1997 Annual Report

The Cantara Trustee Council is happy to provide you with its 1997 Annual Report. Fishery monitoring activities on the upper Sacramento River are the focus this year. Studies document the recovery status of the river’s wild trout fishery. Highlights of completed projects funded in 1996, and a list of projects funded in 1997, are included.

We have learned a great deal during the first two years of our grant program. We believe it is time to be more active in the expenditure of settlement funds. Toward that end we are focusing on three areas: the grant program, a minigrant program, and strategic planning. Future research needs will be met through strategic planning, rather than through study and research grants.

Through its strategic planning process, the Council has identified needs in the upper Sacramento River watershed related to resource protection, research, water quality, and public outreach. Implementation plans have been completed and adopted. Cantara staff are assembling a geographical information system (GIS) that will include natural resource and public access data for the watershed. The GIS will be integrated into the resource protection plan.

Recovery Status

Almost six years after the Cantara Spill, the upper Sacramento River’s wild trout population was approaching prespill level. On January 1, 1997, the river reached a flood level that normally occurs once every 84 years. The effects of this event are now coming to light.

Snorkel surveys conducted on the river since 1992 are the primary means to document changes in the trout population. These provide an “index of abundance”, which is a minimum estimate of the number of trout in the river, rather than a total population. The surveys reflect a trend in the abundance of trout from one year to the next. The index of abundance for the wild rainbow trout population was stabile between 1994 and 1996, but declined by nearly 50 percent after the flood in 1997.

Recovery of the trout population also is evaluated based upon fish size and age in the upper Sacramento River. Electrofishing surveys have been conducted each November since 1993. Data from November of 1980 provides an indication of a healthy population of wild trout prior to the spill. The 1996 electrofishing data indicates the size class distribution of trout in the river was similar to that observed in 1980, but the effects of the 1997 flood will be unknown until late December.

Angler surveys on the upper Sacramento River since 1994 have provided important data regarding the impacts of angling on the trout population. These surveys provide valuable information to establish regulations. Angling regulations are the primary tool that the Department and the Fish and Game Commission use to manage trout in the river.

To summarize, in 1996 the numbers of wild trout in the river had stabilized and their size distribution was similar to prespill. The January, 1997 flood substantially decreased the population of wild trout in the river. Flooding is a naturally occurring event, and fisheries all over northern California were affected by high flows in 1997.

1996 Grant Highlights

Battle Creek Wildlife Area Acquisition

More than 42 acres of mature cottonwood-willow riparian and adjacent uplands along Battle Creek in Tehama County were purchased. The property is now part of the California Department of Fish and Game's Battle Creek Wildlife Area. Management plans for this area include exotic plant control and riparian habitat expansion. As plans are executed, the Battle Creek acquisition will achieve the goal of replacing and enhancing riparian and stream resources lost during the Cantara spill.

Siskiyou Watershed Education Project

Education in the science of watersheds became a big part of the curricula in both Dunsmuir High School and Dunsmuir Elementary School in 1996-1997. The high school science classes monitored water quality in the upper Sacramento River and Soda Creek, and participated in electrofishing surveys with the Department of Fish and Game. Math classes analyzed and graphed data. English classes produced year-end reports on the field studies. Students also prepared demonstrations and exhibits for the Dunsmuir River Festival.

Elementary school classes received training on watershed management and ecology. Subjects included the water cycle, learning about spill effects on various animals and plants, and examining live animals in the field. Students produced operettas, books, and art displays for the Dunsmuir River Festival. Some classes helped create a Cantara Home Page on the Internet, while others started long-term erosion control and land use planning projects on the elementary school campus.

The success of this project is measured by the amount of commitment shown by the schools, community, and agencies involved. The Council expects that the 1997 grant to the Dunsmuir schools will permanently establish watershed education as a curriculum component.

Cantara/Ney Springs Enhancement

During this past winter and early spring, the Cantara and Ney Springs fishing access points underwent some long needed changes. The first of these occurred in the fall of 1996 when the Fish and Game Commission recognized that detrimental impacts were degrading the properties. The Commission redesignated both properties as one under the name "Cantara/Ney Springs Wildlife Area." Additional changes this year were carried out with funding from the Cantara Trustee Council's grant program.

Installation of a seasonal restroom at Cantara, construction of parking barriers, and revegetation of compacted soils make the area more inviting for visitors. The access road to Ney Springs is also newly graded. The funding provided for drainage improvements, and for installation of garbage cans, a kiosk, and picnic tables.

Upper Sacramento River Exchange Project

The Upper Sacramento River Exchange opened its doors on April 25, 1997. The River Center (Center), located in a beautifully restored historic building, is at 5819 Sacramento Avenue in Dunsmuir.

Fostering watershed stewardship and education is the mission of the Center. An informational library includes reports related to the Cantara Spill. The Center provides public education activities including interpretive field trips, volunteer river cleanups, the annual River Festival, and public exchange meetings.

Establishing links to local schools in Dunsmuir and Mt. Shasta, the Center has developed programs complementing existing curricula. An exhibit area at the Center contains watershed education projects and interactive watershed board games created by local students.

1997 Grant Program

Restoration, Rehabilitation, and Enhancement Projects

Four restoration projects totaling over $102,000 were funded this year in Siskiyou, Shasta and Modoc counties. This represents approximately 12% of the Council’s total 1997 expenditure.

Siskiyou Resource Conservation District—
Scott River Riparian Restoration, Siskiyou Co. — $50,000
Objectives are streambank stabilization and fencing to restore fisheries and riparian habitat along a 3-mile section of the Scott River. The project is situated next to a 4.5-mile reach restored with funds from the Council in 1996.

Goose Lake Resource Conservation District —
Lassen Creek Restoration Design Project, Modoc Co. — $15,000
A restoration plan will be developed for a portion of lower Lassen Creek. Goals are to restore a natural channel, eliminate erosion, improve fish habitat, and protect the riparian corridor.

Ducks Unlimited, Inc. — Willow Creek Riparian Restoration Project, Modoc Co. —$10,500
Fencing, revegetation, and non-native plant species eradication will improve riparian habitat on a 6-mile reach of Willow Creek.

Sacramento Watershed Action Group —
Sulphur Creek Watershed Assessment and Action Plan, Shasta Co. — $27,000
Assessing the condition of Sulphur Creek watershed, defining watershed problems, and recommending actions to improve fisheries and riparian habitat will lead to restoration of the watershed.

Habitat Acquisition and Resource Protection Projects

Public access and resource protection projects received the largest percentage of grant funds: 55% of the Council's total expenditure. Two projects totaling more than $450,000 were funded this year.

Shasta-Trinity National Forest —
Pollard Flat Access Project, Shasta Co. — $175,000
Public access at Pollard Flat on the upper Sacramento River will be improved. Enhancements will be made to the existing road and a river access trail. In addition, picnic and parking areas will be developed, and a restroom will be installed.

KEA Environmental, Inc. and University Foundation, California State University, Chico— Plant Community Mapping within the Upper Sacramento River Watershed — $277,260
This project will develop a vegetation map of the upper Sacramento watershed to use in wildlife habitat restoration and resource protection planning at the watershed scale.

Study and Research Projects

One project in the Study and Research category was funded. This category received fewer dollars than in 1996, in keeping with the Council's expenditure plan. Results from the angler survey will help establish angling regulations for the upper Sacramento River in 1998 and 1999.

California Department of Fish and Game—
Upper Sacramento River Angler Survey and Recreation Survey, Shasta & Siskiyou Cos. — $120,000
This study is an angler survey conducted on the upper Sacramento River during the 1997 fishing season. Recreational use counts, conducted along with the angler survey, will continue through April 1998.

Public Information and Education Projects

The Council funded two public information and education projects for a total of $150,000, representing approximately 18% of the 1997 grant program expenditure.

City of Dunsmuir — Upper Sacramento River Exchange II, Siskiyou Co. — $120,000
This grant will fund the continued operation of the Dunsmuir River Exchange Center, providing public information and education for schools, residents, and visitors of Siskiyou and Shasta counties.

Dunsmuir Elementary School District —
Dunsmuir Schools Watershed Education Project, Siskiyou Co. —$30,000
The program will continue and expand watershed education within the school district.

Trustee Council Initiatives

The Council can pursue initiatives that may be more effectively accomplished through direct action than through the grant process. In 1997, the Council adopted a "strategic plan" to maximize the benefits of settlement funds. The following projects were funded as the first steps in this process.

Regional Water Quality Control Board —
Water Quality Monitoring and Enforcement — $139,475
Clean water is fundamental to the continued recovery and future health of the upper Sacramento River ecosystem. Beginning in 1996, the Cantara Trustee Council funded an extensive monitoring program by the Regional Water Quality Control Board to identify and rank water quality needs in the watershed. Funding for this program will continue through the year 2000.

California Department of Fish and Game —
Resource Protection Planning— $39,000
Planning for the long-term health of the aquatic and terrestrial communities of the upper Sacramento River requires a watershed or landscape level approach. The Council is moving in this direction with the development of a Geographic Information System (GIS) database. The database is organized into "layers" containing parcel boundaries, topography, hydrology, roads, soils, sensitive species locations, and vegetation types. Placing these map layers in an overlapping format shows where important resource values are concentrated.

Resource restoration and protection effort within the watershed will be facilitated by the use of this data. The GIs program is a central component of the Council's strategic plan to protect and enhance natural resources affected by the spill.

California Department of Fish and Game —
Cantara Program Staff Funding — $493,442
This will maintain existing staff support for the Cantara Trustee Council, during the 1998/99 fiscal year.

California Department of Fish and Game —
Special Events Coordinator — $26,000
Funding will provide special events and educational opportunities for residents and visitors of Siskiyou and Shasta counties. Events will include two kid's fishing days within the upper Sacramento River watershed and specialized presentations to the public.

California Welcome Center — $75,000
The Council contributed $75,000 to the California Welcome Center as part of its continuing commitment to public outreach. The Welcome Center provides a unique opportunity to educate and inform up to 500,000 visitors each year of the values of the upper Sacramento River and its ecosystem.

 

 

Credits - Photography

Carole Crowe

Bruce Deuel

Roy Haile

Dana Lis

Craig Martz

Jim Nelson

Chip O'Brien

Steve Turek

Suzanne Turek

Graphics: Suzanne Turek

GIs Map: Eric Haney

Graphic Designer: Dana Lis