News Release Archive

Federal Agencies Schedule Shasta Dam Fish Passage Evaluation Public Workshop

Media Contact: Pete Lucero, 916-978-5100, plucero@usbr.gov

For Release: August 22, 2013

SACRAMENTO, Calif. – The Bureau of Reclamation in partnership with the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, U.S. Forest Service, California Department of Water Resources, California Department of Fish and Wildlife, California Water Board, and the University of California, will be hosting a landowner and stakeholder workshop focused on initial planning tasks to evaluate the feasibility of reintroducing Chinook salmon into tributaries above Shasta Lake.

The Shasta Dam Fish Passage Evaluation Landowner and Stakeholder Workshop will include an overview of the project background, purpose and approach, and seek to collaborate with attendees on topics such as fish health and genetics, existing habitat, fish passage techniques, and experimental approaches. The workshop will be held:

Lakehead Lions Club Tuesday, Aug. 27, 6-8 p.m. 20814 Mammoth Drive, Lakehead, CA 96051

Reclamation initiated the Shasta Dam Fish Passage Evaluation in response to the NMFS June 4, 2009, issuance of the Biological Opinion (BO) on the coordinated long-term operation of the Central Valley Project (CVP) and State Water Project (SWP). The BO concluded, in part, that CVP and SWP operations were likely to jeopardize the continued existence of salmonids protected under the Federal Endangered Species Act. The BO set forth a Reasonable and Prudent Alternative that obligates Reclamation to evaluate the feasibility of reintroducing federally-listed Sacramento River winter-run, Central Valley spring-run Chinook salmon and Central Valley steelhead upstream of Shasta, Folsom and New Melones dams. Reclamation has begun the process of evaluating the feasibility of fish passage over Shasta Dam, and is in the process of collecting stakeholder feedback and relevant Chinook salmon habitat data in the key watersheds upstream from Shasta Dam. Reclamation is also looking at potential fish passage options to determine the feasibility of passage over Shasta Dam.

For additional information on the Shasta Dam Fish Passage Evaluation visit Reclamation’s website at http://www.usbr.gov/mp/BayDeltaOffice/Documents/Shasta_Fish_Passage/index.html or contact John Hannon, Fisheries Biologist, Bureau of Reclamation, Bay Delta Office, Science Division at 801 I Street, Suite 140, Sacramento, CA 95814-2536, jhannon@usbr.gov, or 916-414-2413.

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Relevant Link:

Shasta Dam Fish Passage Evaluation