[env-trinity] Trinity River Restoration Program: The River Riffle Newsletter, August Edition

[Abel, Kiana]

[https://www.trrp.net/wordterrain/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/title-photo-1-01.png]<https://www.trrp.net/wordterrain/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/title-photo-1-01.png>
Header photo: Foothill yellow-legged frog spotted at the Indian Creek restoration site this summer. [Kyle De Juilio, Yurok Tribal Fisheries Department].
River Riffle Newsletter - August - click here to read on our website<https://www.trrp.net/river-riffle-newsletter-august/>

Contents

  *   Current Conditions
     *   Flow
     *   Temperature
     *   Fish Health
     *   Monitoring
  *   Reading, Listening & Watching
  *   Program Update
     *   Science Advisory Board
     *   Sediment and Wood Environmental Assessment
     *   Upper Conner Creek Rehabilitation
  *
Featured Article: On Fish, and Fire<https://www.trrp.net/featured-article-on-fish-and-fire/>
  *   Trinity River Plant Spotlight: Grey Pine/Ghost Pine<https://www.trrp.net/grey-pine/>
  *   Upcoming Meetings and Events

--Current Conditions--
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Flow
Starting August 4, flows from Lewiston Dam discharge at 450 cubic feet per second and will remain at the summer baseflow level until October 15 unless water quality conditions in the lower Klamath deteriorate to the point that additional releases from Lewiston Dam are required to avoid significant mortality to migrating salmonids.
Current river flow gauge readings can be found on our homepage, click here<https://www.trrp.net/> and scroll to the middle of the page.
Receive Change Order Notification Emails<http://groups.google.com/group/trinity-releases/boxsubscribe>
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Temperature
The temperature target compliance period for the Bureau of Reclamation at the Douglas City gauge began July 1 and ends September 15. Targets measured at the DC gauge, have been set for holding adult salmonids at 60° F during this time by utilizing data and information from the 1990 Flow Study. Since then, the conditions of the Trinity River have changed significantly, as well as knowledge surrounding salmonid temperature thresholds. The Trinity River which has high levels of dissolved oxygen, refugia, as well as low turbidity all contribute positively to aiding adult salmon in tolerating temperatures above the 60° daily average target. Regardless, Trinity River stakeholders like the Yurok Tribe, the Hoopa Valley Tribe, the California Department of Fish and Wildlife and the National Marine Fisheries Service keep track of daily average temperatures so that salmon are protected.
Keep tabs on Trinity River temperatures by following the links below.

  *   Trinity River gauge at Lewiston CA – USGS<https://waterdata.usgs.gov/monitoring-location/11525500/#parameterCode=00010F&period=P7D&compare=true>
  *   Trinity River gauge at Douglas City, CA – USGS<https://waterdata.usgs.gov/monitoring-location/11525854/#parameterCode=00010F&period=P7D&compare=true>
  *   Trinity River gauge at NF Trinity R NR Helena CA – USGS<https://waterdata.usgs.gov/monitoring-location/11526400/?fbclid=IwAR1_T7s-zXlRZd9bqlyMj1Qpub8wlk2HkKZpYOENqBpFk5AC2C3BR6h5TIc#parameterCode=00010F&period=P7D&compare=true>
  *   Trinity River gauge at Hoopa CA – USGS<https://waterdata.usgs.gov/monitoring-location/11530000/#parameterCode=00010F&period=P7D&compare=true>

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Monitoring & Fish Health
The California Department of Fish and Wildlife have been collecting data at the Junction City Weir since July 11, 2024. Fish counts through the weir have been low in comparison to other years however upper and river conditions remain good.
Staff reported at the 8/14 KFHAT meeting<https://kbmp.net/images/stories/pdf/KFHAT/2024/KFHAT_2024_Report_12.pdf> that Spring Chinook are about 3 weeks away from spawning, fall
Chinook remain about 5 weeks out. Weir site water temps are cooling off rapidly with cooler weather, cloud cover as well as a bit of rain. Weir staff reported trapping 117 Chinook in 25 trap days with 19.7% showing "trace" amounts of gill rot. Staff noted the first observation of Salmincola copepod in one fish.
Pre-spawn fish holding surveys, have shown exceptionally low numbers of returning adult spring run chinook in the upper river. Reported numbers in the upper Trinity (Lewiston to Bucktail) are reporting less than 60 fish observed (as compared to ~1,500 average in normal years). Reports of low returning numbers are not unique to the Trinity and are unfortunately showing similar trends basin wide. Klamath basin fish scientists surmise that reasons for the low numbers could be among the following: poor ocean conditions, poor lower river conditions as well as the 2021 juvenile fish kill which was this years returning spring chinook brood stock.

  *   Willow Creek Weir installation - August 23, 2024
  *   Hoopa Harvest Weir installation - Week of August 26, 2024

[https://www.trrp.net/wordterrain/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/KFHAT_Low_Klam_Mid_Klam_Scott_Shasta_SalmonLow_Trin_Yellow_Map_Green_.jpg]
Klamath Fish Health Assessment Team
Members of the Klamath Fish Health Assessment Team (KFHAT)<https://kbmp.net/collaboration/kfhat> have been holding bi-weekly meetings and making determinations about Klamath Basin Fish Health.
Determinations have remained similar recorded at: "yellow" for the Middle and Lower Klamath Mainstem, Shasta, Scott and Salmon Rivers, Trinity River (below North Fork) (elevated temperatures).
Photo: The KFHAT map presents the readiness level for the Klamath Basin below Iron Gate Dam in a visual format. Click here to read the bi-weekly report.<https://kbmp.net/collaboration/kfhat>
--Reading, Listening, Watching--

Bureau of Reclamation CGB Regional Director Karl Stock Visits the Trinity County Board of Supervisors
Karl Stock visited the Trinity County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday August 20. The board prepared a list of questions for Mr. Stock to address and a question and answer session followed. Watch Mr. Stock's presentation and the Q and A by clicking below and forwarding the video to minute 18:30 - 1:09:33
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y2uEkZGWC_4
Trinity River project in Siskiyou touted as water protection for all of California<https://www.redding.com/story/news/local/2024/08/12/trinity-river-project-touted-as-water-protection-for-all-california/74742979007/> | Redding Record Searchlight
By Damon Arthur
About 11,000 acres of forest and watershed, located amid some of the North State's most recognizable landmarks ― including the Trinity River, Mt. Shasta, Mt. Eddy and the Pacific Crest Trail ― will be set aside for conservation and to protect one of California's prime water sources.
The Pacific Forest Trust, which has thousands of acres of landholdings and conservation easements in the North State, said it recently obtained ... Continue Reading<https://www.redding.com/story/news/local/2024/08/12/trinity-river-project-touted-as-water-protection-for-all-california/74742979007/>
Spring Conservation Almanac & Annual Report<https://tcrcd.net/almanac/pdf/nws-v33n1.pdf> | Trinity County Resource Conservation District
The 2024 Spring edition of the Conservation Almanac summarizes projects and major accomplishments from 2023, providing a comprehensive overview of the Trinity County Resource Conservation District's natural resource work. If you want to learn more about this organization, this is the newsletter for you!
--Program Updates--

Science Advisory Board
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The Trinity River Restoration Program is fortunate to have a 5 member Science Advisory Board comprised of recognized experts in the disciplines of fisheries biology, fluvial geomorphology, hydraulic engineering, hydrology, riparian ecology, wildlife biology, or aquatic ecology. Each member is appointed by the Trinity Management Council and serves a four-year rotating term.
Members of the SAB provide scientific peer review of proposed hypotheses associated with monitoring and restoration management approaches, proposed annual flow schedules, short- and long-term monitoring and investigation plans developed by technical work groups, technical recommendations, and research reports.
Meet the Board<https://www.trrp.net/program-structure/program-structure/scientific-advisory-board-sab/>

Sediment and Wood Environmental Assessment
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The Program has completed the final environmental assessment for the Sediment and Wood Augmentation Along the Trinity River Restoration Reach project. It can be located by following this link: U.S. bureau of Reclamation Trinity River... 2024. - at the TRRP DataPort<https://www.trrp.net/library/document/?id=2652>. The project is needed to enhance existing salmonid habitat and provide spawning and rearing habitat in the Trinity River below Lewiston Dam. This will be done by adding suitable-sized sediment and wood through manual augmentation. Continue Reading<https://www.trrp.net/sediment-and-wood-environmental-assessment/>

Upper Conner Creek Channel Rehabilitation

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The Upper Conner Creek Rehabilitation Project Phase 1 construction mobilized the week of August 19. The site is located approximately one river mile downstream from the Dutch Creek Bridge in Junction City. After mobilization, phase 1 rehab will focus primarily on the upstream portion of the area and consists of lowering the riparian floodplain, adding riffle enhancements, placing large wood to slow water and create habitat and planting of riparian vegetation. Crews began mobilizing equipment and ...
Continue Reading<https://www.trrp.net/upper-conner-creek-channel.../>
--Featured Article--
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On Fish, and Fire
>From dendrochronology (the study of tree rings) and other data sources, most analysis suggest that prior to Euro-colonization, multiple millions of acres burned in on average in California<https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0378112707004379>. However, current conversations, media and our own experiences point to fire seasons that are far from ordinary. California's ‘worst’ year in recent history saw about 4.5 million acres burned… which when comparing to historic averages would be within the ‘normal’ range (prior to Euro-colonization). In fact, tree ring scars show that many areas burned as frequently as every 5 years!  Within the past 75 years, our society along with forest managers have promoted and practiced a prohibition on abundant low-intensity fire, allowing unburned materials to build up in forests and woodlands which along with population increase has set the stage for the complicated relationship now experienced with wildfire.
We explore the current relationship for fish with fire in this month's article. Click below to continue reading. Continue Reading ...<https://www.trrp.net/featured-article-on-fish-and-fire/>
--Trinity River Watershed: Plant Spotlight--
[https://www.trrp.net/wordterrain/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/sabiniana02.jpg]Drawing by Matt Strieby<https://www.newleafdesign.com/> [2016].

Grey Pine, Ghost Pine
Pinus sabiniana
Adapted to the long, hot, dry summers of our Mediterranean climate, the grey pine is endemic to California and prolificates within the ring of foothills that surround California's Central Valley. It fairs well in rocky well-drained soils yet also grows in heavy, poorly drained clay soils. The species commonly occurs with Blue Oak (Quercus douglasii) which creates a unique partnership that is described as "Oak/Foothill Pine vegetation" and is indicative of the grey pine which provides a sparse overstory above the canopy of an oak woodland. The partnership in itself is the preferred habitat to black-tailed deer, California quail, as well as mourning dove and describes a characteristic within the California chaparral and woodlands ecoregion, of which Trinity County is part [1<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pinus_sabiniana>].  Continue Reading<https://www.trrp.net/grey-pine/>
--Upcoming Meetings and Events--
For a full list of events, click to view the TRRP Calendar<https://www.trrp.net/calendar/>.
________________________________
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August 28, 6pm - Science on the River
Lewiston Hotel & Dance Hall
Stratification of water temperatures in pools on the Trinity River
Join us August 28 at 6 PM at the Lewiston Hotel Dance Hall for Science on the River, featuring Dr. Todd Buxton. Todd is a Hydrologist and Fish Biologist with the Bureau of Reclamation - Trinity River Restoration Program who will lead us through a recent Trinity River study on thermal stratification in river pools. Pool stratification is an important ecological function of natural river systems and Todd’s findings show that pools in the Trinity River below Lewiston Dam are unable to stratify to provide critical habitat for juvenile and adult salmonids. Todd will discuss why the habitat is important for both life stages of salmon as well as other interesting findings from the study. Event Details ...<https://www.facebook.com/events/1599301050615580>
________________________________
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September 18 & 19, All Day - Quarterly TMC Meeting
Meeting Details<https://www.trrp.net/calendar/event/?id=11801>
In Person: Eureka, Ca.
Virtual: Click here to join the meeting<https://teams.microsoft.com/l/meetup-join/19%3ameeting_NzAxNzkxY2UtZTYyNC00MzJmLWFjMjktYTU2YjJiZWIwNDMx%40thread.v2/0?context=%7b%22Tid%22%3a%220693b5ba-4b18-4d7b-9341-f32f400a5494%22%2c%22Oid%22%3a%2229f49e42-b75e-4f91-a28f-c599a103a13b%22%7d>
Meeting ID: 284 547 567 847
Passcode: dAMEfr
Download Teams<https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoft-teams/download-app> | Join on the web<https://www.microsoft.com/microsoft-teams/join-a-meeting>
________________________________
--Contact Us--
Call Us: 530-623-1800
Email Us: info at trrp.net<mailto:info at trrp.net>
Facebook<https://www.facebook.com/trinityriverrestoration>
Instagram<https://www.instagram.com/trinityriverca/>
Youtube<https://www.youtube.com/user/TrinityRiverCA>

Kiana Abel
Public Affairs Specialist | Trinity River Restoration Program<http://www.trrp.net/> | U. S. Bureau of Reclamation<https://www.usbr.gov/>
1313 S. Main St., Weaverville, CA 96093-1300 | 530-623-1800 (desk) | 530-739-9761 (cell) | jabel at usbr.gov
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