Fish Acclimation

The Foundation is seeking to modify our past pen-rearing program in the Bay to pen acclimate salvaged fish in the estuary near Pittsburg and Antioch. Pen acclimation of salvaged fish is one of many means being considered by the California Department of Water Resources and the US Bureau of Reclamation to improve survival of fish collected at the fish facilities at the South Delta pumping plants. Millions of native and non-native fish living in or passing through the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta are salvaged each year at the fish screening facilities of the pumping plants and trucked to release sites in the Delta near Sherman Island. The Foundation is seeking grants from the Striped Bass Stamp Program, CALFED, the Four Pumps Program (State Pumping Plant Mitigation Program), and Tracy Mitigation Program (Federal Pumping Plant Program) to acclimate salvaged fish in pens for up to 24 hours to improve survival. Such a program will improve survival of striped bass, black bass, salmon, and steelhead, as well as many other species including threatened delta smelt and splittail that are collected at fish salvage facilities.