Visitors to Lower Clear Creek should know about a dramatic increase in flow currently underway. Though it had once been diverted and exploited by miners and other industrial users, major federal rehabilitation projects in recent years have been working to restore Clear Creek to its potential to be one of the most highly productive habitats for naturally produced Salmon in California. To encourage threatened Spring Run Shinook Salmon to make their way upstream to spawn, and to protect their roe, a pulse flow is being done to stimulate the creation of holding pools and spawning riffles. In an increase that began Wednesday, the Bureau of Reclamation will boost releases from Whiskeytown Dam from 200 cubic feet per second to a peak of 840 CFS by Friday. On April 5th it should be back down to 200 CFS. Reclamation says the pulse flow does not require additional stored water beyond normal operations because it still remains within the Central Valley Project.
-Steve Gibson