Eel River Salmonid Resources Project

The Eel River Salmonid Resources Project has compiled, digitally archived, and analyzed available data on steelhead trout and their habitat in the Eel River watershed, and to used this information to evaluate the relative importance of watersheds for steelhead restoration. This project was made possible through the support of the California State Coastal Conservancy, and is patterned after similar archiving and assessment projects conducted by CEMAR in the San Francisco Bay Area and the central/southern California coast. CEMAR collaborated on this project with Dr. Peter Moyle and Dr. Ron Yoshiyama of UC Davis.

CEMAR located, compiled, and digitized over 2,000 documents related to the steelhead resources of the Eel River, including stream surveys, habitat typing reports, biological investigations, barrier inventories, and other information that should be maintained in perpetuity but was at risk of being lost. A key source of these materials was historical documents stored in various DFG offices. These materials have been translated into PDF files and placed on a DVD, along with software that allows the contents of the DVD to be easily searched.

This information was then analyzed by fisheries scientists to produce an assessment of current status and historical distribution of steelhead in each watershed. Digital version of the report, including detailed maps of historical and current status of steelhead, are available for download on the Eel River Report homepage.