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| Winter/Spring 2000 | Summer 1999 | Fall 1998 | Spring 1998 | |
| Fall 1997 | Spring 1997 | Publications and Council Plans | ||
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Articles:
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Dunsmuir Schoolchildren conduct
Planting Day at the Sims access point.
Improvements will be made at the Pollard Flat public access site.
A creel survey agent conducts an interview. |
Now in the second year of funding, the Council’s grant program emphasized public information, restoration, and resource protection. Nine projects were selected for funding. One completed grant from each project category is highlighted below. Public Information and Education Dunsmuir Elementary School and Dunsmuir High School students have benefitted greatly with a second year of funding from the Cantara Trustee Council. Watershed education became a big part of the curriculum at both schools for the 1997/98 school year. Dunsmuir Elementary School students from kindergarten through eighth grade have expanded their knowledge of the upper Sacramento River watershed by participating in informative field trips, working on exciting hands-on projects, and hearing presentations about the Cantara Spill. As part of this education, students have learned how trees benefit aquatic organisms and the river system. Some students have learned about the many ways people utilize trees and have implemented a recycling program at school. The eighth grade class has been participating in forest inventory plot surveys as part of their land-use planning project. Others have built bird boxes to place on campus to enhance habitat and bird watching opportunities. First grade students performed an watershed operetta entitled “Steward’s Ship”at the annual Dunsmuir River Festival (Festival) which was held April 24-26, 1998 and seventh graders sold self-published aquatic invertebrate field guides at the Festival. Students in the Dunsmuir High School’s river class used video equipment purchased with Cantara grant monies to produce a river safety video. They use it to instruct other students who are doing studies on the river. This film was shown at the Festival to raise public awareness regarding water safety. In November 1997, students assisted the Department of Fish and Game in electrofishing surveys. They collected data and will produce a report on the surveys. During the surveys, students videotaped the process. The edited video was shared with the community at the Dunsmuir River Festival. Students have participated in field studies to determine the effects the City of Dunsmuir has on the water quality of the upper Sacramento River. Others are monitoring Soda Creek and the river to evaluate impacts to water quality caused by logging. Habitat Acquisition and Resource Protection During the summer of 1998, the U.S. Forest Service will make major improvements at the Pollard Flat public access site. The existing access road and parking area of this upper Sacramento River site will be widened and paved. The day use area will be cleared of brush, and a restroom and picnic tables will be installed. Additionally, a trail from the day use area to the high water mark of the river will be cleared and paved. Once all improvements are completed, signs will be installed. These will include a directional on Interstate 5, as well as entrance, and on-site signage. Restoration, Rehabilitation and Enhancement A restoration plan for a portion of lower Lassen Creek, in Modoc County, was developed during 1998. Providing a design for a new stream channel through an existing flood plain, the project had a number of objectives: (1) eliminate the source of erosion from existing channel walls; (2) arrest the current rate of bank erosion; (3) restore fish habitat and passage; (4) restore the water table; (5) restore function of the floodplain; and (6) protect the health and function of the riparian corridor. Prior to developing the restoration plan, data was assembled on streamflows, watershed condition, land uses, and diversion needs. Field data was collected on current gully conditions, former channel conditions, profile of stream channel, and sediment transport capabilities. Four permanent channel monitoring transects, and three valley transects were established. The restoration plan contains five alternatives to meet the objectives and accommodate land use management goals. A direction for future restoration of lower Lassen Creek is provided by the production of this plan. Study and Research Department of Fish and Game creel survey agents conducted angler surveys on the upper Sacramento River during the 1997 fishing season. Use counts for other recreational activities were conducted in conjunction with angler surveys, and continued through April 25, 1998. Anglers were surveyed to determine the number and size of fish released, the number and size of fish kept, how many hours were fished, what type of gear was used, and where anglers traveled from to fish the upper Sacramento River. Anglers caught 63,935 trout throughout the season, the highest number in four years of angler surveys. Anglers fished 78,574 hours, which is an increase over the use in 1996. Harvest of wild trout in the six mile catch-and-keep reach through Dunsmuir continued to be high (414/mile) for 1997. Results of the surveys were used in a presentation on the recovery status of the river made to the Fish and Game Commission, in November 1997. The data was used to help establish the 1998-1999 fishing regulations for the upper Sacramento River.
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Cantara Conference Held in Sacramento During February 1998, the annual meeting of the Western Section of the Wildlife Society was held in Sacramento. As part of the proceedings, an all-day workshop entitled “Riparian Ecosystem Recovery of the Upper Sacramento River After the Cantara Chemical Spill” was conducted. Sixteen presentations were given, covering general information, fisheries and wildlife resource issues, and riparian vegetation. Presentations were made by many of the scientists who investigated the spill: state of California agency staff, biological consultants, and academic researchers. Topics presented included such items as: an analysis of the spill, restoration planning, the recovery status of macroinvertebrates, mollusks, and fish populations, the impacts on ospreys, riparian birds, amphibians, and reptiles, and injury determination and recovery status of riparian vegetation. Papers presented will be published in an upcoming issue of the California Department of Fish and Game journal, California Fish and Game.
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Cantara Staff Perspectives: Mini-Grants Make a Difference by Bruce Deuel, Cantara wildlife biologist What do incubation tanks for trout and salmon fry, devices to record microclimate within streamside protection zones, and studies of spotted bass feeding habits all have in common? These are just some of the projects funded by Cantara Trustee Council mini-grants. This program was developed when the Council recognized that there were individuals and organizations who wanted to do good things for the spill-damaged upper Sacramento River, but whose projects were too small to make the major grant application process worthwhile. In 1997 the Council set aside $27,500 for a mini-grant program in Shasta and Siskiyou counties to fund these smaller (less than $3,000) projects. In Siskiyou County, the Fish and Game Commission acts as the mini-grant selection body for the $11,000 program. The commission is well-experienced in handling the county’s Fish and Game Fine Money program, awarding money to citizens and organizations for fish and wildlife management purposes. In Shasta County there is no Fish and Game Commission, so Cantara Program staff managed the $16,500 available for mini-grants. All of the money available in both counties was awarded. Projects funded fell into three basic types: 1) restoration, rehabilitation, and enhancement; 2) study and/or research; and 3) public information and education. Examples of restoration, rehabilitation, and enhancement projects included building a trailer and transport tank to stock an inaccessible section of the McCloud River, buying water temperature monitors to be used in the Scott River, improving fish passage on Little Castle Creek, and installing a fish screen on Shovel Creek. Study and research grants were awarded to measure microclimate within streamside protection zones to monitor their effectiveness, study rainbow trout growth rates, and examine food habits of spotted bass in the upper Sacramento River. Under public education, money was awarded to build an outdoor learning demonstration pond at Junction School, train Dunsmuir area citizens in water quality and bio-assessment techniques, purchase aquatic incubators to raise trout and salmon in Siskiyou County schools, and to fund part-time watershed education coordinators in the Clear Creek/French Gulch watersheds. The Council voted at its March meeting to renew the mini-grant program for 1998 and maintain the same level of funding as last year. The Council is particularly interested in receiving applications from people wanting to do fisheries, streamside vegetation rehabilitation, or restoration projects. Projects such as the Little Castle Creek fish passage are the main reason the program was established. The Council would like to see more projects like these. So, if your flyfishing club, boy scout troop, school, or garden club has always wanted to do something for the Sacramento River, we’d like to hear from you. Applications for Shasta County projects are now being accepted, until June 1, 1998, for mini-grants to be awarded July 1. Another application period begins in mid-August, with a deadline of October 1. Call (530) 225-2269 for an application or to be placed on the mailing list for future announcements. If you’re interested in doing a project in Siskiyou County, applications can be obtained from Fish and Game Commission Chairman Bob Gray at (530) 926-6084, or Secretary Paul Black at (530) 468-5102. If you prefer, you can mail your request to P.O. Box 253, Mount Shasta, CA 96067, or P.O. Box 14, Fort Jones, CA 96032, respectively.
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The Dunsmuir City Park is in a quiet setting, away from I-5 and situated next to the upper Sacramento River. Attractively maintained, the park offers features that will appeal to a variety of visitors. The area surrounding the park contains a mixture of conifers, oaks, deciduous trees, and shrubs. A large number of boulders, intriguingly shaped by the water, line the river bank. Positioned on a hillside above the river, the park is laid out in a terraced fashion. Beautifully designed, its pleasant surroundings provide a number of good photo subjects. Overlooking the river is a pleasant gazebo where visitors can relax, enjoying the sights and sounds of the flowing water. Trails meander around and through the park, offering shady strolls to those so inclined. Uphill from the river is a large grassy area, bordered by several small gardens. Blending nicely with the surrounding woodland, the gardens contain a pleasant combination of horticultural and native plants. The Hosta Fern Garden is a mixture of hostas, ferns, rhododendrons, and conifers. The Hummingbird/Butterfly Garden contains a number of attractive flowering plants, such as azaleas, daffodils, and iris. The Japanese Maple/Spiraea Garden has a variety of beautiful maples, as well as other tree species, and flowering plants such as the bleeding heart. Picnicking is a favorite pastime here. In addition to the grass, a large number of picnic tables are grouped together among a grove of trees. A nice playground is available next to the picnic facilities. Altogether, an afternoon spent at the City Park is an enjoyable experience.
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• The Cantara Trustee Council released a brochure entitled “Your Guide to Outdoor Family Recreation on the upper Sacramento River”, in September 1997. The guide provides directions to 17 access points along the river, and includes information on the recreational opportunities available at each site. The brochure can be obtained by contacting the Cantara Program office at (530)225-2269, and is also available at numerous locations in Dunsmuir and Mt. Shasta. • A second Kid’s Fishing Day, sponsored by the Cantara Trustee Council, was held at the Mt. Shasta Hatchery on September 27, 1997. The event was a huge success, with more than 400 kids and 340 adults participating. • The California Welcome Center in Anderson opened it’s doors on October 4, 1997. The Cantara Trustee Council has a display in the Center, depicting the 1991 spill and recovery efforts on the upper Sacramento River. The Council also contributed to the construction of a rock waterfall and a small pool stocked with hatchery trout. To date, over 18,000 people have visited the Welcome Center. • The Cantara Trustee Council released it’s 1997 annual report in December. Highlights of the Council’s activities during the year are described in this document. It can be obtained by contacting the Cantara Program office at (530)225-2269. • The State Fish and Game Commission adopted the 1998-1999 fishing regulations for the upper Sacramento River, during their February meeting. Anglers may now use barbed hooks in the six-mile reach of river through Dunsmuir. This reach lies between Scarlett Way Bridge and the mouth of Soda Creek. Anglers may also keep five fish per day, and have ten in possession, on all tributaries in the same reach. Regulations for the reaches of river between Box Canyon Dam and Scarlett Way Bridge, and between the mouth of Soda Creek and Shasta Lake, remain the same: zero trout limit and only artificial lures with barbless hooks can be used. The regulations remain in effect through the 1998 and 1999 fishing seasons. • Proposals for the Cantara Trustee Council’s 1998 grant program were received at the Cantara Program office on March 27, 1998. A total of 12 proposals were received; six in the Restoration, Rehabilitation and Enhancement category, two in the Acquisition and Resource Protection category, and four in the Public Information and Education category. The Council will decide in August 1998 which projects to fund. • The second annual Dunsmuir River Festival, co-sponsored by the River Exchange and Dunsmuir area schools, was held April 24-26, 1998. Students from kindergarten through 12th grade proudly displayed their watershed education projects, taught the public how to identify aquatic invertebrates, and sold fish-print tee shirts. Fly-fishing and general angling clinics were held on the upper Sacramento River for both children and adults. |
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