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<h3 class="ydp88c5d945title" style="margin: 0;">Humboldt County Receives Grant to Develop Water Management Plan to Finally Deliver the Trinity River Flow We’re Due</h3>
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</div><div><p class="ydp88c5d945featurephoto-caption"><em>The Trinity River. | Submitted.</em></p></div><p>Press release from the County of Humboldt:</p><blockquote><p>The
[California] Wildlife Conservation Board [on Thursday] approved a grant
award of $574,980 to Humboldt County to develop a water management plan
for Humboldt County’s 1959 contract for water releases from Trinity
Reservoir. Completion of the water management plan is necessary to make
Humboldt County’s contract water available to support fishery resources
and other beneficial uses in the Trinity River and lower Klamath River. </p><p>“Commercial,
recreational, and tribal fisheries are a vital part of Humboldt
County’s economy and cultural identity,” said Steve Madrone, Humboldt
County Fifth District Supervisor. “Humboldt County is committed to
protecting and restoring our natural and cultural resources. For far too
long, Humboldt County’s contract right for releases of additional water
into the Trinity River has been denied. This grant from the Water
Conservation Board is a major breakthrough toward performing the
required studies and addressing unresolved legal questions that will
enable putting more water into the Trinity River at optimal times for
the benefit of Humboldt County residents.”</p><p>In 1955, Congress
adopted legislation authorizing creation of Trinity Reservoir and
diversion of Trinity River water to the Sacramento River basin as part
of the Central Valley Project. Leading up to the passage of this
resolution, the Humboldt County Board of Supervisors opposed the
diversion of the Trinity River unless provisions were made to address
Humboldt County’s water needs. Humboldt County’s interests were
incorporated into the legislation, which stipulates that “not less than
50,000 acre-feet shall be released annually from the Trinity Reservoir
and made available to Humboldt County and downstream water users.” This
statutory entitlement for water releases was implemented through a water
contract executed in 1959 between the Bureau of Reclamation and
Humboldt County. However, the Bureau of Reclamation has never released
water to fulfill the contract.</p><p>After decades of debate and delay,
and critical advocacy from the Hoopa Valley Tribe and Yurok Tribe, the
Department of the Interior’s Solicitor issued a memorandum in 2014
affirming the Bureau of Reclamation’s obligation to release water for
Humboldt County’s beneficial use as provided for in the 1955 legislation
and the 1959 water contract. Humboldt County has been working with the
involved parties since the 2014 Solicitor’s memorandum to address
outstanding legal and administrative barriers to releasing the contract
water.</p><p>The Trinity River flows through Humboldt County for
approximately 31 river miles before discharging into the Klamath River
at Weitchpec. The Trinity River is an essential part of the cultural
heritage and natural resource wealth of the North Coast. The Trinity
River provides drinking water supply, habitat for fisheries, recreation
opportunities, and an abundance of ecosystem services for Humboldt
County residents. Water diversions from the Trinity River Division have
contributed to habitat degradation, declining fish populations, economic
losses, diminishment of recreational opportunities, water quality
impairments, and impacts to tribal cultural practices within Humboldt
County. Current water flows in the Trinity River vary significantly from
the natural flow regime that existed prior to construction of Trinity
Dam and Lewiston Dam.</p><p>The grant to Humboldt County was issued
through the Wildlife Conservation Board’s Stream Flow Enhancement
Program with funding from the Water Quality, Supply, and Infrastructure
Improvement Act of 2014 (Proposition 1) which was approved by California
voters in November, 2014. Humboldt County will collaborate with tribes
and state and federal agencies to perform technical studies and address
unresolved questions regarding water rights and regulatory compliance.
The studies will identify needs and priorities for releasing additional
water from Trinity Reservoir into the Trinity River to help restore
natural processes and improve fisheries and water quality. They will
also address existing conditions and a range of climate change scenarios
over the 25-year planning period. The water management plan will
provide a structure and process for annual decision-making to optimize
the beneficial use of Humboldt County’s contract water and provide
tangible benefits for fisheries. The anticipated completion date of the
water management plan is December 31, 2022.</p><p>The water management
plan will support modification of the Bureau of Reclamation’s water
rights and development of any environmental compliance reports that are
determined to be required. Once these regulatory steps are completed,
Humboldt County will be able to work with its tribal partners and other
stakeholders to make calls for annual releases of contract water into
the Trinity River based on adaptive management principles and the
specific objectives for a given water year. </p></blockquote><div class="ydp88c5d945fullwidth">
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