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Research about Trinity River

Source-linked reports with geographic coverage including Trinity River.

12 recordsLinked to original sources
USGS2024

Hydrologic, water operations, reservoir temperature, river temperature, sediment transport, habitat, and fish population modeling for the Trinity River Water Management Plan

Humboldt County is developing a Water Management Plan that will describe a range of proposed annual releases from Trinity Reservoir consistent with the 1959 water delivery contract between Humboldt County and the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation (Reclamation). The 1959 contract states that Reclamation shall release not less than an annual quantity of 50,000 acre-feet into the Trinity River for the beneficial use of Humboldt County and other downstream users (Contract Water). The Water Management Plan will outline how Contract Water should be released for the benefit of fisheries in the Trinity River and lower Klamath River, with the primary goal of expanding a harvestable surplus of Tribal, recreational, and commercial fisheries. A set of annual Contract Water release scenarios were developed during five workshops conducted in 2022 and 2023 with interested parties including Humboldt County, state and federal resource agencies, tribal representatives, Reclamation, and the U.S. Department of the Interior Solicitor’s office. A suite of modeling and technical tools was used to analyze annual conditions with and without Contract Water releases. This Modeling Report describes the modeling tools used to assess Contract Water release scenarios, including CalSim II, HEC-5Q, RBM10, sediment transport models, Chinook Salmon habitat models, and the Stream Salmonid Simulator. Results from all models are summarized to provide a comparative overview of modeled release scenarios to modeled baseline conditions. Mean annual Contract Water release scenarios ranged from 50,000 acre-feet to 170,000 acre-feet, and varied in timing, magnitude, and duration, though all releases were made between October and April. As shown in Table ES-1, a key finding of this modeling report is Contract Water releases that had the greatest modeled increase in Chinook Salmon abundance relative to baseline conditions included those that released 50,000 acre-feet in the fall period from October through December as pulse flows or baseflows, and those that released 170,000 acre-feet from October through April as a combination of pulse flows and baseflows. Modeled beneficial effects on populations were primarily due to either (1) increases in habitat area during the spawning life stage in October through December, which decreased redd superimposition (e.g., the process of a later arriving spawner building a redd on top of an existing redd) and improved egg survival, or (2) increases in flow during the fry emergence and juvenile rearing life stage in March through April, which increased the fry and parr carrying capacity (e.g., the upper limit for the number of fry or parr that a habitat unit can support) of individual habitat units. Another key finding of this report is all Contract Water scenarios that released at least 50,000 acre-feet annually from Trinity Reservoir had similar effects on Trinity Reservoir storage, Central Valley Project (CVP) storage, CVP contract water deliveries, and Sacramento River water temperatures. Whether these scenarios were released annually as a fall baseflow, fall pulse flow, spring pulse flow, or spring baseflow, they all resulted in similar storage patterns in Trinity Reservoir – an annual reduction in storage relative to the baseline that was relatively small in wetter years and larger in drier years. As a result of lower Trinity Storage levels, Trinity River Division (TRD) exports to the CVP were reduced. Because the timing of exports is similar each year, reaching a peak in July through September, the reduction to exports occurred at the same time each year, independent of Contract Water release timing, resulting in similar storage, CVP delivery, and water temperature effects in the Sacramento River basin portion of the CVP. The water temperature effects on the Sacramento River were limited to the months of July and August, relatively minor, and were primarily attributed to changes in storage, release magnitude, and release temperature from Lake Shasta, and not due explicitly to inflows from the TRD.

California↗
USGS2020

Compounds of emerging concern detected in water samples from potable water and wastewater treatment plants and detected in water and bed-sediment samples from sites on the Trinity River, Dallas, Texas, 2009–13

The population in the Dallas-Fort Worth metropolitan area in northern Texas is rapidly growing, resulting in a rapid increase in the demand for potable water and an increase in the discharge of wastewater treatment plant effluent. An assessment of compounds of emerging concern (CECs) in samples collected at potable water and wastewater treatment plants in Dallas and downstream from Dallas in the Trinity River was completed by the U.S. Geological Survey in cooperation with the City of Dallas, Dallas Water Utilities. CECs are synthetic or naturally occurring chemicals that are not commonly monitored in the environment but can enter the environment and cause known or suspected adverse ecological or human health effects. CECs can enter the environment through nonpoint sources (for example, runoff) and point sources (for example, concentrated animal feeding operations and treated-effluent discharge from wastewater treatment plants), which can increase concentrations of CECs especially in highly populated areas. CECs include pharmaceuticals (prescription and nonprescription), steroidal hormones, stanols, sterols, detergents and detergent metabolites (hereinafter referred to as “detergents”), personal-use products, pesticides, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), flame retardants, plasticizers, and other organic compounds used in everyday domestic, agricultural, and industrial applications. The release of CECs to the environment went largely unrecognized until relatively recently. Increased loading of certain CECs to the environment, combined with advancements in laboratory analysis methods that resulted in appreciably lower detection levels, brought greater attention to the release of CECs. In addition, synthesis of new chemicals or changes in use and disposal of existing chemicals can create new sources of CECs. Some CECs are endocrine disrupting compounds (EDCs), which can elicit adverse effects on development, behavior, and reproduction of wildlife and can cause dysfunction of human and wildlife endocrine (hormone) systems. Results of studies in the United States and Europe indicate that CECs, their metabolites, and industrial, agricultural, and household wastewater products are present in the aquatic environment, water treatment plants, and septic systems. CECs, especially pharmaceuticals, are of interest because of their persistence, widespread use, and potential to cause adverse effects in humans and nontargeted organisms. There is also concern that some CECs and EDCs resist degradation of water treatment processes at potable water treatment plants (PWTPs) and wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) and that treated-effluent discharge could contain compounds that negatively affect biota living in receiving waters. Therefore, CECs and EDCs are more likely to be detected in environmental samples collected near areas of high population density where treated effluent from WWTPs can contribute substantially to receiving waters. The U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the City of Dallas, Dallas Water Utilities, evaluated the occurrence and concentrations of selected CECs in samples collected at PWTPs and WWTPs in Dallas and downstream from the Dallas-Fort Worth metropolitan area in the Trinity River, Texas, from August 2009 to December 2013. Water samples were collected at three PWTP sites, two WWTP sites, and five study sites on the Trinity River; all sites where samples were collected were in or downstream from Dallas. These water samples were analyzed for 120 CECs, including human-health pharmaceuticals (prescription and nonprescription), antibiotics, steroidal hormones, stanols, sterols, detergents, personal-use products (flavors and fragrances), pesticides and repellents, industrial wastewater compounds, disinfection compounds, PAHs, flame retardants, and plasticizers. Additionally, bed-sediment samples were collected at each of the five Trinity River sites. The bed-sediment samples were analyzed for 57 CECs. In general, the water treatment processes at PWTPs and WWTPs were effective at reducing detections and concentrations of CECs to undetectable levels or transforming the compounds into degradates that were not analyzed. There were 14 and 73 CECs detected in raw water and in untreated-influent water at PWTPs and WWTPs, respectively. Of these, 11 of the 14 CECs detected in raw-water samples and 44 of the 73 CECs detected in untreated-influent samples were not detected in finished water or in treated-effluent water samples, respectively, indicating that these compounds were removed or degraded to compounds that were not analyzed. Some CECs, however, are resistant to degradation and were detected in untreated and treated water at PWTPs and at WWTPs. The three CECs detected at PWTPs in raw-water and finished-water samples were tris(dichloroisopropyl)phosphate, benzophenone, and methyl salicylate. At WWTPs, 29 CECs were detected, including carbamazepine, sulfamethoxazole, 4-androstene-3,17- dione , 3-beta-coprostanol, acetyl-hexamethyl-tetrahydronaphthalene (AHTN), hexahydro-hexamethyl-cyclopenta-benzopyran (HHCB), 1,4-dichlorobenzene, tribromomethane, benzophenone, and tris(dichloroisopropyl)phosphate, in untreated and treated water, indicating that treatment processes likely did not remove or degrade these compounds. Of the 23 CECs detected in stream-water samples collected at 5 sites on the Trinity River in or near Dallas, 10 CECs (carbamazepine, sulfamethoxazole, caffeine, 3-beta-coprostanol, cholesterol, HHCB, benzophenone, triethyl citrate, tributyl phosphate, and tris(dichloroisopropyl)phosphate) were detected at all 5 sites. The 10 CECs detected in water samples collected at all 5 sites on the Trinity River were also detected in treated-effluent water at WWTPs. Eleven of the 57 targeted CECs were detected in bed-sediment samples collected at study sites on the Trinity River. Of these 11 CECs, only 2 (beta-sitosterol and cholesterol) were detected in bed-sediment samples at all 5 sites on the Trinity River. Nine of these 11 CECs were not detected in any water-column sample, likely because of the strong hydrophobic characteristics of these compounds. Results from water treatment plants indicate that the water treatment process is less effective for removing or degrading compounds that are engineered to be resistant to degradation. These results also indicate the presence of CECs and EDCs at locations upstream from PWTPs in Dallas. Results from Trinity River main-stem sites indicate that some compounds are naturally attenuated during transport, but a few are persistent throughout the study reach. Many CECs and EDCs are hydrophobic and were only detected in bed sediment, indicating multiple pathways through which CECs can persist in the environment. In general, concentrations of CECs in the Dallas-Fort Worth metropolitan area were similar to those found in metropolitan areas nationwide.

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USGS2018

Application of the Stream Salmonid Simulator (S3) to the restoration reach of the Trinity River, California—Parameterization and calibration

Executive Summary In this report, we constructed and parameterized the Stream Salmonid Simulator (S3) for the 64-kilometer “Restoration Reach” of the Trinity River, just downstream of Lewiston Dam in northern California. S3 is a deterministic life-stage-structured population model that tracks daily growth, movement, and survival of juvenile salmon. A key theme of the model is that river flow affects habitat availability and capacity, which in turn drives density-dependent population dynamics. To explicitly link population dynamics to habitat quality and quantity, the river environment is constructed as a one-dimensional series of linked habitat units, each of which has an associated daily timeseries of discharge, water temperature, and useable habitat area or carrying capacity. In turn, the physical characteristics of each habitat unit and the number of fish occupying each unit drive survival and growth within each habitat unit and movement of fish among habitat units. The physical template of the Restoration Reach was formed by classifying the river into 356 meso-habitat units comprised of runs, riffles, and pools. For each habitat unit, we developed a timeseries of daily flow, water temperature, amount of available spawning habitat, and fry and parr carrying capacity. Capacity timeseries were constructed using state-of-the-art models of spatially explicit hydrodynamics and quantitative fish habitat relationships developed for the Trinity River. These variables were then used to drive population dynamics such as egg growth and survival and juvenile movement, growth, and survival.

California↗
USGS2016

Herpetological monitoring and assessment on the Trinity River, Trinity County, California—Final report

The primary goal of the Trinity River Restoration Program is to rehabilitate the fisheries on the dam-controlled Trinity River. However, maintaining and enhancing other wildlife populations through the restoration initiative is also a key objective. Foothill yellow-legged frogs ( Rana boylii ) and western pond turtles ( Actinemys marmorata ) have been identified as important herpetological species on which to focus monitoring efforts due to their status as California state-listed species of concern and potential listing on the U.S. Endangered Species List. We developed and implemented a monitoring strategy for these species specific to the Trinity River with the objectives of establishing baseline values for probabilities of site occupancy, colonization, and local extinction; identifying site characteristics that correlate with the probability of extinction; and estimating overall trends in abundance. Our 3-year study suggests that foothill yellow-legged frogs declined in the probability of site occupancy. Conversely, our results suggest that western pond turtles increased in both abundance and the probability of site occupancy. The short length of our study period makes it difficult to draw firm conclusions, but these results provide much-needed baseline data. Further monitoring and directed studies are required to assess how habitat changes and management decisions relate to the status and trend of these species over the long term.

California↗
USGS2016

Construction, calibration, and validation of the RBM10 water temperature model for the Trinity River, northern California

We constructed a one-dimensional daily averaged water-temperature model to simulate Trinity River temperatures for 1980–2013. The purpose of this model is to assess effects of water-management actions on water temperature and to provide water temperature inputs for a salmon population dynamics model. Simulated meteorological data, observed streamflow data, and observed water temperatures were used as model inputs to simulate a continuous 34-year time series of historical daily mean water temperature at eight locations along 112.2 river miles from Lewiston Dam near Weaverville, California, downstream to the Klamath River confluence. To demonstrate the utility of the model to inform management actions, we simulated three management alternatives to assess the effects of bypass flow augmentation in a drought year, 1994, and compared those results to the simulated historical baseline, referred to as the “No Action” alternative scenario. Augmentation flows from the Lewiston Dam bypass consist of temperature-controlled releases capable of cooling downstream water temperatures in hot times of the year, which can reduce the probability of disease outbreaks in fish populations. Outputs from the Trinity River water-temperature model were then used as inputs to an existing water-temperature model of the Klamath River to evaluate the effect of augmentation flow releases on water temperatures in the lower Klamath River. We structured the Trinity River water-temperature model in River Basin Model-10 (RBM10), which uses a simple equilibrium flow model, assuming discharge in each river segment on each day is transmitted downstream instantaneously. The model uses a heat-budget formulation to quantify heat flux at the air-water interface. Inputs for the heat budget are calculated from daily mean meteorological data, including net shortwave solar radiation, net longwave atmospheric radiation, air temperature, wind speed, vapor pressure, and a psychrometric constant needed to calculate the Bowen ratio. The modeling domain was divided into eight reaches ranging in length from 8.8 to 20.6 miles, which were calibrated and validated separately with observed water temperature data collected irregularly from 1980 to 2013. Root mean square errors of observed and simulated water temperatures for the eight reaches ranged from 0.25 to 1.12 degrees Celsius (°C). Mean absolute errors ranged from 0.18 to 0.89 °C. For model validation, a k -fold cross-validation technique was used. Validation root mean square error and mean absolute error for the eight reaches ranged from 0.24 to 1.11 °C and from 0.18 to 0.89 °C, respectively. Augmentation scenarios were based on historical hydrological and meteorological data, combined with prescribed flow and temperature releases from Lewiston Dam provided by the Bureau of Reclamation. Water releases were scheduled to achieve targeted flows of 2,500, 2,800, and 3,200 cubic feet per second in the lower Klamath River from mid-August through late September, coinciding with the upstream migration of adult fall-run Chinook salmon ( Oncorhynchus tshawytscha ). Water temperatures simulated at river mile 5.7 on the Klamath River showed a 5 °C decrease from the No Action historical baseline, which was near or greater than 23 °C when augmentation began in mid-August. Thereafter, an approximate 1 °C difference among augmentation scenarios emerged, with the decrease in water temperature commensurate to the level of augmentation. All augmentation scenarios simulated water temperatures equal to or less than 21 °C from mid-August through late September. Water temperatures equal to or greater than 23 °C are of particular interest because of a thermal threshold known to inhibit upstream migration of salmon. When temperatures exceed this approximate 23 °C threshold, Chinook salmon are known to congregate in high densities in thermal refugias and show extended residence times, which can potentially trigger epizootic outbreaks such as of Ichthyophthirius multifiliis (“Ich”) and Flavobacterium columnare (“Columnaris”) that were the causative factors of the Klamath River fish kill in 2002. A model with the ability to simulate water temperatures in response to management actions at the basin scale is a valuable asset for water managers who must make decisions about how best to use limited water resources, which directly affect the state of fisheries in the Klamath Basin.

California↗
USGS2015

Evidence of counter-gradient growth in western pond turtles ( Actinemys marmorata ) across thermal gradients

Counter-gradient growth, where growth per unit temperature increases as temperature decreases, can reduce the variation in ectothermic growth rates across environmental gradients. Understanding how ectothermic species respond to changing temperatures is essential to their conservation and management due to human-altered habitats and changing climates. Here, we use two contrasting populations of western pond turtles ( Actinemys marmorata ) to model the effect of artificial and variable temperature regimes on growth and age at reproductive maturity. The two populations occur on forks of the Trinity River in northern California, U.S.A. The South Fork Trinity River (South Fork) is unregulated, while the main stem of the Trinity River (Main Stem) is dammed and has peak seasonal temperatures that are approximately 10 °C colder than the South Fork. Consistent with other studies, we found reduced annual growth rates for turtles in the colder Main Stem compared to the warmer South Fork. The South Fork population matured approximately 9 year earlier, on average, and at a larger body size than the Main Stem population. When we normalised growth rates for the thermal opportunity for growth using water-growing degree-days (GDD), we found the reverse for growth rates and age at reproductive maturity. Main Stem turtles grew approximately twice as fast as South Fork turtles per GDD. Main Stem turtles also required approximately 50% fewer GDD to reach their smaller size at reproductive maturity compared to the larger South Fork turtles. We found we could accurately hindcast growth rates based on water temperatures estimated from the total volume of discharge from the dam into the Main Stem, providing a management tool for predicting the impacts of the dam on turtle growth rates. Given the importance of size and age at reproductive maturity to population dynamics, this information on counter-gradient growth will improve our ability to understand and predict the consequences of dam operations for downstream turtle populations.

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USGS2015

Geomorphic mapping to support river restoration on the Trinity River downstream from Lewiston Dam, California, 1980-2011

Historic land use, dam construction, water storage, and flow diversions in the Trinity River watershed have resulted in downstream geomorphic change, loss of salmonid habitat, and declines in salmonid populations. The USGS in cooperation with the Trinity River Restoration Program, a multi-agency partnership tasked with implementing federally mandated restoration, completed a geomorphic change assessment to inform the planning process for future restoration work. This report documents an ARCMAP geodatabase (v.10.0) containing geomorphic features digitized from a series of rectified orthophotographs ( http://dx.doi.org/10.5066/F7TT4P04 ). Upland, riparian, and channel features were digitized from six available base images (1980, 1997, 2001, 2006, 2009, and 2011). This report describes the structure of the geodatabase and the methods used to delineate individual geomorphic features.

California↗
USGS2015

Assessing geomorphic change along the Trinity River downstream from Lewiston Dam, California, 1980-2011

The Trinity River Restoration Program, one of the nation’s largest adaptively managed river restoration programs, requires periodic assessment to determine the effectiveness of management actions in restoring channel dynamics and habitat features. This study documents riparian and channel changes along an intensively managed 65-kilometer reach of the Trinity River in California, downstream from Lewiston Dam. The two primary periods of interest, from 1980 to 2001 and from 2001 to 2011, are separated by a shift in restoration activities mandated by the U.S. Department of the Interior December 2000 Record of Decision. The post-2001 restoration strategy increased managed-flow releases, gravel augmentation, watershed restoration, and mechanical channel rehabilitation. We assessed the nature and extent of geomorphic change and a series of ecological performance measures (channel complexity, shoreline length, and channel–floodplain connectivity) by using a series of maps digitized from available rectified orthophotography acquired during low-flow conditions in 1980, 1997, 2001, 2006, 2009, and 2011. Lateral changes in riparian and channel features were used to quantify alluvial processes, and a review of existing streamflow, sediment, and restoration records was used to assess causal mechanisms. During the study period, natural bank erosion and mechanical rehabilitation of channel margins converted riparian features to channel features and expanded the active-channel area. The primary period of bank erosion and expansion of the active channel was from 1980 to 1997. Subsequent bar accretion from 1997 to 2001, followed by slightly greater bar scour from 2001 to 2006, took place primarily in the central and lower reaches of the study area, downstream of Indian Creek. In comparison, post‑2006 bank and bar changes were spatially limited to reaches that had sufficient local transport capacity or sediment supply supported by gravel augmentation, mechanical channel rehabilitation, and tributary contributions. The highest rates of change in the areal extents of channel and riparian features were observed during the pre‑2001 period, which was longer and relatively wetter than the post-2001 period. A series of tributary floods in 1997, 1998, and 2006 increased channel complexity and floodplain connectivity. During the post-2006 period, managed-flow releases, in the absence of tributary flooding, combined with gravel augmentation and mechanical restoration, caused localized increases in sediment supply and transport capacity that led to smaller, but measurable, increases in channel complexity and floodplain connectivity in the upper river near Lewiston Dam. Extensive pre-2001 channel widening and the muted geomorphic response of channel rehabilitation sites to post-2001 managed flows highlight the need for continued monitoring and assessment of the magnitude, duration, and timing of prescriptive flows and associated geomorphic responses.

California↗
USGS2015

Estimating changes in riparian and channel features along the Trinity River downstream of Lewiston Dam, California, 1980 to 2011

Dam construction, flow diversion, and legacy landuse effects reduced the transport capacity, sediment supply, channel complexity and floodplain-connectivity along the Trinity River, CA below Lewiston Dam. This study documents the geomorphic evolution of the Trinity River Restoration Program’s intensively managed 65-km long restoration reach from 1980 to 2011. The nature and extent of riparian and channel changes were assessed using a series of geomorphic feature maps constructed from ortho-rectified photography acquired at low flow conditions in 1980, 1997, 2001, 2006, 2009, and 2011. Since 1980 there has been a general conversion of riparian to channel features and expansion of the active channel area. The primary mechanism for expansion of the active channel was bank erosion from 1980 to 1997 and channel widening was well distributed longitudinally throughout the study reach. Subsequent net bar accretion from 1997 to 2001, followed by slightly higher net bar scour from 2001 to 2006, occurred primarily in the central and lower reaches of the study area. In comparison, post-2006 bank and bar changes were spatially-limited to reaches with sufficient local transport capacity or sediment supply supported by gravel augmentation, mechanical channel rehabilitation, and tributary contributions to flow and sediment supply. A series of tributary floods in 1997, 1998 and 2006 were the primary factors leading to documented increases in channel complexity and floodplain connectivity. During the post-2006 period managed flow releases, in the absence of large magnitude tributary flooding, combined with gravel augmentation and mechanical restoration caused localized increases in sediment supply and transport capacity leading to smaller but measurable increases in channel complexity and floodplain connectivity primarily in the upper river below Lewiston Dam.

California↗
USGS2012

Assessment of juvenile coho salmon movement and behavior in relation to rehabilitation efforts in the Trinity River, California, using PIT tags and radiotelemetry

Coho salmon ( Oncorhynchus kisutch ) of the Southern Oregon/Northern California Coast (SONCC) Evolutionarily Significant Unit (ESU) is federally listed as a threatened species. The Trinity River Restoration Program (TRRP) is rehabilitating the Trinity River to restore coho salmon (coho) and other salmonid populations. In order to evaluate the program’s actions, several studies of movements and behavior of coho in the Trinity River were conducted from 2006 to 2009, including snorkel surveys and mark-recapture techniques based on Passive Integrated Transponder (PIT) tags, elastomer tags, and radio transmitters. Catch, recapture, and condition of natural sub-yearlings, along with site fidelity and emigration of hatchery-reared yearlings in rehabilitated and reference habitats, were studied. Location was important because coho were absent from the lower controlled and rehabilitated sites most of the time. However, rehabilitation did not have a significant effect on natural coho salmon at the site level. Apparent survival of radio-tagged, hatchery-reared yearling coho released downstream from Lewiston Dam was much lower in the first 10 km downstream from the release site than in other areas between Lewiston Dam and the Klamath River estuary. Estimated survival of yearling hatchery coho salmon per 100 km down to Blake’s Riffle was estimated at 64 % over the distance of the 239 km study area. Migration primarily occurred at night in the upper Trinity River; however, as yearlings moved through the lower Trinity River towards the Klamath River, estuary nocturnal migration became less. Apparent survival was generally lowest in areas upstream from the North Fork of the Trinity River.

California↗
USGS1990

Time-of-travel of solutes in the Trinity River from Dallas to Trinidad, Texas, May and August 1987

The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), in cooperation with the city of Dallas, conducted a study of the time of travel of solutes during moderate flow conditions in a reach of the Trinity River from the outfall of the Dallas Central Wastewater Treatment Plant (DCWTP) to the USGS streamflow-gaging station 08062700, Trinity River at Trinidad, in May and August 1987. Previous USGS time-of-travel studies of this reach of the river (Ollman, 1973; 1975) provided low- and moderate-flow data. The data were included in the calibrartion of a mathematical water-quality model used by the city of Dallas and other public and private entities involved in water resources managemnt of the area. The purpose of this study was to provide additional data to extend calibration of that model to include moderately higher streamflow conditions.

Texas↗