 Sacramento Valley Fish Screen Program
FAMILY WATER ALLIANCE & FISH FRIENDLY FARMING
Since 1996 Family Water Alliance (FWA) a grassroots, locally based
non-profit organization, has been the program manager of the Sacramento
River Small Diversion Fish Screen Program.
FWA in cooperation with
several state and federal agencies, and private contributors have
been the team leaders in spearheading research, development and
the installation of fish screens on small agricultural diversions.
This good-faith effort has been of key importance in obtaining a
common sense application of the Endangered Species Act (ESA) with regard
to Sacramento and Feather River diversions, and their tributaries. The success of this
program has culminated in the delivery of fish-friendly water (water
diverted through fish screens that protect fish) to fields and farms,
thus protecting both the fishery resource and the local agricultural
community.
FWA has received special recognition of the work accomplished in
this fish screen program from the National Marine Fisheries Service.
On May 25th, 2004, Steve Edmondson, Northern California Supervisor
for the NOAA Habitat Conservation Division, NOAA Fisheries Southwest
Region presented FWA with the NOAA Fisheries Environmental Stewardship
award. This award acknowledges and gives recognition to pro-active,
volunteer, fish screen efforts and other good acts of stewardship.
The receipt of this award exemplifies the value of this program
and the need for its continuance.
Proven Track Record
Family Water Alliance has a proven track record regarding the
installation of small fish screens. To date, we have installed twenty-two successful fish
screen projects, cumulatively screening 524.9 cubic feet per second (cfs) of California water, while protecting over 20,000 acres of productive agricultural lands. The broad-based benefits of
screening the small diverters can be seen in the cumulative totals
of cfs screened, thus reinforcing the importance of the cumulative
effects of screening numerous small diversions.
The overall success of the program is directly related to the
fact that the lead partner, FWA, is project driven, not study driven.
Landowner Interest
Landowner interest in participating in the fish screen program
has grown immensely. For example, we have approximately 23 diversions
currently on our waiting list to be screened. Over 400 diversions
in the Sacramento River have been identified by California Department
of Fish and Game. In the Bay-Delta region, there are over 2000 small
diversions that will need to be screened.
Responsible Environmentalism
FWA believes this program exemplifies responsible environmentalism,
as it works at solving real world problems, enabling farmers who
are reliant on water diversions to live in harmony with the endangered
fish populations. FWA believes that the fish screen program provides
a great benefit, providing long-term protections to both the fishery
resource and farming interests.
Partnerships
Of course, this monumental task could not have been accomplished
with developing great working partners with numerous state and federal
agencies, and landowners. The cooperating entities in this program
have included: landowners, Family Water Alliance, CVPIA Anadromous Fish Screen Program, U.S. Bureau of Reclamation, Wildlife Conservation Board, CALFED, California
Department of Fish and Game, National Marine Fisheries Service,
NOAA Fisheries Community-Based Restoration Program, National Fish
and Wildlife Foundation, Pacific Grassroots Salmon Initiative, USDA
Natural Resources Conservation Services, U.S. Army Corp of Engineers,
U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service, California
Resources Agency, California Regional Water Quality Control Board, and the Department of Water Resources.
Fish Screen Program Starts Phase 7
Since 1996, Family Water Alliance (FWA) has been supporting efforts in salmon recovery and actively protecting our fishery resources through their Sacramento River Small Diversion Fish Screen Program. Through the development of the screen program, FWA has led a long-term proactive program to assist farmers with the screening of agricultural diversions to not only protect the fisheries, but to also protect their water rights and right to farm.
With the salmon populations in crisis and the crash of the fisheries in the Delta, FWA has changed the program name to the Sacramento Valley Fish Screen Program, and is set to begin Phase 7.
Working closely with our program partners, FWA has successfully written and received funding to screen up to 15 diversions in the next 5-years. The program now incorporates a biological assessment to gather data on fish entrainment prior to the installation of the fish screen.
Funding for Phase 7 will be provided by the Central Valley Project Improvement Act’s Anadromous Fish Screen Program and Proposition 84 through the CALFED Ecosystem Restoration Program, administered by the California Department of Fish and Game.
FWA will begin Phase 7 by identifying landowners with river diversions willing to participate in the biological assessments and have fish screens installed. Diversions to be screened will be selected based on relevant information including the size and location of the diversion, potential for biological assessments, the voluntary participation of the diverter, and other criteria deemed necessary.
All work under Phase 7 will occur with oversight by the Anadromous Fish Screen Program (AFSP), which is a U.S. Department of the Interior fish screening program jointly administered by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) and the Bureau of Reclamation (BOR).
Biological assessments of unscreened diversions will be conducted at diversions for a period of two irrigation seasons prior to the installation of the fish screens. A range of diversion sizes and locations will be selected in order to obtain the most useful scientific data. Each diverter who participates in the pilot assessment will be provided a fish screen, thus assuring the landowner’s rights are not compromised. In addition, the landowner diversions will be referred to as a site rather than by a landowner name, until the assessment is completed and the fish screen has been installed.
The assessments will be done by Natural Resource Scientists, Inc. (NRS) an environmental sciences consulting firm specializing in scientific investigations and resolution of complex resource issues associated with water project development. NRS has conducted similar assessments for Glenn-Colusa Irrigation District and Reclamation District 108. The goal of the assessment is to help develop criteria for prioritizing future fish screening efforts.
Intake Screens, Inc. (ISI) will be fabricating and installing their site specific, state-of-art fish screen systems at each selected diversion. MBK Engineers, Inc. will provide engineering construction management, oversight, and approvals.
ISI, MBK, and NRS have extensive experience and knowledge that will be invaluable to the goals and objectives of Phase 7.
To date, FWA has completed 24 successful fish screen projects representing the cumulative screening of 563 cubic feet per second of California water, while at the same time protecting over 22,000 acres of productive agricultural lands. FWA will continue to work towards restoring the fishery resource, while protecting agriculture, water rights, and rural communities.
If you are interested participating in the fish screen program, please contact the Sacramento Valley Fish Screen Program at (530) 438-2026, or submit a letter of interest to P.O. Box 365, Maxwell, CA 95955. For more information on the program, please visit http://www.fwafishforum.com.
Education and Outreach
This program incorporates an education and outreach component.
Family Water Alliance’s outreach and education program familiarizes
stakeholders and others with the purpose and value of fish screens
to the resource and to the landowner/farmer. Outreach helps to recruit
diverters into the project and notify the public about positive
actions that farmers are taking to help the resource.
The education component includes a web site dedicated to the screening
of diversions: www.fwafishforum.com, a DVD, and a quarterly newsletter.
These mediums recap the successful installation of screens at various
locations. Projects are posted on the website as they are completed.
The fish forum website also addresses the salmon recovery issue
and specifically the small diversion screening program.
In addition, FWA incorporates in its outreach component special
presentations to local groups, such as local schools and community
groups. An example of community involvement is the partnership between
FWA and the local high school Future Business Leaders of America
club. Together they produced an educational PowerPoint presentation
on vertical fish screens.
This is a worthwhile and valuable program that helps preserve
the fishery resource and the economic viability of the economic
foundation of rural Northern California - agriculture. Please contact
Family Water Alliance if you would like more information on this
very special and successful program.
For full details of the Fish Screen Program visit our Fish Forum
web site at:
The views and conclusions contained in this web site are those
of the authors and should not be interpreted as representing the
opinions or policies of the U.S. Government. Mention of trade names
or commercial products does not constitute their endorsement by
the U.S. Government.
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