biota

Lower Truckee River Bioassessment Symposium

lynellg — Wed, 19 Nov 2008 16:54:43 -0800

Two day symposium includes:
Day 1- Presentations from various groups & individuals on aquatic biological issues on the
Lower Truckee River
Day 2-Introduction to CADDIS
Causal Analysis/Diagnosis Decision Information System - A model addressing aquatic
biological stressor identification presented by U.S. EPA's National Center for
Environmental Development

Attendance is FREE, however, pre-registration by December 19 is required as
seating and parking is limited.
*For registration to attend please send an email to: kvargas@ndep.nv.gov
and provide your name, affiliation, contact information and if you will be attending Day 1, 2 or both days.

Full flyer: attached or visit website below.

Reach Y Restoration Feasibility Assessment: Final Draft (Volume 3)

lynellg — Wed, 22 Oct 2008 11:17:35 -0700

Please find attached Figures 16-22.

Reach Y Restoration Feasibility Assessment: Final Draft (Volume 2)

lynellg — Wed, 22 Oct 2008 11:15:09 -0700

Attached please find Figures 6-15.

Reach Y Restoration Feasibility Assessment: Final Draft

lynellg — Wed, 22 Oct 2008 11:09:35 -0700

By River Run Consulting, March 2007
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

This report examines opportunities for restoring geomorphic and ecosystem function of the Truckee River between East McCarran Blvd. and near the Truckee Meadows Water Reclamation Facility (TMWRF), herein referred to as Reach Y. The report was prepared for the Cities of Reno and Sparks and TMWRF, who are seeking opportunities to improve water quality and the ecosystem of the Truckee River, especially opportunities for early implementation.

Reach Y is an extraordinarily complex geomorphic environment. There is a distinct transition in fluvial geomorphic processes within the reach. Channel dimensions and hydraulic characteristics are far different in the upper end of the reach than in the lower end. Prior to human disturbance, riparian ecosystems were likely also very different, dominated by shrubs and trees at the upstream end and herbaceous, meadow-forming species at the lower end.

The river has been highly modified by human activities throughout the reach. Straightening, channel enlargement, removal of obstructions and levee construction, undertaken to improve the channel for agriculture and flood control, have resulted in significant incision (lowering of the channel bed through erosion) throughout most of the reach. Channel response to the initial disturbance continues today, with relatively high rates of bank erosion and lateral instability. In the absence of artificial stabilization, the channel will continue to erode, with the eventual formation of a new floodplain at a lower elevation.

Due to the inherent geomorphic complexity within Reach Y, the river has responded to human disturbance in different ways in different locations. Incision has been more rapid in some areas than in others. Streambank erosion and lateral stability subsequent to incision have also occurred in different ways and at different rates throughout the reach.

To be effective, restoration measures implemented for this reach should recognize its inherent geomorphic and ecosystem complexity, which have important implications both for the potential characteristics of the restored system as well as its stability. Restoration measures should also be designed with an understanding of the effects of human disturbance, and should be capable of accommodating continuing channel adjustment to past human disturbance.

Restoration of the floodplain, through benching or similar techniques, represents the best opportunity to restore functional riparian ecosystems. However, this alternative will magnify many of the factors that tend to enforce instability and dynamics:
-Construction of a floodplain or benching will reduce the ability of the channel to transport coarse sediment, thus promoting coarse sediment deposition in the reach and subsequent lateral instability;
-Excavation of the existing streambanks will make likely make them more erosive in the short-term, until they are stabilized by vegetation;
-Constructed floodplains or benches will also be susceptible to erosion until stabilized by vegetation.

Assurance of stability for this alternative will therefore require a relatively high degree of engineering, and thus high cost. Throughout much of the reach, establishing functional native vegetation communities would also require intensive and expensive revegetation and erosion control techniquies, as well as a long-term commitment to maintenance of planted materials.
Because this reach has a high potential for substantial erosion, it is extremely sensitive to modifications of the channel upstream for flood control or restoration. The success of any restoration treatment in Reach Y will require careful integration with upstream restoration and flood control strategies, with consideration of potential changes in sediment transport and flood magnitude. We recommend that restoration in most of Reach Y be implemented in conjunction with upstream channel improvements.

The most feasible project for short-term implementation is bank stabilization in the vicinity of TMWRF, which can be implemented prior to other flood or restoration alternatives. Due to flood control constraints, bank stabilization is the sole feasible riparian restoration alternative in this location, and could be designed to integrate effectively with any restoration alternative upstream. Riparian habitat, aquatic habitat, and water quality improvements provided by bank stabilization would be limited. However, our analysis of geomorphic evolution in this area suggests that bank erosion is likely to continue in this area, even though erosion rates may be relatively slow. Bank stabilization may be required to protect infrastructure.

For entire document, please find initial figures as attachments below, and others listed in Documents and Reports or Resources Sections as subsequent Reach Y volumes (for the 21 figures shown as pdfs).

Annual salmon spectacle over weekend to impress

lynellg — Sat, 04 Oct 2008 08:23:06 -0700

By Bruce Ajari, Special to the North Lake Tahoe Bonanza
October 3, 2008

It is beginning to be time for the kokanee salmon (Oncorhynchus Nerka), a landlocked sockeye salmon, to be making their trek up local streams to spawn. A popular sportfish in our region, they can be found in most local lakes including Donner and Tahoe.

The kokanee has become almost as popular in the fall among non-fishermen who love to watch these fish as they turn a bright crimson color and spawn in many of our local streams. They have even been witnessed at the outlet of Lake Tahoe below Fanny Bridge. These fish are probably coming from downstream where they come into the river from either Donner Lake or Boca Reservoir.

One of the most popular places to witness this occurrence is at Taylor Creek at the U.S. Forest Service Visitor Center where there is a stream profile chamber where you can view the fish under water. Each year there is a special event called the Kokanee Salmon Festival that takes place at the USFS Visitor Center.

According to the Forest Service, the 19th Annual Kokanee Salmon Festival will be held this year from 10 a.m. until 4 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday at the US Forest Service Visitor Center at Taylor Creek, three miles north of the City of South Lake Tahoe on California Highway 89. The festival is a weekend of family activities celebrating the annual spawning run of the Kokanee Salmon up Taylor Creek and the golden colors of Fall. Enjoy the special events, great food and meet Sammy Salmon.

The Kokanee Salmon Festival is planned as a family event encouraging participation by children and their parents in a wide variety of educational and entertaining events. This year’s celebrations include a number of events and activities that have become associated with the Salmon Festival. Back this year will be the Salmon Feed; 5k, 10k and half marathon Kokanee Trail Runs, 1/2k Kids Tadpole Trot; collectible T-shirts; creek-side interpretive programs; and special events and programs in the Amphitheater. Free gifts and activities for children. Contact the Taylor Creek Visitor Center for more information at (530) 543-2674.

Visitors can learn about the natural wonders of Taylor Creek from Forest Service biologists, as they stroll along the Rainbow Trail. This peaceful walk through colorful aspens, willows and meadow grasses will introduce visitors to a beautiful, yet fragile ecosystem unique to the Sierra. As the trail reaches Taylor Creek, Kokanee Salmon can be seen making their way upstream. A close-up view of this natural event will be available at the Taylor Creek Stream Profile Chamber, where visitors can get a below-the-surface view of the kokanee salmon in Taylor Creek.

Lake Tahoe Wildlife Care will again be serving a delicious barbecue salmon plate Saturday and Sunday. For just $14, visitors can feast on a barbecue salmon steak (the Pacific Ocean variety), corn on the cob, coleslaw, roll and a beverage. Other food items will also be available for those that haven’t developed a salmon palate yet!

Salmon will be served from 11 a.m. until 4 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. Proceeds benefit the Lake Tahoe Wildlife Care and future Kokanee Salmon Festivals. For further information regarding the Salmon Feed call (530) 577-CARE, ext. 2273. If you do not have plans for the weekend, check out the Kokanee Salmon Festival. If you do not have the time to go down to Taylor Creek, there are still local options to view the Kokanee.

The Little Truckee River above Boca Reservoir is a great viewing area. There are a number of locations where you can watch the Kokanee making their annual spawning runs. These fish tend to travel the entire length to just below Stampede Reservoir to spawn.

Bruce Ajari is a Truckee fisherman who writes columns for the Bonanza as well as other area publications.

Tahoe Keys a center for recreation — and controversy

lynellg — Fri, 03 Oct 2008 09:03:23 -0700

Adam Jensen, Tahoe Daily Tribune

Few construction projects in the Lake Tahoe Basin highlight the often-conflicting interests of development and environmental protection quite like the Tahoe Keys. Built in the late 1950s and early ’60s, the 740-acre development at the mouth of the Upper Truckee River has alternately been seen as an appealing place to live and an environmental disaster.

An estimated 5 million cubic yards of material were dredged from the marsh at the mouth of the river to create the fingers of land interlaced with 11 miles of backyard waterways that make up the Keys. The effort destroyed much of the river’s marsh and removed a major filtration system from Lake Tahoe’s largest tributary, identified by the Lahontan Water Board as a major source of fine sediment that reduces the clarity of the lake.

The draw of the development is undeniable, and marketing for the neighborhood has changed little over the past four decades.

“Most of the 1,539 members who own homes, townhouses or vacant lots have a private boat dock and are located on numerous lagoons, canals or the Tahoe Keys Marina with its boat-launching ramps,” according to the Tahoe Keys Property Owners Association. “Waterfront living provides direct access to Lake Tahoe and its many watersports. At Tahoe Keys, we enjoy breathtaking views of the lake and mountains, and enjoy amenities like tennis, indoor and outdoor pools, spa and more.”

While the attraction of living in the Keys has remained the same, the development more recently has faced a new set of environmental issues, including the fight against the introduction of aquatic invasive species into Lake Tahoe.

Eurasian watermilfoil was discovered in the Keys in the 1980s and, despite efforts to remove it, has spread to numerous locations around the lake. Researchers also have indicated the Keys area is the likely introduction point for a growing population of warmwater fish species around the lake.

For entire article, please visit website below.

Project TamesTruckee Floods By Turning To Nature

lynellg — Thu, 18 Sep 2008 15:53:50 -0700

Sep 18, 2008
KOLO TV-8, Reporter: Ed Pearce

There were speeches beneath the big cottonwoods just east of the Tracy Power Station Thursday morning and shiny shovels stood ready for ceremonial groundbreaking. In fact, ground was broken at what was once the 102 Ranch a month ago. A brand new meander has been carved for the river. Nearby big earth movers are beginning to create what will be new wetlands.

By late fall, this stretch of the Truckee River will start to resemble the healthy habitat nature intended, like another spot a few miles upstream. There what was once McCarran ranch was bought by the Nature Conservancy and the river and the land was restored to something resembling what it was before the ranch was built in the 1880's. In fact, the meander there was built, rock riffles added to the stream bed, native vegetation restored. Nearby new wetlands are already well established. A few years after it was built, it's just about ready for public access and recreation. More than that it's also ready for the next flood.

"It slows the water and when it floods it just spreads out over the flood plain and holds it, creating storage and keeping it from rushing downstream where it could cause damage, says Danielle Henderson, the Natural Resource Manager for the Truckee River Flood Project.”It's like a big sponge."

For entire article, please visit website.

Source of illegal clawed frogs found, officials say

lynellg — Thu, 11 Sep 2008 08:42:13 -0700

Tahoe Daily Tribune, Staff report
September 11, 2008

Photo provided by NDOWGame wardens with the Nevada Department of Wildlife have tracked down what they say is a source of prohibited African clawed frogs found throughout Nevada over the past few weeks, seizing 68 more frogs from homes across the state.

The company accused of sending the frogs, Florida-based Growafrog.com, paid a $3,600 fine Tuesday and agreed not to ship any more illegal frogs to Nevada, according to a statement Wednesday from NDOW. Cooperating with the state's investigation, the company provided customer records to NDOW, allowing game wardens to contact people who unknowingly purchased the frogs over the Internet, the agency said.

Growafrog.com sells tadpole kits intended for educational purposes, according to its Web site.

The president of the company, Paul Rudnick, said he was aware that the frogs are illegal in Nevada, but a mistake was made at their facility, according to the statement.

The frogs are illegal in many Western states but are legal in some states, including Florida, where the company is based, according to Cameron Waithman, the game warden captain leading the investigation.

Game wardens started the investigation last month with the seizure of 119 African clawed frogs from three Reno homes. The publicity surrounding the case prompted other people around Nevada to call NDOW to turn in illegal frogs. These calls allowed game wardens to track the source back to Growafrog.com and ultimately the seizure of 187 illegal frogs, NDOW stated.

Game wardens received calls and seized frogs in at least seven counties in Nevada, according to Waithman.

"I have been amazed at the level of cooperation we have gotten from citizens across the state," Waithman said in the statement. "People seemed to really understand the danger these frogs pose to our ecosystem and were very cooperative in turning them over to game wardens."

To view entire article, please visit website.

Lahontan cutthroat trout remains threatened in Nevada

lynellg — Thu, 11 Sep 2008 08:38:56 -0700

Posted at the Tahoe News and Tribune, by Associated Press
September 10, 2008

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has rejected a petition to end federal protection for the Lahontan cutthroat trout — the Nevada state fish which has been listed under the Endangered Species Act for nearly four decades.

A group called Dynamic Action on Wells Group, Inc., had sought to declassify the fish as threatened, claiming among other things in a December 2006 petition that removing the fish from federal oversight was warranted because of habitat improvements in the Pyramid Lake-Truckee River Basin.

But Bob Williams, field supervisor for the service in Reno, said while efforts are being made to restore the native fish, it still faces many challenges to its existence across its habitat range.

“We did not find that the petition presented substantial scientific or commercial information indicating that removing Lahontan cutthroat trout from the list may be warranted,” Williams said.

Clifford Thompson, a Yerington resident and a member of the group originally formed to protect domestic water wells, characterized the fuss over Lahontan cutthroat a “farce.”

The “fish is a fake fish to start with,” he said when reached by phone Wednesday. “They’ve been extinct for how many thousands of years.” Thompson, who described himself as a “student of the constitution,” argued that the Lahontan trout found in the Walker River Basin were bred in fisheries and therefore are not the same genetically as the historic species and are undeserving of protection.

For entire article, please visit website.

Municipal In-Stream Monitoring

lynellg — Tue, 09 Sep 2008 12:48:01 -0700

Stormwater E-magazine, September 2008 edition
Accountability in comprehensive sampling
By Lanse Norris

“Water is the one substance from which the earth can conceal nothing; it sucks out its innermost secrets and brings them to our very lips.”
—Jean Giraudoux

What Comprises Comprehensive Sampling?
Since the early ’70s, Cobb County, GA’s municipal in-stream monitoring efforts have evolved into a program that conducts sampling across 21 sub-watersheds at 93 chemical sites per quarter, 24 macroinvertebrate sites per year, 24 habitat assessment sites biannually, and 24 fish sites every five years. Sites were selected considering land use, proximity to industries, and stream confluences of representative reaches.

The chemical data generate a water quality index (WQI) score derived from comparing the value for any parameter of interest with values for the same available parameter from sampling results recorded throughout the Atlanta region. The index itself is a value between 0.00 and 1.00, with 0.00 representing the best value in the database for each parameter. Table 1 shows the Cobb Stream Monitoring Program chemical data for an actual site with each parameter and applicable scores. The aggregate WQI for the site is calculated as the numeric average of the available WQIs shown.

Biological sampling produces macroinvertebrate and fish data, which are scored on an index of biotic integrity (IBI). Habitat assessments are scored on a standardized form following state of Georgia Environmental Protection Division (EPD) protocol.
A Cobb County Water System Watershed Monitoring Program Annual Report is published containing all of the chemical, biological, and habitat data collected; many permits addressing surface waters impacted by wastewater discharge, stormwater, point and non-point sources are maintained by the data. In the report, narratives for each site summarize a year’s worth of changes to the stream channel, riparian zone, and watershed itself as personnel wade upstream and drive through the watershed on the way to each site.

How Comprehensive Is It?
Ions in the Stream. Chemical monitoring parameters and methods are long-established water-quality standards prescribed by the approved 20th edition of Standard Methods for the Examination of Water and Wastewater (Clesceri et al. 1998) and are implicit in environmental regulatory sampling like National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) wet-weather ambient trend monitoring. Cobb County Stream Monitoring personnel take extra measures to ensure accuracy and integrity. For example, rather than rely on precarious dissolved oxygen (DO) meter readings, Winkler titration method dissolved oxygen samples are “fixed” in the field for more consistent and accurate analysis by Cobb’s Georgia Association of Water Professionals certified wastewater laboratory. Quality-control samples are collected at the first site for a given stream, and all samples are collected mid-depth in representative flow when possible and preserved in the field before transportation to the laboratory. Field notes supporting chemical sample characteristics are made concerning weather, degree of flow, color, odor, and turbidity.

For entire article, please visit website below.

EPA-Funded DRI proposal for a study on "Regional Clean Water Activities" based in Truckee, Carson, Humboldt Rivers

lynellg — Mon, 08 Sep 2008 09:18:26 -0700

This project is in progress through DRI, with Alan McKay as one of the PIs. This project was described as an exploration of watershed-specific nuances in algal growth/uptake that may differ significantly from previously held scientific beliefs based on growth in other river systems. Better science will make for more accurate modeling on these systems. -LG

From the problem statement:
"State and local agencies in Nevada are currently under intense pressure to meet conditions of the Clean Water Act (CWA); particularly those related to nonpoint source pollution (Section 319[h]), impaired waters (Section 303[d]) and associated total maximum daily loads (TMDLs). Among the challenges facing the state are sparse data, inadequate scientific basis for existing water quality standards, a general lack of decision-making tools such as models and spatial analysis software, and insufficient financial resources to support in-house technical staff. Discussions with state and local stakeholders (e.g., Nevada Division of Environmental Protection, or NDEP; Pyramid Lake Paiute Tribe; and Washoe County) along with staff from U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Region IX have helped identify and prioritize a suite of water quality-related activities that address some of the aforementioned water quality challenges. The geographic focus of these activities includes three western Nevada river basins (the Truckee, Carson, and Humboldt rivers). The scientific focus will involve a suite of laboratory and field-scale activities designed to better understand the effects of natural and human factors on ecological function in western river basins. A unifying element for data derived from this research will be application to one or more numerical water quality models, which will lead to improved capability to simulate future conditions under varying management scenarios. "

Find entire proposal document attached.

EPA benthic macroinvertebrate sampling method for physical habitat assessment

lynellg — Fri, 05 Sep 2008 12:48:16 -0700

US EPA Method for determining physical habitat conditions using method for assessments. This method is being used by PLPT in tandem with benthic macroinvertebrate sampling, to further describe the watershed and potential causes for impaired results in bmi populations.

Mussel found on boat hull at South Lake Tahoe

lynellg — Thu, 28 Aug 2008 09:03:34 -0700

By Jeff DeLong • jdelong@rgj.com • August 28, 2008

A boat encrusted with invasive mussels and about to be launched into Lake Tahoe was stopped in what officials describe as a first-of-its-kind close call. The harbor master at South Lake Tahoe's Tahoe Keys Marina first saw mussels on the stern of a 32-foot cabin cruiser as it was about to be hoisted into the water Friday.

Experts later confirmed the mollusks were quagga mussels, which apparently attached to the vessel while in Lake Mead in late July, said Ted Thayer, natural resource and science team leader for the Tahoe Regional Planning Agency. The boat remains under quarantine as ordered by wardens with the California Department of Fish and Game.

"This is the first one we've actually found that actually had mussels on it," said Jenny Francis of the Tahoe Resource Conservation District, which is leading inspection efforts at the lake.

The incident, Thayer said, makes clear the danger posed by mussel-infested boats and the importance of mounting a program to detect any before they are put into the lake.

"This tells us boats do come from Mead and there may be live mussels on board," Thayer said. "It is both scary and encouraging at the same time."

The vessel owner said it was decontaminated when it left Lake Mead. The area where the mussels were found were near the boat's out-drive sprayed with hot water, Thayer said. That, combined with the time the vessel was out of the water, could mean the mussels were dead when discovered at the Tahoe Keys.

"They could have already been dead, but we decided: better safe than sorry," Thayer said of the decision to put the boat under quarantine. Biologists plan to recheck the vessel Sept. 3 to ensure it is clean and can be released to its owner, he said.

Quagga mussels, previously found only in the Midwest and Northeast, were first discovered in Lake Mead in early 2007 and have since spread to other parts of Nevada, Arizona and Southern California. In January, zebra mussels -- a close cousin of the quagga -- turned up in a California reservoir 250 miles from Lake Tahoe. Both types of mussels could cause widespread problems if they were to become established in Lake Tahoe. The rapidly reproducing mollusks could quickly disrupt the lake's ecosystem, clog drinking water intakes, encrust boats, foul docks and litter beaches with sharp and stinking shells.

In June, the TRPA board approved regulations requiring mandatory inspections of boats being launched into the lake in effort to prevent introduction of mussels.

For entire article, please visit website below.

Reid says he will sign river deal on Sept. 6

lynellg — Sun, 24 Aug 2008 15:08:52 -0700

Reid says he will sign river deal on Sept. 6 By Susan Voyles • svoyles@rgj.com • August 23, 2008

Saying it's the biggest thing he has ever done for Nevada, U.S. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid says he definitely will be on hand to sign the historic Truckee River Operating Agreement in Wingfield Park on Sept. In addition to settling 100 years of water wars between Nevada and California, the agreement provides storage for drought-year water supplies in Sierra reservoirs for years to come for the Reno and Sparks area.

That storage, officials said, will help meet demand in drought years when Truckee Meadows Water Authority is providing up to 119,000 acre-feet of water a year to customers. TMWA provides 85,000 acre-feet a year for 93,000 customers. In years when there's more than enough water, that water is managed for the fish. The plan already is in place and working under an interim agreement approved several years ago. Getting everyone to sign the deal has taken nearly 20 years. "I started working on this the night I was elected to the Senate," said Reid, D-Nev., of the plan and his 1986 election.
"It has been a real struggle," he said. In 1990, Reid got Congress to pass a settlement act that directed the U.S. Secretary of the Interior to negotiate an agreement for the river and its upstream reservoirs. He uses lists to talk about the obstacles in getting the agreement completed. "It involved two Indian tribes. Two endangered species. The cities of Reno and Sparks. Pyramid Lake. The Truckee and Carson Rivers. And Lake Tahoe.
The act also provides $65 million to the Pyramid Lake-Paiute tribe for economic development and to rebuild its fisheries, as well as $40 million for Fallon. The agreement required the homes served by TMWA to have meters, with the total conversion now set for January 2010.

For entire article, please visit website below.

Reoccurring: "If the Truckee Could Talk". Meeting/discussion about TRWC restoration efforts

lynellg — Thu, 10 Jul 2008 12:56:46 -0700

If The Truckee Could Talk.
7/15/2008 9:00am. At our one hour coffee and virtual tour you can hear more about our projects. You will not be asked to make a financial contribution, but we will welcome your advice and feedback. If you can come, please call Lisa at 550-8760.

David Potter, Nevada Fish and Wildlife Office, Recognized for Contributions to Threatened and Endangered Species.

lynellg — Tue, 08 Jul 2008 12:39:16 -0700

Jeannie Stafford, California-Nevada Offices , June 24, 2008
Print Friendly Version

From left: USFWS Director Dale Hall, Deputy Regional Director Ken McDermond, David Potter, Nevada Fish and Wildlife Office and Regional Director Steve Thompson. (USFWS photo: Scott Flaherty)

David Potter of the Nevada Fish and Wildlife Office in Reno, Nev., was recognized for his Outstanding Contribution to Endangered and Threatened Species during a California and Nevada Region award ceremony June 24, 2008, in Monterey, Calif. David received the Region 8 "Outstanding Contribution" award from Regional Director Steve Thompson, Deputy Regional Director Ken McDermond and Fish and Wildlife Service Director Dale Hall.
The award recognizes David for his outstanding achievement in conservation of threatened and endangered species, and for meeting Regional Strategic Plan goals of providing leadership with the best science available and finding functional solutions that help people and help wildlife.
One of David’s major geographic areas of responsibility is the Truckee River Basin, which provides habitat for threatened Lahontan cutthroat trout (LCT) and endangered cui-ui, a large sucker fish. David works closely with the Bureau of Reclamation, Bureau of Land Management and The Nature Conservancy on implementing three major habitat restoration projects on the Lower Truckee River. These projects include re-creating natural, meandering river channel segments that are connected to the floodplain, as well as restoring associated wetland and riparian habitats. Each project will individually enhance conditions for the listed fishes and cumulatively will beneficially impact miles of the lower river.To read entire article, please visit website.

Truckee River Biomass Monitoring Program...July 2001 to Aug 2002

lynellg — Thu, 03 Jul 2008 10:48:24 -0700

Truckee River Biomass Monitoring Program: Data Encompassing Field Studies of July 2001 to August 2002
Jeramie Memmott, Megan Robinson, Annika Mosier, Christian H. Fritsen
Division of Earth and Ecosystem Science, Desert Research Institute
2215 Raggio Parkway, Reno NV 89512. phone: (775) 673-7487

The Truckee River Biomass Monitoring (TRBM) program has collected data regarding algal
biomass in the lower Truckee River [expressed as plant pigments (chlorophyll a), carbon,
nitrogen and phosphorous] that can be used for independent analysis of ecosystem health and
nutrient budgets. Furthermore, the biomass sampling program has been implemented in such a
manner that the results will be used to validate water quality models and, hence, to make model
formulations more scientifically defensible as management tools.
Data reported within this draft were generated as part of the second round of monthly biomass
sampling that began in November 2001 and was completed as of August 2002.
THE STUDY:
In monitoring plant and algal biomass in the lower Truckee River we conducted the following
field activities:
Samples were collected four times at eleven sites (HERS, FLEI, PATA, EMCC, LOCK,
PATR, TRAC, PAIN, JOHN, DEAD, LNIX) on the Truckee River (Figure 2) and an additional
six times at eight of the eleven sites (HERS, FLEI, PATA, LOCK, PATR, TRAC, JOHN,
LNIX). Sampling at all eleven sites was conducted on a quarterly basis to be consistent with
the previous monitoring program (July 2000 to July 2001), which also included more
spatially intensive sampling for increased spatial information on a quarterly basis. Eight of
the eleven sites were sampled on a monthly basis.
During the majority of sampling, temperature, pH, specific conductance, and dissolved
oxygen were recorded in real-time using YSI Incorporated sondes provided by Washoe
County. River velocity measurements were made at points where samples were collected to
constrain the physical flow regime of the plant communities beyond levels previously
attained.
· Samples for water quality analysis were collected at each sampling site (consistent with
monthly or quarterly sampling) using a depth-integrating sampler and were delivered to
Truckee Meadows Water Reclamation Facility (TMWRF) for analysis. Vertical profiles of
solar irradiance in the water column were conducted to constrain previously estimated light
penetration values used for modeling primary productivity and in community metabolism
studies.
At each site during each round of sampling, an average of 14 periphyton samples were
collected for ash free dry weight (AFDW) and chlorophyll a. A minimum of three samples
from each site were collected for determining periphyton functional groups (e.g. blue green
algae, filamentous green algae, green algae, and diatoms) that are consistent with
groupings currently used in water quality models (e.g. DSSAMt). On average, five
subsamples of periphyton from each site were analyzed for carbon, nitrogen, and
phosphorous contents.
Please find report in pdf attached.

Hearings to debate impact of solar farms on threatened species

lynellg — Fri, 20 Jun 2008 11:28:18 -0700

By JENNIFER BOWLES, The Press-Enterprise
June 14, 2008

State and federal agencies have their hands full with an onslaught of applications from companies eyeing the Southern California desert for its solar power potential.

The federal government is holding hearings beginning Monday in Riverside to get public input on the environmental impacts of solar farms, while state agencies are seeking to balance Gov. Schwarzenegger's push for solar energy with the need to protect endangered species that live on the sun-drenched landscape.

Habitat for the desert tortoise, Mohave ground squirrel and other imperiled species is scattered across eastern Riverside County and much of San Bernardino County.

"Solar projects in particular have a footprint that reduces the habitat suitability for those species; there's the potential for conflict," said Kevin Hunting, deputy director of the California Department of Fish and Game.

"It's all about planning and siting, and we believe there's room for both out there," he said Friday.

Renewable energy reduces the state's reliance on coal-generated power, a major contributor of greenhouse gases blamed for climate change. Such projects have been a prime focus for Gov. Schwarzenegger, who criticized the Fish and Game Department during an April speech at Yale University for slowing a solar project in Victorville to protect habitat for the Mohave ground squirrel, a species threatened with extinction.

"So a squirrel that may not exist (at that location) is holding up environmental progress on a larger and more pressing fight against global warming," the governor said.

...For entire article, please visit website.

USFS Modis Active Fire Mapping Program

lynellg — Tue, 17 Jun 2008 14:20:00 -0700

Interactive fire map:
Fire locations are based on data provided by the National Interagency Fire Center and are subject to change.

These fire information products were compiled at the USDA Forest Service (USFS) Remote Sensing Applications Center in cooperation with NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, the University of Maryland, the National Interagency Fire Center, and the USFS Missoula Fire Sciences Lab.

Riparian Buffer Design Guidelines For Water Quality and Wildlife Habitat Functions on Agricultural Landscapes...

lynellg — Mon, 16 Jun 2008 13:04:35 -0700

Preface:
Water quality, water quantity, and wildlife have moved to the top of the resource conservation
agenda in the Intermountain West (the study region). Why? A protracted drought, growing numbers of impaired streams, declining populations of many riparian habitat dependent wildlife species, and rapidly expanding water hungry urban and exurban growth are a few of the primary reasons.
More than 70 percent of riparian areas in the United States (Obedzinski and others 2001) and an estimated 50 percent of streams in the Great Basin (Chambers and Miller 2004)are classified as impaired to some degree. According to a 1992 US Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) report, irrigated cropland is estimated to account for 89 percent of water quality impaired river miles (CFIFCD 1996). Although riparian areas constitute less than 5 percent of the land area of the United States, it is estimated that about 95 percent of native riparian vegetation has been lost (National Research Council 2002). According to a recent study by the Bureau of Land Management (USDI BLM 1998) in the Great Basin, thirteen riparian habitat obligate or
dependent birds were listed as requiring conservation action because of declining populations. Populations of over 50 percent of grassland and shrubland bird species in the same area are in decline (Paige and Ritter 1999). Many of these species are dependent in part on riparian areas for their life requisites. The five states in the application area are among the fastest growing in the country. A significant portion of new growth is occurring in riparian corridors or adjacent to lakes and reservoirs (Johnson and Toth 2004). To summarize in a phrase—critical riparian habitats are under siege!
There is no simple solution to these problems to which land managers can turn. It is now
apparent that solutions will require a creative assemblage of policies, programs, and practices
including the preservation, enhancement, restoration, or creation of riparian buffers.
Natural riparian buffers are linear patches of vegetation adjacent to streams, lakes, reservoirs, or wetlands. In the study area, they vary in width from a few feet along the margins of high elevation meadow creeks to hundreds of feet in lower elevation floodplains. Riparian plant communities are populated by species dependent on moist soils, surface water, or a high water table, and for many species, the presence of periodic flooding. The transition from riparian to upland vegetation may be abrupt or gradual depending upon site specific environmental conditions.

To view entire document, find attachment (pdf) below.

Weed-eating weevils to prove their worth with invasive milfoil

lynellg — Sun, 15 Jun 2008 00:00:00 -0700

Weed-eating weevils to prove their worth with invasive milfoil
Mark Prado, Marin Independent Journal
6/15/08

MARIN WATER officials are considering unleashing tick-size weevils to combat an alien plant that has invaded Mount Tamalpais reservoirs.
The slim, green non-native Eurasian watermilfoil, a plant sometimes found in home aquariums, has taken root in the floor of five Marin Municipal Water District reservoirs, triggering concerns about water quality.

One solution under study is importing a weevil - an aquatic beetle - which feeds on the plant, killing it. The plant can grow up to 12 feet and typically thrives along the shoreline. It has been an increasing problem around the state, clogging areas of Lake Tahoe, the Sacramento Delta and Central Valley canals and other waterways.

"It's one of the biggest aquatic weed problems because it can choke out a water body," said Greg Andrew, the water district's fisheries manager, as he scooped the plant out of Alpine Lake with a rake.

"It grows up to the surface, then grows into a big mass," he said. First spotted in 2004, the plant has grown so rapidly it now rings Bon Tempe reservoir near Fairfax. Bon Tempe has been the hardest hit by the plant because of its shallow shoreline, which measures almost four miles.

"It's astounding to me it showed up in 2004 and the problem is now that extensive," said Alex Forman, water board vice president. It's not clear how the plant arrived in the Mt. Tam watershed, but it's possible it was introduced by someone dumping aquarium contents into a reservoir.

"It is in the aquarium trade," said Janet Klein, vegetation ecologist with the district. "So if someone comes to the reservoir and dumps their goldfish and the plants, it can start growing." Because the reservoirs are interconnected, the plant can travel and it has also turned up to a lesser extent in Lagunitas, Phoenix and Kent lakes.

As it grows to the surface the plant spreads, blocking out sunlight for everything beneath it. Anglers who have visited the lakes have complained they can't reel in their lines without getting their gear caught in the weeds. There is also concern that as the plant dies, more carbon gets into the reservoir system, affecting water quality. And there is potential for the plant to get sucked into reservoir intake systems.

What are the solutions?

Drawing a lake down to dry and killing the plant is one technique used in other parts of the country, but that won't work in Marin because water needs to be at designated levels to accommodate water distribution to district pipelines.

Using a chemical agent to kill the plant would work, but the technique would be a political hot potato in Marin - especially because there are uncertainties about how the water would be affected, Andrew said. A harvester or "floating lawnmower" could be used to pull out the plant. But the process tends to break up the watermilfoil, allowing it to float and reestablish itself in other areas.

"You won't get every last bit of it and when the tips break off they re-root somewhere else," Andrew said. "But we are keeping that as an option." And then there is the biological option: the milfoil weevil, an insect that finds the aquatic plants quite useful.

For entire article, please visit website below.

Washoe Weeds Management Group

lynellg — Thu, 12 Jun 2008 16:32:47 -0700

The Truckee Meadows Weed Group is a collaboration of various agencies and organizations working on eradicating exotics in our watershed. There are online maps of their local project sites on the website.
Linda Nelson is a good contact, from Washoe County: 823-6511

Climate Change: Forests, wildlife, fire danger all expected to be affected by warming Sierra

lynellg — Sat, 31 May 2008 00:00:00 -0700

By Greyson Howard, Sierra Sun

Many doomsday predictions of climate change focus on rising oceans, flooding coastlines and submerged cities, but some scientists are watching the Sierra to gauge other significant impacts.

Looking into the future it isn’t hard for researchers to picture the many different Sierra ecosystems — wrapped like bands around different elevations — retreating rapidly upward, squeezing each other and eventually running out of elevation to climb.

As future temperatures rise, predictions are for snow to melt faster and streams to swell earlier, out of sync with the breading cycles of aquatic species like fish and frogs. Dry summers would leave entire forests more susceptible to fire and pests than ever before.

And, many experts agree, the changes become amplified as they move up the food chain, throwing the Sierra Nevada’s entire ecosystem, meticulously established over millennia, out of balance in a matter of decades. The bottom line, some scientists conclude, is the extinction of vulnerable mountain species and increased fire risk for the Sierra’s human inhabitants.

“Our concern is with the rapidity of change — most species can evolve over time and the planet has always been in flux — but it’s the rate of change, which is really unlike anything we’ve been able to study,” said Josh Viers, assistant research ecologist at UC Davis.

The Sierra Nevada has been characterized as the “canary in the coal mine,” according to the U.S. Forest Service, an early alarm for the deleterious effects of rising temperatures. But all parts of the Sierra won’t be treated equal. Despite Truckee-Tahoe’s more northern latitude, the area will likely be hit harder than the taller mountains to the south.

“The area around Tahoe and Donner Summit, for example, would be more affected then Kings Canyon,” Viers said.
And so Tahoe National Forest has been picked as an open-air laboratory for climate change — a focal point in a global issue — with researchers from academic bodies, conservation groups and the U.S. Forest Service gleaning whatever they can learn from the surrounding woods.

“When I started I was a naysayer, ready to poke holes in global warming,” said Carol Kennedy, the watershed project manager for Tahoe National Forest. “I don’t poke holes anymore.”

Retreating trees
Perhaps easiest to predict and already in progress in some cases is the steady retreat of vegetation away from rising low-elevation temperatures and towards ever-shrinking snow melt, said UC Davis’ Viers.
...
The water problem
While rising temperatures will directly affect many species, indirect affects through changing water availability may be even more drastic.

“Between 7,000 and 9,000 feet the rain/snow mix line will be most severely affected,” Josh Viers said.
This means the timing and flow of streams and river could change, possibly three to seven weeks earlier, he said.

“Everything from what’s in the streams — frogs breeding to vegetation along the side of the streams — a whole series of affects, will come from just the timing,” Viers said. The breeding cycles of both the mountain red- and yellow-legged frogs of the Sierra may no longer match with stream flows he said.

Trout require cold water, no more than 20 to 21 degrees Celsius, meaning many streams could become too warm, Viers said. Flowering plants may bloom with high flows before pollinators like bees and mosquitoes emerge.

Aspen trees, already diminishing in the West, are at risk because of drying stream habitat, Nechadom said.

And moisture could be dropping on the order of 40 to 60 percent by the year 2100, Kennedy said.

To view the entire story, please visit website.

USDA Weighs In: The Effects of Climate Change on Agriculture, Land Resources, Water Resources, and Biodiversity

lynellg — Wed, 28 May 2008 00:00:00 -0700

The U.S. Climate Change Science Program report “Synthesis and Assessment Product 4.3 (SAP 4.3): The Effects of Climate Change on Agriculture, Land Resources, Water Resources, and Biodiversity in the United States ” integrates the Federal research efforts of 13 agencies on climate and global change. This was released 5/28/08.

The report has 38 authors from the universities, national laboratories, non-governmental organizations, and Federal service. SAP 4.3 has undergone expert peer review by 14 scientists through a Federal Advisory Committee formed by the USDA, and includes over 1,000 references. USDA was the lead agency for this report as part of its commitment to CCSP.

The report focuses on the next 25 to 50 years, and finds that climate change is already affecting U.S. water resources, agriculture, land resources, and biodiversity, and will continue to do so.

If you would like to receive the printed final report when it becomes available please send your request to ClimateReport@oce.usda.gov.

Extracted from the Executive Summary:
The CCSP agencies agreed on the following set of topics for this assessment. Descriptions of the major findings in each of these sectors can be found in Section 4 of this Executive Summary.
• Agriculture: (a) cropping systems, (b) pasture and grazing lands, and (c) animal management
• Land Resources: (a) forests and (b) arid lands
• Water Resources: (a) quantity, availability, and accessibility and (b) quality
• Biodiversity: (a) species diversity and (b) rare and sensitive ecosystems
The CCSP also agreed on a set of questions to guide the assessment process. Answers to these questions can be found in Section 3 of this summary:
• What factors influencing agriculture, land resources, water resources, and biodiversity in the United States are sensitive to climate and climate change?
• How could changes in climate exacerbate or ameliorate stresses on agriculture, land resources, water resources, and biodiversity? What are the indicators of these stresses?
• What current and potential observation systems could be used to monitor these indicators?
• Can observation systems detect changes in agriculture, land resources, water resources, and biodiversity that are caused by climate change, as opposed to being driven by other causes?

For a download of sections of this report, please visit the website.

Reno Nature Study Closed after Brush Fire

lynellg — Mon, 28 Apr 2008 00:00:00 -0700

Reno Nature Study Closed after Brush Fire
Apr 28, 2008
AP

RENO, Nev. (AP) - The Oxbow Nature Study Area will be closed until further notice while crews work to clean up trees, snags and other hazardous debris left by a brush fire that burned more than half of the urban oasis in Reno, officials said Monday.

Officials said the Sunday afternoon fire was started by people, but the exact cause has yet to be determined.

Oxbow is owned by the city and Nevada Department of Wildlife. Officials said 16-18 acres of the 22-acre park along the Truckee River burned.

No injuries were reported during the fire, and nearby homes were spared from flames. The park is an urban hub of wildlife ranging from woodpeckers, water fowl and eagles to beavers, raccoons, mink and deer.

For entire article, please visit website below.

Nevada Tribe Assumes Leadership Role In Managing Water For Fish

lynellg — Sat, 26 Apr 2008 00:00:00 -0700

RENO (AP) - A northern Nevada tribe has assumed a leadership role in managing the waters of a reservoir used for the purpose of maintaining and protecting two native species of fish.

The "team lead" for management of Stampede Reservoir's waters was transferred Friday from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to the Pyramid Lake Paiute Tribe.

The move gives the tribe the top role in scheduling releases of water from the Sierra reservoir located east of Truckee, Calif.

The water is stored solely for the endangered cui-ui (kwee-wee) fish and Lahontan cutthroat trout in the Truckee River and Pyramid Lake.

Fish and wildlife officials hailed the transfer as a "significant event."

A 1999 agreement signed by the fish and wildlife service, tribe, Bureau of Reclamation and Bureau of Indian Affairs called for the tribe to assume leadership status upon completion of a plan to protect fish in Pyramid Lake.

For entire article, please visit website.

The algae effect: Scientists harness the power of algae to remove nutrients and seidments from storm water

lynellg — Wed, 16 Apr 2008 00:00:00 -0700

By Annie Flanzraich
North Lake Tahoe Bonanza News Editor
April 16, 2008

Nutrients are one of Lake Tahoe clarity’s arch enemies — add too much nitrogen or phosphorous and algae will sprout, clouding the famed crystal clear waters.

So using algae to clean water of the very nutrients that help it grow is a pretty novel idea.

And it’s working, according to research done by Alan Heyvaert of the Desert Research Institute and Steve Patterson of Bio X Design.

“Kind of ironic huh?” Heyvaert said. “It’s kind of a logical natural next step when you think about it.”

Heyvaert and Patterson began their research with the idea that if water was filtered through a tank with a biofilm — a screen covered in a layer of algae and nutrients — the algae would absorb the nutrients it needs to grow.

Then the water filtered out of the tank would be cleaned of some of the nutrients.
“We are using the algae to remove the nutrients that they grow on when they’re in the lake,” Heyvaert said. “In the lake if you put in too much nutrients they grow and you get too much algae.”

The idea seems to be working.

The process removed almost all the nitrogen in preliminary testing the team did last year with synthetic runoff water at a lab in Tahoe City for the Tahoe Environmental Research Center.

For entire article, please visit website.

Teen invents 'goo' to thwart quagga mussels

lynellg — Tue, 08 Apr 2008 12:49:16 -0700

By: the Ventura County Star, Zeke Barlow
April 8, 2008

She spent hours formulating and mixing the concoction that she hopes will stop quagga mussels from clinging to pipes by the thousands and damaging water delivery systems.

Millions of dollars have been spent fighting quagga mussels in the Midwest and millions more have been allocated to fight the invasive mussel since it was first detected last year in the West. But this researcher is hoping her mix — she calls it "goo" — which costs under $5 a gallon to make could solve much of the problem.

The inventor is not a doctorate-level scientist or an employee of a state environmental agency.

She's 14-year-old, french-fry-loving, giggly and precocious Brenna Callero, and she just may have the cure for the common quagga mussel.

Or, at the very least, she's got a good project for this year's science fair, called Don't Move a Mussel.

"I love science," said Brenna, a ninth-grader at La Reina High School in Thousand Oaks. She also likes golf, AC/DC, history, sailing and a slew of other things, but for now she is focused on the tiny quagga mussels and her gloppy creation to keep them at bay.

The professionals paid to study the issue are impressed.

"At this point we are taking her very seriously," said Mike Giusti, a fisheries biologist who is tackling the problem for the California Department of Fish and Game. Quagga mussels can produce 1 million offspring a year. They spread rapidly, altering ecosystems by eating away the bottom of the food chain. For water agencies, the larger concern is the mussels' ability to cause millions of dollars in damage by virtually enveloping pipes and infrastructure.

For Brenna, it all started with a few mosquito bites on the fairway.

Brenna, who is determined to try out for the Ladies Professional Golf Association, was tired of being bitten by mosquitoes when she was golfing. For her science project last year, she developed a solution that kills mosquito larvae. She consulted a flower book to see which plants may be mosquito detractors, crushed a bunch of marigolds and lemon rinds, and before long her mixture was killing mosquito larvae.

For entire article, as well as the website's interactive map of the spread of these mussels in So. CA, please visit the website.

Algae: 'The ultimate in renewable energy'

lynellg — Mon, 07 Apr 2008 11:01:58 -0700

By Marsha Walton
CNN

ANTHONY, Texas (CNN) -- Texas may be best known for "Big Oil." But the oil that could some day make a dent in the country's use of fossil fuels is small. Microscopic, in fact: algae. Literally and figuratively, this is green fuel. Plant physiologist Glen Kertz believes algae can some day be competitive as a source for biofuel.

"Algae is the ultimate in renewable energy," Glen Kertz, president and CEO of Valcent Products, told CNN while conducting a tour of his algae greenhouse on the outskirts of El Paso. Kertz, a plant physiologist and entrepreneur, holds about 20 patents. And he is psyched about the potential algae holds, both as an energy source and as a way to deal with global warming.

"We are a giant solar collecting system. We get the bulk of our energy from the sunshine," said Kertz. Algae are among the fastest growing plants in the world, and about 50 percent of their weight is oil. That lipid oil can be used to make biodiesel for cars, trucks, and airplanes.

Most people know algae as "pond scum." And until recently, most energy research and development projects used ponds to grow it.

But instead of ponds, Valcent uses a closed, vertical system, growing the algae in long rows of moving plastic bags. The patented system is called Vertigro, a joint venture with Canadian alternative energy company Global Green Solutions. The companies have invested about $5 million in the Texas facility.

"A pond has a limited amount of surface area for solar absorption," said Kertz.

"By going vertical, you can get a lot more surface area to expose cells to the sunlight. It keeps the algae hanging in the sunlight just long enough to pick up the solar energy they need to produce, to go through photosynthesis," he said.

To read the entire article, please visit the website.

UC Davis global warming researcher paints dire picture for Lake Tahoe

lynellg — Mon, 24 Mar 2008 12:38:08 -0700

By Tom Knudson
March 22, 2008
MAIN NEWS section, Sacramento Bee

INCLINE VILLAGE, Nev. – As environmental engineer Geoffrey Schladow launched this week into his startling new findings about the potentially dire consequences of global warming at Lake Tahoe, a member of the audience gasped.

"That was the correct response," said Schladow, who directs the UC Davis Tahoe Environmental Research Center.

The news about one of California's recreational jewels was grim. According to a study by Schladow and other Davis researchers, a warming trend already under way could shut down the deep churning of oxygen and nutrients that supports life in the lake – in just 11 years.

That, in turn, could trigger a wave of ecological disruptions from a "dead zone" at the bottom to unprecedented algae blooms near the surface, changing the clear, predominantly cobalt blue lake to murky green.

Schladow characterized such a change as "a really scary thing."

Just as the melting permafrost in the Arctic has proved a living laboratory for studying climate change, scientists are examining large, deep-water lakes – in part because water temperatures at lower depths reflect long-term climatic changes more accurately than temperatures at the surface.

For entire article, please visit website.

4th Biennial Tahoe Basin Science Conference

lynellg — Mon, 17 Mar 2008 09:21:17 -0700

Science as a Tool in Lake Tahoe Basin Management: Making Sense of Complexity
March 17-19, 2008

Tahoe Center for Environmental Sciences and
Hyatt Lake Tahoe Resort, Spa, and Casino
Incline Village, Nevada
Call for Abstracts, Sponsorship and Registration Information is attached!

Effective management and restoration of the Lake Tahoe Basin is a continuing focus of agency representatives, scientists, stakeholders, and decision-makers. Join us for a three-day conference where individuals involved in the science and management of the Basin can learn about and discuss the latest relevant scientific information and results. This conference brings together professionals involved in the Lake Tahoe Basin, providing an excellent opportunity for networking, education, and the exchange of ideas and information.

Note: For questions, please contact Donna Bloom at 775/626-6389 or view flyer attachment.

Beware of invasive species

lynellg — Tue, 04 Mar 2008 09:35:38 -0800

By Bruce Ajari
Special to the Bonanza
February 29, 2008

The California Department of Fish and Game (DFG) recently released a press release regarding its great concern for the New Zealand Mud Snail (NZMS). It is an invasive species that was first found in the Owens River in Mono County in 2000.
Since that time the tiny invasive snails have been confirmed in numerous other waters within California. According to DFG Invasive Species Coordinator, Susan R. Ellis, “New Zealand mud snails are just one of the many non-native invasive species that are impacting our natural resources.”

The DFG is appealing to the general public to help prevent further spread of the snails. Anglers and others who frequent California waters are asked to thoroughly clean all gear that comes in contact with the water, prior to moving to another location. In addition, individuals who are visiting state fish hatcheries should be careful to remove waders that have been in contact with affected waters before entering hatchery grounds.

To view entire article, please visit website below.

Prado wetlands reborn through hard work

lynellg — Tue, 04 Mar 2008 09:32:11 -0800

By PAIGE AUSTIN
The Press-Enterprise

CORONA - South Dakota has Mount Rushmore. Cawker City, Kan. has a really big ball of twine.

And Corona has Southern California's largest man-made wetlands.

However, Corona's unique 465-acre landmark is a somewhat of a secret. The complex of more than 50 man-made ponds behind the Prado Dam is for the birds. Humans can visit by appointment only.

The wetlands were shielded from the public eye for more than two years after the rain-swollen Santa Ana River washed them out in the 2004-05 rainy season.

After $4 million in repairs, the restored Prado wetlands are open to duck hunters, school field trips, researchers and bird-watchers by appointment, said Craig Miller, assisting general manager for the wetlands.

"The construction is finished, and now it's up to Mother Nature to bring it back to its prior state," Miller said.

To review full article, please visit website.

DDT found in Sierra lakes

lynellg — Fri, 29 Feb 2008 11:23:41 -0800

Long-banned pesticide surfaces in Sequoia park.
By Mark Grossi / The Fresno Bee
02/27/08

Sequoia National Park officials are warning rangers and hikers that fish in two popular high Sierra lakes are dangerously contaminated by DDT, a pesticide Valley farmers gave up more than a generation ago.

The danger was reported this week in the results of a six-year federal study of air contaminants in 20 national parks from Denali in Alaska to Big Bend in Texas.

Researchers found 70 wind-borne contaminants, including mercury, in some of the more remote wilderness locations on Earth.

"National parks are often considered pristine," said Sequoia spokeswoman Alexandra Picavet. "But national parks are not immune to pollution from hundreds or even thousands of miles away."

To view entire article, please visit website below.

Invasive species threatening local waters

lynellg — Tue, 26 Feb 2008 10:28:16 -0800

By Bruce Ajari
Gone Fishin'
February 22, 2008

The California Department of Fish and Game (DFG) recently released a press release regarding its concern about the New Zealand Mud Snail (NZMS) — an invasive species that was first found in the Owens River in Mono County in 2000.

Since that time the tiny snails have been confirmed in numerous other waters within California. According to Susan R. Ellis, DFG Invasive Species Coordinator, “New Zealand mud snails are just one of the many non-native invasive species that are impacting our natural resources.”

To view the entire article, please visit the website.

FISHES OF THE EASTERN SIERRAS: Saving the Natives, Lecture with Peter Moyle, Feb. 19

lynellg — Tue, 19 Feb 2008 20:28:18 -0800

Tuesday, February 19, 2008
Time: 5:30 – 7:30 p.m.
The Eastern Sierras of California has a special and distinctive native fish fauna of about 10 species with about 10 endemic subspecies. These native fish communities have been disrupted by invasions of about 15 alien species and numerous disturbances to their stream habitats. Nevertheless, native fi shes persist in many places and can benefit from conservation efforts. In this talk, I will present an overview of the natural history of native fishes and then discuss recent studies focused on understanding the fish communities of Martis and Sagehen creeks, and conservation of Lahontan cutthroat trout and Eagle Lake rainbow trout. The talk should provoke discussion on how to conserve native fishes and their habitats in the face of growing human use of the eastern Sierras and climate change.

For more information, visit website below.

Mussel spread threatens Hoover Dam pipes

lynellg — Tue, 19 Feb 2008 11:33:41 -0800

Keith Rogers, Las Vegas Review-Journal
February 18, 2008

LAS VEGAS — Invasive quagga mussels are adapting well to life in the desert, especially in Lake Havasu, where scientists have determined their reproduction rate is three times faster than when the pesky mollusks infested the Great Lakes years ago.

Leonard Willett, the Bureau of Reclamation’s quagga mussel coordinator for the lower Colorado River dams, said the effort to deal with quaggas, which were discovered last year first in Lake Mead and later downstream of Hoover Dam, still is in the monitoring phase, the first part of what he called the “reactive approach.”

“Reactive approach means you’re going to live with the mussels. You’re going to control them, but you’re going to live with them,” he said in a recent presentation to the Lake Mead Water Quality Forum.

To view entire article, please visit website.

Biological Condition Index Development for the Truckee River: Benthic Macroinvertebrate Assemblage

lynellg — Tue, 04 Dec 2007 11:16:49 -0800

Prepared By
Tetra Tech, Inc.
10045 Red Run Blvd, 110
Owings Mills, MD 21117

Prepared For
Nevada Division of Environmental Protection
July 2004

Summary
The objective of our analysis was to develop a biological index for benthic
macroinvertebrates for the Nevada portion of the mainstem of the Truckee River using
preexisting data. We analyzed data collected by four separate entities, Nevada Division
of Environmental Protection (NDEP), Pyramid Lake Paiute Tribe (PLPT), Truckee
Meadows Water Reclamation Facility (TMWRF), and Desert Research Institute (DRI).
To develop a common dataset from collections of multiple entities, an evaluation of the
field and/or lab methodological differences was performed to minimize non-random
error. A common index period was designated as low flow (July to October), all
replicates were combined, and the number of individuals per sample was set to 500
organisms (samples with more organisms were randomly sampled with a computer to
500).
A multimetric index was developed from the data set and comprised six metrics or
attributes of the benthic macroinvertebrate assemblage; total taxa, percent
Ephemeroptera, percent Chironomidae, percent dominant taxon, percent filterers, and
percent clingers. In an assessment, each metric value is converted to a standard score
ranging between 0 and 100 (100 being closest to reference or optimal value). The scores
for all six metrics are averaged to obtain an aggregated index score and compared to
thresholds or break points based on percentages of the overall score and expected
conditions for a good quality benthic macroinvertebrate community.
Application of the benthic index to the mainstem of the Truckee River indicated the
biological condition was of higher quality in the upper reaches and declined in quality as
the river approaches Pyramid Lake. A more definitive assessment is pending the results
of the analyses on companion assemblages of the aquatic community, namely the fish and
algal assemblages.

Biological Condition Index Development for the Truckee River: Periphyton Assemblage

lynellg — Tue, 04 Dec 2007 11:09:51 -0800

Prepared By
Clinton J. Davis and Christian H. Fritsen
Desert Research Institute
2215 Raggio Parkway
Reno NV, 89512

Prepared For
Nevada Division of Environmental Protection
February 6, 2006

Summary
The objectives of the current activities were to determine if sufficient data was available to derive preliminary periphyton-based metrics that could be used in a periphyton-based indices of ecological condition for the Lower Truckee River, which could in turn be used to derive more comprehensive indices of biological integrity (IBI) based on fish, macroinvertebrates and periphyton populations. Derivation of metrics and indices was made possible through the use of relatively recent (2000 to 2004) seasonal periphyton data that was collected from 11 to 15 locations from California-Nevada border to Pyramid Lake. Although, the levels of taxonomic information from the different data sets were not always comparable, several candidate metrics and indices encompassing information from both the species level and the genera level were identified, calculated and evaluated.

Notable among the metrics most amenable for a Truckee River Periphyton Index were the Siltation Index, Shannon Diversity Index, Eutraphentic Index, Diatom Generic Richness, % Achnanthes minutissima, Chlorophyll a and Ash Free Dry Weight. These metrics covered several aspects of the periphyton community characteristics (richness, composition, tolerance, and habit) that are desired attributes to be accounted for in multimetric indices.

Application of a periphyton-based multimetric index to the mainstem of the Truckee River indicates a general upstream to downstream trend for decreasing ecological condition. However, these results are based on a limited amount of periphyton data and also need to be evaluated in combination with Index’s for fishes and macroinvertebrates in order to gain a more complete picture of the “condition” of the lower Truckee River.

U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service: Evaluating Water Quality in the Lower Truckee River

lynellg — Fri, 30 Nov 2007 15:10:12 -0800

December 12, 2005

Results of this investigation revealed that trout in the Truckee River are being exposed to significant levels of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) within the urban area of Reno and Sparks. Trout downstream of the urban area of Reno and Sparks also have elevated concentrations of arsenic, mercury, and selenium. Based upon these results, the Service is working in conjunction with the cities of Reno and Sparks to develop and implement strategies to reduce non-point source (NPS) pollution to the Truckee River. The Service is also working directly with the Truckee Meadows Water Reclamation Facility to reduce potential impacts from their point source (PS) discharge to the Truckee River. Working with the Cities of Reno and Sparks, along with Washoe County, Pyramid Lake Paiute Tribe, U.S. Geological Survey, Desert Research Institute, University of Nevada- Reno, and the Nevada Department of Wildlife, the Total Maximum Daily Loads (TMDL) standards for several constituents are being assessed and will be revised. The City of Reno also recently issued new storm-water engineering guidelines and best management practices to reduce non-point source pollution to the Truckee River. In addition, approximately 8 acres of riparian habitat were improved on McCarran Ranch to help reduce point and non-point source pollution in the lower Truckee River. Further restoration of the McCarran Ranch is planned along with planned additions of riparian and wetland habitats in the floodplain throughout the Truckee Meadows area for purposes of improving flood control.

Summary of current water chemistry and biological monitoring in Truckee River Basin between Lake Tahoe and Pyramid Lake

admin — Mon, 24 Sep 2007 16:10:59 -0700

Written By

Jim Brock and Alan McKay
Contacts: jbrock@dri.edu, alan@dri.edu

This document presents the data collection and monitoring efforts that occur along the Truckee River by various organizations. This document is maintained by Jim Brock and Alan McKay of the Desert Research Institute.

Preliminary Assessment of Contaminants and Potential Effects to Fish of the Truckee River, Nevada

admin — Mon, 24 Sep 2007 16:07:06 -0700

Written By
Damian K. Higgins, Peter L. Tuttle, and J. Scott Foote
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
Nevada Fish and Wildlife Office

Environmental Contaminants Program
Off-Refuge Investigations Sub-Activity
FFS # 1130-1F35

January 2006

Previous investigations by U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) and others reported elevated concentrations of a variety of metals and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) in Truckee River sediment collected in and downstream of the Reno-Sparks metropolitan area in Nevada in 1998. USGS scientists also documented elevated contaminant concentrations in fish and aquatic invertebrates which exceeded published biological effects criteria. In 1999 U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) biologists also noted a higher incidence of lesions, hemorrhagic septicemia, and external parasites in fish collected in this same reach. Therefore, the Service initiated a synoptic investigation in 2002 to determine if contaminants are affecting or have the potential to affect fish health, survival, or reproductive potential in the lower Truckee River. Specific Service objectives included: 1) evaluation of fish abundance and community structure; 2) assessment of the external condition of fish; 3) detailed evaluation of salmonid health (i.e., internal/external condition, histology, cytology, disease, and parasites); 4) characterization of fish contaminant exposure and accumulation; and 5) screening for indicators of endocrine disruption.

Fish were collected from 5 sampling sites on the Truckee River from Verdi, Nevada to its terminus near the Marble Bluff Dam at Pyramid Lake. Abundance and community structure values (species evenness and Index of Biotic Integrity) declined in a downstream fashion with notable reductions occurring at the Lockwood and Marble Bluff sample sites which were likely a result of cumulative effects of urbanization, loss of riparian cover, reduced flows, increased water temperature, as well as contaminants. Condition of brown trout and mountain/Tahoe suckers were significantly reduced at downstream sites. High percentages of external anomalies were also observed at sampling sites downstream of the Reno-Sparks urban area and ranged from 11% at Marble Bluff to a maximum of 43% at Lockwood. These anomalies were also likely the result of non-point sources, sewage effluent discharges, and reduced flows.

Evaluations of salmonid health revealed no significant issues with regards to organosomatic assays, blood chemistry, microbiological assessment, and histological evaluation from each sampling site. However, some data indicated suspected infections of bacterial kidney disease and other bacterial-type infections. However, these infections were not expressive enough or had detrimental impacts to those fish.

To assess contaminant exposure and accumulation, five to seven trout of appropriate size (? 200 mm) were randomly selected from sampling sites and were analyzed for polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon metabolites in bile and concentrations of metals or trace elements in whole fish. Bile data revealed fish were being exposed to elevated concentrations of naphthalene and phenanthrene in the Reno-Sparks area. These concentrations, which were likely the result of urban run-off sources, exceeded criteria considered as contaminated. Whole fish data revealed concentrations of aluminum, barium, iron, and manganese were highest in rainbow trout compared to brown trout. Mercury concentrations in brown trout did not exceed water quality standards established by the Pyramid Lake Paiute Tribe. Concentrations of aluminum and barium in whole fish were highest above Reno and were likely the result of geochemical interactions of stream water with specific bedrock types. However, none of these concentrations exceeded known adverse biological effects. Concentrations of arsenic, mercury, and selenium in whole fish were highest at the Tracy sampling site located below the Reno-Sparks urban area. The sources of uptake for these constituents originate mostly from geothermal springs, historic mine wastes, irrigation, and tertiary-treated sewage effluent within the Steamboat Creek drainage. Arsenic and selenium concentrations did not exceed known adverse biological effects. Mercury concentrations in trout downstream of the Reno-Sparks urban area did not exceed avian dietary effects, fish consumption guidelines, and water quality standards established by the Pyramid Lake Paiute Tribe.

Several studies have associated municipal waste water discharges with endocrine system effects in fish. Because treated municipal waste water represents a significant component of flows in the lower Truckee River, blood plasma was collected to screen for indicators of endocrine disruption in trout. Vitellogenin (VTG) concentrations were detected in two males downstream of the Reno-sparks urban area. Male fish do not normally produce VTG, but the hepatic estrogen receptor and the gene that encodes for VTG is still present. The result is that when male fish are exposed to estrogenic compounds, VTG production can be induced. Also, all adult males in the fish health assessment had no mature testes at all sites. The presence of VTG in the two males combined with the organosomatic data provides some evidence of potential endocrine disruption in individual trout. However, additional research is needed to assess which endocrine disrupting compounds may be present in the Truckee River, and the extent to which these compounds may be affecting fish populations.

The long-term health and reproductive potential of fish in the Truckee River will be increasingly affected as the Reno-Sparks urban area continues to expand. Restoration of river function and augmentation of wetlands within the floodplain would assist in attenuating contributions of contaminants from various point and non-point sources. Improvements in sewage effluent discharges and effective urban planning can also assist to reduce both point and non-point sources of some contaminants. Without addressing these issues, these point and non-point sources of contaminants will present significant challenges to maintaining a healthy fishery and prevent long-term restoration efforts of Lahontan cutthroat trout (Oncorhynchus clarki henshawi) in the Truckee River.

Written in cooperation with

The authors acknowledge members of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, U.S. Geological Survey, Nevada Department of Wildlife, Pyramid Lake Paiute Tribe and University of Nevada, Reno for providing ideas and information on fish and water-quality issues and for participating in this study. Members of those organizations who participated in data collection and provided technical assistance for this study include:

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
William Cowan, Jody Fraser, Rick Harmon, Chad Mellison, Bridget Nielsen, Stan Wiemeyer

U.S. Geological Survey
Timothy S. Gross, Angela Paul, Timothy Rowe, Karen A. Thomas

Nevada Department of Wildlife
Kim Tisdale

Pyramid Lake Paiute Tribe
Beverly Harry, Dan Mosley, Nancy Vucinich

University of Nevada, Reno
Sudeep Chandra, Ph.D, Laurel Saito, Ph.D

Evaluating the Impact of TROA Alternatives on Pyramid Lake Algal Production and Hypolimnetic Oxygen: Final Alternatives

admin — Mon, 24 Sep 2007 16:02:13 -0700

Prepared For

U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service
Nevada State Office, Reno, Nevada 89502 (March 6, 2004)

Summary

The factors controlling nitrogen availability, and hence algal productivity, in Pyramid Lake differ from those in the Truckee River, and therefore, an assessment of the impacts of water management strategies must reflect those differences. As a lake, algal production in Pyramid is affected by total available nitrogen from external sources, internal sources, and the nitrogen concentration of lake waters. This dependence of production on a variety of nitrogen sources means that nitrogen availability for a given year depends on the supply of nitrogen to the lake over several years rather than simply during the current year. The Davis Limnology Group developed in 1994 a computer simulation modeling tool that predicts the eutrophication response of Pyramid Lake as a whole to nitrogen loadings. In the past, the U.C. Davis Tool was used to evaluate how different Truckee River Operating Agreement (TROA) alternatives may affect the coldwater fishery of Pyramid Lake for the report to the negotiators (1995) and the DEIS/EIR (1996) compared with current conditions and the No Action Alternative. This study evaluates the TROA alternative developed for the TROA EIS/EIR and compares predictions with current conditions, the No Action Alternative, and a Local Water Supply Alternative (LWS).

Simulated water quality for the lake under current conditions are similar to conditions reported during the 1970's and 1980's. Mean lake concentrations for dissolved inorganic (DIN) and dissolved organic (DON) nitrogen during the final 87 years of the simulation were 0.091 and 0.69 mg/l, respectively, while average algal production was 173 g C/m2?yr. Spikes in the simulated values for the DIN concentration in the lake and annual algal production were associated with years of high river inflow.

The impact of the Alternatives on food availability and habitat for the coldwater fish population of Pyramid Lake was evaluated by comparing values for No Action with values determined for current conditions and by comparing the TROA and LWS Alternatives with the No Action Alternative. Conditions for the No Action Alternative were similar to current conditions, with lower river inflow and corresponding coldwater fishery habitat. Under the TROA Alternative, Truckee River inflow to Pyramid Lake increased by 11,500 acre?ft/yr causing mean lake level for 1913-1999 to be 3.2 ft higher than under the No Action Alternative. This increase in river inflow for the TROA Alternative corresponded with higher predicted DIN loading (3.9 Mg N/yr) and DON loading (13.1 Mg N/yr). Differences in lake characteristics for TROA and the No Action Alternative were relatively small but generally benefited the coldwater fishery of Pyramid Lake. The LWS Alternative provided results similar to the No Action Alternative.

Biological Condition Index Development for the Lower Truckee River and Eastern Sierra Nevada Rivers: Fish Assemblage

admin — Mon, 24 Sep 2007 14:42:16 -0700

Written By

Robert M. Hughes and Thomas R. Whittier
Department of Fisheries and Wildlife
Oregon State University
200 SW 35th Street
Corvallis, Oregon 97333
541.754.4516
hughes.bob@epa.gov

Gregg A. Lomnicky
Dynamac Corporation
200 SW 35th Street
Corvallis, Oregon 97333

Prepared For

Pyramid Lake Paiute Tribe
Nevada Division of Environmental Protection
April 2005

Summary

We developed a fish assemblage IBI for western Nevada rivers and applied it to the Truckee River. Available state and federal fish assemblage data from the Carson, Walker, and upper Truckee rivers were analyzed to select and score metrics. Selected metrics included number of native species, % sculpin individuals, % mountain whitefish individuals, evidence of sculpin and whitefish reproduction, % cutthroat trout individuals, % sensitive individuals, % mountain sucker individuals, % omnivorous individuals, % highly tolerant individuals, % alien individuals, and % external anomalies. Metrics were scored continuously from 0-1 and the IBI was scored from 0-10 by summing the metrics. Those metrics and scoring criteria were then applied to existing fish assemblage data for the lower Truckee River. The IBI declined from the Nevada border to Wadsworth, with sharp declines at river miles 57 (Oxbow), 69 (Mustang), and 87 (Painted Rock). Revisits to the same sites indicated that IBI scores may vary by 1.0 as a result of temporal and sampling variation. We consider median IBI scores >7.5 as acceptable, 5.0-7.4 as marginally damaged, and <5.0 as damaged. However, these are only guidelines and 2.0 changes in IBI scores over space or time are probably biologically significant.