Reclamation, Fish and Wildlife Service announce awards for Central Valley Project fish habitat and directed studies

SACRAMENTO, Calif. - The Bureau of Reclamation and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service today announced the award of $44.3 million in grants to fund anadromous fish habitat restoration projects and directed studies to collect key fish data in the Central Valley and the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta. The awards utilize funds appropriated in 2024 and stem from two separate funding opportunities.

Strong habitat investments support regulatory certainty and more reliable water supply deliveries from the Central Valley Project. Six directed studies were selected under the Central Valley Project Fish Information Needs Notice of Funding Opportunity, a competitive process that solicited proposals for projects that gather specific biological data on Chinook salmon, steelhead, Green and White sturgeon, and Delta smelt. The fish data gathered from these projects will be used to improve tools that evaluate species recovery actions in the Central Valley and the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta.

"This year's funding reflects our commitment to restoring fish habitat and supporting directed studies that will be used toward science-based decisions that will improve management of the Sacramento River system," said Reclamation's Central Valley Project Improvement Act Program Manager, Armin Halston.

"By tying our CVPIA investments directly to rigorous science, we ensure that every dollar spent delivers maximum benefits for fish habitat," added USFWS CVPIA Administrator, Steve Whiteman. "Over time, this smart, targeted approach will pave the way for a lasting recovery and a vibrant future for these important fish populations."

Four anadromous fish habitat restoration projects were selected under the fiscal year 2024 Central Valley Project Habitat & Facility Improvements Notice of Funding Opportunity. Project locations include Butte Creek, Stanislaus River, Lower American River, and Dos Rios Norte on the Sacramento River.

Funding for both sets of projects are provided by the Bureau of Reclamation through the Central Valley Project Improvement Act to support the protection, restoration, and enhancement of fish, wildlife, and their associated habitats. Applicants for this funding include Central Valley Project water users, and two groups of CVP contractors have been chosen as award recipients.

Fish Information Needs award recipients:

• California State Polytechnic University Humboldt: Analysis of existing Central Valley datasets of juvenile sturgeon movement to inform and improve Central Valley Project Improvement Act decision making.
• City of Sacramento (Water Forum): American River Central Valley steelhead population study.
• Sacramento River Settlement Contractors: Wild juvenile Chinook salmon parr survival, behavior, and fine-Scale distribution in the Sacramento River.
• University of California Davis: Assessment of prey availability, functional feeding response, and growth of O. mykiss and juvenile Chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha) in Central Valley perennial stream habitats to inform Decision Support Models for salmonid production.
• University of California Davis: Refining Delta smelt individual-based models through metabolic rate determination and contaminant impact studies.
• University of California Santa Cruz: Reducing uncertainty in Green sturgeon abundance, location, and habitat use.

Habitat & Facilities Improvements award recipients:

• City of Sacramento (Water Forum): Maintenance and habitat effectiveness monitoring of the Salmonid Habitat Program restoration sites on the American River.
• East Stanislaus RCD: Collaborative salmonid habitat restoration implementation and planning throughout the Lower Stanislaus River.
• Friends of Butte Creek: Phase 2 of floodplain restoration on California Department of Fish and Wildlife Ecological Reserve on Butte Creek
• River Partners: Implementation of the Dos Rios Norte Habitat Enhancement Project.
  

For more information contact:

Armin Halston, CVPIA Program Manager, Reclamation - [email protected] or 916-223-8803

Steve Whiteman, CVPIA Administrator, USFWS - [email protected] or 916-978-6190

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The Bureau of Reclamation is a federal agency under the U.S. Department of the Interior and is the nation's largest wholesale water supplier and second largest producer of hydroelectric power. Our facilities also provide substantial flood control, recreation opportunities, and environmental benefits.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service works with others to conserve, protect and enhance fish, wildlife, plants and their habitats for the continuing benefit of the American people. For more information, visit www.fws.gov and connect with us on social media: Facebook, Instagram, X (formerly known as Twitter), LinkedIn, Flickr, and YouTube.