A new phase of aquatic restoration work based on a voluntary water settlement agreement in the Mono Basin began this past year. Conservation parties Mono Lake Committee, California Trout, and California Department of Fish & Wildlife (CDFW) are working with licensee Los Angeles Department of Water & Power (LADWP) to better manage water diversions by LADWP and incorporate extensive new requirements to maximize stream restoration in the Mono Basin.
In October 2021, the California State Water Resources Board issued Order 21-86 to amend the water rights of the LADWP in the Mono Basin. Previously, Mono Basin stream habitat was damaged by excessive water diversions by the LADWP. Under this order, new requirements will be introduced and the restoration of 20 miles of stream habitat will be prioritized. CalTrout communicates closely with the Mono Lake Committee, CDFW, and LADWP to implement these changes.
As a first step, CalTrout and partners established the Monitoring Administration Team (MAT), composed of staff from each of the organizations. Then, the MAT selected NFWF as the fiscal administrator overseeing survey work paid for by LADWP as part of the settlement. As required under Order 21-86, monitoring will cover the areas of stream, waterfowl, and limnology.
MAT members are also working together to create an Annual Operations Plan and the Mono Basin Operations Plan. These plans will provide guidance, rules, and criteria for LADWP’s operations within the basin.
Prior to the introduction of Order 21-86, CalTrout and Mono Lake Committee ensured the restoration of Mono Lake and its streams using legal challenges and State Water Board orders to monitor Los Angeles Aqueduct operations and Mono Basin restoration. The order provides a new framework for restoration work. Setting a new precedent, this order will serve as a blueprint for work in the Mono Basin and beyond, ensuring that restoration of Mono Lake and its streams is achieved.
Learn more about CalTrout’s work with the Mono Lake Committee and CDFW in the Mono Basin.
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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.