The northern third of the California coast is home to some of the most important watersheds in the state.

Clinging to the Oregon border, the pristine Smith River is the only major un-damned river in California. Fortunately, most of the watershed, home to coastal cutthroats, salmon and steelhead, is protected by the Smith River National Recreation Area - over 300,000 acres of diverse habitat that supports 300 species of wildlife and seven distinct plant communities.

Head south and you'll find the Eel River -- once the largest producer of salmon in the state and the second largest producer of steelhead. In the early 1900's fishing was a multi-million dollar industry and canneries along the river harvested hundreds of thousands of fish annually. Unfortunately, agricultural diversions and silting from unsound logging practices have all but wiped out both species. In 2003, 329 Chinook and 101 steelhead were counted.

Still futher south is the Trinity River, whose basin captures over one million acre-feet of water annually. Since being dammed in the early 60's, however, up to 90 percent of the river's flow has been diverted to farmers in the Westland's Water District and Central Valley.

CalTrout has had a presence in the area since 1992 and, working with our conservation partners like the Smith River Alliance and Friends of the Trinity, we've achieved lasting victories.

Recently, we helped secure a state Endangered Species listing for the Smith's coho salmon population. The listing will mean not only increased protection for coho but for the coastal cutthroats and steelhead that share the river. For more information see some of our ongoing projects below.

North Coast Area Manager:
Tom Weseloh
1976 Archer Road
McKinleyville, CA 95519
707-839-1056
caltrout@sbcglobal.net

Project 1: Smith River Restoration and Protection Project

Goal

• Protect the ecological integrity and restore anadromous fish habitat in the Smith River

Conservation Objective(s)

1. Objective 1. Create steelhead and salmon refugia as per SOS recommendations.
   1. Transfer private in-holdings to the Smith River National Recreation area by 2012.
   2. Smith River officially endorsed as a Salmon Stronghold by 2010.
2. Objective 2. Habitat restoration
   1. Restore degraded habitat outlined in the Smith River Anadromous Fish Action Plan (SRAFP)
3. Objective 3. Protect Smith River fisheries from over-harvest by recreational fishers by 2010.
4. Objective 4. Implement and maintain population monitoring for Smith River anadromous fish populations by 2011.

Project 2:Trinity River Restoration Project

Goal

• Restore and protect the Trinity Rivers fishery resources.
  • Restore naturally produced fish populations to pre-TRD levels.
  • Increase naturally produced steelhead population to 10,000 returning fish annually.

Conservation Objective(s)

1. Objective 1. Modify Flow Regime
   1. Achieve unique annual flow releases for each water year class (Critically Dry, Dry, Normal, Wet, and Extremely Wet). Temp, migration, channel morph, riparian veg mgt. to maximize fisheries production.
      1. Increase total instream water volumes (weighted by water year class probability) by an average of 254.5 TAF over the current water volume of 340 TAF, to a total of 594.5 TAF.
      2. In the present Trinity River channel, increase the fall/winter base flow to 300 cfs, increase summer/fall flows to 450 cfs
2. Objective 2. Channel Rehabilitation by 2014
   1. Remove fossilized riparian berms and recreate alternate bars
      1. Complete construction of the 24 channel-rehabilitation sites outlined in the Trinity River Flow Evaluation 1999
3. Objective 3. Sediment Management
   1. Increase properly graded coarse sediment in strategic reaches
      1. Place 16,000 cubic yards of sediment between Lewiston Dam and Rush Creek by 2014
4. Objective 4. Hatchery production goals altered to benefit wild steelhead and coho salmon by 2012

Project 3: Eel River Restoration Project

Goal:

• Restore and protect the Eel Rivers fishery resources.
  • Increase naturally produced steelhead population to 20% of 1950s population.
• Restore access to historic salmon and steelhead rearing and spawning habitat.
• Knowledge of historical vs. present fishery populations linked to habitat changes.

Conservation Objective(s):

1. Objective 1. Fish passage. Restore access to 30 miles of historic salmon and steelhead rearing and spawning habitat above railroad crossings by 2020.
   1. Complete fish passage assessments on 60 stream crossings by 2012.
   2. Analyze passage opportunities above Scott Dam for 2020 FERC relicensing.*
2. Objective 2. Reinstitute Historic Flow Regimea.
   1. Achieve annual flow releases from Van Arsdale Dam to maximize fisheries production.*
3. Objective 3. Prevent additional water extraction detrimental to native steelhead*
   1. Oppose proposed Dos Rios Diversion by Mendocino County*
4. Objective 4. Document historical and present status of Eel River fisheries by 2010.

Project 4: Redwood Creek Project

Goal

• Protect the unique enhance hydrologic and ecological processes and restore anadromous fish habitat in Redwood Creek
• Implement Redwood National and State Parks/Department of Fish and Game/California Trout MOU

Conservation Objective(s)

1. Objective 1. Monitoring and Research
   1. Reduce knowledge gaps for steelhead life history patterns*
      1. Reduce the knowledge gaps for steelhead life history patterns, spawning distribution and population of winter and summer run steelhead within 5 years.
2. Objective 2. Habitat restoration
   1. Restore degraded habitat outlined in the Redwood Creek Integrated Watershed Strategy with estuary project completed by 2020*
3. Objective 3. Education and outreach
   1. Protect and restore steelhead and trout habitat by educating the public and engaging their efforts*

Project 5: Coho Recovery Project

Goal

• Maintain and improve the number of key coho populations and increase the number of populations and brood years of coho salmon (As outlined in the CDFG Coho Recovery Strategy).
  • The mandate of the Recovery Strategy is to achieve recovery of coho salmon populations and their habitat so the species is neither threatened nor endangered with extinction in either of the ESUs.1
    • Key coho salmon populations are maintained and improved, at target levels specified for the recovery unit.
    • Additional coho salmon populations are established at target levels specified for the recovery unit.
    • An increase in the number of brood years present has been attained and sustained, as specified for the recovery units.
    • Reach and maintain coho salmon population levels to allow for the resumption of Tribal, recreational, and commercial fisheries for coho salmon in California.

  Conservation Objective(s)

  1. Objective 1. Oversight
     1. Improve management and oversight of Coho Recovery funds
        1. Reduce incidents of misspent Fisheries Restoration Grant Program funds
        2. Increase the Fisheries Restoration Grant Programs level of compliance with Public Resources Code 6217.iii)SH Card fund expenditures as per legislative requirements
  2. Objective 2. Funding
     1. Increase funding for coho recovery in California
        1. Increase by $40 million over 4 years, transfers from the Resource Trust Fund to the Salmon and Steelhead Restoration account
           1. annually implement guidance from AB 1338 (2008 budget act trailer bill) via specific allocations
        2. Increase by $15 million a year, Pacific Coastal Salmon Recovery Funds made available to five western states (AK, WA, OR ID, CA)
        3. Increase the federal share and amount of funds contributed to the Fisheries Restoration Grant Program (administered by Dept of Commerce and the National Marine Fisheries Service).
  3. Objective 3. Recovery Planning
     1. Expedite state and federal recovery planning and project implementation for coho salmon to meet delisting criteria
  4. Objective 4. Improved Forest Practices process and rules via litigation*