Coalition-Driven Success for Dynamic Conservation
The agreement, which brings together agencies overseeing water, agriculture, fish and wildlife, public lands, and flood control, marks a significant shift toward collaborative, landscape-scale restoration projects. This coordinated approach will streamline funding, planning, implementation, and monitoring of multi-beneficial floodplain projects throughout the region.
As a founding member of the Floodplain Forward Coalition—which inspired this historic agreement—CalTrout stands alongside 26 other organizations representing landowners, irrigation districts, higher education, and fellow conservation groups. Our coalition's innovative model of dynamic conservation has already demonstrated success, with farms, refuges, and managed wetlands providing crucial habitat for waterfowl and shorebirds, while supporting potential food production for endangered fish species.
Sacramento River Basin: A Critical Ecosystem for Fish, Wildlife, and People
The Sacramento River Basin, spanning approximately 1,100 square miles from Sacramento to Chico, is home to the world's richest diversity of Chinook salmon runs and serves as a critical stopover for millions of migratory birds along the Pacific Flyway. This region's floodplains are not just vital for wildlife—they're essential infrastructure for flood protection, groundwater recharge, and agricultural sustainability.
More, Bigger, Faster: Accelerating the Momentum for Floodplain Restoration
The MOU signatories include key federal and state agencies such as the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Bureau of Reclamation, Army Corps of Engineers, California Natural Resources Agency, Department of Fish and Wildlife, and Department of Water Resources, among others. This unprecedented collaboration signals a new era in the scale of investment in nature-based solutions in California—one that recognizes the interconnected benefits of natural infrastructure for both wildlife and human communities.
As we face increasing climate extremes, this coordinated approach to floodplain restoration couldn't come at a more critical time. CalTrout and our Floodplain Forward Coalition partners are ready to accelerate the momentum for floodplain restoration, working alongside our state and federal partners to create a more resilient future for California's waterways and the communities that depend on them.
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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.