[env-trinity] TRRP announces increased flow to combat salmon disease in lower Klamath

[Tom Stokely]

TRRP announces increased flow to combat salmon disease in lower Klamath
   
   - By Josh Cozine The Trinity Journal
    
   - Aug 26, 2022 Updated 58 min ago
    
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Water is now being released from Lewiston Dam at an increased rate according to a Facebook post from Trinity River Restoration Program.
The increased flow is said to be offset by reducing water released elsewhere, according to a comment made by TRRP on the posting authored by Executive Director Mike Dixon. The decision was made by the Bureau of Reclamation, of which TRRP is a part.

“Fortunately, there should not be a major impact on reservoir storage at this release rate, as the increase in release at the Lewiston Dam will largely be achieved by curtailing the diversion through the Clear Creek Tunnel,” Mike Dixon said through the group's Facebook.

Dixon spoke with The Journal further and said that Yurok Tribe fisheries experts had supplied data showing an increase in levels of fish-borne diseases ich and columnaris in salmon in the lower Klamath. The diseases have led to historic salmon die-offs in recent history, including a September 2002 catastrophic event which eventually led to a 2017 BoR decision to put in place protocols to try and stop it from happening again.

Dixon explained the diseases occur in greater numbers in warm water where salmon will clump up in high density groupings near any colder water pockets they can find, and the close proximity causes the diseases to spread.

As the salmon are currently heading upstream for spawning season, the idea behind the increased flow to fight the disease spread is two-fold. The increase in cold water throughout the stream should prompt the salmon to break up the high-proximity groupings near other cold water refuges, and the increase in flow and water volume should dilute the levels of infected water to safer levels for the fish.

The increased flow could extend until Sept. 21 at the latest, Dixon said, depending on if conditions improve or not. He added the BoR protocols also have further tiered responses if conditions do not improve.

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