The River Riffle - July Edition

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Abel, Kiana

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Jul 23, 2024, 2:10:23 PMJul 23
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Header photo: Slow water on the Trinity River. [Kiana Abel, Trinity River Restoration Program].

The River Riffle - July

(click to read on our website)

Contents
-- Current Conditions --
Flow
Starting July 21, flows decrease 50 cubic feet per second per day reaching summer baseflow of 450 cfs on August 4. Flows will remain at the summer baseflow level until October 15 unless water quality conditions in the lower Klamath deteriorate to the point that additional releases from Lewiston Dam are required to avoid significant mortality to migrating salmonids.
Current river flow gauge readings can be found on our homepage, click here and scroll to the middle of the page.
Temperature
Upper river temperatures have continued to trend slightly lower than 2023 while lower river temperatures rose above recorded temps during this past heat wave. In the upper river, temperatures remain “optimal” (50F-65F) to “semi-stressful” (65F-68F) for adult spring salmonids holding in the river. Fortunately, Trinity River conditions have produced minimal stressors thus far, providing spring-run chinook with high levels of dissolved oxygen as well as refugia for holding.
Keep tabs on Trinity River temperatures by following the links below.
Monitoring & Fish Health
The California Department of Fish and Wildlife installed the Junction City Weir last week and began collecting data on July 11, 2024. On the first day of operation, 20% (8 of 40) spring Chinook observed low severity of gill rot (presumed columnaris). Although cases did not show as severe, elevated river and air temperatures has led the committee to update the Upper River Trinity to “yellow” cautionary status. Planned increase in ROD releases between July 16 and August 3 assisted in lowering upper river temperatures, further aiding holding springers in this section. 
CDFW has planned to implement scheduled visits for Fish Health Laboratory staff to monitor fish for any gill related issues during the summer season.
Klamath Fish Health Assessment Team
Members of the Klamath Fish Health Assessment Team (KFHAT) have been holding bi-weekly meetings and making determinations about Klamath Basin Fish Health. The KFHAT is a technical workgroup that formed in 2003 with the purpose of providing early warning and a coordinated response effort to avoid, or at least address, a non-hazardous materials related fish kill event in the anadromous portion of the Klamath River basin.
Determinations have changed to “yellow” for the Middle and Lower Klamath Mainstem, Shasta, Scott and Salmon Rivers, Upper and Lower Trinity due to elevated temperatures.
Photo: The KFHAT map presents the readiness level for the Klamath Basin below Iron Gate Dam in a visual format. Click here to read the bi-weekly report.
-- Reading, Listening, Watching --
Tidal wetlands in the Sacramento – San Joaquin Delta used to be vast. You may have seen artistic renditions of how the landscape may have looked with meandering channels weaving through a mosaic of land and water and with teaming wildlife. In fact, prior to European colonization, the Delta used to be a whole 95% tidal freshwater wetlands covered in tule and cattail vegetation, … Continue Reading
Seeing the Fish for the Fire | Lenya Quinn-Davidson, Fire Adapted Communities Learning Network
Photo
Lenya Quinn-Davidson is the Fire Network Director for the University of California Agriculture and Natural Resources, and a long-time contributor to the FAC Net blog. She lives on the North Coast of California and loves all things related to fire, fish, and people. In this blog, Lenya reflects on this relationship between fire, fish, and people – exploring how we might bring balance to ecosystems and the populations they support.
Photo: A block print of a Klamath small-scale sucker, which Lenya carved in 2022 in tribute to all the suckers that died in the Klamath fish kill. Read the article by clicking here …
This article was originally posted on the Fire Networks blog and is reproduced here with permission: Seeing the Fish for the Fire – Fire Adapted Communities Learning Network (fireadaptednetwork.org). The Fire Networks publish stories like this weekly. Subscribe here to have them delivered to your inbox. The Fire Networks are supported in part by a cooperative agreement between The Nature Conservancy, USDA Forest Service and agencies of the Department of the Interior through a sub-award to the Watershed Research and Training Center. This institution is an equal opportunity provider.
By Ted Sommer and Jeffrey Mount
The conservation of freshwater biodiversity has emerged as a global challenge. The loss of habitat and the changing climate are reducing the viability of native freshwater species worldwide—and California is no exception to this. For decades the state has struggled to protect its native species.  Today, roughly half of California’s native freshwater plants and animals are vulnerable to extinction by the end of this century (Howard et al. 2015; Moyle et al 2022).  Rapid changes in climate are making it harder to conserve these species.  Continue Reading …
-- Program Update: Implementation Branch --

Trinity River Restoration Program and partners will begin work at the Upper Conner Creek Channel Rehabilitation Project site on the Trinity River soon. The site is located approximately one river mile downstream from the Dutch Creek Bridge in Junction City, between river miles 78.5 and 77.1. To facilitate project area access, restoration activities will involve heavy equipment and use of local roads, including Highway 299 and Red Hill Road. Once complete, the project will improve river access for recreation, increase juvenile salmonid rearing habitat and enhance channel complexity in the Trinity River.
The restoration effort will likely be broken into phases with activities beginning in 2024. Please note that recreational river access at the Junction City Campground may be intermittent during the Phase 2 construction period as improvements are made to the put-in/take out location. The Phase 2 construction schedule is expected to occur during the 2025 construction season. Please contact us at 530-623-1800, or in...@trrp.net for current information regarding access. Click to read more
-- Featured Article --
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Temperature Diversity in the Trinity River, a River System in a Mediterranean Climate
The start of summer in Trinity County has been a hot one, with 100° plus degrees for 10 days straight in early July combined with another series of 100° degree days forecasted for the latter half of the month. As warm-bodied land dwellers, we cope with heat by seeking refuge: interior shelter, air conditioning, shade, and of course, water. Refreshing water comes in many forms – pools, sprinklers and creeks, lakes, and rivers – whatever is available to us! Cold-blooded salmon are not so different in this regard. Throughout their various life stages, they too seek water temperatures that provide opportunity for success. Continue Reading 
 -- Trinity River Watershed: Plant Spotlight --
Heart leaf milkweed also known as purple milkweed (Asclepias cordifolia) near Rattlesnake Creek in the Trinity Alps Wilderness. [Kiana Abel, Trinity River Restoration Program]
Milkweed
  • Showy milkweed, common milkweed Asclepias speciosa
  • Narrowleaf milkweed Asclepias fascicularis
  • Heart leaf milkweed, purple milkweed Asclepias cordifolia
  • Serpentine milkweed, prostrate milkweed, solanoa Asclepias solanoana
While there are dozens of milkweed species and subspecies in North America, within the Trinity River Watershed there are four documented species, including showy milkweed (Asclepias speciosa) narrowleaf milkweed (Asclepias fascicularis), heart leaf milkweed (Asclepias cordifolia) (DeCamp, 2021, p. 294, 362) and the rare lesser seen serpentine milkweed (Asclepias solanoana) (Kauffman, 2022, p. 155). Each type has unique leaf formations and are topped with wonderful showy flowers and dramatically large seed pods that propagate via wind in the fall. The flowers are a haven for area pollinators and the plant itself plays a critical role in the majestic monarch butterfly migration. Interestingly, in our region, monarch butterflies, generally choose one type of milkweed to lay their eggs. Because of this, the availability and frequency of the plant along the monarch’s migratory path are critical to it’s survival. Continue to the Plant Spotlight

-- Upcoming Meetings and Events --
For a full list of events, click to view the TRRP Calendar.
Open House Art – Our Chinook Salmon Winner!
Feast your eyes on the Chinook Salmon which won our People’s Choice Award! This feisty salmonid will be featured in future swag with 12 other Fish of the Trinity River, beautifully crafted by students from Junction City Elementary School. Fortunately for us, we have ALL of the art made by the students displayed on our walls – we highly recommend coming to check it out. Thank you to everyone who voted!
July 24, 6pm – Science on the River
Lewiston Hotel & Dance Hall
Lower Clear Creek Restoration – A Review of Habitat Restoration Efforts Occurring Over the Past 30 Years 
Join us July 24 at 6 PM at the Lewiston Hotel for Science on the River, featuring Derek Rupert. Derek, a Fish Biologist with the Bureau of Reclamation – Northern California Area Office, will lead us through the history and future of stream restoration on Lower Clear Creek, a tributary to the Sacramento River.  He’ll explore the watershed characteristics, environmental conditions, water management strategies, and fish population details of Clear Creek downstream of Whiskeytown Dam.  This will be an opportunity for those who would like to learn about an important local watershed. Event Details
August 28, 6pm – Science on the River
Lewiston Hotel & Dance Hall
Stratification of water temperatures in pools on the Trinity River
Join us August 28 at 6 PM at the Lewiston Hotel Dance Hall for Science on the River, featuring Dr. Todd Buxton. Todd is a Hydrologist and Fish Biologist with the Bureau of Reclamation – Trinity River Restoration Program who will lead us through a recent Trinity River study on thermal stratification in river pools. Pool stratification is an important ecological function of natural river systems and Todd’s findings show that pools in the Trinity River below Lewiston Dam are unable to stratify and provide critical habitat for juvenile and adult salmonids. Todd will discuss why the habitat is important for both life stages of salmon as well as other interesting findings from the study. Event Details
TMC Partnership Ring
September 18 & 19, All Day – Quarterly TMC Meeting
In Person: Arcata, Ca.
Meeting ID: 284 547 567 847
Passcode: dAMEfr
-- Contact Us --
Call Us: 530-623-1800 Email Us: in...@trrp.net

Kiana Abel
1313 S. Main St., Weaverville, CA 96093-1300 | 530-623-1800 (desk) | 530-739-9761 (cell) | ja...@usbr.gov
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