Well the Monument Fire along the Trinity River has taken a toll! As the fire moves east it has devastated Big Bar and Big Flat as it slowly moves east towards Junction City. Hwy 299 is closed to through traffic except Fire and Emergency equipment from Dutch Creek Rd to Burnt Ranch. Fire movement west, the fire is on the north side of the river and moving just west of Cedar Creek. (Close to Burnt Ranch) I am not sure how Del Loma made out but it looks like the fire crews may have saved it. (let’s hope so) Hawkins Bar, Salyer, Willow Creek and Hoopa have been very smoky for the last several days. (Sunday Aug. 8) What this is doing to the fishing could be devasting and it looks like the weir crew pulled out because the smoke was so bad. CDFW has stated that they would go back to working the weir when the air quality gets better. The smoke and fire in the Junction City area is really horrible and I don’t blame the crew for leaving the area at this time. Although the smoke has made the area cooler which in turn has made the water cooler and another bump of fish has moved up into the upper-upper Trinity. (See JC weir report)
From what I can find out, with all the fire and smoke, the Trinity River Spring run has just barely enough salmon to make the hatchery egg count for Spring Run Chinook salmon. This is good and I hope we don’t lose the Trinity Spring Run salmon. We have almost lost the South Fork of the Trinity Spring run with such a low count of redds and the Blue-Green Algae in the South Fork.
Speaking of the Blue-Green Algae we have had a report that animals have getting sick from the algae at the confluence of the South Fork and the main stem of the Trinity. I do know that the algae have been diluted by the time it gets down to the Kimtu Beach because of the river flows on the main stem.
Junction City weir summary: Julian week 31 ending the week of Aug. 5, 2021 for Spring-Run Chinook salmon; 19 – jacks, season total 159, 60- adults, total of 79, season total of 1,040; Coho salmon, 0 jacks, season total 0, 0 adults, season total 0; steelhead, 0- 1/2lber, 11- adults, for total of 11, season total 70; Brown trout 0, season total 6. Note: even though the fire and smoke were along the river there was a nice bump of springer’s going up to the Hatchery.
Fishing: Temperatures are still like a roller-coaster, up and down almost every day. The good news is that we have been still getting fish up the Trinity but because of the fire and heat fishing has been very slow and none existent in the upper part of the river. Willow Creek has not been too bd but still people don’t want to fish in the smoke and heat.
Mid-Klamath to Happy Camp: The Klamath River at Weitchpec is flowing 1,993cfs. This is a decrease of 54cfs. Iron Gate Dam is releasing 946cfs. With the decrease in water flows from Iron Gate fishing would slow down I would expect. Although there is very little smoke over on the Klmath I am not getting much fishing information from my contacts. I do know they are getting salmon down at the mouth on the tide but that is all I know. Fishing is slow around Orleans because of the heat. With the low releases from Iron Gate Dam fishing in the upper Klamath should be slow. Aug. 15, next Sunday, the Lower Klamath opens for Fall Run Chinook salmon; 2 fish per day, 1- jack 1- adult and 6 in possession with no more than 3 adults. Sept. 1st the Upper Klamath and the Trinity open for Fall Run Chinook salmon, same regulations. Lake Conditions: Whiskeytown is 98% of capacity (a decrease of 0%) with inflows of 2,202cfs and releasing 2,116cfs in to Spring Creek. Shasta Lake is 31% of capacity (a decrease of 1% minus 4ft) with inflows of 2,092cfs and releasing 6,572cfs into Keswick. Keswick is 94% (an increase of 4%) with inflows of 8,778cfs and releasing 8,747cfs into the Sacramento River. Oroville Lake is 24% of capacity (a decrease of N/A% minus 6ft) with inflows of 1,577cfs with releases of 3,113cfs into the Feather River. Folsom Lake is 24% of capacity (a decrease of 1% minus 4ft) with inflows of 1,094cfs with releases of 1,156cfs into the American river.
Trinity Lake: The lake is 113ft below the overflow (a decrease of 2ft) and 40% of capacity (an increase of 1%) with inflows of -48cfs and releasing 2,767cfs into Lewiston Lake with 2,311cfs being diverted to Whiskeytown Lake and on to Keswick Power Plant, which is releasing 8,747cfs into the Sacramento River.
Trinity River flows and conditions: Lewiston Dam is 93% of capacity (an increase of 2%) and water releases are 456cfs into the Trinity River, with water temperatures of 49.7 degrees, as of 11:00am today Sunday August 8, 2021. Limekiln Gulch is 4.91ft at 434cfs. Douglas City is 6.54ft with flows of 473cfs. (Flows have been moving up and down due to water draws for the fire) with air temps of N/A and water temperatures of N/A degrees. Junction City is 1.95ft at 458cfs. Helena is 8.44ft at 477cfs with water temps of 57.2 degrees. Cedar Flat (Burnt Ranch) is 2.63ft at 495cfs. South Fork of the Trinity near Hyampom is 1.92ft at 33cfs. Willow Creek is estimated at 528cfs and air is 78 degrees and water at 66 degrees. (Due to the smoke covering the sun) Hoopa is 11.17ft at 623cfs and water is 71.5 degrees.
Water flows at the mouth of the Trinity River at the Klamath in Weitchpec are estimated to be 1,993cfs a decrease of 54cfs.
Klamath River flows and conditions: Iron Gate is releasing 946cfs. Seiad Valley is 1.87ft at 1,043cfs. Indian Creek is 3.23ftat 61cfs. Happy Camp is estimated at 1,104cfs, Somes Bar is estimated to be 1,210cfs, and the Salmon River is 1.36ft at 160cfs. Orleans is 2.04ft at 1,370cfs, the Klamath River at Terwer Creek is 7.88ft at 2,075cfs and water temps are 72.7 degrees. (Cooling down some) Flows for the Smith River at Jed Smith are 4.56ft with flows of 207cfs. and flows at Dr. Fine Bridge are 12.09ft at N/A cfs.
Temperatures for the Valley last week had a high of 97 and a low of 61 degrees. Rain for the week was 0.00in with a water year total to date of 45.11 inches and 1.5in of snow in Willow Creek. The predicted weather for next week is high of 106 and a low of 61. The predicted weather for next week is expected to go up again for the first part of the week then down during the mid-week and back up after the weekend. A roll accoster! I hope there can be some fishing somewhere during this crazy stuff!
