FWA Seeking River Diverters – August 2014

Fish Screen Funding Opportunities –  

Family Water Alliance, Inc. (FWA) is seeking diverters on selected reaches of the Sacramento, Feather and Mokelumne Rivers who may be interested in having their water diversions screened.  Funding has been identified to screen one or more diversions on these watersheds using monies from the federal Anadromous Fish Screen Program and the state Ecosystem Restoration Program.  Currently, this program does not require a cost-share from the landowner.

Benefits of Fish Screening

  • Ensures water supply reliability
    • Fish screen installation satisfies the legal responsibility of the diverter under federal and state Endangered Species Acts to avoid or limit take of listed fish.
    • Screens help protect pumping operations from debris and sediment.
    • New fish screens meet all federal and state environmental regulatory requirements.
  • Helps protect and restore fisheries in California
    • Screening benefits commercially important salmon and steelhead along with resident fish species.
    • Screening can also benefit endangered and threatened fish such as winter-run and spring-run Chinook salmon and green sturgeon

Our Partners

Our partners in this current fish screening effort includes the U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) and Bureau of Reclamation who administer the Anadromous Fish Screen Program (AFSP), and the California Department of Fish and Wildlife, Service, and National Marine Fisheries Service who jointly administer the state Ecosystem Restoration Program.  For more information on the AFSP, please visit their website at http://www.fws.gov/cno/fisheries/cvpia/AnadromFishScreen.cfm.  Information on the CDFW Ecosystem Restoration Program can be found here http://www.dfg.ca.gov/erp/.

Process for Project Selection 

Applications for fish screening funding will be considered for diversions located on:

  • Sacramento River (upstream from Hamilton City near River Mile 184 to Keswick Dam)
  •  Feather River (from the Sacramento River up to the Fish Barrier Dam near the Thermalito Canal)
  • Mokelumne River (from Woodbridge Dam to Camanche Dam).

Each fish screen application submitted for consideration will be evaluated based on its diversion location and site characteristics, timing and quantity of diversions, project costs, engineering and environmental compliance and permitting requirements, and other relevant factors.   Project selection will be made by staff of the partner agencies in collaboration with the FWA.

For any selected projects, the FWA will administer the grant funding including project management, invoicing, contractor management, and all other administrative responsibilities set forth in the funding grant.

How to Apply for the Program

If you are interested in participating in the FWA Fish Screen Program, fill out and submit a landowner application and send to FWA at P.O. Box 365, Maxwell, CA, 95955.  You may contact FWA directly at (530) 438-2026; or by email at fwa@frontiernet.net. Click here for the Fillable FWA FSP Landowner Application.

The FWA greatly appreciates your consideration of participation in the FWA Fish Screen Program.  Applications are requested by March 31, 2015 to qualify for the currently available funding.