The goal of the project is to improve fish passage in west tule creek for all species and life stages of anadromous fish

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) awarded a $137,000 Cooperative Agreement under the Partners for Fish and Wildlife (CFDA 15.631) program to the Watershed Research and Training Center (WRTC) to improve fish passage in West Tule Creek, California. The project aims to remove a private agricultural diversion concrete dam, reduce diversion rates, and install an improved fish screen to enhance habitat for all species and life stages of anadromous fish. Key activities include removing the existing fish barrier dam, installing an engineered roughened channel, replacing the diversion and fish screen, and monitoring stream flow, temperature, and diversion. The project leverages additional funding sources for stream flow monitoring and is a collaboration between WRTC, USFWS, and other partners. The award period is from October 1, 2024, to September 30, 2027.

This will be accomplished by removing a private agricultural diversion concrete DAM, reducing instantaneous diversion rates and improving the fish screen to prevent entrainment of migrating fish into the diversion. To achieve the projects goals, the wrtc will remove an existing fish barrier concrete DAM located adjacent to the diversion and replaced IT with an engineered roughened channel, remove the existing diversion and fish screen, install a precast concrete box, and install a new cdfw and or USFWS approved fish screen, and approximately 200 of 15 PVC pipe at a new grade. Wrtc has obtained planning and design funding through the bureau of reclamations central valley project improvement act to bring designs by cascade stream solutions to 90% and complete environmental compliance by the end of 2025. Wrtc has been consulting with experienced fish passage barrier removal contractors throughout the project (gary black and bill parry). The project will monitor stream flow, temperature, and diversion. Utilizing separate funding, streamflow monitoring sites have been installed on west tule creek in early spring of 2021-2023 and monitored streamflow through september each year. The monitoring sites are located above and below the diversion, and on tule creek at green gate access. Monitoring sites will be installed again in spring or summer of 2024. The landowners have complemented wrtc monitoring efforts by keeping a detailed diversion log and have also installed a flow meter on the diversion that will be calibrated and data collection will begin in summer 2024.the project is a collaboration between the watershed research and training center and the service s partners for fish wildlife program and national fish passage program.