[Water_news] 3. DWR'S CALIFORNIA WATER NEWS: WATERSHEDS - 7/7/08

Department of Water Resources

California Water News

A daily compilation of significant news articles and comment

 

July 7, 2008

 

3. Watersheds –

 

 

Red Bluff Diversion Dam stays: Judge turns down removal request after two-week hearing

Capital Ag Press- 7/4/08

 

Salmon fishing banned on Central Valley rivers

The Sacramento Bee- 7/4/08

 

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Red Bluff Diversion Dam stays: Judge turns down removal request after two-week hearing

Capital Ag Press- 7/4/08
Elizabeth Larson, Capital Press

A federal judge has turned down a request by fishing and environmental groups that could have resulted in the removal of the Red Bluff Diversion Dam.

"We dodged a bullet but we're not out of the woods," said Jeff Sutton, general manager of the Tehama-Colusa Canal Authority based in Willows.

Judge Oliver Wanger denied a request for emergency injunctive relief on Friday, June 27, in Fresno. The motion had been filed by the Pacific Coast Federation of Fishermen's Associations/Institute for Fisheries Resources and the National Resources Defense Council, according to court records.

The case looks at the impacts of the Central Valley Project on the Sacramento River winter-run chinook salmon, the Central Valley spring-run chinook salmon and the Central Valley steelhead.

The ruling followed a two-week hearing, said Sutton, who was in the courtroom. Wanger found that some of his conclusions about the project and its impact on fish was based on wrong data, which led him to continue the hearing to allow more evidence to be submitted.

Sutton said Wanger ultimately decided to deny the request for emergency relief to take the dam out, finding there was insignificant harm to the spring chinook salmon if it remains through July.

Wanger also ruled that the dam's gates could stay down until Aug. 1, which poses a concern.

"August 1 does not take us to the end of the irrigation period," Sutton said.

If the diversion dam's gates are lifted mid-season, when peak demand hits between 1,200 and 1,800 cubic feet per second, it would put the entire service area at risk, said Sutton.

The diversion dam serves the Tehama-Colusa Canal Authority, which stretches 125 miles from Red Bluff to Dunnigan. The system in turn services 18 districts, all of them Central Valley Project contractors, Sutton said.

The 300,000 acre feet of Central Valley Project water making its way through the canal system supplies $250 million worth of crops on 150,000 acres in Tehama, Colusa, Glenn and Yolo counties, Sutton said.

Sutton said the dam and the water it provides has a $1 billion economic benefit for the region.

"Should an adverse ruling come down the road, it would be an economic disaster to the regional economy," he said.

Hearings are continuing in the trial's species phase, Sutton said.

"We are very glad that that has not been taken down," said Tim Miramontes, president of the Yolo County Farm Bureau.

The northern part of Yolo County gets a lot of its water from the diversion dam, which Miramontes said is used to irrigate 15,000 acres of crops, mostly tree crops such as almonds, as well as alfalfa, grapes, sunflowers and other field crops.

Zeke Grader, executive director of the Pacific Coast Federation of Fishermen's Associations, said the lawsuit began by taking issues with Central Valley Project delta pumping operations, then spread north to look at other operations, including Red Bluff.

Grader said he believes Wanger's decision offers some good news.

"The way I read his decision, it certainly does open the door for looking at changes," although maybe not this year, he said.

The decision definitely tells the people in Red Bluff that impounding water has to go, said Grader.#

http://www.capitalpress.info/main.asp?SectionID=67&SubSectionID=616&ArticleID=42732&TM=43586.82

 

 

 

Salmon fishing banned on Central Valley rivers

The Sacramento Bee- 7/4/08

By Matt Weiser

 

SACRAMENTO – Salmon fishing on Central Valley rivers was closed Thursday to protect what's left of the fall-run chinook population.

 

No chinook may be kept anywhere on the Sacramento and San Joaquin rivers or tributaries, including the American and Feather rivers.

 

The only exception is Nov. 1 to Dec. 31 on the Sacramento River between the Red Bluff Diversion Dam and Knights Landing. Anglers may possess one salmon at a time from this area during the open period.

 

Catch-and-release salmon fishing is not prohibited, and it is OK to keep other species.

 

But the California Department of Fish and Game discourages the public from targeting salmon for catch-and-release fishing to avoid stressing the population. If catch-and-release is found to be killing salmon, more restrictions may be ordered.

 

The closures were approved earlier this year in response to an unprecedented decline in the chinook population. Spawning fish returning to rivers this fall are expected to set historic lows.

 

Also closed are all ocean waters off California and Oregon. The Smith, Klamath and Trinity rivers remain open to salmon fishing. Those salmon populations are stronger this year.

 

The new biological opinion, expected early next year from the National Marine Fisheries Service, will be an important part of moving forward, he said.#

http://www.sacbee.com/101/story/1060493.html