Lower Putah Creek Salmon Study extended

How many salmon populate the Lower Putah Creek? In what ways can their habitat be preserved?

How many salmon populate the Lower Putah Creek? What are the demographics of these fish? In what ways can their habitat be preserved so the lower creek remains healthy?

Researchers at the UC Davis are researching these questions, and the Solano County Water Agency (SCWA) has given them another year of funding to continue their research as part of the Lower Putah Creek Salmon Study through the rest of the 202122 fiscal year.

“We are pleased to continue to fund a program that will give us a greater idea of how effective our restoration work is for Putah Creek’s environment,” SCWA General Manager Roland Sanford said in a statement. “It’s important that we continue to have this research-based feedback as we continue and refine our efforts to improve the creek’s flows and habitat.”

According to an SCWA news release, the agency is part of a comprehensive program aimed at tracking the abundance and population dynamics of salmon in the Lower Putah Creek, located below the Monticello Dam and stretching through Lake Solano. The study is part of ongoing efforts to restore all of Putah Creek.

The research also looks at strategies to manage the Putah Creek environment, with the release’s author emphasizing that the salmon migration period is vital to the creek’s overall health.

“Salmon runs are a critical part of the Putah Creek ecosystem health, and by creating the ideal habitat for salmon to spawn, whole food-chains stand to benefit as Putah Creek becomes a thriving ecosystem for invertebrates, birds, and fish alike,” per the release.

UC Davis will continue collaborating with SCWA and the California Department of Fish and Wildlife to sample and track young and adult fish through five labs at the college.

“We will be able to use data from DNA comparisons to estimate how many Chinook salmon in Putah Creek originate from past spawners in the system,” Andrew Rypel, associate professor and the California trout chair in coldwater fish ecology at UC Davis, said in a statement. “In addition, we will be able to track juvenile salmon migrations within and outside the system to understand their survival rates and outmigration dynamics, including potential methods for boosting survival. Increasing understanding of the salmon run on Putah Creek is critical to managing the health of this ecosystem in the future.”