Fish Sniffer On Demand Digital Edition 3809 April 12-26 2019 | Page 30

28 Apr 12 - 26, 2019 VOL.38 • ISS. 9 Fishermen, Tribes and Conservation Groups Challenge Sites Reservoir Project A coalition of 27 organizations, In a press release, the groups and Tribes including Indian Tribes, fishing allege that the Sites Project Authority groups and environmental organizations, “has left out key facts in their environ- sent a letter to Jim Watson of the Sites mental review which serves to downplay Project Authority on March 17 indicating impacts.” their concerns about the detrimental “We are here to demand a full impacts that water diversions from the accounting of the environmental impacts controversial Sites Reservoir Project pose to the Trinity and Sacramento Rivers,” to salmon and water quality. said Noah Oppenheim, executive director The project is backed by Rep. John of the Pacific Coast Federation of Fish- Garamendi, D-Walnut Creek, who intro- ermen’s Associations. “Both rivers have duced the Sites Reservoir Project Act suffered a steady decline in fisheries for (H.R.1435) to provide federal support the past several decades and most experts for the construction of Sites Reservoir see dams and diversions as the reason. The and related water infrastructure in Colusa declines in salmon stocks have crippled and Glenn Counties. Congressman Doug California’s salmon fleet, diminished LaMalfa (R-CA) is the bill’s original recreational fishing opportunities, and cosponsor. undermined Tribal fisheries and cultural “Construction of Sites Reservoir would practices.” bring California closer to achieving a “The California Water Commission has drought-resilient water system. Our state awarded $816 million in state bond funds needs to make forward-looking invest- for the project, yet our review shows ments to meet its future water supply serious impacts to Sacramento River, needs, and Sites will benefit farmers, Klamath River, and Bay Delta would stem precious ecosystems, and our commu- from operations of this reservoir,” said nities.” said Congressman Garamendi Oppenheim. “These rivers sustain Cali- (D-CA). “I am proud to sponsor the bipar- fornia’s commercial fishing industry, and tisan Sites Reservoir Project Act, building they’re already severely over-appropriated. upon the nearly $1.2 billion in public We have already lost 90% of our fleet due funding for the project secured to date.” to poor water management, and we cannot Likewise, Congressman Doug LaMalfa afford to lose more salmon or more jobs.” (R-CA) said: “Water storage projects, The coalition identified a number of such as Sites Reservoir, are absolutely issues they said “were not adequately critical to securing the future of our state’s addressed” in the Draft Environmental water supply. It’s important that we have Impact Statement and Report (DEIS/ the infrastructure to save more water EIR) that was released in late 2017. These during wet years so we can prepare for include: the dry ones California sees all too often. • A discrepancy in minimum required Sites is the most effective project in the flows for fish in the Sacramento River state, providing more storage per dollar • The lack of a clear operations plan invested than any other proposed project.” • No formal consultation with affected The Sites project, a proposed off-stream Indian Tribes storage reservoir near Maxwell, would • Lack of compliance with the California store water pumped from the Sacramento Endangered Species Act River and the Trinity River, a major • Failure to disclose impacts to the Delta tributary to the Klamath River that is also • Failure to disclose numerous water diverted to the Sacramento via a tunnel quality issues such as mercury methylation through the Trinity Mountains between from inundation of mine tailings, increased Trinity Reservoir and Whiskeytown potential for algae blooms and salinity Reservoir. impacts Garamendi said Sites Reservoir would • Failure to describe the steps to obtain provide 1.8 million acre-feet of off-stream federal approvals for a hydropower facility water storage capacity for California “The California Department of Fish and and “help local communities prepare for Wildlife has recommended a much higher droughts.” However, critics say the project would imperil salmon runs on California’s two largest salmon rivers, the Sacra- We carry Lead Free Pistol ammo for mento and Klamath the hunter who wants to carry his River systems, that supply the majority handgun in Lead Free Hunting Zones. of Chinook salmon Available in a variety of calibers... harvested by commer- cial, recreational and CALL FOR DETAILS! 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H, Sacramento, CA 95838 By Dan Bacher minimum bypass flow in the Sacramento River than is being proposed by the SPA (13,000 cfs compared to 3,250 cfs at Red Bluff, 4,000 cfs at Hamilton City and 5,000 cfs at Wilkins Slough),” the letter states. “The impacts to the Sacramento River fishery have not been adequately described in the DEIS/EIR, nor is there an alternative analyzed in the DEIS/EIR that would provide the flow recommendations by CDFW.” Coalition representatives presented their concerns to the California Water Commis- sion (CWC) at its meeting on March 20 in Sacramento. The coalition also plans on presenting their request to the Sites Project Authority in April. Recreational and commercial fishermen are not the only ones concerned about potential fisheries impacts from the Sites Reservoir. Tribes from the Sacramento and Klamath River watersheds have also asked for fisheries protections from the Sites Authority. “We are concerned that tribes have not been consulted nor assured that this project will not take water that salmon need, especially drought years,” stated Caleen Sisk, Chief and Spiritual Leader of the Winnemem Wintu Tribe. “If the Sites Authority had initiated Tribal consulta- tion with Klamath River and Sacramento Tribes, we would have identified these issues, along with mitigations measures to protect the salmon.” The coalition also identified undis- closed impacts and lack of mitigation for the Trinity and Lower Klamath rivers. These impacts led the Karuk Tribe on the Klamath River to similarly request recir- culation of the DEIS/EIR and government to government consultation on the matter. In a letter to the Sites Project Authority, the Tribe cited impacts to the Trinity and Lower Klamath River that were not analyzed in the EIS but identified by an independent scientific analysis. “There is no Tribal consultation outside of the footprint area and there are cultural resources within the footprint area with no mitigation measures discussed for their protection,” said Russell ‘Buster’ Attebery, Chairman of the Karuk Tribe. “AB-52 tribal consultation is now required and federal Tribal consultation has always applied.” Morning Star Gali, Pit River Tribal Member and organizer for Save Cali- fornia’s Salmon, confirmed the lack of Tribal consultation regarding the Sites project when she spoke during the public comment period at the California Water Commission meeting on March 20. In addition, Tom Stokely with Save California Salmon, who also spoke at the Commission meeting, noted that the Sites Project could impact cold water flows that are needed to avoid fish kills like the one that took place in September 2002 on the Lower Klamath River, where over 38,000 salmon perished due to an outbreak of disease in low, warm water. “The Sites Project Authority had promised there would be no impacts to the Trinity River from Sites,” said Stokely. “However, a hydrologist found that the project will increase water temperatures for spawning fish in the Trinity River during dry years.” “The project also promises to deliver water to the new reservoir and its customers that is already committed to the Trinity and Lower Klamath rivers to prevent another huge adult salmon fish kill like the one experienced in 2002 on the Lower Klamath. Until these issues are analyzed and resolved in a revised envi- ronmental document we cannot support California’s decision to fund and promote the Sites Reservoir,” concluded Stokely. If built, Sites reservoir would be owned and operated by the Sites Joint Powers Authority, a regional consortium of local water agencies and counties formed in 2010. To date, more than $1.2 billion in public funding has been committed to the Sites Reservoir Project, including $816 million from the State Water Bond (2014 Proposition 1), $449 million low-interest financing from the U.S. Department of Agriculture announced in November 2018, and federal funding from the Bureau of Reclamation for the feasibility study and related work. A map of the Sites Reservoir Project is available here: https://www.sitesproject. org/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/Sites_ Overview_Brochure_August2018-1.pdf The KFBK OUTDOOR SHOW 3507 1 Rated with your Outdoor Radio Show host for 26 years! # Bob Simms Fishing • Hunting • Destinations Conservation • History Dedicated to the Northern California Outdoorsman Listen Every Saturday Morning from 5 am to 8am on BOB SIMMS CALIFORNIA’S LONGEST RUNNING OUTDOOR TALK SHOW!