In a landmark moment for California’s water management and environmental conservation, CalTrout joined state and federal partners on Wednesday, October 23, to witness the signing of a groundbreaking Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) focused on floodplain restoration in the Sacramento River Basin.
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.
