CVPIA Fisheries Program Progress
CVPIA: The Doubling Goal

Chinook Salmon Natural Production Targets

Central Valley 990,000

Fall Run 750,000

Late-Fall Run 68,000

Spring Run 68,000

Winter Run 110,000

“...implement a program which makes all reasonable efforts to 

ensure that, by the year 2002, natural production of anadromous fish 

in Central Valley rivers and streams will be sustainable, on a long 

term basis, at levels not less than twice the average levels attained 

during the period of 1967-1991”.
CVPIA: The Doubling Goal

48.3 % of Goal

Butte Creek 155 % Deer Creek 56%

Clear Creek 149 %

0

200,000

400,000

600,000

800,000

1,000,000

195219541956195819601962196419661968197019721974197619781980198219841986198819901992199419961998200020022004200620082010

Production (natural production of fall-run

for the Central Valley)

Adult escapement (Grand Tab)

Baseline (Mills and Fisher)
• Improve habitat for all life stages of anadromous fish through 

provisions of flows of suitable quality, quantity, and timing, and 

improved physical habitat.

• Improve survival rates by reducing or eliminating entrainment of 

juveniles at diversions.

• Improve the opportunity for adult fish to reach their spawning 

habitats in a timely manner.

• Collect fish population, health, and habitat data to facilitate 

evaluation of restoration actions.

• Integrate habitat restoration efforts with harvest and hatchery 

management.

• Involve partners in the implementation and evaluation of 

restoration actions.

CVPIA: Doubling Goal Objectives
The FRP identified 289 actions (128 CPAR) to be 

implemented by the Program that would help achieve the 

Act’s anadromous fish doubling goal.

The FRP, doubling goals, objectives, and new information are 

used to guide the implementation of restoration actions in 

collaboration with others including other State and Federal 

agencies and Stakeholders in the Central Valley.

The Final Restoration Plan (FRP) focused on 26 watersheds, 

Misc. creeks, westside tributaries, and the Delta.

CVPIA: Reasonable Actions
Harry Rectinwald - DFG CVPIA: Progress towards 

3407(d)(1) – Battle Creek

- 12 Total Actions, 9 CPAR Actions

- 5 of 9 or 56% Complete

A6. Construct fish screens on all PG&E diversions, as appropriate, after 

both phases of upstream flow actions (see Action 1) are completed and 

fish ladders on Coleman and Eagle Canyon diversion dams are opened. Structural

A7. Improve fish passage in Eagle Canyon by modifying a bedrock ledge 

and boulders that are potential barriers to adult salmonids, and rebuild 

fish ladders on Wildcat and Eagle Canyon diversion dams. Structural

A8. Screen CNFH intakes 2 and 3 to prevent entrainment of juvenile 

chinook salmon and steelhead. Structural

Non- E1. Evaluate the effectiveness of fish ladders at PG&E diversions. Structural
CVPIA: Progress towards 

3407(d)(1) – Butte Creek

- 38 Total Actions, 34 CPAR Actions

- 29 of 34 or 85% Complete

A14. Install a fish screen at White Mallard Dam. Structural

A17. Install screened portable pumps in Butte Creek as an alternative to 

the Little Dry Creek diversion. Structural

E12. Evaluate enhancement of fish passage at a natural barrier below Nonthe Centerville Diversion Dam. Structural

E13. Evaluate fish passage enhancement at PG&E diversion dams and Nonother barriers above Centerville Diversion Dam. Structural

E15. Evaluate juvenile and adult chinook salmon stranding in Sutter 

Bypass and behind Tisdale, Moulton, and Colusa weirs during periods of Nonreceding flows on the upper mainstem Sacramento River. Structural
CVPIA: Progress towards 

3407(d)(1) – American River

- 13 Total Actions, 5 CPAR Actions

- 2 of 5 or 40% Complete

A4. Reconfigure Folsom Dam shutters for improved 

management of Folsom Reservoir's cold water pool and better 

control over the temperature of water released downstream. Structural

A9. Terminate current programs that remove woody debris from Nonthe river channel. Structural

E1. Evaluate the effectiveness of pulse flows to facilitate Nonsuccessful emigration of juvenile salmonids. Structural
CVPIA Fisheries Program Revisioning
An Independent Science Review of Central Valley 

Project Improvement Act (CVPIA) Fisheries program 

identified four major recommendations as part of the 

“Listen to the River” report. These include: (1) update 

and improve the program’s science-based framework, 

(2) reorganize program structure and management, (3) 

improve implementation by making full use of CVPIA 

authorities, and (4) improve collaboration with all 

related programs in the Central Valley. 

Problem Statement (Part I)
These recommendations identified the need to 

develop a new comprehensive, science-based 

approach that explicitly links CVPIA activities with 

Program objectives. The review also 

recommended that the framework incorporate 

uncertainty and allow for integration of new 

information to improve scientific understanding 

and increase the effectiveness of CVPIA activities.

Problem Statement (Part II)
The project proposes to use a structured decision 

making approach to develop a framework that allows 

decision-makers to prioritize CVPIA activities and guide 

planning of broad scale activities. A transparent 

prototype decision model will be developed that (1) 

integrates large scale CVPIA program elements into a 

single science-based framework; (2) explicitly links 

restoration activities to ecological/environmental 

objectives; and (3) can be used to identify and prioritize 

large scale restoration activities based on programmatic 

objectives and constraints.

Objectives
Development of a science-based decision process and producing an 

updated implementation plan. The science-based decision process 

will require (1) revisiting Program objectives and performance 

measures with State and Federal agencies, and stakeholders, (2) 

developing a system-wide conceptual/quantitative model to help 

guide Program decisions, (3) reassessing monitoring and evaluation 

efforts given revised objectives, performance measures, and 

models, and (4) integrating independent scientific reviews into the 

organizational structure of the Program. The results from the 

science-based decision process will provide the strategic approach 

and foundational pieces for the Implementation Plan that will 

serve as the Program’s longer-term guiding document. 

Deliverables
■ Title 34 Public Law 102-575 

■ CVPIA PEIS

■ The Final Restoration Plan

Decision Context (Part I) 
CVPIA

CV Program 

Plans

ESA, BO’s

■ Compliment 

Recovery Plans

■ Incorporate existing 

Watershed Plans

■ Strengthen interagency 

& stakeholder 

process

Decision Context (Part II) 
1. Science-based decision process and updated 

implementation plan will provide guidance on how to 

realign the organizational structure of the Program.

2. Integrated plan that aligns priorities amongst the agencies 

allows for the examination of where agency priorities 

overlap.

3. Will allow for additional specificity and refinement of the 

Final Restoration Plan

4. Improved transparency and efficiency

Benefits
• Structured Decision-making (SDM)

• Science-based decision Process

• Implementation Plan

• Reinvigorate multi-agency collaborations

• Reinvigorate stakeholder collaborations

Summary
THE END