Friends of the Arroyos A tributary of the Alameda Creek Alliance - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

Friends of the Arroyos A “tributary” of the Alameda Creek Alliance Arroyo Mocho * Arroyo Las Positas * Arroyo Seco * Arroyo del Valle * Arroyo de la Laguna Alt amont Creek * Cayat eno Creek * Cot t onwood Cr eek * Cot t inger Cr eek * Tassaj ara Cr eek * Dry Creek * Mission Creek * Sycamore Creek * Vallecit os Creek MI SSI ON � Restore the historical steelhead trout migration through the Arroyos via Alameda Creek to the SF Bay � Promote stream restoration, cleanups, and awareness

St eelhead Trout Background I nf ormat ion � St eelhead are rainbow t rout t hat migrat e t o t he ocean f rom breeding sit es in cool wat er st reams. � St eelhead (up t o 30”) have been caught in t he Arroyos here up unt il t he 1960s. � They current ly do not migrat e t hrough t he Arroyos because of - barriers in lower Alameda Creek and t he Arroyos - inadequat e st ream f lows allowed by Zone 7 Wat er Agency. � Biologist s have det ermined t hat st eelhead could spawn in t he upper gorge of Arroyo Mocho where nat ive t rout already live � Smolt s (j uveniles) can survive in exist ing deep spring-f ed pools in t he Mocho gorge during our hot summers � Smolt s (1-2 yrs old) migrat e downst ream and adult s upst ream t o spawn and back during t he high f lows around st orm event s. Adult s can t ravel 1 mile/ hour!

Hist orical evidence of migrat ion Steelhead caught in Livermore Herald: April 9, 1910 Alameda Creek in 1961 A 30” trout must be a steelhead!

How did t he st eelhead migrat e t o t he Bay?

Spawning Habit at in Arroyo Mocho Gor ge Map from pg. 24 of “An Assessment of the Potential for Restoring a Viable Steelhead Trout Population in the Alameda Creek Watershed” Prepared for the Alameda Creek Fisheries Restoration Workgroup, Feb. 7, 2000. See www.cemar.org/alamedacreek/index.html

Barriers t o Migrat ion Map from pg. 9 of “An Assessment of the Potential for Restoring a Viable Steelhead Trout Population in the Alameda Creek Watershed” Prepared for the Alameda Creek Fisheries Restoration Workgroup, Feb. 7, 2000. See www.cemar.org/alamedacreek/index.html

Permanent Barriers t o Migrat ion Dams at Calaveras and San Antonio Reservoirs � St eelhead current ly spawn above Calaveras and San Ant onio reservoirs (prot ect ed by t he SF PUC). � These are land-locked st eelhead and cannot migrat e t o t he ocean t o f eed � This year f ish t raps have been inst alled and volunt eers f rom ACA and FOTA assist t he biologist in daily monit oring of t he migrat ion above Calaveras and San Ant onio Reser voir s bet ween Feb. and May � No st eelhead are current ly observed migrat ing above Del Valle reservoir (f ished-out ?)

Plans t o Remove Barriers t o Migrat ion Rubber dams, BART weir, PG&E pipeline in lower Alameda Creek � Alameda Creek Alliance f ormed in 1997 when st eelhead list ed as a t hreat ened species � ACA st art ed t he Alameda Creek Fisheries Rest orat ion Workgroup (12 local, st at e and f ederal agencies) t o look at how t o remove or improve barriers � East Bay Regional Parks Dist rict has already removed 2 barriers � PG&E f ish passage at pipeline crossing in Sunol Valley � Niles Canyon dams removed by t he SF PUC in 2004 � Army Corp. plans t o inst all f ish ladders and screens around t he BART weir f or $6.7 million t o be complet ed in 2005

A Dam Removal Part y!

St eelhead and salmon are t rying t o ret urn! St eelhead and salmon r escue at Fish ar e weighed, measur ed, t agged and t he BART weir r eleased upst r eam of bar r ier

Barriers along t he Mocho t o t he Gorge By 2005, Steelhead could be headed up Arroyo Mocho! 4’ dr op near St anley under Gr adient st r uct ur es j ust bef or e and abandoned RR t r acks af t er I sabel over cr ossing

What can you do t o help? � Sign t he pet it ion and writ e t o Zone 7 asking t hem t o remove t he barriers and cont rol t he wat er f low t o support migrat ion during st orms event s Board of Directors Zone 7 Water Agency 5997 Parkside Dr Pleasanton CA 94588 � J oin Friends of t he Arroyos (we meet mont hly) and/ or Alameda Creek Alliance (see f orm t o mail-in) - t o writ e t o agencies regarding t hese issues - t o become aware of environment al issues � Sign up t o AAA – ADOPT AN ARROYO! - agree t o keep your sect ion lit t er-f r ee f or a year - observe and report on wildlif e