Streamkeeper’s bLog – February 2023

April 20, 2023

Water Talk

A word from CalTrout’s ED, Curtis Knight

Intense wet weather seems to be coinciding lately with my monthly letters to you all. This month is no exception with an epic winter storm that brought snow across the entire state, even at elevations below 1,000 feet. This past Sunday gave us a short reprieve, but we’re back at it with more precipitation coming down and more in the forecast.

With all the rain and snow, it may be difficult to comprehend that California is still very much in a drought, despite a few recent big storms. Indeed we are in better shape than 2 months ago, but with the state’s wet season expected to run through April, there remains much uncertainty. Experts say that it will take more than a series of storms to make up for years of deficits. The focus needs to be on: continued improvements in water use (including securing water to support endangered fish and wildlife), investments in better water infrastructure, implementing nature-based solutions to fight climate change and drought, and advocating for funding and legislation that benefit fish and watershed health.

In fact, CalTrout’s Legaislative and Policy team is making moves on their 2023 legislative package to help improve water management, among other objectives. CalTrout is the proud sponsor of three bills this year; notably AB 1272, sponsored by CalTrout along with our partners in the California Salmon and Steelhead Coalition and introduced by Assemblymember Jim Wood (D-Healdsburg). AB 1272 will lay the groundwork for creating a more climate-resilient future for native fish and water supplies in coastal California. The bill directs the State Water Resources Control Board and California Department of Fish and Wildlife to work together in developing consistent and predictable drought responses that will ultimately help to ensure drinking water for people and streamflow for fish as the drought persists. Read more and learn about CalTrout’s other sponsored bills in the stories below.

While you hunker down for the storms, please remember this key takeaway: California’s drought is not over and we need to keep working hard and fighting for water security for our state.

I hope you all stay safe and warm out there, folks.

CURTIS SIG

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MEET THE AUTHORS

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.

Streamkeeper’s bLog – February 2023

F E A T U R E D G E A R

CalTrout Pint Glass

MEET THE AUTHORS

Streamkeeper’s bLog – February 2023

Streamkeeper’s bLog – February 2023

Water Talk

A word from CalTrout’s ED, Curtis Knight

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