The month of March seems to be the month the “Water Gods” bless us with their dew. Last year the month of March dropped 24.15 inches of rain and three days of snow at my house in Willow Creek. This year we had 25.25 inches of rain and three days of snow. The river bar in front of my house went under water two days ago and will probably not come out until tomorrow some time. We defiantly have moved out of the Extremely Dry Water Year for the Trinity River Basin and moved up into a Dry Water Year. That equates to 84,000 Acre Feet more water to be used in the Trinity River according to the 2000 ROD Agreement. This could make a big difference for the proposed salmon run predicted for the Klamath River Basin. From what I can see it looks like we could have a good supply of cold water for the fish this Fall which could avert a “Fish Kill” die – off like that of 2002.
Now all we have to do is make sure the PFMC & DFG give the In-River Sport Fishing a good quota with liberal limits. I have heard that the proposed DFG Regs are asking the Fish and Game Commissioners to allow for four Fall Chinook per day and 8 in passion. If this is the case we all need to write or email the Cal Fish & Game Commissioners that that would be our preferred choice. The Commissioners will meet in Eureka at the Red Lion Hotel April, 11 – 12. If we were to get this it would mean that you would be able to keep four salmon, jacks or adults in any combination you would like to keep. I can just see those smokers A’ Smokin now!!!

As you all know the Pacific Fisheries Management Council is meeting in Seattle April 1 – 6. At the PFMC hearing in Eureka last week the requests were; Option III with some extended days for Commercial Ocean fishing; Option I for Ocean Sport fishing and Option I for In-River Sport fishing. I was unable to go up to Seattle this time but I have made contact with someone who is there and will be talking to them after each meeting. In-River Sport fishing will still have some say even though it is not me.
Fishing:

For now the rivers are blown out. I was upriver this week and I can not believe what I saw. The trinity was a Red-Brown muddy mess from Douglas City all the way down to Cedar Flat. I can’t ever remember seeing the Trinity that color before. The was due to a big slide up on Waver Creek several years ago and from what I can gather it has broke loose again and is just making more mud than the river can handle. I can see this is going to be a major problem in the future for Upper River spawning. I just hope that the Restoration Program can get some assistance to repair or control this slide as it could wreck havoc with all the restoration work they are doing in the Upper Trinity. 

Klamath: The Klamath is not in as bad of shape as the Trinity but it is bank to bank mud at the present.

Trinity River flows and conditions:

Trinity Lake is 24ft (2.5ft decrease) below the over flow and at 82.3% of capacity (2% increase) of capacity at 1:00pm to day. Inflow to the lake is 12,227cfs and dam releases are 539cfs to Lewiston Lake with 7127fs going to Whiskeytown Lake and the Sacramento River.
Trinity River: Lewiston Dam releases are 312cfs, water temps 00, air is 00 degrees. Limekiln Gulch is 5.6ft at 912cfs. Douglas City is 7.6ft at 1,660cfs, water temps 00, air is 00. Junction City is 4.2ft at 2,640cfs. Helena is 14ft at 3,470cfs and water at 00. Cedar Flat is 10.64ft at 8,450cfs. Willow Creek is estimated at 17.3K cuffs, air 000, and water 00. Hoopa is 25.3ft at 31.1Kcfs, water temps 45.8 degrees. Mouth of the Trinity at Klamath is 44.3Kcfs

Klamath: Iron Gate Dam releases are 1,870cfs. Saied Valley is 7.4ft at 3,550cfs. Happy Camp estimated at 1,180cfs. Somas Bar estimated at 9,810cfs. Orleans is 9.3ft at 13.2Kcfs. Klamath at 101 is 27ft at 105K, water temps of 46.8 degrees.
Temperatures in the valley last week were 59/36 degrees with 12.05 inches of rain, total to date 63.45 inches. The weather next week expected to be 66/33, Mon – cloudy, Tue- Wed- Thru- showers / rain-Fri-morning clouds w/sun- Sat cloudy-   Sun- partly cloudy.