clear lake hitch barrier assessment monitoring spring of

Clear Lake Hitch Barrier Assessment Monitoring

Spring of 2016

Ben Ewing

California Department of Fish and Wildlife

Between March 3 and April 27, 2016, California Department of Fish and Wildlife

(Department) personnel, along with volunteers from the Robinson and Big Valley Rancherias at

Clear Lake, conducted three days of Clear Lake hitch (Lavinia exilicauda chi) (HCH-C) fish barrier

assessments on 11 various sites on tributaries to Clear Lake, Lake County. The purpose of the

barrier assessments was to gather information on possible HCH-C upstream migration obstacles

in various tributaries for the state listed specie. With the information gathered, the

Department would then work on improving the existing barriers/obstacles for HCH-C migration

with outside entities. By being able to improve HCH-C migration routes, HCH-C would likely

gain access to more spawning grounds each spring season and likely improve HCH-C

recruitment.

Site 1

Alley Creek at Sam Alley Ridge Road (39.177 N, 122.875 W)

Date visited: 3/3/2016

Staff present: Dean Rogers (Robinson Rancheria), John Gichuki (Big Valley Rancheria), Ben

Ewing (CA. Fish and Wildlife)

Fish observed: ~ 30 hitch seen upstream of culvert

Status: No fish barrier present

Recomendation(s): None

Site 2

Middle Creek at Rancheria Road (39.183 N, 122.912 W)




Fish observed: None



Site 3

Lyons Creek at Lakeport Blvd. (39.110 N, 122.906 W)




Fish observed: None

Status: Possible fish barrier present. Identified as limiting fish migration (McGinnis 2006).

Recomendation(s): Remove wall

Site 4

Scotts Creek at 3852 Scotts Valley Rd. (39.086 N, 122.942 W)




Fish observed: None

Status: Possible fish barrier present

Recomendation(s): Remove wall

Site 5

Siegler Canyon Creek at Lake Street, Lower Lake (38.92021 N, 122.61217 W)


Staff present: Dean Rogers (Robinson Rancheria), Larry Ray (Environmental Consultant for

Scotts Valley Rancheria), Ben Ewing (CA. Fish and Wildlife)

Fish observed: ~ 5 suckers seen upstream of concrete-lined sewer line and fish ladders.

Status: No fish barrier present at time of survey


Site 6

Siegler Canyon Creek at Orchard St., Lower Lake (38.91237 N, 122.61052 W)




Fish observed: None



Site 7

Siegler Canyon Creek, Intersection of Hwy 29 and Hwy 53, Lower Lake (38.91029 N, 122.61216

W)




Fish observed: None

Status: Fish barrier present. Currently, channel is narrow and steep.

Recomendation(s): Remove boulders in order to widen channel. Meet with California

Department of Transportation to discuss options.

Site 8

Siegler Canyon Creek at Siegler Canyon Road (38.90634 N, 122.63870 W)


Staff present: Dean Rogers (Robinson Rancheria), Ben Ewing (CA. Fish and Wildlife)

Fish observed: None



Site 9

Scotts Creek at Scotts Valley Road (39.15663 N, 122.99267 W)



Fish observed: ~ 15 goldfish seen in pool. A school of approximately 50 unidentified fish seen in

pool but were too small to identify. A few small sunfish seen.

Status: No fish barrier present. Rogers says culvert going under road has grate that creates

barrier for upstream fish migration. High flows and culvert being underwater obstructed view

of culvert and possible barrier.

Recomendation(s): None until able to view inside culvert.

Site 10

Clover Creek at Bridge Arbor Road, Upper Lake (39.16189 N, 122.91152 W)



Fish observed: ~ 15 fish (Appeared to be hitch but not 100% confirmed) total seen upstream

and downstream of culvert.

Status: Possible fish barrier present, definitely an obstacle.

Recomendation(s): Clear out non-native Himalayan blackberry bushes, divert water back into

Clover Creek instead of diversion channel above community of Upper Lake.

Site 11

Kelsey Creek at Main Street Bridge, Kelseyville (38.978538 N, 122.842854 W)


Staff present: Ben Ewing (CA. Fish and Wildlife)

Fish observed: None.

Status: Fish ladder that currently exists is likely not being used by hitch due to the large drop off

from end of ladder into downstream pool. The fish ladder was seen as a barrier that HCH-C

could not pass (McGinnis 2006).

Recomendation(s): Add additional material to end of ladder to decrease the gap between the

fish ladder and the pool downstream.

Literature Cited

McGinnis, D. 2006. Fish Passage Reconnaissance: A discussion of fish barrier issues on Middle

Creek, Lake County California, including engineering notes and observations from a site review

of the Kelseyville fish ladder. McGinnis and Associates LLC. Reno, Nevada. Unpublished.

clear lake hitch barrier assessment monitoring spring of

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