Client
California Fish & Wildlife
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Salmonid RestorationFloodplain RestorationFish Passage DesignwaterUrban Creek Restorationnote_altCEQA/NEPAThe Basso and La Grange reaches of the Tuolumne River reach were identified by the Tuolumne River Trust as prime opportunities to enhance fish habitat. The project has 6 main goals: create floodplain rearing habitat for juvenile fish, create spawning habitat and stockpile appropriately sized coarse sediment for future spawning habitat maintenance, reduce non-native predatory fish habitat, restore geomorphic function and sediment transport, increase aquatic microhabitats, food sources, and add stability to the channel by planting native riparian vegetation, design and plan for future salmonid habitat improvements.
The selected design includes 53 acres of floodplain rearing habitat, 8 new spawning riffles, filling in two former dredger pools which host predatory fish species, restoring geomorphic processes through construction of alternating riffles, bars, and pools, increased sinuosity, and reconnection of adjacent surfaces to contemporary flows, increasing food sources with riffle construction and riparian vegetation planting. The design also incorporates a public access boat ramp.
Construction began in 2024. Scheduled for completion in 2028, the project will transform this reach into publicly accessible rejuvenated habitat.
FlowWest Project is One of First in State to Receive Innovative CEQA Exemption for Habitat Restoration
The Basso/La Grange Reach Floodplain and Spawning Habitat Restoration Project is one of the first in California, and the first in Stanislaus County, to qualify as statutorily exempt under the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) Statutory Exemption for Restoration Projects (SERP). The SERP is just one of the many innovative tools developed by California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) as part of its “Cutting the Green Tape” Initiative.
Salmon Habitat Restoration on the Lower Tuolumne
Youtube: Tuolumne River Trust
open_in_newTRT's newest restoration project creates habitat for Chinook salmon along the Lower Tuolumne River in La Grange, California.
Rocks, Riffles & Floodplains: Restoration Creates Salmon Habitat on the Tuolumne
Tuolumne River Trust
open_in_newAfter three years of planning and permitting, Phase I of this ambitious restoration project is finally underway, in alignment with grants from the California Department of Water Resources and the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation.