BonkinKokes
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- Jul 8, 2010
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Before you know it summer will be upon us. Let's set a date!
Yale 2015 Picnic
- Thread starter BonkinKokes
- Start date
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lowe1648mt
Well-known member
Pick the date, and I will be there.
BonkinKokes
Well-known member
- Joined
- Jul 8, 2010
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I sent a pm to Mack. Hoping to get this date set soon.
lowe1648mt
Well-known member
Kind of sad last year. Only Mack, BonkinKoks, and I showed up. Hope more can make it.
DLM
Oregon Forum MODERATOR
I'm still looking forward to making my first one, always seems to be a conflict with other committments.
chief
Active member
I hope I can make this year I got stuck at work that would be great to set a date this early
flashover52
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- 13
As a new SW WA kokanee fisherman and new member to the forum, I would be interested in getting to know some other folks from the area during a meet up at Yale this summer. I'll be watching this thread and hoping it's a weekend I can make it......provided you all wouldn't mind a newbie stopping by.
MackPrince
Washington Forum MODERATOR
I'll take a look at the calendar. Late June to early July is my preference.
Sorry for the late response. I need to work a little less and fish a little more
Sorry for the late response. I need to work a little less and fish a little more
lowe1648mt
Well-known member
I'll take a look at the calendar. Late June to early July is my preference.
Sorry for the late response. I need to work a little less and fish a little more
Those dates look good to me. Tied up 'til early June.
BonkinKokes
Well-known member
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- Jul 8, 2010
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- 157
How about Saturday July 11?
lowe1648mt
Well-known member
Looks like that is doable. Any one else have an opinion?
Flashover52- We like to have new people show up. Welcome to the Forum.
Flashover52- We like to have new people show up. Welcome to the Forum.
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flashover52
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I think July 11 is a Kokanee Power of Oregon derby at Green Peter.... I believe Mudinchev is registered for that and I was going to try and go down for my first derby as well.
flashover52
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The 18th looks good for me at this point.....
chief
Active member
So have we come up with a date I haven't been seeing anyone replying to a day that works so far
lowe1648mt
Well-known member
The 18th of july will work as well. Any one else?
Mudinchev
Well-known member
July 11 is when the Green Peter derby was scheduled for but it has been canceled. However there is a special needs kids fishing day at the Merwin hatchery that we are hoping to attend and help out with now that we are going to be around.
MackPrince
Washington Forum MODERATOR
July 18 may work for me. I'll verify with my better half as the time gets closer but at this point I think we'll be in town.
-Mack
-Mack
Mudinchev
Well-known member
Just realized the 18th is out for us as well........Soccer tournament in Tumwater stomper
Mudinchev
Well-known member
Also going to need to keep this in mind: Its going to be an interesting year with water levels!
The Daily New Article has some useful information in it:
ARIEL — The drought is putting a squeeze on PacifiCorp, as the utility juggles competing uses for the streamflow of the North Fork of the Lewis River.
The snowpack in the drainage is only 10 percent to 20 percent of normal, according to Frank Shrier, principal scientist for PacifiCorp, at May’s meeting of the Lewis River Aquatic Coordination Committee.
“We’re looking at really poor conditions unless we get a cool, wet summer,’’ he said. “By July, the inflows are only expected to be 650 cubic feet per second.’’
PacifiCorp has to balance between:
Keeping winter steelhead spawning nests downstream of Merwin Dam covered until the young fish emerge from the gravel in mid-July.
Having enough streamflow for the big population of wild fall chinook to spawn during autumn.
Keeping enough water in Merwin, Yale and Swift reservoirs to keep at least one boat ramp functional.
The federal license calls for a minimum flow of 2,700 cubic feet per second at Merwin Dam through June 30.
However, the Lewis River Flow Coordination Committee and Washington Department of Ecology agreed in April to reduce the flow at Merwin to 2,300 cubic feet per second.
The committee includes NOAA Fisheries, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife among others.
“The (dam) operators have asked to drop flows even more and we’ve said ‘no,’’’ Shrier said. “Those steelhead redds barely have enough water now…We can’t drop the flows until the steelhead are done.’’
Merwin Reservoir is 9 feet below full pool. Yale Reservoir is down 10 feet. Swift Reservoir is within 2 feet of full.
“The reservoirs are dropping and will continue to drop,’’ Shrier said. “We’re losing about half a foot a day in the reservoirs.’’
There’s about 20 to 25 feet of drawdown left between the three reservoirs before boat launching will not be possible on at least one of them.
The boat ramp at Swift Forest Camp is usable to about 25 feet below full pool.
Yale Reservoir has four ramps. Yale Park can be used as low as 21 feet below full pool. Saddle Dam is dry at 15 feet below full pool.
Merwin Reservoir has two public ramps. Speelyai Bay can be used as low as 25.6 feet down. Cresap Bay can be used at 29.6 feet below full pool, but there are times of the year when the park must be closed due to overwintering of elk or elk calving season.
But the most valuable of the resources of the North Lewis may be neither the wild steelhead nor summer boating and fishing.
The North Fork of the Lewis River is home of the largest population of wild-spawning fall chinook salmon in the lower Columbia basin.
In 2014, 25,800 wild spawning fall chinook returned to lower Columbia tributaries, with the majority in the Lewis downstream of Merwin Dam.
The forecast for 2015 is 19,300.
Without sufficient flows in the fall, the area for those fish to spawn is reduced.
The settlement agreement for the North Fork of the Lewis River hydroelectric dams requires 2,500 cubic feet per second from Oct. 16-31, then 4,200 cubic feet per second in November and the first half of December.
“I’m still hoping for the historic pattern where we have a cool, wet summer with El Nino,’’ Shrier said. “But if we keep going at this rate we could dry up all the ramps unless we can get some relief on the minimum flows. This drought is possibly a far different condition than the normal patterns we see.’’
The Daily New Article has some useful information in it:
ARIEL — The drought is putting a squeeze on PacifiCorp, as the utility juggles competing uses for the streamflow of the North Fork of the Lewis River.
The snowpack in the drainage is only 10 percent to 20 percent of normal, according to Frank Shrier, principal scientist for PacifiCorp, at May’s meeting of the Lewis River Aquatic Coordination Committee.
“We’re looking at really poor conditions unless we get a cool, wet summer,’’ he said. “By July, the inflows are only expected to be 650 cubic feet per second.’’
PacifiCorp has to balance between:
Keeping winter steelhead spawning nests downstream of Merwin Dam covered until the young fish emerge from the gravel in mid-July.
Having enough streamflow for the big population of wild fall chinook to spawn during autumn.
Keeping enough water in Merwin, Yale and Swift reservoirs to keep at least one boat ramp functional.
The federal license calls for a minimum flow of 2,700 cubic feet per second at Merwin Dam through June 30.
However, the Lewis River Flow Coordination Committee and Washington Department of Ecology agreed in April to reduce the flow at Merwin to 2,300 cubic feet per second.
The committee includes NOAA Fisheries, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife among others.
“The (dam) operators have asked to drop flows even more and we’ve said ‘no,’’’ Shrier said. “Those steelhead redds barely have enough water now…We can’t drop the flows until the steelhead are done.’’
Merwin Reservoir is 9 feet below full pool. Yale Reservoir is down 10 feet. Swift Reservoir is within 2 feet of full.
“The reservoirs are dropping and will continue to drop,’’ Shrier said. “We’re losing about half a foot a day in the reservoirs.’’
There’s about 20 to 25 feet of drawdown left between the three reservoirs before boat launching will not be possible on at least one of them.
The boat ramp at Swift Forest Camp is usable to about 25 feet below full pool.
Yale Reservoir has four ramps. Yale Park can be used as low as 21 feet below full pool. Saddle Dam is dry at 15 feet below full pool.
Merwin Reservoir has two public ramps. Speelyai Bay can be used as low as 25.6 feet down. Cresap Bay can be used at 29.6 feet below full pool, but there are times of the year when the park must be closed due to overwintering of elk or elk calving season.
But the most valuable of the resources of the North Lewis may be neither the wild steelhead nor summer boating and fishing.
The North Fork of the Lewis River is home of the largest population of wild-spawning fall chinook salmon in the lower Columbia basin.
In 2014, 25,800 wild spawning fall chinook returned to lower Columbia tributaries, with the majority in the Lewis downstream of Merwin Dam.
The forecast for 2015 is 19,300.
Without sufficient flows in the fall, the area for those fish to spawn is reduced.
The settlement agreement for the North Fork of the Lewis River hydroelectric dams requires 2,500 cubic feet per second from Oct. 16-31, then 4,200 cubic feet per second in November and the first half of December.
“I’m still hoping for the historic pattern where we have a cool, wet summer with El Nino,’’ Shrier said. “But if we keep going at this rate we could dry up all the ramps unless we can get some relief on the minimum flows. This drought is possibly a far different condition than the normal patterns we see.’’
BonkinKokes
Well-known member
- Joined
- Jul 8, 2010
- Messages
- 157
Anyone know if we are having the annual Yale picnic next Saturday July 11? or the 18th? or?
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