Spreck Rosekrans is an Economic Analyst at EDF.

Hooray! The Bureau has decided not to change the Trinity River flow allocation after all (see previous post).

In an email this afternoon, the Bureau's Area Manager wrote "We have determined that the Record of Decision, augmented by the May 2006 Federal Register Notice, provide that the April 1 forecast prevails, and no subsequent adjustment is warranted.  Thus, the normal year hydrograph as recommended by the TMC and as currently implemented shall continue."

We applaud the Bureau for sticking with the Trinity restoration plan.

Spreck Rosekrans is an Economic Analyst at EDF.

The federal government is considering a sharp reduction in the amount of water that is allowed to stay in the Trinity River this spring. The proposed reduction would contravene the Trinity restoration plan, co-signed by Hoopa Valley Tribal Chairman Clifford Lyle Marshall and Secretary of Interior Bruce Babbitt in 2000,

The Trinity Plan relies on the water supply forecast as of April 1 of each year to determine how much of the river's natural flow will be left in the river, and how much will be available for diversion by the Bureau of Reclamation to California's Central Valley. On average, the plan calls for 48% of the river's natural flow (measured at Lewiston) to be left in the river.

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Spreck Rosekrans is an Economic Analyst at EDF.

Its time to increase releases from upstream storage at Clair Engle Reservoir in accordance with the Trinity River Restoration Plan. Of course, another way of looking at it is that less of the river's natural flow will be "diverted to storage", and more will be allowed to stay in the river.

Either way, these flows were developed by McBain and Trush as part of an overall plan to restore the river corridor and fish populations. No less an expert than famed fluvial geomorphologist Luna Leopold called the plan the best thing he had seen in three decades.

As we blogged a couple of weeks ago, the Trinity Plan is not perfect but we are pleased that the fish are getting both improvements to their riparian habitat and water for swimming.

Spreck Rosekrans is an Economic Analyst at EDF.

When it comes to salmon, the Trinity River is a success story, at least in relative terms.

It is hard not to be depressed with the dismal number of salmon that returned to spawning beds in the Central Valley last fall.

In the Klamath-Trinity watershed, fall run chinook salmon are doing better. Almost three times as many adults returned in 2007 as did in 2004 (most salmon return after three years at sea). While the return rate for two-year-old jacks was disturbingly low, it was still much better than in the Central Valley. See the comparison below.

This is due in large part to a huge collaborative effort, of individuals and organizations alike, to restore the Trinity River. The channel rehabilitation projects underway are inspirational and worth checking out. Read more »