Project Grant F24AP00713

THE EAST STANISLAUS RESOURCE CONSERVATION DISTRICT IN COOPERATION WITH THE CALIFORNIA STATE PARKS AND CALIFORNIA FISH AND WILDLIFE PROPOSES TO COMPLETE A SALMONID HABITAT RESTORATION PROJECT ON THE LOWERE STANISLAUS RIVER AT CASWELL STATE PARK. THE PROJECT WILL CREATE CRITICAL HABITAT FOR JUVENILE CHINOOK SALMON WITH SCIENTIFIC NAME ONCORHYNCHUS TSHAWYTSCHA AND HAVE ANCILLARY BENEFITS TO CENTRAL VALLEY STEELHEAD WITH SCIENTIFIC NAME ONCORHYNCHUS MYKISS. THE PROPOSED PROJECT IS LOCATED ON STATE OWNED PROPERTY AT CASWELL STATE MEMORIAL PARK. RECENT FIRES AND ILLEGAL CANNABIS GROW OPERATIONS OVER THE PAST YEAR AT CASWELL STATE PARK HAVE LED TO RIPARIAN HABITAT RESTORATION EFFORTS. THE COLLABORATION BETWEEN CSP AND THE ESRCD ALLOWS THESE ACTIVITIES TO BE COMBINED WITH JUVENILE SALMONID HABITAT RESTORATION ON THE LOWER STANISLAUS RIVER. THE PROPOSED PROJECT IS LOCATED IN A REACH WHERE PRIOR WORK HAS IDENTIFIED HABITAT LIMITATIONS AND PREDATION AS TWO TOP STRESSORS AFFECTING JUVENILE SALMONID GROWTH AND SURVIVAL THUS LIMITING IN RIVER SALMONID PRODUCTION REFERENCED FROM ANCHOR QEA 2019 AND STUDIES BY CRAMER FISH SCIENCE IN 2016 AND ZUEG ET AL 2020. THESE STRESSORS WILL BE ADDRESSED BY THE PROPOSED PROJECT HAS THE POTENTIAL TO CREATE APPROXIMATELY 12 ACRES OF REARING HABITAT FOR JUVENILE CHINOOK SALMON AND ELIMINATE APPROXIMATELY 7 ACRES OF PREDATOR HABITAT. COMPLETION OF THE PROJECT WILL ADDRESS ACTION 5 OF THE NEAR ERM RESTORATION STRATEGY RECOMMENDED ACTIONS FOR CHINOOK SALMON. THE PROJECT WILL ADDITIONALLY ADDRESS PREDATOR HOT SPOT REMOVAL WITH A PARTIAL CVPIA EFFORT ASSOCIATED WITH THE 2019 BIOLOGICAL OPINIONS OF THE LONG TERM OPERATION OF THE CENTRAL VALLEY PROJECT.