For the past week it has been good weather and the rivers have been dropping at a fairly steady rate. The Trinity has been looking good for the last couple of days and the river below South Fork has started to clear up. According to the latest weather report we can expect some more rain and possibly some snow after the weekend. Hwy 299 has been having some slide troubles west of junction City and there has been traffic delays of 10 – 20 minutes so be aware. If the weather is correct, we can expect more slide problems in that area so please drive safely.
Recent research has identified a genetic variation in the Klamath–Trinity Spring Run Chinook salmon upending prevailing scientific variations about the fish. This could create a problem for spring run salmon if the science is correct. One thing I can think of is it could cause restrictions to fishing for the spring run and limit salmon fishing to just fall run Chinook. Spring Run Chinook salmon migrate early in the year, meaning they require habitats with cold water for the summer layover until spawning season in the fall. This translates into the need for more cold water which would mean less water draws from cold water streams for cannabis operations and would require to be monitored. It could also cause the need for less water draws from reservoirs. If spring run Chinook are listed as endangered, salmon fishing could come to and end or at the least be very restricted. This poses another problem, if Governor Newsom adds the 300,00 homes he expects to build in the coming year where is the extra water (300,000AF) going to come from for farming? I can see another water wars coming!
NOTE: Don’t forget Humboldt Steelhead Days hatchery fish derby is still going on until February 23rd. Anglers can still sign up for the derby by going to humboldtsteelheaddays.com.
Klamath Iron Gate Hatchery: Right now, the counts are still going up for the hatchery and Scott River. I hope to have more on this by next week.
Trinity River Hatchery: TRH for the week of Jan. 22 thru Jan. 28; Chinook 1, season total 7,705; Coho 0, season total 745; Steelhead 155, season total 1,119.
Redd Survey: No survey last week due to the weather and the river too high to safely navigate the river.
Fishing: The South Fork was really dumping mud and slate from the two slides up river below Hyampom which made fishing below the South For almost impossible. With no rain for the week the Trinity is still dropping and coming into fishable condition. Up river of Junction City has been good fishing for winter steelhead and the closer to the hatchery the better fishing for hatchery steelhead. As the river dropped the fishing got better for the mid sections of the river. Right now, the Trinity is looking very good for winter steelhead fishing.
Mid-Klamath: Iron Gate Dam is releasing 1,228cfs. at this time which makes it somewhat high but fishable above I-5. Keep an eye for the weather because it is predicted for rain and possible snow in the next week or so. Look for the water flows as the they drop fishable conditions fishing from I-5 to Happy Camp will get better. Seiad Valley is flowing 2,820cfs. Right the mid-Klamath is o the verge of becoming good fishing. The lower sections of the Klamath are unfishable right now but could become fishable soon if we don’t get more rain.
Lake Conditions: Whiskeytown is 87% of capacity (a decrease of 1%) with inflows o 461cfs and releasing 506cfs into Clear Creek and on to Keswick. Shasta is 63% of capacity (an increase of 5% and plus 9ft) with inflows of 9,828cfs and releasing 2,320cfs into Keswick. Keswick is 91% of capacity with inflows of 2,888cfs and releasing 3,125cfs into the Sacramento river. Oroville Lake is 39% of capacity (an increase of 4% plus 19ft) with inflows of 6,061cfs with releases of cfs into the Feather River. Folsom Lake is 44% of capacity (an increase of 10% plus 10ft) with inflows of 6,931cfs with releases of 1,337cfs into the Feather River.
Trinity Lake: the lake is 61ft below the overflow (a decrease of 4ft) and 64% of capacity (an increase of 1%) inflows are 1,520cfs and 268cfs is being released into Lewiston Lake with 104 cfs going to Whiskeytown Lake and on to Keswick Power Plant, which is releasing 3,125cfs into the Sacramento River.
Trinity River flows and conditions: Lewiston Dam releases are 332cfs and water temperatures of N/A degrees and air at N/A as of 2:00pm today Sunday Jan. 27, 2019. Limekiln Gulch is 4.90ft at 415cfs and water temps of 44, Douglas City is 86.61ft and 508cfs. with air temps of 56 and water at 43.6 degrees. Junction City is 2.45ft at 729cfs. Helena is 10.12ft at 984cfs with water temps of 44.7 degrees. Cedar Flat (Burnt Ranch) is 5.36ft at 1,876cfs. South Fork of the Trinity is 5.65ft at 2,100cfs. Willow Creek is estimated at 3,976cfs and air is 53 degrees and water at 44.9 degrees. Hoopa is 2516.39ft at 6,058cfs and is 45 degrees. Water flows at the mouth of the Trinity River at the Klamath are estimated to be 14,342cfs.
Klamath: Iron Gate is releasing 1,228cfs. Seiad Valley is 3.99ft at 2,826cfs. Happy Camp is estimated at 3,281cfs, the Salmon River is 4.45ft at 2,456cfs, Somes Bar is estimated to be 5,825cfs. Orleans is 7.04ft at 8,284cfs, the Klamath River at Terwer Creek is 13.81ft at 20,669cfs and water temps of 45.2 degrees. Flows for the Smith River at Jedia Smith is 8.88ft and flows of 3,543cfs.
Temperatures in the Valley last week were 53 hi and a low of 38. Rain for the week was 1.55in and total rain for the water year to date is 32.89 inches with no snow in the valley yet. Rain is predicted for next week with the possibility of some snow but then rain showers. I advise to call ahead for weather and road conditions.