March 2023

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March 2023

Message from CRSA President

Steve Park

Questions for Saving What’s Left

How to stay in the game?
How to keep up the energy?
How to not give up?

Consider these “how” questions the working standard for conservationists as they try to save what’s left. CRSA, in nearly fifty years, has not only caused pressure to create environmental change but also managed to secure a chair at the decision making tables.

What an incredible fifty years it’s been.

Hats off to all the advocates that have given so much of their time and energy.
The relentless advocation for the Carmel River and its iconic Steelhead has never let up. Imagine a sport fishing shop where local Steelheaders gathered in the “Liar’s Room” not only to share fish stories but also to discuss the fate of a river they have loved and fished for decades. Within fifteen years of being founded, the CRSA founders and those who followed them, had caused the first mandates to save the river and its Steelhead to come into place. That first recognized movement started what for the next thirty-five years has created mitigations and changes in favor of the river and its fish.

The barriers to CRSA’s recognition and advocacy were removed through the strength of their love for the river’s sea run rainbow trout.

The regulating agencies slowly and cautiously began to allow CRSA permits to work in the lagoon, the river, the tributaries and the watershed. They invited CRSA to the stakeholders table to discuss the lagoon, the river, the tributaries and the watersheds. Mitigation to heal the river and its fish whether through funding or directives were now in place. River drafting went from a high of 16,000 acre feet to today’s 3,376 acre feet.

CRSA literally caused this to happen!
CRSA is one of many voices. Together those voices are creating change.

It’s hard to believe the river and its fish have been damaged so.
How could humans suck a river dry and essentially kill an anadromous fish population? How could they?

Conservation Report

Opinion By Brian LeNeve

Can there be too much water for steelhead?

We have had a lot of rain so far this year, anywhere from 130% to 180% of average rainfall and considering we were in a five-year drought it seems like even more, but is that too much rain?

One would think so much rain would be good for steelhead but just like so many other things, it depends on when we get the rain and how much rain we get. There was an early multiple atmospheric river event in January that brought the river at Robles del Rio up to 8,230 cubic feet (although it is hard to find the exact amount because the USGS modified the number more than once) and then another atmospheric evert in March that brought the river up to 4,816 cubic feet, and that seems low, being here and seeing the actual high flow.

The high water in January moved a lot of gravel in the whole watershed before fish could spawn including a large deposit of gravel just below the new bridge at the old Cachagua Store. Some of that gravel was large – six to eight inches in diameter. The January event was good because it provided great water for migration of adult steelhead after the grave was moved, and some may have easily made it all the way up Cachagua Creek to spawn.

Then after a month we had the March storms and the river again came up to high levels, although not as high as in January when Cachagua Creek was just under the bottom of the bridge. I believe it was high enough to again move gravel …

especially with the velocity seen at the Tassajara Road bridge over Cachagua Creek.

Water of that velocity could and probably did move gravel. Considering that the earlier high water moved six-to-eight-inch gravel, this water could move two-to four-inch gravel which would have removed gravel where early fish spawned thus wiping out those early redds. There is no way of proving my belief, but after many years studying the river it probably happened. With the very low numbers of steelhead in the Carmel River it hurts to lose any redds.

So, is too much rain a good thing? Not necessarily, but unless we get another high-water flow that wipes out late redds, the fry from late spawning fish should have good summer conditions.

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Mountain Lion Encounter
by Steve Park

There was nothing unusual about this day at least not the weather or the territory I was in. Both were pretty nondescript in their appearance and their setting. It was a December evening and I was out with the yorkie (Bear) and the Short Hair Pointer (General) for a day’s end hunt. Nothing special. Might jump some ducks or spook some quail and even find some dove. Bear is hard at my feet and General is working the brush ten yards out.

The location of this evening hunt was on a small island found just offshore of a public park laid out alongside of a large river. To get to the island you would have to wade up to your hips in the river channel. Those enjoying the park did not come out to wade out to the island. I got there in my John boat. I was the only one there. Me and the dogs on an evening hunt what could be better.

I was hunting with my twenty gauge over under with some dove in my game bag, quail bursting out of the brush and stomping about hoping to push out some ducks. I had used up darn near a box of shells. I’m guessing my shooting and busting about with the dogs should have more than made my presence known.

The sun was going down and the dogs and I were headed for the boat. And then my world turned over. There was a noise behind me. There was nobody else on the island. I was pretty sure of that. It was time to turn around and see what made that noise.

I barely had time to turn around and focus on the noise maker before it was locked in on me. I have spent a fair amount of time in the great outdoors some of it chasing bears and nothing like this had ever happened before. Not anything close to this.

Since I was heading out but still hunting I still had shells chambered. It was then that I fired my first shot and watched the lion’s head fold back towards its trailing shoulder. The blast turned the cougar sideways to me which allowed me the second shot. That one took full force on the lion’s side flank and convinced it to retreat. That was the last time I looked back. I retreated with the yorkie under my arm and the pointer and me in full stride towards the boat.

The next day I met up with the local wildlife warden. Together we tracked the lion’s path of retreat until the tracks disappeared at the river’s edge. The warden said he had seen many lion paw prints but this one was as big as he had ever seen. There was no blood trail.

I was so lucky. The mountain lion - I hope - was lucky too.

The lesson learned: The great outdoors is only as safe as you make it. Do not think you are out there alone. You are not.

In Other News...

El Niño expected to develop later in the year, NOAA says

March 30, 2023 | ABC

La Niña is finally over after three years, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

This winter has not acted like a typical La Niña winter with California getting drenched, especially in Southern California where La Niña typically signals a drier than average winter.

In fact, Southern California has been so wet that the Southern California Water Board halted emergency conservation measures that were put in place last summer.

Read the entire article HERE.

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