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View Full Version : In California they are working on wild Steehead tributary rehabilitation.



Bill Kiene semi-retired
01-04-2025, 01:19 PM
Here is a note I just received from a friend who works in fisheries:

"For decades, CDFG/CDFW and its partners (NMFS, USFWS, NRCS, Resource Conservation Districts, State Parks, Counties, conservation groups, non-profit local watershed groups, private landowners, etc.) have been working to remove small barriers to steelhead and salmon migration on perhaps hundreds of coastal streams in California. Often, these are tiny little tributaries that can serve as spawning and nursery areas for wild steelhead. Old corrugated metal pipe culverts are often a barrier to upstream migration. These are often replaced with old railroad flatcars (as a bridge), and the stream reconfigured to a natural state at the site. Other projects include riparian revegetation along creeks, reducing erosion from dirt roads, and rehabilitating damaged watersheds. Much of this work happens on private lands, so is not visible to the public. Since much of the habitat for winter steelhead occurs on private land, this is very important work.

Also, US Forest Service, Bureau of Land Management, and National Park Service do various stream and riparian restoration projects and watershed rehabilitation work on the federal public lands they manage.

Happy New Year"

mogaru
01-04-2025, 02:28 PM
I've been fishing for steelhead for over 30 years and every year is worst than the previous one, even in far away fancy destinations. The American River is dead as door nail. It's so bad that there is no thread on opening day. They can rehabilitate all they want if there are no fish coming in, which impacts the sale of fishing gear in fly shops.

Al Baltz
01-04-2025, 03:41 PM
This is good news. Every little bit helps. Is any of the funding coming from the CDFW?

Bill Kiene semi-retired
01-04-2025, 06:52 PM
I've been fishing for steelhead for over 30 years and every year is worst than the previous one, even in far away fancy destinations. The American River is dead as door nail. It's so bad that there is no thread on opening day. They can rehabilitate all they want if there are no fish coming in, which impacts the sale of fishing gear in fly shops.



Yes, mogaru, in the last 10 years, many fisheries have totally crashed.


I did hear from a top guide friend that the Trinity River was good in October/November, down lower.


Many of my guide and fisheries friends think the Klamath River will get better sooner than expected.


Many of my old friends go to the Clearwater River in Idaho in Sept/Oct to Spey cast with floating lines.

They use 14 to 16 foot Spey rods with full length floating lines. Casting can be very long.