Volunteers Needed for SDF Steelhead Survey
September 17, 2003

Each fall the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, with the assistance of several agencies and volunteers, has sampled the fish populations of Soquel Demonstration State Forest (SDSF). This is part of an overall effort to monitor steelhead trout in the Soquel Creek watershed. For the second year, we have the good fortune of having the National Marine Fisheries Service play a major role in this important work.

The fieldwork is scheduled to occur on September 29th through October 3rd (Monday through Friday), and volunteers are being sought for this rewarding project.

The same four locations within SDSF are inventoried each year. One additional site at Badger Springs will be sampled this year.  Fish are netted and collected in buckets after they are momentarily stunned by an electrofishing device. Steelhead trout are the primary fish present, but threespined stickleback and prickly sculpin are also occasionally found. Most of the steelhead inventoried are known as "young-of-the-year." Young-of-the-year are fish that hatched in the spring from eggs laid in the streambed gravels by spawning adults in the winter. Young-of-the-year are usually 2 to 3.5 inches in length when measured in the fall.

Each field day begins at approximately 8 a.m. and ends at approximately 6 p.m. Volunteers assist in netting and measuring the fish and collecting habitat type, stream canopy, and other information. Two of the five days involve a challenging hike over difficult terrain to get to the creek. Individuals can volunteer for one or more days; however, a full-day commitment is necessary due to the logistics involved.

The scenery and company are terrific, and the project is a great way to learn more about the local fishery and watershed. For more information, or to volunteer, please call the SDSF office at (831) 475-8643.  Please feel free to forward this information to anyone you think might be interested.  Thank you for your assistance.

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