Klamath River salmon getting extra water

A release of water from a Northern California reservoir will protect what is expected to be a record run of salmon in the Klamath River, officials say. The U.S. Bureau of Reclamation says the release from the Lewiston Dam at the Trinity Reservoir begins Monday, the San Francisco Chronicle reported. It will continue through the end of September. In 2002, thousands of salmon died in the Klamath because of low water levels. The fish were unable to move upstream to spawn and succumbed to disease trapped in warm pools in the lower river. This year, scientists expect as many as 380,000 Chinook to return to the Klamath, far more than the number in 2002, Bay Area Indymedia reported. "While the Hoopa Valley Tribe applauds this announcement, we worry that in future years water releases for Klamath salmon runs may not available," Regina Chichizola, the tribal communications director, said in a statement. "Both the peripheral tunnel plans and Klamath Basin Restoration agreements ignore the fact that salmon need water to survive."