AmeriCorps Watershed Stewards Project
1455-C Sandy Prairie Court
Fortuna, CA 95540
(707) 725-8601
(707) 725-8602 - fax
wsp.info@ccc.ca.gov
Humboldt Fish Action Council /DFG Arcata
Mailing Address
500 Freshwater Road
Eureka, CA 95518
(707) 822-3834
Mission Statement
HFAC Mission Statement: “To help communities, private landowners, and public agencies to build healthy watersheds and restore salmon and trout populations through partnerships, projects, and education”.
California Department of Fish and Game mission statement: “The Mission of the Department of Fish and Game is to manage California's diverse fish, wildlife, and plant resources, and the habitats upon which they depend, for their ecological values and for their use and enjoyment by the public”
Major Projects
HFAC has three components to its nonprofit program. HFAC implements grant funded riparian enhancement projects such as installation of fish friendly culvert replacements, in-stream structures, and riparian vegetation. HFAC runs the grant funded program “Volunteer Work Days” which implements revegetation projects and invasive plant removal using volunteers. Finally, HFAC runs a native plant nursery which provides native plant material for local restoration projects.
CDFG, AFRAMP currently monitors the population trends and distribution of four Salmonid species, with detailed focus on both coho and Chinook salmon and steelhead trout in Humboldt Bay tributaries and Redwood Creek basin. Intensive monitoring components include a rigorous mark-recapture study on juvenile and adult salmonids at a weir facility to obtain rigorous population estimates and age-based survival estimates. Extensive monitoring components include population-level spawner surveys to obtain population abundance and trends for evaluating long-term species-specific population viability. This site provides exposure to statistically based monitoring techniques, and detailed study of salmonid life histories.
Examples of Work
WSP volunteers in the years of 2007 to 2009 helped build nursery infrastructure. WSP assisted in managing the volunteers for the work days for multiple large riparian revegetation projects. Finally, WSP folks assisted implementing placement of some large wood structures in the north fork of the Mad River.
CDFG-AFRAMP members have helped collect data for a long-term salmonid monitoring program to help establish population trends of these declining organisms. Previous members have received solid training in fisheries science techniques and many have moved on to work in various aquatic science positions.
