fall 2007 fisheries newsletter, kings river conservation district newsletter

8/2/2019 Fall 2007 Fisheries Newsletter, Kings River Conservation District Newsletter

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Joining together to improve the Kings River sheries. Fall 2007

Kings River Fisheries News Fall 2007 1

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Pilot Woody Debris Habitat Project Is PlannedImproving river habitat has been a big part of

the Kings River Fisheries Management Programspast few years and now a pilot expansion of thateffort is being designed.

A pilot program to place some large woodydebris at a few locations downstream from PineFlat Dam is in the planning stage.

The concept is to broaden the programsattempts to enhance natural habitat conditions ashas been done through placement of thousandsof boulders, tons of spawning gravel, channelcobblestone ripping, and creation of coves and

jetties at different elevations along the shoreline.Trees within stream channels provide shelter

and hiding places for sh as well as a host of otherenvironmental benets.

Boulders placed last year in the Kings River below Pine Flat Dam as a sh habitat en -hancement are viewed from the air. Equipment moves up the channel for another load.

Dry Year Brings Challenging TemperaturesLate season Kings River

temperature management hasspawned concern since the Fish-eries Management Program beganin 1999 and this year has turned outto be no exception.

Following two consecutiveyears with above-average runoffand plentiful Pine Flat Reservoircold water supplies, this year it was

back to the same old challengingconditions because of the very-dry2006-2007 water year.

Several miles of the Kings Riverdownstream from Pine Flat Damare managed as a cold-water sh-ery for trout. Water temperaturesof more than 75 degrees F for a sus-tained period could be a hazard tothis shery.

The just-ended water yearsnatural Kings River watershed

runoff was only 39 percent of

average and resulted in most of therivers water users which managetheir own shares of reservoirstorage using stored water tomeet irrigation demands withintheir various entitlements.

Fortunately, conditions turnedout to be considerably better thanSteve Haugen, Kings River Fisher-ies Management Program Execu-tive Ofcer and Kings River Wa-termaster, and his staff initiallyanticipated. He said preliminaryprojections early in the summerhad suggested reservoir storagemight ultimately be drawn downto not far above the 100,000 acre-feet of temperature control poolstorage created along with the pro-gram eight years ago.

That would have madetemperature management very

difcult because fall low-ow

season would have been so long,Haugen said.

The good news, from a sherypoint of view, is that the reservoirslow point, when it was reachedin the rst half of September, wassomewhat higher, at about 180,000acre-feet, Haugen reported. It hasstill been a challenge but cold waterconditions for the trout shery haveremained marginally better.

Regular temperature monitor-ing of Pine Flat Reservoir storagehelps the Fisheries ManagementPrograms Technical Steering Com-mittee determine remaining rela-tive amounts of water at differenttemperatures.

Thats important because nomatter how cold the water may bewhen released, it warms rapidlyif the ambient air temperature is

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Minimum Kings River releasesfrom Pine Flat Dam have revertedto normal fall and winter levelsfollowing the very dry 2006-2007water year.

Releases (in the absence of

irrigation demands) are back at 100cubic feet per second.

That is a reduction from twoyears of enhanced minimum re-leases due to much above-averagenatural Kings River runoff between2004 and 2006.

Those two periods were therst times since the Kings RiverFisheries Management Programwas established in 1999 that supplyconditions had been great enough

to increase minimum releases to250 c.f.s.

The enhanced ows are pro-vided voluntarily, along with 12

Dry Conditions Trim Releases

Checking the Kings Riverssh population is one measureof the Fisheries ManagementPrograms success and anotheropportunity to gather importantdata and understanding.

Now, a key portion of theprograms monitoring effort ispoised to be expanded.

Additional electro shing ofsh to enable biologists and theirassistants to make enhanced shcounts will take place during thespring and fall months at twosites in addition to the tradition-al wintertime electro shing sur-veys that have been undertaken

by the Kings River ConservationDistrict for many years.

Steve Haugen, Kings RiverWatermaster and Fisheries Man-agement Program Executive

Ofcer, said the enhanced pro-gram would be undertaken tocheck effects during two yearsof normal minimum ows (ofabout 100 cubic feet per second)during the late summer and fallmonths.

Were also hoping ex-panded electro shing willprovide a more accurate countof all species, not just trout,said Haugen.

Electro shing would alsotake place in two different yearsfollowing higher minimumows of both 135 c.f.s. and 250c.f.s. that take place by agree-ment following certain above-average water years and bigrunoff seasons. Tests at the vari-ous ow levels would not occurin consecutive years.

Annual TroutPopulationSurvey

Program ToExpand

An increase in Kings River

minimum shery releases fromPine Flat Dam continues to bean important component of theKings River Fisheries ManagementProgram.

There have been occasions near-ly every winter, however, when shmonitoring and routine structuralor channel maintenance activitieshave led to brief below-minimumreleases.

Until now, it has been necessary

for the programs Executive PolicyCommittee (ExCom) to grant spe-cic approval to any such change.

Earlier this year, however, theExCom authorized variances fromow standards for six days in thefall and two days in spring to permitsh population monitoring throughelectro shing. The process requiresthose taking the survey to work

Fishery Flow Variances WinOK from Programs Leaders

in the river and reduced ows are

necessary for safety reasons as wellas more effectively obtaining data.

These brief ow reductions willbe coordinated with water agenciessuch as the Alta, Consolidated andFresno irrigation districts and KingsRiver Water District that may haveto undertake maintenance work inthe river.

Under the Kings RiverFisheries Management ProgramsFramework Agreements adoption

in 1999, minimum releases (whenthere are no irrigation demands)are to be 100 cubic feet per second,about double the amount undera previous agreement. Followingabove-average water years whenmore water is available, minimumreleases are permitted to increase to250 c.f.s. (as they were over the pasttwo winters).

percent of their reservoir storage,by the 28 Kings River Water Asso-ciation member units.

Since the Fisheries ManagementProgram was adopted in 1999,KRWA members voluntarily dou-

bled minimum former releases ofabout 50 c.f.s.

Cooperating to provide thisadditional water and working sodiligently to improve the sheryare what has made the Kings Riverprogram such a great model,said Bill Loudermilk, CaliforniaDepartment of Fish and GameRegional Director.

Flows are also provided intothe lower Kings River over Fresno

Weir, near the Friant-Kern Canalscrossing, when there are noirrigation demands to help sustainsh as part of the 1999 agreement.


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A third year of special trophytrout planting is being planned forlater this year by the California De-partment of Fish and Game for theKings River downstream at PineFlat Dam.

Kings River anglers enjoy shingfor the larger sized trout and theprogram has been particularly ef-fective during its rst two wintersin raising interest in angling amongyoungsters and others new to thesport.

There have been signicantincreases in the numbers of anglersto be found along the river afterprevious plantings have occurredin various areas.

Some of the sh are expected toweigh up to 9 pounds.

More Trophy Trout Will Be

Planted In Kings River

Trophy-sized trout introduced into the Kings Riverduring a December 2006 planting.

A potentially signicant nan-cial boost for the Kings River Fisher-ies Management Program has beenincluded in H.R.1495, the WaterResources Development Act of 2007(WRDA), which was recently givennal approval by Congress.

Congress approved a conferencereport that reconciled differences

between House and Senate versionsand sent the legislation to PresidentBush.

It was widely expected that thepresident would veto the legisla-tion because of its cost, but law-makers supporting WRDA believethey have the votes necessary tooverride a veto.

In a provision sponsored by Sen-ator Barbara Boxer of California andsupported by the Kings River WaterAssociation and Kings River Con-servation District, the U.S. ArmyCorps of Engineers (which oper-

ates Pine Flat Dam) is directed toparticipate with appropriate stateand local agencies in the implemen-tation of a cooperative program toimprove and manage sheries andaquatic habitat conditions in PineFlat Reservoir and in the 14-milereach of the Kings River immedi-ately below Pine Flat Dam.

The measure authorizes $20million 10 times the amount ofmoney available to the Fisheries

Management Program from itsthree partnering agencies in its rst10 years for use in the program.Those funds would be subject to theFederal appropriations process.

It directs the Corps to partici-pate in the planning, design, andconstruction of projects and pilotprojects on the Kings River and

Corps FisheryFundsIncluded InLegislation

Dry Year Brings ChallengingTemperatures,continuedhot, Haugen said. The coldest late-season water is generally limitedto the bottom 34,000 acre-feet ofstorage within the one million acre-foot reservoir.

To manage temperatures ofwater actually being released, theFisheries Management Programworks with the U.S. Army Corpsof Engineers and the staff at theKings River Conservation Districts

Jeff L. Taylor-Pine Flat Powerplant. These personnel coordinatereleases through the power plantsturbine bypass system and lowerlevels of the dams sluice gates toachieve desired temperatures of 62-66 degrees F.

This exercise again had thedesired effect. On a few hot days,water reaching Fresno Weir(nearly nine miles below Pine

Flat Dam) briey exceeded the75-degree threshold but quicklyfell with evening temperatures.Average water temperatures werein the low 70s F in late August

but have steadily declined as airtemperatures have dropped.

Even now with fall underway, we need to keep an eye on theconditions, Haugen said. Wevehad a good season but we knowwere not out of the woods yet.Historically, air temperatures canstill be quite warm in the rst fewweeks of October, he said.

The Kings River WaterAssociation is making availableweekly information on temper-atures and ows. To be addedto the mailing list, please e-mailClifton Lollar of the KRWA staff [email protected].

Special thanks to the many public volunteers and agenciesthat have assisted the Fisheries Program with

monitoring and operational tasks.The programs success is due in part to your participation.


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Kings River Conservation District

4886 E. Jensen Avenue

Fresno, CA 93725

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Kings River Fisheries News

Published by theKings River Conservation District,Kings River Water Association,

California Department of Fish and Game,and the Public Advisory Group.

Please send subscription requests to:Kings River Conservation District

4886 E. Jensen AvenueFresno, California 93725


Our Technical Steering Com-mittee is moving forward on theproject, including applying for thepermits that will be needed, saidStave Haugen, the programs Exec-utive Ofcer and Kings River Wa-

termaster. It could be two or threeyears before we place any trees inthe river.

Ensuring that a shery benetdoes not become a ood controlliability will be an important partof the process, Haugen said.

Each potential site would beevaluated closely. Any materialeventually placed would be secure-ly cabled to existing boulders oranchored using buried dead man

anchors. Meanwhile, thousandsof boulders have been purchased

Habitat Program,continuedand stockpiled for placement dur-ing this winters low-ow season atvarious locations within the chan-nel. Placement takes place usingheavy equipment. The remainingstock piles of gravel will also be

placed in the river.Boulders create opportunities

for sh to nd shelter from highand swift ows that typically occurduring spring and summer months,and during Pine Flat Dam oodreleases.

Channel ripping and gravelplacement did not occur duringthe programs 2006-2007 scal year.Previous channel ripping wasdeemed sufcient and the activity

is to be revived as needed.

Corps Fishery Funds,continuedits tributaries to enhance aquatichabitat and water availability forsheries purposes (including main-tenance of a trout shery) in accor-dance with ood control operations,water rights, and benecial uses.

Although the legislation callsupon the Corps to adhere whenpossible to Pine Flat Dam Fish andWildlife Habitat Restoration plansnalized in 2002, it specicallyremoves the biggest project a

costly multi-level intake structureon the upstream face of PineFlat Dam to control water releasetemperatures from the 2002program.

Non-federal interests such as the

Fisheries Management Programspartners (KRCD, KRWA and theCalifornia Department of Fish andGame) would be expected to helppay for projects with the federalshare listed as 65 percent.

There are some easy ways to

learn more about Kings Rivershery conditions and improve-ment projects, and about theriver itself. They are just a fewcomputer keystrokes away.

Web sites of various agenciesas well as the Kings River Fish-eries Management ProgramsPublic Advisory Group provideall sorts of information.

Here are some on-line sitesto check out:

Kings River Fisheries

Management Program, PublicAdvisory Group: http://www.kingsriversheries.com/

Fresno Flyshers For Con-servation: http://www.fresno-yshers.org/

Kaweah Flyshers: http://www.kaweahyshers.org/

Kings River ConservationDistrict, Fisheries ManagementProgram: http://krcd.org/en-vironment

Kings River Water Asso-

ciation: http://www.kingsriv-erwater.org

California Department ofFish and Game: http://www.dfg.ca.gov/

KingsFishery GoesOn Line

fall 2007 fisheries newsletter, kings river conservation district newsletter

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