REDDING, CA – To help replicate debris that once collected in the Sacramento River that juvenile fish relied on prior to their outward migration, a coalition of farmers, scientists and government agencies have come together to place 25 structures known as ‘rockwads’ in Redding.
The natural structures are built using 60 trees from a Woodland almond farm and dozens of 5-ton boulders from a north state quarry. Together, these ‘rockwads’ help provide juvenile salmon and trout refuge against larger predators, while enticing them to stay in colder waters longer, increasing their odds of healthy maturation for their journey to the Pacific Ocean.
With less debris naturally entering the upper portions of the Sacramento River, the rockwads provide rearing opportunities these young fish historically found prior to their outward migration.
“This is a perfect example of how we can create needed habitat based on what nature has already shown us works well,” said Roger Cornwell, President of SAVER. “The concept is fairly simple and when paired with a diverse set of partners who are working collaboratively, we believe we can have a positive impact for our salmon and trout during their early life stages.”
Work will occur near the Redding Rodeo Grounds, north of the Sundial Bridge from April 27 to May 3. The latest effort comes on the heels of earlier efforts that placed a combined 45 shelter structures in the South Bonnyview Bridge area.
“It is critical we place the structures in sections of the river that pairs with key times in the juvenile salmon’s early rearing and migratory passage along the Sacramento River,” said Jeff Souza, a Biologist with Tehama Environmental Solutions. “By expanding this project, we will be able to provide more opportunities during various flow events in hopes that we can benefit more endangered fish each year.”
Led by the Sacramento River Settlement Contractors, Glenn-Colusa Irrigation District, the Sacramento Valley Ecological Restoration Foundation (SAVER) and funded by the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation (USBR) and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS), this is just one of several interagency projects supporting native salmon and steelhead runs in Northern California.
The project will be constructed in partnership with Sacramento River Settlement Contract members, including Reclamation District 108, the Glenn-Colusa Irrigation District, Basin Irrigation and Drainage Authority and the City of Redding.
The Sacramento River is the only river in the world that has four runs of Chinook, or “king,” salmon due to its diverse ecosystem that features near year-round cold water due to snow melt, food supply, water velocity, water depth and riverbed gravel.
The Rockwads Project implementation addresses some of the Central Valley Project Improvement Act’s mandates and also follows a comprehensive effort to recover all four runs of Chinook salmon and steelhead in the Sacramento Valley Watershed as part of the Sacramento Valley Salmon Recovery Program, the National Marine Fisheries Service’s Recovery Plan, the California Resources Agency’s Salmon Resiliency Strategy and the early implementation of the Voluntary Agreements/Healthy Rivers California action plan.
While this effort is led by SAVER and funded by USBR and USFWS, the project is a partnership with local, state, and federal entities, including the California Department of Fish and Wildlife, Pacific States Marine Fisheries Commission, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, California Regional Water Quality Control Board, and National Marine Fisheries Service.
