Endangered steelhead about to hatch in the American River could soon be killed by low flows and warm temperatures caused by the drought, a sign of the ongoing struggle over scarce water supplies.<\/p>\n
The fish, which are protected by the Endangered Species Act, are beginning to hatch from eggs in riverbed gravel. They require water cooler than 57 degrees to survive. Temperatures are already warmer than that due to record-breaking heat this month and low river flows caused by a fourth year of drought in California.<\/p>\n
As hatchlings \u2013 also known as alevins \u2013 the fish have not yet matured into fully formed fish and are unable to swim.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s the most sensitive life stage. They can\u2019t go elsewhere and they\u2019re highly sensitive to flows,\u201d said Tom Gohring, executive director of the Sacramento Water Forum, a coalition of Sacramento water agencies and environmental groups that monitors the river. \u201cIf things continue to be bad \u2026 they will perish in the gravel.\u201d<\/p>\n
The problem is a shortage of water in Folsom Reservoir caused by the drought. Although the reservoir now holds more water than at this time last year, it is expected to be in worse shape by the end of summer.<\/p>\n
That\u2019s because the Sierra Nevada snowpack is at its lowest level in recorded history \u2013 just 8 percent of average as of Thursday. As a result, it will provide little runoff to refill the reservoir in the months ahead. Weather patterns diverted storms away from California most of the winter, leaving January and March as the driest in more than 100 years of record keeping.<\/p>\n
The U.S. Bureau of Reclamation, which operates Folsom and Nimbus dams on the American River, dropped water flows in the river to 500 cubic feet per second on Thursday. That falls below a flow standard negotiated with the Water Forum to protect the river environment, but it is allowed in cases of severe drought, Gohring said.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat was primarily an effort to help conserve water based on the persistent drought conditions,\u201d said Reclamation spokesman Louis Moore. \u201cEverything is being done to make sure the water supply we have is being used to the best of our ability, and we\u2019re working with others to stretch it.\u201d<\/p>\n
Water stored in Folsom Reservoir serves a number of urban water suppliers in the Sacramento region, as well as farm irrigation districts in the San Joaquin Valley.<\/p>\n
Reclamation has a limited ability to monitor temperatures in the river on its own. So the Sacramento Water Forum, which is funded mainly by local water agencies, hired a consultant to install temperature probes at strategic locations in the river. Those revealed that water temperatures have already exceeded 57 degrees, Gohring said.<\/p>\n
The problem has been aggravated by record-breaking heat in the Sacramento area last week. On Friday, Sacramento Executive Airport saw a high of 83 degrees, breaking the previous record of 79 degrees set in 1986. Downtown reached 85 degrees, which tied the record from 1923.<\/p>\n
Reclamation responded by boosting water releases from Folsom Dam. The water is being released from gates in the face of the dam \u2013 a rare occurrence \u2013 in order to access cold water deeper in the reservoir. That cooler water is expected to reach the lower American River, where steelhead spawn, starting Sundaymorning.<\/p>\n
The additional water flows will be temporary, lasting only into the afternoon on Monday. But officials hope it will be enough to help the emerging steelhead. Sacramento temperatures are expected to cool down to a more seasonable 70-degree range on Tuesday.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf water temperatures become a detriment to fish, they will make an adjustment to try and cool the water a bit,\u201d Moore said. \u201cWe are conserving as much as we can, and every little bit counts.\u201d<\/p>\n
The tight scheduling of water flows indicates how precious supplies have become.<\/p>\n
Endangered steelhead about to hatch in the American River could soon be killed by low flows and warm temperatures caused by the drought, a sign of the ongoing struggle over scarce water supplies. The fish, which are protected by the Endangered Species Act, are beginning to hatch from eggs in riverbed gravel. They require water … Continue reading Drought Threatens American River Fish<\/span>