U N I T E D S T A T E S D E P A R T M E N T O F C O M M E R C E

N A T I O N A L O C E A N I C A N D

A T M O S P H E R I C A D M I N I S T R A T I O N

The Role of Water in Salmonid Recovery

Do fish really need water, and if so, how much and when???

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If fish could weigh in on this…

2

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What water means to fish

• The medium IS the message…• The right flow conditions at the right time

of year for each life stage • Flows are also important in shaping the

stream in which fish live– Sediment and LWD transport– In-stream complexity

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Water needs for Salmonids

• Water quantity– Adequate flows for each

life stage throughout the year

• Water quality– Temperature, Sediment,

pH, etc

• Flow properties– Range of velocities in

winter (flow refuge)– Migration flows– Turbidity

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Stream Habitat by life stage

• Egg (spawning gravels)• Fry (spawning gravels)• Juvenile (pools, in-channel,

side channel and off-channel)

• Smolt (lagoons and larger off-channel ponds)

• Adult Spawner (spawning gravels)

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Fish Habitat by Season

• Wintering Rearing Habitat – (high flow refugia, boulder

shadows, low velocity eddys, overhangs)

• Summer Rearing Habitat– (temperature refugia, overhangs,

riparian cover, sometimes isolated pools)

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In-stream Flow in Summer

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Alternatives to summer in-stream water withdrawals

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Rainwater Harvesting Potential in CA

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Salmon Creek Save our Salmon Project

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Napa and Suisun Creek Watersheds

• Napa and Suisun Creek tributaries

• Agricultural and Rural Residential Uses

• Solano RCD• Napa RCD• CA Land Stewardship

Institute (FFF)• Municipalities

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Sonoma Creek Potential

• Sonoma Creek tributaries

• Agricultural and Rural Residential Uses

• Sonoma Ecology Center• Southern Sonoma RCD• Municipalities

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Other Alternatives for water supply

• Recycled Water• Desalinization• Other innovations

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Key watersheds for Steelhead Recovery in the North Bay

• Napa River• Sonoma Creek• Petaluma River

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Questions!

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Contact Info

• Kit Crump• Restoration Ecologist

• NOAA Restoration Center

• (707) 575-6080• kit.crump@noaa.gov