To better understand how fish populations utilize and move through the newly connected Alameda Creek watershed, we need to watch them, which is why we are working with partners to launch a volunteer monitoring program.
Previously, fish had limited access to Alameda Creek, but soon they will be able to migrate above the downstream BART weir in Fremont to spawn. Migration is made possible by a fully-operational fish ladder at the weir and additional fish ladders at three upstream dams on Alameda Creek. This incredible opportunity for salmonids to migrate throughout Alameda Creek is the product of decades of hard work to improve fish passage by the Alameda County Water District, Alameda Creek Alliance (ACA), California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW), San Francisco Public Utilities Commission (SFPUC), and CalTrout.
CalTrout is proud to partner with and support ACA in our joint effort to launch a volunteer monitoring program. A big thank you to all our volunteers who came out on Sunday, September 25, to our volunteer training at the creek! With nearly 40 volunteers, we were thrilled with the turnout.
CalTrout Bay Area Senior Project Manager Claire Buchanan shared a few words about her experience this past weekend:
“The amazing turn out on Sunday only added to my excitement for this monumental moment for Chinook salmon and steelhead in Alameda Creek. With some good storms, this Fall and Winter could be the first time in decades that locals in the Alameda Creek watershed will have spawning salmon and steelhead in their own backyards. The level of interest and support for conserving salmonids in the Bay Area that our members showed by coming out to this training gives me hope that the momentum established by the agencies and NGO’s will continue to grow with added public interest, education, and support.”
This fall and winter, our newly trained volunteers will be regularly monitoring salmon and steelhead re-entering the watershed through visual observations of fish and spawning beds throughout different stretches of the creek. The volunteer effort will focus on areas that are not currently covered by regular agency monitoring and will fill in geographical gaps in the watershed. This monitoring work is crucial to inform future restoration efforts along the creek and to deter poachers. We can’t do it alone – one more big thank you to our volunteers!
Cover Photo: CalTrout Contractor Will Ware explains monitoring procedures to a group of volunteers. Credit: Claire Buchanan.
Complete the form below to be added to our volunteer database, with options to choose your interest areas and availability. You’ll be added to our volunteer mailing list and notified when there are opportunities in your region. Commitment levels vary, with some opportunities requiring more in depth training, while others you only need to show up.
Thank you for your interest in the Eel River Forum! We looking forward to sharing meeting updates and other info from the Eel River watershed with you as they develop.
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Thank you for your interest in Big Chico Creek and the Iron Canyon Fish Passage Project! We looking forward to sharing project updates, news, and stories with you from the Big Chico Creek watershed as they develop.
Thank you for your interest in Big Chico Creek and the Iron Canyon Fish Passage Project! One of our staff members will do their best to get back to you as soon as possible. However, please note that due to limited capacity we may not be able to respond to all questions or fulfill all requests.
Let us know if you are interested in volunteering and we will get in contact with you as soon as we can.
Thank you for your interest in the Elk River! One of our North Coast Region staff members will do their best to get back to you as soon as possible. However, please note that due to limited capacity we may not be able to respond to all questions or fulfill all requests.
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.