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1. Introduction
Pages 17-45

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From page 17...
... vsJ ancT shortnose sucker (Chasmistes brevirostrisJ ancT for the I(lamath basin component of a genetically distinct population of coho salmon (Oncorhynch?
From page 18...
... came into especially sharp focus cluring 2001, a year of drought, when fecleral agencies, in an effort to protect these fishes, all but eliminatecT the distribution of water from Upper Klamath Lake for irrigation. The severe economic consequences of that decision for some segments of the Klamath basin community brought a sense of crisis to a controversy that hacT aireacly clevelopecT around envi
From page 19...
... The committee hopes that its report will assist the fecleral government both in implementing the requirements of the ESA ancI in minimizing adverse effects of ESA actions on residents of the I(lamath River basin. OVERVIEW OF THE ENVIRONMENT For purposes of environmental analysis, it is convenient to clivicle the I(lamath River basin into an upper basin, which extends north ancI east from the Iron Gate Dam on the main stem of the I(lamath River, ancI a lower basin, which extends south ancI west to the Pacific Ocean (Figure 111.
From page 20...
... Although isolation has been less absolute for anaciromous fishes, which occupy the lower basin anti mix with other populations in the Pacific Ocean, the homing characteristics of salmonicis in combination with regional selective forces have lecI to the presence of genetically distinct populations of anaciromous fishes, inclucling the SONCC population of coho salmon, in the lower I(lamath basin anti several adjacent drainages (Chapter 71. With respect to water management, the upper basin has two parts: (1)
From page 21...
... Although the cletails are complex, the general pattern is that water stored in Upper Klamath Lake, Clear Lake, anti Gerber Reservoir is clivertecI for agricultural use, anti the unused portion of this clivertecI water is returned via Tule Lake, Lower Klamath Lake, or the Lost River to the main stem of the Klamath River (Figure 1-21. Approximate quantities of water flow are as shown in Table 1-1.
From page 22...
... Refuges anti preserves around the lakes can be consiclerecI a means of conserving or enhancing wetiancis that may be relevant to the welfare of enciangerecI suckers. Near Lower I(lamath Lake anti Tule Lake, water management is especially complicatecI in that the refuge lancis within the original inundation zones of these two lakes now are used extensively for agricultural purposes according to agreements that were reachecI cluring the early history of the refuges (Chapter 21.
From page 23...
... Irrigation water is withdrawn seasonally in large quantities through the A Canal, which is just above the Link River Dam. Principles of operation of the clam are a major point of controversy relatecI to the welfare of the enciangerecI suckers (Chapter 61.
From page 24...
... The six clams block access of both enciangerecI suckers anti coho salmon to large portions of their historical ranges anti can be clirect or indirect agents of fish mortality. Through the operation of Link River Dam, enciangerecI suckers have been historically entrained into the A Canal anti thus killecI (Chapter 61.
From page 25...
... For example, Figure 1-5 compares the flow near the mouth of the Williamson River, above which there are no major impoundments, with the flow at Iron Gate Dam, above which a great deal of water management occurs. Flows at the mouth of the Williamson River are affected by privately managed irrigation diversions but, given the large total flow in the Williamson, the hydrograph has predominantly natu
From page 26...
... The management of hycirographs, in combination with natural climatic variation, now is a major focus of attention in the analyses of environmental factors that may affect the welfare of the two enciangerecI sucker species anti the coho salmon (Chapter 41. Hycirology has environmental effects not only through its clirect control of physical attributes of stancling anti flowing water (mean depth, water velocity)
From page 27...
... The coho salmon, except in the case of some early-spawning males, has a 3-yr life history that is cliviclecI almost equally between marine ancI freshwater environments. A fall-winter migration brings the fish up the main stem of the I(lamath River.
From page 28...
... REQUIREMENTS OF THE ENDANGERED SPECIES ACT With the listing of the coho ancI the two enciangerecI suckers, the ESA introclucecI a new legal framework that has become the dominant factor in resolving water issues in the I(lamath River basin, except for the Trinity River, where EIS procedures predominate. The listing of the two sucker species ancI the coho salmon triggered a suite of ESA regulatory requirements, as follows: · Section 4 of the ESA requires the listing agency the U.S.
From page 29...
... ~2) , USFWS has influencecI USBR's maintenance of water levels in Upper I(lamath Lake for the protection of the enciangerecI suckers ancI NMFS has influencecI USBR's releases from Upper I(lamath Lake to the I(lamath River main stem for protection of the coho salmon.
From page 30...
... The enciangerecI ancI threatened fishes of the I(lamath River basin, ancI numerous other fishes not now listecI as threatened or enciangerecI (see Chapters 5 ancI 7) , are tribal trust species; the U.S.
From page 31...
... The revised assessments, which contain some aciclitional proposals for amelioration of potential damage to the enciangerecI ancI threatened species, are summarized at the encI of this chapter. The USFWS is charged with issuing biological opinions relatecI to the enciangerecI suckers of the I(lamath River basin.
From page 32...
... Irrigators have consistently been skeptical of reasoning that suggests a neecI for changing water management for the benefit of enciangerecI ancI threatened fishes; their consultants have entered the debate about the merits of various hypotheses unclerlying proposed changes in water use. The experiences of 2001, when the occurrence of a drought coinciclecI with the USFWS ancI the NMFS biological opinions to make the clelivery of irrigation water from the I(lamath Project virtually impossible for the first time
From page 33...
... The change has caused a loss of income anti foocI for inhabitants of the lower basin. The biological assessments anti biological opinions on the enciangerecI ancI threatened fishes have focused primarily on the operations of the I(lamath Project because fecleral agencies must operate fecleral facilities in such a way as to avoid jeopardy to enciangerecI or threatened species (Chapter 91.
From page 34...
... Second, the committee was to prepare a final report to be issued in 2003. The scope of the final report inclucles the biological assessments ancI opinions of 2002 but also extends to all matters relatecI to the long-term welfare of enciangerecI suckers ancI threatened coho salmon in the I(lamath River basin.
From page 35...
... For example, the catch phrase "fish need water" has been used as an assertion supporting increased water levels in Upper I(lamath Lake and TABLE 1-2 Categories Used by the Committee for fudging the Degree of Scientific Support for Proposed Actions Pursuant to the Goals of the ESA Scientific Possibly Potential to Basis of Proposed Action Support Correct? be Incorrect Intuition, unsupported assertion None Yes High Professional judgment inconsistent with evidence None Unlikely High Professional judgment with evidence absent Weak Yes Moderately high Professional judgment with some supporting evidence Moderate Yes Moderate Hypothesis tested by one line of evidence Moderately Yes Moderately strong low Hypothesis tested by more than one line of evidence Strong Yes Low
From page 36...
... A step beyond professional judgment is the empirical testing of scientific hypotheses involving cause ancI effect. If a properly clesignecI single line of evidence is clevelopecI as a means of testing such a hypothesis, ancI the hypothesis is not invaliciatecI, scientific support for the hypothesis can be consiclerecI moclerately strong.
From page 37...
... SUMMARY OF THE BIOLOGICAL ASSESSMENTS AND BIOLOGICAL OPINIONS OF 2002 The biological assessments issued by USER in 2001 anti the biological opinions issued by USFWS anti NMFS in 2001 all expired after 1 yr, so new assessments anti opinions were issued in 2002. The assessments anti opinions of 2002 cliffer from those of 2001 in several respects.
From page 38...
... The water bank wouicI provide operational flexibility in meeting multiple neecis for water cluring years of water scarcity anti wouicI help USBR to ensure that water-level targets in lakes (or flow requirements at Iron Gate Dam, for coho salmon) wouicI be met.
From page 39...
... Having thus classifiecI a cleveloping water year as belonging to one of the four categories, USBR wouicI follow specifications on minimum water levels for the appropriate water-year category. A second, later calculation wouicI facilitate maintenance of water levels in lakes no lower than the average (rather than the minimum)
From page 40...
... As shown in the USFWS biological opinion, use of a 70°/O forecast, although favorably conservative for watermanagement purposes in tending to underestimate water availability, couicI be unfavorable from the environmental point of view if it were allowecI to justify water-level cirawclown in lakes more extreme than wouicI be consisTABLE 1-4 Summary of Components of USFWS Biological Opinions of 2002 that are Relevant to the Two EnciangerecI Sucker Species of the I(lamath River Basin . Component of Biological Opiniona Use 50% rather than 70% exceedance probability for planning water levels in Upper Klamath Lake Screen power-plant intakes at Link River Dam Study cause of death and habitat needs of endangered suckers in Upper Klamath Lake Take actions leading to more favorable water quality and expansion of habitat Monitor populations of endangered suckers Produce annual assessment report on suckers Follow specific implementation schedule Components shown here are in addition to proposals of the USER in its biological assessment.
From page 41...
... Other requirements of the biological opinion are that USBR stucly the causes of mass mortality of fish ancI access of enciangerecI suckers to habitat in Upper I(lamath Lake, take actions clesignecI to recluce unfavorable aspects of water quality or limitations in sucker habitat, monitor populations of enciangerecI suckers, ancI produce an annual assessment report. A cletailecI implementation scheclule anti requirements for collaborative work of USBR with other parties accompany this element of the RPA.
From page 42...
... An aciclitional component of the proposed operating plan for any given year is the establishment ancI operation of a water bank, which also serves the neecis of enciangerecI suckers, ultimately to be as large as 100,000 acreft. Mechanisms for water banking couicI involve offstream storage but also couicI inclucle reduction in irrigation clemancI with compensation to irrigators ancI conjunctive use of grounc~water ancI surface water to provide a buffer that wouicI be especially useful in ciry years (Chapter 101.
From page 43...
... NMFS, as part of the RPA, requires USBR to builcI a water bank, which USBR has agreed to be its preferred method for meeting its obligation to provide the 57°/O of flow shortfalls that NMFS will require it to provide for support of the threatened coho salmon (specific flows are shown in Table 9 TABLET-6 Summary of Components of NMFS Biological Opinions of 2002 that are Relevant to Threatened Coho Salmon in the I(lamath River Basin Component of Biological Opiniona Apply 57% rule for proportionate USER direct responsibility for flow at Iron Gate Dam Use task force to develop the 43% additional flow from nonproject sources Use phased approach to raising flows and lowering temperatures Develop water bank (100,000 acre feet) on specific schedule Adopt water-year types as identified in draft phase II flow study report (Hardy and Addley 2001)
From page 44...
... NMFS specified upper limits on ramping rates below Iron Gate Dam. The specifications are more stringent anti more cletailecI than those governing previous operations.
From page 45...
... In cloing so, however, they appear to have macle a special effort to frame their requirements in such a way as to cause minimal impairment of I(lamath Project operations anti, in contrast with 2001, have recognized the inevitable neecI to inclucle parties other than USER in modification of environmental conditions for the benefit of the enciangerecI ancI threatened fishes. CONTEXT FOR THE COMMITTEE'S REPORT The NRC committee has evaluatecI a very extensive accumulation of ciata collectecI both in the fielcI ancI laboratory, historical records of various kincis, opinions anti interpretations by inclivicluals intimately familiar with the environmental conditions in the I(lamath, ancI numerical analyses of many kincis.


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