Weir Case Study: Stanislaus River, California

Location:	California's Central Valley
Application:	Monitor adult escapement
Client:	U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Anadromous Fish Restoration Program (J.D. Wikert)
When:	2002 — 2007
Equipment:	Passage chute Live trap Vaki RiverWatcher
Species:	Chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha) steelhead (Oncorhynchus mykiss)

DESCRIPTION:

The functionality of the weir was tested successfully in the Stanislaus River Weir Project (SRWP) in 2002, proving the usefulness of resistance board weir technology in the California Central Valley. Funding was provided by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Anadromous Fish Restoration Program (AFRP).

In 2003, passive monitoring equipment, the Vaki RiverWatcher, was added as a method to monitor adult Chinook salmon and steelhead escapement. The 2003 season was a great opportunity to improve this new technology combination, and detect and solve any potential issues.

By 2004, the weir was perfected, and became a pioneer project for the use of this type of technology to monitor adult escapement. Funding from the AFRP continued through the spring of 2007. The SRWP was a great success and has been used as a model for many other weir projects in California and the Pacific Northwest.