California Department of Fish and Game (CDFG)
P.O. Box 365
Yreka, CA 96097
(530) 842-3109 (Hampton)
(530) 842-2168 (Chesney)
(530) 842-1162 (fax)
Mentors:
Bill Chesney, Associate Fisheries Biologist
Mentor Biography
bchesney@dfg.ca.gov
Diana Chesney, Fisheries Biologist
Mentor Biography
dchesney@dfg.ca.gov
Current Members:
Kirsten Barbarick
Member Biography
Tara Blackman
Member Biography
Site Description:
At the California Department of Fish and Game office in Yreka, members assist in monitoring anadromous fish populations primarily through participating in field surveys and downstream-migrant trapping. Yreka is possibly the most field intensive site. The two main projects here are the Klamath River Project (KRP) and the Anadromous Fish Research and Monitoring Program (AFRAMP) both of which aim at generating population estimates of salmon and steelhead trout in the Klamath River watershed.
In the fall, members work on the Klamath River Project with Mark Hampton. Most of your time will be spent conducting adult spawner surveys on the Salmon River, Scott River, and Bogus Creek. Surveys are conducted twice weekly on each river throughout the Fall Chinook spawning season. Each day on these surveys you will walk two to four miles of scenic river counting live Chinook salmon, mapping redds, and collecting data on salmon carcasses. Make sure your legs are conditioned for walking over rough terrain or you will start the season off with many a sore-muscled mornings. Coho salmon spawner surveys are also conducted by the Resource Conservation District (RCD) in Etna and DFG in December and January. On these surveys you will have the unique opportunity to walk some of the beautiful creeks of the lushly forested upper Scott Valley. In addition to spawner surveys, KRP operates Video Fish Counting Facilities on the Shasta River and Bogus Creek to estimate salmon escapement. Weirs direct fish entering these tributaries through a counting flume where a video camera records the movement of Salmon and Steelhead 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. You may find yourself watching “Fish TV,” everyone’s favorite reality show at the office. During this time, you may want to take a day off from spawner surveys and help out at Iron Gate Hatchery (IGH) where Chinook are recovered and spawned to satisfy mitigation goals. In the Spring, if you wish you can spend a day or more at the hatchery clipping and tagging juvenile Chinook in order to distinguish them from wild fish.
Under Bill Chesney, you will participate in the Anadromous Fish Research and Monitoring Program which runs rotary screw traps from February to July or August depending on flows and water temperature. These traps are located on the Shasta and Scott Rivers and catch juvenile salmon and steelhead trout along with other aquatic animals such as lampreys. Mark-recapture methods are used to determine trap efficiency and overall populations of downstream migrants entering the Klamath River on their way to the ocean. While you will work several days a week at the rivers processing the traps and gathering data and scale samples, you will also have work at the office recording data, performing data entry, and collecting and preparing scales and otolith for study.
Amid the fieldwork, you will have plenty of time for education. You will work with local schools to educate K-12 students on watershed processes, salmonid life cycles, and sound land use practices. In addition to classroom education, Yreka WSP members in cooperation with the Siskiyou County Office of Education have become invaluable contributors to fun outdoor fieldtrips and science enrichment days.
Fish Printing at "Science Fun Days"
Time members spend on each of the following tasks:
Monitoring - 30%
Field Surveys and Data Collection - 20%
Report Writing and Data Entry - 15%
Lab Work - 0%
Education - 20%
Outreach - 15%
Member comments:
Please check back!
Mentor comments:
"One of the most rewarding parts of my job has always been having the opportunity to meet and work with Americorps members from all over the USA. The diverse backgrounds and perspectives of the WSP members have been very beneficial to our fisheries team. We strive to provide a good balance of field work and office work and an experience that is both challenging and enjoyable."
- Diana Chesney
For a sample calendar of WSP member duties at this site, click HERE.
A nice place to break for lunch on the Scott River
In the midst of a spawner survey on the Scott River
Community Information:
Recreation
Yreka is nestled in the northernmost corner of the Shasta Valley and enjoys the variety of all four seasons. It is surrounded by beautiful rivers, mountain lakes, forested wilderness, caves, and lava beds. The ecology and landscape of the region boasts an exceptional level of diversity, from the sagebrush and juniper of the high desert to the mixed conifer forests of the Scott Bar Mountains. At the southern end of the Cascade Range, the 14,000 foot volcano Mount Shasta dominates much of the landscape. Its lofty crown and glaciated slopes seem not of this world and have made it a traditional spiritual focal point to five Native American Groups.
In the winter months there is no shortage of outdoor activities. You can ski down Shasta’s slopes at the Mt Shasta Board & Ski Park where there is also cross-country skiing, snowshoeing, and snow tubing (www.skipark.com). The park is about 45 minutes from Yreka. In addition, if you get your fill of Mt. Shasta and are looking for someplace different, Mt Ashland offers a whole new set of trails, also about 45 minutes away (www.mtashland.com).
When the snow melts you’ll be enjoying the great outdoors, as Yreka is literally surrounded by Klamath National Forest land providing endless opportunities for hiking and backpacking. Especially scenic are the Russian Mountains, Marble Mountains, and the Trinities, not to mention Mount Shasta and Castle Crags State Park to the south (http://www.visitsiskiyou.org/hiking.htm). In the spring and summer, there are many local river rafting companies who will guide you down the Klamath, Scott, and Salmon Rivers (http://www.riverdancers.com/spring.html). These rivers are also renowned by kayakers everywhere. If you are into biking, Siskiyou County has lots to offer in scenic road biking and exhilarating mountain biking. The city of Yreka itself holds the Humbug Hurry-Up Mountain Bike Race in June at the Greenhorn Park which offers a newly built singletrack along slopes of oak and pine. You can use this local park for short hikes or jogs after work. From its upper trails, you can catch a spectacular view of the Greenhorn Lake, city of Yreka, and the Shasta Valley. The Yreka Creek Greenway offers a walking trail, picnic area, and feeling of peaceful seclusion. It is only a five minute walk from the DFG office.
Social & Music
Yreka holds a free summer concert series in the park. These are a nice way to spend a Friday evening. Bring your lawn chair, blankets, and dancing feet and enjoy the classic rock, country rock, reggae, or jazz, and best of all it’s free! In addition, Oregon’s Britt Festival, the Pacific Northwest’s premiere outdoor summer performing arts festival, is only an hour away. Featured are groups such as Bela Fleck and the Flecktones, Michael Franti and Spearhead, Blues Traveler, and Cake (www.brittfest.org).
About forty minutes north of Yreka, Ashland is home to the ongoing Oregon Shakespeare Festival (www.osfashland.org) and a number of music venues. You’ll find some top acts stopping here on their way from San Francisco to Portland. Forty minutes south of Yreka is Mt. Shasta City where you can become acquainted with Shastafarian culture. Mt Shasta City also holds concerts and brew fests.
Housing
The housing market around Yreka varies and depends largely on how far you are willing to commute. Sometimes there are a lot of openings and sometimes there seem to be none. Check out the classifieds at www.siskiyoudaily.com and www.mtshastanews.com. There are also a number of realtors in town.
Yreka Creek
