I HOPE ALL HAD A GREAT TURKEY DAY AND DIDN’T EAT TOO MUCH TO FALL ASLEEP DURING FOOTBALL! I also hope all had good times with family.

For the last several days it has been very cold, more like February than November. Here in Willow Creek, it has been 26 degrees in the morning until after 10:00 in the morning. I know Weaverville has been as cold or colder so that is much like winter to me. The computer weather says that it supposed to warm up some this coming week but I am not too sure about that as it is not always correct.

Speaking about correctness I have been contacted by several people about the correctness of some of my recent columns. They say I am misrepresenting some facts so I guess I will have to do some more investigating of what I have said in my columns to make sure I did not spew misinformation. That is one thing I do not like to do as I constantly challenge other people about it. If I find out I did in fact misrepresent facts I will do my best to correct them for you. The Trinity River is or was a great river and produced a great economy for Trinity and Humboldt Counties. It also provided subsistence for many the tribes of the of the area as well as a great commercial fishery and in-river fishery for the public. As it stands now the river is almost dead such as the Eel River has become. I really don’t want to see that happen and that is why I have challenged the TRRP on many occasions. I am not, I repeat NOT against the Restoration per say but am against the public NOT being able to make proper and meaningful input to the restoration of the river. It is said that the restoration shall have some type of public input for the restoration but the public has tried to make meaningful input on many occasions, it is heard but not actually accepted into the programing of the restoration.

A Federal Bill HR 4394 was attached to the Federal Budget that would eliminate funding for the CVPIOA by stating that the program was paid for and water users no longer need to help pay for restoration programs to improver habitat for Endangered Species. This was a move by several legislators of the state to reduce the Federal Budget there by saving funding and reduce the federal deficit. I believe it was to create dysfunction and disagreement among farmers and fishermen to keep them fighting amongst themselves there by not interfering with legislators allowing them to provide special interest projects for their districts to help get them reelected. The CVPIA was passed to provide and keep water in the rivers for Endangered Species so they would survive and NOT become extinct.         

Trinity River Hatchery summary: The reporting of the weirs and hatchery are being finalized at this time therefore not report!  Julian Week 44 ending Nov. 4, 2023, Fall Chinook Salmon, 458 -jacks, 1,1150 -adults, total 1,608, seasonal total 1,875; Coho Salmon, 13- jacks, 13-adults, total 14, seasonal total 46; Steelhead 4. Season total 55; Ads clipped -total 51.

Junction City Weir summary: The Junction City will be extended to possibly Dec. 21. Julian Week 44 ending Nov. 4, 2023; Chinook Salmon, 32- jacks, 177- adults, total of 209, seasonal total 2,895, seasonal Ads clipped 257; Coho Salmon, 2-jacks, 5- adults, total 7, seasonal total 63; Steelhead, 1- ½-pounders, 1- adults, total 2, seasonal total 272, ads clipped 137; 1-Brown Trout, seasonal total 22.

Willow Creek Weir summary: The WC Weir is being removed and will provide a report soon. Julian Week 44 ending Nov. 4, 2023; Chinook Salmon, 0-jacks, 0- adults, total 0, seasonal total 814, seasonal total Ads clipped 4, seasonal total 125; Coho Salmon, 0- jack, 0-adult, total 0, season total 10, ad clipped total 96; Steelhead, 1-1/2-pounders, 5- adults, total 6, seasonal total 317 (hatchery total 174).

Fishing: Even though it has been very cold the last several days the Trinity River still needs rain and more water. The river has continued to keep dropping for the lack of water and I am not seeing more fish coming into the river at this time. This is kind of discouraging as usually we are seeing a fair number of steelhead moving into the river and fishing is starting to pick up some. Right now, with the weather is so cold fish are not in the mood to be moving very much as the water is also getting colder and the steelhead are a bit lethargic. There are still some steelies in the upper river just not very many new fish. I have been receiving some reports of some catch and releasing going on but not much good information of what is going in the upriver yet.

Mid-Klamath and Happy Camp: The Klamath River at Weitchpec is flowing 3,191cfs, this is a decrease of 1,019cfs from last week. Iron Gate Dam is currently releasing 1,025cfs an increase of 37cfs from last week. The Klamath River increase in water releases with no prediction of some rain in the near future could hurt the return and spawning in the Upper Klamath which is just the opposite of the intension of the Dam removal. Rain would improve fishing in the Mid-Klamath for the coming Holidays. If you are interested in fishing the Mid and Upper Klamth you might give a call to Doug Cole at Marble Mountain Resort (530-522-6284) or to fish above I-5 a call to Scott Caldwell (530-905-0758)

Lake Conditions: Whiskeytown is 95% of capacity (a decrease of 0%) with inflows of 312cfs and releasing 249cfs over to the Keswick Reservoir. Shasta Lake is 68% of capacity (an increase of 0% plus 0ft) with inflows of 2,542cfs and releasing 5,351cfs into Keswick. Keswick is 95% (an increase of 2%) with inflows of 5,529cfs and releasing 5,004cfs into the Sacramento River. Oroville Lake is 66% of capacity (a decrease of 0% minus 0ft) with inflows of 2,168cfs with releases of 3,515cfs into the Feather River. Folsom Lake is 50% of capacity (a decrease of 2% minus 1ft) with inflows of 1,333cfs with releases of 2,144cfs into the American river. Trinity Lake is 1,210,885AF a decrease of 1,945AF.

Trinity Lake: The lake is 93ft below the overflow (an increase of 0ft) and 50% of capacity (a decrease of 0%) with inflows of 1,166cfs and releasing 700cfs into Lewiston Lake with 411cfs being diverted to Whiskeytown and on to Keswick Power Plant, and releasing 4,992cfs into the Sacramento River.

Trinity River flows and conditions: Lewiston Dam is 93% of capacity (a decrease of 0%) and water releases of 249cfs into the Trinity River with water temperatures of 47 degrees, as of 1:00pm today Sunday November 26, 2023. Limekiln Gulch is 4.68ft at flows of 309cfs. Douglas City is 6.64ft with flows of 324cfs with water temperatures of 42.2 degrees. Junction City is 1.73t at 341cfs. Helena is 8.25ft at 393cfs with water temps of 42.5degrees. Burnt Ranch at Cedar Flat is 2.66ft at 520cfs. South Fork of the Trinity near Hyampom is 3.16ft at 172cfs. Willow Creek is estimated at 695cfs and air is 35 degrees and water at 43.5 degrees, Hoopa is 11.87ft at 955cfs with water at 43.8 degrees. Water flows at the mouth of the Trinity River at the Klamath in Weitchpec are estimated to be 3.191cfs an increase of 1,019cfs from last week.

Klamath River flows and conditions: Iron Gate is releasing 1,025cfs an increase of 37cfs. Seiad Valley is 2.32ft at 1,323cfs. Indian Creek is 3.90ft at 123cfs. Happy Camp is estimated at 1,446cfs, Somes Bar is estimated to be 1,864cfs, and the Salmon River is 1.91ft at 372cfs. Orleans is 2.98ft at 2,236cfs, the Klamath River at Terwer Creek is 8.86ft at 4,268cfs and water temps are 45.2 degrees. Flows for the Smith River at Jedia Smith are 6.11ft with flows of 1,112cfs. and flows at Dr. Fine Bridge are 12.89ft at N/A. Temperatures for the Valley last week had a high of 63 and a low of 39 degrees. Rain for the week was 0.00in with a water year total to date of 11.32 inches and 0.00in of snow for a total of 0.00in. in Willow Creek. The predicted temperatures for next week are for high of 62 degrees and a low of 36. The weather predicted to be sunny until Thursday and then rain with light rains and scattered showers for the weekend.