Oct. 15, 2009
Contact:
Mark Pisano, Senior Fishery Biologist, (530) 842-9322
Harry Morse, DFG Communications, (916) 322-8962
The California Department of Fish and Game (DFG) commends Shasta River irrigators for their recent timely action to protect Chinook salmon. Their voluntary decision to reduce or cease legal water diversions during the irrigation season allowed more than 1,000 Chinook salmon congregated in the lower portion of the Shasta River to successfully continue their spawning run.
DFG has been monitoring the return of Chinook salmon to the Shasta River since 1930. This year's fish count began on September 4; when DFG scientists reviewed the data, it became clear that low flows and warm weather, along with disease and unusually high predation rates, were threatening the spawning run.
“Once irrigators were notified of the situation, many responded without hesitation,” said DFG Senior Fishery Biologist Mark Pisano. “Although they could have continued their legal water diversions upstream, some chose to release more water to aid the fish holding in the canyon. DFG believes this action helped minimize the potential for a major fish die-off.”
Adjudicated water diversions in the Shasta River are governed by a complex set of rules identified in the Shasta River Decree (#7035). Irrigation is allowed from April 1 through October 1 each year and water rights holders are not legally required to alter their operations to assist the fish runs. The voluntary decisions made by these water rights holders - such as Shasta Big Springs Ranch, which shut off ranch irrigation entirely - contributed an estimated 13 cubic feet per second to the river flow.
