up river water for agriculture. A month later, Mr. Murillo?s office started the process of?weakening the protections.?Last week?it followed up?with a?more detailed, 871-page proposal?on diverting the water. Because Mr. Bernhardt?s actions would disproportionately benefit one of his former clients, independent ethics specialists said that, under the terms of the Trump administration?s ethics pledge, which Mr. Bernhardt signed, he should not have been given clearance to act.?Its ?revolving door? provision requires former lobbyists to recuse themselves for two years from?any particular matter or specific issueon which they lobbied in the two years before joining the administration. ? ? Part of the Westlands Water District in the Central Valley.CreditDamon Winter/The New York Times The Interior Department ethics lawyers stood by the decision to approve the action. And, in?an interview, Mr. Bernhardt said he was extremely sensitive to ethics issues. ?This is an area where I try to be very, very careful,? he said. ?My view is, I signed an ethics agreement, I need to be in compliance with that ethics agreement. And I need to get good advice so I don?t make mistakes. Everything I do, I go to our ethics officers first.? ? Water Wars For decades?Westlands Water District, a state-chartered organization covering an area the size of Rhode Island,?has fought for river water on behalf of the 700 or so almond, cotton and tomato farmers of California?s arid San Joaquin Valley. The farmers? chief goal in the district has been to weaken the Endangered Species Act protections of the smelt, a silvery, cucumber-scented fish found only in the San Francisco Bay Delta, and its fellow river resident, the winter-run Chinook salmon. The winter-run Chinook salmon is?listed as??endangered? and the smelt is ?threatened? (one step below endangered), which entitles their watery habitat to federal protection and restricts use of water for irrigation. Biologists say the protections have many benefits. ?This is not just about two boutique species of fish,??said Jonathan?Rosenfield, lead scientist at?The Bay Institute, a nonprofit research organization in San Francisco, citing the increased risk of algal blooms in the?San Francisco Bay Delta. ?Those algal blooms create the kind of toxin where, when dogs jump into the water to go swimming, they don?t jump out,? he said. Scientists also say the plan violates the Endangered Species Act because it requires that changes like these be based on the best available science, and the smelt remains as threatened as ever. ?I?m steeped in the science,? Mr.?Rosenfield said. ?If anything, the research indicates that we?re not doing enough to protect these fish from going extinct.? Local farmers see something else: crops suffering from years of drought. ?These Westlands farmers are growing the nation?s food, the world?s food, and as a result of these protections on fish, their water supplies are drastically reduced,? said Timothy Quinn, who until last year led the Association of California Water Agencies and is now a research scholar at Stanford University?s Water in the West program. For the farmers themselves, the water represents an economic lifeline. ?It?s a foundational need for us,? said William Boudreau, a member of Westlands? Board of Directors and executive vice president of Harris Farms, which grow lettuce, tomatoes, almonds and other crops. ?If we get this water, it means our communities can thrive, we can employ people. Without water, it?s very difficult to farm. There are dramatic job losses. It reduces our food supply. There?s human suffering.? ? ? A winter-run Chinook salmon at a hatchery near Redding, Calif.CreditNatural History Collection/Alamy A spokesman for the Westlands, Johnny Amaral, declined a request to interview district officials. If the protections on the fish were lifted, Westlands would not be the only beneficiary ? water would also flow to surrounding water districts. But because of a quirk in California law, Westlands would likely be the main beneficiary,?according to Jeffrey Mount, a water management expert with the?Public Policy Institute of California.That?s because river water in California is distributed according to a longstanding first-come-first-served system, and Westlands is low on the list. ?Westlands is the most penalized under the current system,? Mr. Mount said. ?But if the protections on the fish are relaxed, they will be one of the biggest winners.? Mr. Bernhardt disagrees. ?It?s a massive project,? he said of the broad Central Valley system for distributing water to farmers. ?It?s 400 miles of project. The coordinated operations involve 25 million people. These are big, big policy things.? Mr. Bernhardt?said his actions reflected Mr. Trump?s broader agenda of helping rural America, including a campaign pledge to deliver water to all the Central Valley farmers. ?The president does have a policy that he wants us to deliver water more efficiently, and it?s good policy.? he said. ?I don?t believe for a minute that I?m doing things to benefit Westlands. I?m doing things to benefit America.? $1.3 Million in Lobbying Fees In 2011 the farmers of Westlands hired Mr. Bernhardt, who worked for the firm Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck. During his five years as lobbyist and lawyer for the district, it paid his firm at least $1.3 million in lobbying fees, his disclosure reports show. For Westlands, Mr. Bernhardt said he?lobbied?Congress on a broad water infrastructure bill, but his lobbying was focused on one specific section of the bill: a provision to weaken smelt and salmon protections, and divert water to the Central Valley farmers.?That bill passed, but it resulted in the release of only small amounts of river water for irrigation in Westlands, and will do so only through 2021. Weakening the underlying Endangered Species Act protections would free up much more water. In 2014, Mr. Bernhardt, on behalf of Westlands,?joined a legal petition asking the Supreme Court?to take up a case seeking to weaken or lift Endangered Species Act protections on the delta smelt. The same year, he made oral arguments in a?case?that pitted Westlands and a half-dozen other California water districts against the federal government and sought to weaken Endangered Species protections on the winter-run Chinook salmon. In both cases, Mr. Bernhardt argued that the protections for the fish relied on flawed scientific and legal findings. In both cases, Mr. Bernhardt and his clients?lost. In 2016 Donald Trump raised the issue of the delta smelt at a campaign rally in Fresno, assailing policies designed ?to protect a certain kind of three-inch fish.? ?We?re going to start opening up the water,? he said. Bernhardt Steps In Mr. Bernhardt, right, with President Trump and Vice President Mike Pence on a visit to the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial on Martin Luther King Day last month.CreditSarah Silbiger/The New York Times The next year, the Trump administration began taking steps to make that happen. Mr. Bernhardt led the effort after being confirmed as the deputy Secretary of the Interior Department in July 2017. He had de-registered as a lobbyist for Westlands in November 2016. After his confirmation, Mr. Bernhardt signed the?Trump administration?s ethics pledge. Four months later, in November 2017, Mr. Bernhardt?s public records show that he held?four phone calls with Mr. Murillo,?the Interior Department official with the legal authority to initiate the process to revise protections for the delta smelt and winter-run chinook salmon. Other people were on the calls, as well. The outcome of those conversations was that Mr. Bernhardt told Mr. Murillo to begin the process of changing the protections for the fish and to finish as quickly as possible, according to?three people?familiar with the matter. In December, Mr. Murillo?began that process. Mr. Murillo, who retired from the Interior Department in November, declined to comment on the record. Before phoning Mr. Murillo, Mr. Bernhardt said, he had received verbal clearance from an Interior Department ethics lawyer. Technically, the lawyer told Mr. Bernhardt, he had lobbied on a broad water bill ? one with many provisions, not just smelt rollbacks. So even though he had specifically lobbied only on the provision targeting the smelt and salmon, he was within the ethics rules. ?They say to me, ?It?s gigantic,?? Mr. Bernhardt said of the bill. A senior ethics official at the Interior Department, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said he did not believe Mr. Bernhardt had violated the Trump ethics pledge, or any other ethics rules or laws, because the lobbying was on the broader matter, the overall water bill. However, the official said that other ethics experts could reasonably arrive at a different conclusion. Several government ethics specialists disagreed with the Interior Department?s interpretation. ?That argument is a real reach,? said Virginia Canter, the chief ethics counsel for Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington, a?nonprofit, nonpartisan watchdog group. She said Mr. Bernhardt?should have received the approval in writing. ?If he didn?t receive it in writing, it?s still an open question of whether he violated the pledge, and worthy of an investigation,? by the agency?s Inspector General, she said. Under federal ethics rules, Mr. Bernhardt could have requested a formal written waiver from the White House, or short of that, a written memo from the agency ethics official laying out guidance on how to proceed. A spokeswoman for Mr. Bernhardt, Faith Vander Voort, said in an email that since the Interior Department ethics officials had determined that he had lobbied on the ?broad? matter of the water infrastructure bill, rather than a narrow or specific matter, ?Mr. Bernhardt was not required to receive written guidance or authorization from the Departmental Ethics Office prior to participating in the decision.? As a former lobbyist, Mr. Bernhardt said he takes care to stay within the regulations, particularly in matters involving his former clients. ?My job is to follow the rules to the T, and if Congress wants to change rules, Congress can,? he said. ? Water pumping into a canal just outside the Westlands Water District.CreditDamon Winter/The New York Times Coral Davenport covers energy and environmental policy, with a focus on climate change, from the Washington bureau. She joined The Times in 2013 and previously worked at Congressional Quarterly, Politico and National Journal.?@CoralMDavenport???Facebook -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: image006.jpg Type: image/jpeg Size: 44543 bytes Desc: not available URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... 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Name: image001.jpg Type: image/jpeg Size: 21488 bytes Desc: not available URL: From tstokely at att.net Tue Feb 12 15:10:46 2019 From: tstokely at att.net (Tom Stokely) Date: Tue, 12 Feb 2019 23:10:46 +0000 (UTC) Subject: [env-trinity] Sacbee on Tunnel(s) References: <1601935544.690087.1550013046309.ref@mail.yahoo.com> Message-ID: <1601935544.690087.1550013046309@mail.yahoo.com> This answers some of the questions from the RTD press release. TS https://www.sacbee.com/news/state/california/water-and-drought/delta/article226144155.html California Gov. Gavin Newsom downsizes Delta water project: one tunnel, not two BY DALE KASLER?AND RYAN SABALOW? - - - - FEBRUARY 12, 2019 11:29 AM, UPDATED 1 HOUR 8 MINUTES AGO? UnmuteLoaded: 0%Progress: 0%FullscreenPauseCurrent Time??2:14/Duration??2:24SKip BackSkip ForwardThe California Department of Water Resources is planning to construct twin tunnels to carry Sacramento River water under the Delta. The intakes would be located just south of Sacramento. Here?s what would be involved in their construction.?By?Nik Wesson Gov. Gavin Newsom, diving into one of California?s most contentious water issues, said Tuesday he wants to downsize the Delta tunnels project. The Democratic governor also set out to overhaul state water policy by naming a new chair of the state?s water board. Newsom said he wants the twin-tunnel project ? designed to?re-engineer the troubled estuarythat serves as the hub of California?s elaborate water-delivery system ? reduced to a single tunnel.? ?I do not support the WaterFix as currently configured,? Newsom said during his first State of the State address, using the official term for the Delta project. ?Meaning, I do not support the twin tunnels. We can build, however, on the important work that?s already been done. That?s why I do support a single tunnel.? The announcement likely means the project would require a fresh set of environmental reviews before it can proceed, translating into additional delays for a project that?s been in the planning stage for more than a decade and will take an estimated 15 years to build. YOUR ALL ACCESS SUBSCRIPTION IS WAITING! Enjoy 92% off your first month of digital access when you finish signing up today. SUBSCRIBE NOW #READLOCAL At the same time, a single tunnel would almost certainly save billions of dollars for a project, which carries a current price tag of $16.7 billion, that?s had trouble achieving full funding. Newsom also attempted to strike a more centrist tone on water policy in general, saying ?we have to get past the old binaries, like farmers versus environmentalists, or North versus South.? He appointed a new chair of the State Water Resources Control board, Joaquin Esquivel, whom the governor said will ?help bring this balance.? A former assistant secretary at the state Natural Resources Agency, Esquivel has been a board member for two years and will replace Felicia Marcus, a former official with the Natural Resources Defense Council, who?frustrated farmers and the city San Francisco?over plans to reallocate water from farms and cities to prop up struggling fish populations.? She has chaired the water board since 2013 and her term expired last month. In addition, Newsom reiterated his support for?a drinking water tax?that would raise millions for troubled water agencies plagued with unsafe supplies, including many in the San Joaquin Valley. ?Solving this crisis will demand sustained funding,? he said. ?it will demand political will from each and every one of us.? The future of the Delta tunnels, formally known as California WaterFix, has been shaky for months. At one point a year ago, former Gov. Jerry Brown suggested reducing WaterFix to a single tunnel as a way of slashing costs. But last April the powerful?Metropolitan Water District of Southern California?agreed to double its contribution to the project, to $10.8 billion, putting the two-tunnel approach back on track.? Even so, it wasn?t clear if the two-tunnel approach would survive the transition to Newsom?s administration. Newsom said in early January that he was ?concerned about the twin tunnels? but signaled that he still wanted the project to go forward in some fashion. In October, he told the Los Angeles Times that a?single tunnel?could calm fears that Metropolitan would use the tunnels to siphon more water from Northern California. Water moves from north to south through a pair of giant pumps ? one operated by the State Water Project, the other by the federal government?s Central Valley Project ? at the south end of the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta. Decades of pumping has degraded the Delta?s eco-system and left Delta smelt and Chinook salmon in danger of extinction. Sometimes the pumps work so hard, they reverse river flows within the Delta and push migrating fish toward predators and the pumps themselves. Because those fish are protected by the Endangered Species Act, the pumps often have to be throttled back, allowing water to flow to the ocean instead of getting delivered to the two projects? member agencies in the south state. WaterFix would alter how water flows through the Delta, by diverting some of the Sacramento River near Courtland and piping it underground to the pumps 40 miles away. That?s designed to ease the ?reverse flow? problem, protecting the fish and enabling pumping to proceed with fewer interruptions. Many environmentalists and local government officials in the Sacramento area, however, have said WaterFix would actually worsen the Delta?s problems. Delta farmers in particular say the project, by siphoning a portion of the Sacramento River?s flow, would leave the estuary much saltier and less conducive to growing crops.? Those critics are suing to block the project; they?re also trying to prevent state officials from securing crucial permits from the State Water Resources Control Board, which has to sign off on the plan to divert water near Courtland. Environmentalists are also fighting the state?s attempt to get approvals from?the Delta Stewardship Council,?a state agency that must rule that WaterFix puts environmental protection on an equal footing with the goal of improving water deliveries. The project faces another huge hurdle: money. WaterFix is to be financed by the south-of-Delta water agencies that would benefit from its construction. But even though WaterFix is a joint federal-state effort, San Joaquin Valley farmers who receive water from the federal Central Valley Project have refused to pledge any dollars, saying the cost is too high.? Newsom?s announcement left unclear what role the federal government will pay in WaterFix.?President Donald Trump?s administration?has shown little support for the project and is working to relax environmental rules in order to deliver more water to Valley agriculture, to the outrage of environmentalists. Read more here: https://www.sacbee.com/news/state/california/water-and-drought/delta/article226144155.html#storylink=cpy -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From danielbacher at fishsniffer.com Tue Feb 12 13:08:25 2019 From: danielbacher at fishsniffer.com (Daniel Bacher) Date: 12 Feb 2019 16:08:25 -0500 Subject: [env-trinity] Breaking: Governor Newsom calls for end to twin tunnels, but supports one tunnel Message-ID: <63d230e7-b76a-427c-9213-2e9833cb8ee8@mtasv.net> https://fishsniffer.com/index.php/2019/02/12/governor-newsom-calls-for-end-twin-tunnels-but-supports-one-tunnel/ Breaking: Governor Newsom calls for end to twin tunnels, but supports one tunnel By Dan Bacher In his first State of the State Address today at the State Capitol today, Governor Gavin Newsom called for an end to Jerry Brown's Twin Tunnels, but said he supports one tunnel: "I do not support the Water Fix as currently configured. Meaning, I do not support the twin tunnels. But we can build on the important work that?s already been done. That?s why I do support a single tunnel. "The status quo is not an option. We need to protect our water supply from earthquakes and rising sea levels, preserve delta fisheries, and meet the needs of cities and farms." Newsom also said he has appointed a new chair of the State Water Resources Control Board, Joaquin Esquivel, to replace Felicia Marcus: "We have to get past the old binaries, like farmers versus environmentalists, or North versus South. Our approach can?t be 'either/or.' It must be 'yes/and.' Conveyance and efficiency. And recycling projects like we?re seeing in Southern California?s Met Water District, expanding floodplains in the Central Valley, groundwater recharge, like farmers are doing in Fresno County. We need a portfolio approach to building water infrastructure and meeting long-term demand. To help bring this balance, I?m appointing a new chair of the California water board, Joaquin Esquivel. Our first task is to cross the finish line on real agreements to save the Sacramento-San Joaquin Bay Delta." In addition, Newsom called for solving California's clean drinking water crisis in poorer communities. Now, let?s talk honestly about clean drinking water. Just this morning, more than a million Californians woke up without clean water to bathe in or drink. Some schools have shut down drinking fountains due to contamination. Some poorer communities, like those I visited recently in Stanislaus County, are paying more for undrinkable water than Beverly Hills pays for its pristine water. This is a moral disgrace and a medical emergency. There are literally hundreds of water systems across the state contaminated by lead, arsenic, or uranium. Solving this crisis demands sustained funding. It demands political will. In response to his comments on the California WaterFix, Barbara Barrigan-Parrilla, executive director of Restore the Delta said in a statement: ?We are grateful to Governor Newsom for listening to the people of the Delta, and California, and putting an end to the boondoggle WaterFix, twin tunnels project. "We look forward to working with his administration and the State Water Resources Control Board to create and enforce policies that will restore Delta water quality and quantity, lessen water dependence on the Delta, and promote clean drinking programs and regional self-sufficiency for the benefit of all Californians. "As we testified under oath at the State Water Resources Control Board, we will re-evaluate any proposed new conveyance projects for their merits and weaknesses and share our findings with Californians.? Assemblymember Jim Frazier (D-Discovery Bay), whose district encompasses a large portion of the Delta, issued the following statement today after Gov. Gavin Newsom said in his State of the State address he does not support the twin tunnels project, calling this a ?step in the right direction." ?I?m grateful Governor Newsom has been willing to listen to local stakeholders in the battle for the future of the Delta. His unequivocal denunciation of the twin tunnels project is a step in the right direction. I look forward to working with the governor to convince him there are alternative water delivery solutions that are economical and can be delivered in a timely manner, nullifying the need for even a single tunnel.? As I receive more responses to Newsom?s statement, I will post them here. Below is the complete transcript of Newsom's comments today about California water: ?We also need a fresh approach when it comes to meeting California?s massive water challenges. We have a big state with diverse water needs. Cities that need clean water to drink, farms that need irrigation to keep feeding the world, fragile ecosystems that must be protected. Our water supply is becoming less reliable because of climate change. And our population is growing because of a strong economy. That means a lot of demand on an unpredictable supply. There are no easy answers. But let me be direct about where I stand: I do not support the Water Fix as currently configured. Meaning, I do not support the twin tunnels. But we can build on the important work that?s already been done. That?s why I do support a single tunnel. The status quo is not an option. We need to protect our water supply from earthquakes and rising sea levels, preserve delta fisheries, and meet the needs of cities and farms. We have to get past the old binaries, like farmers versus environmentalists, or North versus South. Our approach can?t be ?either/or.? It must be ?yes/and.? Conveyance and efficiency. And recycling projects like we?re seeing in Southern California?s Met Water District, expanding floodplains in the Central Valley, groundwater recharge, like farmers are doing in Fresno County. We need a portfolio approach to building water infrastructure and meeting long-term demand. To help bring this balance, I?m appointing a new chair of the California water board, Joaquin Esquivel. Our first task is to cross the finish line on real agreements to save the Sacramento-San Joaquin Bay Delta. We must get this done ? for the resilience of our mighty rivers, the stability of our agriculture sector, and the millions who depend on this water every day. Now, let?s talk honestly about clean drinking water. Just this morning, more than a million Californians woke up without clean water to bathe in or drink. Some schools have shut down drinking fountains due to contamination. Some poorer communities, like those I visited recently in Stanislaus County, are paying more for undrinkable water than Beverly Hills pays for its pristine water. This is a moral disgrace and a medical emergency. There are literally hundreds of water systems across the state contaminated by lead, arsenic, or uranium. Solving this crisis demands sustained funding. It demands political will. -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From tstokely at att.net Wed Feb 13 11:45:31 2019 From: tstokely at att.net (Tom Stokely) Date: Wed, 13 Feb 2019 19:45:31 +0000 (UTC) Subject: [env-trinity] SOAPBOX One tunnel would still devastate Delta References: <252789141.1269041.1550087131957.ref@mail.yahoo.com> Message-ID: <252789141.1269041.1550087131957@mail.yahoo.com> It's not over yet... https://www.sacbee.com/opinion/op-ed/soapbox/article183322911.html SOAPBOX One tunnel would still devastate Delta BY OSHA MESERVE AND? AND BARBARA BARRIGAN-PARRILLA??SPECIAL TO THE BEE - - - - NOVEMBER 08, 2017 01:00 PM, UPDATED NOVEMBER 08, 2017 01:00 PM A sign opposing a proposed tunnel plan to ship water through the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta to Southern California is displayed near Freeport in 2016.?RICH PEDRONCELLI?AP FILE California WaterFix is at an impasse, or so it seems. In a perfect world, the project?s gaping hole in funding from State Water Project contractors, embarrassing outcomes from state and federal audits, and vehement opposition from the general public and environmental groups would have killed the tunnels. But the real world functions on compromise and profit. This view is echoed by those, including?Jay Lund of UC Davis?s Center for Watershed Sciences, who say there is ?no perfect solution? to California?s water crisis and suggest that tunnel opponents consider a single tunnel in the Delta. ?Opinion Any compromise, however, must provide benefits to all. And any version of WaterFix ??whether one tunnel or two?? will sacrifice the health and safety of communities and wildlife in the Delta, the San Francisco Bay and Southern California. YOUR ALL ACCESS SUBSCRIPTION IS WAITING! Enjoy 92% off your first month of digital access when you finish signing up today. SUBSCRIBE NOW #READLOCAL In fact, fewer diversions operated more aggressively would likely intensify impacts. Plus, a fewer number of intakes could further endanger fish, while siphoning off critical Sacramento River freshwater flows into the Delta. If the Brown administration makes the risky claim that the project?s prior analyses cover a single tunnel, or a tunnel built in stages, it will only widen legal claims against the project. There are no permits, approvals or engineering plans for a single-tunnel project. In addition to construction differences, a single tunnel would need to be reanalyzed at the State Water Resources Control Board and elsewhere. There would be years more permitting and litigation, then a decade and a half of construction.? So what would tunnel opponents like to see in a true compromise? For starters, we could abide by the mandate in the Delta Reform Act of 2009 to reduce reliance on the Delta. Neither one tunnel or two would do that.? >From there, let?s find solutions that we as a state can agree on ? fixing leaky pipes, capturing stormwater, recycling water, increasing desalination and doing a better job of keeping fish out of the south Delta pumps. State and federal water contractors should make good on the nearly 10-year old requirement to restore 28,000 acres of habitat. We all need to help restore our upper watershed that supply the Delta with freshwater. These are the discussions we need to have, in a transparent manner rooted in a truly public process. Delta community members, environmental justice advocates in Southern California and environmental organizations should all have a seat at the table.? Collectively, we have amassed a vast amount of knowledge about the Delta that could be redirected to solving our water problems. Any solution to California?s water woes must be equitable, scientifically supported and economically viable. Neither the twin tunnels nor a single-tunnel project is any of these things.? Instead of wasting time and throwing good money after bad, let?s end this folly today, and work together on an honest compromise that creates a sustainable water future through regional water projects and other actions already endorsed by the state and accepted by the public. ?Sign up GET ON THE TAKE. READ THE INFLUENTIAL VOICES ON CALIFORNIA AND NATIONAL POLITICS AND ISSUES.?SIGN UP HERE. Barbara Barrigan-Parrilla is executive director of Restore the Delta and can be contacted at Barbara at restorethedelta.org.? Osha Meserve is a Sacramento-based attorney who has represented Delta community and wildlife interests and can be contacted at osha at semlawyers.com. Read more here: https://www.sacbee.com/opinion/op-ed/soapbox/article183322911.html#storylink=cpy -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From tstokely at att.net Fri Feb 15 13:17:59 2019 From: tstokely at att.net (Tom Stokely) Date: Fri, 15 Feb 2019 21:17:59 +0000 (UTC) Subject: [env-trinity] Another Looming Climate Disaster: Dam Collapses (Mentions Trinity and Lewiston as High Risk) References: <1317733097.2649040.1550265479835.ref@mail.yahoo.com> Message-ID: <1317733097.2649040.1550265479835@mail.yahoo.com> "California?s New Don Pedro, Shasta, Lewiston, and Trinity Dams face the highest risk of flooding in this century, according to the new report, which combined the results of 10 climate models..." https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/danvergano/california-dams-climate-change Another Looming Climate Disaster: Dam Collapses ?The Oroville Dam shows what the chances of these failures look like, and might become the new normal.? Dan VerganoBuzzFeed News Reporter Last updated on February 13, 2019, at 3:32 p.m. ET Posted on February 13, 2019, at 11:24 a.m. ET - ?Tweet - ?Share - ?Copy Josh Edelson / AFP / Getty Images The Oroville Dam's overflow channel failed in 2017. Major dams in California are five times more likely to flood this century than the last one due to global warming, a new study finds, possibly leading to overtopping and catastrophic failures that threaten costly repairs and evacuations. That means Californians can expect more disasters like the Oroville Dam, whose overflow channel failed in 2017 after days of flooding had filled state reservoirs to 85% of their capacity, leading to the evacuation of more than 180,000 people and losses of around $300 million. In June,?an analysis?led by UCLA researchers concluded the Oroville Dam spillway overflow was worsened by climate change. The results of the?new?Geophysical Research Letters?study?suggest that there are at least six other major dams in California that have an even higher potential flood risk than the Oroville Dam did, study author?Amir AghaKouchak?of the University of California, Irvine, told BuzzFeed News. ?The Oroville Dam shows what the chances of these failures look like, and might become the new normal.? Right now,?heavy snows?build California?s mountain snowpack. But higher temperatures in the coming decades will mean that much of the state's mountain snow will instead fall as rain, leading to floods, the new analysis found. ?In a warmer world, we expect more precipitation, which influences flooding,? AghaKouchak said. ?We tried to look into the future to ask about the probability of that affecting dams.? California?s New Don Pedro, Shasta, Lewiston, and Trinity Dams face the highest risk of flooding in this century, according to the new report, which combined the results of 10 climate models assuming ?business as usual? for the global climate ? the roughly?7 degree Fahrenheit rise path?that the world is now on ? with a hydrological model of 13 major dams and rivers in California. The study also analyzed a less severe future where humanity decides to lower its greenhouse gas emissions. The state of California acknowledged that climate change poses a risk, but also said its dams have been designed to withstand storms so massive that they happen only once every 1,000 years, according to Chris Orrock of the California Department of Water Resources. (That means, roughly speaking, that these storms have a 0.1% chance of happening every year). In September, however, California?s legislature released?a report?noting that the state has 678 ?high hazard? dams with many needing repairs or upgrades. It also?raised questions?about flood and earthquake risks to the state?s levees, and noted the American Society for Civil Engineering estimated around $18.6 billion in necessary repairs and upgrades. According to a 2014 Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change?report, climate change will increase over this century, largely driven by the burning of fossil fuels such as coal and oil that release heat-trapping greenhouse gasses into the atmosphere. That warmer air will hold more moisture, which will lead to heavier rain and snowfall. Essentially, the heaviest storms will become heavier in a warmer world, a pattern already seen today in North America, particularly in the increased number of?heavy downpours?in Northeastern and Midwestern states. National Climate Assessment / Via?nca2018.globalchange.gov Percentage changes over time in heavy precipitation (rain and snow) events. ADVERTISEMENT ?It is clear that climate change has already changed California?s climate in ways that the study outlines,? climate scientist Noah Diffenbaugh of Stanford University told BuzzFeed News. ?The state needs to address questions about an aging water infrastructure built for snow ... instead of the rain we will see in the future.? For California, the study finds these warmer temperatures will mean?more rain?and less snow will fall in the mountains that serves as the snowpack reservoir for the state?s rivers and dams. Snowmelt will happen earlier, and floods will result. What used to be 1-in-100 year floods will now happen every 20 years to the four most threatened dams, essentially turning a yearly 1% flood risk into a 5% one. By the middle of the century, the risk of these floods will peak in the fall or winter, when what was once?heavy snowfall?will instead fall as rain. The climate projections are fairly standard, climate scientist Charles Curry of the Pacific Climate Impacts Consortium (PCIC) in Victoria, Canada, and jibe with another recent study by Curry?s team of?increased future flood risks?on Canada?s Fraser River, which empties into the Pacific Ocean at Vancouver. AghaKouchak, the study author, stressed that they broadly defined failure in the study not only as a catastrophic collapse, but also less severe problems, such as overtopping of dams or damage to foundations and spillways that exceed the limits of their design. Estimating the risk of catastrophic collapses would require a structural engineering analysis of each dam, which was not part of his study. ADVERTISEMENT The key uncertainty in the study is future lifetime of the dams, many of which will be rebuilt to higher flood standards in the coming decades. But for all the dams in the study, whether new or old, the risk of hydrological failure increases in the coming decades ? even with the more conservative climate models. ?This strikes me as the most important result of the paper,? said Curry. Weather reports suggest that snow falling on California this week?may turn to rain?in the days ahead, possibly leading to flooding, said Diffenbaugh. ?There is some timeliness to reporting on this now.? -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From tstokely at att.net Fri Feb 15 17:25:44 2019 From: tstokely at att.net (Tom Stokely) Date: Sat, 16 Feb 2019 01:25:44 +0000 (UTC) Subject: [env-trinity] Del Norte Board airs concerns about dam removal References: <144058940.88600.1550280344665.ref@mail.yahoo.com> Message-ID: <144058940.88600.1550280344665@mail.yahoo.com> https://www.triplicate.com/news/6930685-151/board-airs-concerns-about-dam-removal Board airs concerns about dam removal U.S. Fish and Wildlife Copco No. 1 Powerhouse.?8372978View larger imageA-A+ Though Crescent City Harbor District approved a letter supporting dam removal on the Klamath River last week, the Del Norte County Board of Supervisors was unconvinced the project wouldn?t result in excessive silt and sediment at the port.? County supervisors on Tuesday unanimously approved a letter to the state Water Resources Control Board in response to the Klamath River Renewal Corporation?s request for a Clean Water Act section 401 certification in connection with the removal of the J.C. Boyle, Copco 1, Copco 2 and Iron Gate dams.? The county?s letter says the Water Resources Control Board?s draft environmental impact report did not assess the impact??of sedimentation on the nearshore ocean environment. It called on the KRRC to make assurances such impacts would be directly mitigated.? Supervisor Chris Howard also asked the letter call for mitigation for impacts the project would cause to the recreational and commercial salmon fisheries within the Klamath River.? ?I?d like to see those pieces addressed because there will be, we know, at least one year of a complete shutdown of the recreational fishery and likely a commercial piece offshore,? Howard said. ?We don?t know long-term how that will stretch.?? Howard?s comment about the shutdown of the recreational fishery for ?at least one year,? came in response to a statement made by River Design Group Engineer Scott Wright, one of several technical consultants working with KRRC on the dam removal project.? Wright, who has been part of 25 dam removals on the Pacific Northwest, said once KRRC begins draining the reservoirs behind the dams, the fine silt could result in turbid conditions on the Klamath River during the months of January, February, March and April 2021. The turbid conditions will likely impact fishing on the main stem of the Klamath River, he said, but he expects fishing to be fine on the watershed?s tributaries including the Trinity River.? ?That first winter, January, February and March, there will be no fishing likely on the Klamath main stem. It?s going to be pretty bad, the turbidity,? Wright said. ?I don?t think you?ll see any fishing happening during that time period. I don?t think there?s something you can do to make that up. It?s going to be basically a lost couple months on the river for fishing.?? River Design Group was originally hired by the Bureau of Reclamation in 2009 in connection with dam removal on the Klamath River, Wright said. He mentioned a previous environmental impact study completed by the bureau in 2012 and said the dams had been studied well before that study was published.? KRRC is planning to begin the dam removal project in January 2021. The nonprofit corporation has applied for a Clean Water Act Section 401 permit from the California Water Resources Control Board for the removal of the Copco No. 1 and No. 2 and Iron Gate dams.? The Water Resources Control Board is in the process of gathering public comment on a draft environmental impact report in response to KRRC?s request. The board is holding a public hearing 1 p.m.-4 p.m. Friday in Sacramento that will be live-streamed at?www.calepa.ca.gov/broadcast/.The board is accepting public comment through Feb. 26.? According to the board?s draft environmental impact report, an estimated 15.1 million cubic yards of sediment will be stored behind the J.C. Boyle, Copco No. 1 and Iron Gate reservoirs by 2020.? About 5-9 million cubic yards of sediment is expected to travel downstream after the dams are removed, according to the DEIR. An estimated 85 percent consists of fine silt and clay, while 15 percent is sand and gravel that will travel downstream more slowly, according to the DEIR. The report also notes the material is much less than the river transports to the ocean during a wet year and greater than is transported during a dry year.? During an average year, the Klamath River transports about 4 million cubic yards of sediment to the Pacific Ocean, Glen Spain, northwest regional director of the Pacific Coast Federation of Fishermen?s Associations, told Crescent City Harbor commissioners and commercial fishermen on Jan. 24.? At that meeting, Spain said very little to no sediment is expected to wind up in the harbor.? On Tuesday, Wright said most of the sand that drifts along the coastline comes from rivers, but in the Crescent City area much of the sand is coming from the north. He cited a study by scientist Gary Griggs that stated sand from the Klamath River would have no impact to the Crescent City Harbor. Wright said he would make that study available to Del Norte County supervisors.? In response to a question from Supervisor Bob Berkowitz, who asked what KRRC?s responsibility would be for the removal of any silt that would potentially impact the harbor, Matt Cox, the nonprofit?s director of communications, promised to work with stakeholders and affected parties.? Cox said KRRC would ask county supervisors and other local officials to let them know what their anticipated needs might be.? ?If there were to be some effect on the harbor that may require mitigation measures, we would appreciate a picture of what you think that might be,? Cox said.? In its letter to the Water Resources Control Board, the county cited a 1968 study, ?Coastal Geomorphology of the Smith River Plain,? which found the littoral drift south of Crescent City transports sediment northwestward and contributes to ?a continued seaward growth of sand south of the breakwater at the mouth of the Harbor.?? ?Sediment accumulating at the entrance of the Harbor travels inward and requires regular dredging to maintain a safe navigation depth of recreational and commercial vessels in the federal channels and inner boat basins,? the letter states. ?Fine sediment accumulation is particularly problematic because it is typically unsuitable for use as beach replenishment and thus more difficult to dispose of.?? The county?s letter also states Crescent City Harbor District?s dredge materials holding site is at capacity and a replacement has not been established and has been complicated by permitting hurdles between the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the California Coastal Commission.? On Tuesday, Supervisor Gerry Hemmingsen said it was his understanding all the finer materials that affect the harbor come from the Klamath River. The materials coming from the Smith River are much heavier, he said.? ?Who?s going to take care of impacts if those do happen and is there some sort of contingency fund that you have to take care of that in the long term?? Hemmingsen asked. ?I know there are going to be short-term impacts and I don?t know exactly what those are as far as the crab fishery and the coon-stripe shrimp fisheries.?? Hemmingsen disputed the finding in the Water Board?s draft EIR stating predicting the amount of material moving downstream following dam removal would be less than what?s transported during a wet year and more than transported during a dry year. Hemmingsen pointed to a dam that was removed on Morrison Creek, stating sediment was still plugging up culverts ?I don?t know how many years later.?? ?After 90 years of having dams up there, there?s a massive amount of material, 15 million cubic yards that is going to come down that river,? he said. ?Most of it is going to end up in the ocean. I still have some concerns. I want to know what the short-term and long-term impacts (will be) to the local economy. Are those going to be mitigated? Are you going to do something about that??? Howard echoed Hemmingsen?s concerns, stating even though the draft EIR addresses the amount of material that could move downriver as a result of dam removal, in the winter ocean currents drive the ?brown plume? directly to the harbor.? ?No disrespect to Dr. Griggs and his input and geologic reports on sediment flows, but based on my 25 years of being here and flying out of this community, I don?t know how that assumption could have been made,? Howard said. ?I know the impacts to the fishery as Supervisor Hemmingsen (said) whether that?s the coon-striped prawn or our crab fishery and that mud hole. It?s out there. It?s a lot of material to move down.?? Despite Howard?s concerns there could be negative impacts to the crab fishery as a result of sediment from dam removal, local fishermen George Bradshaw and Rick Shepherd say the project could be beneficial to Dungeness crab.? At the harbor?s Jan. 24 meeting with KRRC representatives, Bradshaw, who sought to allay harbor staff?s concerns, echoed Spain?s statements the river is currently sediment starved.? ?As long as that sediment back there is not toxic, which they?ve studied, which is OK, the ocean out here and that mud hole could use more sediment,? Bradshaw said. ?It?s starved of itself because the river?s been starved for so long and I think that all goes back to when logging quit. It was getting sediment from logging and bulldozing roads and everything that takes place. Since then, the river?s been basically sediment free.?? Shepherd, who was elected to the harbor commission in November, said mud hole, an area near the mouth of the Klamath River, is starved of sediment, the clams and other organisms crab feed on aren?t there.? ?The crab is still there, they?re feeding somewhere else,? Shepherd said. ?I won?t say it?s best for the crab fishery, but it?ll bring the bottom back to what it used to be. There?s less mud, there?s less sediment, we don?t see the feed in it.?? At the Crescent City Harbor District?s Feb. 5 meeting, Shepherd, along with James Ramsey and Carol White approved a letter of support for the dam removal effort to the Water Resources Control Board. Brian Stone and Wes White voted against the letter of support with Wes White saying he was still concerned about liability to the harbor as a result of sediment and silt.? Funding for the KRRC dam removal effort is coming from a PacifiCorp utility surcharge totalling $200 million, according to Cox. PacifiCorp currently owns the dams.? California also contributed an additional $250 million from a Proposition 1 water bond approved by voters in 2014.? The overall project is expected to cost $398 million, according to KRRC?s 2,300 page Definite Plan for decommissioning the dams. That plan is currently being reviewed by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, or FERC.? In addition to being granted the 401 Water Certification from the Water Resources Control Board, a key hurdle for KRRC is petitioning FERC to the hydroelectric license for the dams from PacifiCorp to KRRC. FERC will also be asked to approve a request from KRRC to surrender the hydroelectric license at which point the dams would cease to operate as a hydroelectric project, KRRC CEO Mark Bransom told the Triplicate last week. A copy of the plan is available at KRRC?s website,?www.klamathrenewal.org/definite-plan. Reach Jessica Cejnar at?jcejnar at triplicate.com -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From danielbacher at fishsniffer.com Tue Feb 12 15:13:45 2019 From: danielbacher at fishsniffer.com (Daniel Bacher) Date: 12 Feb 2019 18:13:45 -0500 Subject: [env-trinity] Breaking: Governor Newsom calls for end to twin tunnels, but supports one tunnel Message-ID: https://fishsniffer.com/index.php/2019/02/12/governor-newsom-calls-for-end-twin-tunnels-but-supports-one-tunnel/ Breaking: Governor Newsom calls for end to twin tunnels, but supports one tunnel By Dan Bacher In his first State of the State Address today at the State Capitol today, Governor Gavin Newsom called for an end to Jerry Brown's Twin Tunnels, but said he supports one tunnel: "I do not support the Water Fix as currently configured. Meaning, I do not support the twin tunnels. But we can build on the important work that?s already been done. That?s why I do support a single tunnel. "The status quo is not an option. We need to protect our water supply from earthquakes and rising sea levels, preserve delta fisheries, and meet the needs of cities and farms." Newsom also said he has appointed a new chair of the State Water Resources Control Board, Joaquin Esquivel, to replace Felicia Marcus: "We have to get past the old binaries, like farmers versus environmentalists, or North versus South. Our approach can?t be 'either/or.' It must be 'yes/and.' Conveyance and efficiency. And recycling projects like we?re seeing in Southern California?s Met Water District, expanding floodplains in the Central Valley, groundwater recharge, like farmers are doing in Fresno County. We need a portfolio approach to building water infrastructure and meeting long-term demand. To help bring this balance, I?m appointing a new chair of the California water board, Joaquin Esquivel. Our first task is to cross the finish line on real agreements to save the Sacramento-San Joaquin Bay Delta." In addition, Newsom called for solving California's clean drinking water crisis in poorer communities. Now, let?s talk honestly about clean drinking water. Just this morning, more than a million Californians woke up without clean water to bathe in or drink. Some schools have shut down drinking fountains due to contamination. Some poorer communities, like those I visited recently in Stanislaus County, are paying more for undrinkable water than Beverly Hills pays for its pristine water. This is a moral disgrace and a medical emergency. There are literally hundreds of water systems across the state contaminated by lead, arsenic, or uranium. Solving this crisis demands sustained funding. It demands political will. In response to his comments on the California WaterFix, Barbara Barrigan-Parrilla, executive director of Restore the Delta said in a statement: ?We are grateful to Governor Newsom for listening to the people of the Delta, and California, and putting an end to the boondoggle WaterFix, twin tunnels project. "We look forward to working with his administration and the State Water Resources Control Board to create and enforce policies that will restore Delta water quality and quantity, lessen water dependence on the Delta, and promote clean drinking programs and regional self-sufficiency for the benefit of all Californians. "As we testified under oath at the State Water Resources Control Board, we will re-evaluate any proposed new conveyance projects for their merits and weaknesses and share our findings with Californians.? Assemblymember Jim Frazier (D-Discovery Bay), whose district encompasses a large portion of the Delta, issued the following statement today after Gov. Gavin Newsom said in his State of the State address he does not support the twin tunnels project, calling this a ?step in the right direction." ?I?m grateful Governor Newsom has been willing to listen to local stakeholders in the battle for the future of the Delta. His unequivocal denunciation of the twin tunnels project is a step in the right direction. I look forward to working with the governor to convince him there are alternative water delivery solutions that are economical and can be delivered in a timely manner, nullifying the need for even a single tunnel.? As I receive more responses to Newsom?s statement, I will post them here. Below is the complete transcript of Newsom's comments today about California water: ?We also need a fresh approach when it comes to meeting California?s massive water challenges. We have a big state with diverse water needs. Cities that need clean water to drink, farms that need irrigation to keep feeding the world, fragile ecosystems that must be protected. Our water supply is becoming less reliable because of climate change. And our population is growing because of a strong economy. That means a lot of demand on an unpredictable supply. There are no easy answers. But let me be direct about where I stand: I do not support the Water Fix as currently configured. Meaning, I do not support the twin tunnels. But we can build on the important work that?s already been done. That?s why I do support a single tunnel. The status quo is not an option. We need to protect our water supply from earthquakes and rising sea levels, preserve delta fisheries, and meet the needs of cities and farms. We have to get past the old binaries, like farmers versus environmentalists, or North versus South. Our approach can?t be ?either/or.? It must be ?yes/and.? Conveyance and efficiency. And recycling projects like we?re seeing in Southern California?s Met Water District, expanding floodplains in the Central Valley, groundwater recharge, like farmers are doing in Fresno County. We need a portfolio approach to building water infrastructure and meeting long-term demand. To help bring this balance, I?m appointing a new chair of the California water board, Joaquin Esquivel. Our first task is to cross the finish line on real agreements to save the Sacramento-San Joaquin Bay Delta. We must get this done ? for the resilience of our mighty rivers, the stability of our agriculture sector, and the millions who depend on this water every day. Now, let?s talk honestly about clean drinking water. Just this morning, more than a million Californians woke up without clean water to bathe in or drink. Some schools have shut down drinking fountains due to contamination. Some poorer communities, like those I visited recently in Stanislaus County, are paying more for undrinkable water than Beverly Hills pays for its pristine water. This is a moral disgrace and a medical emergency. There are literally hundreds of water systems across the state contaminated by lead, arsenic, or uranium. Solving this crisis demands sustained funding. It demands political will. -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: 17630075_10155294629993117_8983547803578967293_n.jpg Type: image/jpeg Size: 53237 bytes Desc: not available URL: From tstokely at att.net Mon Feb 18 07:47:18 2019 From: tstokely at att.net (Tom Stokely) Date: Mon, 18 Feb 2019 15:47:18 +0000 (UTC) Subject: [env-trinity] Skelton: Brown was obsessed with twin-tunnel vision. Newsom has a more realistic view References: <1114760570.1076447.1550504838871.ref@mail.yahoo.com> Message-ID: <1114760570.1076447.1550504838871@mail.yahoo.com> https://www.latimes.com/politics/la-pol-sac-skelton-delta-tunnels-newsom-20190219-story.html Brown was obsessed with twin-tunnel vision. Newsom has a more realistic view By?GEORGE SKELTONFEB 18, 2019?|?12:05 AM?|?SACRAMENTO??A sign opposing a proposed tunnel plan to ship water through the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta to Southern California is displayed near Freeport, Calif., in 2016. (Rich Pedroncelli / Associated Press) A potential grand compromise to settle a decades-long water fight has been obvious for years but blown off. Now Gov. Gavin Newsom is forcing all combatants to consider it seriously. California?s water future hinges on the ultimate deal. The battle has been over whether to bore?two monster water tunnels?under the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta or to build none at all. The solution: Duh. One tunnel. Newsom decreed?one tunnel as the likely sweet spot for a deal last week in delivering his first State of the State address. It?s an answer neither side particularly likes but seems resigned to reluctantly accept. ?Sometimes when you come up with an idea that nobody likes it?s a fair compromise, and sometimes it just means it?s a bad idea,? says Jeffrey Kightlinger, general manager of the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California. The MWD is the twin-tunnel project?s principal backer ? aside from former Gov. Jerry Brown ? and it?s biggest bankroller. ?I can?t imagine us walking away from one tunnel just because it doesn?t work as well as two tunnels,? Kightlinger says. On the other side is a coalition of delta farmers, local communities, environmentalists and northerners who fear a ?water grab? by big cities, especially in Southern California, and by San Joaquin Valley corporate farmers. ?We?re delta people and we don?t like tunnels,? says Barbara Barrigan-Parrilla, executive director of Restore the Delta. ?Our plan is a ?no tunnel? plan. More from George Skelton ? ?But I swore under oath at a state water board hearing that we would evaluate any new project with fresh eyes. One tunnel can still cause a tremendous amount of damage. But we have to see what type is proposed and what the design is.? Later, in a statement that was striking for conciliation ? a rarity in today?s polarized politics ? Barrigan-Parrilla urged tunnel opponents to cool it before they start attacking Newsom?s peace offering. ?Let?s breathe and be grateful,? she said. ?After more than 12 years of daily combat with two prior governors, Gov. Newsom heard us. That is huge?. We matter?. This is a major shift in the water narrative of California. ?Expecting a California governor, who must represent the interests of all its people, to pick one side only in California?s ongoing water battles is simply unrealistic.? He is not going to alienate a sizable and powerful water industry. ?Dance, sing, have a few drinks and celebrate.? Coverage of California politics ? That style of candor and pragmatism has become an endangered species in Sacramento and Washington, although Newsom seems to be trying to salvage some semblance of it. In his State of the State address, the new governor might have been a tad na?ve when he declared: ?We have to get past the old binaries, like farmers versus environmentalists, or North versus South.? Good luck trying to coax valley farmers and coastal fishing interests into singing ?Kumbaya.? The more delta water is delivered to crops, the less there is for struggling salmon. Newsom used his speech to pare back both of Brown?s signature legacy projects:?the $77-billion bullet train?and $17-billion twin tunnels. He could have let both linger for a while but decided to clear the air soon after taking office. He asserted ?there simply isn?t a path? financially to lay tracks from Los Angeles to San Francisco, as planned, and announced he?ll focus on completing a high-speed rail line between Merced and Bakersfield. He objected to calling it a ?train to nowhere.? On the delta, he said: ?I do not support the Water Fix? ? Brown?s name for the project ? ?as currently configured. Meaning, I do not support the twin tunnels?. I do support a single tunnel. The status quo is not an option. ?Our approach can?t be ?either/or.? It must be ?yes/and.? Conveyance and efficiency. And recycling projects like we?re seeing in Southern California?s [MWD], expanding floodplains in the Central Valley, groundwater recharge like farmers are doing in Fresno County. We need a portfolio approach to building water infrastructure.? The price tag for a single tunnel is estimated at $11 billion, paid for by water users. At the heart of the water fight has been whether the delta should be treated as a unique wildlife estuary, recreational haven and small farming community, or a plumbing fixture. A 2009 law says it should be managed as both. But that seems an impossible needle to thread. And power politics has always favored the plumbing fixture. The delta supplies water for 25 million people and 3 million acres of cropland. Giant pumps at the delta?s southern end feed aqueducts, reversing river flow and confusing small salmon headed to the ocean. The fish often get gobbled up by lurking predators or the pumps. So the pumps sometimes are shut down, angering farmers. Brown?s solution was to dig two 35-mile, 40-foot-wide tunnels from the delta?s north end, carrying fresh Sacramento River water under the estuary directly to the aqueducts. Don?t run the pumps so much. Opponents complained this would rob the interior delta of fresh water needed for people, crops and fish ? not to mention the chaotic mucky mess created by a decade of tunnel burrowing in this bucolic backwater. But one tunnel might be more tolerable. Would one work? Better than none, say valley and southern water interests. It depends on the tunnel size and how it?s operated, both sides say. Brown was obsessed with twin-tunnel vision. Newsom has a more realistic view. -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From tstokely at att.net Tue Feb 19 12:08:43 2019 From: tstokely at att.net (Tom Stokely) Date: Tue, 19 Feb 2019 20:08:43 +0000 (UTC) Subject: [env-trinity] Fw: 2018 Klamath River Fall Chinook Salmon megatable In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: <750487038.1939848.1550606923416@mail.yahoo.com> ----- Forwarded Message ----- From: Lindke, Kenneth at Wildlife Sent: Friday, February 15, 2019, 3:52:16 PM PSTSubject: 2018 Klamath River Fall Chinook Salmon megatable Hello all, ? Please find attached the 2018 updated Klamath River Basin Fall Chinook Salmon Megatable. Total in-river run and hatchery returns in 2018 were nearly double last year?s estimates, but still less than the long-term average. Things appear to be looking up, but we have a ways to go. ? If you think of anyone I have omitted from this email list, please let me know.?Thanks. ? ? Ken Lindke Environmental Scientist Klamath-Trinity Program California Department of Fish and Wildlife ? Northern Region 707-822-4230 Kenneth.Lindke at wildlife.ca.gov ? ?An approximate answer to the right question is worth a great deal more than a precise answer to the wrong question.? ? John Tukey ? REPORT POACHERS AND POLLUTERS: 1-888-334-2258 ? -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: 2018 Klamath Basin KRFC Megatable_02152019.pdf Type: application/pdf Size: 439645 bytes Desc: not available URL: From tstokely at att.net Wed Feb 20 10:58:34 2019 From: tstokely at att.net (Tom Stokely) Date: Wed, 20 Feb 2019 18:58:34 +0000 (UTC) Subject: [env-trinity] Fw: Reclamation announces initial water supply allocation for the Central Valley Project In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: <384302871.2605031.1550689114470@mail.yahoo.com> ----- Forwarded Message ----- From: Lisa Navarro To: "tstokely at att.net" Sent: Wednesday, February 20, 2019, 10:34:10 AM PSTSubject: Reclamation announces initial water supply allocation for the Central Valley Project Mid-Pacific Region Sacramento, Calif. MP-19-011 Media Contact: Erin Curtis, 916-978-5100, eccurtis at usbr.gov For Immediate Release: Feb. 20, 2019 Reclamation announces initial water supply allocation for the Central Valley Project SACRAMENTO, Calif. ? The Bureau of Reclamation today announced the initial 2019 water supply allocation for Central Valley Project water service contractors. This allocation is based on a conservative estimate of the amount of water that will be available for delivery to CVP water users and reflects current reservoir storages, precipitation and snowpack in the Central Valley and Sierra Nevada. California experienced a dry summer and fall in 2018; however, precipitation so far this year has been well above average. The California Department of Water Resources (DWR) reports that as of February 15, the statewide average snow water equivalent in the Sierra Nevada snowpack was 141 percent of the historical average, and overall precipitation is currently approximately 121 percent of the historical average for the northern Central Valley. ?Though we?ve had a great start to 2019, our experience as the operator of this complex and important infrastructure dictates we act conservatively at this time of year,? said Ernest Conant, Reclamation?s Mid-Pacific Region Director. ?In particular, we are closely monitoring the current and projected storage at Shasta Lake, which is the largest reservoir in the CVP.? With a capacity of about 4.5 million acre-feet, Shasta Lake generally represents the majority of the water storage for the CVP. The water stored in Shasta Lake is used for many purposes, including supply for many of the water contractors of the CVP both north and south of the Delta, as well as ensuring that adequate temperatures can be maintained in the Sacramento River downstream of the dam throughout the summer and fall for endangered winter-run Chinook salmon. Recent storms have brought storage in the reservoir back up to just above the historic average. However, runoff forecasts still predict that overall storage this year might be limited if the typical spring precipitation does not materialize. ?Reclamation?s initial allocations this year reflect the rain and snow we?ve had to date, balanced with the need to exercise reasonable caution should the remainder of the winter turn dry,? Conant said. ?We recognize the importance of providing meaningful allocations early in the year for the planning needs of our contractors and must also ensure we can meet these commitments should conditions turn dry or other contingencies arise.? Based on the conditions described above, Reclamation provides an initial allocation as described below. North-of-Delta Contractors (Including American River and In-Delta Contractors) - Agricultural water service contractors North-of-Delta are allocated 70 percent of their contract supply. ? - Pursuant to Reclamation?s M&I water shortage guidelines, M&I water service contractors North-of-Delta (including American River and In-Delta Contractors) are allocated 95 percent of their historic use. Eastside Water Service Contractors - Eastside water service contractors (Central San Joaquin Water Conservation District and Stockton East Water District) will receive 100 percent of their contract total. South-of-Delta Contractors - Agricultural water service contractors South-of-Delta are allocated 35 percent of their contract supply. ? - M&I water service contractors South-of-Delta are allocated the greater of 75 percent of their historic use or public health and safety needs. Friant Division Contractors - Friant Division contractors? water supply develops in the Upper San Joaquin River Basin Watershed and is delivered from Millerton Lake through Friant Dam to the Madera Canal and Friant-Kern Canal. The first 800,000 acre-feet of available water supply is considered Class 1; and Class 2 is considered the next amount of available water supply up to 1.4 million acre-feet. Given the current hydrologic conditions, we have determined that a block of 150,000 acre-feet needs to be evacuated from Millerton Lake in March in order to avoid making flood releases later in the spring. As such the initial Friant Division water supply allocation is being based on ?uncontrolled season? conditions. During this uncontrolled season period the Class 1 allocation is 100 percent, and any portions of the uncontrolled season supply not picked up by Class 1 contractors are accordingly made available to contractors with Class 2 designations in their contract. The uncontrolled season may be shortened or extended, however, we will coordinate our operations with the Friant contractors on a weekly basis throughout this period, and will update the Friant Division allocations following the conclusion of uncontrolled season. ? - For the San Joaquin River Restoration Program, Reclamation is currently forecasting a ?Normal-Wet? water year type, providing for about 322,000 acre-feet to be used for Restoration Program purposes. On February 15, Reclamation notified the Sacramento River Settlement Contractors, San Joaquin River Exchange Contractors, San Joaquin Settlement Contractors, and Refuge Contractors that the forecasted inflow to Shasta Lake is currently greater than the amount that would cause this to be a ?Shasta Critical? year as that term is defined in their contracts. As the water year progresses, changes in hydrology and opportunities to deliver additional water will influence future allocations. Water supply updates will be made as appropriate and posted at http://www.usbr.gov/mp/cvp-water/index.html. For additional information, please contact the Public Affairs Office at 916-978-5100 (TTY 800-877-8339) or email mppublicaffairs at usbr.gov. # # # Reclamation is the largest wholesale water supplier and the second largest producer of hydroelectric power in the United States, with operations and facilities in the 17 western states. Its facilities also provide substantial flood control, recreation, and fish and wildlife benefits. Visit our website at http://www.usbr.gov. ? If you would rather not receive future communications from Bureau of Reclamation, let us know by clicking here. Bureau of Reclamation, Mid-Pacific Region 2800 Cottage Way, Sacramento, CA 95825 United States -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From fgutermuth at usbr.gov Fri Feb 22 09:20:13 2019 From: fgutermuth at usbr.gov (Gutermuth, Frederic) Date: Fri, 22 Feb 2019 09:20:13 -0800 Subject: [env-trinity] Opportunity to comment on the EPA's proposed changes to protected Waters of the U.S. (Wotus) - Open until April 15, 2019 Message-ID: Comments are now being accepted on the proposed rules to revise the definition of waters of the United States - that is the definition of those waters that are to be protected under the Clean Water Act (CWA). The proposed standards are intended to clarify sometimes hazy guidance as to which waters are covered under the Act, however, the intent of the CWA is to safeguard the biological, physical, and chemical integrity of our waters in order to protect people of the US (as well as fish and wildlife). You have until tax day (April 15) to provide your comments to the EPA on this proposed ruling. Comment at: https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2019/02/14/2019-00791/revised-definition-of-waters-of-the-united-states All the best- Brandt Brandt Gutermuth Environmental Scientist*|* Trinity River Restoration Program *|* U.S. Bureau of Reclamation *|* PO Box 1300, 1313 S. Main St., Weaverville, CA *|* 530.623.1806 w; 530.739.2802 cell*|*FGutermuth at usbr.gov -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From fgutermuth at usbr.gov Fri Feb 22 12:51:24 2019 From: fgutermuth at usbr.gov (Gutermuth, Frederic) Date: Fri, 22 Feb 2019 12:51:24 -0800 Subject: [env-trinity] Opportunity to comment on the EPA's proposed changes to protected Waters of the U.S. (Wotus) - Open until April 15, 2019 In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: Comments are now being accepted on the proposed rules to revise the definition of waters of the United States - that is the definition of those waters that are to be protected under the Clean Water Act (CWA). The proposed standards are intended to clarify sometimes hazy guidance as to which waters are covered under the Act, however, the intent of the CWA is to safeguard the biological, physical, and chemical integrity of our waters in order to protect people of the US (as well as fish and wildlife). You have until tax day (April 15) to provide your comments to the EPA on this proposed ruling. Comment at: https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2019/02/14/2019-00791/revised-definition-of-waters-of-the-united-states All the best- Brandt Brandt Gutermuth Environmental Scientist*|* Trinity River Restoration Program *|* U.S. Bureau of Reclamation *|* PO Box 1300, 1313 S. Main St., Weaverville, CA *|* 530.623.1806 w; 530.739.2802 cell*|*FGutermuth at usbr.gov -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From sari at sisqtel.net Fri Feb 22 15:04:21 2019 From: sari at sisqtel.net (Sari Sommarstrom) Date: Fri, 22 Feb 2019 15:04:21 -0800 Subject: [env-trinity] CBB: Researchers synthesize dam removal studies Message-ID: <007c01d4cb02$f30b6390$d9222ab0$@sisqtel.net> Columbia Basin Bulletin Researchers Synthesize Dam Removal Studies; Suggest Ecosystem Effects Can Be Predicted Posted on Friday, February 22, 2019 (PST) In the United States, the removal of dams now outpaces the construction of new ones--with more than 1,400 dams decommissioned since the 1970s--and a new study suggests that the ecosystem effects of dam removal can be predicted. Published in the journal BioScience, the study https://academic.oup.com/bioscience/article/69/1/26/5285462 identifies a consistent set of physical and biological processes that control ecological responses to dam removal. These processes, combined with the unique environmental conditions found at each dam, ultimately determine how the ecology of the river will respond. "We found that each dam removal is unique because of the location, size, and history of the watershed," said Ryan Bellmore, a Juneau, Alaska-based research fish ecologist with the U.S. Forest Service's Pacific Northwest Research Station who is lead author of the study. "Nevertheless, we found that ecological responses generally follow similar patterns." Although dams are primarily removed because they are aging and are costly to repair or upgrade, ecosystem recovery also is a common objective, particularly for fish species such as salmon, Bellmore and 14 other government, university, and nonprofit organization colleagues synthesized more than 125 dam removal studies and ecological theory into conceptual models. These models reveal the key physical and biological factors responsible for driving ecological responses to dam removal and show that these factors--and associated ecological responses--are distinctly different upstream and downstream of removed dams. Upstream of former dams, the major driver involves aquatic species recolonizing habitats that they were not able to access with the dam in place. Downstream of former dams, the river often receives a surge of sediment that had accumulated in the former reservoir, which can lead to major--although temporary--effects on aquatic organisms. Finally, in the former reservoir itself, species that are adapted to slower, deeper water are replaced by those adapted to shallower, faster moving water. "One of the desired outcomes of dam decommissioning and removal is the recovery of aquatic and riparian ecosystems. To investigate this common objective, we synthesized information from empirical studies and ecological theory into conceptual models that depict key physical and biological links driving ecological responses to removing dams," says the study abstract. "We define models for three distinct spatial domains: upstream of the former reservoir, within the reservoir, and downstream of the removed dam. Emerging from these models are response trajectories that clarify potential pathways of ecological transitions in each domain. We illustrate that the responses are controlled by multiple causal pathways and feedback loops among physical and biological components of the ecosystem, creating recovery trajectories that are dynamic and nonlinear. In most cases, short-term effects are typically followed by longer-term responses that bring ecosystems to new and frequently predictable ecological condition, which may or may not be similar to what existed prior to impoundment." Managers and dam-removal practitioners can use the study's models to gauge the potential range of ecological responses to dam removal and the most likely future conditions, helping generate more realistic expectations for ecological recovery. "This research expands our conceptual understanding and improves our ability to predict response to future dam removals," said Jill Baron, co-director of the U.S. Geological Survey's John Wesley Powell Center for Analysis and Synthesis, which sponsored the work. The study was conducted by the Dam Removal Synthesis Working Group, a team of 22 scientists from the U.S. Forest Service, U.S. Geological Survey, NOAA Fisheries, Oregon State University, University of Montana, Dartmouth College, Bowling Green State University, and American Rivers. The Pacific Northwest Research Station--headquartered in Portland, Ore.--generates and communicates scientific knowledge that helps people make informed choices about natural resources and the environment. The station has 11 laboratories and centers located in Alaska, Washington, and Oregon and about 300 employees. Learn more online at https://www.fs.usda.gov/pnw/. Bookmark and Share Bottom of Form -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: image001.gif Type: image/gif Size: 8928 bytes Desc: not available URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: image002.gif Type: image/gif Size: 596 bytes Desc: not available URL: From tstokely at att.net Thu Feb 28 08:35:26 2019 From: tstokely at att.net (Tom Stokely) Date: Thu, 28 Feb 2019 16:35:26 +0000 (UTC) Subject: [env-trinity] Trinity Journal: Study finds Trinity, Lewiston among NorCal dams at greatest risk from climate change References: <1753220698.7063110.1551371726652.ref@mail.yahoo.com> Message-ID: <1753220698.7063110.1551371726652@mail.yahoo.com> http://www.trinityjournal.com/news/environment/article_0771e5be-3a31-11e9-9689-971fd35ed960.html Study finds Trinity, Lewiston among NorCal dams at greatest risk from climate change - By AMY GITTELSOHN The Trinity Journal ? - Feb 27, 2019 ? - ?0 - Facebook - Twitter - Email - Facebook - Twitter - Email - Print - Save Trinity Dam is among several major dams a new study identifies as being at particular risk from flooding due to climate change. This study looks at how California?s dams will be tested in the future when more precipitation is anticipated to fall as rain rather than snow, and the snow we do get melts faster. The Trinity Reservoir held back by Trinity Dam historically has been filled mostly by snowmelt, and the snowpack is well above average so far this year. However, the study cites literature of a trend toward rain. The study looked at 13 major dams in northern and central California. In a research letter on their study titled, ?Climate-induced Changes in the Risk of Hydrological Failure of Major Dams in California,? authors Iman Mallakpour and Amir AghaKouchak from U.C. Irvine and Mojtaba Sadegh from Boise State University say, ?Noticeably, the New Don Pedro, Shasta, Lewiston, and Trinity Dams are associated with highest potential changes in flood hazard.? Author AghaKouchak has stressed that the researchers? analysis is based on hydrologic failure probability, and hydrologic failure doesn?t necessarily lead to physical failure of a dam. ?However, the likelihood of failure of a water infrastructure is generally expected to increase because of more frequent exposure to extreme events,? according to the authors. ?Our results can be used as input into a structural model for future analysis,? AghaKouchak said in an email to the Journal. The study used various models to see how the dams would be challenged if climate change continues on its current path and if steps are taken to curb greenhouse gasses. They projected failure probability to increase for most California dams in a warming climate. Of the 13 studied, they found that only one dam, Folsom, would not have increased likelihood of failure from climate change. The authors note that major reservoirs in California have an average age of over 50 years and were built in the previous century with limited data records and flood hazard assessment. Looking at the frequency in flooding, the researchers found the highest change in frequency to be in the North State where Trinity, Lewiston and Shasta Dam are located. For these dams, the historical ?100-year flood? is projected to become a 30-year flood under the reduced greenhouse gasses scenario and a 20-year flood under the status quo. In other words, what used to be a flood with a 1 percent chance of occurrence in any given year will increase to up to a 5 percent chance in those northern dams. The 2017 Oroville Dam spillway failure ? which caused the evacuation of almost 200,000 residents of Yuba, Sutter and Butte counties ? comes up in the report as an event caused by severe flooding and the dam?s poor quality of spillway concrete. The dam?s main spillway and emergency spillway were both damaged in the incident. The Oroville Dam event raised concerns about Trinity Dam which doesn?t have an emergency spillway. Dam managers have said they operate Trinity Dam safely, leaving room for storm events. This new study indicates in the coming decades there will be less room for error. Based on the probability of flooding, the researchers found that several dams have an even greater chance of failure than Oroville, regardless of structural integrity. At the top of that list are several earthen dams, New Don Pedro on the Tuolumne River, Lewiston and Trinity, as well as concrete Shasta Dam. The authors say the work highlights the importance of developing and modifying adaptation strategies against climate change for these aged dams? operation and management, alongside adequate and timely maintenance. - -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From tstokely at att.net Wed Mar 13 08:30:49 2019 From: tstokely at att.net (Tom Stokely) Date: Wed, 13 Mar 2019 15:30:49 +0000 (UTC) Subject: [env-trinity] =?utf-8?q?WATER_POLLUTION_Ruling_would_exempt_dams_?= =?utf-8?q?from_standards_=E2=80=94_greens?= References: <1890471798.3872779.1552491049794.ref@mail.yahoo.com> Message-ID: <1890471798.3872779.1552491049794@mail.yahoo.com> https://www.eenews.net/stories/1060127065/print WATER POLLUTION Ruling would exempt dams from standards ? greens Jeremy P. Jacobs, E&E News reporter Greenwire: Tuesday, March 12, 2019 PacifiCorp's Iron Gate Dam on the Klamath River in Northern California.??Jeremy P. Jacobs/E&E News Environmental groups yesterday asked a federal appeals court to reconsider a ruling that struck down part of a high-profile removal plan for four dams in California and Oregon, saying it set a precedent that would exempt dozens of dams nationwide from meeting water quality standards. If the ruling from the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit stands, they wrote, "dozens of dams that are undergoing licensing would be exempted from compliance with water quality standards for the next 30- to 50-years." The complicated case concerns four dams on the lower Klamath River in southern Oregon and Northern California owned by Portland, Ore.-based PacifiCorp. In 2010, California, Oregon, the utility, farmers and most of the tribes involved reached an agreement to tear down the dams in what would be the country's largest dam removal project. The dams have caused threatened salmon populations to plummet (Greenwire, March 13, 2017). However, one tribe in the area did not sign: the Hoopa Valley. The tribe also wants the dams taken out. But instead of joining the agreement, it challenged a complicated aspect of dam relicensing. Under Section 401 of the Clean Water Act, states have authority to certify that projects such as dams or natural gas pipelines meet water quality standards before the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission reviews their licensing application. States are generally given a one-year window to complete that review. But for the Klamath dams, PacifiCorp engaged in a common practice: It withdrew and resubmitted applications every year, starting the one-year timeline over again. The D.C. Circuit said the practice is an end run around the law's requirements and holds "federal licensing hostage." "Such an arrangement does not exploit a statutory loophole," Senior Judge David Sentelle wrote for the three-judge panel, "it serves to circumvent a congressionally granted authority over licensing, conditioning, and developing of a hydropower project." Sentelle noted there were 43 licensing applications before FERC at the time of briefing in the case, and 27 were using the withdrawal-and-resubmit strategy. Four of them have been doing it for more than a decade (Greenwire, Jan. 25). But the environmental groups ? American Rivers, California Trout and Trout Unlimited ? said the practice is critical to give states enough time to ensure dams and other projects adequately protect water quality. "The holding would effectively exempt dozen of dams undergoing licensing from compliance with water quality standards," they?wrote, "and it would have the same effect on an unknown number of other federal actions, thus raising an exceptionally important question." Further, they noted the decision has already been highlighted by some of the project owners Sentelle referenced in urging FERC to move ahead with their pending applications before a state finishes its water quality review. Industry players have criticized withdrawal-and-resubmit as allowing states to indefinitely block their projects. The Trump administration has signaled it is considering actions to limit it. The environmental groups are seeking a rehearing of the same three-judge panel or en banc, meaning before all of the D.C. Circuit's judges. Such rehearing requests are rarely granted. Sentelle, in his opinion, took some steps to limit the scope of the decision to the Klamath dams. "This case presents the set of facts in which a licensee entered a written agreement with the reviewing states to delay water quality certification," he wrote. "PacifiCorp's withdrawals-and-resubmissions were not just similar requests, they were not new requests at all." Twitter:?@GreenwireJeremy?Email:?jjacobs at eenews.net -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From t.schlosser at msaj.com Wed Mar 13 10:06:03 2019 From: t.schlosser at msaj.com (Thomas P. Schlosser) Date: Wed, 13 Mar 2019 17:06:03 +0000 Subject: [env-trinity] =?utf-8?q?WATER_POLLUTION_Ruling_would_NOT_exempt_d?= =?utf-8?q?ams_from_standards_=E2=80=94_greens?= In-Reply-To: <1890471798.3872779.1552491049794@mail.yahoo.com> References: <1890471798.3872779.1552491049794.ref@mail.yahoo.com> <1890471798.3872779.1552491049794@mail.yahoo.com> Message-ID: <33fb71fc-0046-11df-3417-e13bf18c96e1@msaj.com> Very misleading piece except for the last two sentences. Hoopa's petition responded to the 2008 Agreement in Principle and the 2010 Klamath Hydroelectric Settlement Agreement's scheme of indefinite delay of relicensing and resulting enrichment for PacifiCorp (about $27 million per year). The Water Board did not need 10 years of analysis time for a section 401 certification; by agreement, they were not doing anything on the 401 application. KHSA parties unreasonably hoped that Congress would specially authorize dam removal on the Klamath and appropriate $970 million for the linked KBRA. Obviously that wasn't likely and didn't happen. In 2016, eight years after the AIP, the KHSA parties conceded their error and amended the KHSA to create the Klamath River Renewal Corp. process using existing FERC authority. Now some of the groups that sided with PacifiCorp's desire for delay are asking for rehearing by the unanimous panel of judges. We'll see what happens. The court in the Hoopa case focused on language in the KHSA which said: "PacifiCorp?s FERC Project No. 2082... water quality certifications under Section 401 of the CWA and review under CEQA [California Environmental Quality Act], will be held in abeyance during the Interim Period under this Settlement. PacifiCorp shall withdraw and re-file its applications for Section 401 certifications as necessary to avoid the certifications being deemed waived under the CWA during the Interim Period." See KHSA at 42. This provision applied only to PacifiCorp's application, not to the KRRC's separate 401 application. The court relied on more than the one-year period allowed in 401. The court said "California and Oregon?s deliberate and contractual idleness defies this requirement [that they act within a reasonable time]. By shelving water quality certifications, the states usurp FERC?s control over whether and when a federal license will issue." There's nothing similar to that with the KRRC--no idleness by SWRCB, no contract to hold the application in abeyance. Hoopa's case does affect PacifiCorp's relicensing application if FERC won't approve the KRRC's plans and relicensing is reactivated. In that event, FERC must act because the 401 cert is waived. Thus the fall-back to the KRRC process (which would be a return to relicensing and imposition of the volitional fish passage conditions on PacifiCorp, which will force PacifiCorp to remove the dams) will move more swiftly because of Hoopa's case. We cannot yet know if the KRRC process will succeed. With respect to other projects with long-delayed applications, our case could have effects. Many stalled projects already have mandatory federal sec. 4(e) and sec. 18 conditions (just as PacifiCorp's relicensing had). I'm not aware that any have "contractual idleness" like there was under the KHSA. So we do not know whether FERC will find waiver. At least two applicants have already claimed that SWRCB waived 401 authority. Tom On 3/13/2019 8:30 AM, Tom Stokely wrote: https://www.eenews.net/stories/1060127065/print WATER POLLUTION Ruling would exempt dams from standards ? greens Jeremy P. Jacobs, E&E News reporter Greenwire: Tuesday, March 12, 2019[PacifiCorp?s Iron Gate Dam] PacifiCorp's Iron Gate Dam on the Klamath River in Northern California. Jeremy P. Jacobs/E&E News Environmental groups yesterday asked a federal appeals court to reconsider a ruling that struck down part of a high-profile removal plan for four dams in California and Oregon, saying it set a precedent that would exempt dozens of dams nationwide from meeting water quality standards. If the ruling from the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit stands, they wrote, "dozens of dams that are undergoing licensing would be exempted from compliance with water quality standards for the next 30- to 50-years." The complicated case concerns four dams on the lower Klamath River in southern Oregon and Northern California owned by Portland, Ore.-based PacifiCorp. In 2010, California, Oregon, the utility, farmers and most of the tribes involved reached an agreement to tear down the dams in what would be the country's largest dam removal project. The dams have caused threatened salmon populations to plummet (Greenwire, March 13, 2017). However, one tribe in the area did not sign: the Hoopa Valley. The tribe also wants the dams taken out. But instead of joining the agreement, it challenged a complicated aspect of dam relicensing. Under Section 401 of the Clean Water Act, states have authority to certify that projects such as dams or natural gas pipelines meet water quality standards before the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission reviews their licensing application. States are generally given a one-year window to complete that review. But for the Klamath dams, PacifiCorp engaged in a common practice: It withdrew and resubmitted applications every year, starting the one-year timeline over again. The D.C. Circuit said the practice is an end run around the law's requirements and holds "federal licensing hostage." "Such an arrangement does not exploit a statutory loophole," Senior Judge David Sentelle wrote for the three-judge panel, "it serves to circumvent a congressionally granted authority over licensing, conditioning, and developing of a hydropower project." Sentelle noted there were 43 licensing applications before FERC at the time of briefing in the case, and 27 were using the withdrawal-and-resubmit strategy. Four of them have been doing it for more than a decade (Greenwire, Jan. 25). But the environmental groups ? American Rivers, California Trout and Trout Unlimited ? said the practice is critical to give states enough time to ensure dams and other projects adequately protect water quality. "The holding would effectively exempt dozen of dams undergoing licensing from compliance with water quality standards," they wrote, "and it would have the same effect on an unknown number of other federal actions, thus raising an exceptionally important question." Further, they noted the decision has already been highlighted by some of the project owners Sentelle referenced in urging FERC to move ahead with their pending applications before a state finishes its water quality review. Industry players have criticized withdrawal-and-resubmit as allowing states to indefinitely block their projects. The Trump administration has signaled it is considering actions to limit it. The environmental groups are seeking a rehearing of the same three-judge panel or en banc, meaning before all of the D.C. Circuit's judges. Such rehearing requests are rarely granted. Sentelle, in his opinion, took some steps to limit the scope of the decision to the Klamath dams. "This case presents the set of facts in which a licensee entered a written agreement with the reviewing states to delay water quality certification," he wrote. "PacifiCorp's withdrawals-and-resubmissions were not just similar requests, they were not new requests at all." Twitter: @GreenwireJeremy Email: jjacobs at eenews.net _______________________________________________ env-trinity mailing list env-trinity at velocipede.dcn.davis.ca.us http://www2.dcn.org/mailman/listinfo/env-trinity -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From MaryClaire.Kier at wildlife.ca.gov Thu Mar 14 14:48:04 2019 From: MaryClaire.Kier at wildlife.ca.gov (Kier, Mary Claire@Wildlife) Date: Thu, 14 Mar 2019 21:48:04 +0000 Subject: [env-trinity] CDFW Trinity River Project trapping summary through Julian week 11 Message-ID: Greetings! Attached please find the TRP trapping summary through JW 11 (March 18). Tuesday the 12th was the last spawn-day for the 2018-19 season. We may have a few more fish to add to the tally after clearing the trap next week, but that will be it for sure. Please be sure to send in any tags from fish caught this season. Any tags sent in after May 1st will likely not be used in this season's run size estimates, and may not be paid on for an extended time due to State fiscal year deadlines. Cheers! MC -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: 2018 TRP_ trapping_summary_thru_JW11.xlsx Type: application/vnd.openxmlformats-officedocument.spreadsheetml.sheet Size: 69577 bytes Desc: 2018 TRP_ trapping_summary_thru_JW11.xlsx URL: From klamathtrinityriver at gmail.com Thu Mar 14 17:13:21 2019 From: klamathtrinityriver at gmail.com (Regina Chichizola) Date: Thu, 14 Mar 2019 17:13:21 -0700 Subject: [env-trinity] New Klamath Project Water Plan EA comment period ends March 19th Message-ID: Hello, The Bureau of Reclamation is taking comments on current Klamath Project Operations proposed under their new Biological Assessment. They have only done a EA with a two week comment period and have not included spring flows that are currently mandated to reduce fish diseases under the Klamath Biological Opinion court order, or a emergency fish disease plan. Save California Salmon has put a petition up at change.org at http://chng.it/yxx9TVxsbh or on our facebook page and twitter for people that would like to comment. We are asking for an EIS and 90 day comment period and many other actions to stop juvenile fish kills. The notice is at https://www.usbr.gov/mp/nepa/nepa_project_details.php?Project_ID=37522 Comments must be received by March 19, 2019. The comments may be sent via email to tcampbellmiranda at usbr.gov, or by hard copy to Tara Jane Campbell Miranda, Bureau of Reclamation, 6600 Washburn Way, Klamath Falls, Oregon 97603. A background and key points for comments are below. Thank you, Regina Chichizola On March 6th, the Bureau of Reclamation (BOR) issued a public Environmental Assessment on the Operations Plan for the Klamath Irrigation. Project Operations controls flows in the Klamath River below Upper Klamath Lake. The outcome may determine whether ESA listed coho salmon and Lost River suckers will survive another generation and how many chinook salmon people have for harvest. Despite the importance of the decision, BOR is only allowing the public two weeks to comment. The Biological Assessment will lead to a Biological Opinion or Bi-Op, which will control flows the Klamath River. The plan is a significant federal action and BOR should complete an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) that analyzes the impacts of the proposed flows to the Klamath River fisheries, water quality, economy and people, along with impacts to the coast communities that depend on the Klamath?s fishery. This EIS should include a 90 day public comment period and public hearings. The Klamath Biological Opinion may sound familiar because the Bush administration?s tampering with the 2001 Klamath Project Biological Opinion lead to a massive fish kill of an estimated 64,000 adult salmon in the Klamath River, and the 2013 Biological Opinion lead to a juvenile fish disease rate of 84-92% during t during California?s recent drought. This fish disease C. shasta caused massive juvenile fish kills, contributing to the Klamath?s lowest recorded salmon run in 2017. These fish kills and related low salmon runs have caused major impacts to coastal and Tribal communities due to commercial and subsistence salmon fishing closures. In 2017 Yurok Tribal members were allocated only 1 fish for every 6 Tribal members. Karuk limited its dip net fishery for the first time in history to 200 fish, and commercial, subsistence, and recreational fishing was severely limited for others as well. Lack of salmon has also led to major health, social and economic hardships for Tribal people and coastal towns such as Eureka and Crescent City, and Brookings that rely on salmon for food, income, ceremonies, and culture. It has also disrupted the food web that relies on salmon. The 2013 Biological Opinion was litigated by the Yurok and Hoopa Valley Tribes along with Commercial fishermen and conservation groups. These lawsuits resulted in court ordered improvements in flows. The currently proposed BOR flow schedule that are the subject of this Environmental Assessment would result in lower flows and higher risk of fish disease. In short: * The BOR should do an Environmental Impact Statement on the water plan analyzing all the impacts to all the Klamath River fisheries and water quality impacts from their action, * The BOR should include the court ordered flushing flows to combat fish disease in their Environmental Water Accounting for all water year types, * The BOR should not only not jeopardize endangered species, but also provide enough water to protect tribal trust species and fishing rights, the public trust, and the Clean Water Act. This means they need to provide for a harvestable surplus of all species of salmon, * The BOR should analyze the economic and social impacts to river and coastal communities resulting from their actions, * The BOR should analyze the cumulative impacts of their actions with other state and federal impacts such as flow decisions in the Klamath tributaries, the proposed LNG pipeline in the Upper Klamath Basin, along with the new dam and diversion projects, and the Trump Water Plan, that impact the Trinity River, * The BOR should include an emergency flow plan to respond to massive fish disease outbreaks of the C. shasta fish disease * The BOR should clearly account for, and detail, the water provided to farmers and the Environment Water Accounting, and not use confusing water budgeting and accounting. http://chng.it/yxx9TVxsbh -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From tstokely at att.net Fri Mar 15 10:37:03 2019 From: tstokely at att.net (Tom Stokely) Date: Fri, 15 Mar 2019 17:37:03 +0000 (UTC) Subject: [env-trinity] My Word: New Klamath water plan threatens salmon, communities References: <1336442984.5088189.1552671423622.ref@mail.yahoo.com> Message-ID: <1336442984.5088189.1552671423622@mail.yahoo.com> https://www.redwoodtimes.com/2019/03/13/my-word-new-klamath-water-plan-threatens-salmon-communities/ My Word: New Klamath water plan threatens salmon, communities - - - By?REGINA CHICHIZOLA?|?PUBLISHED:?March 13, 2019 at 12:01 am?| UPDATED:?March 13, 2019 at 12:01 am On March 6, the Bureau of Reclamation (BOR) issued a public Environmental Assessment on the Operations Plan for the Klamath Irrigation Project. This plan is will lead to the new Klamath River Biological Opinion, or water plan. The BO controls flows in the Klamath River and may determine whether ESA listed coho salmon and Lost River suckers will survive another generation. It will definitely decide how many chinook salmon people have for harvest for Tribal members and commercial fishermen. It could also return us to the days where 84-92 percent of the juvenile salmon died in the Klamath River and reignite the Klamath River water wars during a time when we are working to find solutions. This plan threatens the court ordered spring flows that have kept fish diseases, and juvenile fish kills down in the Klamath River. Despite the importance of the decision to our communities, BOR is only allowing the public two weeks to comment. The BOR should be doing a thorough environmental review through an Environmental Impact Statement, along with a 90-day public comment period and public hearing. Those who depend on the Klamath salmon deserve an opportunity to shape the plan. The Klamath Biological Opinion may sound familiar because the Bush administration?s tampering with the 2001 Klamath Project Biological Opinion led to a massive fish kill of an estimated 64,000 adult salmon in the Klamath River, and the 2013 Biological Opinion led to a juvenile fish disease rate of 84-92 percent during California?s recent drought. This fish disease C. shasta caused massive juvenile fish kills, contributing to the Klamath?s lowest recorded salmon run in 2017. These fish kills and related low salmon runs have caused major impacts to coastal and Tribal communities due to commercial and subsistence salmon fishing closures. In 2017 Yurok Tribal members were allocated only 1 fish for every 6 Tribal members. The Karuk Tribe limited its dip net fishery for the first time in history to 200 fish, and commercial, subsistence, and recreational fishing was severely limited for others as well. Lack of salmon has also led to major health, social and economic hardships for Tribal people and coastal towns such as Eureka, Crescent City, and Brookings that rely on salmon for food, income, ceremonies, and culture. It has also disrupted the food web that relies on salmon. The 2013 Biological Opinion was litigated by the Yurok and Hoopa Valley Tribes along with commercial fishermen and conservation groups. These lawsuits resulted in court ordered improvements in flows. The currently proposed BOR flow schedule that are the subject of this Environmental Assessment does not incorporate these court order flows nor protect Tribal trust of fishing. It would result in lower flows and higher risk of fish disease. This plan represents a major step backwards in Klamath river management. It is time for the BOR and Trump administration to stop its war on our communities and to instead restore the Klamath Salmon and Suckers and support all the communities that rely on Klamath watershed. Comments must be received by March 19. The comments may be sent via email to tcampbellmiranda at usbr.gov, or by hard copy to Tara Jane Campbell Miranda, Bureau of Reclamation, 6600 Washburn Way, Klamath Falls, Oregon 97603. A petition is available at?https://www.change.org/p/bor-increase-klamath-river-flows-and-do-an-eis-for-water-plan?or at the Save California Salmon Facebook page. Regina Chichizola is co-director of Save California Salmon and also works as a policy analyst for the Pacific Coast Federation of Fishermen?s Associations. She has work on Klamath River water issues for over 17 years. -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From tstokely at att.net Fri Mar 15 14:44:54 2019 From: tstokely at att.net (Tom Stokely) Date: Fri, 15 Mar 2019 21:44:54 +0000 (UTC) Subject: [env-trinity] Fw: Reclamation hosts public meeting on Klamath Basin water conditions and operational plans In-Reply-To: <72c65782a4984092afd61bb4aa671baa@usbr.gov> References: <72c65782a4984092afd61bb4aa671baa@usbr.gov> Message-ID: <427043657.5228009.1552686294937@mail.yahoo.com> ----- Forwarded Message ----- From: Lisa Navarro To: "tstokely at att.net" Sent: Friday, March 15, 2019, 1:57:16 PM PDTSubject: Reclamation hosts public meeting on Klamath Basin water conditions and operational plans Mid-Pacific Region Sacramento, Calif. MP-19-018 Media Contact: Christie Kalkowski, 916-978-5100, For Immediate Release: March 15, 2019 Reclamation hosts public meeting on Klamath Basin water conditions and operational plans KLAMATH FALLS, Ore.?? The Bureau of Reclamation, in coordination with U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and National Marine Fisheries Service, will hold a public meeting on 2019 Klamath Basin water conditions and operational plans on Friday, March 22. Presentations will focus on current and forecasted hydrologic conditions; outlook for the 2019 water year, including preliminary Klamath Basin project allocations; status of the Endangered Species Act, Section 7, reinitiation of consultation; and National Environmental Policy Act processes. What: 2019 Klamath Basin water year and operations public meeting Who: Bureau of Reclamation, U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service and National Marine Fisheries Service When: Friday, March 22, 1 p.m. ? 3 p.m. Where: Klamath County Fairgrounds, Exhibit Hall 2; 3531 S 6th Street, Klamath Falls The meeting will provide an opportunity for public input. For additional information, contact Laura Williams at 541-880-2581 (TTY 800-877-8339) or ljwilliams at usbr.gov. # # # Reclamation is the largest wholesale water supplier in the United States, and the nation?s second largest producer of hydroelectric power. Its facilities also provide substantial flood control, recreation, and fish and wildlife benefits. Visit our website at http://www.usbr.gov. Follow us on Twitter @USBR and @ReclamationCVP. ? -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From tstokely at att.net Wed Mar 20 08:01:38 2019 From: tstokely at att.net (Tom Stokely) Date: Wed, 20 Mar 2019 15:01:38 +0000 (UTC) Subject: [env-trinity] SITES RESERVOIR PROJECT DRAWS CRITICISM FROM FISHERMEN, TRIBES, AND CONSERVATION GROUPS References: <802357590.7363293.1553094098797.ref@mail.yahoo.com> Message-ID: <802357590.7363293.1553094098797@mail.yahoo.com> SITES RESERVOIR PROJECT DRAWS CRITICISM FROM FISHERMEN, TRIBES, AND CONSERVATION GROUPS? ? -Sites Reservoir Project??Threatens Fisheries in Two Watersheds-Environmental Review Short on Facts ? Contacts:?Noah Oppenheim, PCFFA and IFR (207) 233-0400 ?????????????????Chief Caleen Sisk, Winnemem Wintu Tribe (530) 229-4096?? ? ? ? Tom Stokely, Save California Salmon 530-524-0315 ? A coalition of 27 fishermen, Native Americans and environmental organizations sent a?letter?expressing concerns about the impacts to salmon and water quality from proposed diversion associated with the Sites Reservoir Project. The groups allege that the Sites Project Authority has left out key facts in their environmental review which serves to downplay impacts.? ? ?We are here to demand a full accounting of the environmental impacts to the Trinity and Sacramento Rivers,? said Noah Oppenheim, executive director of the Pacific Coast Federation of Fishermen?s Associations. Both rivers have suffered a steady decline in fisheries for the past several decades and most experts see dams and diversions as the reason. The declines in salmon stocks have crippled California?s salmon fleet, diminished recreational fishing opportunities, and undermined Tribal fisheries and cultural practices. ? The groups want the Sites Project Authority to revise its draft Environmental Impact Statement and Report (DEIS/EIR) to analyze all the impacts of the project and then recirculate it for public comment. The coalition also?wrote?to ask that the California Water Commission support their request. ? The Sites project is a proposed off-stream storage reservoir near Maxwell that would store water pumped from the Sacramento River and the Trinity River which is a natural tributary to the Klamath River but also diverted to the Sacramento River. Thus, it impacts imperiled salmon runs both of California?s greatest salmon streams. -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From tstokely at att.net Thu Mar 21 08:31:41 2019 From: tstokely at att.net (Tom Stokely) Date: Thu, 21 Mar 2019 15:31:41 +0000 (UTC) Subject: [env-trinity] Tribe, KRRC clarifies supervisor statements on dam removal References: <249765037.7983062.1553182301378.ref@mail.yahoo.com> Message-ID: <249765037.7983062.1553182301378@mail.yahoo.com> https://www.triplicate.com/news/7026556-151/tribe-krrc-clarifies-supervisor-statements-on-dam-removal Tribe, KRRC clarifies supervisor statements on dam removal A-A+ The Yurok Tribe and the nonprofit organization spearheading a project to remove dams on the Klamath River are seeking to clarify statements made by Del Norte County supervisors regarding mitigation dollars.? The tribe's response addresses a comment from District 3 Supervisor Chris Howard, who stated the Klamath River Renewal Corporation has set aside $450 million in mitigation funds and the Yurok Tribe "has requested substantial mitigation" from the corporation for negative impacts it may experience as a result of the dam removal project.? Howard said though he wasn't sure of the exact amount or what the mitigation dollars were for, the tribe's request was "I was told it was ... close to $50 million."? Howard was one of four supervisors who approved a letter to KRRC requesting a mitigation fund be set aside should the Crescent City Harbor experience heavy sedimentation and silt as a result of the dam removal project. The Del Norte County Board of Supervisors also called on KRRC to make assurances that it would also mitigate the project's impacts to the recreational and commercial salmon fisheries. District 1 Supervisor Roger Gitlin dissented, urging his colleagues to wait on sending a letter to the nonprofit organization.? In a statement provided to the Triplicate on Thursday, Yurok Tribal Chairman Joseph L. James said the tribe is not seeking mitigation dollars or other compensation from the Klamath River Renewal Corporation related to the dam removal project. James notes that the $450 million Howard mentioned is the total budget for dam removal, "which includes significant earth moving, demolition and other work."? "It simply is not true that KRRC has set aside that amount for mitigation alone," James said. "Dam removal is a key restoration element for the Klamath River fisheries that not only benefits the Tribe, but benefits the entire region, including Del Norte County."? The Yurok Tribe has worked with KRRC to ensure tribal businesses and individuals will have a fair opportunity to earn a working wage by participating in the dam removal project.? "We look forward to continuing our collaboration with Del Norte County on accomplishing the shared goal of economic self-sufficiency for the tribe and the region as a whole," James said.? Of the dam removal project's $450 million total budget, $200 million is being paid through a PacifiCorp customer surcharge, said KRRC communications director Matt Cox. The remainder, $250 million, is voter-approved bond money from the State of California, he said.? Though KRRC has established a $70 million contingency fund for unanticipated costs within the dam removal project, according to Cox, it can't set aside a mitigation fund.? "We mitigate as needed," he said.? An example of mitigation measures KRRC has already taken ahead of the project's projected start date of January 2021 concerns a water pipe belonging to the City of Yreka. According to Cox, this water line is partially submerged in one of the reservoirs that will be drained as a result of the dam removal process and "lies directly in the footprint of the project."? A successor entity to KRRC will determine potential mitigation funding or measures for the Crescent City Harbor should it experience negative effects from dam removal on the Klamath River, Cox said. He noted the harbor would feel any potential negative impacts from the project when it's completed. "If they had some sort of mitigable damage they wanted to claim, that successor entity would be there after KRRC to judge and help with those claims," Cox said.? Created in 2016 as a result of the Klamath Hydroelectric Settlement Agreement, KRRC is tasked with removing the J.C. Boyle Dam in Oregon as well as the Copco No. 1, Copco No. 2 and Iron Gate dams in Siskiyou County. The four dams are currently owned by PacifiCorp, though KRRC is petitioning the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, or FERC, to transfer the hydroelectric license from the utility to the nonprofit corporation.? KRRC will then ask FERC to grant their surrender of that hydroelectric license, enabling the dam removal project to proceed.? KRRC representatives have also been meeting with the Crescent City Council and Crescent City Harbor commissioners along with county supervisors as it seeks a 401 Clean Water Certification from the State Water Resources board for the removal of the three dams in California.? For more information about the project, visit?www.klamathrenewal.org/definite-plan. Reach Jessica Cejnar at jcejnar at triplicate.com .? ? -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From tstokely at att.net Thu Mar 21 11:57:35 2019 From: tstokely at att.net (Tom Stokely) Date: Thu, 21 Mar 2019 18:57:35 +0000 (UTC) Subject: [env-trinity] Trinity Mgmt Council Agenda April 3-4 References: <731800938.8079797.1553194655359.ref@mail.yahoo.com> Message-ID: <731800938.8079797.1553194655359@mail.yahoo.com> http://www.trrp.net/calendar/event/?id=11632 ?TRINITY MANAGEMENT COUNCIL? April 2019 Quarterly Meeting? Wednesday April 3 - Thursday April 4, 2019? Location: TRRP Office? 1313 South Main Street, Weaverville, CA 96093? Agenda (WebEx info on page 2)? Wednesday April 3, 2019? Time Discussion Leader? Regular Business:? 9:00 Introductions: Justin Ly, Vice Chair? ? Welcome and Introductions? ? Approval of Agenda? ? Approval of December TMC Meeting Minutes? 9:15 Public Forum: Comments from the public Justin Ly, Vice Chair? 9:30 CVP Operations Update Elizabeth Hadley? 9:45 Report from Executive Director Mike Dixon? 11:00 Break? Information / Decision Items:? 11:15 ROC on LTO CVP and SWP update Russ Callejo/BDO? 11:30 Officer Elections for TMC Chair (and Vice Chair Justin Ly, Vice Chair? if needed) Decision Item? 12:00 Lunch? 1:00 2019 Flow Hydrograph and Gravel Augmentation Todd Buxton, TRRP Information and Conor Shea, FWS? 3:00 Public Forum: Comments from the public Justin Ly, Vice Chair? 3:15 Break? 3:30 2019 Flow Hydrograph and Gravel Augmentation Justin Ly, Vice Chair? Decision Item? 4:00 Discussion of June TMC agenda items Mike Dixon/TMC? 4:15 Adjourn? 6:00 TMC Dinner Wednesday ? Golf Course Restaurant - 130 Golf Course Dr., Weaverville 2? TRINITY MANAGEMENT COUNCIL? April 2019 Quarterly Meeting? Thursday April 4, 2019? Time Discussion Leader? Regular Business:? 9:00 Public Forum: Comments from the public Justin Ly, Vice Chair? Information / Decision Items:? 9:15 Program science metrics/targets update Nick Som, FWS? 9:45 Design update (Oregon Gulch, Sky Ranch and FY19 Mike Dixon + construction projects)? 10:45 Break? 11:00 2019, 2020 and 2021 budget discussion Mike Dixon? Information? 12:00 Lunch? 1:00 2019, 2020 and 2021 budget discussion cont. Mike Dixon Decision Item? 2:00 Public Forum: Comments from the public Justin Ly, Vice Chair? 2:15 Adjourn? WEBEX CALL-IN INFORMATION (Call-in numbers are the same for both days.)? Join by phone: 1-408-792-6300 Call-in toll number (US/Canada) Access code: 805 980 601? Join via web:? Meeting number: 805 980 601 Password: XmAykD8J https://trrp.webex.com/trrp/j.php?MTID=md03f3b2326e2f3d17b6f8ec6d7d0e8e6 -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From tstokely at att.net Thu Mar 21 13:36:08 2019 From: tstokely at att.net (Tom Stokely) Date: Thu, 21 Mar 2019 20:36:08 +0000 (UTC) Subject: [env-trinity] Tribe, KRRC clarifies supervisor statements on dam removal References: <1235528349.8133266.1553200568369.ref@mail.yahoo.com> Message-ID: <1235528349.8133266.1553200568369@mail.yahoo.com> https://www.triplicate.com/news/7026556-151/tribe-krrc-clarifies-supervisor-statements-on-dam-removal Tribe, KRRC clarifies supervisor statements on dam removal A- A+ The Yurok Tribe and the nonprofit organization spearheading a project to remove dams on the Klamath River are seeking to clarify statements made by Del Norte County supervisors regarding mitigation dollars.? The tribe's response addresses a comment from District 3 Supervisor Chris Howard, who stated the Klamath River Renewal Corporation has set aside $450 million in mitigation funds and the Yurok Tribe "has requested substantial mitigation" from the corporation for negative impacts it may experience as a result of the dam removal project. ? Howard said though he wasn't sure of the exact amount or what the mitigation dollars were for, the tribe's request was "I was told it was ... close to $50 million."? Howard was one of four supervisors who approved a letter to KRRC requesting a mitigation fund be set aside should the Crescent City Harbor experience heavy sedimentation and silt as a result of the dam removal project. The Del Norte County Board of Supervisors also called on KRRC to make assurances that it would also mitigate the project's impacts to the recreational and commercial salmon fisheries. District 1 Supervisor Roger Gitlin dissented, urging his colleagues to wait on sending a letter to the nonprofit organization.? In a statement provided to the Triplicate on Thursday, Yurok Tribal Chairman Joseph L. James said the tribe is not seeking mitigation dollars or other compensation from the Klamath River Renewal Corporation related to the dam removal project. James notes that the $450 million Howard mentioned is the total budget for dam removal, "which includes significant earth moving, demolition and other work."? "It simply is not true that KRRC has set aside that amount for mitigation alone," James said. "Dam removal is a key restoration element for the Klamath River fisheries that not only benefits the Tribe, but benefits the entire region, including Del Norte County."? The Yurok Tribe has worked with KRRC to ensure tribal businesses and individuals will have a fair opportunity to earn a working wage by participating in the dam removal project.? "We look forward to continuing our collaboration with Del Norte County on accomplishing the shared goal of economic self-sufficiency for the tribe and the region as a whole," James said.? Of the dam removal project's $450 million total budget, $200 million is being paid through a PacifiCorp customer surcharge, said KRRC communications director Matt Cox. The remainder, $250 million, is voter-approved bond money from the State of California, he said.? Though KRRC has established a $70 million contingency fund for unanticipated costs within the dam removal project, according to Cox, it can't set aside a mitigation fund.? "We mitigate as needed," he said.? An example of mitigation measures KRRC has already taken ahead of the project's projected start date of January 2021 concerns a water pipe belonging to the City of Yreka. According to Cox, this water line is partially submerged in one of the reservoirs that will be drained as a result of the dam removal process and "lies directly in the footprint of the project."? A successor entity to KRRC will determine potential mitigation funding or measures for the Crescent City Harbor should it experience negative effects from dam removal on the Klamath River, Cox said. He noted the harbor would feel any potential negative impacts from the project when it's completed.? "If they had some sort of mitigable damage they wanted to claim, that successor entity would be there after KRRC to judge and help with those claims," Cox said.? Created in 2016 as a result of the Klamath Hydroelectric Settlement Agreement, KRRC is tasked with removing the J.C. Boyle Dam in Oregon as well as the Copco No. 1, Copco No. 2 and Iron Gate dams in Siskiyou County. The four dams are currently owned by PacifiCorp, though KRRC is petitioning the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, or FERC, to transfer the hydroelectric license from the utility to the nonprofit corporation.? KRRC will then ask FERC to grant their surrender of that hydroelectric license, enabling the dam removal project to proceed.? KRRC representatives have also been meeting with the Crescent City Council and Crescent City Harbor commissioners along with county supervisors as it seeks a 401 Clean Water Certification from the State Water Resources board for the removal of the three dams in California.? For more information about the project, visit www.klamathrenewal.org/definite-plan.? | | | | Definite Plan | Klamath River Renewal Corporation | | | Reach Jessica Cejnar at jcejnar at triplicate.com . -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From tstokely at att.net Tue Mar 26 17:25:10 2019 From: tstokely at att.net (Tom Stokely) Date: Wed, 27 Mar 2019 00:25:10 +0000 (UTC) Subject: [env-trinity] =?utf-8?q?How_California_is_defying_Trump=E2=80=99s?= =?utf-8?q?_environmental_rollbacks?= References: <940793135.10580264.1553646310130.ref@mail.yahoo.com> Message-ID: <940793135.10580264.1553646310130@mail.yahoo.com> https://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-california-trump-water-rollbacks-20190326-story.html How California is defying Trump?s environmental rollbacks By?BETTINA BOXALLMAR 26, 2019?|?3:00 AM???California agencies say they won't grant the federal government permits to raise Shasta Dam because the project would drown state-protected portions of the McCloud River. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times) California is building walls at its borders ? they?re just not the kind President Trump has in mind. As the Trump administration continues its assault on environmental regulation, state officials are throwing up legal barriers to some high-stakes attacks. They are preparing to strengthen safeguards for waterways that are about to lose federal protections in?a major rollback?of the Clean Water Act. They are refusing to issue permits the federal government needs to build a controversial?dam project?that would drown portions of a Northern California river renowned for its wild trout fishery. And they can use state water quality standards to limit Washington?s ability?to boost irrigation supplies?for Central Valley agriculture by relaxing federal safeguards for endangered fish. ?The state can stand up against the federal government on every single one of those issues,? said?Noah Oppenheim, executive director of the Pacific Coast Federation of Fishermen?s Assns. Armed with some of the strongest environmental laws in the nation, California has been a leader in the Trump resistance. Trump administration unveils major Clean Water Act rollback ? As governor, Jerry Brown repeatedly clashed with the White House over Trump?s policies on climate change and vehicle fuel economy standards. Since?taking office?in January, Gov. Gavin Newsom has continued the fight. That became clear one week after Newsom?s inauguration, when representatives of three state agencies reiterated that the dam project is illegal under California law. The $1.3-billion proposal would raise the 602-foot-tall?Shasta Dam?near Redding another 18? feet. Doing so would increase the storage capacity of Shasta Lake, California?s largest reservoir, by roughly 14%. But it would inundate a stretch of the McCloud River, which is protected under?California?s Wild and Scenic Rivers Act. ?We are prohibited by state law? from permitting the Shasta project, said Andrew Sawyer, assistant chief counsel of the State Water Resources Control Board.?The water board, the California Department of Fish and Wildlife and the State Lands Commission outlined their objections on Jan. 14 in letters to the?Westlands Water District?in Fresno, the state?s largest irrigation district and primary backer of the proposal. Westlands did not respond to a request for comment. California authorities say the Shasta plan is clearly subject to a section of the?1902 Reclamation Act?that requires federal irrigation projects in the West to comply with state laws that relate ?to the control, appropriation, use, or distribution of water used in irrigation.? Exceptions can be made only if Congress directly exempts a project from that mandate. In 2017, the GOP-dominated House approved legislation that attempted to do that for operations managed by the federal Central Valley Project, including Shasta Dam. But concern for states? rights killed the bill in the Senate, where the proposal never got out of committee. And with Democrats now in control of the House, any similar efforts in the new Congress are all but doomed. Trump's pick for a top Interior post has sued the agency on behalf of powerful California water interests ? On another front, the state water board will vote next month on a package of rules that would counter Trump administration plans to cut wetlands protections. In December, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency gave notice that it is dropping Obama-era regulations that broadened the Clean Water Act?s coverage of wetlands and seasonal streams, which are common in California and the arid West. The law allows states to adopt regulations that are more stringent than the federal standards. California?s water board has been considering tougher wetlands protections for more than a decade, ever since the U.S. Supreme Court issued a set of decisions that left authorities confused about which waters were covered under the act. The board?s efforts have taken on a new urgency in the wake of the EPA?s move. ?The threat of the Trump administration rollback has really amplified interest and concern about a need for developing state-level protection,? said?Julia Stein, a supervising attorney at UCLA?s environmental law clinic. The?Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta, the center of California?s water system, is another Trump-California battleground. Westlands and other San Joaquin Valley irrigation districts have long fought protections for endangered fish that limit water exports from the delta. Under Trump, they have a major ally at the Interior Department: acting Secretary David Bernhardt,?a former lobbyist for Westlands?who is in line?to succeed?Ryan Zinke in the agency?s top post. Last month, the?U.S. Bureau of Reclamation?released documents?that justified loosening the restrictions on the grounds that habitat restoration and other measures would help imperiled populations of delta smelt and migrating salmon. Federal fish and wildlife biologists have until this summer to issue a new set of delta export rules. If the regulations are weakened, environmentalists will almost certainly mount a challenge in the courts, which blocked a similar effort by the George W. Bush administration. California has its own endangered species law, but it is unclear whether those protections fit into the category of state laws that the federal reclamation bureau must adhere to. Still, state standards for salinity levels in the delta and for the volume of water that flows through delta habitats to the ocean will restrict the Trump administration?s ability to boost exports, said?Holly Doremus, an environmental law expert at UC Berkeley. Another leverage point lies in the linkage of state and federal water operations in the delta. The California Department of Water Resources can, for example, refuse to let federal water managers use the state-owned California Aqueduct to convey delta supplies if the state believes the water shipments would hurt protected fish. ?The state retains primary regulatory authority over its water, period,? Doremus said. ?It has always been bluster for the feds to run around saying ? that they are going to make California do whatever.? -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From oorourke at yuroktribe.nsn.us Fri Mar 29 10:15:24 2019 From: oorourke at yuroktribe.nsn.us (Oshun O'Rourke) Date: Fri, 29 Mar 2019 17:15:24 +0000 Subject: [env-trinity] Willow Creek RST 2018 summary Message-ID: <198bba2985524f26a3ba4f636a24c5eb@mail.yuroktribe.nsn.us> Attached is the Yurok Tribal Fisheries' 2018 catch summary for the Lower Trinity River outmigrant screw traps located in Willow Creek, CA. Please see the attached spreadsheet for a full update. Thanks, Oshun Orourke Yurok Tribe Fisheries Trinity Division 530-629-3333 oorourke at yuroktribe.nsn.us -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: raw catch bi-weekly update 2018.xlsx Type: application/vnd.openxmlformats-officedocument.spreadsheetml.sheet Size: 23618 bytes Desc: raw catch bi-weekly update 2018.xlsx URL: From tstokely at att.net Mon Apr 1 09:13:47 2019 From: tstokely at att.net (Tom Stokely) Date: Mon, 1 Apr 2019 16:13:47 +0000 (UTC) Subject: [env-trinity] Fw: TRRP points of contact update In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: <235506705.13178808.1554135227781@mail.yahoo.com> ----- Forwarded Message ----- From: Dixon, Michael Sent: Monday, April 1, 2019, 7:47:52 AM PDTSubject: TRRP points of contact update Good morning Trinity River Restoration Program and partners,In light of recent turnover and ongoing vacancies, as well as because it is just a busy time of year, I wanted to provide updates on points of contact for various items of program business. Executive Director:?As most of you are aware, I will be filling Caryn's position in a temporary promotion through the end of July or until it is filled, whichever comes first. I have high hopes, based on recent HR updates, that we are close to advertising the position.? Implementation Branch Chief:?For the next two months, Logan Negherbon (lnegherbon at usbr.gov), our design engineer, will be back filling my position, so he is your guy for all Implementation Branch questions (design, construction, permitting, gravel augmentation). The one exception is that I will maintain point on watershed restoration stuff for the time being. Geomorphologist stuff: With Dave Gaeuman's departure for the Yurok Tribe, questions regarding what we are doing this year with gravel should be directed to Logan Negherbon. Questions regarding this year's sediment transport or gravel augmentation monitoring should be jointly fielded by Todd Buxton (tbuxton at usbr.gov) and Eric Peterson (ebpeterson at usbr.gov). This position will likely be held vacant until we are able to fill the legacy science coordinator position. Science Coordinator: HR is making some final tweaks to the PD, and then my understanding is that we will likely be recruiting this position not too long after the ED. In the interim, Eric Peterson will be the POC for report submittal, and he will be jointly coordinating internal and/or external review of documents with Nick Som (nicholas_som at fws.gov).? Media inquiries, public concerns, positive outreach stuff: We are rolling into our busiest season, with restoration flows and gravel augmentation kicking off in a couple weeks, as well as the final stages of permitting for what will be our largest channel rehab project yet, Chapman Ranch Phase A, and Dutch Creek in the pipeline to follow. Your POC for all things good, bad, or indifferent when it comes to outreach is Kevin Held (kheld at usbr.gov). Permitting and compliance: These items continue to be spearheaded by Brandt Gutermuth (fgutermuth at usbr.gov) who is your primary POC. Jeanne McSloy (jmcsloy at usbr.gov) is leading a portion of this work as well. Contracts, grants, and agreements: No changes; if you have questions about a current agreement non-tribal agreement, please contact Deanna Jackson (dljackson at usbr.gov). For questions regarding Tribal AFAs, it's Linsey Walker (lwalker at usbr.gov). Thanks all, and have a great week. -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From kheld at usbr.gov Mon Apr 1 09:36:45 2019 From: kheld at usbr.gov (Held, Kevin) Date: Mon, 1 Apr 2019 09:36:45 -0700 Subject: [env-trinity] TRRP Public Meeting on April 11, 2019 for Trinity River Flow Release and Gravel Augmentation Recommendations Message-ID: https://www.usbr.gov/newsroom/newsrelease/detail.cfm?RecordID=65383 Reclamation announces public meeting for Trinity River flow and gravel augmentation WEAVERVILLE, Calif. ? The Trinity River Restoration Program, a Department of the Interior established multi-agency program, will host a public informational meeting to present 2019 Lewiston Dam spring restoration flow releases and Trinity River gravel augmentation plans. TRRP staff will be available to answer questions on the presentations. What: 2019 Trinity River flow and gravel augmentation public meeting Who: Trinity River Restoration Program Where: Trinity River Restoration Program Office, 1313 S. Main Street, Weaverville When: Thursday, April 11, 6 ? 7:30 p.m. The TRRP was established to restore the ecological function and anadromous fisheries of the Trinity River severely degraded by dams and historic mining and logging. A 2000 Record of Decision includes five water year types with a minimum volume of water to be released into the Trinity River for each type. Gravel augmentation is combined with the flow releases to replace gravel trapped by the upstream dams that is necessary for salmon habitats. The gravel is locally supplied from the Trinity River Basin. For additional information, visit www.trrp.net or contact Kevin Held at 530-623-1809 (TTY 800-877-8339) or kheld at usbr.gov. # # # Reclamation is the largest wholesale water supplier in the United States, and the nation's second largest producer of hydroelectric power. Its facilities also provide substantial flood control, recreation, and fish and wildlife benefits. Visit our website at https://www.usbr.gov and follow us on Twitter @USBR . -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From tstokely at att.net Mon Apr 1 17:25:28 2019 From: tstokely at att.net (tstokely at att.net) Date: Tue, 2 Apr 2019 07:25:28 +0700 Subject: [env-trinity] Returned mail: Data format error Message-ID: <20190402001226.3712F26BB@velocipede.dcn.davis.ca.us> This message was not delivered due to the following reason: Your message was not delivered because the destination server was unreachable within the allowed queue period. The amount of time a message is queued before it is returned depends on local configura- tion parameters. Most likely there is a network problem that prevented delivery, but it is also possible that the computer is turned off, or does not have a mail system running right now. Your message was not delivered within 1 days: Host 91.197.216.182 is not responding. The following recipients did not receive this message: Please reply to postmaster at att.net if you feel this message to be in error. -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: MAIL.EXE Type: application/octet-stream Size: 28864 bytes Desc: not available URL: From tstokely at att.net Tue Apr 2 12:52:45 2019 From: tstokely at att.net (Tom Stokely) Date: Tue, 2 Apr 2019 19:52:45 +0000 (UTC) Subject: [env-trinity] Something funny about water- Towing Icebergs (day late April Fool's) References: <1121801411.13953271.1554234765143.ref@mail.yahoo.com> Message-ID: <1121801411.13953271.1554234765143@mail.yahoo.com> https://californiawaterblog.com/2019/04/01/climate-warming-brings-new-water-supplies-to-californias-delta/ Climate Warming Brings New Water to California?s?Delta Posted on?April 1, 2019by?jaylund First ice berg test for fitting under the Golden Gate Bridge:Photo by Mustafa Dogan April 1, 2019 By Nestle J. Frobish The California Department of Water Resources is working to employ the ongoing break-up of the Antarctic ice cap to provide a vast supply of water for California.? Current plans are to employ ocean tugs to bring ice bergs into San Francisco Bay for docking in the State Water Project?s Clifton Court Forebay.??Several propulsion designs?are being explored. The resulting meltwater will provide a salt-free source of water in the south Delta for local and Delta export water users, cold water for Delta Smelt, and a summer winter-sports recreation activity in the southern Delta.? Satisfying the entire roughly 7 maf/year of total Delta export water demand will require roughly 8.6 billion tons of ice berg annually (9.2 cubic kilometers of ice). ?We decided that we needed a new source where we could be the senior appropriator, and use the water to help contribute cold environmental flows in a warmer climate.? In this case, as soon as the ice drops off the Antarctic coast, it is ours to divert,? said Russell Berg of DWR. ?The operating costs are high, but this drought-proof source will mean we don?t need expensive new Delta conveyance,? said Bob Apple of the Southern California?s Metropolitan Water Authority.? Other savings also are likely.? ?With this immense new water source, we can stop studying cloud seeding, desalination, and fog capture,? said a spokesman for LBL. Environmental experts are particularly excited about adding cold water to the Delta.? ?Before this solution, we haven?t had a way of keeping parts of the Delta cool enough for Delta Smelt with a warmer climate,? said Allison Ick of UC Davis. ?As an adaptation to climate change, rising sea levels will allow deeper ice bergs to be brought through the Golden Gate and into the Delta. ReSnore the Delta, a formerly-sleepy local environmental group, has raised concerns about the impacts of deepening Delta channels to allow the bergs to be brought into the Delta.? ?However, the Byron Chamber of Commerce welcomes the prospect of summer-time winter sports for the local economy.? ?The southern Delta will be a place for winter sports in the summertime. We already sell ice, bait, and beer for bass fishermen.? Renting ice-axes, crampons, and skates for winter sports will bring additional summer business,? said spokeswoman Bethany Brentwood. Restore Hetch Hetchy expressed enthusiasm for the idea as a substitute form of cold water storage for the people of San Francisco.? ?SFPUC can park pure glacier water at Pier 39, and no longer need Hetch Hetchy reservoir,? said a spokesperson. Titanic Cruise Lines has raised safety concerns that transporting ice bergs to San Francisco Bay might bring hazards to navigation. ICE-MAR corporation, the world?s largest cultivator of ice fields, also working to bring smaller ice bergs to just outside of Bakersfield for aquifer recharge.? ?Infiltrating another couple of cubic kilometers of ice could end groundwater overdraft in the San Joaquin Valley, and be quite an attraction during our hot summer,? said a company spokesperson. In the nearer term, calving bergs from glaciers in nearer-by Alaska and British Columbia could be used, although ice bergs being shed at growing rate from Antarctica are seen as a more sustainable supply. Water from the ice bergs would return to the ocean as Delta outflow, urban wastewater, and precipitation from agricultural evapotranspiration, and so would be unavailable for combatting sea level rise. ??More research is needed,? said Jay Lund of UC Davis. Nestle J. Frobish, former chairman of the?Worldwide Fair Play for Frogs Committee, is Innovation Chair at the UC Davis Center for Climate Adaptation. Further reading ?The facts about iceberg towing,??https://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2011/08/the-many-failures-and-few-successes-of-zany-iceberg-towing-schemes/243364/ ?A Tug on a Frozen Straw,??https://www.fastcompany.com/1755444/watch-tugboat-drag-arctic-iceberg-parched-people-half-world-away-video ?Running ice water,??http://web.mit.edu/12.000/www/m2012/finalwebsite/solution/glaciers.shtml ?Ice for African Development,??https://www.cbsnews.com/news/south-africa-cape-town-water-crisis-plan-drag-iceberg-from-antarctica/ ?Ice Bergs for Middle East Peace!,??https://www.huffingtonpost.com.au/2017/05/18/uae-company-wants-to-tow-an-iceberg-from-antarctica-for-drinking_a_22086611/ -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From tstokely at att.net Tue Apr 2 17:54:35 2019 From: tstokely at att.net (Tom Stokely) Date: Wed, 3 Apr 2019 00:54:35 +0000 (UTC) Subject: [env-trinity] Fw: Reclamation transitions to modified water operation plan for its Klamath Project In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: <1930178293.2368.1554252875133@mail.yahoo.com> ----- Forwarded Message ----- From: Laura Williams To: "tstokely at att.net" Sent: Tuesday, April 2, 2019, 4:35:55 PM PDTSubject: Reclamation transitions to modified water operation plan for its Klamath Project Mid-Pacific Region Sacramento, Calif. MP-19-023 Media Contact: Christie Kalkowski, 916-978-5100, ckalkowski at usbr.gov For Immediate Release: April 2, 2019 Reclamation transitions to modified water operation plan for its Klamath Project KLAMATH FALLS, Ore. - The Bureau of Reclamation announced today that it has completed all steps necessary to transition to a modified operating plan for its Klamath Project, which delivers irrigation water to approximately 230,000 acres in southern Oregon and northern California. Reclamation issued a finding of no significant impact related to its modified water management approach for project operations between 2019 and 2024. The approach is consistent with coordinated biological opinions issued on March 29, 2019, from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration?s National Marine Fisheries Service and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. The biological opinions analyze the effects of the ongoing Klamath Project operations on federally listed species, including the endangered Lost River and shortnose suckers and threatened coho salmon. NMFS and USFWS concluded that Reclamation?s modified operations plan for the Klamath Project is not likely to jeopardize the continued existence of federally listed species or result in the destruction or adverse modification of their designated critical habitat. ?Our water management approach is reflective of an extensive science-based effort that aims at creating greater reliability and certainty for all resources,? said Bureau of Reclamation Mid-Pacific Regional Director Ernest Conant. ?We are working to provide a fair and early allocation to water users while fulfilling our tribal trust obligations and protecting important species including coho salmon, Lost River, and shortnose suckers, among others. This plan is key to the continued survival of protected species and to the economic vitality of the Klamath Basin.? The re-initiation of consultation included a robust process that provided for an increased level of engagement and collaboration with six federally recognized tribes and key stakeholders including Klamath Project water users. ?Our biological opinion uses the best available science in determining that the Klamath Project will not jeopardize coho salmon or other listed species in the Klamath Basin,? said NOAA Fisheries West?Coast Regional Administrator Barry Thom. ?We are pleased that the Klamath Project improves?flows?for?threatened coho salmon and other listed species in the Klamath?Basin.?? ?The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is committed to recovery of the Lost River suckers and shortnose suckers and used the best available science to offer a plan that will sustain these fisheries,? said USFWS Pacific Southwest Regional Director Paul Souza. ?We believe captive propagation is an important part of the species' future recovery.? Additional information on Klamath Project operations and anticipated water supplies will be found in Reclamation?s 2019 Operations Plan, which is expected to be released during the first half of April. The National Environmental Policy Act documents can be viewed at https://www.usbr.gov/mp/nepa/nepa_project_details.php?Project_ID=37522. For more information about the biological opinions and plans, or to receive emailed copies, contact Laura Williams at (541) 880-2581 or ljwilliams at usbr.gov. # # # Reclamation is the largest wholesale water supplier in the United States, and the nation?s second largest producer of hydroelectric power. Its facilities also provide substantial flood control, recreation, and fish and wildlife benefits. Visit our website at http://www.usbr.gov. Follow us on Twitter @USBR and @ReclamationCVP. ? Bureau of Reclamation, Denver Federal Center, Alameda & Kipling Street PO Box 25007, Denver, CO 80225 United States -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From tstokely at att.net Mon Apr 8 10:07:35 2019 From: tstokely at att.net (Tom Stokely) Date: Mon, 8 Apr 2019 17:07:35 +0000 (UTC) Subject: [env-trinity] The Observer: Water board orders water prohibition for cannabis grows through October References: <559004042.1381821.1554743255896.ref@mail.yahoo.com> Message-ID: <559004042.1381821.1554743255896@mail.yahoo.com> https://www.ukiahdailyjournal.com/2019/04/07/wtaer-board-orders-water-prohibition-for-cannabis-grows-through-october/ The Observer: Water board orders water prohibition for cannabis grows through October - - - By?JIM SHIELDS?|?April 7, 2019 at 1:48 am On March 29, the State Water Resources Control Board announced that cannabis cultivators with water rights are not allowed to divert surface water for cannabis cultivation activities at any time from April 1 through October 31 of this year unless the water diverted is from storage. The Board?s action is what is known as a ?forbearance order? that is a central provision in state marijuana legalization policy. It?s really just common sense because it prohibits using water from surface sources, such as streams, creeks, and rivers during California?s dry season. As explained in the State Water Board?s Cannabis Policy:? ?Absent restrictions on water diversion, the individual and cumulative effects of water diversions for cannabis cultivation during the dry season are likely to significantly decrease instream flow and in some instances, reduce hydrologic connectivity or completely dewater the stream. Minimum flows that provide habitat connectivity are needed to maintain juvenile salmonid passage conditions in late spring and early summer. Instream flows are also needed to maintain habitat conditions necessary for juvenile salmonid viability throughout the dry season, including adequate dissolved oxygen concentrations, low stream temperatures, and high rates of invertebrate drift from riffles to pools. Further, many species depend on spring recession flows as migratory or breeding cues. The State Water Board is requiring a surface water diversion forbearance period to ensure adequate flows are maintained throughout the dry season and protect aquatic species, aquatic habitat, and water quality.? In an earlier interview with Water Deeply, Erin Ragazzi, an assistant deputy director for the State Water Board?s Division of Water Rights and Water Quality Certification, explained, ?There?s a variety of different types of damage that can occur, depending on where the cannabis cultivation activities are taking place, and the measures that are put in place to protect the environment. Our focus here is mainly on surface water and groundwater protection, and the beneficial uses associated with them.? In late 2017, the State Water Board adopted new environmental policies to regulate pot growing operations that historically have adversely impacted California?s water resources. These new regulations were mandated by the 2015 medical marijuana legalization statute and the 2016 voter-approved Proposition 64 that legalized recreational marijuana. Summarizing the evolving public policy, Ragazzi said, ?I think one of the things that?s important to point out is that the policy creates a comprehensive mechanism to regulate cannabis cultivation, and it includes both those water supply, water rights side and water quality components. Specifically, I think it?s important to note we have a lot of important requirements to address individual and cumulative impacts that can occur in watersheds, and that?s been a big concern for a lot of folks, in terms of not just the site-specific impacts but the broader cumulative impacts in a watershed. To that end, that policy includes requirements establishing maximum diversion rate, a forbearance period when no diversions can occur and instream flow requirements so that even when you?re in the season of diversion, you can always divert when flows are above that instream flow requirement. So there?s a pretty comprehensive look at ensuring that we?re not seeing the impacts associated with diversion and use of water, while at the same time allowing folks a pathway to get a storage water right, which often would take a very long period of time.? Educating cultivators is also a significant component of the new regulatory environment that elevates the protection of threatened water sources. Ragazzi stated, ?I think that we are cognizant of the need to develop requirements that we think are protective of water quality, but also create an environment in which people want to come in to the regulated community, because they have been in the black market for so long. What will be your carrots and sticks? One key component of that is doing the education outreach to make the folks aware of what we?re requiring, why we?re requiring it, but then also having the enforcement arm necessary to facilitate folks knowing that they can?t hide in the black market, but that we are going to be taking enforcement actions against folks that are not registered and enrolled in our program. I think there are incentives already as part of the legislation that incentivize people to come into the process earlier rather than later. There are those carrots in terms of the early adopters, and the board has an enforcement policy that is very focused on education as one of its first pillars, before you move directly to further enforcement. We don?t directly inform the other agencies for purposes of eradication. Typically, to my knowledge, what occurs is the State Water Board staff will go out with California Department of Fish and Wildlife staff and their warden, and as part of those joint inspections there may be an eradication process that takes place, depending upon the unique circumstances of that specific site.? As I?ve said many times previously, you don?t get legalization without regulation. In this instance, this is definitely one regulation that pays off for everybody. (Jim Shields is the Mendocino County Observer?s editor and publisher, and is also the long-time district manager of the Laytonville County Water District. Listen to his radio program ?This and That? every Saturday at 12 noon on KPFN 105.1 FM, also streamed live: http://www.kpfn.org) -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From tstokely at att.net Mon Apr 8 18:29:23 2019 From: tstokely at att.net (Tom Stokely) Date: Tue, 9 Apr 2019 01:29:23 +0000 (UTC) Subject: [env-trinity] Fw: Reclamation begins flood control operations on Upper Klamath Lake In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: <1694236949.182252.1554773363796@mail.yahoo.com> ----- Forwarded Message ----- From: Lisa Navarro To: "tstokely at att.net" Sent: Monday, April 8, 2019, 5:02:19 PM PDTSubject: Reclamation begins flood control operations on Upper Klamath Lake Mid-Pacific Region Sacramento, Calif. MP-19-026 Media Contacts: Christie Kalkowski, 916-978-5100, ckalkowski at usbr.gov ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?Laura Williams, 541-880-2581, ljwilliams at usbr.gov For Immediate Release: April 8, 2019 Reclamation begins flood control operations on Upper Klamath Lake KLAMATH FALLS, Ore. ? The Bureau of Reclamation announced the beginning of flood control operations on the Upper Klamath Lake with increased releases continuing today. The public is urged to take all necessary precautions, including avoiding high-water areas, on or near the Link or Klamath rivers (including below Keno and J.C. Boyle dams) while flows are elevated. Increased inflows along the stretch of river from Link River Dam to Iron Gate Dam are anticipated over the next week or longer. Based on current projections, flows below Iron Gate Dam will be increasing from approximately 4,000 cubic feet per second; to at least 6,030 cubic feet per second, possibly more than 8,000 cubic feet per second. ?We are very thankful that the weather and increased inflows also created ideal conditions for this flushing flow,? said Reclamation?s Area Manager Jeff Nettleton. ?We can optimize the water released to reduce disease among Klamath River salmonids while maintaining Upper Klamath Lake, within flood control levels, as well as providing for habitat and spawning needs for suckers.? The current hydrologic conditions, including rain on snow and increased temperatures resulting in snow melt at higher elevations, make this an ideal time to accomplish the flow event as part of required flood operations. Upper Klamath Lake reached the flood control curve on April 3, which means that Reclamation must release water from Upper Klamath Lake to maintain the lake elevation at or below the prescribed flood control elevations. The high inflow to Upper Klamath Lake as well as additional inflows to the Klamath River from down-river tributaries, will also optimize the effectiveness of the flushing flow event. The flood control releases also meet the needs of salmon in the Klamath River by providing a flushing flow as included in Reclamation?s Proposed Action that was analyzed by the National Marine Fisheries Service in their 2019 Biological Opinion (2019 BiOp). As part of the Proposed Action, a flushing flow designed to reduce the prevalence of Ceratonova shasta disease (C. shasta) in Klamath River coho salmon below Iron Gate Dam is likely to be implemented each year. The flushing flows are intended to disrupt the life cycle of C. shasta by disturbing the river bed and clearing submerged rocks of polychaetes, which are the intermediate host of C. shasta. Because the flushing flows are explicitly provided for under the 2019 BiOp as part of the Klamath River water account (Environmental Water Account), implementation will not impact the Project irrigation supply. # # # Reclamation is the largest wholesale water supplier in the United States, and the nation?s second largest producer of hydroelectric power. Its facilities also provide substantial flood control, recreation, and fish and wildlife benefits. Visit our website at http://www.usbr.gov. Follow us on Twitter @USBR and @ReclamationCVP. Bureau of Reclamation, Mid-Pacific Region 2800 Cottage Way, Sacramento, CA 95825 United States -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From tstokely at att.net Thu Apr 11 11:42:20 2019 From: tstokely at att.net (Tom Stokely) Date: Thu, 11 Apr 2019 18:42:20 +0000 (UTC) Subject: [env-trinity] Fw: [Trinity Releases] Change Order - Lewiston Dam In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: <937079074.467591.1555008140646@mail.yahoo.com> ----- Forwarded Message ----- From: 'FIELD, RANDI' via trinity-releases To:Sent: Thursday, April 11, 2019, 11:20:31 AM PDTSubject: [Trinity Releases] Change Order - Lewiston Dam Project: Lewiston Dam Please make the following release changes to the Trinity River: Date? ? ? ?Time? ? ?From (cfs)? ? To (cfs) 4/14/19 14:00 300 ? ? ? ? ? 3504/14/19 16:00 350 ? ? ? ? ? 4504/14/19 18:00 450 ? ? ? ? ? 5504/14/19 20:00 550 ? ? ? ? ? 8004/14/19 22:00 800 ? ? ? ? 1050 4/15/19 00:01 1050 13004/15/19 02:00 1300 15504/15/19 04:00 1550 18004/15/19 06:00 1800 20504/15/19 08:00 2050 25504/15/19 10:00 2550 30504/15/19 12:00 3050 35504/15/19 14:00 3550 40504/15/19 16:00 4050 42004/15/19 18:00 4200 41004/15/19 20:00 4100 40004/15/19 22:00 4000 3900 4/16/19 00:01 3900 38004/16/19 02:00 3800 37004/16/19 04:00 3700 36004/16/19 06:00 3600 35004/16/19 08:00 3500 34004/16/19 10:00 3400 33004/16/19 12:00 3300 32004/16/19 14:00 3200 31004/16/19 16:00 3100 30004/16/19 18:00 3000 29004/16/19 20:00 2900 28004/16/19 22:00 2800 2700 4/17/19 00:01 2700 32004/17/19 02:00 3200 37004/17/19 04:00 3700 42004/17/19 06:00 4200 52004/17/19 08:00 5200 62004/17/19 10:00 6200 72004/17/19 12:00 7200 82004/17/19 14:00 8200 92004/17/19 16:00 9200 98504/17/19 18:00 9850 96004/17/19 20:00 9600 93504/17/19 22:00 9350 9100 4/18/19 00:01 9100 88504/18/19 02:00 8850 86004/18/19 04:00 8600 83504/18/19 06:00 8350 81004/18/19 08:00 8100 78504/18/19 10:00 7850 76004/18/19 12:00 7600 73504/18/19 14:00 7350 71004/18/19 16:00 7100 68504/18/19 18:00 6850 66004/18/19 20:00 6600 64004/18/19 22:00 6400 6200 4/19/19 00:01 6200 60004/19/19 02:00 6000 59004/19/19 04:00 5900 58004/19/19 06:00 5800 56004/19/19 08:00 5600 54004/19/19 10:00 5400 52004/19/19 12:00 5200 50004/19/19 14:00 5000 48004/19/19 16:00 4800 46004/19/19 18:00 4600 44004/19/19 20:00 4400 42504/19/19 22:00 4250 4100 4/20/19 00:01 4100 40004/20/19 02:00 4000 39004/20/19 04:00 3900 38004/20/19 06:00 3800 37004/20/19 08:00 3700 36004/20/19 10:00 3600 35004/20/19 12:00 3500 34004/20/19 14:00 3400 33004/20/19 16:00 3300 32004/20/19 18:00 3200 31504/20/19 20:00 3150 31004/20/19 22:00 3100 3150 Comment: Trinity ROD releases.? Issued by: R. Field -- View online at http://www.trrp.net/restore/flows/release-email/ -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From tstokely at att.net Thu Apr 11 12:06:13 2019 From: tstokely at att.net (Tom Stokely) Date: Thu, 11 Apr 2019 19:06:13 +0000 (UTC) Subject: [env-trinity] TRRP Public meeting tonight and latest recommended flow release schedule References: <211237924.1925769.1555009573456.ref@mail.yahoo.com> Message-ID: <211237924.1925769.1555009573456@mail.yahoo.com> ----- Forwarded Message ----- From: Elizabeth Sandoval To:?Sent: Thursday, April 11, 2019, 11:50:00 AM PDTSubject: TRRP Public meeting tonight and latest recommended flow release schedule The TRRP Flow Release Meeting is scheduled for tonight, Thursday, April 11, 2019 from 6 ? 7:30pm. Please see the attached ad. Also ? I have attached the latest recommended flow release schedule. Elizabeth Sandoval | Education and Outreach Coordinator Trinity County Resource Conservation District Box 1450 | #30 Horseshoe Lane | Weaverville, CA 96093 (O)530-623-6004 | (F)530-623-6006 |esandoval at tcrcd.net ? ???? ? -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: WY2019 Wet - Recommended Hydrograph and Table Handout_FINAL.pdf Type: application/pdf Size: 303126 bytes Desc: not available URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: 2019 Flow Release Meeting.jpg Type: image/jpeg Size: 639205 bytes Desc: not available URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: image001.png Type: image/png Size: 46283 bytes Desc: not available URL: From tstokely at att.net Thu Apr 11 12:12:05 2019 From: tstokely at att.net (Tom Stokely) Date: Thu, 11 Apr 2019 19:12:05 +0000 (UTC) Subject: [env-trinity] See how the Interior Department has tried to stifle ethical doubts raised about its acting chief References: <25583270.1963463.1555009925013.ref@mail.yahoo.com> Message-ID: <25583270.1963463.1555009925013@mail.yahoo.com> https://www.latimes.com/business/hiltzik/la-fi-hiltzik-david-bernhardt-ethics-questions-20190410-story.htmlSee how the Interior Department has tried to stifle ethical doubts raised about its acting chiefBy?MICHAEL HILTZIKAPR 10, 2019?|?8:05 AM???"Matter," or "particular matter"? David Bernhardt at his confirmation hearing as Interior secretary on March 28. (J. Scott Applewhite / Associated Press) When it comes to acting Interior Secretary David Bernhardt?s involvement in plans to loosen environmental restrictions on water flows for Central Valley farmers, a few things are clear and many more are murky. What?s clear is that Bernhardt, who became deputy Interior secretary in 2017, was involved in decisions connected with those efforts. It?s also clear that the department?s actions would yield major benefits for the giant Westlands Water District, a client of Bernhardt?s during his years as a lawyer for agricultural interests in California. The murkiness comes from the Interior Department?s efforts to defend Bernhardt against accusations that he has violated government ethics rules, lobbying regulations, and his own ethics commitments. Put simply, the department?s ethics rulings are transparently bogus. The Senate could be on its way to installing an Interior secretary who could almost immediately face investigation for corruption and lying under oath. ?SEN. RON WYDEN (D-ORE.)?Share quote & link?? ?The public now can?t be sure if these decisions were made because they?re in the best interest of the public, or because acting Secretary Bernhardt has a former client with a big interest in getting this water and he put his thumb on the scale to make it happen,? says Delaney N. Marsco, ethics counsel for the Campaign Legal Center in Washington, which has questioned the ethics rulings. That?s not the only question raised about Bernhardt, who has been accused of coming into office saddled with?conflicts of interest on a dizzying scale. Sen. Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) has?implied that Bernhardt lied to a congressional committeeduring his confirmation hearing in late March, when Wyden questioned Bernhardt about evidence that he had personally intervened to block an agency report on the impact of toxic pesticides on endangered species. Bernhardt claimed the report had not undergone a legal review and that Interior Department attorneys agreed with his assessment, but Wyden suspects those claims are untrue. These issues are urgent, because a Senate floor vote to confirm Bernhardt as Interior secretary may be only a day or two away. It?s currently scheduled for Thursday. Yet, as Wyden observed from the floor in calling for a delay in the confirmation process on April 3, ?The Senate could be on its way to installing an Interior secretary who could almost immediately face investigation for corruption and lying under oath,? Wyden said. Zinke may soon be gone from the Interior Department, but his successor could be much, much worseNOV 16, 2018?|?10:30 AM? That wouldn?t be a good look for the Interior Department, which holds sway over millions of acres of federal lands and the disposition of crucial water supplies through much of the West, especially California. The agency?s last secretary, Ryan Zinke, resigned Dec. 15 under a cloud of corruption accusations remarkable even for the ethics-challenged Trump administration. Bernhardt?s case also underscores the toothlessness of the federal government?s ethics enforcement regime. The first line of defense at the Interior Department is its inspector general?s office, which says it is ?reviewing? the information provided by the Campaign Legal Center, but hasn?t opened an investigation of the nominee. The IG hasn?t yet responded to?a request from Wyden?for an investigation of a raft of allegations of ethics violations by Bernhardt. The system depends heavily on voluntary compliance from the top down ? if the IG recommends disciplinary action against Bernhardt, the decision would be in the hands of the Trump White House, which hasn?t shown much willingness to conform to ethical norms. No one other than Trump could remove Bernhardt, and any decisions he made in office, including those found to have favored his former clients, would remain in place. Bernhardt has done little to hide his antipathy for federal laws and regulations that interfere with the smooth operations of his former clients. He has been the spear carrier for Trump administration efforts to?emasculate the Endangered Species Act, which creates roadblocks for the exploitation of natural resources by commercial interests ? water users such as Westlands, for instance. So let?s look at Bernhardt?s questionable actions, and at how the Interior Department ethics overseers have given him a free pass. The key issues raised by the Campaign Legal Center and by?Democratic Sens. Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts and Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut?involve Bernhardt?s participation in actions aimed at increasing water flows to agricultural users in the Central Valley. Those users get their water from the federal Central Valley Project (CVP) and the State Water Project (SWP), but their supplies have been constrained by legal judgments and scientific assessments of how increased water for the farmers will affect fish in the region. Bernhardt joined the Interior Department as deputy secretary in August 2017 from the law firm of Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck. As?my colleague Bettina Boxall has documented, at the law firm he lobbied for Westlands, among other clients with interests before the agency. Nevertheless, after he joined the department, he participated in discussions aimed at reopening the environmental analysis of water flows, with an eye toward increasing them. That would manifestly benefit Westlands. Bernhardt?s specific actions included launching a new environmental impact statement for the CVP and moving ahead with reconsideration of the biological assessments that underlay the restrictions on agricultural water. Both were plainly aimed at increasing water for growers, and that meant Westlands. This Trump official used to be a farm industry lobbyist. Now he's attacking the Endangered Species ActAUG 13, 2018?|?2:40 PM? Bernhardt, however, had explicitly agreed upon taking office to recuse himself for at least a year from ?particular matters involving specific parties? including Westlands, one of 25 companies or organizations he listed as having represented. How did he get around this? Interior?s ethics officials simply categorized the discussions as??matters,? rather than ?particular matters.??The discussions that involved water flows from the CVP and SWP were general, not specific enough to count as benefiting Westlands. The discussions about the environmental impact statement were ?focused on the broad policy of restoring ? water supply,? the ethics officers ruled. The biological assessment was to incorporate the ?impacts of all federal, state, and private actions and other human activities? in the affected area, which made it ?much broader? than a document aimed at helping Westlands. Ergo, they weren?t ?particular matters? warranting recusal. (When I asked Bernhardt?s spokeswoman if he had any comment, she referred me to the ethics officers? memo.) Bernhardt?s critics consider this argument to be absurd, with good reason. The department?s own analysis acknowledged that any action ?focused on the interests of a discrete and identifiable class? was specific enough to warrant recusal. In these cases, the affected parties were roughly 300 water contractors drawing supplies from the CVP and SWP. All are in the Central Valley, all are directly affected by any decision to increase or limit water from the two projects, and all are identified. Westlands is the largest. The goal of the Interior Department decisions was to increase their water by reducing the constraints placed on the projects by the Endangered Species Act, the Campaign Legal Center asserted in a letter to the agency?s inspector general: ?This is the precise subject of his lobbying for one specific water contractor, Westlands Water District, prior to joining government.? The Campaign? Legal Center maintains that Bernhardt?s activities violate not only the letter, but the spirit of the ethics rules. ?The spirit of the whole ethics regime is to avoid even the appearance of impropriety,? Marsco says. ?They exist because people need to have trust that their government officials are acting in the public interest. It boggles the mind that Bernhardt would even go near a CVP issue if he?s working in the public?s interest.? Bernhardt?s spokeswoman, Faith Vander Voort, has stated in the past that Bernhardt is ?completely compliant with his ethics agreement and he takes it very seriously.? Yet the Interior Department?s tortured explanation of why there?s no conflict of interest in administrative decisions that will plainly benefit a former client smells like a search for loopholes, not a genuine commitment to avoiding conflicts or the appearance of conflicts. The damage done to the public?s trust in its government is massive and lasting, and if the Senate confirms Bernhardt without at least a further inquiry, it?s complicit in the loss. -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From tstokely at att.net Tue Apr 16 15:19:30 2019 From: tstokely at att.net (Tom Stokely) Date: Tue, 16 Apr 2019 22:19:30 +0000 (UTC) Subject: [env-trinity] Fw: [Trinity Releases] Change Order - Lewiston Dam In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: <2099569888.1696333.1555453170691@mail.yahoo.com> ----- Forwarded Message ----- From: 'FIELD, RANDI' via trinity-releases To: Aaron Miller ; Aaron Miller ; Aguilar, Burney ; Alpers, Charles N. ; Anderson, Larry D ; Angerer, Stuart A ; Bader, Donald P ; Bairrington, Phil ; BOR CVO-400 EMPLOYEES ; BOR CVO-650 EMPLOYEES ; BOR MPR All Public Affairs Employees MP-140 ; BOR SLO NCAO All Weaverville Office Employees (TRRP) ; BOR SLO NCAO Control Operators ; Brandon Ledbetter ; Brett Price ; Brian Wheeler ; Bui, Tuan ; Burditt, Wayne ; Chamberlain, Charles ; COE Distribution List ; Craig Tucker ; Craig_Anderson ; David Mooney ; Derek Hilts ; DWR Dispatchers ; DWR FOC ; DWR Forecasters ; Ernest Conant ; Ferguson, Jon E. ; Gaeuman, David A ; Garwin Yip ; George Kautsky ; Giorgi, Bryant ; GREGORY GOTHAM ; Hadley, Elizabeth ; Harral, Sheryl M (Sheri) ; Hirabayashi, Joni ; Hunt, Shane D ; Huntt DeCarlo, Caryn ; Jackson, Deanna L ; James Earley ; Janet Martin ; Jeffrey Rieker ; johnksmith99 at gmail.com ; Kabat, Tom ; Kiteck, Elizabeth G ; Kyle Scarboro ; Leahigh, John ; Leahigh, John ; Matilton, Billy ; Matilton, Clyde ; Matt Brown ; Michael Dixon ; Mike Belchik ; Mike Orcutt ; miki_miyashiro at yahoo.com ; Molly at DWR White ; O'Neil, Christine S. ; OCO Export Management Group-DWR ; Petros, Paul ; pkrbar at att.net ; Pliny Jackson ; pokerbarbill ; Polos, Joe ; Reed, Timothy J. ; releases at trrp.net ; RICHARD ROBERTSON ; River Forecast Center ; Rod Mendes ; Rogers, Rick ; Ryan Wilbur ; Sandhu, Amerit ; Serene Hayden ; Shackleton, Chris ; Shahcheraghi, Reza ; Singh, Amardeep ; Sinnen, Wade ; Smith, Stacey M ; smr at klamathbird.org ; swafford at wapa.gov ; Todd Buxton ; Tom Boardman ; Toz Soto ; Tracy Pettit ; Tran, Loi ; Trent, Cory A. ; Trinity Chamber of Commerce ; Trinity Dispatch ; Tyler Ward ; Vermeyen, Tracy B ; Vivienna Orcutt ; Wong, Greg ; Yamanaka, Dan ; Zedonis, Paul A Sent: Tuesday, April 16, 2019, 9:20:57 AM PDTSubject: [Trinity Releases] Change Order - Lewiston Dam Project:?Lewiston?Dam Please make the following release changes to the Trinity River: Date? ? ? ?Time? ? ?From (cfs)? ? To (cfs) 4/21/19? ?00:01 3150 32504/21/19? ?02:00 3250 31504/21/19? ?04:00 3150 30504/21/19? ?06:00 3050 29504/21/19? ?08:00 2950 28504/21/19? ?10:00 2850 27504/21/19? ?12:00 2750 26504/21/19? ?14:00 2650 25504/21/19? ?16:00 2550 24504/21/19? ?18:00 2450 25504/21/19? ?20:00 2550 27004/21/19? ?22:00 2700 2800 4/22/19? ?00:01 2800 28504/22/19? ?04:00 2850 27504/22/19? ?06:00 2750 26504/22/19? ?08:00 2650 25504/22/19? ?10:00 2550 24504/22/19? ?12:00 2450 24004/22/19? ?14:00 2400 23504/22/19? ?18:00 2350 24004/22/19? ?20:00 2400 25004/22/19? ?22:00 2500 2600 4/23/19? ?00:01 2600 26504/23/19? ?02:00 2650 26004/23/19? ?04:00 2600 25504/23/19? ?06:00 2550 24504/23/19? ?08:00 2450 23504/23/19? ?10:00 2350 22504/23/19? ?12:00 2250 22004/23/19? ?14:00 2200 21504/23/19? ?16:00 2150 22004/23/19? ?18:00 2200 22504/23/19? ?20:00 2250 23004/23/19? ?22:00 2300 2400 4/24/19? ?02:00 2400 23504/24/19? ?04:00 2350 23004/24/19? ?06:00 2300 22504/24/19? ?08:00 2250 21504/24/19? ?10:00 2150 20504/24/19? ?12:00 2050 20004/24/19? ?16:00 2000 19504/24/19? ?18:00 1950 21004/24/19? ?20:00 2100 22004/24/19? ?22:00 2200 2250 4/25/19? ?00:01 2250 23004/25/19? ?02:00 2300 22504/25/19? ?04:00 2250 22004/25/19? ?06:00 2200 21504/25/19? ?08:00 2150 21004/25/19? ?10:00 2100 20504/25/19? ?12:00 2050 20004/25/19? ?14:00 2000 19504/25/19? ?16:00 1950 19004/25/19? ?18:00 1900 18504/25/19? ?20:00 1850 20004/25/19? ?22:00 2000 2150 4/26/19? ?00:01 2150 22004/26/19? ?04:00 2200 21504/26/19? ?06:00 2150 21004/26/19? ?08:00 2100 20504/26/19? ?10:00 2050 20004/26/19? ?12:00 2000 19504/26/19? ?14:00 1950 19004/26/19? ?16:00 1900 18504/26/19? ?18:00 1850 18004/26/19? ?20:00 1800 20004/26/19? ?22:00 2000 2100 4/27/19? ?04:00 2100 20504/27/19? ?06:00 2050 20004/27/19? ?08:00 2000 19504/27/19? ?10:00 1950 19004/27/19? ?12:00 1900 18504/27/19? ?14:00 1850 18004/27/19? ?16:00 1800 17504/27/19? ?18:00 1750 18504/27/19? ?20:00 1850 19504/27/19? ?22:00 1950 2050 4/28/19? ?00:01 2050 21004/28/19? ?04:00 2100 20004/28/19? ?06:00 2000 19504/28/19? ?08:00 1950 19004/28/19? ?10:00 1900 18504/28/19? ?12:00 1850 18004/28/19? ?16:00 1800 19004/28/19? ?18:00 1900 20504/28/19? ?20:00 2050 25504/28/19? ?22:00 2550 3050 Comment: Trinity ROD releases.? Issued by: R. Field -- View online at http://www.trrp.net/restore/flows/release-email/ -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From tstokely at att.net Wed Apr 17 08:13:15 2019 From: tstokely at att.net (Tom Stokely) Date: Wed, 17 Apr 2019 15:13:15 +0000 (UTC) Subject: [env-trinity] Brown trout management up for debate References: <732882832.2038187.1555513995989.ref@mail.yahoo.com> Message-ID: <732882832.2038187.1555513995989@mail.yahoo.com> http://www.trinityjournal.com/news/local/article_ec276b1e-60ad-11e9-b9fb-175a9609e583.html TROUT VS. SALMON Brown trout management up for debate - By Sally Morris The Trinity Journal ? - 1 hr ago ? - ?0 - Facebook - Twitter - Email Brown trout management plans are causing some discussion in Trinity County. Contributed - Facebook - Twitter - Email - Print - Save German brown trout were introduced into the Trinity River in the 1890s and began thriving on their own in the 1930s, but debate over their future is heading to the California Fish and Game Commission this month where the Hoopa tribe and other fishery managers will be arguing for a management plan focused on removing the voracious fish from the river. Long concerned about how the brown trout impact native and hatchery produced salmon and steelhead trout in the Trinity River by consuming large numbers of juvenile fish before they can migrate to the ocean, the Hoopa Valley Tribe worked with Humboldt State University to fund a university graduate study completed in 2017. The study by master?s degree student Justin Santiago Alvarez examined the brown trout dietary impacts on wild and hatchery fish populations in the Trinity. It concluded that approximately 7 percent of the annual hatchery production and about 20 percent of the annual natural production of native salmonids are currently consumed by brown trout. The study also concluded that large brown trout, greater than 20 inches long, are largely fed by hatchery production which makes up more than 60 percent of their diet. It acknowledged that a community of recreational anglers is invested in brown trout in the Trinity River system, especially when other species are not available for sport fishing. However, it concluded that brown trout in the Trinity may impede restoration of native and tribally important species such as chinook salmon, steelhead trout and endangered coho salmon. Among the study?s recommendations are periodic electrofishing specifically targeting brown trout to keep the population low and size of the fish small to minimize impacts on the native and hatchery fish populations. The study and its findings have been discussed at recent meetings of the Trinity County Fish and Game Advisory Commission which endorsed the proposed development of a brown trout management plan to reduce the population and encouraged the Trinity County Board of Supervisors to do the same. There is no draft plan, but a set of possible actions is headed for the April meeting of the State Fish and Game Commission to consider. They include brown trout removal not only by electrofishing, but also by increasing take limits for anglers and even the organization of a derby event to increase fishing pressure by motivating anglers to pursue brown trout in March through July when other fishing opportunities on the Trinity are limited. The Board of Supervisors last week also approved a letter of support for the brown trout management plan being proposed by the Hoopa Tribe, noting the primary target for anglers in the Trinity River are chinook salmon and steelhead trout. The letter notes that in light of declining numbers of salmon and steelhead and the work being done ?to ameliorate the effects of Trinity and Lewiston dams, we are concerned about the threat brown trout pose to the salmon and steelhead that inhabit the Trinity River.? It adds that predation ?could be enough to prevent the recovery of the native fishes and impact the angling success of fishermen.? The board?s letter is supportive of efforts to bring managers and stakeholders together to draft a brown trout management plan and says ?we support the proposed management actions that involve the direct participation of the fishing community. We would ask that any fish harvested for management purposes either be consumed by those that harvest them, or a process where they are made available for consumption by the less fortunate members of our community be part of any plan.? Not everyone was on board. From the audience, John Vorpol of Weaverville argued about the merits of the study, noting that another study contradicts many of the findings. ?You?re being asked to support removing a significant portion of the brown trout from the river with electro-fishing on the theory they are adversely affecting native salmon and steelhead, and doing so will devastate a world class brown trout fishery,? he said. He said that speaking as a fisherman, ?a huge brown trout is the fish of a lifetime for many. There?s no question they consume a lot of salmon fry, but the issue is the return of the salmon and how that?s impacted. I?ve tried to find the proposed management plan and don?t know where to find that. And I agree angling is the best way to manage, but good luck with that. They are notoriously hard to catch.? Urging board support of the management recommendations, Trinity County Fish and Game Advisory Commissioner Kyle De Juilio said the Humboldt State study also documented a decline in brown trout numbers during the years of the study ?and even in that suppressed state, those were the estimates of what they eat. And if you want to suppress a population, it?s most effective to do it when it is already suppressed.? He added there is no draft plan, but only a bulleted list of suggested actions and ?we can only recommend actions. One is to encourage anglers. Others are more drastic like electro-fishing, but we stayed silent on that. It?s up to Fish and Game.? Sup. Keith Groves said the most important thing for the county to worry about is keeping the other fish off the endangered species list, ?and this is taking a step that doesn?t put bulldozers in the river to do questionable environmental damage. This is an easier, less drastic measure that can bring benefit and I am going to support it.? The board?s letter of support was approved by a unanimous vote. -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From tstokely at att.net Wed Apr 17 08:27:32 2019 From: tstokely at att.net (Tom Stokely) Date: Wed, 17 Apr 2019 15:27:32 +0000 (UTC) Subject: [env-trinity] TRRP shares Trinity River flow, gravel plans References: <227308704.2034472.1555514852314.ref@mail.yahoo.com> Message-ID: <227308704.2034472.1555514852314@mail.yahoo.com> http://www.trinityjournal.com/news/local/article_4c58b100-60ae-11e9-ae09-27a834c3b09c.html TRRP shares Trinity River flow, gravel plans - By AMY GITTELSOHN The Trinity Journal ? - 1 hr ago ? - ?0 - Facebook - Twitter - Email - Facebook - Twitter - Email - Print - Save The spring high flow releases on the Trinity River are under way, and gravel is being added to the channel in the Lewiston area. Today, April 17, the release from Lewiston Dam to the river is set to peak at 9,850 cubic feet per second before slowly ramping down. Another peak later in the month will hit 10,900 cfs on April 29. A smaller peak will follow May 18. Also, 3,500 cubic yards of gravel is to be added to the river at Lewiston. In a meeting that started off very heated, Trinity River Restoration Program staff presented their plan for this year to the public Thursday night. A security officer announced her presence at the outset although she took no actions during the meeting. Acting TRRP Executive Director Mike Dixon later told the Journal security was brought in for everyone?s safety due to a threat made against staff recently. That person didn?t attend the meeting. Right off the bat, members of the audience protested the planned format of presentations followed by informal stations where individuals could talk to various staff members. ?We?ve talked one on one and you?ve not been straightforward,? one man said, adding that the program has hurt the area?s reputation as a fishing ground and hurt businesses. Fishing Guide Liam Gogan also asked that the meeting be conducted as a public forum, which is basically what ended up happening. With the ?wet? year designation, this year 701,000 acre-feet of water out of the 1.6 million acre-feet forecast to pass through Lewiston if it wasn?t for the dams is to be released to the river for fisheries restoration. Hydrologist Todd Buxton noted that the fisheries restoration flows released under the 2000 Trinity River Record of Decision deal with approximately 46 percent of the river?s natural inflow blocked by the dams. Approximately 50 percent is diverted for Central Valley Project use, and the other 4 percent is released for reasons such as the Hoopa Valley Tribe boat ceremony, and to improve conditions in the lower Klamath River. The flow schedule with its peaks and valleys is meant to serve many purposes, including cut away at unnaturally steep banks formed by low flows, form bars and other habitat that fish use, encourage riparian growth where it?s needed but not in the channel, and put bugs in the water for fish to eat. ?We?re trying to get function back into this river so it can sustain the fish,? said program Data Steward Eric Peterson. He noted that the restoration program doesn?t control dam operations and diversions, the Trinity River Hatchery, fish harvest, regulations, and conditions in the Klamath River and ocean where Trinity River fish also spend part of their life cycle. The program has counts demonstrating that the number of naturally spawned fish migrating out to sea has significantly increased since the restoration flows began. However, that hasn?t always resulted in more returning adults. The Trinity fish have to migrate through the Klamath River to get to the ocean and back. Conditions on the lower Klamath and the ocean have been too warm in recent years. ?With things changing on the Klamath we are very optimistic,? Peterson said, referring to the planned removal of dams on the Klamath. The program has already started to add gravel at the Sawmill and lower Lowden sites in Lewiston. Totals are to be 2,100 cubic yards at the Sawmill site and 1,400 cubic yards at lower Lowden, for a total of 3,500 cubic yards. The injected gravel is meant to replace that which is trapped by Trinity and Lewiston dams, to form bars and provide salmon spawning and rearing habitat. Under the 2000 Trinity River Record of Decision, gravel addition in a wet year was to be 10,000 to 18,000 cubic yards. However, the Record of Decision allowed for change on this as more information was gathered. Now the amount is determined using several computations, including the natural gravel transport rates at Douglas City which is below several tributaries. Tracking transponders in some of the rocks are used to monitor the progress. The fishing guide, Gogan, was pleased that the gravel augmentations have been reduced. He?s expressed concerns that the additions of gravel cause unhealthy water temperatures for the fish. Program staff were asked if any of the allotted flow in this wet year can be banked for drier years. The response was there are some scientists who would like to see that, but it?s not allowed. The program also wasn?t able to release additional water earlier in the year to save salmon egg nests, redds, in the upper river that were covered with thick mud washed down from the Carr fire area during storms. ?This is something we looked at in detail,? Dixon said, and legal counsel said a new environmental impact statement would be needed to release more water before mid-April. Gogan said more of the program?s budget needs to be put into watershed restoration. Currently, that figure is $500,000. This year?s restoration program budget is approximately $14 million, dropping to $12 million next fiscal year. ?The largest part of this river where wild fish can be restored is in the watershed, the creeks of the Trinity River,? Gogan said. ?I think we all agree it would be really valuable to do more watershed restoration,? Peterson said. Peterson said the bulk of the natural chinook salmon spawning does occur in the mainstem Trinity River whereas coho spawn primarily in the tributaries. Environmental scientist Brandt Gutermuth noted that the original environmental impact statement for the restoration program targeted mainstem restoration. ?We have an obligation,? he said. ?The water users pay and the mainstem is the priority.? It was suggested during the meeting that persons interested in a new environmental impact statement call their Congress members. - Facebook - Twitter - Email - Print - Save -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From tstokely at att.net Wed Apr 17 10:38:04 2019 From: tstokely at att.net (Tom Stokely) Date: Wed, 17 Apr 2019 17:38:04 +0000 (UTC) Subject: [env-trinity] ERNEST CONANT: Federal priorities for Reclamation Mid-Pacific Region for 2019 References: <836497505.2129441.1555522684794.ref@mail.yahoo.com> Message-ID: <836497505.2129441.1555522684794@mail.yahoo.com> Note the important reference to the Trinity and Klamath rivers.TShttps://mavensnotebook.com/2019/04/17/ernest-conant-federal-priorities-for-reclamation-mid-pacific-region-for-2019/ ERNEST CONANT: Federal priorities for Reclamation Mid-Pacific Region for 2019 April 17, 2019?Maven??Meetings Reclamation Mid-Pacific Regional Director talks about progress made in implementing the directives in the Presidential Memo At the Friant Water Authority?s Annual Dinner held in Bakersfield last week, the keynote speaker was?Ernest Conant, who was?appointed Regional Director?of the?Bureau of Reclamation?s Mid-Pacific Region?on January 17th of this year.?? Mr. Conant is no stranger to Kern County, having worked for many years at the Bakersfield law firm of Young and Woolridge.? He?s also familiar with agricultural issues, himself being a member of a six generation farming family. During his speech, he talked about the work the Bureau of Reclamation is doing to implement the directives in the Presidential Memo,?Promoting the Reliable Supply and Delivery of Water in the West, which was signed by President Trump in October of 2018, touching on the challenges on the Klamath, the Coordinated Operating Agreement, the reconsultation on the biological opinions for the state and federal water projects, and the voluntary settlement agreements in the works for the Bay Delta watershed. Challenges on the Klamath Ernest Conant began by saying that he has been spending a lot of time on the Klamath.? The Klamath is similar to the Central Valley Project but on a smaller scale in terms of Endangered Species Act issues. ??The big difference between the Klamath and the CVP is that there are six tribes that claim water rights that go back forever and therefore have priority, and that?s challenging. In the?Presidential memo, there was a directive to prepare new biological opinions for the Klamath by April 1st.? The Bureau completed the?Biological Assessment?and delivered it to the wildlife agencies just before Christmas; despite the shutdown of the federal government, the Fish and Wildlife Service and National Marine Fisheries Service did get the biological opinions completed by the April 1st deadline. ?This Monday at the Water Users Meeting, we were able to announce the water allocation for the Klamath Project, which otherwise would have been subject to a court-ordered injunction,? Mr. Conant said.? ?We?re pleased that we got that done, but of course not everybody is satisfied with it, and lawsuits have already been filed.? I?ve been named in two lawsuits; that?s how I?ve started my career at the Bureau of Reclamation.? And there?s many more to come.? Mr. Conant pointed out there is a connection with Klamath and the CVP.? ?The downstream tribes are constantly putting pressure on the Klamath Project and the CVP to provide additional releases from the Trinity to protect salmon, and overtime, the amount of water that goes across the mountain over to the Sacramento watershed from the Trinity has been reduced in order to meet those demands.? That was not impacted by this most recent biological opinion, but that?s the pressure that continues and why the CVP has to continue to pay attention to what?s going on in the Trinity basin, which in turn affects the Klamath Basin.? Three-prong approach to Central Valley Project challenges With respect to the Central Valley Project, Mr. Conant said Reclamation has a three-pronged approach to the Central Valley Project that started last fall under the leadership of Commissioner Brenda Burman.? She has spent a tremendous amount of time here and continues to monitor the situation, so she?s very engaged with what?s going on in the mid-Pacific region, he said. The first component is the?Coordinated Operating Agreement, which is the agreement authorized by Congress between the state project and the federal project that was put in place in 1986.? ?It was needing to be updated as the way it was being structured was disadvantaging the CVP,? he said.? ?So there were tweaks made to the COA as part of this overall package and that has benefitted the CVP.? The second component is what Bureau staff calls the ?ROC ON LTO? which stands for ?Reconsultation on Long Term Operations of the CVP and the SWP.?? ?This reconsultation is really a big deal because it affects not only the CVP but the State Water Project, so when you combine it, you?re talking about serving somewhere around 4 million acres, including a good part of Kern County and supplying at least part of the water supply to two-thirds of the population of the state,? he said.? ?The CVP and the SWP are now operated under biological opinions that were done in 2008 and 2009 and they are in need of updating.? There?s been a lot of new science developed, and the overall approach is to apply new science and not release water and not release water just for the sake of releasing water, which was kind of the approach under the old biological opinions.? The?Presidential Memo?directed them to deliver the Biological Assessment by January 31st, so one of his first tasks was to transmit the 800-page document to the federal wildlife agencies who have 135 days or by mid-June to provide the biological opinion. Another key part of the Presidential Memo was that it required that the Secretaries jointly designate one person to be the coordinator of all these different agencies, and that person for the Klamath and the CVP reconsultation is Paul Souza, the Regional Director of the Fish and Wildlife Service. ?He?s done an amazing job to try and move this process forward and do it in a balanced way, so hopefully with Paul Souza?s leadership, we?ll get this done and done on time,? he said.? ?As you all know, this is extremely important although it ties to the Delta.? As you all learned in 2014 and 2015, ultimately your water comes not just from the San Joaquin Valley, but it really comes from the Delta.? And so that?s what you always have to keep in mind on the Friant system is you that have to be engaged with whatever is going on in the Delta.? The third component, which is more in the category of trying to keep things from getting worse are the?Voluntary Settlement Agreements.? The State Water Board adopted flow standards for the Lower San Joaquin River tributaries of flow regimes of 30-50% of unimpaired flows, regardless of what the actual scientific needs are, he said.? ?This was highly criticized, but nonetheless, that?s the direction they were headed and so in a remarkable effort, the Bureau, DWR, all the federal and state contractors, most of the tributaries all came together and put together a series of agreements, called the Voluntary Settlement Agreement, and that was presented to the State Board for their consideration on December 12th.? Unfortunately, they didn?t adopt the proposed settlement, but they did direct the staff to go evaluate it, and so that?s the process we?re now in.? The State Water Board is evaluating the proposal that was put forth in December and it?s now being refined.? As an additional complication, there has been a new change in leadership on the state side: a new governor, a new secretary of resources, new secretary of EPA, and a new chairman of the State Board. ??This has created a new opportunity with some new faces and the Secretary of Resources in particular and the Secretary of the EPA are taking a very active role in addressing the Voluntary Settlement Agreements,? Mr. Conant said.???I frequently have interactions, particularly with the Secretary of Resources, and with the Department of Water Resources director, so the state seems to be engaged.? We?re trying to do what we can and I think they are trying to do what they can to bridge the gap and get DWR and the Bureau working in tandem.? There?s a lot of things we?re working on jointly and the Voluntary Settlement Agreements is part of that.? Revised CVP water banking guidelines Mr. Conant also noted that?new revised guidelines for water banking?would be out for public comment.? ?This is driven by SGMA and the general approach would be to remove some of the restrictions on where you bank your water so that you could bank it anywhere in your subbasin under certain conditions rather than having to go through additional approvals to do so,? he said.? ?That?s going to be coming out for your review.? I know everybody won?t be 100% satisfied with it but keep in mind that these guidelines have to be written in a way that the apply to the whole CVP and not just Friant.? A plea for unity Lastly, Mr. Conant closed with a plea for unity between the two Friants and to continue to work together to bridge the gap.? ?At times it?s been challenging having two Friants going in different directions,? he said.? ?I?m pleased there are directors and managers here from the other Friant.? I would encourage you to continue to work on that and find a way to get everybody on the same page, which I think is in your best interests.? FOR MORE INFORMATION ? - For the Presidential Memo:?Presidential Memorandum on Promoting the Reliable Supply and Delivery of Water in the West - Coordinated Operating Agreement:??Original agreement here;?Addendum here - Reconsultation on CVP/SWP:?Updates to the Coordinated Long-Term Operation of the CVP and SWP and Related Facilities - Voluntary Settlement Agreements:?Voluntary Agreements to Improve Habitat and Flow in the Delta and its Watersheds - CVP water banking guidelines:?Reclamation seeks comment on draft changes to Central Valley Project water banking guidelines -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From tstokely at att.net Tue Apr 23 08:32:37 2019 From: tstokely at att.net (Tom Stokely) Date: Tue, 23 Apr 2019 15:32:37 +0000 (UTC) Subject: [env-trinity] Spiritual Leader and Chief of the Winnemem Wintu Tribe Caleen Sisk Receives Earth Day Award for Exceptional Advocacy for Indigenous Rights and Water Justice References: <1054218214.4497203.1556033557637.ref@mail.yahoo.com> Message-ID: <1054218214.4497203.1556033557637@mail.yahoo.com> https://yubanet.com/california/spiritual-leader-and-chief-of-the-winnemem-wintu-tribe-caleen-sisk-receives-earth-day-award-for-exceptional-advocacy-for-indigenous-rights-and-water-justice/ Spiritual Leader and Chief of the Winnemem Wintu Tribe Caleen Sisk Receives Earth Day Award for Exceptional Advocacy for Indigenous Rights and Water Justice ByRose Foundation?-April 22, 2019, 09:32:16 AMIn 2014, Chief Caleen Sisk reported on racial discrimination of Federal Tribal Recognition at the United Nations in Geneva. Photo credit: Winnemem Wintu Tribe Oakland, Calif. April 22, 2019???The Rose Foundation for Communities and the Environment announced?Winnemem Wintu Tribal Chief and Spiritual Leader Caleen Sisk as the winner of the 2019 Anthony Grassroots Prize,?an annual $1,000 Earth Day award recognizing an outstanding example of grassroots environmental activism. Since assuming leadership of the Winnemem Wintu Tribe in 2000, Chief Sisk has focused on uplifting the cultural and religious traditions of the tribe, such as the revitalization of the Winnemem?s H?up Chonas (War Dance) and BaLas Chonas (Puberty Ceremony). She also advocates tirelessly for salmon restoration, the undamming of rivers and lakes, and the basic human right to clean water. Chief Sisk is currently leading the Tribe?s resistance against the proposal to raise the Shasta Dam, and is an integral voice in the efforts to bring salmon home to the tribe?s sacred watershed above the dam. AdvertisementValue the news you read here? Subscribe! Westlands Water District recently held public scoping hearings under California?s Environmental Quality Act for a plan to raise California?s largest dam, the Shasta Dam, by 18 feet. If the dam raise is implemented, not only would it harm salmon and violate California?s Wild and Scenic Rivers Act, but it would also flood the Winnemem Wintu Tribe?s remaining ceremonial lands. In a recent article by?KQED, Chief Sisk warned that nearly all of the Winnemem Wintu Tribe?s remaining sacred sites would be put permanently underwater by the reservoir?s expansion. The tribe has already faced the intergenerational injustice of losing 26 miles of their sacred lands along the McCloud River in the original building of the Shasta Dam; and the current remaining sites would be positioned permanently underwater with the dam?s expansion. Chief Caleen Sisk truly embodies the Winnemem Wintu Tribe?s ancestral spiritual belief,??When we first bubbled out of our sacred spring on Mt. Shasta at the time of creation, we were helpless and unable to speak. It was salmon, the Nur, who took pity on us humans and gave us their voice. In return, we promised to always speak for them.??Providing a voice for the nearly extinct Chinook salmon, she leads the annual Run4Salmon, a statewide prayer run that raises awareness of the importance of protecting our waterways, restoring California?s salmon runs, and revitalizing Indigenous ways of life. In addition to serving as a voice for the Winnemem Wintu Tribe and their Sacred Salmon (Nur), Chief Sisk is a leading voice in raising awareness of the human rights inequities suffered by other federally unrecognized tribes and unrepresented Indigenous peoples around the world. She is leading her Tribe?s efforts to work with Maori and federal fish biologists to return wild Chinook salmon from New Zealand to the McCloud River, the fish?s ancestral waters. Through her devotion to protecting sacred waters and empowering her community, she advocates for the necessary inclusion of Indigenous ecological knowledge in all aspects of environmental research, planning, and policy. ?Chief Sisk is helping all of us understand what the Winemmem Wintu has always known ? we are part of the river, and the river is part of us,? said Anthony Prize founder Juliette Anthony. ?Her eloquent advocacy for the rights of her people, and for the ancient synergy between healthy salmon and healthy humans, is an inspiration to me and a model for grassroots activists everywhere.? To learn more about Chief Caleen Sisk and the Winnemem Wintu Tribe, please visit:?www.winnememwintu.us/caleen-sisk To learn more about Run4Salmon, please visit:?http://www.run4salmon.org/ ABOUT the Anthony Grassroots Prize The?Anthony Grassroots Prize?was endowed by Juliette Anthony, a lifelong environmental activist who has received wide recognition for her work in protecting the Santa Monica Mountains, banning the toxic gasoline additive MTBE, promoting solar power, and publicizing the negative environmental impacts of ethanol. To learn more about the Anthony Grassroots Prize, please visit?http://rosefdn.org/anthony-grassroots-prize. ABOUT Rose Foundation for Communities and the Environment Rose Foundation for Communities and the Environment supports community-based advocacy to protect the environment and public health through grant-making and direct service programs. Rose Foundation?s focus includes grassroots activism, watershed protection, environmental justice, and consumer rights. Rose also administers New Voices Are Rising, a youth leadership development and environmental justice advocacy training program. To learn more about the Rose Foundation, please visit?http://rosefdn.org. -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From tstokely at att.net Tue Apr 23 10:38:56 2019 From: tstokely at att.net (Tom Stokely) Date: Tue, 23 Apr 2019 17:38:56 +0000 (UTC) Subject: [env-trinity] Fw: [Trinity Releases] Change Order - Lewiston Dam In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: <1048130388.4581324.1556041136499@mail.yahoo.com> ----- Forwarded Message ----- From: 'FIELD, RANDI' via trinity-releases To:?Sent: Tuesday, April 23, 2019, 10:10:48 AM PDTSubject: [Trinity Releases] Change Order - Lewiston Dam Project:?Lewiston?Dam Please make the following release changes to the Trinity River: Date? Time? ? ?From (cfs)? ? To (cfs) 4/29/19 00:01 3050 ? 35504/29/19 02:00 3550 ? 40504/29/19 04:00 4050 ? 50504/29/19 06:00 5050 ? 60504/29/19 08:00 6050 ? 70504/29/19 10:00 7050 ? 80504/29/19 12:00 8050 ? 90504/29/19 14:00 9050 100504/29/19 16:00 10050 109004/29/19 18:00 10900 106504/29/19 20:00 10650 104004/29/19 22:00 10400 103004/30/19 00:01 10300 101004/30/19 02:00 10100 ? 99004/30/19 04:00 9900 ? 97004/30/19 06:00 9700 ? 95004/30/19 08:00 9500 ? 93004/30/19 10:00 9300 ? 91004/30/19 12:00 9100 ? 89004/30/19 14:00 8900 ? 87004/30/19 16:00 8700 ? 85004/30/19 18:00 8500 ? 83004/30/19 20:00 8300 ? 81004/30/19 22:00 8100 ? 79005/01/19 00:01 7900 ? 77005/01/19 02:00 7700 ? 75505/01/19 04:00 7550 ? 74005/01/19 06:00 7400 ? 72505/01/19 08:00 7250 ? 71005/01/19 10:00 7100 ? 69505/01/19 12:00 6950 ? 68005/01/19 14:00 6800 ? 66505/01/19 16:00 6650 ? 65005/01/19 18:00 6500 ? 63505/01/19 20:00 6350 ? 62005/01/19 22:00 6200 60505/02/19 00:01 6050 59005/02/19 02:00 5900 57505/02/19 04:00 5750 56005/02/19 06:00 5600 55005/02/19 08:00 5500 54005/02/19 10:00 5400 53005/02/19 12:00 5300 52005/02/19 14:00 5200 51005/02/19 16:00 5100 50005/02/19 18:00 5000 49005/02/19 20:00 4900 48005/02/19 22:00 4800 47005/03/19 00:01 4700 46005/03/19 02:00 4600 45005/03/19 04:00 4500 44005/03/19 06:00 4400 43005/03/19 08:00 4300 42005/03/19 10:00 4200 41005/03/19 12:00 4100 40005/03/19 14:00 4000 39005/03/19 18:00 3900 38505/03/19 20:00 3850 37505/03/19 22:00 3750 36505/04/19 00:01 3650 35505/04/19 02:00 3550 34505/04/19 04:00 3450 34005/04/19 08:00 3400 34505/04/19 10:00 3450 35505/04/19 12:00 3550 36505/04/19 14:00 3650 37505/04/19 16:00 3750 38505/04/19 20:00 3850 38005/04/19 22:00 3800 37005/05/19 00:01 3700 36005/05/19 02:00 3600 35005/05/19 04:00 3500 34005/05/19 06:00 3400 33005/05/19 08:00 3300 32005/05/19 10:00 3200 31005/05/19 12:00 3100 30005/05/19 14:00 3000 29005/05/19 16:00 2900 29505/05/19 18:00 2950 30505/05/19 20:00 3050 31505/05/19 22:00 3150 32505/06/19 02:00 3250 32005/06/19 04:00 3200 31005/06/19 06:00 3100 30005/06/19 08:00 3000 29005/06/19 10:00 2900 28005/06/19 12:00 2800 27505/06/19 16:00 2750 28005/06/19 18:00 2800 29505/06/19 20:00 2950 30505/06/19 22:00 3050 31505/07/19 00:01 3150 31005/07/19 02:00 3100 30505/07/19 04:00 3050 30005/07/19 06:00 3000 29005/07/19 08:00 2900 28005/07/19 10:00 2800 27005/07/19 12:00 2700 26505/07/19 16:00 2650 27005/07/19 18:00 2700 28505/07/19 20:00 2850 29505/07/19 22:00 2950 30005/08/19 02:00 3000 29505/08/19 04:00 2950 29005/08/19 06:00 2900 28005/08/19 08:00 2800 27005/08/19 10:00 2700 26005/08/19 12:00 2600 25505/08/19 16:00 2550 26505/08/19 18:00 2650 27505/08/19 20:00 2750 29005/08/19 22:00 2900 29505/09/19 02:00 2950 29005/09/19 04:00 2900 28505/09/19 06:00 2850 27505/09/19 08:00 2750 26505/09/19 10:00 2650 25505/09/19 12:00 2550 25005/09/19 16:00 2500 26005/09/19 18:00 2600 27005/09/19 20:00 2700 28505/09/19 22:00 2850 29005/10/19 02:00 2900 28505/10/19 04:00 2850 28005/10/19 06:00 2800 27005/10/19 08:00 2700 26005/10/19 10:00 2600 25505/10/19 12:00 2550 25005/10/19 14:00 2500 24505/10/19 16:00 2450 25505/10/19 18:00 2550 27005/10/19 20:00 2700 28005/10/19 22:00 2800 28505/11/19 02:00 2850 28005/11/19 04:00 2800 27005/11/19 06:00 2700 26005/11/19 08:00 2600 25505/11/19 10:00 2550 24505/11/19 16:00 2450 25005/11/19 18:00 2500 26505/11/19 20:00 2650 27505/11/19 22:00 2750 28005/12/19 02:00 2800 27505/12/19 04:00 2750 26505/12/19 06:00 2650 25505/12/19 08:00 2550 25005/12/19 10:00 2500 24505/12/19 12:00 2450 24005/12/19 16:00 2400 24505/12/19 18:00 2450 26005/12/19 20:00 2600 27005/12/19 22:00 2700 27505/13/19 00:01 2750 27005/13/19 02:00 2700 26505/13/19 04:00 2650 26005/13/19 06:00 2600 25005/13/19 08:00 2500 24505/13/19 10:00 2450 24005/13/19 12:00 2400 23505/13/19 16:00 2350 24005/13/19 18:00 2400 25505/13/19 20:00 2550 26505/13/19 22:00 2650 27005/14/19 00:01 2700 26505/14/19 02:00 2650 26005/14/19 04:00 2600 25505/14/19 06:00 2550 24505/14/19 08:00 2450 24005/14/19 10:00 2400 23505/14/19 12:00 2350 23005/14/19 16:00 2300 24005/14/19 18:00 2400 25005/14/19 20:00 2500 26005/14/19 22:00 2600 26505/15/19 02:00 2650 26005/15/19 04:00 2600 25005/15/19 06:00 2500 24505/15/19 08:00 2450 24005/15/19 10:00 2400 23505/15/19 12:00 2350 23005/15/19 16:00 2300 23505/15/19 18:00 2350 25005/15/19 20:00 2500 26005/15/19 22:00 2600 2650 Comment: Trinity ROD releases. Releases greater than 10,000 cfs are subject to facility capabilities.?? Issued by: R. Field -- View online at http://www.trrp.net/restore/flows/release-email/ --- -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From tstokely at att.net Thu Apr 25 11:49:56 2019 From: tstokely at att.net (Tom Stokely) Date: Thu, 25 Apr 2019 18:49:56 +0000 (UTC) Subject: [env-trinity] Fw: KLAMATH RIVER RENEWAL CORPORATION AWARDS KIEWIT MILESTONE CONSTRUCTION CONTRACT FOR DAM REMOVAL References: <1504819024.568664.1556218196764.ref@mail.yahoo.com> Message-ID: <1504819024.568664.1556218196764@mail.yahoo.com> For Immediate Release??????????????????????????????????????????????????? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?CONTACT: Matt Cox? April 25, 2019?????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????? ????????????????????????????????? ??????????????????????????????????????????????????????????? (916) 847-6459? ???????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????? ????????????????????????????????? ????????????????????????????????????????????????? ?????????matt at klamathrenewal.org????????????????????????????????????????????????????? Klamath River Renewal Corporation awards KIEWIT milestone construction contract for dam removal? ? KLAMATH BASIN ? Yesterday, the Klamath River Renewal Corporation (KRRC) took a major step toward dam removal and creating a free-flowing Klamath River by entering into a dam removal design-build contract with construction firm Kiewit Infrastructure West Co. of Fairfield, California. The initial award authorizes $18.1 million in preliminary services, with a further award for project implementation work to follow once design is finalized.??? ?Selecting Kiewit marks another key achievement and brings KRRC closer to completing the largest dam removal and river restoration project in U.S. history. This contract will help demonstrate KRRC?s capacity to undertake the project consistent with a license transfer application pending before the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission,? said Mark Bransom, KRRC Chief Executive Officer. ?Once implemented, the project will help restore the vitality of the Klamath River so that it can support all communities in the basin.?? Kiewit has extensive experience in major construction projects, most recently the emergency reconstruction of the Oroville Dam spillways, which involved removal and repair of both the main flood control and emergency spillways in less than 18 months as well extensive debris and sediment removal, development of access roads and other work. Kiewit has also undertaken relevant projects such as the Folsom Dam Spillway Construction (Phases II & IV), East Toba and Montrose Hydroelectric Design Build and theKwalsa and Upper Stave Hydroelectric Design Build.? Kiewit has assigned Knight Piesold as the lead designer of the KRRC project. The selection of the restoration contractor will be forthcoming.? "We are very proud to have been selected by KRRC. This project has many similarities to other complex water and hydroelectric projects we?ve delivered across North America,? said Jamie Wisenbaker, senior vice president, Kiewit Infrastructure West Co. ?We fully understand the breadth and importance of this undertaking and are excited and committed to safely delivering a high-quality project that meets the expectations of KRRC, the community and all key stakeholders in the region. We look forward to partnering with KRRC and getting started.?? (More)? Under this agreement, Kiewit will utilize the Progressive Design-Build (PDB) delivery method, assuming responsibility for both the design and execution of dam removal and river restoration, to be completed across two phases.? The preliminary services phase will include design, planning, permitting support, native seed bank development, and other preparation for the later drawdown of the reservoirs. This work will begin immediately.? The project implementation phase will be awarded to Kiewit at the end of the preliminary services phase, beginning with pre-drawdown work including dam modifications for drawdown of the reservoirs, road and bridge access improvements to accommodate construction vehicle traffic, and bridge and culvert improvements to accommodate new river and creek geometry.? Following the reservoir drawdown, project implementation will focus on dam and hydropower facilities removal, recreation facilities removal, creation of new recreation facilities, and restoration of formerly inundated land and other disturbed areas.?? The project implementation phase is contingent on the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission?s approval of license transfer and license surrender, as well as other regulatory permits.? Early in the preliminary services process, Kiewit will study the project site and develop a detailed project design, including obtaining competitive bids for various elements of the work. With this information, KRRC and Kiewit will agree on a final ?Guaranteed Maximum Price? (GMP) for all project implementation work. The GMP ensures that the contractor will be responsible for absorbing cost overruns, protecting the ratepayers and taxpayers who are funding this project.?? On the current schedule, it is expected that Kiewit will complete due diligence and submit a GMP based on 60-percent design by January 2020.? The PDB contract requires that local and tribal businesses and individualshave the opportunity to participate, and to increase the number of ways that this project will benefit the surrounding communities and local economy.? ?For many years, local tribes have been saying ?bring the salmon home.? They have advocated passionately for this project,? said Lester Snow, KRRC Board President. ?KRRC wishes to acknowledge the enormous and effective work of countless tribal members who truly laid the foundation for this project.??? ?(More)? ?Kiewit has every technical skill in the world to get the job done, but beyond that, they just feel like the right fit,? said Bransom. ?Kiewit also comes to the project with relevant experience, including with the states of California and Oregon, as well as PacifiCorp (a Berkshire Hathaway Energy company), through successfully completed construction projects as well as other business relationships.?? # # #? The Klamath River Renewal Corporation (KRRC) is an independent nonprofit organization formed in 2016 as part of the amended Klamath Hydroelectric Settlement Agreement (KHSA). KRRC is part of a cooperative effort to re-establish the natural vitality of the Klamath River so that it can support all communities in the basin. Signatories of the amended KHSA include the states of California and Oregon, local governments, tribal nations, dam owner PacifiCorp, irrigators, and several conservation and fishing groups. KRRC was formed for the sole purpose of taking ownership of four PacifiCorp dams ? J.C. Boyle, Copco, No. 1 & 2, and Iron Gate ? and then removing these dams, restoring formerly inundated lands, and implementing required mitigation measures in compliance with all applicable federal, state and local regulations. KRRC?s work is funded by PacifiCorp customer surcharges and California Proposition 1 water bond funds.? KRRC values transparency and cooperation with all stakeholders and is committed to working with residents and governments to minimize any nuisance or negative impacts while enhancing the project?s local benefits.? More information about KRRC and its mission can be found at the KRRC?s website: www.klamathrenewal.org.? ? ? Matt Cox,?Klamath River Renewal Corporation Director of Communications Cell: 916-847-6459? matt at klamathrenewal.org www.klamathrenewal.org ? -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From tstokely at att.net Thu Apr 25 16:55:23 2019 From: tstokely at att.net (Tom Stokely) Date: Thu, 25 Apr 2019 23:55:23 +0000 (UTC) Subject: [env-trinity] Trinity Journal LTE- Jerry Payne-"Refinements for TRRP" References: <642225363.684160.1556236523957.ref@mail.yahoo.com> Message-ID: <642225363.684160.1556236523957@mail.yahoo.com> Thank you Jerry! ?I didn't know about this meeting. ?The report and a notice of the meeting on May 6 can be found at:?http://www.trrp.net/calendar/event/?id=11643? http://www.trinityjournal.com/opinion/letters_to_editor/article_b56a9388-662c-11e9-985e-bb57462581c3.html Refinements for TRRP - Apr 24, 2019 ? - ?0 - >From Jerry Payne Junction City It?s our river and we care ? the Trinity River Restoration Program needs refinements. Trinity Management Council, which oversees the TRRP, had hired the consulting firm Headwater to review and recommend changes to how TRRP functions and achieves its goals of restoring the Trinity River fisheries. The report is now online at the TRRP website and is very critical of the program and is very beneficial information to anyone interested in the river and how TRRP attempts to achieve its goals. I was the only public person at the last TMC meeting on April 3. On May 6, at 9 a.m., there will be a presentation on the recommended changes to the TRRP. Please take a look at the online report and/or attend the public meeting. http://www.trrp.net/calendar/event/?id=11643 -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From tstokely at att.net Wed May 1 06:42:10 2019 From: tstokely at att.net (Tom Stokely) Date: Wed, 1 May 2019 13:42:10 +0000 (UTC) Subject: [env-trinity] Trinity River restoration report cites conflicts References: <927632691.772531.1556718130894.ref@mail.yahoo.com> Message-ID: <927632691.772531.1556718130894@mail.yahoo.com> http://www.trinityjournal.com/news/local/article_22dc2444-6bab-11e9-a804-4bc7d0a10faa.html River restoration report cites conflicts Recommends complete overhaul of program - By AMY GITTELSOHN The Trinity Journal ? - 24 min ago ? - ?0 - Facebook - Twitter - Email - Facebook - Twitter - Email - Print - Save A contractor?s report on recommended refinements to the Trinity River Restoration Program suggests a complete re-organization. According to the report by Headwaters Corporation, the Headwaters Team doesn?t believe the issues identified will be fixed with a top-down solution from the federal Bureau of Reclamation, with a short series of workshops, or by a series of motions from the Trinity Management Council that governs the program. Rather, the report states, ?refining the TRRP will require a complete re-organization of the program.? The Trinity Management Council is scheduled to meet for a discussion on the report described as an internal workshop from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday, May 6, at the TRRP office, 1313 S. Main St. in Weaverville. The meeting is open to the public. Headwaters, which was contracted by Reclamation, had the following recommendations: ??Develop among the TRRP participants a Cooperative Agreement to amend the 2000 Trinity River Record of Decision. The changes are recommended to improve governance and program decision-making. ??The current Record of Decision can and should stand, the report states, but the Cooperative Agreement amendment should give TRRP participants the ability to develop a single foundational document to guide program implementation and decision making. According to the report, this should result in a single guidance document for the TRRP rather than multiple ?foundational? documents that are not always clear and are sometimes contradictory. ??Adopt an official Adaptive Management Plan. The 108-page report also includes recommendations regarding how to accomplish these goals. During document development, the report says TRRP should continue to implement current ROD management actions and fund monitoring and other projects currently led by the tribes. The report includes a section regarding interviews with TRRP program participants and partners. It was noted that after the ROD was signed, the TRRP was ?kicked down? into lower levels of the Bureau of Reclamation which hadn?t been highly involved in its development. At that point, the TRRP became more focused on habitat restoration projects and less on flow management. ?That has manifested itself today in a focus of TRRP action and money on increasingly large construction projects, with little attention paid to more process-based restoration through the application of flow,? according to Headwaters. ?In many cases,? the report says, ?interviewees described the TRRP as ?a jobs program? for program partners.? This description focused on the TRRP being more about money for program partners and associated projects, and less about a focus on restoration of fish populations. Interviewees noted this as a ?lost opportunity? given that the TRRP is widely viewed as having ?everything it needs? ? ample budget, controllable water, and experienced staff ? to be a leader among large-scale river restoration programs. However, the report says there is acknowledgement that the TRRP is a long way from being a model program. The report also cites problems such as lack of a common vision for the program, issues decided behind closed doors, and power struggles on the TMC. ?Many interviewees said the requirement of a supermajority for TMC voting is a major impediment to moving forward on issues such as the budget, bylaws, and addition of new TMC members,? the report states. It noted that, ?Several interviewees stated an observation that the TMC does not listen to the Trinity River Adaptive Management Working Group (TAMWG) or consider their input important, and the TMC only gives the appearance of taking public comment and input.? The report notes that the TAMWG has been rendered ?administratively inactive? by the Department of Interior ?thus completely isolating stakeholder input from the functions of the TRRP and propagating further divisions among TRRP interests.? Nearly all interviewees cited conflicts of interest as a significant concern. The TMC members vote on budgets that benefit their agencies or entities in staffing, construction projects and monitoring. A significant number of the interviewees believed that to increase transparency an audit of the TRRP should be done to account for how the money has been spent and the results of those expenditures. Several interviewees viewed the Department of Interior agencies (Bureau of Reclamation and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service) as having a great deal of animosity toward each other and not working together effectively. Interviewees also viewed the two tribes involved as not getting along, translating into difficulties at the TMC level. The report states that the program staff is highly capable and it?s clear that TMC members, TAMWG members and program staff are passionate about the Trinity River, its resources, and the TRRP program itself. However, program implementation are staffed by a mix of employees from various agencies who don?t necessarily have a team spirit. All the good science being conducted by the program is largely falling into an ever-expanding ?science pile,? according to the report. The report quotes the ROD that ?restoration must provide a meaningful fishery? as part of trust obligations to the Hoopa Valley Tribe and the Yurok Tribe, and also ensure recreational, commercial and sport fisheries. Headwaters said its review suggests the TRRP has not achieved this milestone, ?after nearly two decades of implementation.? The full TRRP Refinements report is available on the Journal?s website with this article, or go to the Trinity River Restoration Program website?www.trrp.net?and look under the Trinity Management Council section. - -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From tstokely at att.net Wed May 1 09:54:20 2019 From: tstokely at att.net (Tom Stokely) Date: Wed, 1 May 2019 16:54:20 +0000 (UTC) Subject: [env-trinity] Fw: [Trinity Releases] Change Order - Lewiston Dam In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: <1905940681.3226661.1556729660132@mail.yahoo.com> ----- Forwarded Message ----- From: 'SANDBERG, JEFFERY' via trinity-releases To:?Sent: Wednesday, May 1, 2019, 8:51:11 AM PDTSubject: [Trinity Releases] Change Order - Lewiston Dam Project:? Lewiston Dam Date? ? ?Time? ? ? ? ? From (cfs)? ? To (cfs) 4/30/19 18:00? ? ? ? 8500? ? ? ? ? ? ?80004/30/19? 20:00? ? ? ?8000? ? ? ? ? ? ?75004/30/19? 22:00? ? ? ?7500? ? ? ? ? ? 7000 5/01/19? 00:01? ? ? ?7000? ? ? ? ? ? ?65005/01/19? 02:00? ? ? ?6500? ? ? ? ? ? ?60005/01/19? 04:00? ? ? ?6000? ? ? ? ? ? ?55005/01/19? 06:00? ? ? ?5500? ? ? ? ? ? ?50005/01/19? 08:00? ? ? ?5000? ? ? ? ? ? ?45005/01/19? 10:00? ? ? ?4500? ? ? ? ? ? ?40005/01/19? ?12:00? ? ? 4000? ? ? ? ? ? ?3500 Comment:? Emergency Reduction in Trinity Flow rates due to signficant oil leak detected in Hollow Jet Value release structures. Issued By.? J. Sandber -- View online at http://www.trrp.net/restore/flows/release-email/ --- -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From rukim1259 at sbcglobal.net Wed May 1 10:08:08 2019 From: rukim1259 at sbcglobal.net (Rukim1259@sbcglobal.net) Date: Wed, 1 May 2019 10:08:08 -0700 Subject: [env-trinity] Fw: [Trinity Releases] Change Order - Lewiston Dam In-Reply-To: <1905940681.3226661.1556729660132@mail.yahoo.com> References: <1905940681.3226661.1556729660132@mail.yahoo.com> Message-ID: <6A5A425C-4C4D-40AF-B1D0-245C477B1512@sbcglobal.net> What are the ?Hallow jet structures?? Sent from my I-phone > On May 1, 2019, at 9:54 AM, Tom Stokely wrote: > > ----- Forwarded Message ----- > From: 'SANDBERG, JEFFERY' via trinity-releases > To: > Sent: Wednesday, May 1, 2019, 8:51:11 AM PDT > Subject: [Trinity Releases] Change Order - Lewiston Dam > > > Project: Lewiston Dam > > Date Time From (cfs) To (cfs) > > 4/30/19 18:00 8500 8000 > 4/30/19 20:00 8000 7500 > 4/30/19 22:00 7500 7000 > > 5/01/19 00:01 7000 6500 > 5/01/19 02:00 6500 6000 > 5/01/19 04:00 6000 5500 > 5/01/19 06:00 5500 5000 > 5/01/19 08:00 5000 4500 > 5/01/19 10:00 4500 4000 > 5/01/19 12:00 4000 3500 > > > Comment: Emergency Reduction in Trinity Flow rates due to signficant oil leak detected in Hollow Jet Value release structures. > > Issued By. J. Sandber > -- > View online at http://www.trrp.net/restore/flows/release-email/ > --- > > _______________________________________________ > env-trinity mailing list > env-trinity at velocipede.dcn.davis.ca.us > http://www2.dcn.org/mailman/listinfo/env-trinity -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From dwebb1 at wildblue.net Wed May 1 10:38:21 2019 From: dwebb1 at wildblue.net (David Webb) Date: Wed, 1 May 2019 10:38:21 -0700 Subject: [env-trinity] Fw: [Trinity Releases] Change Order - Lewiston Dam In-Reply-To: <6A5A425C-4C4D-40AF-B1D0-245C477B1512@sbcglobal.net> References: <1905940681.3226661.1556729660132@mail.yahoo.com> <6A5A425C-4C4D-40AF-B1D0-245C477B1512@sbcglobal.net> Message-ID: The power plant I ran had an emergency release valve which generically was called a hollow cone valve.? Properly it was a Howel-Bunger Valve.? I suspect that is what they are talking about.? for us it opened automatically whenever there was a power outage so as to maintain instream flows, and also as the only mechanism to drain down the lake in an emergency situation other than through the generators, which by themselves couldn't release enough water to do the job.? Making repairs to such an item is difficult if it must be available for service at all times.? I have no idea if tht is the case with TR Dam. Dave On 5/1/2019 10:08 AM, Rukim1259 at sbcglobal.net wrote: > What are the ?Hallow jet structures?? > > Sent from my I-phone > > On May 1, 2019, at 9:54 AM, Tom Stokely > wrote: > >> ----- Forwarded Message ----- >> *From:* 'SANDBERG, JEFFERY' via trinity-releases >> > > >> *To:* >> *Sent:* Wednesday, May 1, 2019, 8:51:11 AM PDT >> *Subject:* [Trinity Releases] Change Order - Lewiston Dam >> >> >> Project:? Lewiston Dam >> >> Date? ? ?Time? ? ? ? ? From (cfs)? ? To (cfs) >> >> 4/30/19 18:00? ? ? ? 8500? ? ? ? ? ? ?8000 >> 4/30/19? 20:00? ? ? ?8000? ? ? ? ? ? ?7500 >> 4/30/19? 22:00? ? ? ?7500? ? ? ? ? ? 7000 >> >> 5/01/19? 00:01? ? ? ?7000? ? ? ? ? ? ?6500 >> 5/01/19? 02:00? ? ? ?6500? ? ? ? ? ? ?6000 >> 5/01/19? 04:00? ? ? ?6000? ? ? ? ? ? ?5500 >> 5/01/19? 06:00? ? ? ?5500? ? ? ? ? ? ?5000 >> 5/01/19? 08:00? ? ? ?5000? ? ? ? ? ? ?4500 >> 5/01/19? 10:00? ? ? ?4500? ? ? ? ? ? ?4000 >> 5/01/19? ?12:00? ? ? 4000? ? ? ? ? ? ?3500 >> >> >> Comment:? Emergency Reduction in Trinity Flow rates due to signficant >> oil leak detected in Hollow Jet Value release structures. >> >> Issued By.? J. Sandber >> -- >> View online at http://www.trrp.net/restore/flows/release-email/ >> --- >> >> _______________________________________________ >> env-trinity mailing list >> env-trinity at velocipede.dcn.davis.ca.us >> >> http://www2.dcn.org/mailman/listinfo/env-trinity > > _______________________________________________ > env-trinity mailing list > env-trinity at velocipede.dcn.davis.ca.us > http://www2.dcn.org/mailman/listinfo/env-trinity -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From pcatanese at dhscott.com Wed May 1 15:53:20 2019 From: pcatanese at dhscott.com (Paul Catanese) Date: Wed, 1 May 2019 22:53:20 +0000 Subject: [env-trinity] Trinity River restoration report cites conflicts In-Reply-To: <927632691.772531.1556718130894@mail.yahoo.com> References: <927632691.772531.1556718130894.ref@mail.yahoo.com>, <927632691.772531.1556718130894@mail.yahoo.com> Message-ID: Thank you fording this very valuable information. Paul J. Catanese, Partner D.H. Scott & Company O: 530.243.4300 | F: 530.243.4306 900 Market St, Redding, CA 96001 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ This communication (including any attachments) may contain privileged or confidential information intended for a specific individual and purpose, and is protected by law. If you are not the intended recipient, you should delete this communication and/or shred the materials and any attachments and are hereby notified that any disclosure, copying, or distribution of this communication, or the taking of any action based on it, is strictly prohibited. Thank you. Disclaimer: Any accounting, business or tax advice contained in this communication, including attachments and enclosures, is not intended as a thorough, in-depth analysis of specific issues, nor a substitute for a formal opinion, nor is it sufficient to avoid tax-related penalties. If desired, D.H. Scott & Company would be pleased to perform the requisite research and provide you with a detailed written analysis. Such an engagement may be the subject of a separate engagement letter that would define the scope and limits of the desired consultation services. On May 1, 2019, at 6:43 AM, Tom Stokely > wrote: http://www.trinityjournal.com/news/local/article_22dc2444-6bab-11e9-a804-4bc7d0a10faa.html River restoration report cites conflicts Recommends complete overhaul of program * By AMY GITTELSOHN The Trinity Journal * 24 min ago * 0 * Facebook * Twitter * Email * Facebook * Twitter * Email * Print * Save A contractor?s report on recommended refinements to the Trinity River Restoration Program suggests a complete re-organization. According to the report by Headwaters Corporation, the Headwaters Team doesn?t believe the issues identified will be fixed with a top-down solution from the federal Bureau of Reclamation, with a short series of workshops, or by a series of motions from the Trinity Management Council that governs the program. Rather, the report states, ?refining the TRRP will require a complete re-organization of the program.? The Trinity Management Council is scheduled to meet for a discussion on the report described as an internal workshop from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday, May 6, at the TRRP office, 1313 S. Main St. in Weaverville. The meeting is open to the public. Headwaters, which was contracted by Reclamation, had the following recommendations: ??Develop among the TRRP participants a Cooperative Agreement to amend the 2000 Trinity River Record of Decision. The changes are recommended to improve governance and program decision-making. ??The current Record of Decision can and should stand, the report states, but the Cooperative Agreement amendment should give TRRP participants the ability to develop a single foundational document to guide program implementation and decision making. According to the report, this should result in a single guidance document for the TRRP rather than multiple ?foundational? documents that are not always clear and are sometimes contradictory. ??Adopt an official Adaptive Management Plan. The 108-page report also includes recommendations regarding how to accomplish these goals. During document development, the report says TRRP should continue to implement current ROD management actions and fund monitoring and other projects currently led by the tribes. The report includes a section regarding interviews with TRRP program participants and partners. It was noted that after the ROD was signed, the TRRP was ?kicked down? into lower levels of the Bureau of Reclamation which hadn?t been highly involved in its development. At that point, the TRRP became more focused on habitat restoration projects and less on flow management. ?That has manifested itself today in a focus of TRRP action and money on increasingly large construction projects, with little attention paid to more process-based restoration through the application of flow,? according to Headwaters. ?In many cases,? the report says, ?interviewees described the TRRP as ?a jobs program? for program partners.? This description focused on the TRRP being more about money for program partners and associated projects, and less about a focus on restoration of fish populations. Interviewees noted this as a ?lost opportunity? given that the TRRP is widely viewed as having ?everything it needs? ? ample budget, controllable water, and experienced staff ? to be a leader among large-scale river restoration programs. However, the report says there is acknowledgement that the TRRP is a long way from being a model program. The report also cites problems such as lack of a common vision for the program, issues decided behind closed doors, and power struggles on the TMC. ?Many interviewees said the requirement of a supermajority for TMC voting is a major impediment to moving forward on issues such as the budget, bylaws, and addition of new TMC members,? the report states. It noted that, ?Several interviewees stated an observation that the TMC does not listen to the Trinity River Adaptive Management Working Group (TAMWG) or consider their input important, and the TMC only gives the appearance of taking public comment and input.? The report notes that the TAMWG has been rendered ?administratively inactive? by the Department of Interior ?thus completely isolating stakeholder input from the functions of the TRRP and propagating further divisions among TRRP interests.? Nearly all interviewees cited conflicts of interest as a significant concern. The TMC members vote on budgets that benefit their agencies or entities in staffing, construction projects and monitoring. A significant number of the interviewees believed that to increase transparency an audit of the TRRP should be done to account for how the money has been spent and the results of those expenditures. Several interviewees viewed the Department of Interior agencies (Bureau of Reclamation and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service) as having a great deal of animosity toward each other and not working together effectively. Interviewees also viewed the two tribes involved as not getting along, translating into difficulties at the TMC level. The report states that the program staff is highly capable and it?s clear that TMC members, TAMWG members and program staff are passionate about the Trinity River, its resources, and the TRRP program itself. However, program implementation are staffed by a mix of employees from various agencies who don?t necessarily have a team spirit. All the good science being conducted by the program is largely falling into an ever-expanding ?science pile,? according to the report. The report quotes the ROD that ?restoration must provide a meaningful fishery? as part of trust obligations to the Hoopa Valley Tribe and the Yurok Tribe, and also ensure recreational, commercial and sport fisheries. Headwaters said its review suggests the TRRP has not achieved this milestone, ?after nearly two decades of implementation.? The full TRRP Refinements report is available on the Journal?s website with this article, or go to the Trinity River Restoration Program website www.trrp.net and look under the Trinity Management Council section. * _______________________________________________ env-trinity mailing list env-trinity at velocipede.dcn.davis.ca.us http://www2.dcn.org/mailman/listinfo/env-trinity -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From tstokely at att.net Fri May 3 11:56:04 2019 From: tstokely at att.net (Tom Stokely) Date: Fri, 3 May 2019 18:56:04 +0000 (UTC) Subject: [env-trinity] Newsom officially kills twin Delta tunnels plan References: <1161865471.4388509.1556909764289.ref@mail.yahoo.com> Message-ID: <1161865471.4388509.1556909764289@mail.yahoo.com> Yay! https://www.eastbaytimes.com/2019/05/02/newsom-officially-kills-twin-delta-tunnels-plan/ Newsom officially kills twin Delta tunnels plan Governor instead seeks plan for a single pipe to deliver water to Southern California - - - - The Clifton Court Forebay staging area south of Discovery Bay, Calif., in a 2006 photo. Gov. Gavin Newsom announced his plans to scale back the twin tunnels project through the Delta in his State of the State address Tuesday. (Bay Area News Group Archives)By?BY RYAN SABALOW AND DALE KASLER SACRAMENTO BEE?|?PUBLISHED:?May 2, 2019 at 2:38 pm?| UPDATED:?May 2, 2019 at 3:05 pm By Dale Kasler and Ryan Sabalow | Sacramento Bee Gov. Gavin Newsom?s administration officially pulled the plug Thursday on the twin Delta tunnels,?fullfilling Newsom?s pledge?to downsize the project to a single pipe as he attempts to chart a new course for California?s troubled water-delivery system. The Department of Water Resources halted the planning on the twin tunnels by withdrawing its application to a sister agency, the State Water Resources Control Board, for permission to build the massive project from a starting point on the Sacramento River near Courtland. The state also scrapped documents declaring that the twin tunnels plan complied with California?s environmental laws. In the short run, the decision means more delay for a project that?s been on the drawing board for more than a decade. Karla Nemeth, director of the Department of Water Resources, said it could take up to three years to rework the environmental documents and other permits. But by downsizing and simplifying the project, she said the state hopes it can speed up the ?overall delivery schedule? for the project. Nemeth said the federal Bureau of Reclamation, the state?s partner in the Delta project, is also withdrawing its applications and environmental permits. Officials said they will soon file a new application, as well as new environmental reviews, to support their plan for a single tunnel. Nemeth argued that a downsized project could be ?more responsive to the naysayers? who believe WaterFix will harm the Delta instead of helping it. But she acknowledged, ?I don?t expect that all parties will be supportive.? Opponents of the WaterFix plan, who have been fighting the project in court, have said they?re willing to take a fresh look at plans for a single tunnel. Downsizing also would save about $5 billion, bringing project costs down to about $11 billion. Southern California water agencies that rely on shipments from the Delta will foot the bill. Downsizing the project is in line with Newsom?s effort to push a more centrist approach on water issues than Brown, trying to ease decades of conflict over the state?s precious supplies. Earlier this week he signed an executive order directing Natural Resources and other agencies to develop a comprehensive ?water resilience portfolio? in an effort to unite warring factions such as environmentalists and farmers. The Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta is the hub of the state?s water network. Giant pumps at the south end of the estuary, near Tracy, deliver supplies from Northern California to irrigation districts and municipalities that belong to the State Water Project and the federal Central Valley Project. Decades of pumping have harmed the Delta?s eco-system and imperiled several fish species, including the smelt and winter-run Chinook salmon, both of which are protected by the Endangered Species Act. The pumps are so strong that they sometimes reverse river flows within the Delta and push migrating fish toward predators or the pumps themselves. As a result, often the pumps have to be throttled back, allowing the river water to follow its natural course to the ocean ? to the frustration of the south state water agencies counting on the deliveries. The Delta project ? one tunnel or two ? has been touted as a way of correcting the problem. By routing a portion of the Sacramento River?s flow underground and delivering it directly to the pumps, the state?s engineers say the ?reverse flow? issue would be eased, enabling the pumps to operate more reliably while doing less harm to the fish. WaterFix has been enormously controversial, though. Environmentalists and Delta farmers say the project, by diverting a portion of the river, would harm native fish and leave the estuary too salty for agriculture; they?ve also branded it a south-state ?water grab.? -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From tstokely at att.net Fri May 3 17:11:56 2019 From: tstokely at att.net (Tom Stokely) Date: Sat, 4 May 2019 00:11:56 +0000 (UTC) Subject: [env-trinity] Fw: [Trinity Releases] REVISED Change Order - Lewiston Dam In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: <943211055.9048.1556928716524@mail.yahoo.com> ----- Forwarded Message ----- From: 'KITECK, ELIZABETH' via trinity-releases To:?Sent: Friday, May 3, 2019, 2:53:59 PM PDTSubject: [Trinity Releases] REVISED Change Order - Lewiston Dam Please see REVISION to the Lewiston Dam Change Order in RED below: ? Project: Lewiston Dam This supersedes the Change Order sent Tuesday, April 23, 2019.? Flows are currently 3,500 cfs as per the emergency reduction Change Order sent Tuesday, April 30, 2019. Please make the following release changes to the Trinity River: Date? Time? ? ?From (cfs)? ? To (cfs)?? 5/04/19 04:00 3500 34505/04/19 08:00 3450 34005/04/19 12:00 3400 33505/04/19 16:00 3350 33005/04/19 20:00 3300 32505/05/19 00:01 3250 32005/05/19 06:00 3200 31505/05/19 12:00 3150 31005/05/19 18:00 3100 30505/06/19 00:01 3050 30005/06/19 06:00 3000 29505/06/19 12:00 2950 29005/06/19 18:00 2900 28505/07/19 04:00 2850 28005/07/19 20:00 2800 27505/08/19 22:00 2750 27005/09/19 20:00 2700 26505/10/19 12:00 2650 26005/11/19 08:00 2600 25505/13/19 00:01 2550 25005/15/19 00:01 2500 2450 Comment: Revised Trinity ROD releases due to Hollow Jet Valve issues? Issued by:? Liz Kiteck -- View online at http://www.trrp.net/restore/flows/release-email/ --- -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From tstokely at att.net Sun May 5 08:26:45 2019 From: tstokely at att.net (Tom Stokely) Date: Sun, 5 May 2019 15:26:45 +0000 (UTC) Subject: [env-trinity] River flow reduced due to oil leak at power plant References: <759333564.427327.1557070005642.ref@mail.yahoo.com> Message-ID: <759333564.427327.1557070005642@mail.yahoo.com> Does anybody know when the repair will be completed and river flows returned back to normal? TShttp://www.trinityjournal.com/news/local/article_804f1040-6c51-11e9-8303-cff9868ed5fe.html River flow reduced due to oil leak at power plant - May 1, 2019?Updated?May 1, 2019 ? - ?0 - Facebook - Twitter - Email This 2017 photo shows the hollow jet valves, which are one of the ways to release water from Trinity Lake. Flows have been reduced due to an oil leak in one of the valves. The leak has been stopped. Trinity Journal file - Facebook - Twitter - Email - Print - Save The high spring flow to the Trinity River was cut back due to an oil leak at the Trinity PowerPlant. The power plant is at the base of Trinity Dam, upstream from Lewiston Dam. The potential leak was reported Monday afternoon, and the federal Bureau of Reclamation took immediate action to locate, stop and confine the leak, said Christie Kalkowski, public affairs officer for the Bureau of Reclamation, Mid-Pacific Regional Office. On Tuesday, employees found the leak source that originated from one of the two hydraulic valves (hollow jets) used during high flow releases. They stopped the leak. Flows were reduced to further assist in assessing the leak Tuesday afternoon, as well as to address operational issues at the powerplant, Kalkowski said. Flows will be reduced to 3,500 cfs while Reclamation assesses the situation and makes repairs. The powerplant is temporarily shut down today. To ensure the oil doesn?t get to the fish hatchery at Lewiston Dam, crews have installed numerous booms above the hatchery as a precautionary action. -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From mdixon at usbr.gov Sun May 5 10:58:59 2019 From: mdixon at usbr.gov (Michael Dixon) Date: Sun, 5 May 2019 10:58:59 -0700 Subject: [env-trinity] [EXTERNAL] River flow reduced due to oil leak at power plant In-Reply-To: <759333564.427327.1557070005642@mail.yahoo.com> References: <759333564.427327.1557070005642.ref@mail.yahoo.com> <759333564.427327.1557070005642@mail.yahoo.com> Message-ID: As of Friday, the hope is that they will know if a repair is effective by the end of the coming week. In the interim, we are synced back with the TMC-recommenced hydrograph which will slowly decline to about 2400 until a third and final geomorphic peak starts on May 15. The water that was not released earlier when flows crashed will be incorporated into that last peak. That is, if the repair works and the hollow jet valves are available. Mike Dixon Sent from my iPhone On May 5, 2019, at 08:26, Tom Stokely wrote: Does anybody know when the repair will be completed and river flows returned back to normal? TS http://www.trinityjournal.com/news/local/article_804f1040-6c51-11e9-8303-cff9868ed5fe.html River flow reduced due to oil leak at power plant - May 1, 2019 Updated May 1, 2019 - 0 - Facebook - Twitter - Email [image: Hollow jets] This 2017 photo shows the hollow jet valves, which are one of the ways to release water from Trinity Lake. Flows have been reduced due to an oil leak in one of the valves. The leak has been stopped. Trinity Journal file - Facebook - Twitter - Email - Print - Save The high spring flow to the Trinity River was cut back due to an oil leak at the Trinity PowerPlant. The power plant is at the base of Trinity Dam, upstream from Lewiston Dam. The potential leak was reported Monday afternoon, and the federal Bureau of Reclamation took immediate action to locate, stop and confine the leak, said Christie Kalkowski, public affairs officer for the Bureau of Reclamation, Mid-Pacific Regional Office. On Tuesday, employees found the leak source that originated from one of the two hydraulic valves (hollow jets) used during high flow releases. They stopped the leak. Flows were reduced to further assist in assessing the leak Tuesday afternoon, as well as to address operational issues at the powerplant, Kalkowski said. Flows will be reduced to 3,500 cfs while Reclamation assesses the situation and makes repairs. The powerplant is temporarily shut down today. To ensure the oil doesn?t get to the fish hatchery at Lewiston Dam, crews have installed numerous booms above the hatchery as a precautionary action. _______________________________________________ env-trinity mailing list env-trinity at velocipede.dcn.davis.ca.us http://www2.dcn.org/mailman/listinfo/env-trinity -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From danaflint63 at yahoo.com Thu May 9 07:01:19 2019 From: danaflint63 at yahoo.com (Dana Flint) Date: Thu, 9 May 2019 14:01:19 +0000 (UTC) Subject: [env-trinity] Please remove my name and email References: <383839886.3794416.1557410479217.ref@mail.yahoo.com> Message-ID: <383839886.3794416.1557410479217@mail.yahoo.com> Danaflint63 at yahoo.com Thank you, Dana Sent from Yahoo Mail for iPhone -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From tstokely at att.net Thu May 9 07:46:36 2019 From: tstokely at att.net (Tom Stokely) Date: Thu, 9 May 2019 14:46:36 +0000 (UTC) Subject: [env-trinity] Trinity Journal- Illegal grow sites await cleanup References: <1153739588.2632519.1557413196715.ref@mail.yahoo.com> Message-ID: <1153739588.2632519.1557413196715@mail.yahoo.com> http://www.trinityjournal.com/news/local/article_73e0ea3c-712d-11e9-87e7-1fa9c6e58172.html Illegal grow sites await cleanup - By Sally Morris The Trinity Journal ? - May 8, 2019 ? - ?0 - Facebook - Twitter - Email - Facebook - Twitter - Email - Print - Save One of several topics discussed during the Trinity Collaborative?s April meeting in Weaverville was the status of cleanup and restoration efforts to reclaim trespass marijuana grow sites on national forest lands often hampered by the presence of toxins considered too lethal for human contact without hazmat gear. In a report from the Collaborative?s standing cannabis committee, member Susan Bower of Hayfork cited the Integral Ecology Research Center based in Blue Lake as ?our best resource on what?s going on with the trespass grows, and in Trinity County they are focused on 2,000 especially egregious sites, all on public land, and that?s not even all. Those are just the most egregious.? She said Trinity County Sheriff Tim Saxon met with the cannabis committee by invitation, but his focus is primarily enforcement against the most egregious violations of cannabis laws on private land. ?One teaspoon of these biocides kills a mountain lion. We are dealing with very big stuff,? Bower said, asking the larger group for suggestions ?on how we can be more effective and successful.? Six Rivers National Forest District Ranger at Mad River Dan Dill said the Forest Service has law enforcement staff shifting focus ?into that time of year,? the marijuana growing season, but he noted many restoration activities at illegal grow sites have been shut down because of the amount of neurotoxins present from the chemicals and pesticides used by illegal growers to protect their crops. To protect its workers, the Forest Service has mandated medical testing of sites before they are cleared for human entry, ?and that?s a huge hurdle to us being more proactive and to our law enforcement taking action, so they focus on catching the bad guys,? Dill said. As for cleanup efforts, ?that is a huge medical risk and a nationwide issue,? he said. ?So even to go take out the plants, you better be dressed up (in hazmat suits) while all those herbicides and pesticides are draining into our watersheds,? said Collaborative member Berry Stewart from Junction City, formerly a Trinity County supervisor representing District 4. He added that if more state funding ?is coming down for enforcement, we need to be on top of it.? Dill said the number 2,000 just reflects the high priority sites requiring remediation, adding ?that?s only about 10 percent of what?s out there.? Another Collaborative member, Trinity County Sup. Judy Morris, said ?This sounds like the same conversation we had five or six years ago when there was no money for enforcement. However, now we hear Governor Newsom is redirecting resources and our sheriff is fully engaged. There are efforts going on to drum up resources to use ?up this way? I?m told, but law enforcement is not letting out of lot of information right now for obvious reasons.? The IERC, a nonprofit organization dedicated to research and conservation of wildlife and their ecosystems, has been researching the effects of illegal cannabis cultivation on the environment of Northern California watersheds since 2010, joining in partnerships with the Forest Service, the California Department of Fish and Wildlife and others to fund clean-up and restoration activities on hundreds of illegal grow sites in the region. Reports on findings and the removal of hundreds of tons of human trash, fertilizers, pesticides and infrastructure including miles of irrigation pipe from public lands are all documented on the IERC website at?www.iercecology.org. - -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From tgstoked at gmail.com Thu May 9 16:14:12 2019 From: tgstoked at gmail.com (Tom Stokely) Date: Thu, 9 May 2019 16:14:12 -0700 Subject: [env-trinity] Fwd: NEWS: CA DWR Rescinds California Water Fix Bond Resolutions In-Reply-To: <06887fa70084fef8e939fef63.2ca461c02c.20190509203615.7420b56118.a4e0defd@mail182.suw14.mcdlv.net> References: <06887fa70084fef8e939fef63.2ca461c02c.20190509203615.7420b56118.a4e0defd@mail182.suw14.mcdlv.net> Message-ID: ---------- Forwarded message --------- From: Barbara Barrigan-Parrilla Date: Thu, May 9, 2019 at 1:36 PM Subject: NEWS: CA DWR Rescinds California Water Fix Bond Resolutions For Immediate Release: 5/9/19 Contact: Bob Wright, Friends of the River, (916) 442-3155 x207, (916) 873-5258 mobile Barbara Barrigan-Parrilla, Restore the Delta, (209) 479-2053 *CA DWR Rescinds California Water Fix Bond Resolutions* Sacramento ? The California Department of Water Resources has formally rescinded the Bond Resolutions authorizing issuance of almost $9 billion of bonds to pay for the start of construction of the Delta Twin Tunnels. The resolution was adopted on May 7, 2019. DWR?s funding for any new one-tunnel proposal must start from scratch. Attorneys representing conservation, agriculture, and fishing groups today praised this action by DWR. *Statement by Bob Wright, Senior Counsel, Friends of the River* There is great news now reflecting a complete restart of Department of Water Resources (DWR) planning for Delta water export issues including conveyance. On May 7, 2019, DWR rescinded the Bond Resolutions authorizing issuance of almost $9 billion of bonds to pay for the start of construction of the WaterFix Delta Tunnels Project. The bond resolutions had been adopted by DWR on July 21, 2017. DWR then filed a state court action in Sacramento to validate the issuance of the bonds, which if successful, would have prevented any later challenges to the financing for the project. Friends of the River, Restore the Delta, Sierra Club California, and the Planning and Conservation League were among the public interest organizations who appeared in the action to challenge the legality of DWR?s adoption of the bond resolutions. Now, the rescinding of the bond resolutions reflects a complete start over of DWR's Delta water export planning process. Our public interest organizations now have the opportunity to seek sensible water resource planning focused on protection and restoration of the San Francisco Bay-Delta Estuary by increasing instead of reducing freshwater flows through the Delta. DWR can be urged to adopt modern, 21st century water measures such as water efficiency and demand reduction programs including urban and agricultural water conservation, recycling, and storm water recapture and reuse. Governor Gavin Newsom took a giant step to require effective and sensible water resources planning in California by issuance of his Executive Order on April 29, 2019. His Order requires California agencies to inventory and assess water demand and availability, ?embrace innovation and new technologies,?, and ?incorporate successful approaches from other parts of the world." Our public interest organizations have been advocating such planning for years and now the Governor has turned ideas into action. The rescinding of the bond resolutions is a key step in starting down this sensible path now required by the Governor. Restore the Delta ? 42 N. Sutter Street, Suite 506 ? Stockton, CA 95202 ? USA -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From moiraburke1 at gmail.com Thu May 9 23:57:50 2019 From: moiraburke1 at gmail.com (Moira Burke) Date: Fri, 10 May 2019 07:57:50 +0100 Subject: [env-trinity] Fwd: NEWS: CA DWR Rescinds California Water Fix Bond Resolutions In-Reply-To: References: <06887fa70084fef8e939fef63.2ca461c02c.20190509203615.7420b56118.a4e0defd@mail182.suw14.mcdlv.net> Message-ID: <9BFD5801-C04F-4F74-B06E-5C8DC592E034@gmail.com> Hooray!!!! And thank you, Barbara. Sent from my iPhone > On May 10, 2019, at 12:14 AM, Tom Stokely wrote: > > ---------- Forwarded message --------- > From: Barbara Barrigan-Parrilla > Date: Thu, May 9, 2019 at 1:36 PM > Subject: NEWS: CA DWR Rescinds California Water Fix Bond Resolutions > > > For Immediate Release: 5/9/19 > > Contact: > Bob Wright, Friends of the River, (916) 442-3155 x207, (916) 873-5258 mobile > Barbara Barrigan-Parrilla, Restore the Delta, (209) 479-2053 > > > CA DWR Rescinds California Water Fix Bond Resolutions > > Sacramento ? The California Department of Water Resources has formally rescinded the Bond Resolutions authorizing issuance of almost $9 billion of bonds to pay for the start of construction of the Delta Twin Tunnels. The resolution was adopted on May 7, 2019. DWR?s funding for any new one-tunnel proposal must start from scratch. > > Attorneys representing conservation, agriculture, and fishing groups today praised this action by DWR. > > Statement by Bob Wright, Senior Counsel, Friends of the River > > There is great news now reflecting a complete restart of Department of Water Resources (DWR) planning for Delta water export issues including conveyance. On May 7, 2019, DWR rescinded the Bond Resolutions authorizing issuance of almost $9 billion of bonds to pay for the start of construction of the WaterFix Delta Tunnels Project. The bond resolutions had been adopted by DWR on July 21, 2017. DWR then filed a state court action in Sacramento to validate the issuance of the bonds, which if successful, would have prevented any later challenges to the financing for the project. Friends of the River, Restore the Delta, Sierra Club California, and the Planning and Conservation League were among the public interest organizations who appeared in the action to challenge the legality of DWR?s adoption of the bond resolutions. > > Now, the rescinding of the bond resolutions reflects a complete start over of DWR's Delta water export planning process. Our public interest organizations now have the opportunity to seek sensible water resource planning focused on protection and restoration of the San Francisco Bay-Delta Estuary by increasing instead of reducing freshwater flows through the Delta. DWR can be urged to adopt modern, 21st century water measures such as water efficiency and demand reduction programs including urban and agricultural water conservation, recycling, and storm water recapture and reuse. > > Governor Gavin Newsom took a giant step to require effective and sensible water resources planning in California by issuance of his Executive Order on April 29, 2019. His Order requires California agencies to inventory and assess water demand and availability, ?embrace innovation and new technologies,?, and ?incorporate successful approaches from other parts of the world." Our public interest organizations have been advocating such planning for years and now the Governor has turned ideas into action. The rescinding of the bond resolutions is a key step in starting down this sensible path now required by the Governor. > > > > > > > > > Restore the Delta ? 42 N. Sutter Street, Suite 506 ? Stockton, CA 95202 ? USA > > > _______________________________________________ > env-trinity mailing list > env-trinity at velocipede.dcn.davis.ca.us > http://www2.dcn.org/mailman/listinfo/env-trinity -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From tstokely at att.net Tue May 14 10:40:52 2019 From: tstokely at att.net (Tom Stokely) Date: Tue, 14 May 2019 17:40:52 +0000 (UTC) Subject: [env-trinity] =?utf-8?q?THIS_JUST_IN_=E2=80=A6_Attorney_General_B?= =?utf-8?q?ecerra_Sues_Westlands_Water_District_to_Block_Unlawful_Shasta_D?= =?utf-8?q?am_Project?= References: <1768948293.586067.1557855652693.ref@mail.yahoo.com> Message-ID: <1768948293.586067.1557855652693@mail.yahoo.com> https://mavensnotebook.com/2019/05/14/this-just-in-attorney-general-becerra-sues-westlands-water-district-to-block-unlawful-shasta-dam-project/ THIS JUST IN ? Attorney General Becerra Sues Westlands Water District to Block Unlawful Shasta Dam Project May 14, 2019 ?Maven??Uncategorized >From the Office of the Attorney General: California Attorney General Xavier Becerra has filed a lawsuit to block?Westlands?Water District (Westlands) from taking unlawful action to assist in the planning and construction of a project to raise the height of Shasta Dam. The project poses significant adverse effects on the free-flowing condition of the McCloud River and on its wild trout fishery, both of which have special statutory protections under the California Wild and Scenic Rivers Act. The Act prohibits any agency of the State of California, such as?Westlands, from assisting or cooperating with actions to raise the Shasta Dam.?In addition to the lawsuit filed by Attorney General Becerra, a coalition represented by Earthjustice has filed a separate suit. The coalition includes Friends of the River, Pacific Coast Federation of Fishermen?s Associations, Institute for Fisheries Resources, Natural Resources Defense Council, Defenders of Wildlife, Sierra Club, and Golden Gate Salmon Association. ?This project is unlawful. It would create significant environmental and cultural impacts for the communities and habitats surrounding the Shasta Dam,??said Attorney General Becerra. ?Today we ask the court to block this illegal attempt by the?Westlands?Water District to circumvent state law.? ?Californians decided to protect the McCloud River in 1989 because it?s valuable to all of us. The ill-conceived dam raise would flood a free-flowing reach of the river, harm a prized fishery, and destroy sacred tribal sites. ?It?s time to end Westlands? disrespect of the California Wild and Scenic Rivers Act,??said?Ron Stork of Friends of the River. ?The dam raise would harm?not help? salmon downstream of the dam. ?The science, including the findings of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, clearly?shows this harm, which is why we?re taking action to protect all of the salmon in the Sacramento River,??said John McManus, President of the Golden Gate Salmon Association. The lawsuit asserts that under the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act,?Westlands?is prohibited from planning, funding, or assisting with any project that could adversely affect the McCloud River?s flow or its fishery. Federal studies of the proposal concluded that raising the dam would increase the already inundated portion of the lower McCloud River by 39 percent.?This further inundation would have a significant negative impact on the river?s fisheries and habitats, and submerge sacred sites of the?Winnemem?Wintu?Native American Tribe. Much of the?Winnemem?Wintu?s?native land was destroyed by the construction of the Shasta Dam in 1945. Despite these impacts,?Westlands?has unlawfully assumed the lead agency status for the $1.3 billion project and has allocated funding of over $1 million for the preparation of an Environmental Impact Report under the California Environmental Quality Act as part of its planning to become a 50 percent cost-sharing partner with the federal government. A copy of the complaint can be found?here. -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From tstokely at att.net Wed May 15 09:21:03 2019 From: tstokely at att.net (Tom Stokely) Date: Wed, 15 May 2019 16:21:03 +0000 (UTC) Subject: [env-trinity] River program mulls report recommendations References: <998557073.1116120.1557937263036.ref@mail.yahoo.com> Message-ID: <998557073.1116120.1557937263036@mail.yahoo.com> River program mulls report recommendations | | | | River program mulls report recommendations AMY GITTELSOHN The Trinity Journal Members of the Trinity Management Council agree that modifications to the Trinity River Restoration Program are ... | | | River program mulls report recommendations - By AMY GITTELSOHN The Trinity Journal ? - 3 hrs ago ? - ?0 | | | | River program mulls report recommendations AMY GITTELSOHN The Trinity Journal Members of the Trinity Management Council agree that modifications to the Trinity River Restoration Program are ... | | | - Facebook - Twitter - Email - Facebook - Twitter - Email - Print - Save Members of the Trinity Management Council agree that modifications to the Trinity River Restoration Program are needed. The details of how to get there still need to be worked out, said Elizabeth Hadley, who represents the federal Bureau of Reclamation on the TMC. And Hadley indicated the route is not likely to include seeking amendments to the Trinity River Record of Decision, as recommended by a consultant. The TMC met in Weaverville May 6 to discuss the report, ?TRRP Refinements,? that was several years in the making and completed in November. The report by Headwaters Corporation recommended a complete reorganization of the restoration program, citing the need for a formal adaptive management program. The TRRP was established by the Record of Decision as an adaptive management program. Adaptive management basically means that management actions can be adjusted over time as scientists develop information. The report also cited many different types of conflicts within the organization, including issues between agencies involved with the program, conflicts of interest in approving projects that benefit the members? organizations ? even conflicting information in some of the program?s foundational documents. The Journal ran an article May 1 on the Headwaters report. TRRP Acting Executive Director Mike Dixon said the Journal article was factually accurate but lacked context. The TMC requested this report ? it wasn?t some external review forced on the program, he said. ?It?s not the Mueller report.? Also, Dixon noted that the interviews for the Headwaters report were conducted in 2017. The program was in a dramatically different place at the time, Dixon said, adding that if those interviews were done now the report would be very different. ?We?re not broken,? he said, and the program has made a lot of progress in fish habitat on the river. This met with mixed response from the audience. ?I would love to see some top down changes,? said Jerry Payne, a resident of the Sky Ranch Road area of Junction City. Payne added he believes the program can work and the people involved are good, but the organization is flawed. Another man in the audience said, ?I think that report was quite accurate ? Whether you think you?ve changed or not.? The Yurok and Hoopa Valley tribes were the first to request the consultant?s evaluation, and their representatives expressed frustration with the amount of time it took to get to this point. However, Mike Orcutt from the Hoopa Valley Tribe had misgivings about reopening the Record of Decision which was signed in 2000 by then-Interior Secretary Bruce Babbitt. How the current Interior Secretary would react is a question, he added. He pointed out that the stakeholder advisory group for the program known as the Trinity Adaptive Management Working Group ?right, wrong or indifferent? was eliminated by the current administration. ?You kind of want to have the sense of what the answer is before you ask the question,? he said. >From the Headwaters Corporation which did the report, Chad Smith explained why he thought a formal paper trail is needed. He urged members to think 10 to 30 years down the line. ?You need your authority buttoned up,? he said, adding that for the restructure to stick some sort of link to the ROD is needed. He stressed that he?s not talking about a new ROD or stopping the program while the reorganization is under way. The meeting went on for much of the day. In an interview afterwards, Hadley, from Reclamation, said the consensus she heard was that everyone agreed there needed to be ?modifications to the way we do restoration on the Trinity River.? Every partner agency committed to working on the changes to make it a success, she said. The members did agree to two steps going forward, she said, including development of a concise document that brings together objectives of the program and development of a more formalized adaptive management plan for the program. ?At this point there?s no expectation to revisit or change the ROD,? Hadley said. Former TAMWG Chair Tom Stokely agrees with the TMC direction on that one issue. Stokely told the Journal it?s risky given the current administration, and he fears changes to the Record of Decision such that water releases to the river would be reduced and more sent to the Central Valley Project. ?The water has been hard fought for and most who fought for it such as myself are reluctant to set in motion a process where our work over decades could be undermined,? he said. Instead, he suggested to the TMC that they adopt the program?s Integrated Assessment Plan (IAP) as the foundational science document. ?I?d like to see a program that I can defend and support because stakeholders are involved in decision making, but I do not see that,? he said. -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From tstokely at att.net Wed May 15 11:00:33 2019 From: tstokely at att.net (Tom Stokely) Date: Wed, 15 May 2019 18:00:33 +0000 (UTC) Subject: [env-trinity] Fw: [Trinity Releases] Change Order - Lewiston Dam In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: <649278439.144758.1557943233927@mail.yahoo.com> ----- Forwarded Message ----- From: 'FIELD, RANDI' via trinity-releases To:Sent: Wednesday, May 15, 2019, 9:54:56 AM PDTSubject: [Trinity Releases] Change Order - Lewiston Dam Project:?Lewiston?Dam Please make the following release changes to the Trinity River: Date? Time? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?From (cfs)? ? To (cfs) | 5/15/19 10:00 | 2450 | 2600 | | 5/15/19 14:00 | 2600 | 2650 | | 5/15/19 16:00 | 2650 | 2700 | | 5/15/19 18:00 | 2700 | 2750 | | 5/15/19 20:00 | 2750 | 2800 | | 5/15/19 22:00 | 2800 | 2850 | | 5/16/19 0:01 | 2850 | 2900 | | 5/16/19 2:00 | 2900 | 2950 | | 5/16/19 4:00 | 2950 | 3000 | | 5/16/19 6:00 | 3000 | 3050 | | 5/16/19 8:00 | 3050 | 3100 | | 5/16/19 10:00 | 3100 | 3150 | | 5/16/19 12:00 | 3150 | 3200 | | 5/16/19 14:00 | 3200 | 3250 | | 5/16/19 16:00 | 3250 | 3300 | | 5/16/19 18:00 | 3300 | 3350 | | 5/16/19 20:00 | 3350 | 3400 | | 5/16/19 22:00 | 3400 | 3450 | | 5/17/19 0:01 | 3450 | 3500 | | 5/17/19 2:00 | 3500 | 3600 | | 5/17/19 4:00 | 3600 | 3700 | | 5/17/19 6:00 | 3700 | 3850 | | 5/17/19 8:00 | 3850 | 4000 | | 5/17/19 10:00 | 4000 | 4150 | | 5/17/19 12:00 | 4150 | 4350 | | 5/17/19 14:00 | 4350 | 4550 | | 5/17/19 16:00 | 4550 | 4750 | | 5/17/19 18:00 | 4750 | 5400 | | 5/17/19 20:00 | 5400 | 6000 | | 5/17/19 22:00 | 6000 | 6650 | | 5/18/19 0:01 | 6650 | 7400 | | 5/18/19 2:00 | 7400 | 8200 | | 5/18/19 4:00 | 8200 | 9000 | | 5/18/19 6:00 | 9000 | 8900 | | 5/18/19 8:00 | 8900 | 8650 | | 5/18/19 10:00 | 8650 | 8400 | | 5/18/19 12:00 | 8400 | 8150 | | 5/18/19 14:00 | 8150 | 7900 | | 5/18/19 16:00 | 7900 | 7650 | | 5/18/19 18:00 | 7650 | 7400 | | 5/18/19 20:00 | 7400 | 7150 | | 5/18/19 22:00 | 7150 | 6900 | | 5/19/19 0:01 | 6900 | 6650 | | 5/19/19 2:00 | 6650 | 6400 | | 5/19/19 4:00 | 6400 | 6150 | | 5/19/19 6:00 | 6150 | 5950 | | 5/19/19 8:00 | 5950 | 5750 | | 5/19/19 10:00 | 5750 | 5550 | | 5/19/19 12:00 | 5550 | 5350 | | 5/19/19 14:00 | 5350 | 5150 | | 5/19/19 16:00 | 5150 | 4950 | | 5/19/19 18:00 | 4950 | 4750 | | 5/19/19 20:00 | 4750 | 4550 | | 5/19/19 22:00 | 4550 | 4350 | | 5/20/19 0:01 | 4350 | 4150 | | 5/20/19 2:00 | 4150 | 4000 | | 5/20/19 4:00 | 4000 | 3900 | | 5/20/19 6:00 | 3900 | 3800 | | 5/20/19 8:00 | 3800 | 3700 | | 5/20/19 10:00 | 3700 | 3600 | | 5/20/19 12:00 | 3600 | 3500 | | 5/20/19 14:00 | 3500 | 3400 | | 5/20/19 16:00 | 3400 | 3350 | | 5/20/19 18:00 | 3350 | 3300 | | 5/20/19 20:00 | 3300 | 3250 | | 5/20/19 22:00 | 3250 | 3200 | | 5/21/19 0:01 | 3200 | 3150 | | 5/21/19 2:00 | 3150 | 3100 | | 5/21/19 4:00 | 3100 | 3050 | | 5/21/19 6:00 | 3050 | 3100 | | 5/21/19 8:00 | 3100 | 3150 | | 5/21/19 10:00 | 3150 | 3200 | | 5/21/19 12:00 | 3200 | 3300 | | 5/21/19 14:00 | 3300 | 3250 | | 5/21/19 16:00 | 3250 | 3200 | | 5/21/19 18:00 | 3200 | 3150 | | 5/21/19 20:00 | 3150 | 3100 | | 5/21/19 22:00 | 3100 | 3000 | | 5/22/19 0:01 | 3000 | 2900 | | 5/22/19 2:00 | 2900 | 2800 | | 5/22/19 4:00 | 2800 | 2750 | | 5/22/19 6:00 | 2750 | 2800 | | 5/22/19 8:00 | 2800 | 2900 | | 5/22/19 10:00 | 2900 | 3000 | | 5/22/19 12:00 | 3000 | 3050 | | 5/22/19 14:00 | 3050 | 3000 | | 5/22/19 16:00 | 3000 | 2950 | | 5/22/19 18:00 | 2950 | 2850 | | 5/22/19 20:00 | 2850 | 2800 | | 5/22/19 22:00 | 2800 | 2700 | | 5/23/19 0:01 | 2700 | 2650 | | 5/23/19 2:00 | 2650 | 2600 | | 5/23/19 8:00 | 2600 | 2700 | | 5/23/19 10:00 | 2700 | 2800 | | 5/23/19 12:00 | 2800 | 2900 | | 5/23/19 16:00 | 2900 | 2850 | | 5/23/19 18:00 | 2850 | 2800 | | 5/23/19 20:00 | 2800 | 2700 | | 5/23/19 22:00 | 2700 | 2650 | | 5/24/19 0:01 | 2650 | 2550 | | 5/24/19 2:00 | 2550 | 2500 | | 5/24/19 4:00 | 2500 | 2450 | | 5/24/19 6:00 | 2450 | 2650 | | 5/24/19 8:00 | 2650 | 3000 | | 5/24/19 10:00 | 3000 | 3500 | | 5/24/19 12:00 | 3500 | 4000 | | 5/24/19 14:00 | 4000 | 4500 | | 5/24/19 16:00 | 4500 | 4400 | | 5/24/19 18:00 | 4400 | 4300 | | 5/24/19 20:00 | 4300 | 4200 | | 5/24/19 22:00 | 4200 | 4100 | | 5/25/19 0:01 | 4100 | 4000 | | 5/25/19 2:00 | 4000 | 3900 | | 5/25/19 4:00 | 3900 | 3800 | | 5/25/19 6:00 | 3800 | 3700 | | 5/25/19 8:00 | 3700 | 3600 | | 5/25/19 10:00 | 3600 | 3500 | | 5/25/19 12:00 | 3500 | 3400 | | 5/25/19 14:00 | 3400 | 3300 | | 5/25/19 16:00 | 3300 | 3200 | | 5/25/19 18:00 | 3200 | 3100 | | 5/25/19 20:00 | 3100 | 3050 | | 5/25/19 22:00 | 3050 | 3000 | Comment: Trinity ROD releases.? Issued by: R. Field -- View online at http://www.trrp.net/restore/flows/release-email/ --- -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From tstokely at att.net Wed May 15 17:06:19 2019 From: tstokely at att.net (Tom Stokely) Date: Thu, 16 May 2019 00:06:19 +0000 (UTC) Subject: [env-trinity] Fw: [Trinity Releases] Change Order - Lewiston Dam REVISED In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: <1148013398.1351059.1557965179892@mail.yahoo.com> ----- Forwarded Message ----- From: 'FIELD, RANDI' via trinity-releases To:?Sent: Wednesday, May 15, 2019, 3:18:58 PM PDTSubject: [Trinity Releases] Change Order - Lewiston Dam REVISED Project:?Lewiston?Dam Please make the following release changes to the Trinity River: Date? Time? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?From (cfs)? ? To (cfs) | 5/15/19 10:00 | 2450 | 2600 | | 5/15/19 14:00 | 2600 | 2650 | | 5/15/19 16:00 | 2650 | 2700 | | 5/15/19 18:00 | 2700 | 2750 | | 5/15/19 20:00 | 2750 | 2800 | | 5/15/19 22:00 | 2800 | 2850 | | 5/16/19 0:01 | 2850 | 2900 | | 5/16/19 2:00 | 2900 | 2950 | | 5/16/19 4:00 | 2950 | 3000 | | 5/16/19 6:00 | 3000 | 3050 | | 5/16/19 8:00 | 3050 | 3100 | | 5/16/19 10:00 | 3100 | 3150 | | 5/16/19 12:00 | 3150 | 3200 | | 5/16/19 14:00 | 3200 | 3250 | | 5/16/19 16:00 | 3250 | 3300 | | 5/16/19 18:00 | 3300 | 3350 | | 5/16/19 20:00 | 3350 | 3400 | | 5/16/19 22:00 | 3400 | 3450 | | 5/17/19 0:01 | 3450 | 3500 | Comment: Trinity ROD releases. Order truncated after 5/17/19 0:01. Issued by: R. Field -- View online at http://www.trrp.net/restore/flows/release-email/ --- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "trinity-releases" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to trinity-releases+unsubscribe at googlegroups.com. To view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/trinity-releases/CAF2zoArZ8JG-v1KzZY-7RgLmC-Afabi9HC7NTa%3DYx%3DuKaRGwsw%40mail.gmail.com. For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout. -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From tstokely at att.net Thu May 16 12:30:14 2019 From: tstokely at att.net (Tom Stokely) Date: Thu, 16 May 2019 19:30:14 +0000 (UTC) Subject: [env-trinity] Fw: [Trinity Releases] Change Order - Lewiston Dam In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: <195520297.1658291.1558035014158@mail.yahoo.com> ----- Forwarded Message ----- From: 'FIELD, RANDI' via trinity-releases To:??Sent: Thursday, May 16, 2019, 12:04:21 PM PDTSubject: [Trinity Releases] Change Order - Lewiston Dam Project:?Lewiston?Dam Please make the following release changes to the Trinity River: Date? Time? ? ? ? ?From (cfs)? ? To (cfs) 5/17/19? ?02:00 ?3500 34005/17/19? ?04:00 ?3400 33005/17/19? ?06:00?? ? ? ? 3300 32005/17/19? ?08:00? ? ? ? ?3200 31005/17/19? ?10:00? ? ? ? ?3100 30005/17/19? ?12:00? ? ? ? ?3000 29005/17/19? ?14:00? ? ? ? ?2900 30005/17/19? ?16:00? ? ? ? ?3000 31005/17/19? ?18:00? ? ? ? ?3100 32005/17/19? ?20:00? ? ? ? ?3200 3300 Comment: Trinity ROD releases. Issued by: R. Field -- View online at http://www.trrp.net/restore/flows/release-email/ --- -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From tstokely at att.net Fri May 17 15:08:36 2019 From: tstokely at att.net (Tom Stokely) Date: Fri, 17 May 2019 22:08:36 +0000 (UTC) Subject: [env-trinity] Fw: [Trinity Releases] Change Order - Lewiston Dam In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: <1161635881.2425979.1558130916257@mail.yahoo.com> ----- Forwarded Message ----- From: 'FIELD, RANDI' via trinity-releases To:Sent: Friday, May 17, 2019, 2:11:57 PM PDTSubject: [Trinity Releases] Change Order - Lewiston Dam Project:?Lewiston?Dam Please make the following release changes to the Trinity River: Date? Time? ? ? ? ?From (cfs)? ? To (cfs) 5/18/19? ?00:01 ? 3300 35005/18/19? ?02:00 ? 3500 36005/18/19? ?04:00 ? 3600 37005/18/19? ?06:00 ? 3700 38505/18/19? ?08:00 ? 3850 40005/18/19? ?10:00 ? 4000 41505/18/19? ?12:00 ? 4150 43505/18/19? ?14:00 ? 4350 45505/18/19? ?16:00 ? 4550 47505/18/19? ?18:00 ? 4750 54005/18/19? ?20:00 ? 5400 60005/18/19? ?22:00 ? 6000 66505/19/19? ?00:01 ? 6650 73505/19/19? ?02:00 ? 7350 81505/19/19? ?04:00 ? 8150 90005/19/19? ?06:00 ? 9000 89005/19/19? ?08:00 ? 8900 86505/19/19? ?10:00 ? 8650 84005/19/19? ?12:00 ? 8400 81505/19/19? ?14:00 ? 8150 79005/19/19? ?16:00 ? 7900 76505/19/19? ?18:00 ? 7650 74005/19/19? ?20:00 ? 7400 71505/19/19? ?22:00 ? 7150 69005/20/19? ?00:01 ? 6900 66505/20/19? ?02:00 ? 6650 64005/20/19? ?04:00 ? 6400 61505/20/19? ?06:00 ? 6150 59505/20/19? ?08:00 ? 5950 57505/20/19? ?10:00 ? 5750 55505/20/19? ?12:00 ? 5550 53505/20/19? ?14:00 ? 5350 51505/20/19? ?16:00 ? 5150 49505/20/19? ?18:00 ? 4950 47505/20/19? ?20:00 ? 4750 45505/20/19? ?22:00 ? 4550 43505/21/19? ?00:01 ? 4350 41505/21/19? ?02:00 ? 4150 40005/21/19? ?04:00 ? 4000 39005/21/19? ?06:00 ? 3900 38005/21/19? ?08:00 ? 3800 37005/21/19? ?10:00 ? 3700 36005/21/19? ?12:00 ? 3600 35005/21/19? ?14:00 ? 3500 34005/21/19? ?16:00 ? 3400 33005/21/19? ?18:00 ? 3300 32005/21/19? ?20:00 ? 3200 31005/21/19? ?22:00 ? 3100 30005/22/19? ?00:01 ? 3000 29005/22/19? ?02:00 ? 2900 28005/22/19? ?04:00 ? 2800 27505/22/19? ?06:00 ? 2750 28005/22/19? ?08:00 ? 2800 29005/22/19? ?10:00 ? 2900 30005/22/19? ?12:00 ? 3000 30505/22/19? ?14:00 ? 3050 30005/22/19? ?16:00 ? 3000 29505/22/19? ?18:00 ? 2950 28505/22/19? ?20:00 ? 2850 28005/22/19? ?22:00 ? 2800 27005/23/19? ?00:01 ? 2700 26505/23/19? ?02:00 ? 2650 26005/23/19? ?08:00 ? 2600 27005/23/19? ?10:00 ? 2700 28005/23/19? ?12:00 ? 2800 29005/23/19? ?16:00 ? 2900 28505/23/19? ?18:00 ? 2850 28005/23/19? ?20:00 ? 2800 27005/23/19? ?22:00 ? 2700 26505/24/19? ?00:01 ? 2650 25505/24/19? ?02:00 ? 2550 25005/24/19? ?04:00 ? 2500 24505/24/19? ?06:00 ? 2450 26505/24/19? ?08:00 ? 2650 30005/24/19? ?10:00 ? 3000 35005/24/19? ?12:00 ? 3500 40005/24/19? ?14:00 ? 4000 45005/24/19? ?16:00 ? 4500 44005/24/19? ?18:00 ? 4400 43005/24/19? ?20:00 ? 4300 42005/24/19? ?22:00 ? 4200 41005/25/19? ?00:01 ? 4100 40005/25/19? ?02:00 ? 4000 39005/25/19? ?04:00 ? 3900 38005/25/19? ?06:00 ? 3800 37005/25/19? ?08:00 ? 3700 36005/25/19? ?10:00 ? 3600 35005/25/19? ?12:00 ? 3500 34005/25/19? ?14:00 ? 3400 33005/25/19? ?16:00 ? 3300 32005/25/19? ?18:00 ? 3200 31005/25/19? ?20:00 ? 3100 30505/25/19? ?22:00 ? 3050 30005/26/19? ?00:01 ? 3000 29505/26/19? ?02:00 ? 2950 29005/26/19? ?04:00 ? 2900 28505/26/19? ?06:00 ? 2850 28005/26/19? ?08:00 ? 2800 27505/26/19? ?10:00 ? 2750 27005/26/19? ?12:00 ? 2700 26505/26/19? ?14:00 ? 2650 26005/26/19? ?16:00 ? 2600 25505/26/19? ?18:00 ? 2550 25005/26/19? ?20:00 ? 2500 24505/26/19? ?22:00 ? 2450 24005/27/19? ?00:01 ? 2400 23505/27/19? ?02:00 ? 2350 24005/27/19? ?04:00 ? 2400 24505/27/19? ?06:00 ? 2450 25005/27/19? ?08:00 ? 2500 25505/27/19? ?10:00 ? 2550 26005/27/19? ?12:00 ? 2600 26505/27/19? ?18:00 ? 2650 26005/27/19? ?20:00 ? 2600 25005/27/19? ?22:00 ? 2500 24505/28/19? ?00:01 ? 2450 24005/28/19? ?02:00 ? 2400 23505/28/19? ?04:00 ? 2350 23005/28/19? ?06:00 ? 2300 23505/28/19? ?08:00 ? 2350 24505/28/19? ?10:00 ? 2450 25505/28/19? ?12:00 ? 2550 26005/28/19? ?16:00 ? 2600 25505/28/19? ?18:00 ? 2550 25005/28/19? ?20:00 ? 2500 24505/28/19? ?22:00 ? 2450 24005/29/19? ?00:01 ? 2400 23505/29/19? ?02:00 ? 2350 23005/29/19? ?04:00 ? 2300 22505/29/19? ?06:00 ? 2250 23005/29/19? ?08:00 ? 2300 24005/29/19? ?10:00 ? 2400 25005/29/19? ?12:00 ? 2500 25505/29/19? ?14:00 ? 2550 25005/29/19? ?16:00 ? 2500 24505/29/19? ?20:00 ? 2450 24005/29/19? ?22:00 ? 2400 23505/30/19? ?00:01 ? 2350 23005/30/19? ?02:00 ? 2300 22505/30/19? ?04:00 ? 2250 22005/30/19? ?08:00 ? 2200 22505/30/19? ?10:00 ? 2250 23005/30/19? ?12:00 ? 2300 23505/30/19? ?14:00 ? 2350 24005/30/19? ?16:00 ? 2400 24505/30/19? ?18:00 ? 2450 25005/30/19? ?22:00 ? 2500 24505/31/19? ?00:01 ? 2450 24005/31/19? ?02:00 ? 2400 23505/31/19? ?04:00 ? 2350 23005/31/19? ?06:00 ? 2300 22505/31/19? ?08:00 ? 2250 22005/31/19? ?10:00 ? 2200 21505/31/19? ?14:00 ? 2150 22005/31/19? ?18:00 ? 2200 23005/31/19? ?20:00 ? 2300 24005/31/19? ?22:00 ? 2400 2450 Comment: Trinity ROD releases. Issued by: R. Field -- View online at http://www.trrp.net/restore/flows/release-email/ --- -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From tstokely at att.net Tue May 21 11:05:24 2019 From: tstokely at att.net (Tom Stokely) Date: Tue, 21 May 2019 18:05:24 +0000 (UTC) Subject: [env-trinity] Fw: [Trinity Releases] Change Order - Lewiston Dam REVISED In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: <1405590315.3979144.1558461924716@mail.yahoo.com> ----- Forwarded Message ----- From: 'FIELD, RANDI' via trinity-releases To:?Sent: Tuesday, May 21, 2019, 10:21:03 AM PDTSubject: [Trinity Releases] Change Order - Lewiston Dam REVISED Project:?Lewiston?Dam Revision highlighted below?? Please make the following release changes to the Trinity River: Date? Time? ? ? ? ?From (cfs)? ? To (cfs) 5/21/19 12:00 ? ? 3600 35005/21/19 14:00 ? ? 3500 34005/21/19 20:00 ? ? 3400 33005/22/19 02:00 ? ? 3300 32005/22/19 08:00 ? ? 3200 31005/22/19 14:00 ? ? 3100 30005/22/19 20:00 ? ? 3000 29005/23/19 02:00 ? ? 2900 28005/23/19 08:00 ? ? 2800 27005/23/19 14:00 ? ? 2700 26005/23/19 20:00 ? ? 2600 25005/24/19 02:00 ? ? 2500 24005/24/19 08:00 ? ? 2400 29005/24/19 10:00 ? ? 2900 34005/24/19 12:00 ? ? 3400 39005/24/19 14:00 ? ? 3900 44005/24/19 16:00 ? ? 4400 43005/24/19 18:00 ? ? 4300 42005/24/19 20:00 ? ? 4200 41005/24/19 22:00 ? ? 4100 40005/25/19 00:01 ? ? 4000 39005/25/19 02:00 ? ? 3900 38005/25/19 04:00 ? ? 3800 37005/25/19 06:00 ? ? 3700 36005/25/19 08:00 ? ? 3600 35005/25/19 10:00 ? ? 3500 34005/25/19 12:00 ? ? 3400 33005/25/19 14:00 ? ? 3300 32005/25/19 16:00 ? ? 3200 31505/25/19 18:00 ? ? 3150 31005/25/19 20:00 ? ? 3100 30005/26/19 02:00 ? ? 3000 29005/26/19 08:00 ? ? 2900 28005/26/19 14:00 ? ? 2800 27005/26/19 20:00 ? ? 2700 26005/27/19 02:00 ? ? 2600 25005/27/19 08:00 ? ? 2500 24005/27/19 14:00 ? ? 2400 23005/27/19 20:00 ? ? 2300 22005/28/19 02:00 ? ? 2200 23005/28/19 08:00 ? ? 2300 2400 Comment: Trinity ROD releases. Adjustments for Lewiston gates. Issued by: R. Field -- View online at http://www.trrp.net/restore/flows/release-email/ --- -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From tstokely at att.net Fri May 31 08:08:15 2019 From: tstokely at att.net (Tom Stokely) Date: Fri, 31 May 2019 15:08:15 +0000 (UTC) Subject: [env-trinity] Trinity Co. Planning Dept Draft EIR for Cannabis program References: <1419569382.7790246.1559315295702.ref@mail.yahoo.com> Message-ID: <1419569382.7790246.1559315295702@mail.yahoo.com> NEW!?DRAFT EIR: Draft Environmental Impact Report (DEIR) - Trinity County Cannabis Program?[pdf - posted May 29, 2019] Notice of Availability for Trinity County Cannabis Program?DEIR?[pdf - posted May 29, 2019] -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From tstokely at att.net Fri May 31 09:38:09 2019 From: tstokely at att.net (Tom Stokely) Date: Fri, 31 May 2019 16:38:09 +0000 (UTC) Subject: [env-trinity] Klamath River Compact Meeting June 18 in Klamath Falls References: <1287885590.1981191.1559320689479.ref@mail.yahoo.com> Message-ID: <1287885590.1981191.1559320689479@mail.yahoo.com> The Klamath River Compact Commission will be having a meeting on June 18th?in Klamath Falls at the Oregon Institute of Technology from 11:00 am to 1:30 pm.? I have attached the final agenda to this email.? If you have any questions please contact Curtis Anderson (California?s representative to the Commission) at?Curtis.Anderson at water.ca.gov?or (530) 529-7348. -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From tstokely at att.net Fri May 31 10:26:52 2019 From: tstokely at att.net (Tom Stokely) Date: Fri, 31 May 2019 17:26:52 +0000 (UTC) Subject: [env-trinity] Final Agenda for the Klamath River Compact Commission Meeting References: <40351811.4253468.1559323612877.ref@mail.yahoo.com> Message-ID: <40351811.4253468.1559323612877@mail.yahoo.com> Final Agenda for the Klamath River Compact Commission Meeting? June 18, 2019? 11:00 am to 1:30pm? Mt. Scott Room, Oregon Institute of Technology? Klamath Falls, OR? 11:00am Welcome and Introductions? 11:15am Administrative Topics? - Review of Prior Meeting Notes? - Presentation of Financial Statements? - Approval of Meeting Expenses? - Evaluate appropriate balances to maintain in various accounts? - Compact Records Update? 11:30am Historical Context of the Klamath River Compact? Presentation by Paul Simmons, Executive Director Klamath Water Users Association? 12:15pm Status of Groundwater Management, Joint State Presentation? Bill Ehorn, Chief, Regional Planning Branch, Northern Region Office, California Department of Water Resources? Thomas J Paul, Special Assistant to the Director, Oregon Water Resources Department? 1:00pm Public Comment? Public comment is invited on topics or issues under the authority of the Compact that should be considered at future meetings. Verbal comments should be limited to 3 min. Written comments will also be accepted.? 1:30pm Adjourn -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From tstokely at att.net Fri May 31 12:27:56 2019 From: tstokely at att.net (Tom Stokely) Date: Fri, 31 May 2019 19:27:56 +0000 (UTC) Subject: [env-trinity] Rescission of Letter Delights Klamath Dam Removal Opponents References: <1649578019.4323983.1559330876479.ref@mail.yahoo.com> Message-ID: <1649578019.4323983.1559330876479@mail.yahoo.com> Rescission of letter delights dam removal opponents | | | | | | | | | | | Rescission of letter delights dam removal opponents Skye Kinkade Secretary of the Interior David Bernhardt wrote a letter, dated May 17 to the secretary of the Federal Energy Re... | | | Secretary of the Interior David Bernhardt wrote a letter, dated May 17 to the secretary of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission asking her to rescind the previous administration?s letter of support, as it was ?unnecessary.? Opponents of dam removal feel validated after the Trump administration?s recently appointed Secretary of Interior withdrew a 2016 letter which supported the Klamath Hydroelectric Settlement Agreement. Secretary of the Interior David Bernhardt wrote a letter, dated May 17 to the secretary of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission asking her to rescind the previous administration?s letter of support, as it was ?unnecessary.? ?The letter was meaningless when it was submitted, and there was no meaning when it was revoked,? agreed Matt Cox, communications director for the Klamath River Renewal Corporation, the agency overseeing dam removal. Withdrawing the letter ?has no affect on the (dam removal) project whatsoever,? Cox added. The move, however, was hailed by the Siskiyou County Water Users Association and Congressman Doug LaMalfa, who said the ?course-reversal ... is a big victory for those fighting this misguided dam removal and a positive development for Northern California ? we need to support new and existing water infrastructure projects, not tear them down. Siskiyou and Klamath Counties have voted overwhelmingly to retain the dams. I thank Secretary Bernhardt for using input of local citizens who are adamantly against this project to make this important decision.? Cox said the letter was never required and the Department of the Interior remains a signatory on the Klamath Hydroelectric Settlement Agreement. The Siskiyou County Water Users believe the letter?s rescission may indicate ?a more balanced approach? to Klamath River issues. LaMalfa said he spoked to Bernhardt before he was confirmed as Secretary of the Interior and he made it clear to him his wishes for the 2016 letter?s retraction. The letter was written by former Interior Secretary Sally Jewell to Kimberly D. Rose, secretary for the energy commission. ?This letter and enclosures are being filed in support of those applications, which I respectfully ask the commission to approve? Jewell wrote in the letter. ?The recommendation and determination I am making today are not entered into lightly. Rather, I do so in reliance on the most comprehensive and robust analysis of dam removal ever undertaken.? The Siskiyou County Water Users said they have filed a Motion to Dismiss with FERC contending that the Klamath Hydroelectric Settlement Agreement is illegal ?as it does not conform to the US Constitution Compact Clause.? Their attorney, James Buchal, said the Siskiyou County Water Users Association isn?t disputing FERC?s power to grant or deny hydroelectric power licenses, ?However, FERC?s own regulations ... require FERC to determine the ?qualifications of the transferee to hold such license,?? Buchal said. He believes that KRRC is not qualified ?because it was created in violation of federal law,? citing a compact clause of the constitution that says no state may enter into a compact with another state without the consent of congress. ?California and Oregon did enter into an agreement (along with some federal agencies) to allow KRRC to take the license and remove the dams,? Buchal said. ?But the agreement is illegal, because congress has approved a different agreement, creating the Klamath River Compact Commission, and granted that commission ... jurisdiction over the Klamath Basin.? Siskiyou County Water Users Association said while this is not the end of the process, ?it does open the door for a more intelligent recognition of the importance of the dams to Siskiyou and Klamath counties and to the citizens in both states who occupy the area which will be most affected by the destruction? of the dams. -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From tstokely at att.net Fri May 31 13:30:56 2019 From: tstokely at att.net (Tom Stokely) Date: Fri, 31 May 2019 20:30:56 +0000 (UTC) Subject: [env-trinity] Agenda: TRINITY MANAGEMENT COUNCIL June 2019 Quarterly Meeting in Eureka References: <1825433895.8950566.1559334656866.ref@mail.yahoo.com> Message-ID: <1825433895.8950566.1559334656866@mail.yahoo.com> http://www.trrp.net/calendar/event/?id=11633 TRINITY MANAGEMENT COUNCIL? June 2019 Quarterly Meeting? Wednesday June 19 - Thursday June 20, 2019? Location: Humboldt Bay Aquatic Center? 921 Waterfront Drive, Eureka, CA 95501, USA? Agenda (WebEx info on page 2)? Wednesday June 19, 2019? Time Discussion Leader? Regular Business:? 9:00 Introductions: Justin Ly, Chair? ? Welcome and Introductions? ? Approval of Agenda? ? Approval of September TMC Meeting Minutes? ? CVP Operations Update Paul Zedonis? 9:30 Public Forum: Comments from the public Justin Ly, Chair? 9:45 Report from Executive Director Mike Dixon? Information / Decision Items:? 10:30 Macroinvertebrate drift study ? 1st year initial findings Chris Laskodi? Information? 11:00 Break? 11:15 Non-TRRP Trinity Watershed Work FWS, CDFW? ? FWS? Partners Program? ? CDFW?s FRGP and cannabis enforcement? Information? 12:00 Lunch? 1:00 FY 19 Budget adjustments/updates Mike Dixon? Decision Item? 1:45 Update on IDT Science and Funding Priorities for FY20+ Mike D./Nick Som? Information / Decision Item? 2:30 Break? 2:45 Integrated Assessment Plan Review Eric Peterson? Information? 3:45 Public Forum: Comments from the public Justin Ly, Chair? 4:00 Adjourn? 5:30 TMC Dinner at Five Eleven? Located: ? 511 2nd St., Eureka, CA TRINITY MANAGEMENT COUNCIL? Thursday June 20, 2019? Time Discussion Leader? Regular Business:? 9:00 Public Forum: Comments from the public Mike Dixon, Ex Dir.? Information / Decision Items:? 9:15 Klamath Biological Opinion USBR/NMFS/USFWS? Information? 10:15 Channel Rehab flow-habitat relationship Josh Boyce? Information? 10:45 Break? 11:00 TRD infrastructure: flow limitations and opportunities Paul Zedonis? Information? 12:00 Lunch? 1:00 ROD flow flexibility needs Todd Buxton/Nick Som? Decision Item? 1:45 Refinements Justin Ly, Chair? Decision Item? 2:30 Break? 2:45 Refinements continued Justin Ly, Chair? 3:15 Revisions to TMC Bylaws Justin Ly, Chair? Decision Item? 3:45 Topics for September meeting TMC/Justin Ly.? 4:00 Public Forum: Comments from the public Justin Ly, Chair? 4:15 Adjourn? WEBEX CALL-IN INFORMATION (Call-in numbers are the same for both days.)? Join by phone: 1-408-792-6300 Access code: 806 836 064? Join via web: https://trrp.webex.com/trrp/j.php?MTID=m5230abd4b0b568f5f67fb0517573bc2d Meeting number: 806 836 064 Password: qTPBfH6x -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From tstokely at att.net Mon Jun 3 10:02:02 2019 From: tstokely at att.net (Tom Stokely) Date: Mon, 3 Jun 2019 17:02:02 +0000 (UTC) Subject: [env-trinity] Fw: [Trinity Releases] Change Order - Lewiston Dam In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: <827897995.5442688.1559581322115@mail.yahoo.com> ----- Forwarded Message ----- From: 'FIELD, RANDI' via trinity-releases From tstokely at att.net Mon Jun 3 10:33:35 2019 From: tstokely at att.net (Tom Stokely) Date: Mon, 3 Jun 2019 17:33:35 +0000 (UTC) Subject: [env-trinity] Onetime Enemies Over Logging Are Now United in Preventing Wildfire References: <415364595.10084311.1559583215828.ref@mail.yahoo.com> Message-ID: <415364595.10084311.1559583215828@mail.yahoo.com> https://www.kqed.org/science/1942299/onetime-enemies-over-logging-are-now-a-community-to-prevent-wildfire LIVING WITH WILDFIRE Onetime Enemies Over Logging Are Now United in Preventing Wildfire Molly PetersonJun 3 Kelly Sheen, Clarence Rose, Alex Cousins and Bob Morris in the Weaverville Community Forest. Even residents who have different ideas about how to use and manage the forest have come together in agreement that local control is better than leaving the federal government in charge.?(Hung T. Vu/KQED) The forest once tore this town apart. In the northwest corner of California, the?Trinity Alps?tumble down to Weaverville, a community of around 3,600 people. Below the subalpine mountains, the basin has a more Mediterranean climate, and summers are dry as a bone. Most of Trinity County is federal land, including two national forests. Their complex landscape of oak woodland is thick with manzanita brush, mixed with chaparral and dense, creeping pines. In the northwest corner of California, residents assumed local control of the forest through an agreement with the federal government. 'We assume it?s someone else?s responsibility at our peril," said Nick Goulette, director of a local land stewardship group. 'We have to save ourselves.' Tensions over clear-cut logging and the fate of spotted owls once turned the county into a battleground, sharpening a sprawling argument to a fine point in the 1990s. You either wanted to exploit the forest or protect it. Things have changed. As trees across the Shasta-Trinity and Six Rivers national forests have become drought-stressed and overcrowded, basically all but asking to burn, it?s the forest that has brought people back together. Now, a locally driven partnership forged to make a small community forest healthier is kindling a wider push for resilience and reducing fire risk across the entire county. Community members say a key?strategy?will be preventing what are often high-intensity wildfires by implementing lower-intensity prescribed burns to eradicate chip-dry tinder and grasses. ?There will be fire on this entire landscape. Do we want it to be controlled or do we want it to be out of control?? said Alex Cousins, a lifelong county resident. ?We need to leave these forests ready to accept fire.? Sponsored After Prescribed Burn, Wildfire 'Just Laid Down' Preparing for fire has already helped suppress one near Weaverville. Forested slopes bear the scars of five wildfires, which threatened the community over the last two decades. In August 2014, a spark from a boat that had come off its trailer hit Highway 299 and lifted into the tree crowns. The resulting flames, which turned into the?Oregon Fire, raced across the tight canopy, forcing evacuations and threatening the high school. Nine months before, however, federal and local partners removed some trees and thinned brush in an area called Five Cent Gulch. They then lit?a?prescribed fire?to burn away remaining brush, logs, snags and forest debris. So when the Oregon Fire came along to threaten the area, the lack of heavy fuel on the land slowed it down, enabling crews and tanker planes to catch up and gain control. Dylan Sheedy, a 'burn boss' with The Watershed Center in Trinity County, torches piles of manzanita brusch cleared from private land in Hayfork, California.?(Molly Peterson/KQED) ?The fire ran head on into this thinned and burned unit, and the fire just laid down,? said Nick Goulette, who directs the Watershed Center, a local land stewardship group. ?My home was evacuated as a part of that fire, so I was very thankful.? Five Cent Gulch is located within the?Weaverville Community Forest, made up of some 13,000 acres?governed?by one of the first federal master stewardship agreements in the country. Authorized by Congress in 2003, these arrangements permit communities and other interested parties to support and fund restoration projects on forest land. ?We?re seeing more and more collaboratives not only be formed but also be effective in terms of trying to deal with forest health issues,? said Al Olson, who directs ecosystem services for the U.S. Forest Service across California. Reducing fire risk through active management has been a goal of the community forest since its inception, says Kelly Sheen, executive director of the?Trinity County Resource Conservation District. ?Not?managing it is not an effective tool for managing the forest,? Sheen said. Reducing fuels by thinning the understory, removing trees to open up canopy, and burning what?s left on the ground is the strategy that scientists and policymakers say California forests need. Last year, Cal Fire announced it intended to triple the amount of land it treats in order to reduce risk. The U.S. Forest Service says its goal in 2019 is to treat 250,000 acres by either reducing and rearranging vegetation or with prescribed burns. In Weaverville, working with the federal government to utilize more fire on the Trinity County landscape has been a huge shift. A Common Foe During the 1980s and ?90s, the heat of the Timber Wars poured into every public space in the area, says Bob Morris, a 45-year Trinity County resident and environmentalist. In a small town, there's no place to hide. ?It was terrible,? Morris said. ?Death threats were common. People were arming themselves.? It got so bad, parents told their children not to walk in front of windows at night. Morris? neighbor, a logger named Clarence Rose, became, literally, his enemy, and Rose felt the same way about him. Then, a common foe emerged. What got people talking again was what Morris calls the ?dysfunctionality? of federal forest management. ?Environmentalists saw it, industry saw it, and that was our first unifying ?we have something in common,? that was the first thing that we saw.? The Trinity River Lumber Mill, the last mill open in the county, has been modified since the 'Timber Wars' of the 1990s to handle small- to medium-sized logs, the kind that are cut through ecologically responsible thinning.?(Molly Peterson/KQED) Morris and Rose?shared a growing concern about decisions made by the U.S. Forest Service in Shasta -Trinity. Then, in 1999, the Bureau of Land Management?lost control?of a prescribed fire, which accidentally destroyed 23 homes in Lewiston. Around the same time, BLM proposed a land swap with a private timber company of nearly 1,000 acres near Weaverville, a trade that would have likely clear-cut trees out of some of the best views in town. That proposal galvanized local concern for the forest. After years of negotiations, those BLM acres became the first patch of the Weaverville Community Forest. Ever since, the former enemies, environmentalist Bob Morris and ex-logger Clarence Rose, have served as two of the land?s informal stewards. ?Once you find areas of agreement, you can make huge progress," said Morris. ?Dissimilar interests finding common ground and working together, it?s been huge, a huge change after 40 years of polarization.? >From the start, the community has stuck to certain values: fire reduction, preserving views and recreational access, and responsible timber harvesting. ?I?m proud of it, actually,? Morris said. And he and the other stewards hope their community forest is only the beginning. Ecologically Responsible Thinning In his boyhood, Kelly Sheen says, the forest was just a playground, the place where he ate from invasive blackberry plants and roamed off undermaintained trails. ?I took it for granted,? Sheen said. 'We're tired of living in smoke.'Alex Cousins, Trinity County Collaborative Now, as chief local steward for the Weaverville Community Forest, he has mapped its every inch. Timber sales and restoration projects have improved the forest?s health, and there?s a new understanding of the benefits that prescribed burns can bring to the ecology of the land. Larger and more deadly blazes like the Carr Fire only amplify the risk of a catastrophe. ?People have started thinking about things on a much more holistic level and across the landscape,? Sheen said. Seeing the community forest as a success, he and other stewards take part in the Trinity County Collaborative, a group formed to expand the application of local values to a wider swath of forest whose health is mixed, at best. In California, some forest stands are?five times as dense?as in the past. Oaks and conifers increasingly compete for nutrients and water, while invasive beetles threaten pines. Fire scientists generally?agree?on what might help forest lands in Trinity County and Northern California. But while ?brush-crushing? and removal of some trees make sense, these practices alone don't make a forest healthier. That?s why locals here say adding fire back to the landscape has to be the linchpin of any restoration strategy. In the Weaverville Community Forest, three timber sales have yielded funds, called ?retained receipts,? that have helped pay for restoration initiatives, including the one at Five Cent Gulch. Several members of the Trinity County Collaborative say this model could work across Shasta-Trinity and Six Rivers national forests, as well as throughout the county. Advocates like Sheen, Goulette and Morris, who represent different factions and priorities on forest issues, are united in distinguishing ecologically responsible thinning from the logging practices of the past. ?All of this isn?t just based on what we want, it?s based on science,? said Alex Cousins, another collaborative member. Cousins used to have Sheen?s job running the Weaverville Community Forest. Now he sells timber for the Trinity River Lumber Company, the last of what was once 14 mills in the county and the area's largest private employer. A sustainable, restoration-focused local economy is a collaborative goal, too, Cousins says. ?We?ve got all of our eggs in this basket,? he said. ?We want to see these forests managed, we want to see this mill as a part of that, not as a sole reason for that. And we?re tired of living in smoke.? In Trinity County, the choice to use the forest or protect it no longer seems binary. Among forest stewards, the idea now is to do a bit of both. Federal Underfunding For all the change in local values, the federal government still controls most of the county's land, and federal budgets still don?t reflect the vision that's taken root in Weaverville. Data compiled by the nonprofit news organization Climate Central shows that across California, the U.S. Forest Service spends more than five times as much on suppressing fires as it does on prescribed burns and preparing for fire?s inevitable return. As a result, most fires on federal land are still uncontrolled, and they're often high-intensity. Planned burns are used on only about a tenth as much land as the U.S. Forest Service says it wants to actively manage for fire risk each year. Meanwhile, in that same time period, wildfires have burned 10 times?as many acres in California's federal forests as were treated in prescribed fires,?according to an analysis of the Climate Central data by KQED. That?s why people here aren?t waiting for the federal government or state authorities. Or, for that matter, the local fire department. The Watershed Center?s Nick Goulette says those agencies and institutions won?t save us. If a community wants to protect its values and its land, the message from Weaverville is clear. ?We assume it?s someone else?s responsibility at our peril,? Goulette says. ?We have to save ourselves.? -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From tstokely at att.net Thu Jun 6 12:08:08 2019 From: tstokely at att.net (Tom Stokely) Date: Thu, 6 Jun 2019 19:08:08 +0000 (UTC) Subject: [env-trinity] Fw: WATER Forums...save the dates! In-Reply-To: <45F4E60E-C793-49C3-8F17-E114F8EA70A1@shastavisions.com> References: <1436c150e5b7a59963ad543ea.2071ac9a09.20190606142244.1a9ed0e1d5.4b9db0fc@mail249.atl101.mcdlv.net> <45F4E60E-C793-49C3-8F17-E114F8EA70A1@shastavisions.com> Message-ID: <119695319.1041921.1559848088545@mail.yahoo.com> Begin forwarded message: From: We Advocate Thorough Environmental Review Subject: WATER Forums...save the dates! Date: June 6, 2019 at 7:22:55 AM PDT To: Reply-To: We Advocate Thorough Environmental Review | | | | View this email in your browser | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Save the Dates! | | | | | June 17 Forum in Redding | | | | | | June 18 Forum in Mount Shasta | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Website | | | | | | | Email | | | | | | | Facebook | | | | | | | <---Donate HERE | | | | | | | | | | | | | Copyright ? 2019 W.A.T.E.R., All rights reserved.? You are receiving this email newsletter because you opted in at our website or signed up on a contact list.? Our mailing address is:? W.A.T.E.R.PO Box 873Mount Shasta,?CA? 96067 Add us to your address book Want to change how you receive these emails? You can?update your preferences?or?unsubscribe from this list.? | | | | -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From tstokely at att.net Wed Jun 12 15:37:22 2019 From: tstokely at att.net (Tom Stokely) Date: Wed, 12 Jun 2019 22:37:22 +0000 (UTC) Subject: [env-trinity] Fw: [Trinity Releases] Change Order - Lewiston Dam In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: <443646473.446418.1560379042542@mail.yahoo.com> ----- Forwarded Message ----- From: 'FIELD, RANDI' via trinity-releases To:Sent: Wednesday, June 12, 2019, 3:22:01 PM PDTSubject: [Trinity Releases] Change Order - Lewiston Dam Project:?Lewiston?Dam Please make the following release changes to the Trinity River: Date? ? ? ?Time? ? From (cfs)? ? To (cfs) 6/16/19? ?12:00? ? ? 1900? ? ? 1850 6/17/19? ?12:00? ? ? 1850? ? ? 1800 6/18/19? ?12:00? ? ? 1800? ? ? 1750 6/19/19? ?12:00? ? ? 1750? ? ? 1700 6/20/19? ?12:00? ? ? 1700? ? ? 1750 6/21/19? ?12:00? ? ? 1750? ? ? 1800 6/22/19? ?14:00? ? ? 1800? ? ? 1850 6/22/19? ?20:00? ? ? 1850? ? ? 1900 6/22/19? ?22:00? ? ? 1900? ? ? 2000 6/23/19? ?00:01? ? ? 2000? ? ? 2100 6/23/19? ?02:00? ? ? 2100? ? ? 2200 6/23/19? ?04:00? ? ? 2200? ? ? 2300 6/23/19? ?06:00? ? ? 2300? ? ? 2400 6/23/19? ?08:00? ? ? 2400? ? ? 2500 6/23/19? ?10:00? ? ? 2500? ? ? 2600 6/23/19? ?12:00? ? ? 2600? ? ? 2700 6/23/19? ?14:00? ? ? 2700? ? ? 2600 6/23/19? ?16:00? ? ? 2600? ? ? 2500 6/23/19? ?18:00? ? ? 2500? ? ? 2400 6/23/19? ?20:00? ? ? 2400? ? ? 2300 6/24/19? ?00:01? ? ? 2300? ? ? 2200 6/24/19? ?06:00? ? ? 2200? ? ? 2100 6/24/19? ?12:00? ? ? 2100? ? ? 2050 6/24/19? ?18:00? ? ? 2050? ? ? 2000 6/25/19? ?00:01? ? ? 2000? ? ?1950 6/25/19? ?12:00? ? ? 1950? ? ?1900 6/25/19? ?20:00? ? ? 1900? ? ?1950 6/25/19? ?22:00? ? ? 1950? ? ?2050 6/26/19? ?00:01? ? ? 2050? ? ?2200 6/26/19? ?02:00? ? ? 2200? ? ?2400 6/26/19? ?04:00? ? ? 2400? ? ?2650 6/26/19? ?06:00? ? ? 2650? ? ?2950 6/26/19? ?08:00? ? ? 2950? ? ?3100 6/26/19? ?10:00? ? ? 3100? ? ?3200 6/26/19? ?12:00? ? ? 3200? ? ?3400 6/26/19? ?16:00? ? ? 3400? ? ?3300 6/26/19? ?20:00? ? ? 3300? ? ?3200 6/26/19? ?22:00? ? ? 3200? ? ?3150 6/27/19? ?00:01? ? ? 3150? ? ?3100 6/27/19? ?02:00? ? ? 3100? ? ?3050 6/27/19? ?04:00? ? ? 3050? ? ?3000 6/27/19? ?06:00? ? ? 3000? ? ?2950 6/27/19? ?08:00? ? ? 2950? ? ?2900 6/27/19? ?10:00? ? ? 2900? ? ?2850 6/27/19? ?12:00? ? ? 2850? ? ?2800 6/27/19? ?14:00? ? ? 2800? ? ?2750 6/27/19? ?16:00? ? ? 2750? ? ?2700 6/27/19? ?18:00? ? ? 2700? ? ?2650 6/27/19? ?20:00? ? ? 2650? ? ?2600 6/27/19? ?22:00? ? ? 2600? ? ?2550 6/28/19? ?00:01? ? ? 2550? ? ?2500 6/28/19? ?02:00? ? ? 2500? ? ?2450 6/28/19? ?04:00? ? ? 2450? ? ?2400 6/28/19? ?06:00? ? ? 2400? ? ?2350 6/28/19? ?08:00? ? ? 2350? ? ?2300 6/28/19? ?12:00? ? ? 2300? ? ?2250 6/29/19? ?12:00? ? ? 2250? ? ?2200 6/30/19? ?12:00? ? ? 2200? ? ?2100 7/1/19? ? ?14:00? ? ? 2100? ? ?2000 7/2/19? ? ?12:00? ? ? 2000? ? ?1950 7/2/19? ? ?14:00? ? ? 1950? ? ?1900 7/3/19? ? ?12:00? ? ? 1900? ? ?1850 7/3/19? ? ?14:00? ? ? 1850? ? ?1800 7/4/19? ? ?12:00? ? ? 1800? ? ?1750 7/4/19? ? ?14:00? ? ? 1750? ? ?1700 7/5/19? ? ?12:00? ? ? 1700? ? ?1650 7/5/19? ? ?14:00? ? ? 1650? ? ?1600 7/6/19? ? ?12:00? ? ? 1600? ? ?1550 7/6/19? ? ?14:00? ? ? 1550? ? ?1500 7/7/19? ? ?12:00? ? ? 1500? ? ?1450 7/7/19? ? ?14:00? ? ? 1450? ? ?1400 7/8/19? ? ?12:00? ? ? 1400? ? ?1350 7/8/19? ? ?14:00? ? ? 1350? ? ?1300 7/9/19? ? ?12:00? ? ? 1300? ? ?1250 7/9/19? ? ?14:00? ? ? 1250? ? ?1200 7/10/19? ? 12:00? ? ?1200? ? ?1150 7/11/19? ? 12:00? ? ?1150? ? ?1100 7/12/19? ? 12:00? ? ?1100? ? ?1050 7/13/19? ? 12:00? ? ?1050? ? ?1000 7/14/19? ? 12:00? ? ?1000? ? ? ?950 7/16/19? ? 12:00? ? ? 950? ? ? ? 900 7/18/19? ? 12:00? ? ? 900? ? ? ? 850 7/20/19? ? 12:00? ? ? 850? ? ? ? 800 7/22/19? ? 12:00? ? ? 800? ? ? ? 750 7/25/19? ? 12:00? ? ? 750? ? ? ? 700 7/28/19? ? 12:00? ? ? 700? ? ? ? 650 7/30/19? ? 12:00? ? ? 650? ? ? ? 600 8/1/19? ? ? 12:00? ? ? ?600? ? ? ? 550 8/3/19? ? ? 12:00? ? ? ?550? ? ? ? 500 8/6/19? ? ? 12:00? ? ? ?500? ? ? ? 450 Comment: Trinity ROD releases Issued by: R. Field -- View online at http://www.trrp.net/restore/flows/release-email/ --- -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From tstokely at att.net Fri Jun 14 07:48:02 2019 From: tstokely at att.net (Tom Stokely) Date: Fri, 14 Jun 2019 14:48:02 +0000 (UTC) Subject: [env-trinity] Summer steelhead considered for protection under state Endangered Species Act Status review will expand data about the species References: <1041544600.1270054.1560523682625.ref@mail.yahoo.com> Message-ID: <1041544600.1270054.1560523682625@mail.yahoo.com> https://www.times-standard.com/2019/06/13/summer-steelhead-considered-for-protection-under-state-endangered-species-act/ Summer steelhead considered for protection under state Endangered Species Act Status review will expand data about the species A summer steelhead swims alongside a Chinook salmon. (Times-Standard file/Salmon River Restoration Council contribution)By?SHOMIK MUKHERJEE?|?smukherjee at times-standard.com?|? | | | | | | | | | | | Shomik Mukherjee Shomik Mukherjee can be reached at 707-441-0504. | | | PUBLISHED:?June 13, 2019 at 8:10 pm?| UPDATED:?June 13, 2019 at 8:10 pm | | | | | | | | | | | Summer steelhead considered for protection under state Endangered Specie... The Northern California summer steelhead is closer to being listed under the state?s Endangered Species Act as t... | | | The Northern California summer steelhead is closer to being listed under the state?s Endangered Species Act as the state Fish and Game Commission voted unanimously 4-0 on Wednesday at its June meeting in Redding to review the species? status over the next year. Summer steelhead fish are capable of swimming to and from the ocean, but the presence of the Scott Dam has disrupted their ability to migrate up the Eel River. The commission?s vote relied on a submitted petition, as well as the department?s own evaluation of the species. At a future meeting, the commission will make a final decision on whether to classify the summer steelhead as endangered. ?This commences a one-year status review of the species and the commission will make a final decision at a future meeting,? the state Department of Fish and Wildlife announced. ?During the status review, summer steelhead have protections under (the state Endangered Species Act) as a candidate species.? The specific summer steelhead, a form of rainbow trout, has unique genetic capabilities that warrants its endangered status, said Scott Greacen, conservation director Friends of the Eel River. ?What?s important here is recognizing that summer steelhead are really different and if we don?t protect them separately, we?ll lose them,? Greacen said. The distinction between summer steelhead and winter-run steelhead comes down to a single gene ? uncovered by ?exciting genetic research? ? which makes the difference between a mature, migrating fish species and a premature one, Greacen said. Because of the genetic difference, the steelhead-type of rainbow trout don?t spawn immediately, while winter-run steelhead enter freshwater ready to spawn at any time. During the status review, state researchers will attempt to gather more data about the fish. The current research is ?spotty at best,? Greacen said. ?They?re so hard to find and so hard to count,? he said. ?Part of the story here is you have to get to difficult-to-access places to find the fish. You?ll spend entire days backpacking to places near the (Van Duzen River) where you can?t get to without a helicopter.? Even then, the fish display tremendous migration capabilities, showing up above enormous boulders blocking the water. Greacen suggests that if it weren?t for the presence of the Scott Dam, the summer steelhead would travel regularly to the ocean and back. But with the effort of multiple organizations (including the conservation group California Trout) to acquire the Potter Valley water diversion in the Eel River basin, the dam could be removed in the coming years. ?We are now closer than we?ve ever been,? Greacen said. ?The steelhead could really be a phoenix rising from the ashes.? Shomik Mukherjee can be reached at 707-441-0504. -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From oorourke at yuroktribe.nsn.us Thu Jun 20 10:18:33 2019 From: oorourke at yuroktribe.nsn.us (Oshun O'Rourke) Date: Thu, 20 Jun 2019 17:18:33 +0000 Subject: [env-trinity] Willow Creek 2019 RST summary Message-ID: Attached is the Yurok Tribal Fisheries' 2019 catch summary for the Lower Trinity River outmigrant screw traps located in Willow Creek, CA. Please see the attached spreadsheet for a full update. Thanks, Oshun Orourke Yurok Tribe Fisheries Trinity Division 530-629-3333 oorourke at yuroktribe.nsn.us -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: raw catch update Willow Creek RST.xlsx Type: application/vnd.openxmlformats-officedocument.spreadsheetml.sheet Size: 13053 bytes Desc: raw catch update Willow Creek RST.xlsx URL: From tstokely at att.net Sat Jun 29 10:37:30 2019 From: tstokely at att.net (Tom Stokely) Date: Sat, 29 Jun 2019 17:37:30 +0000 (UTC) Subject: [env-trinity] Fw: Please help SAFE protect Chinquapin, Pattison and South Fork roadless areas In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: <1081336610.690386.1561829850608@mail.yahoo.com> ----- Forwarded Message ----- From: Larry Glass To: "SAFEinTrinityCounty at gmail.com" Sent: Thursday, June 27, 2019, 11:54:05 AM PDTSubject: Please help SAFE protect Chinquapin, Pattison and South Fork roadless areas Please support Congressman Jared Huffman?s and Senator Kamala Harris?s Northwest California Wilderness, Recreation, and Working Forests Act! PLEASE SIGN OUR PETITION! ? Please support Congressman Jared Huffman?s and Senator Kamala Harris?s Northwest California Wilderness, Recreation, and Working Forests Act by signing this petition:?https://forms.gle/Nf1GEWkgtK7vnNUWA ? Congressman Huffman?s and Senator Harris?s Northwest California Wilderness, Recreation, and Working Forests Act will: ? - Promote forest restoration and fuel-reduction work across over 700,000 acres of public land. This will help to improve the ecological health of forests while reducing fire-danger along roads (where most fires start) and near communities. - Protect over 313,000 acres of federal public lands in perpetuity from road-building and other development as ?wilderness? - Protect over 379 miles of some of our wildest remaining streams from new dams and water diversions as ?wild and scenic rivers? - Authorize the construction of over 295 miles of new trails open to horses, hikers and mountain bikes - Help restore the hundreds of sites on public lands affected by illegal marijuana cultivation ? Maps, summaries and copies of the bill and other information can be viewed at?https://huffman.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/huffman-introduces-northwest-california-wilderness-recreation-and ? Please share this alert with others who might be supportive, especially if they live in Trinity County or recreate here ? -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From tstokely at att.net Mon Jul 1 15:09:42 2019 From: tstokely at att.net (Tom Stokely) Date: Mon, 1 Jul 2019 22:09:42 +0000 (UTC) Subject: [env-trinity] California Governor Gavin Newsom Announces Appointments 6.28.19 References: <1026345674.1514476.1562018982559.ref@mail.yahoo.com> Message-ID: <1026345674.1514476.1562018982559@mail.yahoo.com> https://www.stl.news/california-governor-gavin-newsom-announces-appointments-6-28-19/276563/ California Governor Gavin Newsom Announces Appointments 6.28.19California Governor Gavin Newsom Announces Appointments 6.28.19 06/28/2019??STL.News SACRAMENTO,?CA?(STL.News) ? California?Governor?Gavin Newsom?today announced several appointments, including the reappointment of several of the state?s top water policy officials at the California Department of Water Resources and the California Department of Fish and Wildlife, which are critical to build the Administration?s water resilience portfolio in the coming months, as directed by the Governor?s executive order, and to advance Voluntary Agreements regarding water management for the Sacramento and San Joaquin river systems. | | | | | | | | | | | Office of California Governor Gavin Newsom Gavin Newsom is the 40th Governor of California, former Lieutenant Governor of California, and former Mayor of S... | | | | | | | | | | | | | | State of California | 31st State of the Union | STL.News State of California - 31st State of the Union. Read and learn more about this 31st state of the union; Californi... | | | Karla Nemeth, 48, of Sacramento, has been reappointed director of the California Department of Water Resources, where she has served since 2018.? Nemeth was deputy secretary for water policy at the California Natural Resources Agency from 2014 to 2018.? She was Bay Delta Conservation Plan program manager at the California Natural Resources Agency from 2009 to 2014, environmental and public affairs director for Alameda County Flood Control and Water Conservation District, Zone 7 from 2005 to 2009 and was community affairs manager at Jones & Stokes from 2003 to 2005.? Nemeth was a legislative assistant at AESOP Enterprise from 2001 to 2003 and legislative assistant and program manager for Kings County from 1998 to 2000.? Nemeth earned a Master of Public Administration degree from the University of Washington.? Nemeth was confirmed by the California State Senate as director of the Department of Water Resources in 2018 and the compensation is $202,384. Nemeth is a Democrat. Cindy Messer, 50, of Sacramento, has been reappointed chief deputy director of the California Department of Water Resources, where she has served since 2017.? Messer was assistant chief deputy director of the California Department of Water Resources from 2016 to 2017, deputy executive officer of planning at the Delta Stewardship Council from 2012 to 2016 and assistant executive officer of the San Joaquin Delta Conservancy in Sacramento from 2010 to 2012.? Messer was senior environmental scientist and specialist for the Division of Environmental Services at the California Department of Water Resources from 2009 to 2010 and an environmental program manager from 2008 to 2009.? She was senior environmental scientist and supervisor at the Department of Water Resources from 2005 to 2008 and Range A-C environmental scientist for the Water Resources Department from 1999 to 2005.? Messer earned a Master of Science degree in conservation biology from California State University, Sacramento.? This position does not require Senate confirmation and compensation is $176,244.? Messer is a Democrat. Charlton ?Chuck? Bonham, 51, of Berkeley, has been reappointed director of the California Department of Fish and Wildlife, where he has served since 2011.? Bonham was the California director and senior attorney for Trout Unlimited from 2000 to 2010, governing board member of the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta Conservancy from 2010 to 2011 and an instructor at the Nantahala Outdoor Center from 1994 to 1997.? He served as small business development agent in Senegal for the U.S. Peace Corps from 1991 to 1993. Bonham earned a Juris Doctor degree from the Northwestern School of Law of Lewis and Clark College.? Bonham was confirmed by the California State Senate as director of the Department of Fish and Wildlife in 2012 and the compensation is $189,090.? Bonham is registered without party preference. Valerie Termini, 43, of Davis, has been appointed chief deputy director of the California Department of Fish and Wildlife.? Termini has been executive director of the California Fish and Game Commission since 2016 and acting chief deputy director at the California Department of Fish and Wildlife since 2018.? She was fisheries policy director for the California Ocean Protection Council from 2007 to 2016.? Termini earned a Master of Arts degree in international environmental policy from the Middlebury Institute of International Studies.? This position does not require Senate confirmation and the compensation is $151,608. Termini is a Democrat. The Governor also announced the following appointments today: Jennifer Lester Moffitt, 39, of Davis, has been reappointed undersecretary at the California Department of Food and Agriculture, where she has served since 2018.? Moffitt was deputy secretary at the California Department of Food and Agriculture from 2015 to 2018.? She was managing director of Dixon Ridge Farms from 2005 to 2015.? Moffitt held multiple positions at American Farmland Trust including education, outreach and research specialist from 2004 to 2005 and land projects coordinator from 2002 to 2004.? This position does not require Senate confirmation and the compensation is $183,000.? Moffitt is a Democrat. Rachael O?Brien, 34, of Sacramento, has been reappointed deputy secretary for legislative affairs at the California Department of Food and Agriculture, where she has served since 2018.? O?Brien was manager of government affairs for the Agricultural Council of California from 2014 to 2018.? She was a legislative advocate at Gonzalez, Quintana, Hunter LLC from 2013 to 2014 and a program and policy associate at EcoConsult from 2010 to 2012.? This position does not require Senate confirmation and the compensation is $142,344.? O?Brien is registered without party preference. Arturo Barajas, 27, of Sacramento, has been appointed deputy secretary at the California Department of Food and Agriculture.? Barajas has been a legislative aide in the Office of Assemblymember Joaquin Arambula since 2016.? He was campaign manager for Dr. Joaquin Arambula for Assembly 2018 in 2018 and a constituent affairs representative in the Office of Governor Edmund G. Brown Jr. from 2015 to 2016.? This position does not require Senate confirmation and the compensation is $105,000.? Barajas is a Democrat. Tags:?appointments,?California,?gavin newsom,?Governor Post navigation The Art of Negotiating a Sale in the Digital WorldMissouri Office of Administration Director of Accounting Stacy Neal appointed as president of National Association of State Comptrollers Press Releases PRESS RELEASE Candicci?s Restaurant and Bar, Ballwin, MO announces weekend specials and live music 06/27/2019??STL.NewsPRESS RELEASE Transferring Files From Incredimail to Outlook 06/05/2019??STL.NewsPRESS RELEASE Jilly?s Cupcake Bar is Open for Mother?s Day Cupcakes and Brunch in St Louis 05/12/2019??STL.NewsPRESS RELEASE Nuzest Good Green Stuff 05/07/2019??Tech Support Email:?Marty at STLMedia.Agency?or?Info at STLMedia.Agency Office Phone ??+1(314) 808-1870 Marty Smith? +1 (417) 529-1133 Kevin Amant?? +1 (314) 803-8727 About STL.News - Advertise - Media Kit - News Tip - About Us - Contact - Terms & Conditions - Affiliate Compliance Disclosure Useful Links - Business Center - Business Directory - Press Release Center - Guest Post - Investor Relations - Website Products - Hosting Service Technical - XML Sitemap - XML News Sitemap - What is a sitemap? - RSS Feeds - - Copyright ? 2019?STL.News??Privacy PolicyTheme by:?Theme HorseProudly Powered by:?WordPress | | | | | | | | | | | California Governor Gavin Newsom Announces Appointments 6.28.19 California Governor Gavin Newsom Announces Appointments 6.28.19. Read this California political news and more at... | | | | | | | | | | | | | | STL News | World News | Breaking News | Latest News | Missouri News STL.News offers St Louis local news, Missouri news, world news, breaking news, latest news, political news direc... | | | | | | | | | | | | | | California Governor Gavin Newsom Announces Appointments 6.28.19 California Governor Gavin Newsom Announces Appointments 6.28.19. Read this California political news and more at... | | | -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From tstokely at att.net Mon Jul 1 15:17:52 2019 From: tstokely at att.net (Tom Stokely) Date: Mon, 1 Jul 2019 22:17:52 +0000 (UTC) Subject: [env-trinity] Chinook Salmon season to open July 1 on portions of Klamath, Trinity rivers References: <397907342.1505573.1562019472736.ref@mail.yahoo.com> Message-ID: <397907342.1505573.1562019472736@mail.yahoo.com> https://lakeconews.com/index.php/news/recreation/61731-chinook-salmon-season-to-open-july-1-on-portions-of-klamath-trinity-rivers Chinook Salmon season to open July 1 on portions of Klamath, Trinity rivers? - - CALIFORNIA DEPARTMENT OF FISH AND WILDLIFE ? - POSTED ON?SATURDAY, 29 JUNE 2019 03:23 ? - ? - ? - ? - ? - ? - 29 JUNE 2019 ?The recreational Chinook Salmon fishery will open on portions of the Klamath and Trinity rivers on July 1, as per emergency fishing regulations that have been adopted and approved by the California Fish and Game Commission and the state Office of Administrative Law. The spring Chinook Salmon fishery will be open from July 1 through Aug. 14 on the lower Klamath River (downstream of the Highway 96 bridge at Weitchpec) and from July 1 through Aug. 31 on the Trinity River (upstream of the confluence of the South Fork). The daily bag limit has been set at one Chinook Salmon (no size restrictions), and the possession limit is set at two Chinook Salmon. The fall Chinook fishery will open Aug. 15 in the Klamath River and Sept. 1 in the Trinity river. The basin in-river quota is 7,637 adult Chinook Salmon for 2019. Regulations will remain the same as in 2018 with a two-fish daily bag limit, with no more than one fish over 22 inches (such as one adult and one jack). The possession limit remains the same at six fish, with no more than three fish over 22 inches (effectively three daily bag limits). The in-river recreational adult fall Chinook quota is divided among four sectors in the Klamath River Basin: KLAMATH RIVER 1. 3,500 feet downstream of Iron Gate Dam downstream to the Highway 96 bridge - 1,298 fish. 2. Highway 96 bridge downstream to the mouth of the Klamath River - 3,819 fish. There is a sub-area closure at the mouth of the Klamath River when 15 percent of the Klamath Basin allocation has been harvested - 1,145 fish harvested below the Highway 101 bridge triggers this closure. TRINITY RIVER 3. Old Lewiston Bridge to Highway 299 West bridge at Cedar Flat - 1,260 fish 4. Denny Road bridge downstream to the confluence with the Klamath River - 1,260 fish. Please see the 2019-2020 California Freshwater Sportfishing Regulations and 2019-2020 California Supplement Sport Fishing Regulations for more information.? Additionally, anglers can obtain information on Klamath Basin regulations and fall Chinook quota updates by calling the Klamath-Trinity fishing hotline at 800-564-6479.? -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From tstokely at att.net Mon Jul 1 15:12:12 2019 From: tstokely at att.net (Tom Stokely) Date: Mon, 1 Jul 2019 22:12:12 +0000 (UTC) Subject: [env-trinity] Trump's Pending Rules on California Water Marked by Missing Documents and Hurried Reviews, Say Scientists References: <546791974.1527216.1562019132269.ref@mail.yahoo.com> Message-ID: <546791974.1527216.1562019132269@mail.yahoo.com> The Trinity River was completely left out of the Biological Assessment. ?See attached letter. https://www.kqed.org/science/1944278/trumps-pending-rules-on-california-water-marked-by-missing-documents-and-hurried-reviews-say-scientists Trump's Pending Rules on California Water Marked by Missing Documents and Hurried Reviews, Say Scientists Independent scientists have raised serious concerns about a Trump administration plan to divert more water to California farmers, according to documents obtained by KQED. In their analyses, they write that the plan poses risks to threatened fish; that the process is rushed; that they didn?t receive enough information to provide a complete scientific review; and that the Trump administration may be skewing the science to make the environmental impact look less serious. ?It is difficult to imagine how these predicted conditions could be considered an acceptable risk to the critical habitat of a listed species,? wrote Ronald Kneib, an ecological consultant and senior research scientist emeritus at the University of Georgia.? To meet the president?s timeline, scientists at NOAA Fisheries and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service had to work at an unprecedented pace, cutting back the independent scientific review, and eliminating the public from the process. The plan, which involves how much water to pump out of the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta, and under what conditions, will control irrigation for millions of acres of farmland in the country?s biggest agricultural economy, drinking water for two-thirds of Californians from Silicon Valley to San Diego, and the fate of endangered salmon and other fish. Some see the fingerprints of interior secretary David Bernhardt, who once helped lead the charge to weaken environmental standards and send more water to farmers. A former lawyer for agricultural heavyweight Westlands Water District, Bernhardt is under scrutiny after a recent New York Times?investigation?reported that, shortly after joining the Interior Department in 2017, he?directly advocated?on Westlands? behalf to get more water for farmers at the expense of endangered fish, even though federal rules precluded him from lobbying. | | | | | | | | | | | Top Leader at Interior Dept. Pushes a Policy Favoring His Former Client David Bernhardt, the agency?s acting chief, wants to roll back endangered-species protections on a tiny fish, a ... | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Trump?s Pick for Interior Dept. Continued Lobbying After Officially Vowi... An invoice and other documents indicate that the nominee, David Bernhardt, continued to lobby after he filed off... | | | The Trump administration is expected to announce the rules this week. The final step before that was the independent scientific review, in which federal agencies send their biologists? analyses of the plan to scientists outside the government for review, to ensure the agencies are using the best possible scientific studies and interpreting them correctly. ?Independent scientific review is critical because it provides a check on the agencies,? said Doug Obegi, an attorney at the Natural Resources Defense Council in San Francisco who has read the reviews. ?What the reviews show is that the agencies seem to be rushing the analysis to try to meet President Trump?s deadline rather than following the science.? Skewing the Science: Missing Documents and Hurried Reviews President Trump ordered in October 2018 that the incredibly complex rules to be drafted faster than ever before. Trump's California Water Order Rushes Science and Cuts Out Public, Emails Show | | | | | | | | | | | Trump's California Water Order Rushes Science and Cuts Out Public, Email... KQED investigation finds federal biologists concerned that shortened deadline from president cuts time needed to... | | | ?We will have it done very, very quickly,? Trump said to members of the California GOP congressional delegation last October as he signed an executive?order. ?I hope you enjoy the water that you?re going to have.? The rules govern a delicate balancing act, determining how much water is sent to cities and farmland and how much must remain in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta ecosystem for threatened wildlife, like endangered salmon. That?s made them a target for Central Valley agricultural interests, because? in dry years, the rules can limit their water supply. Federal biologists?set these rules, and they are the final word on how much and when water can be pumped out of the Delta. By law, federal scientists must complete an intricate analysis, and vouch in detailed documents, called biological opinions, that the rules will not drive threatened species such as endangered salmon, delta smelt and other fish to extinction. To meet the president?s timeline, scientists at NOAA Fisheries and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service had to work at an unprecedented pace, cutting back the independent scientific review, and eliminating the public from the process. A juvenile delta smelt inside a rearing tank at the UC Davis Fish Conservation and Culture Lab, located at a state Department of Water Resources facility in Contra Costa County.?(Dale Kolke / California Department of Water Resources) All told, they had 135 days to complete their analysis. The last time NOAA Fisheries completed the analysis, in 2008 and 2009, it took 246 days. In 2008, a seven-member scientific panel reviewed NOAA?s draft rules, including holding a?forum?that was open to the public. The panel ultimately produced a?report?more than 50 pages long, flagging issues in the science for federal biologists to consider.? This time around, the independent review has been less rigorous, according to documents obtained by KQED. Fewer scientists were involved, they received incomplete drafts of the plan, and were given less time to complete their review. In early June, two scientists received a draft of NOAA?s biological opinion evaluating the impact of the plan on endangered salmon, and were given 12 days to review it. But the draft lacked a key chapter explaining how scientific studies about threatened species will inform a water pumping plan. ?These unavailable chapters precluded a thorough top-down review from objectives, methods, results and conclusions,? wrote John R. Skalski, a professor of biological statistics at the University of Washington.? The other reviewer echoed that. ?I therefore provide answers [to] the charge questions that are restricted in scope due to time constraints and not knowing the details,? wrote Kenneth Rose, professor at the University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science, in his review. Rose also left four review questions blank ?due to time limitations,? he wrote. California Adopts Landmark River Plan to Bring Back Salmon | | | | | | | | | | | California Adopts Landmark River Plan to Bring Back Salmon San Francisco and other water users will have to give up some of their water, unless they can agree on a way to ... | | | ?This is definitely a shorter review,? said James Anderson, a research professor at the University of Washington who was on the seven-member science panel in 2008. In April, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service asked three independent scientists to review its draft biological opinion on the delta smelt, a small fish that is hovering on the brink of extinction. The smelt, considered an indicator of wider Delta ecological health, can be killed by the giant federal and state pumps near Tracy that move billions of gallons of water south. Its population has plummeted due to invasive species and dramatically changed water conditions in the delta.? One of the reviewers flagged the pressure of a 2-week timeframe. ?Due to the overwhelming amount of information provided and the relatively short window for review (this is in the middle of my field season), I requested a 48-hr extension,? wrote Joseph Merz, a reviewer with Cramer Fish Sciences in West Sacramento. All three reviewers highlighted that sending more water out of the Delta to farmers would risk the smelt?s existence.? ?If the conclusion of this BiOP [biological opinion] is that the PA [proposed action] will make things worse for delta smelt and that the numbers are continuing to decrease? doesn?t that suggest great peril for the species?? Merz wrote. Kneib, from the University of Georgia, agreed, expressing concern that the agency was skewing the science to make the impacts on delta smelt look less serious. He cited examples ?where the available information seemed inappropriately applied or applied beyond the scope of a study from which it was derived in order to support conclusions that effects on Delta Smelt or their critical habitat were minor.?? Last Steps? Both federal wildlife agencies are now reviewing the independent scientists? findings. They could then change their biological opinions based on that feedback. ?We developed a timeline to complete the biological opinion that allowed adequate time to solicit comments from peer reviewers and the water agencies to be considered and incorporated into the final biological opinion as appropriate,? said Shane Hunt, spokesman for the Fish and Wildlife Service. ?We believe these comments have significantly improved the analysis and have assisted us in ensuring that this biological opinion is complete and informed by the best available science.? NOAA declined to respond to questions about the review process. The agencies? final rules, expected this week, will have far-reaching impacts on millions of Californians and the future of the Delta ecosystem. In some years, roughly half of all the water that flows into the Delta -- a vast system of sloughs and marshes that extends from south of Sacramento to San Francisco Bay -- already is pumped out, reducing water quality and imperiling wildlife. Critics worry that if more water is taken, species will go extinct and San Francisco Bay?s water quality will decline. In the past, biological opinions have ended up at the center of lawsuits, which, experts say, may well be the outcome with the new ones coming from the Trump administration. -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: Save California Salmon letter on BA for ROC LTO CVP Reconsultation 2019.pdf Type: application/pdf Size: 992109 bytes Desc: not available URL: From tstokely at att.net Thu Jul 11 10:23:59 2019 From: tstokely at att.net (Tom Stokely) Date: Thu, 11 Jul 2019 17:23:59 +0000 (UTC) Subject: [env-trinity] Fw: Reclamation Mid-Pacific Region NEPA Notification In-Reply-To: <5150c40acb4372fc79a46039ef322e47@ibr2mprlxlamp01.bor.doi.net> References: <5150c40acb4372fc79a46039ef322e47@ibr2mprlxlamp01.bor.doi.net> Message-ID: <924880723.1645587.1562865839326@mail.yahoo.com> This is a big issue for the Trinity River. TS ----- Forwarded Message ----- From: "sha-mpr-nepanotice at usbr.gov" Sent: Thursday, July 11, 2019, 10:02:23 AM PDTSubject: Reclamation Mid-Pacific Region NEPA Notification Greetings, The Bureau of Reclamation is making National Environmental Policy Act documents for the following project ? ? Reinitiation of Consultation on the Coordinated Long-Term Operation of the Central Valley Project and State Water Project available to the public for review. Please provide your comments by 08/26/2019. To view or download these documents, please visit https://www.usbr.gov/mp/nepa/nepa_project_details.php?Project_ID=39181 To modify your notification preferences, or to stop receiving these notifications, please visit https://www.usbr.gov/mp/nepa/index.php -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From tstokely at att.net Thu Jul 11 10:20:34 2019 From: tstokely at att.net (Tom Stokely) Date: Thu, 11 Jul 2019 17:20:34 +0000 (UTC) Subject: [env-trinity] National relevance of Takings case reflected in Monday hearing in D.C. References: <1429440301.1492194.1562865634909.ref@mail.yahoo.com> Message-ID: <1429440301.1492194.1562865634909@mail.yahoo.com> National relevance of Takings case reflected in Monday hearing in D.C. | | | | | | | | | | | National relevance of Takings case reflected in Monday hearing in D.C. By HOLLY DILLEMUTH H&N Staff Reporter A longtime court case involving the shutoff of water to multiple water users in the Klamath Basin in 2001 attrac... | | | National relevance of Takings case reflected in Monday hearing in D.C. - By HOLLY DILLEMUTH H&N Staff Reporter | | | | User | | | ? - 9 hrs ago ? - | | | | | | | | | | | National relevance of Takings case reflected in Monday hearing in D.C. By HOLLY DILLEMUTH H&N Staff Reporter A longtime court case involving the shutoff of water to multiple water users in the Klamath Basin in 2001 attrac... | | | A longtime court case involving the shutoff of water to multiple water users in the Klamath Basin in 2001 attracted wide-ranging attention from Pacific Northwest-based organizations and those within the legal community in Washington, D.C., on Monday. Nearly 90 minutes of oral arguments were heard Monday at the U.S. Court of Appeals at the Federal Circuit. The case, which water users lost in 2017, is being appealed. ?The trial court?s decision of course was that, although some members of the class, water users, individuals, have property interests in water rights, some do not based on the specifics of contracts, so that?s one issue that had to be addressed,? said Paul Simmons, executive director of the Klamath Water Users Association. ?Those who do have property interests in rights, they didn?t really have a compensable property interest taken because there are senior water rights in the system, which means that the water users really weren?t actually entitled to have the water at all,? he said. Water reallocation The Monday hearing provided legal counsel the opportunity to explain why irrigators believe the federal government should be required to compensate agricultural producers for the alleged ?taking? of irrigation water reallocated by Bureau of Reclamation for delivery to threatened and endangered fish species in 2001. The reallocation stemmed from biological opinions issued in 2001 by U.S. National Marine and Fisheries Service and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. ?It?s really not a dispute about who has water rights, it?s a dispute about how our water rights, adjudicated by whom, and how are they enforced and administered,? Simmons said. ?That?s what attracted so much attention from the friend of the court type parties.? The case, known as the takings case, is: Lonny E. Baley, et al, and John Anderson, et al, v. United States and Pacific Federation of Fishermans Association. Presiding Judge Pauline Newman is overseeing the appeal, with Judges Raymond Chen and Alvin Schall. Klamath Basin irrigators Luther Horsley and Baley, named in the case, attended the hearing, as well as retired special counsel Bill Ganong. Ganong, a longtime water attorney in the Basin, collected applications from thousands of applicants who have a claim in the class action lawsuit in 2017. There are currently about 1,200 individuals with a claim in the class action lawsuit, not including organizations. Ganong assisted lead counsel Roger Marzulla, of Marzulla Law, in critiquing the plaintiff?s oral arguments prior to Monday?s hearing. Filling the court Even more interesting than the content of the hearing to Ganong were the attendees who filled the chambers of the courtroom, which he said was three to four times the size of the trial court in 2017. ?It was full, which shows the interest in the legal community in this case and what this court?s going to do,? Ganong said. The amicus briefs, filed by those with a strong interest in the case, also reflect the level of wide-ranging interest, according to Ganong. Entities that filed amicus briefs include: the Klamath Tribes, Hoopa Valley Tribe, and Yurok Tribe (all separate filings); the State of Oregon, the City of Fresno, farm bureaus from Oregon, California, Idaho, Nevada, New Mexico, Utah and Wyoming; and the Natural Resources Defense Council. In addition, multiple irrigation districts in California filed, as well as Oregon Water Resources Congress. Klamath Tribes Chairman Don Gentry was not reachable by phone as of press time on Wednesday. Interested parties Amicus briefs filed by ?friends of the court? may not necessarily have a part in the case, but have a perspective on the issues involved in the case, according to Simmons. Simmons has also served as secondary counsel on the case since 2001. ?You get these friends of court briefs because the implications of one decision are greater than that case or broader than that case,? Simmons said. ?Those parties all saw some of the same fundamental concerns that the plaintiffs have, particularly about the way that the court addressed water rights and water rights administration and senior and junior water rights,? Simmons said. ?It?s just not the number of briefs, it?s the number of other interested parties,? Ganong added. Some of them include water associations and farm bureaus from all over the Pacific Northwest. ?The message I guess to the court was ? this case has importance beyond the Klamath Basin and the result of this case could affect all sorts of different people and all sorts of different situations.? ?There were at least a half dozen amicus briefs on the government side,? Ganong added. Court outcome Simmons said an outcome from the court could come by or before Dec. 31. It?s at the discretion of judges reviewing the case. If water users are awarded damages, it is likely to total multi-millions, and would be determined by the court, according to Ganong, and that the number could be doubled or quadrupled due to interest accumulated since April 2001. Once a decision is made, Simmons said if needed, the case could reach the U.S. Supreme Court. ?Whoever is on the wrong side of the decision would have the opportunity to ask the Supreme Court to review the case,? Simmons said, a process that would occur through a petition. ?It?s up to the court whether they?re even going to decide if they?re going to look at it.? -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From tstokely at att.net Fri Jul 12 06:47:22 2019 From: tstokely at att.net (Tom Stokely) Date: Fri, 12 Jul 2019 13:47:22 +0000 (UTC) Subject: [env-trinity] Fw: Save the Date - 2019 Klamath River Fish Health Workshop In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: <98305052.374944.1562939242885@mail.yahoo.com> ----- Forwarded Message ----- From: Hetrick, Nick Sent: Thursday, July 11, 2019, 5:30:21 PM PDTSubject: Save the Date - 2019 Klamath River Fish Health Workshop Markyour calendars! ?The 2019 Klamath River Fish Health Workshopwill be held Wednesday November 6th at the Best Western Windsor Inn inAshland Oregon.? We've set up a block ofrooms for the night of Nov 5 th for those attending this full day ofpresentations, which will begin at 9 am on the 6th - just mention "fishhealth workshop" to rec'v the reduced room rate. ? To promote a free? exchange of findingsfrom recent monitoring and research efforts regarding salmonid fish health inthe Klamath River basin, the one-day workshop will be open to all. We do,however, ask that potential speakers submit presentation titles and brief abstracts that we can post online with the meeting agenda, once it?s been fully developed.? Please send to (nick_hetrick at fws.gov), Sasha Hallet (Sascha.Hallett at oregonstate.edu)and Anne Voss (anne_voss at fws.gov) whoare helping to organize this year?s workshop. ? I look forward to seeing many familiarfaces at this annual workshop on fish health related research inthe Klamath River Basin. nicholas j hetrick? -- Nicholas J. HetrickFAC Program LeadFish & Aquatic ConservationArcata Fish and Wildlife OfficeArcata, CA 95521office (707) 822-7201 fax (707) 822-8411 -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From tstokely at att.net Thu Jul 18 16:47:57 2019 From: tstokely at att.net (Tom Stokely) Date: Thu, 18 Jul 2019 23:47:57 +0000 (UTC) Subject: [env-trinity] =?utf-8?q?Salmon_study_may_foil_Trump=E2=80=99s_pla?= =?utf-8?q?n_to_boost_water_deliveries_to_Central_Valley_farms?= References: <778305274.3537591.1563493677092.ref@mail.yahoo.com> Message-ID: <778305274.3537591.1563493677092@mail.yahoo.com> https://www.latimes.com/environment/story/2019-07-18/endangered-salmon-threaten-trump-delta-plan Salmon study may foil Trump?s plan to boost water deliveries to Central Valley farms A juvenile spring chinook salmon.(Steve Beckley / Reclamation District 108 )By?BETTINA BOXALLSTAFF WRITER? | | | | | | | | | | | Bettina Boxall - Los Angeles Times Bettina Boxall covers water issues and the environment for the Los Angeles Times. | | | JULY 18, 2019?3 AM Federal biologists worked frantically this year to meet a deadline to assess the environmental impacts of Trump administration plans to send more water to Central Valley farmers. But the biologists? conclusion ? that increased deliveries would harm endangered Chinook salmon and other imperiled fish ? would foil those plans. Two days after it was submitted, a regional federal official assembled a new review team to improve the documents. The move is the latest salvo in the decades-long battle over the environmental harm caused by the mammoth government operations that export water supplies from the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta, the center of California?s vast water system. During the Obama administration, federal fishery agencies adopted tougher export limits after finding that delta pumping was pushing delta smelt, Chinook salmon and other native fish to the edge of extinction. Westlands Water District, the state?s largest irrigation district, and other delta water users have fought bitterly against the Endangered Species Act restrictions, arguing they pay too much attention to fresh water flows and too little to other environmental stressors that have contributed to the delta?s fish crisis. In tweets last year, President Trump echoed farmers? protests and directed federal agencies in October to suspend or revise regulations that hamper water deliveries. ?You?ll have a lot of water. I hope you?ll enjoy the water you?ll have,? Trump said as a group of GOP congressmen from the Central Valley watched him sign the memo after a fundraising lunch in Arizona. Leading the rollback efforts are Interior Sec. David Bernhardt, who before joining the Trump administration was a partner in Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck, a top grossing law and lobbying firm that sued the Department of Interior four times on behalf of Westlands. Bernhardt lobbied on behalf of Westlands and personally argued an appeals case challenging salmon protections. Trump?s memo set strict 2019 deadlines for the National Marine Fisheries Service and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to update rules that govern delta water exports in what are called biological opinions. According to information provided to The Times by Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility, federal sources familiar with the work said the fisheries service met the deadline. On July 1, it completed a biological opinion that was signed by multiple staffers and cleared by service attorneys. The opinion concluded that the proposed delta pumping would jeopardize the continued existence of endangered winter-run Chinook salmon, threatened spring-run Chinook and threatened Central Valley steelhead, as well as endangered Southern Resident killer whales that dine on salmon. Not only would a so-called jeopardy opinion make it difficult to shed pumping limits imposed under Obama-era opinions, it might impose new ones. Paul Souza, the regional fish and wildlife director who is coordinating work on the salmon opinion and a separate one for delta smelt, said ?it?s premature for us to talk about conclusions.? He requested a two-month extension to the deadline and assembled a new review team because ?We needed more time to work through different issues,? he said. ?We had a lot of new information coming into the mix,? he added, citing comments from water users and the state as well as discussions with the Bureau of Reclamation about steps to mitigate impacts of its delta export operations. He acknowledged that ?we have been asked to make sure water supply is available for important farmland in California and communities.? However, he added that ?conservation strategies necessary to support imperiled fish and other species are going to be a center piece of this work.? Jeff Ruch, Pacific director of PEER, condemned Souza?s moves. ?His professional staff turns in this work and he summarily rejects it, convenes a new team ? and the clear message is that the [reclamation bureau?s] plans will not be at all impeded,? said Ruch, whose nonprofit group works with current and former government employees to bring information ?into the light of day.? Souza?s mandate, Ruch contended, ?is to make sure [the fisheries service] did not issue a jeopardy opinion no matter what the impact was.? Federal agencies have been down this road before. In 2004, under the George W. Bush administration, federal biologists concluded in draft documents leaked to the media that delta water operations would jeopardize populations of winter-run Chinook and Central Valley steelhead. A few months later, a final opinion reversed that finding, opening the door to increased exports. The Commerce Department inspector general later faulted the fisheries service for not following agency guidelines designed to ensure ?the quality of the biological opinion.? And a series of lawsuits followed, ultimately resulting in new opinions for delta smelt and salmon during the Obama administration that tightened pumping limits. Whatever the outcome of this round of endangered species reviews, they are bound to be challenged in court. If restrictions aren?t relaxed, water users will sue. If they are lifted, environmental and salmon fishing groups will file suit. ?Salmon in California are a major natural resource enjoyed by many Californians and relied on by many to make a living,? said John McManus, president of the Golden Gate Salmon Assn. ?The water in the Central Valley is needed to keep our salmon runs alive.? -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From tstokely at att.net Mon Jul 22 12:33:28 2019 From: tstokely at att.net (Tom Stokely) Date: Mon, 22 Jul 2019 19:33:28 +0000 (UTC) Subject: [env-trinity] Statement: San Luis & Delta-Mendota Water Authority - Federico Barajas new ED References: <1126545598.5056193.1563824008589.ref@mail.yahoo.com> Message-ID: <1126545598.5056193.1563824008589@mail.yahoo.com> http://sldmwa.org/12-6-18-new-san-luis-delta-mendota-water-authority-fills-key-management-positions/ Statement: San Luis & Delta-Mendota Water Authority Fills Key Management Positions San Luis & Delta-Mendota Water Authority?Fills Key Management Positions 12/6/18 ? Los Banos, CA ? The San Luis & Delta-Mendota Water Authority (Water Authority) Board of Directors voted today to approve an employment contract for Federico Barajas to fill the position of its Executive Director, replacing Assistant Executive Director Frances Mizuno who has been serving on an interim basis since June 1. Barajas leaves his position as Deputy Regional Director, Mid-Pacific Region, at the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation, a position he has held since 2016 and will begin with the Water Authority effective on December 10. During his more than 25 years at Reclamation, Barajas filled numerous roles managing the critical water infrastructure serving major parts of California, Nevada and Southern Oregon. Barajas brings with him a remarkable level of experience in federal water policy, engineering and administration, assets that will benefit over a million acres of farmland, 2 million urban water users in the Silicon Valley, and 200,000 acres of managed wetlands within the Water Authority service area. While at Reclamation, Barajas oversaw CVP operations and had direct oversight of all Central Valley Project offices. He cultivated excellent working relationships with state and local governments, public water agencies, regulatory agencies, and environmental groups. He built relationships with the State Department of Water Resources, State Water Contractors, as well as tribal governments. Barajas worked to oversee implementation of the Water Infrastructure Improvements for the Nation (WIIN) Act, which added flexibility to water operations in the Delta in order to maximize water deliveries while complying with all aspects of the federal Endangered Species Act and other applicable law. He has worked on capital infrastructure projects and played various roles on large Reclamation projects, including installation of temperature control curtains at Whiskeytown Lake, construction oversight during levee repairs in partnership with the Army Corps of Engineers, providing oversight during the joint federal project at Folsom Dam, and management oversight during Safety of Dams corrective actions at several Reclamation facilities. ?I am excited about joining the San Luis & Delta-Mendota Water Authority team? said Barajas. ?I am committed to building strong partnerships and working with the Water Authority team on key water-related issues and opportunities that lie ahead. I want to commend the board for initiating a strategic planning effort that will help set a strategic path forward for the Water Authority.? ?We are very excited to have Federico taking on the role of the executive director of the Water Authority,? said Water Authority Board Chairman Cannon Michael. ?Federico brings to the job an exceptional combination of knowledge, experience and proven leadership. Both the board and staff are impressed with his extensive knowledge of western water and the Central Valley Project, his 25-years of work within Reclamation, and his well-honed management skills. His knowledge, background and relationships make him the ideal person to help address the numerous challenges and opportunities faced by the members of the Water Authority.? In addition to Barajas, the Water Authority hired J. Scott Petersen, effective on January 2, 2019, as the organization?s Water Policy Director. Petersen formerly served as Legislative Director for then-Congressman Dennis Cardoza from 2011 to 2013 and has served for the past six years as Deputy Chief of Staff for Congressman Jim Costa. During his tenure with Congressman Costa, Petersen worked on numerous issues affecting water resources and natural resources policy, including WIIN Act legislation, the Non-federal Reservoir Operations Improvement Act, keeping rescheduled water in San Luis Reservoir for SLDMWA member agencies in 2014, as well as regulatory and administrative relief totaling over 1 million acre-feet of additional water supplies for San Joaquin Valley water agencies. Petersen also worked on the 2018 and 2012 Farm Bills, with efforts resulting in increased funding for multipurpose conservation projects specifically benefiting groundwater recharge and increasing funds for specialty crop programs. In addition to his experience on federal water policy, Petersen is a registered civil engineer and oversaw capital projects, including water pipeline projects, storm water drainage projects, sewer improvements, and retention basins while working for TKE Engineering in Riverside, CA. ?I?m looking forward to joining the San Luis & Delta-Mendota Water Authority as Water Policy Director,? said Petersen. ?Family farms, cities, businesses, and the environment depend on a reliable water supply from the Authority to sustain them. Unfortunately, variable hydrology resulting from a changing climate, coupled with well intentioned, but ultimately ineffective water resources policies have led to less reliable water supplies for Authority member agencies and their customers, as well as harm to California?s ecosystems and native fisheries. The Authority has a long history of working constructively and collaboratively to improve California water policy and I look forward to continuing that proud tradition.? ?I have known Scott for many years and have a great deal of respect for his abilities, knowledge and character,? said Michael. ?We are extremely excited for him to join the team here at the Water Authority. Scott is a critical thinker and is able to work with diverse groups of stakeholders to create lasting solutions. His skills will be essential in assisting the Water Authority in our role of effectively delivering water to our agricultural, urban and environmental water users,? he said. In addition to filling the two vacancies, the board approved the promotion of Rebecca Akroyd to General Counsel. Akroyd joined the Water Authority as Deputy General Counsel in November 2017, and has been serving as Interim General Counsel since June 1, 2018. -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From tstokely at att.net Mon Jul 22 12:51:57 2019 From: tstokely at att.net (Tom Stokely) Date: Mon, 22 Jul 2019 19:51:57 +0000 (UTC) Subject: [env-trinity] Judge rejects effort to move Shasta Dam lawsuit to Fresno References: <1879086236.4994960.1563825117129.ref@mail.yahoo.com> Message-ID: <1879086236.4994960.1563825117129@mail.yahoo.com> https://www.redding.com/story/news/2019/07/22/shasta-county-judge-rejects-effort-move-shasta-dam-lawsuit-fresno/1796190001/ Judge rejects effort to move Shasta Dam lawsuit to Fresno Damon Arthur, Redding Record Searchlight | | | | Damon Arthur | Record Searchlight Damon Arthur reporter Damon Arthur covers resources, environment and the outdoors for the Record Searchlight and... | | | Published 11:36 a.m. PT July 22, 2019 |?Updated 11:37 a.m. PT July 22, 2019 A judge has rejected a San Joaquin Valley irrigation district's request to move a lawsuit against raising the height of Shasta Dam to Fresno County. Westlands Water District, based in Fresno, wanted to move?the lawsuit against it?to its home county, but a judge has ruled the case will remain in Shasta County. | | | | | | | | | | | After AG sues, Westlands Water District says it's studying whether to su... Citing the state's Wild and Scenic Rivers Act, the California attorney general and several groups have sued to s... | | | Colin O'Brien, a lawyer for Earthjustice, said after a brief court hearing Monday that he and others who sued Westlands argued that the case should stay in Redding because the effects of raising the height of Shasta Dam would be felt in Shasta County. "The case will have powerful consequences in Shasta County," O'Brien said. Buy Photo Workers did testing on Shasta Dam in 2018 to determine whether it could withstand having an additional 18 1/2 feet of concrete placed on the crest of the dam.?(Photo: Damon Arthur/Record Searchlight) Numerous environmental and fishing groups and the California Attorney General sued Westlands in May, claiming the district is violating a state law that prohibits state public agencies from?working on or planning projects?that would have an adverse effect on the McCloud River. | | | | | | | | | | | Work begins on raising the height of Shasta Dam The drilling is part of the prep work to raise the height of the dam 18? feet. | | | Westlands is doing an environmental review of the effects of raising the height of Shasta Dam 18? feet. But a previous environmental report by the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation said the dam raising would raise the lake level about 20 feet and further inundate about a third of a mile of the McCloud River. It also would increase the capacity of the lake by about 14 percent. Westlands lawyer Daniel J. O'Hanlon said the irrigation district is merely evaluating whether to work with the bureau to raise the height of the dam and hasn't made a decision to become a financial partner on the project. Buy Photo Westlands Water District of Fresno held a meeting in Redding last year on an environmental impact report on the proposal to raise the height of Shasta Dam.?(Photo: Damon Arthur/Record Searchlight) Bureau officials have said they are working to get state and local partners to help pay 50 percent of the project's $1.4 billion cost. Because most of the environmental review is being conducted in Fresno County, the lawsuit should be heard there, O'Hanlon said. But the judge's decision to keep the lawsuit in Shasta County wasn't a major blow to Westlands, he said. "It's not a huge deal, really," O'Hanlon said. Buy Photo Federal officials want to raise the height of Shasta Dam to store more water in Lake Shasta.?(Photo: Damon Arthur/Record Searchlight) A potentially big deal, however, is pending before Shasta County Superior Court Judge Bradley L. Boeckman, who also ruled on the change of venue request. The Attorney General's Office and environmental and fishing groups have asked Boeckman to issue a preliminary injunction ordering Westlands to stop work on the environmental impact report. The district says it hasn't decided whether to support the project, but the bureau did some work on the dam in 2018.? In spring 2018?Congress?approved $20 million for?preconstruction?and design work?on raising the?dam. The bureau had preliminary plans drawn up and crews drilled core samples into the?dam?to determine whether it could withstand the extra weight of another 18? feet in height. | | | | | | | | | | | Proposed federal budget includes funds to raise Shasta Dam The proposed 2019 federal budget includes $20 million for pre-construction and design work on the structure. | | | Bureau officials hope to award the first construction contract on raising the?dam?by the end of 2019, with work beginning in 2020. Raising the height of the?dam?would require moving numerous roads, bridges, campgrounds, homes and other facilities around Lake Shasta to higher ground. RELATED:?Tiny salamanders could stand in the way of massive $1.4 billion project to raise dam | | | | | | | | | | | Tiny salamanders could stand in the way of massive $1.4 billion project ... A trio of tiny salamanders living near Lake Shasta could stand in the way of a massive $1.4 billion project to r... | | | MORE:?LaMalfa says Shasta Dam raise not a top priority | | | | | | | | | | | LaMalfa says Shasta Dam raise not a top priority Lawmaker says he'd rather see Sites Reservoir built than the Bureau of Reclamation's plan to raise the height of... | | | -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From tstokely at att.net Mon Jul 22 12:51:57 2019 From: tstokely at att.net (Tom Stokely) Date: Mon, 22 Jul 2019 19:51:57 +0000 (UTC) Subject: [env-trinity] Judge rejects effort to move Shasta Dam lawsuit to Fresno References: <1879086236.4994960.1563825117129.ref@mail.yahoo.com> Message-ID: <1879086236.4994960.1563825117129@mail.yahoo.com> https://www.redding.com/story/news/2019/07/22/shasta-county-judge-rejects-effort-move-shasta-dam-lawsuit-fresno/1796190001/ Judge rejects effort to move Shasta Dam lawsuit to Fresno Damon Arthur, Redding Record Searchlight | | | | Damon Arthur | Record Searchlight Damon Arthur reporter Damon Arthur covers resources, environment and the outdoors for the Record Searchlight and... | | | Published 11:36 a.m. PT July 22, 2019 |?Updated 11:37 a.m. PT July 22, 2019 A judge has rejected a San Joaquin Valley irrigation district's request to move a lawsuit against raising the height of Shasta Dam to Fresno County. Westlands Water District, based in Fresno, wanted to move?the lawsuit against it?to its home county, but a judge has ruled the case will remain in Shasta County. | | | | | | | | | | | After AG sues, Westlands Water District says it's studying whether to su... Citing the state's Wild and Scenic Rivers Act, the California attorney general and several groups have sued to s... | | | Colin O'Brien, a lawyer for Earthjustice, said after a brief court hearing Monday that he and others who sued Westlands argued that the case should stay in Redding because the effects of raising the height of Shasta Dam would be felt in Shasta County. "The case will have powerful consequences in Shasta County," O'Brien said. Buy Photo Workers did testing on Shasta Dam in 2018 to determine whether it could withstand having an additional 18 1/2 feet of concrete placed on the crest of the dam.?(Photo: Damon Arthur/Record Searchlight) Numerous environmental and fishing groups and the California Attorney General sued Westlands in May, claiming the district is violating a state law that prohibits state public agencies from?working on or planning projects?that would have an adverse effect on the McCloud River. | | | | | | | | | | | Work begins on raising the height of Shasta Dam The drilling is part of the prep work to raise the height of the dam 18? feet. | | | Westlands is doing an environmental review of the effects of raising the height of Shasta Dam 18? feet. But a previous environmental report by the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation said the dam raising would raise the lake level about 20 feet and further inundate about a third of a mile of the McCloud River. It also would increase the capacity of the lake by about 14 percent. Westlands lawyer Daniel J. O'Hanlon said the irrigation district is merely evaluating whether to work with the bureau to raise the height of the dam and hasn't made a decision to become a financial partner on the project. Buy Photo Westlands Water District of Fresno held a meeting in Redding last year on an environmental impact report on the proposal to raise the height of Shasta Dam.?(Photo: Damon Arthur/Record Searchlight) Bureau officials have said they are working to get state and local partners to help pay 50 percent of the project's $1.4 billion cost. Because most of the environmental review is being conducted in Fresno County, the lawsuit should be heard there, O'Hanlon said. But the judge's decision to keep the lawsuit in Shasta County wasn't a major blow to Westlands, he said. "It's not a huge deal, really," O'Hanlon said. Buy Photo Federal officials want to raise the height of Shasta Dam to store more water in Lake Shasta.?(Photo: Damon Arthur/Record Searchlight) A potentially big deal, however, is pending before Shasta County Superior Court Judge Bradley L. Boeckman, who also ruled on the change of venue request. The Attorney General's Office and environmental and fishing groups have asked Boeckman to issue a preliminary injunction ordering Westlands to stop work on the environmental impact report. The district says it hasn't decided whether to support the project, but the bureau did some work on the dam in 2018.? In spring 2018?Congress?approved $20 million for?preconstruction?and design work?on raising the?dam. The bureau had preliminary plans drawn up and crews drilled core samples into the?dam?to determine whether it could withstand the extra weight of another 18? feet in height. | | | | | | | | | | | Proposed federal budget includes funds to raise Shasta Dam The proposed 2019 federal budget includes $20 million for pre-construction and design work on the structure. | | | Bureau officials hope to award the first construction contract on raising the?dam?by the end of 2019, with work beginning in 2020. Raising the height of the?dam?would require moving numerous roads, bridges, campgrounds, homes and other facilities around Lake Shasta to higher ground. RELATED:?Tiny salamanders could stand in the way of massive $1.4 billion project to raise dam | | | | | | | | | | | Tiny salamanders could stand in the way of massive $1.4 billion project ... A trio of tiny salamanders living near Lake Shasta could stand in the way of a massive $1.4 billion project to r... | | | MORE:?LaMalfa says Shasta Dam raise not a top priority | | | | | | | | | | | LaMalfa says Shasta Dam raise not a top priority Lawmaker says he'd rather see Sites Reservoir built than the Bureau of Reclamation's plan to raise the height of... | | | -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From oorourke at yuroktribe.nsn.us Fri Jul 26 16:06:08 2019 From: oorourke at yuroktribe.nsn.us (Oshun O'Rourke) Date: Fri, 26 Jul 2019 23:06:08 +0000 Subject: [env-trinity] raw catch update Willow Creek RST Message-ID: Attached is the Yurok Tribal Fisheries' 2019 catch summary for the Lower Trinity River outmigrant screw traps located in Willow Creek, CA. Please see the attached spreadsheet for a full update. Thanks, Oshun Orourke Yurok Tribe Fisheries Trinity Division 530-629-3333 ext 1703 oorourke at yuroktribe.nsn.us -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: raw catch update Willow Creek RST.xlsx Type: application/vnd.openxmlformats-officedocument.spreadsheetml.sheet Size: 14006 bytes Desc: raw catch update Willow Creek RST.xlsx URL: From tstokely at att.net Tue Jul 30 14:30:39 2019 From: tstokely at att.net (Tom Stokely) Date: Tue, 30 Jul 2019 21:30:39 +0000 (UTC) Subject: [env-trinity] Judge delays ruling to stop Shasta Dam study References: <1113066485.520642.1564522239900.ref@mail.yahoo.com> Message-ID: <1113066485.520642.1564522239900@mail.yahoo.com> Judge delays ruling to stop Shasta Dam study | | | | | | | | | | | Judge delays ruling to stop Shasta Dam study A judge on Monday backed off a decision to stop a Fresno-based water district from going forward with a study on... | | | Judge delays ruling to stop Shasta Dam study Damon Arthur, Redding Record Searchlight A judge on Monday backed off a decision to stop a Fresno-based water district from going forward with a study on whether to raise the height of Shasta Dam. The judge had issued a tentative ruling?that would have forced the Westlands Water District to stop work on an environmental impact report assessing the impacts of raising the height of the dam. However, after listening to arguments in Shasta County Superior Court on Monday from the district and the state Attorney General's Office, the judge said he would issue a final statement within 48 hours. The judge, Dennis Buckley, at times appeared flummoxed about how to proceed on the issue, at one point closing his eyes and putting his head in his hands. Westlands has told the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation, which operates Shasta Dam, that it is interested in helping pay for the cost of raising the height of the dam 18? feet. Buy Photo File - In March 2019, the Bureau of Reclamation has increased the amount of water coming out of the dam to 30,000 cubic-feet per second.?(Photo: Damon Arthur/Record Searchlight) But the state attorney general and several environmental groups sued Westlands, claiming that doing so would violate state law. Raising the height of the dam would inundate a portion of the McCloud River, which is protected under state law. RELATED:?Judge rejects effort to move Shasta Dam lawsuit to Fresno | | | | | | | | | | | Judge rejects effort to move Shasta Dam lawsuit to Fresno Westlands Water District, based in Fresno, wanted to move the lawsuit against it to Fresno County, but a judge h... | | | RELATED:?After AG sues, Westlands Water District says it's studying whether to support Shasta Dam raise | | | | | | | | | | | After AG sues, Westlands Water District says it's studying whether to su... Citing the state's Wild and Scenic Rivers Act, the California attorney general and several groups have sued to s... | | | State officials argued that a state law prohibits state agencies from participating in studies or planning for?any project that would harm the McCloud River. Writing an environmental impact report would require participation from several state agencies, said Russell Hildreth, an attorney for the state. Buy Photo File - In March 2019, four of the five turbines below Shasta Dam were turning, creating electricity.?(Photo: Damon Arthur/Record Searchlight) But Daniel O'Hanlon, an attorney for Westlands, said the irrigation district has not decided whether to go forward with the project. The district wants to complete the study to determine whether it wants to help pay the $1.4 billion cost to raise the height of the dam. The bureau's 2015 environmental study of the proposed dam raise concluded raising the height of the dam would raise the lake level about 20 feet when full, and inundate about a third of a mile of the McCloud River. The bureau has said it needs local and state partners to pay for half the cost of the dam. It has also said it plans to issue the first construction contracts later this year. The amount of water coming out of Shasta Dam has been increased to 30,000 cubic-feet per second.Damon Arthur, Record Searchlight More:?Shasta County reports first positive West Nile virus mosquito sample | | | | | | | | | | | Shasta County reports first positive West Nile virus mosquito sample The sample was taken in the west Cottonwood area. | | | More:?Your local paper: We're here when the fire's burning, and we're here when it's out | | | | | | | | | | | Your local paper: We're here when the fire's burning, and we're here whe... Record Searchlight journalists did whatever it took to update readers on the latest news of the Carr Fire, and t... | | | More:?The Buzz: Why Redding is plugging new flights to LAX | | | | | | | | | | | The Buzz: Why Redding is plugging new flights to LAX United Airlines has withdrawn $283,000 from the revenue guarantee account the city established to help land the ... | | | Damon Arthur is the Record Searchlight?s resources and environment?reporter. He is among the first on the scene at breaking news incidents, reporting real time on Twitter at?@damonarthur_RS. Damon is part of a dedicated team of journalists who investigate wrongdoing and find the unheard voices to tell the stories of the North State. He welcomes story tips at 530-225-8226 and damon.arthur at redding.com. Help local journalism thrive by?subscribing today! | | | | | | | | | | | Special Offer Subscribe today and enjoy local journalism, apps, video, and more. | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Damon Arthur (@damonarthur_RS) | Twitter The latest Tweets from Damon Arthur (@damonarthur_RS). Reporter @Breakingnews_RS Record Searchlight/Redding.com ... | | | -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From tstokely at att.net Tue Jul 30 14:33:07 2019 From: tstokely at att.net (Tom Stokely) Date: Tue, 30 Jul 2019 21:33:07 +0000 (UTC) Subject: [env-trinity] Three-Way Wrangle Over Plan to Expand Shasta Dam References: <1323427424.490846.1564522387323.ref@mail.yahoo.com> Message-ID: <1323427424.490846.1564522387323@mail.yahoo.com> https://www.courthousenews.com/three-way-wrangle-over-plan-to-expand-shasta-dam/ Three-Way Wrangle Over Plan to Expand Shasta Dam? July 29, 2019 NICK CAHILL | | | | CNS Search | | | Shasta Dam in Northern California. REDDING, Calif. (CN) ? A cornerstone project of the New Deal and the dam-building boom of the 20th?century, Shasta Dam is not just the linchpin of California?s water delivery and flood control systems but one of the country?s tallest and most iconic dams. After nearly 75 years of operation, the federal government has decided it?s time to raise the dam and increase storage at what is already the state?s largest reservoir. While the Trump administration is in favor, current law requires the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation ? which manages Shasta Dam ? to split new water project costs with other participating agencies. In order to comply with the 2016 law, the bureau is courting an influential water district located hundreds of miles downstream to share the estimated $1.3 billion price tag. If it ultimately decides to join the expansion, Fresno-based Westlands Water District would in theory increase its capacity to sell water to farmers in California?s agricultural heartland. But as is the case in the majority of California?s water disputes, the project carries environmental baggage: Previous federal studies conducted before President Donald Trump took office found that raising the dam would have negative effects on a protected stretch of river that flows into Lake Shasta. On Monday, the state of California and a coalition of fishing groups and environmentalists asked a judge to bar Westlands from completing a crucial environmental report in hopes of stalling the project ?Everything we see looks to be illegal,? said deputy attorney general Russell Hildreth. At issue?is a stretch of the McCloud River that?both sides agree?would be inundated by the project. | | | | | | | | | | | California Sues to Sink Planned Expansion of Shasta Dam Up against the Trump administration and the nation?s largest agricultural water supplier, California?s attorney ... | | | Hildreth argued during a hearing at Shasta County Superior Court that by spending money and resources on environmental reviews, Westlands violates the state?s Wild and Scenic Rivers Act. The Legislature designated the river as protected in 1989 and the opponents say Westlands? planning clearly violates state law since the project will muddle the currently free-flowing stretch of river. ?The continued management of river resources in their existing natural condition represents the best way to protect the unique fishery of the McCloud River,? the designation states. ?No department or agency of the state shall assist or cooperate with?the planning or construction of any dam, reservoir, diversion or other water impoundment facility that could have an adverse effect on the free-flowing condition of the McCloud River, or on its wild trout fishery.? Though Westlands hasn?t formally decided to fund the project, the state says Westlands has violated the act by budgeting $1 million toward the environmental review. Hours before the hearing, Judge Dennis Buckley issued a tentative ruling in favor of the state that would require Westlands to drop environmental reviews ahead of a scheduled April 2020 trial date. But his back-and-forth with the parties moved him off the tentative order, and he told the courtroom to expect an order within 48 hours. Proponents have been trying to raise Shasta Dam for decades, but the idea has gained steam under Trump. On the campaign trail, Trump often promised California farmers he would increase federal water deliveries, and in March 2018 Congress approved $20 million toward the design phase of the project. David Bernhardt also lobbied on behalf of Westlands before Trump tapped him as Interior secretary. Raising the Northern California dam by 18.5 feet would increase the reservoir?s storage capacity by 14% and create more supplies for farmers during wet years. Westlands? lawyer Daniel O?Hanlon painted the lawsuit as an attack on the water supplier?s decision-making process and a stall tactic. He said there?s a chance the bureau?s old study was flawed and that the project could move forward in an environmentally sound manner. ?Westlands hasn?t made a decision, it?s trying to figure out whether the project will have adverse effects,? O?Hanlon said. ?We could drop the plan.? The state responded that if Westlands is able to complete its California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) review, state and local agencies would be forced to spend money and time on a project that the feds have already said is doomed. ?Nobody should be forced to become party to an illegal process,? Hildreth said. Judge Buckley hinted that it will be tough for Westlands to overcome a damning 2015 bureau study that concluded raising the dam would ?adversely affect? both the river?s free-flowing condition and its wild trout fishery. ?But thus far, it doesn?t look good for Westlands, does it?? Buckley asked. -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From tstokely at att.net Wed Jul 31 18:32:32 2019 From: tstokely at att.net (Tom Stokely) Date: Thu, 1 Aug 2019 01:32:32 +0000 (UTC) Subject: [env-trinity] Judge orders Westlands to stop work on Shasta Dam raise! References: <175037811.604203.1564623152645.ref@mail.yahoo.com> Message-ID: <175037811.604203.1564623152645@mail.yahoo.com> https://www.redding.com/story/news/2019/07/31/judge-orders-westlands-stop-work-shasta-dam-raise/1884488001/ Judge orders Westlands to stop work on Shasta Dam raise Damon Arthur, Redding Record Searchlight Buy Photo A view of Shasta Dam from the nearby overlook.?(Photo: Damon Arthur/Record Searchlight) A judge has ordered a Fresno-based water district to stop working on plans to raise the height of Shasta Dam. The Westlands Water District, which provides irrigation water to farmers on the west side of the San Joaquin Valley, was working on a report assessing the environmental impacts of raising the height of the dam. But a judge ruled that Westlands' work violated a state law that prohibited local and state agencies from participating in any projects that would have an adverse impact on the McCloud River. The state Attorney General's Office and several environmental groups had filed a lawsuit against Westlands arguing that raising the height of the dam also would raise the level of Lake Shasta and further inundate?the McCloud River. The Shasta County Superior Court issued the preliminary injunction Wednesday. Lawyers for Earthjustice, one of the groups that sued Westlands, said it was important to stop?the project because the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation had planned to award construction contracts on the project by the end of this?year. "Westlands has been planning for a long time on this dam raise and it's high time the court stopped them," said Nina Robertson, a lawyer for Earthjustice. Buy Photo The Bureau of Reclamation has increased the amount of water coming out of the dam to 30,000 cubic-feet per second.?(Photo: Damon Arthur/Record Searchlight) Attorney General Xavier Becerra said raising the dam was bad for the environment. ?The court has stopped Westlands Water District from moving forward with a project that would hurt the people and environment in our state,? Becerra said in a news release. ?Maybe others believe they?re above the law and can get away with it. But, in California, we?re prepared to prove otherwise,? he said. Westlands attorney Daniel O'Hanlon argued in court this week that the district wasn't violating the law because the agency hadn't yet determined whether it wanted to support the dam raise project. He said doing an environmental study of the project under the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) would help district officials determine whether it wanted to help pay for the cost to raise the dam 18? feet. "As far as CEQA being planning, I strongly disagree with that," O'Hanlon said in court Monday. Buy Photo Westlands Water District of Fresno held a meeting in Redding last year on an environmental impact report on the proposal to raise the height of Shasta Dam.?(Photo: Damon Arthur/Record Searchlight) Federal officials have long considered raising the height of the dam. In 2013 the bureau did its own environmental analysis of raising the dam. That report noted the state law prohibiting local and state agencies from participating in any project that would harm the McCloud River. In 2015, the bureau said?it would only pay for 50% of the project. The rest of the $1.4 billion would have to come from local and state partners. Westlands stepped up as a cost-sharing partner and began work on an environmental impact report to comply with state law. Bureau spokesman Jeff Hawk said Wednesday he hadn't reviewed the court ruling, but said the project would likely continue to go forward. ?We have not reviewed the ruling, however such a ruling would not prevent reclamation from moving forward with the Shasta Dam and Reservoir Enlargement Project,? Hawk said. Despite the state law protecting the McCloud River, Congress in 2018 authorized spending $20 million on pre-construction work and engineering drawings on the project. Buy Photo Federal officials want to raise the height of Shasta Dam to store more water in Lake Shasta.?(Photo: Damon Arthur/Record Searchlight) However, since approving the initial $20 million for the dam raise,?control of Congress passed from Republican to Democratic control.? U.S. Rep. Jared?Huffman, D-Arcata, said earlier this year he opposes the project and believes Congress isn't likely to approve further funding for construction. "You can't really justify any money for this because of this legal roadblock,"?Huffman?said. Even if there weren't legal issues standing in the way of the dam project, he said he would rather see other water projects built, such as Sites Reservoir in Colusa County. Buy Photo Four of the five turbines below Shasta Dam were turning Monday, creating electricity.?(Photo: Damon Arthur/Record Searchlight) U.S. Sen. Dianne Feinstein and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, also from California,?supported last year's bill providing $20 million for pre-construction and design work on the project, with the caveat that the project comply with state law. Water agencies have been trying for many years to either change the law protecting the McCloud or protect their interests in raising the height of the dam. In 2012, the directors of the Metropolitan district ? a wholesale water supplier to about 19 million Southern California residents ? voted to lobby to change the law so the state could help pay for raising the dam. A spokesman for the Metropolitan district said at the time the board approved the measure because in general it supports creating more water storage statewide. In 2007, the Westlands district paid about $33 million to buy about 3,000 acres bordering the McCloud River, including the Bollibokka Fly Fishing Club. Its property extends south to just downstream of the McCloud River bridge at Lake Shasta. Damon Arthur is the Record Searchlight?s resources and environment?reporter. He is among the first on the scene at breaking news incidents, reporting real time on Twitter at?@damonarthur_RS. Damon is part of a dedicated team of journalists who investigate wrongdoing and find the unheard voices to tell the stories of the North State. He welcomes story tips at 530-225-8226 and damon.arthur at redding.com. Help local journalism thrive by?subscribing today! | | | | | | | | | | | Special Offer Subscribe today and enjoy local journalism, apps, video, and more. | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Damon Arthur (@damonarthur_RS) | Twitter The latest Tweets from Damon Arthur (@damonarthur_RS). Reporter @Breakingnews_RS Record Searchlight/Redding.com ... | | | -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From MaryClaire.Kier at wildlife.ca.gov Thu Aug 1 14:11:05 2019 From: MaryClaire.Kier at wildlife.ca.gov (Kier, Mary Claire@Wildlife) Date: Thu, 1 Aug 2019 21:11:05 +0000 Subject: [env-trinity] First trapping summary of 2019 - Junction City weir through Julian week 30 Message-ID: Good August to you all! Here is the first CDFW Trinity River Project trapping summary of the 2019 field season. We were able to get Junction City weir (JCW) in the water and fishing on the 16th of July (flow dependent) so this summary is of Julian weeks (JWs) 29 and 30. I've been on vacation so couldn't get this out to you on time, my apologies. The numbers are as reported by JCW personnel. JCW is the only tab that is up to date. I will be updating the historic numbers hopefully before I send out JW 31. The JWs run from Tuesday - Monday this year so look for summaries to come out mid week at the earliest. Cheers! MC ****************************************************** Mary Claire Kier CA Department of Fish and Wildlife - Trinity River Project Environmental Scientist - Fisheries 707/822-5876 5341 Ericson Way, Arcata CA 95521 ****************************************************** Klamath/Trinity Program reports can be found online @ https://nrmsecure.dfg.ca.gov/documents/ContextDocs.aspx?cat=KlamathTrinity -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... 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Name: 2019 TRP_ trapping_summary_thru_JW30.xlsx Type: application/vnd.openxmlformats-officedocument.spreadsheetml.sheet Size: 70090 bytes Desc: 2019 TRP_ trapping_summary_thru_JW30.xlsx URL: From tstokely at att.net Fri Aug 2 13:38:14 2019 From: tstokely at att.net (Tom Stokely) Date: Fri, 2 Aug 2019 20:38:14 +0000 (UTC) Subject: [env-trinity] =?utf-8?q?Protection_for_the_entire_river=E2=80=99?= =?utf-8?q?=3A_Yurok=2C_fishermen_sue_to_save_Klamath_salmon?= References: <642932100.425898.1564778294507.ref@mail.yahoo.com> Message-ID: <642932100.425898.1564778294507@mail.yahoo.com> Protection for the entire river?: Yurok, fishermen sue to save Klamath salmon Lawsuit alleges federal management plan hurts Klamath River - https://www.redwoodtimes.com/2019/08/01/protection-for-the-entire-river-yurok-fishermen-sue-to-save-klamath-salmon/?share=twitter&nb=1 - - https://www.redwoodtimes.com/2019/08/01/protection-for-the-entire-river-yurok-fishermen-sue-to-save-klamath-salmon/#print Fishermen and fisherwomen cast their lines at the mouth of the Klamath River in 2009. The Yurok Tribe and Pacific Coast Federation of Fishermen?s Associations are suing the Bureau of Reclamation and the National Marine Fisheries Service over mismanagement of Klamath River water diversions that has led to an increase in the parasitic infection of salmon. (Times-Standard file photo)By?SONIA WARAICH?|?swaraich at times-standard.com?|? | | | | | | | | | | | Sonia Waraich | | | PUBLISHED:?August 1, 2019 at 7:08 pm?| UPDATED:?August 1, 2019 at 7:09 pm | | | | | | | | | | | ?Protection for the entire river?: Yurok, fishermen sue to save Klamath ... A new federal management plan for the Klamath River is proving to be a disaster for salmon, a lawsuit alleges. T... | | | A new federal management plan for the Klamath River is proving to be a disaster for salmon, a lawsuit alleges. The Yurok Tribe and the Pacific Coast Federation of Fishermen?s Associations filed a lawsuit against the Bureau of Reclamation and the National Marine Fisheries Service on Wednesday because the new plan, which went into effect April 1, has led to drought-level flows in the lower Klamath River and an increase in salmon with a potentially lethal parasite known as Ceratonova shasta, or C. shasta. ?We had no other choice but to take the Bureau to court because the Klamath (biological opinion) is killing the river,? said Joseph L. James, the chairman of the Yurok Tribe. ?The Klamath salmon stocks are currently in an extremely fragile state as the fish population is only just now starting to rebound from previous disease outbreaks.? ?The Yurok people depend on the Klamath?s salmon runs for survival and we should not have to bear the brunt of the agency?s poor decision-making,? he continued. ?During the course of the water year, the Yurok Tribe repeatedly sought modification of the plan to provide higher May-June flows, or barring that, at least the provision of an additional 20,000 acre-feet of water for emergency disease management flows.? The National Marine Fisheries Services puts together the biological opinion that regulates how the waters of the Klamath River will be used, including storing water at the Upper Klamath Lake, providing water for irrigation purposes and supplying water to the Klamath River. Mike Belchik, the Yurok Tribe?s senior water policy analyst who has been monitoring the Klamath River for over two decades, said the Bureau of Reclamation failed in its third obligation, which is what the tribe and PCFFA filed suit over. ?The new plan has only been in force since April 1, and it failed within the first couple months of implementation,? Belchik said. ?We?re asking them to try again and come up with a plan that protects fish and, in the meantime, reinstate the old (biological opinion) with the court-ordered protected flows.? One major problem with the new biological opinion is that it doesn?t contain a contingency plan to allow for higher water flows when salmon are experiencing high rates of disease. The high rates of disease can be curbed by augmenting the flow of the river at certain times of year, said Glen Spain, northwest regional director for the Pacific Coast Federation of Fishermen?s Associations. Higher water flow, for instance, can dilute the number of spores in the river and protect fish from infection. ?When they?re concentrated and the water is warm, we?ve seen a 91 percent infection rate in the past few years,? Spain said. During the droughts of 2014 and 2015, salmon infection rates were 84% and 91%. Belchik said they were able to supply those flows to the river in order to protect the salmon on June 3, but that came at the expense of flows later in the year. ?As a consequence, the river?s at drought minimums right now,? Belchik said. ?That was a desperation move just to save this year?s fish run.? Part of the problem is plans to assess water needs must be submitted by an April 1 deadline, which Spain said needs to ?be jettisoned for May 1.? Most of the rainfall is done by May 1, but there is still a lot of uncertainty about how much water will be available around April 1. ?You can?t really predict it,? Spain said. ?We?ve had years of drought followed by years of back-to-back rainfall.? Planning ahead of time is necessary and Belchik said they would ?rather work with the Bureau of Reclamation and the farmers up there and come up with a solution.? ?We?d rather not take this route,? Belchik said. But working with the Bureau of Reclamation has proven to be a challenge, he said. The bureau and fisheries service were taken to court in the past, but have continued to present problematic biological opinions that the courts found didn?t do enough to protect the salmon. The Bureau of Reclamation and National Marine Fisheries Service were unavailable for comment by publication time. The tribe took the bureau to court when it exceeded the limits of endangered fish killed as set by the fisheries service?s 2013 biological opinion. While the bureau was coming up with a new plan, the court ordered high flows to scour the riverbed and control disease. It also ordered the bureau to provide for emergency water releases in case of a disease outbreak. Those provisions were removed from the new plan. The plan also allows for a mortality rate of 56% while the fisheries service indicates that there should be no more than 10% mortality in order to restore a population, Spain said. ?The model to predict infection rates is flawed and not tested either,? Spain said. ?The whole thing was a rrushed job.? This year is a crucial year for the salmon and using a plan that is ?arbitrary and capricious? will fail to save them, Spain said. A weakened salmon stock would lead to fisheries closing up and down the coast, Spain said, essentially driving ?the West Coast commercial fishing industry into bankruptcy? and the salmon to possible extinction. ?We lost nearly two out of three year classes,? Spain said. ?If we lose three out of three, then we are headed for extinction. This year, they were just beginning to recover.? ?Salmon runs always have natural fluctuations,? Belchik said. ?What we?ve been seeing is a downward trend. They can?t continue downward anymore or we?re going to have a full-blown emergency. We?re starting to stare extinction right in the face.? But the problem is bigger than just the salmon population, he noted. ?What we?re really after is a protection of the entire river,? Belchik said, ?not just addressing species that are most in trouble. We really want a river plan that protects the whole river.? Sonia Waraich can be reached at 707-441-0506. -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From tstokely at att.net Sat Aug 3 10:51:09 2019 From: tstokely at att.net (Tom Stokely) Date: Sat, 3 Aug 2019 17:51:09 +0000 (UTC) Subject: [env-trinity] Fw: CA AG, Becerra Called Westlands, "Above the Law..." Bacher Article and Becerra Statement Attached In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: <311920911.660301.1564854669300@mail.yahoo.com> ? Central Valley Central Valley rom the Open-Publishing Newswire Publish to Newswire Related Categories:?Central Valley?|?Environment & Forest Defense?|?Government & Elections Court halts Westands Water District's participation in Shasta Dam raise plan by Dan Bacher? Friday Aug 2nd, 2019 4:33 PM Attorney General Becerra filed the lawsuit on May 13, 2019 to block Westlands from taking an unlawful action to assist in the planning and construction of a project to raise the height of the Shasta Dam, a project that is strongly opposed by the Winnemem Wintu Tribe, fishing groups and environmental organizations. SACRAMENTO ? On Wednesday,?Superior Court Judge Dennis J.?Buckley?granted a preliminary injunction halting Westlands Water District's participation in a Bureau of Reclamation?project to raise Shasta Dam.? The?injunction?enjoins Westlands from "taking any action that constitutes planning for or construction of" the Shasta Dam raise.? The injunction also enjoins "the CEQA process initiated by Westlands? issuance of an Initial Study/Notice of Preparation in November 2018, pending trial of this matter."? ?The court has stopped Westlands Water District from moving forward with a project that would hurt the people and environment in our state,? said California Attorney General Xavier Becerra in a statement.??Maybe others believe they?re above the law and can get away with it. But, in California, we?re prepared to prove otherwise.?? Attorney General Becerra filed the lawsuit on May 13, 2019 to block Westlands from taking an unlawful action to assist in the planning and construction of a project to raise the height of the Shasta Dam, a project that is strongly opposed by the Winnemem Wintu Tribe, fishing groups and environmental organizations.? Becerra said the project poses ?significant adverse effects on the free-flowing condition of the McCloud River and on its wild trout fishery, both of which have special statutory protections under the California Wild and Scenic Rivers Act.??The Act prohibits any agency of the State of California, such as Westlands, from assisting or cooperating with actions to raise the Shasta Dam.?? In addition to the lawsuit filed by Attorney General Becerra, a coalition of fishing and environmental groups represented by Earthjustice has filed a separate suit. The coalition includes Friends of the River, Pacific Coast Federation of Fishermen?s Associations, Institute for Fisheries Resources, Natural Resources Defense Council, Defenders of Wildlife, Sierra Club, and Golden Gate Salmon Association.? The Pacific Coast Federation of Fishermen?s Associations (PCFFA) reported that the injunction was a ?huge win for salmon in California today as the Westlands Water District is ordered to stop aiding and abetting the illegal, fishing job killing Shasta dam raise project pending trial next year.?? ?The project would have inundated a California Wild and Scenic River, but most importantly for fishermen, would have resulted in a 100% contained Sacramento River, its flows trapped behind concrete and managed by policy (not nature) forever. We will beat Westlands, and we will kill this project,? the group vowed.? The dam raise would inundate many of the remaining sacred sites of the Winnemem Wintu Tribe that weren?t inundated by the completion of Shasta Dam in the 1940s.? The Winnemem Wintu, who have led the fight against the Shasta Dam raise for many years, commented in a Facebook post after the Attorney General filed the lawsuit: ?Finally, a California state agency is pushing back against Westlands? dam raise scam. Hopefully, the extent of this corrupt scene will be revealed and rejected.?? Caleen Sisk, Chief and Spiritual Leader of the Winnemem Wintu Tribe, commented after the court decision, ?However, this does not STOP the work to raise Shasta Dam! The Governor?s Department of Water Resources was absent at the BOR comment meetings in Sacramento and Chico this week. Will the Governor now sue the BOR or just wait until the April trial against Westlands??? ?The BOR is approving the ROD in January on the new hand picked Trump scientists? Biological Opinion that will not require the restoration of Salmon to include access to rivers above the rim dams. While it looks like a WIN, it will not STOP the Shasta DAM raise! What is the real game here?? Sisk asked.? The Golden Gate Salmon?Association also applauded the court ruling. ?GGSA and allies, and the State of CA joined forces in court to stop the Westlands Water District from illegally acting to seize more water from the Sacramento Valley," said John McManus, GGSA president. "Yesterday a court ruled in our favor. Big thanks to state AG Xavier Becerra and his team for great work to help salmon.?? In an?email to Courthouse News,?Reclamation spokesperson Jeffrey Hawk said, ?We have not reviewed the ruling, however such a ruling would not prevent Reclamation from moving forward with the Shasta Dam and Reservoir Enlargement Project.?? I have requested a response to the ruling from the Westlands Water District, but haven?t received one yet.? A copy of the OAG's press release and the ruling can be found here:?https://oag.ca.gov/news/press-releases/attorney-general-becerra-secures-ruling-shasta-county-halting-westlands-water ? XAVIER BECERRA? Attorney General Attorney General Becerra Secures Ruling in Shasta County Halting Westlands Water District Involvement in Illegal Shasta Dam Project Wednesday, July 31, 2019 Contact: (916) 210-6000,agpressoffice at doj.ca.gov SACRAMENTO ??California Attorney General Xavier Becerra today issued the following statement after a Superior Court granted a preliminary injunction halting Westlands Water District's?participation in an unlawful project to raise the Shasta Dam:? ?The court has stopped Westlands Water District from moving forward with a project that would hurt the people and environment in our state,??said Attorney General Becerra. ?Maybe others believe they?re above the law and can get away with it. But, in California, we?re prepared to prove otherwise.?? Attorney General Becerra?filed the lawsuit?on May 13, 2019 to block Westlands from taking an unlawful action to assist in the planning and construction of a project to raise the height of the Shasta Dam. The project poses significant adverse effects on the free-flowing condition of the McCloud River and on its wild trout fishery, both of which have special statutory protections under the California Wild and Scenic Rivers Act. The Act prohibits any agency of the State of California, such as?Westlands, from assisting or cooperating with actions to raise the Shasta Dam. A copy of the ruling can be found?here. # # # ? -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: image001.png Type: image/png Size: 63717 bytes Desc: not available URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: image003.jpg Type: image/jpeg Size: 55900 bytes Desc: not available URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: image005.png Type: image/png Size: 142633 bytes Desc: not available URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: image002.png Type: image/png Size: 177 bytes Desc: not available URL: From tstokely at att.net Sun Aug 4 08:33:11 2019 From: tstokely at att.net (Tom Stokely) Date: Sun, 4 Aug 2019 15:33:11 +0000 (UTC) Subject: [env-trinity] Appetite for California almonds still growing, but farmers feel squeeze from new water rules References: <752568657.865809.1564932791326.ref@mail.yahoo.com> Message-ID: <752568657.865809.1564932791326@mail.yahoo.com> https://www.sacbee.com/news/local/environment/article231906623.html Appetite for California almonds still growing, but farmers feel squeeze from new water rules BY CANDICE WANG AUGUST 02, 2019 05:30 AM,?UPDATED AUGUST 02, 2019 12:30 PM - The California almond has proved resilient under fire. During the late years of California?s most recent drought, from 2015 through 2016, the almond came under attack from a variety of sources, including news outlets such as Mother Jones, Forbes and the New Republic, labeling it a horticultural vampire.? It was, they said, sucking California?s groundwater reserves dry, leaving behind brittle, drought-stricken trees and causing the dusty land in San Joaquin County to?cave in. | | | | | | | | | | | The Central Valley is sinking as farmers drill for water. But it can be ... California?s Central Valley is sinking as its aquifers lose water to groundwater drilling by farmers. A study fr... | | | TOP ARTICLESBut the nut and the crop have not just survived, but thrived. The almond has extended its nutty tendrils into nearly every section of the grocery store. An almond weighs just .01 ounces and is slightly larger than a penny, but in multitudes it fills colorful tins of?Blue Diamond?salted and roasted almonds. It is used to make Almond Breeze non-dairy milk, almond butter, almond flour, almond crackers, almond granola, almond cereal, almond meal and almond milk yogurt. | | | | | | | | | | | Crews knock down fire at the Blue Diamond factory after going to four al... Firefighters are battling a blaze Monday night on the second floor of the Blue Diamond almond factory in downtow... | | | Almonds are as popular as ever. California?s 6,800 growers churned out 2.26 billion pounds of almonds last year, amounting to over 80 percent of the world?s supply, according to the?California Almond Board, a grower-supported nonprofit. And the upward trend is expected to continue, with 2019 production?forecast to grow nearly 10 percent, reaching 2.5 billion pounds, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture?s National Agricultural Statistics Service. | | | | | | | | | | | Annual Reports and Factsheets | California Almonds - Your Favorite Easy ... | | | Read Next ENVIRONMENT An intense process: The California almond?s journey from orchard to grocery shelf AUGUST 02, 2019 5:30 AM Now that the drought has passed, almond growers are seeing more surface water flowing down canals, and geologists say groundwater reserves are starting to improve throughout the San Joaquin Valley. But the almond may not be out of the woods yet. This time, instead of immediate drought jeopardizing the almond industry, Valley farmers say they?re feeling the pinch of water politics, the result of a series of conflicts among the California State Water Resources Control Board, environmentalists and growers. Farmers face cutbacks to the only two water sources available to them as state water managers roll out a new set of rules: The state?s ?unimpaired flows? decision, which affects surface supplies, and the Legislature?s Sustainable Groundwater Management Act, which governs groundwater. State water managers and environmentalists say the rules are necessary to avoid a die-out of key fish species in the Stanislaus, Tuolumne and Merced rivers ? tributaries of the lower San Joaquin River ? and to prevent further damage to aquifers from groundwater overpumping.? But Steve Knell, general manager at the Oakdale Irrigation District in Stanislaus County, said growers are being squeezed from both sides. ?Farming is being attacked at two ends,? Knell said. ?You?re taking their surface water away, and then you?re taking away their ability to pump groundwater to replace that surface water.? And almond growers say they worry that the one-two punch may knock them out of business for good. OUT IN THE?ALMOND GROVES Under the harsh sun in Manteca, 20 minutes south of Stockton, David Phippen gripped the wheel of his truck, making a hard left down Graves Road. Dust trailed from his tires. Phippen, a third-generation almond grower, co-owns 1,500 acres of almond trees within the?South San Joaquin Irrigation District, and is one of many growers who say they are threatened by the unimpaired flows decision. | | | | South San Joaquin Irrigation District | | | Travaille & Phippen, the farm that Phippen manages with his brother Scott and cousin Bud, has top-notch surface water rights, and produced 42 million pounds of almonds last year without drawing upon groundwater for irrigation. Row upon row of almond trees flickered past, minuscule bulbs of fuzzy green hulls barely visible in the thicket. The truck stopped next to a concrete canal, about 15 feet across. The water was crystal clear and cold. ?So far, this water is still ours,? Phippen said. Shading his eyes, he pointed toward the horizon, beyond the acres of almonds, where the hazy outline of mountains blends into the sky. ?Look directly at those mountains that way ? they still have snow on them,? Phippen said. ?This here is snowmelt. It?s perfect water.? In 1918, Phippen?s grandfather, Samuel Phippen, arrived in the U.S. from the Netherlands, taking on a succession of jobs, working as a real estate salesman, insurance company owner and, finally, an almond grower on the same ground that Phippen walks upon today. Phippen has lived his entire life on this farm. At age 8, he drove a tractor with his brother through the rows of trees late in the evening, spraying pesticides, until his father would yell out to him, ?You boys, park those tractors and come on in and do your homework.? John Hannon shot this spectacular aerial view of blooming almond orchards in the Sacramento Valley. It's from the Arbuckle area in Colusa County. Did you know California grows more than 80 percent of the world's supply of almonds? By?John Hannon/Sacramento Valley Water Since before Phippen was born, Travaille & Phippen has had rights to the first 250,000 acre-feet of water that flows from the Stanislaus. Each year, Phippen uses that water, also called surface water, to irrigate his almond orchards. But that could change, if the state water board?s recent river flow decision proceeds and Phippen can?t turn to groundwater as an alternative. KEY WATER FLOW DECISION On Dec. 12, the?state?water board adopted the?unimpaired flows decision, which would increase the flow of the Stanislaus, Tuolumne and Merced rivers to 40 percent, mainly to protect fish and wildlife ? particularly fall-run Chinook salmon. Unimpaired flow is the amount of water moving downriver in the absence of dams and other diversions. During drought years, the flow of the San Joaquin River can run as low as 6 percent, which depletes native fish populations. In 2010, 40,000 salmon returned to the San Joaquin for spawning, according to a?news release from the water board. Two years ago, only 10,000 made it. According to state scientists, as much as 90 percent of the natural flows of some tributaries are diverted to farms and cities. To revive fish species such as salmon, steelhead and Delta smelt, scientists say more water needs to flow naturally to the Pacific. But even as salmon populations were decimated over the years, almond growers flourished in the South San Joaquin Valley, drawing on both surface water, sourced from the Stanislaus, Merced and Tuolumne rivers, and groundwater wells. The unimpaired flows decision will sharply reduce these growers? surface water rights, and they are determined to fight back. Less than a month later, on Jan. 10, a coalition of five irrigation districts, led by the San Joaquin Tributaries Authority,?filed a lawsuit?challenging the water board?s decision. They were joined by the city of San Francisco, which also pulls water from the tributaries that flow into the lower San Joaquin. If the unimpaired flows decision were to proceed, the canal Phippen stood in front of wouldn?t provide enough water for his almond operation. Phippen views the unimpaired flows decision as a severe threat to his family?s future. ?I can?t grow almonds without water,? Phippen said. ?It?s the most serious threat to my grandchildren that I can think of.? THE PROBLEM WITH GROUNDWATER The alternative to surface water is?groundwater, which lies a few feet below the earth?s surface in a spongy, clay-like material, and can be accessed via pumping. However, pumping groundwater has been heavily criticized, for two reasons. First, each time farmers pump groundwater from the aquifer, or the underground bedrock that stores groundwater, the clay?s water storage ability weakens. Michelle Sneed, a hydrologist at the U.S. Geological Survey, likens a healthy aquifer to a haphazard pile of dishes. The messier the pile, the more pockets of air between the dishes. In this case, the pockets of air between the dishes represent water storage space between the grains of clay in the aquifer. Each time the groundwater is sucked out for irrigation, the ?dishes? become more and more orderly, over time becoming a neat stack, drastically reducing storage space. ?Even if the water level goes up, it won?t go back into that random orientation,? Sneed said. ?That?s what causes the land subsidence.? In the San Joaquin Valley, stretches of the landscape have sunk more than 50 feet in a few decades via the phenomenon called land subsidence, damaging highways and canals, at a cost of $100 million since the 1960s, according to?NASA. | | | | | | | | | | | San Joaquin Valley is Still Sinking Groundwater pumping in California has been causing land subsidence. | | | ?We can?t undo what?s been done,? Sneed said. Second, the California Legislature passed the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act, or SGMA, in 2014, requiring all irrigation districts by 2020-22 to draft plans to achieve sustainable management within 20 years Over the next few decades, many districts, especially those that have been sucking their aquifers dry due to limited surface water rights, will be restricted from pumping groundwater. ?That farmer south of Fresno who?s using the aquifer and knows that SGMA is taking away his ability to use that aquifer, he is scared to death,? Phippen said. According to Mike Wade, executive director at the?California Farm Water Coalition, some farmers are going to lose their water supply as a result of both SGMA and the unimpaired flows decision. ?There?s a potential of 500,000 to 1 million acres of farmland that won?t have a sustainable water supply and may come out of production,? Wade said. ?YOU CAN ONLY GROW SO MANY? As a senior policy adviser at Sacramento-based nonprofit Friends of the River, Ron Stork has watched the agricultural water battles play out for years. In his view, ?People have been living without common sense for a while.? With a background in plant science and expertise in flood management, Stork specializes in rivers all over California, advocating for dam removal and preservation of native species. The unimpaired flows decision, for Stork, represents hope. In Sacramento, Stork lives near the downtown headquarters of Blue Diamond, the world?s largest tree nut company and cooperative. ?Sometimes the odor of cooking almonds wafts over,? Stork said. ?There?s nothing the matter with almonds ? I like eating almonds, they smell good. But you can only grow so many.? Each year, San Joaquin Valley growers use 2 million acre-feet of water more than they have, according to Stork. When the surface water runs out, they turn immediately to groundwater pumping. John Monroe, an almond grower in Arbuckle, an hour?s drive north of Sacramento, said the San Joaquin Valley is in crisis. ?The San Joaquin is absolutely overdrafting,? Monroe said. ?Agriculture in total and urban users and environmental users are wanting 150 percent of the available water.? ?You can?t use more water than you have forever,? Stork said. ?But if you?re simple, that?s where you?re at.? Almonds are problematic in California for two main reasons, according to Stork. First, as permanent orchard crops, almond trees have a 25-year life cycle. Throughout those years, growers must commit to a yearly irrigation schedule. Tomato growers, for example, have the flexibility to forgo seeding tomatoes during a drought year, and perhaps put down a dry farming crop such as wheat or cotton instead. Almond growers are tied to their thirsty crop for over two decades. The Southern San Joaquin Valley is tethered to the inflexibility of permanent crops, from walnuts to pistachios to almonds. The second issue is simple, Stork said: There are too many acres of almonds in California.? When asked how the state can curtail almond farmers, he said, ?They will have to stop. This is just being responsible adults here.? Additionally, Stork said, the mindset of the growers contributes to the rigidity of their position on the unimpaired flows decision. ?That?s the way the farmers think down there ? that we?re diverting more water for the salmon,? Stork said. ?But it?s water from the river that?s diverted to their fields. The more interesting thing is the concept that water left in its natural course is somehow artificial.? Many of the farmers hold what are called pre-1914 water rights, or rights to surface water that were established before the state started regulating water rights in 1914, according to Peter Rietkerk, general manager at the South San Joaquin Irrigation District. The growers with pre-1914 water rights are referred to as senior water right holders, and the state water board typically has limited jurisdiction over these rights. David Phippen is one of those senior water right holders, and his property has had rights to the first 250,000 acre-feet of the Stanislaus River for over 100 years. ?The conflict fundamentally is that the farmers stole the water fair and square in their judgment back in the 1900s,? Stork said. ?I?m sorry, but back in the 1800s, they stole it fair and square using gold miner rules: ?Thems that gets there first gets the gold.?? Stork hopes to collaborate with the growers. ?We all have to live together on this planet here,? Stork said. ?We?re going to have to work this out.? SEEKING A SOLUTION Is it plausible to reduce the acreage of almonds in California by requiring growers to dry farm crops such as wheat and cotton? ?No,? said Phippen, parking the truck next to a pile of almond hulls at least 80 feet tall. Phippen turned in the driver?s seat. ?I can look you in the eye and tell you, if I grow wheat on this ground, I?m going to go out of business,? he said. ?As water becomes so precious and the land becomes so expensive and the taxes become so great, it?s becoming an expensive state to farm.? Cotton, a dry crop that requires very little water to produce, has thousands of acres in Texas, Georgia, and Arkansas. The cost of one pound of cotton is around 75 cents while one pound of almonds may bring around $3. Farmers say dry crops like cotton and wheat simply aren?t profitable enough, . ?The ground is too expensive for that,? Phippen said. ?You are forced to grow the highest yielding kind of crop.? >From 2016 to 2017, almond acreage expanded by 90,000 acres, to a total of 1.3 million acres. In Phippen?s eyes, California is ?full of environmental folks.? ?There?s a whole bunch of them,? Phippen said. ?The Environmental Defense Fund, the Sierra Club ? I should be able to recite them all to you, but I can?t, because I don?t like any of them.? Although Phippen said he spends thousands of dollars each year on improving the efficiency of his irrigation technology, uses solar energy to power his hulling and shelling facilities, and now produces one-third more almonds per gallon of water than his father did, he believes environmentalists have never taken into account the growers? efforts. ?Farmers have to think like an environmentalist,? Phippen said. ?I?m endorsing green energy and drip irrigation. I think I am a doggone environmentalist.? ?THE TARGET IS ON OUR BACK? In 2014, Mother Jones magazine published a story with the headline ?It Takes How Much Water to Grow an Almond?!? paired with a harrowing?infographic. | | | | | | | | | | | It takes how much water to grow an almond?! Why California's drought is a disaster for your favorite fruits, vegetables, and nuts. | | | However, it is no longer about how much water a single almond requires to grow ? 1 gallon. ?All they heard was those mean almond farmers used a gallon for every kernel, oh my God!? Phippen said. ?We?ve seen that what it takes to irrigate an almond orchard is significantly even with any other tree crop.? Walnuts suck up nearly 5 gallons of water per nut. Pistachios take three-quarters of a gallon. One tomato drinks 3.3 gallons. ?So do you want to ban fruit? Do you want to ban nuts?? Phippen said. The underlying problem is the 6,800 almond growers in California, their collective 1.3 billion acres, and the effect of the unimpaired flows decision and SGMA on South San Joaquin Valley farmland. Farmers like Phippen and Monroe invest thousands each year in dual-line drip irrigation, which localizes water only to the roots of the almond tree, and releases moisture only when a soil moisture probe signals it to. Irrigation has reached nearly 90 percent efficiency. Despite these advancements, there is still not enough water for everyone in California.? As the weather becomes hotter and more drought-prone, growers say they?re approaching a breaking point, and the unimpaired flows decision only adds to the stress. Phippen estimates that his irrigation district, the South San Joaquin, will be in litigation for the rest of his life. But he?s going to fight until the end. ?The target is on our back,? Phippen said. ?There isn?t a farmer in California, from dairy to cotton to walnut, who doesn?t know that a red dot is on our back.? RELATED STORIES FROM SACRAMENTO BEE WATER-AND-DROUGHT San Francisco, farmers team up to fight California?s ?water grab? JANUARY 10, 2019 01:44 PM ENVIRONMENT Why San Francisco is joining Valley farmers in a fight over precious California water AUGUST 19, 2018 03:50 AM WATER-AND-DROUGHT Read more here: https://www.sacbee.com/news/local/environment/article231906623.html#storylink=cpy -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From emeliabee at yahoo.com.sg Mon Aug 5 03:28:33 2019 From: emeliabee at yahoo.com.sg (emelia berol) Date: Mon, 5 Aug 2019 04:28:33 -0600 Subject: [env-trinity] Appetite for California almonds still growing, but farmers feel squeeze from new water rules In-Reply-To: <752568657.865809.1564932791326@mail.yahoo.com> References: <752568657.865809.1564932791326.ref@mail.yahoo.com> <752568657.865809.1564932791326@mail.yahoo.com> Message-ID: <306D401B-179F-4AA5-85C5-3E5C203E7E2A@yahoo.com.sg> It would make more sense to stop the dairy farming down in the southern Valley, and let the orchards thrive. Dairies are a much more egregious waste of limited water resources. Dairy farms belong in regions with wetter climates, not in semi-desert. That?s the real water hog we need to be talking about. Wisconsin, coastal Northern California, lots of other places are far more suitable for the dairy industry. Dairy products and nuts are both important food items in my life, so I am not speaking from any personal food bias. Dairy cows need green grass and tons of water. It?s just not sustainable or sensible to be dairy farming down south. Emelia Berol McKinleyville, CA > On Aug 4, 2019, at 9:33 AM, Tom Stokely wrote: > > Valley From tstokely at att.net Thu Aug 8 11:45:22 2019 From: tstokely at att.net (Tom Stokely) Date: Thu, 8 Aug 2019 18:45:22 +0000 (UTC) Subject: [env-trinity] China Stops Buying US Agricultural Products Entirely References: <348535741.3050745.1565289922481.ref@mail.yahoo.com> Message-ID: <348535741.3050745.1565289922481@mail.yahoo.com> https://modernfarmer.com/2019/08/china-stops-buying-us-agricultural-products-entirely/ POLITICSChina Stops Buying US Agricultural Products Entirely? AUG 07, 2019?Dan Nosowitz? This is...very bad. Good luck with those soybeans.?Photography Hryshchyshen Serhii?30K?SHARES The latest escalation of the Trump-China trade war has led to an iron door slamming shut. On Tuesday, the Chinese Commerce Ministry announced that China will no longer be buying American agricultural products, a decision with huge, wide-ranging implications. Zippy Duvall, president of the normally conservative-leaning American Farm Bureau,?called the decision?a ?body blow? to American agriculture. | | | | | | | | | | | China Trade Standstill More Bad News for Farmers The following may be attributed to American Farm Bureau Federation President Zippy Duvall: | | | >From our Partners at | | | | | | | | | | | VICE The definitive guide to enlightening information. | | | 00:0003:43 The Chinese decision is a response to two moves from Donald Trump and his administration. The first was a surprise announcement, made by Trump, that the US would begin instituting a 10 percent tariff on about $300 billion worth of Chinese goods. This came following a series of trade negotiations that press officers in the Trump administration described as ?productive,? but?Trump tweeted?that China had reneged on promises to purchase certain American agricultural products (without specifying what those might have been). | | | | | | | | | | | Trump says US will impose 10% tariffs on another $300 billion of Chinese... Yun Li Trump made the announcement via Twitter, shaking financial markets. | | | Then, on Monday, Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin formally?labeled China as a currency manipulator?due to a drop in the value of the yuan. The move is largely symbolic, but also nearly unprecedented, and seen as mostly an open-handed slap in the face to China. | | | | | | | | | | | Treasury Dept. designates China a ?currency manipulator,? a major escala... As the economic dispute intensifies, markets have their worst day of the year. | | | In response, it appears, came the?Chinese government?s tactic?to halt the purchase of American agricultural goods. China?s targeting of American agriculture has the benefit, in China?s perspective, of being both a large and a political attack. China imports billions of dollars of American agriculture, being the largest importer of American soybeans and a top-three importer of American pork; overall, China is the fourth-largest importer of American agricultural goods. But attacking American agriculture also serves as a de facto attack on Trump, who is perceived to draw support from rural America. | | | | | | | | | | | U.S. farmers suffer 'body blow' as China slams door on farm purchases Hallie Gu Chinese companies have stopped buying U.S. agricultural products, China's C... | | | This will be yet another insanely heavy burden on American farmers, who have dealt with fallout from the trade war for over a year, in addition to swine flu, floods, droughts, and heat waves. | | | | Post a Tweet on Twitter | | | | | | | Error | | | -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From MaryClaire.Kier at wildlife.ca.gov Fri Aug 9 12:49:27 2019 From: MaryClaire.Kier at wildlife.ca.gov (Kier, Mary Claire@Wildlife) Date: Fri, 9 Aug 2019 19:49:27 +0000 Subject: [env-trinity] CDFW Trinity River Project trapping summary through Julian week 31 Message-ID: Greetings! Attached please find the TRP trapping summary through JW 31 (August 5). Willow Creek weir will not be in for another couple of weeks so this summary is for Junction City weir only. -MC ****************************************************** Mary Claire Kier CA Department of Fish and Wildlife - Trinity River Project Environmental Scientist - Fisheries 707/822-5876 5341 Ericson Way, Arcata CA 95521 ****************************************************** Klamath/Trinity Program reports can be found online @ https://nrmsecure.dfg.ca.gov/documents/ContextDocs.aspx?cat=KlamathTrinity -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: 2019 TRP_ trapping_summary_through_JW31.xlsx Type: application/vnd.openxmlformats-officedocument.spreadsheetml.sheet Size: 71427 bytes Desc: 2019 TRP_ trapping_summary_through_JW31.xlsx URL: From MaryClaire.Kier at wildlife.ca.gov Fri Aug 9 14:42:04 2019 From: MaryClaire.Kier at wildlife.ca.gov (Kier, Mary Claire@Wildlife) Date: Fri, 9 Aug 2019 21:42:04 +0000 Subject: [env-trinity] CDFW Trinity River Project trapping summary through Julian week 31 (amended) Message-ID: Woops. 'Forgot the brown trout. -MC ****************************************************** Mary Claire Kier CA Department of Fish and Wildlife - Trinity River Project Environmental Scientist - Fisheries 707/822-5876 5341 Ericson Way, Arcata CA 95521 ****************************************************** Klamath/Trinity Program reports can be found online @ https://nrmsecure.dfg.ca.gov/documents/ContextDocs.aspx?cat=KlamathTrinity -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: 2019 TRP_ trapping_summary_through_JW31.xlsx Type: application/vnd.openxmlformats-officedocument.spreadsheetml.sheet Size: 71425 bytes Desc: 2019 TRP_ trapping_summary_through_JW31.xlsx URL: From tstokely at att.net Tue Aug 13 12:32:39 2019 From: tstokely at att.net (Tom Stokely) Date: Tue, 13 Aug 2019 19:32:39 +0000 (UTC) Subject: [env-trinity] Fw: TRRP 2018 Annual Report now available In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: <1391426906.5155322.1565724759167@mail.yahoo.com> ----- Forwarded Message ----- From: Dixon, Michael Sent: Tuesday, August 13, 2019, 12:28:40 PM PDTSubject: TRRP 2018 Annual Report now available Hello TRRP Partner,If you are interested in seeing the highlights of what we were doing last year, our 2018 report is now available online:?http://www.trrp.net/library/document/?id=2442?? MikeDixon, PhD?| Acting Executive Director?|?Trinity River Restoration Program?|?U. S. Bureau of Reclamation?|?1313 S. Main St., Weaverville, CA 96093?|?530-623-1811 (desk)?|?530-351-4760 (mobile)?|?mdixon at usbr.gov? ?The most dangerous worldview is the worldview of those who have not viewed the world.? - Alexander von Humboldt -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From tstokely at att.net Tue Aug 13 12:38:00 2019 From: tstokely at att.net (Tom Stokely) Date: Tue, 13 Aug 2019 19:38:00 +0000 (UTC) Subject: [env-trinity] Westlands strikes back in bid to raise dam References: <278571904.5184523.1565725080509.ref@mail.yahoo.com> Message-ID: <278571904.5184523.1565725080509@mail.yahoo.com> CALIFORNIA: Westlands strikes back in bid to raise dam CALIFORNIA Westlands strikes back in bid to raise dam Jeremy P. Jacobs, E&E News reporter | | | | Jeremy P. Jacobs -- www.eenews.net | | | Published: Tuesday, August 13, 2019 Shasta Dam in California.??Prayitno/Flickr An influential California water district yesterday sought to reverse a court order blocking any work on raising Shasta Dam in Northern California, a priority for the Trump administration. Westlands Water District, which serves a Rhode Island-size part of the San Joaquin Valley, called a state judge's order blocking its environmental review unprecedented and asked a state appeals court to undo it. Tom Birmingham, the district's general manager, said in a statement that Westlands was trying to fill a void in the environmental review of the potential project. "Westlands initiated preparation of an environmental impact report pursuant to the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA)," he said. The dispute concerns the push by Westlands and other agricultural interests to raise Shasta Dam by 18.5 feet. The 600-foot dam is one of the most important in California's complex water infrastructure that shuttles water from the wet north to farms and cities in the drier south. Shasta Dam impounds the state's largest reservoir, feeding the federal Central Valley Project, where Westlands draws its water. Raising the dam would expand the lake. California and environmentalists have long opposed the plan, arguing that raising the dam would violate the state's wild and scenic rivers law because it would inundate the protected McCloud River. The Bureau of Reclamation has pushed ahead with studying the project in the Trump administration, using $20 million Congress appropriated last year. The whole project would cost at least $1.3 billion. Attorney General Xavier Becerra (D) took the unusual step of filing the current lawsuit against Westlands, contending it could not act as the lead state agency on the project. Earlier this month, a state judge issued an injunction blocking Westlands' work on the issue pending trial (Greenwire, Aug. 1). | | | | | | | | | | | WESTERN WATER: Court blocks Westlands' dam raise push, for now A judge yesterday blocked the influential Westlands Water District from working to raise Shasta Dam in Northern ... | | | Westlands said yesterday that it was only evaluating whether it would contribute funds to the project. Under current law, Reclamation would have to obtain significant local funding before moving ahead with construction. In its filing, the district?contends?the state's lawsuit seeks to block the CEQA process before it has even begun. CEQA is California's equivalent of the National Environmental Policy Act. "This is not a typical CEQA case, seeking an injunction to enjoin a project or to require an agency correct deficient environmental review," Birmingham said. "Instead, this injunction halts the CEQA process before it can even be completed, or any decision has been made by the agency." Twitter:?@GreenwireJeremy | | | | | | | | | | | Jeremy P. Jacobs (@GreenwireJeremy) | Twitter The latest Tweets from Jeremy P. Jacobs (@GreenwireJeremy). West coast writer for E&E News. Tweets about energy/... | | | ?Email:?jjacobs at eenews.net | | | | | | | | | | | CALIFORNIA: Westlands strikes back in bid to raise dam An influential California water district yesterday sought to reverse a court order blocking any work on raising ... | | | -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From MaryClaire.Kier at wildlife.ca.gov Thu Aug 15 14:12:51 2019 From: MaryClaire.Kier at wildlife.ca.gov (Kier, Mary Claire@Wildlife) Date: Thu, 15 Aug 2019 21:12:51 +0000 Subject: [env-trinity] CDFW Trinity River Project trapping summary through Julian week 32 Message-ID: Greetings! Attached please find the TRP trapping summary through JW 32 (August 12), Junction City is sole operator at this point. I had to do a little edit on the first week so the Chinook number has changed. Word on the river is fishing has been slow in the Klamath estuary lately (Fall regulations went into effect today), but a few shiny fish are starting to show up in the lower Trinity... Cheers! MC ****************************************************** Mary Claire Kier CA Department of Fish and Wildlife - Trinity River Project Environmental Scientist - Fisheries 707/822-5876 5341 Ericson Way, Arcata CA 95521 ****************************************************** Klamath/Trinity Program reports can be found online @ https://nrmsecure.dfg.ca.gov/documents/ContextDocs.aspx?cat=KlamathTrinity -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: 2019 TRP_ trapping_summary_through_JW32.xlsx Type: application/vnd.openxmlformats-officedocument.spreadsheetml.sheet Size: 71394 bytes Desc: 2019 TRP_ trapping_summary_through_JW32.xlsx URL: From tstokely at att.net Mon Aug 19 09:56:52 2019 From: tstokely at att.net (Tom Stokely) Date: Mon, 19 Aug 2019 16:56:52 +0000 (UTC) Subject: [env-trinity] Drafty TMC Agenda Sept 11-12, Weitchpec References: <1571362436.2071658.1566233812591.ref@mail.yahoo.com> Message-ID: <1571362436.2071658.1566233812591@mail.yahoo.com> This agenda is subject to change.? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ??DRAFT SUBJECT TO CHANGE TRINITY MANAGEMENT COUNCIL September 2019 Quarterly Meeting WednesdaySeptember 11 - Thursday September 12, 2019 Location:?Yurok Tribe Weitchpec Office ?Hwy 96, Weitchpec, CA 95546, USA Agenda?(WebEx info on page?2) Wednesday September 11, 2019? Time??????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????Discussion Leader Regular Business: 9:00?????????????????Introductions:??????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????Justin Ly, Chair ??Welcome and Introductions ??Approval of Agenda? ??Approval of September TMC Meeting Minutes ??June 2019 TMC action items recap ??CVP Operations Update? ??????????????????????? 9:30?????????????????Public Forum:??Comments from the public??????????????????????????Justin Ly, Chair 9:45?????????????????Report from Executive Director??????????????????????????????????????????Mike Dixon ? 10:30???????????????CVP EIS/EIR as it relates to the Trinity River???????????????????????Don Bader?s designee Information 11:00???????????????Break 11:15???????????????Dam infrastructure constraints and response to TMC letter???Don Bader ???????????????????????? Information 12:00???????????????Lunch? 1:00?????????????????Program goal and fundamental objectives review??????????????????Seth Naman? Information 1:45?????????????????Objectives and Targets Update???????????????????????????????????????????????Nick Som? ? 2:30?????????????????Water Temperatures For Rearing Salmonids?????????????????????????Seth Naman ? Decision Item 3:15?????????????????Break 3:30?????????????????REU?s request for TMC membership?????????????????????????????????????Justin Ly Decision Item 4:00?????????????????Public Forum:??Comments from the public??????????????????????????Justin Ly, Chair 4:15?????????????????Adjourn 6:00?????TMC Dinner?? Gonzales Mexican Restaurant,38971 HWY 299, Willow Creek? TRINITY MANAGEMENT COUNCIL September 2019 Quarterly Meeting ? ? Thursday September 12, 2019 ? Time???????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????Discussion Leader Regular Business: 9:00?????????????????Public Forum:??Comments from the public??????????????????????????Justin Ly, Chair Information /?Decision Items: 9:30?????????????????TMC bylaws: Changes to date????????????????????????????????????????????????Eric Peterson ????????????????????????????????????????????????????????Executive sessions/special meetings???????????????Justin Ly????????? ????????????????????????????????????????????????Adoption of additional changes??????????????????????Justin Ly Decision Item 10:15???????????????Break 10:30???????????????Finalize refinements SOW; determine funding avenue??????????Mike Dixon/Justin Ly Decision Item 12:00???????????????Lunch? 1:00?????????????????Next steps in flow management compliance???????????????????????????Mike D./Todd Buxton Decision Item? 2:00?????????????????Initial findings from synthesis reports (Series of short presentation) Information 3:00?????????????????Break 3:15?????????????????Synthesis report presentations (continued) ? 3:45?????????????????Topics for December Meeting?????????????????????????????????????????????TMC members/Mike 4:00?????????????????Public Forum:??Comments from the public??????????????????????????Justin Ly, Chair 4:15?????????????????Adjourn ? WEBEX CALL-IN INFORMATION (Call-in numbers are the same for both days.) Join by phone: 1-408-792-6300 Call-in toll number (US/Canada) Access code: 806 670 107 Join via web: Meeting number: 806 670 107 Password: fMcxqMp2 https://trrp.webex.com/trrp/j.php?MTID=m213114eff394ed2bf06c55628e2bb587 -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From tstokely at att.net Tue Aug 20 08:13:52 2019 From: tstokely at att.net (Tom Stokely) Date: Tue, 20 Aug 2019 15:13:52 +0000 (UTC) Subject: [env-trinity] Water district appeals ruling to stop work on Shasta Dam analysis References: <1738659231.2526814.1566314032345.ref@mail.yahoo.com> Message-ID: <1738659231.2526814.1566314032345@mail.yahoo.com> Water district appeals ruling to stop work on Shasta Dam analysis | | | | | | | | | | | Water district appeals ruling to stop work on Shasta Dam analysis An irrigation district has asked the state court of appeal to overturn a judge's decision to stop work assessing... | | | Water district appeals ruling to stop work on Shasta Dam analysis Damon Arthur, Redding Record SearchlightPublished 4:57 p.m. PT Aug. 19, 2019 CONNECTTWEETLINKEDINCOMMENTEMAILMORE A Fresno-based irrigation district has asked the state court of appeal to overturn a judge's decision to stop work assessing the environmental impacts of raising the height of Shasta Dam. Westlands Water District says a preliminary injunction ordering it to stop work on an environmental impact report may prevent it from helping to pay for raising the height of the dam, according to the appeal filed last week. The McCloud River, which flows into Lake Shasta, is at the center of a dispute over raising the height of Shasta Dam.?(Photo: Friends of the River) A visiting judge ruled? last month in Shasta County Superior Court the district's work was illegal because no state or local agency can do any work ? including planning ? that would have an adverse impact on the McCloud River, given its designation as?a wild and scenic river. Related:?Judge orders Westlands to stop work on Shasta Dam raise Related:?Judge delays ruling to stop Shasta Dam study The state Attorney General's Office and several environmental groups argued in a lawsuit against the district that raising the height of the dam would further inundate the McCloud River, which flows into Lake Shasta. The district's lawyer, Daniel O'Hanlon,?said it was preparing the report under the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA). O'Hanlon?said an environmental impact report is not "planning." He said the district wanted to complete the report to determine whether it wanted to help pay for the project. The McCloud River, which flows into Lake Shasta, is at the center of a dispute over raising the height of Shasta Dam.?(Photo: Friends of the River) If the district, which primarily provides irrigation water to farmers in the San Joaquin Valley,?can't work on the environmental report, it can't determine whether it can go forward to support the project.? "The preliminary injunction is thus an attack on Westlands' decision-making process," the appeal says. "It is unprecedented for a court to order an agency to stop a CEQA review, before an agency has even been able to complete that review and make its decision." The U.S. Bureau of Reclamation has long been interested in raising the height of the dam. In 2015 the agency completed a separate environmental assessment on raising the dam 18? feet. More:?Judge rejects effort to move Shasta Dam lawsuit to Fresno More:?After AG sues, Westlands Water District says it's studying whether to support Shasta Dam raise Buy Photo A view of Shasta Dam from the nearby overlook.?(Photo: Damon Arthur/Record Searchlight) Raising the dam would increase the capacity of Lake Shasta by about 14%. That project would cost about $1.4 billion, the agency said. But at?the time, the bureau also said it would only pay 50% of the costs. The rest of the cost would need to be paid for by local or state agencies. However, a law passed in 1989 prevents state agencies from participating in any project, including planning, that would have an adverse effect on the McCloud River, according to the Attorney General's Office. The McCloud River, which flows into Lake Shasta, is at the center of a dispute over raising the height of Shasta Dam.?(Photo: Friends of the River) The bureau's environmental assessment said raising the height of the dam would further inundate about two-thirds of a mile of the McCloud River. While the Westlands district may be hundreds of miles away from Shasta Dam, it has an interest in water stored in Lake Shasta behind the dam. The district receives water from the Central Valley Project, which?Shasta Dam is part of. Lake Shasta provides?about 55% of total annual water supply to the Central Valley Project, Westlands said in its court filing. Westlands also has an interest in the McCloud River. Related:?Shasta Dam raising project runs into legal, congressional roadblocks Related:?Work begins on raising the height of Shasta Dam Buy Photo Workers did testing on Shasta Dam in 2018 to determine whether it could withstand having an additional 18 1/2 feet of concrete placed on the crest of the dam.?(Photo: Damon Arthur/Record Searchlight) Back in 2007 Westlands?spent $35 million to buy the Bollibokka Fishing Club and almost 3,000 acres of forested land along a seven-mile stretch of the?McCloud?River just north of Lake Shasta. An official said at the time that the district wanted the land along the McCloud to prevent a change in the land-use along the river that would prevent raising the height of Shasta Dam. More:?Westlands' role in Shasta Dam-raising project takes a beating in Redding More:?Lakehead residents raise questions about raising the height of Shasta Dam Damon Arthur is the Record Searchlight?s resources and environment?reporter. He is among the first on the scene at breaking news incidents, reporting real time on Twitter at?@damonarthur_RS. Damon is part of a dedicated team of journalists who investigate wrongdoing and find the unheard voices to tell the stories of the North State. He welcomes story tips at 530-225-8226 and damon.arthur at redding.com. Help local journalism thrive by?subscribing today! -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From MaryClaire.Kier at wildlife.ca.gov Tue Aug 20 15:43:15 2019 From: MaryClaire.Kier at wildlife.ca.gov (Kier, Mary Claire@Wildlife) Date: Tue, 20 Aug 2019 22:43:15 +0000 Subject: [env-trinity] CDFW Trinity River Project trapping summary through Julian week 33 Message-ID: Greetings! Attached please find the TRP trapping summary through JW 33 (August 19). I've had a few questions about the fish numbers this year in comparison to previous years. Those "total for the season" lines with previous years are only part of the story. Keep in mind Junction City weir is put into the water when the flow reaches @1000 cfs. Sometimes that means first week of June, or sometimes as late as the third week of July. Considering the timing of the trapping (beginning in mid-July this year) the numbers aren't looking too bad. Check the "Historical JCW" tab for more information. I hope you are able to enjoy some of these last few weeks of summer. Willow Creek weir will be putting in later than normal this year due to Boat Dance flow releases over Labor Day weekend. If you're planning on being on the Trinity over Labor Day weekend, be safe! Cheers! MC ****************************************************** Mary Claire Kier CA Department of Fish and Wildlife - Trinity River Project Environmental Scientist - Fisheries 707/822-5876 5341 Ericson Way, Arcata CA 95521 ****************************************************** Klamath/Trinity Program reports can be found online @ https://nrmsecure.dfg.ca.gov/documents/ContextDocs.aspx?cat=KlamathTrinity -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: 2019 TRP_ trapping_summary_through_JW33.xlsx Type: application/vnd.openxmlformats-officedocument.spreadsheetml.sheet Size: 71434 bytes Desc: 2019 TRP_ trapping_summary_through_JW33.xlsx URL: From tstokely at att.net Wed Aug 21 07:48:55 2019 From: tstokely at att.net (Tom Stokely) Date: Wed, 21 Aug 2019 14:48:55 +0000 (UTC) Subject: [env-trinity] Suppressed federal report shows how Trump water plan would endanger California salmon References: <1562090122.287023.1566398935439.ref@mail.yahoo.com> Message-ID: <1562090122.287023.1566398935439@mail.yahoo.com> https://www.latimes.com/environment/story/2019-08-20/trump-california-water-salmon-farms Suppressed federal report shows how Trump water plan would endanger California salmon? Proposed changes in California water operations would have adverse effects on winter-run salmon, a government report found.?(Hector Amezcua / Associated Press)By?BETTINA BOXALLSTAFF WRITER? | | | | | | | | | | | Bettina Boxall - Los Angeles Times Bettina Boxall covers water issues and the environment for the Los Angeles Times. | | | AUG. 21, 2019?5 AM Federal officials suppressed a lengthy environmental document that details how one of California?s unique salmon runs would be imperiled by Trump administration plans to deliver more water to Central Valley farms. The July 1 assessment, obtained by The Times, outlines how proposed changes in government water operations would harm several species protected by the Endangered Species Act, including perilously low populations of winter-run salmon, as well as steelhead trout and killer whales, which feed on salmon. But the 1,123-page document was never released. Two days after federal scientists submitted their review, called a biological opinion, a regional fisheries official pulled the document and replaced the team that wrote it with a new group tasked with revising it,?as The Times reported in July. | | | | | | | | | | | Salmon study may foil Trump's plan to boost water deliveries to Central ... A biological finding by the National Marine Fisheries Service threatens to derail the Trump administration plan ... | | | Had the opinion been adopted and released, it would have interfered with efforts to ramp up irrigation deliveries to powerful California farm interests with ties to the Trump administration. The revision, critics say, is another example of the administration intervening to weaken environmental protections and reverse the findings of federal scientists. In the report, the National Marine Fisheries Service unequivocally concludes that increasing water deliveries would likely jeopardize the continued existence of endangered winter-run Chinook salmon, threatened spring-run Chinook and threatened Central Valley steelhead, as well as endangered Southern Resident killer whales that dine on salmon. The proposed changes in California water operations ?will produce multiple stressors? on winter-run salmon ?that are expected to reduce survival and the overall fitness of individuals,? the agency wrote. Harmful impacts include warm river temperatures lethal to fish eggs and newly hatched salmon; low flows in the Sacramento River and more salmon deaths at the giant government pumps that send supplies south from the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta. | | | | | | | | | | | LA Times - Los Angeles Times | | | SPONSORED CONTENT Medicare Part D: Why Your 65th Birthday Is so Important By?Walgreens ?Winter-run Chinook salmon are particularly important among California?s salmon runs because they exhibit a life-history strategy found nowhere else in the world,? the scientists noted. Excerpt from a July 1 biological opinion that federal officials withheld. The report concluded that Trump administration plans to increase water diversions to farms could harm protected fish in California, including endangered winter-run salmon. Adults leave the ocean and migrate upstream in the winter and early spring. During the summer, they historically spawned in cold, spring-fed rivers and streams in Northern California. But the fish lost access to those spawning grounds after the federal government constructed Shasta and Keswick dams on the upper Sacramento River in the 1940s. That, coupled with the destruction of flood plains and other habitat, sent the fabled run on a long downward spiral. Now only a few thousand of them typically return to California every year to swim upstream to spawn below Keswick, which regulates flows out of Shasta. Despite spending millions of dollars on hatchery operations, fish screens and gravel bed restoration, federal water managers have fallen far short of meeting a long-standing congressional goal of doubling the natural production of?anadromous fishin Central Valley rivers and streams. | | | | | | | | | | | Definition of ANADROMOUS ascending rivers from the sea for breeding? See the full definition | | | Of over 165 species that the marine fisheries agency protects under the Endangered Species Act, California?s winter-run Chinook ?is considered one of just nine species that are most at risk of extinction in the near future,? the agency wrote. The extinction risk has increased since 2007, in part because warm-water releases from Shasta during the?state?s severe drought cooked salmon eggs and newly hatched fish. In 2015, 96% of the eggs and fry died. | | | | | | | | | | | The drought's hidden victim: California's native fish Last summer, a narrow, rock-rimmed stretch of the Sacramento River near here turned into a mass graveyard for ba... | | | Revision of the July 1 biological opinion is ?unquestionably an effort to subvert the best available science,? said Noah Oppenheim, executive director of the?Pacific Coast Federation of Fishermen?s Associations, which represents commercial fishermen. | | | | | | | | | | | PCFFA ? The Pacific Coast Federation of Fishermen?s Associations | | | ?Literally before our eyes, we?re seeing science suppressed by monied political interests,? he argued. Paul Souza, the regional U.S. Fish and Wildlife director who is coordinating work on the salmon opinion and a separate one for delta smelt that his agency is conducting, rejected claims that the July 1 assessment was suppressed. It was a draft that needed more work, he said. ?We have no final documents yet,? he said. ?I know there are a lot of conversations about politics. But that?s a misunderstanding of the fact. We?re working with career professionals, scientists and leaders in Sacramento and making sure we do everything in our power to conserve the fisheries that we care deeply about and also meet water supply needs.? Souza said the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation, which runs the Shasta operations, has agreed to maintain higher May 1 levels of the reservoir, increasing cold water reserves for salmon. The bureau will also adhere to what Souza called ?smarter? delta pumping restrictions based on the real-time location of fish. One of the biggest beneficiaries of the Trump proposal to increase water deliveries is the?Westlands Water District, a sprawling irrigation district on the arid west side of the San Joaquin Valley led by some of the state?s wealthiest growers. In 2018, the district?s biggest crops were almonds, pistachios, canning tomatoes and cotton. | | | | | | | | | | | Home - Westlands Water District Home page content | | | Westlands and other districts that depend on water supplies from the delta have bitterly fought Endangered Species Act restrictions for delta smelt and migrating salmon that have restricted their deliveries. Water users argue that fishery agencies pay too much attention to fresh water flows in the delta and the rivers that empty into it ? and too little attention to other environmental stressors, such as exotic predators, that have contributed to the fish crisis. Critics of the act now have a major ally, Interior Sec. David Bernhardt. Before joining the Trump administration,?Bernhardt was a partner in Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck,?a top-grossing law and lobbying firm that sued Interior four times on behalf of Westlands. Bernhardt was a lobbyist for Westlands and personally argued an appeals case challenging salmon protections. | | | | | | | | | | | Trump's pick for a top Interior post has sued the agency on behalf of po... When President Trump nominated David Bernhardt for the No. 2 spot at the Interior Department, the administration... | | | He is leading efforts to implement a 2018 Trump administration directive to develop plans for ?maximizing water supply deliveries? from the federal Central Valley Project, which operates Shasta Dam and reservoir and sends irrigation water to Westlands. Releases from Shasta Lake, California?s largest reservoir, are not only vital to CVP deliveries to the state?s agrarian middle, they are critical to maintaining river flows and cool water temperatures for fish. That conflict is a focus of the July 1 biological opinion, which found that under the Bureau of Reclamation?s proposed water operations, salmon would lose needed reserves of cold water, as well as flows to sustain important floodplain habitat. ?Each freshwater life stage will be harmed to some degree by the [proposal], with extensive lethal impacts expected to eggs, fry, and juveniles,? scientists concluded. If the new team delivers a less critical assessment of the Trump proposal, it will not be the first agency reversal on California fish protections. In 2004, under the George W. Bush administration, federal biologists concluded in draft documents leaked to the media that delta water operations would jeopardize populations of winter-run Chinook and Central Valley steelhead. A few months later, a final opinion reversed that finding, opening the door to increased exports. The Commerce Department inspector general later faulted the fisheries service for not following agency guidelines designed to ensure ?the quality of the biological opinion.? A series of lawsuits followed, ultimately resulting in tougher protections for delta smelt and salmon ? which the Trump administration now seeks to undo. -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From tstokely at att.net Sun Aug 25 08:47:29 2019 From: tstokely at att.net (Tom Stokely) Date: Sun, 25 Aug 2019 15:47:29 +0000 (UTC) Subject: [env-trinity] Boat Dance Flow Releases on the Trinity River Sept 1-5 up to 2650 cfs References: <1978799818.2207234.1566748049394.ref@mail.yahoo.com> Message-ID: <1978799818.2207234.1566748049394@mail.yahoo.com> "Beginning next Sunday, Sept. 1, the Bureau of Reclamation will begin to increase flows to the Trinity River for the Hoopa Valley Tribe?s Ceremonial Boat Dance. Releases will begin to increase above the base summer flow of 450 cfs at 5 p.m. Sept. 1, and reach a peak flow of 2,650 cfs between 9 a.m. and 7 p.m. on Sept. 2. The releases will then gradually decrease back to the base summer flow about 3 p.m. on Sept. 5." https://www.times-standard.com/2019/08/21/fishing-the-north-coast-fall-kings-yet-to-show-on-the-klamath/ Fishing the North Coast: Fall kings yet to show on the Klamath - - - Willits resident Andrew Hosford landed a nice king salmon Tuesday on the Klamath River. The fall kings have yet to move into the lower Klamath in big numbers, but it should bust open any time. (Contributed/Alan?s Guide Service)By?KENNY PRIEST?|?PUBLISHED:?August 21, 2019 at 8:23 pm?| UPDATED:?August 21, 2019 at 8:31 pm The fall run of Klamath River Chinook has yet to really take off, which is a little unusual heading into the third week of August. There?s been flurries of fish moving in the estuary, but not many are choosing to head upriver as of yet. Reportedly, the commercial boats have been seeing lots of salmon offshore of the Klamath mouth. It should be just a matter of time before they decide to make their way upriver in big numbers. According to Dan Troxel, an Environmental Scientist on the Klamath River Project, only 25 adult salmon had been harvested from the Highway 96 bridge at Weitchpec to the Klamath mouth towards the quota of 3,818 for the week ending Aug. 19. Of those, 20 adults were caught below the Hwy. 101 bridge. If the fishing doesn?t bust open soon, there is help on the way. Beginning next Sunday, Sept. 1, the Bureau of Reclamation will begin to increase flows to the Trinity River for the Hoopa Valley Tribe?s Ceremonial Boat Dance. Releases will begin to increase above the base summer flow of 450 cfs at 5 p.m. Sept. 1, and reach a peak flow of 2,650 cfs between 9 a.m. and 7 p.m. on Sept. 2. The releases will then gradually decrease back to the base summer flow about 3 p.m. on Sept. 5. Fall regulations in effect on the Klamath Fall regulations went into effect on the Klamath River for fall-run Chinook salmon beginning Aug. 15 and run through Dec. 31. On the Trinity, the fall quota will begin on Sept. 1 and run through Dec. 31. The in-river quota for the entire Klamath Basin is 7,637 adult fall Chinook. The daily bag limit will be two Chinook, no more than one adult (greater than 22 inches) and the possession limit is six, no more than three adults. Two hatchery steelhead or hatchery trout may also be retained, with a possession limit of four each. Anglers may keep track of the Klamath and Trinity river quotas by calling 800-564- 6479. For Klamath and Trinity fishing regulations, visit https://bit.ly/2YQ3vQU. Klamath River Salmon Derby The Nor-Cal Guides and Sportsmen?s Association will be holding their inaugural Klamath River Salmon Derby on Aug. 31. The biggest salmon pays $1,000, second is $500, and third place is $250. The Junior winner will receive a life-time fishing license. Entry fees are $70 for non-NCGASA members, $50 for member, and $30 for Juniors. Weigh in will be at the old Redwood Rest Resort (kitty corner from Steelhead Lodge) from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. All entries include a free BBQ lunch, water and a raffle ticket for additional prizes. Sign up online at https://ncgasa.org/donate/ or at Little Ray?s Tackle in Klamath. Participants must be paid for prior to 6 a.m. on the day of the event. For more information, visit https://bit.ly/2MvAS54. Marine forecast Northerly winds will develop on Thursday and increase through late week as steep, short- period seas rapidly build in response. Out 10 nautical miles north of the Cape, Friday?s forecast is calling for N winds 10 to 15 knots and waves out of the NW 8 feet at 9 seconds and W 2 feet at 13 seconds. Saturday is calling for N winds 5 to 10 knots and waves NW 6 feet at 8 seconds and W 2 feet at 14 seconds. Sunday?s forecast looks similar, with winds out of the N 5 to 15 knots and waves NW 7 feet at 9 seconds. These conditions can and will change by the weekend. For an up-to-date weather forecast, visit www.weather.gov/eureka/ or https://www.windy.com. To monitor the latest Humboldt bar conditions, visit www.wrh.noaa.gov/eka/swan. You can also call the National Weather Service at (707) 443-7062 or the office on Woodley Island at (707) 443-6484. Tuna still within reach The ocean calmed down on Monday, paving the way for a short weather window for anglers chasing tuna out of Fort Bragg and Coos Bay. The warm water pushed offshore out of Eureka and Crescent City, but a few boats made a long run and caught fish. The lone Eureka boat ran 52 miles on Tuesday and boated 17. One of the Crescent City charters ran 50 miles for 58 tuna. The runs were much closer for Fort Bragg and Coos, and it sounded like the scores were better as well. Fort Bragg boats only had to go 25 miles and scores ranged from 40 all the way to 80. Coos was equally as good, with boats running 20 miles for all the tuna they wanted. The oceans Eureka The salmon bite remains hit and miss out of Eureka. Most of the effort has been straight out of the entrance in 200 feet of water on the 45 line. ?A couple of the charters limited out on Monday, but fishing was tougher on Tuesday,? said Tim Klassen of Reel Steel Sport Fishing. ?It seems like the fish are there, but we were only able to land one keeper. I know of one boat that landed four, so it?s right place, right time. And you need to make your bites count. There were small patches of bait, but not many murres around,? added Klassen. The Cape has been productive per usual, and Tony Sepulveda of Shellback Sport Fishing has been taking advantage of calm ocean conditions to put his clients on the fish. ?The Lost Coast has been incredible as always,? said Sepulveda. ?Vermillion rockfish have really been the story the last few weeks. Giant ones have been my most abundant species. We boated 28 huge reds in our 60 fish limits on the last trip to go with limits of lingcod all running 12 to 25 pounds.? The California halibut bite is still going strong in Humboldt Bay according to Sepulveda. ?Limits have been the norm and a lot of days they?ve come quick. And it?s a really nice grade, with lots of fish in the eight to 10- pound range and we had them as big as 22 this week,? added Sepulveda. Shelter Cove ?The rockfish and lingcod bite was great this week, with most of the effort around the Hat,? said Jake Mitchell of Sea Hawk Sport Fishing. ?The salmon bite was scratchy at best, with most of the action down off White Rock in 70 feet of water. The tuna bite was really good on Monday and Tuesday, with boats getting 25 to 60 fish 20 to 30 miles out.? Crescent City The fishing effort has slowed down this week reports Chris Hegnes of Crescent City?s Englund Marine. ?The one bright spot was one of the charters ran for tuna on Tuesday and did really well. They went 50 miles and put in 58 tuna by 11 a.m. With the ocean coming back up, that may be it for a while. The rockfish and lingcod are both still biting well at all the usual spots. The California halibut and the Thresher action along South Beach have both slowed down,? Hegnes added. Brookings Boats headed 35 miles out of Brookings for albacore on Tuesday, but returned with just a handful of fish reports Andy Martin of Brookings Fishing Charters. He said, ?The action remains very good to the north out of Charleston. Fishing has been good for lingcod out of Brookings, but slow for salmon.? The rivers Lower Klamath A bunch of steelhead moved into the river late last week and the fishing was good for both adults and half-pounders. However, it looks like they didn?t bother to stick around as the bite slowed down on Tuesday in the lower river. The few boats out side-drifting and dragging bait in the deeper holes are catching a few adult salmon, but not many. The estuary fishery isn?t red-hot by any means, but there were a few caught on Wednesday by boats trolling anchovies. Lower Rogue The Rogue Bay has shown signs of life the past week, but has been hot and cold according to Martin. ?Friday and Saturday produced good fishing, but the action slowed to a halt on Sunday. There was a wide-open bite along the jetties halfway into the incoming tide on Monday, with more than 30 fish landed in an hour, but Tuesday was slower with about 15 total fish caught,? said Martin. Find ?Fishing the North Coast? on Facebook and fishingthenorthcoast.com for up-to-date fishing reports and North Coast river information. Questions, comments and photos can be emailed to kenny at fishingthenorthcoast.com -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From tstokely at att.net Mon Aug 26 07:56:27 2019 From: tstokely at att.net (Tom Stokely) Date: Mon, 26 Aug 2019 14:56:27 +0000 (UTC) Subject: [env-trinity] The jeopardy Biological Opinion for CVP References: <2110759961.2638026.1566831387758.ref@mail.yahoo.com> Message-ID: <2110759961.2638026.1566831387758@mail.yahoo.com> You can find the suppressed jeopardy Biological Opinion on?Coordinated Long-Term Operation (LTO) of the Central Valley Project (CVP) and State Water Project (SWP)?here: https://assets.documentcloud.org/documents/6311822/NMFS-Jeopardy-Biop-2019-OCR.pdf It's 292 mb and takes awhile to download. Apparently a second non-jeopardy opinion is being prepared. Comments are due today on the Draft EIS for this project even though there is no official final Biological Opinion. ?See?https://www.usbr.gov/mp/bdo/lto.html TS -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From tstokely at att.net Mon Aug 26 16:51:13 2019 From: tstokely at att.net (Tom Stokely) Date: Mon, 26 Aug 2019 23:51:13 +0000 (UTC) Subject: [env-trinity] Problems with env-trinity messages in Chinese References: <1179484868.2986053.1566863473130.ref@mail.yahoo.com> Message-ID: <1179484868.2986053.1566863473130@mail.yahoo.com> Env-trinity subscribers, I have had a few complaints from some of you over the years that your env-trinity messages come through in Chinese or other foreign characters. ? I have contacted the Davis Community Network about it and hope to hear back soon. Meanwhile, it appears that the ones who get the weird messages are subscribers who get a "digest" of the list messages. ?Those who directly get the messages do not appear to get the weird messages. If you are getting those weird messages through the digest, please send me a PRIVATE e-mail (so as not to bother the other 400 subscribers with our problems) and I will change your setting to directly get the messages, not the digest. ?I think you can also do it yourself. Sorry for any inconvenience and I apologize for not getting on this sooner. ?I will let you know what I find out from DCN. Sincerely, Tom Stokely?Env-Trinity List Manager530-524-0315?tstokely at att.net? -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From MaryClaire.Kier at wildlife.ca.gov Tue Aug 27 13:15:20 2019 From: MaryClaire.Kier at wildlife.ca.gov (Kier, Mary Claire@Wildlife) Date: Tue, 27 Aug 2019 20:15:20 +0000 Subject: [env-trinity] CDFW Trinity River Project trapping summary through Julian week 34 Message-ID: Greetings! Attached please find the TRP trapping summary through JWeek 34 (August 26). JC is still the only site to report; WCW will not be in the water until after the boat dance flows, and the hatchery's first spawning will be after Labor Day. That said I want to remind you all again that flows on the Trinity will be ramped up and back down over the long Labor Day weekend. I am pasting the flow schedule below. Remember these flows are releases from Lewiston so will lag on timing the further downstream you get from there. Be safe! Cheers! MC Subject: [Trinity Releases] Change Order - Lewiston Dam Reply-To: "FIELD, RANDI" > Project: Lewiston Dam Please make the following release changes to the Trinity River: Date Time From (cfs) To (cfs) 9/1/19 17:00 450 550 9/1/19 19:00 550 800 9/1/19 21:00 800 1050 9/1/19 23:00 1050 1300 9/2/19 1:00 1300 1550 9/2/19 3:00 1550 1800 9/2/19 5:00 1800 2050 9/2/19 7:00 2050 2250 9/2/19 9:00 2250 2650 9/2/19 19:00 2650 2450 9/2/19 23:00 2450 2250 9/3/19 3:00 2250 2050 9/3/19 7:00 2050 1850 9/3/19 11:00 1850 1750 9/3/19 15:00 1750 1650 9/3/19 19:00 1650 1550 9/3/19 23:00 1550 1450 9/4/19 3:00 1450 1350 9/4/19 7:00 1350 1250 9/4/19 11:00 1250 1150 9/4/19 15:00 1150 1050 9/4/19 19:00 1050 950 9/4/19 23:00 950 850 9/5/19 3:00 850 750 9/5/19 7:00 750 650 9/5/19 11:00 650 550 9/5/19 15:00 550 450 Comment: Hoopa Valley Tribe Biennial Boat Dance Ceremony Issued by: R. Field ****************************************************** Mary Claire Kier CA Department of Fish and Wildlife - Trinity River Project Environmental Scientist - Fisheries 707/822-5876 5341 Ericson Way, Arcata CA 95521 ****************************************************** Klamath/Trinity Program reports can be found online @ https://nrmsecure.dfg.ca.gov/documents/ContextDocs.aspx?cat=KlamathTrinity -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: 2019 TRP_ trapping_summary_through_JW34.xlsx Type: application/vnd.openxmlformats-officedocument.spreadsheetml.sheet Size: 71477 bytes Desc: 2019 TRP_ trapping_summary_through_JW34.xlsx URL: From tstokely at att.net Tue Aug 27 16:44:54 2019 From: tstokely at att.net (Tom Stokely) Date: Tue, 27 Aug 2019 23:44:54 +0000 (UTC) Subject: [env-trinity] Fw: [Trinity Releases] Change Order - Lewiston Dam In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: <1073132695.3643119.1566949494623@mail.yahoo.com> ---- Forwarded Message ----- From: 'FIELD, RANDI' via trinity-releases To:?Sent: Tuesday, August 27, 2019, 12:27:31 PM PDTSubject: [Trinity Releases] Change Order - Lewiston Dam Project:?Lewiston?Dam Please make the following release changes to the Trinity River: Date? ? ? ?Time? ? From (cfs)? ? To (cfs) 9/1/19? ? 17:00? ? ? ? ? 450? ? ? ? ?5509/1/19? ? 19:00? ? ? ? ? 550? ? ? ? ?800 9/1/19? ? 21:00? ? ? ? ? 800? ? ? ?1050?9/1/19? ? 23:00? ? ? ? 1050? ? ? ?1300 9/2/19? ? ?1:00? ? ? ? 1300? ? ? ?15509/2/19? ? ?3:00? ? ? ? 1550? ? ? ?18009/2/19? ? ?5:00? ? ? ? 1800? ? ? ?20509/2/19? ? ?7:00? ? ? ? 2050? ? ? ?22509/2/19? ? ?9:00? ? ? ? 2250? ? ? ?26509/2/19? ?19:00? ? ? ? 2650? ? ? ?24509/2/19? ?23:00? ? ? ? 2450? ? ? ?2250 9/3/19? ? ?3:00? ? ? ? 2250? ? ? ?2050? 9/3/19? ? ?7:00? ? ? ? 2050? ? ? ?1850?9/3/19? ?11:00? ? ? ? 1850? ? ? ?17509/3/19? ?15:00? ? ? ? 1750? ? ? ?16509/3/19? ?19:00? ? ? ? 1650? ? ? ?15509/3/19? ?23:00? ? ? ? 1550? ? ? ?1450 9/4/19? ? 3:00? ? ? ? 1450? ? ? ?13509/4/19? ? 7:00? ? ? ? 1350? ? ? ?1250?? 9/4/19? 11:00? ? ? ? 1250? ? ? ?1150?9/4/19? 15:00? ? ? ? 1150? ? ? ?10509/4/19? 19:00? ? ? ? 1050? ? ? ? ?9509/4/19? 23:00? ? ? ? ? 950? ? ? ? ?850 9/5/19? ? 3:00? ? ? ? ? 850? ? ? ? ?750? 9/5/19? ? 7:00? ? ? ? ? 750? ? ? ? ?650?9/5/19? ?11:00? ? ? ? ?650? ? ? ? ?5509/5/19? ?15:00? ? ? ? ?550? ? ? ? ?450? Comment: Hoopa Valley Tribe Biennial Boat Dance Ceremony Issued by: R. Field -- View online at http://www.trrp.net/restore/flows/release-email/ --- -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From tstokely at att.net Tue Aug 27 16:46:24 2019 From: tstokely at att.net (Tom Stokely) Date: Tue, 27 Aug 2019 23:46:24 +0000 (UTC) Subject: [env-trinity] Fw: Lewiston Dam to temporarily increase releases over Labor Day In-Reply-To: <8730ccbb1db04dc6940811faa61f0446@usbr.gov> References: <8730ccbb1db04dc6940811faa61f0446@usbr.gov> Message-ID: <462943382.3621962.1566949584470@mail.yahoo.com> Mid-Pacific Region Sacramento, Calif. MP-19-054 Media Contact: Jeff Hawk, 916-204-2348 (Office) 916-204-2348, jhawk at usbr.gov For Immediate Release: Aug. 27, 2019 Lewiston Dam to temporarily increase releases over Labor Day REDDING, Calif. ? The Bureau of Reclamation has scheduled increased releases from Lewiston Dam into the Trinity River, from Sept. 1 through Sept. 5. People near or recreating on the river over the holiday can expect river levels to increase and should take appropriate safety precautions. The increased releases are in support of the Hoopa Valley Tribe's biennial Boat Dance Ceremony in Hoopa, California, and are separate from the Trinity River restoration flows. Lewiston Dam releases are scheduled to increase above the summer base flow of 450 cubic feet per second around 5 p.m. Sept.1, and are expected to reach a peak flow of 2,650 cfs between 9 a.m. and 6 p.m. Sept. 2. Releases are scheduled to gradually return to summer flows about 3 p.m. Sept. 5. For more information, please contact Reclamation?s Northern California Area Office at 530-247-8530 (TTY 800-877-8339). # # # Reclamation is the largest wholesale water supplier in the United States, and the nation?s second largest producer of hydroelectric power. Its facilities also provide substantial flood control, recreation, and fish and wildlife benefits. Visit our website at https://www.usbr.gov. Follow us on Twitter @USBR and @ReclamationCVP. ? If you would rather not receive future communications from Bureau of Reclamation, let us know by clicking here. Bureau of Reclamation, Denver Federal Center, Alameda & Kipling Street PO Box 25007, Denver, CO 80225 United States -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From tstokely at att.net Thu Aug 29 07:35:25 2019 From: tstokely at att.net (Tom Stokely) Date: Thu, 29 Aug 2019 14:35:25 +0000 (UTC) Subject: [env-trinity] Illegal cannabis farms still scarring public lands, two years after Prop. 64 References: <1748712528.415614.1567089325319.ref@mail.yahoo.com> Message-ID: <1748712528.415614.1567089325319@mail.yahoo.com> https://www.latimes.com/environment/story/2019-08-28/cannabis-california-national-forests-environment Illegal cannabis farms still scarring public lands, two years after Prop. 64Mourad Gabriel, co-director of the Integral Ecology Research Center, visits an illegal marijuana cultivation site in the Sierra National Forest.(Kent Nishimura / Los Angeles Times) - Facebook Nearly two years after California voters approved Prop. 64, illegal marijuana grows are continuing in the state?s national forests, predominantly the work of Mexican drug traffickers. By?PIPER MCDANIEL | | | | | | | | | | | Piper McDaniel - Los Angeles Times Piper McDaniel is a 2019 intern with the Los Angeles Times' Metro desk. | | | AUG. 29, 2019?5 AM When California voters legalized cannabis in 2016, supporters of Proposition 64 hoped it would significantly reduce the scourge of black market weed cultivation, particularly on public lands. Yet nearly two years later, illegal marijuana grows are still rampant across wide swaths of the national forests in California, leaving behind a trail of garbage, human waste, dead animals and caustic chemicals. Nearly all of these farms are the work of Mexican drug trafficking organizations, posing dangers not just for the environment, but to hikers and others who might encounter them. In 2018, law enforcement in California removed 1,396,824 marijuana plants and eradicated 889 outdoor cultivation sites, most of which were operated by Mexican drug traffickers on federal lands, according to the?Central Valley California High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area program. | | | | | | | | | | | Central California HIDTA | | | A marijuana plant at an illegal cultivation site in the Sierra National Forest is shown.(Kent Nishimura / Los Angeles Times) ?It?s a huge problem,? said William Ruzzamenti, executive director of the Central Valley HIDTA program, which includes federal, state and local agencies. ?They?re growing tens of millions of plants every year on public lands in California, and they leave a huge mess when they finish.? ADVERTISEMENT One of these messes?was visited last week by dozens of national and state officials,who arrived in the Sierra National Forest in a Black Hawk helicopter. There, in a stretch of forest in Madera County, they toured an illegal cultivation site ? believed to be run by Mexican drug trafficking organizations that authorities had raided the day before. | | | | | | | | | | | Mexican marijuana traffickers are poisoning California forests with a ba... Law enforcement officials are targeting pot-growing sites in the Sierra where they say Mexican drug traffickers ... | | | The site was just as the growers had left it: Sleeping bags and ragged clothing. Garbage littering the ground. Miles of plastic pipes diverting water. A stockpile of fertilizers, soil and hazardous chemicals. Drug traffickers created a makeshift kitchen at an illegal marijuana cultivation site in the Sierra National Forest near Whiskey Falls.(Kent Nishimura / Los Angeles Times) Nearby were roughly 6,000 springy, vibrantly green marijuana plants winding through the arid forest, oddly out of place, and doused with toxic chemicals. Mexican cartels have been operating illegal grows on California?s public lands for decades, their numbers slowly increasing. Advocates for legal marijuana thought a legal market would stem the illicit production, but the number of illegal grows has stayed steady in California. In other states, their numbers are on the rise. Traffickers have become more adept at evading law enforcement, and are expanding into new territories nationwide, said Mike McKinney, assistant special agent in charge for the U.S. Forest Service Intermountain region. ?They?re getting deeper, darker and harder to find,? said McKinney. ?They?re going into areas that haven?t seen human foot traffic in forever.? ADVERTISEMENT State officials hike up a hillside in the Sierra National Forest to the site of an illegal marijuana grow operation.(Kent Nishimura / Los Angeles Times) Grow sites run by Mexican traffickers have been found in states across the country, including Oregon, Washington, Nevada, New Mexico, Utah, Colorado and Texas. In 2018, law enforcement raided 3,847 outdoor grows nationwide, predominantly operated by organized drug traffickers on federal lands, according to HIDTA figures. Those raided sites are estimated to be just a quarter of the illegal public land grows in existence. Mourad Gabriel, co-director of the Integral Ecology Research Center, a conservation nonprofit that has led the efforts to clean up the sites and assess their impact, estimates there are more than 1,700 known sites in California alone. ?Illegal poaching, illegal cutting of trees, the application of illegal pesticides, the diverting of millions of gallons of water for just one site,? said Gabriel. ?Extrapolating that to thousands of sites in California is a significant environmental threat.? U.S. Atty. McGregor W. Scott tours an illegal marijuana cultivation site in the Sierra National Forest.(Kent Nishimura/Los Angeles Times) Carbofuran?is a signature of illegal Mexican grows, a pesticide so hazardous that a teaspoon can kill a fully grown bear, according to Gabriel. Effectively banned in the United States, carbofuran is smuggled across the U.S.-Mexico border and used by growers to protect the cannabis plants from wildlife. Growers mix carbofuran into the water feeding the plants, and also spray it directly on the ground and foliage that border them. | | | | | | | | | | | Carbofuran Carbofuran usage has increased in recent years because it is one of the few insecticides effective on soybean ap... | | | Research conducted by the?Integral Ecology Research Center?has found traces of carbofuran in streams and rivers, and also in animals ? living and dead ? including at-risk species such as the Pacific fisher. The damage doesn?t stop there. Growers leave behind tons of garbage, such as car batteries, propane tanks and food along with other caustic pesticides, herbicides and rodent killers. Grow sites on public lands also compromise California?s water supply, poisoning watersheds and diverting flows from springs and streams. Law enforcement officials wait near an illegal marijuana cultivation site in the Sierra National Forest.(Kent Nishimura / Los Angeles Times)ADVERTISEMENT Experts estimate that each plant uses nine to 12 gallons of water per day. A grow site with 6,000 plants, such as the recently raided site in the Sierra National Forest, poaches a minimum of 5.4 million gallons of water a year. Multiply this by the thousands and illegal grow sites in California are sucking up millions, potentially billions, of gallons of water a year. ?Seeing this just makes me sick,? said Dean Gould, forest supervisor for the Sierra National Forest, while visiting the illegal grow site last week. ?We have the most selfish possible example of the most destructive use of land to benefit a very select few.? Even after the sites are busted and the plants removed, they are expensive to clean up, requiring crews to hike, often for miles to reach them. The locations are typically so rugged and remote that garbage must be bundled up and flown out via helicopter. Since October of 2018, Forest Service agencies in California spent $1.5 million just on equipment and disposal for cleanups last year, a number that doesn?t include the cost of personnel. Nationally, the Forest Service spends roughly $12 million annually on enforcement alone, a number that doesn?t include the cost of cleanups, which typically have a price tag of $15,000 or more per site. Dealing with grow sites also absorbs funds from other agencies, such as the California Department of Fish and Wildlife and local law enforcement. ?It?s like a sinking ship. As fast as we?re plugging the holes, we?ve got people siphoning all that water off,? said Gould. ?This is having a direct impact on the bottom line.? While supporters hoped Proposition 64 would reduce the profitability of illicit weed farms, legal marijuana in California ? taxed and regulated ? remains more expensive than the black market stuff, giving the latter a competitive edge. Outside the state is an even bigger market for black market cannabis. ?What nobody factored in when they were selling this big myth ... is that 75-80% of the marijuana cultivated is shipped out of California because the profit margin is bigger,? said Ruzzamenti. National and state officials depart the Sierra National Forest in a Black Hawk helicopter after touring an illegal cultivation site ? believed to be run by Mexican drug trafficking organizations ? that authorities had raided the day before.(Kent Nishimura / Los Angeles Times) In February, Gov. Gavin Newsom vented about the continuing illegal cannabis farms, saying he would deploy the National Guard to assist with efforts. ?They are getting worse, not better,??Newsom said at the time. | | | | | | | | | | | California?s black market for pot is stifling legal sales. Now the gover... Before he was elected governor, Gavin Newsom was instrumental in legalizing marijuana for recreational use in Ca... | | | A year earlier, U.S. Rep. Doug LaMalfa (R-Richvale) introduced?H.R. 7018, the Protecting Lands Against Narcotics Trafficking Act,?which would demand stricter fines and penalties for environmental crimes caused by illegal grow sites and would also allocate additional resources for enforcement and eradication. So far, the legislation hasn?t moved forward. In the meantime, illegal grow sites continue to flourish. ?They?re business people,? said Gould of the drug trafficking organizations. ?They are going to go where they can to make the most money with the least pain. They are going to continue to test and test and test to see if the forest is one of those places.? CLIMATE & ENVIRONMENTCALIFORNIAMEXICO & THE AMERICASPiper McDaniel - Twitter - Instagram - Email - Facebook Piper McDaniel is a 2019 intern with the Los Angeles Times? Metro desk. -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From tstokely at att.net Fri Aug 30 09:17:11 2019 From: tstokely at att.net (Tom Stokely) Date: Fri, 30 Aug 2019 16:17:11 +0000 (UTC) Subject: [env-trinity] Order to stop Shasta Dam raising report upheld by appeals court References: <1255529082.425330.1567181831530.ref@mail.yahoo.com> Message-ID: <1255529082.425330.1567181831530@mail.yahoo.com> https://www.redding.com/story/news/2019/08/29/order-stop-shasta-dam-raising-report-upheld-appeals-court/2157768001/ Order to stop Shasta Dam raising report upheld by appeals court Damon Arthur, Redding Record Searchlight | | | | Damon Arthur | Redding Damon Arthur Reporter I cover mostly outdoors stuff like resources, environment, recreation and rural issues. | | | Published 5:27 p.m. PT Aug. 29, 2019 A state court of appeal has upheld a Shasta County Superior Court decision to stop a Fresno-based water district from doing an?analysis of the effects of raising the height of Shasta Dam. The?Westlands Water District had asked the California Third District Court of Appeal?to overturn the lower court's preliminary injunction that ordered?the district to stop work on an environmental impact report. | | | | | | | | | | | Water district appeals ruling to stop work on Shasta Dam analysis An irrigation district has asked the state court of appeal to overturn a judge's decision to stop work assessing... | | | The court of appeal also upheld the superior court decision to keep?the case against Westlands in Shasta County. Westlands had wanted to?move the case to Fresno County. | | | | | | | | | | | Judge rejects effort to move Shasta Dam lawsuit to Fresno Westlands Water District, based in Fresno, wanted to move the lawsuit against it to Fresno County, but a judge h... | | | Buy Photo Workers did testing on Shasta Dam in 2018 to determine whether it could withstand having an additional 18 1/2 feet of concrete placed on the crest of the dam.?(Photo: Damon Arthur/Record Searchlight) A?visiting judge ruled? last month?in Shasta County Superior Court the district's work was illegal because no state or local agency can do any work ? including planning ? that would have an adverse impact on the McCloud River, given its designation as?a wild and scenic river. | | | | | | | | | | | Judge orders Westlands to stop work on Shasta Dam raise A judge has ordered a Fresno-based water district to stop working on plans to raise the height of Shasta Dam. | | | The state Attorney General's Office and several environmental groups argued in a lawsuit against the district that raising the height of the dam 18? feet would harm the river because a taller dam would raise the lake level in some years and further inundate the McCloud River, which flows into Lake Shasta. More:?Piping hot champ: Redding teen returns to California's 'biggest bagpipe competition' | | | | | | | | | | | Piping hot champ: Redding teen returns to California's 'biggest bagpipe ... This Shasta High School sophomore will compete at California's highland games this weekend. | | | In issuing the preliminary injunction, the judge agreed with many of the?arguments made by Attorney General Xavier Becerra?and environmental groups. The case is still set for trial next spring. | | | | | | | | | | | After AG sues, Westlands Water District says it's studying whether to su... Citing the state's Wild and Scenic Rivers Act, the California attorney general and several groups have sued to s... | | | Buy Photo A view of Shasta Dam from the nearby overlook.?(Photo: Damon Arthur/Record Searchlight) The district's lawyer, Daniel O'Hanlon,?said the district was not violating the law because it was preparing the report under the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA). O'Hanlon?said an environmental impact report is not "planning." He said the district wanted to complete the report to determine whether it wanted to help pay for the project. More:?'Criminal intent' did not play a part in Redding man's injuries: Shasta County Sheriff | | | | | | | | | | | 'Criminal intent' did not play a part in Redding man's injuries: Shasta ... The Shasta County Sheriff's Office interviewed over 27 people to find out what happened during a Fourth of July ... | | | If the district, which primarily provides irrigation water to farmers in the San Joaquin Valley,?can't work on the environmental report, it can't determine whether it can go forward to support the project.? "The preliminary injunction is thus an attack on Westlands' decision-making process," the appeal says. "It is unprecedented for a court to order an agency to stop a CEQA review, before an agency has even been able to complete that review and make its decision." The McCloud River, which flows into Lake Shasta, is at the center of a dispute over raising the height of Shasta Dam.?(Photo: Contributed photo by Thomas O'Keefe) The U.S. Bureau of Reclamation has long been interested in raising the height of the dam. In 2015 the agency completed a separate environmental assessment on raising the dam 18? feet. More:?Redding news roundup: Shasta Lake receives funds designed to incentivize more housing | | | | | | | | | | | Redding news roundup: Shasta Lake receives state funds designed to spur ... News bites from around the North State in August 2019. | | | Damon Arthur is the Record Searchlight?s resources and environment?reporter. He is among the first on the scene at breaking news incidents, reporting real time on Twitter at?@damonarthur_RS. Damon is part of a dedicated team of journalists who investigate wrongdoing and find the unheard voices to tell the stories of the North State. He welcomes story tips at 530-225-8226 and damon.arthur at redding.com. Help local journalism thrive by?subscribing today! | | | | | | | | | | | Special Offers Subscribe today and enjoy local journalism, apps, video, and more. | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Damon Arthur (@damonarthur_RS) | Twitter The latest Tweets from Damon Arthur (@damonarthur_RS). Reporter @Breakingnews_RS Record Searchlight/Redding.com ... | | | -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From MaryClaire.Kier at wildlife.ca.gov Sat Aug 31 13:26:17 2019 From: MaryClaire.Kier at wildlife.ca.gov (Kier, Mary Claire@Wildlife) Date: Sat, 31 Aug 2019 20:26:17 +0000 Subject: [env-trinity] CDFW Trinity River Project trapping summary through Julian week 35 Message-ID: Greetings! Attached please find the TRP trapping summary through JWeek 35 (Sep 02). I am able to send this report now, before the end of the Julian week, because Junction City weir was removed from the river on Friday, prior to the HVT Ceremonial Boat Dance flows. Neither JCW or Willow Creek weir will likely be fishing during Julian week 36 so don't expect another report until nearly mid-September. Cheers! MC ****************************************************** Mary Claire Kier CA Department of Fish and Wildlife - Trinity River Project Environmental Scientist - Fisheries 707/822-5876 5341 Ericson Way, Arcata CA 95521 ****************************************************** Klamath/Trinity Program reports can be found online @ https://nrmsecure.dfg.ca.gov/documents/ContextDocs.aspx?cat=KlamathTrinity -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: 2019 TRP_ trapping_summary_through_JW35.xlsx Type: application/vnd.openxmlformats-officedocument.spreadsheetml.sheet Size: 71506 bytes Desc: 2019 TRP_ trapping_summary_through_JW35.xlsx URL: From tstokely at att.net Fri Sep 6 14:43:05 2019 From: tstokely at att.net (Tom Stokely) Date: Fri, 6 Sep 2019 21:43:05 +0000 (UTC) Subject: [env-trinity] Agenda for TMC meeting Weitchpec Sept 11-12 References: <385266242.3884357.1567806185886.ref@mail.yahoo.com> Message-ID: <385266242.3884357.1567806185886@mail.yahoo.com> TRINITY MANAGEMENT COUNCIL September 2019 Quarterly Meeting WednesdaySeptember 11 - Thursday September 12, 2019 Location:?Yurok Tribe Weitchpec Office ?Hwy 96, Weitchpec, CA 95546, USA Agenda?(WebEx info on page?2) Wednesday September 11, 2019? Time??????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????Discussion Leader Regular Business: 9:00?????????????????Introductions:??????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????Justin Ly, Chair ??Welcome and Introductions ??Approval of Agenda? ??Approval of June TMC Meeting Minutes ??June 2019 TMC action items recap ??CVP Operations Update? ??????????????????????? 9:30?????????????????Public Forum:??Comments from the public??????????????????????????Justin Ly, Chair 9:45?????????????????Report from Executive Director??????????????????????????????????????????Mike Dixon ? 10:00???????????????CVP EIS/EIR as it relates to the Trinity River???????????????????????Dave Mooney Information 10:30???????????????Break 10:45???????????????Water temperatures for rearing salmonids?????????????????????????????Seth Naman Information 11:30???????????????Lunch? 12:30???????????????Program goal and fundamental objectives review??????????????????Seth Naman? Information 1:30?????????????????Objectives and targets update?????????????????????????????????????????????????Nick Som? Information 2:15?????????????????Break 2:30?????????????????Initial findings from synthesis reports???????????????????????????????????HVT/MBA leads Information 3:45?????????????????Public Forum:??Comments from the public??????????????????????????Justin Ly, Chair 4:00?????????????????Adjourn 6:00?????TMC Dinner?? Gonzales Mexican Restaurant,38971 HWY 299, Willow Creek? ? TRINITY MANAGEMENT COUNCIL September 2019 Quarterly Meeting ? ? Thursday September 12, 2019 ? Time???????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????Discussion Leader Regular Business: 9:00?????????????????Public Forum:??Comments from the public??????????????????????????Justin Ly, Chair Information /?Decision Items: 9:15?????????????????Finalize refinements SOW; determine funding avenue??????????Mike Dixon/Justin Ly Decision Item 10:45???????????????Break 11:00?????????????????TMC bylaws: Changes to date??????????????????????????????????????????????Eric Peterson ????????????????????????????????????????????????????????Executive sessions/special meetings???????????????Justin Ly????????? ????????????????????????????????????????????????Adoption of additional changes??????????????????????Justin Ly Decision Item 12:00???????????????Lunch? 1:00?????????????????Initial findings from synthesis reports (USFWS leads) Information 1:45?????????????????Wrap up of ED report (if necessary)??????????????????????????????????????Mike Dixon 2:15?????????????????Break 2:30?????????????????Topics for December Meeting?????????????????????????????????????????????TMC members/Mike 2:45?????????????????Public Forum:??Comments from the public??????????????????????????Justin Ly, Chair 3:00?????????????????Adjourn ???????????? ? WEBEX CALL-IN INFORMATION (Call-in numbers are the same for both days.) Join by phone: 1-408-792-6300 Call-in toll number (US/Canada) Access code: 806 670 107 Join via web: Meeting number: 806 670 107 Password: fMcxqMp2 https://trrp.webex.com/trrp/j.php?MTID=m213114eff394ed2bf06c55628e2bb587 -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From tstokely at att.net Tue Sep 10 07:36:57 2019 From: tstokely at att.net (Tom Stokely) Date: Tue, 10 Sep 2019 14:36:57 +0000 (UTC) Subject: [env-trinity] Court reverses ruling on Calif. agricultural drainage permit References: <1500522728.5324166.1568126217147.ref@mail.yahoo.com> Message-ID: <1500522728.5324166.1568126217147@mail.yahoo.com> See the press release from the law offices of Stephan Volker below. https://www.eenews.net/greenwire/stories/1061111649/ WESTERN WATER Court reverses ruling on Calif. agricultural drainage permit Jeremy P. Jacobs, E&E News reporter? Published: Monday, September 9, 2019 The San Luis Drain at Kesterson National Wildlife Refuge is pictured here in 1985.?Robert Dawson/Smithsonian American Art Museum A federal appeals court on Friday breathed new life into a long-running dispute concerning agricultural drainage in California's Central Valley. The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals reversed a lower court ruling, saying it erred in its interpretation of a Clean Water Act permitting exception for agricultural discharges. The case concerns a complex system in the San Joaquin Valley that captures agricultural wastewater that is rich in pollutants, like selenium, before it contaminates the area's groundwater aquifer. A coalition of fishermen's groups led by the Pacific Coast Federation of Fishermen's Associations has contended since 2001 that the Grasslands Bypass Project, a tile drainage system managed by the Bureau of Reclamation and San Luis & Delta Mendota Water Authority, requires a Clean Water Act permit for discharges into a navigable water. The project funnels those waters through part of the San Luis Drain, Mud Slough, San Joaquin River and Sacramento-San Joaquin Bay Delta east of San Francisco. Reclamation and the water authority, however, point to an exception from permitting requirements under the Clean Water Act for discharges "composed entirely" of return flows from irrigation agriculture. A lower court sided with Reclamation and the water district, dismissing all of the challengers' claims. The San Francisco-based 9th Circuit, however, reversed that decision on several grounds. In particular, the three-judge panel sided with the challengers that the lower court improperly placed the burden on them to show that the discharges were not covered by the exception ? instead of vice versa. "The defendant carries the burden to demonstrate the applicability of a statutory exception to the CWA," Judge Milan Smith?wrote?before quoting from the exception. "Defendants had the burden of establishing that the Project's discharges were 'composed entirely of return flows from irrigated agriculture.'" Additionally, the court disagreed with the lower court's reading of "entirely" in the exception for agricultural water. The lower court said that it must be composed of a "majority" of water produced in the crop process, contending that "entirely" would lead to "an absurd result." The 9th Circuit disagreed, noting that both the challenges ? as well as Reclamation and the water district ? said the court erred in that interpretation. The judges remanded the case to federal district court for further proceedings. There remain significant disputes in the case between the two sides, including whether there is evidence proving there is water entering the drain system that is unrelated to agricultural flows. Twitter:?@GreenwireJeremy?Email:?jjacobs at eenews.net | ? ? Stephan C. Volker Alexis E. Krieg Stephanie L. Clarke Jamey M.B. Volker (Of Counsel) ? | ? Law Offices of Stephan?C.?Volker 1633 University Avenue Berkeley, California 94703 Tel: 510/496-0600???Fax: 510/845-1255 e-mail:?svolker at volkerlaw.com | ? ??????????????????????????????10.497 ? | September 9, 2019 ? PRESS RELEASE???????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE ? ENVIRONMENTAL GROUPS WIN COURT VICTORY AGAINST CENTRAL VALLEY AGRICULTURAL POLLUTERS ? Contacts:????????? Noah Oppenheim, Executive Director, PCFFA- Tel:?(415) 561-5080???Email:??noah at ifrfish.org Bill Jennings, Executive Director, CSPA -Tel:??(209) 464-5067???Email:?deltakeep at me.com Stephan Volker, Lead Counsel for Plaintiffs -Tel: (510) 496-0600???Email:??svolker at volkerlaw.com ? ? ????????????On Friday, September 6, the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals handed commercial and sports fishermen, biologists and conservation groups a major victory in their efforts to clean up contaminated discharges from the Central Valley?s Grasslands Bypass Project.??Owned and operated by the federal Bureau of Reclamation and local irrigation districts, the Project collects wastewater from 97,400 acres of farmed and unfarmed lands within California?s Central Valley.??The Project discharges substantial quantities of selenium and other pollutants into state and federal wildlife refuges and thence the San Joaquin River, the Delta and San Francisco Bay.??The Court unanimously reversed Federal District Judge Kimberly Mueller?s dismissal of their lawsuit against the Project, ruling that a Clean Water Act discharge permit is required for the Project despite the Act?s exemption of return flows from irrigated agriculture so long as any part of its wastewater is generated by activities unrelated to crop production.?? ? ????????????In reaching its decision, the Court issued three landmark rulings under the Clean Water Act?s exemption for discharges from irrigated agriculture.?First, the Court held that the Defendants had the burden of establishing that their discharges were ?composed entirely of return flows from irrigated agriculture.???Second, the Court held that the exception was limited to ?only those flows that do not contain additional discharges from activities unrelated to crop production.??Third, the Court held that the District Judge erred in ruling that the exemption applied so long as a ?majority? of the wastewater originated from agricultural activities.??The Court ruled that only those discharges that are composed?entirely?of return flows from irrigated agriculture were exempt.?? ????????????Applying these rulings to the commingled discharges of the Grasslands Bypass Project, the Court held that all of the Plaintiffs? claims should proceed.?First, the commingled discharges from a solar project were not exempt even though they did not comprise a majority of the Project?s wastestream, since only those discharges that ?were composed entirely of return flows from irrigated agriculture were exempt.??Second, the Court overturned the District Judge?s dismissal of the Plaintiffs? claims regarding polluted ground water that seeped into the Project?s massive drain from unfarmed lands including highways and residences.??Because those commingled discharges were not composed entirely of return flows from irrigated agriculture, they did not fall within the exemption.??Third, the Court held the fact that these non-exempt flows were commingled with discharges from irrigated agriculture did not bring them within the exemption.?? ? ????????????Accordingly, because all of the Project?s discharges are commingled, all of the Plaintiffs? claims were proper.??Therefore the Court reversed the District Judge?s dismissal of them.?? ? ????????????The Plaintiffs praised the Court?s ruling.??Noah Oppenheim, Executive Director of the Pacific Coast Federation of Fishermen?s Associations, stated:???We are gratified that the Ninth Circuit agreed with our arguments and held the Bureau of Reclamation to account for discharging massive quantities of pollutants into the San Joaquin River, the Bay-Delta Estuary, and ultimately San Francisco Bay without the discharge permit that is required under the Clean Water Act.??This ruling will help protect the salmon and salmon fishing jobs that require a healthy Delta free of toxic discharges from the San Joaquin drainage, as well as restore the vast populations of salmon and steelhead that historically swam up the Delta and the San Joaquin River.??? ? ????????????Bill Jennings, Executive Director of the California Sportfishing Protection Alliance, stated: ?After decades of inaction by our federal government to halt the contamination that has destroyed habitat for our fish and wildlife, it is reassuring to see our federal court issue a strong ruling enforcing the Clean Water Act?s mandate for fishable and swimable rivers.??? ? ????????????Stephan Volker, Lead Counsel for the Plaintiffs, agreed that ?the Court?s Ruling ends over forty years of evasion of the Clean Water Act?s strict requirement for discharge permits.??We are pleased that the Ninth Circuit issued a well-reasoned ruling enforcing this vital statute and protecting our rivers.??? ? ????????????The Ninth Circuit?s September 6, 2019 Order is attached in PDF format.??Additional documents pertaining to the litigation can be obtained from the Volker Law Offices. -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From MaryClaire.Kier at wildlife.ca.gov Wed Sep 11 10:52:30 2019 From: MaryClaire.Kier at wildlife.ca.gov (Kier, Mary Claire@Wildlife) Date: Wed, 11 Sep 2019 17:52:30 +0000 Subject: [env-trinity] CDFW Trinity River Project trapping summary through Julian week 36 Message-ID: Greetings! Attached please find the TRP trapping summary though JW 36 (Sep 09). After the Boat Dance flows receded toward the end of the week, Junction City weir was able to be rebuilt on Friday the 6th (so had a single day of trapping in JW 36). We built Willow Creek weir on Monday the 9th, so our first night's trapping won't show up until next week's report (but we did get some fish). The Trinity River Hatchery also started letting fish up the ladder last week. Remember that the number of fish showing on this here trapping summary at TRH actually includes only spawned or otherwise processed fish numbers; fish that get diverted to the holding areas for ripening are not included in the numbers shown. So for instance, along with the 201 Chinook indicated at TRH for JW36 about another 1,213 Chinook were trapped and moved to round tanks... Let me know if you have any questions. Cheers! MC ****************************************************** Mary Claire Kier CA Department of Fish and Wildlife - Trinity River Project Environmental Scientist - Fisheries 707/822-5876 5341 Ericson Way, Arcata CA 95521 ****************************************************** Klamath/Trinity Program reports can be found online @ https://nrmsecure.dfg.ca.gov/documents/ContextDocs.aspx?cat=KlamathTrinity -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: 2019 TRP_ trapping_summary_through_JW36.xlsx Type: application/vnd.openxmlformats-officedocument.spreadsheetml.sheet Size: 71404 bytes Desc: 2019 TRP_ trapping_summary_through_JW36.xlsx URL: From steve_gough at fws.gov Mon Sep 16 11:55:56 2019 From: steve_gough at fws.gov (Gough, Steve) Date: Mon, 16 Sep 2019 11:55:56 -0700 Subject: [env-trinity] Trinity River Mainstem Redd Survey Update - September 13, 2019 Message-ID: Hello, I will start posting weekly updates here, usually on Mondays, throughout the survey season. The first full week of surveys was completed last week and the first 10 redds of the season were spotted, all upstream of Douglas City. Steve Gough Fish Biologist U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service Arcata Fish & Wildlife Office 1655 Heindon Road Arcata, CA 95521 *Steve_Gough at fws.gov * (707) 825-5197 -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: TrinityReddUpdate_2019_09_13.pdf Type: application/pdf Size: 996716 bytes Desc: TrinityReddUpdate_2019_09_13.pdf URL: From tgstoked at gmail.com Tue Sep 17 09:18:23 2019 From: tgstoked at gmail.com (Tom Stokely) Date: Tue, 17 Sep 2019 09:18:23 -0700 Subject: [env-trinity] =?utf-8?q?Fwd=3A_SB1=3A_Restore_the_Delta_asks_for_?= =?utf-8?q?Governor=E2=80=99s_Signature?= In-Reply-To: <06887fa70084fef8e939fef63.2ca461c02c.20190916202746.1064dcf859.95ce997f@mail162.suw101.mcdlv.net> References: <06887fa70084fef8e939fef63.2ca461c02c.20190916202746.1064dcf859.95ce997f@mail162.suw101.mcdlv.net> Message-ID: I encourage you to contact Governor Newsom and ask him to sign SB 1. This is very important! Tom Stokely Restore the Delta Releases New Report For Immediate Release: September 16, 2019 Contact: Barbara Barrigan-Parrilla, Restore the Delta, 209-479-2053, barbara at restorethedelta.org *Restore the Delta asks for Governor?s Signature of SB1* Stockton, CA ? The politics surrounding SB1 are as murky as Delta water in late September. But there is a clear story illuminated by an article today by LA Time?s veteran Sacramento-observer George Skelton. Senate leader Toni Atkins (D-San Diego) has shown great courage in ?standing up to a powerful new governor of her own party.? In defying Newsom, she tried to protect California from Trump ? and showed how legislating should work ? Los Angeles Times 9/16/19 While Governor Newsom has vowed to veto this bill, San Francisco Bay-Delta advocates today asked him to reconsider. *Barbara Barrigan-Parrilla, executive director of Restore the Delta said:* ?We have spent 2019 working to be the voice of reason from the Delta and to build a bridge with the Newsom administration. That is all now in danger of crumbling. If Governor Newsom continues to echo the talking points of water contractors and vetoes SB1, he will allow Delta fisheries to collapse. ?SB1 is based on the 2011 biological opinions and all the related fishery management science of the Delta, and fishery protections equal water quality protections for the Delta's 4 million people. He will be rejecting protection of the estuary and its people, plus a host of needed water quality and air quality protections for the state. He is choosing big ag and big water interests over public health and a healthy and clean environment for all Californians. ?We have tracked the Voluntary Agreements to reset flow standards for the Delta tributaries, but like other Delta public entities, were never invited to the table. When the California Department of Water Resources, and California Fish and wildlife introduced the Voluntary Agreements to the State Water Resources Control Board, they promised agreements that would be more protective of the Delta than the Bay-Delta Water Quality Control Plan. But a veto of SB1 will open the door to make the Voluntary Agreements meaningless. We spent years working at the State Water Resources Control Board to advance a Bay-Delta Water Quality Plan that was protective of the Delta. We will not accept the imperfect Bay-Delta Water Quality Plan being replaced with a disastrous Voluntary Agreement based on a gutting of environmental protections. ?Governor Newsom, please sign SB1!? This email was sent to tgstoked at gmail.com *why did I get this?* unsubscribe from this list update subscription preferences Restore the Delta ? 925 N Yosemite St ? Unit 3 ? Stockton, CA 95203 ? USA -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From tstokely at att.net Tue Sep 17 09:22:39 2019 From: tstokely at att.net (Tom Stokely) Date: Tue, 17 Sep 2019 16:22:39 +0000 (UTC) Subject: [env-trinity] Water Myths of the San Joaquin Valley References: <1668493652.8598817.1568737359373.ref@mail.yahoo.com> Message-ID: <1668493652.8598817.1568737359373@mail.yahoo.com> The Trinity River was dammed to irrigate the San Luis Unit of the CVP (Westlands, Panoche, Pacheco and San Luis water districts) in order to reduce groundwater overdraft. ?The ultimate result has been to INCREASE groundwater overdraft. TS https://thevalleycitizen.com/water-myths-of-the-san-joaquin-valley/ THE VALLEY CITIZEN NATURE, ENVIRONMENT, HISTORY & POLITICS THE VALLEY CITIZEN ? Water Myths of the San Joaquin Valley SEPTEMBER 16, 2019?BY?ERIC CAINE | | | | | | | | | | | Eric Caine | | | ?? ? Subsidence Among the more persistent myths about water in the San Joaquin Valley, none is more durable than the canard that water shortages and land subsidence have been caused by, ?an innumerable myriad of Endangered Species Act-related laws, mandates, opinions, rulings and settlements.? This latest addition to the catalogue of misinformation comes from?Kristi Diener, in an OP/ED for the?Modesto and Fresno Bee?newspapers. | | | | | | | | | | | Farmers are not to blame for Valley subsidence, but they can help solve ... In a Fresno Bee commentary, Kristi Diener writes that farmers are wrongly blamed for causing subsidence. Rather,... | | | Diener, like everyone else who attempts to blame water shortages and subsidence on a ?regulatory drought? runs into a logical?cul-de-sac?when she has to admit that ?subsidence did not begin in 2014?s drought. It was an issue at least a century before.? But if, as Diener says, environmental regulations are just a little over ?two-and-a-half decades? in effect, what could have caused subsidence prior to the punitive effects of regulation? The answer is simple: Overdrafting groundwater caused the subsidence. Who overdrafted the groundwater? Farmers and ranchers. Nothing complex here, but apologists for overuse of public resources really don?t like simple and obvious answers? that?s why they?re always trying to find ways around them. San Joaquin River: water by court order; photo by Josh Uecker Diener rightly argues that using surface water is far preferable to pumping groundwater, but wrongly concludes that reductions in surface water allocations for Valley farmers have left farmers with no choice but to pump groundwater. Fact is, farmers in the southern San Joaquin Valley have been overdrafting groundwater since?they drained Tulare Lake, at one time the largest freshwater lake west of the Mississippi?they?ve been overdrafting groundwater since they used up the Kern and San Joaquin Rivers decades ago. | | | | | | | | | | | Tulare Lake The lake was named for the tule rush (Schoenoplectus acutus) that lined the marshes and sloughs of its shores. ... | | | Diener writes that reduced allocations have been due to regulatory barriers without pointing out the allocations to farmers from the Central Valley Project and State Water project are based on?contractual rights. Contractual rights, also known as, ?paper water,? are distinguished from ?appropriative rights,? which are rights bestowed by the state decades back in the 20th?century.?Appropriative rights, most often designated as pre- or post-1914, carry far more legal authority than contractual rights because the contractual rights specify that allocations are based on yearly abundance and the state or federal government?s discretion. Anyone with even a cursory knowledge of the history of irrigated agriculture in the San Joaquin Valley is familiar with the iconic photograph of USGS scientist Joe Poland showing the degree of land subsidence near Mendota from 1925 to 1977, well before effects from the Endangered Species Act could have affected water use in the Valley. Diener claims that without water from northern California, farmers have been ?forced? to pump groundwater. Fact is, they were ?forced? to pump groundwater well before they started begging state and federal governments for even more water from up north, though ?forced? is hardly an appropriate term when discussing the calculated risks all businesspeople must make before investing time and money. Diverting water from the Central Valley?s major rivers, especially the Sacramento and San Joaquin, has wreaked environmental destruction in the San Joaquin Delta, decimated salmon runs, negatively impacted California fisheries, and had devastating effects on wetlands and wildlife throughout the Valley. In many places, intensive irrigation has also poisoned the soil, most notably in the?scandalous case of the Kesterson National Wildlife Refuge. According to Mark Arax in?The Dreamt Land,?farmers have increased irrigated acreage during every drought since the 1920s. Even during the drought of 2014-15, agribusinesses like Kern County?s Paramount Farms?added over 70,000 acres of farmland?to their already extensive holdings of pistachios, almonds and walnuts. Adding acres of farmland and then begging the government for a water fix isn?t much different from speculating on a widget boom and then asking the government to buy up your overproduction. No one has ever forced farmers to pump groundwater. Instead, they?ve kept adding irrigated acreage whenever they could because they figured they could count on government bailing them out. It?s almost as though they think we?re a socialist economy. Tom Stokely?Salmon and Water Policy Consultant530-524-0315?tstokely at att.net? -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: image001.jpg Type: image/jpeg Size: 10779 bytes Desc: not available URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: image002.jpg Type: image/jpeg Size: 75400 bytes Desc: not available URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: image003.jpg Type: image/jpeg Size: 20659 bytes Desc: not available URL: From tstokely at att.net Wed Sep 18 10:50:19 2019 From: tstokely at att.net (Tom Stokely) Date: Wed, 18 Sep 2019 17:50:19 +0000 (UTC) Subject: [env-trinity] Presentations from 9/11-12 Trinity Mgmt Council Meeting References: <499556062.9230251.1568829019068.ref@mail.yahoo.com> Message-ID: <499556062.9230251.1568829019068@mail.yahoo.com> http://www.trrp.net/calendar/event/?id=11634 Event Details Trinity Management Council (TMC) Quarterly Meeting 2019-09-11 09:00:00 ??to 2019-09-12 16:00:00 Description:?Two-Day Regular TMC meeting including public forum. ? Location:?Yurok Tribe Weitchpec Office CA-96, Hoopa, CA 95546, USA Point of Contact:?TRRP Office 530-623-1800 Files: Directors Reports: - Report from Executive Director ?[80.04 KB] TRRP ED Report_Sept_2019.docx Report from Executive Director? Published: - Added: 2019-09-13 22:21:38 Updated: 2019-09-13 22:23:17. Draft Agenda: - Final Agenda ?[48.65 KB] Sept 11-12 2019 Agenda_0906201-10.pdf Replaced draft 9-6-19 Published: - Added: 2019-09-06 21:33:35 Updated: 2019-09-06 21:34:53. Meeting Materials: - TMC Bylaws 12 Sept 2019 ?[53.04 KB] TMC Bylaws 09122019 for signature.pdf TMC Bylaws for Signature 12 Sept. 2019 Published: - Added: 2019-09-13 22:21:38 Updated: 2019-09-13 22:23:17. - TMC Tempature Presentation - S. Naman ?[1.89 MB] 20190910_TMC temperature presentation - Naman.pdf Slide presentation? Published: - Added: 2019-09-13 22:21:38 Updated: 2019-09-13 22:23:17. - TRRP Goals and Objectives - S. Naman ?[3.96 MB] 20190910_TRRP Goals and Objectives - Naman.pdf Slide presentation Published: - Added: 2019-09-13 22:21:38 Updated: 2019-09-13 22:23:17. - ROC Presentation to TMC - Mooney ?[4.07 MB] 20190911 ROC Presentation to TMC - Mooney.pdf Slide presentation? Published: - Added: 2019-09-13 22:21:38 Updated: 2019-09-13 22:23:17. - TRRP Objectives and Targets Update - N. Som ?[5.49 MB] TRRP Objectives and Targets Update - Som.pdf Slide presentation Published: - Added: 2019-09-13 22:21:38 Updated: 2019-09-13 22:23:17. -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From klamathtrinityriver at gmail.com Wed Sep 18 11:46:39 2019 From: klamathtrinityriver at gmail.com (Regina Chichizola) Date: Wed, 18 Sep 2019 11:46:39 -0700 Subject: [env-trinity] Salmon Protectors Youth Camp Brings Together Elders, Youth for The Klamath River by Morning Star Gali Message-ID: On September 14th and 15th Tribal families and youth, and other salmon dependent people from all over Northern California, converged at the Bluff Creek Resort near Weitchpec, CA to to discuss how to protect, and honor, the Klamath and Trinity River?s salmon. [image: sm_img_3410.jpg] original image (1440x1080) For immediate release September 16, 2019 For more information call: Morning Star Gali, Save California Salmon 510 827-6719 Matt Mais, Yurok Tribe (707) 482-1350 Ext 1306 Regina Chichizola, Save California Salmon regina [at] californiasalmon.org 541 951-0126 All photo credits Save California Salmon: Please contact for photo details. Salmon Protectors Youth Camp Brings Together Elders, Youth for The Klamath River On September 14th and 15th Tribal families and youth, and other salmon dependent people from all over Northern California, converged at the Bluff Creek Resort near Weitchpec, CA to to discuss how to protect, and honor, the Klamath and Trinity River?s salmon. Trainings and discussions focused on ways to advocate for clean water and Tribal rights, community organizing, and media skills. Families also were able to learn traditional skills such as processing salmon and stick carving, along with skills such as sign making, T-shirt screening, and river rafting. The Klamath River Renewal Corporation also gave an update on the Klamath dam removal process and timeline at the camp. The Yurok Tribe, a co-host of the event says the camp is a way to involve more native families and youth in their work to protect the Klamath River. ?Seeing how much passion our youth have for protecting the river fills me with optimism for the future. We have fought for our salmon since European contact and we will continue to fight until our rivers a filled with fish,? Joseph L. James, Chairman of the Yurok Tribe. Chairman James spoke during the camp's salmon dinner. The Tribe has been fighting for dam removal and water for fish on the Klamath for decades, and is one of California?s only Tribes that has established fishing rights. Despite these efforts bad water management has lead to dismal salmon returns over the last five years. This has lead to issues such as poverty, food insecurity, and high suicide rates on the Yurok reservation. Attendees will discuss these dismal salmon returns over the last five years along with the is needed to improve these salmon runs. Save California Salmon, the co-host of the event says the camp is part of a statewide effort to engage Tribal youth and others that depend on healthy fisheries populations in policy decisions that impact California rivers, including climate change decisions. They say all of Northern California?s Tribes should have the right to clean water and robust fisheries. ?Some of NorthernCalifornia?s Tribe?s have established rights to a harvestable surplus of salmon and some do not.? said Morning Star Gali, the Tribal Water Organizer for Save California Salmon. ?All of them should, however no California Tribes are actually able to catch a harvestable surplus of salmon and most do not have clean water either due to policies that favor irrigators and polluters. Most of Native Californians live many hours from where the decisions that impact us are made and are not included in decision making. We aim to change this dynamic by supporting communities that want to organize for rivers and salmon and by empowering new leaders.? Gali said that in places like Washington DC and Sacramento, decisions are currently being made that will decide the future of California?s water and fisheries. She said the Trump administration is gutting key laws like the Endangered Species and Clean Water Act, while also rewriting the plans that decide how much water goes down the Klamath, Trinity, Sacramento Rivers and Bay Delta tributaries for fisheries. She says California has public vowed to fight this attack on the environment, and has apologized for its treatment of native people, however they still moving forward with harmful new water diversions, dam, and oil development projects despite the fact that it is predicted that the water in the Central Valley will be too polluted to be usable within 50 years and that 45% of fish populations in the state are facing extinction. ?It is time for California to change course and really respect the basic human right to clean water and a livable planet, along with California Tribe?s rights to healthy abundant fisheries.? said Gali ?It is time to think about future generations.? Gali said Save California Salmon is hoping to work with the Klamath River Tribes to make the camp an annual event, and hopes to help host similar camps in the Sacramento River watershed and on and North Coast next year. *? * by Morning Star Gali *Monday Sep 16th, 2019 3:52 PM* [image: sm_img_3406.jpg] original image (1440x1080) *? * by Morning Star Gali *Monday Sep 16th, 2019 3:52 PM* [image: sm_img_3416.jpg] original image (1440x1080) *? * by Morning Star Gali *Monday Sep 16th, 2019 3:52 PM* [image: sm_img_3417.jpg] original image (1440x1080) *? * by Morning Star Gali *Monday Sep 16th, 2019 3:52 PM* [image: sm_img_3401.jpg] https://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2019/09/16/18826307.php?fbclid=IwAR2MC5p_FKk7rBYIhJY_WgtUzlFODQ5RPpLFS9ZHCY56BiBpYYEDwphTtfo -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From tstokely at att.net Wed Sep 18 12:32:14 2019 From: tstokely at att.net (Tom Stokely) Date: Wed, 18 Sep 2019 19:32:14 +0000 (UTC) Subject: [env-trinity] Fw: [Trinity Releases] Change Order - Lewiston Dam In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: <368259548.9351327.1568835134232@mail.yahoo.com> ----- Forwarded Message ----- From: 'FIELD, RANDI' via trinity-releases To:?Sent: Wednesday, September 18, 2019, 12:25:20 PM PDTSubject: [Trinity Releases] Change Order - Lewiston Dam Project:?Lewiston?Dam Please make the following release changes to the Trinity River: Date? ? ? ?Time? ? From (cfs)? ? To (cfs) 9/18/19? ? 13:00? ? ? ? ? 450? ? ? ? ?500? 9/18/19? ? 14:00? ? ? ? ? 500? ? ? ? ?550? 9/19/19? ? ?5:00? ? ? ? ? ?550? ? ? ? ?500? 9/19/19? ? ?8:00? ? ? ? ? ?500? ? ? ? ?4509/19/19? ? 13:00? ? ? ? ? 450? ? ? ? ?500? 9/19/19? ? 14:00? ? ? ? ? 500? ? ? ? ?550 9/20/19? ? ?5:00? ? ? ? ? ?550? ? ? ? ?500? 9/20/19? ? ?8:00? ? ? ? ? ?500? ? ? ? ?450 Comment: Temperature management Issued by: R. Field -- View online at http://www.trrp.net/restore/flows/release-email/ --- -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From tstokely at att.net Wed Sep 18 13:47:37 2019 From: tstokely at att.net (Tom Stokely) Date: Wed, 18 Sep 2019 20:47:37 +0000 (UTC) Subject: [env-trinity] Fw: [Trinity Releases] Change Order - Lewiston Dam In-Reply-To: <368259548.9351327.1568835134232@mail.yahoo.com> References: <368259548.9351327.1568835134232@mail.yahoo.com> Message-ID: <1225869279.9321948.1568839657231@mail.yahoo.com> It is my understanding that Reclamation has been exceeding the 56 degree temperature target at Douglas City because the Spring Creek tunnel is closed for repairs so they are unable to move sufficient water through Lewiston/Carr/Whiskeytown/Spring Creek to prevent warming in Lewiston Reservoir. ?As a result, they are?increasing releases through Lewiston into the?Trinity River. TS On Wednesday, September 18, 2019, 12:33:19 PM PDT, Tom Stokely wrote: ----- Forwarded Message ----- From: 'FIELD, RANDI' via trinity-releases To:?Sent: Wednesday, September 18, 2019, 12:25:20 PM PDTSubject: [Trinity Releases] Change Order - Lewiston Dam Project:?Lewiston?Dam Please make the following release changes to the Trinity River: Date? ? ? ?Time? ? From (cfs)? ? To (cfs) 9/18/19? ? 13:00? ? ? ? ? 450? ? ? ? ?500? 9/18/19? ? 14:00? ? ? ? ? 500? ? ? ? ?550? 9/19/19? ? ?5:00? ? ? ? ? ?550? ? ? ? ?500? 9/19/19? ? ?8:00? ? ? ? ? ?500? ? ? ? ?4509/19/19? ? 13:00? ? ? ? ? 450? ? ? ? ?500? 9/19/19? ? 14:00? ? ? ? ? 500? ? ? ? ?550 9/20/19? ? ?5:00? ? ? ? ? ?550? ? ? ? ?500? 9/20/19? ? ?8:00? ? ? ? ? ?500? ? ? ? ?450 Comment: Temperature management Issued by: R. Field -- View online at http://www.trrp.net/restore/flows/release-email/ --- _______________________________________________ env-trinity mailing list env-trinity at velocipede.dcn.davis.ca.us http://www2.dcn.org/mailman/listinfo/env-trinity -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From tstokely at att.net Wed Sep 18 16:25:02 2019 From: tstokely at att.net (Tom Stokely) Date: Wed, 18 Sep 2019 23:25:02 +0000 (UTC) Subject: [env-trinity] SF Chronicle Editorial: Newsom on wrong side of environmental bill References: <59764868.9480657.1568849102873.ref@mail.yahoo.com> Message-ID: <59764868.9480657.1568849102873@mail.yahoo.com> Express your views?Let Gov. Gavin Newsom know he?s on the wrong side of SB1. Contact him via the online form:?Contact the Governor | | | | Contact the Governor Contact the Governor of California | | | SAN FRANCISCO CHRONICLE OPINION?//?EDITORIALS Editorial: Newsom on wrong side of environmental bill Chronicle Editorial Board?Sep. 16, 2019?Updated: Sep. 16, 2019 4:31?p.m. Comments California Gov. Gavin Newsom talks with reporters at his office in Sacramento, Calif. Newsom announced Saturday, Sept. 14, he will buck Democratic legislative leaders by vetoing legislation aimed at stopping the Trump administration from weakening oversight of longstanding federal environmental laws in California. His announcement came less than a day after lawmakers approved the bill on the chaotic final day of the year's legislative session. Newsom said in a statement he fully supports the aims of the bill but argued it wouldn't give California new authority to push back on the Trump administration. Photo: Rich Pedroncelli / Associated Press ? Gov. Gavin Newsom has signaled that he will veto the most significant environmental protection bill to emerge from the California Legislature this past session: Senate Bill 1, a measure tailored to safeguard the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta from water grabs if, as expected, the Trump administration weakens the Endangered Species Act. The governor who fancies himself as a leader of the resistance to Trump administration policies that undermine this state?s laws and violate its values needs to reconsider his position on SB1. His Saturday message startled and outraged the environmental groups that thought they had achieved victory just hours earlier when the measure cleared both houses of the Legislature. SB1 had become known as the ?Trump Insurance Bill? because it would inoculate environmental, public health and worker safety protections from being gutted by the 45th president. It would preserve those protections by immediately adopting into state law the regulations the Trump administration weakened. The bill, authored by Senate leader Toni Atkins, D-San Diego, would be set to expire on Jan. 20, 2025, Trump?s last possible day in office. The bill was considered especially critical to environmental groups because of the president?s stated intention to divert more delta-bound water to farmers through the federal Central Valley Project. The impact on salmon, steelhead and orcas could be devastating if species protection is obliterated by the new policy. The lineup of advocates and opponents is revealing. Just about all the big-name environmental and fishing groups were on board, along with labor and health organizations. Opponents included the Trump administration, the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California, oil companies and the agricultural interests including the giant Westlands Water District that has never been shy about exerting its clout with powerful politicians. So why did Newsom end up on the wrong side of the issue? ? His message, in which he implied but did not explicitly declare an intent to veto, contained an element of doublespeak that we hope will not become a trademark of his tenure. Newsom said he fully supports ?the principles behind Senate Bill 1: to defeat efforts by the president and Congress to undermine vital federal protections that protect clean air, clean water and endangered specials.? And then he got murky. He claimed the bill does not ?provide the state with any new authority to push back against the Trump administration?s environmental policies.? Yet, that is exactly what SB1 does. It means the federal Central Valley Project would need to comply with state environmental law no matter what Trump does to species protection. In his even odder argument ? the one pushed by the opponents trying to get more delta water diversions ? Newsom suggested SB1 ?limits the state?s ability to rely upon the best available science to protect our environment.? Nonsense. In fact, the bill expressly declares that state protections in response to federal rollbacks must be ?based on the best scientific and other information that is reasonably available.? While it is true that the Central Valley Project has followed state law through past administrations, Republican and Democratic alike, there is no guarantee that the Trump administration will continue to do so ? not with his intent to rewrite the Endangered Species Act, and his open contempt for fisheries protection as expressed in a 2016 campaign rally in Fresno in which he suggested farmers were being victimized by ?insane? policies in which regulators were ?shoving the water out to sea.? This is not just about fish versus people. It?s about preventing a water grab. It?s noteworthy that the East Bay Municipal Utilities District is among the supporters of SB1. The governor needs to take a fresh look at SB1 ? and sign it into law. -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: image001.jpg Type: image/jpeg Size: 46237 bytes Desc: not available URL: From tstokely at att.net Wed Sep 18 16:34:28 2019 From: tstokely at att.net (Tom Stokely) Date: Wed, 18 Sep 2019 23:34:28 +0000 (UTC) Subject: [env-trinity] Trump administration threatens jail time for California officials over river project References: <1481337831.9475545.1568849668624.ref@mail.yahoo.com> Message-ID: <1481337831.9475545.1568849668624@mail.yahoo.com> https://www.sacbee.com/news/california/water-and-drought/article235143017.html Trump administration threatens jail time for California officials over river project BY DALE KASLER?AND ? RYAN SABALOW SEPTEMBER 17, 2019 10:04 AM,?UPDATED SEPTEMBER 17, 2019 10:31 AM - The Trump administration and California officials have?sued each other,?swapped insults on Twitter and clashed on everything from climate change to immigration. But threatening someone with jail time? That might be a new one. The threats came in a dispute over?reintroducing winter-run Chinook salmon?into the McCloud River, a pristine river above Shasta Dam, as part of a federal plan approved under the Obama administration to try to stave off extinction for the critically endangered fish. In preparation for the project, the California Department of Water Resources stockpiled netting, buoys and floating docks on a boat ramp controlled by the U.S. Forest Service at Shasta Lake, into which the McCloud flows. Before the equipment could be set out on the lake?s McCloud River arm, the Trump administration put a hold on the project ? and then ordered DWR to remove the equipment under threat of fines and jailing. The Forest Service, in a Sept. 6 cease-and-desist letter, told DWR the lack of a special-use permit for the project could constitute a violation of a federal regulation. ?Violation of this regulation is a Class B misdemeanor punishable by a maximum fine of $5,000 or up to six (6) months in jail, or both,? Forest Service district ranger Ben Sundal wrote in a Sept. 6 cease-and-desist letter to Randy Beckwith, a DWR senior engineer. Nobody?s being taken away in handcuffs, though. DWR spokesman Ryan Endean said the state had ?put the project on pause? after another federal agency that manages Shasta Dam, the Bureau of Reclamation, backed off on its support for the plan. Then, after the Forest Service issued its cease-and-desist letter, the state decided to pull the equipment off the ramp ?while we figure everything out,? he said.? The state finished removing the equipment last Thursday, he said. As for the threat of jail and fines, the state said it wasn?t rattled or offended. ?We viewed it as standard boilerplate language and it was not a concern to staff,? said Kris Tjernell, a DWR deputy director, in a prepared statement. Carol Underhill, a spokeswoman for the Forest Service, called it ?standard language for any letter? addressed to someone operating on agency land without the proper permit. Why the project has been put on hold is a little unclear. Underhill said the Forest Service can?t issue its permit until the federal Bureau of Reclamation ?lifts its pause? on the project.? Reclamation spokesman Jeff Hawk said his agency and DWR are still working out the details of the project, including environmental reviews required under the National Environmental Policy Act. ?We aren?t there yet,? he said. ?We?re still having those conversations with DWR.? The fish-introduction project is opposed by the area?s congressman, Rep. Doug LaMalfa, R-Richvale, said LaMalfa?s spokesman Parker Williams. He didn?t say why LaMalfa is opposed. Environmentalists said they?re dismayed that the project has stalled. Noah Oppenheim, head of the Pacific Coast Federation of Fishermen?s Associations, said it could reflect the Trump administration?s general opposition to environmental restoration projects, but especially ?trap and haul? programs that would attempt to bring fish like the Chinook back to their traditional habitat above the giant dams around California?s Central Valley. The dams are used to store water for the state?s major cities and for Central Valley farmers. Oppenheim said California water users have opposed plans to bringing fish above their water supply. ?In California, it?s like water users are allergic to fish passage,? Oppenheim said. The McCloud River trap and haul project has been in the works since 2009, as part of a winter-run recovery plan signed off by the Obama administration. The project gained momentum in 2015, when California?s historic drought drove the population of the winter-run Chinook salmon, already listed as an endangered species, to critically-low numbers.? Before Shasta Dam was constructed in the 1930s and 40s, winter-run Chinook evolved to swim up the McCloud River to lay their eggs during the heat of the summer. Chinook need cold rivers to thrive, and the spring-fed McCloud remains frigid year-round. In the decades since, the fish have been forced to spawn in the Sacramento River below the dam in Redding?s blast furnace summers. During the drought, the water below the dam grew too hot and nearly all of the winter-run eggs and young fish died because of the warm flows. In an effort to remedy that, officials said they were going to take truckloads of young salmon raised at the Livingston Stone National Fish Hatchery, at the base of Shasta Dam, and deliver them to a spot on the McCloud. The young salmon would stay in the river, where they could thrive in the McCloud?s cooler waters until they were old enough to migrate. Then they?d be snared in the equipment set up where the McCloud flows into Shasta Lake, put back on trucks, and dropped off in the Sacramento River just below the dam for their voyage to the ocean.? The plan called for DWR to run the $9 million operation and get reimbursed for all but $500,000 of the cost by the Bureau of Reclamation, which operates the dam.? So far the state has spent $2 million on the project and expects that Reclamation will fulfill ?its obligations for money already spent,? Tjernell said. The equipment that?s been yanked out of the reservoir is being stored at a Reclamation yard in Red Bluff, about 40 miles south of the lake, Hawk said. Meanwhile, the government has made some progress on reintroducing Chinook into the upper Sacramento Valley river system. Last year, the federal government reported that it had?begun stocking fish above a small dam on Battle Creek,?another tributary of the Sacramento, with juvenile salmon in a project designed to run parallel with the McCloud River plan. -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From MaryClaire.Kier at wildlife.ca.gov Wed Sep 18 18:46:58 2019 From: MaryClaire.Kier at wildlife.ca.gov (Kier, Mary Claire@Wildlife) Date: Thu, 19 Sep 2019 01:46:58 +0000 Subject: [env-trinity] Willow Creek weir trapping summary through Julian week 37 Message-ID: Greetings! Attached please find the premiere trapping summary for JW 37 (through September 16th) for Willow Creek weir. I've been in the field too much to be able to integrate either the Junction City weir or Trinity River Hatchery counts for this week yet but I didn't want you to have to wait until next week for all of it so WCW only on this one. We put the weir in on Monday the 9th and had one of the traps ready for operation the first night. While we dialed it in over the next couple of days we continued to trap and finished out the week all in. In addition to the fish noted on the attached, we saw a couple of spawned out shad and we caught a 44 cm FL pink salmon too. Let me know if you have any questions. Cheers! MC ****************************************************** Mary Claire Kier CA Department of Fish and Wildlife - Trinity River Project Environmental Scientist - Fisheries 707/822-5876 5341 Ericson Way, Arcata CA 95521 ****************************************************** Klamath/Trinity Program reports can be found online @ https://nrmsecure.dfg.ca.gov/documents/ContextDocs.aspx?cat=KlamathTrinity -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: 2019 TRP_ trapping_summary_through_JW37.xlsx Type: application/vnd.openxmlformats-officedocument.spreadsheetml.sheet Size: 71401 bytes Desc: 2019 TRP_ trapping_summary_through_JW37.xlsx URL: From tstokely at att.net Thu Sep 19 07:49:58 2019 From: tstokely at att.net (Tom Stokely) Date: Thu, 19 Sep 2019 14:49:58 +0000 (UTC) Subject: [env-trinity] =?utf-8?q?LA_Times_Editorial_Board=3A_Gavin_Newsom_?= =?utf-8?q?just_decided_to_carry_Trump=E2=80=99s_water_by_vetoing_an_endan?= =?utf-8?q?gered_species_bill?= References: <597941781.9745546.1568904598276.ref@mail.yahoo.com> Message-ID: <597941781.9745546.1568904598276@mail.yahoo.com> https://www.latimes.com/opinion/story/2019-09-18/endangered-species-veto-newsom-trump OPINION Editorial:?Gavin Newsom just decided to carry Trump?s water by vetoing an endangered species bill A fall-run salmon jumps at the Coleman National Fish Hatchery near Anderson, Calif., on Oct. 2, 1996. Gov. Gavin Newsom?s rejection of a key state environmental bill threatens salmon and other endangered species.(Rollin Banderbob / Associated Press)By?THE TIMES EDITORIAL BOARD | | | | | | | | | | | The Times Editorial Board - Los Angeles Times The Times' editorial board determines the editorial positions of the organization. | | | SEP. 19, 2019?3 AM On the eve of President Trump?s visit to California this week, Gov. Gavin Newsom announced his intention to veto a bill that would have protected the state?s iconic migratory salmon and many other endangered species from the Trump administration?s environmental rollbacks. The timing is unhappily fitting. Trump used his visit to trash the California air with his announcement that he was revoking the state?s power to set its own tough tailpipe emission standards. Now Newsom may help him drain California?s rivers to further the president?s effort to divert more water to agricultural and urban uses. At issue is Senate Bill 1, a reasonable bill that would have kept in place, as state standards, the federal regulations promulgated under the Clean Air Act, the Clean Water Act, the Safe Drinking Water Act and the Endangered Species Act as they existed the day before Trump took office. Trump has made clear his intention to weaken those protections. He has expressed a special antagonism toward ? and ignorance of ? California water and its role in sustaining the state?s unique and fragile ecology. Remember, this is a president who claimed that the state?s drought was caused by state law, not by the fact that it stopped raining for seven years. During last year?s deadly wildfires, Trump said the flames spread because we had pumped all the water into the ocean and didn?t have any left for firefighters. What nonsense. A year ago, his administration rewrote federal rules in order to pump more water from the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta and divert it to farms. Reflecting his contempt for science and fact, his administration then replaced the federal biologists whose job was to study the plan for its effect on threatened salmon and other fish, and who had power to limit pumping to enforce environmental laws. SB 1 would have helped California protect itself against the federal retreat from science and environmental protection. Newsom generally stands up to Trump?s anti-environmentalism. For example, the governor said on Wednesday that he would fight the administration?s move to eliminate California?s authority to set more stringent auto emission standards than the federal government?s. So it?s especially galling that Newsom is carrying Trump?s water by rejecting SB 1. | | | | | | | | | | | LA Times - Los Angeles Times | | | In his announcement, Newsom made the head-scratching assertion that the bill ?limits the state?s ability to rely upon the best available science to protect our environment.? What? The bill would have done the opposite. It would have protected against the science-denying federal rollbacks by incorporating Endangered Species Act requirements to rely on fish biologists? assessments. The upside-down-and-backwards claim that high standards lock out science echoes a talking point of state water agencies such as the Southern California Metropolitan Water District. According to this argument, the science that says fish need more water just may be outdated and could be succeeded at some point by new science that says fish may be fine with less water, as long as they get better protection from predators and better spawning habitat. Or something like that. The same water agencies are participating in so-called voluntary settlement talks that they hope will give them relief from state requirements to leave more water for endangered fish in key rivers such as the San Joaquin and the Sacramento, and the delta into which those rivers flow. The agencies worried that SB 1 would get in the way, and they prevailed on Newsom to reject it. Newsom has put a lot of stock into the voluntary settlement talks as a keystone of his still-developing water policy. He appears to believe that he can get the various water interests ? agriculture, urban suppliers, environmentalists ? to reach an accord that has eluded them for decades. And perhaps they can, but any such accord will require some water givebacks to the environment and some faith that science can and should be used to apply laws that recognize that California water and California?s environment are public trusts. By making clear that the state would keep its standards high, SB 1 would have provided crucial leverage to keep water agencies at the negotiating table with the understanding that they will ultimately have to take less instead of ? as Trump would have it ? more. Without that firm stance against the science-denying White House, Newsom may find that the migratory salmon, delta smelt and other endangered California species that are so essential a part of the California ecosystem are going extinct on his watch. -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From tstokely at att.net Thu Sep 19 16:34:18 2019 From: tstokely at att.net (Tom Stokely) Date: Thu, 19 Sep 2019 23:34:18 +0000 (UTC) Subject: [env-trinity] Fw: Save the Date - 2019 Klamath River Fish Health Workshop In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: <1974233425.10017587.1568936058304@mail.yahoo.com> ----- Forwarded Message ----- From: Hetrick, Nick Sent: Monday, September 23, 2019, 3:51:18 PM PDTSubject: Fwd: Save the Date - 2019 Klamath River Fish Health Workshop All... We've received a tremendous amount?of interest in the upcoming Klamath River Fish health Workshop. which is scheduled for Nov 6th at the Best Western Windsor Inn in Ashland, Oregon.? For those planning to stay in Ashland, note that we have reserved a block of rooms that are available?at a discounted rate - just mention "fish heath" when reserving your room..? ? ?? ? We are also asking that attendees pre-register for the workshop, which is open and free to all.? The registration page for attendees, specific to the Wednesday Nov 6th public forum can be accessed using the following link:? Click here to Pre-Register ? ? Many thanks...? ?nicholas?j hetrick ---------- Forwarded message --------- From: Hetrick, Nick Date: Thu, Jul 11, 2019 at 5:29 PM Subject: Save the Date - 2019 Klamath River Fish Health Workshop To: Markyour calendars! ?The 2019 Klamath River Fish Health Workshopwill be held Wednesday November 6th at the Best Western Windsor Inn inAshland Oregon.? We've set up a block ofrooms for the night of Nov 5 th for those attending this full day ofpresentations, which will begin at 9 am on the 6th - just mention "fishhealth workshop" to rec'v the reduced room rate. ? To promote a free? exchange of findingsfrom recent monitoring and research efforts regarding salmonid fish health inthe Klamath River basin, the one-day workshop will be open to all. We do,however, ask that potential speakers submit presentation titles and brief abstracts that we can post online with the meeting agenda, once it?s been fully developed.? Please send to (nick_hetrick at fws.gov), Sasha Hallet (Sascha.Hallett at oregonstate.edu)and Anne Voss (anne_voss at fws.gov) whoare helping to organize this year?s workshop. ? I look forward to seeing many familiarfaces at this annual workshop on fish health related research inthe Klamath River Basin. nicholas j hetrick? -- Nicholas J. HetrickFAC Program LeadFish & Aquatic ConservationArcata Fish and Wildlife OfficeArcata, CA 95521office (707) 822-7201 fax (707) 822-8411 -- Nicholas J. HetrickFish & Aquatic Conservation?Program LeadArcata Fish and Wildlife OfficeArcata, CA 95521office (707) 822-7201 fax (707) 822-8411 -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From steve_gough at fws.gov Mon Sep 23 11:43:08 2019 From: steve_gough at fws.gov (Gough, Steve) Date: Mon, 23 Sep 2019 11:43:08 -0700 Subject: [env-trinity] Trinity River Mainstem Redd Survey Update - September 20, 2019 Message-ID: After 3 weeks of surveys, the crews have counted 60 redds so far in the mainstem Trinity River... Steve Gough Fish Biologist U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service Arcata Fish & Wildlife Office 1655 Heindon Road Arcata, CA 95521 *Steve_Gough at fws.gov * (707) 825-5197 -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: TrinityReddUpdate_2019_09_20.pdf Type: application/pdf Size: 998684 bytes Desc: TrinityReddUpdate_2019_09_20.pdf URL: From tstokely at att.net Tue Sep 24 13:22:01 2019 From: tstokely at att.net (Tom Stokely) Date: Tue, 24 Sep 2019 20:22:01 +0000 (UTC) Subject: [env-trinity] Fw: [Legal Planet] Why is Newsom vetoing SB 1? In-Reply-To: References: <90a4b2f6ecf74755a5bc2555f64b4855@legal-planet.org> Message-ID: <1759593126.11991957.1569356521785@mail.yahoo.com> | | | | | | | | | Why is Newsom vetoing SB 1? Posted on September 24, 2019 12:29 pm by Eric Biber The California legislature recently passedSB 1, which would translate into state law a range of federal environmental and worker safety standards that were in place before the inauguration of President Trump to protect against federal roll backs in those areas.? However, Governor Newsom has indicated he will veto SB 1, on the grounds that the bill ?does not . . . ?provide the state with any new authority to push back against the Trump administration?s environmental policies and it limits the state?s ability to rely upon the best available science to protect our environment.?? How well does the Governor?s reasoning for vetoing the bill actually match up with the legislation he will be vetoing? SB 1 has three main elements.? First, the bill would either authorize or (in a few cases) mandate that state environmental and worker safety agencies enact regulations to codify prior federal standards if they determine that the Trump Administration has weakened those standards.? In particular, the bill gives the state agencies the option to protect species under the California Endangered Species Act (CESA) that have lost protections under the federal Endangered Species Act (ESA); it requires the California Air Resources Board (CARB) to backfill changes in federal air quality regulations if they are weakened by the Trump Administration, although it gives CARB the option to use a ?nonregulatory option? instead of regulation; it authorizes (but does not require) the California Occupational Safety and Health Standards Board to backfill federal rollbacks through the adoption of state regulations; it requires the State Water Resources Control Board to adopt federal drinking water standards as state standards if they have been reduced; and it requires the California Environmental Protection Agency to adopt as state standards any federal water quality standards and water discharge standards that have been weakened, although it gives the ability for the CalEPA to change those state standards if it needs to.? In general, state agency regulatory action under these provisions can proceed under streamlined procedures under state law using the emergency regulations provisions of the California Administrative Procedure Act. It is true that these provisions generally do not give state agencies additional substantive authority ? most of these actions could be taken by the state agencies anyway.? But the provisions do require state agencies to keep track of federal rollbacks, and facilitate state agency efforts to respond to those rollbacks.? They also clearly communicate to these agencies that responding to these rollbacks is a priority for the state. I do want to note one way in which these provisions likely do provide additional authority to state agencies ? the provision allowing for the listing of species under CESA if protections are being rolled back under the ESA may expand the universe of species that can be listed for protection under CESA.? Currently, there is a (lively) debate over whether CESA applies to terrestrial invertebrates ? while there is no question that terrestrial invertebrates are covered by ESA.? The provision allowing CESA listing of ESA species subject to rollbacks may authorize CESA listing of terrestrial invertebrates, at least those subject to ESA rollbacks. As for whether these provisions ?limit[] the state?s ability to rely upon the best available science to protect our environment,? none of these provisions change the underlying substantive standards for the statutes, which in general already require the use of the best available science. Second, there are a couple of provisions that arguably do expand state environmental law: specifically, a provision that applies CESA to the operation of the federal Central Valley Project, and a provision that applies restrictions under state law against commercial trade on any species that had federal restrictions on commercial trade before the Trump Administration.? The first provision is really the big one here, as it would mean that protections under CESA for the delta smelt would apply to water pumping out of the Delta irrespective of how the federal government applies or interprets the ESA.? That in turn could prevent the Trump Administration from significantly weakening protections for the smelt and other listed species in the Delta. Here, the statute is specifically giving state agencies authority they arguably did not have in the past ? again, contrary to the Governor?s statement.? And again, the provision does not change the underlying requirements to use the best available science in the implementation of CESA. Third, there are a range of provisions that authorize citizen suits in state court to enforce state and federal environmental law.? Some of these provisions are triggered only if existing federal citizen suit provisions are weakened ? others are not conditioned on any such changes. Here, it is true that the changes don?t expand state agency authority to protect the environment, but they do expand the ability of Californians to help protect their environment through citizen suits to enforce federal and state environmental law by providing state court remedies that previously might not have been available.? And again, these provisions don?t change the underlying requirements in state law to use the best available science in setting and applying the standards that would be subject to judicial review. Overall, the Governor?s stated reasons for vetoing SB 1 don?t appear to match up with the text of the legislation. ? ? Comment | | | | | | | | | | | Why is Newsom vetoing SB 1? | Legal Planet | | | | | | | ? | ? -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From tstokely at att.net Wed Sep 25 11:30:47 2019 From: tstokely at att.net (Tom Stokely) Date: Wed, 25 Sep 2019 18:30:47 +0000 (UTC) Subject: [env-trinity] North State PUblic Radio Interview with Tom Stokely References: <1181781575.12543960.1569436247656.ref@mail.yahoo.com> Message-ID: <1181781575.12543960.1569436247656@mail.yahoo.com> https://www.mynspr.org/post/salmon-advocate-goes-against-flow Salmon Advocate Goes Against The Flow? By?MARC ALBERT???50 MINUTES AGOShareTweetEmailChief Caleen Sisk of the Winnemem Wintu TribeCREDIT WINNEMEM WINTU TRIBEListen?Listening...0:00originally aired 09/24/19 Trying to raise environmental awareness and gain status as a federally recognized tribe, members of the?Winnemem?Wintu?are scheduled to hold a forum dubbed??When Salmon Speak??Wednesday at Redding?s Old City Hall.? It?s part of the fourth annual??Run4Salmon,??a series of sacred ceremonies and political events following the migratory path of salmon from the?Golden?Gate to the headwaters of the Sacramento River.? The?Winnemem?Wintu?oppose plans to add 18-feet to the top of Shasta Dam. It will flood many of their ancestral areas not already beneath the reservoir and slow lower reaches of the McCloud River, altering a designated a wild and scenic river.? For insights into some of the group?s concerns I spoke with Tom?Stokely, a co-director of Save California Salmon, who also works with the Pacific Coast Federation of Fisherman?s Associations, a frequent litigant in the state?s water wars.? I began our conversation by asking why the broader public should oppose to increasing Shasta Lake?s capacity.? If California is going to have a water-resistant future, we need to focus on the things that are cost-effective, like recycling, conservation, storm water capture, things like that. - Tom Stokely?Stokely?is scheduled to speak at an event organized by the?Winnemem?Wintu?people Wednesday at 6 at Redding?s old city.?? When Salmon Speak forum?in Redding TRACK?SHARE - September 25, 2019 Wednesday ? 6:00 PM - 8:00 PM Shasta County Arts Council | | | | | | | | | | | Shasta County Arts Council View Shasta County Arts Council's upcoming schedule on Eventful - Redding, California | | | 1313 Market Street Redding,?California??96001 Map | | | | | | | | | | | Google Maps Find local businesses, view maps and get driving directions in Google Maps. | | | PERFORMERS: - No Performers Listed EVENT DETAILS WHEN SALMON SPEAK FORUM The When Salmon Speak forum is part of the two-week Run4Salmon prayer journey led by the Winnemem Wintu. Learn more at Run4Salmon.org At this very moment, Big Ag billionaires are lobbying state and federal politicians to push their California water policies and projects that will export even more North State water to their industrial farms down South. As the rich get richer, the salmon and other fisheries are pushed to the brink of extinction without healthy rivers.?? Join us to learn from California water experts how water policy and infrastructure projects like the Delta tunnel threaten the survival of California's salmon and threaten our communities' water quality. Let's discuss how we can fight to create California water policy that benefits the public, the salmon and future generations. Featured Speakers:? Caleen Sisk - Chief and Spiritual Leader of the Winnemem Wintu? Barbara Barrigan-Parrilla - Executive Director of Restore the Delta Tom Stokely - Salmon and Water Policy Consultant Musical Performances by Desirae Harp and Jesi Naomi Cost: Free -? Categories:?Performing Arts LINKS: http://www.run4salmon.org?|?Facebook Event | | | | | | | | | | | When Salmon Speak forum Causes event in Redding, CA by Run4Salmon and 2 others on Wednesday, September 25 2019 with 142 people intereste... | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Run4Salmon ? A prayerful journey led by Chief Caleen Sisk of the Winneme... | | | ?? -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From larryglass71 at gmail.com Wed Sep 25 13:33:01 2019 From: larryglass71 at gmail.com (Larry Glass) Date: Wed, 25 Sep 2019 13:33:01 -0700 Subject: [env-trinity] North State PUblic Radio Interview with Tom Stokely In-Reply-To: <1181781575.12543960.1569436247656@mail.yahoo.com> References: <1181781575.12543960.1569436247656.ref@mail.yahoo.com> <1181781575.12543960.1569436247656@mail.yahoo.com> Message-ID: Can't read email On Wed, Sep 25, 2019, 11:32 AM Tom Stokely wrote: > https://www.mynspr.org/post/salmon-advocate-goes-against-flow > > Salmon Advocate Goes Against The Flow > By MARC ALBERT ? 50 MINUTES > AGO > Share > > Tweet > > Email > > > > Chief Caleen Sisk of the Winnemem Wintu Tribe > CREDIT WINNEMEM WINTU TRIBE > > Listen > Listening... > 0:00 > originally aired 09/24/19 > > Trying to raise environmental awareness and gain status as a federally > recognized tribe, members of the Winnemem Wintu are scheduled to hold a > forum dubbed ?When Salmon Speak? Wednesday at Redding?s Old City Hall. > > It?s part of the fourth annual ?Run4Salmon,? a series of sacred ceremonies > and political events following the migratory path of salmon from > the Golden Gate to the headwaters of the Sacramento River. > > The Winnemem Wintu oppose plans to add 18-feet to the top of Shasta Dam. > It will flood many of their ancestral areas not already beneath the > reservoir and slow lower reaches of the McCloud River, altering a > designated a wild and scenic river. > > For insights into some of the group?s concerns I spoke with Tom Stokely, a > co-director of Save California Salmon, who also works with the Pacific > Coast Federation of Fisherman?s Associations, a frequent litigant in the > state?s water wars. > > I began our conversation by asking why the broader public should oppose to > increasing Shasta Lake?s capacity. > If California is going to have a water-resistant future, we need to focus > on the things that are cost-effective, like recycling, conservation, storm > water capture, things like that. - Tom Stokely > Stokely is scheduled to speak at an event organized by > the Winnemem Wintu people Wednesday at 6 at Redding?s old city. > > When Salmon Speak forum in ReddingTRACK SHARE > ------------------------------ > > - [image: When Salmon Speak forum Photo #1] > > > September 25, 2019 > > Wednesday 6:00 PM - 8:00 PM > Shasta County Arts Council > > > Shasta County Arts Council > > View Shasta County Arts Council's upcoming schedule on Eventful - Redding, > California > > > > > 1313 Market Street > Redding, California 96001 > Map > > > Google Maps > > Find local businesses, view maps and get driving directions in Google Maps. > > > > > PERFORMERS: > > - No Performers Listed > > EVENT DETAILS > ------------------------------ > WHEN SALMON SPEAK FORUM > > The When Salmon Speak forum is part of the two-week Run4Salmon prayer > journey led by the Winnemem Wintu. Learn more at Run4Salmon.org > > At this very moment, Big Ag billionaires are lobbying state and federal > politicians to push their California water policies and projects that will > export even more North State water to their industrial farms down South. As > the rich get richer, the salmon and other fisheries are pushed to the brink > of extinction without healthy rivers. > > Join us to learn from California water experts how water policy and > infrastructure projects like the Delta tunnel threaten the survival of > California's salmon and threaten our communities' water quality. > > Let's discuss how we can fight to create California water policy that > benefits the public, the salmon and future generations. > > Featured Speakers: > Caleen Sisk - Chief and Spiritual Leader of the Winnemem Wintu > > Barbara Barrigan-Parrilla - Executive Director of Restore the Delta > > Tom Stokely - Salmon and Water Policy Consultant > > Musical Performances by Desirae Harp and Jesi Naomi > > Cost: Free - > > Categories: Performing Arts > > LINKS:http://www.run4salmon.org | Facebook Event > > > When Salmon Speak forum > > Causes event in Redding, CA by Run4Salmon and 2 others on Wednesday, > September 25 2019 with 142 people intereste... > > > > > Run4Salmon ? A prayerful journey led by Chief Caleen Sisk of the Winneme... > > > > > > > _______________________________________________ > env-trinity mailing list > env-trinity at velocipede.dcn.davis.ca.us > http://www2.dcn.org/mailman/listinfo/env-trinity > -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From tstokely at att.net Wed Sep 25 13:42:35 2019 From: tstokely at att.net (Tom Stokely) Date: Wed, 25 Sep 2019 20:42:35 +0000 (UTC) Subject: [env-trinity] North State PUblic Radio Interview with Tom Stokely In-Reply-To: References: <1181781575.12543960.1569436247656.ref@mail.yahoo.com> <1181781575.12543960.1569436247656@mail.yahoo.com> Message-ID: <1952026302.12627933.1569444155767@mail.yahoo.com> Larry, Try these 2 links: https://www.mynspr.org/post/salmon-advocate-goes-against-flow and https://eventful.com/redding/events/salmon-speak-forum-/E0-001-130210911-9 Tom Stokely?Salmon and Water Policy Consultant530-524-0315?tstokely at att.net? On Wednesday, September 25, 2019, 01:33:16 PM PDT, Larry Glass wrote: Can't read email On Wed, Sep 25, 2019, 11:32 AM Tom Stokely wrote: https://www.mynspr.org/post/salmon-advocate-goes-against-flow Salmon Advocate Goes Against The Flow? By?MARC ALBERT???50 MINUTES AGOShareTweetEmailChief Caleen Sisk of the Winnemem Wintu TribeCREDIT WINNEMEM WINTU TRIBEListen?Listening...0:00originally aired 09/24/19 Trying to raise environmental awareness and gain status as a federally recognized tribe, members of the?Winnemem?Wintu?are scheduled to hold a forum dubbed??When Salmon Speak??Wednesday at Redding?s Old City Hall.? It?s part of the fourth annual??Run4Salmon,??a series of sacred ceremonies and political events following the migratory path of salmon from the?Golden?Gate to the headwaters of the Sacramento River.? The?Winnemem?Wintu?oppose plans to add 18-feet to the top of Shasta Dam. It will flood many of their ancestral areas not already beneath the reservoir and slow lower reaches of the McCloud River, altering a designated a wild and scenic river.? For insights into some of the group?s concerns I spoke with Tom?Stokely, a co-director of Save California Salmon, who also works with the Pacific Coast Federation of Fisherman?s Associations, a frequent litigant in the state?s water wars.? I began our conversation by asking why the broader public should oppose to increasing Shasta Lake?s capacity.? If California is going to have a water-resistant future, we need to focus on the things that are cost-effective, like recycling, conservation, storm water capture, things like that. - Tom Stokely?Stokely?is scheduled to speak at an event organized by the?Winnemem?Wintu?people Wednesday at 6 at Redding?s old city.?? When Salmon Speak forum?in Redding TRACK?SHARE - September 25, 2019 Wednesday ? 6:00 PM - 8:00 PM Shasta County Arts Council | | | | | | | | | | | Shasta County Arts Council View Shasta County Arts Council's upcoming schedule on Eventful - Redding, California | | | 1313 Market Street Redding,?California??96001 Map | | | | | | | | | | | Google Maps Find local businesses, view maps and get driving directions in Google Maps. | | | PERFORMERS: - No Performers Listed EVENT DETAILS WHEN SALMON SPEAK FORUM The When Salmon Speak forum is part of the two-week Run4Salmon prayer journey led by the Winnemem Wintu. Learn more at Run4Salmon.org At this very moment, Big Ag billionaires are lobbying state and federal politicians to push their California water policies and projects that will export even more North State water to their industrial farms down South. As the rich get richer, the salmon and other fisheries are pushed to the brink of extinction without healthy rivers.?? Join us to learn from California water experts how water policy and infrastructure projects like the Delta tunnel threaten the survival of California's salmon and threaten our communities' water quality. Let's discuss how we can fight to create California water policy that benefits the public, the salmon and future generations. Featured Speakers:? Caleen Sisk - Chief and Spiritual Leader of the Winnemem Wintu? Barbara Barrigan-Parrilla - Executive Director of Restore the Delta Tom Stokely - Salmon and Water Policy Consultant Musical Performances by Desirae Harp and Jesi Naomi Cost: Free -? Categories:?Performing Arts LINKS: http://www.run4salmon.org?|?Facebook Event | | | | | | | | | | | When Salmon Speak forum Causes event in Redding, CA by Run4Salmon and 2 others on Wednesday, September 25 2019 with 142 people intereste... | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Run4Salmon ? A prayerful journey led by Chief Caleen Sisk of the Winneme... | | | ?? _______________________________________________ env-trinity mailing list env-trinity at velocipede.dcn.davis.ca.us http://www2.dcn.org/mailman/listinfo/env-trinity -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From rdileo53 at gmail.com Wed Sep 25 14:56:03 2019 From: rdileo53 at gmail.com (Richard DiLeo) Date: Wed, 25 Sep 2019 14:56:03 -0700 Subject: [env-trinity] Trinity River Mainstem Redd Survey Update - September 20, 2019 In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: Sent from my iPhone > On Sep 23, 2019, at 11:43 AM, Gough, Steve wrote: > > After 3 weeks of surveys, the crews have counted 60 redds so far in the mainstem Trinity River... > > Steve Gough > Fish Biologist > U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service > Arcata Fish & Wildlife Office > 1655 Heindon Road > Arcata, CA 95521 > > Steve_Gough at fws.gov > (707) 825-5197 > > _______________________________________________ > env-trinity mailing list > env-trinity at velocipede.dcn.davis.ca.us > http://www2.dcn.org/mailman/listinfo/env-trinity -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From MaryClaire.Kier at wildlife.ca.gov Thu Sep 26 15:06:08 2019 From: MaryClaire.Kier at wildlife.ca.gov (Kier, Mary Claire@Wildlife) Date: Thu, 26 Sep 2019 22:06:08 +0000 Subject: [env-trinity] CDFW Trinity River trapping summary through Julian week 38, sort of.! Message-ID: Greetings! Attached please find the most current trapping summary for the TRP. JW 38 (through Sep 23) totals for fish passing through Junction City weir and totals of fish processed (spawned etc) at Trinity River Hatchery. There are additional salmon ripening in round takes for later egg take, Spring Chinook spawning continues through October 10. We are transitioning to a new database and I'm a little slow getting the WCW data in; I will try to get caught up by next week, but I wanted to get what I've got of JW 38 out to you. Cheers! MC ****************************************************** Mary Claire Kier CA Department of Fish and Wildlife - Trinity River Project Environmental Scientist - Fisheries 707/822-5876 5341 Ericson Way, Arcata CA 95521 ****************************************************** Klamath/Trinity Program reports can be found online @ https://nrmsecure.dfg.ca.gov/documents/ContextDocs.aspx?cat=KlamathTrinity -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: 2019 TRP_ trapping_summary_through_JW38MINUSwcw38.xlsx Type: application/vnd.openxmlformats-officedocument.spreadsheetml.sheet Size: 70359 bytes Desc: 2019 TRP_ trapping_summary_through_JW38MINUSwcw38.xlsx URL: From tstokely at att.net Thu Sep 26 21:45:55 2019 From: tstokely at att.net (Tom Stokely) Date: Fri, 27 Sep 2019 04:45:55 +0000 (UTC) Subject: [env-trinity] =?utf-8?q?HCN=3A_Trump=E2=80=99s_Fish_and_Wildlife_?= =?utf-8?q?pick_is_entangled_with_industry?= References: <968287045.38095.1569559555331.ref@mail.yahoo.com> Message-ID: <968287045.38095.1569559555331@mail.yahoo.com> HIGH COUNTRY NEWS ? U.S. FISH & WILDLIFE Trump?s Fish and Wildlife pick is entangled with industry Aurelia Skipwith has ties to water interests fighting endangered species protection and worked for ag giant Monsanto. Jimmy Tobias and Emily Holden? | | | | | | | | | | | High Country News | | | NEWSSept. 26, 2019 ? A Fish and Wildlife Service employee, the current nominee to become the Director of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Aurelia Skipwith and Midwest Acting Deputy Regional Director Thao Tran get a closer look at some of the work performed at the Genoa National Fish Hatchery in Wisconsin. Photo by Larry Dean/USFWS This?article was originally published by the?Guardian?and is?reproduced here as part of the?Climate Desk?collaboration. | | | | | | | | | | | Trump Administration Weakens Endangered Species Act Amid Global Extincti... Environmentalists see the rule as another handout to industry amid rising alarm that the ecosystems on which hum... | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Revealed: Trump?s Wildlife Service pick has ties to anti-animal protecti... Jimmy Tobias Aurelia Skipwith, nominee to lead US Fish and Wildlife Service, linked to groups opposed to protections for enda... | | | Donald Trump?s nominee to lead the U.S. Fish and?Wildlife?Service has links to powerful agricultural interests opposed to protections for endangered species she would oversee, the?Guardian?has learned. Aurelia Skipwith, who is already a top official at the Department of the Interior, formerly worked at the agrochemical giant Monsanto. New revelations show she also has ties to the Westlands Water District, a political powerhouse with a history of chafing against Endangered Species Act regulations that can interfere with farmers? demands for water in?California. Yet a Senate committee approved Skipwith?s nomination Wednesday in a party-line vote of 11-10. Jayson O?Neill, the deputy director of Western Values Project, a public lands watchdog group based in Montana, claimed that Skipwith?s resume ? she is a lawyer with a master?s degree in genetics ? shows she is unqualified. He said David Bernhardt, Trump?s Interior secretary, is hiring her for her ?deep ties to the swamp and special interests.? Skipwith?s fiance, Leo Giacometto, is a former lobbyist who worked on behalf of Westlands from 2005 to 2010 in his role as the founder of Gage International. Skipwith has said she was an ?unpaid adviser? for Gage starting in 2013. ????????? Oil industry leaders marvel at their access to Interior ? Bernhardt, who would be Skipwith?s new boss if she is to be confirmed, also lobbied for Westlands. Bernhardt once sued the U.S. government on behalf of Westlands, aiming to roll back protections for winter-run Chinook salmon in California. Under Bernhardt?s watch, Westlands has benefited from policy changes enacted by the Interior Department and its subagency, the Fish and Wildlife Service. The Interior Department is currently working to loosen protections for imperiled fish in California, which would be a boon to Westlands and other irrigators who want to pull more water out of regional rivers and reservoirs. The rollback would likely harm endangered salmon, delta smelt and other aquatic species in California. As the director of Fish and Wildlife, Skipwith would be crucially placed to shape the outcome of those efforts. According to Senate lobbying records, Gage, Giacometto?s firm, lobbied for Westlands between 2005 and 2010. During that time, Westlands paid Gage more than $200,000 to influence House and Senate policy on ?water resource management issues.? Gage also lobbied for another influential California water district, the San Luis & Delta Mendota Water Authority, during approximately the same period. Shortly after Westlands ceased work with Gage in 2010, it hired Bernhardt?s former firm Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck to help lead its lobbying operations. Skipwith is not required to disclose any information about her fiance?s financial ties or involvement with Westlands because they are not yet married. Giacometto was prominent at Skipwith?s confirmation hearing, where he was introduced as her fiance. Skipwith?s ties to Giacometto and Gage, and through them to Westlands, raise questions about whether she will be able to act impartially when making critical decisions about water and wildlife policy in California, which are top priorities for Bernhardt and his Interior Department. At her confirmation hearing earlier this month, Senator Sheldon Whitehouse highlighted Skipwith?s past work for Monsanto, a leading producer of an herbicide that has been linked to negative effects on honeybees and other wildlife. Skipwith worked for Monsanto between January 2006 and July 2012, according to her resume, mainly in crop science and corporate affairs. In a written statement, the Interior Department said Skipwith is in ?full compliance? with federal ethics rules. Russell Newell, spokesperson for the Interior Department, said, ?Ms. Skipwith has actively sought and consulted with senior career ethics officials. Ms. Skipwith started as an adviser with Gage International in 2013 well after the water district ended its contract with Gage in 2010.? Jimmy Tobias is a contributing writer for the?Guardian.?Emily Holden is an environment reporter for?Guardian US.?Email?High Country News?at?editor at hcn.org?or submit a?letter to the editor. ? -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: image001.png Type: image/png Size: 702542 bytes Desc: not available URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: image002.png Type: image/png Size: 167124 bytes Desc: not available URL: From tstokely at att.net Fri Sep 27 10:24:31 2019 From: tstokely at att.net (Tom Stokely) Date: Fri, 27 Sep 2019 17:24:31 +0000 (UTC) Subject: [env-trinity] TMC changes bylaws to allow for closed sessions References: <595161296.298095.1569605071933.ref@mail.yahoo.com> Message-ID: <595161296.298095.1569605071933@mail.yahoo.com> In my opinion, this is not a good thing for public involvement, which is already minimal. Kudos to Trinity County Supervisor Keith Groves for voting no on this bad idea. TS?http://www.trinityjournal.com/news/local/article_23aa0a46-df2b-11e9-a4c2-77541d4d02e4.html TMC changes bylaws to allow for closed sessions - By AMY GITTELSOHN The Trinity Journal ? - Sep 25, 2019 ? - ?0 Members of the Trinity Management Council which guides the Trinity River Restoration Program voted at their last meeting to change TMC bylaws so that all their meetings don?t have to be open to the public. Closed ?executive sessions? of the TMC can now be held if the subject matter is related to contracts, personnel, legal matters, ?or other sensitive matters as determined by the chair.? Meeting minutes are not to be taken for these executive sessions. Other than TMC members, individuals may attend these closed meetings only at the invitation of the TMC chair. The bylaws change was made during the council?s regular quarterly meeting held Sept. 11 and 12 at the Yurok Tribe Weitchpec Office. Trinity County Sup. Keith Groves, who represents Trinity County on the TMC, said he was the only one of the eight members to vote against the closed sessions. ?I don?t see a need for it,? Groves said, ?but seven other people did.? Those seven others are the TMC members representing the National Marine Fisheries Service, U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, federal Bureau of Reclamation, U.S. Forest Service, Hoopa Valley Tribe, Yurok Tribe, and state Department of Water Resources. >From the restoration program, Executive Director Mike Dixon (who is not on the council) said there are times the TMC has wanted to discuss things and not have it be on the public record. For example, Dixon said, details about what TMC members want from a contract shouldn?t become public until that contract is advertised. There are also times when the TMC members want to give him direction regarding specific program staff members without it being public if they see a problem, Dixon said. Dixon said TMC Chair Justin Ly, who represents the fisheries service, in particular wanted the change. The solicitor?s office was consulted and responded that the only reason the TMC couldn?t have closed sessions was its bylaws which previously stated, ?All regularly scheduled and special meetings of the TMC shall be open to the public.? Regarding upcoming meetings on implementation of refinements to the program in response to recommendations by a consultant, Dixon said the only issues he thinks would be subject to executive session are personnel and contracting discussions, such as hiring of a consultant to guide the process. TMC meetings held in Trinity County have been known to get fiery as members of the public criticize the program. Sup. Groves said he doesn?t believe the purpose of the closed sessions is to avoid that heat. Rather, his take is that the members want to be more open in what they say. The other TMC members are employees of agencies rather than elected officials, and Groves said he thinks that makes them more reticent to voice certain opinions in a public forum. Groves doesn?t think that?s a good reason and feels the bylaws change could further undermine confidence in the program. Because the TMC doesn?t fall under the Brown Act ?we really have no guidelines,? Groves said, ?and I believe that being as open as possible on what?s going on on the river is more important than people being afraid to talk in public.? ?Nothing I see in TMC is so sensitive it should be held in a closed session,? Groves said, noting that the staff is employed by other agencies such as the Bureau of Reclamation, and most of the contracting work is done at the staff level. ?We do approve the money for it to happen,? he said. ?That would be something that should not ever be in the executive session.? Dixon said given the TMC discussion he does not expect the ability to have closed sessions to be abused. - Facebook - Twitter - Email - Print - Save -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From pcatanese at dhscott.com Fri Sep 27 10:35:43 2019 From: pcatanese at dhscott.com (Paul Catanese) Date: Fri, 27 Sep 2019 17:35:43 +0000 Subject: [env-trinity] TMC changes bylaws to allow for closed sessions In-Reply-To: <595161296.298095.1569605071933@mail.yahoo.com> References: <595161296.298095.1569605071933.ref@mail.yahoo.com>, <595161296.298095.1569605071933@mail.yahoo.com> Message-ID: sunlight is the best disinfectant. transparency is warranted and question whether this is legal Paul J. Catanese, Partner D.H. Scott & Company O: 530.243.4300 | F: 530.243.4306 900 Market St, Redding, CA 96001 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ This communication (including any attachments) may contain privileged or confidential information intended for a specific individual and purpose, and is protected by law. If you are not the intended recipient, you should delete this communication and/or shred the materials and any attachments and are hereby notified that any disclosure, copying, or distribution of this communication, or the taking of any action based on it, is strictly prohibited. Thank you. Disclaimer: Any accounting, business or tax advice contained in this communication, including attachments and enclosures, is not intended as a thorough, in-depth analysis of specific issues, nor a substitute for a formal opinion, nor is it sufficient to avoid tax-related penalties. If desired, D.H. Scott & Company would be pleased to perform the requisite research and provide you with a detailed written analysis. Such an engagement may be the subject of a separate engagement letter that would define the scope and limits of the desired consultation services. On Sep 27, 2019, at 10:25 AM, Tom Stokely > wrote: In my opinion, this is not a good thing for public involvement, which is already minimal. Kudos to Trinity County Supervisor Keith Groves for voting no on this bad idea. TS http://www.trinityjournal.com/news/local/article_23aa0a46-df2b-11e9-a4c2-77541d4d02e4.html TMC changes bylaws to allow for closed sessions * By AMY GITTELSOHN The Trinity Journal * Sep 25, 2019 * 0 Members of the Trinity Management Council which guides the Trinity River Restoration Program voted at their last meeting to change TMC bylaws so that all their meetings don?t have to be open to the public. Closed ?executive sessions? of the TMC can now be held if the subject matter is related to contracts, personnel, legal matters, ?or other sensitive matters as determined by the chair.? Meeting minutes are not to be taken for these executive sessions. Other than TMC members, individuals may attend these closed meetings only at the invitation of the TMC chair. The bylaws change was made during the council?s regular quarterly meeting held Sept. 11 and 12 at the Yurok Tribe Weitchpec Office. Trinity County Sup. Keith Groves, who represents Trinity County on the TMC, said he was the only one of the eight members to vote against the closed sessions. ?I don?t see a need for it,? Groves said, ?but seven other people did.? Those seven others are the TMC members representing the National Marine Fisheries Service, U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, federal Bureau of Reclamation, U.S. Forest Service, Hoopa Valley Tribe, Yurok Tribe, and state Department of Water Resources. From the restoration program, Executive Director Mike Dixon (who is not on the council) said there are times the TMC has wanted to discuss things and not have it be on the public record. For example, Dixon said, details about what TMC members want from a contract shouldn?t become public until that contract is advertised. There are also times when the TMC members want to give him direction regarding specific program staff members without it being public if they see a problem, Dixon said. Dixon said TMC Chair Justin Ly, who represents the fisheries service, in particular wanted the change. The solicitor?s office was consulted and responded that the only reason the TMC couldn?t have closed sessions was its bylaws which previously stated, ?All regularly scheduled and special meetings of the TMC shall be open to the public.? Regarding upcoming meetings on implementation of refinements to the program in response to recommendations by a consultant, Dixon said the only issues he thinks would be subject to executive session are personnel and contracting discussions, such as hiring of a consultant to guide the process. TMC meetings held in Trinity County have been known to get fiery as members of the public criticize the program. Sup. Groves said he doesn?t believe the purpose of the closed sessions is to avoid that heat. Rather, his take is that the members want to be more open in what they say. The other TMC members are employees of agencies rather than elected officials, and Groves said he thinks that makes them more reticent to voice certain opinions in a public forum. Groves doesn?t think that?s a good reason and feels the bylaws change could further undermine confidence in the program. Because the TMC doesn?t fall under the Brown Act ?we really have no guidelines,? Groves said, ?and I believe that being as open as possible on what?s going on on the river is more important than people being afraid to talk in public.? ?Nothing I see in TMC is so sensitive it should be held in a closed session,? Groves said, noting that the staff is employed by other agencies such as the Bureau of Reclamation, and most of the contracting work is done at the staff level. ?We do approve the money for it to happen,? he said. ?That would be something that should not ever be in the executive session.? Dixon said given the TMC discussion he does not expect the ability to have closed sessions to be abused. * Facebook * Twitter * Email * Print * Save _______________________________________________ env-trinity mailing list env-trinity at velocipede.dcn.davis.ca.us http://www2.dcn.org/mailman/listinfo/env-trinity -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From MaryClaire.Kier at wildlife.ca.gov Fri Sep 27 14:13:43 2019 From: MaryClaire.Kier at wildlife.ca.gov (Kier, Mary Claire@Wildlife) Date: Fri, 27 Sep 2019 21:13:43 +0000 Subject: [env-trinity] TRP trapping summary through JW 38, including WCW Message-ID: 'Sorry about that, folks, didn't realize some of you were so excited about getting the full JW 38 report, so here it is, up to date. ****************************************************** Mary Claire Kier CA Department of Fish and Wildlife - Trinity River Project Environmental Scientist - Fisheries 707/822-5876 5341 Ericson Way, Arcata CA 95521 ****************************************************** Klamath/Trinity Program reports can be found online @ https://nrmsecure.dfg.ca.gov/documents/ContextDocs.aspx?cat=KlamathTrinity -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: 2019 TRP_ trapping_summary_through_JW38.xlsx Type: application/vnd.openxmlformats-officedocument.spreadsheetml.sheet Size: 70420 bytes Desc: 2019 TRP_ trapping_summary_through_JW38.xlsx URL: From tstokely at att.net Mon Sep 30 13:56:44 2019 From: tstokely at att.net (Tom Stokely) Date: Mon, 30 Sep 2019 20:56:44 +0000 (UTC) Subject: [env-trinity] =?utf-8?q?THIS_JUST_IN_=E2=80=A6_Westlands_announce?= =?utf-8?q?s_termination_of_Shasta_Dam_Raise_CEQA_Analysis?= References: <1780305497.1411832.1569877004592.ref@mail.yahoo.com> Message-ID: <1780305497.1411832.1569877004592@mail.yahoo.com> https://mavensnotebook.com/2019/09/30/this-just-in-westlands-announces-termination-of-shasta-dam-raise-ceqa-analysis/ THIS JUST IN ? Westlands announces termination of Shasta Dam Raise CEQA Analysis September 30, 2019?Maven??Breaking News >From Westlands Water District: Today, Westlands Water District terminated its preparation of an environmental impact report pursuant to the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA).?The District was preparing the environmental impact report to assess the effects of raising Shasta Dam, as proposed by the Bureau of Reclamation, including whether the Dam raise would adversely affect the free-flowing conditions of the McCloud River or its wild trout fishery. Under federal law, if Reclamation determines to raise the Dam, local cost share partners would be responsible for at least half of the costs.?The environmental impact report being prepared by the District would have provided the information necessary for the District to determine whether it could or would become a cost share partner.?The District terminated the CEQA process because the Superior Court issued, at the request of the California Attorney General, a preliminary injunction that stopped the District from preparing the environmental review document until after the Court conducts a trial and issues a final decision in the case.?The practical effect of the injunction is that the District would not likely be able to complete CEQA within the schedule Reclamation has for the project. Tom Birmingham, the District?s general manager expressed his disappointment in this outcome: ?no agency of the State has conducted a project-specific analysis of Reclamation?s proposal, to determine if enlargement of Shasta Dam would adversely affect aquatic resources ? particularly those in the lower McCloud River. Westlands took the initiative to do that assessment, through the public process established by CEQA. It is unfortunate that, as a result of the actions of the Attorney General, Westlands was enjoined from completing that analysis.? -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From klamathtrinityriver at gmail.com Mon Sep 30 16:47:20 2019 From: klamathtrinityriver at gmail.com (Regina Chichizola) Date: Mon, 30 Sep 2019 16:47:20 -0700 Subject: [env-trinity] Klamath-Trinity salmon runners join Run4Salmon after 50 Mile Trinity Connection Run Message-ID: Klamath-Trinity salmon runners join Run4Salmon after 50 Mile Trinity Connection Run https://newsmaven.io/indiancountrytoday/the-press-pool/klamath-trinity-salmon-runners-join-run4salmon-after-50-mile-trinity-connection-run-kRWFlDicj0uROhhSAKXL-Q/ (Photo: Save California Salmon) [image: Press Pool] byPress Pool 7 hrs Members of four separate local Sacramento, Klamath and Trinity River Tribes ran in the Trinity connection *News Release* *Save California Salmon* *Winnemem Wintu Tribe* On Wednesday, September 25, runners from the Run4Salmon on the Sacramento River watersheds and runners from the Klamath River Salmon run joined together to run together on the first ever Trinity Connection run for the Winnemem Wintu Tribe?s Run Salmon. The runners followed the route of the Trinity River diversion from the Lewiston Dam, down the Clear Creek watershed, then met the Run4Salmon at the Shasta Dam for a No Dam Raise rally. ?This run was a statement on bringing the salmon people together and on bringing the salmon back to where the need to be,? stated Yurok Tribal member Richard Myers. ?We ran from one nation to the other as salmon are a common denominator for Indian people. It needs to be recognized that we are connected through the waters of life, which provide for the people. This run was a way of doing this.? Members of four separate local Sacramento, Klamath and Trinity River Tribes ran in the Trinity connection. The Trinity River is the largest tributary to the Klamath River and over 50 percent of it is diverted to the Sacramento River. Over 80 percent of the river was diverted until a major agreement to restore the river was made between the Hoopa Valley Tribe and Department of the Interior right before the Klamath River fish kill in 2002. Trinity River releases beyond this agreement are now used to avert Klamath River fish kills in low water years. The Trinity River is threatened by the projects that threaten the Sacramento River and Bay Delta such as the Sites Reservoir, Shasta Dam raise, the Delta tunnel proposal and the new Trump Biological Opinion (Trump water plan) for the Central Valley federal and state water projects. ?Physically connecting to the lands that the creator bestowed to my people by foot on routes we have traveled for trade and communication for centuries was an honorable experience I?ll never forget.? state Thomas Joseph a Hoopa Valley Tribal member and representative for California Kitchen a sponsor of the run. ?Through using these traditional methods to bring awareness of our community struggles to other communities we can find the strength and healing to combat the chaos of today?s challenges be it environmental or social struggles. We need to look back at traditional practices for our answers.? Trinity Connection Runners ran by three dams and four reservoirs on their 50 mile run. They said that the run helps bring attention to the fact that the majority of the Central Valley?s water supply comes from the areas within their run; however local Tribes and rural people that are suffering from lack of salmon are rarely consulted in water decisions. Instead, major irrigators, such as the Westlands Water District hundreds of miles away control North state water. They pointed to the fact that Westlands? lawyer and lobbyist David Bernhardt is now running the very agency that controls decisions that impact California?s water decisions and Tribes. Bernhardt has been accused of numerous ethics violation since taking office. The runners joined the Winnemem Wintu Tribe is a rally against the Shasta dam raise at the Shasta dam after their run. ?We were a salmon state and we should salmon state again.? said Chief Caleen Sisk of the Winnemem Wintu Tribe, which organizes the run. ?It is time for us to come together? More information about the run is at http://www.run4salmon.org/. https://newsmaven.io/indiancountrytoday/the-press-pool/klamath-trinity-salmon-runners-join-run4salmon-after-50-mile-trinity-connection-run-kRWFlDicj0uROhhSAKXL-Q/ -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From tstokely at att.net Mon Sep 30 17:33:14 2019 From: tstokely at att.net (Tom Stokely) Date: Tue, 1 Oct 2019 00:33:14 +0000 (UTC) Subject: [env-trinity] Westlands backs off Shasta Dam environmental permitting work References: <1312674329.1520549.1569889994816.ref@mail.yahoo.com> Message-ID: <1312674329.1520549.1569889994816@mail.yahoo.com> It's not over, just a new tact by Westlands.TS Westlands backs off Shasta Dam environmental permitting work By Debra Kahn 09/30/2019 07:30 PM EDT The Central Valley water agency that has been working to expand Shasta Dam in defiance of state officials today announced it would stop its work under the California Environmental Quality Act. Westlands Water District, the largest agricultural water district in the country, said it would instead perform a separate analysis of whether raising the Northern California dam would harm the McCloud River upstream, which could eventually lead to resuming environmental permitting work.? A Shasta Superior Court judge?ruled?in August that Westlands had to stop its CEQA work after Attorney General Xavier Becerra accused the water district of violating the state's Wild and Scenic Rivers Act by planning to interfere with the McCloud, which is upstream of the dam and would be inundated under a plan by Westlands and the Bureau of Reclamation to raise the dam by 18.5 feet. | | | | Leading Source of Policy News Analysis & Coverage | POLITICO Pro | | | Westlands General Manager Tom Birmingham said that the new analysis would comply with Becerra's argument in court that the water district could properly "carry out such a study in the abstract, unconnected to any specific project planning efforts." "We recognize the reality that because of his action, our ongoing CEQA process is not going to be completed, and we are stepping back to do the analysis that the attorney general has suggested that we should have done before we initiated the CEQA process," he said. Birmingham also pointed out that the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act doesn't explicitly prohibit state agencies from raising Shasta. It says that they can't participate in activities that have "an adverse effect on the free-flowing condition of the McCloud River, or on its wild trout fishery."? "It's just been said for such a long time by so many people that it's been accepted as fact," he said. To view online: https://subscriber.politicopro.com/states/california/whiteboard/2019/09/30/westlands-backs-off-shasta-dam-environmental-permitting-work-9404004 | | | | Leading Source of Policy News Analysis & Coverage | POLITICO Pro | | | Tom Stokely?Salmon and Water Policy Consultant530-524-0315?tstokely at att.net? -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From tstokely at att.net Mon Sep 30 17:34:13 2019 From: tstokely at att.net (Tom Stokely) Date: Tue, 1 Oct 2019 00:34:13 +0000 (UTC) Subject: [env-trinity] Jared Huffman set to kick off listening tour in Calif. References: <1007793599.1530814.1569890053160.ref@mail.yahoo.com> Message-ID: <1007793599.1530814.1569890053160@mail.yahoo.com> Jared Huffman set to kick off listening tour in Calif. Rob Hotakainen, E&E News reporter Published: Monday, September 30, 2019? Rep. Jared Huffman (D-Calif.) plans to kick off a series of roundtables on U.S. fishery issues with two events in California this weekend.?Francis Chung/E&E News California Democratic Rep. Jared Huffman plans to launch his nationwide listening tour on U.S. fishery issues with two events in his home state this weekend. Huffman, the chairman of the House Natural Resources Committee's Subcommittee on Water, Oceans and Wildlife, announced in July that he would travel around the country this fall for advice on reauthorizing the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act, the nation's primary law governing fishing in federal waters. He intends to introduce a bill next spring. The first event will take place Saturday in Arcata, and the second is scheduled for Oct. 7 in San Francisco. Huffman said the tour aims "to engage diverse perspectives, interests, and needs of individuals who have a stake in management of federal ocean and fisheries resources." In a statement, he said each roundtable panel will include "a detailed, technical examination of current and future challenges in federal fisheries management and will explore potential solutions." Huffman said earlier that before proposing any changes to the law, he wants to hear how climate change is affecting fisheries, whether fisheries managers have the resources they need to do their jobs and what challenges have been presented by modernizing data collection systems. Huffman also wants to examine the fisheries disaster-relief system and whether some stocks are unhealthy or experiencing overfishing. Dates and locations for other stops on the listening tour will be announced later. The schedule for the first two stops: - Oct. 5, 2:30-4:30 p.m., D Street Community Center, 1301 D St., Arcata. - Oct. 7, 1-3 p.m., Aquarium of the Bay, Farallon Room, Pier 39 Embarcadero and Beach St., San Francisco. -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From tstokely at att.net Wed Oct 2 11:09:36 2019 From: tstokely at att.net (Tom Stokely) Date: Wed, 2 Oct 2019 18:09:36 +0000 (UTC) Subject: [env-trinity] Trump administration surrenders to California, backs off on Delta water fight References: <1994550061.2584382.1570039776858.ref@mail.yahoo.com> Message-ID: <1994550061.2584382.1570039776858@mail.yahoo.com> - This is only for this fall's X2 Delta salinity issue, not the Reinitiation of Consultation and new Biological Opinion. ?It would have hurt State Water Project customers such as Metropolitan Water District of SoCal. TShttps://www.sacbee.com/news/california/water-and-drought/article235698052.html? Trump administration surrenders to California, backs off on Delta water fight BY DALE KASLER?AND ? RYAN SABALOW OCTOBER 02, 2019 05:30 AM?? - - Play VideoDuration?-:-Two views of Trump?s controversial Delta pumping proposalIn Sacramento and in Los Banos, groups presented two very different views of a Trump administration plan to pump more river water farmers to the San Joaquin Valley.?BY?MCCLATCHY The Trump administration has retreated on a plan to push more water through the Delta this fall after?protests from California officials?on the harmful impacts on endangered Chinook salmon and other fish. State officials had been worried that the proposed move, by the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation, also would have meant less water for Southern California cities that rely on supplies pouring out of the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta. In a letter Tuesday to the state Department of Fish and Wildlife, Reclamation?s regional director Ernest Conant defended the plan to deliver more water to the irrigation districts that belong to the federal government?s Central Valley Project, saying it was ?sound, science-based and lawful.? But he said Reclamation is backing off because it ?values its relationships? with Fish and Wildlife and other California agencies. TOP ARTICLES?? ?? Sacramento Ballet focuses on steps toward gender? equality in its new season President Donald Trump has been trying to increase water deliveries to Valley farmers in particular since taking office, and the decision to back off on the Delta issue marks a rare bit of peacemaking between the Trump administration and California over a wide range of issues, including the environment. Trump has been feuding with Gov. Gavin Newsom over air pollution and greenhouse gas regulations, to the point that he?s threatened to?withhold federal highway funding from California. ?I for one am really glad to see this lowering of the temperature, though it may not be outright detente,? said Jeffrey Mount, a water policy expert at the Public Policy Institute of California. ?It really wasn?t in their best interest to go to war with the state on this and they had some vulnerabilities . ? Sometimes, strategic retreat is a good thing.? The Delta is the heart of California?s north-to-south delivery system, and pumping more water south leaves less water in the estuary. Trump?s plan would have increased the salinity in the Delta and hurt fish species, according to state officials. And, because the state could have been obliged to follow the California Endangered Species Act to protect fish populations, the State Water Project might have been forced to reduce its pumping to compensate for the feds? move, state officials said. That would have meant reduced deliveries to?State Water Project districts,?most of which are in urban Southern California. ?We appreciate the bureau?s decision not to pursue the (salinity) change in September and October. As we continue to work with federal agencies in several areas of water management, state agencies will work to ensure that our interests and environmental values are protected in operations of water infrastructure here in California,? said Lisa Lien-Mager, a spokeswoman for the state Natural Resources Agency. This week?s decision only affects water pumping this fall. A larger fight over Delta water flows still looms between California and the Trump administration as the federal government finalizes?sweeping plans to ease environmental restrictions?and pump more south over the long haul. Newsom?s administration has signaled it intends to fight that proposal. While Newsom has vowed to defend the environment against Trump?s attempted rollbacks, he also angered environmentalists by?vetoing SB 1, a bill designed to thwart all Trump initiatives on pollution-related issues. He said he was worried that signing SB 1 would have unraveled a series of tentative agreements on water-sharing along California?s major rivers that are designed to prop up fish populations. Read more he -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From tstokely at att.net Wed Oct 2 20:51:58 2019 From: tstokely at att.net (Tom Stokely) Date: Wed, 2 Oct 2019 20:51:58 -0700 Subject: [env-trinity] Fwd: Klamath River Compact Commission Meeting - October 24, 2019 in Klamath Falls References: Message-ID: <65A83AC0-91E9-4128-8B32-9E0D5E2B2EA1@att.net> Sent from my iPhone Begin forwarded message: > From: "Anderson, Curtis at DWR" > Date: October 2, 2019 at 4:36:10 PM PDT > To: Tom Stokely > Cc: "Anderson, Curtis at DWR" > Subject: Klamath River Compact Commission Meeting - October 24, 2019 in Klamath Falls > > Hi Tom, > > Hope all is well with you. Are you enjoying the cooler weather and getting that wood stove ready for winter? When you get a chance could you please post the following item to the Trinity List Server? I have also included a PDF agenda as an attachment: > > > The Klamath River Compact Commission will be having a meeting on October 24th in Klamath Falls at the Oregon Institute of Technology from 11:00 am to 1:30 pm. I have attached the final agenda to this email. If you have any questions please contact Curtis Anderson (California?s representative to the Commission) at Curtis.Anderson at water.ca.gov or (530) 529-7348. > > > > Thanks, > Curtis > > > ????????????????????????????????????? > Curtis Anderson > Northern Region Office Chief > Department of Water Resources > 2440 Main Street > Red Bluff, CA 96080 > > Office: (530) 529-7348 > Cell: (530) 570-6315 > Fax: (530) 529-7322 > ????????????????????????????????????? > -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: Agenda for the Klamath River Compact Commission 10-24-19 Meeting_Final.pdf Type: application/pdf Size: 77357 bytes Desc: not available URL: -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From MaryClaire.Kier at wildlife.ca.gov Thu Oct 3 16:41:54 2019 From: MaryClaire.Kier at wildlife.ca.gov (Kier, Mary Claire@Wildlife) Date: Thu, 3 Oct 2019 23:41:54 +0000 Subject: [env-trinity] CDFW Trinity River Project trapping summary through Julian week 39. Message-ID: Greetings! Attached please find the trapping summary for JW 39 (through September 30th). I have had a few folks ask "how does this year compare" kinda' questions and to them I suggest looking at the "historical" tabs in the workbook, which have the cumulative numbers by Julian week. FYI * I've included in this summary the only day of trapping in JW 40 at Junction City weir which was disassembled for the season on October 1st . * There are about another 500 Chinook that have entered TRH than are showing up on the spreadsheet (because the ones that are on the excel are ones that have been processed ie spawned etc, and don't include the ones that are "ripening" in the round tanks). * The water and the nights are cooling off in the basin. Let me know if you have any questions Cheers! MC ****************************************************** Mary Claire Kier CA Department of Fish and Wildlife - Trinity River Project Environmental Scientist - Fisheries 707/822-5876 5341 Ericson Way, Arcata CA 95521 ****************************************************** Klamath/Trinity Program reports can be found online @ https://nrmsecure.dfg.ca.gov/documents/ContextDocs.aspx?cat=KlamathTrinity -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... 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Name: 2019 TRP_ trapping_summary_through_JW39.xlsx Type: application/vnd.openxmlformats-officedocument.spreadsheetml.sheet Size: 70467 bytes Desc: 2019 TRP_ trapping_summary_through_JW39.xlsx URL: From tstokely at att.net Sun Oct 6 18:16:34 2019 From: tstokely at att.net (Tom Stokely) Date: Sun, 6 Oct 2019 18:16:34 -0700 Subject: [env-trinity] Fwd: Opportunity to Object: Trinity River Channel Rehabilitation Site (Dutch Creek) References: Message-ID: <71525019-3B5D-48D8-ACBD-071166673F10@att.net> Sent from my iPhone Begin forwarded message: > From: "Losi, Christopher J -FS" > Date: October 6, 2019 at 3:05:00 PM PDT > Subject: Opportunity to Object: Trinity River Channel Rehabilitation Site (Dutch Creek) > > Dear Interested Party, > > The Shasta-Trinity National Forest has released an Environmental Assessment and Draft Decision Notice/Finding of No Significant Impact for the Trinity River Channel Rehabilitation Site: Dutch Creek Project (?Project?). This Project is now subject to the objection process pursuant to 36 CFR 218, subparts A and B. Objections will only be accepted from those who submitted project-specific written comments during scoping or other designated comment period. Issues raised in objections must be based on previously submitted comments unless based on new information arising after the designated comment period(s). > > A copy of the Environmental Assessment and Draft Decision Notice/Finding of No Significant Impact can be found on the Project Website at http://www.fs.fed.us/nepa/nepa_project_exp.php?project=45449 and are available for review at the Shasta-Trinity National Forest Supervisor?s Office, 3644 Avtech Parkway, Redding CA 96001 during regular business hours (8:00am to 4:00pm). > > More information on how to file an objection can be found in the Objection Legal Notice (attached and also located on the Project website). Complete legal requirements can be found at 36 CFR 218. > > For additional information, please contact me at this email address or at 530-226-2425. > > Sincerely, > > > > Christopher Losi > Supervisory Environmental Coordinator > Forest Service > Shasta-Trinity National Forest > p: 530-226-2425 > c: 530-227-5250 > christopher.losi at usda.gov > 3644 Avtech Parkway > Redding, CA 96002 > www.fs.fed.us > > Caring for the land and serving people > > > > > > > > This electronic message contains information generated by the USDA solely for the intended recipients. Any unauthorized interception of this message or the use or disclosure of the information it contains may violate the law and subject the violator to civil or criminal penalties. If you believe you have received this message in error, please notify the sender and delete the email immediately. -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... 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URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: Legal Notice of Opportunity to Object 10-06-2019.pdf Type: application/pdf Size: 595477 bytes Desc: not available URL: -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From MaryClaire.Kier at wildlife.ca.gov Thu Oct 10 08:18:09 2019 From: MaryClaire.Kier at wildlife.ca.gov (Kier, Mary Claire@Wildlife) Date: Thu, 10 Oct 2019 15:18:09 +0000 Subject: [env-trinity] CDFW Trinity River trapping summary (WCW only) Julian week 40 Message-ID: Greetings! Attached please find the trapping summary update for WCW only through JW 40 (October 7). I am sending this out though I do not yet have the TRH numbers for it; hopefully I can get those to you soon. Cheers! MC ****************************************************** Mary Claire Kier CA Department of Fish and Wildlife - Trinity River Project Environmental Scientist - Fisheries 707/822-5876 5341 Ericson Way, Arcata CA 95521 ****************************************************** Klamath/Trinity Program reports can be found online @ https://nrmsecure.dfg.ca.gov/documents/ContextDocs.aspx?cat=KlamathTrinity -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: 2019 TRP_ trapping_summary_through_JW40.xlsx Type: application/vnd.openxmlformats-officedocument.spreadsheetml.sheet Size: 70420 bytes Desc: 2019 TRP_ trapping_summary_through_JW40.xlsx URL: From MaryClaire.Kier at wildlife.ca.gov Thu Oct 10 13:00:39 2019 From: MaryClaire.Kier at wildlife.ca.gov (Kier, Mary Claire@Wildlife) Date: Thu, 10 Oct 2019 20:00:39 +0000 Subject: [env-trinity] CDFW Trinity River trapping summary (WCW only) Julian week 40 Message-ID: So sorry folks, I sent the wrong workbook. Here is WCW (only) through October 7. MC From: Kier, Mary Claire at Wildlife Sent: Thursday, October 10, 2019 8:18 AM To: Wade Sinnen Subject: CDFW Trinity River trapping summary (WCW only) Julian week 40 Greetings! Attached please find the trapping summary update for WCW only through JW 40 (October 7). I am sending this out though I do not yet have the TRH numbers for it; hopefully I can get those to you soon. Cheers! MC ****************************************************** Mary Claire Kier CA Department of Fish and Wildlife - Trinity River Project Environmental Scientist - Fisheries 707/822-5876 5341 Ericson Way, Arcata CA 95521 ****************************************************** Klamath/Trinity Program reports can be found online @ https://nrmsecure.dfg.ca.gov/documents/ContextDocs.aspx?cat=KlamathTrinity -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: 2019 TRP_ trapping_summary_through_JW40.xlsx Type: application/vnd.openxmlformats-officedocument.spreadsheetml.sheet Size: 70485 bytes Desc: 2019 TRP_ trapping_summary_through_JW40.xlsx URL: From steve_gough at fws.gov Tue Oct 15 09:36:48 2019 From: steve_gough at fws.gov (Gough, Steve) Date: Tue, 15 Oct 2019 09:36:48 -0700 Subject: [env-trinity] Trinity River Spawning Surveys Update - October 11, 2019 Message-ID: see attached... Steve Gough Fish Biologist U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service Arcata Fish & Wildlife Office 1655 Heindon Road Arcata, CA 95521 *Steve_Gough at fws.gov * (707) 825-5197 -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: TrinityReddUpdate_2019_10_11.pdf Type: application/pdf Size: 1003595 bytes Desc: TrinityReddUpdate_2019_10_11.pdf URL: From tstokely at att.net Wed Oct 16 09:16:27 2019 From: tstokely at att.net (Tom Stokely) Date: Wed, 16 Oct 2019 09:16:27 -0700 Subject: [env-trinity] Fwd: 2019 Klamath Fish Health Workshop References: Message-ID: <333AB916-36A2-4ED6-B52A-D0D37B33A174@att.net> Sent from my iPhone Begin forwarded message: > From: "Som, Nicholas" > Date: October 16, 2019 at 9:07:57 AM PDT > To: undisclosed-recipients:; > Subject: 2019 Klamath Fish Health Workshop > > Hello All, > Attached is the agenda for the upcoming Klamath River Fish Health Workshop to be held on Wednesday November 6th in Ashland, OR. The meeting venue and address are on the second page of the agenda. > > If you haven't already registered, we are asking that attendees pre-register for the workshop, which is open and free to all. The registration page for attendees, specific to the Wednesday Nov 6th public forum can be accessed using the following link: > Click here to Pre-Register > > Looking forward to seeing you in Ashland, > > Nicholas A. Som, Ph.D. > Statistician (Biology) > US Fish and Wildlife Service > Arcata FWO > 1655 Heindon Rd. > Arcata, CA 95521 > 707.825.5102 > nicholas_som at fws.gov > > "Sometimes you win, and sometimes you learn." - Andrew Diallesandro -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: KRFHW 2019 Agenda.docx Type: application/vnd.openxmlformats-officedocument.wordprocessingml.document Size: 248395 bytes Desc: not available URL: -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From MaryClaire.Kier at wildlife.ca.gov Wed Oct 16 13:41:19 2019 From: MaryClaire.Kier at wildlife.ca.gov (Kier, Mary Claire@Wildlife) Date: Wed, 16 Oct 2019 20:41:19 +0000 Subject: [env-trinity] 2019 Trinity River trapping summary through Julian week 41 Message-ID: Greetings! Attached please find the TRP trapping summary through JW41. Cheers! MC ****************************************************** Mary Claire Kier CA Department of Fish and Wildlife - Trinity River Project Environmental Scientist - Fisheries 707/822-5876 5341 Ericson Way, Arcata CA 95521 ****************************************************** Klamath/Trinity Program reports can be found online @ https://nrmsecure.dfg.ca.gov/documents/ContextDocs.aspx?cat=KlamathTrinity -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: 2019 TRP_ trapping_summary_through_JW41.xlsx Type: application/vnd.openxmlformats-officedocument.spreadsheetml.sheet Size: 70467 bytes Desc: 2019 TRP_ trapping_summary_through_JW41.xlsx URL: From steve_gough at fws.gov Mon Oct 21 13:55:10 2019 From: steve_gough at fws.gov (Gough, Steve) Date: Mon, 21 Oct 2019 13:55:10 -0700 Subject: [env-trinity] Trinity River Spawning Surveys Update - October 18, 2019 Message-ID: see attached... Steve Gough Fish Biologist U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service Arcata Fish & Wildlife Office 1655 Heindon Road Arcata, CA 95521 *Steve_Gough at fws.gov * (707) 825-5197 -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: TrinityReddUpdate_2019_10_18.pdf Type: application/pdf Size: 1001783 bytes Desc: TrinityReddUpdate_2019_10_18.pdf URL: From tstokely at att.net Wed Oct 23 08:22:54 2019 From: tstokely at att.net (Tom Stokely) Date: Wed, 23 Oct 2019 15:22:54 +0000 (UTC) Subject: [env-trinity] Newsom must not capitulate to Trump on Delta protections References: <569014132.7301118.1571844174697.ref@mail.yahoo.com> Message-ID: <569014132.7301118.1571844174697@mail.yahoo.com> http://eastbaytimes.ca.newsmemory.com/?publink=0e9db6832 Newsom must not capitulate to Trump on Delta protections? The Trump administration this week continued its assault on the California environment, this time undermining decade-old protections for the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta. New politically driven environmental findings announced Tuesday are designed to enable the shipping of more water to Southern California farmers, endangering the health of the Delta and threatening native fish that are on the brink of extinction. The question now is whether Gavin Newsom will respond by standing up for protection of California?s waterways with the vigor that he opposes Trump?s attack on the state?s auto emissions standards. Or will the governor capitulate to the same lobbying pressure from farmers and water agencies that are pushing the president?s Delta policies? It?s time for Newsom to demonstrate that he?s serious about protecting all aspects of the state?s environment. The Delta is the largest estuary west of the Mississippi, supplying fresh water for 25 million Californians, including about one-third of Bay Area residents. But decades of overpumping to Southern California and the Central Valley threatens the Delta?s ability to provide fresh water for current and future generations. Climate change exacerbates the danger. Ironically, the review of current pumping began during the Obama administration because of concern that fishery protections were not strong enough. Now the Trump administration has flipped the review on its head, using the effort to weaken those protections. The push is being driven by politics rather than good policy, starting with Trump?s insistence on clearing the way?for delivery of more water to farmers and his disdain for Delta environmental protections. The point person is Interior Secretary David Bernhardt, who was a lobbyist and lawyer for the 600,000-acre Central Valley Westlands Water District, which serves farmers who have been fighting for decades for more water from the Delta. Bernhardt personally argued an appeals case challenging salmon protections. The Trump administration?s new ?biological opinions,? released Tuesday, come from two agencies under Bernhardt?s control, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and National Marine Fisheries Service. The opinions claim that pumping more water south will not harm the estuary?s Delta smelt, which are on the brink of extinction, and three types of salmon, which are endangered or threatened. But that?s not what experts in those agencies said last summer. In a July 1 assessment, federal scientists found that increasing water exports would harm endangered fish. That report was never released, and the team of scientists were replaced, according to the Los Angeles Times, which obtained the document. The latest findings, of no potential harm to the fish from increased water exports, was produced by the replacement team. The state Legislature, anticipating this moment, passed a bill this year that would have locked in California federal environmental protections that were in place when Trump took office. But Newsom vetoed Senate Bill 1, saying the bill was unnecessary but assuring he would continue fighting against the Trump administration to protect the environment. Now?s the time for the governor?to prove it. -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From tstokely at att.net Wed Oct 23 08:39:05 2019 From: tstokely at att.net (Tom Stokely) Date: Wed, 23 Oct 2019 15:39:05 +0000 (UTC) Subject: [env-trinity] =?utf-8?q?California_fights_Trump_on_everything_?= =?utf-8?q?=E2=80=94_except_water?= References: <715277418.7353944.1571845145928.ref@mail.yahoo.com> Message-ID: <715277418.7353944.1571845145928@mail.yahoo.com> https://www.politico.com/states/california/story/2019/10/21/california-fights-trump-on-everything-except-water-1225729 California fights Trump on everything ? except water By?DEBRA KAHN ? 10/21/2019 10:28 PM EDT ? Updated?10/22/2019 04:05 PM EDT MANTECA ? California is providing health care to undocumented immigrants while President Donald Trump wants to build a border wall, and Gov. Gavin Newsom circumvented the White House with a side deal on auto emissions standards. But when it comes to water, Trump and California are closer than you might think. About 90 minutes from the deep blue coast, the predictable political fault lines stop at the Central Valley, home to the state's $70 billion agricultural industry. Environmental laws, droughts and urban growth have led to a three-decade decline in farm water and stoked an acidic political logjam visible to anyone who's driven down Interstate 5, the backbone of the state's highway system. Billboards accuse House Speaker?Nancy Pelosi?of ushering in a "Congress-created dust bowl" and declare "No water = no jobs" through the arid, 450-mile-long valley. Trump is now poised to deliver on a 2016 promise to send more water to the region. His administration today issued major changes that relax endangered species protections for salmon and Delta smelt, a 3- to 4-inch fish that has long served as a punching bag for Central Valley leaders. Newsom normally revels in rebuking Trump, but the governor shocked environmentalists last month with the speed with which he essentially sided with the president by blocking legislation that could have stopped Trump's endangered species rollbacks. While the Democratic governor has held press conferences bashing Trump within hours of the administration's past moves on immigration and emissions, Newsom officials struck a far more cautious tone Tuesday. The governor didn't mention the announcement on Twitter, and California Natural Resources Agency spokesperson Lisa Lien-Mager said in a statement: "We will evaluate the federal government?s proposal, but will continue to push back if it does not reflect our values.? "Clearly this governor is making a play for the Central Valley to be nice to agriculture, and I think they're playing him like a fiddle," said one longtime environmental advocate who spoke on condition of anonymity to avoid political repercussions. Newsom hasn't been the only California Democrat siding with farmers. Sen.?Dianne Feinstein?(D-Calif.) and the House Democrats' Central Valley contingent took the rare step of coming out against the state environmental legislation before Newsom vetoed it. Rep.?Josh Harder, a Democrat who defeated former Rep. Jeff Denham (R) last year in a toss-up district, was part of the congressional effort to soften the bill that would have potentially blocked Trump's environmental rollbacks. At a recent town hall in Manteca, Harder had no problem lambasting the Trump administration over the auto emissions fight and other green issues, declaring that "California is in a war with the Trump administration over environmental standards and vice versa." Asked about his stance on water, though, Harder was more circumspect. "My biggest job is reminding people that California is more than San Francisco and Los Angeles, and nowhere else is that more true than on water issues," he told POLITICO in an interview.? "The water politics that I'd like to get away from, that I think most people in our community would like to get away from, is a zero-sum mentality where an environmentalist or fish has to lose in order for a farmer to benefit, and vice versa," Harder said. That stance makes sense in the Central Valley, according to one longtime area politician. "Trump is trying to move more water; a Democrat should be cautiously supporting the movement of water, but wary of old fights like fish vs. farms," said former state Sen. Dean Florez, a Democrat from Shafter, on the southern end of the valley.? Indeed, Central Valley farmers are looking forward to additional water as a result of the new "biological opinions." "There's a lot of things that Trump does that make sense, okay?" said Kole Upton, a second-generation almond, pistachio and corn farmer in Chowchilla, located in the center of the state. "If he was more tactful about it and didn't rub the Democrats' nose in it, he'd probably get more help." Democrats from the region Tuesday were measured and did not condemn Trump's plan for California's main water-delivery system. Harder and other Central Valley Democrats, along with Feinstein, said they will examine the changes and conceded that the science underpinning the Obama-era rules was ?more than a decade old and needed to be updated, especially given climate change.?? California?s Central Valley Republican contingent, led by House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, cheered the new rules, calling them ?a welcome step in the right direction." The changes potentially set up a conflict between federal and state water contractors by allowing the Bureau of Reclamation to operate its side of the system differently. Given California's zero-sum water situation, it would open up an entirely new front in the state's perpetual water wars, which are currently at a simmer thanks to recent wet winters. "It's looming as another facet of the battle between Trump versus California, but it's more nuanced than vehicle emissions standards or homelessness or any number of issues," said Rick Frank, an environmental law professor at the University of California, Davis and former state deputy attorney general. "Water politics and water law are all more nuanced." The federal government's biological opinions dictate how much water can be exported from the state's two main rivers, the Sacramento and San Joaquin, and their tributaries. Normally, California certifies that the opinions meet state endangered species protections, which are slightly different, and the projects operate as one. The two sides of the system, linked by shared canals, reservoirs and pumping plants, are essentially conjoined twins that share key anatomical features; they have to operate in a coordinated fashion. Senate President Pro Tem Toni Atkins thought to head off the conflict by empowering the state to quash the biological opinions. Senate Bill 1 would have specified that the California Endangered Species Act takes precedence over federal law, presumably forcing the Bureau to operate under state endangered species law.? Democrats elsewhere in California warn that the new biological opinions were marred by political influence. They point to the influence of Interior Secretary David Bernhardt, who used to work as a lobbyist for Westlands Water District, the largest customer of the federally run Central Valley Project. "I'm very disappointed that all these folks appear to be just fine with the environmental baseline getting yanked backwards," said Rep.?Jared Huffman, a Democrat who represents a long, rural swath of Northern California coast. "They're either silent or complicit in the federal rollback of protections for salmon and now have prevented us from putting a really important backstop in place." How Newsom responds to the biological opinions will be telling. Environmentalists are fast losing faith in the governor, whom they view as ultimately motivated by a future presidential run. "It's going from leaning left to leaning right, and I think it has to do with his political ambitions," said the longtime environmental advocate. "When he runs for president and he wants to demonstrate to flyover country that he was friendly to agriculture." Newsom justified vetoing SB 1 in part by?arguing?that it didn't provide the state any new authority, which confounded environmental groups. "Based on everything he said publicly, I really don?t think the governor fully understood what was in the bill," said Kathryn Phillips, director of Sierra Club California. "Either that or he was trying to mislead the public about what was in the bill. In either case, we ended up with a veto that results in not giving the state a key tool it could use to fight the Trump administration?s efforts to manipulate science to satisfy a small but powerful platoon of water contractors and big farming interests.? Given the likelihood of legal challenges from all sides that could take years to resolve ? a suit against the original 2004 biological opinion for smelt is still working its way through the courts ? the episode may wind up transcending today's political fault lines altogether. "Experience says there are no deadlines in water. Everything gets pushed back. They set these artificial deadlines and everything gets pushed back and the solution of all this is probably going to take years," said Jeffrey Mount, a think tank fellow with the Public Policy Institute of California.? "Administrations come and go," he added. "Federal administrations come and go. One might follow the Chinese proverb: 'If you wait by the river long enough, the body of your enemy will float by.'" -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From MaryClaire.Kier at wildlife.ca.gov Tue Oct 22 12:50:57 2019 From: MaryClaire.Kier at wildlife.ca.gov (Kier, Mary Claire@Wildlife) Date: Tue, 22 Oct 2019 19:50:57 +0000 Subject: [env-trinity] 2019 CDFW Trinity River Project trapping summary through Julian week 42 Message-ID: Greetings! Attached please find the TRP trapping summary through JW42. This summary includes JW 42 update only for Willow Creek weir as the Trinity River Hatchery is on their break between spawning Spring and Fall Chinook salmon (and the Junction City weir was removed for the season at the beginning of October). We had a little rain, now we're having a little sun. We hope to be operating WCW for another month so let's hope that pattern holds... Cheers! MC ****************************************************** Mary Claire Kier CA Department of Fish and Wildlife - Trinity River Project Environmental Scientist - Fisheries 707/822-5876 5341 Ericson Way, Arcata CA 95521 ****************************************************** Klamath/Trinity Program reports can be found online @ https://nrmsecure.dfg.ca.gov/documents/ContextDocs.aspx?cat=KlamathTrinity -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: 2019 TRP_ trapping_summary_through_JW42.xlsx Type: application/vnd.openxmlformats-officedocument.spreadsheetml.sheet Size: 70518 bytes Desc: 2019 TRP_ trapping_summary_through_JW42.xlsx URL: From tstokely at att.net Wed Oct 30 07:48:08 2019 From: tstokely at att.net (Tom Stokely) Date: Wed, 30 Oct 2019 14:48:08 +0000 (UTC) Subject: [env-trinity] =?utf-8?q?California_fights_Trump_on_everything_?= =?utf-8?q?=E2=80=94_except_water?= References: <34556378.3581057.1572446888370.ref@mail.yahoo.com> Message-ID: <34556378.3581057.1572446888370@mail.yahoo.com> https://www.politico.com/states/california/story/2019/10/21/california-fights-trump-on-everything-except-water-1225729 California fights Trump on everything ? except water By?DEBRA KAHN ? 10/21/2019 10:28 PM EDT ? Updated?10/22/2019 04:05 PM EDT Share on Facebook?Share on Twitter MANTECA ? California is providing health care to undocumented immigrants while President Donald Trump wants to build a border wall, and Gov. Gavin Newsom circumvented the White House with a side deal on auto emissions standards. But when it comes to water, Trump and California are closer than you might think. About 90 minutes from the deep blue coast, the predictable political fault lines stop at the Central Valley, home to the state's $70 billion agricultural industry. Environmental laws, droughts and urban growth have led to a three-decade decline in farm water and stoked an acidic political logjam visible to anyone who's driven down Interstate 5, the backbone of the state's highway system. Billboards accuse House Speaker?Nancy Pelosi?of ushering in a "Congress-created dust bowl" and declare "No water = no jobs" through the arid, 450-mile-long valley. Trump is now poised to deliver on a 2016 promise to send more water to the region. His administration today issued major changes that relax endangered species protections for salmon and Delta smelt, a 3- to 4-inch fish that has long served as a punching bag for Central Valley leaders. Newsom normally revels in rebuking Trump, but the governor shocked environmentalists last month with the speed with which he essentially sided with the president by blocking legislation that could have stopped Trump's endangered species rollbacks. While the Democratic governor has held press conferences bashing Trump within hours of the administration's past moves on immigration and emissions, Newsom officials struck a far more cautious tone Tuesday. The governor didn't mention the announcement on Twitter, and California Natural Resources Agency spokesperson Lisa Lien-Mager said in a statement: "We will evaluate the federal government?s proposal, but will continue to push back if it does not reflect our values.? "Clearly this governor is making a play for the Central Valley to be nice to agriculture, and I think they're playing him like a fiddle," said one longtime environmental advocate who spoke on condition of anonymity to avoid political repercussions. Newsom hasn't been the only California Democrat siding with farmers. Sen.?Dianne Feinstein?(D-Calif.) and the House Democrats' Central Valley contingent took the rare step of coming out against the state environmental legislation before Newsom vetoed it. Rep.?Josh Harder, a Democrat who defeated former Rep. Jeff Denham (R) last year in a toss-up district, was part of the congressional effort to soften the bill that would have potentially blocked Trump's environmental rollbacks. At a recent town hall in Manteca, Harder had no problem lambasting the Trump administration over the auto emissions fight and other green issues, declaring that "California is in a war with the Trump administration over environmental standards and vice versa." Asked about his stance on water, though, Harder was more circumspect. "My biggest job is reminding people that California is more than San Francisco and Los Angeles, and nowhere else is that more true than on water issues," he told POLITICO in an interview.? "The water politics that I'd like to get away from, that I think most people in our community would like to get away from, is a zero-sum mentality where an environmentalist or fish has to lose in order for a farmer to benefit, and vice versa," Harder said. That stance makes sense in the Central Valley, according to one longtime area politician. "Trump is trying to move more water; a Democrat should be cautiously supporting the movement of water, but wary of old fights like fish vs. farms," said former state Sen. Dean Florez, a Democrat from Shafter, on the southern end of the valley.? Indeed, Central Valley farmers are looking forward to additional water as a result of the new "biological opinions." "There's a lot of things that Trump does that make sense, okay?" said Kole Upton, a second-generation almond, pistachio and corn farmer in Chowchilla, located in the center of the state. "If he was more tactful about it and didn't rub the Democrats' nose in it, he'd probably get more help." Democrats from the region Tuesday were measured and did not condemn Trump's plan for California's main water-delivery system. Harder and other Central Valley Democrats, along with Feinstein, said they will examine the changes and conceded that the science underpinning the Obama-era rules was ?more than a decade old and needed to be updated, especially given climate change.?? California?s Central Valley Republican contingent, led by House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, cheered the new rules, calling them ?a welcome step in the right direction." The changes potentially set up a conflict between federal and state water contractors by allowing the Bureau of Reclamation to operate its side of the system differently. Given California's zero-sum water situation, it would open up an entirely new front in the state's perpetual water wars, which are currently at a simmer thanks to recent wet winters. "It's looming as another facet of the battle between Trump versus California, but it's more nuanced than vehicle emissions standards or homelessness or any number of issues," said Rick Frank, an environmental law professor at the University of California, Davis and former state deputy attorney general. "Water politics and water law are all more nuanced." The federal government's biological opinions dictate how much water can be exported from the state's two main rivers, the Sacramento and San Joaquin, and their tributaries. Normally, California certifies that the opinions meet state endangered species protections, which are slightly different, and the projects operate as one. The two sides of the system, linked by shared canals, reservoirs and pumping plants, are essentially conjoined twins that share key anatomical features; they have to operate in a coordinated fashion. Senate President Pro Tem Toni Atkins thought to head off the conflict by empowering the state to quash the biological opinions. Senate Bill 1 would have specified that the California Endangered Species Act takes precedence over federal law, presumably forcing the Bureau to operate under state endangered species law.? Democrats elsewhere in California warn that the new biological opinions were marred by political influence. They point to the influence of Interior Secretary David Bernhardt, who used to work as a lobbyist for Westlands Water District, the largest customer of the federally run Central Valley Project. "I'm very disappointed that all these folks appear to be just fine with the environmental baseline getting yanked backwards," said Rep.?Jared Huffman, a Democrat who represents a long, rural swath of Northern California coast. "They're either silent or complicit in the federal rollback of protections for salmon and now have prevented us from putting a really important backstop in place." How Newsom responds to the biological opinions will be telling. Environmentalists are fast losing faith in the governor, whom they view as ultimately motivated by a future presidential run. "It's going from leaning left to leaning right, and I think it has to do with his political ambitions," said the longtime environmental advocate. "When he runs for president and he wants to demonstrate to flyover country that he was friendly to agriculture." Newsom justified vetoing SB 1 in part by?arguing?that it didn't provide the state any new authority, which confounded environmental groups. "Based on everything he said publicly, I really don?t think the governor fully understood what was in the bill," said Kathryn Phillips, director of Sierra Club California. "Either that or he was trying to mislead the public about what was in the bill. In either case, we ended up with a veto that results in not giving the state a key tool it could use to fight the Trump administration?s efforts to manipulate science to satisfy a small but powerful platoon of water contractors and big farming interests.? Given the likelihood of legal challenges from all sides that could take years to resolve ? a suit against the original 2004 biological opinion for smelt is still working its way through the courts ? the episode may wind up transcending today's political fault lines altogether. "Experience says there are no deadlines in water. Everything gets pushed back. They set these artificial deadlines and everything gets pushed back and the solution of all this is probably going to take years," said Jeffrey Mount, a think tank fellow with the Public Policy Institute of California.? "Administrations come and go," he added. "Federal administrations come and go. One might follow the Chinese proverb: 'If you wait by the river long enough, the body of your enemy will float by.'" -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From tstokely at att.net Wed Oct 30 07:58:13 2019 From: tstokely at att.net (Tom Stokely) Date: Wed, 30 Oct 2019 14:58:13 +0000 (UTC) Subject: [env-trinity] =?utf-8?q?John_McManus=3A_Newsom_must_fight_Trump?= =?utf-8?q?=E2=80=99s_Delta_fish_extinction_plan?= References: <1688756456.3594267.1572447493320.ref@mail.yahoo.com> Message-ID: <1688756456.3594267.1572447493320@mail.yahoo.com> http://eastbaytimes.ca.newsmemory.com/?publink=2a2b281ca Newsom must fight Trump?s Delta fish extinction plan? By John McManus The Trump administration last week launched an attack on the health of the San Francisco Bay, Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta and California?s salmon fishing industry with new rules allowing big increases in water diversions from this teetering, vulnerable ecosystem. Under the federal Endangered Species Act, these rules are supposed to protect a halfdozen listed fish species, including two Chinook salmon runs, from harm caused by the massive state and federal dams, reservoirs, canals, pipes and pumps that move billions of gallons of water annually. The new Trump administration rules replace prior ones that weren?t strong enough to protect salmon and other wildlife in the last drought. They only make the situation worse. Heavy loss of salmon during the drought years of 2014 and 2015 from excessive water diversions and a shortage of cold water led to widespread agreement to strengthen the rules to better protect salmon runs. Enter President Trump and Interior Secretary David Bernhardt, a former lobbyist and litigator for the Westland Water District, the biggest growers in the dry western San Joaquin Valley. This area largely lacks a sustainable local water source and instead relies on diversion of Northern California water needed by salmon. In July, dozens of federal scientists reviewed the new Bernhardt proposal and concluded it would violate federal law and risk multiple extinctions, including to salmon. Bernhardt?s response was to throw out the scientists? findings and let the federal Bureau of Reclamation (the agency that?operates the dams and pumps) help rewrite them and rubberstamp the increased water diversions. The result of this political manipulation was released last week. To no one?s surprise, the new Bernhardt rules conclude that struggling Bay-Delta salmon and other fish will be just fine if he turns the pumps up. Way up. The new rules will now allow the Central Valley Project to kill many more salmon eggs?in spawning rivers and baby salmon as they try to migrate through the Delta and Bay. This is a Trump extinction plan. Today, Delta smelt are teetering on extinction. The new Bernhardt rules appear designed to push them over the edge. Salmon runs are next in line. This new massive water diversion plan threatens more than fish. It threatens tens of thousands of us whose jobs are tied to the salmon industry. The California salmon fishing industry was shut down entirely in 2008 and 2009 after water diversions jumped about 16% in 2000. The current federal administration is determined to wipe out environmental protections enacted as a result of the damage done then. It looks like they?re trying to drive California?s?salmon fishing industry out?of business permanently. Recently, San Joaquin Valley agriculture and southern California?water users persuaded Gov. Gavin Newsom to veto Senate Bill 1, which would have given him new tools to block this federal attack. Now, those same water users are lobbying the governor to endorse the Trump salmon extinction plan. We hope Newsom will say no. Hell no. California?s salmon fishing industry calls on the governor to fight back as he has in other areas. He should sue to block these illegal new federal rules. And he should direct the California Department of Fish and Wildlife to strictly regulate Delta water pumping under state law. Gov. Newsom, President Trump has attacked San Francisco Bay, the Delta and salmon fishing jobs. What?s your plan to?fight back? John McManus is president of the Golden State Salmon Association. The Trump administration?s plan to divert more Northern California water to farmers will harm the fish industry in the Delta. BAY AREA NEWS GROUP FILE PHOTO -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From tstokely at att.net Wed Oct 30 08:13:56 2019 From: tstokely at att.net (Tom Stokely) Date: Wed, 30 Oct 2019 15:13:56 +0000 (UTC) Subject: [env-trinity] East Bay Times Editorial: Newsom must not capitulate to Trump on Delta protections References: <1993929101.3642393.1572448436326.ref@mail.yahoo.com> Message-ID: <1993929101.3642393.1572448436326@mail.yahoo.com> http://eastbaytimes.ca.newsmemory.com/?publink=0e9db6832 Newsom must not capitulate to Trump on Delta protections? The Trump administration this week continued its assault on the California environment, this time undermining decade-old protections for the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta. New politically driven environmental findings announced Tuesday are designed to enable the shipping of more water to Southern California farmers, endangering the health of the Delta and threatening native fish that are on the brink of extinction. The question now is whether Gavin Newsom will respond by standing up for protection of California?s waterways with the vigor that he opposes Trump?s attack on the state?s auto emissions standards. Or will the governor capitulate to the same lobbying pressure from farmers and water agencies that are pushing the president?s Delta policies? It?s time for Newsom to demonstrate that he?s serious about protecting all aspects of the state?s environment. The Delta is the largest estuary west of the Mississippi, supplying fresh water for 25 million Californians, including about one-third of Bay Area residents. But decades of overpumping to Southern California and the Central Valley threatens the Delta?s ability to provide fresh water for current and future generations. Climate change exacerbates the danger. Ironically, the review of current pumping began during the Obama administration because of concern that fishery protections were not strong enough. Now the Trump administration has flipped the review on its head, using the effort to weaken those protections. The push is being driven by politics rather than good policy, starting with Trump?s insistence on clearing the way?for delivery of more water to farmers and his disdain for Delta environmental protections. The point person is Interior Secretary David Bernhardt, who was a lobbyist and lawyer for the 600,000-acre Central Valley Westlands Water District, which serves farmers who have been fighting for decades for more water from the Delta. Bernhardt personally argued an appeals case challenging salmon protections. The Trump administration?s new ?biological opinions,? released Tuesday, come from two agencies under Bernhardt?s control, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and National Marine Fisheries Service. The opinions claim that pumping more water south will not harm the estuary?s Delta smelt, which are on the brink of extinction, and three types of salmon, which are endangered or threatened. But that?s not what experts in those agencies said last summer. In a July 1 assessment, federal scientists found that increasing water exports would harm endangered fish. That report was never released, and the team of scientists were replaced, according to the Los Angeles Times, which obtained the document. The latest findings, of no potential harm to the fish from increased water exports, was produced by the replacement team. The state Legislature, anticipating this moment, passed a bill this year that would have locked in California federal environmental protections that were in place when Trump took office. But Newsom vetoed Senate Bill 1, saying the bill was unnecessary but assuring he would continue fighting against the Trump administration to protect the environment. Now?s the time for the governor?to prove it. -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From MaryClaire.Kier at wildlife.ca.gov Thu Oct 31 14:55:26 2019 From: MaryClaire.Kier at wildlife.ca.gov (Kier, Mary Claire@Wildlife) Date: Thu, 31 Oct 2019 21:55:26 +0000 Subject: [env-trinity] 2019 CDFW Trinity River Project trapping summary through Julian week 43 Message-ID: Greetings! Attached please find the TRP trapping summary through JW43. First week of Fall Chinook spawning at Trinity River Hatchery, pretty dismal numbers. And how we went from seeing so many fish at WCW one week to less than a quarter of that the next week is a mystery to me. Too much sun, too little rain? I don't know, folks, but I'm getting some fish pictures from anglers so there have to be some fish in that river. Supposedly another week or two of sun in the forecast. Let's hope the lights stay on while we wait for rain. Cheers! MC ****************************************************** Mary Claire Kier CA Department of Fish and Wildlife - Trinity River Project Environmental Scientist - Fisheries 707/822-5876 5341 Ericson Way, Arcata CA 95521 ****************************************************** Klamath/Trinity Program reports can be found online @ https://nrmsecure.dfg.ca.gov/documents/ContextDocs.aspx?cat=KlamathTrinity -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: 2019 TRP_ trapping_summary_through_JW43.xlsx Type: application/vnd.openxmlformats-officedocument.spreadsheetml.sheet Size: 70675 bytes Desc: 2019 TRP_ trapping_summary_through_JW43.xlsx URL: From tstokely at att.net Fri Nov 8 10:10:36 2019 From: tstokely at att.net (Tom Stokely) Date: Fri, 8 Nov 2019 18:10:36 +0000 (UTC) Subject: [env-trinity] Interior proposes coveted deal to ex-client of agency head References: <564028121.1721639.1573236636862.ref@mail.yahoo.com> Message-ID: <564028121.1721639.1573236636862@mail.yahoo.com> https://apnews.com/4527b2b31fcf452f8e6d35afcebc8cf2 Interior proposes coveted deal to ex-client of agency head By ELLEN KNICKMEYERan hour agoFILE - In this March 28, 2019, file photo, David Bernhardt speaks before the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee at his confirmation hearing to head the Interior Department, on Capitol Hill in Washington. The Interior Department is proposing to award a contract for federal water in perpetuity to a water district that long employed Bernhardt. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite, File) WASHINGTON (AP) ? The Interior Department is proposing to award one of the first contracts for federal water in perpetuity to a powerful rural California water district that had long employed Secretary David Bernhardt as a lobbyist. Conservation groups are demanding fuller disclosure of financial terms and an environmental review of the proposed deal for the California?s Westlands Water District, the nation?s largest agricultural water supplier. The water district serves some of country?s wealthiest and most politically influential corporate farmers. Bernhardt served as a lobbyist for Westlands until 2016, the year before he joined Interior, initially as deputy secretary. ?The Interior Department needs to look out for the public interest, and not just serve the financial interests of their former lobbying clients,? said Rep. Jared Huffman, a Democrat from California. Responding to questions, Interior spokeswoman Carol Danko said the handling of the Westlands? contract was delegated entirely to California staffers of the Bureau of Reclamation, which is under the Department of Interior. The agency will make a final decision after the legally mandated public comment period, she said. Doug Obegi, a senior attorney at the Natural Resources Defense Council, said the handling of the contract raises concerns Interior ?is trying to give Westlands a sweetheart deal.? Bernhardt?s past lobbying work ? much of it for industries with business before Interior ? has led environmental groups and Democratic lawmakers to accuse him of lack of transparency and the appearance of conflict of interest in his work at the agency. As a lobbyist, he was involved in negotiations on a contentious 2016 federal law that made the Westlands? proposed deal possible, allowing water districts to lock up permanent contracts for water from California?s federal water project. The 2016 law had been sought for decades by water districts in California, where frequent droughts sometimes led to water rationing and dying crops. It reshaped the federal handling of water in the U.S. state with the largest economy. Environmental groups say a permanent deal would let California?s water contractors forgo future negotiations before the public and environmental groups, further threatening the survival of some of the endangered native fish and other wildlife that also need the water. Interior?s Bureau of Reclamation posted notice on its website Oct. 25 of the proposed contract and the 60-day public comment period, which ends over the Christmas holiday. Other water districts are lining up behind Westlands to negotiate their own permanent contracts. Westland?s contract would give it permanent claim to enough water to supply more than 2 million California households, although federal suppliers in practice typically divvy up water each year based on available supply. The water comes from the federal Central Valley Project, a massive, federally built network of dams, tunnels and canals that pipes water from greener Northern California to farms and cities of the more populated south. The 2016 law allows Westlands and other water districts to lock in the water contracts for good if they repay the federal government for their share of the Central Valley Project?s costs. Interior said in its statement Thursday that Westlands owes the federal government $480.7 million. Environmental groups say the rural California water district has been seeking to bargain down the payback amount, and want to see what the contract obliges Westlands to pay. Danko, the Interior spokeswoman, said the proposed deal would result in the government being paid back a decade early. -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From MaryClaire.Kier at wildlife.ca.gov Fri Nov 8 13:21:46 2019 From: MaryClaire.Kier at wildlife.ca.gov (Kier, Mary Claire@Wildlife) Date: Fri, 8 Nov 2019 21:21:46 +0000 Subject: [env-trinity] FW: 2019 CDFW Trinity River Project trapping summary through Julian week 44 Message-ID: Greetings! Attached please find the TRP trapping summary through JW44 (November 4). Julian week 44 saw the lowest weekly numbers of fish trapped at WCW in the 12 years I've been there; four zero fish days in a row. If it was the end of November I'd pull the weir for sure, but we'll stay in a bit little longer and hope for a little freshet to mobilize any fish that might still be downstream. Not very many fish showing up to Trinity River Hatchery, either. We'll see how it all pans out. Just an FYI - we recaptured a steelhead that we tagged in 2018. In the year (54 weeks) between captures that steelhead only grew 7 cm (2.76 in). If you've got a long weekend ahead I hope you enjoy it. Cheers, MC ****************************************************** Mary Claire Kier CA Department of Fish and Wildlife - Trinity River Project Environmental Scientist - Fisheries 707/822-5876 5341 Ericson Way, Arcata CA 95521 ****************************************************** Klamath/Trinity Program reports can be found online @ https://nrmsecure.dfg.ca.gov/documents/ContextDocs.aspx?cat=KlamathTrinity -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: 2019 TRP_ trapping_summary_through_JW44.xlsx Type: application/vnd.openxmlformats-officedocument.spreadsheetml.sheet Size: 70783 bytes Desc: 2019 TRP_ trapping_summary_through_JW44.xlsx URL: From tstokely at att.net Sun Nov 10 18:38:55 2019 From: tstokely at att.net (Tom Stokely) Date: Mon, 11 Nov 2019 02:38:55 +0000 (UTC) Subject: [env-trinity] Several links to articles on Westlands' Permanent Water Contract renewal References: <344522474.2486827.1573439935881.ref@mail.yahoo.com> Message-ID: <344522474.2486827.1573439935881@mail.yahoo.com> Rather than sending all these articles, here are the links to several articles on the issue from Maven's Notebook. https://mavensnotebook.com/2019/11/10/daily-digest-weekend-edition-bernhardt-suggests-westlands-for-major-contract-westlands-steps-back-from-shasta-expansion-environmentalists-still-worry-how-to-start-adapting-to-cas/ In the news this weekend ? WESTLANDS/BERNHARDT Bernhardt suggests Westlands for major contract:? ?The Interior Department has proposed awarding one of the first?permanent?federal water contracts to an influential California district?for which Interior Secretary David Bernhardt?worked as a longtime lobbyist. ?According to The Associated Press, the contract would go to the Westlands Water District, the largest agricultural water supplier in the nation. The district serves some of the U.S.?s wealthiest and most influential farmers. ... ?? Read more from The Hill here:?Interior (aka Bernhardt) suggests ex-client of department head (aka Westlands) for major contract Interior chief?s lobbying past has challenged the agency?s ethics referees: ?On the morning of Aug. 21, 2018, David Bernhardt, then the deputy interior secretary, wanted to attend a White House meeting on the future of a threatened California fish, the delta smelt ? an issue upon which Mr. Bernhardt had been paid to lobby until he joined the Trump administration a year before.? It was a sticky ethical issue, seemingly exemplifying the revolving door that has separated lobbying from policymaking in the nation?s capital for decades. So Mr. Bernhardt, who had, as a lobbyist, pressed to loosen delta smelt protections for a California water district, personally approached the Interior Department?s ethics referee.?? ?? Read more from the New York Times here:?Interior chief?s lobbying past has challenged the agency?s ethics referees Environmentalists oppose Westlands? bid to secure water:? ?The Interior Department proposes to award one of the first contracts for federal water in perpetuity to a powerful rural California water district that had long employed Secretary David Bernhardt as a lobbyist.? Conservation groups are demanding fuller disclosure of financial terms and an environmental review of the proposed deal for Westlands Water District, the nation?s largest agricultural water supplier. The water district serves some of country?s wealthiest and most politically influential corporate farmers.? Bernhardt served as a lobbyist for Westlands until 2016, the year before he joined Interior, initially as deputy secretary.?? ?? Read more from GV Wire here:?Environmentalists oppose Westlands? bid to secure water Groups slam Trump administration?s sweetheart water deal with Westlands Water District:??Dan Bacher writes, ?Conservation, environmental justice and?public interest groups today?responded with outrage to an Associated Press?report that Secretary David Bernhardt?s Interior Department is poised to award one of the first contracts for federal water ?in perpetuity? to the powerful Westlands Water District ? Bernhardt?s former lobby client and largest agricultural water district in the U.S.? A draft Bureau of Reclamation contract dated October 22 reveals that Interior plans to deliver Westlands up to 1.15 million acre-feet of water a year, more than double the water supply used by the City of Los Angeles in 2018, according to Roll Call. ???? Read more from the Daily Kos here:?Groups slam Trump administration?s sweetheart water deal with Westlands Water District ?As Corrupt as It Gets?: Oil Lobbyist Turned Interior Chief Proposes Giving ?Coveted? Contract to Ex-Client:? ?Watchdog and conservation groups called out former oil lobbyist and current Interior Secretary David Bernhardt Friday over the department?s?attempt?to give a ?coveted? permanent water supply contract to one of Bernhardt?s ex-clients.? ?Bernhardt might as well still work for his former lobbying firm, where he represented oil and gas, mining, and agribusiness interests for many years,??declared?Public Citizen president Robert Weissman. ???? Read more from Common Dreams here:??As Corrupt as It Gets?: Oil Lobbyist Turned Interior Chief Proposes Giving ?Coveted? Contract to Ex-Client - RELATED:?OPPORTUNITY TO COMMENT:?Reclamation extends the public comment period for the released draft repayment contract for Westlands Water District | | | | | | | | | | | OPPORTUNITY TO COMMENT: Reclamation extends the public comment period fo... >From the Bureau of Reclamation: The Bureau of Reclamation has extended the 60-day public comment period for the ... | | | -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From tstokely at att.net Sun Nov 10 18:54:33 2019 From: tstokely at att.net (Tom Stokely) Date: Mon, 11 Nov 2019 02:54:33 +0000 (UTC) Subject: [env-trinity] Big California water agency steps back from Shasta expansion. Environmentalists still worry References: <1804947382.2478290.1573440873488.ref@mail.yahoo.com> Message-ID: <1804947382.2478290.1573440873488@mail.yahoo.com> https://www.sacbee.com/news/local/environment/article237165159.html Big California water agency steps back from Shasta expansion. Environmentalists still worry BY RYAN SABALOW?AND ? DALE KASLER NOVEMBER 08, 2019 12:11 PM,?UPDATED NOVEMBER 08, 2019 05:36 PM - https://www.sacbee.com/news/local/environment/article237165159.html#storylink=cpy The nation?s largest water agency signed an agreement that legally bars it from participating in a controversial plan to raise Shasta Dam, a move applauded by environmental groups that fiercely opposed the proposal out of fears enlarging the state?s biggest reservoir would swamp a stretch of a protected Northern California river and flood sites sacred to a Native American tribe. Late Thursday, Westlands Water District signed a legal settlement with California Attorney General Xavier Becerra that?prohibits the water district?from working in a formal way on planning to raise Shasta Dam near Redding.? Westlands? participation is considered crucial to the project?s coming to fruition. TOP ARTICLES????One dead and one injured following suspected DUI?crash in Elk Grove, authorities say However, Westlands general manager Tom Birmingham said the settlement doesn?t completely end Westlands? potential involvement in the project. He said Westlands is still allowed to launch a study ?in the abstract? of whether raising the dam would harm the McCloud River, as environmentalists and state officials argue. ?We have not formally backed away from the project,? he said.? If Westlands? study shows the project wouldn?t hurt the river, Birmingham said Westlands would then have to decide whether to jump back into the formal planning process. He acknowledged that if Westlands decides to resume planning, it will get sued again. Raising Shasta Dam has been on the books, and highly controversial, for years. California officials say it would?violate the state?s Wild and Scenic Rivers Act,?and the Obama administration tabled the project over funding questions. But President Donald Trump?s administration has?tried to move the project forward. Shasta Dam holds back the state?s largest reservoir. The water stored inside its 400 miles of shoreline supplies farms and cities across the Central Valley. Raising the dam 18 feet, as federal officials have proposed, would expand Shasta Lake?s storage capacity by 14 percent, or 634,000 acre-feet ? providing the potential for increased water deliveries to downstream agencies such as Westlands. Under current federal law, the Bureau of Reclamation, which operates Shasta, can?t raise the dam unless local water agencies contribute half the money ? and so far Westlands is the only agency that has publicly said it wanted to contribute to the $1.3 billion project. Westlands, which serves farmers across more than a half-million acres of land in Fresno and Kings counties, had been pushing for the project for years, even spending $35 million in 2007 to buy a seven-mile stretch of land along the McCloud River in an effort to derail any local opposition. The settlement filed Thursday specifically prohibits Westlands from buying any more real estate to make the project a reality. Earlier this summer a judge in Shasta County Superior Court issued an injunction temporarily halting Westlands from helping plan the project. After the California Supreme Court refused to hear Westlands? appeal in late September, Westlands signaled it was?bailing out on the project, announcing it was halting participation in environmental reviews. Environmentalists said they hoped Westlands? departure would end the dam project once and for all, but weren?t sure. ?Time will tell. Some of these really bad water projects ? seem to be like zombies,? said John McManus of the Golden State Salmon Association. ?We kill them but sometime later they seem to pop back to life.? He said the project would hurt salmon runs on the Sacramento River by allowing the reservoir to hold back more water needed to prop up struggling fish populations. Ron Stork of Friends of the River gave the dam-raising project a ?50-50? chance of being dead for good. ?If Westlands chooses to drop the project, then any other water district in California could pick it up,? Stork said. ?But they?d face the same or similar legal thicket that Westlands did.? He said it?s also possible the federal government could say, ?We don?t need your stinkin? permits? from the state of California and just try to go it alone.? The project is still being pursued by the Trump administration. ?Reclamation continues to explore options with several non-Federal cost-share partners to implement the project,? U.S. Bureau of Reclamation spokesman Jeffrey Hawk said Friday in an emailed statement that didn?t specify which agencies are in talks. Westlands officials have long argued the project would cause minimal environmental harm.? A 2015 feasibility study by the U.S. Interior Department said the inundation would run 3,500 feet upriver, only about two-thirds of a mile of the lower McCloud River where it flows into Shasta Lake. The stretch of the McCloud in question also already lies between two dams, Shasta and McCloud. The latter holds back a small reservoir 17 miles upstream from the Westlands property. Westlands officials do acknowledge raising the dam would flood sites sacred to the Winnemem Wintu Tribe, but they contend it would only happen in the rare winters and springs when the lake is full. Attorney General Becerra Secures Settlement Against Westlands Water District for Unlawful Participation in Shasta Dam Project >From the California Attorney General Xavier Becerra: California Attorney General Xavier Becerra today announced a proposed settlement against Westlands Water District (Westlands) resolving allegations that Westlands violated California law by illegally participating in a project to?raise the height of the Shasta Dam. The proposed?settlement would bar Westlands from any attempt to move forward with the project?that?would pose significant adverse effects on the free-flowing condition of the McCloud River and on its wild trout fishery. The river and fishery retain special statutory protections under the California Wild and Scenic Rivers Act. The Act prohibits any agency of the State of California, such as Westlands, from assisting or cooperating with actions to raise the Shasta Dam. The settlement, filed in the Shasta County Superior Court, resolves Attorney General Becerra?s?lawsuit filed on?May 13, 2019, alleging that Westlands? participation in the project was in violation of the Act. In addition to the lawsuit filed by Attorney General Becerra, a coalition represented by Earthjustice filed a separate suit, which is also resolved as part of the settlement today. The coalition includes Friends of the River, Pacific Coast Federation of Fishermen?s Associations, Institute for Fisheries Resources, Natural Resources Defense Council, Defenders of Wildlife, Sierra Club, and Golden State Salmon Association. ?This unlawful project would have hurt the McCloud River, and the communities and species that depend on it,??said Attorney General Becerra.??Westlands? attempt to engage in this process violated the California Wild and Scenic Rivers Act. In spite of this, the District attempted to force its way forward. We applaud the court for blocking this project and are thankful that this matter has come to a close. You might have?friends in Washington D.C., but that doesn?t place you?above the law.? ?Westlands illegally tried to get around California law, and the courts said no,??said John McManus of the Golden State Salmon Association.??This agreement is a win for all salmon fishermen because the Sacramento River is the biggest salmon producer in the state and would be badly damaged by the raising of the dam. It?s also a win for all Californians who care about clean water and fish.? The settlement resolves allegations that Westlands unlawfully assumed lead agency status for the $1.3 billion project and allocated over $1 million for the preparation of an Environmental Impact Report under the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) as part of its planning to become a 50 percent cost-sharing partner with the federal government. Under the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act,?Westlands?is prohibited from planning, funding, or assisting with any project that could adversely affect the McCloud?River?s flow or its fishery.?Federal studies of the proposal concluded that raising the dam would increase the already-flooded portion of the lower McCloud River by 39 percent. As a result of the lawsuits, on July 29, 2019, the court granted a preliminary injunction that halted Westlands? continued participation in the project and led to Westlands withdrawing its CEQA notice. Today?s settlement would bar the district from undertaking any action that would constitute planning or construction to raise the Shasta Dam including: - Initiating preparation of an environmental impact report or other environmental review document as part of the CEQA process; - Entering into any agreement to fund, directly or indirectly, activities intended to raise the dam; - Entering into any agreement that would assist any agency of the federal, state, or local government in planning or construction to raise the dam; or - Acquiring any property to facilitate the raising of the dam. A copy of the settlement can be found?here. Fishing and Conservation Groups Hold Up Illegal Plan to Raise Shasta Dam | | | | | | | | | | | Fishing and Conservation Groups Hold Up Illegal Plan to Raise Shasta Dam This week, a coalition of fishing and conservation groups represented by Earthjustice signed a stipulation with ... | | | FISHING AND CONSERVATION GROUPS HOLD UP ILLEGAL PLAN TO RAISE SHASTA DAM? New agreement limits water district?s support for the projectNOVEMBER 8, 2019Fresno, California ?? This week, a coalition of fishing and conservation groups represented by Earthjustice?signed a stipulation?with Westlands Water District that stymies the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation?s plan to raise Shasta Dam, a?destructive project that would harm the protected McCloud River, take water from imperiled ecosystems and fish, and flood sacred sites of the Winnemem Wintu Tribe. In the signed stipulation, Westlands, the largest agricultural water district in the country, and a major beneficiary of federal dams, agreed not to take unlawful actions in support of Reclamation?s ill-conceived project. ?This is an important step in our fight to stop the Trump administration from running roughshod over California?s environment,? said?Ron Stork of Friends of the River, a California river protection organization that opposes the dam raise. The agreement is the result of three complementary lawsuits filed earlier this year after Westlands initiated a California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) process, signaling that it planned to enter into an agreement to help fund the destructive dam raise. Represented by Earthjustice, Friends of the River, Golden State Salmon Association, the Pacific Coast Federation of Fishermen?s Associations, the Institute for Fisheries Resources, the Sierra Club, Defenders of Wildlife, and the Natural Resources Defense Council?filed a lawsuit in May 2019?alleging that Westlands was violating the California Wild and Scenic Rivers Act. That law that protects the free-flowing McCloud River, which is home to a world-class trout fishery and sacred tribal sites still in use today. The State of California filed a similar case on the same day, and North Coast Rivers Alliance (NCRA) and San Francisco Crab Boat Owners Association filed an additional lawsuit in July. After the California Supreme Court affirmed?a preliminary injunction?preventing Westlands from taking?any action that constitutes planning related to the Shasta Dam raise, Westlands halted its CEQA process. The State of California and NCRA also signed stipulations with Westlands this week. In each of the stipulations, Westlands has agreed not to resume the CEQA process, enter into any agreement to fund the dam raise or to assist with the planning or construction of the dam raise, or acquire additional real property to facilitate the dam raise, to the extent doing so would violate the law. ?Westlands illegally tried to get around California law, and the courts said no,? said?John McManus of the Golden State Salmon Association. ?This agreement is a win for all salmon fishermen because the Sacramento River is the biggest salmon producer in the state and would be badly damaged by the raising of the dam. It?s also a win for all Californians who care about clean water and fish.? ?We entered into this agreement because it throws a wrench in Reclamation?s plan to raise Shasta Dam, which is a salmon killing project that threatens millions of fish and thousands of jobs by trapping the Sacramento River behind an even bigger concrete curtain,? said?Noah Oppenheim of the Pacific Coast Federation of Fishermen?s Associations. Anna Stimmel, an Earthjustice attorney?representing the coalition stated, ?Going forward, Earthjustice will remain vigilant with our clients and partners to ensure that Westlands and the Trump administration don?t violate the law and put the interests of corporate agriculture over the interests of the environment, fishermen, and tribes.? According to a?timeline posted on Reclamation?s website, before the three lawsuits were filed, Reclamation had planned to secure a cost-share partner by August 2019 and make a decision about the project by September 2019 so that is could award construction contracts by the end of 2019. Reclamation has missed these deadlines, and it is unclear whether it will move forward with the project.?The U.S. Secretary of the Interior is a former Westlands lobbyist, and the Trump administration has been keen to revive the project after it was shelved under Obama. If Reclamation does proceed, the State of California and fishing and conservation groups will be watching, and they are ready for the fight. | | | | | | | | | | | The Interior Secretary Wants to Enlarge a Dam. An Old Lobbying Client Wo... David Bernhardt is backing a plan to raise the height of the Shasta Dam in California even though his department... | | | ?This unlawful project would have hurt the McCloud River, and the communities and species that depend on it,? said?Attorney General Becerra. ?Westlands? attempt to engage in this process violated the California Wild and Scenic Rivers Act. In spite of this, the District attempted to force its way forward. We applaud the court for blocking this project and are thankful that this matter has come to a close. You might have friends in Washington, D.C., but that doesn?t place you above the law.? ?This stipulation helps ensure this harmful project ? which does not meaningfully contribute to water security for all Californians ? is never built.? said?Drevet Hunt of the Natural Resources Defense Council. ?But the fight is not over,? Hunt continued, ?it?s time for California to invest in alternatives, like urban and agricultural efficiency, stormwater capture, and water recycling projects that reduce our unsustainable reliance on the Sacramento River and help to restore California?s valuable salmon fisheries.? -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From danielbacher at fishsniffer.com Sun Nov 10 22:38:39 2019 From: danielbacher at fishsniffer.com (Daniel Bacher) Date: 11 Nov 2019 01:38:39 -0500 Subject: [env-trinity] Groups slam Trump administration's sweetheart water deal with Westlands Water District In-Reply-To: <1804947382.2478290.1573440873488@mail.yahoo.com> References: <1804947382.2478290.1573440873488.ref@mail.yahoo.com> <1804947382.2478290.1573440873488@mail.yahoo.com> Message-ID: http://www.elkgrovenews.net/2019/11/groups-slam-trump-administrations.html https://www.dailykos.com/story/2019/11/8/1898102/-Groups-condemn-Trump-administration-s-sweetheart-water-deal-with-Westlands-Water-District Groups slam Trump administration's sweetheart water deal with Westlands Water District By Dan Bacher Conservation, environmental justice and public interest groups today responded with outrage to an Associated Press report that Secretary David Bernhardt?s Interior Department is poised to award one of the first contracts for federal water ?in perpetuity? to the powerful Westlands Water District - Bernhardt?s former lobby client and largest agricultural water district in the U.S. A draft Bureau of Reclamation contract dated October 22 reveals that Interior plans to deliver Westlands up to 1.15 million acre-feet of water a year, more than double the water supply used by the City of Los Angeles in 2018, according to Roll Call. The contract is subject to a 60-day public comment period that will close over Christmas. ?Other water districts have asked the department for similar deals but the bureau has so far only completed Westlands? contract,? according to Roll Call: www.rollcall.com/... Interior spokesperson Carol Danko claimed that Bernhardt played no role in the decision to grant the contract to the controversial water agency, his former lobby client, but public trust advocates disagree. The Western Values Project today slammed Bernhardt for his ?clear conflicts of interest? in the water deal. ?Despite Bernhardt?s clear conflicts of interest and his involvement in decisions that are currently under investigation for ethics violations, he can?t stop carrying water for his powerful former client,? said Jayson O?Neill, Deputy Director of Western Values Project. ?The flood gates of corruption flow through Bernhardt, who has manipulated scientific studies, prioritized resources, and tasked staff all to benefit a former client at the expense of the public. Bernhardt?s level of corruption may only be eclipsed by that of his boss, but that should not prevent Congress from initiating an investigation immediately.? Salmon advocates also expressed their opposition to the water deal between Westlands and Interior, since guaranteeing more Northern California water will only further imperil struggling runs of salmon and steelhead on the Sacramento, Joaquin, Trinity and Klamath rivers. "Save California Salmon is strongly opposed to this sweetheart contract,? said Regina Chichizola, Save California Salmon's co-director, in a statement. ?Westlands Water District not only diverts California's coldest salmon rivers to the desert hundreds of miles away, they use it to water crops on California's poisoned lands." "Climate change impacts to our rivers and possible impacts to Tribal water rights makes locking in these diversions unacceptable. Much of Westlands' crops are exported, but their diversions and pollution are largely responsible for killing off Northern California's salmon, and their discharges are polluting our drinking water. We should be retiring some of Westlands lands and protecting our rivers, not promising an endless contract to Westlands because they are Bernhardt's buddies,? stated Chichizola. In response to the report, Barbara Barrigan-Parrilla, executive director of Restore the Delta, urged Governor Newsom ?to condemn the conflict of interest between Secretary Bernhardt and Westlands Water District reported today by Ellen Knickmeyer of the Associated Press.? ?This corrupt water giveaway from Bernhardt, Westlands' former lobbyist, is undermining the voluntary agreement process being led by the Newsom administration. We can never achieve what is best for Delta flows with non-stop water giveaways to the Westlands Water District through a perpetual water contract and behind the scenes wheeling and dealing. It's time for Governor Newsom to step-up and do what is best for the San Francisco Bay-Delta estuary. The voluntary agreement process must be transparent, not only within state processes, but at the federal level. And it must include impacted parties from the Delta,? she stated. In her article Knickmeyer said, ?The Interior Department is proposing to award one of the first contracts for federal water in perpetuity to a powerful rural California water district that had long employed Secretary David Bernhardt as a lobbyist?.Bernhardt served as a lobbyist for Westlands until 2016, the year before he joined Interior, initially as deputy secretary.? ?The Interior Department needs to look out for the public interest, and not just serve the financial interests of their former lobbying clients,? Rep. Jared Huffman, a Democrat from California,? told Knickmeyer. Bernhardt?s plan to award the sweetheart deal to Westlands has been proposed at a critical time for Delta smelt, Sacramento River winter Chinook salmon, steelhead and other fish populations that depend on a healthy Bay-Delta Estuary to survive and thrive. The Delta smelt is moving closer and extinction, due to a combination of massive water exports to San Joaquin Valley agribusiness operations and toxic water releases into the San Joaquin River and San Francisco Bay-Delta. The California Department of Fish and Wildlife found, for the first time ever, ZERO Delta smelt in their Fall Midwater Trawl Survey throughout the Delta in the fall of 2018. Again, in September and October of 2019, the CDFW has caught zero Delta smelt in the annual trawl. The smelt, an indicator species that shows the health of the estuary, was once the most numerous fish in the entire Delta, numbering in the millions. Now they are in peril of becoming extinct in the wild, due to the failure by the state and federal governments to take action. The full implications of Governor Gavin Newsom's veto of Senate Bill 1, a bill designed to protect endangered fish from attacks on federal laws by Trump administration, could not be clearer: Newsom has left the path open for the Trump administration to eviscerate protections for Delta smelt, salmon, steelhead and other fish species under federal law. Newsom?s veto of SB 1 appears to be in response to the big donations he has received from Big Ag. The total contributions from agriculture in Newsom's 2018 campaign for Governor were $637,398, including $116,800 from Beverly Hills agribusiness tycoons Stewart and Lynda Resnick, owners of the Wonderful Company and the largest orchard fruit growers in the world. Agribusiness tycoons are among the most strident supporters of the voluntary agreements and the Delta Tunnel ? and are among the strongest proponents of attacks on the Endangered Species Act, a landmark federal environmental law that SB 1 would have protected. For more information, read my Sacramento News and Review article: www.newsreview.com/. In other Westlands Water District news, California Attorney General Xavier Becerra today announced a proposed settlement against Westlands resolving allegations that Westlands violated California law by illegally participating in a project to raise the height of the Shasta Dam: www.dailykos.com/ ? ?This unlawful project would have hurt the McCloud River, and the communities and species that depend on it,? said Attorney General Becerra. ?Westlands? attempt to engage in this process violated the California Wild and Scenic Rivers Act. In spite of this, the District attempted to force its way forward. We applaud the court for blocking this project and are thankful that this matter has come to a close. You might have friends in Washington D.C., but that doesn?t place you above the law.? -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: BernhardtDavid.jpg Type: image/jpeg Size: 11100 bytes Desc: not available URL: From klamathtrinityriver at gmail.com Wed Nov 13 13:52:17 2019 From: klamathtrinityriver at gmail.com (Regina Chichizola) Date: Wed, 13 Nov 2019 13:52:17 -0800 Subject: [env-trinity] California Salmon Action Alerts and News: Humboldt BOS Trinity Meeting 12/10, Delta Selenium Permit 10/5, Petition: California, Fight the Trump Water Plan and Westlands Contract and Latest News Message-ID: California Salmon News And Action Alerts Action Alerts- Please Share - Testify At the Humboldt Board of Supervisors meeting on the Trinity River and Sites Reservoir Dec. 10th, - Testify for Clean Water: No Selenium in Our Rivers, Delta and Bay: 25 Year Discharge Permit Meeting, Dec. 5th, - Change.org Petition: Ask Newsom to Fight Trump Water Plan and Westlands Permit News: - Groups slam Trump administration's sweetheart water deal with Westlands Water District - California fights Trump on everything ? except water - Trump Plan Weakens Protections for California Fish, Divers Water to Farms - LA Times Editorial: Dead dogs and toxic fish: Welcome to Stockton a City choking on California Water Policy Action Alert ? Tell the Humboldt County Board of Supervisors to Withdraw Support for Sites Reservoir and Protect Trinity River on Dec. 10! More info at https://www.facebook.com/events/458453541694465/ or https://www.californiasalmon.org/ Please attend the Humboldt County Board of Supervisors meeting on Tuesday, December 10, 2019 at 9 am, 825 Fifth Street, Eureka. Check the Board?s agenda for a specific morning time at https://humboldt.legistar.com/Calendar.aspx ) and arrive early to get through security. Encourage the Board of Supervisors to approve sending two letters to the Sites Project Authority and the Bureau of Reclamation. The first letter to the Sites Project Authority withdraws the Board?s conditional support for the proposed Sites Reservoir in the western Sacramento Valley until a specific condition is placed on the project?s water rights to not take water from the Trinity River, to protect Humboldt County?s 1959 water contract with the Bureau of Reclamation for 50,000 acre-feet of Trinity River water, and to protect the 2017 Lower Klamath River Record of Decision that provides Trinity River water In drier years to prevent a repeat of the catastrophic 2002 Lower Klamath River adult salmon fish kill. The second letter requests that the Bureau of Reclamation and the Sites Project Authority issue a supplemental/recirculated Draft Environmental Impact Statement/Report (DEIS/EIR) because of faulty modeling regarding the Trinity River. The 2016 DEIS/EIR hides adverse temperature impacts to the Trinity River in drier years, does not account for Humboldt County?s 1959 50,000 acre-foot water contract for Trinity River water. Please come out and email and call these representatives and ask them to support the resolutions: Supervisor Estelle Fennell: 707-476-2392 efennell at co.humboldt.ca.us Supervisor Virginia Bass: 707-476-2394 vbass at co.humboldt.ca.us Supervisor Rex Bohn: 476-2391 rbohn at co.humboldt.ca.us Testify for Clean Water: Say No to the 25 Year Permit to Discharge Selenium into Our Rivers, Delta and Bay Thursday, Dec. 5 9am Central Valley Regional Water Quality Control Board 11020 Sun Center Drive, #200, Rancho Cordova, California More information at https://www.facebook.com/events/2438402193047340/ or https://www.californiasalmon.org/ It is time to stand up for our drinking water and fish. After two decades of promises to cease toxic discharges of selenium and other contaminants into the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta, the Bureau of Reclamation and the Regional Board are poised to allow another quarter century of continued toxic discharges into the Delta through permitting the Grasslands Bypass Project "GBP" These toxic discharges come from piping water from agriculture drains in California's "poisoned lands" in the East San Joaquin Valley to the San Joaquin River. Fish and Wildlife Service has said some of these lands are so toxic that retiring them is the only way to control their pollution. In the 80's these discharges caused major birth defects in birds in the Kesterson refuge. Now they now discharged into the San Joaquin River above where millions of Californians' drinking water comes from. There is even a proposal to pipe agriculture waste water to the SF Bay. These discharges, which contain not only selenium but also boron and pesticides, frequently exceed violate water quality standards and have lead to water quality violates as far away as the San Francisco Bay. PLEASE COME TESTIFY AGAINST THE GRASSLANDS BYPASS PERMIT ON DECEMBER 5TH! If your drinking water or fish come from the Bay Delta or SF Bay you could consume this agriculture pollution. Do not let California permit decades more of relaxed standards will impact the entire aquatic food chain, endangered and commercially harvested salmon, migratory birds, recreational fisheries, and communities that rely on the Delta for drinking water. Petition: Gov. Newsom: Support Tribes, Cities, and Fish: Fight Trump Water Plan and Westlands' Contract https://www.change.org/p/newsom-support-tribes-cities-and-fish-fight-the-trump-water-plan-and-westlands-contract Last month Governor Newson issued proclamation declaring October 14, 2019, as ?Indigenous Peoples? Day? in the State of California. In this proclamation he acknowledged that native people were stewards of land before the conquest of California. We thank the governor for the proclamation, however last month on California Native American Day the governor also vetoed legislation (SB 1) that could have helped the state protect our salmon from Trump?s environmental rollbacks. This is unacceptable. We need more than lip serve from the governor. We need action. We need the Governor to protect California's Tribes, Cities and Fishermen. We need California to Fight the Trump Water Plan and the proposed permanent contract for Westlands Water District. For California?s Tribes water and salmon are life. For California's Fishermen and coastal towns salmon are their livelihood. For most of the state these threatened rivers feed their drinking water supply. Read Westlands' Proposed Contract at https://www.usbr.gov/mp/wiin-act/docs/usbr-westlands-draft-wiin-act-contract-public-comment-period-10-22-19.pdf Latest News on the Trump Water Plan and Proposed Permanent Contract for Westlands Water District: *Groups slam Trump administration's sweetheart water deal with Westlands Water District * Dan Bacher "Save California Salmon is strongly opposed to this sweetheart contract,? said Regina Chichizola, Save California Salmon's co-director, in a statement. ?Westlands Water District not only diverts California's coldest salmon rivers to the desert hundreds of miles away, they use it to water crops on California's poisoned lands." https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2019/11/8/1898102/-Groups-condemn-Trump-administration-s-sweetheart-water-deal-with-Westlands-Water-District?fbclid=IwAR2vjG7U9fhvowq8LD9yAHTdRpV_ME1ITjj3kIK80B6OLqbJZjHKxIATnwU *Trump Plan Weakens Protections for California Fish, Divers Water to Farms* ?In July, those scientists found that the increased water pumping would "jeopardize" the existence of salmon and other species. Before that document was released, the Trump Administration brought in a new team of federal attorneys and decision makers to work on the rules, removing the biologists who had previously worked on it.In its final plan, the Trump administration finds the increased water pumping would not jeopardize the existence of salmon or delta smelt.? https://www.npr.org/2019/10/22/772391421/trump-plan-weakens-protections-for-california-fish-diverts-water-to-farms California fights Trump on everything ? except water ?Newsom normally revels in rebuking Trump, but the governor shocked environmentalists last month with the speed with which he essentially sided with the president by blocking legislation that could have stopped Trump's endangered species rollbacks.? https://www.politico.com/states/california/story/2019/10/21/california-fights-trump-on-everything-except-water-1225729 LA Times Editorial: Dead dogs and toxic fish: Welcome to Stockton, a city choking on California water policy ?The contest is not farms versus fish. It is money versus people, political clout versus the powerless, the haves versus the have-nots."? https://www.latimes.com/opinion/story/2019-11-12/stockton-suffers-from-california-water-policy?fbclid=IwAR0MkcJl09KXcAkBPE_JF20unrBdCIZWyfpH3RbHPwcVAMX5iI5lghjeZvc Thank You for Taking Action for California's Salmon and Clean Drinking Water! Questions can be directed to Regina Chichizola at regina at californiasalmon.org or Morning Star Gali at Mstargali at gmail.com. All public meeting information is subject to change. Please check our website and facebook page for more information. -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From danielbacher at fishsniffer.com Sun Nov 10 22:45:39 2019 From: danielbacher at fishsniffer.com (Daniel Bacher) Date: 11 Nov 2019 01:45:39 -0500 Subject: [env-trinity] Reclamation releases Westlands water contract exhibits that opponents say are 'vague placeholders' In-Reply-To: <344522474.2486827.1573439935881@mail.yahoo.com> References: <344522474.2486827.1573439935881.ref@mail.yahoo.com> <344522474.2486827.1573439935881@mail.yahoo.com> Message-ID: https://www.dailykos.com/story/2019/11/10/1898465/-Reclamation-releases-permanent-water-contract-exhibits-that-opponents-say-are-vague-placeholders Reclamation releases Westlands water contract exhibits that opponents say are 'vague placeholders? By Dan Bacher In response to a letter sent by fishing and environmental groups on October 29 and the reporting on the Westlands Water District?s permanent 1.15 million acre feet contract, the Bureau of Reclamation on Friday announced that it has released the Westlands draft repayment contract and has extended the 60-day public comment period until January 8, 2020. Conservation, environmental justice and public interest groups responded with outrage on November 8 to media report s that Secretary David Bernhardt?s Interior Department is poised to award one of the first contracts for federal water ?in perpetuity? to the powerful Westlands Water District - the largest agricultural water district in the U.S. and Bernhardt?s former lobby client. The draft Bureau of Reclamation contract dated October 22 shows that Interior plans to deliver Westlands up to 1.15 million acre-feet of water a year, more than double the water supply used by the City of Los Angeles in 2018, according to Roll Call. ?This draft contract provides project water service and facilities repayment pursuant to the Water Infrastructure Improvements for the Nation Act (WIIN Act).Section 4011 of the WIIN Act directs Reclamation to convert water service and existing repayment contracts for construction costs prepayments upon the contractor?s request,? Reclamation said in its annoucement. The contract is available at: https://www.usbr.gov/mp/wiin-act/negotiated-conversion-contracts.html Public trust advocates were not impressed with the contract exhibits released. ?The contract exhibits are vague placeholders,? said Patricia Schifferle of Pacific Advocates. ?It remains impossible to evaluate this permanent water contract without the completed exhibits and compliance with NEPA, ESA and CWA provisions.? ?These impacts remain unknown along with impacts to other CVP and SWP contractors from this large permanent water contract that exports from the San Francisco Bay Sacramento San Joaquin Delta Estuary and Trinity River watersheds where the water is taken,? concluded Schifferle. Salmon advocates blasted the water deal between Westlands and Interior, since guaranteeing more Northern California water to Westlands in permanent contracts will only further imperil struggling runs of salmon and steelhead on the Sacramento, Joaquin, Trinity and Klamath rivers. "Save California Salmon is strongly opposed to this sweetheart contract,? said Regina Chichizola, Save California Salmon's co-director, in a statement Friday. ?Westlands Water District not only diverts California's coldest salmon rivers to the desert hundreds of miles away, they use it to water crops on California's poisoned lands." "Climate change impacts to our rivers and possible impacts to Tribal water rights makes locking in these diversions unacceptable. Much of Westlands' crops are exported, but their diversions and pollution are largely responsible for killing off Northern California's salmon, and their discharges are polluting our drinking water. We should be retiring some of Westlands lands and protecting our rivers, not promising an endless contract to Westlands because they are Bernhardt's buddies,? stated Chichizola. Written comments must be received by close of business on January 8, 2020, and sent to Erma Leal, Bureau of Reclamation, South-Central California Area Office, 1243 N Street, Fresno, CA 93721, or faxed to 559-262-0371 <>, or emailed to eleal at usbr.gov . For more information, read my piece: www.dailykos.com/... Below is the text of the letter from fishing and environmental groups: October 29, 2019 Ernest A. Conant, Mid-Pacific Regional Director, 2800 Cottage Way, Sacramento, CA 95825. Via Email and Regular Mail Re: Westlands WD Conversion Contract for 1.15 MAF Exhibits under the WIIN Act ? 4011. Dear Mr. Conant, Via Email and Regular Mail Re: Westlands WD Conversion Contract for 1.15 MAF Exhibits under the WIIN Act ? 4011. Dear Mr. Conant, On October 24, 2019, the Bureau of Reclamation (BuRec) publicly noticed a permanent contract between BuRec, and the Westlands Water District (Westlands). A 60 day public comment period was initiated and days are presently counting down. There is are two significant problems. First, according to published BurRec rules, water contracts are required to be negotiated pursuant to an open, public process in accordance with Reclamation law and regulation. The pending water contract between BuRec and Westlands was required to be negotiated pursuant to such a process. Westlands could not provide any documentation of public notice for the negotiations. Please provide all documents related to the public negotiation process, including, but not limited to: 1) Copies of the Federal Register notice(s) for each meeting. 2) Copies of all press announcement(s) for each meeting. 3) Copies of all draft contracts and complete set of documents related thereto. 4) Copies of all correspondence (regardless of the method ? letter, email, report, facebook, instant message, etc.) between WWD and the US Department of the Interior, including but not limited to (a) the Office of the Secretary and Deputy Secretary; (b) the office of the Solicitor; and/or (c) theBureau of Reclamation in Fresno, Sacramento, Denver, Washington, DC and other offices as appropriate. 5) Copies of all legal, financial, hydrological and programmatic analyses provided by either party or commented upon by same. 6) A copy of the legal sufficiency determination ? a legal statement by DOI/SOL/BuRec that the proposed contract is consistent with the San Luis Act of June, 1960. Second, according to the BurRec notice, a comment period was initiated. A complete set of contract documents, as approved and supporting materials are not available. We contacted Westlands to provide a complete set of contracting documents including the listed exhibits, A- D. According to Westlands, they assert that they do not have a complete set of contract documents. And specifically they do not have the referenced exhibits A-D. BuRec has not posted or otherwise made available the same documents. No water interest can prepare or submit meaningful comments without a full and complete set of documents. In light of these circumstances, we request the following: Public notice of the 60 day comment period be withdrawn. The Comment period, initiated by the notice, be halted. BuRec and WWD now release: A. All supporting documents related to the water services contract B. All justification documents, including legal analyses C. All correspondence between WWD and/or their agents or representatives We attempted to obtain these documents, but were referred to a lengthy Freedom of Information Process which would effectively preclude public comment and participation. If Reclamation included any provisions in this proposed contract that are atypical, unusual or in conflict with established Reclamation policy, please identify such provisions are provide details explanations and all legal analyses. If the public process for participation and observation of the contract negotiations was waived, please provide a justification for nullifying the public contract requirements. We look forward to your prompt response. Under the current public clock comments are due December 24, 2019. These documents are essential to understanding how and if BuRec will enforce the Congressional directives to avoid land speculation and prevent water monopoly. Jonas Minton, Senior Water Policy Advisor, Planning and Conservation League jminton, at pcl.org Noah Oppenheim, Executive Director, Pacific Coast Federation of Fishermen?s Association, noah at ifrfish.org Kathryn Phillips, Director, Sierra Club California, kathryn.phillips at sierraclub.org Conner Everts, Executive Director, Environmental Water Caucus, Southern California Watershed AllianceEnvironmental Water Caucus Pietro Parravano, President, Institute for Fisheries Resources, pietro15 at comcast.net Barbara Barrigan-Parrilla, Executive Director, Restore the Delta, Barbara at restorethedelta.org Bill Jennings, Chairman Executive Director, California Sportfishing Protection Alliance, deltakeep at me.com -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: Westlandsmap.jpeg Type: image/jpeg Size: 8885 bytes Desc: not available URL: From steve_gough at fws.gov Thu Nov 14 08:34:36 2019 From: steve_gough at fws.gov (Gough, Steve) Date: Thu, 14 Nov 2019 08:34:36 -0800 Subject: [env-trinity] Trinity River Mainstem Redd Survey Update - November 8, 2019 Message-ID: Steve Gough Fish Biologist U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service Arcata Fish & Wildlife Office 1655 Heindon Road Arcata, CA 95521 *Steve_Gough at fws.gov * (707) 825-5197 -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: TrinityReddUpdate_2019_11_08.pdf Type: application/pdf Size: 970300 bytes Desc: TrinityReddUpdate_2019_11_08.pdf URL: From tstokely at att.net Thu Nov 14 09:42:27 2019 From: tstokely at att.net (Tom Stokely) Date: Thu, 14 Nov 2019 17:42:27 +0000 (UTC) Subject: [env-trinity] Agenda for Special TMC meeting this Friday Nov 15 (tomorrow) References: <562509875.965334.1573753347133.ref@mail.yahoo.com> Message-ID: <562509875.965334.1573753347133@mail.yahoo.com> The TMC has decided that the "Refinements" meetings will be held as Special TMC meetings. There will be a meeting this Friday (tomorrow) in Redding which will be open to the public until?the afternoon. In the morning they will be reviewing and possibly approving language regarding a program purpose and goal. ? They will hold a ?executive session during the afternoon in order to refine specific language of a draft contract for a "Refinements Coordinator".? See?http://www.trrp.net/calendar/event/?id=11654?? Event Details Trinity Management Council (TMC) Special TMC Meeting: TRRP Refinements 2019-11-15 09:00:00 ??to 2019-11-15 Description:?Special TMC Meeting: TRRP Refinements? Location:?Shasta-Trinity National Forest Headquarters 3644 Avtech Pkwy, Redding, CA 96002, USA Point of Contact:?Kevin Held, kheld at usbr.gov, 530-623-1800 ?TRINITY RIVER RESTORATION PROGRAM? Refinements Meeting? November 15, 2019? Location: Shasta-Trinity National Forest Office? 3644 Avtech Pkwy, Redding, CA 96002? Agenda? Time Discussion Leader? 8:00 Gather and Refreshments? 8:30 Welcome and Introductions Justin Ly, Chair? 8:40 Ground Rules, Agenda Review, and Desired Outcomes Justin Ly? 9:00 Refine Purpose, Goals, and Objectives* Chad Smith? 10:00 Break? 10:15 Refine Purpose, Goals, and Objectives * Chad Smith? 11:45 Public Forum Justin Ly? 12:00 Lunch? 12:45 Tribal Perspectives on Whether They?re Getting What They?d HVT and Yurok? Asked for in the Refinements? 1:05 Finalize Scope of Work for Refinements Coordinator Mike Dixon, ED? ***Executive Session***? 1:45 Break? 2:00 Finalize Scope of Work for Refinements Coordinator Mike Dixon? ***Executive Session***? 2:50 Program Updates Mike Dixon? 3:00 Adjourn? *We?ll get as far as the group can accomplish and continue this effort at subsequent meeting(s), as needed or desired.? WebEx: https://trrp.webex.com/trrp/j.php?MTID=md96e8ef4d6881600afe3cff9ce8f8a18? Meeting number: 804 168 087 Password: QbeaiYB6? Conference line: 1-408-792-6300 Access code: 804 168 087 The TMC has decided that, to promote transparency, the "Refinements" meetings will be held as Special TMC meetings. There will be a meeting this Friday in Redding which will be open to the public until?the afternoon. In the morning they will be reviewing and possibly approving language regarding a program purpose and goal; we will move into executive session during the afternoon in order to refine specific language of a draft contract for a "Refinements Coordinator".? Please circulate the link to the agenda to those who you think may be interested:?http://www.trrp.net/calendar/event/?id=11654?? MikeDixon, PhD?| Executive Director?|?Trinity River Restoration Program?|?U. S. Bureau of Reclamation?|?1313 S. Main St., Weaverville, CA 96093?|?530-623-1811 (desk)?|?530-351-4760 (mobile)?|?mdixon at usbr.gov? ?The most dangerous worldview is the worldview of those who have not viewed the world.? - Alexander von Humboldt -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From tstokely at att.net Thu Nov 14 09:48:37 2019 From: tstokely at att.net (Tom Stokely) Date: Thu, 14 Nov 2019 17:48:37 +0000 (UTC) Subject: [env-trinity] Fw: Reclamation Mid-Pacific Region NEPA Notification In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: <2079595284.980484.1573753717602@mail.yahoo.com> ----- Forwarded Message ----- From: "sha-mpr-nepanotice at usbr.gov" Sent: Thursday, November 14, 2019, 09:22:32 AM PSTSubject: Reclamation Mid-Pacific Region NEPA Notification Greetings, The Bureau of Reclamation is making National Environmental Policy Act documents for the following project ? ? Central Valley Project Interim Renewal Contracts for Westlands Water District and Santa Clara Valley Water District 2020-2022 available to the public for review. Please provide your comments by 12/14/2019. To view or download these documents, please visit https://www.usbr.gov/mp/nepa/nepa_project_details.php?Project_ID=41301 To modify your notification preferences, or to stop receiving these notifications, please visit https://www.usbr.gov/mp/nepa/index.php -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From MaryClaire.Kier at wildlife.ca.gov Thu Nov 14 10:05:54 2019 From: MaryClaire.Kier at wildlife.ca.gov (Kier, Mary Claire@Wildlife) Date: Thu, 14 Nov 2019 18:05:54 +0000 Subject: [env-trinity] 2019 CDFW Trinity River Project trapping summary through Julian week 45 Message-ID: Greetings! Attached please find the TRP trapping summary through JW45 (November 11). We saw a little bounce on the numbers at WCW this past week, unfortunately the numbers at TRH continue to tank. 'Still hoping for rain to mobilize those steelhead, though I am still getting nice pics of some beauties being caught. Cheers! MC ****************************************************** Mary Claire Kier CA Department of Fish and Wildlife - Trinity River Project Environmental Scientist - Fisheries 707/822-5876 5341 Ericson Way, Arcata CA 95521 ****************************************************** Klamath/Trinity Program reports can be found online @ https://nrmsecure.dfg.ca.gov/documents/ContextDocs.aspx?cat=KlamathTrinity -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: 2019 TRP_ trapping_summary_through_JW45.xlsx Type: application/vnd.openxmlformats-officedocument.spreadsheetml.sheet Size: 70839 bytes Desc: 2019 TRP_ trapping_summary_through_JW45.xlsx URL: From tstokely at att.net Fri Nov 15 16:01:17 2019 From: tstokely at att.net (Tom Stokely) Date: Sat, 16 Nov 2019 00:01:17 +0000 (UTC) Subject: [env-trinity] =?utf-8?q?East_Bay_Times_Editorial=3A_Protect_Calif?= =?utf-8?q?ornia=E2=80=99s_water=2C_kill_the_sleazy_Westlands_contract?= References: <1812830898.1701040.1573862477327.ref@mail.yahoo.com> Message-ID: <1812830898.1701040.1573862477327@mail.yahoo.com> http://eastbaytimes.ca.newsmemory.com/?publink=0a6679fd3 Protect California?s water, kill the sleazy Westlands contract? The Westlands Water District has engaged in some sleazy maneuvers over the years, but this one, which threatens the Bay Area?s water supply, tops them all. The Trump administration, led by Interior Department Secretary David Bernhardt, is poised to give a massive quantity of cheap federal water to the Central Valley water district ? the same district that paid Bernhardt?s firm $1.3 million over a five-year period for lobbying services before he took the Interior job. It was Bernhardt?s lobbying efforts on behalf of Westlands that led to Congress in 2016 approving a law that makes the current outrageous water deal possible. The contract would permanently lock in an agreement to give Westlands up to 1.15 million acre-feet of water a year, enough to supply 2 million California families. Every drop of water diverted to Westlands will be at the expense of the health of the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta, which Bay Area businesses and residents rely on for about 40% of their fresh water. Never mind that the threat of climate change increases the chances of drought in future years, reducing water flows into the Delta. And never mind that if Westlands finds itself with any excess water, the deal enables the district to fatten its bank accounts by selling surpluses to other districts. In return, Westlands will pay a little over $300 million to help pay for the dams and canals that transport the water. The public has until Jan. 8 to offer written comments on the agreement. (Comments can be mailed to Emma Leal, Bureau of Reclamation, South-Central California Area Office, 1243 N St., Fresno, CA 93721,?or emailed to eleal at usbr.gov.) Californians should make clear their opposition. Westlands is the largest agricultural water district in the nation. The district likes to portray itself as filled with mom-and-pop family farming operations, but the fact is most of the district?s acreage is owned by large, wealthy corporate enterprises. Westlands farmers have spent millions lobbying for a guaranteed supply of water to irrigate their 600,000 acres of farmland, including about 85,000 acres of almond trees. The Department of Agriculture estimates that California will harvest a record 2.5 billion pounds of almonds in 2019. Westlands farmers claim that they need the water to ?feed America,? but California exports about two-thirds of its almond crop to Asia. And, get this: It takes about a gallon of water to produce every almond. In 2016, in the wake of congressional action on the Flint, Michigan, drinking water crisis, Bernhardt lobbied Congress to add a rider allowing water districts to convert temporary water contracts with the federal government into permanent deals. Now, the Bureau of Reclamation, which is under the Department of Interior, says that Bernhardt was not involved in any way in making the current deal with Westlands. It wants us to believe that it was mere coincidence that the Westlands agreement was the first deal reached under the new law. Californians should pressure the Bureau of Reclamation to kill a deal that puts the interests of wealthy, Big Ag businessmen ahead of the needs of current and future California residents who rely on a healthy Delta for their supply of fresh water. It takes about a gallon of water to grow a single almond in California. Farmers in the state expect to harvest 2.5 billion pounds of almonds this year. BAY AREA NEWS GROUP FILE PHOTO -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From tstokely at att.net Fri Nov 15 16:02:59 2019 From: tstokely at att.net (Tom Stokely) Date: Sat, 16 Nov 2019 00:02:59 +0000 (UTC) Subject: [env-trinity] US COURT OF APPEALS UPHELD SENIOR WATER RIGHTS OF TRIBES References: <572041416.1735639.1573862579233.ref@mail.yahoo.com> Message-ID: <572041416.1735639.1573862579233@mail.yahoo.com> http://kymkemp.com/2019/11/14/today-us-court-of-appeals-upheld-senior-water-rights-of-tribes/?fbclid=IwAR3l51i9Os7qao0fEFD8VOgeETkFunQ88SPZ8ByG8AkXZL8lAIv4XxdbAEc TODAY, US COURT OF APPEALS UPHELD SENIOR WATER RIGHTS OF TRIBES November 14, 2019?Kym Kemp?14 commentsPress release from the Hoopa Valley Tribe: The US Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit today upheld the senior water rights of the Hoopa Valley Tribe and other Tribes in an appeal by Baley v. United States. Baley and other Klamath Irrigation District farmers argued that the federal government took their water without compensation in 2001 when water deliveries were delayed in order to satisfy the needs of endangered fish in Upper Klamath Lake and salmon in the Klamath River. The Court reasoned that because the Tribes? water rights were reserved in the 19th?century, they were entitled to be fulfilled first before the farmers were entitled to any water. ?Baley is an important affirmation of our Tribe?s right to the water to sustain our fisheries,? said Hoopa Valley Tribal Chairman Byron Nelson Jr.? In 2001, farmer protests over reserving water for fish requirements led the federal government to change its regulations and devote more water from the Klamath system in 2002, producing the biggest die-off of adult salmon ever recorded. While water flows as regulated by biological opinions of the federal agencies had been modified several times since then, they continued to be controversial.?However, a long series of federal court rulings has rose general principles of water law in the western states, affirmed the right of senior water rights holders to first priority in water.?The Baley Plaintiffs argued that the long distance between Upper Klamath Lake and the Hoopa Valley and Yurok Reservations insulated the Klamath Project from the Tribes? reserved water rights. The Court disagreed. The Court also ruled that the Hoopa Valley and Yurok Tribes? lack of participation in the State of Oregon water adjudication did not take away their entitlement to water in the Klamath River, noting that Oregon could not have determined California rights. -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From tstokely at att.net Fri Nov 15 16:05:04 2019 From: tstokely at att.net (Tom Stokely) Date: Sat, 16 Nov 2019 00:05:04 +0000 (UTC) Subject: [env-trinity] EE News: Court tosses farmers' takings claim in Klamath battle References: <231536718.1693741.1573862704161.ref@mail.yahoo.com> Message-ID: <231536718.1693741.1573862704161@mail.yahoo.com> https://www.eenews.net/stories/1061548941 PROPERTY RIGHTS Court tosses farmers' takings claim in Klamath battle Jeremy P. Jacobs, E&E News reporter?Greenwire: Thursday, November 14, 2019 The Klamath River in Oregon. A federal court rejected farmers' claims that their property rights were violated when federal regulators cut off water deliveries to save salmon in the river.?Bureau of Land Management Oregon and Washington/Wikimedia Commons A federal appeals court today rejected a claim from farmers in southeastern Oregon that their property rights were violated when federal regulators cut off water deliveries in 2001 to save endangered fish in the Klamath River. The ruling from the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit follows 18 years of litigation stemming from a decision from George W. Bush's administration to cut off water delivery from an irrigation project to safeguard salmon. That decision spurred protests, including some that nearly turned violent. And it spurred lawsuits contending that shutting off water deliveries from the federal Klamath Project amounted to an unconstitutional taking of property without just compensation. In today's?decision, the federal circuit ruled against the remaining challengers in the case. But it sidestepped the sticky issue of whether water diversions for Endangered Species Act protections could be challenged as a taking. Instead, it held that the tribes that have survived off the Klamath River's salmon runs for millennia might have more senior water rights than the farmers. The farmers' "water rights are subordinate to the Tribes' federal reserved water rights," the court ruled. "We therefore see no error in the court's holding that the Bureau of Reclamation's action in temporarily halting deliveries of Klamath Project water in 2001 did not constitute a taking of appellants' property." Beginning in 1905, the precursor to the Bureau of Reclamation constructed the Klamath Project, a system of canals, dams, diversions and tunnels that would ultimately provide irrigation to about 210,000 acres. In 2001, the Bush administration curtailed water deliveries to protect flows in the Klamath River for salmon. The ensuing farmer revolt, which included one group wielding a blowtorch at a diversion head gate, worked. The following year, the Bush administration reversed course, despite persistent drought conditions. By some estimates, up to 70,000 fish died and washed up on the shores of the river (Greenwire, March 13, 2017). Vermont Law School professor John Echeverria, who represented the Natural Resources Defense Council and who tracks takings litigation, said the win is important, though the court did not address the underlying takings issue. "It's a major win for the United States, the tribes, for environmental groups," he said. "It represents a very welcome illustration of how tribal rights can overlap and reinforce environmental interests, and vice versa." Twitter:?@GreenwireJeremy?Email:?jjacobs at eenews.net -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From tstokely at att.net Fri Nov 15 21:25:48 2019 From: tstokely at att.net (Tom Stokely) Date: Sat, 16 Nov 2019 05:25:48 +0000 (UTC) Subject: [env-trinity] Bureau of Reclamation Scraps 2019 Klamath River Water Plan References: <1075263721.1772228.1573881948996.ref@mail.yahoo.com> Message-ID: <1075263721.1772228.1573881948996@mail.yahoo.com> https://wildrivers.lostcoastoutpost.com/2019/nov/15/bureau-reclamation-scraps-2019-klamath-river-water/ Jessica Cejnar / Today @ 3:45 p.m. / Environment, Tribes, Wildlife Bureau of Reclamation Scraps 2019 Klamath River Water Plan The Bureau of Reclamation scrapped a 2019 water plan the Yurok Tribe said was disastrous to Klamath River salmon. Photo: CDFW. The U.S. Bureau of Reclamation announced Friday it would scrap a water plan the Yurok Tribe says led to drought conditions on the Klamath River last spring. >From the Yurok Tribe: Today the Bureau of Reclamation (BOR) announced plans to scrap the disastrous 2019 water plan and start over. Implementation of the 2019 water plan, which began on April 1, 2019, resulted in drought level flows on the Klamath River even as Upper Klamath Lake, which provides water to the River, was flooding. The artificially poor flow conditions contributed to an outbreak of a fatal fish disease in the Klamath River near Iron Gate Dam again during the first weeks under the 2019 plan. Klamath River summer flows had to be sacrificed in order to save salmon from fish disease. The 2019 plan, within the first several months of its implementation, proved to be an utter failure. As a result, the Yurok Tribe and its partners Pacific Coast Federation of Fisherman?s Associations and Institute for Fisheries Resources brought a lawsuit challenging the plan. Aside from the inadequate river flows last spring, the Yurok Tribe cited many problems with the Plan, including a lack of critical review of the hydrologic and biological analyses it was based on. The Tribe conducted a detailed review of various elements of the plan including how salmon habitat was affected by flow reductions. Our review revealed serious and systematic errors in the BOR?s analysis of fish habitat, and this discovery is what has led to the Department of Interior?s (DOI?s) decision to scrap the 2019 plan and reanalyze the effects. ?We had no other choice but to take the Bureau to court because the Klamath BiOp is killing the River.? said Joseph L. James, the Chairman of the Yurok Tribe. ?The Klamath salmon stocks are currently in an extremely fragile state as the fish population is only just now starting to rebound from previous disease outbreaks. The Yurok people depend on the Klamath River?s salmon runs for survival and we should not have to bear the brunt of the agency?s poor decision-making. During the course of the water year, the Yurok Tribe repeatedly sought modification of the Plan to provide higher May-June flows, or barring that, at least the provision of an additional 20,000 acre feet of water for emergency disease management flows.? Although the Yurok Tribe views this as a victory for the River, significant concerns about DOI?s proposed process to update the plan remain. The BOR indicated it intends to develop a new water plan by April 1st. ?We are worried that the rushed process and lack of technical participation by the Yurok Tribe, and others will lead to a repeat of the mistakes that occurred in the 2019 plan.? James said. ?BOR?s actions are an egregious mismanagement of critical public resources and the fishery that we as Yurok People hold sacred? ?The federal government is wisely going back to the drawing board to revamp its unlawful plan for running the river,? said Patti Goldman, Earthjustice managing attorney. ?This time we hope they get it right and provide sufficient flows for Klamath River salmon.? ?Federal irrigation project water policies in the Klamath have been disastrous for the coastal salmon-dependent fishing families we represent,? commented PCFFA Northwest Regional Director Glen Spain. ?The flat-out errors in the current Biological Opinion ? all of them ? must be fixed. Minor tweaks will not prevent widespread salmon extinctions.? Background: When federal agencies conduct major federal actions (such as the implementation of the Klamath Project Operations Plan, they are required by the Endangered Species Act (ESA) to analyze the potential impacts of that action to ESA-listed species such as Coho salmon. This analysis, known as a Biological Assessment (BA) is then reviewed by another federal agency (National Marine Fisheries Service) and a determination is made on whether the proposed action will or will not ?jeopardize the continued existence? of the listed species. This analysis is called a biological opinion (BiOp). The recently implemented Klamath Project Operations BiOp created the environmental conditions that worsened an outbreak of the lethal pathogen Ceratonova Shasta (C. Shasta) infecting an observed majority of this year?s juvenile salmon. For several days in May, the River was at or near drought minima at the same time Upper Klamath Lake was within one half of an inch of flooding. These conditions occurred at the exact same time a serious fish disease outbreak was occurring in the River with no water made available to remediate the outbreak. In May of last year, United States District Court Judge William H. Orrick, in response to a different lawsuit filed by the Tribe, Earth Justice and PCFFA, ordered the BOR to release more water to address another disease outbreak from C. Shasta. There is no provision for additional flows in the current BiOp to address the escalation in infection rates that took place earlier this year. The current lawsuit called for the reinstatement of the 2018 ruling, which would make more water available to prevent further damage to the Coho and Chinook salmon populations. Increased water releases during disease outbreaks reduce disease transmission to fish, speed outmigration away from infection zones, and generally improve water quality. Up until now, high C. Shasta infection rates had mostly occurred in low flow conditions on the upper Klamath River near Iron Gate Dam. For example, during the droughts in 2014 and 2015, observed infection rates among juvenile fish reached 84 and 91 percent. Returning in 2016 and 2017, the salmon runs impacted by the disease were some of the worst on record. To protect the few fish that entered the River, the Tribe canceled its commercial fishery for three years in a row and its subsistence fishery for the first time ever, which caused a tremendous hardship for the Yurok people. ? -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From steve_gough at fws.gov Mon Nov 18 10:42:54 2019 From: steve_gough at fws.gov (Gough, Steve) Date: Mon, 18 Nov 2019 10:42:54 -0800 Subject: [env-trinity] Trinity River Mainstem Redd Survey Update - November 15, 2019 Message-ID: Steve Gough Fish Biologist U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service Arcata Fish & Wildlife Office 1655 Heindon Road Arcata, CA 95521 *Steve_Gough at fws.gov * (707) 825-5197 -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: TrinityReddUpdate_2019_11_15.pdf Type: application/pdf Size: 3095579 bytes Desc: TrinityReddUpdate_2019_11_15.pdf URL: From tstokely at att.net Wed Nov 20 11:20:28 2019 From: tstokely at att.net (Tom Stokely) Date: Wed, 20 Nov 2019 19:20:28 +0000 (UTC) Subject: [env-trinity] Klamath H&N: Water coalition aims to coordinate conservation efforts References: <670488115.4028306.1574277628796.ref@mail.yahoo.com> Message-ID: <670488115.4028306.1574277628796@mail.yahoo.com> https://www.heraldandnews.com/klamath/water-coalition-aims-to-coordinate-conservation-efforts/article_ddde3402-4a52-55aa-8727-00a11c2b8e28.html Water coalition aims to coordinate conservation efforts - By HOLLY DILLEMUTH H&N Staff Reporter ? - Nov 19, 2019 ? - - Facebook - Twitter - Email Subscribe Today! | | | | Herald and News | | | The Coalition of the Willing, a group of about 50 to 60 individuals who represent a wide range of interests related to water in Siskiyou, Modoc, and Klamath counties, has hired a facilitator whose salary is being financed in part by county funds, with pledges made by state and federal entities. The water coalition has been meeting since 2018 and started under the facilitation of Alan Mikkelsen, senior adviser to Secretary of the Interior on water and western resources. Mikkelsen told the Herald and News in an interview Thursday that the coalition met that week in Medford, both separately from him and other aides and then collectively over the course of two days. The group has been meeting in this way since May. ?This is being driven by the stakeholders,? Mikkelsen said. ?We?re just responding to their requests,? he added. Dan Keppen and Craig Tucker informally chair the stakeholders coalition, which includes individuals from numerous organizations: counties, water user organizations above Upper Klamath Lake, and within the Klamath Project; irrgigators from the Rogue Valley, Klamath, Yurok, and Hoopa Valley tribes; waterfowl and fisheries conservation groups, as well as representatives from Oregon and California Farm Bureaus, and Klamath County Chamber of Commerce and other business representatives from the Basin. Mediator hired The group this year hired Rich Wilson, a professional mediator from the Sacramento area, who has also worked with Siskiyou County Board of Supervisors on groundwater issues, according to Keppen. Keppen is co-chairing the group as a resident of the Klamath Basin with extensive water policy experience. The stakeholders group is gathering funding to cover Wilson?s facilitator salary through March, at which time Keppen anticipates finalizing a report laying out the progress and next steps. Some of those funds are coming from nonprofit and non-governmental organizations. A $15,000 check was delivered to stakeholders by Klamath County Commissioner Derrick DeGroot on Wednesday, funds that will help pay for Wilson?s services. Modoc County has pledged to contribute $2,500 and Siskiyou County has pledged to contribute $5,000 to the group. Mikkelsen said Department of Interior will contribute up to and including $10,000 and the state of Oregon will also pay up to and including $10,000. Keppen would not say how much Wilson?s salary is, but that it would fund his services through March. A report or memorandum of understanding between individuals meeting together is expected to be finished by that time. Next steps ?Once we have a product of some sort that lays out what we?re doing ? then we?ll have something in hand that perhaps the group as a whole can go to and look to for additional funding to advance some of this,? Keppen said. ?We just want to build trust with folks up and down the (Klamath) River.? ?We?re not developing any long-term settlement or anything, it?s really just trying to see where we?ve got agreement and understanding people better,? Keppen added. ?We?re not going to be done by any means in March, but I think really we wanted to get a short-term effort going to get some trust built up.? Such a report could contain a list of projects and other recommendations to move toward a ?Basin-wide management of fisheries, waterfowl, and water management actions,? Keppen said. ?It?ll be a report that lays out, here?s what this group feels like are important projects that could be done throughout the watershed,? Keppen said. ?Here?s how we think these projects should be evaluated.? Coordinated efforts Keppen said there?s also an emphasis to make sure all efforts are coordinated. ?For the last couple decades, we?ve had kind of random acts of conservation,? Keppen said. ?Lots of things being done, they?re all probably good. But it?s hard to see how the fish are benefiting.? Keppen said last Wednesday?s stakeholder coalition identified potential conservation projects in each sub-basin that could be effective. The stakeholder subgroup met with federal and state aides on Thursday to add another layer to that discussion, with ways that government agencies could add to project ideas to improve water quality and fisheries health. ?People are seeing some pretty good momentum here,? Keppen said. ?I?m hoping that a bunch of these things sort of line up into some sort of a cohesive package that gets some good things done in a way that we know is helping the environment. ?The sooner the fish numbers come up, the better all of us are going to be,? he added. ?For the irrigators, hopefully it?s going to be not as strict regulation further on down the road. For the tribes, it?s a big part of their culture and their food supply.? ?I think there?s a sense of optimism,? Keppen added. ?It was to me, pretty remarkable that we?re having pretty constructive discussions at a time when I think there?s seven ongoing acts of litigation in the Basin.? Dams not included Keppen emphasized that the meetings do not include removal of four dams along the Klamath River, which he sees as a potential misconception about the group. The meetings are closed to the public and media while the group continues to build trust among parties and discuss topics that might otherwise be limited due to ongoing litigation. ?This is still pretty grassroots,? he said. ?We?re brainstorming, and the whole process is intending to complement what Alan is doing. We just have a little bit more openness and flexibility to talk about things because they are bound by all these litigations ? the litigations prevents them from doing that. ?At some point, we?re probably going to move to some sort of a governance structure,? Keppen added. Keppen also addressed the potential for public perception that this effort resembles a second Klamath Basin Restoration Agreement. ?We are nowhere near anything like the KBRA,? Keppen said. ?That took years and years of negotiations. If something like that were to happen, this time around, it wouldn?t have anything to do with dam removal.? Addressing challenges The coalition aims to address challenges to fisheries, water supply, and waterfowl and forest health. ?Right now, we?re just brainstorming and here?s kind of our wish list of things that we think could have multiple benefits and could work toward building trust that could lead to some sort of a long-term solution down the road, which we?re a long ways away from right now,? Keppen said. State and federal officials no longer attend the stakeholders-only group gathering. ?We don?t participate in those, since mid-Summer, I think,? Mikkelsen said. The second day, that group met with Mikkelsen, who said Thursday he heard a presentation on water quality. ?At times that they think it?s appropriate to engage the state and federal parties, we?ll be there,? Mikkelsen said. Mikkelsen said it was ultimately determined that the best way to have stakeholder buy-in on the process was to have stakeholders control the process. ?The solutions have to come from the stakeholders here in the Basin,? Mikkelsen said. ?All of the stakeholders have been invited to participate in those meetings. We stand ready to do what we can to assist the process, but in the mean time ... we don?t feel there?s anything we can really do to drive that process. So that?s why we are asking the stakeholder?s group to continue to focus on Basin-wide solutions, which is what they?re doing.? The full coalition will reconvene in February or March 2020. Keppen said at that time, the coalition plans to have compiled a report that is slated to help them collectively move forward. - Facebook - Twitter - Email - Print - Save -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From klamathtrinityriver at gmail.com Wed Nov 20 14:05:39 2019 From: klamathtrinityriver at gmail.com (Regina Chichizola) Date: Wed, 20 Nov 2019 14:05:39 -0800 Subject: [env-trinity] Sac. Bee: Gov. Newsom needs to give more than lip service to California native tribes Message-ID: Gov. Newsom needs to give more than lip service to at-risk California native tribes BY MORNING STAR GALI SPECIAL TO THE SACRAMENTO BEE NOVEMBER 18, 2019 12:01 AM - Last month, Gov. Gavin Newsom issued a proclamation declaring October 14, 2019 ?Indigenous Peoples? Day? in California. In this proclamation, he acknowledged that native people were stewards of the land before the conquest of California. I thank the governor for the proclamation. However, last month -- on California Native American Day -- the governor also vetoed legislation, Senate Bill 1, that could have helped the state protect our salmon from Trump?s environmental rollbacks. This is unacceptable. We need more than lip service from the governor. We need action. In October, President Donald Trump?s administration released a new review of the Central Valley Water Project. This fisheries review replaces an earlier one which concluded that Trump?s Water Plan (to maximize water deliveries for Central Valley agriculture) jeopardizes every Endangered Species Act-listed fish species in the Delta, San Joaquin and Sacramento River systems. In a truly Orwellian fashion, the new review claims fish do not need water. For many of California?s tribes, water and salmon are life . The Trump plan would harm the state?s drinking water supply and salmon. It negatively impacts the Sacramento, McCloud, San Joaquin, Yuba, American and Feather rivers by increasing water deliveries to agriculture by 23 to 39 percent. This means reductions to the state water project, which serves people. OPINION It also impacts the Klamath River through Trinity River diversions. The governor should honor Native people by acting to save our salmon. California needs to change course on water. Even without the new water operations, California has been facing a crisis. Nearly half of our fish are in danger of going extinct. If something does not change, the Central Valley?s water will be unusable due to pollution and diversions. This year, the Klamath salmon run did not show up. These salmon are a major food source for the state?s three largest tribes, which live in rural areas and face food insecurity. The fact is that our once-abundant salmon have been devastated by dams and diversions. Salmon runs that once numbered in the millions, nourished Native peoples and fed the state?s economy now return each year in the hundreds or less. We are on the brink of losing the salmon. This loss would have widespread health, economic and cultural impacts. Already some of California?s native communities have suicide rates that are 12 times the national average, and diabetes and heart disease rates that are over 3 times the average. Studies have linked these health issues to the loss of salmon . No statistics can express what losing the salmon has done to our culture and well-being as communities. Unlike many other salmon states, very few of California?s tribes have established rights to a harvestable surplus of salmon and a land base, and no California tribes are actually able to catch enough salmon to feed their families. Many tribes do not even have clean water due to policies that favor irrigators and polluters. In fact, many experts have called the sudden loss of salmon to California Native communities cultural genocide . Despite this fact, we are left out of decisions that impact us and our water and fishing rights are not respected. It is hypocritical that the state of California and cities like San Francisco to honor Native people while fighting us on needed salmon restoration. We can do better, and there are examples. This year Attorney General Becerra litigated against Westlands Water District?s ability to raise the Shasta dam because it violated state law by flooding a wild and scenic river. The dam raise would also flood Winnemem Wintu sacred sites. Last month, Eureka, California returned a sacred site that was taken after a massacre to the Wiyot People. Last year, the San Francisco Board of Supervisors passed a resolution to support a flow restoration decision to support salmon. Mayor London Breed vetoed it. We need more than lip service to California?s tribal peoples. We need to stand up to corporations, including agribusiness, to protect our water and declining salmon populations. Gov. Newsom campaigned on fighting the Trump administration?s environmental rollbacks. We need him to follow through. His veto of SB 1 was disappointing, but he has an opportunity to redeem himself now by litigating against this latest assault on California?s environment and by supporting tribes? actions to protect water and regain land. Words, without action, do not constitute an apology. This is a moment for concrete truth and action to protect our salmon and all that is sacred. *Morning Star Gali is the Tribal Water Organizer for Save California Salmon and a member of the Pit River Tribe.* -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From MaryClaire.Kier at wildlife.ca.gov Wed Nov 20 13:40:41 2019 From: MaryClaire.Kier at wildlife.ca.gov (Kier, Mary Claire@Wildlife) Date: Wed, 20 Nov 2019 21:40:41 +0000 Subject: [env-trinity] 2019 CDFW Trinity River Project trapping summary through Julian week 46 Message-ID: Greetings! Attached please find the TRP trapping summary through JW46 (November 18). We are continuing to trap at WCW; with the steady, if small, flow of mostly Chinook and coho and no major rain on the horizon we'll see how long we can stay in. They were able to spawn more Chinook at TRH this week but still are only about 20% of egg take for Fall Chinook so it's not looking great up there. . . I will try to get a trapping summary out next week despite the holidays, no guess which day I'll send, however. Cheers! MC ****************************************************** Mary Claire Kier CA Department of Fish and Wildlife - Trinity River Project Environmental Scientist - Fisheries 707/822-5876 5341 Ericson Way, Arcata CA 95521 ****************************************************** Klamath/Trinity Program reports can be found online @ https://nrmsecure.dfg.ca.gov/documents/ContextDocs.aspx?cat=KlamathTrinity -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: 2019 TRP_ trapping_summary_through_JW46.xlsx Type: application/vnd.openxmlformats-officedocument.spreadsheetml.sheet Size: 70952 bytes Desc: 2019 TRP_ trapping_summary_through_JW46.xlsx URL: From tstokely at att.net Mon Nov 25 10:03:37 2019 From: tstokely at att.net (Tom Stokely) Date: Mon, 25 Nov 2019 18:03:37 +0000 (UTC) Subject: [env-trinity] =?utf-8?q?East_Bay_Times_Editorial=3A_Governor?= =?utf-8?q?=E2=80=99s_Delta_water_proposal_is_merely_=E2=80=98Trump_lite?= =?utf-8?b?4oCZ?= References: <784746503.6332520.1574705017631.ref@mail.yahoo.com> Message-ID: <784746503.6332520.1574705017631@mail.yahoo.com> http://eastbaytimes.ca.newsmemory.com/?publink=0348a3577 Governor?s Delta water proposal is merely ?Trump lite?? Join the crowd of California water officials if you are confused by the mixed message Gavin Newsom offered Thursday on the future of the Sacramento- San Joaquin River Delta. Give the governor credit for announcing that California will sue the Trump admin-istration over its plan to send more water to farmers at the expense of the Delta?s health. That?s huge. The White House plan is a recipe for extinction for endangered species living in the largest estuary west of the Mississippi. But the alternative put forward by the governor also ignores decades of peer-reviewed science. No issue is more important to the state. Nor is any issue more complex. The Delta supplies fresh water for more than 27 million of California?s 40 million residents. It also provides the water to irrigate 3 million acres of farmland in the Central Valley. Maybe Mark Twain doesn?t deserve credit for the quote, ?Whiskey is for drinking, water is for fighting over.? But whoever said it first was onto something. We should all care about preserving endangered species, but for those who don?t, consider this: The chinook salmon are merely the canary in the coal mine when it comes to preserving the estuary?s health. Further degradation to the Delta will ultimately threaten the quality of the drinking water for Northern California residents. On the same day the governor announced his lawsuit against the Trump administration, the state rolled out a 610-page draft environmental report outlining its proposal for future pumping operations in the Delta. Shockingly, the plan substantially mirrors the president?s approach. ?It?s Trump lite,? said Doug Obegi, a senior attorney for the Natural Resources Defense Council. The governor?s plan would allow for a significant increase?in pumping water southto farmers, decreasing the amount of water that flows?through the Delta. We understand Newsom?s desire to craft a compromise between environmentalists who want to protect the health of the Delta and farmers who want more water to expand their operations. But study after study by state and federal scientists over the course of the last decade have consistently said that increasing water flow in the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta and ensuring cold water for salmon in streams and rivers is essential for fish to survive. Sending more water south would undermine that goal. Ignoring the science of the Delta is deplorable for a governor who routinely attacks the president for not accepting scientists? conclusions on the threat of climate change. The good news is that the governor?s report is just a draft. The public has until Jan. 6 to comment on the report. (Send emails to LTO at water.ca.gov or mail comments to You Chen Chou, California Department of Water Resources, P.O. Box 942836, Sacramento, CA 94236.) Newsom and the state Department of Water Resources need to hear that they should reexamine their environmental analysis. The report runs contrary to the state Water Resources Control Board and state Department of Fish and Wildlife findings that the best way to preserve the health of the Delta is to pour more water ? not less ? through it. The governor should offer a consistent, clear message that he will do everything possible to guarantee a supply of quality fresh water for current and?future Californians. The governor?s plan would allow for a significant increase in pumping water south to farmers, decreasing the amount of water that flows through the Delta. -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From tstokely at att.net Mon Nov 25 10:28:39 2019 From: tstokely at att.net (Tom Stokely) Date: Mon, 25 Nov 2019 18:28:39 +0000 (UTC) Subject: [env-trinity] Newsom administration sends mixed signals on delta endangered species protections References: <237944270.6343443.1574706519228.ref@mail.yahoo.com> Message-ID: <237944270.6343443.1574706519228@mail.yahoo.com> https://www.latimes.com/environment/story/2019-11-22/newsom-administration-sends-mixed-signals-on-delta-endangered-species-protections Newsom administration sends mixed signals on delta endangered species protections Boaters on the Middle River between Bacon Island and Lower Jones Tract in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta.?(Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times)By?BETTINA BOXALLSTAFF WRITER?NOV. 22, 2019?5 AM California officials sent mixed signals Thursday when they said they will sue to block a Trump administration rollback of endangered species protections for imperiled fish ? while also proposing new water operations that mimic parts of the Trump plan. The state moves reflect the political pressure the Newsom administration has been under as it confronts one of California?s most intractable environmental conflicts ? the battle over the ailing Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta, the center of the state?s water system. Some of California?s most powerful water agencies have urged the state to go along with the?Trump rollbacks,?which promise to send more water their way by relaxing delta pumping curbs. | | | | | | | | | | | Trump team weakens endangered species protections for California salmon ... The Trump administration is weakening endangered species protections for delta smelt and salmon, which have curb... | | | But environmentalists and delta interests have pressured Sacramento to counter Washington by beefing up delta fish protections under the state?s own endangered species law. Side with water users and Gov. Gavin Newsom could jeopardize his reputation as a leader of the Trump environmental resistance. Side with environmental groups and he could alienate major water players that supply the urban Southland and San Joaquin Valley agriculture. Thursday?s announcements appeared to give something to both sets of interests: In coming weeks the state intends to sue federal agencies over the rollback, which has not yet taken effect. At the same time, the California Department of Water Resources is proposing new rules for state pumping operations in the delta that loosen some existing limits and give water managers more flexibility in how they run the department?s giant export facilities that fill the southbound California Aqueduct. The state actions elicited mixed responses from water users and environmentalists, who saw things to like and dislike. Doug Obegi, an attorney with the Natural Resources Defense Council, criticized the state?s proposed delta pumping rules as ?Trump-lite.? But he praised the lawsuit. ?Suing over the [federal plan] is a huge step forward. That is the most important thing today,? he said. Conversely, Jeffrey Kightlinger, general manager of the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California, said he didn?t support the lawsuit but liked many of the provisions of the state?s proposed pumping rules. For their part, state officials emphasized the rules were not final and could change as they moved through the environmental review process. ?We?re not done,? said water resources director Karla Nemeth. The delta, a pastoral maze of farm islands and water channels formed by the merger of California?s two biggest rivers, has been in ecological free fall for decades. There are many reasons for the decline, but chief among them are the massive fresh water diversions from delta tributaries and the delta itself. Two giant government pumping plants ? one run by the federal Central Valley Project and one run by the State Water Project ? export supplies from the delta?s southern edge. The state operations have traditionally adhered to federal endangered species protections for delta smelt, Chinook salmon and other species. But in the face of the Trump rollbacks, the state decided to develop its own set of delta operating rules under the California Endangered Species Act. The draft environmental documents released Thursday are the first major step in that effort. They outline the state?s proposed pumping rules, include several alternatives and open the proposal to public comment. Like the new federal rules, the state draft includes approaches that water users have long sought, such as relying on real-time monitoring of imperiled fish and delta conditions to determine pumping levels rather than strict seasonal guidelines. But Nemeth said there were some key areas in which the state proposal diverges from the new federal rules, which she said do not offer adequate safeguards for species protected under California law. The state lawsuit is also an attempt to avoid the practical nightmare of having different rules govern the federal and state pumping operations. That could mean customers of the Central Valley Project gain deliveries at the expense of customers of the State Water Project. Brenda Burman, commissioner of the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation, which oversees the federal delta operations, said she was disappointed in the Newsom administration?s decision to pursue legal action. ?If that?s their choice, we?ll see them in court,? she said in a statement. A lawsuit is not the only weapon California has at its disposal. It can also refuse to let the reclamation bureau use state pumps and canals to convey delta exports that violate state environmental laws. ?We are making sure the burden of protections are shared,? Nemeth said. -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From klamathtrinityriver at gmail.com Mon Nov 25 10:51:38 2019 From: klamathtrinityriver at gmail.com (Regina Chichizola) Date: Mon, 25 Nov 2019 10:51:38 -0800 Subject: [env-trinity] My Word: Trinity River Under Threat, Will Our County Fight Back? Message-ID: My Word: Trinity River Under Threat, Will Our County Fight Back? Regina Chichizola Save California Salmon https://www.times-standard.com/2019/11/23/my-word-trinity-river-under-threat-will-our-county-fight-back/?fbclid=IwAR0XhOuZ8lUSr8h4tzFtExxjnJyc4e5Bo6ScN-sQpOCbeGJbu9f1mCeKzuQ When it comes to federal water policy, there is no question we have a fox in charge of the hen house. David Bernhardt, our current Secretary of Interior, has been bought and paid for by his former client, the Westlands Water District. Trump and Bernhardt have promised Central Valley farmers that water will no longer be wasted by flowing into the ocean. This promise is playing out in the new Trump Water Plan, the proposed permanent water contract for Westlands, and a proposal for a new reservoir in the North State, Sites Reservoir, that will impact the Trinity River. There are a lot of stories circulating in the media about the unethical actions of Bernhardt and Governor Newsom?s reluctance to fight Trump on water. The stories are about Bernhardt?s effort to get rid of the scientists that concluded the new Trump Water Plan will lead to jeopardy of endangered species in the Delta. Then there is his work to give Westlands a permanent water contract to irrigate poisoned selenium ridden lands and to sell it to cities at a huge profit, and to acquire federal facilities. What is not being covered is the impact these projects will have on the Trinity and Klamath Rivers, and the governor?s reluctance to stop them. The Trump Water Plan Draft EIS discloses that there will be impacts to the Trinity River, which is diverted in the Sacramento River to feed California?s federal water project. Despite this the Biological Opinion on the Trump administration's new operations for the projects does not address or mitigate Trinity River impacts from the new operations. A leaked original Biological Opinion actually asked for more water to be released to Clear Creek, the watershed the Trinity is diverted into, as a mitigation for the proposed low flows in the Sacramento River. The Trinity River, which is the Klamath?s largest tributary, was specifically dammed to supply water to Westlands and the average annual diversion of the Trinity River to the Delta is roughly the same as Westlands? average Central Valley Project water deliveries. Despite a historic 2000 flow restoration decision for the Trinity, there is no enforceable minimum cold water pool requirement for Trinity Lake, even though there is one for Shasta Lake. Eventually, Trinity Lake will be dry during extended drought. A new proposal will further impact the Trinity River - the Sites Reservoir, but Humboldt County wrote a letter supporting it. Luckily they will revisit this resolution on December 10th. OnJanuary 2018, even though the Sites Reservoir would have no local benefits and will impact local fishing, the Humboldt Board of Supervisors, led by Rex Bohn, sided with the Sites Project Authority Manager over local people and fishermen after the Sites Authority promised to provide assurances the massive new reservoir would not impact the Trinity River. Local Tribes and fishermen did not know this meeting was happening until the letter was approved. Two years later, no such assurances have been provided, and a subsequent hydrological report found that the DEIS/EIR modeling shows negative impacts to Trinity River temperatures, and that there was no accounting for Humboldt County?s 50,000 AF contract or the Lower Klamath Record of Decision that provides cold Trinity River water during droughts to avoid Klamath River fish kills. Fishing in the Klamath and ocean is also worst than ever. The Sites Project Authority has said that the temperature impacts were a modeling error and that no Trinity River water would be used to fill Sites, but has provided no guarantees of that, and has refused requests to recirculate the Draft EIS/EIR. Even without these new threats, the Sites Reservoir, Trump water plan and Westlands contract threatens the Trinity River because the Trinity is regularly diverted into the Sacramento River for power, water supply and for other purposes. The Sites project could increase these diversions and further deplete Trinity Lake. The Sites Reservoir Draft EIS/EIR also provides for very low storage in Trinity Lake. This means that in drought years when Trinity River water is needed to advert Klamath River fish kill, the water might not be there or it will be too warm to help. This is why the Humboldt County Supervisors will vote on sending two letters to the Sites authority withdrawing their support for Sites if the Trinity River?s water is not protected and requesting a recirculated DEIS/EIR at their December 10th board meeting. The letters should include language proposed by fishing interests for a water right term and condition that would ensure Humboldt County?s water and fishing interests in the Klamath and Trinity rivers are protected if Sites Reservoir is approved. Please join us on December 10 to ask the board to choose Humboldt County residents over Central Valley irrigators. Ask them to fight for the Trinity River and North Coast salmon. -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From MaryClaire.Kier at wildlife.ca.gov Mon Nov 25 14:52:41 2019 From: MaryClaire.Kier at wildlife.ca.gov (Kier, Mary Claire@Wildlife) Date: Mon, 25 Nov 2019 22:52:41 +0000 Subject: [env-trinity] 2019 CDFW Trinity River Project trapping summary through Julian week 47 Message-ID: Greetings! Attached please find the TRP trapping summary through JW 47 (November 25th). No rain, not a lot of fish movement. We'll see if this storm coming through mid-week motivates any fish still low in the system to pass WCW, hopefully they don't do it on Thanksgiving! Cheers! MC ****************************************************** Mary Claire Kier CA Department of Fish and Wildlife - Trinity River Project Environmental Scientist - Fisheries 707/822-5876 5341 Ericson Way, Arcata CA 95521 ****************************************************** Klamath/Trinity Program reports can be found online @ https://nrmsecure.dfg.ca.gov/documents/ContextDocs.aspx?cat=KlamathTrinity -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: 2019 TRP_ trapping_summary_through_JW47.xlsx Type: application/vnd.openxmlformats-officedocument.spreadsheetml.sheet Size: 71210 bytes Desc: 2019 TRP_ trapping_summary_through_JW47.xlsx URL: From steve_gough at fws.gov Mon Nov 25 15:49:41 2019 From: steve_gough at fws.gov (Gough, Steve) Date: Mon, 25 Nov 2019 15:49:41 -0800 Subject: [env-trinity] Trinity River Mainstem Redd Survey Update - November 22, 2019 Message-ID: see attached... Steve Gough Fish Biologist U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service Arcata Fish & Wildlife Office 1655 Heindon Road Arcata, CA 95521 *Steve_Gough at fws.gov * (707) 825-5197 -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: TrinityReddUpdate_2019_11_22.pdf Type: application/pdf Size: 2396326 bytes Desc: TrinityReddUpdate_2019_11_22.pdf URL: From klamathtrinityriver at gmail.com Tue Nov 26 15:31:12 2019 From: klamathtrinityriver at gmail.com (Regina Chichizola) Date: Tue, 26 Nov 2019 15:31:12 -0800 Subject: [env-trinity] California Salmon News: California to Fight Trump Plan, Tribal Water Rights Upheld , Trinity At Risk, Scott Dam Removal , Selenium Alert, and Giving Tuesday for SCS Water Protector Fund Message-ID: California Salmon News: California to Fight Trump Plan, Tribal Water Rights Upheld, Trinity Threatened, Humboldt To Meet 12/10, Scott Dam Removal, Grasslands Ag. Permit Meeting 12/5 and Giving Tuesday (and December) for SCS Water Protector Travel Fund News: AP: Federal Court: Klamath Basin Tribal Water Rights Outrank Farmers' Rights A federal appeals court has found that the water rights of Klamath Basin tribes take priority over those of farmers who sued the federal government in 2001 for reducing their irrigation water supply after a dry year.The decision by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit is a key step forward toward the tribes? goals of restoring the Klamath Basin ecosystem and saving chinook and coho salmon, the Yurok tribe said Sunday in a statement... ?The ruling means that ?rather than fighting irrigators or the federal agencies about the existence of our rights, we can move forward in determining what water the ailing fish populations need. This is a key step forward in reclaiming and restoring the Klamath River ecosystem,? said Amy Cordalis, the Yurok tribe?s general counsel.? https://www.opb.org/news/article/klamath-basin-tribal-water-rights-agriculture-farmer-lawsuit-federal-ruling/ https://www.sacbee.com/opinion/article237340484.html Morning Star Gali: Gov. Newsom needs to give more than lip service to at-risk California native tribes https://www.sacbee.com/opinion/article237340484.html ?California needs to change course on water. Even without the new water operations, California has been facing a crisis. Nearly half of our fish are in danger of going extinct. If something does not change, the Central Valley?s water will be unusable due to pollution and diversions. This year, the Klamath salmon run did not show up. These salmon are a major food source for the state?s three largest tribes, which live in rural areas and face food insecurity. The fact is that our once-abundant salmon have been devastated by dams and diversions. Salmon runs that once numbered in the millions, nourished Native peoples and fed the state?s economy now return each year in the hundreds or less. We are on the brink of losing the salmon. This loss would have widespread health, economic and cultural impacts. Already some of California?s native communities have suicide rates that are 12 times the national average, and diabetes and heart disease rates that are over 3 times the average. Studies have linked these health issues to the loss of salmon.? California to Sue Over Trump Water Plan https://www.counterpunch.org/2019/11/25/california-to-sue-over-trump-water-plan/ ?Regina Chichizola, co-director of Save California Salmon, pointed out this is the first time California has decided to do a separate environmental analysis than the federal government on state and federal water operations in the Central Valley. ?It is time for California has to get serious about protecting our water,? said Chichizola. ?We applaud the fact that the Governor plans to sue the Trump administration on the doctored Biological Opinion for operations of the Central Valley federal and state water projects, but we also need him to understand that California?s salmon and drinking water in a state of crisis and to direct state agencies to take appropriate action.? Editorial: Gov. Newsom?s Delta water plan is merely ?Trump lite? https://www.mercurynews.com/2019/11/24/editorial-governor-sends-mixed-message-on-delta-water/ Lawsuit challenging president?s environmental threat is welcome, but governor?s alternative also ignores science ?We should all care about preserving endangered species, but for those who don?t, consider this: The Chinook salmon are merely the canary in the coal mine when it comes to preserving the estuary?s health. Further degradation to the Delta will ultimately threaten the quality of the drinking water for Northern California residents. On the same day the governor announced his lawsuit against the Trump administration, the state rolled out a 610-page draft environmental report outlining its proposal for future pumping operations in the Delta. Shockingly, the plan substantially mirrors the president?s approach.? My Word: Trinity River Under Threat, Will Our County Fight Back? https://www.times-standard.com/2019/11/23/my-word-trinity-river-under-threat-will-our-county-fight-back/ ?When it comes to federal water policy, there is no question we have a fox in charge of the hen house. David Bernhardt, our current Secretary of Interior, has been bought and paid for by his former client, the Westlands Water District. Trump and Bernhardt have promised Central Valley farmers that water will no longer be wasted by flowing into the ocean. This promise is playing out in the new Trump Water Plan, the proposed permanent water contract for Westlands, and a proposal for a new reservoir in the North State, Sites Reservoir, that will impact the Trinity River. There are a lot of stories circulating in the media about the unethical actions of Bernhardt and Governor Newsom?s reluctance to fight Trump on water. The stories are about Bernhardt?s effort to get rid of the scientists that concluded the new Trump Water Plan will lead to jeopardy of endangered species in the Delta. Then there is his work to give Westlands a permanent water contract to irrigate poisoned selenium ridden lands and to sell it to cities at a huge profit, and to acquire federal facilities. What is not being covered is the impact these projects will have on the Trinity and Klamath Rivers, and the governor?s reluctance to stop them. ? Saving Salmon, Will overhauling Scott Dam save native fish? https://www.bohemian.com/northbay/saving-salmon/Content?oid=9360901 ?Salmon three feet long seem to clog the water as the chrome-colored fish, fresh from the ocean, begin their journey upriver toward the high-elevation gravel riffles where they were born. Here, in the remotest tendrils of the watershed, they will lay and fertilize the eggs that ensure the next generation of salmon. At least that's how it once was early each autumn on the Eel River. But nature's security system for fish survival is only as good as the health of a river. In the case of the Eel, a local power company built a dam on the Eel's main fork in 1920. As a result, Chinook salmon lost access to about 100 miles of spawning habitat. Steelhead, which swam farther upstream into smaller tributaries, suffered even greater impacts. Intensive in-river commercial fishing, water diversions, logging and other land degradation took their toll, too. Today, annual salmon runs in Eel River that once may have totaled a million or so adults consist of a few thousand. Lamprey eels, too, have dwindled. Now, there is serious talk of removing Scott Dam, owned by PG&E since 1930.? Action Alert ? Tell the Humboldt County Board of Supervisors to Withdraw Support for Sites Reservoir and Protect Trinity River on Dec. 10! More info at https://www.facebook.com/events/458453541694465/ or https://www.californiasalmon.org/ Please attend the Humboldt County Board of Supervisors meeting on Tuesday, December 10, 2019 at 9 am, 825 Fifth Street, Eureka. Check the Board?s agenda for a specific morning time at https://humboldt.legistar.com/Calendar.aspx ) and arrive early to get through security. Encourage the Board of Supervisors to approve sending two letters to the Sites Project Authority and the Bureau of Reclamation. The first letter to the Sites Project Authority withdraws the Board?s conditional support for the proposed Sites Reservoir in the western Sacramento Valley until a specific condition is placed on the project?s water rights to not take water from the Trinity River, to protect Humboldt County?s 1959 water contract with the Bureau of Reclamation for 50,000 acre-feet of Trinity River water, and to protect the 2017 Lower Klamath River Record of Decision that provides Trinity River water In drier years to prevent a repeat of the catastrophic 2002 Lower Klamath River adult salmon fish kill. Please come out and email and call these representatives and ask them to support the resolutions: Supervisor Estelle Fennell: 707-476-2392 efennell at co.humboldt.ca.us Supervisor Virginia Bass: 707-476-2394 vbass at co.humboldt.ca.us Supervisor Rex Bohn: 476-2391 rbohn at co.humboldt.ca.us Letters to the Editor on Trinity River resolution can be sent to: letters at times-standard.com letters at northcoastjournal.com Action Alert: Testify, and Write LTEs, for Clean Water: No 25 Year Permit to Discharge Selenium into Our Rivers, Delta and Bay Thursday, Dec. 5 9am Central Valley Regional Water Quality Control Board 11020 Sun Center Drive, #200, Rancho Cordova, California More information at https://www.facebook.com/events/2438402193047340/ or https://www.californiasalmon.org/ It is time to stand up for our drinking water and fish. After two decades of promises to cease toxic discharges of selenium and other contaminants into the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta, the Bureau of Reclamation and the Regional Board are poised to allow another quarter century of continued toxic discharges into the Delta through permitting the Grasslands Bypass Project "GBP" These toxic discharges come from piping water from agriculture drains in California's "poisoned lands" in the East San Joaquin Valley to the San Joaquin River. Fish and Wildlife Service has said some of these lands are so toxic that retiring them is the only way to control their pollution. In the 80's these discharges caused major birth defects in birds in the Kesterson refuge. Now they now discharged into the San Joaquin River above where millions of Californians' drinking water comes from. There is even a proposal to pipe agriculture waste water to the SF Bay. These discharges, which contain not only selenium but also boron and pesticides, frequently exceed violate water quality standards and have lead to water quality violates as far away as the San Francisco Bay. PLEASE COME TESTIFY AGAINST THE GRASSLANDS BYPASS PERMIT ON DECEMBER 5TH! If your drinking water or fish come from the Bay Delta or SF Bay you could consume this agriculture pollution. Do not let California permit decades more of relaxed standards will impact the entire aquatic food chain, endangered and commercially harvested salmon, migratory birds, recreational fisheries, and communities that rely on the Delta for drinking water. Please also write Letters to the Editor urging the Central Valley Water Board to deny the Grasslands Bypass permit and to instead fighti toxics pollution in the San Joaquin River and Bay. https://www.eastbaytimes.com/letters-to-the-editor/ https://www.sacbee.com/opinion/letters-to-the-editor/submit-letter/ https://www.recordnet.com/opinion/99999999/submit-letter-to-editor https://www.sfchronicle.com/opinion/letters-editor/item/How-to-submit-Letters-56188.php Dec. 3: Donate to Save California Salmon?s Water Protector?s Travel Fund for #GivingTuesday This #GivingTuesday December 3rd and throughout December we are raising funds for Save California Salmon's Water Protector and Youth Protector's travel fund. Anyone that donates over $60 gets a free Save California Salmon T-shirt and anyone that donates over $100 receives a free sweatshirt. We have a lot of woman's and men's styles. All the funds raised will be used as direct support so that native people, and other water protectors, can testify at public hearings and attend rallies and cultural events related to saving California's salmon and protecting our drinking water. Currently we are organizing with our communities to #StoptheTrumpWaterPlan and create a California water plan that protects salmon and drinking water, to #StopWestlands 's new permanent water contract, to stop a pollution permit that allows selenium discharges into the state's drinking water supply, the San Joaquin River, and San Francisco Bay, to stop the Sites Reservoir and Pacific Connector Pipeline, to stop toxic spraying in the Smith River estuary, and to #UnDamtheKlamath and #UnDamtheEel Rivers All the meetings related to the North State's salmon, rights and water quality happen many hours from our communities. This fund makes sure that low income protector, including youth and families can attend these meetings and related rallies and trainings. https://www.facebook.com/donate/993705544320821/10100470530021170/ https://www.patagonia.com/actionworks/grantees/save-the-klamath-trinity-salmon/ For more information on any of these alerts go to californiasalmon.org or contact Regina Chichizola at regina at californiasalmon.org or Isaac Kinney at Isaac at californiasalmon.org -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From klamathtrinityriver at gmail.com Wed Nov 27 09:23:30 2019 From: klamathtrinityriver at gmail.com (Regina Chichizola) Date: Wed, 27 Nov 2019 09:23:30 -0800 Subject: [env-trinity] This Thanksgiving, join Native Americans in fighting for the future of salmon Message-ID: This Thanksgiving, join Native Americans in fighting for the future of salmon Like the Pilgrims who landed on Plymouth Rock, the early colonizers of San Francisco relied on Native Americans for food and water. - ROBYN PURCHIA - Nov. 26, 2019 5:10 p.m. - NEWS COLUMNISTS - - - - - - Like the Pilgrims who landed on Plymouth Rock, the early colonizers of San Francisco relied on Native Americans for food and water. In November 1769, Spanish cartographer and explorer Miguel Costans? arrived at what he thought was San Francisco Bay. To convince others in his company he was right, they looked for the region?s ?friendly Indians? who they had heard would easily offer fresh water and firewood. Eventually, Costans? and his party found them. ?Two very numerous bands of Indians met us on the road with presents of pinole and some large trays of white atole, which supplied in large measure the needs of our men,? Costans? wrote in his diary 250 years ago. As we know from history, Costans??s maps of the Bay opened the door to Spanish colonies and their missions, which were designed to ruthlessly impose western morality on the indigenous people who had helped them. Native Americans were brutalized and enslaved here in San Francisco. And things didn?t improve after California joined the United States. California Indians were forced to hide their identities or risk their lives. Even today, violence plagues American Indians on reservations and in cities. Native American women experience some of the nation?s highest rates of murder, sexual violence, and domestic abuse. Thanksgiving celebrations rarely recognize these realities. Instead of limiting gratitude for the gifts bestowed on the Pilgrims and Costans??s men in the past, San Franciscans can also lift up Native Americans? efforts today. One way to do this is by joining the fight to protect a nutritious and traditionally important food: salmon. The culture of many California tribes is built around this once abundant fish. For generations, festivals and stories celebrated the return of salmon from the ocean. According to the Winnemem Wintu, salmon took pity on the first humans and offered to give them speech if they promised to always speak for the salmon. Others believe that when salmon die, so do we. ?That?s not just native people, that?s all people,? April McGill, a Mission resident of Wailaki, Yuki, Little Lake Pomo and Wappo descent, told me. ?They do so many things for us and nourish our bodies ? they?re the healthiest fish out there. It?s our job to take care and fight for them.? But despite Native American efforts, the salmon are disappearing. At least 10,000 Coho salmon once swam through the Lagunitas Creek watershed in Marin County. Last winter there were 648. A 2017 report by researchers at the University of California, Davis, and conservation group, California Trout, found that 23 of California?s 31 genetically distinct kinds of salmon and trout are at risk of vanishing in the next 100 years. ?No statistics can express what losing the salmon has done to our culture and well-being as communities,? Morning Star Gali, the tribal water organizer for Save California Salmon and a member of the Pit River Tribe, recently wrote. ?Unlike many other salmon states, very few of California?s tribes have established rights to a harvestable surplus of salmon and a land base, and no California tribes are actually able to catch enough salmon to feed their families.? California?s tribes should not have to fight alone to exercise their sovereign rights and protect such a culturally critical food. San Franciscans can, and should, do more. Supervisor Hillary Ronen introduced legislation to establish the first-ever American Indian Cultural District in San Francisco last week. The step supports the local community in securing resources to help protect cherished cultural assets. It could also lead to the establishment of an American Indian Cultural Center ? the first in 50 years. Individuals can also help protect the water salmon need. San Franciscans should conserve the resource and avoid using plastic bottled water. The Winnemem Wintu tribe has filed multiple lawsuits around the approval a new Crystal Geyser plant near the city of Mount Shasta. Instead of simply saying thanks for receiving food in the past, San Franciscans can give thanks by joining Native Americans to fight for food in the future. Robyn Purchia is an environmental attorney, environmental blogger and environmental activist who hikes, gardens and tree hugs in her spare time. She is a guest opinion columnist and her point of view is not necessarily that of the Examiner. Check her out at robynpurchia.com https://www.sfexaminer.com/news-columnists/this-thanksgiving-join-native-americans-in-fighting-for-the-food-of-the-future/?fbclid=IwAR2TGpsJhyTsUaijN6D24_80lk8QOOLJf4rOXbxTcNFe9ssnHYZmThWFrQo -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From tstokely at att.net Thu Nov 28 07:51:31 2019 From: tstokely at att.net (Tom Stokely) Date: Thu, 28 Nov 2019 15:51:31 +0000 (UTC) Subject: [env-trinity] Sites Reservoir could harm Trinity River, groups warn References: <855834669.698325.1574956291103.ref@mail.yahoo.com> Message-ID: <855834669.698325.1574956291103@mail.yahoo.com> Sites Reservoir could harm Trinity River, groups warn - By AMY GITTELSOHN The Trinity Journal ? - 13 hrs ago ? - ?0 - Facebook - Twitter - Email - Facebook - Twitter - Email - Print - Save A proposed new reservoir in the western Sacramento Valley isn?t supposed to affect Trinity River fisheries, but river advocates say they?ve found the devil in the details. The Sites Reservoir planned by the state in Colusa and Glenn counties is pitched as a means of catching and storing excess water from major storms. Located off-stream, water from the Sacramento River would be pumped to the new reservoir. About half of the Trinity River?s water is diverted to the Sacramento River each year for Central Valley Project uses. However, under the Trinity River Record of Decision, a set amount of water is also released to the river each year based on water year type. The draft Environmental Impact Report/Statement for the project indicates that it poses no significant impacts on water quality to the Trinity River. Opponents of the plan disagree, saying the trouble is with changes to the timing of water diversions. Tom Stokely, a former Trinity County Natural Resources planner who is now a board member for Save California Salmon, said the project has ?significant impact to the Trinity River that was not disclosed.? The Pacific Coast Federation of Fishermen?s Association and Save California Salmon have been sharing what they found out about the project after a hydrologist with experience modeling studies related to operations of Trinity and Lewiston reservoirs reviewed the draft environmental report. Hydrologist Greg Kamman debates the EIR?s conclusions regarding impacts to the Trinity River. Kamman concluded that the revised Trinity River Division water operations associated with the Sites Project will lead to increased water temperatures in Lewiston Reservoir during critical time periods in dry years, which in turn will cause releases of water to the Trinity River to be warmer. Kamman said this is due to a general pattern seen in the data shifting operations in dry and critically dry years so the rate of diversions is increased through the winter months (December-March) and reduced through the summer/fall months (July-November). The latter will slow the flow of water through Lewiston Reservoir, allowing it to warm up more. Increased river water temperatures in the fall are especially a concern, he said, noting that October is a time when meeting downstream temperature objectives is already compromised. Any increase in temperature of water released to the Trinity River would increase the potential for violations of objectives established under the Trinity River Record of Decision to protect out-migrating juvenile salmon, Kamman wrote. The evaluation in the environmental study doesn?t take these temperature changes into account. Further, Kamman notes that the environmental study doesn?t include in its analysis the 50,000 acre-feet of water to be released each year for Humboldt County and downstream water users. The Humboldt County Board of Supervisors has supported the project if it doesn?t harm the Trinity River, but will soon consider calls to withdraw that conditional support. Trinity County so far hasn?t weighed in on the Sites project, but its Trinity County Fish and Game Advisory Commission is drafting a letter recommending that the Board of Supervisors here get involved. The Sites Reservoir potential impact on the Trinity River was raised at the last meeting of the advisory commission by member Richard Cole of Lewiston. It was noted that under the Record of Decision, the total volume of river flows is set depending on what year type. However, there was agreement by fisheries experts on the commission that Trinity Lake levels could be drawn down in a way that could affect river temperatures in dry years. The advisory committee unanimously voted to draft a letter asking the supervisors to join others in requesting that a new Environmental Impact Report be completed which considers impacts to the Trinity River. Stokely, from Save California Salmon, said he?ll recommend to the Humboldt and Trinity County supervisors that they request a water right condition be placed on the water rights application for Sites that no Trinity River water be used to fill the Sites Reservoir unless the Trinity River Division is making Safety of Dams releases and Shasta Lake is making flood control releases at the time. - Facebook - Twitter - Email - Print - Save Tags - Sites Reservoir ? - Save California Salmon ? - Greg Kamman ? - Tom Stokely ? - Trinity River ? - Trinity Lake ? - Lewiston Lake -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From tstokely at att.net Mon Dec 2 10:10:51 2019 From: tstokely at att.net (Tom Stokely) Date: Mon, 2 Dec 2019 18:10:51 +0000 (UTC) Subject: [env-trinity] Agenda for Quarterly Trinity Mgmt Council Meeting Dec 4-5, Redding, CA References: <1269727702.2118730.1575310251245.ref@mail.yahoo.com> Message-ID: <1269727702.2118730.1575310251245@mail.yahoo.com> http://www.trrp.net/calendar/event/?id=11635 ? TRINITY MANAGEMENT COUNCIL? December 2019 Quarterly Meeting? Wednesday December 4 - Thursday December 5, 2019? Location: Shasta-Trinity National Forest Headquarters? 3644 Avtech Pkwy, Redding, CA 96002, USA? Agenda (WebEx info on page 2)? Wednesday December 4, 2019? Time Discussion Leader? Regular Business:? 9:00 Introductions: Justin Ly, Chair? ? Welcome and Introductions? ? Approval of Agenda? ? Approval of September TMC Meeting Minutes? 9:30 Public Forum: Comments from the public Justin Ly, Chair? 9:45 Report from Executive Director Mike Dixon? Informational:? 10:30 CVP Operations Update Elizabeth Hadley? 10:45 Break? 11:00 Reclamation RD response to TMC flow variability letter Elizabeth Hadley? and CVO response to Safety of Dams memo? 11:15 Infrastructure constraints/opportunities on flow Steve Melavik? 12:00 Lunch? 1:00 Flow variability through a trigger-based hydrograph Seth Naman? 1:45 FY20 technical work group work plan priorities Eric Peterson? 2:15 Break? 2:30 Work group objectives update WG Coordinators? 3:30 Chapman Ranch Phase A implementation DJ Bandrowski/Fred Meyer? 4:15 Public Forum: Comments from the public Justin Ly, Chair? 4:30 Adjourn? 5:00 Dinner Wednesday ? Vintage Public House? Located: 1790 Market Street, Redding? 2? TRINITY MANAGEMENT COUNCIL? December 2019 Quarterly Meeting? Thursday, December 5, 2019? Time Discussion Leader? Regular Business:? 9:00 Public Forum: Comments from the public Justin Ly, Chair? Information / Decision Items:? 9:15 FY20 science work plan update Eric Peterson? Information? 10:00 FY20 budget update and request for funding decision Mike Dixon? Decision Item? 10:30 Break? 10:45 FY20 budget update and request for funding decision Mike Dixon? Decision Item? 11:45 Lunch? 12:45 Potential changes to bylaws Section 605(a) Keith Groves? Decision Item? 1:15 REU/TPUD request for TMC membership Nick Zettel? Decision Item? 2:00 Break? 2:15 Shasta Trinity NF plans for TMC participation Terri Simon Jackson? 2:30 Schedule 2020 TMC Meetings Justin Ly, Chair? 3:00 Topics for March Meeting TMC members? 3:15 Next steps in TRRP refinements process Justin Ly, Chair? 3:45 Public Forum: Comments from the public Justin Ly, Chair? 4:00 Adjourn? WEBEX CALL-IN INFORMATION (Call-in numbers are the same for both days.)? Join by phone: 1-408-792-6300 Call-in toll number (US/Canada); Access code: 805 830 533? Join via web: Meeting number: 805 830 533; Password: YdEyaAM8 https://trrp.webex.com/trrp/j.php?MTID=m54e9adfdfdec1aa27cb71a56de557cb8 -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From tstokely at att.net Tue Dec 3 07:40:28 2019 From: tstokely at att.net (Tom Stokely) Date: Tue, 3 Dec 2019 15:40:28 +0000 (UTC) Subject: [env-trinity] State, Gov. Newsom send mixed signals on Delta policy References: <1819292918.2590606.1575387628844.ref@mail.yahoo.com> Message-ID: <1819292918.2590606.1575387628844@mail.yahoo.com> https://www.thepress.net/news/state-gov-newsom-send-mixed-signals-on-delta-policy/article_cc7bff40-12d3-11ea-8a87-57a78f0d80ae.html State, Gov. Newsom send mixed signals on Delta policy - Tony Kukulich ? - Nov 29, 2019?Updated?Nov 29, 2019 ? - Photo by Tony Kukulich - Facebook - Twitter - Email - Print - Save | | | | | | | | | | | State, Gov. Newsom send mixed signals on Delta policy Tony Kukulich A pair of simultaneous and seemingly contradictory actions announced by Gov. Gavin Newsom?s administration last ... | | | A pair of simultaneous and seemingly contradictory actions announced by Gov. Gavin Newsom?s administration last week has sent mixed signals regarding the state?s intentions for managing the Delta. Newsom announced plans to sue the Trump administration after the October release of a biological opinion completed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the National Marine Fisheries Service. The opinion stated, in essence, that the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation?s Central Valley Project (CVP) can increase the volume of water drawn from the South Delta without any negative impact to native fish like Delta smelt and Chinook salmon, a position the state disputes. ?We value our partnerships with federal agencies on water management, including our work together to achieve the voluntary agreements,? said Jared Blumenfeld, California secretary for environmental protection. ?At the same time, we also need to take legal action to protect the state?s interest and our environment.? Nearly 90% of the 5.6 million acre-feet of water drawn by the CVP annually is distributed for agricultural use in the Central Valley. Reclamation?s plan calls for increasing the volume of water taken by 300,000 to 500,000 acre-feet a year over current volumes. (There are approximately 326,000 gallons in an acre-foot of water.) Reclamation immediately pushed back against the Newsom administration?s position. ?Today?s announcement by Governor Newsom is disappointing in his preference to have judges dictate these important projects instead of the career professionals at the federal and state levels who have developed a plan based on the best science and significant input from the public,? said Brenda Burman, Bureau of Reclamation commissioner. ?If that?s their choice, we?ll see them in court.? A key point among those who oppose the new biological opinions is Reclamation?s claim that the best available science was used in the development of the opinions. It has been widely reported that the first draft of the opinion was critical of Reclamation?s planned changes to the operation of the CVP, and the Trump administration had the scientists responsible reassigned and replaced. ?The new biological opinions finalized by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service are more than 400 pages, and I am awaiting further analysis from our Delta partners,? said Assemblymember Jim Frazier, D-Discovery Bay, when the opinions were released in October. ?However, one fact is clear. Less than three months after Federal scientists completed a first draft criticizing the proposed operations, the Trump administration has manipulated the science in favor of wealthy Central Valley business and declared the changes perfectly safe. Delta stakeholders need a complete picture of how and why these dramatic deviations from established science occurred. We have seen this far too many times from unscrupulous South-of-Delta water users to blindly accept another flawed proposal backed by untested theories.? While Newsom now appears to be taking steps to oppose the Trump administration?s plans for the Delta, he has recently foregone opportunities to assert a clear Delta policy. In September, the state legislature passed Senate Bill 1, a bill that would have required federal environmental standards in place as of Jan. 19, 2017 remain in effect under state law, even if the Trump administration loosened standards at the federal level. Newsom vetoed the bill in a move that was widely criticized by the environmental community. At the time, he stated his support of the bill?s intent, but claimed it provided him no new authority. When the biological opinion was released last month, there was little reaction from the Newsom administration other than a vague assertion of the state?s commitment to ?push back if it does not reflect our values.? Newsom?s tentative handling of the issue so far has members of the environmental community feeling only cautiously optimistic. ?To be quite honest, it?s hard to know exactly what it is that the governor is proposing to do with respect to the biological opinions,? said Kim Delfino, California, director of Defenders of Wildlife. ?We don?t know if they are challenging them as a violation of the federal Endangered Species Act. Are they going to be asserting that the Central Valley Project should be complying with the state Endangered Species Act requirements? I think we need to wait and see what the scope of the litigation is. Generally speaking, it?s a good thing. We?re supportive of the governor being willing to challenge and call out the federal biological opinions as being insufficient. Beyond that, the question is what would be considered sufficient.? In the same press release that announced Newsom?s intent to sue the Trump administration over the proposed operation of the CVP, the release of a draft environmental impact report regarding the operation of the State Water Project (SWP) was also announced. ?This draft points to a more sophisticated and nimble way to manage the State Water Project to improve our ability to protect species and operate more flexibly,? said DWR Director Karla Nemeth. ?This is essential in order to capture water when it?s available and leave more water when and where fish need it.? According to several sources familiar with the draft report, the state plan for pumping water from the Delta closely resembles the federal plan the state opposes. ?There are many components of that draft document, particularly what they?re identifying as their preferred alternative, that are very, very similar to what?s in the Trump biological opinion,? said Delfino. ?It also appears that they?re taking more water out of the system during drought, which is clearly inconsistent with what we want.? Like the CVP, the SWP draws water from the South Delta and moves it to points south. The Department of Water Resources (DWR) manages the SWP, and they state that the project provides water for 27 million California residents. ?The part for us that is so disappointing is that the Delta Reform Act of 2009 calls for reduced reliance on the Delta,? said Barbara Barrigan-Parrilla, executive director of Restore the Delta. ?You cannot have reduced reliance if you?re taking more water out. They will argue that it?s about timing, when you take the water. But when you go through the details in the document, they are not protective enough in the summer and fall. They?re going to take more water out during the spring, which is bad for Delta smelt.? The CVP and SWP are only two components of the state?s complex water system. Before the end of the year, DWR is expected to publish a document that will define the scope of the single-tunnel project currently under consideration. The Newsom administration is also negotiating voluntary agreements to manage water flowing into the Delta from its tributaries. With demands on the Delta increasing and its health diminishing, the governor will need to align these recent divergent actions into a policy with a clear direction. ?I would say that the state position is confused, at best,? said Delfino. ?If you look at the combination of the announcement of the lawsuit, and then you look at the issuance of the DWR?s (draft) document, it feels like the state is trying to be all things to everyone. What that ultimately means is unknown. Are they really trying to put in place protective measures for the Delta? Or, are they simply using the litigation as leverage?? -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From tstokely at att.net Wed Dec 4 08:17:55 2019 From: tstokely at att.net (Tom Stokely) Date: Wed, 4 Dec 2019 16:17:55 +0000 (UTC) Subject: [env-trinity] Fishing groups sue federal agencies over latest water plan for California References: <977048764.3314581.1575476275178.ref@mail.yahoo.com> Message-ID: <977048764.3314581.1575476275178@mail.yahoo.com> https://www.sfchronicle.com/environment/article/Fishing-groups-sue-federal-agencies-over-latest-14879831.php?t=5a7b52191d Fishing groups sue federal agencies over latest water plan for California Peter Fimrite?Dec. 3, 2019?Updated: Dec. 3, 2019 8:09?p.m.A coho salmon swims in a creek running through Devil's Gulch at Samuel P. Taylor State Park where Eric Ettlinger, an aquatic biologist with the Marin Municipal Water District, monitors spawning activity on Friday, Jan. 11, 2019.Photo: Paul Chinn / The Chronicle The fracas over California?s scarce water supplies will tumble into a San Francisco courtroom after a lawsuit was filed this week claiming the federal government?s plan to loosen previous restrictions on water deliveries to farmers is a blueprint for wiping out fish. Environmental and fishing groups sued the the National Marine Fisheries Service and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Monday for allegedly failing to protect chinook salmon, steelhead trout and delta smelt. They believe the voluminous government proposal, known as a biological opinion, sacrifices protections for the imperiled fish without adequate justification so that Central Valley farmers and Southern California cities can have more water. - Unlimited Digital Access for 95? - Read more articles like this by subscribing to the San Francisco Chronicle ?SUBSCRIBE The lawsuit, filed in U.S. District Court in San Francisco, charges that the government?s plan to boost agricultural deliveries from the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta is an arbitrary and capricious failure to uphold the Endangered Species Act. ?This legal action seeks to restore some commonsense balance and compromise to how we share water here in California,? said John McManus, president of the Golden State Salmon Association, a fishing industry advocacy group. ?There?s plenty enough to keep our salmon and other wildlife healthy and provide for the people who live in Southern California. There isn?t enough to dump it on desert ground in the western San Joaquin Valley.? The huge pumps near Tracy used by the State Water Project and federal Central Valley Project to bring delta water to 25 million Californians and irrigate 750,000 acres of cropland have been the subject of years of legal wrangling among fishing interests, environmentalists, farmers and water agencies across the state. Environmentalists say the pumps suck up and kill endangered delta smelt, a silver-colored fish 2 to 3 inches long that is uniquely adapted to the delta?s shifting currents and brackish water. SUBSCRIBER BENEFIT Did you know?you have 10% off at San Francisco Wine School? Biologists say the nearly complete absence of smelt in recent years is a sign of the overall lack of health of the ecosystem, including chinook salmon. As it is, conservationists say, not enough cold water is released from the dams to sustain endangered winter-run chinook or threatened spring-run chinook and steelhead, which spawn in tributaries of the Sacramento River. Farmers, meanwhile, claim they are losing crops and money during dry years because regulations over the years have favored fish over food. Federal officials said when they released the biological opinion in October that they worked diligently to protect fisheries, striking a balance between irrigation and Sacramento River flows. More on Enviornement - ENVIRONMENT BY PETER FIMRITE Restoring a San Mateo County creek to help fish thrive - ENVIRONMENT BY PETER FIMRITE Federal officials rejigger rules on water deliveries - ENVIRONMENT BY PETER FIMRITE Climate havoc wipes out coastal kelp as fish species die off | | | | | | | | | | | Climate havoc wipes out coastal kelp as SF Bay's native fish species die... Climate havoc is wiping out the California coast?s kelp, an important food source for sea life. And in the San F... | | | Ernest Conant, regional director of the U.S Bureau of Reclamation, which manages the Central Valley Project, said the plan calls for spending $1.5 billion over the next 10 years to protect endangered fish, including $14 million to help winter-run chinook salmon. Part of the plan, he said, is to retain more water behind Shasta Dam in Shasta County, the Central Valley Project?s largest reservoir, so that salmon would have enough cold water in the Sacramento River to survive during dry years. He said another $50 million would be spent on helping delta smelt. The plaintiffs in the lawsuit ? including the Pacific Coast Federation of Fishermen?s Associations, Natural Resources Defense Council, Defenders of Wildlife, Bay Institute and Bay.Org ? were particularly angry about a decision to redo a biological opinion submitted in July and loosen the proposed restrictions. That document determined that pumping increases would, in fact, jeopardize not only the fish in the delta but also endangered killer whales, which eat salmon. McManus claimed the document was revised because Interior Secretary David Bernhardt, a former water lobbyist who has previously challenged fish protections, ordered government officials to maximize water deliveries to San Joaquin Valley farmers. ?We?re saying, in part, ?Hey, federal government, how is it that in July you find out the water diversions are going to annihilate salmon and then in October you find out they won?t harm them at all??? McManus said. ?Somebody?s not being honest here, and we think the court will agree that that somebody is Interior Secretary David Bernhardt.? Fisheries Service officials have denied that Bernhardt had anything to do with the decision to redo the opinion. Peter Fimrite is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email:?pfimrite at sfchronicle.com. Twitter:?@pfimrite -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From steve_gough at fws.gov Tue Dec 3 14:52:33 2019 From: steve_gough at fws.gov (Gough, Steve) Date: Tue, 3 Dec 2019 14:52:33 -0800 Subject: [env-trinity] Trinity River Mainstem Redd Survey Update - November 29, 2019 Message-ID: Only one day of surveys was completed last week due to extreme weather and the Thanksgiving holiday. Crews were still able to survey 4 reaches that day and it looks like spawning has slowed down quite a bit. Steve Gough Fish Biologist U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service Arcata Fish & Wildlife Office 1655 Heindon Road Arcata, CA 95521 *Steve_Gough at fws.gov * (707) 825-5197 -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: TrinityReddUpdate_2019_11_29.pdf Type: application/pdf Size: 2611803 bytes Desc: TrinityReddUpdate_2019_11_29.pdf URL: From tstokely at att.net Thu Dec 5 08:38:39 2019 From: tstokely at att.net (Tom Stokely) Date: Thu, 5 Dec 2019 16:38:39 +0000 (UTC) Subject: [env-trinity] Northcoast Journal: Trinity River Under Siege References: <729887730.3890076.1575563919535.ref@mail.yahoo.com> Message-ID: <729887730.3890076.1575563919535@mail.yahoo.com> https://www.northcoastjournal.com/humboldt/trinity-river-under-siege/Content?oid=15857577 Trinity River Under Siege? Trump administration, reservoir project threaten North Coast rivers BY?THADEUS GREENSON?THAD at NORTHCOASTJOURNAL.COM?@THADEUSGREENSONclick to enlarge FILE The Trinity River in Hoopa. While local tribes celebrated a federal appellate court ruling last month upholding their senior water rights on the Klamath River, a trio of threats facing the Trinity River combine to paint a foreboding picture for local salmon populations. "Just the status quo is a risk to the river and the fishery," said Thomas Stokely, a retired Trinity County planner who currently co-manages the nonprofit Save California Salmon and has spent more than three decades working on Trinity River water issues. But conditions are far from status quo, as a seeming sweetheart deal for the nation's largest agricultural water supplier, a new reservoir project and what environmental groups charge is a flawed biological opinion supporting a Trump administration water plan all threaten to siphon more Trinity River water to other parts of the state. "All of these things are calling for more delivery of Trinity River water (to the south)," Stokely said. "As Trinity Lake is drawn down during drought years, it will be drawn down more quickly and it won't recover. Sooner and sooner, it will be drawn down to a mud puddle that will be too warm to save the salmon." And that would, in turn, have devastating consequences for the Klamath River, which counts on the Trinity ? its principal tributary ? to deliver an influx of cold water to its lower reaches. The Yurok and Hoopa Valley tribes both issued celebratory press releases last week after the Ninth Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals issued a ruling in the case of Baley v. United States, which was filed in 2001 by Klamath Irrigation Project irrigators who charged the Bureau of Reclamation acted improperly when it halted water deliveries that summer in the face of a drought. But the court ruled in the federal government's favor, finding that the Yurok, Hoopa Valley and Klamath tribes have senior, federally reserved water rights that predate those of the irrigators' and require enough in-stream water to ensure the continued existence of tribal trust species, including salmon. "This decision is very important to define our rights in the basin vis-?-vis other interests," said Yurok General Counsel Amy Cordalis in a press release. "By definitively affirming that our water rights ensure, at a minimum, the persistence of the (Endangered Species Act) listed species, rather than fighting irrigators or the federal agencies about the existence of those rights, we can move forward in determining what water the ailing fish populations need. This is a key step forward in reclaiming and restoring the Klamath River ecosystem." The decision ? though appealable to the Supreme Court ? is a huge win for the tribes that have been enmeshed in almost two decades of litigation on the issue but it remains to be seen whether it might set a precedent for the Trinity River, where threats are mounting on several fronts. Perhaps first and foremost, the U.S. Department of the Interior is currently mulling whether to agree to permanently give the Westlands Water District in Central California up to 1.15 million acre-feet of water annually, or roughly enough to supply 2 million California families. Under the terms of the deal, Westlands ? which serves some of the nation's wealthiest corporate farms and sells surplus water to nearby municipalities at a heft profit ? would pay a little more than $300 million to reimburse the costs of erecting the dams and canals that transport the water and are collectively known as the Central Valley Water Project. The project, which included the construction of Lewiston Dam and the creation of Trinity Lake in 1961, was carried out specifically to provide Trinity River water to Central Valley farmers (through Westlands) via the Sacramento River. The trouble is the Bureau of Reclamation has six times more water rights than there is water in the Trinity River, according to Stokely, prompting the term "paper water" and the steady stream of fights and litigation over who gets what and what's left over for fish. Stokely and other environmental groups contend that entering into a contract to forever give Westlands the full amount of water it was able to pull in 1963 is simply bad policy and gives the district a prominent seat at the table in all future water fights. Some have also argued that the deal is the result of a conflict of interest years in the making, as Interior Secretary David Barnhardt's lobbying firm made $1.3 million over a five-year period working for Westlands prior to his being appointed to a position in the Interior Department. In fact, Barnhardt's lobbying efforts have been credited with Congress' approval in 2016 of a law that paved the way for the types of permanent water contracts Westlands is now looking to reel in. North Coast Congressman Jared Huffman has been sharply critical of the deal, saying, "The Interior Department needs to look out for the public interest, and not just serve the financial interests of their former lobbying clients." (An interior spokesperson, meanwhile, has maintained the Westlands contract was delegated to Bureau of Reclamation staffers and Barnhardt has not been involved.) A public comment period on the contract is open until Jan. 8 and comments can be emailed to Erma Leal at?eleal at usbr.gov. Meanwhile, the Humboldt County Board of Supervisors on Dec. 10 will consider whether to begin the process of withdrawing its stated support of the Sites Reservoir project, a proposed $5 billion off-stream storage reservoir that would collect winter flows from the Sacramento River and store them west of Colusa. The board penned a letter last year expressing support for the project but asking for reassurances that it wouldn't impact the Trinity River's health or the county's rights to 50,000 acre-feet annually of its flows. Those assurances have been slow in coming and the project's draft Environmental Impact Report did identify potential impacts to the river. Most notably, the report indicates the project could result in a change of timing of water diversions from the Trinity to Sacramento rivers, which could cause water to pool in Lewiston Reservoir in the fall, increasing water temperatures in the river and potentially harming salmon. The board is slated to consider sending two letters to project officials on Dec. 10 ? one asking them to revise and recirculate the environmental report to correct errors regarding potential fish impacts and another requesting a legally binding agreement essentially pledging that there will be no negative impacts to salmon in the Trinity and Lower Klamath rivers as a result of the project. If the county doesn't receive a response by Jan. 15, it would consider withdrawing its conditional support of the project, according to a draft letter. Finally, in October, the Trump administration released a biological opinion that reverses findings made by scientists a decade ago granting Endangered Species Act protections for salmon and delta smelt, and consequently gave California rivers preference over irrigators. The opinion flatly contradicted one released in July, which concluded excess water diversions would imperil endangered fish populations. The administration pulled the document two days after its release, saying it needed "additional review." In addition to contradicting the prior opinion, the new one would turn years of scientific studies upside down, stating that the fish would not be jeopardized by continued ? or even increased ? water diversions. The state of California has indicated it plans to sue the Trump administration over the opinion, saying it's a necessary step to protect Chinook salmon, steelhead and smelt. Stokely said the dangers currently facing the Trinity River are dire. "Just the biological opinion would pretty much be a death sentence for the Trinity River," he said. "All the way up to Lewiston Dam, there won't be any cold water and the fish will die in the hatcheries and the fish will die in the river." Later in the conversation, Stokely sighed, contemplating the cumulative threats of the Westlands contract, Sites Reservoir and the biological opinion. "It all ties together and it's kind of like death by a thousand cuts," he said. Thadeus Greenson is the Journal's news editor and prefers he/him pronouns. He can be reached at 442-1400, extension 321, or?thad at northcoastjournal.com. Follow him on Twitter @thadeusgreenson. -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From MaryClaire.Kier at wildlife.ca.gov Fri Dec 6 08:09:31 2019 From: MaryClaire.Kier at wildlife.ca.gov (Kier, Mary Claire@Wildlife) Date: Fri, 6 Dec 2019 16:09:31 +0000 Subject: [env-trinity] 2019 CDFW Trinity River Project trapping summary through Julian week 48 Message-ID: Greetings! Attached please find the TRP trapping summary through JW 48 (December 2). Even with last week's small flow increase we only trapped a few fish at WCW over the holiday week. The few fish we did trap looked fresh, but there weren't enough of them to justify trying to wait out the next storm. We pulled WCW this week. Done for the season. I'll continue to send updated hatchery results throughout the spawning operations there... Cheers! MC ****************************************************** Mary Claire Kier CA Department of Fish and Wildlife - Trinity River Project Environmental Scientist - Fisheries 707/822-5876 5341 Ericson Way, Arcata CA 95521 ****************************************************** Klamath/Trinity Program reports can be found online @ https://nrmsecure.dfg.ca.gov/documents/ContextDocs.aspx?cat=KlamathTrinity -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: 2019 TRP_ trapping_summary_through_JW48.xlsx Type: application/vnd.openxmlformats-officedocument.spreadsheetml.sheet Size: 71365 bytes Desc: 2019 TRP_ trapping_summary_through_JW48.xlsx URL: From tstokely at att.net Sat Dec 7 18:18:05 2019 From: tstokely at att.net (Tom Stokely) Date: Sun, 8 Dec 2019 02:18:05 +0000 (UTC) Subject: [env-trinity] Advisory commission skirmish over Westlands water contract References: <1178788288.5114983.1575771485030.ref@mail.yahoo.com> Message-ID: <1178788288.5114983.1575771485030@mail.yahoo.com> http://www.trinityjournal.com/news/environment/article_b50c70f8-1628-11ea-8d1a-f700219a5833.html Advisory commission skirmish over Westlands water contract - BY AMY GITTELSOHN ? - Dec 4, 2019 ? - ?0 - Facebook - Twitter - Email - Facebook - Twitter - Email - Print - Sa Should the county weigh in on state and federal water issues? They should if those issues involve Trinity County waters and fisheries, argued Richard Cole, a member of the Trinity County Fish and Game Advisory Commission, at the commission?s last meeting. The commission makes recommendations to the Trinity County Board of Supervisors. At the commission?s Nov. 13 meeting, Cole brought up the Interior Department proposal to award one of the first contracts for federal water in perpetuity to the Westlands Water District, the nation?s largest agricultural water supplier. Westlands receives water from the Central Valley Project, including Trinity River water. Interior?s Bureau of Reclamation posted notice on its website Oct. 25 of the proposed contract and the 60-day public comment period, which has been extended and now ends Jan. 8. Other water districts are lining up behind Westlands to negotiate their own permanent contracts. Westland?s contract would give it permanent claim to up to 1.15 million acre-feet of water a year, enough to supply more than 2 million California households, although federal suppliers in practice typically divvy up water each year based on available supply. Interior Secretary David Bernhardt was long employed by Westlands as a lobbyist, leaving that position in 2016, the year before he joined Interior. In Trinity County, the response of the other commissioners to Cole bringing this issue up at the Fish and Game Advisory Commission ranged from quiet to combative. ?How much money do you want to spend on suing people?? asked John Fenley, who represents the Trinity County Board of Supervisors on the commission. When Cole wanted to know if the supervisors have been asked about this issue, Fenley responded, ?I?m more concerned about keeping the county open through next year. I?m sorry, but I am.? ?The state needs to take them to task,? Fenley said. ?Not Trinity County.? ?You don?t think Westlands has deep pockets?? Fenley added, suggesting that Cole go to the supervisors himself. Cole asked, ?We?re not going to be involved when it?s our water at risk here?? and Fenley brought up that Cole is involved in the Trinity County Democratic Central Committee and suggested that he channel his efforts through there. There was little comment from the other commissioners on the topic. In fact, at one point commissioner Mike Dixon, who works for the Bureau of Reclamation as executive director of the Trinity River Restoration Program, abstained from the discussion and stepped away from the table. Cole also brought up potential issues with the proposed Sites Reservoir, and the commission did vote to recommend the Trinity County Board of Supervisors request the impacts to the Trinity River be evaluated in the Sites Project documents. Cole said he brought up the Westlands issue as part of information gathering to see who to talk to. The commission took no vote related to Westlands. Conservation groups are demanding fuller disclosure of financial terms and an environmental review of the proposed Westlands deal. Environmental groups say a permanent deal would let California?s water contractors forgo future negotiations before the public and environmental groups, further threatening the survival of some of the endangered native fish and other wildlife that also need the water. A 2016 law allows Westlands and other water districts to lock in the water contracts for good if they repay the federal government for their share of the Central Valley Project?s costs. Portions of an Associated Press report by Ellen Knickmeyer are included in this article. - -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From steve_gough at fws.gov Mon Dec 9 11:44:00 2019 From: steve_gough at fws.gov (Gough, Steve) Date: Mon, 9 Dec 2019 11:44:00 -0800 Subject: [env-trinity] Trinity River Mainstem Redd Survey Update - December 6, 2019 Message-ID: See attached... Steve Gough Fish Biologist U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service Arcata Fish & Wildlife Office 1655 Heindon Road Arcata, CA 95521 *Steve_Gough at fws.gov * (707) 825-5197 -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: TrinityReddUpdate_2019_12_06.pdf Type: application/pdf Size: 2468045 bytes Desc: TrinityReddUpdate_2019_12_06.pdf URL: From MaryClaire.Kier at wildlife.ca.gov Tue Dec 10 13:52:11 2019 From: MaryClaire.Kier at wildlife.ca.gov (Kier, Mary Claire@Wildlife) Date: Tue, 10 Dec 2019 21:52:11 +0000 Subject: [env-trinity] 2019 CDFW Trinity River Project trapping summary through Julian week 49 Message-ID: Greetings! Attached please find the TRP trapping summary through JW 49 (December 9). TRH is now done spawning fall Chinook for the season, and last I heard had only gotten about 20% of total egg take. They will only be spawning Coho through next week (Dec 17). After that, they will start spawning steelhead on Dec 31. Cheers! MC ****************************************************** Mary Claire Kier CA Department of Fish and Wildlife - Trinity River Project Environmental Scientist - Fisheries 707/822-5876 5341 Ericson Way, Arcata CA 95521 ****************************************************** Klamath/Trinity Program reports can be found online @ https://nrmsecure.dfg.ca.gov/documents/ContextDocs.aspx?cat=KlamathTrinity -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: 2019 TRP_ trapping_summary_through_JW49.xlsx Type: application/vnd.openxmlformats-officedocument.spreadsheetml.sheet Size: 71375 bytes Desc: 2019 TRP_ trapping_summary_through_JW49.xlsx URL: From tstokely at att.net Wed Dec 11 11:10:15 2019 From: tstokely at att.net (Tom Stokely) Date: Wed, 11 Dec 2019 19:10:15 +0000 (UTC) Subject: [env-trinity] =?utf-8?q?Redwood_Times-_Humboldt_County=3A_Trinity?= =?utf-8?q?_River_salmon_could_face_=E2=80=98irreversible_harm=E2=80=99?= References: <1212624009.12152740.1576091415489.ref@mail.yahoo.com> Message-ID: <1212624009.12152740.1576091415489@mail.yahoo.com> https://www.redwoodtimes.com/2019/12/10/humboldt-county-trinity-river-salmon-could-face-irreversible-harm/ Humboldt County: Trinity River salmon could face ?irreversible harm? Concerns raised about Sites Reservoir project diversions to Sacramento Basin Ali Forsythe of Sites Reservoir project told the Humboldt County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday that the project?s stakeholders intend to preserve the river?s water rights. (Shomik Mukherjee ? The Times-Standard)By?SHOMIK MUKHERJEE?|?smukherjee at times-standard.com?|?PUBLISHED:?December 10, 2019 at 5:51 pm?| UPDATED:?December 10, 2019 at 5:57 pm | | | | | | | | | | | Humboldt County: Trinity River salmon could face ?irreversible harm? The Humboldt County Board of Supervisors unanimously approved two letters on Tuesday threatening to yank back su... | | | The Humboldt County Board of Supervisors unanimously approved two letters on Tuesday threatening to yank back support for a reservoir project that would divert more water from the Trinity River and pose further harm to its fishery. The board?s vote was met with widespread public support as tribal members and water rights advocates called on the county to stand against the latest environmental impact report for the Sites Reservoir project, an off-stream storage of water that partly diverts Trinity River water to the Sacramento Basin. In its letters, the county states that the project?s current design would take too much water out of the Trinity River, which science indicates would leave the water temperature too high for salmon populations to be healthy. ?Humboldt County has a vested interest in this project because significant impacts to the Trinity River, which is partially diverted into the Sacramento River, would cause irreversible harm to Humboldt County?s commercial, sport, and tribal fisheries,? one county letter states. The county had offered support for the project in 2018, under conditions that no further water be diverted from the basins and that stakeholders explore options to reduce out-of-basin transfers of Trinity River water. As a result of past diversions, the Trinity River?s water supply has been spent and its quality diminished, leaving salmon in the lower Klamath River in peril. Tom Stokely of environmental group Save California Salmon emphasized on Tuesday the county has a ?huge stake? in the Trinity River. He called on the county to insist upon a stronger agreement with Sites Reservoir that protects water and salmon interests. ?I?ve never seen anyone get anything in the water world by being nice,? said Stokely, who has worked for decades in natural resource planning. ?Unless you play hardball, I don?t think you?re going to have your interests looked out for.? A crowd of environmental advocates and some tribal members came to support the supervisors? decision to re-engage Sites Reservoir on its potential impacts to the Trinity River. (Shomik Mukherjee ? The Times-Standard) Ali Forsythe of Sites Reservoir spoke in defense of the project, assuring the board that it will be a ?good steward? of the rivers. She apologized for a ?delay? in protecting the Trinity River?s water rights and said Sites remains committed to the county?s 2018 conditions. ?We understand as an organization that the better the fish are, the better the ecosystems are and the better the people of the state of California are,? Forsythe said. Tuesday?s meeting also featured public comments from a handful of Native American tribal members who rely on the Trinity River?s fishery and historically have sacred ties to the river water. With all of the water diversions, there?s no water left to funnel elsewhere, said one Hoopa tribal member. ?You guys have got to really study this before making a decision,? the tribal member said. ?I go to happy hour ? my bar is the river bar. You guys go to the local pub; we go to the river. You guys should think about saving it.? Shomik Mukherjee can be reached at 707-441-0504.? -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From tstokely at att.net Thu Dec 12 12:34:41 2019 From: tstokely at att.net (Tom Stokely) Date: Thu, 12 Dec 2019 20:34:41 +0000 (UTC) Subject: [env-trinity] =?utf-8?q?Lost_Coast_Outpost=3ACounty_Asks_for_Assu?= =?utf-8?q?rance_That_Trinity_River_Water_Won=E2=80=99t_Get_Diverted_to_Ne?= =?utf-8?q?w_Central_Valley_Reservoir?= References: <2046549960.7590771.1576182881297.ref@mail.yahoo.com> Message-ID: <2046549960.7590771.1576182881297@mail.yahoo.com> https://lostcoastoutpost.com/2019/dec/10/today-supes-county-asks-assurance-trinity-river-wa/ https://lostcoastoutpost.com/2019/dec/10/today-supes-county-asks-assurance-trinity-river-wa/#Ryan Burns?/?Tuesday, Dec. 10?@ 4:24 p.m. /?Government TODAY in SUPES: County Asks for Assurance That Trinity River Water Won?t Get Diverted to New Central Valley Reservoir A young member of the Yurok Tribe addresses the Humboldt County Board of Supervisors. Humboldt County officials are rethinking their support for a massive new reservoir being developed in the Central Valley after learning that the project could negatively impact the Trinity River. The project in question is called Sites Reservoir, a proposed?$5.1 billion water storage facility?that?s been in the works for more than 20 years. The massive reservoir, capable of holding 1.8 million acre feet of water, would be located in Glenn and Colusa counties, northeast of Clear Lake along the I-5 corridor. Detail of a Sites Reservoir Project map. | Image courtesy County of Humboldt. Last year the county asked for and received assurances that this project won?t cause any additional diversions of Trinity River water to the Sacramento Basin. We say ?additional? because much of the Trinity?s flow already gets diverted via the Central Valley Project, which sends water from Trinity Lake into the Sacramento River. In January of 2018, the chair of the Sites Project Authority (the government agency that would own and operate the reservoir), responded to the county?s concerns with a letter to the Humboldt County Board of Supervisors promising that no Trinity River water would be diverted as a result of the project.? However, a technical report conducted on behalf of the Pacific Coast Federation of Fishermen?s Association and Save California Salmon suggested otherwise. It identified potentially significant impacts to the Trinity.? And so today, the Board of Supervisors voted unanimously to send a pair of letters requesting further environmental review and renewed promises from both the Sites Project Authority and the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation. A draft letter to Sites Project Authority Chairman Fritz Durst notes that modeling published in the project?s draft environmental documents show the project ?would likely cause irreversible harm to migrating salmon? in the Trinity. The letter asks that some binding language be added to the project?s water rights application. Here?s that proposed language: Trinity River water shall not be used to fill Sites Reservoir unless the Trinity River Division of the Central Valley Project is releasing water as a result of storage conditions requiring ?Safety of Dams? releases beyond normal operating plans and concurrently when Shasta Reservoir is making flood control releases. Furthermore, Humboldt County?s 1959 water contract with the Bureau of Reclamation, Trinity River Record of Decision (ROD) flows, and releases to implement the Bureau of Reclamation?s Long-Term Plan to Project Adult Salmon in the Lower Klamath River shall not be reduced or negatively impacted in any way as a result of any Sites Reservoir decisions, modeling, operational plans, and water rights petitions. If the Sites Project Authority can?t agree to the county?s terms, the letter states, ?we will consider whether to withdraw our conditional support for the proposed Sites Reservoir Project.? The second letter approved at today?s meeting will be sent to both Durst and the regional director of the Bureau of Reclamation. It asks that the Draft Environmental Impact Statement/Environmental Impact Report be ?revised and recirculated prior to certification due to significant new information regarding the expected adverse environmental effects of the project?s proposed operations.? The letter notes that significant impacts to the Trinity River ?would cause irreversible harm to Humboldt County?s commercial, sport, and tribal fisheries.? The people who got up and spoke publicly on this issue echoed those sentiments.? ?The Trinity River has zero extra water,? said Weitchpec resident Isaac Kinney.? Daniel Cordalis, a member of the Yurok Tribe, said, ?Every drop of water that comes out of the Trinity now is an extreme fight,? and he voiced support for the two letters. Margot Robbins said she?d traveled to the meeting with five students from Hoopa High School. ?Our future is tied to the river, and our river is so sad,? she said. ?When our animals drink it in the summer, they die.? With any more diversions the Trinity would be unable to support fish, she said, and she argued that the project?s environmental assessment should be redone.? Denver Nelson, a retired neurosurgeon, longtime river advocate and former member of the Humboldt County Planning Commission, was the lone voice of support for the Sites Project. He called it ?a good thing to happen? and said it has ?no connection to the Trinity River.? Nonetheless, the board was united in its decision to send the two letters. ?It?s about time,? said Fifth District Supervisor Steve Madrone.? ?I totally support this as well,? Second District Supervisor Estelle Fennell said. Board Chair Rex Bohn, who represents the First District, said, ?I?m not gonna say I don?t support the Sites Project, but it does need to be fixed.? The Environmental Impact Report needs to be ?tightened up,? he said, though he argued that the state does need new water storage solutions.? ?I think Sites will get there,? Bohn said, ?hopefully without impacting the Trinity.? You can read both letters via the links below. And if you?d like a bit more info about the Sites project, here?s a video from?a February story in the?Sacramento Bee: DOCUMENTS: - The County?s letter to Sites Project Authority Chairman Fritz Durst - The County?s letter to Durst and Bureau of Reclamation Regional Director Ernest Conant -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From tstokely at att.net Thu Dec 12 13:02:19 2019 From: tstokely at att.net (Tom Stokely) Date: Thu, 12 Dec 2019 21:02:19 +0000 (UTC) Subject: [env-trinity] Trinity Journal: Trinity River release revamp explored References: <1803284727.7616049.1576184539534.ref@mail.yahoo.com> Message-ID: <1803284727.7616049.1576184539534@mail.yahoo.com> http://www.trinityjournal.com/news/local/article_b6e555f0-1bb1-11ea-84cc-c34165c0ab79.html Trinity River release revamp explored - By AMY GITTELSOHN The Trinity Journal ? - 5 hrs ago ? - ?0 - - Water is released to Trinity River from Lewiston Dam in this Trinity Journal file photo. - Facebook - Twitter - Email - Print - Save | | | | | | | | | | | Trinity River release revamp explored AMY GITTELSOHN The Trinity Journal Mother Nature is a tough act to follow with the motors and steel gates of a dam and only half the water, but sci... | | | Mother Nature is a tough act to follow with the motors and steel gates of a dam and only half the water, but scientists with the Trinity River Restoration Program would like to try to get the river closer to its natural rhythms. The program is investigating whether to radically change the way water is released from Lewiston Dam to the Trinity River in order to provide better conditions for fish. Currently, a flow schedule is decided upon in April based on the water year forecast, with a peak flow released in spring to mimic snowmelt. But the river is kept under wraps through the winter, even though without Trinity and Lewiston dams it would surge during storms. Program scientists are looking at bringing that back within certain limits. Instead of coming out with a fixed schedule for river releases, they?re studying the possibility of adjusting releases frequently based on estimated inflow to the Trinity Reservoir. Synchronizing with the flows in tributaries, the timing of the river releases would change but the overall amount released to the river annually would not. On average, 47 percent of inflow is released to the river with the remainder available for Central Valley Project uses, and that wouldn?t change. Trinity County Sup. Keith Groves, a member of the Trinity Management Council which guides the restoration program, shared why this timing revamp is being considered. ?I think there is a realization that though we feel we?re doing good work in the river, we?re making the river a more dynamic river, it is not translating to more fish,? he said. >From the restoration program, Executive Director Mike Dixon said, ?At the staff level across the various agencies the writing?s been on the wall a long time. That?s the direction we?re ultimately trying to go.? Dixon speculated that if approved the switch to synchronized flows couldn?t be made until 2023 at the earliest. But for now, the program has the TMC?s approval to move forward with studies. ?I think it?s pretty exciting,? Dixon said. He noted that anadromous fish evolved under frequently changing water conditions driven by many different influences. Storms raise rivers and creeks quickly and then they subside. Spring snowmelt is variable as the weather warms and cools. Trees and other vegetation also cause fluctuating water levels. The rising and receding river dislodges bugs, adding fish food in the water. Storm flows on the Trinity should help to disperse sediments sent into the river by tributaries during storms, Dixon said. He noted that the Carr fire burned the Deadwood Creek watershed, which now puts large amounts of sediment into gravel beds on the river during storms. ?Each time you got a big plume of sediment coming into the river you get a big deposit and no big flow to move it,? he said. ?There?s pretty good information from other rivers and the Trinity that the ecology of healthy rivers is driven by these disruptive (storm) events,? Dixon said. ?That?s what these fish evolved with.? The synchronized flows would also move the spring peak flow on the river forward. Dixon said there is good science indicating that pushing the bulk of the water forward will cause better conditions for juvenile salmon later in the year. Although releases at Lewiston Dam would be based on a percentage of estimated inflow at Trinity Reservoir, there would be upper and lower limits. Historically in a very dry year the flow at Lewiston could have been as low as 100 cubic feet per second. At that rate the temperature targets would be exceeded. On the other side of the scale, due to infrastructure the release can?t exceed 11,000 cfs. The idea of basing river releases on inflow to Trinity Reservoir isn?t a new one. In fact, it was one of the alternatives considered prior to the Trinity River Record of Decision in 2000. The difference is in 1999 the daily average inflow over a week was used to determine the releases. Storms are fleeting events, and taking an average meant that peak flows high enough to move sediments, scour riparian vegetation and reshape the river channel wouldn?t occur often enough. Moving to synchronized flows is no small change. Study and consultation with other agencies are needed. Although there is room in the Record of Decision for timing changes based on science, Dixon said environmental studies will be needed analyzing not only the benefits but any detriments. The studies would tier to the existing NEPA documents without throwing out the Record of Decision, he said. ?We don?t want to jeopardize the water that people fought so long so hard to get.? One major barrier could be the infrastructure at Lewiston Dam. The motors that operate the Lewiston gates weren?t designed for frequent, small changes, Dixon noted. ?It burns them out.? In fact, there have already been issues with the gates that prevent the program from implementing multiple small flow fluctuations. These diurnal fluctuations were halted by the federal Bureau of Reclamation after an electric motor associated with a radial gate at Lewiston Dam failed last May. To minimize risk to the remaining gate, restoration flows were suspended until repairs were completed. In response to a written request from TMC Chair Justin Ly that the diurnal flow variability be reimplemented or Reclamation provide justification as to why not, Reclamation Mid-Pacific Region Director Ernest Conant responded in writing regarding the ?aging infrastructure? at Trinity Powerplant, Trinity Dam and Lewiston Dam completed 55 years ago. ?Until Reclamation receives approximately $5 million in appropriated funding to change the entire operating system of the Lewiston radial gates to be more conducive to the minor flow adjustments that are being requested by the TMC, Reclamation will not be able to implement the diurnal flow variability you are requesting,? Director Conant wrote. As to whether the gates would be a barrier to synchronized flows, Dixon said, ?there will have to be a two-way conversation on what Reclamation can actually accommodate versus what the scientists are recommending.? At its meeting last week in Redding, the TMC authorized additional projects needed to answer questions regarding synchronization of flows using money saved from vacant positions. The motion passed 7-1, with the Hoopa Valley Tribe opposed. The TMC also voted that a letter be written to Reclamation asking that the agency find the $5 million to fix the issue with the Lewiston gates. Sup. Groves said he?s seeing very strong support from the scientists in the program for the synchronized flows. Previously, the restoration staff had been told it couldn?t be done with the existing environmental documents. ?We?ve (the TMC) told them to be more out of the box,? Groves said. ?This opens some things so they can be more creative in their thinking.? -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From tstokely at att.net Thu Dec 12 13:31:28 2019 From: tstokely at att.net (Tom Stokely) Date: Thu, 12 Dec 2019 21:31:28 +0000 (UTC) Subject: [env-trinity] Letters from TMC and USBR Regional Director on "aging infrastructure" at Trinity/Lewiston Dams References: <1226987868.7616607.1576186288604.ref@mail.yahoo.com> Message-ID: <1226987868.7616607.1576186288604@mail.yahoo.com> It is interesting to note that Reclamation has millions for enlargement of Shasta Dam, but inadequate funds to maintain existing facilities like Trinity and Lewiston Dams. It's kind of like buying a hot tub when you need a new roof! Tom Stokely?Salmon and Water Policy Consultant530-524-0315?tstokely at att.net? -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: TMC to USBR dam infrastructure letter (7-12-19).pdf Type: application/pdf Size: 43863 bytes Desc: not available URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: Conant to TMC-Justin Ly 112619.pdf Type: application/pdf Size: 525869 bytes Desc: not available URL: From tstokely at att.net Thu Dec 12 13:51:54 2019 From: tstokely at att.net (Tom Stokely) Date: Thu, 12 Dec 2019 21:51:54 +0000 (UTC) Subject: [env-trinity] Trinity Journal LTE by Wolf Vonn- Trinity River fish decimation References: <656801938.7562326.1576187514636.ref@mail.yahoo.com> Message-ID: <656801938.7562326.1576187514636@mail.yahoo.com> http://www.trinityjournal.com/opinion/letters_to_editor/article_2600c656-1ba6-11ea-b7a3-63c260102475.html Trinity River fish decimation - From Wolf Vonn Redding ? - Dec 11, 2019 ? - ? If you are a Trinity River angler, merchant, or concerned citizen, it?s time to address the absolute decimation of fish at the Tish Tang, Hoopa Weir. Yes, it?s politically sensitive, but the taking of (by Hoopa Fisheries? admission 90 percent) of hatchery steelhead, coho and most of the chinook salmon is their objective. To top it off many of the non-native locals yard fish out of the area daily. This is not sustainable, and a disgrace to fisheries management. To see it reminds me of the past videos of Japanese commercial fishermen clubbing dolphins caught in seine nets, but in this case salmon herded behind the weir. This year very few fish made it past the lineup of treble hooks, gill nets, locals and weir (look at upstream Fish and Wildlife Weir data). The quota means nothing, since non-native monitoring of take is not allowed. Yes, the Trinity partially flows through the Hoopa reservation, but it belongs to us all, and we share the fish. With the weir in place, Tish Tang could be considered the new headwaters of the river, since not much gets further upstream. We need constructive solutions to this critical issue. -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From emeliabee at yahoo.com.sg Fri Dec 13 06:49:51 2019 From: emeliabee at yahoo.com.sg (emelia berol) Date: Fri, 13 Dec 2019 06:49:51 -0800 Subject: [env-trinity] Letters from TMC and USBR Regional Director on "aging infrastructure" at Trinity/Lewiston Dams In-Reply-To: <1226987868.7616607.1576186288604@mail.yahoo.com> References: <1226987868.7616607.1576186288604@mail.yahoo.com> Message-ID: <2220CD3D-C802-4A5E-8124-4CF4427476C6@yahoo.com.sg> More like an expensive remodel of the kitchen while the roof is leaking... > On Dec 12, 2019, at 1:49 PM, Tom Stokely wrote: > > ? > It is interesting to note that Reclamation has millions for enlargement of Shasta Dam, but inadequate funds to maintain existing facilities like Trinity and Lewiston Dams. > > It's kind of like buying a hot tub when you need a new roof! > > Tom Stokely > Salmon and Water Policy Consultant > 530-524-0315 > tstokely at att.net > > > > _______________________________________________ > env-trinity mailing list > env-trinity at velocipede.dcn.davis.ca.us > http://www2.dcn.org/mailman/listinfo/env-trinity -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From emeliabee at yahoo.com.sg Fri Dec 13 06:49:51 2019 From: emeliabee at yahoo.com.sg (emelia berol) Date: Fri, 13 Dec 2019 06:49:51 -0800 Subject: [env-trinity] Letters from TMC and USBR Regional Director on "aging infrastructure" at Trinity/Lewiston Dams In-Reply-To: <1226987868.7616607.1576186288604@mail.yahoo.com> References: <1226987868.7616607.1576186288604@mail.yahoo.com> Message-ID: <2220CD3D-C802-4A5E-8124-4CF4427476C6@yahoo.com.sg> More like an expensive remodel of the kitchen while the roof is leaking... > On Dec 12, 2019, at 1:49 PM, Tom Stokely wrote: > > ? > It is interesting to note that Reclamation has millions for enlargement of Shasta Dam, but inadequate funds to maintain existing facilities like Trinity and Lewiston Dams. > > It's kind of like buying a hot tub when you need a new roof! > > Tom Stokely > Salmon and Water Policy Consultant > 530-524-0315 > tstokely at att.net > > > > _______________________________________________ > env-trinity mailing list > env-trinity at velocipede.dcn.davis.ca.us > http://www2.dcn.org/mailman/listinfo/env-trinity -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From pcatanese at dhscott.com Fri Dec 13 08:27:55 2019 From: pcatanese at dhscott.com (Paul Catanese) Date: Fri, 13 Dec 2019 16:27:55 +0000 Subject: [env-trinity] Trinity Journal LTE by Wolf Vonn- Trinity River fish decimation In-Reply-To: <656801938.7562326.1576187514636@mail.yahoo.com> References: <656801938.7562326.1576187514636.ref@mail.yahoo.com> <656801938.7562326.1576187514636@mail.yahoo.com> Message-ID: I have not seen this weir with my own eyes but have heard about it countless times. I did witness this year the lack of fall salmon and spawning redds and a lack of steelhead. Heard many stories of the great run of fish this year but very few made it to the upper river. I have lived on the banks of this river for 27 years , have guided here and my son guides here, we know the river and we know when there are no fish. When you consider the 250 million plus dollars spent on restoration and the allocation of funds to the tribes this activity of netting almost every fish is inexcusable. This together with the elimination of TAMWAG , self dealing ,no bid contracts, and the TRRP self exclusion from the Brown Act should be alarming to everyone and call for an investigation of the program from a financial perspective as well as its efficacy. Trinity county board of supervisors appear to be more focused on the government payroll in town and not enforcing laws regarding illegal pot grows rather than restoring the fishery, which was better before restoration began. Yes our fishery and the environment is being decimated but not by who or what you think! Illegal pot grows and down river overharvesting are not congruent with restoring a fishery for the benefit of ALL of us who live here. Its time to get some answers and work this out. I am less concerned about Sites reservoir than I am about what is happening here and now. Paul J. Catanese, Partner [cid:image001.gif at 01D5B0FD.4D607840] D.H. Scott & Company O: 530.243.4300 | F: 530.243.4306 900 Market St, Redding, CA 96001 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ This communication (including any attachments) may contain privileged or confidential information intended for a specific individual and purpose, and is protected by law. If you are not the intended recipient, you should delete this communication and/or shred the materials and any attachments and are hereby notified that any disclosure, copying, or distribution of this communication, or the taking of any action based on it, is strictly prohibited. Thank you. Disclaimer: Any accounting, business or tax advice contained in this communication, including attachments and enclosures, is not intended as a thorough, in-depth analysis of specific issues, nor a substitute for a formal opinion, nor is it sufficient to avoid tax-related penalties. If desired, D.H. Scott & Company would be pleased to perform the requisite research and provide you with a detailed written analysis. Such an engagement may be the subject of a separate engagement letter that would define the scope and limits of the desired consultation services. From: env-trinity On Behalf Of Tom Stokely Sent: Thursday, December 12, 2019 1:52 PM To: Env-trinity Subject: [env-trinity] Trinity Journal LTE by Wolf Vonn- Trinity River fish decimation http://www.trinityjournal.com/opinion/letters_to_editor/article_2600c656-1ba6-11ea-b7a3-63c260102475.html Trinity River fish decimation * From Wolf Vonn Redding * Dec 11, 2019 * If you are a Trinity River angler, merchant, or concerned citizen, it?s time to address the absolute decimation of fish at the Tish Tang, Hoopa Weir. Yes, it?s politically sensitive, but the taking of (by Hoopa Fisheries? admission 90 percent) of hatchery steelhead, coho and most of the chinook salmon is their objective. To top it off many of the non-native locals yard fish out of the area daily. This is not sustainable, and a disgrace to fisheries management. To see it reminds me of the past videos of Japanese commercial fishermen clubbing dolphins caught in seine nets, but in this case salmon herded behind the weir. This year very few fish made it past the lineup of treble hooks, gill nets, locals and weir (look at upstream Fish and Wildlife Weir data). The quota means nothing, since non-native monitoring of take is not allowed. Yes, the Trinity partially flows through the Hoopa reservation, but it belongs to us all, and we share the fish. With the weir in place, Tish Tang could be considered the new headwaters of the river, since not much gets further upstream. We need constructive solutions to this critical issue. -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: image001.gif Type: image/gif Size: 3419 bytes Desc: image001.gif URL: From klamathtrinityriver at gmail.com Fri Dec 13 09:52:55 2019 From: klamathtrinityriver at gmail.com (Regina Chichizola) Date: Fri, 13 Dec 2019 09:52:55 -0800 Subject: [env-trinity] Trinity Journal LTE by Wolf Vonn- Trinity River fish decimation In-Reply-To: References: <656801938.7562326.1576187514636.ref@mail.yahoo.com> <656801938.7562326.1576187514636@mail.yahoo.com> Message-ID: The reality is there are very low counts in the Klamath also. Yurok fishermen did not catch much at all this year and ocean fishing was not great. It was predicted to be good year and it has been terrible everywhere. The allocations were probably higher than they should have been, but the Tribe does not set those and had no reason to think the predictions were wrong until the run did not show up like it was supposed to. Also no one hit their allocations as far as I know. There were so few fish. I do not think it is productive to blame the Tribes when all the watersheds have terrible returns this year, especially because no one seems to know what happened yet. Fighting amongst the people that want to save the fish, and blaming each other for a bad run (and a really bad prediction of the return), when it was likely due to river and ocean conditions seems like a waste of time and energy. I think we need to figure out what happened and why the prediction was so off, not blame those that suffer when there are not many fish. This is my opinion as someone that lives here and pays a lot of attention. Thank you, Regina On Fri, Dec 13, 2019 at 8:29 AM Paul Catanese wrote: > I have not seen this weir with my own eyes but have heard about it > countless times. I did witness this year the lack of fall salmon and > spawning redds and a lack of steelhead. Heard many stories of the great run > of fish this year but very few made it to the upper river. I have lived on > the banks of this river for 27 years , have guided here and my son guides > here, we know the river and we know when there are no fish. > > > > When you consider the 250 million plus dollars spent on restoration and > the allocation of funds to the tribes this activity of netting almost > every fish is inexcusable. This together with the elimination of TAMWAG , > self dealing ,no bid contracts, and the TRRP self exclusion from the Brown > Act should be alarming to everyone and call for an investigation of the > program from a financial perspective as well as its efficacy. Trinity > county board of supervisors appear to be more focused on the government > payroll in town and not enforcing laws regarding illegal pot grows rather > than restoring the fishery, which was better before restoration began. > > > > Yes our fishery and the environment is being decimated but not by who or > what you think! Illegal pot grows and down river overharvesting are not > congruent with restoring a fishery for the benefit of ALL of us who live > here. Its time to get some answers and work this out. I am less concerned > about Sites reservoir than I am about what is happening here and now. > > > > > > > > *Paul J. Catanese*, Partner > > > [image: cid:image001.gif at 01D5B0FD.4D607840] > > D.H. Scott & Company > O: 530.243.4300 | F: 530.243.4306 > 900 Market St, Redding, CA 96001 > > > ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ > This communication (including any attachments) may contain privileged or > confidential information intended for a specific individual and purpose, > and is protected by law. If you are not the intended recipient, you should > delete this communication and/or shred the materials and any attachments > and are hereby notified that any disclosure, copying, or distribution of > this communication, or the taking of any action based on it, is strictly > prohibited. Thank you. > > > > *Disclaimer:** Any accounting, business or tax advice contained in this > communication, including attachments and enclosures, is not intended as a > thorough, in-depth analysis of specific issues, nor a substitute for a > formal opinion, nor is it sufficient to avoid tax-related penalties. If > desired, D.H. Scott & Company would be pleased to perform the requisite > research and provide you with a detailed written analysis. Such an > engagement may be the subject of a separate engagement letter that would > define the scope and limits of the desired consultation services.* > > > > *From:* env-trinity *On > Behalf Of *Tom Stokely > *Sent:* Thursday, December 12, 2019 1:52 PM > *To:* Env-trinity > *Subject:* [env-trinity] Trinity Journal LTE by Wolf Vonn- Trinity River > fish decimation > > > > > http://www.trinityjournal.com/opinion/letters_to_editor/article_2600c656-1ba6-11ea-b7a3-63c260102475.html > Trinity River fish decimation > > - From Wolf Vonn Redding > > > > - Dec 11, 2019 > > > > - > > > If you are a Trinity River angler, merchant, or concerned citizen, it?s > time to address the absolute decimation of fish at the Tish Tang, Hoopa > Weir. Yes, it?s politically sensitive, but the taking of (by Hoopa > Fisheries? admission 90 percent) of hatchery steelhead, coho and most of > the chinook salmon is their objective. > > To top it off many of the non-native locals yard fish out of the area > daily. This is not sustainable, and a disgrace to fisheries management. To > see it reminds me of the past videos of Japanese commercial fishermen > clubbing dolphins caught in seine nets, but in this case salmon herded > behind the weir. > > This year very few fish made it past the lineup of treble hooks, gill > nets, locals and weir (look at upstream Fish and Wildlife Weir data). The > quota means nothing, since non-native monitoring of take is not allowed. > > Yes, the Trinity partially flows through the Hoopa reservation, but it > belongs to us all, and we share the fish. With the weir in place, Tish Tang > could be considered the new headwaters of the river, since not much gets > further upstream. We need constructive solutions to this critical issue. > _______________________________________________ > env-trinity mailing list > env-trinity at velocipede.dcn.davis.ca.us > http://www2.dcn.org/mailman/listinfo/env-trinity > -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: image001.gif Type: image/gif Size: 3419 bytes Desc: not available URL: From Guillen at uhcl.edu Fri Dec 13 10:10:46 2019 From: Guillen at uhcl.edu (Guillen, George J.) Date: Fri, 13 Dec 2019 18:10:46 +0000 Subject: [env-trinity] [External - Whitelisted] Re: Trinity Journal LTE by Wolf Vonn- Trinity River fish decimation 8% In-Reply-To: <26282_1576259792_5DF3D0D0_26282_982_1_CAPn6joby6Ff8k9+GzkerQgrva5WF8HS3i4e7ucz20AwB1ne09w@mail.gmail.com> References: <26282_1576259792_5DF3D0D0_26282_982_1_CAPn6joby6Ff8k9+GzkerQgrva5WF8HS3i4e7ucz20AwB1ne09w@mail.gmail.com> Message-ID: Very Good points. Also points to the need for risk averse policies given the unpredictability of environmental factors and fish survival. Sent from my iPhone On Dec 13, 2019, at 11:56, Regina Chichizola wrote: ? The reality is there are very low counts in the Klamath also. Yurok fishermen did not catch much at all this year and ocean fishing was not great. It was predicted to be good year and it has been terrible everywhere. The allocations were probably higher than they should have been, but the Tribe does not set those and had no reason to think the predictions were wrong until the run did not show up like it was supposed to. Also no one hit their allocations as far as I know. There were so few fish. I do not think it is productive to blame the Tribes when all the watersheds have terrible returns this year, especially because no one seems to know what happened yet. Fighting amongst the people that want to save the fish, and blaming each other for a bad run (and a really bad prediction of the return), when it was likely due to river and ocean conditions seems like a waste of time and energy. I think we need to figure out what happened and why the prediction was so off, not blame those that suffer when there are not many fish. This is my opinion as someone that lives here and pays a lot of attention. Thank you, Regina On Fri, Dec 13, 2019 at 8:29 AM Paul Catanese > wrote: I have not seen this weir with my own eyes but have heard about it countless times. I did witness this year the lack of fall salmon and spawning redds and a lack of steelhead. Heard many stories of the great run of fish this year but very few made it to the upper river. I have lived on the banks of this river for 27 years , have guided here and my son guides here, we know the river and we know when there are no fish. When you consider the 250 million plus dollars spent on restoration and the allocation of funds to the tribes this activity of netting almost every fish is inexcusable. This together with the elimination of TAMWAG , self dealing ,no bid contracts, and the TRRP self exclusion from the Brown Act should be alarming to everyone and call for an investigation of the program from a financial perspective as well as its efficacy. Trinity county board of supervisors appear to be more focused on the government payroll in town and not enforcing laws regarding illegal pot grows rather than restoring the fishery, which was better before restoration began. Yes our fishery and the environment is being decimated but not by who or what you think! Illegal pot grows and down river overharvesting are not congruent with restoring a fishery for the benefit of ALL of us who live here. Its time to get some answers and work this out. I am less concerned about Sites reservoir than I am about what is happening here and now. Paul J. Catanese, Partner D.H. Scott & Company O: 530.243.4300 | F: 530.243.4306 900 Market St, Redding, CA 96001 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ This communication (including any attachments) may contain privileged or confidential information intended for a specific individual and purpose, and is protected by law. If you are not the intended recipient, you should delete this communication and/or shred the materials and any attachments and are hereby notified that any disclosure, copying, or distribution of this communication, or the taking of any action based on it, is strictly prohibited. Thank you. Disclaimer: Any accounting, business or tax advice contained in this communication, including attachments and enclosures, is not intended as a thorough, in-depth analysis of specific issues, nor a substitute for a formal opinion, nor is it sufficient to avoid tax-related penalties. If desired, D.H. Scott & Company would be pleased to perform the requisite research and provide you with a detailed written analysis. Such an engagement may be the subject of a separate engagement letter that would define the scope and limits of the desired consultation services. From: env-trinity > On Behalf Of Tom Stokely Sent: Thursday, December 12, 2019 1:52 PM To: Env-trinity > Subject: [env-trinity] Trinity Journal LTE by Wolf Vonn- Trinity River fish decimation http://www.trinityjournal.com/opinion/letters_to_editor/article_2600c656-1ba6-11ea-b7a3-63c260102475.html Trinity River fish decimation * From Wolf Vonn Redding * Dec 11, 2019 * If you are a Trinity River angler, merchant, or concerned citizen, it?s time to address the absolute decimation of fish at the Tish Tang, Hoopa Weir. Yes, it?s politically sensitive, but the taking of (by Hoopa Fisheries? admission 90 percent) of hatchery steelhead, coho and most of the chinook salmon is their objective. To top it off many of the non-native locals yard fish out of the area daily. This is not sustainable, and a disgrace to fisheries management. To see it reminds me of the past videos of Japanese commercial fishermen clubbing dolphins caught in seine nets, but in this case salmon herded behind the weir. This year very few fish made it past the lineup of treble hooks, gill nets, locals and weir (look at upstream Fish and Wildlife Weir data). The quota means nothing, since non-native monitoring of take is not allowed. Yes, the Trinity partially flows through the Hoopa reservation, but it belongs to us all, and we share the fish. With the weir in place, Tish Tang could be considered the new headwaters of the river, since not much gets further upstream. We need constructive solutions to this critical issue. _______________________________________________ env-trinity mailing list env-trinity at velocipede.dcn.davis.ca.us http://www2.dcn.org/mailman/listinfo/env-trinity _______________________________________________ env-trinity mailing list env-trinity at velocipede.dcn.davis.ca.us http://www2.dcn.org/mailman/listinfo/env-trinity -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From klamathtrinityriver at gmail.com Fri Dec 13 16:50:41 2019 From: klamathtrinityriver at gmail.com (Regina Chichizola) Date: Fri, 13 Dec 2019 16:50:41 -0800 Subject: [env-trinity] California Salmon News: Patagonia Match to End Soon, WE WON: Humboldt Asks for for New Sites Reservoir EIR, Smith River Lily Bulb Pesticide Permit Meeting: Dec. 19th Message-ID: *California Salmon News: * SCS MATCH ENDING: Patagonia Announces Matching Donations Will End Soon WE WON: Humboldt Asks for new Sites Reservoir EIS, Smith River Lily Bulb Permit Meeting in Santa Rosa: Dec 19th *Humboldt County Asks For New Environmental Review for Sites Reservoir Project * https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2019/12/11/1905049/-Humboldt-County-Asks-For-New-Environmental-Review-for-Sites-Reservoir-Project Over a dozen people from the Klamath and Trinity RIver commented in support of the resolutions, and expressed concern that other proposals such as the controversial permanent water contract for Westlands Water District and the new federal water project operations proposed by the Trump administration would also negatively impact the Klamath and Trinity River salmon. Those testifying included Hoopa High School and Trinidad elementary students. ?I should be in school learning geometry, figuring out what I want to do with my life, said Kylee Sorrell, a sophomore at Hoopa High School, ?but I am here fighting for my culture, for the water and most importantly for the salmon.? *Smith River Lily Bulb Pesticide Permit Update At Water Board Meeting in Santa Rosa on Dec. 19th. * The North Coast Water Board will give an update on, and take public comment regarding, the Smith River Lily Bulb Pollution Water Quality Control Plan on Dec. 19th at their meeting in Santa Rosa. The use of copper based pesticides and other toxins in the Smith River estuary has been found to have health impacts on salmon and people. More information and a petition on the issue is at: https://www.change.org/p/easter-lilies-are-poisoning-salmon-people-on-smith-river-boycott-and-ask-for-regulation More information on the meeting is at: https://www.waterboards.ca.gov/northcoast/board_info/board_meetings/12_2019 or at https://www.facebook.com/SaveCaliforniaSalmon/?ref=bookmarks *Last Chance to Donate to Save California Salmon's Water Protector Travel Fund Through Patagonia's Matching Donation #GivingDecember Challenge:* Our link is at https://www.patagonia.com/actionworks/grantees/save-california-salmon/. Get a free T-shirt with donations of $60 or more and a free hoodie at donations of $100 or more. Email regina at californiasalmon.org for a free shirt with donation. [image: Patagonia Action Works] [image: Patagonia Action Works] Nearly *$9 million has been donated* through Patagonia Action Works during our Gift of Giving campaign. Below are a few answers to questions we?ve received. *How will I know when the matching campaign ends?* Once we?re no longer matching donations, we?ll send an email, as soon as we're able, letting you know that the campaign has ended. *How can I track donations?* If you want to see how much your organization has raised and who is donating, set up access to Network for Good?s donor management tool . They have a free online version that provides information about who is donating and in what denominations (unless donations are given anonymously). If you haven?t already, you?ll need to register through their site. *When are donations disbursed?* Donations that were made to your organization in November will be disbursed in mid-December. Donations made in December will be disbursed in mid-January. Patagonia will fund matching donations to Network for Good in February of 2020?meaning that you will likely receive the matching portion of the funds around March 15, 2020. *How can donors contribute?* Donations must be made by credit card or debit card through your profile on Patagonia Action Works. Important: We cannot match donations made by check, stock transfer, cash, electronic transfer, etc. *More Questions?* You can refer to our donation and donation match information to learn more or feel free to reach out to ActionWorks at patagonia.com . For more information on any of these alerts go to californiasalmon.org or contact Regina Chichizola at regina at californiasalmon.org or Isaac Kinney at Isaac at californiasalmon.org Follow SCS on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/SaveCaliforniaSalmon/ On Twitter at https://twitter.com/CaliSalmon On Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/californiarivers/ @californiarivers -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From vhelliwell at mcn.org Sat Dec 14 12:25:16 2019 From: vhelliwell at mcn.org (Vivian Helliwell) Date: Sat, 14 Dec 2019 12:25:16 -0800 Subject: [env-trinity] [External - Whitelisted] Re: Trinity Journal LTE by Wolf Vonn- Trinity River fish decimation 8% In-Reply-To: References: <26282_1576259792_5DF3D0D0_26282_982_1_CAPn6joby6Ff8k9+GzkerQgrva5WF8HS3i4e7ucz20AwB1ne09w@mail.gmail.com> Message-ID: <52B9F852-09F0-4C65-BC9F-36ADC7B1C8BD@mcn.org> One thing to note is that the 2019 ocean commercial and sport fisheries had very good salmon landings off San Francisco and south all summer?the fish never came north of Point Arena. No "Fourth of July off Fort Bragg," almost no scores off Eureka, Crescent City and Trinidad, as far as I heard. The salmon stayed south, who knows why. Vivian Vivian Helliwell Watershed Conservation Director Pacific Coast Federation of Fishermen?s Associations (PCFFA) and Institute for Fisheries Resources (IFR) (707)953-0095 vhellliwell at mcn.org > On Dec 13, 2019, at 10:10 AM, Guillen, George J. wrote: > > Very Good points. Also points to the need for risk averse policies given the unpredictability of environmental factors and fish survival. > > Sent from my iPhone > >> On Dec 13, 2019, at 11:56, Regina Chichizola wrote: >> >> ? >> The reality is there are very low counts in the Klamath also. Yurok fishermen did not catch much at all this year and ocean fishing was not great. It was predicted to be good year and it has been terrible everywhere. The allocations were probably higher than they should have been, but the Tribe does not set those and had no reason to think the predictions were wrong until the run did not show up like it was supposed to. Also no one hit their allocations as far as I know. There were so few fish. >> >> I do not think it is productive to blame the Tribes when all the watersheds have terrible returns this year, especially because no one seems to know what happened yet. Fighting amongst the people that want to save the fish, and blaming each other for a bad run (and a really bad prediction of the return), when it was likely due to river and ocean conditions seems like a waste of time and energy. I think we need to figure out what happened and why the prediction was so off, not blame those that suffer when there are not many fish. >> This is my opinion as someone that lives here and pays a lot of attention. >> >> Thank you, >> Regina >> >> On Fri, Dec 13, 2019 at 8:29 AM Paul Catanese > wrote: >> I have not seen this weir with my own eyes but have heard about it countless times. I did witness this year the lack of fall salmon and spawning redds and a lack of steelhead. Heard many stories of the great run of fish this year but very few made it to the upper river. I have lived on the banks of this river for 27 years , have guided here and my son guides here, we know the river and we know when there are no fish. >> >> >> >> When you consider the 250 million plus dollars spent on restoration and the allocation of funds to the tribes this activity of netting almost every fish is inexcusable. This together with the elimination of TAMWAG , self dealing ,no bid contracts, and the TRRP self exclusion from the Brown Act should be alarming to everyone and call for an investigation of the program from a financial perspective as well as its efficacy. Trinity county board of supervisors appear to be more focused on the government payroll in town and not enforcing laws regarding illegal pot grows rather than restoring the fishery, which was better before restoration began. >> >> >> >> Yes our fishery and the environment is being decimated but not by who or what you think! Illegal pot grows and down river overharvesting are not congruent with restoring a fishery for the benefit of ALL of us who live here. Its time to get some answers and work this out. I am less concerned about Sites reservoir than I am about what is happening here and now. >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> Paul J. Catanese, Partner >> >> >> >> >> D.H. Scott & Company >> O: 530.243.4300 | F: 530.243.4306 >> 900 Market St, Redding, CA 96001 >> >> ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ >> This communication (including any attachments) may contain privileged or confidential information intended for a specific individual and purpose, and is protected by law. If you are not the intended recipient, you should delete this communication and/or shred the materials and any attachments and are hereby notified that any disclosure, copying, or distribution of this communication, or the taking of any action based on it, is strictly prohibited. Thank you. >> >> >> >> Disclaimer: Any accounting, business or tax advice contained in this communication, including attachments and enclosures, is not intended as a thorough, in-depth analysis of specific issues, nor a substitute for a formal opinion, nor is it sufficient to avoid tax-related penalties. If desired, D.H. Scott & Company would be pleased to perform the requisite research and provide you with a detailed written analysis. Such an engagement may be the subject of a separate engagement letter that would define the scope and limits of the desired consultation services. >> >> >> >> From: env-trinity > On Behalf Of Tom Stokely >> Sent: Thursday, December 12, 2019 1:52 PM >> To: Env-trinity > >> Subject: [env-trinity] Trinity Journal LTE by Wolf Vonn- Trinity River fish decimation >> >> >> >> http://www.trinityjournal.com/opinion/letters_to_editor/article_2600c656-1ba6-11ea-b7a3-63c260102475.html >> Trinity River fish decimation >> From Wolf Vonn Redding >> >> >> Dec 11, 2019 >> >> >> ? >> If you are a Trinity River angler, merchant, or concerned citizen, it?s time to address the absolute decimation of fish at the Tish Tang, Hoopa Weir. Yes, it?s politically sensitive, but the taking of (by Hoopa Fisheries? admission 90 percent) of hatchery steelhead, coho and most of the chinook salmon is their objective. >> >> To top it off many of the non-native locals yard fish out of the area daily. This is not sustainable, and a disgrace to fisheries management. To see it reminds me of the past videos of Japanese commercial fishermen clubbing dolphins caught in seine nets, but in this case salmon herded behind the weir. >> >> This year very few fish made it past the lineup of treble hooks, gill nets, locals and weir (look at upstream Fish and Wildlife Weir data). The quota means nothing, since non-native monitoring of take is not allowed. >> >> Yes, the Trinity partially flows through the Hoopa reservation, but it belongs to us all, and we share the fish. With the weir in place, Tish Tang could be considered the new headwaters of the river, since not much gets further upstream. We need constructive solutions to this critical issue. >> >> _______________________________________________ >> env-trinity mailing list >> env-trinity at velocipede.dcn.davis.ca.us >> http://www2.dcn.org/mailman/listinfo/env-trinity >> _______________________________________________ >> env-trinity mailing list >> env-trinity at velocipede.dcn.davis.ca.us >> http://www2.dcn.org/mailman/listinfo/env-trinity > _______________________________________________ > env-trinity mailing list > env-trinity at velocipede.dcn.davis.ca.us > http://www2.dcn.org/mailman/listinfo/env-trinity -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From tstokely at att.net Wed Dec 18 16:38:06 2019 From: tstokely at att.net (Tom Stokely) Date: Thu, 19 Dec 2019 00:38:06 +0000 (UTC) Subject: [env-trinity] Foes seek to block permanent contract for Westlands References: <1748243902.1287023.1576715886963.ref@mail.yahoo.com> Message-ID: <1748243902.1287023.1576715886963@mail.yahoo.com> https://www.eenews.net/eenewspm/2019/12/17/stories/1061837675 ?WESTERN WATER Foes seek to block permanent contract for Westlands Jeremy P. Jacobs, E&E News reporter Published: Tuesday, December 17, 2019 The Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta is a key part of the Central Valley Project and an important source of water in California.?formulanone/Flickr Environmental groups, tribes and upstream water users in California yesterday sought to block a permanent water delivery contract between the Interior Department and the Westlands Water District. At issue is a proposed deal between Westlands, an agricultural powerhouse in California's San Joaquin Valley, and the Bureau of Reclamation in which Westlands pays off its debt to the government to guarantee deliveries in perpetuity without future contract renewals. In October, Westlands filed a motion in state court that would establish a judicial decree that such a contract is valid under state law. The groups, counties and tribes, which include the California Sportfishing Protection Alliance, the Center for Biological Diversity, San Joaquin County and the Winnemem Wintu Tribe, contend that the proposed contract deserves more scrutiny given California's uncertain water future. Westlands seeks the order from the court "despite continued failure to address longstanding drainage problems affecting water uses in the district, and unresolved uncertainties in the water baseline for Westlands' current and future uses," wrote attorneys for San Joaquin and Trinity counties. "Prematurely validating the broad relief sought by Westlands in the face of these uncertainties would create major risks for other water users and uses far beyond Westlands' own service area," they wrote. The details of the contract seeped out in late November and quickly became a flashpoint in California's water battles. Interior has cast it as a good deal, under which Westlands would repay its costs of the Central Valley Project, the sprawling federal infrastructure that delivers water from California's wet north to farms and cities in its drier south. As of Sept. 30, 2018, Westlands owed $480.7 million, and Interior said the contract would result in the district paying it off a decade earlier than anticipated (Greenwire, Nov. 8). The contract was made possible by a provision of controversial legislation enacted at the end of the Obama administration, the Water Infrastructure Improvements for the Nation (WIIN) Act. Critics, however, contend that the permanent contract would allow Westlands and Interior to avoid public scrutiny and environmental reviews that are often a part of the contract renewal process. They have also pointed out that Interior Secretary David Bernhardt was a registered lobbyist for Westlands up to November 2016, including on issues related to Reclamation and the Endangered Species Act. When he joined the administration, Bernhardt signed an ethics pledge committing to not work on any "particular matter" related to his lobbyist activities two years prior. Critics have claimed he has violated that pledge, and Interior's Office of Inspector General has "opened an investigation" into those alleged activities (Greenwire, April 16). Interior has also emphasized that the proposed contract has been available for public review since Oct. 25, and the agency will receive public comments on it. Twitter:?@GreenwireJeremy | | | | | | | | | | | Jeremy P. Jacobs (@GreenwireJeremy) | Twitter The latest Tweets from Jeremy P. Jacobs (@GreenwireJeremy). West coast writer for E&E News. Tweets about energy/... | | | ?Email:?jjacobs at eenews.net -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From danielbacher at fishsniffer.com Wed Dec 18 23:01:13 2019 From: danielbacher at fishsniffer.com (Daniel Bacher) Date: 19 Dec 2019 02:01:13 -0500 Subject: [env-trinity] Mokelumne River salmon come back in big numbers Message-ID: <2bc7c602-c140-4146-9a94-05235eec6de5@mtasv.net> https://www.recordnet.com/sports/20191217/mokelumne-river-salmon-come-back-in-big-numbers Mokelumne River salmon come back in big numbers By Dan Bacher, Record Correspondent Posted Dec 17, 2019 at 6:41 PM Updated Dec 17, 2019 at 7:10 PM Large numbers of fall-run Chinook salmon have returned to the Mokelumne River in Clements this fall despite challenging salmon fishing on the river and adjacent sloughs this season. A total of over 12,658 salmon have gone over Woodbridge Dam in Lodi as of Dec. 10, according to William Smith, manager of the CDFW?s Mokelumne River Fish Hatchery. ?We will probably see just over 13,000 fish this fall,? Smith said. ?We?re seeing an above normal season, although anglers reported slow fishing in the river.? The hatchery trapped 2,168 adult males and 3,324 adult females, along with 2,063 jacks and 560 jills (2-year-old fish). The hatchery has taken 7.9 million eggs to date. A record number of fall-run Chinook salmon, 19,954, went over Woodbridge Dam in the fall of 2017, the highest number since 1940. The 2018 fall salmon returns were also impressive, with a total return of 17,474 fish. These record runs have contributed greatly to the ocean recreational and commercial fishery over the past couple of years. The Mokelumne, a relatively small river, provided 33 percent of the Central Valley fall Chinooks caught in the recreational fishery and 43 percent of the commercial fishery in 2018, according to the Pacific Fishery Management Council (PFMC). Hatchery staff plan to raise and release 6.8 million smolts into the San Joaquin River and other sites in the spring of 2020. They will put 3.8 million of these in the San Joaquin and 3 million in the ocean for enhancement purposes. The steelhead runs have increased dramatically in recent decades also. A record number of adult steelhead, 719, returned to the hatchery in the winter of 2017. The facility has trapped 367 adults so far this season. Smith cited their studies on the best times to release fish as key factors in their success on salmon, including releasing salmon at the top times to take advantage of tides and limiting the number of consecutive releases to avoid predation. ?The Mokelumne is one of the success stories in bringing back fisheries,? said Bill Jennings, Chairman/Executive Director of the California Sportfishing Protection Alliance (CSPA). ?The current salmon and steelhead runs are the result of a long struggle in the state and federal courts and state regulatory agencies. The East Bay Municipal Utility District (EBMUD) became a proactive partner in restoring the Mokelumne. But we still have to get fish into the habitat above rim dams and we have to fix the Delta.? Anglers are currently gearing up for the steelhead opener on the upper section of the Mokelumne below the hatchery. The steelhead season from below Camanche Dam to Elliot Road is from Jan. 1 through March 31 and again from the Fourth Saturday in May through Oct. 15. The limit is one hatchery trout or one hatchery steelhead. Information: (209) 759-3383. San Joaquin River Stripers: Boaters are catching limits of stripers while drifting mudsuckers and live jumbo minnows on the San Joaquin River near Eddo?s Harbor. ?We didn?t catch any hogs today, but we landed our share of stripers,? said James Netzel of Tight Lines Guide Service on Sunday. ?We caught maybe 15 keepers and another 35-40 shakers. The four anglers kept their limits.? The previous trip by Netzel produced limits of stripers up to 28 inches for five anglers. Information: (888) 975-0990. Camanche/Amador Trout: Shore anglers throwing Power Bait, nightcrawlers and Kastmasters and trollers fishing spoons and Rapalas are landing big trout. Camanche is being planted weekly with rainbows, while Amador is being stocked every week with cutbows. Camanche information: (209) 763-5121. Amador information: (209) 274-4739. -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From tstokely at att.net Thu Dec 19 09:20:31 2019 From: tstokely at att.net (Tom Stokely) Date: Thu, 19 Dec 2019 17:20:31 +0000 (UTC) Subject: [env-trinity] The Late-Fall Salmon Run is Producing Some MASSIVE Fish on the Sacramento River References: <613770059.1643799.1576776031522.ref@mail.yahoo.com> Message-ID: <613770059.1643799.1576776031522@mail.yahoo.com> Check out the link to the article. There are some massive fish photos.? It would be nice if these were Trinity River salmon. ? The Late-Fall Salmon Run is Producing Some MASSIVE Fish on the Sacramento River | | | | | | | | | | | The Late-Fall Salmon Run is Producing Some MASSIVE Fish on the Sacrament... While the days on the Sacrametno River may be slower in the late fall, the salmon that spend more time in the Pa... | | | The Late-Fall Salmon Run is Producing Some MASSIVE Fish on the Sacramento River -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From tstokely at att.net Fri Dec 20 08:30:06 2019 From: tstokely at att.net (Tom Stokely) Date: Fri, 20 Dec 2019 16:30:06 +0000 (UTC) Subject: [env-trinity] Fw: Reclamation Mid-Pacific Region NEPA Notification In-Reply-To: <5247a4aa2361bfd71e56d4e0743e1c8e@ibr2mprlxlamp01.bor.doi.net> References: <5247a4aa2361bfd71e56d4e0743e1c8e@ibr2mprlxlamp01.bor.doi.net> Message-ID: <1174337835.2193854.1576859406252@mail.yahoo.com> This is the EIS for the new CVP Biological Opinion. Tom Stokely?Salmon and Water Policy Consultant530-524-0315?tstokely at att.net? ----- Forwarded Message ----- From: sha-mpr-nepanotice at usbr.gov Sent: Friday, December 20, 2019, 07:55:19 AM PSTSubject: Reclamation Mid-Pacific Region NEPA Notification Greetings, The Bureau of Reclamation is making National Environmental Policy Act documents available to the public for the following project: ? ? Reinitiation of Consultation on the Coordinated Long-Term Operation of the Central Valley Project and State Water Project To view or download these documents, please visit https://www.usbr.gov/mp/nepa/nepa_project_details.php?Project_ID=39181 To modify your notification preferences, or to stop receiving these notifications, please visit https://www.usbr.gov/mp/nepa/index.php -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From tstokely at att.net Fri Dec 20 08:34:40 2019 From: tstokely at att.net (Tom Stokely) Date: Fri, 20 Dec 2019 16:34:40 +0000 (UTC) Subject: [env-trinity] Press Release on new CVP BO FEIS References: <897074826.2230109.1576859680325.ref@mail.yahoo.com> Message-ID: <897074826.2230109.1576859680325@mail.yahoo.com> For Release: Dec. 19, 2019 Contact: Jeff Hawk, 916-978-5100 (office) 916-204-2348 (cell), jhawk at usbr.gov Reclamation uses latest science to improve water reliability in California Proposed changes will optimize water delivery and species protection SACRAMENTO, Calif. ? The Bureau of Reclamation today announced a major step to optimize water deliveries and power production for California communities and farms in an environmentally sound manner. The agency released a final environmental impact statement analyzing Central Valley Project and State Water Project long-term operations based on new biological opinions from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and NOAA Fisheries to protect threatened and endangered species. ?This is a vital milestone for water reliability in California. It ensures our actions improve the quality of life for people and protect our environment,? said California-Great Basin Regional Director Ernest Conant. ?We?ve embraced the latest science to allow real-time monitoring and other operational improvements throughout the system to protect fish.? The EIS outlines several alternatives for operating the CVP and SWP. The preferred alternative best balances the need to provide a safe and reliable water supply to farms, families and communities with protections for critical species. Actions include real-time monitoring of endangered species, habitat restoration and improving temperature management strategies. Specifically, the alternative provides better cold water management at Shasta Reservoir to directly benefit spawning salmon; a $14 million investment to accelerate ongoing reintroduction efforts of imperiled winter-run chinook salmon populations on Battle Creek and other Sacramento River tributaries; and an additional $50 million for a conservation hatchery in the Delta that will assist with the recovery of the Delta smelt and other Delta species of concern. These and other actions will significantly improve conditions for endangered species while ensuring optimal delivery of water for farmers and communities. Reclamation expects to finalize these actions with a record of decision in 2020. The final environmental impact statement is available at https://www.usbr.gov/mp/nepa/nepa_project_details.php?Project_ID=39181. # # # The Bureau of Reclamation is a federal agency under the U.S. Department of the Interior and is the nation's largest wholesale water supplier and second largest producer of hydroelectric power. Its facilities also provide substantial flood control, recreation opportunities, and environmental benefits. Visit our website at www.usbr.gov and follow us on Twitter @USBR. If you would rather not receive future communications from Bureau of Reclamation, let us know by clicking here. Bureau of Reclamation, Mid-Pacific Region 2800 Cottage Way, Sacramento, CA 95825 United States -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From tgstoked at gmail.com Sat Dec 21 17:14:53 2019 From: tgstoked at gmail.com (Tom Stokely) Date: Sat, 21 Dec 2019 17:14:53 -0800 Subject: [env-trinity] Fwd: Release of Lower Klamath Project Recirculated Portions of the Draft Environmental Impact Report for Public Comment In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: From: Date: Sat, Dec 21, 2019 at 11:41 AM Subject: Release of Lower Klamath Project Recirculated Portions of the Draft Environmental Impact Report for Public Comment To: Lower Klamath Project License Surrender < lower_klamath_project_license at swrcb18.waterboards.ca.gov> [image: State Water Resources Control Board] This is a message from the State Water Resources Control Board ------------------------------ To: Interested Parties Today, December 21, 2019, the State Water Resources Control Board (State Water Board) released for public comment Recirculated Portions of the Draft Environmental Impact Report (EIR) for the Lower Klamath Project License Surrender. *Comments on the recirculated portions are due by 5:00 pm on February 6, 2020.* The attached *Notice of Availability for Public Comment of Recirculated Portions of the Draft Environmental Impact Report for the Lower Klamath Project License Surrender Federal Energy Regulatory Commission Project No. 14803* (Notice) includes Information on locations where copies of the Recirculated document are available for review, and how to submit comments. The Notice and Recirculated Portions of the Draft EIR are available online at: https://www.waterboards.ca.gov/waterrights/water_issues/programs/water_quality_cert/lower_klamath_ferc14803_recirculated_portions_deir.html Additional information related to the Lower Klamath Project water quality certification and California Environmental Quality Act process can be found on the State Water Board?s Lower Klamath Project webpage at: http://www.waterboards.ca.gov/waterrights/water_issues/programs/water_quality_cert/lower_klamath_ferc14803.shtml If you received this email in a forwarded message and would like to receive future emails related to the State Water Board?s efforts on the Lower Klamath Project, please ensure you subscribe to the ?Lower Klamath Project License Surrender? email subscription list under ?Water Rights? at: http://www.waterboards.ca.gov/resources/email_subscriptions/swrcb_subscribe.shtml -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... 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Name: FINAL_LKP_RECIRC_NOA_12_20_19_orginal_signed_by.pdf Type: application/pdf Size: 229823 bytes Desc: not available URL: From tstokely at att.net Wed Dec 25 09:57:57 2019 From: tstokely at att.net (Tom Stokely) Date: Wed, 25 Dec 2019 17:57:57 +0000 (UTC) Subject: [env-trinity] Board tables comment on Sites Project References: <1491945951.4088429.1577296677134.ref@mail.yahoo.com> Message-ID: <1491945951.4088429.1577296677134@mail.yahoo.com> http://www.trinityjournal.com/news/article_661be2da-25e1-11ea-921e-3fc4c6bd1d48.html Board tables comment on Sites Project - By Sally Morris The Trinity Journal ? - 3 hrs ago ? - ?0 Not feeling they had sufficient time to digest a pile of information provided at the last minute before a Jan. 7 comment deadline expires, Trinity County supervisors last week declined to weigh in with a proposed letter requesting withdrawal and reissuance of the Sites Reservoir Project Draft EIR/EIS. They tabled the matter instead to an unspecified date. The draft comment letter proposed by the Trinity County Fish & Game Advisory Commission was placed on the Board of Supervisors? Dec. 17 agenda that morning as a subsequent item requiring immediate action that came to the board?s attention after the agenda was posted. The board?s representative on the Fish & Game Advisory Commission, Sup. John Fenley presented the commission?s proposed letter seeking withdrawal and reanalysis of the Draft EIR/EIS. It was similar to a letter approved a few days prior by the Humboldt County Board of Supervisors asking the Sites Project Authority and the Bureau of Reclamation to withdraw and reissue the document. Fenley said the Draft EIR/EIS indicates there will be no impacts in Trinity County from the Sites Reservoir Project in the Sacramento Valley, described as a means of catching and storing excess water from major storms. However, it would include pumping from the Sacramento River to fill the new reservoir, and about half of the Trinity River?s water is diverted to the Sacramento River each year for Central Valley Project uses. Fenley said the discussion among Fish & Game Commission members about potential impacts from the Sites project on the Trinity River, Trinity and Lewiston reservoirs came up late in the evening, sparking contentious debate. A 2019 report by Kamman Engineering and Hydrology was provided, indicating the Sites Project poses the potential for a number of serious impacts in Trinity County depending on how it is operated, and those impacts were not identified in the Draft EIR/EIS. The report detailed potential impacts on water temperatures downstream from Lewiston during late summer and decreased levels in Trinity Lake from insufficient carryover during multi-year droughts, also raising downstream water temperatures, endangering salmon and other aquatic organisms. Sup. Keith Groves, long-engaged as the board?s representative on Trinity River Restoration Project issues, raised many additional questions and said the Sites Project has the potential to either be a benefit or a negative for Trinity County depending on the details. ?These are extremely complex issues with a lot of moving parts. A lot of work has been done, and we shouldn?t just shoot blindly without a policy on what we?d want,? he said. ?But this is just requesting to push the pause button and do more research for data on fishing and recreation,? said Sup. Judy Morris. ?Oh, just throw out a five-year process? No big deal? If we?re going to get into this at this detailed level, then we should hire someone with the expertise to really get into it,? Groves responded. Sup. Jeremy Brown noted the comment letter to the Sites Project Authority and the Bureau of Reclamation ?is time-sensitive, and we don?t want to get excluded from the opportunity to comment. It keeps the door open.? ?But say we get what we ask for and they withdraw the EIR. Then what? We have no infrastructure to be involved in that process. Who?s going to be the water person to make comments? If we?re going to get in it, then let?s make a commitment to get in it,? Groves said. ?This keeps our foot in the door and then we scramble to find the money,? Brown said. >From the audience, Liam Gogan of Douglas City said the Sites Project could have very negative impacts on the Trinity River fishery ?if the water comes out of the Trinity River. The EIR says it may or it may not.? Kay Graves of Lewiston argued ?this is an information dump at the last minute and it is irresponsible. Even if you have feelings or qualms about it, you just don?t know, and once again, we have no real say over our water. Everyone is selling our water but us. Even Humboldt County has a stake. The Restoration Program is just a great big mess and a document information dump at the last minute is suspicious in itself.? ?This is one of the most important issues before the board and dealing with it as a subsequent item is wrong. It clearly warrants a special meeting before that date of Jan. 7. It is a big question being glossed over,? said Dero Forslund of Weaverville. A Jan. 2 meeting was suggested, but Groves argued ?even that is moving too fast. The more prudent action is to bring it back and look longer term at how much resource we?re going to throw at this.? He called the proposed comment letter from Trinity County ?an insignificant part of all this. Our vote won?t matter in whether they pull back the EIR. The bigger question is our water policy. What are we doing and how are we doing it? Or do we just sign on with Hoopa and do whatever they do? Where do we want to put our resources?? Fenley suggested sending an abbreviated comment letter from the board, merely citing the board?s concern about undisclosed potential impacts from the project on Trinity County. ?Clearly, we won?t make a decision on it today. It is a big item. We really need time to get into the weeds on some of it,? said Sup. Morris, directing County Counsel Margaret Long to also have a look and assess the comments made. A motion by Fenley to table the matter to a non-specified date carried unanimously. -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From kierassociates at att.net Wed Dec 25 10:39:42 2019 From: kierassociates at att.net (Kier Associates) Date: Wed, 25 Dec 2019 10:39:42 -0800 Subject: [env-trinity] Board tables comment on Sites Project In-Reply-To: <1491945951.4088429.1577296677134@mail.yahoo.com> References: <1491945951.4088429.1577296677134.ref@mail.yahoo.com> <1491945951.4088429.1577296677134@mail.yahoo.com> Message-ID: <001101d5bb52$aca207b0$05e61710$@att.net> as they say, Tom, democracy is messy sometimes ? Merry Christmas ! Bill From: env-trinity [mailto:env-trinity-bounces at velocipede.dcn.davis.ca.us] On Behalf Of Tom Stokely Sent: Wednesday, December 25, 2019 9:58 AM To: Env-trinity Subject: [env-trinity] Board tables comment on Sites Project http://www.trinityjournal.com/news/article_661be2da-25e1-11ea-921e-3fc4c6bd1d48.html Board tables comment on Sites Project * By Sally Morris The Trinity Journal * 3 hrs ago * 0 Not feeling they had sufficient time to digest a pile of information provided at the last minute before a Jan. 7 comment deadline expires, Trinity County supervisors last week declined to weigh in with a proposed letter requesting withdrawal and reissuance of the Sites Reservoir Project Draft EIR/EIS. They tabled the matter instead to an unspecified date. The draft comment letter proposed by the Trinity County Fish & Game Advisory Commission was placed on the Board of Supervisors? Dec. 17 agenda that morning as a subsequent item requiring immediate action that came to the board?s attention after the agenda was posted. The board?s representative on the Fish & Game Advisory Commission, Sup. John Fenley presented the commission?s proposed letter seeking withdrawal and reanalysis of the Draft EIR/EIS. It was similar to a letter approved a few days prior by the Humboldt County Board of Supervisors asking the Sites Project Authority and the Bureau of Reclamation to withdraw and reissue the document. Fenley said the Draft EIR/EIS indicates there will be no impacts in Trinity County from the Sites Reservoir Project in the Sacramento Valley, described as a means of catching and storing excess water from major storms. However, it would include pumping from the Sacramento River to fill the new reservoir, and about half of the Trinity River?s water is diverted to the Sacramento River each year for Central Valley Project uses. Fenley said the discussion among Fish & Game Commission members about potential impacts from the Sites project on the Trinity River, Trinity and Lewiston reservoirs came up late in the evening, sparking contentious debate. A 2019 report by Kamman Engineering and Hydrology was provided, indicating the Sites Project poses the potential for a number of serious impacts in Trinity County depending on how it is operated, and those impacts were not identified in the Draft EIR/EIS. The report detailed potential impacts on water temperatures downstream from Lewiston during late summer and decreased levels in Trinity Lake from insufficient carryover during multi-year droughts, also raising downstream water temperatures, endangering salmon and other aquatic organisms. Sup. Keith Groves, long-engaged as the board?s representative on Trinity River Restoration Project issues, raised many additional questions and said the Sites Project has the potential to either be a benefit or a negative for Trinity County depending on the details. ?These are extremely complex issues with a lot of moving parts. A lot of work has been done, and we shouldn?t just shoot blindly without a policy on what we?d want,? he said. ?But this is just requesting to push the pause button and do more research for data on fishing and recreation,? said Sup. Judy Morris. ?Oh, just throw out a five-year process? No big deal? If we?re going to get into this at this detailed level, then we should hire someone with the expertise to really get into it,? Groves responded. Sup. Jeremy Brown noted the comment letter to the Sites Project Authority and the Bureau of Reclamation ?is time-sensitive, and we don?t want to get excluded from the opportunity to comment. It keeps the door open.? ?But say we get what we ask for and they withdraw the EIR. Then what? We have no infrastructure to be involved in that process. Who?s going to be the water person to make comments? If we?re going to get in it, then let?s make a commitment to get in it,? Groves said. ?This keeps our foot in the door and then we scramble to find the money,? Brown said. >From the audience, Liam Gogan of Douglas City said the Sites Project could have very negative impacts on the Trinity River fishery ?if the water comes out of the Trinity River. The EIR says it may or it may not.? Kay Graves of Lewiston argued ?this is an information dump at the last minute and it is irresponsible. Even if you have feelings or qualms about it, you just don?t know, and once again, we have no real say over our water. Everyone is selling our water but us. Even Humboldt County has a stake. The Restoration Program is just a great big mess and a document information dump at the last minute is suspicious in itself.? ?This is one of the most important issues before the board and dealing with it as a subsequent item is wrong. It clearly warrants a special meeting before that date of Jan. 7. It is a big question being glossed over,? said Dero Forslund of Weaverville. A Jan. 2 meeting was suggested, but Groves argued ?even that is moving too fast. The more prudent action is to bring it back and look longer term at how much resource we?re going to throw at this.? He called the proposed comment letter from Trinity County ?an insignificant part of all this. Our vote won?t matter in whether they pull back the EIR. The bigger question is our water policy. What are we doing and how are we doing it? Or do we just sign on with Hoopa and do whatever they do? Where do we want to put our resources?? Fenley suggested sending an abbreviated comment letter from the board, merely citing the board?s concern about undisclosed potential impacts from the project on Trinity County. ?Clearly, we won?t make a decision on it today. It is a big item. We really need time to get into the weeds on some of it,? said Sup. Morris, directing County Counsel Margaret Long to also have a look and assess the comments made. A motion by Fenley to table the matter to a non-specified date carried unanimously. -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From tstokely at att.net Sun Dec 29 11:39:46 2019 From: tstokely at att.net (Tom Stokely) Date: Sun, 29 Dec 2019 19:39:46 +0000 (UTC) Subject: [env-trinity] East Bay Times Editorial: Newsom is being played by Big Ag on Delta water References: <273999152.5490818.1577648386241.ref@mail.yahoo.com> Message-ID: <273999152.5490818.1577648386241@mail.yahoo.com> http://eastbaytimes.ca.newsmemory.com/?publink=081031114 Newsom is being played by Big Ag on Delta water? He won?t admit it, but Gavin Newsom is being played by Big Ag interests as he tries fruitlessly to negotiate a truce in California?s water wars. The governor?s apparent willingness to play into the hands of monied agribusiness players at the expense of the health of the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta remains the biggest mystery of his short tenure. It also threatens to trash his reputation as a strong protector of California?s environment. The Delta supplies water for 25 million Californians, including about one-third of Bay Area residents. Scientists agree that allowing more, not less, water to flow through the Delta and west toward San Francisco Bay is essential for protecting fish life and providing a clean supply of drinking water for current and future generations. That means restricting pumping of water out the south end of the Delta into Central Valley farmland. The governor has been trying for months to get the major urban and ag players to reach a voluntary agreement on water flows from the Delta. His stated goal has been to avoid the lengthy lawsuits that follow a state mandate. But on Dec. 10, the Fresno-based Westlands Water District, the largest agricultural district in the nation, threatened to pull out of the talks. Westlands General Manager Tom Birmingham said ?it would be impossible to reach a voluntary agreement? if Newsom followed through on his November pledge to sue the Trump administration over the federal government?s plan to pump more water south to Central Valley farmers. It?s the same strategy Westlands used in September to pressure the governor to veto SB 1. The bill would have established as state standards the federal environmental protections that existed before Trump became president. SB 1 offered Newsom the tool needed to thwart the Trump administration. It might have also given the governor leverage to bring environmentalists and farming interests to the table to reach a voluntary agreement on Delta water flows. But the governor caved to Big Ag interests?in hopes that they would work cooperatively on a negotiated deal. We see how well that strategy worked. The question now is whether Newsom will capitulate again to agriculture interests by backing down on his promise of a lawsuit to block the federal government?s planned increase of Delta water diversions. The governor has repeatedly made clear that he ?will rely on the best available science to protect our environment.? That science is unequivocal. In the same week that Newsom vowed to sue the Trump administration, the state released a draft environmental impact report based on ?a decade of science and a quantitative analysis of best-available data on flows, modeling, habitat and climate change impacts.? The report made clear that the operating rules proposed by the Trump administration ?are not scientifically adequate and fall short of protecting species and the state?s interests.? The scientists in charge of drafting the federal government?s environmental impact plan said much the same. That is, until the Trump administration got wind of the conclusions and promptly replaced the scientists. In short order, a new report emerged saying pumping an additional 500,000 acre-feet (one acre foot of water is enough to supply two households for a year) to the Central Valley wouldn?t hurt the Delta?s health. The ball is in Newsom?s court. The governor should follow through on his lawsuit against the Trump administration and act on the best available science to secure California?s fresh water supply. A boat passes Webb Tract as it makes its way through the Sacramento San-Joaquin River Delta near Isleton. THE ASSOCIATED PRESS -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: