<html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xmlns:v="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:vml" xmlns:o="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office"><head><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml><o:OfficeDocumentSettings><o:AllowPNG/><o:PixelsPerInch>96</o:PixelsPerInch></o:OfficeDocumentSettings></xml><![endif]--></head><body><div class="yahoo-style-wrap" style="font-family:garamond, new york, times, serif;font-size:16px;"><div id="ydp90c13803yahoo_quoted_9788200544" class="ydp90c13803yahoo_quoted"><div style="font-family:'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;font-size:13px;color:#26282a;"><div><div id="ydp90c13803yiv6953242283"><div dir="ltr"><div class="ydp90c13803yiv6953242283gmail-asset-masthead" dir="ltr" data-setdir="false"><a href="https://www.trinityjournal.com/opinion/guest_columnists/article_767dfc0c-e8c4-11ef-b9f0-afc001065b07.html#tncms-source=login" rel="nofollow" target="_blank" class="enhancr_card_9883372015">Trinity River summer flow cuts ill-advised</a><font face=""bookman old style", "new york", times, serif" size="6"><span></span></font></div><div><br></div><div id="ydpeca44ee1enhancr_card_9883372015" class="ydpeca44ee1yahoo-link-enhancr-card ydpeca44ee1ymail-preserve-class ydpeca44ee1ymail-preserve-style" style="max-width:400px;font-family:"YahooSans VF", YahooSans, "OpenSans VF", OpenSans, "Helvetica Neue", "Segoe UI", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif" data-url="https://www.trinityjournal.com/opinion/guest_columnists/article_767dfc0c-e8c4-11ef-b9f0-afc001065b07.html#tncms-source=login" data-type="YENHANCER" data-size="MEDIUM" contenteditable="false"><a href="https://www.trinityjournal.com/opinion/guest_columnists/article_767dfc0c-e8c4-11ef-b9f0-afc001065b07.html#tncms-source=login" style="text-decoration-color: currentcolor !important; 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line-height: 19px; margin: 0px 0px 6px; font-family: "YahooSans VF", YahooSans, "OpenSans VF", OpenSans, "Helvetica Neue", "Segoe UI", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; color: rgb(29, 34, 40); max-width: 314px;">Trinity River summer flow cuts ill-advised</h2><p class="ydpeca44ee1card-richinfo-primary" style="font-size:12px;line-height:16px;margin:0 0 4px 0;color:#979ea8">Tom Stokely C-WIN board member</p><p class="ydpeca44ee1card-description" style="font-size: 12px; line-height: 16px; margin: 0px; color: rgb(151, 158, 168);">On Aug. 28, 2024, Trinity River Restoration Program hydrologist Dr. Todd Buxton presented his findings on pool s...</p></td></tr></tbody></table></td></tr></tbody></table></td></tr></tbody></table></a></div><div><br></div><div><br></div><div class="ydp90c13803yiv6953242283gmail-asset-masthead"><font face=""bookman old style", "new york", times, serif" size="6"><span>Trinity River summer flow cuts ill-advised</span></font>
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<ul class="ydp90c13803yiv6953242283gmail-list-inline"><li><span class="ydp90c13803yiv6953242283gmail-tnt-byline">By Tom Stokely
C-WIN board member</span></li></ul></span></div></div><div class="ydp90c13803yiv6953242283gmail-share-container ydp90c13803yiv6953242283gmail-content-above"><form method="post" class="ydp90c13803yiv6953242283gmail-save-list-767dfc0c-e8c4-11ef-b9f0-afc001065b07-form ydp90c13803yiv6953242283gmail-save-asset-to-list" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">
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<div id="ydp90c13803yiv6953242283gmail-tncms-region-article_body_top" class="ydp90c13803yiv6953242283gmail-tncms-region ydp90c13803yiv6953242283gmail-hidden-print"></div>
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<div class="ydp90c13803yiv6953242283gmail-subscriber-preview"><p>On
Aug. 28, 2024, Trinity River Restoration Program hydrologist Dr. Todd
Buxton presented his findings on pool stratification in the Trinity
River. Though indicating more studies are in order, he proposed
significantly reducing summer flows on the Trinity to allow pool
stratification that mimics the pre-dam era. </p></div><div class="ydp90c13803yiv6953242283gmail-subscriber-preview"><p>Dr.
Buxton maintained lower flows (down to 70 cfs from the current base
flow of 450 cfs) would result in pool stratification and provide
adequate temperatures for holding adult spring chinook salmon while
reducing water velocities, allowing fish to reduce energy expenditures.
He appeared to blame low spring chinook numbers on high summer flows.</p></div><div class="ydp90c13803yiv6953242283gmail-subscriber-only"><p>However,
his logic is seriously flawed. Cutting summer flows would significantly
impact both spring chinook and the communities that depend on the
Trinity River. Dr. Buxton also failed to note that some of the highest
adult spring chinook runs on record followed nine to 12 years after the
450 cfs minimum summer flow standard was established. Contrary to his
claim that the 450 cfs is a relic of the 2000 Trinity Record of Decision
(ROD), it began nine years earlier in 1991. </p></div>
<div id="ydp90c13803yiv6953242283gmail-tncms-region-article_instory_top" class="ydp90c13803yiv6953242283gmail-tncms-region ydp90c13803yiv6953242283gmail-hidden-print"></div><div class="ydp90c13803yiv6953242283gmail-subscriber-only"><p>A little history of Trinity River summer flows clearly is in order: </p></div><div class="ydp90c13803yiv6953242283gmail-subscriber-only"><p>The
1955 Trinity River Act that authorized construction of Trinity and
Lewiston dams required summer low flows of 150 cfs. That requirement is
in federal law and is also contained in the Bureau of Reclamation’s 1959
State Water Permits, which require a total annual fishery flow of
120,500 acre-feet (af) per year. In 1981 Interior Secretary Cecil
Andrus signed a decision authorizing a 12-year flow study that specified
instream flow volumes of 140,000 af in critically dry years, 220,000 af
in dry water years and 340,000 af in normal water years. </p></div><div class="ydp90c13803yiv6953242283gmail-subscriber-only"><p>The
Andrus Decision allowed minimum summer flows of 300 cfs in all but
critically dry years. Unfortunately, such critically dry years soon
developed, and flows were scheduled to go to 150 cfs in 1991. However,
Interior Secretary Manuel Lujan signed another Secretarial decision in
1991 making 340,000 af the minimum Trinity River volume in all years.
That was also included in federal law with Public Law 102-575 in 1992. </p></div><div class="ydp90c13803yiv6953242283gmail-subscriber-only"><p>Also
in 1991, the state approved temperature objectives for the Trinity
River that, combined with the higher minimum annual flow volumes,
required summer flow releases of 450 cfs. Some of the biggest returns of
adult Trinity River spring chinook occurred in 2002 and 2003 with 450
cfs summer flows, casting serious doubt on Dr. Buxton’s assertion that
the high summer flows are the problem for spring chinook salmon.</p></div><div class="ydp90c13803yiv6953242283gmail-subscriber-only"><p>Perhaps
it’s something else: lack of higher winter flows, gravel dumps in the
river that fill in pool volumes, disease problems in the Klamath River
or running heavy equipment in the river during spring chinook spawning.
These issues are ongoing, and their impacts have not been analyzed to
any meaningful degree.</p></div><div class="ydp90c13803yiv6953242283gmail-subscriber-only"><p>One
of the main rationales supporting Trinity River summer flows that are
higher than “natural” pre-dam flows is historic spring chinook behavior.
Typically, they would migrate past Lewiston Dam to hold and spawn in
cold tributaries upstream from the reservoirs. That habitat is no longer
available. The Trinity River is clearly not a “natural” river and
returning to “natural” summer flows would be a disaster.</p></div><div class="ydp90c13803yiv6953242283gmail-subscriber-only"><p>The
Trinity River Restoration Program recently achieved a major victory for
their science program by obtaining approval of the Winter Variable
Flows. If indeed more winter flows are needed to improve chinook and
coho adult returns, it makes sense to wait and see results before taking
such a dramatic step as cutting summer flows. It also would be a good
idea to wait and see if removal of the Klamath dams reduces diseases
that have, at times, killed up to 90% of the salmon smolts migrating to
the Pacific Ocean. </p></div><div class="ydp90c13803yiv6953242283gmail-subscriber-only"><p>The
impact of cutting summer flows involves huge risks. If the pools don’t
stratify as posited, it would likely kill adult Spring Chinook —
especially during heat waves. There is no turning back the clock on dead
fish.</p></div>
<div id="ydp90c13803yiv6953242283gmail-tncms-region-article_instory_middle" class="ydp90c13803yiv6953242283gmail-tncms-region ydp90c13803yiv6953242283gmail-hidden-print"></div><div class="ydp90c13803yiv6953242283gmail-subscriber-only"><p>Cutting
summer flows would also have a significant impact on water quality. It
would clearly violate Trinity River temperature objectives approved in
1992 by USEPA. Decreased river flows would likely cause severe impacts
to the municipal diversions for Lewiston, Weaverville, Hoopa and Willow
Creek, and to the hundreds of private diversions along the Trinity
River. The lower Trinity River is already experiencing toxic blue-green
algae blooms that impact fish, wildlife and municipal water supplies,
including Hoopa’s diversions and many private diversions. Dramatically
cutting summer flows can only result in increased algae contamination
and perhaps even dry pumps, depriving people of water.</p></div><div class="ydp90c13803yiv6953242283gmail-subscriber-only"><p>Other
impacts would be the economic loss of one of Trinity County’s few
remaining viable economic opportunities: summer whitewater boating.
Following the 1991 increase in summer flows, commercial whitewater
boating immediately increased by 1,500%. Combined with low Trinity Lake
levels, fires and reduced steelhead fishing opportunities due to high
winter flows, Trinity County has been identified as “the poorest county
in California.”</p></div><div class="ydp90c13803yiv6953242283gmail-subscriber-only"><p>The
new administration in Washington, D.C., is not expected to be friendly
to the Trinity River, and it’s likely that there will be attempts to
divert additional Trinity water to the Sacramento River. Trinity River
interests are horribly divided at a time when they should all be
uniting. Moving ahead with plans to dramatically cut summer flows would
further divide diverse Trinity River interests, exacerbating the extreme
animosity that many Trinitarians feel toward the Trinity River
Restoration Program.</p></div><div class="ydp90c13803yiv6953242283gmail-subscriber-only"><p>Furthermore,
cutting summer flows below 150 cfs would require an Act of Congress. It
seems unwise and ill-advised to seek Trinity River legislation at a
time when Washington is not friendly to salmon and dependent cultures
and economies.</p></div><div class="ydp90c13803yiv6953242283gmail-subscriber-only"><p>In
conclusion, I urge the TRRP to drop its plans of cutting summer flows.
It’s scary to many, dangerous, foolhardy and divides Trinity River
interests at a time when we should all be coming together to protect the
gains of the past 40 years. Please give current efforts an opportunity
to show progress (or not) — and don’t muddy the waters with a new and
perilous “grand experiment.”</p></div><div class="ydp90c13803yiv6953242283gmail-subscriber-only"><p><em>Tom Stokely is a board member of the California Water Impact Network.</em></p></div><div class="ydp90c13803yiv6953242283gmail-subscriber-only"><p><strong>***</strong></p></div><div class="ydp90c13803yiv6953242283gmail-subscriber-only"><p><em>The
Trinity Journal welcomes thoughtful guest columns on issues concerning
Trinity County. Columns generally should not exceed 800 words.</em></p></div><div class="ydp90c13803yiv6953242283gmail-subscriber-only"><p><em>Send columns to <a href="mailto:editor@trinityjournal.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">editor@trinityjournal.com</a>. Be sure to include a name and contact phone number should there be any questions.</em></p></div><div class="ydp90c13803yiv6953242283gmail-subscriber-only"><p><em>As with our letters to the editor, we're looking for thoughtful, enlightened, well-crafted pieces that remain on the high road.</em></p></div><div class="ydp90c13803yiv6953242283gmail-subscriber-only"><p><em>Please, no hateful diatribes that have no place or purpose in furthering reasonable discussions on issues facing Trinity County.</em></p><p><em><br></em></p><img src="cid:c2bcee58-dbdb-d6e7-67d0-18e931c8d82d@yahoo.com" alt="image.png" data-inlineimagemanipulating="true" style="width: 563px; max-width: 724px;"><br><br><p></p><p><em><br></em></p><p><em><br></em></p></div></div><br></div>
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