California’s steelhead trout populations suffer from all sorts of issues — including (now) illegal water diversions from marijuana cultivation. In this case, Llagas Creek had been damned (and largely dried up) by an illegal marijuana operation, which threatened to leave steelhead trout high and dry just as their fall spawning season was set to begin (from the San Jose Mercury News):
Steelhead trout spawning season was saved this year in a southern Santa Clara County creek thanks to wardens who raided an illegal marijuana farm and cleaned up the toxic mess left behind.
This fall, state Department of Fish and Game wardens arrested three San Jose men for damming up a tributary of Llagas Creek and diverting large amounts of water to grow pot. Their marijuana operation, wardens said, temporarily dried up a 1,000-square-foot portion of the tributary.
Fish and Game Lt. John Nores said his team was able to destroy the dam, and clean up the area from the pesticides, fertilizers and other toxic waste polluting the area, just in time to save spawning season for the steelhead trout.
Let’s hear it for the steelies (and the Fish & Game wardens)!
California’s steelhead trout populations are facing enough hurdles without adding illegal water diversions to the mix (though law enforcement suggests those diversions are increasing).
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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.