Monterey Bay Salmon & Trout Project

Since my last two visits with you in this column for the June 2003 and November 2003 Newsletters, our permit application for trapping, rearing, and planting coho salmon and steelhead during the 2003/2004 season was partly approved and partly rejected by the California Department of Fish & Game (CDFG). They approved our trapping and rearing request for coho salmon and steelhead from the Scott Creek and San Lorenzo River watersheds. However, they rejected our request for trapping and rearing of steelhead for the Pajaro River tributaries of Corralitos and Brown’s Valley Creeks. The CDFG-stated reason for rejecting this portion of our request was that CDFG has determined that neither we (CDFG) nor NOAA-Fisheries (NMFS) have sufficient scientific information on the steelhead populations of Corralitos and Brown’s Valley Creeks to determine whether it is prudent to permit you (MBSTP) to collect fish from those depressed runs for propagation this year.

During many occasions over recent years we have discussed stream monitoring with CDFG & NMFS as a method of obtaining fish population information for these streams, as well as others in the Central Coast Region. Increased monitoring was proposed in order to better address the issue of whether or not restoration and/or augmentation would be prudent to conduct for specific streams and watersheds. In general, this concept was considered to be a positive approach, but it is well known that trouble lurks in the details. The real-world realities are as follows:

1. There are many biologists in NMFS, CDFG, and others in the scientific community who support our goals and activities to augment steelhead populations in various streams in the Central Coast Region depending upon information obtained from stream surveys and observations. There are, however, some biologists from these groups who do not support our steelhead augmentation goals and activities for various reasons and philosophies.

2. CDFG has undergone severe budget cuts over the past few years. This economic dilemma puts them in position of not being able to apply the necessary level of human resources to obtain adequate data to satisfy their sufficient scientific information criteria in order to enable any future change to be made in their present position.

3. Early this year I discovered that MBSTP would need to obtain a special permit from CDFG in order for us to perform such stream monitoring activities in the necessary degree of detail. The process for obtaining such a permit is very cumbersome, and we believe that we do not have the human and financial resources necessary to perform such detailed monitoring even if we did have the special permit. In reality, we have concluded that, within the confines our present resources, we (MBSTP) could not conduct the level of monitoring necessary to satisfy the sufficient scientific information criteria on other streams in the Central Coast Region that may well be in need of salmonid restoration and/or augmentation. It is my opinion that this dilemma will continue to exist for many years into the future unless a new regulatory position is established and implemented.

It is also my opinion that CDFG & NMFS will continue to approve our annual trapping and rearing permits for coho salmon and steelhead from the Scott Creek and San Lorenzo River Watersheds for the foreseeable future.

The two major construction projects that I discussed in the November 2003 Newsletter are nearing completion at our Kingfisher Flat rearing facility. It is anticipated that the Raceways Reconstruction Project (including roof repairs) will be completed in August, and the Coho Captive Rearing Brood-stock Facility Project will be completed in June of 2004. We are in the initial stages of evaluating the technical bid information pertaining to the replacement of our Berry Creek water sand filters. Costs for this replacement will be covered by a previously approved grant from the David & Lucile Packard Foundation.

All of the great organizations, groups, businesses, and individuals who continue to support our salmonid programs are keeping us going and alive. Our continuing thanks to The David & Lucile Packard Foundation; Fish & Game Advisory Commissions of Monterey, Santa Clara, and Santa Cruz counties; commercial Salmon Stamp Committee; Scott Creek Watershed Council; Santa Cruz Port District; Moss Landing Harbor District; and all of you who continue to provide your extremely essential support of our salmon and steelhead restoration mission.

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