Caltrout’s Mission
Revitalize waters for resilient wild fish and a better California.
With more than sixty large-scale restoration projects underway, public policy efforts in Sacramento and Washington, D.C., a statewide Science Program, and a strong community of partners, our regional teams work tirelessly to advance our mission.
Our Beliefs
Our beliefs are the deeply held convictions that underpin the approach to our work.
They represent our collective wisdom, experience, and understanding of the world around us. Grounded in optimism and a commitment to continuous learning, our beliefs drive us forward, even in the face of adversity.
01
Our home
California is remarkable.
California is our home, and home to some of the most biodynamically diverse and irreplaceable ecosystems on earth. It is our privilege to protect, care for, and promote this landscape amid unprecedented climate change.
02
The foundation
Water is life.
Like air, water is essential to sustain life. Clean, cold, and free-flowing water is fundamental to healthy ecosystems and healthy economies in every corner of California.
03
Follow the fish
Wild fish are essential to a thriving California.
Healthy fish populations are a key indicator of healthy rivers. When they thrive, rivers help transform community, economic, and ecological health across the state — a model for thriving ecosystems nationally and globally.
04
Lead with science
Science drives solutions.
Healthy fish populations are a key indicator of healthy rivers. When they thrive, rivers help transform community, economic, and ecological health across the state — a model for thriving ecosystems nationally and globally.
05
Ecological life support
Biodiversity is fundamental to resiliency.
Biological variability is a form of ecological life support. We rely on healthy ecosystems to provide the air we breathe, the water we drink, and the food we eat. Without biodiversity, all natural systems are at risk of catastrophe.
06
We are stronger together
Collaboration is essential to lasting solutions.
It takes all of us to effect meaningful, landscape-level change. Cultivating a shared understanding of ecosystem health among all California communities is necessary to achieve big goals — we engage, listen to, and value everyone invested in the rivers of California.
07
The challenge before us
The climate crisis is real.
Climate change is the primary challenge before us, and human activity is the principal cause. We engage in landscape-scale, nature-based solutions that offer a blueprint for building resiliency in both natural ecosystems and human economies — proof that humans can support nature in solving the problems we’ve created.
Our vision
Together, we envision a future where freshwater ecosystems flourish and wild fish thrive, leaving a legacy of clean water and healthy rivers for current and future generations. Our vision inspires us to dream big, push boundaries, and pursue excellence in everything we do.
turning Belief into Action
These beliefs are our North Star. Every restoration project we undertake, every policy fight we take on, and every community we engage reflects our conviction that wild fish and healthy rivers are inseparable from California’s future. Our regional teams bring science to the field, our advocacy teams carry it to the halls of government, and our partners help root it in the communities that depend on the waters we’re protecting. From headwaters to floodplains to estuary, our beliefs are guiding on-the-ground change.
OUr Approach
Built on decades of science and collaboration.
Support Caltrout
We can’t take these resources for granted.
At California Trout, our goal is to restore vibrance and abundance to California’s freshwater ecosystems, and to keep them that way for years to come. With the help of local and national partners, we are building a future where wild fish and clean water remain a defining part of California.