On the Water Front took a short hiatus recently so that our EDF California water team could convene with others in our Center for Rivers and Deltas  for a retreat in Montana. We spent a few days up at the University of Montana’s Biological Station (FLBS)  on the shores of beautiful Flathead Lake, just outside of Glacier National Park.

In addition to an exciting float trip down the middle-fork of the Flathead River, one of the big highlights of the retreat was hearing from Dr. Jack Stanford, the Director at FLBS, on the important river restoration work he’s involved in. In particular, he has found innovative ways to use 3-D and remote sensing tools to better understand how riverine habitats move and interact over time and how that affects the quality and quantity of habitat (see an article authored by Dr. Stanford here (pdf).

Ultimately, this research can be used to help identify and prioritize those rivers with the greatest potential for high quality habitat and therefore the greatest potential to benefit species such as salmon.

His work resonated greatly with those of us keenly interested in restoring the health of California rivers and salmon populations. We can use all the help we can get to restore our imperiled salmon runs to their once abundant levels.

A big thanks to Professor Stanford and the folks at the Biological Station for their hospitality!

It goes without saying that the San Francisco Bay Delta watershed is facing potential disaster akin to those we are seeing this week in the Midwest.

Take a look at this article from Mary Kelly the Vice President of EDF's Center for Rivers and Deltas.

The Pacific Fishery Management Council will decide Friday whether to close the salmon fishery this year. As the San Francisco Chronicle reported today, "it would mark the first time that the federal agency, created 22 years ago to manage the Pacific Coast fishery, will have banned salmon fishing."

But why now? In the Central Valley, only 68,101 adult fall-run chinook returned to spawn naturally in 2007, less than one third of the number of spawners from 3 years ago. In the Klamath-Trinity Basin, things were better as the 59,731 returning adults more than doubled the number of spawners over last year's run. But many experts are warning that the very low number of Jacks (two year old salmon who can't wait to spawn so they come in a year or two early) is an ominous sign and that we should expect few adults to return next year.

Most experts are quick to cite ocean conditions for the low returns in the Central Valley, but seem reluctant to rule out the possible role that conditions in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta may play in the decline of the salmon run. The general assumption is that because there were a lot of spawners who laid a lot of eggs and produced a lot of young three years ago, river and estuarine conditions must have been favorable for salmon (which use these habitats when they are young) and unfavorable in the ocean, resulting in the low return.

However, populations of resident Delta fish, such Delta and longfin smelt, have also nosedived in recent years, suggesting that conditions may not be so great for fish survival generally. Of course, poor Delta conditions may not kill young outmigrating salmon, but may weaken them as they leave the estuary and enter the ocean (a tough place to survive no matter how fit you are).

For a comprehensive set of numbers of returning fish over the past few decades, see Appendix B of the PFMC's "Ocean Salmon Fisheries" report.

Wow. Last night was spectacular. I don’t have to tell anyone in the water world that however, because it truly seemed that everyone was there. The tribute to Tom Graff [PDF] was our own wonky version of the Oscars (though I have to say the water buffalo award is now more coveted than an Oscar …). The event was so well attended that I dare say that every drop of water in California was represented.

And although there were all manner of luminaries present, from far and near, there was no question that Tom Graff was “the man". He claimed this title handily not just as tribute after tribute recalled his numerous successes and fabulously Graffish characteristics, but, when he finally took the podium and delivered the most hilarious joke of the night with complete dead pan and impeccable timing, the crowd went wild.

(I won’t reprint the joke here…if you missed the event, find someone to tell you the joke.)

What was notable about this gathering, as Spreck observed in his remarks, was that there was a lot whole lotta love in that room. A room chock full of soldiers from all sides of the water wars, past and present and maybe even a few ghosts. A room full of folks who are desperately trying to seek a solution that will meet their own needs now, and into the apparently very challenging, future.

The love was clearly there for Tom “the man” and also for what Tom embodies and inspires: honesty, fairness, the ability to see through the bullshit, and his mischievous humor. Most of all, the impressive ability to look beyond his own needs across the table to those of others and creatively find a way to meet them all in a way that no one had even remotely considered.

The question of the evening was: What does Tom know that the rest of us don’t, that causes him to be optimistic? I suspect it has something to do with the feeling in that room last night. Care to let us in on the secret Tom?