Fisheries

Since 2014, CDFW has taken many actions to protect native fish species and recreational and commercial fisheries impacted by the severe drought. These actions include aquatic stressor monitoring, fish rescues, hatchery improvements, and drought-related restoration projects.

We have monitored aquatic habitats in creeks and rivers throughout the State (coastal watersheds, the Central Valley, Sierra Nevada and interior desert creeks) for dangerous conditions caused by the drought (low flow, high water temperature, fragmented pools and channels) and stressed fish populations. Monitoring continued until the heavy rains in the late fall of 2016 and may continue in 2017 in still-stressed waters in southern California.

For the past 3 years, CDFW has deployed staff to rescue threatened and endangered fish species on many rivers across the State. Fish rescues peaked in 2015 and continued in 2016. Rescues have focused on the most threatened native fish such as salmon and trout species, and inland freshwater species including species of special concern, such as Unarmored Three-spine Stickleback and Sacramento Perch.

CDFW’s hatcheries have experienced severe difficulties because of decreased water supply, inferior water quality, and increased threat of water pathogens, because of the prolonged drought. Hatchery improvements such as additional water filtration, the use of ultraviolet light to kill pathogens, and installation of self-contained circular fish tanks have enabled several State facilities to rear trout, steelhead and salmon under these abnormal conditions. Hatchery improvements made to address the impacts of the drought have also allowed CDFW to bring the most-at risk populations of some fish species, including Coho Salmon, Golden Trout, Central Valley Steelhead, and Unarmored Three-spine Stickleback into captivity. Many facilities have been improved in the last three years or are currently being improved, including American River and Merced River hatcheries, Mt. Shasta and Iron Gate Fish hatcheries, Darrah Springs Trout Hatchery, and King Fisher Flat Hatchery.

We have also performed focused habitat restoration during the past three years to improve river conditions for native species and make fish habitat more resilient to drought, now and in the future. In 2014 and 2015, the Fisheries Restoration Grants Program provided $4.2 million for 32 habitat restoration projects in coastal watersheds from San Diego to Del Norte counties. The Sacramento River Basin has also been a focus for restoration efforts, specifically to benefit at-risk Winter-run and Spring-run Chinook Salmon. For Sacramento River habitats, CDFW has constructed a salmon fish trap for the Coleman Fish Hatchery (2014), published the Battle Creek Winter-run Chinook Salmon Reintroduction Plan (2016),and we are still monitoring real-time river temperature, removing Deer Creek fish barriers, monitoring Sacramento Steelhead, and evaluating Green Sturgeon populations

Wildlife

Marijuana

CDFW is heavily involved in operations to rid our state of illegal marijuana grows. The Governor’s 2015-16 budget bill provided $7.7 million to regulate and enforce unauthorized water diversions and pollution to surface and groundwater caused by marijuana cultivation. This established a permanent multi-agency task force to address the environmental impacts of marijuana cultivation and initiate activities, in coordination with state agencies, to develop a regulatory program for medical marijuana cultivation. Marijuana plants use six to eight gallons of water per plant, per day, and are a direct hazard to wildlife that eat the plants. Even growers who have been authorized to cultivate marijuana in the state are often unaware of the need to get a permit from CDFW for diverting water from a stream. Please click any of the links below for information on marijuana-related actions.

Drought projects CEQA and Water Code suspension list

On April 25, 2014, Governor Brown issued “A Proclamation of Continued State of Emergency,” an executive order that, among other things, directs CDFW to take certain actions to respond to drought conditions. The proclamation also suspends certain legal and regulatory requirements to allow actions to take place as quickly as possible

Item 26 of the Governor’s Executive Order No. B-29-15 (PDF), dated April 1, 2015, suspends the California Environmental Quality Act as it applies to regulatory approvals necessary for the California Department of Water Resources (DWR) for its Emergency Drought Salinity Barrier Project. This suspension allowed CDFW to issue Incidental Take Permit No. 2081-2014-026-03 and Lake and Streambed Alteration Agreement No. 1600-2014-0111-R3 to DWR.

In 2015 and 2016 Governor Brown issued Executive Order No. B-36-15 (PDF) and Executive Order B-37-16 (PDF), which both specify that the April 25, 2014 Proclamation and Executive Order B-29-15 shall remain in full force and effect except as modified.

Item 19 of the proclamation suspends environmental review required by the California Environmental Quality Act for the following projects being undertaken by CDFW:

Hill Slough Tidal Restoration Project

San Joaquin River Restoration Program Emergency Water Chillers

Honey Lake Wildlife Area pipeline and pivot irrigation

Ash Creek Wildlife Area dam replacement and pipeline installation

Ash Creek Wildlife Area restoration of Ash Creek

North Coast wildlife areas irrigation system replacement

Honey Lake Wildlife Area, Dakin Unit well replacement

Upper Butte Basin Wildlife Area well installation

Napa-Sonoma Marshes Wildlife Area recycled water system

Canebrake Ecological Reserve well refurbishment

Elkhorn Slough Ecological Reserve water catchment system

Rancho Jamul Ecological Reserve solar well installation

Rancho Jamul Ecological Reserve water delivery pipeline

Burcham Wheeler Ecological Reserve meadow restoration

Imperial Wildlife Area water delivery system enhancement

Shasta Valley Wildlife Area Water Diversion and Fish Screen Improvements

Upper Sacramento River Anadromous Fish Habitat Restoration Project

Item 20 of the proclamation suspends Chapter 3 of Part 3 (commencing with section 85225) of the Water Code for the following projects being undertaken by CDFW: