Santa Maria RiverSanta Maria River InstreamInstream Flow Study:Flow Study:Study Progress, Findings ToStudy Progress, Findings To--date, & date, & Next StepsNext Steps

Dirk Pedersen, Derek Booth, & Dirk Pedersen, Derek Booth, & ZooeyZooey DiggoryDiggory, Stillwater Sciences, Stillwater SciencesJordan Jordan KearKear, , KearKear GroundwaterGroundwater

September 26, 2011 Stakeholder MeetingSeptember 26, 2011 Stakeholder Meeting

Santa Maria Public Library, Santa Maria, CaliforniaSanta Maria Public Library, Santa Maria, California

Scope of work, study area, & scheduleScope of work, study area, & schedule

Study Objective

To identify the minimum flow needed in the Santa Maria River to allow steelhead passage from the Pacific Ocean to the upper Sisquoc River

Scope Of Work

Task 1. Data review and compilation

Task 2. Groundwater–surface water investigations

Task 3. Estuary investigations

Task 4. Steelhead habitat in upper Sisquoc River

Task 5. Instream flows for steelhead passage

Task 6. Recommendations

Task 7. Stakeholder outreach

Study Setting

Cuyama RiverCuyama River

Sisquoc River

Twitchell DamSanta Maria River

Critical Reach for Passage

Study Schedule

Task2010 2011 2012

F W S S F W S

1. Data review

2. Groundwater

3. Estuary

4. Upper Sisquoc habitat

5. Steelhead passage flows

6. Recommendations

7. Stakeholder outreach

Steelhead life history requirementsSteelhead life history requirements

What is a steelhead?

Steelhead is the ocean-going form of rainbow trout.

The anadromous form of the species (Onchorhynchys mykiss)

Steelhead life cycle

StreamSpawning

Incubation

Emergence

Fry rearing

Juvenile rearing

Smolt migrationdownstream

Adult migrationupstream

Rearing, growth,maturation

Transition

Marine

1-3 Years

Days/weeks

1-3 Years

Migration, spawning and rearing life stages

Spawning and rearing habitat

Spawning and rearing habitat conditions in the upper Sisquoc River will be evaluated using a Habitat Suitability Index (HSI) Model

HSI model uses 18 habitat variables to calculate an index score

2 field surveys

Spring survey completed June 2011

Fall survey scheduled October 2011

Habitat suitability in the Upper Sisquoc River

12 Sites selected

Upper Sisquoc River

Upper Sisquoc River near Big Pine Creek

Judell Creek

Pictures from Spring survey

Manzana Creek

Munch Creek

Davy Brown Creek

Pictures from Spring survey

Pictures from Spring survey

Sisquoc River d/s Manzana Cr

Sisquoc River u/s Manzana Cr

lower Manzana Cr

Steelhead migration

What conditions do steelhead need for successful migration?

Steelhead migration

What conditions do steelhead need for successful passage?

Water

Frequency: Santa Maria River can remain dry with no natural surface flow for one or more consecutive years

Timing: When natural surface flow occurs it usually happens during the winter and spring

Duration: need surface flow to persist long enough for fish to migrate ~35+ miles into the upper Sisquoc River (2-3 days or more)

Steelhead migration

Steelhead Migration Timing for the Santa Maria River

Based on Fukushima and Lesh (1998).a Based on Santa Ynez Riverb Based on Arroyo Grande Creek

Life stageJan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sept Oct Nov Dec

Adult upstream migration a

Juvenile downstream migration b

Consistent with migration life history timing

Suitable hydraulic conditions

Hydraulic criteria will be used to determine the minimum flow, or range of flows, that provide suitable passage conditions

Steelhead migration

Life Stage Criteria Criteria value

AdultDepth (Minimum) 0.7 ft

Velocity (maximum) 6 ft/sec

Juvenile Depth (Minimum) 0.5 ft

Hydraulic criteria for minimum passage conditions (example):

Hydraulic analysis

Preliminary hydraulic analysis indicates that minimum flows necessary to meet passage criteriaare likely in the range of about 50-350 cfs

Life Stage Minimum depth (ft)

Minimum continuous

width

Mean(cfs)

Maximum (cfs)

Adult 0.7 10 ft 128 351

Juvenile 0.5 10 ft 58 148

What steelhead need for passage

Frequency, timing, and duration of flow providing suitable passage conditions will be determined as part of the hydrologic analysis

Santa Maria River hydrology

Santa Maria R. @ Guadalupe

USGS 11141000

(1941-1987)

Sisquoc @ GareyUSGS

11140000(1941-2011)

Twitchell reservoir outlet

(1962-2011)

Cuyama R. below Twitchell

damUSGS

11138100(1958-1983)

Sources of flow data

Santa Maria R. @ Guadalupe

USGS 11141000

(1941-1987)

Sisquoc @ GareyUSGS

11140000(1941-2011)

Twitchell reservoir outlet

(1962-2011)Cuyama R.

below Twitchell dam

USGS 11138100

(1958-1983)

Cuyama R. near Santa Maria

USGS 11137000

(1929-1962)

Twitchell dam

 closure

Guadalupe ≈ Garey;Garey ≈ 2x Cuyama

Cumulative discharge: two tribs + mainstem

Twitchell dam

 closure

Guadalupe ≈ Garey;Garey ≈ 2x Cuyama

Late February‐mid‐March, 1969

Cumulative discharge: two tribs + mainstem

“Dry” at Guadalupe: 341 days/year “Dry” at Guadalupe: 

348 days/year

Twitchell dam

 closure

GuadalupeGarey

Twitchell dam closure

The 1960’s on the Santa Maria River“Long periods of boredom, brief moments of terror”

PRE-DAM (avg. days/year)>100 cfs >200 cfs

Garey 21.5 13.4Guadalupe 9.1 7.6BOTH 9.1 7.4

POST-DAM (avg. days/year)>100 cfs >200 cfs

Garey 25.8 17.4Guadalupe 7.8 5.8BOTH 7.7 5.8

How common were/are fish-passable flows?

PRE-DAM (avg. days/year)>100 cfs >200 cfs

Garey 21.5 13.4Guadalupe 9.1 7.6BOTH 9.1 7.4

POST-DAM (avg. days/year)>100 cfs >200 cfs

Garey 25.8 17.4Guadalupe 7.8 5.8BOTH 7.7 5.8

How common were/are fish-passable flows?

Santa Maria River not passable, 2 out of 3 years, pre‐dam

7 years pre-dam with >3 days of passage;

15 years pre-dam with 0-3 days’ passage

Bonita School Rd crossing, ~200 cfs

Garey gage, ~250 cfs

How common are fish-passable flows now?

>100 cfs

>200 cfs

>100 cfs

>200 cfs

How common are fish-passable flows now?

>100 cfs

>200 cfs

How common are fish-passable flows now?

When did/do fish-passable flows happen?

Never passageMay 10-Nov 20

When did/do fish-passable flows happen?

>100 cfs at Garey

?

Nov 20-May 10?

Guad. flows >100

cfs 3 days earlier?

453days

177 d(2.3%)

7232days

1day

275days

452days

YES YESYES

NO NO NO

Guad. flows >200200

cfs 3 days earlier?

141 d(1.8%)

YES

NO

How often for fish-passable conditions?

>100 cfs at Garey

?

Nov 20-May 10?

Guad. flows >100

cfs 3 days earlier?

663days

192 d(2.1%)

Guad. flows >200

cfs 3 days earlier?

8695days

37days

434days

136 d(1.5%)

626days

YES YESYES

NO NO NO

YES

NO

How often for fish-passable conditions?

SUMMARY – what has changed?

1 to 1.5 days/yr less

SUMMARY – what has changed?

Santa Maria River groundwaterSanta Maria River groundwater

Disconnected Stream

Surface water-groundwater interaction

1930s

Groundwater model evaluation

1930s

1950s

Groundwater model evaluation

1930s

1950s

2000s

Groundwater model evaluation

Next stepsNext steps

Next steps

Finish steelhead passage criteria and hydraulic modeling

Finish hydrologic analysis

Groundwater modeling

Tools for achieving minimum flow

Final stakeholder meeting

Timeline

Final recommendations: April 2012

Sisquoc survey: October 2011

Complete hydrologic analysis: December 2011

Groundwater model: January 2012

Draft recommendations: February 2012

Final stakeholder meeting: March 2012

AcknowledgementsAcknowledgements Santa Maria Valley Water Conservation DistrictSanta Maria Valley Water Conservation District

Santa Barbara County Flood Control DistrictSanta Barbara County Flood Control District

Santa Barbara County Parks/Rancho Guadalupe Santa Barbara County Parks/Rancho Guadalupe DunesDunes

U.S. Geological SurveyU.S. Geological Survey

U.S. Forest ServiceU.S. Forest Service

Contact InformationContact InformationDerek Booth(206) 914-5031, derek@stillwatersci.com

Zooey Diggory(831) 786-8969, zooey@stillwatersci.com

Jordan Kear(805) 512-1516, jordan@keargroundwater.com

Dirk Pedersen(707) 822-9607 x201, dirk@stillwatersci.com

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