<html><head></head><body><div class="ydp44bc5072yahoo-style-wrap" style="font-family:garamond, new york, times, serif;font-size:16px;"><div id="ydp44bc5072yiv0080078536"><div><div style="font-family:garamond, new york, times, serif;font-size:16px;" class="ydp44bc5072yiv0080078536ydp3c5aeabayahoo-style-wrap"><div dir="ltr" data-setdir="false"><div><font size="4"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman,serif">Dr. Todd Buxton's
August presentation can be found here: <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NP2kksA4qnQ" style="color: rgb(5, 99, 193); text-decoration-color: currentcolor; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-style: solid;" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v%3DNP2kksA4qnQ&source=gmail&ust=1741309687012000&usg=AOvVaw25xgkoW1v8X2_s8zAksVTd" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NP2kksA4qnQ</a>
<span></span></span></font>
<p class="ydp9ef38e18MsoNormal" style="margin:0in;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><font size="4"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman,serif"><span> </span></span></font></p>
<p class="ydp9ef38e18MsoNormal" style="margin:0in;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><font size="4"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman,serif">The TCRCD
Conservation Almanac has an article on page by the TRRP on pages 10 and 11 also
gives a pitch for lower summer flows here: <a href="https://tcrcd.net/almanac/pdf/nws-v32n2.pdf" style="color: rgb(5, 99, 193); text-decoration-color: currentcolor; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-style: solid;" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://tcrcd.net/almanac/pdf/nws-v32n2.pdf&source=gmail&ust=1741309687012000&usg=AOvVaw2R-r4DghY7ihXx9_m2ktYU" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://tcrcd.net/almanac/pdf/nws-v32n2.pdf</a>
<span></span></span></font></p>
<p class="ydp9ef38e18MsoNormal" style="margin:0in;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif" dir="ltr" data-setdir="false"><font size="4"></font></p><div><h1><font size="4">
<span>Science, sediments and strife: Debating the future of the Trinity River</span>
</font></h1><font size="4">
<div>
<span>
<ul><li><span>By Francisco Martínezcuello
California Local News Fellow
The Trinity Journal</span></li></ul></span></div></font></div><p></p><div><br></div><p class="ydp9ef38e18MsoNormal" style="margin:0in;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"></p>
<div><font size="4"><a href="https://www.trinityjournal.com/news/local/article_29a33cda-f945-11ef-a717-3b73c325deb5.html" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.trinityjournal.com/news/local/article_29a33cda-f945-11ef-a717-3b73c325deb5.html&source=gmail&ust=1741309687012000&usg=AOvVaw3VqdUL6TF8q2IR5vLRExWS" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.trinityjournal.com/news/local/article_29a33cda-f945-11ef-a717-3b73c325deb5.html</a> </font></div></div></div><div><br></div><div dir="ltr"><div><div class="ydp44bc5072yiv0080078536ydpa9469db8asset-photo ydp44bc5072yiv0080078536ydpa9469db8card">
<span class="ydp44bc5072yiv0080078536ydpa9469db8caption-text">
<p>Todd Buxton, a
hydrologist/geomorphologist with the Trinity River Restoration Program,
gives a presentation on fine sediment in the Trinity River at the
Trinity County Brewing Company Feb. 26.</p>
</span>
<span class="ydp44bc5072yiv0080078536ydpa9469db8credit">
<span class="ydp44bc5072yiv0080078536ydpa9469db8tnt-byline">Francisco Martínezcuello | The Trinity Journal
</span>
</span>
<span class="ydp44bc5072yiv0080078536ydpa9469db8clearfix"></span>
</div>
<div id="ydp44bc5072yiv0080078536ydpa9469db8tncms-region-article_top_content" class="ydp44bc5072yiv0080078536ydpa9469db8tncms-region ydp44bc5072yiv0080078536ydpa9469db8hidden-print"></div><div class="ydp44bc5072yiv0080078536ydpa9469db8share-container ydp44bc5072yiv0080078536ydpa9469db8content-above"><form method="post" class="ydp44bc5072yiv0080078536ydpa9469db8save-list-29a33cda-f945-11ef-a717-3b73c325deb5-form ydp44bc5072yiv0080078536ydpa9469db8save-asset-to-list" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">
</form>
</div>
<div id="ydp44bc5072yiv0080078536ydpa9469db8tncms-region-article_body_top" class="ydp44bc5072yiv0080078536ydpa9469db8tncms-region ydp44bc5072yiv0080078536ydpa9469db8hidden-print"></div>
<div id="ydp44bc5072yiv0080078536ydpa9469db8article-body" class="ydp44bc5072yiv0080078536ydpa9469db8asset-content ydp44bc5072yiv0080078536ydpa9469db8subscriber-premium">
<div class="ydp44bc5072yiv0080078536ydpa9469db8subscriber-preview"><p>February’s
Science on Tap event featured a talk by Todd Buxton about the sediments
in the Trinity River and how they impact wildlife and the river’s
natural flow. Buxton is a hydrologist and geomorphologist with the
Trinity River Restoration Program.</p></div><div class="ydp44bc5072yiv0080078536ydpa9469db8subscriber-preview"><p>“Fine
sediment is an important component of stream ecosystems,” Buxton said.
“It’s important for the health and productivity of these systems.”</p></div><div class="ydp44bc5072yiv0080078536ydpa9469db8subscriber-only"><p>Fine
sediment consists of tiny particles of sand, silt and clay that are
carried by water and settle on riverbeds, lake bottoms or other
surfaces. These particles can come from natural erosion, runoff or
anthropogenic activities like construction and logging. Fine sediment
can affect water quality, aquatic habitats and fish populations by
clouding the water, covering spawning areas and altering river flow.</p></div>
<div id="ydp44bc5072yiv0080078536ydpa9469db8tncms-region-article_instory_top" class="ydp44bc5072yiv0080078536ydpa9469db8tncms-region ydp44bc5072yiv0080078536ydpa9469db8hidden-print"></div><div class="ydp44bc5072yiv0080078536ydpa9469db8subscriber-only"><p>According
to Buxton, the Goldilocks principle applies to the amount of fine
sediment in rivers. Too many or too little fine sediments can damage
them. “But just the right amount of (fine sediments), and we usually
have more healthy river ecosystems for salmon and other creatures,” he
said.</p></div><div class="ydp44bc5072yiv0080078536ydpa9469db8subscriber-only"><p>Buxton has been
involved with river and salmon restoration for 32 years. He received his
bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Humboldt State and earned his
Ph.D. in water resources from the University of Idaho. Forums like this
are important to Buxton. He said although most people care for rivers,
they may not know why river ecosystems are important. “Having talks like
this is a way to educate people on things they may not know about,” he
said.</p></div><div class="ydp44bc5072yiv0080078536ydpa9469db8subscriber-only"><p>Forums like
Science on Tap are not only intended to educate an audience, but
discussions and debates are a part of it as well. They are passionate
scientists after all, they question everything — it’s part of the
scientific method.</p></div><div class="ydp44bc5072yiv0080078536ydpa9469db8subscriber-only"><p><strong>Scientific debates can be contentious</strong></p></div><div class="ydp44bc5072yiv0080078536ydpa9469db8subscriber-only"><p>Last
August Buxton gave a presentation on the stratification of water
temperatures in pools on the Trinity River during a Science on the River
presentation in Lewiston.</p></div><div class="ydp44bc5072yiv0080078536ydpa9469db8subscriber-only"><p>“I was reporting the results of research that they did on two river pools,” Buxton said.</p></div><div class="ydp44bc5072yiv0080078536ydpa9469db8subscriber-only"><p>One
river pool was located above the reservoirs in the Trinity River that
receives natural stream flows, Buxton said. The second river pool was
located just upstream of the North Fork Trinity River, which receives
unnatural summer flows released from Lewiston Dam. </p></div><div class="ydp44bc5072yiv0080078536ydpa9469db8subscriber-only"><p>“And
the results were essentially that where salmon used to migrate to
before the dams, you have very low flow conditions,” Buxton said. “But
these stratified pools stratified in the sense that the water flow
through the pools is so slow that the different temperatures contributed
to the pool throughout the day and night, enable the cold water to sit
in the pool bottoms during the day and then release that cold water
slowly throughout the day.”</p></div><div class="ydp44bc5072yiv0080078536ydpa9469db8subscriber-only"><p>According
to Buxton, this enables temperature regulation downstream but also
provides warmer water toward the surface of the pools that other
creatures require. “So the adult salmon require that cold water in
summer, the juvenile fish and the turtles and the frogs require that
warmer water in the upper layers of the pool, and in stratified pool
conditions, you have those different habitats available for those
different species,” he said.</p></div><div class="ydp44bc5072yiv0080078536ydpa9469db8subscriber-only"><p>Buxton
said the unnatural increase in summer water flow downstream of
reservoirs speeds up the current, preventing temperature layers from
forming. He said this disrupts the natural thermal stratification needed
for aquatic life, negatively impacting the river ecosystem.</p></div><div class="ydp44bc5072yiv0080078536ydpa9469db8subscriber-only"><p>The
Science on the River presentation in Lewiston prompted California Water
Impact Network board member Tom Stokely to write a guest column titled
“Trinity River summer flow cuts ill-advised,” which was published on
Feb. 12
(www.trinityjournal.com/opinion/guest_columnists/article_767dfc0c-e8c4-11ef-b9f0-afc001065b07.html)</p></div><div class="ydp44bc5072yiv0080078536ydpa9469db8subscriber-only"><p>According
to the op-ed, Stokely said Buxton’s logic was seriously flawed and
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="ydp44bc5072yiv0080078536ydpa9469db8tncms-region-article_instory_middle" class="ydp44bc5072yiv0080078536ydpa9469db8tncms-region ydp44bc5072yiv0080078536ydpa9469db8hidden-print"></div><div class="ydp44bc5072yiv0080078536ydpa9469db8subscriber-only"><p>Stokely’s
op-ed struck a chord with Trinity River Restoration Program’s executive
director Mike Dixon who opened the Science on Tap with a response. “I
just want to make sure it’s clear that there is no plan to change
summer-based flows in the Trinity River,” he said.</p></div><div class="ydp44bc5072yiv0080078536ydpa9469db8subscriber-only"><p>Dixon
said the study Buxton was reporting on was just trying to convey what
they’ve learned in a single study on a couple of pools. “So, if you were
concerned, based on what (Stokely) reported in his editorial, there’s
no plan to do anything with that right now.”</p></div><div class="ydp44bc5072yiv0080078536ydpa9469db8subscriber-only"><p>When
asked about the guest column, Buxton said he was misquoted. “I
explicitly explained several times in my talk, I was making no
recommendations.”</p></div><div class="ydp44bc5072yiv0080078536ydpa9469db8subscriber-only"><p>Buxton
said he was reporting the results of research on two single pools, and
that, if there ever was going to be a recommendation for change in
flows, much more work would need to be done, in addition to considering
the impacts of any proposed change on power generation and recreation.
“We’re not even close to looking at all those things,” he said.</p></div><div class="ydp44bc5072yiv0080078536ydpa9469db8subscriber-only"><p>Buxton
said TRRP has expanded the study up to a dozen pools on the river.
“We’re looking at how the thermal characteristics may be managed with
flow regulation, but that’s as far as we’ve gone,” he said. “So
(Stokely) saying that the program has made plans to change summer flows
is just completely inaccurate.”</p></div><div class="ydp44bc5072yiv0080078536ydpa9469db8subscriber-only"><p><strong>Delayed response</strong></p></div><div class="ydp44bc5072yiv0080078536ydpa9469db8subscriber-only"><p>The
Trinity Journal asked Stokely about the timing of the guestcolumn. If
there was concern, why the five-month delay? In an email Stokely said he
didn’t have time to write it in August or September and it wasn’t going
to happen immediately.</p></div><div class="ydp44bc5072yiv0080078536ydpa9469db8subscriber-only"><p>“However,
coincidentally, it was apparent that waiting until after the
presidential transition was appropriate because the Trinity River is now
under siege, and the protections of the past are at serious risk,” he
said. “It was a public plea to the TRRP to stop dividing Trinity River
interests so that various parties can come together to protect the river
and the gains that have been made over the past 40-plus years.”</p></div><div class="ydp44bc5072yiv0080078536ydpa9469db8subscriber-only"><p>When
asked why he didn’t bring his concerns during Buxton’s August
presentation, Stokely said he didn’t specifically object to Buxton’s
presentation, “but I did ask several questions. It wasn’t a forum for a
debate and public input was not requested, nor was it encouraged.”</p></div><div class="ydp44bc5072yiv0080078536ydpa9469db8subscriber-only"><p>Stokely
said he had conversations with TRRP staff and affiliates about summer
flows in the past but not Dr. Buxton in particular. “Many thousands of
dollars are being spent to complete the studies to make it happen,” he
said. “If they aren’t serious about it then why are they spending money
on it?”</p></div><div class="ydp44bc5072yiv0080078536ydpa9469db8subscriber-only"><p>In an email
from TRRP spokesperson Kiana Abel, she said TRRP pursues studies of
river function because it is important for them to understand how the
river works in order to effectively apply restoration tools. “In the
grand scheme, we are spending hardly any money on it. At the scale of
the program’s budget, it is almost entirely in-kind (staff time) with
some $100 to low $1,000 worth of equipment that was purchased.
Additionally, an approximately $80,000 of internal Reclamation effort to
develop and refine the three-dimensional hydrologic model.”</p></div><div class="ydp44bc5072yiv0080078536ydpa9469db8subscriber-only"><p>Stokely
said it’s disingenuous for the TRRP to claim that he conflated plans to
decrease Trinity River summer flows. He said if TRRP wasn’t thinking
hard about it, they wouldn’t be doing studies on it and giving
presentations.</p></div><div class="ydp44bc5072yiv0080078536ydpa9469db8subscriber-only"><p>Stokely also said many, but not all TRRP staff and program partners are already convinced that it’s a good idea. </p></div><div class="ydp44bc5072yiv0080078536ydpa9469db8subscriber-only"><p>“Obviously,
they have to do more studies to justify it, and I said so in my guest
editorial, but they are moving in that direction, even if it takes
several years. My guest editorial was an effort for them to drop it so
that Trinity River advocates could come together to protect what we
have. The Trinity River is in big trouble.” </p></div><div class="ydp44bc5072yiv0080078536ydpa9469db8subscriber-only"><p><em>Editor’s
note: Francisco Martínezcuello covers science, environment, and
indigenous communities through the California Local News Fellowship
initiative.</em></p></div>
<div id="ydp44bc5072yiv0080078536ydpa9469db8tncms-region-article_instory_bottom" class="ydp44bc5072yiv0080078536ydpa9469db8tncms-region ydp44bc5072yiv0080078536ydpa9469db8hidden-print"></div>
<div id="ydp44bc5072yiv0080078536ydpa9469db8tncms-region-article_bottom_content" class="ydp44bc5072yiv0080078536ydpa9469db8tncms-region ydp44bc5072yiv0080078536ydpa9469db8hidden-print"></div>
</div>
<div class="ydp44bc5072yiv0080078536ydpa9469db8share-container ydp44bc5072yiv0080078536ydpa9469db8content-below"><ul class="ydp44bc5072yiv0080078536ydpa9469db8social-share-links ydp44bc5072yiv0080078536ydpa9469db8hidden-print ydp44bc5072yiv0080078536ydpa9469db8list-inline ydp44bc5072yiv0080078536ydpa9469db8icon"><li class="ydp44bc5072yiv0080078536ydpa9469db8social-share-link ydp44bc5072yiv0080078536ydpa9469db8fb">
<a href="https://www.facebook.com/sharer/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.trinityjournal.com%2Fnews%2Flocal%2Farticle_29a33cda-f945-11ef-a717-3b73c325deb5.html%3Futm_medium%3Dsocial%26utm_source%3Dfacebook%26utm_campaign%3Duser-share" title="Share on Facebook" class="ydp44bc5072yiv0080078536ydpa9469db8tnt-share-link ydp44bc5072yiv0080078536ydpa9469db8fb" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">
</a><br></li></ul></div><a href="https://www.facebook.com/sharer/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.trinityjournal.com%2Fnews%2Flocal%2Farticle_29a33cda-f945-11ef-a717-3b73c325deb5.html%3Futm_medium%3Dsocial%26utm_source%3Dfacebook%26utm_campaign%3Duser-share" title="Share on Facebook" class="ydp44bc5072yiv0080078536ydpa9469db8tnt-share-link ydp44bc5072yiv0080078536ydpa9469db8fb" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><span class="ydp44bc5072yiv0080078536ydpa9469db8tnt-stack">
</span>
<span class="ydp44bc5072yiv0080078536ydpa9469db8sr-only">Facebook</span>
</a>
<a href="https://twitter.com/intent/tweet?&text=Science%2C%20sediments%20and%20strife%3A%20Debating%20the%20future%20of%20the%20Trinity%20River&via=trinityjournal&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.trinityjournal.com%2Fnews%2Flocal%2Farticle_29a33cda-f945-11ef-a717-3b73c325deb5.html%3Futm_medium%3Dsocial%26utm_source%3Dtwitter%26utm_campaign%3Duser-share" title="Tweet" class="ydp44bc5072yiv0080078536ydpa9469db8tnt-share-link ydp44bc5072yiv0080078536ydpa9469db8tw" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">
<span class="ydp44bc5072yiv0080078536ydpa9469db8tnt-stack">
</span></a><a href="https://twitter.com/intent/tweet?&text=Science%2C%20sediments%20and%20strife%3A%20Debating%20the%20future%20of%20the%20Trinity%20River&via=trinityjournal&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.trinityjournal.com%2Fnews%2Flocal%2Farticle_29a33cda-f945-11ef-a717-3b73c325deb5.html%3Futm_medium%3Dsocial%26utm_source%3Dtwitter%26utm_campaign%3Duser-share" title="Tweet" class="ydp44bc5072yiv0080078536ydpa9469db8tnt-share-link ydp44bc5072yiv0080078536ydpa9469db8tw" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><span class="ydp44bc5072yiv0080078536ydpa9469db8tnt-stack">
</span>
<span class="ydp44bc5072yiv0080078536ydpa9469db8sr-only">Twitter</span>
</a>
<a href="mailto:?subject=%5Btrinityjournal.com%5D%20Science%2C%20sediments%20and%20strife%3A%20Debating%20the%20future%20of%20the%20Trinity%20River&body=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.trinityjournal.com%2Fnews%2Flocal%2Farticle_29a33cda-f945-11ef-a717-3b73c325deb5.html%3Futm_medium%3Dsocial%26utm_source%3Demail%26utm_campaign%3Duser-share" title="Email" class="ydp44bc5072yiv0080078536ydpa9469db8tnt-share-link ydp44bc5072yiv0080078536ydpa9469db8em ydp44bc5072yiv0080078536ydpa9469db8email-share-link" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">
<span class="ydp44bc5072yiv0080078536ydpa9469db8tnt-stack">
</span></a><a href="mailto:?subject=%5Btrinityjournal.com%5D%20Science%2C%20sediments%20and%20strife%3A%20Debating%20the%20future%20of%20the%20Trinity%20River&body=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.trinityjournal.com%2Fnews%2Flocal%2Farticle_29a33cda-f945-11ef-a717-3b73c325deb5.html%3Futm_medium%3Dsocial%26utm_source%3Demail%26utm_campaign%3Duser-share" title="Email" class="ydp44bc5072yiv0080078536ydpa9469db8tnt-share-link ydp44bc5072yiv0080078536ydpa9469db8em ydp44bc5072yiv0080078536ydpa9469db8email-share-link" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><span class="ydp44bc5072yiv0080078536ydpa9469db8tnt-stack">
</span>
<span class="ydp44bc5072yiv0080078536ydpa9469db8sr-only">Email</span>
</a>
Print
</div><br></div></div></div></div></div></body></html>