Streamkeeper’s bLog – November 2022

November 30, 2022

Excitement in the Air

A word from CalTrout’s ED, Curtis Knight

The end of the year always produces a special excitement in the air. It’s great looking forward to the holidays and fun times with friends and family, and the goals being set for the next year. If you’re anything like me, the cold weather makes staying in to read (ideally by a fire) sound very appealing.

Here are a few of my recent reads that I’d like to recommend- all are relevant to the times and our work at CalTrout:

Salmon by Mark Kurlansky: A great overview of the evolutionary history of salmon and worldwide efforts to protect them. I especially appreciate the emphasis on how the fare of salmon influences the fare of the world. Salmon are the ultimate indicator species.
California Burning— The Fall of Pacific Gas and Electric and What it Means for America’s Power Grid by Katherine Blunt: This is a must read for those working on the rivers of California. As CalTrout works to remove unwanted PG&E-owned dams on Battle Creek and the Eel River (Potter Valley Project), this book helps us understand how financial incentives, regulatory constraints and shareholder expectations influence how PG&E operates. A very timely read.
Ministry for the Future by Kim Stanley Robinson: A somewhat utopian tale of life on Earth over the next 50 years in the age of climate change. This climate fiction book is well-researched and discusses the potential of climate change combating strategies ranging from the ecological (nice shout out to floodplains in the Sacramento Valley) outlook, plus from the political, financial, and social views too.

In the meantime, we have some great news stories below for your reading pleasure as well, especially on the Klamath. Earlier this month, we received some outstanding news- the removal of the four lower Klamath dams is set to begin in 2023 with full removal by 2024. On November 17th federal regulators approved a License Surrender Order for the dams which paves a clear path to transfer the project license from the current owner (PacifiCorp) to the states of California and Oregon and the Klamath River Renewal Corporation, the non-profit entity tasked with overseeing dam removal and related restoration efforts. We can’t wait to witness what will be the largest river restoration project in history!

Read about more of our projects and accomplishments in our just released 2022 Annual Report.

Thanks for sticking with us through it all. Cheers to more free-flowing rivers and abundant wild fish in the future!

Best,
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 – November 2022

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MEET THE AUTHORS

Streamkeeper’s bLog – November 2022

Streamkeeper’s bLog – November 2022

Excitement in the Air

A word from CalTrout’s ED, Curtis Knight

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