Workshop Coordinator: Lenya N Quinn-Davidson, University of California Agriculture and Natural Resources

 

2024 brought another major fire season to California, and more reminders of the interconnectedness across fire, water, and fish. Like so many fires before it, the Park Fire has daylighted several interesting intersections: the potential for high-severity fire in critical watersheds like Mill Creek (one of the last Central Valley strongholds for wild spring-run Chinook); the need for suppression activities and retardant drops to carefully consider fish habitat and infrastructure (like the fish hatchery in lower Battle Creek), and the reality that the same fire can be both damaging and restorative across the larger landscape, especially in a place that evolved with frequent fire. This workshop will continue the Fish & Fire conversation started over the last two years of SRF conferences, highlighting recent examples like the Park Fire and digging further into the ecology of fish and fire, the impacts of fire exclusion and fire suppression on aquatic habitats, and the potential for restoration practitioners to more meaningfully bring fire into the way they envision and implement their work. The first part of the workshop will focus on relevant research and management examples, and part two will be more hands-on, including dialogue and training on the use of beneficial fire. By the end of the day, participants will have a better understanding of the many connections between fish and fire, more contacts and networks to bridge the two disciplines, and new skills and inspiration that they can bring to their restoration work.