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Published Semi-Annually by:Monterey Bay Salmon & Trout Project

PO Box 417, Davenport, CA 95017

www.mbstp.org

831-458-3095

September 2017 / Vol. 25

In this Issue:

1 40th Albacore Feed

2 New Help for Ruby Redd Anniversary

3 The Fish Trap

4 The A-Team; Key to Coho Recovery

6 2017 King Salmon

8 Made in the Shade

9 Steelhead Rescue!

10 40 -or- Does the Party Begin Now?

11 A Warm ‘Hello’

The views expressed herein are those of the individual contributors and are not to be considered as representing the

official stance or policy of MBSTP unless specifically stated as such.

Castroville Rotary Cluband

Monterey Bay Salmon and Trout Project

40th AnnualAlbacore Feed

Saturday, November 11, 2017Door Prizes • Silent Auction

Project Demonstrations

No host cocktails 6:00-7:00 pm • Dinner 7:00 pm

At the Recreation Center11261 Crane Street, Castroville, California

Tickets $20.00 (kids 12 & under $10)Tickets available at the door

Conserving and Enhancing the Salmon and Steelhead of the

Monterey Bay

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New help for our Ruby Redd Anniversary!!!

By Mat Rowley

Executive Director Ben Harris, the bridge to MBSTP’s future!

to wrap this up, but need help to cover the cost.

We are also launching an expansion of our educational program and updating STEP. Meg Seibert is now working for MBSTP under contract to develop partnerships with various institutions of the Monterey bay region such as Seymour Marine Discovery Center, Santa Cruz Natural History Museum, Coastal Watershed Council, and others to co-develop salmonid education programs that can be operated through those institutions in partnership with MBSTP. Meg will coordinate conforming STEP to new CA science standards, as well as creating a digital version of the four-inch thick curriculum binder.

A new feature being explored for STEP includes development of a “live streambed” experience in the classroom. We will provide educators with training to simulate our local riparian aquatic habitat, complete with macro-invertebrates and

MBSTP has a new Executive Director! Ben Harris is a Master of Science in fisheries biology and has the drive, education and experience to keep us swimming in the right direction. Our hiring of Ben signals a great step forward for MBSTP as an effective nonprofit. With the help of funding from an FRGP grant for the Coho Captive Broodstock and Recovery Program, MBSTP will now have an ED on staff working closely with the Chair to manage the organization, enabling the Chair and Board to focus on more

strategic issues. Mark Galloway, of course, remains our terrific Hatchery Manager.

Ben will be managing the Coho Program support structure. He will also be the driving force that completes our Steelhead Program permit. His experience and skills should accelerate that process. MBSTP does not have grant funding for Ben to help us get our Steelhead Program going again. This effort needs the financial backing of our membership. We are champing at the bit to get Ben

MBSTP Board of Directors:

Chair Mat Rowley

Vice Chair Bob Anderson

Treasurer Sam Bishop

Secretary Allen Bushnell

Education Coordinator Barry Burt

Event Coordinator Mary HermanskyOther Board Members

Mike Baxter Chuck Backman

Jeremy Streig

Scott McGilvray

Chris Wellise (Acting)

Ruby Redd Help continued on Page ?

In 1985, The Santa Cruz Water Department installed a new, improved dam at its pumping facility below Felton on the San Lorenzo River. The dam is made from rubber and is seasonally inflated during times of high water flow in order to collect water, for storage at Loch Lomond Reservoir.

Lucky for us, the California Department of Fish and Game insisted a fish ladder and trap system be included in this new construction. Originally operated by Cabrillo College Wildlife Management and the DFG, steelhead trapping at the dam was soon handed over

to the Monterey Bay Salmon and Trout Project. Staffed by a robust crew of MBSTP volunteers (overseen by the permit holder), the trap enables us to collect wild steelhead from the river for brood stock at our Kingfisher Hatchery.

Rules, regulations, and permit processes have become much more convoluted and stringent since those early years. Longtime MBSTP leader Matt McCaslin remembers a time when there were no limits on the number of wild fish taken each year. “There were no quotas. Primary importance was assigned to the number of eggs we could collect, not the number of females.” More recently, the trapping project is relegated to around four females per month, with four males collected for each female. Trapping can proceed between December and March each winter.

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The Fish TrapBy Allen Bushnell

Matt McCaslin with a steelhead, March 2012

Diversion Dam downstream

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The Fish Trap continued on Page 4

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Top: Preparing the trap Middle: Dipping out the catch. New rubberized nets will be easier on the fish. Bottom: Taking the metrics, the old way

When river conditions permit, volunteer staff are stationed at the Felton Diversion Dam facility. The trap is installed at the head of the fish ladder, and checked regularly. Fish caught in the trap are recorded and either released or retained for broodstock. The fish retained are held in active tanks on site prior to transport to the Hatchery on Big Creek for breeding.

A recent historical survey of fish take from the Felton Diversion Dam trap allows our biologist staff to get a full picture of fish numbers as compared to yearly weather, as well as tracking steelhead returns from specific years prior.

The Fishtrap continued from Page 3

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perhaps some fish (non-listed). Once permitted, we will add the steelhead eggs for incubation too! We are looking for experienced educators, veteran STEP teachers, and enthusiastic new assistants to help guide our renewed education program.

Love kids? Have a vision for how to get them excited about our streams and fish? Email me at Chair@mbstp.org !

MBSTP is celebrating 40-years of operation by expanding our resources and addressing our mission with new vigor! Please consider helping us launch into our next 40 with your donation, volunteer effort, or in-kind support. The 40th is considered the Ruby Anniversary, and we’re looking forward to making it really redd (That’s a fish joke. If you don’t get it, ask your favorite angler or MBSTP volunteer).

Of course an easy and fun way to help MBSTP is to come to the 40th annual Albacore Dinner!

Top: San Lorenzo Steelhead trapping history from the Felton Diversion Dam; optimal year highlighted Bottom: Tank truck used for holding fish caught from the traps

Ruby Redd Help continued from Page 2

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Bry and his captive

2017 King Salmon, A Season In Review

By J.A. Streig

As I write this article, our 2017 sport and commercial salmon seasons are nearing completion. Forecasts for the season were particularly dire for a variety of reasons, including poor ocean conditions in prior years, drought, poor water management and more. Still, anglers were allowed a limited and highly controlled season.

What we found this season is the federal King salmon abundance projections were markedly under forecast. Sport fishermen up and down the coast enjoyed better than average seasons, with fewer in-season closures. The months of June and July featured

early and large limits for sport fisherman and charter boat captains based in San Francisco and Half Moon Bay. Many North Coast ports including Ft. Bragg and Bodega Bay had week-long periods of good action.

Commercial fisherman however faced a much slower season.

Limited to south of Pigeon Point from May through June, commercial trollers saw below average conditions for the first two weeks, and brutally low scores thereafter. In August the commercial season reopened with high hopes, yet the fishing remained slow. The hot fishing from the months of June and July near Half Moon Bay were gone.

Recently, Ft. Bragg, often the highest salmon producing port in California, opened to only 1,500 fish during the first week of open fishing. This translates to approximately 15,000 pounds of salmon caught. In 2014 and 2015, Ft. Bragg produced over 1,000,000 pounds of fish in a single week.

Commercial salmon fishermen in California have been hit hard again, and need your support.

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Commercial salmon boat “Misty Dawn” and other images of fish caught onboard

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State disaster declarations have been signed for 2016 and for 2017, it will be up to US Senators and representatives in Congress to push the federal government for appropriations. Please consider either emailing or calling to voice your support.

Despite such a poor commercial season, there are some welcome signs of life. During the August 1st commercial salmon opener, commercial fisherman released more short fish than seen in local waters in over two decades. Fisherman counted from 20

to over 150 short fish released per boat per day. This is highly indicative of a strong abundance for 2018, and with any hope will have a direction correlation.

Another bright point is sport and commercial fisherman saw the highest incidental catch rate of Coho salmon this season for the past ten years. A few commercial boats had upwards of 40 Coho salmon released in one day, others saw counts of 1-10 a day for the months of August and September. With the wet winter flows and

cooler water temperatures in Central Valley rivers, spawning King salmon have experienced improved conditions and have taken advantage.

Inland fishing guides noted fresh King salmon entering the rivers as early as the first week of July. By the end of July early limits were the norm. Perhaps commercial fisherman did not catch what they consider an “even allotment” of fish, but the sheer numbers of early fish in valley rivers, and limits by guides is a good indication of higher fish levels. This is also a good sign for abundance forecasts for 2020 and 2021.

We have a great deal of work to do with river restoration, water management, improving delta conditions, increasing the number of fish in net pen programs and more, but there are some great signs our rivers and the mighty King salmon can rebound yet again.

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Top: Cody Reed, catch on Monterey Bay Bottom: Cybelle Priestley, 20 lb. King Salmon caught at Bodega Bay

& May. These two groups will be transferred back to the hatchery as mature adults winter 2017/18.

Current inventories at Big Creek Hatchery are:

Pool 4 contains 110 captive coho brood fish maturing adults. This group will be ready for spawn-taking this winter.

Pool 5 holds 121 maturing captive coho sub-adults. These fish will reach full maturity and be spawn ready by winter of 2018/19.

In Pools 6 & 8, 36,406 Scott Creek coho young-of-year continue to thrive and 32,000 will be released during spring 2018. The surplus 4,000 will be out-planted this fall.

Two small tanks behind the main building of the hatchery contain 630 young-of-year captive brood fish. Next May, two groups will be transferred to Warm Springs Hatchery near Healdsburg and the NOAA lab at Terrace Point with a remaining group staying at the hatchery. These fish will reach spawn-maturity during winter 2019/20.

Fish Culture Highlights

This past spring’s releases went smoothly, thanks to the many volunteers who helped in all phases from netting, loading and unloading the conveyance truck. With last winter’s record rainfall, this release class had optimal conditions and streamflow for their outmigration. Thanks to all who participated!

• Earlier this spring, between mid-March and early May, hatchery staff, MBSTP volunteers and NOAA personnel released 11,273 tagged coho smolts in four locations along upper and lower Scott Creek.

• 243 captive coho brood yearlings were transferred to Warm Springs Hatchery near Healdsburg and NOAA lab in Santa Cruz during late April

After being severely damaged during a violent storm on January 19 this year, Pool 5 is available once again, for holding of coho for the Captive Broodfish Program. NOAA Southwest Fisheries Science Center secured funds for repair of the damaged tank shell, while MBSTP secured funds for repair water conveyance to the tank and a new protective shade cover and frame system. Work was completed by early August and on the 17th of the month, brood-year 2016 coho sub-adults were transferred into the tank and are doing quite well. Thanks to Erick Sturm and Joe Kiernan of NOAA’s SWFSC for funding sources, Mat Rowley for tracking down additional funding sources, DT Fiberglass of Sacramento for repair of the tank shell, and Suncoast Awning of Santa Cruz for producing the new shade cover!

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Made in the ShadeBy Mark Galloway

MBSTP’s Fish Culturist Seth Bowman after completing installation of new shade cover (photo credit: Chuck Backman)

Shade continued on Page 12

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Release ready

MBSTP was approached in early July to partner with Santa Cruz County and CDFW to rescue young-of-the-year Steelhead Trout in Corralitos Creek. Of course, the answer was yes, and that I would coordinate the MBSTP team and equipment. Kristen Kittleson of Santa Cruz County Fisheries Resources submitted the request which was able to gain approval from both CDFW and NOAA. The rescue was planned for Corralitos Creek below the Browns Valley Bridge. This portion historically dries up suffocating natural origin Steelhead fry.

On August 3rd, the rescue took place. CDFW stunned the fish using electo-shock, they were then netted and put into 5

gal buckets and carried to the holding truck. Here, they were counted and cared for. Then the ice chests containing the rescued fish were transferred to the release team. The rescued fry were relocated to the upper reaches of Corralitos Creek which has sufficient, year-round flow and overall, a fantastic habitat. When the fry were released, great care was taken not to overcrowd

the existing populations. Because of this, they were spread out over a great distance of the upper Corralitos.

In one day, the combined teams were able to rescue and relocate 660 steelhead fry and 8 one and two year old steelhead! A huge success!! All fish were strong and healthy! At the end of a very long day there were a dozen exhausted people, however there was a huge feeling of satisfaction!

Thanks to: Kristen Kittleson, County of Santa Cruz for identifying, and heading up the project, and to Jon Jankovitz, area CDFW biologist for supporting and enabling the rescue. Much time was spent organizing and preparing for this critical project! I would

Steelhead Rescue!By Chuck Backman

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Rescue continued on Page 12

Steelhead rescue team!

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-OR- DOES THE REAL PARTY BEGIN NOW???

By Mary Hermansky

(the partying part), getting a glimpse at 40 (no, the world’s not flat, you won’t fall off the edge!), or just checking in to see how we’re doing on our 40th?!? Castroville. $20, kids $10. November 11th. (A salute to Veterans!!)

If you have some last minute donations for OUR 40th, you can call the hatchery: 831-458-3095, Larry Wolf: 831-688-4257, or Mary: 831-331-5586.

* “creel”- a wicker basket to carry fish (Latin: craticula, fine wattle).

Some people think their life truly begins at 40! Whoopee!! Go For It!! Yet for some, it’s just an excuse to stop (once again- some people never do get over it!) and muse over the one they should’ve caught years back! You know, “the one that got away”! As when a fish smiles at you and it just can’t be hooked no matter what lure you try!!! I’m talking about the one on the hook-line-and sinker, and then PLOP! there it goes! Swimming off! Into the depths of that liquid blue, gone forever! Sigh.

BUT HEY!! WE CAN FIX THAT!! Our Albacore Feed IS THE NEW 40!! YUP! We have been designated the cure-all for those GONE! FISH! GONE! BLUES! We can cure all those mixed feelings of self-doubt, bummer days of the empty creel* bag! Nothing for supper but seaweed again!

For 40 YEARS, we have been delivering the potions that last! New fishing gear and fly rods that promise to be true to their hype! Camping gear that’s better than any old couch! (So There!) Even resorts that you can run away to and forget us all! Snooze at the Dream Inn. You can fuel up at

Gilda’s Family Restaurant (great bar!), or the Crow’s Nest (another great bar!), Sanderling’s, Moss Landing Cafe, Stillwater Cove in Pebble Beach (tie not included!), or even Grasing’s or Katy’s Place in Carmel! Put a Nor-Cal Cigars’ packet in your pocket and puff away! Feel like a Million! (or nowadays, a Billion!) And if you really want to get close and personal with that fish again, try a bid for the Kayak Connection’s day on the Bay! Maybe those fisheyes will blink back and

BINGO! right place! right time! Bring along a gift basket from the Happy Girl Kitchen Company! And! a little honey from Meek’s Honey for your honey! Keep yourselves happy with some Chardonnay on The Chardonnay! Beer afterwards at Discretion Brewery.

How can you not feel revived having either relived your 40’s

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40

BUT HEY!! WE CAN FIX THAT!! Our Albacore Feed IS THE NEW 40!!

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Christopher Wellise, new MBSTP board member

We're so excited to welcome two new board members to the MSBTP team.

Let's make some introductions…

Christopher Wellise

Christopher Wellise is currently the Chief Sustainability Officer for Hewlett Packard Enterprise where he sets the global environmental strategy for the company. He has worked as an environmental professional for 20 years and began his career as a scientist for the US Dept of the Interior. He has a B.S. in Business Administration and a

MSc in Environmental Studies. He in an avid fisherman, fishing boat owner and resident of Santa Cruz.

Ben Harris

You've already heard about Ben in Mat Rowley's article on page 2.

Ben wanted to include a personal note to you all:

Hello Everyone,

I am SO excited to work with you all in MBSTP’s mission to restore native salmon and trout ! I believe my research and field background in fisheries biology and my devotion to conservation will be well–suited to the challenges provided by this position. THANK YOU for this great opportunity. Together I know we will make a pivotal difference for the future of fish in the watersheds and waters of Monterey Bay.

A Warm ‘Hello’By Mike Baxter

New MBSTP Executive Director Ben Harris with a brown trout

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also like to thank area residents and farmers for their support and allowing access onto their property for the rescue and release teams!

A special thanks to the MBSTP Team for their efforts: Dennis McDowell, Jessie Bush, Sam Bishop, and Stephen Eichenberry. Another thanks to MBSTP fish culturist Seth Bowman, for his efforts in helping with organization and

Once again, the hatchery staff would like to express their thanks, appreciation and praise for fish husbandry job well done by MBSTP’s dedicated contingent of weekend volunteers, volunteering board directors, partners at NOAA’s Southwest Fisheries Science Center, UCSC student interns and student volunteers. Also, many, many thanks to all the folks at CDFW who contributed significantly to help us add the new circular tanks at the lower raceway section that have proven a vast improvement to production of healthy coho.

monitoring overall fish health during the transportation process!

MBSTP is proud to be a part of the rescue. This helps us carry out our mission to keep steelhead running in the streams and rivers of Monterey Bay!

Top: Sam Bishop releasing rescued steelhead Bottom: Transport truck volunteers

Shade continued from Page 8

Rescue continued from Page 9

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MBS&TP Newsletter

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PO Box 417, Davenport, CA 95017

(831) 458-3095www.mbstp.org • mbstp@aol.com

“Without your immediate donations, we cannot continue at our current level of opera-tions . Please continue to send your greatly needed contributions, and consider urging your friends to get on board with the project . Together we are all making a difference!!!”

— Mathers Rowley, Chair and Bob Anderson, Vice Chair