At CalTrout we work in some of the most pristine and beautiful places in California—the high Sierra, the spring waters of the Mt. Shasta area, the towering redwoods of the North Coast. We also increasingly recognize the need to work within California’s managed landscapes such as the Central Valley, one of the most productive agricultural valleys in the world.
And right now we believe we have ‘lightning in a bottle’ with our Nigiri Project where we are working with farmers on their lands to reconnect the river to its historic floodplain.
We are changing the conversation from fish OR farms to fish AND farms.
California is a diverse place with over 38 million people. The effects of climate change and increasing demand for limited water supplies means we need to double down on innovative solutions to complex resources issues. The Nigiri Project represents this approach: wild fish in managed landscapes.
With four years of rigorous scientific results, the Nigiri Project has demonstrated that we can create fish abundance on working agricultural landscapes. The results are proven, we’ve scaled-up and demonstrated success. Now it’s time to put that science into action.
It’s time for an update. The old operating system separated species from the landscape. It’s time to put nature back into the mix, integrating fish, wildlife and natural process into design and operation—creating sustainable water solutions with global impact.
Watch our No Going Back video and see how we can reshape the way water is managed in state to put nature back in the mix.
For the fish,
Thank you for your interest in the Eel River Forum! We looking forward to sharing meeting updates and other info from the Eel River watershed with you as they develop.
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Thank you for your interest in Big Chico Creek and the Iron Canyon Fish Passage Project! We looking forward to sharing project updates, news, and stories with you from the Big Chico Creek watershed as they develop.
Thank you for your interest in Big Chico Creek and the Iron Canyon Fish Passage Project! One of our staff members will do their best to get back to you as soon as possible. However, please note that due to limited capacity we may not be able to respond to all questions or fulfill all requests.
Let us know if you are interested in volunteering and we will get in contact with you as soon as we can.
Thank you for your interest in the Elk River! One of our North Coast Region staff members will do their best to get back to you as soon as possible. However, please note that due to limited capacity we may not be able to respond to all questions or fulfill all requests.
Peter Moyle is the Distinguished Professor Emeritus in the Department of Wildlife, Fish and Conservation Biology and Associate Director of the Center for Watershed Sciences, at UC Davis. He is author or co-author of more than 240 publications, including the definitive Inland Fishes of California (2002). He is co-author of the 2017 book, Floodplains: Processes and Management for Ecosystem Services. His research interests include conservation of aquatic species, habitats, and ecosystems, including salmon; ecology of fishes of the San Francisco Estuary; ecology of California stream fishes; impact of introduced aquatic organisms; and use of floodplains by fish.
Robert Lusardi is the California Trout/UC Davis Wild and Coldwater Fish Researcher focused on establishing the basis for long-term science specific to California Trout’s wild and coldwater fish initiatives. His work bridges the widening gap between academic science and applied conservation policy, ensuring that rapidly developing science informs conservation projects throughout California. Dr. Lusardi resides at the UC Davis Center for Watershed Sciences and works closely with Dr. Peter Moyle on numerous projects to help inform California Trout conservation policy. His recent research interests include Coho salmon on the Shasta River, the ecology of volcanic spring-fed rivers, inland trout conservation and management, and policy implications of trap and haul programs for anadromous fishes in California.
Patrick Samuel is the Conservation Program Coordinator for California Trout, a position he has held for almost two years, where he coordinates special research projects for California Trout, including the State of the Salmonids report. Prior to joining CalTrout, he worked with the Fisheries Leadership & Sustainability Forum, a non-profit that supports the eight federal regional fishery management councils around the country. Patrick got his start in fisheries as an undergraduate intern with NOAA Fisheries Protected Resources Division in Sacramento, and in his first field job as a crew member of the California Department of Fish & Wildlife’s Wild and Heritage Trout Program.