Clifton Court Forebay Predation Reduction Alternatives – Electrofishing Study

In 2016, DWR embarked on a three-year study to investigate whether electrofishing and relocating predatory fish in Clifton Court Forebay helped improve the survival of Chinook Salmon and Central Valley steelhead.

Electrofishing is a common scientific method used to evaluate fish populations to determine abundance, density, and species composition. Electrofishing results in no permanent harm to fish, which return to their natural state quickly after being caught. Removal of predatory fish is timed to coincide with salmon and steelhead outmigration periods. All captured non-native predatory fish will be relocated to other water bodies, such as Bethany Reservoir. Electrofishing is one of four measures identified by the 2009 National Marine Fisheries Services Biological Opinion that DWR is required to implement.