[env-trinity] River flow will reflect ‘critically dry’ or ‘dry’ year

[Tom Stokely]

http://www.trinityjournal.com/news/environment/article_c3900188-6e2c-11ea-a0b6-1b643408a22e.html

River flow will reflect ‘critically dry’ or ‘dry’ year
   
   - By Amy Gittelsohn The Trinity Journal
    
   - Mar 25, 2020

The Trinity Management Council has recommended two flow schedules for the Trinity River, with the final decision dependent on whether it turns out to be a “critically dry” or “dry” year.

The schedule of releases from Lewiston Dam will be adopted after the water year determination is made around April 8.

The March 18 quarterly TMC meeting was held via web-based teleconference.

>From the Trinity River Restoration Program, hydrologist Todd Buxton explained that the most likely scenario is a critically dry year, but he also presented hydrographs to choose from in case the area gets enough late snow and rain to edge up into a dry year.

TMC members voted to recommend the hydrographs favored by technical staff from the Trinity River Restoration Program.

Under those recommendations, if it’s a critically dry year the higher flows will start April 14. The peak flow reached on April 23 will be 3,900 cfs before dropping. If it’s a dry year the flows will also start to increase on April 14, but the peak flow on April 25 will be 5,800 cfs followed in mid-June by a second, lower peak.

Those are the recommendations out of the TMC, which still need to be approved by the regional directors of the federal Bureau of Reclamation and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

Also during the March 18 teleconference, TRRP Executive Director Mike Dixon shared budget figures which will result in program cuts. The program has gone from more than $16 million in funding in 2014 to just over $12 million in fiscal year 2021. Last year the funding was also $12 million, but carryover funds blunted the impact, Dixon noted.

“We cannot kick the can and assume next year is going to be vastly better,” he said.
The goal is to pass the initial 2021 budget at the June TMC meeting.
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