Thursday October 17, 2024
Water Forum —
The Water Forum has been awarded a $650,000 federal grant for the study and design of up to 30 acres of enhanced habitat for juvenile salmonids along a 17-mile stretch of the Lower American River (LAR) as part of its ongoing Salmonid Habitat Enhancement Program (Program) activities.
The grant, funded through Bipartisan Infrastructure Law investments in the Bureau of Reclamation’s WaterSMART program, will support the development of plans to improve rearing habitats for young salmon and trout, including side channels and seasonal benches, large woody habitat, and extensive native vegetation plantings, where juvenile fish can find shelter from predators, find food, and grow prior to their long journey to the Pacific Ocean.
“This project is significant because it focuses on rearing habitat for young salmon and steelhead, which is limited in the LAR and is as crucial to the survival of these native species as upstream spawning areas,” said Erica Bishop, the Water Forum’s program manager for science and habitat.