River Riffle Newsletter – May

Header photo credit: Basho Parks, Trinity River near Kimtu, May 2024.

River Riffle Newsletter – May

Contents

  • Current Conditions
  • Reading, Listening & Watching
  • 2024 Science Symposium
  • Implementation Branch: Public Comment Period Open!
  • Upcoming Meetings and Events

Current Conditions

Cold Water Safety

As air temperatures climb so do visitors to the Trinity River. Please be aware that waters up and down the river corridor are very cold and the river is swift. When visiting, please take necessary river safety precautions! Check out Recreate Responsibly Water Safety for tips and remember that life jackets are a must this time of year.

Trinity Corridor Complexities – a Facebook group published the graphic shown and this announcement recently. Check it out!

The river is always changing! Click here to view the 2024 water year release schedule.

Reading, Listening, Watching

The positive impact of conservation action | Science

A research article that discusses whether conservation initiatives result in positive outcomes for biodiversity in comparison with no action.

When dams come down, what happens to the ocean? | HighCountry News

Since the Elwha River dam removal started in 2011, researchers have been closely monitoring the coastal ecosystems near the river mouth. Read about recent findings about monitored impacts and recovery on this coastal ecosystem.

Resilience – The Rise of Apache Trout | Trout Unlimited

“Resilience,“ a film produced by Trout Unlimited, showcases how the Apache Trout has made a remarkable recovery due in large part to the White Mountain Apache Tribe over the course of more than 50 years in northern Arizona.

2024 Science Symposium

Tuesday, April 30 – Fish Populations

The first day of the 2024 Trinity River Restoration Program Science Symposium was a great start to the week. Science Advisory Board members Kurt Fausch, Ph.D. and Andrew Paul, Ph.D. (link to bios) started the day by sharing their sage wisdom from decades of scientific practice and learning. Dr. Fausch took us across the Pacific Ocean to share his experiences with early groundbreaking work on the interconnectedness of streams and riparian ecosystems with colleagues in Hokkaido Japan, reminding us that the human connection to rivers and fish is, perhaps, more important than any scientific finding we can achieve. Next, Dr. Paul rounded out the morning with a lesson on study design and a cautionary tale on how good intentions can sometimes lead us astray. While sound, well formulated sampling designs can buffer against unintended missteps.


Wednesday, May 1 – Habitat, Flow and Temperature

Day two of the 2024 Trinity River Restoration Program Science Symposium was intended to explore the function of the Trinity River and other lotic (rapidly moving fresh water) systems. With an emphasis on creating a common understanding that can be applied to management in the future. Much has been learned in the relatively young field of river restoration over the last few decades, and leveraging that learning is critical to successful restoration in our watershed and others.


Thursday, May 2 – Physical Channel Form

The final day of the symposium focused on the physical environment that underpins the complex riparian and aquatic river ecosystem. We learned that while the Trinity River is actually used as an example for successful implementation of a functional flows approach to streamflow management, we are still missing some key components of a functional flow hydrograph that are essential to optimizing the physical and ecological processes of the river.

Implementation Branch

Public comment period open until May 31, 2024 for two proposed channel rehabilitation projects

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The Trinity River Restoration Program, Bureau of Reclamation and the Bureau of Land Management – Redding Field Office are in a 30-day public comment period for the proposed Upper Conner Creek (Junction City) and Sawmill Gravel Processing (Lewiston) Channel Rehabilitation Projects.

We invite input and participation from community members and interested parties through Friday, May 31, 2024.

Upcoming Meetings and Events

For a full list of events, click to view the TRRP Calendar.


May 18 – Big Flat Jamboree

Pigeon Point Run Kayak and Rafting Races – Big Flat

The event, a combination of racing and demonstration of skills, is the brainchild of Will Hoxie. Will didn’t live to see this come into being, but his family and many, many friends who have been inspired by his warmth, generosity, and huge spirit are working to make this happen.

We will be in attendance from 8:30am – 1pm on Saturday. Come say, “hi”, join or cheer on the races, listen to some great music and enjoy all that Big Flat has to offer!


May 18, 9am – 1pm – Sidney Gulch Invasive Weed Pull

Sidney Gulch Weaverville

This effort helps to slow the spread of these invasive weeds and create space for native plants in our watershed. This volunteer event is sponsored/co-sponsored by the Watershed Stewards Program (WSP), a special program of the California Conservation Corps and AmeriCorps.

Please direct any questions to Christine Burchinal, Watershed Stewards Program (WSP) Corps member at TCRCD, by phone at (530) 623-6004 ext. 211 or email cburchinal@tcrcd.net.


May 22, 6pm – Science on Tap

Trinity County Brewing Company

Join us on May 22 at 6 PM at Trinity County Brewing Company for Science on Tap, featuring Sarah Gomes. Sarah, the Western Science Coordinator for Monarch Joint Venture, will lead us through the magnificent migration of the monarch butterfly (Danaus plexippus) across California. We’ll delve into the intricacies of the monarch life cycle and migration, exploring the challenges of western monarch conservation and how community science programs like the Integrated Monarch Monitoring Program (IMMP) and Monarch Larva Monitoring Project (MLMP) play a crucial role in gathering valuable data for conservation efforts. Learn how you can contribute to monarch conservation efforts with just one plant and one observation!


TMC Partnership Ring

June 5 & 6, All Day – Quarterly TMC Meeting

In Person: Weitchpec, Ca.

Virtual: Click here to join the meeting

Meeting ID: 240 838 004 048
Passcode: WtYvMS

Download Teams | Join on the web


Contact Us

Call Us: 530-623-1800 Email Us: info@trrp.net