SCARCITY OF SALMON AND A BLEAK FUTURE?

Large returns of king salmon to the American River used to be the norm. But persistent drought conditions and perceived mismanagement of water resources could make them all but nonexistent in the future, some worry. (DAN COX/USFWS)

BROTHER, CAN YOU SPARE A DRINK?

AS DROUGHT LOOMS AGAIN, WORRIES FOR ‘ANOTHER YEAR OF DECIMATED NATURAL SALMON RUNS’

By Chris Cocoles

California’s Central Valley salmon runs have been in jeopardy for quite some time now, and a late February water allocation report from the Bureau of Reclamation wasn’t exactly a ringing endorsement that help is on the way. Essentially, the report stated there would be no water to give, barring miracle rainfall in March, which just hasn’t happened anywhere near enough in the drought-affected state. And as conservationists, environmentalists and the fishing community have stated, farmers seem to be first in line to get California’s allocated water. That could mean doom for already declining Chinook runs that return to the Sacramento River and its major tributaries.

The latest setback only adds to a contentious debate over how to distribute the state’s precious water.

“We’re likely looking at another year of decimated natural salmon runs due to water decisions that favor a small group of agricultural landowners over the interests of the rest of California,” Golden State Salmon Association president John McManus said. “The governor’s team needs to take action to avoid this disastrous outcome, not only for the thousands of families whose livelihoods are tied to the salmon industry, but also for all Californians who care about the natural fish and wildlife native to our state.”

Save for a deluge in 2019 and what appeared to be a promising snowy December, the state has endured another extended period of heavy drought, dangerously low levels of Northern California’s most critical reservoirs and low flow on the key rivers that fall-run Chinook spawn in.

And the Bureau of Reclamation’s Central Valley Project report released on Feb. 23 painted a bleak picture about the state’s water supply.

“We began the 2022 water year with low (Central Valley Project) reservoir storage and some weather whiplash, starting with a record day of Sacramento rainfall in October and snow-packed December storms to a very dry January and February, which are on pace to be the driest on record,” said Ernest Conant, Bureau of Reclamation regional director. “Further, the December storms disproportionately played out this year in the headwaters

This June 2021 photo of Folsom Lake sadly exemplifies what’s become the norm around raindeprived California. Folsom was at 54 percent of capacity on Feb. 24 during a winter drought that saw nearby Sacramento go a record 45 consecutive days without precipitation. “We’ve got our work cut out for us this year,” Bureau of Reclamation regional director Ernest Conant said. (CHRIS COCOLES)

– heavy in the American River Basin and unfortunately light in the upper Sacramento River Basin, which feeds into Shasta Reservoir, the cornerstone of the CVP.”

The Reclamation press release cited a California Department of Water Resources Feb. 1-15 survey of a 1.2-million-acre-foot decrease in projected annual inflow for Shasta, Oroville, Folsom and New Melones Reservoirs.

“Without significant precipitation, this may continue to decrease further,” the report said in what seemed like a Hail Mary pass in hopes of a March filled with heavy rain and/or snow.

“Losing over a million acre-feet of projected inflow in two weeks’ time is concerning,” Conant added. “We’ve got our work cut out for us this year; strengthened collaboration and coordination among agency partners, water and power users, and stakeholders will be instrumental.”

For skeptical and frustrated salmon defenders like GSSA’s McManus, getting on the same page hasn’t been the case. As the state’s Chinook returns remain low, there appears to be a lack of action.

“The news from the Bureau of Reclamation makes clear that they and other water managers squandered a whole lot of water after the very wet spring of 2019. This highlights the need for more responsible drought planning,” McManus said. “When it comes to being responsible stewards of the state’s natural resources, water business as usual isn’t serving the state anymore.”

FISHERMEN IN SOLUTION MODE

Earlier in February, two of salmon fishing’s most dedicated fighters for the Central Valley fisheries, guides J.D. Richey (fishwithjd.com) and James Stone (elitesportsmen.com), vice president and president of the NorCal Guides and Sportsmen’s Association (ncgasa.org), respectively, gathered for a powerful live Facebook chat. They discussed the cloudy future for the Central Valley’s once plentiful salmon runs that appear to be nearing catastrophic depths. Stone noted that escapement goals haven’t been met in 11 of the past 15 years. To view the chat, go to facebook.com/1359889245/ videos/226237772967207.

Two important meetings were scheduled for early this month. The California Department of Fish and Wildlife’s Salmon Information Meeting on March 2, and the Pacific Marine Fisheries Council meeting from March 8-14, where 2022 ocean and inland seasons will be discussed. Stone is a member of PMFC’s Salmon Advisory Subcommittee and is California’s sport recreational fishery representative.

Stone said it’s public forums such as the CDFW remote meeting where anglers like he and Richey hope those passionate about preserving these now precarious salmon runs in the state should have their voices heard, especially with statistical data trending down and suggesting there might not be any fish left in the future.

“There are only 1.5 million anglers in California left. That’s it. And we’re down to 275,000 hunters in the whole state of California – out of 40 million people. So you’ve got to realize that we’re falling apart, guys,” Stone said. “We’ve got to band together and not fight against each other. Whether you’re an inland or ocean (angler), whatever sector you are, just be truthful and honest with yourself. What are we going to do as a coalition and a group together to make sure that we all have access to the fishery? We can all go feed our families and we can all still go and make sure that we have salmon for multiple generations past us.” CS

2022 SALMON FORECASTS

CDFW’s early March forecast for fallrun kings for the Sacramento River system was promising, relatively speaking. The ocean abundance of 396,500 fish is significantly higher than the 271,000 that were projected for 2021. Meanwhile, the forecast of 200,100 Klamath River salmon in the Pacific in 2022 is comparable to last year’s prediction.

“We are hoping for a decent salmon fishing season this year, and there’s some reason for optimism, but there are several variables yet to be dealt with,” said Golden State Salmon Association president John McManus. “What’s needed is a few years of good returns and some water to help rebuild the natural spawning stocks. GSSA is working overtime to get more river flows for salmon, coupled with habitat and hatchery improvements.” –CC

CALIFORNIA

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