USFWS Biological Science Technicians Billy Bullard (left) and Jordan Buxton (right) load gear boxes in preparation for a day of sampling on the Delta.
USFWS Mechanic Matt Myrick readies the R/V Threadfin for a day of sampling on the Delta.
USFWS Biological Science Technician Jacob Stagg throws a midwater trawl net into the water to begin daily sampling at the confluence of the Sacramento and San Joaquin Rivers.
Lodi Fish and Wildlife Office team members, preparing to leave for a day on the water, hold open a Kodiak trawl net.
By: Erin Sharkey, Biological Science Technician
It is another early morning, with clear skies and a slight Delta breeze in the forecast. The sound of a squeaky warehouse door continuously opening and closing can be heard from across the vast parking lot. Inside is a massive warehouse, shelves full of mysterious nets and gear. During these early morning hours, you can hear the tumbling thuds of gear boxes being collected.
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service biological science technicians emerge from the warehouse and disperse into smaller groups. Some are foraging for baked goods out of small, white boxes; others are carrying boots, waders and various sampling gear. One in a standard brown uniform carries a beach seine net to the bed of a large pickup truck.
About 23 vehicles are needed to accomplish the monitoring and data-collecting efforts completed by the Lodi Fish and Wildlife Office every weekday of the calendar year. At the edge of the parking lot, small-watercraft operators and a mechanic are loading the largest research vessel in the fleet on a trailer. The R/V Threadfin is a solid 30-foot boat with a sturdy diesel, 6-cylinder engine to pull seriously large nets through the water over a long workday.
The Lodi Fish and Wildlife Office, one of the largest field offices in the Service, is a complex system of networks. The chain of command includes the head of the office, Project Leader Jeff McLain. Next up, we have Baker Holden, Lori Smith and Erin Strange, all formidable leaders who are essential for everyday coordination of this complex and dynamic operation. These four oversee multiple long-term monitoring efforts, special studies and restoration projects established for the conservation of native species in the San Francisco Bay Estuary and throughout the Sacramento River and San Joaquin River watersheds.
There are four major programs based in the Lodi Fish and Wildlife Office. First is the Delta Juvenile Fish Monitoring Program, which began monitoring juvenile salmon in 1976. Next is the San Joaquin River Restoration Program, which has been working on Chinook Salmon restoration efforts since 2012. Third is the Enhanced Delta Smelt Monitoring Program, the new kid among the monitoring programs, beginning in 2017.Finally, the Anadromous Fish Restoration Program works to restore habitat and connectivity for fishes that migrate into and out of Central Valley tributaries.
The four major programs are what keep the many biologists, administrative staff, technicians, mechanics and boat operators scurrying about. In addition, there is a slew of other special studies based out of the Lodi Office, from fish tracking to invertebrate sampling to computer modeling. All these activities result in the daily ballet of staff to achieve the mission of promoting native, self-sustaining ecosystems through leadership in anadromous fish restoration, and fisheries research and monitoring.
Each program includes activities designed to monitor rare and endangered fishes, like Chinook Salmon or Delta Smelt, but also provides valuable information about habitat use and other fishes in the Sacramento and San Joaquin rivers and Delta. Sampling methods vary by program, target and even season. Sampling equipment includes a variety of different trawl nets, seine nets, electrofishing equipment, zooplankton nets and emergence traps (the list goes on!). The nets and traps filter water, like a whale feeding in the ocean, to catch aquatic organisms ranging from as small as fleas to as large as adult salmon and sturgeon.
With so much sampling activity occurring on a daily basis, repairs are a part of the daily list of tasks to accomplish. Technicians and boat operators can often be seen taking out a Kodiak trawl net from the warehouse to inspect for any needed repairs. It is a massive net, 25 feet wide and 65 feet long. At the end is the live box (called the “cod end”), which allows fish to be safely captured and released back into the Delta after measurements have been recorded. Specialized tools are used to make the necessary repairs to ensure no fish are lost during a sampling effort.
Follow along with future posts to learn more about field sampling and other work conducted by the Lodi Fish and Wildlife Office.
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Photo Credit: All USFWS photos taken by Erin Sharkey.