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More Trinity water to aid salmon
published August 22, 2003
By TODD KEPPLE
Interior Secretary Gale Norton announced today a schedule for releasing extra water from reservoirs in the Trinity River Basin to ensure adequate flows to protect a large salmon run.
Within the next few days, the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation will increase the Trinity River flow from a base summer flow of 450 cubic feet per second to 1,650 cfs.
The flows will be scaled back gradually to 1,000 cfs by mid-September, with the reduction continuing to 450 cfs after that.
Jeff McCracken, spokesman for the Bureau of Reclamation, said the Interior Department recommended in March that extra water from the Trinity River be used to boost flows in the lower reaches of the Klamath River mainstem.
The action is designed to prevent a repeat of the fish dieoff that claimed an estimated 33,000 salmon last year.
Interior officials said the flow schedule announced today is the result of cooperation between government agencies, Indian tribes and stakeholders in the Klamath and Trinity river basins.
McCracken said two factors triggered the decision.
"One of the triggers was the California Department of Fish and Game determining that this is an above-average return of fish. They've done that," he said.
The other was a decline in the flow of water in the lower Klamath River to below 3,000 cfs, McCracken said.
The increase in flows planned next week will be timed to provide extra water for the Hoopa Valley Tribe's Boat Dance ceremony, McCracken said.
"We have historically increased flows for a couple of days to provide them with more water for a couple of days, and we'll do that again this year," McCracken said. "When that's over, we'll maintain those flows."
By TODD KEPPLE
Interior Secretary Gale Norton announced today a schedule for releasing extra water from reservoirs in the Trinity River Basin to ensure adequate flows to protect a large salmon run.
Within the next few days, the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation will increase the Trinity River flow from a base summer flow of 450 cubic feet per second to 1,650 cfs.
The flows will be scaled back gradually to 1,000 cfs by mid-September, with the reduction continuing to 450 cfs after that.
Jeff McCracken, spokesman for the Bureau of Reclamation, said the Interior Department recommended in March that extra water from the Trinity River be used to boost flows in the lower reaches of the Klamath River mainstem.
The action is designed to prevent a repeat of the fish dieoff that claimed an estimated 33,000 salmon last year.
Interior officials said the flow schedule announced today is the result of cooperation between government agencies, Indian tribes and stakeholders in the Klamath and Trinity river basins.
McCracken said two factors triggered the decision.
"One of the triggers was the California Department of Fish and Game determining that this is an above-average return of fish. They've done that," he said.
The other was a decline in the flow of water in the lower Klamath River to below 3,000 cfs, McCracken said.
The increase in flows planned next week will be timed to provide extra water for the Hoopa Valley Tribe's Boat Dance ceremony, McCracken said.
"We have historically increased flows for a couple of days to provide them with more water for a couple of days, and we'll do that again this year," McCracken said. "When that's over, we'll maintain those flows."
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