SPAWN - The Salmon Protection And Watershed Network

Declining Global Populations & the Importance of Local Protection

Salmon are keystone species of coastal streams and rivers of the West, and their protection is intimately tied the health of the watersheds where they spawn. Solutions to ensure their recovery must address the root causes of environmental degradation. The Salmon Protection And Watershed Network (SPAWN), a community-based watershed organization, uses existing science-based research as the foundation for its grassroots education and action, hands-on conservation, innovative media strategies, and conservation-research projects.

Worldwide, important oceanic fishery stocks are collapsing due to overfishing, destruction of coastal and ocean habitats, and pollution. Salmon are under additional assault as they migrate into freshwater streams and rivers to spawn and complete their life cycle. Here these species also face threats from dams and other barriers to migration, logging, agriculture, land-use planning decisions, development, and disruption of natural genetic populations through intentional (hatcheries) and unintentional (salmon farms) releases of captive bred salmon.

While crashing marine fish populations has received a great deal of media attention, a solid grassroots approach to involving the public in solutions has been lacking, largely because what happens out at sea remains “out of sight and out of mind.” Salmon’s unique anadromous life history also allow for a unique grassroots organizing strategy to educate and activate the public to come to their defense, first by protecting spawning and nursery habitats in the fish’s watershed, where the public has chance to see and witness these animal’s amazing migratory and spawning behavior. This naturally leads to citizen interest and involvement in ensuring their protection at sea so that watershed protection is not in vain.

In the 1940's, the California coho population was estimated at 50,000 to 125,000 spawning fish a year. Today the population numbers only 6,000. The Central California population of coho salmon was listed as "threatened" under the US Endangered Species Act in October 1996, and steelhead was listed as threatened in 1997. The listing of these species under the Endangered Species Act came only after a lawsuit was filed to compel the government to act. Presently, the State Fish and Game Commission to considering listing coho as “endangered” on California’s Endangered Species List.

Furthermore, the public remains confused about the idea of salmon being “threatened,” when more and more restaurants and supermarkets are adding this ever-more popular food to their menus and seafood counters. Of course, most of this available salmon is farm-raised, a growing industry whose environmental impacts on wild salmon populations and coastal habitat are just beginning to be recognized. SPAWN will work to integrate this issue in its educational outreach.

The Last of the Coho in Lagunitas Creek Watershed

Central California coho are a dying breed. They have been attacked by over-fishing at sea; the insatiable thirst of dams that turn once-beautiful creeks pools into dry lifeless patches of dirt; and the impacts of logging and runoff from roadways that cloud their waters with silt. As their natal watersheds vanish, so do the coho, the steelhead trout, the red-legged frogs, the freshwater shrimp, and all the creatures that depend on a healthy watershed.

The Lagunitas Creek Watershed (LCW), located in west Marin County, has been identified as the most important waterway left for wild California coho. This watershed is also the home of threatened steelhead trout. Lagunitas Creek Watershed coho, though greatly reduced in numbers, represent 10 percent of all wild California coho surviving today.

Estimates of the annual coho and steelhead population in the Lagunitas watershed were 6,000 about sixty years ago. Now the annual population of coho is 500 spawning fish, an extremely low number. Yet this represents the most robust wild population extant today in California! Specific current threats to the Lagunitas coho include loss of habitat caused by dams and other barriers to migration, sedimentation and riparian habitat destruction caused by development, improperly designed roads, improper landowner practices, inadequate water supplies caused by water diversion and changes in hydrology from development and land-use practices, and pollution of the streams.

Several scientists and agency personnel have expressed the view that protection and restoration of the LCW coho salmon population is critical to recovery of the entire Central California coho ESU.B. Objectives

SPAWN’s 2001 Lagunitas Watershed Coho and Steelhead Project objectives include 10 programs that fall into three categories: (1) habitat and fish restoration, (2) public education and involvement, and (3) conservation research. These activities will provide long-term on the ground benefits protecting and enhancing the present salmonid populations of LCW, and will educate, motivate and activate large numbers of local residents in watershed protection. Furthermore, data collected and disseminated by SPAWN will provide needed information to government agencies to help develop successful policies and help restore salmonid populations in the LCW.

The successful completion of the objectives below is predicated on the further development of a StreamKeeper program that will recruit and train many volunteers, and encourage the involvement of local landowners, agencies, businesses and the local school district to assist in the following activities:

Habitat and Fish Restoration

1. Rescue and Relocate salmonids stranded in tributaries that go dry. Thousands of juvenile salmonids become trapped and die as small tributaries go dry, at least partially caused by a lowered water table caused by runoff associated with urbanization.

Rescue activities involve training of StreamKeeper volunteers to work with staff to monitor summer stream conditions, and when necessary dip-net juvenile salmonids and relocate them to the confluence of the tributary and the main stem of San Geronimo creek. Work is conducted under approved methodologies required by permitting agencies (National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) and California Department of Fish & Game (CDF&G). This program builds on two previous years of fish rescue, which has saved approximately 3,000 fish to date and has utilized more than 75 volunteers.

In 2001, SPAWN will monitor and conduct rescue and relocation on six to ten streams and expects to rescue more than a thousand individual salmonids.

2. Fish migration barrier survey and repair. Spawning and nursery habitat for salmonids has been greatly reduced in the LCW through the creation of barriers that block migration. Two dams (Peters on Lagunitas Creek and Seeger’s on Nicasio Creek), that provide the majority of drinking water for Marin County, have reduced available habitat to salmonids by almost 50 percent, thus highlighting the need to make all other potential habitat available for LCW salmonids. Obviously, the loss of habitat is considered to be a major impediment to salmonid restoration in LCW. Below these dams, road culverts impede upstream migration into tributaries, further restricting access to needed spawning and rearing habitat.

To date, there has not been a systematic survey to determine the extent and severity of these barriers, though SPAWN staff has opportunistically recorded some potential culverts that restrict upstream migration during other monitoring activities over the past year.

In 2001, all San Geronimo sub-watershed (SGVsw) culverts will be surveyed, and upstream habitat will be assessed to determine if it provides or has the potential to provide spawning and nursery habitat for salmonids. In addition, local residents will be interviewed to determine if fish has used upstream areas historically. Winter flows through the culverts will be monitored and video-documented.

Culverts will be prioritized according to need for repair and permits will be sought to repair at least one (already identified) culvert to improve fish passage using methodology outlined in California Salmonid Stream Habitat Restoration Manual (Dept. Fish Game, 1998, 3rd edition) or best available information provided by permitting agencies.

StreamKeeper volunteers will participate in surveys and local-building contractors will be sought to help with construction activities.

3. Unpaved road sedimentation survey and research into funding repairs. Sedimentation is believed to be a major impediment to survival of redds (nests) and also reduces the quality of nursery habitat for juveniles in the LCW. One major factor contributing to sedimentation is from rain run-off on unpaved roads.

The San Geronimo Valley sub-watershed has many unpaved roads and driveways that are contributing to sedimentation of streams. In 2001, SPAWN in consultation with experts, will develop a methodology to evaluate and prioritize individual unpaved roads according to their potential contribution of sediment load to streams. With the help of SPAWN StreamKeepers, we will then survey all unpaved roads in the SGVsw and prioritize them according to their need for repair. Lastly, in 2001, SPAWN will begin to research funding opportunities to hire experts to engineer road repair solutions, develop mechanisms to involve partnerships with local landowners and agencies, and identify competent contractors to make repairs. In 2002, SPAWN expects to begin repairs on high priority roads.

4. Development of riparian habitat restoration projects with local landowners. SPAWN will work with local landowners to identify sources of sediment caused by erosion and will choose good “demonstration” project(s) for repair in 2001. Permits for and completion of at least one riparian habitat restoration is expected to be completed in 2001 using approved techniques described in California Salmonid Stream Habitat Restoration Manual or best available information provided by permitting agencies. StreamKeepers will participate in doing the work, and local contractors will be approached to provide additional expertise and provide free or reduced costs for use of equipment that may be needed. Local residents will be encouraged to participate and observe the project.

Public Education and Involvement

5. Creation of an in-depth local educational outreach program. SPAWN recognizes that public education and involvement is critical to successful fish restoration in LCW. In addition to the activities listed below as Numbers 6 & 7, in 2001, SPAWN will:

6. Docent training and outreach program to view spawning salmon and educate the public about salmon and watershed conservation.

SPAWN staff will utilize classroom and in-the-field course programs to train approximately 25-50 volunteers to present naturalist programs for the general public to view spawning salmon, learn about their natural history and how individuals can live fish-friendly lifestyles and become directly involved in restoration activities. We expect those volunteer naturalists to lead over 800 individuals to view spawning salmon. Depending on interest, we will also use trained naturalists to provide classroom presentations to students throughout the Bay area.

As part of the training program, SPAWN will improve on its docent training manual written in 2000, and make it available to other watershed organizations, teachers, etc. that may wish to use it. We also hope to make it available as a down-loadable PDF on our web site.

SPAWN will also create publicity to locate docents and advertise the creek walks to the general public through press releases, flyers, its WWW page, etc.

This program will build on the success we realized in 2000, when 40 docents were trained and 700 people participated in creek walks (thanks to a NFWF grant).

7. Development of a public fish-viewing area at Roy’s pool site. In 1999, working with the San Geronimo Valley Golf Course and many government agencies, community organizations, and businesses, SPAWN transformed a barrier to fish migration, “Roy’s Dam” into “Roy’s Pools,” allowing the fish to continue their upstream migration.

In 2001, SPAWN will organize a local committee consisting of various professionals (including an architect, park manager, museum developer, carpenter, biologist, teacher, etc.) to develop a written plan and proposal to build a fish viewing area and interpretive exhibit at the site, and work with the golf course to secure the permanent protection of the site.

It is our hope that the creek habitat and surrounding area will be donated to SPAWN. At such time SPAWN will begin to secure additional funding to construct the Roy’s Pools Fish Viewing Interpretive Center. This has the potential to educate thousands of visitors per year and help create a constant and consistent pool of volunteers.

8. Regular monitoring, consultations, and creation of a report for Samuel P. Taylor State Park personnel on fish-friendly administration. Several problems have already been identified (destruction of redds by horse creek crossings, construction of weirs by visitors, fish barriers, trail erosion, etc.) and a very constructive dialogue has begun. The park superintendent has requested that SPAWN personnel provide monthly meetings for Park personnel and present them with a formal report on issues. The Park Superintendent has also been interested in securing the help of SPAWN staff to make recommendations on interpretive signage. Additionally, SPAWN StreamKeepers will present salmon conservation programs for park visitors.

9. Water quality monitoring. In 2000, SPAWN staff worked with the Regional Water Quality Board to collect samples to test water quality, primarily for fecal coliform. In 2001, SPAWN will expand water testing using its StreamKeepers to look at additional pollutants that may be impacting salmonid population recovery.

10. Spawning and juvenile surveys of tributaries. Two agencies (National Park Service, Marin Municipal Water District) and SPAWN have divided up creek systems and conduct weekly coho spawning surveys of creeks in LCW. SPAWN efforts concentrate on upper watershed tributaries. The information gathered is critical to monitor population status of coho, identify critical habitat, and to determine if restoration efforts are working. Furthermore, weekly surveys allow for regular monitoring of the creek systems for potential problems in need of attention.

To date, SPAWN’s contribution has increased the knowledge base by surveying a number of tributaries and documenting spawning and nursery grounds that had not previously been reported. This has resulted in an increase in the known spawning population by nearly 10% in some years. With the use of StreamKeeper volunteers and staff in 2001, SPAWN will expand these activities to include more tributaries in the San Geronimo sub-watershed and also in Samuel P. Taylor State Park. Information will be published in a report made available to government agencies, local residents and the media.