Regional Fisheries Advisory Committee 31st January, 1983

This is the report from the Regional Fisheries Advisory Committee meeting, which was held on the 31st January, 1983. The report contains sections on Draft net licences (Rivers Derwent and Ellen estuaries), net limitation order, proposed pike ranching scheme on Esthwaite Water, Diseases of fish bill, outbreak of Whirling disease, and the control of federal mink. The Fisheries Advisory Committee was part of the Regional Water Authorities, in this case the North West Water Authority. This preceded the Environment Agency which came into existence in 1996.

West Cumbria Special Fisheries Advisory Group 9th March, 1983

This is the report from the West Cumbria Special Fisheries Advisory Group meeting, which was held on the 9th March, 1983. The report contains sections on Fish Passes at Yearl Weir River Derwent, Ennerdale, and Ehen; River Calder abstraction and augmentation from boreholes; and the augmentation of River Ehen by minewater to support increased abstraction by BNFL. The Fisheries Advisory Committee was part of the Regional Water Authorities, in this case the North West Water Authority. This preceded the Environment Agency which came into existence in 1996.

Northern Area Fisheries Advisory Committee 28th March, 1983

This is the report from the Northern Area Fisheries Advisory Committee meeting, which was held on the 28th March, 1983. The report contains sections on rules for fishing at Haweswater and Thirlmere, Fyke nets and otters, Whirling disease, and Fisheries Activities. The section on Fyke nets looks at the loss of at least 23 otters in fyke nets over eighteen months. The section on Fisheries Activities is reported by the area fisheries officer and includes river conditions and fishing, migratory fish movement, Holmwrangle hatchery, stocking by Angling Associations, fish mortalities and pollution. The Fisheries Advisory Committee was part of the Regional Water Authorities, in this case the North West Water Authority. This preceded the Environment Agency which came into existence in 1996.

Central Area Fisheries Advisory Committee 30th March, 1983

This is the report from the Central Area Fisheries Advisory Committee meeting, which was held on the 30th March, 1983. The report contains sections on Fyke nets and otters, Whirling disease, the decline of Salmon and Sea Trout Catches in Furness and South Cumbria Fisheries Association, spawning tributaries, Langcliffe hatchery, and fisheries activities. The section on Fisheries Activities is reported by the area fisheries officer and includes river conditions and fishing, migratory fish movement, Hatcheries (Middleton hatchery, salmon cages in Dalton and Furness, salmon and sea trout), stocking, fish disease, poaching, management work and prosecutions. The Fisheries Advisory Committee was part of the Regional Water Authorities, in this case the North West Water Authority. This preceded the Environment Agency which came into existence in 1996.

Southern Area Fisheries Advisory Committee 6th April, 1983

This is the report from the Southern Area Fisheries Advisory Committee meeting, which was held on the 6th April, 1983. The report contains sections on Fyke nets and otters, Whirling disease, Salmon and Freshwater Fisheries Act 1975, and fisheries activities. The section on fisheries activities is reported by the area fisheries officer and includes river conditions and fishing, hatcheries (Hollingworth, pilot hatchery), migratory fish movement, stocking by the Authority, fish mortalities/disease, pollution, and prosecutions. The Fisheries Advisory Committee was part of the Regional Water Authorities, in this case the North West Water Authority. This preceded the Environment Agency which came into existence in 1996.

Regional Fisheries Advisory Committee 25th April, 1983

This is the report from the Regional Fisheries Advisory Committee meeting, which was held on the 25th April 1983. The report contains the minutes of the Local Fisheries Advisory Committees and recommendations for these committees, fishing licence duties 1984, fyke nets and otters, whirling disease, Salmon and Freshwater Fisheries Act 1975, and Fisheries Statistics 1982 (National Water Council Publication). The Fisheries Advisory Committee was part of the Regional Water Authorities, in this case the North West Water Authority. This preceded the Environment Agency which came into existence in 1996.

Regional Fisheries Advisory Committee 27th June, 1983

This is the report from the Regional Fisheries Advisory Committee meeting, which was held on the 27th June, 1983. The report contains Fishing Licence Duties, Fyke nets and Otters, the income from the sale of Rod and Line licences, Fisheries improvement Grant and Fisheries Equipment Loan Schemes. The section on Fyke nets and Otters looks at danger to otters of becoming trapped and drowned in fyke nets set to take eels. The Fisheries Advisory Committee was part of the Regional Water Authorities, in this case the North West Water Authority. This preceded the Environment Agency which came into existence in 1996.

Implications of using On-Farm Flood Flow Capture to recharge groundwater and mitigate flood risks along the Kings River, CA

Two large hydrologic issues face the Kings Basin, severe and chronic overdraft of about 0.16M ac-ft annually, and flood risks along the Kings River and the downstream San Joaquin River. Since 1983, these floods have caused over $1B in damage in today’s dollars. Capturing flood flows of sufficient volume could help address these two pressing issues which are relevant to many regions of the Central Valley and will only be exacerbated with climate change. However, the Kings River has high variability associated with flow magnitudes which suggests that standard engineering approaches and acquisition of sufficient acreage through purchase and easements to capture and recharge flood waters would not be cost effective. An alternative approach investigated in this study, termed On-Farm Flood Flow Capture, involved leveraging large areas of private farmland to capture flood flows for both direct and in lieu recharge. This study investigated the technical and logistical feasibility of best management practices (BMPs) associated with On-Farm Flood Flow Capture. The investigation was conducted near Helm, CA, about 20 miles west of Fresno, CA. The experimental design identified a coordinated plan to determine infiltration rates for different soil series and different crops; develop a water budget for water applied throughout the program and estimate direct and in lieu recharge; provide a preliminary assessment of potential water quality impacts; assess logistical issues associated with implementation; and provide an economic summary of the program. At check locations, we measured average infiltration rates of 4.2 in/d for all fields and noted that infiltration rates decreased asymptotically over time to about 2 – 2.5 in/d. Rates did not differ significantly between the different crops and soils tested, but were found to be about an order of magnitude higher in one field. At a 2.5 in/d infiltration rate, 100 acres are required to infiltrate 10 CFS of captured flood flows. Water quality of applied flood flows from the Kings River had concentrations of COC (constituents of concern; i.e. nitrate, electrical conductivity or EC, phosphate, ammonium, total dissolved solids or TDS) one order of magnitude or more lower than for pumped groundwater at Terranova Ranch and similarly for a broader survey of regional groundwater. Applied flood flows flushed the root zone and upper vadose zone of nitrate and salts, leading to much lower EC and nitrate concentrations to a depth of 8 feet when compared to fields in which more limited flood flows were applied or for which drip irrigation with groundwater was the sole water source. In demonstrating this technology on the farm, approximately 3,100 ac-ft was diverted, primarily from April through mid-July, with about 70% towards in lieu and 30% towards direct recharge. Substantial flood flow volumes were applied to alfalfa, wine grapes and pistachio fields. A subset of those fields, primarily wine grapes and pistachios, were used primarily to demonstrate direct recharge. For those fields about 50 – 75% of water applied was calculated going to direct recharge. Data from the check studies suggests more flood flows could have been applied and infiltrated, effectively driving up the amount of water towards direct recharge. Costs to capture flood flows for in lieu and direct recharge for this project were low compared to recharge costs for other nearby systems and in comparison to irrigating with groundwater. Moreover, the potentially high flood capture capacity of this project suggests significant flood avoidance costs savings to downstream communities along the Kings and San Joaquin Rivers. Our analyses for Terranova Ranch suggest that allocating 25% or more flood flow water towards in lieu recharge and the rest toward direct recharge will result in an economically sustainable recharge approach paid through savings from reduced groundwater pumping. Two important issues need further consideration. First, these practices are likely to leach legacy salts and nitrates from the unsaturated zone into groundwater. We develop a conceptual model of EC movement through the unsaturated zone and estimated through mass balance calculations that approximately 10 kilograms per square meter of salts will be flushed into the groundwater through displacing 12 cubic meters per square meter of unsaturated zone pore water. This flux would increase groundwater salinity but an equivalent amount of water added subsequently is predicted as needed to return to current groundwater salinity levels. All subsequent flood flow capture and recharge is expected to further decrease groundwater salinity levels. Second, the project identified important farm-scale logistical issues including irrigator training; developing cropping plans to integrate farming and recharge activities; upgrading conveyance; and quantifying results. Regional logistical issues also exist related to conveyance, integration with agricultural management, economics, required acreage and Operation and Maintenance (O&M).

On-Farm Flood Flow Capture – addressing flood risks and groundwater overdraft in the Kings Basin, with potential applications throughout the Central Valley

Project fact sheet prepared in cooperation with the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service and the Kings River Conservation District.