Page 8 - Sonoma County Gazette February 2017

FLOWS cont’d from page 1
Why Lower the River FLow?
The Flow EIR is primarily in response to the changes sought by the Russian River Biological Opinion (RRBO) from 2008. Biological Opinions are required when endangered species are present due to Section 7 of the Federal Endangered Species Act. Section 7 requires a review of any Federal (US Gov’t in other words) operations that might negatively impact any endangered species. In our RR those are Coho Salmon, Steelhead Trout and Chinook Salmon. The Federal operations include management of Lake Mendocino and Lake Sonoma by the Army Corps and Sonoma County Water Agency (SCWA) via their water supply releases, diversions and flood control operations of the SCWA. The RRBO concluded that the current summer flows and estuary management posed a threat to the Salmon and dictated that seventeen actions be taken to mitigate or offset those threats.
The RRBO mandated action to seek a permanent 44% reduction in summer flows. This is the main driver for the Flow EIR and has raised a flood of controversy due to likely impacts to recreation and water quality in the summer months. The RRBO concluded that lower water velocities in summer would improve habitat for juvenile steelhead in the upper Russian River. It also stated that current summer flows disrupt the formation of a “closed lagoon” in the Russian River estuary reducing habitat quality for salmon.
Since SCWA operates the dam releases in summer and manages flood control breaching at the river mouth, they are responsible for seeking the RRBO required changes, hence the Flow EIR. Public comments on the Flow EIR are due February 14th. At the same time in order to change summer flows, SCWA has filed a Water Rights petition to the State Waterboard and the public has a right to file Protests to that Petition.
These Petitions are also due February 14th.
Both have a lot of people writing comments and protests in response to their concerns about the impacts of reduced summer flows.
The Flow EIR Project has five parts with two relating to updating water rights permits, one on revising the “hydrologic index” for the river and two focused on reducing minimum required flows.
Two Parts to the Puzzle
Fish Flow EIR Comment Period Extended to March10; Errata Available
According to the Flow EIR, reducing summer flows can create benefits for salmon by keeping more water in small Lake Mendocino, which helps preserve cold water deep
in the Lake. Flow
The Sonoma County Water Agency has extended the public review period for the Fish Habitat Flow and Water Rights Project (Fish Flow Project) Draft Environmental Impact Report (DEIR) to 5 p.m., March 10, 2017. The 204-day review period began on August 19, 2016.
reductions would improve summer rearing habitat for juvenile steelhead trout in the Ukiah to Cloverdale reach, according to the Flow EIR’s Upper Russian River Habitat Model. The EIR also states that flow reductions would reduce inflows into
The comment period was extended to allow for additional time to review a recently released errata. The errata was issued after resource agency sta asked a question about a speci c water temperature gure in Appendix G to the DEIR, which resulted in Water Agency sta reviewing the gures again. The errata corrects temperature and dissolved oxygen gures in the appendix of the modeling results. The errata does not change the DEIR impact analysis. The DEIR errata do not add signi cant new information or data regarding the project or environmental setting and would not substantially increase the severity of an impact or create a new signi cant impact.
Upper Russian River in middle of Ukiah valley where the estuary and perennial cold water feeds overhanging trees producing loads
The Fish Flow Project would lower minimum instream ow requirements in the Russian River and Dry Creek to bene t threatened and endangered juvenile salmon, change the hydrologic index to better re ect watershed conditions and secure the existing rights to 75,000 acre feet of water used to provide drinking water to 600,000 residents in portions of Sonoma and Marin counties. The DEIR describes the proposed Fish Flow Project, the purpose of the project, why it is necessary and the potential environmental impacts of the project.
the sandbar, thus preserving stable rearing habitat in the estuary.
At the same time the Flow EIR states that flow reductions would also result in “significant and unavoidable” negative impacts to water quality, potentially
The DEIR and the errata sheet are available online atscwa.ca.gov/ sh- ow/ and at Sonoma and Mendocino County libraries. Hard copies of the DEIR are available for purchase at (707) 547-1900 or at the Water Agency’s o ce.
The Flow EIR Project seems to set up a clash between the Federal Endangered Species Act and the Clean Water Acts – how can this be if it’s good for the River?
At Russian Riverkeeper we’ve been studying the whole notion of reducing flows since 2003 and think there are superior alternatives we must consider to help our salmon, ensure a more reliable water supply and preserve our right to a clean, safe river. Our biggest concern, shared by many, is that reduced flows will lead to increases in nutrient concentrations that are not healthy for salmon and are a factor in toxic algae blooms. We have other concerns such as reducing the
All written comments can be sent to sh ow-eir@scwa.ca.gov or to Sonoma County Water Agency, Attn: Fish Flow DEIR., 404 Aviation Boulevard, Santa Rosa, CA 95403 by 5 p.m., Monday, March 10, 2017.
8 - www.sonomacountygazette.com - 2/17
FLOWS cont’d on page 9
We’ll focus now on the two flow reduction parts since they are controversial.
reduce the need to of terrestrial food sources to juvenile steelhead. mechanically breach
harming both salmon and recreation.
Alternative Solutions