Sharing the story with you of the successes of the “award winning*” Butte Creek Fish Passage Improvement Project never gets old. Year in and year out, the locals wait for salmon to show up at their “favorite spots.” My favorite spot is at Durnel Bridge between Durham and Nelson. I’ve been taking pictures and video to post on Western Canal Water District’s Twitter and YouTube channel as they made their presence known in bold numbers earlier this year. Estimates are predicting the return of 12,000 – 15,000 adult spawners. Due to a continuing trend of promising return numbers, the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (DFW) has determined that Butte Creek is “the best of three creeks supporting naturally returning spring-run salmon.”`
In an effort to share this amazing story with a wider audience, Western Canal Water District and DFW working with Northern California Water Association (NCWA) took a field trip to film many spots on Butte Creek. These short videos describe and showcase the exceptional work that has been done through partnerships and investments with state and federal regulatory as well as agencies from the California Urban Water Agencies CALFED Category III restoration fund and the Tracy Pumps Mitigation Fund. The $9.5 million Butte Creek Fish Passage Improvement Project coupled with over $40 million in additional improvements of fish weirs, dam removal and improved water management, showcases but one success story in the Sacramento Valley; there many other examples. This highlights the commitment that Sacramento Valley farmers and water districts make to the environment every day.
Videos can be viewed on Sacramento Valley CA Facebook and look for links to pictures @WCWDwebcam and @SacValleyCA.
*U.S. Department of Interior Conservation Service Award, CVPIA AFRP July 1998; 1999 ACWA Clair A. Hill Award for Excellence; and, 1999 CELSOC Engineering Excellence Honor Award
