A survey has been launched seeking suggestions from the public on how to improve fish passage, as well as the population, at Daguerre Point Dam on the lower Yuba River. The dam is located in Yuba County, about ten miles east of Marysville. The survey is being conducted by the South Yuba River Citizens League and U-C/Santa Cruz. SYRCL says the Army Corps of Engineer-operated dam has been insufficient for over a decade. Graduate student Trevor Kumec says they are also asking community members about their perspectives on river health and water, among other related topics…

click to listen to Trevor Kumec

SYRCL has been trying to convince the Corps to clean fish ladders. But Kumec says removal of the dam also hasn’t been ruled out as an option…

click to listen to Trevor Kumec

SYRCL says fewer than three-thousand Chinook salmon now return to the lower Yuba each year, a 99-percent decrease from the historic population size. Kumec says the brief survey will be conducted at least through February. He says results will provide essential context for future public meetings and will help shape the course of restoration over the coming years. You can find more information through the SYRCL website.