Fish Sniffer On Demand Digital Edition 3814 June 21- July 5 2019 | Página 23

June 21 - July 5, 2019
VOL.38 • ISS. 14
21
FERC Launches Inquiry
into Salmon Stranding on
Feather River
O
n May 29, the Federal Energy
Regulatory Commission
(FERC) sent a letter to the California
Department of Water Resources
inquiring into the stranding and deaths
of thousands of spring run Chinook
salmon on the Feather River in April,
as reported by guides and fishermen
out on the river.
The stranding began three days after
the California Department of Fish and
Wildlife (CDFW) released 333,442,
spring-run Chinooks from the Feather
River Fish Hatchery at Gridley and
another 332,692 at Boyd’s Pump, a
total of 666,134 salmon, according
to James Stone, fishing guide and
president of the Nor-Cal Guides and
Sportsmen’s Association.
Guides and fishermen reported
thousands of juvenile fish were
stranded up and down the river 3 days
after the release when flows were
dropped dramatically.
“Three days after the fish releases,
DWR dropped releases by 10,000
cubic feet per second (cfs), from
25,000 cfs to 14,750 cfs, within less
than 24 hours. This made the river
drop inside of its bank, leaving baby
salmon in pools stranded outside of
the river,” said Stone.
“Concerned anglers did fish rescues.
They took the stranded fish from the
pools and put them back into the river.
They rescued thousands of fish,” said
Stone.
The spring Chinook is a state and
federally listed threatened species. The
spring run was once one of the largest
runs of salmon, but dams now block
fish from returning to their historical
spawning grounds on Central Valley
rivers and creeks.
Thomas J. LoVullo, Chief, Aquatic
Resources Branch Division of Hydro-
power Administration and Compli-
ance of FERC, sent a letter to Gwen
Knittweis, Chief Hydropower License
Planning and Compliance Office,
California Department of Water
Resources, inquiring into the fish
stranding incidents.
He reminded DWR that “Article
31 of your project license requires
that you operate the project in such a
manner that changes in rates of release
from Oroville Reservoir and afterbay
dams will be gradual and minimal at
all times insofar as this is consistent
with operation requirements.”
The letter requested additional
information related to the “following
flow reductions and consequent fish
stranding incidents.”
“The inquiry we received was
related to the initial use of the rebuilt
main spillway on April 3, 2019, and
the subsequent ramp down of flows
following its successful use,” he
wrote. “The allegation states that a
possible rapid ramping down of flow
releases from the main spillway may
have caused stranding of juvenile
salmonids in the lower Feather River.
In our initial investigation, we discov-
By Dan Bacher
ered that the local fishing community
observed stranded juvenile salmonids
(some of which perished) in the lower
Feather River.”
“These fish standings appear to
coincide with an abrupt flow reduction
on April 8, 2019, when flows
decreased from 25,000 cubic feet
per second (cfs) to 15,000 cfs in the
high flow channel over the span of a
few hours. In addition, it appears that
flows again dropped from 15,000 cfs
to 10,000 cfs in the high flow channel
over the course of a few hours on April
10, 2019,” he said.
Following an inquiry with the Cali-
fornia Department of Fish and Wildlife
(CDFW) staff, LoVullo said they
also “learned that the flow reductions
resulted in stranded fish that included
mortality of spring-run Chinook
salmon that had been released from
the Feather River Hatchery a few days
prior to the flow reductions.”
During their initial investigation
into the stranding of salmon in April,
LoVullo also heard of an additional
fish stranding event in the lower
Feather River that occurred on March
12, 2019.
“From the information available, we
understand that flows in the low flow
channel immediately dropped from
approximately 2,000 cfs to 600 cfs
without any intentional ramping down.
Apparently, the flow reduction resulted
from a planned shutdown of the Hyatt
powerplant and switching of minimum
flow release to the river outlet valve,
which resulted in fish stranding in the
lower Feather River.”
In order for FERC to review DWR’s
compliance with license Article 31, he
asked DWR to provide the following
information related to the March and
April 2019 flow reductions and subse-
quent fish stranding events:
• An account of the above flow
reductions including a chronology of
events the week before, during, and
the week after the above flow reduc-
tions, including any efforts made to
coordinate the flow reductions with
the CDFW and the National Marine
Fisheries Service (NMFS)
• Flow data from the low and high
flow channels on the preceding day,
day of, and day following the above
flow reductions
• An account of, and estimate of the
fish mortality resulting from the March
and April 2019 flow reductions
• An account of any efforts made
or planned to mitigate for the fish
mortality following the above flow
reductions
• An account of when you became
aware of the fish stranding and
resulting fish mortality related to the
March and April flow reductions and
an explanation as to why the fish
standings and mortality were not
previously reported to the Commission
• How the planned April 2019 flow
reduction was coordinated with CDFW
regarding juvenile salmonid releases
from the Feather River Fish Hatchery
more,” she concluded.
• Documentation of consultation
Jordan Traverso, CDFW spokes-
with the resource agencies, including
person, responded to the letter by
CDFW and NMFS
disputing the reports of stranding laid
• What measures with be imple-
out in the FERC letter.
mented to prevent the recurrence of
“CDFW and DWR scientists did not
a similar future flow reduction and
observe fish standings as described by
subsequent fish stranding event
the fishing guides during two days of
LoVullo directed DWR to file their
surveys along the entire Feather River
response to this request with the
downstream of the release location,
Commission Secretary within 30 days and we have seen no evidence
of the date of the letter.
to support allegations of “tens of
Erin Mellon, Assistant Director
thousands” of fish lost,” said Traverso.
of the Public Affairs Office of the
“CDFW staff were aware of the flow
Department of Water Resources, said
changes and had meetings and calls
DWR is still working on a formal
with DWR to coordinate each of the
response to FERC’s letter. However,
flow drops referenced in the FERC
she responded briefly to the fish
letter.”
stranding in a statement that didn’t
“We worked with DWR staff on
acknowledge whether or not the
surveying for stranded fish. Even with
stranding had occurred, as described
the hatchery release large numbers of
by anglers and guides.
stranded fish were not observed and
“This year has had great conditions
we felt no rescues were needed,” said
for salmon with higher than normal
Traverso.
flows being released by DWR as
However, eyewitnesses, including
well as cooler water in the system.
Bob Boucke, a member of the boards
Whenever there is a change in flows
of Golden Gate Salmon Association
– whether as a result of operations or
and Nor-Cal Guides and Sportsmen’s
natural conditions – there is a potential Association and a Sutter County Fish
for stranding. We try to avoid impacts
and Game Commissioner, say reports
wherever possible, but sometimes
from guides and fishermen on the river
operational changes can affect fish,”
and extensive video and photos show
she said.
otherwise.
“That is why we invest $2.5 million
“I personally saw hundreds of
every year in the fish hatchery which
stranded fish in the ponds 3 days after
produces 8 million salmon and
they cut the flows and the birds were
450,000 steelhead each year. That’s
ravaging them as fast as they could. I
one of the many reasons the Feather
probably would have seen even more
River is one of the most productive
stranded fish if I had been out there
rivers on the West Coast for salmon.
sooner before the birds started scav-
DWR has already raised 2 million
enging them. And I walked just 1-1/2
spring run Chinook and is in the
miles of the river.”
process of releasing 6 million fall run
“There was no excuse for DWR to
Chinook salmon,” Mellon added.
drop the water like they did. They
“An interesting point I’d add is that
promised they wouldn’t do that. The
releases from the spillway can actually practice of reducing flows needs to be
help fish migration as it pushes them
done properly,” emphasized Boucke.
into the Delta and
out to the ocean,
as these high flows
provides clear
queues for the fish
to migrate and
reduce mortality
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