Session Coordinator: Shane Scott, SSA Environmental
 

This conference session offered a comprehensive look at aquatic ecosystem restoration and management in North America, focusing on innovative and collaborative approaches. It began with a discussion on Aquatic Organism Passage solutions at culverts and fish barrier management, highlighting novel techniques for aquatic species migration. This was followed by an exploration of the collaborative efforts required for fish passage restoration in the Napa River Watershed. Another presentation details the adventurous and rigorous methods used in reintroducing steelhead into Jalama Creek, involving explosives and helicopters. The session also included a talk on the ecological and social impacts of dam removal on the East Branch Russian River, emphasizing ecosystem revitalization. The challenges posed by abandoned cannabis cultivation sites and their impact on remote landscapes are another key topic. The session concluded with a study on the migration patterns of juvenile Chinook salmon in the Sacramento Valley, underlining the importance of habitat conservation. Each presentation underscores the multifaceted approach needed to address contemporary environmental challenges.
 

Aquatic Organism Passage (AOP) Solutions at Culverts and Fish Barrier Management in North America, Shane Scott, SSA Environmental

 

Going slow and going together -- Navigating Project Meanders and Building Consensus to Restore Fish Passage in the Napa River Watershed, Frances Knapczyk, Napa County Resource Conservation District Andrew Smith, PE, WRA; and Matt Erickson, California Department of Fish and Wildlife

 

Explosives, Helicopters and Hard Work: Restoring Steelhead to Jalama Creek, Laura Riege, The Nature Conservancy

 

Pulling Back the Redwood Curtain: Revealing the Ecological Challenges of Abandoned Cannabis Cultivation Sites in Remote Landscapes, Drew Barber, Vollmar Natural Lands Consulting