California Department of Fish and Wildlife

The California Department of Fish and Wildlife (formerly "Department of Fish and Game") maintains native fish, wildlife, plant species and natural communities for their intrinsic and ecological value and their benefits to people.

This includes habitat protection and maintenance in a sufficient amount and quality to ensure the survival of all species and natural communities.

The department is also responsible for the diversified use of fish and wildlife including recreational, commercial, scientific and educational uses.

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Socio-ecological Potential for Co-management of Tidal Wetlands for Fish and Fowl

This project explores how alternative wetland management strategies in Suisun Marsh can support juvenile Chinook salmon, waterfowl, and local communities by enhancing food webs, water quality, and ecological benefits.

North Delta Arc of Native Fishes

This project examines how the Delta’s landscape, water flows, and ecological conditions shape habitats and support native fish, using field data to model ecosystem function and guide tidal marsh restoration.

Food webs of 10 lakes before and after a mega-wildfire

The explosion and intensification of climate-driven mega-wildfires over recent years highlights a pressing need to better understand these impacts at all scales. Yet despite increasing wildfire disturbance, there lacks understanding of the extent to which fire may alter trophic structure in lakes, or the degree to which fire-effects are mediated by ecosystem architecture. What little is known derives primarily from boreal environments, and there have been no pre- versus post-fire food web comparisons to date.

Refining a practice standard for conservation of salmon that volitionally access winter-flooded rice fields

Origin and Abundance of Chinook Salmon in Putah Creek

This project monitors Chinook salmon abundance, reproduction, and migration in Putah Creek through carcass surveys, juvenile trapping, acoustic tagging, and ecological studies, supporting science-based conservation and serving as a training ground for future fisheries and watershed professionals.

Reconnecting Winter run to their ancestral waters: monitoring reintroduction success on the McCloud River

This project supports the reintroduction of endangered winter-run Chinook salmon to the McCloud River by implementing a comprehensive monitoring program that tracks productivity, survival, health, migration, and ecological conditions to inform management decisions and evaluate reintroduction success in collaboration with tribal, state, and federal partners.

California Salmon Thiamine Deficiency Research and Mitigation

This project investigates thiamine deficiency in California Chinook and coho salmon, linking dietary shifts toward northern anchovies to reproductive failure and neurological dysfunction, while developing monitoring and mitigation strategies to protect endangered populations.

Resiliency of California fishes

This project advances models of stream baseflow and evaluates native fish sensitivity to flow variability across California, integrating improved hydrologic predictions, fish-flow analyses, and long-term monitoring data to guide sustainable water management and conservation of native freshwater species.

Modeling green sturgeon movement and population change in Central California

This project aims to develop an individual-based model of threatened green sturgeon in California’s Sacramento River to simulate how climate change and water management — such as altered flows, passage, and temperature — affect their population dynamics, habitat use, and movement.

Quantifying relative risk of collapse for Delta fish populations

This project develops and applies statistical tools to long-term monitoring data in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta to identify fish populations at risk of collapse and highlight management actions that could prevent irreversible declines.

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