Conservation

What Flows Around, Comes Around

A Guide to GSF and TU-San Diego Conservation Efforts

The addition of the Trout Unlimited Chapter to Golden State Flycasters in 2004 sparked our involvement in conservation issues around the county. Our two groups are stronger together in conservation. Whether you’re in to water quality testing in North County, building wildlife fences in the Sierras, tagging white seabass destined for release into the ocean, doing genetic sampling on Golden Trout populations in the wilderness, or teaching kids how to fly-fish, we need your help! The projects are diverse, but share the element of conservation--whether it’s improving local watershed dynamics or education.

Water Quality Monitoring       

GSF and TU-San Diego volunteers are working with The Escondido Creek Conservancy and San Diego Coastkeeper to do water quality monitoring in Escondido Creek. This data contributes to a baseline record of water and habitat characteristics. Monitoring includes chemical analysis such as water temp, pH, dissolved oxygen, phosphate and nitrogen concentrations plus physical habitat assessment (what the river bottom and banks look like) with macroinvertebrate sampling in collaboration with San Diego Stream Team. Water chemistry is basically a snapshot of water quality, while the macro populations reflect long term health of the stream. We need more volunteers to do sampling! It's simple to get trained, and a fun day wading the creek and collecting data with friends. Contact Sandi Jacobson for more information.

First Cast Program

GSF and TU-San Diego volunteers also teach youth flyfishing classes in the beautiful surroundings of Lake Cuyamaca near Julian. This class is essentially Flyfishing 101 for kids, and the students catch on to the basics in no time. In six hours, the students learn fly-fishing equipment, how to cast, tie a clinch knot, tie a wolly bugger, present a fly, and identify insects that trout love to eat. Then they got to fish in the lake at the end. More classes are on tap for 2007, contact Rod Hendrickson for more information and to join the cast of instructors.

Golden Trout Project

Our members have participated in summer weekend work parties with the Golden Trout Project in the southern Sierras. TU and CalTrout are assisting Cal Dept Fish and Game and the Forest Service in protecting and restoring the California Golden Trout. It’s a great way to head up to the hills, work, and fish some too. All of the activities involve active, outdoor activity, and some involve rigorous backpacking and/or hiking in the high country.

Volunteers

GSF and TU-San Diego members with an adventurous streak have trained in genetic sampling techniques by Cal Dept of Fish and Game. Volunteers learned to collect samples, record data, handle fish, and navigate through remote areas by GPS. Once trained, volunteers were assigned a monitoring area, and hiked in groups of 2-4 to remote areas to catch golden trout and collect genetic samples by taking small fin clips.

Water and Wine Program        pdf download
Trout Unlimited California

In 2004, Governor Schwarzenegger signed “A.B. 2121,” which directs the State Board to adopt a policy for maintaining stream flows in North Coast streams by the beginning of 2008.  Two thirds of the pending water right applications in the entire state are within the geographic scope which runs from San Francisco Bay to the Mattole River in Humboldt County. The policy will affect about 5,900 stream miles in 3.1 million watershed acres – an area the size of Connecticut, Delaware, New Hampshire, New Jersey, and Rhode Island. Trout Unlimited has been working with representatives from the wine industry and other stakeholders to propose common sense solutions for the A.B. 2121 policy.  But the A.B. 2121 policy is only the first step. For more information on "A.B. 2121" please login to: www.waterrights.ca.gov/HTML/instreamflow_nccs.html

The "Water & Wine Program" grew out of TU’s discussions with representatives for the wine industry, and it will move beyond the confines of the traditional water right system.  By working collaboratively with water users, TU hopes to achieve a new water future for California with the value of streams, tributaries and fish habitat as important as the vineyards that grace this land.