[env-trinity] Trinity Journal 3 9 2011

[Byron Leydecker]

 <http://www.trinityjournal.com/>
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Trinity weighs in on water issue

BY SALLY MORRIS 

THE TRINITY JOURNAL 

Reminding everyone where the water originates, Trinity County supervisors
have weighed in on recent efforts by Humboldt County to gain an additional
50,000 acre feet of water annually down the Trinity River.

With assistance from the Hoopa and Yurok tribes, Humboldt began pressing the
U.S. Bureau of Reclamation last fall to reconsider its stance on the water
the county claims its been owed since the 1955 Act to dam Trinity River
water and divert it to the Central Valley Project was approved.

Reclamation has historically held that the 50,000 acre feet mentioned in the
1955 promise to make water available for the beneficial use of Humboldt
County and other "downstream users" is included in the flows already sent
down the river for fisheries.

In a meeting last September with Reclamation Commissioner Mike Connor,
Humboldt County and tribal representatives argued that current flows are
specifically linked to fisheries and therefore cannot logically be
considered available as promised for out-of-stream uses.

No particular deadline was set for a decision by Reclamation though there
was an agreement by the agency's leader in the Obama administration to
re-evaluate its position concerning the 50,000 acre feet. Humboldt County
and the tribes viewed that development alone as a milestone in their long
fight for the water.

But now Trinity County has weighed in.

"We want the Bureau of Reclamation to make sure 'county of origin'
protections are taken into consideration," said Trinity County Sup. Roger
Jaegel.

He worked with Sup. Judy Pflueger representing the Trinity Lake area and
Arnold Whitridge, a longtime Trinity River restoration advocate and former
county supervisor, to draft a letter of response to Commissioner Mike
Connor.

"We're going to fight for our water rights. That's what this is coming down
to," Pflueger said as the Trinity Board of Supervisors voted to approve and
send the letter last week. 

Connor, who also visited last fall with representatives of the Trinity River
Restoration Program and interested local citizens, was thanked for his
attention and commitment to clarifying the federal agency's obligations
concerning the 50,000 acre feet.

As he prepares to consult with local agencies on the matter, Trinity
supervisors urged Connor to consider Trinity County's perspective as the
county of origin in that all water in the Trinity reservoir originates here
and the river flows for most of its length within Trinity County.

The letter states: "Our citizens value the fish it sustains, the recreation
it provides and the power it generates. Trinity County has actively
participated in fishery restoration efforts on the river since fishery
restoration efforts became necessary. Plainly, Trinity County citizens are
'downstream users' of Trinity reservoir releases."

Furthermore, it says that any decision on allocation of water from the
Trinity River and Trinity Lake should carefully consider Trinity County's
preferential right as the county of origin.

It also requests that the Bureau of Reclamation consult with Trinity County
as a coordinating agency on decisions involving waters originating within
the county.

Regarding the status of the agency review, Jaegel said, "We haven't heard a
word. They said they'd be consulting with all parties by the end of the
year, but that didn't happen. We understand that Humboldt and the tribes,
the Bureau of Reclamation and a lot of solicitors are all looking at that
50,000 acre feet, but the water originates here and we are also some of
those 'downstream users' mentioned in the original legislation."

Byron Leydecker, JcT

Chair, Friends of Trinity River

PO Box 2327

Mill Valley, CA 94942-2327

415 383 4810 land

415 519 4810 mobile

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(secondary)

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