The Yuba River: Among the Coldest Tributaries in the Central Valley Four Questions • What are temperatures like on the Lower Yuba? • What are temperatures like in other CV tributaries? • What do these temperatures mean for anadromous salmonids in the Lower Yuba? • How is 2014 looking? Temperature Drivers for the Lower Yuba River Average Water Temperature Profile for New Bullards Bar Reservoir 0 50 100 Average Water Temperature Profile for Englebright Reservoir 150 0 200 10 250 20 August 30 300 May Depth Depth from Water Surface (feet) 40 350 50 40 45 50 55 60 65 70 75 80 60 Water Temperature (°F) 70 August 80 May Depth From (feet) From Depth Water Surface 90 New Bullards Bar 100 Reservoir 40 45 50 55 60 65 70 75 80 85 90 Water Temperature (°F) Release Temperatures Colgate Powerhouse Englebright 46 to 50 degrees F Reservoir Smartville Gage Summertime Average Daguerre Narrows II Point Dam Accord Conditions Powerhous Marysville 2007 through 2010 Gage +5 ° +4 ° +3° +12° Daguerre Point Dam Englebright Dam Near Marysville Average Mean Daily Values 2007 - 2013 Near Marysville Daguerre Point Dam Englebright Dam Average Min-Mean-Max Daily Values 2007 - 2013 Yuba and the Central Valley • What are daily mean temp values like in other CV rivers? • Gages chosen near beginning and end of anadromous access • Daily mean temperatures from 2007 - 2013 Select Tributaries of the Sacramento and San Joaquin Mill Creek Deer Creek Butte Creek Feather River Yuba River American River Stanislaus River Tuolumne River Merced River Near Marysville Range Between Mean Daily Temperatures Englebright Dam Select Tributaries of the Sacramento and San Joaquin Mill Creek Deer Creek Butte Creek Feather River Yuba River American River Stanislaus River Tuolumne River Merced River Select Tributaries of the Sacramento and San Joaquin Mill Creek Deer Creek Butte Creek Feather River Yuba River American River Stanislaus River Tuolumne River Merced River Yuba and the Central Valley Yuba River Temperatures and Anadromous Salmonid Biology Salmonids have complex life histories with many stages and pathways Life Cycle Different timing for each life history stage Different critical thermal limits for each life history stage traveldance.net dailyunadventuresincooking.com Spring-Run Chinook Salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha) Critical Thermal Limit Adult and Smolt Migration Spring-Run Chinook Salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha) Critical Thermal Limit Juvenile Rearing and Adult Holding Spring-Run Chinook Salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha) Critical Thermal Limit Spawning and Egg Incubation 27 Yuba River Spring-Run Salmon Temperature cool enough for most life history stages throughout the river Spawning temperatures warm below DPD until October Steelhead (Oncorhynchus mykiss) Critical Thermal Limit Adult Migration and Juvenile Rearing Steelhead (Oncorhynchus mykiss) Critical Thermal Limit Adult Holding Steelhead (Oncorhynchus mykiss) Critical Thermal Limit Spawning and Egg Incubation Steelhead (Oncorhynchus mykiss) Critical Thermal Limit Critical Thermal Limit Smolt Emigration Yuba River Steelhead Temperature cool enough for most life history stages throughout the river PHOTO BY FISHBIO Temperatures in 2014 earthobservatory.nasa.gov January 2013/2014 Most of California experiencing extreme drought Far less snowmelt than normal Folsom Reservoir July 2011/ January 2014 How might Yuba temperatures be affected? kssunews.wordpress.com North Fork at Goodyears Bar North Fork Below Middle Fork Colgate Powerhouse at Wolf Creek South Fork at Poorman Creek The Yuba River is warmer than normal… but… temperatures are within the range of variation seen in Central Valley tributaries Questions? .