The Trinity River flows below the Lewiston Dam in this photo from 2003. According to local tribes, more water is flowing into the Trinity and Klamath rivers as a result of the Carr Fire and it’s benefit the fish populations.
The Associated Press file

One of the unintended consequences of the devastation of Carr Fire in Shasta County is that is has been providing more water to Klamath and Trinity river fish in a time when river conditions have been looking tenuous.

Hoopa Valley Tribe’s Fisheries Director Mike Orcutt said the dam-controlling U.S. Bureau of Reclamation has nearly doubled flows on the Trinity River since late July. The bureau stated it has been making the releases in order to address emergency operations at the Trinity Power Plant, which had been affected by the fire.

Flows from Lewiston Dam on the Trinity Reservoir ramped up from what would be its normal 450 cubic feet per second to up to more than 1,200 at some points in time, but has remained steady at around 800 cubic feet per second since.

“One observation form our fishery here is that probably was really helpful because there was a proliferation of moss and I think it anecdotally moved spring-run fish that would have been holding other places,” Orcutt said. “That added water probably got those springers to move.”

At the same time, the smoke has cooled the waters, Orcutt said, further cooling the waters as the fall-run salmon begin making their way into the Klamath River estuary this month.

Orcutt said the bureau is set to begin ramping up dam water releases to the Trinity River and lower Klamath River later this month as part of a fall augmentation flow it is required to make as part of its management of the rivers.

Tucker said the combination of low flows, dams trapping nutrients in the water and climate change are causing significant algae blooms.

“It’s starting to exceed the state guidance for blue-green algae blooms,” Tucker said. “... It’s the same old, same old.”

The Klamath Basin Monitoring Program shows Copco Reservoir and Iron Gate Reservoir have blue-green algae blooms that exceed the state’s danger action level trigger. Warm waters also stress fish immune systems, making them more susceptible to diseases as has been shown in the past drought years.

“But I think we’ll be on the lookout for those conditions,” Tucker said. “Right now from the Trinity River down through the lower Klamath looks pretty good because it got this bump form the Trinity, but I don’t know how long that is supposed to last.”

Orcutt said that fall-run salmon should be entering the Klamath River estuary this month where they will condition themselves from the transition from saltwater to freshwater environments. He said the Yurok Tribe Fisheries Department monitors the incoming fish, and should there be enough fish showing signs of disease, the bureau will make emergency dam releases to improve water quality.

Orcutt said the focus of the bureau should be ensuring fish have enough water this summer and not on the interests of water agencies that rely on Trinity Reservoir waters.

“It should be focused on doing everything we can to protecting the incoming returning fish,” Orcutt said.