Under current practices, the decomposition water percolates into the fields and very little of the “fish food” produced on these managed agricultural floodplains drains back to the river. However, with altered management practices, there is potential to pass on these critically important floodplain resources to the river where they may boost the aquatic ecosystem’s depleted food resources and help recover endangered fish populations.
In 2017, CalTrout launched the Fish Food on Floodplain Farm Fields (Fish Food) project with goals to better understand aquatic food web productivity on managed floodplains, and to work with farmers and water suppliers to pioneer new practices aimed at reintegrating floodplain food sources back into the greater Sacramento Valley ecosystem in the hopes that it will recover fish and wildlife populations. In simple terms, getting the food from the floodplain to the river.
We know the food is there, but it remains unclear if the “standing stock” of bugs can be exported to the river for fish to feed on. This year we will be researching the reintegration of floodplain food, studying how zooplankton responds to draining, re-flooding, and moving through drainage canal systems, and whether there are observable, localized effects from boosting the Sacramento River with the drain water rich in floodplain-derived food and nutrients.
Even during times of drought, California can get far more “pop per drop” from water used by putting it to work, creating multiple benefits for both fish and people on its way downstream. The innovative water management pioneered in our projects demonstrated that California can have its fish and its farm, and they can work together in harmony.
"California can get far more
'pop per drop' from water used by
putting it to work, creating multiple
benefits for both fish and people
on its way downstream."
- Dr. Jacob Katz