In 1994, fisheries biologist David Vogel co-authored a technical report which concluded that:

• Any increased flows from Iron Gate Dam, pulsed or otherwise, to benefit adult salmon should only occur during late September or early October to coincide with normal seasonal declines in air temperatures and concomitant cooler river flows.

• Earlier seasonal increased releases from Iron Gate Dam are unlikely to provide biological benefits because the water is naturally too warm.

Based on his research in 2002, Vogel’s conclusions remain the same.

Assessment of Alternatives for Flow and Water Quality Control in the Klamath River Below Iron Gate Dam. M.L. Deas and G.T. Orlob, Center for Environmental and Water Resources Engineering, University of California, Davis. December 1999.

Vogel’s conclusions concerning the effect of Iron Gate Dam releases and upper main stem Klamath River water temperatures in the fall are similar to the findings of other researchers. For example, Deas and Orlob (1999) found the following:

• "During early fall, mean daily measured water temperatures are fairly uniform throughout the river system. However, by late fall it is apparent that temperatures are decreasing in the downstream direction by late fall, i.e., after October 1. During this period, releases from Iron Gate Dam are generally at temperatures above equilibrium and the reservoir is acting as a heat source to the river."