blog post An Opportunity to Restore Fish Abundance on the Eel River By Lori Pottinger Jul 16, 2019 A unique opportunity to remove a dam that blocks native fish from reaching spawning habitat has arisen on the Eel River. We talked to Curtis Knight of CalTrout about the situation.
blog post Groundbreaking Dam Removal Moves Forward on the Klamath By Lori Pottinger Jun 11, 2019 In coming years, four dams on the Klamath will be removed, creating the largest dam removal and river restoration project in the country. We talked to Lester Snow about this effort.
blog post Remaking Flood Management to Support Salmon By Lori Pottinger Jul 18, 2018 California’s aquatic ecosystems and the species that depend on them are in trouble. Restoring floodplains can make a big difference.
Report Managing California’s Freshwater Ecosystems: Lessons from the 2012-16 Drought By Jeffrey Mount, Brian Gray, Caitrin Chappelle, Greg Gartrell ... Nov 12, 2017 The 2012–16 drought caused unprecedented stress to California’s ecosystems and pushed many native species to the brink of extinction. It also tested the laws, policies, and institutions charged with protecting the environment.
blog post Reconnecting the Klamath By Jeffrey Mount, Peter Moyle Apr 27, 2016 The agreements to remove four Klamath dams are major milestones but are only first steps toward restoring the basin’s fisheries
blog post State’s Ecosystems Face a Flood of Changes By Lori Pottinger Jan 11, 2016 Talk of drought has turned to worries about floods. How will the state’s drought-starved ecosystems adapt to the taps being turned on again? An expert interview with Josh Viers.
blog post Extinction Risk for Native Fish if Drought Persists By Jeffrey Mount, Peter Moyle Sep 10, 2015 If the drought continues another few years, 18 of California’s native freshwater fishes are at imminent risk of extinction.
Report What If California’s Drought Continues? By Ellen Hanak, Jay Lund, Jeffrey Mount, Peter Moyle ... Aug 19, 2015 California is in the fourth year of a severe, hot drought—the kind that is increasingly likely as the climate warms. Although no sector has been untouched, impacts so far have varied greatly, reflecting different levels of drought preparedness. Urban areas are in the best shape, thanks to sustained investments in diversified water portfolios and conservation. Farmers are more vulnerable, but they are also adapting. The greatest vulnerabilities are in some low-income rural communities where wells are running dry and in California’s wetlands, rivers, and forests, where the state’s iconic biodiversity is under extreme threat. Two to three more years of drought will increase challenges in all areas and require continued—and likely increasingly difficult—adaptations. Emergency programs will need to be significantly expanded to get drinking water to rural residents and to prevent major losses of waterbirds and extinctions of numerous native fish species, including most salmon runs. California also needs to start a longer-term effort to build drought resilience in the most vulnerable areas.
blog post The Carmel River Gets a Boost By Lori Pottinger, Matt Kondolf Aug 18, 2015 An ambitious project to remove a large dam on a key Central Coast river will bring benefits to the environment and set a precedent for other dammed rivers in the state.