Fishery Foundation of California


Current and Past Projects:


Cosumnes River Salmon Passage

In the past, the Granlees Dam and weirs along the Lower Cosumnes River have impeded the passage of fall migrating adult salmon. The Foundation monitored these impediments and responded by constructing a fish ladder at the dam and a culvert at one of the weirs to improve fish passage. We continue to monitor the weirs and install flashboards when necessary to guide fish to the proper attraction flow so they may continue their upstream migration.


 

Cosumnes River Salmon Habitat Restoration

The degradation of spawning habitat for fall-run chinook salmon is being addressed in this project. Action was taken to improve spawning habitat availability by adding more gravel to a select site upstream of Dillard Road. The Foundation is responsibe for comparing pre- and post-studies to confirm the success of the gravel introduction with respect to changes in fish use, spawning habitat suitability, and movement of gravel following its placement.




Net Pen Acclimation

For over a decade the Fishery Foundation has recieved Chinook smolts from state hatcheries> Juvenile salmon are transported from the hatcheries by truck and released into the San Pablo Bay near the mouths of the Sacramento and Napa Rivers. The Foundation recieves these smolts and holds them in mobile net pens allowing them to acclimate before releasing them into the warmer, open sea water. Studies have shown this acclimation period successfully increases the smolt's survival rates by limiting their exposure to avian and aquatic predators during the acclimation period. The program is perfomed with a supporting grant from the Bay-Delta Stamp Fund.



Kimball Island Research

Kimball Island is located in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta. Once pastureland, it has been restored to tidal-marsh habitat open to tidal fluctuations. Following its restoration, the Foundation monitored the fishes use of the islands channels and beaches.




Striped Bass Pen Rearing

Striped bass salvaged from pumping facilities in the south Delta and private hatcheries were transported to the Napa River Estuary to be reared in pens. Following a year of supplemental feeding, the bass were released into the bay to help contribute to the recovery of the striped bass population. Pen rearing ceased in 2001 when the population had reached a recovery goal of 900,000 adult fish.


 

Central Valley Juvenile Salmonid Studies

The Foundation conducted seasonal snorkel surveys to determine temporal and spatial distribution of salmon and steelhead in Central Valley Rivers. These rivers include the Stanislaus, Sacramento, American,

 

 

Cosumnes River Floodplain Studies

The Foundation studied fish habitat of the lower Cosumnes River floodplain in cooperation with the Nature Conservancy and UC Davis. The study was funded under a CALFED grant to determine the effects of expanding the lower river floodplain by breaching levees and allowing high spring flows to once again reach lower river terraces. Foundation staff monitored fish use of the newly breached floodplain. Juvenile salmon used the floodplain for rearing. Sacramento splittail, a threatened species, used the floodplain for spawning and early rearing




Chipps Island Restoration

 

Chipps Island in Suisun Bay at the east end of San Francisco Bay near the confluence of the Sacramento and San Joaquin Rivers. Farmers constructed the island out of Bay marshes in the late 19th century. In recent decades the island has been operated as a duck club, similar to thousands of other acres of Suisun Marsh. The Foundation is seeking grants to return the island to tidal marsh habitat that can be used by estuarine fish for spawning and rearing.













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