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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, [email protected]
Zooey Diggory(831) 786-8969, [email protected]
Jordan Kear(805) 512-1516, [email protected]
Dirk Pedersen(707) 822-9607 x201, [email protected]
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