Sea to Summit: Working Toward the Historic Reintroduction of Salmon to California's Sierra Nevada Mountains (Yuba River, California)
7th National Summit on Coastal and Estuarine Restoration Approaches and Tools to Support Watershed-Scale Fish Passage Restoration Washington, DC
November 4, 2014 CALIFORNIA
Sacramento River Central Valley
San Francisco Sierra Nevada Mountain Range
Bay Delta
San Joaquin River
2 LOWER YUBA RIVER One of the Most Heavily Altered Rivers Known, due to Hydraulic Mining Sediment, Dredging, and Engineering Works
Yuba River Barrier No. 1 (1905)
Hydraulic Mining
YubaGold GoldfieldsDredger
3 FISH, FLOODS, AND DAMS Yuba River History
Yuba River Floods Recolonization - floods destroyed straying from the Gold rush USACE built Yuba DPD fish Feather River and miners Englebright Dam County ladders, stocking from Feather River damaged the – complete rebuilt in Hatchery mid-70s floods Yuba Yuba River passage barrier 1955 1965 to mid-80s County 1850s 1941 1964 1983 1997
1906 1938 1950 1970 USACE built Floods Yuba River YCWA built 1986 Daguerre destroyed floods Yuba Yuba Project Yuba River Point Dam DPD fish County (NBB Dam & floods ladders, Reservoir) – Yuba County 2014 rebuilt in higher flows, NMFS 1938 1959 colder temps issues Spring-run 1996 Final virtually Spring-run Recovery disappeared ESA listed as Plan threatened
4 CALIFORNIA’S CENTRAL VALLEY Historic andC ALIFORNIACurrent Available’S CENTRAL Chinook VALLEY Salmon Habitat
♦ Since the mid-1800s, populations of native CurrentHistoric
Chinook salmon and steelhead have declined 2,183 Over 70% dramatically. 1,126 of historic stream miles spring-run ♦ NMFS (2014) recovery strategy is to secure all miles Chinook existing populations and to reintroduce (including migratory salmon populations to historic habitat migratory holding corridors) ♦ Key salmonid conservation principle (NMFS and spawning 2014) habitat is Functioning, diverse, and interconnected no longer habitats are necessary for a species to be available viable – “from the sea to the summit” Source: NMFS 2009
Spring-run Chinook salmon listed as “threatened” 1996
5 CHALLENGES TO REINTRODUCTION
♦ Differing stakeholder interests
♦ Aspirational goals versus practical realities
♦ Balancing potentially conflicting management objectives
♦ ESA liability for third parties
6 SPECIFIC CHALLENGE EXAMPLE Defining the Scope for Reintroduction
Chinook Salmon Wide spectrum Species of: for reintroduction
Reintroduction Options Steelhead (e.g., dam removal versus trap & haul) Necessary Facilities Operations Costs
7 SPECIFIC CHALLENGE EXAMPLE Defining the Scope for Reintroduction
Entire watershed or most promising reach
8 HABITAT Thermally Suitable Adult Holding Habitat – Length Area
Length NYR NBB MYR SYR YAC YBC LYR (miles)1
2008 (D) 5.5 1 5.3 0 0 1.7 24
2009 (BN) 5.4 1.2 5 0 0 1.7 24 SPRING-RUN 2010 (BN) 21.8 1.3 7.6 0 0 1.7 24 CHINOOK SALMON 2011 (W) 33.7 1.4 10.1 0.8 0 1.7 24 1 Based on upper tolerable (UT) temperature value of 65°F
Source: G. Pasternack
9 BENEFITS OF A COLLABORATIVE REINTRODUCTION
Fish – Increased spawning and rearing habitat, carrying capacity, phenotypic and genetic diversity, and reduced extinction risk
Societal – Reconnecting salmon to their historic habitat would provide cultural, ecological and even economic values to society
Community – Retain operations for water supply, flood management, power generation and recreation
Scientific – Demonstration of possibilities in Central Valley of California
10 LEADERSHIP AND COLLABORATION
11 THE PROVEN VALUE OF COLLABORATION
● 2009 Governor’s Environmental and Economic Leadership Award for the Lower Yuba River Accord ● 2009 National Hydropower Association Award for Outstanding Stewards of America’s Waters ● 2008 ACWA Theodore Roosevelt Environmental Award for Excellence in Conservation and Natural Resources Management
12 VISION
♦ North Yuba River Reintroduction
Salmon would be reunited with their historic habitat in the Sierra Nevada foothills after nearly 74 years
13 Sea to Summit: Working Toward the Historic Reintroduction of Salmon to California's Sierra Nevada Mountains (Yuba River, California)
7th National Summit on Coastal and Estuarine Restoration Approaches and Tools to Support Watershed-Scale Fish Passage Restoration Washington, DC
November 4, 2014