studywar-03reservoirtemperaturemodel.docVIP

STUDY PLAN WAR-3 TURLOCK IRRIGATION DISTRICT AND MODESTO IRRIGATION DISTRICT DON PEDRO PROJECT FERC NO. 2299 Reservoir Temperature Model Study Plan October 2011 Related Study Requests: AR-03, 16; CDFG-03; FOT-03; NMFS-06; Reclamation-03 1.0 Project Nexus Turlock Irrigation District’s and Modesto Irrigation District’s (Districts) continued operation and maintenance (OM) of the Don Pedro Project (Project) will affect the temperature regime of waters in the Don Pedro Reservoir. Similarly, flow releases from Don Pedro Reservoir will affect the temperature of waters downstream of Don Pedro Dam and may contribute to the cumulative effects to resources in the lower Tuolumne River. 2.0 Resource Agency Management Goals The Districts believe that two agencies have resource management goals related to water temperature in Don Pedro Reservoir and in the lower Tuolumne River: (1) the California Department of Fish and Game (CDFG), and (2) the State Water Resources Control Board, Division of Water Rights (SWRCB). Each of these agencies and their management goals, as understood by the Districts at this time, is described below. CDFG’s goal is to preserve and protect the habitats necessary to support native fish, wildlife and plant species. SWRCB is the state agency that administers the federal Clean Water Act (CWA) (33 U.S.C. §11251-1357) as applies to California waters with the responsibility to maintain the chemical, physical, and biological integrity of the state’s waters and to protect the beneficial uses of stream reaches consistent with Section 401 of the federal CWA, the Regional Water Quality Control Board Basin Plans, State Water Board regulations, California Environmental Quality Act, and other applicable state law. 3.0 Study Goals The reservoir temperature model will accurately simulate and characterize the seasonal water temperature dynamics experienced in Don Pedro Reservoir under current and potential future conditions. The model wou