Dirty River

TRRP: The Trinity River Restoration Program is working on restoration project.  I have been receiving reports of the river being dirty from just below the Round House down to below Junction City area of the river. From what I could find out was that the TRRP is working in that area. The problem is the work is causing large amounts of turbidity in the river. This used to be prohibited and all of the material were pre-washed before it could be used in or along the river. Who is the watch dog now? It appears that the Trinity Management Council and the TRRP can just do whatever they choose to do to the river without some repercussion. I would hope that our representatives, both State and Federal, would look into this and maybe call for an audit of the restoration program to see what our $15million per year is doing because I surly do not see any large production of steelhead, Coho salmon and Chinook salmon going out and returning to the Trinity River. This was the original intent of the program. The river restoration program has gotten totally out of control ever since the TAMWG (public input) portion of the restoration program was not funded and thereby disbanded in 2017. (TAMWG was where the public could make comment and ask for changes to any proposed river restoration) The turbidity in the river can cover up spawning beds and smother the eggs.

Hoopa weir: Is to be installed the week of August 5^th depending upon water flows in the river. It is supposed to take about a week to be installed at the up-river area of Tish Tang beach. Hoopa Tribal Fisheries will be in charge of the weir and fishing the area. The Tribal Fisheries stated that they plan to harvest 3,000 fall chinook salmon and some of the tail end of the spring run. They plan to harvest all Broun Trout as they are and invasive species that kill juvenile salmon; all adipose fin clipped hatchery steelhead; all hatchery clipped Coho salmon. Operations are to be completed when the 3,000 fall Chinook salmon goal is reached. 32,000 fall Chinook salmon are available to be harvested by the Hoopa and Yurok Tribal members with 6,400 available to the Hoopa’s. The problem I see is, “what will the Trinity River Hatchery do for hatchery Coho salmon spawning is all of the hatchery marked Coho are taken at the Hoopa weir?” From what I have been able to find out is that the program for this weir has not been approved by NOAA or NMFS nor has BIA ok’ed the use of this weir!  

Fishing: Fishing above the Round House has been very good. Both Todd LeBoeuf, Tiger T guide service and Liam Gogan, Trinity River Outfitters, have reported great fishing with limits of salmon and summer steelhead being put into the boat. Last Wednesday Todd took out Robert Thompkins and Dave Ivis in the upper river and was able to get them both a nice bright salmon and hookup a steelhead or two. Ivis salmon was 12lbs. The problem is trying to get customers to come over to the Trinity to fish for one salmon when a person can fish the ocean or the Sacramento and catch two salmon. Liam told me he was having the same problem even though he is able to limit his customers out. Well the good news is that Sept, 1^st is just 25 days away for the Fall Run salmon fishing to kick-in and then you can have 1 adult and 1 jack plus 2 steelhead. 

Summer river releases are just a few days away just as the Labor Day weekend hits us the Boat Dance water releases for the Trinity will happen. I am not sure how much water is going to be released but in the past it has a significant amount and really got the salmon coming up the river.

Mid-Klamath: The Klamath at Weitchpec is flowing about 2,918cfs and the river is a nice green but will probably start to  change as the river drops a little more for the summer flows. We should see more salmon as the river drops and the fall run starts showing up. Aug. 15^th the Fall salmon fishing opens for the Lower Klamath. (Below the Weitchpec Bridge) Right now there are very few fishermen out on the Mid- Klamath, mostly locals. River temperatures are starting to climb a little bit right now but hopefully the water releases for the Boat Dance will help cool it down some. 

Junction City Weir counts: Week endingJuly 29; Chinook salmon, 1jack, 1adlt, total 49, season total 71; Coho 0; steelhead 33, season total 46; Brown Trout 5, season total 10. 

Lake Conditions:  Whiskeytown is 98% of capacity (an increase of 1%) with inflows 1,604cfs and releasing 1,641cfs on to Keswick and the Sacramento River. Shasta is 88% of capacity (a decrease of 1% minus 2ft) with inflows of 3,3555cfs and releasing 9,494cfs into Keswick. Keswick is 93% (a decrease of 1%) with inflows of 11,457cfs and releasing 10,903cfs into the Sacramento river. Oroville Lake is 87% of capacity (a decrease of 3% minus 7ft) with inflows of 2,881cfs with releases of 10,597cfs into the Feather River. Folsom Lake is 85% of capacity (a decrease of 2% minus 2ft) with inflows of 2,784cfs with releases of 3,938cfs into the American river.

Trinity Lake: the lake is 15ft below the overflow (an increase of 1ft) and 90% of capacity (a decrease of 1%) and inflows are 151cfs and releases are 1870cfs into Lewiston Lake with 1,372cfs being diverted to Whiskeytown Lake and on to Keswick Power Plant, which is releasing 10,903cfs into the Sacramento River. 

Trinity River flows and conditions: Lewiston Dam releases are 498cfs and water temperatures of 54.8 degrees and air at N/A as of 12:30pm today Saturday August 3, 2019. Limekiln Gulch is 5.17ft at 545cfs. Douglas City is 6.71ft and flows of 567cfs. with air temps of 89 water temperatures of N/A degrees and turbidity of 3.60. Junction City is N/Aft at N/Acfs. Helena is 9.06ft at 541cfs with water temps of 62.9 degrees and water turbidity of 3.60. Cedar Flat (Burnt Ranch) is 3.27ft at 742cfs. South Fork of the Trinity near Hyampom is 2.44ft at 154cfs. Willow Creek is estimated at 896cfs and air is 89 degrees and water at 64 degrees. Hoopa is 12.07ft at 1,108cfs and water is 66 degrees. Water flows at the mouth of the Trinity River at the Klamath are estimated to be 2,918cfs.

Klamath: Iron Gate is releasing 949cfs. Seiad Valley is 2.00ft at 1,125cfs. Happy Camp is estimated at 1,176cfs, the Salmon River is 2.15ft at 349cfs, Somes Bar is estimated to be 1,4611cfs. Orleans is 2.93ft at 1,810cfs, the Klamath River at Terwer Creek is N/Aft at N/Acfs and water temps of N/A degrees. (gauge is out) Flows for the Smith River at Jedia Smith is 4.96ft and flows of 321cfs. and flows at Dr. Fine Bridge are 11.84t at N/A cfs.

Temperatures in the Valley last week were 98 hi with a low of 54. Rain for the week was 0.00in with total rain for the water year to date of 67.7 inches, with snow of 4.5in. in the valley to date. Forecasts for next week are for temperatures in the mid to hi 90s and lots of sunshine after the weekend. I know I would like some cooler weather and cooler water so the summer steelhead and the beginning of the Fall run would make a run for their holding waters.