Last week I touched on the health of the North Coast Rivers. I would like to continue on this subject for this week. To begin with I received, by email, a study on Algae, its benefits and how it helps newly hatched salmonoids. The problem is there was nothing about the health affects to animals or humans. As many of you know the Eel, Van Dozen and Lower Klamath Rivers have been affected by Blue Green Algae for years. It is toxic to humans and animals. In most cases the algae has started out as moss in the rivers then as it be affecting more area it becomes more toxic.  A couple of years ago it became so toxic on the Eel that it almost killed off the Salmon run. On the Lower Klamath it became bad enough that it was recommended that you do not eat the fish. Granted it was for only one season but it did become toxic. It also became so bad on the Lower Trinity and Hoopa Reservation that the Tribal Health Department recommended fir people be sure to rinse off really well after swimming in the river. These are all indicators of poor river health and could kill salmonoid. Monitoring on the Trinity states that the river is producing lots of juvenile salmon but for some reason they seem to not make it down to the Klamath estuary to grow and go out to the ocean. It has been stated over and over again the Klamath/Trinity Rivers need cold water for the fish to survive and yet Bureau of Reclamation still continues to send more water over to the valley. The rivers need a “Cold Water Pool” reserve to help the juvenile fish to survive all the way down to the estuary if we are to have or save any kind of fishing, whether it be Tribal, Commercial or Recreational! Fishing IS an economical value to Trinity and Humboldt Counties.

It is fast coming to the all-important, Pacific Fisheries Management Council meeting, April 6th thru the 10th that will determine if there will be any kind of Salmon fishing season this year for California. I hope there has been many emails and letters requesting that there be some sort of Salmon fishing season for the coming year.

The rivers belong to the public and should be considered that way before the water is divided up and given away to the highest bidder. Like Mr. Twain stated “Whiskey is for drinking and water is for fighting over”! It appears that is never a truer statement than today.      

Fishing: The Lower Trinity has been very high and hard to fish although in between storms there are small windows one is able to fish and some nice adult Steelhead have been landed both up river and down river, mostly up river. The problem is I am not seeing very many people out fishing as I am traveling up and down the river. I have heard about small adults and half-pounders are being caught down in Hoopa. From what I have been able to find out is they are using large spinners. (#5 green or red body with silver blade Blue Fox) Up river it has been flies, bait and plugs. The last count at the hatchery shows that Steelhead fishing is just about over for the winter. If that is the case then we will have to wait and see what the PFMC has to recommend for a fishing season. For the upper river fishing conditions, you might want to call Indian Creek Lodge, Cory, (530)623-6294, Junction City Store, Butch, (530)623-2803, for Lewiston Lake, Pine Cove Marina, Matt or Louise (530)778-3878.

Mid-Klamath to Happy Camp: The Klamath River at Weitchpec is flowing 37,382cfs. This is an increase of 10,403cfs.  Iron Gate Dam is releasing 1,588cfs an increase of 54cfs. I have not seen nor read any changes of the Upper Klamath River health conditions for boiling the water before using it. I truly hope that has changed as it is not only unhealthy for people but also for the fish. It appears that water releases are increasing at Iron Gate Dam for the time being but I don’t think that will last very long once the rains slow down. For river conditions for the Upper Klamath, you can call Doug Cole, Marble Mountain Guest Ranch, (800)552-6284, or Scott Caldwell, SC Guide Service (530)905-0758 

Lake Conditions: Whiskeytown is 90% of capacity (a decrease of 0%) with inflows of 1,011cfs with releases of 1,223cfs into Spring Creek. Shasta Lake is 88% of capacity (an increase of 2% plus 4ft) with inflows of 18,126cfs and releasing 4,864cfs into Keswick. Keswick is 97% of capacity (an increase of 3%) with inflows of 5,749cfs and releases of 5,339cfs into the Sacramento River. Oroville Lake is 86% of capacity (an increase of 1% plus 4ft) with inflows of 16,753cfs with releases of 8,452cfs into the Feather River. Folsom Lake is 66% of capacity (an increase of 2% plus 3ft) with inflows of 5,509cfs with releases of 9,873cfs into the American river. Trinity Lake storage is 1,909,159AF an increase of 747,630AF of storage. The Trinity Alps is the water source for Trinity Lake and the snowpack has been increasing from these storms. The Alps are still a little below average for this time of year but is fast trying to catch up with these resent storms.

Trinity Lake: The lake is 35ft below the overflow (a decrease of 5ft) and 78% of capacity (an increase of 2%) with inflows of 5,205cfs and releasing 389cfs into Lewiston Lake with 78cfs being diverted to Whiskeytown and on to the Keswick Power Plant while releasing 5,339cfs into the Sacramento River.

Trinity River flows and conditions: Trinity Lake is 78% of capacity (an increase of 2%) and 35ft below the overflow a decrease of 4ft. Lewiston Dam is 98% of capacity (a n increase of 1%) and water releases of 311cfs into the Trinity River, with water temperatures of 50.1 degrees, as of 10:30am today Sunday March 24, 2024. Limekiln Gulch is 5.04ft at 561cfs. Douglas City is 7.34ft with flows of 910cfs with water temperatures of 45.8 degrees. Junction City is 3.34ft at 1,260cfs. Helena is 11.18ft at 1,733cfs with water temps of 46.3 degrees. Cedar Flat (Burnt Ranch) is N/Aft at 0.00cfs (Gauge is out of order). South Fork of the Trinity near Hyampom is 9.93 at 6,939cfs. Willow Creek is estimated at 8,672 and air is 46 degrees and water at 46.3 degrees, Hoopa is 21.37ft at 17,901cfs with water at 476.3 degrees. Water flows at the mouth of the Trinity River at the Klamath in Weitchpec are estimated to be 37,382cfs an increase of10,403cfs.

Klamath River flows and conditions: Iron Gate is releasing 1,588cfs, an increase of 54cfs. Seiad Valley is 5.55ft at 4,775cfs. Indian Creek is 6.77ft at 1,439cfs. Happy Camp is estimated at6,214cfs, Somes Bar is estimated to be 14,426fs, and the Salmon River is 6.06ft at 5,055cfs. Orleans is 11.31ft at 19,4841cfs, the Klamath River at Terwer Creek is 20.20t at 53,168cfs and water temps are 47.1 degrees. Flows for the Smith River at Jediah Smith are 14.49ft with flows of 10,695fs. and flows at Dr. Fine Bridge are 20.30ft at N/A cfs.

Temperatures for the Valley last week had a high of 80 and a low of 34 degrees. Rain for the week was 2.20in with a water year total to date of 48.04 inches and 0.40in of snow in Willow Creek. The predicted temperatures for next week are for high of 69 and a low of 42. The weather predicted for next week looks like scattered clouds for the first part of the week with scattered showers for the weekend and then mores scattered clouds.