On Thru. Feb. 21 and Fri. Feb. 22, just west of the Salyer rest stop where Highway 299 was changed over the river from a previous slide, a new slide came down and went over the old highway clear down into the river and dammed up the Trinity River for several hours until the pressure from the water building up behind the blockage created enough pressure to break through the slide. At the present time the river at that location is flowing, but a large volume of water has built up behind the slide to create a large pool at that location. The slide is still active with the rain that is coming down but there is enough volume to keep the river open at that location. The slide has created a large pool of water that could provide winter steelhead some good holding water at that location. This will have to be investigated to see if it happens.

Salmon Hearings:
We sport and commercial fishermen, and the public, are going to have to write lots of letters to the Fish and Game Commission, as well as the California Department of Fish and Wildlife, requesting Public Hearings in locations for salmon fishing. Suggested locations are: Long Beach, Monterey, San Francisco, Sacramento, Redding and Eureka. With the possible listing of Spring Run Chinook, all of the public affected by the listing should have a location close to where the regulations will affect the salmon fishing and not at the other end of the state where it is difficult for us to attend. Things we should know: Is this for all fishing including Commercial fishery, Sportsmen, as well as Tribal fishery? What exactly are the locations of salmon closures (No take)? What will be the dates of these closures? (No take) How will the public be able to make meaningful input to these regulations? Public notification should be very wide and throughout the state. I am sure there will be many questions needed to be answered and public input for any new regulations regarding salmon fishing for the next several seasons.

A Repeat of Regulations: The Klamath River is closed to the “TAKE” of Spring Run Chinook salmon from the mouth of the river to Iron Gate from Feb. 21 to Aug. 14th (subject to the approval of the Office of Administrative Law); the Trinity River main stem from the mouth to the Bridge at Hwy 299 at Cedar Flat, Feb. 21 through August 31st; from Feb.22 to Oct. 15 no salmon shall be TAKEN from the Old Lewiston Bridge to the Bridge at Hwy 299, Cedar Flat. CDFW will also be working on regulations for Ocean fishing, Sport and Commercial. Remember, these regulations are only temporary until there is a determination to list or not list the Spring Run Chinook salmon. 

Notice: There is the possibility that E Ne Nuck and Aikens Creek campgrounds could be closed or considered for dry camping because of no potable water. A letter or email to the Orleans Ranger (USFS) of your need to camp and fish from one of those campgrounds could possibly help keep them open.

Klamath Iron Gate Hatchery: The counts are still going up for the hatchery and Scott River are winding down and we should be getting a final count very soon. 

Trinity River Hatchery: I did not receive a report for the TRH this week. Season totals for Chinook salmon is 7,706; for Coho salmon 745; for Steelhead 1,636. 

Redd Survey: Redd surveys are over for the season. 

Fishing: With the rains we are having right now it is pretty hard for fishing. One could possibly get to fish in between storms if you are alert to the weather and had a good idea when there would be a break in the storms. There are a few places up river one could fish.

Mid-Klamath: Iron Gate Dam is releasing 1,734cfs. at this time and increasing as the storm brings in more water. This could make fishing above I-5 very difficult or no fishing at all. Siead Valley is flowing at 3,626cfs and increasing. The Mid and Lower Klamath are blown out for the next week or so.

Lake Conditions:  Whiskeytown is 87% of capacity (a decrease of 2%) with inflows 1,132cfs and releasing 729cfs into Clear Creek and on to Keswick. Shasta is 77% of capacity (an increase of 3%) with inflows of 3,339cfs and releasing 3,306cfs into the Sacramento river. Oroville Lake is 55% of capacity (an increase of 4% plus 15ft) with inflows of 5,837cfs with releases of 1,158cfs into the Feather River. Folsom Lake is 66% of capacity (an increase of 12% plus 32ft) with inflows of 8,288cfs with releases of 1,464cfs into the Feather River.

Trinity Lake: The lake is 53ft below the overflow (a decrease of 3ft) and 69% of capacity (an increase of 1%) inflows are 1,897cfs and 278cfs is being released into Lewiston Lake with 1,590 cfs going to Whiskeytown Lake and on to Keswick Power Plant, which is releasing 3,207cfs into the Sacramento River. 

Trinity River Flows and Conditions: Lewiston Dam releases are 307cfs and water temperatures of N/A degrees and air at N/A as of 10:00am Monday Feb. 26, 2019. Limekiln Gulch is 5ft at 488cfs and water temps of 42 Douglas City is 7ft and 837cfs. with air temps of 39 and water at 41.9 degrees. Junction City is 2.87ft at 949cfs. Helena is 10.56ft at 1,206cfs with water temps of 42.8 degrees. Cedar Flat (Burnt Ranch) is 5.90ft at 2,138cfs. South Fork of the Trinity is 7.79ft at 3,908cfs. Willow Creek is estimated at 6,046cfs and air is 46 degrees and water at 42 degrees. Hoopa is 18.49ft at 10,760cfs and is 43 degrees. Water flows at the mouth of the Trinity River at the Klamath are estimated to be 14,277cfs.

Klamath: Iron Gate is releasing 1,734cfs and increasing by the hour. Seiad Valley is 4.69ft at 3,626cfs. Happy Camp is estimated at 4,389cfs, the Salmon River is 5.69ft at 4,382cfs, Somes Bar is estimated to be 9,135cfs. Orleans is 9.36ft at 13,517cfs, the Klamath River at Terwer Creek is 17.86ft at 41,182cfs and water temps of 44.5 degrees. Flows for the Smith River at Jedia Smith is N/Aft and flows of N/Acfs. and flows at Dr. Fine Bridge are 20.58ft at 44,743cfs.

Temperatures in the Valley last week were 51 high with lows of 31. Rain for the week was 0.75in and total rain for the water-year-to-date is 48.16 inches, with snow of 4.5in. in the valley to date. We have rain predicted for the week and possible more storms lined up out in the ocean for next week.