The Trinity River Restoration Program (TRRP), a multi-agency program with eight Partners established by the Department of the Interior, will host a public informational meeting to present the recommended 2017 spring restoration flow releases from Lewiston Dam and gravel augmentation plans. TRRP staff will be available to answer questions on the presentations. The public meeting will be held:
Weaverville, Calif.: Tuesday, April 11, 6 to 7:30 p.m., TRRP Office, 1313 S. Main Street (in the Tops Shopping Center)
The TRRP was established to restore the ecological function and anadromous fisheries of the Trinity River severely degraded by dams and historic mining and logging. A 2000 Record of Decision includes five water year types with a minimum volume of water to be released into the Trinity River for each type. Gravel augmentation is combined with the flow releases to replace gravel trapped by the upstream dams that is necessary for salmon habitats. The gravel is locally supplied from the Trinity River Basin.
Under the five water year types that the Program operates under, ranging from “critically dry” to “extremely wet”, a “wet” and “extremely wet” water year are likely for 2017. In a “wet” water year, 701,000 acre-feet of water are allocated for restoration flows, compared to an “extremely wet” water year when 815,000 acre-feet is allocated.
The water year type is used to establish the flow release schedule. The California Department of Water Resources estimates the inflow volume to determine the water year type which will be identified on April 10, 2017. Therefore, two potential schedules have been developed until the water year type is ascertained. The actual flow schedule will be known and presented at the public meeting. Under the two schedules, flows are expected to increase beginning on April 22 and reach their highest peaks either April 26 or May 10. The river could remain elevated as late as May 16.
For additional information, please contact Kevin Held at 530-623-1809 (TTY 800-877-8339) or kheld@usbr.gov or visit www.trrp.net.
