PROJECT UPDATE
CalTrout is currently working with other landowners in the Shasta and Scott rivers to replicate this voluntary, incentive-based model. By bringing partners to the table voluntarily, farmers often take great pride in the stewardship of natural resources, better water management, and the recovery of threatened or endangered species. As Blair Hart is fond of saying, “We know how to grow cows. We don’t know how to grow fish. But we’re going to learn.” CalTrout facilitates this learning process by offering the technical and financial assistance landowners need to understand how their agricultural operations affect aquatic ecosystems and the complex life history strategies of salmon and steelhead. CalTrout also develops partnerships with leading academic institutions like the UC Davis Center for Watershed Sciences to ensure that all our work and restoration strategies remain grounded in science. Finally, CalTrout taps into tools and policies like voluntary Safe Harbor Agreements and California Water Code Section 1707 to find legal solutions for landowners that want to support salmon recovery efforts but might be discouraged by regulatory roadblocks or fear of litigation.
As Klamath Dam removal moves closer and closer to reality, CalTrout continues to work as part of the KRRC and with a broad coalition of long-time partners to ensure that the FERC license transfer and surrender goes smoothly at the federal level. In rural Siskiyou County, CalTrout continues to work towards restoring two of the most important salmon producing tributaries in the entire Klamath Basin. Combined, these strategies ensure that when the Klamath Dams do finally come down, fish will return to healthy waters for a better California.
NRC 2004. Endangered and threatened fishes in the klamath river basin causes of decline and strategies for recovery. Washington, DC: National Research Council, National Academies Press.
