The Northern California Fly Fishing Board

I was just wondering if anybody here read the article in Cal Fly Fisher
about the Pit flows being permanently raised. As i recall, Pit 3 runs about
150 cfs. The article said the flows will be doubled to 300cfs in a few years.
Pit 3 is a real b___ch even at it's current state. Pit 5 is deep as hell, and
Pit 4 has some very tricky spots too.

That is literally a death sentence. I can't imagine trying to wade the
river (any stretch) with these flows. The trout will thrive, but certainly
you'll have to have some big huervos to fish it. Or maybe I need to procure
a pontoon boat.

So my question is...do you think this will go through? Will it be tied up
in court

Thoughts or comments? I'm pissed.

Anglernut

Ya know, I'm trying to get those answers right now myself. I found the studies on the McCloud, but I have not found the docs for the Pit. The Draft License is supposed to be coming out any second now and there still will be some time to give comments, but I am not sure what the actual changes are going to be just yet. Seems like it could be negative for sure.

I was hoping you'd comment Bjorn

I also read in the latest Fly Fisherman about Nestle's wanting
to bottle the McCloud River water. They mentioned Squaw creek
which I believe flows into the McCloud. I guess they are
renegotiating the contract again. Uh ya, we really need more
bottled water. There isn't enough.

Geez...two of the best trout streams in NorCal being targeted.

Chaps my hide.

I sort of remember this being discussed before. The part that confuses me is that it is usually running more than 150 below Britton normally (if my perception is halfway correct). Here is a pic of normal flows taken from Britton Dam.

There was a great TU On the Rise TV show about the Nestle issue. They have torn up the existing contract and are trying to figure out what to come back with, if at all. TU, Cal Trout and the McCloud Watershed Council have done a great job on this issue. The Nestle plant really would have impacted the upper reaches of the river and Squaw Valley Creek, which is beautiful and flows into the lower reaches of the river where only the richies get to see it. The whole Nestle approach was basically "we don't think this will do bad things, we'll pretend we have the science, and we want to hoodwink the locals into thinking this is a great deal because we'll throw 10 or 15 jobs at them... oh, and we'll put 50 trucks a day on the bit of HW 89 between McCloud and Mt. Shasta."

The relicensing is a whole other ball of wax. Flows are likely to change. Cases are being made, proposals being prepared, but I am having a hard time finding out what the proposals are going to be. Like I said, this has not been an FOR issue, so I'm pretty out of the loop on it. Trying to get back in the loop, just in case I need to yell at anyone or set some buring dog poop at any front doors.

Hi All
My name is Bill(y) Downs. I am new to this board. I participated in the stream flow studies on the Pit river when they were considering the changes in flows. It seems that the powers that be did not want to take our observations into account when determining the new flows. We expressed concern that the increased flows would make fishing the Pit (especially on 3) very dangerous. Not to mention its affect on the insect life in the river. The changes are not scheduled to go into affect until 2010.

If anyone is interested in starting a letter writing campaign please let me know.

Best Fishes to everyone in 2009.

Bill Downs
Lodge Manager
Clearwater Lodge at the Pit River
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www.clearwaterlodge.com

My wife and I are the new managers at the lodge. Tom Peppas is still guiding for the lodge and still making his awesome bird's nest for the fly bins.

Thanks Billy. I'm just surprised that none of these folks pushing
the higher flows aren't aware (or don't care) that doubling the flows
will ruin the fishing. Especially since the Pit 3 is touted as the
wild trout section. Ya, the trout will remain wild and nobody will
be able to fish it.

I guess if we follow the trail, the almighty dollar has a lot to do
with it?

In the Cal Fly article, the guy mentioned that it next to impossible
to fish the Pit at those flows. Doubt I will unless i have 2 PFDs, a
huge staff and a spey rod (so as to reach the fish).

So I have one year to fish a great river.

Eric

Billy, let folks know where to send letters and whom they should be addressed to. Let's get this thing rolling.

See you this Fri-Sun.

I will find out and post. Hopefully by next week.

On another front PG&E is planning on putting campgrounds and access on Pit 4 and Pit 5. Alan Blankenship a fishing guide on the McCloud told me about this situation. The story is that PG&E has all of this excess revenue from the hydro systems that they are required to reinvest on the watersheds. This is what paid for the paving, toilets, and handicap access on Hat Creek wild trout section and also the handicap access at Hat Creek Park. Being that Pit 4 and Pit 5 are open regulations during trout season this could have a negative impact on the resource. We are trying to get some DFG biologists to give us some input and hopefully support us in making reach 4 and 5 artificial, barbless, and limited harvest fisheries. Any Pit River anglers interested in helping on this issue can contact myself or Alan at 3 Rivers Guide Service. Vanessa and I are working the booth at the Pleasanton Show if anyone wants to come by and say hi.



Bill Downs
530-335-3812
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Alan Blankenship
www.threeriversguideservice.com
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I had heard rumors of a possible hydro unit being sited at the bottom of Britton Dam due to the increased flows that would be required year round...

Don't remember where I heard that though...

In todays Burney Intermountain News, 3/04/09, a legal notice from PG&E about their plans for a 5-8MW plant at the base of McCloud Dam. Also a 10 MW plant at Pit 7 afterbay. They are ready to start the power plant project at the base of Lake Britten dam this spring, 2009, MW unknown to this poster.
Spiderman

Bummer!! I guess there's always the PH#2 riffle

Riiiight.