Category Archives: Salmon

Fish, Salmon, Water, Wildlife

Mandatory Water Conservation For Sacramento?

City staff says low levels at Folsom Lake on the American River, and a Sacramento River water treatment plant that’s offline, created the need for mandatory conservation.

Jessica Hess with the City says a declaration on Tuesday night by the council would trigger a mandatory 20-percent reduction in water use by everyone in the city.

“We estimate that 20-percent reduction for most single-family residences is gonna come to about 84 gallons per day,” she says. “And that’s really something that folks can achieve by making small and simple changes to what they do every day.”

The City says there are many ways businesses can help conserve.

“We’d like them to consider things like asking customers regarding serving water before they serve it” Hess says. “We’re also asking them to consider things like when they wash the sidewalks out in front of their businesses to limit that to what’s really necessary for public health and safety.”

Hess says people at home can limit the use of bathroom faucets and save up to two-and-a-half gallons per minute.

Running a full load of laundry can save up to 50 gallons of water.

Many people can hit the target by reducing lawn watering to one day-a-week.

“We are down to a one day-a-week watering on Saturday or Sunday only,” says Hess. “So if our inspectors are out and see someone watering on a weekday, they’ll be stopping to first educate and then to  provide a notice of violation.”

Hess says fines could reach $1,000 for multiple offenses.

Folsom is already under a mandatory 20-percent reduction order.

San Juan and Sacramento County water districts are still asking for voluntary conservation.

More at CapRadio.org>>>

Fish, safety, Salmon, Water, Wildlife

State Water Officials Considering Drought Declaration

Kayakers row near the area of Folsom Lake formerly known as Dyke 8.
Kayakers row near the area of Folsom Lake formerly known as Dyke 8. Photo: AmericanRiverWildlife.com

The California Department of Water Resources is planning to draft an emergency drought declaration for Gov. Jerry Brown’s consideration as dry winter conditions continue.

DWR Director Mark Cowin told the California Board of Food and Agriculture at a meeting Tuesday that his agency is weighing whether to present the governor with a drought declaration. Spokeswoman Nancy Foley said that declaration could be forthcoming “within a couple weeks.”

“We will likely, given the circumstances, make a recommendation for a drought declaration,” Foley said. “The snow survey last Friday was so dismal and there doesn’t seem to be any storms on the horizon, so it just seems we’ve got to start preparing a drought declaration.”

She was referring to the first regular snow survey of the winter season, conducted by DWR on Jan. 3 at locations throughout the Sierra Nevada. It found the snowpack at 19 percent of average on that date. In the five days since, the snowpack has shrunk to 17 percent.

This comes after two dry years, which left many reservoirs in the state depleted. Folsom Reservoir in the Sacramento area was at 18 percent of capacity on Tuesday. Water agencies that depend on the reservoir have begun enacting water conservation orders. The U.S. Bureau of Reclamation has cut flows into the American River to levels not seen in 20 years.

More at MercedSunStar.com >>>
Fish, safety, Salmon, Water, Wildlife

Drought Prompts Deep Cuts In American River Flows

Water levels are at historic low levels at Folsom Lake. Photo: AmericanRiverWildlife.com
The water is at historically low levels in Folsom Lake. Photo: AmericanRiverWildlife.com

By the end of this week, water flows in the American River will be lower than anyone has seen in a generation. And soon, many residents of suburban Sacramento could be banned from watering their lawns.

Unusual winter drought conditions are driving Sacramento-area water agencies to make difficult choices. Starting today, the effects will be visible to anyone who walks, fishes or boats along the American River, one of the largest in California.

Early this morning, the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation was expected to cut water releases from Folsom Dam into the river from 1,100 cubic feet per second to 800 cfs. This will drop the river’s elevation within its bed by about 6 inches.

It won’t stop there. Each night this week until Friday, dam releases will be cut in stages until flows reach 500 cfs. At that point, it will likely be easy to walk across the river in many locations.

Such flows have not been seen in the American River since January 1993, according to Reclamation, which operates Folsom and Nimbus dams on the river. In comparison, the median January flow in the river over the past 15 years was about 1,700 cfs.

The reduction is intended to prolong the water supply stored behind Folsom Dam, a source of drinking water for some 500,000 people in the suburban Sacramento area. With no rain in the forecast, and the water level behind the dam shriveled to 18 percent of capacity after a dry start to winter, officials said dramatic conservation efforts are necessary.

Reclamation officials reached the decision on Friday after meeting with area water providers and wildlife agencies.

“The watershed is so dry right now, there’s such limited snowpack and the lake is already so low that we’re trying to look ahead and be conservative,” said Shana Kaplan, a Reclamation spokeswoman. “I think everybody’s trying to be as proactive as we can.”

Dropping the river so low will be deadly to some fall-run Chinook salmon eggs now waiting to hatch from nests, or redds, in the gravel riverbed. Tom Gohring, executive director of the Sacramento Water Forum, said flows of only 500 cfs could mean that 10 to 15 percent of the redds in the river will be lost because they will go dry as the river drops.

More at MercedSunStar.com >>>

 

Fish, News from Other Watersheds, Salmon, Wildlife

Conservation Groups Object To Lack Of Fish Protection In YCWA Relicensing Application

While some groups are excited about what the Yuba County Water Agency’s FERC relicensing applications contains, other groups are lamenting what is missing — namely, provisions that address removing barriers to native spawning habitat for endangered fish.

Numerous conservation groups called for the YCWA to look into developing fish passage through, or removing entirely, Englebright Dam, which is a direct barrier to more than 120 miles of salmon habitat, according to comments submitted by the Foothills Water Network, which represents a group of water resource stakeholders in the Yuba, Bear and American River watersheds.

“The ultimate goal is to restore salmon to their native habitat,” said Tyrone Gorre, co-founder of the Sierra Salmon Alliance. “In order to restore habitat, we have to have passage through the dam.”

Chinook salmon and steelhead and rainbow trout are both native to the upper Yuba River watershed.

The problem with those requests is that the Englebright Dam is not within the FERC boundary of YCWA’s project and is operated by the Army Corps of Engineers.

“There’s not a connection between that dam and the FERC relicensing,” said Yuba County Supervisor Mary Jane Griego. “Some of the river agencies would like to connect those so there’s a requirement for us (to install fish passages), but the FERC relicensing really separates those issues.”

The Foothills Water Network said excluding Englebright from the relicensing process is a mistake, arguing that because YCWA operates its reservoir levels and releases, it should be included in their FERC license.

“We have maintained that fish passage is not part of our FERC relicensing. YCWA facilities don’t block fish passage; the major barrier is Englebright Dam,” said Curt Aikens, YCWA general manager. “We do realize that this is a significant issue in the Yuba watershed, and we’ve helped lead and facilitate different fish passage studies and programs.”

Aikens said the colder water released from the higher elevation of New Bullards Bar dam has helped improve salmon habitat in the lower Yuba River.

The salmon population has recovered since a stark decrease around 2007 caused a temporary halt in the salmon fishing industry, but reported numbers from the Yuba River in recent years are below those of the decades prior.

More at TheUnion.com >>>

Fish, News from Other Watersheds, Salmon, Water, Wildlife

Central Valley Salmon Runs Could Be Restored

Salmon advocates say they know how to restore sustainable salmon runs in the Central Valley – 26 different ways.

The Golden Gate Salmon Association says two years of study have resulted in a 26-project salmon rebuilding plan to reverse the steep decline of California’s four salmon runs, including two considered endangered and threatened under the Federal Endangered Species Act — the winter and spring runs.

The fall and late fall-runs, which support the sport and commercial fishery, declined by 90 percent and 87 percent respectively from 2001 to 2011, the association says.

“The salmon problems are not in the ocean but rather in the freshwater rivers where salmon reproduce and then try to migrate downstream through the many hurdles that exist on their journey to ocean waters,” says GGSA Chairman Roger Thomas.

The 26 projects are divided into three tiers to prioritize completion. In April the first eight high priority projects were selected with most underway or in the pipeline for 2014. The second tier is currently being considered by federal agencies for implementation.

The rebuilding plan can be broadly broken into two categories of projects, says the association. The first calls for better flows for salmon in the Sacramento and San Joaquin rivers and the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta. The second are projects aimed at healing manmade structural impediments built in and along the rivers.

The loss of many baby salmon at the pumping facilities that divert water from the Delta for export south is another problem the GGSA says its plans address.

More at CentralValleyBusinessTimes.com >>>

Fish, safety, Salmon, Water, Wildlife

Folsom Imposes Water Use Restrictions

The Sacramento suburb of Folsom is imposing a mandatory 20 percent cut in water use as the dry winter continues and as the city’s main source of water – Folsom Lake – is 22 percent of capacity.

“This low water level, combined with critically dry weather conditions, necessitates immediate action to conserve water and protect our water supply,” says Folsom City Manager Evert Palmer.

Folsom is the first Central Valley city to impose such restrictions during the current dry spell.

Mandatory water use restrictions for businesses and residences limit landscape watering to two designated days per week; prohibit washing of parking lots, streets, driveways or sidewalks; and prohibit use of city water for construction purposes such as dust control, compaction or trench jetting without approval.

“During cold winter months, landscapes need very little water, making this an easy time of year to achieve significant water savings,” says Folsom Environmental and Water Resources Director Marcus Yasutake. “Approximately 60 percent of the water used by a typical Folsom family is directed to landscape. We’re encouraging residents to turn off sprinklers to conserve water. An added benefit will be significant savings on water bills.”

Those who choose to water are restricted to two days per week and asked to avoid excessive watering that runs off onto sidewalks, street and gutters.

More at CentralValleyBusinessTimes.com >>>

Fish, News from Other Watersheds, Salmon, Wildlife

Some Species In Delta Still At Risk From Water Diversion Tunnel Project

Despite a 34,000 page long environmental study, the California Department of Water Resources cannot say exactly what a massive water diversion and habitat restoration program will do to at least nine of fifty Northern California delta species.The irony is that the Sacramento/San Joaquin valley water restoration and conservation project was expected to help endangered species, according to a Dec. 18 Sacramento Bee article.

The giant water diversion project will cost $25 billion and will use three massive tunnels to divert water from the Sacramento River.

The Bay Delta Conservation Plan’s first complete draft was released to the public this week. It will be available for a 120 day public review, notice and comment period.

The environmental impact report was supposed to clear up any issues with affected species, like salmon, cranes, fish and more. There are actually 57 endangered species that might be affected.

The problem is with several “not determined” findings from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the National Fish and Marine Fisheries Service. These federal agencies are at odds with the State Department of Fish and Wildlife service, which finds a “less than significant” effect on the nine species.

The federal agencies say it is too early to make a final determination. The state appears to be in a rush for approval, but the only support for any conclusions comes from computer modeling.

In other words, until this unprecedented and massive habitat restoration and water diversion project is actually built and operating, no one knows for sure what will happen to individual species or their habitats.

More at Examiner.com >>>

Fish, News from Other Watersheds, Salmon, Water, Wildlife

In Other Watershed News: San Joaquin Valley Salmon Make Small Gains Against Tough Odds

With a flash of silver and pink, a male salmon signaled its arrival in a stretch of the Tuolumne River near La Grange.

It sought to fertilize eggs laid in the shallow stream bed gravel by a female that also had returned from a few years in the Pacific Ocean.

Chinook salmon spawning has been going on since September on San Joaquin Valley rivers. It’s a stirring sight for people who love nature, but important as well to farmers and other water users who could face cutbacks if the fish numbers stay low.

This year, at least, they are not doing too badly. Many of the spawning fish were born on the rivers in 2010 and 2011, when the water ran high, and they enjoyed healthy conditions at sea. They return to streams shrunken by drought, but well-timed reservoir releases have provided some of the flows they need.

“This is where they want to be,” said Gretchen Murphey, an environmental scientist for the California Department of Fish and Wildlife, during an early December visit to the La Grange stretch. “This is the habitat they’re looking for.”

As of Monday, 3,607 salmon had passed through a fish-counting device on their way to the Tuolumne’s spawning stretch in the low foothills, up from 2,152 a year earlier, and just 255 in 2009.

More at ModBee.com >>>

Read more here: http://www.modbee.com/2013/12/19/3097869/salmon-make-small-gains-against.html#storylink=cpy
Fish, News from Other Watersheds, Salmon, Water, Wildlife

Feds May Have Harmed Sacramento River Salmon

The federal agency that regulates water releases from the Shasta Dam in Northern California drastically cut those releases in November, and one fisheries group is afraid that the move could have killed millions of eggs laid by fall-run chinook salmon in the Sacramento River below the dam.

According to the Golden Gate Salmon Association (GGSA), the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation (BuRec) cut releases from Lake Shasta from 6,000 cubic feet per second (CFS) to 3,750 CFS between November 1 and 25. This caused river levels downstream to drop dramatically, which means that any salmon eggs laid in parts of the river that died up will almost certainly be lost.

This isn’t the first year BuRec has cut November water releases from the dam, and those cuts have hurt salmon in previous years. As many as 15 percent of the Sacramento river’s fall-run eggs were lost after a similar move in 2012, and almost a quarter of the run’s 2011 eggs were killed the same way, according to GGSA.

More at KCET.org >>>