Trinity River Restoration Program // River Riffle Newsletter - February Edition
Abel, Kiana
A popular jumping rock on the North Fork Trinity River is inundated during an early January winter storm. [Kiana Abel, Trinity River Restoration Program]
River Riffle Newsletter – February 2026 (click to read on-line)
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Current Conditions: Water Year 2026 – 90% chance of dry, or wetter
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Program Updates: Preliminary 2025 Escapement for Chinook and Coho Salmon
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Featured Article: Mushrooms of Trinity County
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Animal Spotlight: Bug of the Month – Golden Stones
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Upcoming Meetings and Events: Science on Tap and more!
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Reading, Listening & Watching
Current Conditions
Water Year Thus Far
Water Year 2026 – 90% chance of dry, or wetter
Water Year ’26 thus far is the product of early season rain and elevated reservoir levels at beginning of the water year. However, a lack of rain and snow in mid-January along with February’s long range weather forecast has moved conservative forecasts into drier predictions. Continue to read how reservoir storage and seasonal weather is tracked and used by the Program by clicking here.
Program Updates
Preliminary Results for Klamath Basin Natural-Origin Adult Escapement 2025
The 2025 fall-run for Klamath and Trinity River’s natural-spawning Chinook salmon was better than expected. Preliminary results indicate a significant improvement, elevating basin-wide status from “overfished” to “rebuilding” for the first time since 2018. Learn how managers use Trinity and Klamath monitoring efforts to help guide sport and commercial fishing regulations for the upcoming year. Click to read more…
Photo: The Willow Creek Weir [Nick Van Vleet, California Department of Fish and Wildlife]
Featured Article
Mushrooms of Trinity County
Trinity County’s forests and waterways harbor an extraordinary array of mushroom species, each contributing to the ecological integrity of their surroundings. These fungi play essential roles in nutrient cycling, habitat formation, and biodiversity preservation. This overview provides insight into foraging mushrooms based on specific forest type and the distinctive characteristics to pay attention to when hunting. This article was written from our January Science on Tap presentation featuring Kyle Sipes. Click to read more!
Photo: One of the highlighted forest types in the article for finding mushrooms is the high elevation conifer forests of the Trinity Alps Wilderness. [Kyle Sipes]
Animal Spotlight
Bug of the Month – Golden Stones
Fly fishermen on the Trinity River know that a golden stone nymph is a top winter fly. These stoneflies, common in the river, are prevalent in winter and early spring as they near the end of their lifecycle. Check out a recent golden stone-mimic fly & it’s catch from the Trinity by clicking here.
Upcoming Meetings and Events
For a full list of events, click to view the TRRP Calendar.
Feb. 25, 6pm – Science on Tap
Trinity County Brewing Co. – Weaverville
Unusually large and severe wildfires in Northern California create new challenges for understanding and managing post-fire landscapes. This presentation examines when fire-killed trees fall, how fuels accumulate over time, and when reburn becomes likely. Drawing from field research across the Klamath Mountains, we’ll discuss how to apply this knowledge to support ecosystem resilience and community safety in an era of increasingly large and destructive fires.
Join us as we explore local ecosystems, conservation, and the dynamics of severe wildfire in the Klamath Mountains. Event Details
March 25 & 26 – All Day Quarterly TMC Meeting
Click here to join the meeting
Meeting ID: 279 462 878 014 93
Reading, Listening, Watching
January Snow Surveys: There’s snow, but less than past years
Watershed Research and Training Center | Feb. 4 2026
Snow surveys are conducted January through April on three different snow courses located in the Trinity Alps Wilderness. These sites have been measured in exactly the same locations since the 1940s and data from measuring the water content of the snowpack is used to make informed decisions that fluctuate depending on annual water year type. Click here to read more about the program
Photo 1: A surveyor crosses a stream in hiking boots. Snowshoes are strapped to his pack. [Watershed Research and Training Center/Facebook]
Not dry, but drought remains an issue, mid-wet season 2026
California Water Blog | by Jay Lund | Jan. 25 2026
The recent SnowEx campaign and the new NISAR satellite mission are lighting the way to high-resolution snowpack monitoring and improved decision making in critical river basins around the world. Continue Reading
Contact Us
Call Us: 530-623-1800 Email Us: in...@trrp.net
