Photo: With CalTrout founding member Richard May looking over his shoulder, Governor Reagan signs the California Wild and Scenic Rivers Act.
CalTrout’s first major legislative victory came in 1972, when CalTrout leaders and volunteers–styling themselves as “The Committee of Two Million”–led the successful battle to enact The California Wild and Scenic Rivers Act, putting a final nail in the coffin of efforts to build a dam on the Eel River.
This legislation secured additional protections for rivers possessing “extraordinary scenic, recreational, fishery, or wildlife values” and included segments of the American River, Eel River, Klamath River and its tributaries, Salmon River, Scott River, Smith River and its tributaries, Trinity River, and Van Duzen River. This act made it state policy that these wild and scenic rivers be preserved in their free-flowing states along with their surrounding environments. The bill was signed into law by Governor Ronald Reagan on December 20, 1972.
#3 in our 50th Anniversary Series
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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.