Assessing Barriers to Fish Passage with Hands-On Experience at San Antonio Creek
9:00am - 5:00pm
Workshop Coordinator: Holly Steindorf, CA Fish Passage Forum
Participant Cap: 30 participants
Time: 9am-5pm (Field portion from 11-2pm)
This workshop aims to increase participants’ familiarity with barrier assessment techniques used to assess natural features or manmade structures for their ability to provide fish passage for anadromous fishes, including CDFW protocols outlined in Part 9 of the California Salmonid Stream Habitat Restoration Manual, and rapid assessment techniques which can be used to efficiently record barrier data during in-water work.
In the morning, participants will learn about the importance of aquatic connectivity and how assessment data is used to inform databases and decision-making tools such as the Passage Assessment Database (PAD), and the National Barrier Prioritization Tool. In the midday, participants will work with local agency partners to conduct field assessments at fish passage barrier(s) in the Santa-Barbara area, likely a barrier on San Antonio Creek. In the afternoon, participants will gain a basic understanding of how to model their data using tools such as 1-and 2-D HEC-RAS and Fish-Xing and conclude with an overview of restoration resources from the California Fish Passage Forum.
The Forum is excited to offer our third installment of our assessment workshop series to help participants professionally judge barriers for passage in their working watersheds.
Classroom
- Learn about general limitations of native California migratory fishes, including salmon, steelhead, lamprey, sturgeon, and other aquatic species to common barrier types.
- Learn how to utilize or contribute to records in the Passage Assessment Database.
- Learn about the purpose, limitations and process for conducting a fish passage assessment using the CDFW California Salmonid Stream Habitat Restoration Manual and the Rapid Assessment Field Form.
- Gain a basic understanding of how to model data taken from an assessment using 1-and 2-D HEC-RAS and Fish-Xing to make passage determinations.
Field
- Travel by van to one or more barriers around Santa Barbara, where participants will use the techniques introduced in the classroom portion to assess example barriers for passability.
- Key Workshop Objectives:
- Familiarize participants with the planning and execution of fish passage assessments, including field measurements and modeling of data.
- Familiarize participants with datasets and tools which rely on fish passage assessments, such as the Passage Assessment Database and National Aquatic Connectivity Collaborative Barrier Prioritization Tool
- Outreach the assessment training and other resources available through the California Fish Passage Forum
What to Bring:
- Sun protection and good footwear for fieldwork
- A laptop computer with FISHXing installed
- Sanitized hip boots or waders for in-water work. (Optional though encouraged if possible)
