Bill Kiene semi-retired
07-28-2014, 11:31 AM
From: EB Duggan [mailto:yen2fish@netzero.com]
Sent: Sunday, July 27, 2014 1:38 PM
To: E.B. Duggan
Subject: TRFR
TRINITY RIVER FISHING REPORT – July 27, 2014
by E. B. Duggan, “D” Fishing Guide
Is the Trinity dying? Will the Trinity River suffer the same fate as the Eel River? Water temperatures on the Lower Klamath and the Lower Trinity Rivers have been running 70 to 75 degrees almost every day now for the last four weeks. The moss on the bottom of the river, in some places, covers the bottom of the river. In my 22 years as a professional fishing guide on the Trinity River I can’t ever remember seeing the river in this poor of condition. I remember watching the Eel River go this way many many years ago and look what has happened to it! If the Trinity River continues down this road I can for see the same things happening to it. For the month of July BOR has averaged shipping 2,800cfs to the Sacramento and south while at the same time only allowing 450cfs to go down the Trinity and out the Klamath. At 37% of capacity the “cold water pool” in Trinity Lake is going to go away and there will be NO COLD WATER left to be used to try and save this year’s salmon run. Farmers need water to grow crops and people need those crops for food. How are we going to divide the water in order to save both? At the present time I have NO solution but if the Bureau of Reclamation doesn’t start trying to save some water from the Trinity there will soon NOT be enough water for either the fish or the farmers. Then what? We are in a drought! With no measurable rain in the near future and BOR is using up the water in Trinity Lake at the rate of 0.25% per day.
There is a grass roots organization of local people on the Klamath and Trinity Rivers that are working to stop the shipping of water to the south and I revision even stronger “Water Wars” than when the government shut off the water from the Klamath. With no rain in sight where will the water come from?
Junction City Weir Count: for the week of Jul 22; Spring Chinook, adults – 34, season total - 789; 2013 this date, 813 adults. It looks like the peak of the Spring Chinook Run is over. The highest week was Jun 25 – Jul 1 when 234 went through the Junction City Weir.
Fishing: Like I said earlier it has been HOT! In talking with my contacts up river the salmon are Black and lethargic. They hardly even swim and salmon are dying in the lower parts of the river. I know CDFW states this is a normal occurrence but we have not had sustainable temperatures (70-76) like this in the past with heavy algae and moss. The Trinity in front of my house is running 70-72 degrees by 10 o’clock in the morning. (Like bath water) The only fishing I have seen is early in the morning in the deep holes and Grays Falls. Above Grays there are some nice deep holes where the fish are holding but most of the fish up river are holding below cold incoming stream and there are very few of those. Right now Highway 96 is restricted travel just out of Willow Creek due to fires, so you might want to call before you plan on going up that way.
Klamath: On the Klamath side there are some spring salmon still holding in the Weitchpec area from what John H of E Ne Nuck said. One of the campers in his camp landed a nice 25 pounder and they were seeing small pods of 12 to 18 pounders working their way up river. These could be early Fall Run Chinook but I don’t think so. Kenny Peugh of Orleans said that they ran into some half-pounders below Big Bar and that some adult summer steelhead were right behind them. This is good news for the fly fishers because ½-pounders are great sport on a fly rod. Just remember that it is hot out there so be sure you have extra water with you and try to get off the water by noon.
Trinity Lake: The Lake is 128ft (a change of 16ft) below the over flow and 37.8% of capacity (3.4% decrease) at 10:00am today. Inflow to the lake is 106cfs and Trinity Dam is releasing 3,672cfs into Lewiston Lake with 3,204cfs going to Whiskeytown Lake and then on to the Sacramento River through Keswick Power plant.
Trinity River Flows and Conditions: Lewiston Dam releases are 464cfs, water temps are 51.1, and air is 72 degrees. Limekiln Gulch is 5ft at 442cfs; Douglas City is 6.2ft at 468cfs, water temps of 56.8 and air is 70. Junction City is 1.9ft at 490cfs. Helena is 8.7ft at 457cfs with water temps of 61.7. Cedar Flat is 2.8ft at 506cfs. Willow Creek is estimated at 527cfs, air is 78, and water 70. Hoopa is 11.6ft at 704cfs, water temps 76.2. Flows at the mouth of the Trinity at the Klamath are 1,954cfs and water temps are 76. The coolest time of day in this area is around 9-10 o’clock in the morning. At Weitchpec Bridge water temps are 76.2and water temps at Tully Creek on the Klamath are 77.2 degrees.
Klamath: Iron Gate Dam releases are 913cfs. Seiad Valley is 1.9ft at 955cfs. Happy Camp estimated at 985cfs. Somes Bar is estimated at 1,093cfs. Orleans is 2.5ft at 1,250cfs. Klamath at 101 Turwar Creek is 8ft at 2,220cfs and water temps of 76 degrees. Smith River is 5.1t at 373 cfs.
Temperatures in the Valley last week were 103/56 degrees with no rain, total rain to date 36.55 inches of rain and 2.5in of snow for the season. Temperatures the Valley next week are expected to be 87/57 degrees. Mon-Tue-Wed-Thu sunny with temps around 87/61; Fri-Sat, partly cloudy with temps around 89/59; Sun-Mon-Tue, sunny with temps of 82/57.
Fish’en and Good Luck but remember; “Keep your tip up with a tight line lands fish.”
Websites: www.MyOutdoorBuddy.com, www.Willowcreekchamber.com,
from Willow Creek, CA Phone 530-629-3554, E-mail yen2fish@yahoo.com
EBD
Sent: Sunday, July 27, 2014 1:38 PM
To: E.B. Duggan
Subject: TRFR
TRINITY RIVER FISHING REPORT – July 27, 2014
by E. B. Duggan, “D” Fishing Guide
Is the Trinity dying? Will the Trinity River suffer the same fate as the Eel River? Water temperatures on the Lower Klamath and the Lower Trinity Rivers have been running 70 to 75 degrees almost every day now for the last four weeks. The moss on the bottom of the river, in some places, covers the bottom of the river. In my 22 years as a professional fishing guide on the Trinity River I can’t ever remember seeing the river in this poor of condition. I remember watching the Eel River go this way many many years ago and look what has happened to it! If the Trinity River continues down this road I can for see the same things happening to it. For the month of July BOR has averaged shipping 2,800cfs to the Sacramento and south while at the same time only allowing 450cfs to go down the Trinity and out the Klamath. At 37% of capacity the “cold water pool” in Trinity Lake is going to go away and there will be NO COLD WATER left to be used to try and save this year’s salmon run. Farmers need water to grow crops and people need those crops for food. How are we going to divide the water in order to save both? At the present time I have NO solution but if the Bureau of Reclamation doesn’t start trying to save some water from the Trinity there will soon NOT be enough water for either the fish or the farmers. Then what? We are in a drought! With no measurable rain in the near future and BOR is using up the water in Trinity Lake at the rate of 0.25% per day.
There is a grass roots organization of local people on the Klamath and Trinity Rivers that are working to stop the shipping of water to the south and I revision even stronger “Water Wars” than when the government shut off the water from the Klamath. With no rain in sight where will the water come from?
Junction City Weir Count: for the week of Jul 22; Spring Chinook, adults – 34, season total - 789; 2013 this date, 813 adults. It looks like the peak of the Spring Chinook Run is over. The highest week was Jun 25 – Jul 1 when 234 went through the Junction City Weir.
Fishing: Like I said earlier it has been HOT! In talking with my contacts up river the salmon are Black and lethargic. They hardly even swim and salmon are dying in the lower parts of the river. I know CDFW states this is a normal occurrence but we have not had sustainable temperatures (70-76) like this in the past with heavy algae and moss. The Trinity in front of my house is running 70-72 degrees by 10 o’clock in the morning. (Like bath water) The only fishing I have seen is early in the morning in the deep holes and Grays Falls. Above Grays there are some nice deep holes where the fish are holding but most of the fish up river are holding below cold incoming stream and there are very few of those. Right now Highway 96 is restricted travel just out of Willow Creek due to fires, so you might want to call before you plan on going up that way.
Klamath: On the Klamath side there are some spring salmon still holding in the Weitchpec area from what John H of E Ne Nuck said. One of the campers in his camp landed a nice 25 pounder and they were seeing small pods of 12 to 18 pounders working their way up river. These could be early Fall Run Chinook but I don’t think so. Kenny Peugh of Orleans said that they ran into some half-pounders below Big Bar and that some adult summer steelhead were right behind them. This is good news for the fly fishers because ½-pounders are great sport on a fly rod. Just remember that it is hot out there so be sure you have extra water with you and try to get off the water by noon.
Trinity Lake: The Lake is 128ft (a change of 16ft) below the over flow and 37.8% of capacity (3.4% decrease) at 10:00am today. Inflow to the lake is 106cfs and Trinity Dam is releasing 3,672cfs into Lewiston Lake with 3,204cfs going to Whiskeytown Lake and then on to the Sacramento River through Keswick Power plant.
Trinity River Flows and Conditions: Lewiston Dam releases are 464cfs, water temps are 51.1, and air is 72 degrees. Limekiln Gulch is 5ft at 442cfs; Douglas City is 6.2ft at 468cfs, water temps of 56.8 and air is 70. Junction City is 1.9ft at 490cfs. Helena is 8.7ft at 457cfs with water temps of 61.7. Cedar Flat is 2.8ft at 506cfs. Willow Creek is estimated at 527cfs, air is 78, and water 70. Hoopa is 11.6ft at 704cfs, water temps 76.2. Flows at the mouth of the Trinity at the Klamath are 1,954cfs and water temps are 76. The coolest time of day in this area is around 9-10 o’clock in the morning. At Weitchpec Bridge water temps are 76.2and water temps at Tully Creek on the Klamath are 77.2 degrees.
Klamath: Iron Gate Dam releases are 913cfs. Seiad Valley is 1.9ft at 955cfs. Happy Camp estimated at 985cfs. Somes Bar is estimated at 1,093cfs. Orleans is 2.5ft at 1,250cfs. Klamath at 101 Turwar Creek is 8ft at 2,220cfs and water temps of 76 degrees. Smith River is 5.1t at 373 cfs.
Temperatures in the Valley last week were 103/56 degrees with no rain, total rain to date 36.55 inches of rain and 2.5in of snow for the season. Temperatures the Valley next week are expected to be 87/57 degrees. Mon-Tue-Wed-Thu sunny with temps around 87/61; Fri-Sat, partly cloudy with temps around 89/59; Sun-Mon-Tue, sunny with temps of 82/57.
Fish’en and Good Luck but remember; “Keep your tip up with a tight line lands fish.”
Websites: www.MyOutdoorBuddy.com, www.Willowcreekchamber.com,
from Willow Creek, CA Phone 530-629-3554, E-mail yen2fish@yahoo.com
EBD