Dam gone, fish can spawn in Dry Creek

By KERANA TODOROV, Register Staff Writer

A section of Dry Creek is back to its natural, fish-friendly state this spring with the removal of an irrigation dam north of Napa.

The creek is considered one of the most important spawning runs for steelhead trout along its 12-mile run, according to the Napa County Resource Conservation District, the agency that spearheaded the removal of the fish barrier at Hall Winery’s Napa River Ranch.

The dam-like structure blocked the stream to create a source of water for nearby vineyards. With the dam gone, steelhead trout and other fish will again be able to swim upstream to spawn.

The $500,000 fish barrier removal project at Dry Creek opens 16 miles of restored habitat upstream for the federally threatened steelhead trout and other fish such as the coho salmon.

“I couldn’t be happier,” said Jonathan Koehler, a senior biologist with the Napa County Resource Conservation District, near the banks of Dry Creek. His state agency spearheaded the work at Hall Winery’s Napa River Ranch north of Napa.

As part of the $291,400 project, native willows were planted to stabilize the creek’s bank. Nonprofit groups like Acorn Soupe of Napa will continue to remove invasive plants and replace them with native species.

The Napa County Resource Conservation District, a state independent district, Hall Winery, California Fish and Game and other agencies collaborated on the project to remove the barrier in three weeks time last August.

The winery opened its gates last week for a tour of the site, during which project leaders were recognized for their work with certificates from Rep. Mike Thompson, D-St. Helena, and state Sen. Pat Wiggins, D-Santa Rosa.    

With the barrier demolished, the federally threatened steelhead can swim up the creek that flows through vineyards in the Oak Knoll District north of Napa to spawn and later return to the ocean.

Steelhead fish sightings have been reported already, said Koehler.

Mike Reynolds, president of Hall Winery, who spoke Thursday on behalf of owners Craig and Kathryn Hall, said the winery supports a healthy environment, which contributes to healthy grapes — and great wines.

The Resource Conservation District has recently completed a survey of 99 fish obstruction sites for the Napa River Basin, ranking them by severity. The agency applied for a $83,000 grant from the San Francisco Bay Area Conservancy Program to restore natural habitat and expand access to the steelhead.

The barriers included dams, bridges culverts and natural features at Ritchie Creek at Bothe State Park near St. Helena; Selby Creek along the Silverado Trail near Calistoga; and Murphy Creek in the Tulocay Watershed east of Napa.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture Natural Resources Conservation Service and the state Department of Fish and Game worked with Napa County Resource Conservation District on the project at Napa River Ranch.

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