REDDING, Calif. - The Bureau of Reclamation, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA Fisheries) and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) announced today that two pulse flow releases from Whiskeytown Dam into Clear Creek will be made in June to attract adult spring-run Chinook salmon to upstream Clear Creek habitats for holding and spawning purposes.
Flow release for the first pulse will begin Saturday, June 2 and reach a peak of 700 cubic feet per second Monday, June 4. Flow rates will then be reduced to reach 150 cfs summer base flow by Sunday, June 10. The second pulse flow will begin Saturday, June 16 and reach a peak of 800 cfs Monday, June 18. Following the peak flow, releases will steadily return to 150 cfs base flow by Monday, June 25.
The public should take appropriate safety precautions when near or on Clear Creek during these pulse flows.
Water released as part of the pulse flows will remain within the Central Valley Project system and will be available for use downstream by Reclamation customers, including agricultural and municipal and industrial users in the Central Valley and Bay Area.
In 2009, NOAA Fisheries issued the Biological and Conference Opinion on the Long-Term Operation of the Central Valley Project and State Water Project. Included in the opinion is a reasonable and prudent alternative action to conduct at least two pulse flows in Clear Creek in May and June. These pulse flows are intended to encourage spring-run Chinook salmon to migrate further upstream to access colder water temperatures, large holding pools and newly provided clean spawning gravel, and avoid hybridization and competition with fall-run Chinook salmon. USFWS monitoring has shown that pulse flows have been successful in attracting spring-run Chinook salmon into Clear Creek. Salmon are counted during snorkel surveys immediately before and after each pulse flow. Salmon are also counted during the pulse flows using video cameras running 24 hours a day.
For more information, please contact Derek Rupert, Bureau of Reclamation, at 530-276-2046 (TTY 800-877-8339) or drupert@usbr.gov.
Source: Bureau of Reclamation
