Our Work

Administrative Hearings Office Requires More Modeling for Proposed Sites Project and Delta Tunnel The Hearing Officer in the respective water rights hearings for the proposed Sites Reservoir Project and the proposed Delta Tunnel, who happens to be the same individual, has ordered more modeling in each proceeding.  The State Water Board’s Administrative Hearings Office (AHO)…

For decades, stream flows in the Shasta River dropped to a fraction of historical levels every summer, no matter how wet the water year type. Now, a new law, AB 263, which took effect in September 2025, requires that sufficient quantities of water remain instream. This ensures that coho salmon will be less likely to…

Fall-run Chinook salmon are currently migrating back to the Lower Mokelumne River to spawn. Many of these fish will be spawned in the Mokelumne River Fish Hatchery. But of those that spawn in the river, many will do so in reaches where there have been floodplain restoration efforts. Historical land use practices such as agriculture,…

Most people don’t know where their water comes from or how it gets to where they live. One water agency is working to change that. East Bay Municipal Utility District’s (EBMUD’s) headquarters in Oakland has become a base for water-focused education, with water district employees partnering with nonprofits and local schools to share information about…

A fall-run Chinook salmon travels up the fish ladder near California Department of Water Resources infrastructure in Oroville. Image: Andrew Nixon and the California Department of Water Resources A fish ladder is a structure in a natural or artificial waterway that allows fish to pass to a destination, like the ocean or spawning grounds. The…

In late August, I gave California Trout’s 2025 Eel River Pikeminnow Fishing Derby a shot. Sadly, I did not win the Derby. But I did come across a number of conditions that got me thinking about rearing juvenile salmonids. For starters, I caught and observed large Sacramento pikeminnow that appeared to be feeding very well…

The Hydropower Reform Coalition (HRC) has been advocating since the early 1990s for improved conditions in waters affected by hydroelectric projects. HRC advocacy has increased streamflows and made flow information public, achieved new and improved river access, and supported local communities where hydropower dams and other components of infrastructure are located. The California Sportfishing Protection…

The trailer bill legislation proposed by the Newsom Administration to fast-track approval and construction of a tunnel under the Bay-Delta estuary ended for the year when it did not come to the floor of either house in the state legislature by September 12. See earlier analysis here. This is a victory for people, wildlife, and…

California’s fall 2025 recreational ocean salmon fishery was a success, with 12,000 Chinook salmon taken by 12,400 anglers in four days of fishing. The weather conditions were excellent, which added to the high turnout. The fall harvest guideline of 7,500 Chinook salmon was reached between September 4 and 7. On September 17, National Marine Fisheries…

This September marks the first time in two years that there will be a fall ocean salmon recreational fishery. The fall ocean salmon fishery will take place from September 4 through September 7 in waters between Point Reyes and Point Sur, with a total harvest guideline of 7,500 Chinook salmon. Each angler can take a…

The Delta Conveyance Project (DCP) hearing continues this month, scheduled for September 2, 5, 11, 15, 18, 19, 22, 29 and 30. Hearing dates are also scheduled for October 1, 6, 9, 10, 14, & 15. Additional proposed, but not confirmed, hearing dates are September 23 and October 20, 23, 27, 28, and 29.  The…

Now that four dams previously blocking anadromous fish migration on the Klamath River are down, state and local agencies are negotiating the next stage of river restoration. They are acting to regulate the beneficial uses of water in overallocated Klamath River tributaries as equitably as possible. The Shasta River historically produced more salmon per unit…

As an environmental policy consultant for CSPA, I spend a portion of my time visiting fly fishing clubs to recruit club memberships. I’ve found that participating in club casting clinics is a great way to meet club administrators and members while working on my cast! Chatting with fellow anglers about their favorite rivers, and the…

Nonprofits’ research projects on fish serve multiple purposes. They serve an impetus to improve restoration efforts and manage hatcheries better. They make a case for reintroducing species in areas where the species had a historical presence. And they draw funding, volunteers, allies, and media attention. When nonprofits undertake research projects on fish, their results can…

Since dam construction in the early 1900s, Central Valley Chinook salmon have been cut off from their historical spawning and rearing habitat in the upper Feather River watershed. Spring-run Chinook salmon in particular historically utilized the upper river watersheds like the North Fork Feather River. In wake of population declines, especially of spring-run salmon, the…