WEAVERVILLE, Calif. - The Trinity Management Council’s recommended water releases from Lewiston Dam into the Trinity River are scheduled to begin increasing on Sunday, April 16. Each year, the Trinity Management Council advances a flow schedule based on the expected amount of water available to support salmon restoration efforts on the Trinity River.
On March 31, the TMC recommended two restoration flow schedules to Bureau of Reclamation and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service regional directors. Each recommendation is based on the California Department of Water Resources’ exceedance forecast for two potential water year types: Normal and Wet. Each flow schedule includes day-to-day flow variability, a key component of natural rivers. Restoration flows are important for increasing food and habitat for juvenile anadromous fish-fish that migrate to fresh water from salt water to spawn-like salmon and steelhead.
The CDWR will determine the water year type on April 10. That determination will advance the flow schedule for restoration releases. With each recommended restoration flow schedule (Wet or Normal), flows will reach an estimated peak of 11,000 cubic feet per second.
Reclamation continues to work cooperatively with multiple federal, state, local agencies, and partners in conserving water, advancing water storage projects, and maximizing regulatory flexibilities to respond quickly to fluctuating conditions.
Visitors near or on the river can expect river levels to increase during the flow releases and should take appropriate safety precautions. Landowners are advised to clear personal items from the floodplain prior to the releases.
An up-to-date daily schedule of flow releases is available at the program’s website https://www.trrp.net/restoration/flows/current/. The public may subscribe to automated notifications of Trinity River release changes (via phone or email) at https://www.trrp.net/restoration/flows/flow-release-notifications/.
The Trinity Management Council is the governing body of the Trinity River Restoration Program. The council’s membership includes Hoopa Valley Tribe, Yurok Tribe, Trinity County, state of California, USDA-Forest Service, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, NOAA Fisheries, and the Bureau of Reclamation.
For additional information, visit https://www.trrp.net/, contact the office at 530-623-1800 (TTY 800-877-8339), or email info@trrp.net.
Source: Bureau of Reclamation