Come see the floodplain fatties!
You are invited to the Knaggs Ranch Open House to learn about the 2014 floodplain agricultural habitat experiments, a collaborative effort between farmers and researchers to help restore salmon populations by reintroducing young salmon onto winter-flooded rice fields. These “surrogate wetlands” mimic the marsh floodplain rearing habitat formerly used by young salmon, which has been largely eliminated by the development of the Central Valley. The rice ranch is also managed to provide habitat to ducks, geese, raptors, shorebirds and songbirds.
Last year’s experiments documented the fastest growth of juvenile salmon ever recorded in the Central Valley. This year we will be studying how to design fields to decrease predation and increase fish survival.
To find out more please join us on Wednesday morning, March 5th from 9:30 to 11:30 a.m.
Please RSVP to jaspezia@gmail.com. Directions to Knaggs Ranch, just 6 miles NW of Sacramento, will be emailed upon RSVP.
We hope to see you there.
Jacob Katz – CalTrout & John Brennan – Cal Marsh and Farm
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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.