Our new Biological Assessment is out - Klamath Basin Crisis

Klamath Project Operations Biological Assessment
Coho Salmon: Biological Assessment Impact Conclusions
the Proposed Action would not diminish the SONCC coho salmon ESU numbers,
reproduction, or distribution such that the likelihood of survival and recovery in
the wild is appreciably reduced.
In regards to critical habitat, based on the above discussion, Reclamation
concludes that the Proposed Action may adversely affect critical habitat.
However, using the habitat mapping results of Hardy and Addley (2006), in the
area immediately downstream of IGD, the Proposed Action will provide flows
that will make available the majority of the coho salmon juvenile and fry habitat,
particularly during the critical March through June time period. As assumed
under the NMFS 2002 BO, Reclamation continues to assume that main stem
passage, tributary access, and spawning habitat for adult coho salmon will be
adequate under the proposed IGD flow regime. Additionally, with the limited
storage capacity of the Klamath Project, based on modeling, spill events will
occur under Proposed Action, which will continue scouring events into the future.
Thus, Reclamation concludes, the Proposed Action, through flow, would not be
expected to significantly affect the salmon habitat quantity or quality within the
main stem or the tributaries of the lower Klamath River.
Reclamation also concludes that although no recovery plan has been completed
for this ESU to date, the Proposed Action is sufficient for the conservation of the
ESU until such time as a Recovery Team is convened to address whether
additional efforts are necessary to recover coho salmon. In reaching these
recommendations and conclusions, Reclamation has utilized the best scientific
and commercial data available.
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