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<span>Lack of accountability, inclusiveness in restoration</span>
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<ul class="gmail-list-inline"><li><span class="gmail-tnt-byline">By Michael Palmer, PE, PMP
Redding</span></li><li class="gmail-hidden-print">
Sep 13, 2023</li><li class="gmail-hidden-print"><a href="http://www.trinityjournal.com/opinion/guest_columnists/article_08ebb0fa-5287-11ee-b035-9ba681155d38.html#comments" class="gmail-cm" title="0 comments"></a><br></li></ul></span></div><div class="gmail-meta"><span><ul class="gmail-list-inline"><li class="gmail-hidden-print"><a href="http://www.trinityjournal.com/opinion/guest_columnists/article_08ebb0fa-5287-11ee-b035-9ba681155d38.html#comments" class="gmail-cm" title="0 comments"> <span class="gmail-count gmail-comment-counter">0</span></a></li></ul>
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<div class="gmail-subscriber-preview"><p>In
this year’s April 12 and April 26 editions of the Trinity Journal, I
authored guest columns that presented my opinion and supporting data
showing the Trinity River Restoration Program has failed to achieve its
goal to return anadromous fish populations in the Trinity River to
pre-dam levels. At that time, I wrote that I would share my thoughts on
what an effective restoration program may look like in a future column. </p></div><div class="gmail-subscriber-preview"><p>As
a first step in that effort, I sent the letter below to the Secretary,
United States Department of the Interior and Commissioner, United States
Bureau of Reclamation highlighting some of the glaring issues with the
current management of the program. I believe addressing the issues
raised in my letter are a starting point that would go a long way to
addressing the overall program deficiencies.</p></div><div class="gmail-subscriber-only"><p>If
you agree with the message in the letter below, I encourage you to
reach out to your United States Congressman and share your support. He
can be reached at:</p></div>
<div id="gmail-tncms-region-article_instory_top" class="gmail-tncms-region gmail-hidden-print"></div><div class="gmail-subscriber-only"><p>Hon. Jared Huffman,</p></div><div class="gmail-subscriber-only"><p>2nd Congressional District</p></div><div class="gmail-subscriber-only"><p>317 Third St., Suite 1</p></div><div class="gmail-subscriber-only"><p>Eureka, CA 95501</p></div><div class="gmail-subscriber-only"><p>(707) 407-3585</p></div><div class="gmail-subscriber-only"><p><a href="https://huffman.house.gov/contact/email-me">https://huffman.house.gov/contact/email-me</a></p></div><div class="gmail-subscriber-only"><p>Hon. Deb Haaland</p></div><div class="gmail-subscriber-only"><p>Secretary</p></div><div class="gmail-subscriber-only"><p>Department of the Interior</p></div><div class="gmail-subscriber-only"><p>1849 C Street NW</p></div><div class="gmail-subscriber-only"><p>Washington DC, 20240</p></div><div class="gmail-subscriber-only"><p>Hon. Camille Calimlim Touton</p></div><div class="gmail-subscriber-only"><p>Commissioner</p></div><div class="gmail-subscriber-only"><p>United States Bureau of Reclamation</p></div><div class="gmail-subscriber-only"><p>1849 C Street NW</p></div><div class="gmail-subscriber-only"><p>Washington DC, 20240</p></div><div class="gmail-subscriber-only"><p>Re: Lack of Inclusiveness, Accountability and Oversight - Trinity River Restoration</p></div><div class="gmail-subscriber-only"><p>The
United States Bureau of Reclamation has failed in its obligation to
restore the fishery in the Trinity River. They have violated the
conditions of State (California) Water Resources Control Board orders.
And lastly, they have inappropriately used the National Environmental
Protection Act process to implement programs and policies that have had a
detrimental impact on the vulnerable people and fragile economy of
Trinity County.</p></div><div class="gmail-subscriber-only"><p><strong>Background</strong></p></div><div class="gmail-subscriber-only"><p>The
history of the Trinity River and more specifically the Trinity River
Restoration efforts have been a litany of bad decisions and broken
promises. I’m not sure how aware you are of the current state of the
Trinity River, but recent returns are dismal with salmon and steelhead
returns running between 7.7 and 14.9% of pre-project levels. That’s
after 23 years of restoration.</p></div><div class="gmail-subscriber-only"><p>2021-22 Natural-Origin Escapement v. Draft EIS Goals (Best Estimate of Pre-Dam Populations), see above chart.</p></div><div class="gmail-subscriber-only"><p><strong>Lack of Accountability and Oversight</strong></p></div><div class="gmail-subscriber-only"><p>There
is inadequate accountability and oversight on the work being completed
and how operations of the CVP impact Trinity River restoration. As an
example, the State (California) Water Resources Control Board Order WR
90-05 and North Coast Regional Water Quality Control Board Basin Plan
for the North Coast Region set temperature targets at Douglas City for
the period July 1-Sept. 30. For the years 2010-2022, there are 11 years
of temperature data I’ve been able to access (2019 - TRRP Annual Report
states data is not available, but that the equipment failed during the
hottest part of the season and targets may have been exceeded; 2022 -
data not yet available). Overall, for the period 2010-2021, the
temperature targets were met in only four of the 11 years that data is
available (36%).</p></div>
<div id="gmail-tncms-region-article_instory_middle" class="gmail-tncms-region gmail-hidden-print"></div><div class="gmail-subscriber-only"><p>While
an average of 50% of natural flow has been diverted to the Central
Valley over the first 22 years TRRP has been in place, in the Critically
Dry years of 2014, 2018, 2021 and 2022 when river temperatures are
especially critical for the fishery, diversions from the Trinity River
to the CVP were 162%, 68%, 172% and 176%, respectively, of the total
river flow for that year. To be clearer, in those four Critically Dry
years, 578% of the annual flow of the Trinity River was diverted to the
CVP. This led to extremely low storage in Trinity Lake and exceedances
of mandated temperatures in the Trinity River during the critical
spawning and holding seasons for those years, in one case 25% of the
time (there is a clear correlation between Trinity Lake storage,
Lewiston Dam releases and subsequent downstream river temperatures as
recognized in several TRRP Annual Reports).</p></div><div class="gmail-subscriber-only"><p>In
addition, during the Trinity River Virtual Town Hall held on May 1,
2023, by U.S. Congressman Jared Huffman, Don Bader, USBR Northern
California Area Manager said that the Trinity River had been used to
manage temperatures in the Sacramento River. This is expressly forbidden
in the SWQCB Order when such diversions are detrimental to the Trinity
River fishery. I think that based on the record of temperature
compliance in the Trinity River, there is a good chance it was
detrimental. The link to the recording of this meeting with Mr. Bader’s
comments can be found here: <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v">www.youtube.com/watch?v</a>=</p></div><div class="gmail-subscriber-only"><p>ezXiiG-5_7Q.</p></div><div class="gmail-subscriber-only"><p>Per
Water Resources Order 90-05, if temperature compliance is exceeded in
the Trinity River USBR is required to immediately file with the Chief of
the Division of Water Rights a report “containing project operational
data sufficient to demonstrate that the exceedance was not due to
modifications of Trinity River operations for water temperature control
on the Sacramento River.” </p></div><div class="gmail-subscriber-only"><p>According
to North Coast Regional Water Quality Control Board, this never
happened. No report was submitted by USBR in any of the years where
exceedances occurred, a clear violation of the Order 90-05. And just as
worrisome, no follow-up was initiated by the State (California) Water
Resources Control Board over this period to request the required
documentation. </p></div><div class="gmail-subscriber-only"><p>Undeniably
USBR failed to report temperature exceedances in the Trinity River for
seven of the past 11 years. It is possible those exceedances were due to
diversion to the Sacramento River for temperature control, both clear
violations of WRO 90-05. At this time SWRCB is considering enforcement
action against the TRRP for this violation.</p></div><div class="gmail-subscriber-only"><p><strong>Lack of Inclusion in the Process</strong></p></div><div class="gmail-subscriber-only"><p>The
Trinity River Mainstem Fishery Restoration Record of Decision and Final
EIS/EIR (ROD), approved in 2000, was intended as a roadmap to restore
the anadromous fishery in the Trinity River. The ROD represented the
culmination of over two decades of efforts aimed at understanding the
necessary instream flow and physical habitat restoration requirements in
order to restore the Trinity River anadromous fishery. As of now, this
document is nearly a quarter of a century old.</p></div><div class="gmail-subscriber-only"><p>Yet
this document is still being used to make dramatic changes today. The
continued use of the ROD assumes that issues such as environmental
justice and economic impact are unchanged from the late 20th century. </p></div><div class="gmail-subscriber-only"><p>A
dramatic change to the spring/summer flow regime in the Trinity River
was enacted in 2023. The modified flow regime essentially wiped out the
Trinity River spring fishing season that had been a staple of the local
economy for almost two decades. Industries that rely on the economic
benefit from this activity were severely impacted. Trinity County is an
economically distressed area with 23% of the population living below the
Federal Poverty level, twice that of the state overall. (The Trinity
Journal, “Trinity Takes Top Spots in Poor Health Metrics,” Aug. 2, 2023)</p></div><div class="gmail-subscriber-only"><p>Trent
Tuthill, Trinity County Administrative Officer, estimates that the
impact from the 2023 Trinity River modified flow regime negatively
impacted local economic activity by over $2 million. </p></div><div class="gmail-subscriber-only"><p>I
understand that as part of the ROD the Trinity Management Council was
established to provide oversight and input to the restoration efforts,
including flow regimes. Trinity County has a seat on the TMC and did
vote in support of the 2023 modified flow regime, but the impact of that
decision was not fully understood in advance. Regardless, the TMC vote
is symbolic. Michael Dixon, director of the Trinity River Restoration
Program, stated at the May 16, 2023, Trinity County Board of Supervisors
meeting that the Department of the Interior views the TMC as an
advisory board only and has the choice to accept or reject their
recommendations. Even if Trinity County and one or more other members of
the TMC were to vote against continuing with the modified flow regime
in 2024, the Department of the Interior can override that vote,
significantly diluting Trinity County’s ability to influence the
process.</p></div><div class="gmail-subscriber-only"><p><strong>Summary</strong></p></div><div class="gmail-subscriber-only"><p>The
Citizens Guide to NEPA published by the Council on Environmental
Quality and the Office of the President states that “NEPA requires
Federal agencies to consider environmental effects that include, among
others, impact to social, cultural and economic resource…”. The
quarter-century-old ROD provides, at best, cursory analysis of the
economic impact of restoration. </p></div><div class="gmail-subscriber-only"><p>In
addition, Executive Order 14096 (Revitalizing Our Nation’s Commitment
to Environmental Justice for All) executed on April 21, 2023, was
established to “ensure that the Nation’s policies and investments
respond to the needs of every community…”. Clearly, the needs of the
disadvantaged people of Trinity County were not considered when making
the significant changes implemented in 2023.</p></div><div class="gmail-subscriber-only"><p>The
potential economic impact from the modified flow regime of 2023 should
have triggered an update to NEPA and provided Trinity County the ability
to fully understand how the change would affect its citizens. </p></div><div class="gmail-subscriber-only"><p>Lastly,
USBR water management of the Trinity River Watershed has led to routine
exceedances of temperature requirements (a significant contributor to
increased fish mortality and poor fish returns). The USBR and TRRP are
in violation of California State Water Resources Order 90-05 (WRO 90-05)
by failing to report those exceedances to the appropriate agencies.</p></div><div class="gmail-subscriber-only"><p>It
is clear from these examples there is a lack of inclusiveness,
accountability and oversight in the management of the Trinity River
Restoration effort. After 23 years and $300,000,000, the Trinity River
Restoration Program should have yielded greater results. I am asking you
to take a proactive role to ensure compliance with the letter and
intent of NEPA, Executive Order 14096, applicable permits/orders and
management of the most critical resource, water. </p></div><div class="gmail-subscriber-only"><p>I would appreciate your response to this letter and what actions are to be taken on the issue.</p></div><div class="gmail-subscriber-only"><p>Sincerely,</p></div><div class="gmail-subscriber-only"><p>Michael Palmer, PE, PMP</p></div><div class="gmail-subscriber-only"><p>cc: Jared Huffman, Congressman, 2nd Congressional District</p></div><div class="gmail-subscriber-only"><p>Trent Tuthill, Trinity County Administrative Officer</p></div><div class="gmail-subscriber-only"><p>Tom Stokely, C-WIN</p></div><div class="gmail-subscriber-only"><p>Ric Leutwyler, Trinity County District 1 Supervisor</p></div><div class="gmail-subscriber-only"><p>Liam Gogan, Trinity County District 3 Supervisor</p></div>
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