Fish Sniffer On Demand Digital Edition Issue 3607 March 17 -31, 2017 | Page 19

VOL. 36 • ISS. 07 The operation started with five boats staffed by 20 biologists and staff. At its peack, 50 people in 12 boats participated in the effort. Dindopp believes that the high flows of up to 100,000 cfs down the Oroville Dam spillway will have both positive and negative results, depending on the fish species, although the impact of the Oroville Dam crisis won’t be fully known for years. “With flows of 100,000 cfs for over a week, a lot of salmon fry rode the wave of water down to the bypasses,” said Dindopp. “By and large, the salmon fry were already out of the gravel. They avoided predation while going down the bypass. Also, they show grow great growth while feeding on all of the food in the flood plains. Although there is stranding, the impact is largely beneficial.” Steelhead are another story. The sudden drop in flows also dewatered large numbers of federally protected steelhead trout nests, leaving incubating eggs high and dry. “The steehead had just finished spawning,” Dondopp explained. “My feeling is that most of the steelhead got wiped out, although some redds were intact. There was a lot of gravel movement and the eggs took it pretty hard.” During and after the rescue, the Golden Gate Salmon Association called on DWR to exercise caution to preserve what’s left of the 2016 wild Feather River baby salmon run. “Protecting public safety, in response to the failure of the Oroville spillway is absolutely critical,” said GGSA board member Mike Aughney. “But California’s salmon and salmon fishermen are also being harmed by this crisis. tt Su ss pa By r ve er Fe wa gh ath er en Gard W. Ca tle tt R d y Ri Landing Strp Verona Ramp & Marina Fremont Landing ald Ba Rd rry Oswald Yuba County Airport Rd Olivehurst Tu do r R d Yuba City Boat Dock Shanghai Bend Ob an ion Ev erg lad e R d er Riv ba Yu Yuba City Airport Rd Hu tch iso n R d Arboga East Arboga Bend Tudor Star County Park O’Conner La