HomePescadero Creek Lagoon Sampling

Pescadero Creek Lagoon Sampling

HELP WITH PESCADERO CREEK STEELHEAD RECOVERY EFFORTS!

Get "hands-on" with Pescadero Creek Lagoon Sampling

PFF is committed to helping the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) pursue its goal of establishing Pescadero Creek -- which starts in our San Mateo County coastal mountains and meets the Pacific Ocean about 15 miles south of Half Moon Bay -- as one of the state's unique, native fisheries in CDFW's Heritage and Wild Trout Program.

The local CDFW office gathers scientific data throughout the year to bolster its proposal to include Pescadero Creek that if granted, will open up more funding and resources to help restore and manage the creek's native, wild strain of California coastal steelhead. One important component of the data is onsite sampling, netting and counting of wild juvenile steelhead smolts. Many of the wild smolts are captured at an earlier life stage and implanted with Passive Integrated Transponder tags, or PIT tags, which allow CDFW biologists to accurately measure and track steelhead migration, growth and survival rates.

PFF members can volunteer for monthly opportunities to assist CDFW and other area volunteers conducting fish sampling studies in Pescadero Creek and lagoon. This is physical work -- volunteers must wear waders and assist CDFW is stretching large nets across the creek in various locations. (See above photo.) Upon direction from Sean Cochran, CDFW District Fisheries Biologist for this region, volunteers slowly collapse the net while working to remove kelp and seaweed as the juvenile steelhead are isolated in the net.

Smolts are then transferred to temporary holding "bins" (partially submerged laundry baskets with aerators) while volunteers continue to remove oxygen-depriving algae and seaweed so smolts can continue to breath and survive. Every smolt is then scanned for its PIT tag data, with size, location and date recorded.

THE DETAILS...

The typical schedule for a lagoon sampling day is:

PFF and other volunteers park at the public lot (free) south of the Highway 1 bridge crossing Pescadero Creek.
The group meets around 9 am on the eastern side of Highway 1 north of the creek, well off the highway.
Volunteers help transport equipment down to the creek and under Sean's direction, conduct surveys.
There is typically a lunch break and then the day ends after all the equipment is transported back up to Sean's truck parking on the highway shoulder.
Usually the day ends around 1 or 2 pm.

For PFF volunteers:

You must be in good visible shape to hike down hillsides and wade into the creek and lagoon. You may be hiking up to a mile throughout the day as sampling occurs at multiple locations.
You must bring your own waders, boots and optional wading staff. (The current is not strong then but some areas may be muddy.)
Given the coastal location, bring layers of clothing.
Bring your own lunch, snacks and enough water or beverage to drink throughout the day.
IMPORTANT -- Pescadero Creek does have some New Zealand Mudsnail infestation. So as one does when wading in other infested waters in our state, you must completely clean and dry your waders, boots and gravel guards and either expose them to the sun or freeze them to kill any invasive mudsnails that might have hitched a ride on your gear.

PFF members who would like to schedule a specific date this year to volunteer to help with lagoon sampling can click HERE. PFF member login required.