CSPA Advisory
Klamath Flows Problems According To PCFFA

from PCFFA's Publication "Sub-Legals" 10-03-02
sent by CSPA's John Beuttler

Bureau of Reclamation's (BOR) decision this past spring to make full deliveries to Upper Basin Klamath Project irrigators even in a dry year was calculated based on political considerations, not scientific data (see Sublegals, 5:18/01; 5:17/02). The Bureau deliberately reduced downriver flows required for salmon this year, holding them 25 percent lower this year than during the 2001 record drought in the Basin, in spite of more rainfall this water year. The additional water BOR will now release is only a voluntary two-week "pulse" of water, bringing the total flows below Iron Gate Dam temporarily to 1,300 cubic feet per second (cfs). They will then be dropped back to nearly the same levels as caused the die-off. On or around 14 October, BOR's official 2002 water plan calls for an in-river Iron Gate Dam flow of only 876 cfs, which would likely leave the incoming coho salmon spawners (and what is left of the chinook salmon runs) stranded, and their egg nests ("redds") dewatered, according to California Department of Fish & Game (CDFG) officials.

Protesting the BOR decision, CDFG stated in a 27 September Position Statement to BOR and National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS): "DFG does not support the NMFS pulse flow recommendation in the Klamath River without sustaining adequate flows through the spawning and incubation season. While the pulse flows will likely help induce movement of salmon and steelhead currently holding in the lower Klamath River, once flows are reduced, similar water quality and disease problems may occur in upstream areas."

CDFG continued, stating "If warm and dry weather persists for the next few weeks, reductions in flow ... may result in: (1) stranding of infected fish with migrating uninfected fish in high densities at the mouths of major tributaries throughout the entire length of the Klamath River below Iron Gate Dam which could lead to further fish kills; (2) Decreased water quality conditions and elevated temperatures in upstream locations once flows are reduced with subsequent adverse impacts on anadromous fish such as increased susceptibility to disease and reduced egg viability; (3) Inadequate spawning and incubation flows for healthy fish using the main stem Klamath River resulting in poor egg survival, and; (4) Inadequate flows that will impede long-term recovery of Klamath River fishery resources, particularly given the magnitude of the fish kill."

In a 26 September letter, CDFG also recommended BOR release sufficient water to the Klamath River to meet minimum Iron Gate Dam flows of 1200 cfs throughout October, 1400 cfs in November, 1600 cfs in December, 2000 cfs in January, 2200 cfs in February, 2400 cfs in March and 2200 cfs in April to support salmonid egg incubation and winter rearing. These are the flow recommendations from a study commissioned by several federal agencies (the "Hardy Phase II Flow Study") that was intended to answer the question of what flow ESA-listed fish need for recovery in the Klamath River. That study, however, has never been formally released and is still being held up within the U.S Department of Interior. CDFG also said in that letter, "The DFG believes that the flow schedule outlined above is essential to ensure the desired objective of reducing the current fish kill is achieved and healthy fish that move upstream can spawn successfully."

The current BOR water plan for the remainder of this water year, however, would require in-river flows below Iron Gate Dam of only 879 cfs throughout October, 873 cfs in November, 889 cfs in December, 888 cfs in January, 747 cfs in February, 849 cfs in 1-15 March, 993 cfs 15-31 March, 969 cfs in 1-15 April and 922 cfs 16-30 April, 2003. In every case, if the current 2002 BOR water plan is followed, water flows in the Klamath would be less than Tribal scientists, CDFG officials and the NMFS BiOp itself say is necessary to prevent the extinction of threatened coho salmon and prevent serious depletion of chinook and steelhead stock throughout the Klamath Basin. Nevertheless the NMFS BiOp allows the BOR to operate the project for several more years in accordance with these rock-bottom flow schedules, while phasing in some additional flows over the next ten years. The current minimum "spawner floor" for fall chinook in the Klamath Basin is 35,000 adults. A loss of 30,000 out of the originally anticipated spawner run of 60,000 would drop the recruitment levels so low that in the year 2005, when this year-class matures, commercial salmon harvests will likely be closed or severely restricted from as far south as Monterey Bay and as far north as Washington State, resulting in massive economic losses for coastal and fishing dependent communities. Recreational and Tribal fisheries will also likely take huge losses as well, in addition to the losses they have already directly suffered this year due to the massive die-off itself.