In 2017, the Patterson, Banta-Carbona, and West Stanislaus Irrigation Districts (Districts) embarked on a program to study a pressure on the out-migrating Salmon on the San Joaquin River that is overlooked regarding the preservation of the declining species. This program was developed to evaluate the breadth of impacts that the non-native predatory fish species have on the viability of the native Salmon. Although habitat, water, and food impact the fish, predation is often treated under the window that big fish will always eat little fish.

However, fishing limits and regulations have encouraged the expansion of these non-native populations to encourage a higher quality fishing experience which have pushed out the native populations over time. This study is intended to provide a lens and to focus on the impacts that these non-native populations have on the native fish in the San Joaquin River and the Delta.

The attached video is a snapshot of the efforts that the Districts have undertaken and the work being performed in this study.

Link

The Missing Piece Video