CalTrout joined Vail Resort’s Epic Promise Day 2017, leading restoration activities in the Kirkwood Mountain meadows. Over 100 hard-working volunteers showed up, and formed teams to take on tasks, including stream back stabilization in 6 different locations, trail restoration and maintenance, cleaning up barbed wire, old fence posts, and trash (3 truckloads full!) left over from historic cattle and equestrian operations.
High sierra meadows like Kirkwood are a critically important component of a functioning ecosystem, serving as important habitat for fish and lots of other wildlife, but can become degraded easily from human misconduct. Protecting these cold water habitats is not only crucial for animals, but for downstream water users as well. Healthy meadows promote water security for our state, working as natural water reservoirs. (Restoring Sierra headwater meadows is one of CalTrout’s Key Initiatives. Visit our site to learn more about our meadows work, including the plan to restore 30,000 acres by 2030.)
We are very thankful for all of the volunteers and organizers who accomplished this great work, and to Vail Resorts and Kirkwood Mountain Resort for being good stewards of their watershed.
Check out the before and after shots of restoration activities:
Photos and video by Mike Wier.
Sign up to hear from California Trout! CalTrout’s mission is to ensure healthy waters and resilient wild fish for a better California. Hear about our work and how to get involved through our monthly newsletter, The Streamkeeper’s Blog, “Trout Clout” action alerts, article from our e-magazine, The Current, event invites, and much more! We respect your privacy and will never sell or share your information with other organizations.
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.