Page 8 - Annual Report 2016

Wild Fish, Altered Landscapes
INNOVATE AND PARTNER
California’s rivers and landscapes have been highly altered and as a result, wild sh populations have suffered. We are investing in innovative ways to put nature back into the mix and reestablish abundant wild sh populations within agricultural and urban landscapes. Projects in the Central Valley, Shasta River and Southern California are examples.
SUCCESS
Central Valley
Our Nigiri Project is showing how we can restore ecological function by mimicking natural oodplain processes on working agricultural oodplains. We have proven
the concept that raising juvenile salmon on dormant rice elds is bene cial for sh and for farms. The project’s research ndings
are now helping shape California’s water management and policy in the region. Projects are underway to install and improve water infrastructure that allow for managed
use of water for the multiple bene ts of ood control and sh and waterfowl habitat. One example is Wallace Weir in the Yolo bypass, in strong partnership with Reclamation District 108, the Northern California Water Association and the Resources Agency.
OPPORTUNITY
Shasta River Valley
On an important spring-fed tributary to
the Klamath River, we are working with 10 landowners to establish incentive-based Safe Harbor programs in order to improve wild sh habitat on their agricultural landscapes.
OPPORTUNITY
Southern California
23 million people and the sh are still there. Our work in this region focuses on leading local restoration coalitions in Ventura, Orange and San Diego Counties to increase abundance of endangered Southern California steelhead by restoring creeks and
providing passage to upstream spawning habitats. In September, CalTrout partnered with the Conservation Corps of Orange County and the California Department of Fish and Wildlife to remove non-native aquatic species in the Santa Margarita River near
San Diego. Non-native species such as bass, sun sh and cray sh compete with the native Southern California steelhead that historically populated this river.
This is one part of the habitat improvement that will provide suitable spawning and rearing habitat for ocean-going trout
more than 20 miles inland. Access will be restored once two barriers, currently under remediation, are removed.
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