On Monday November 20, 2017, I was officially notified by the Designated Federal Officer to the Trinity Management Council (TMC), that the Trinity Adaptive Management Working Group (TAMWG) of the Trinity River Restoration Project (TRRP) was “indefinitely suspended by the Secretary of Interior”. This means that “Stake Holders” to the Trinity River Restoration Project will no longer be represented for any projects of any kind on the Trinity River as an advisory to the TMC. This is an outrage! TRRP has steadily increased monies spent, and the size of the restoration projects for the past several years. The TMC has tried to increase the size of restoration projects on the Upper Trinity for many years. Where is the monitoring of the program to see if any of the past projects are producing more fish? Several years ago there was a Phase I Review to determine if the restoration was doing the job it was suppose to. It took almost five years to complete and didn’t provide much information as to production of fish.  Phase II was canceled so more money could be funneled into “in-river work” and still NO determination as to “are we producing more fish?” Having been installed onto TAMWG when it was formed 16 years ago, I can say I do not believe that the TMC is doing the job of restoring the fishery to runs like before the dam was built. A halt to all restoration work in the river should be stopped and monitoring should be done to determine if river restoration “is in fact” producing any more fish for the river. Last year was the worst salmon return in the history of the Trinity River. To me that is NOT restoring fish runs! I call on you to write your congressman and request a halt to the Trinity River Restoration Project until TRRP can provide scientific proof that the work is increasing fish production!   

Trinity River Hatchery: For the week ending Nov. 114; Fall Run Chinook salmon , jacks 369, adults 716, total 1,085 season total 2,3878 Coho salmon, jacks 20, adults 2, total 22, season total 97; steelhead 19, season total 69.  

Willow Creek weir: For the week ending Nov. 11; Chinook salmon, jacks  0, adults 4, total 4, season total 1,895; Coho, jacks 0, adults 3, total23, season total 66; steelhead, ½-lbs 0, adults 7,  total 7, season total 746. 

Klamath Iron Gate: (no report) For Oct. 21; Bogus Creek, Chinook 69, season total 2,010; Scott River Oct. 21, Chinook salmon 7, season total 2,199, Coho 91; Shasta River Oct. 21, Chinook salmon 237, season total 7,072.

Fishing: Fishing on the Lower Trinity has finally started to show some results. Yaaah! There has been very little effort from the fisherman over the Holiday Weekend but I did see some steelhead going up river by the house. I was unable to hook any but I only fished for a short time. The rain has raised the river about 1-1/2ft so there is good fresh water and it looks like we are starting to see the first part of the steelhead and the tail end of the salmon runs. Up river is a different story however. I have been receiving good news from the Junction City area and above Douglas City. There are some fresh fish moving up the river. Plugs are working from the boats and flies are working from the banks. 

Mid-Klamath: Iron Gate Dam is releasing 1,008cfs today. This is a slight decrease in the releases. The Seiad Valley (2,928cfs in Happy Camp) is seeing some color and the flows are increasing as more fresh fish are moving up the river. The good news is that we are forecast for more rain later in the week and that should help all of the coastal rivers. 

Lake Conditions: Whiskeytown is 85% of capacity with inflows of 025cfs and releasing 218cfs into Clear Creek and to Keswick. Shasta is 70% of capacity (an increase of 1% & plus 1ft) with inflows of 5,032cfs and releasing 4,414cfs, Keswick is 85% of capacity (a decrease of 4%) with inflows of 4,436cfs and releasing 4,456cfs; Oroville Lake is 35%  capacity (an increase of 1% &plus 3ft), inflow is 3,550cfs and releases are 3,390 cfs; Folsom Lake is 60% of capacity (plus 2% & plus 3ft.) inflows are 2,979cfs and releases are 2,179cfs. 

Trinity Lake: The Lake is 47ft below the overflow (decrease of 1ft) and 72% of capacity (1% increase) Inflow to Trinity Lake is 755cfs and Trinity Dam is releasing 285cfs to Lewiston Lake with 141cfs going to Whiskeytown Lake and on to the Keswick Power Plant and it is releasing  4,436cfs to the Sacramento River. 

Trinity River Flows and Conditions: Lewiston Dam releases are 32905cfs with water temps of 47.8 and air is 54 degrees at 1:00pm Sunday. Limekiln Gulch is 4.8ft at 397cfs, water temps of 47.4 degrees.  Douglas City is 4.6ft at 442cfs, water temps of 48.4, air is 56. Junction City is 1.8ft at 438cfs.  Helena is 9.2ft at 609cfs with water temps of 49.4. Cedar Flat is 3.84ft at 1,017cfs. Willow Creek is estimated at 1,768cfs air is 60 and water at 50. Hoopa is 13.8ft at 2,524cfs with water temps of 52.5.  Flows at the mouth of the Trinity River at Klamath River are estimated to be 9,392cfs.

Klamath: Iron Gate Dam releases are 1,008cfs.  Seiad Valley is 3.6ft at 2,389fs. Happy Camp is estimated at 2,928fs, Salmon River is 4.1ft at 2,109cfs, Somes Bar is estimated at 4,763cfs and Orleans is 6.3ft. at 4,763cfs and the Klamath River at Terwer Creek is 12.5ft at 12,312cfs, with water temperatures of 51 degrees. Flows at Smith River, Dr. Fine Bridge are 10.6ft at 7,220cfs.

Temperatures in the Valley last week were 62/38 degrees with 6.65in of rain with a season total of 14.95in of rain and 0.0in of snow. The temperatures for next week are expected to be 61/33 degrees with some scattered showers at the first of the week then some clouds and then more scattered showers.

Websites: MyOutdoorBuddy.com, Willowcreekchamber.com,
from Willow Creek, CA Phone 530-629-3554, E-mail yen2fish@yahoo.com