Can we save Sonoma Valley’s salmon and trout?

A front-page story Monday in the Press Democrat recounted a recent scientific report that nearly half of California’s native salmon, steelhead and trout are facing extinction in 50 years.|

There was a front-page story Monday in the Press Democrat on a recent scientific report that nearly half of California’s native salmon, steelhead and trout are facing extinction in 50 years.

The threats include low water flows, pollution, urban growth, dams and degraded habitat, exacerbated by droughts and climate change.

The report suggests that the extinction is not inevitable, and that there are ways we can reduce and even stop and reverse the degradation of our streams where trout and salmon can survive.

Our Sonoma Valley creeks used to be home to healthy populations of steelhead/rainbow trout and spawning areas for king and coho salmon. In my boyhood here we could fish for trout in most of our streams through the spring and early summer.

Since those days, our creeks have lost more than half of their water and many completely dry up by June and stay that way until the fall rains return. This kills any chance for salmon and steelhead trout fry to survive.

Where has the water gone? Some blame it all on climate change, but there is also good reason to believe that the drawing of groundwater from springs near creeks, and the actual pumping of water directly out of creeks, is a major cause as well.

Our Valley has grown. There are more people using water. Hillside vineyards are often watered by drip systems that draw more groundwater. There have been some efforts around our county, though not here in Sonoma Valley, to improve the habitat of creeks so that salmon and trout can survive, but they’re not nearly enough.

I recently visited the Scott River Valley in Siskiyou County, were local residents formed the Scott River Watershed Council (SRWC) and are working with Dr. Michael Pollock, eco-system analyst for National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). In this little community people are doing something about bringing back their creeks.

The river, once a prolific salmon and steelhead spawning resource, was ruined by past goal mining. Then climate change and other factors caused it and its tributaries to dry up during most summers. But a few years ago SRWC began constructing “beaver dam analogues,” which are human-made structures that mimic natural beaver dams, storing water and creating habitat for all kinds of local species, including steelhead trout and coho salmon. Over time, these naturally appearing dams create pools where fish can survive.

Dottie and I met with Betsy Stapleton, chairman of the SRWC, who showed us some of the work her group has done on the creek. The results are impressive. They were able to preserve large areas of fresh, clean water in which Coho and trout fry are surviving. Last season, the count was up to 6,500 fish

The SRWC is a small, local, grassroots kind of effort that is working. I would sure like to see something like that organized for Sonoma Creek’s watershed. Meanwhile, closer to home, sturgeon, striped bass and halibut fishing is red-hot in San Francisco Bay and the holiday weekend tides are especially good for sturgeon. Call Keith Fraser at Loch Lomond Bait Shop in San Rafael to book at trip, 415-456-0321.

Ling cod and rock cod fishing is the best it has been in a long time off the Sonoma Coast reports Capt. Rick Powers of Bodega Bay Sportsfishing. With conditions flat calm, Rick’s clients are bringing home limits of ling and rock cod In addition, the salmon season has reopened and Rick is now taking combo trips out, while also still pulling some crab pots. Call Rick at 875-3344 to book a trip.

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