As I write this article, I’m hopeful I’ll make a trip to the Eel River to fish for steelhead before the season ends the end of March. This will be my first time to fish this river and I’m looking forward to learning about this fishery. I remember driving past the Eel many years ago when I lived in the Arcata/Eureka area and being struck by its beautiful deep green color. Not only am I excited about the prospect of getting up there and experiencing the natural beauty of the area, I’m also encouraged by the progress being made to improve the health of the river.
Eel River History
The Eel River once supported the third largest runs of salmon and steelhead in California. Salmon were so plentiful canneries operated on the river in the late 1800s and early 1900s. But, over the years a number of factors have contributed to a severe decline to a small fraction of historical numbers:
Commercial overfishing
Erosion from clear cut timber harvesting, cattle ranching and road building
Introduction of invasive pikeminnow
Floods and drought
Water quality issues
Dam construction
Water diversions
Dam Removal
One of the key developments that have experts encouraged is the planned license surrender and decommissioning of the Scott and Cape Horn Dams by PG&E. This will open the opportunity to completely remove the dams. The result will be to open up 288 miles of spawning and rearing habitat for salmon and steelhead all the way to the river headwaters. The removal of the dams is currently projected to begin in 2028.
Water Diversion to the Russian River
The other related aspect of the dam removal is what to do with the water diversion tunnel at Cape Horn Dam. This is a tunnel that has been sending water to the Russian River watershed since 1908. Earlier this year, a complex Memorandum of Understanding was established by numerous stakeholders: California Department of Fish and Wildlife, California Trout, Eel-Russian Project Authority, Humboldt County, Mendocino County Inland Water and Power Commission , Round Valley Indian Tribes, Sonoma County Water Agency, and Trout Unlimited. This memorandum defines the requirements and infrastructure to allow water to be diverted from the Eel River to the the Russian River. One of the key requirements outlined in this document is that diversions will not negatively impact fish restoration progress. Let’s hope that is the case.
Santa Cruz Fly Fishing provides contributions to Cal Trout, Trout Unlimited and Friends of the Eel River—all of whom have been instrumental in having a positive impact on helping the Eel River making a comeback.
For more insight into the Eel River restoration, have a look at Cal Trout’s Vision Book
and Friends of the River.
Posted on March 26th, 2025
A primary reason I joined the club was to participate in the Fishouts. We are fortunate to have members here who are and have been willing to share some of their favorite places with those in the club. We have members that have been hosting the same trip for over 15 years and every year they sell out with a waiting list. As a club we have the unique opportunity to utilize the vast experiences and knowledge those in the club share. This goes with out saying that with larger groups we are able negotiate better pricing for most of these trips making them much more affordable and accessible to those who might not be able to make such trips a reality. As an example take a look at Rich Hughett’s Loreto trip in Mexico coming up in July. This is a smoking deal with almost all expenses paid with your buy in. All one has to do there after is save the date. Here you join group of anglers that have visited the same location for over 20 years and they are more than willing to share their advise and help getting you to their honey hole.
For this month’s “My Turn” article I’m going to focus on what we as fly anglers can do to make a positive impact on fish and the environment they inhabit. From my own journey in fishing, it wasn’t until I began fly fishing that I started to became increasingly aware of the challenges in improving, sustaining and enhancing native and wild fish populations. During my time with many of you, my fly fishing friends, I’ve been inspired by your awareness and passion for a better future in this sport. And we’ve seen some encouraging signs of hope with coming out of collaboration between many of the conservation organizations we support. The Klamath dam removal project is a shining example. The Carmel River Steelhead Association is a local group dedicated and fighting for their native fish. However, as I write this, I’ve become increasingly concerned that the headwinds facing our fisheries are growing stronger in the face of a number of politically motivated decisions. It’s becoming more urgent that we become stronger voices for fish and their habitats. So, what can we do? Many of us practice conservation already to some degree. Here’s a few suggestions of what we can do on and off the water. Most of my suggestions apply to cold water fish such as trout and salmon, but can be used for other species as well.
