Our Work

As the State Water Resources Control Board considers the development of Tribal Beneficial Uses (TBUs), it is a good idea to look at how Native American people throughout California uphold and celebrate their fishing traditions. It comes with the season. November is recognized as National Native American Heritage Month. Across California’s 109+ Native American groups,…

During this month of Thanksgiving, CSPA expresses gratitude for the people and elements that sustain riverine ecosystems. Without ecological processes interacting to maintain specific conditions conducive to life on Earth, Californians could not enjoy such abundant natural diversity and cultural creativity. Agencies, advocates, scientists, and attorneys work on a daily basis to protect public interests…

As autumn begins, I think about fall-run Chinook salmon and their steelhead cousins swimming close behind. One place I love fly fishing this time of year is the lower Feather River. Most fly fishers refer to this season as “the egg bite,” as salmonids change their diet from aquatic insects to the thousands of loose…

On October 30, 2026, the State Water Resources Control Board (Board) approved a Bay-Delta Plan for the Sacramento and Bay-Delta watersheds. The Plan incorporates “voluntary agreements” (VAs) by water users to release small additional amounts of water into and through the Bay-Delta estuary. It also promises to spend about $3 billion, mostly of taxpayer money,…

Watch the video on Youtube The California Sportfishing Protection Alliance (CSPA) posted a critical analysis of the deceptively titled “Bipartisan American Affordability and Jobs Act” (S. 5653) on October 12, 2026. (https://calsport.org/permitting-reform-bill-attacks-4-pillars-of-environmental-protection/). Among many of the foundational environmental laws the bill would decimate is Section 401 of the Clean Water Act. One of the less…

On September 30, 2026, several senators from both major parties rolled out a 417-page piece of legislation that if passed would change the national landscape of environmental protection. The bill contains major rollbacks of protections in the Clean Water Act, the Endangered Species Act, the Federal Power Act, and the National Environmental Policy Act. The…

On October 1, 2026, the North Coast Regional Water Quality Control Board (Regional Board) conducted a hearing regarding water quality in the Scott River and Shasta River. The Regional Board considered a five-year extension of conditional waivers for the Total Maximum Daily Loads (TMDLs) issued under the Waste Discharge Requirement program.  The Regional Board gave…

The Smith River, whose mainstem and three forks flow a total of approximately 124 miles, flows from the Klamath Mountains to the Pacific Ocean in Del Norte County, California. This waterway is arguably the most beautiful stream in California. For my money, it’s one of the most beautiful on Earth. The Smith River is a…

It takes effort to keep hatchery salmon safe, particularly from live disease-causing agents like bacteria, viruses, and microorganisms, which collectively are called pathogens. The fish hatcheries run by federal and state agencies employ different techniques to ensure the health of California’s salmon populations. In California, the two agencies involved in this effort are U.S. Fish…

State Water Board Plans Adoption on October 28, 29, and (if needed) 30 On September 18, 2026, CSPA joined a coalition of environmental organizations, fishing organizations, and Tribal advocates in comments on the August “Final” Draft Bay-Delta Plan. The State Water Board issued the draft on August 19, 2026. At the center of the proposed…

State Water Board Plans Adoption on November 4 On October 5, 2026, CSPA joined allied environmental organizations, fishing organizations, a Tribe, and Tribal advocates (“NGO Parties”) in comments on the Revised Draft Water Rights Permit and Revised Draft Water Rights Decision on the proposed Sites Reservoir. The State Water Board and its Administrative Hearing Office…

by Chris Shutes and Gary Bobker First published as guest commentary in Maven’s Notebook, September 13, 2026 The latest chapter in the Trump Administration’s war on California opened on September 3 and 4, 2026, when the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation– which operates the largest water project in California – and Westlands Water District – the…

Bay-Delta Plan released: On August 19, 2026, the State Water Board released the almost-final version of the update of the Bay-Delta Plan. The Plan allows the vast majority of water right holders in the Bay-Delta watershed from Stockton north to skate under “voluntary agreements” that marginally increase flows compared to existing conditions. Comments on the…

For two years, I did not fish once. For someone who spends most of his waking life trying to make conditions better for California’s fish, this is not the desired condition. I had the chance to partially correct this sorry situation this August when I returned to the Bridgeport (Mono County) area to fish a…

The spike-toothed salmon (Oncorhynchus rastrosus) was a roughly 7-foot-long species that lived along the Pacific Coast and Japan five million years ago. This history of this species, particularly its evolution and extinction, reveals that it is difficult to predict the results of climate change.  Data from spike-toothed salmon fossils, reviewed with information from biological studies…