Steelhead Management in the Salinas Watershed

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Summary

The steelhead (Oncorhynchus mykiss) is a rainbow trout, born in fresh water streams and spends most of its life in the sea and returns to the streams to spawn more than once in its life span [1]. Many agricultural and urban development factors are impacting the survival of steelhead in the Salinas watershed including dams, concrete in streams, road crossings, lack of vegetation, and improper management practices [2]. The U.S. Endangered Species Act listed the distinct population segment (dps) of South-Central California steelhead as a threatened species since 1997 [3]. The South-Central dps includes all naturally spawned anadromous steelhead populations below natural and manmade impassable barriers in streams from the Pajaro River (inclusive) to, but not including the Santa Maria River, California [3]. In a 2011 endangered species status update on Pacific Salmon and steelhead in the southwest region, little evidence is found to change the listing status [4].

Conservation Efforts

Center for Ecosystem Management and Restoration, CEMAR has led a steelhead restoration program along the California coast since 2001 through compilation of a digital archive of key information sources, documentation of the historical distribution and current status of salmonid populations, and evaluation of the potential for watersheds to support restored salmonid populations [5].

The U.S. Endangered Species Act mandated the National Marine Fisheries Service to develop and implement recovery plans for conservation of the southern California steelhead[6].

Other conservation efforts include fish counting. In 2011, FISHBIO installed an anchoring system for a fish counting weir in the Salinas River.

Location

The Salinas River consists of more than 75 stream miles and drains a watershed of about 4,780 square miles in Monterey County, California. The river flows northwest from headwaters on the north side of Garcia Mountain to its mouth near the town of Marina [7]. A map of the Salinas Watershed, provided by CEMAR, depicts all of the essential streams in the watershed, streams that are available and suitable for O. mykiss habitat. [8]

Resource/s at stake

The Center for Biological Diversity....

The viability of evolutionary unit of steelhead is at stake and the need to identify and protect minimum flows is required for their survival[9].

Timeline

U.S. Endangered Species Act Listing Status

  • Aug 18, 1997 - listed as a threatened species [3]
  • Jan 5, 2006 - threatened status reaffirmed [3]
  • Dec 7, 2011 - review determines species to remain threatened [3]

Salinas Valley Water Project

Diversion Facility

The Monterey Regional Water Pollution Control Agency operates an inflatable rubber dam diversion facility that inflates from April to October, creating a reservoir of water to be treated at the wastewater treatment plant [10]. Features of the diversion facility include a spillway gate operated with an inflatable dam, a screened diversion meeting the National Marine Fisheries Service critereia for steelhead fry to avoid entrainment, a fishway to facilitate fish passage during migration periods that coincide with steam diversion, and a low-flow passage channel to facilitate passage over the deflated structure [11].

This paragraph should reference a time line..here is a Monterey County Herald Article [12].

References

  1. http://www.nefsc.noaa.gov/faq/fishfaq2d.html
  2. http://www.us-ltrcd.org/downloads/Watershed_Fisheries_Report.pdf
  3. 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 http://www.nwr.noaa.gov/ESA-Salmon-Listings/Salmon-Populations/Steelhead/STSCC.cfm
  4. Williams TH, Lindley ST, Spence BC, Boughton D. 2011. Status review update for Pacific Salmon and Steelhead listed under the Endangered Species Act: Southwest Region. National Marine Fisheries Service, Southwest Fisheries Science Center, Fisheries Ecology Division
  5. Boughton DA. 2007. [NMFS] National Marine Fisheries Service. Biological Opinion, Salinas River Diversion Facility. Oyer, P.H., 1912.
  6. National Marine Fisheries Service. 2011. Southern California Steelhead Recovery Plan. Southwest Region, Protected Resources Division, Long Beach, California
  7. http://www.cemar.org/SSRP/pdfs/SSRP_Monterey.pdf
  8. http://www.cemar.org/SSRP/Evaluation/Figure06_Salinas.pdf
  9. George A. 2006. Threatened steelhead. Bay Nature. Ear to the ground. Accessed Apr 3, 2012: http://baynature.org/articles/apr-jun-2006/ear-to-the-ground/threatened-steelhead
  10. http://www.mrwpca.org/dwnloads/update/Update_Spring08.pdf
  11. http://www.mcwra.co.monterey.ca.us/SVWP/SVWP_Project_Description.pdf
  12. Johnson J. 2012. Salinas rubber dam repair costs soar. Monterey County Herald. News. Accessed Apr 3, 2012: http://www.montereyherald.com/portal/water/ci_19991761?_loopback=1

Links

Disclaimer

This page may contain student work completed as part of assigned coursework. It may not be accurate. It does not necessary reflect the opinion or policy of CSUMB, its staff, or students.