24 



DEPARTMENT OF FISH AND GAME 



Various plans of the bureau for water development 

 in the upper American River drainage were reviewed 

 and recommendations for protection of fish and wild- 

 life compiled in cooperation with the U. S. Fish and 

 Wildlife Service. 



CHUTE CAMP DAM 



Following destruction of their American River 

 Head Dam (Chute Camp Dam) by the floods of 

 November, 1950, the Pacific Gas and Electric Com- 

 pany applied for an amendment to its Federal Power 

 Commission license to cover reconstruction of the 

 dam at a slightly different location on the South Fork 

 of the American River in El Dorado County. 



No specific flows for maintenance of fish life had 

 ever been established for release below the old dam 

 and the department and the Fish and Wildlife Service 

 recommended that such releases be made. 



Negotiations followed field studies made in coopera- 

 tion with P. G. & E. and a compromise settlement 

 was made. 



The company agreed to release a minimum of 10 

 cubic second feet in the summer and 5 c.f.s. in the 

 winter. An additional clause calling for reconsideration 

 of these flows upon development of upstream water 

 storage was also included in the amended license. 



FEATHER RIVER 



A 70-page report was prepared for the State Engi- 

 neer on the fish, wildlife and recreational resources in 

 relation to the reservoir to be created by construction 

 of the Oroville Dam in order to have plans for recre- 

 ational development ready when work starts. 



The report covered fisheries and \\ ildlife aspects of 

 the reservoir on preproject and postproject bases and 

 contained recommendations for fish and wildlife man- 

 agement and recreational use of the reservoir area, 

 including potential access, camping, boat launching 

 and picnicking areas. 



Flycasters on South Fork American River, a heavily fished and popular 

 stream, 



(Fish and Game Photo) 



The Division of Water Resources indicated its will- 

 ingness to construct a salmon hatchery below Oroville 

 Reservoir as a means of maintaining those portions of 

 salmon runs which normally spawn in or above the 

 project area. Negotiations and preliminary work were 

 carried on to facilitate this plan, but selection of a 

 site and detailed planning had not started during the 

 hicnnium. 



WATER RELEASES 



Over the years, the department's efforts to preserve 

 conditions for fish and wildlife has resulted in the 

 establishment of minimum flow releases below many 

 dams and diversions, but little or no effort has been 

 made to assure that these releases were actually being 

 made in the operation of the projects. 



A complete record of such releases was compiled 

 and a system of field checking was inaugurated in 

 1956. Time did not permit complete coverage, but as 

 the system is perfected the department should be able 

 to check out most diversions each year. 



In the case of X'ermillion Reservoir (Edison Lake), 

 Fresno County, the Southern California Edison Com- 

 pan\- agreed to a suitable release schedule for Mono 

 Creek. This was incorporated in the license and re- 

 leases were started by the company. The agreement 

 also provided a 10-cubic-foot-second release in the 

 South Fork of the San Joaquin River below Florence 

 Lake— a stream that had virtuall\' dried up for 30 

 years. More than 10 miles of an important, heavily- 

 used fishing stream benefit from the release. 



GENERAL PROBLEMS 



Studies were made on the proposed Terminus and 

 Success Reservoirs, w hich are flood control and irriga- 

 tion storage projects in Tulare County. Recommen- 

 dations are being made for minimum pools which will 

 support fish and wildlife and develop the recreational 

 potential of the reservoirs. 



COOPERATIVE FLOW MAINTENANCE 



Through the cooperation of the Los Angeles 

 Count)' Flood Control District and other water agen- 

 cies, two trout streams w ithin minutes of the metro- 

 politan area afforded excellent rainbow fishing this 

 biennium. 



Formerl\- the Big Tujunga and Cogswell Flood Con- 

 trol Reservoirs were drained rapidly after the last 

 spring rains, and the streams below the dams had 

 short-lived fisheries. Under the new plan, a gradual 

 but sustained release will be made, affording several 

 months of additional fishing and excellent stream 

 flows. 



RESERVOIR LEVEL MAINTENANCE 



One of the major fisheries problems in California 

 is the difficult)' of producing satisfactory fishing in the 

 rapidl)' fluctuating reservoirs characteristic of Call- 



