Clear Lake Hitch Barrier Assessment Monitoring Spring of ...
Transcript of Clear Lake Hitch Barrier Assessment Monitoring Spring of ...
Clear Lake Hitch Barrier Assessment Monitoring
Spring of 2016
Ben Ewing
California Department of Fish and Wildlife
Between March 3 and April 27, 2016, California Department of Fish and Wildlife
(Department) personnel, along with volunteers from the Robinson and Big Valley Rancherias at
Clear Lake, conducted three days of Clear Lake hitch (Lavinia exilicauda chi) (HCH-C) fish barrier
assessments on 11 various sites on tributaries to Clear Lake, Lake County. The purpose of the
barrier assessments was to gather information on possible HCH-C upstream migration obstacles
in various tributaries for the state listed specie. With the information gathered, the
Department would then work on improving the existing barriers/obstacles for HCH-C migration
with outside entities. By being able to improve HCH-C migration routes, HCH-C would likely
gain access to more spawning grounds each spring season and likely improve HCH-C
recruitment.
Site 1
Alley Creek at Sam Alley Ridge Road (39.177 N, 122.875 W)
Date visited: 3/3/2016
Staff present: Dean Rogers (Robinson Rancheria), John Gichuki (Big Valley Rancheria), Ben
Ewing (CA. Fish and Wildlife)
Fish observed: ~ 30 hitch seen upstream of culvert
Status: No fish barrier present
Recomendation(s): None
Site 2
Middle Creek at Rancheria Road (39.183 N, 122.912 W)
Date visited: 3/3/2016
Staff present: Dean Rogers (Robinson Rancheria), John Gichuki (Big Valley Rancheria), Ben
Ewing (CA. Fish and Wildlife)
Fish observed: None
Status: No fish barrier present
Recomendation(s): None
Site 3
Lyons Creek at Lakeport Blvd. (39.110 N, 122.906 W)
Date visited: 3/3/2016
Staff present: Dean Rogers (Robinson Rancheria), John Gichuki (Big Valley Rancheria), Ben
Ewing (CA. Fish and Wildlife)
Fish observed: None
Status: Possible fish barrier present. Identified as limiting fish migration (McGinnis 2006).
Recomendation(s): Remove wall
Site 4
Scotts Creek at 3852 Scotts Valley Rd. (39.086 N, 122.942 W)
Date visited: 3/3/2016
Staff present: Dean Rogers (Robinson Rancheria), John Gichuki (Big Valley Rancheria), Ben
Ewing (CA. Fish and Wildlife)
Fish observed: None
Status: Possible fish barrier present
Recomendation(s): Remove wall
Site 5
Siegler Canyon Creek at Lake Street, Lower Lake (38.92021 N, 122.61217 W)
Date visited: 3/17/2016
Staff present: Dean Rogers (Robinson Rancheria), Larry Ray (Environmental Consultant for
Scotts Valley Rancheria), Ben Ewing (CA. Fish and Wildlife)
Fish observed: ~ 5 suckers seen upstream of concrete-lined sewer line and fish ladders.
Status: No fish barrier present at time of survey
Recomendation(s): None
Site 6
Siegler Canyon Creek at Orchard St., Lower Lake (38.91237 N, 122.61052 W)
Date visited: 3/17/2016
Staff present: Dean Rogers (Robinson Rancheria), Larry Ray (Environmental Consultant for
Scotts Valley Rancheria), Ben Ewing (CA. Fish and Wildlife)
Fish observed: None
Status: No fish barrier present
Recomendation(s): None
Site 7
Siegler Canyon Creek, Intersection of Hwy 29 and Hwy 53, Lower Lake (38.91029 N, 122.61216
W)
Date visited: 3/17/2016
Staff present: Dean Rogers (Robinson Rancheria), Larry Ray (Environmental Consultant for
Scotts Valley Rancheria), Ben Ewing (CA. Fish and Wildlife)
Fish observed: None
Status: Fish barrier present. Currently, channel is narrow and steep.
Recomendation(s): Remove boulders in order to widen channel. Meet with California
Department of Transportation to discuss options.
Site 8
Siegler Canyon Creek at Siegler Canyon Road (38.90634 N, 122.63870 W)
Date visited: 3/17/2016
Staff present: Dean Rogers (Robinson Rancheria), Ben Ewing (CA. Fish and Wildlife)
Fish observed: None
Status: No fish barrier present
Recomendation(s): None
Site 9
Scotts Creek at Scotts Valley Road (39.15663 N, 122.99267 W)
Date visited: 3/17/2016
Staff present: Dean Rogers (Robinson Rancheria), Ben Ewing (CA. Fish and Wildlife)
Fish observed: ~ 15 goldfish seen in pool. A school of approximately 50 unidentified fish seen in
pool but were too small to identify. A few small sunfish seen.
Status: No fish barrier present. Rogers says culvert going under road has grate that creates
barrier for upstream fish migration. High flows and culvert being underwater obstructed view
of culvert and possible barrier.
Recomendation(s): None until able to view inside culvert.
Site 10
Clover Creek at Bridge Arbor Road, Upper Lake (39.16189 N, 122.91152 W)
Date visited: 3/17/2016
Staff present: Dean Rogers (Robinson Rancheria), Ben Ewing (CA. Fish and Wildlife)
Fish observed: ~ 15 fish (Appeared to be hitch but not 100% confirmed) total seen upstream
and downstream of culvert.
Status: Possible fish barrier present, definitely an obstacle.
Recomendation(s): Clear out non-native Himalayan blackberry bushes, divert water back into
Clover Creek instead of diversion channel above community of Upper Lake.
Site 11
Kelsey Creek at Main Street Bridge, Kelseyville (38.978538 N, 122.842854 W)
Date visited: 4/27/2016
Staff present: Ben Ewing (CA. Fish and Wildlife)
Fish observed: None.
Status: Fish ladder that currently exists is likely not being used by hitch due to the large drop off
from end of ladder into downstream pool. The fish ladder was seen as a barrier that HCH-C
could not pass (McGinnis 2006).
Recomendation(s): Add additional material to end of ladder to decrease the gap between the
fish ladder and the pool downstream.
Literature Cited
McGinnis, D. 2006. Fish Passage Reconnaissance: A discussion of fish barrier issues on Middle
Creek, Lake County California, including engineering notes and observations from a site review
of the Kelseyville fish ladder. McGinnis and Associates LLC. Reno, Nevada. Unpublished.