Here's just a small sampling of the watersheds we've helped restore in California over the years.

 North Coast Coho Project

Our North Coast Coho Project (NCCP) is a partnership of unprecedented scale and scope. Trout Unlimited, timber, gravel, and wine industry leaders, other private landowners, and state and federal agencies are working cooperatively to restore coho salmon runs in Northern California.

As TU's North Coast Coho Project completes its 19th year, this groundbreaking initiative has raised and leveraged over $25 million for more than 75 habitat and fish passage improvement projects in the Eel, Navarro, Garcia, Noyo, Russian and Ten Mile rivers and in dozens of smaller stream systems.

NCCP delivers both overall management and administration of such projects as well as scientific work that precedes and follows them. To date, the NCCP and our partners have improved or eliminated over 862 miles of old logging roads; removed 12 major fish migration barriers; restored fish access to more than 70 miles of streams; installed more than 2,100 large wood structures in over 120 miles of stream channels; and prevented some 534,000 cubic yards of sediment (that's 53,400 full dump trucks) from entering streams, degrading water quality and habitat conditions.

CALIFORNIA GOLDEN TROUT PROJECT

TU is a founding partner in the California Gold Trout Project (CGTP), a collaborative program which has protected and restored critical habitat for California's state fish for a decade. Beginning in 1989, TU's South Coast Chapter undertook seven large stream restoration projects on tributaries of the Kern and South Fork Kern Rivers to benefit three species of native trout: the Kern River rainbow, the Volcano Creek golden trout, and the Little Kern golden trout.

This effort led to formation of the California Golden Trout Project in 2005 with the California Department of Fish and Game (now Wildlife), the U.S. Forest Service, Trout Unlimited, California Trout, and the Federation of Fly Fishers. TU provides the Volunteer Coordinator for the project, who helps organize volunteers in the summer season to assist with field projects such as erecting or maintaining fencing to protect golden trout habitat from grazing impacts. The CGTP's progress in these efforts was part of the basis for a formal determination by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in 2011 that listing the California golden trout under the Endangered Species Act is not warranted at this time.

DEVIL’S GULCH

North Bay TU obtained grant funding for a four phase habitat restoration project at Devil’s Gulch in the Lagunitas watershed to reduce human interference with spawning fish, reduce erosion along the stream bed and provide refuge for young fish. 

Phase I was completed in August 2010. Five work teams installed six signs to notify park visitors of the fragile habitat, repaired a bridge damaged by a fallen tree and constructed 100 feet of split-rail cedar fencing to reduce the possibility of coho salmon and steelhead being disturbed while spawning during the winter by park visitors. Funding for Phase 1 was provided through a grant from the Marin Fish & Wildlife Foundation.  Ralph Alexander and Associates develop plans and supervised the work.

Phase II was completed in November 2010 and focused on eliminating erosion around the creek. Nine wattles (stray-filled burlap tubes) were installed on the Barnabee Trail to provide basins for sediment to accumulate instead of entering the creek.  Eighteen plants were relocated into channels created by runoff in hopes of stabilizing the stream banks. A bridge (previously installed by NBTU) was repaired and 60 feet of split-rail fencing was installed to eliminate foot traffic on the creek banks.  In October 2011 and November 2012, the wattles were replaced in advance of the rainy season and additional fencing installed to keep visitors on the trail and away from the creek.  A number of steelhead and coho fry are spotted on both outings. In October 2013, NBTU completed the repair of a wet crossing with grants from the Rockey Foundation, TU National’s Embrace-A-Stream program and Patagonia.

In 2015, NBTU, with funding and assistance provided by the California Department of Fish and Wildlife installed woody debris in eight locations in Devil’s Gulch, which will enhance habitat for endangered coho and threatened steelhead populations.

Phase III is currently awaiting approval by the CA State Parks and will re-route a portion of the trail to eliminate human contact with the fish.