There’s progress happening in Battle Creek. PG&E, owner of the Battle Creek Hydroelectric Project, has filed a request with FERC, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, to amend their license to move forward with a new phase of dam removal and river restoration. We are in support of dam removal on Battle Creek and need your help to make it happen. Please read on to learn how you can get involved.
If approved by FERC, this license amendment will initiate the proceeding of Phase 2 of the Battle Creek Salmon and Steelhead Restoration Project which includes the removal of 4 diversion dams located on South Fork (SF) Battle Creek and associated tributaries AND the transfer of water rights for instream flow purposes to California Department of Fish and Wildlife. This means that just for SF Battle Creek, 19 miles of habitat will be made available once again to native fishes and the water will be used for the benefit of the environment which is significant. The picture featured above was taken above the highest dam on SF Battle Creek and is an example of the type of high-quality habitat that will be re-opened for anadromous salmon, steelhead, and lampreys.
What we need from you today is to send a comment to FERC and let them know you are in full support of these dams’ removal. Visit FERC’s website: https://ferconline.ferc.gov/QuickComment.aspx to submit a comment on Docket Number P-1121-135. The comment period ends November 2, 2022. Please do not delay.
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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.
1 Comment
I stongly support removal of the dams on south battle creek. I am familiar with this habitat for salmonids and it is among the best ramaining.