Putah Creek Content

Functional Flows and Native Fish

Andy Fell — February 25, 2025 - 3:44pm

There are many demands on California water, and one of them is how much water to leave in streams to protect native fish and ecosystems. A recent approach to this question is to look at "functional flows:" not so much the total amount of water, but when it is flowing and what it is doing.

Putah Creek is a Restoration Success Story

Andy Fell — July 10, 2023 - 9:51am

In 1957, completion of the Monticello dam closed off natural stream flows in Putah creek, which flows down from the coastal ranges past the UC Davis campus and into the Yolo bypass. Native fish disappeared from the creek, which sometimes dried up completely in summer time.

Restoration efforts began in 2000 following the Putah creek accord. Since then, native fish have returned to the creek, including spawning salmon first noticed in 2015. The creek is now a stable, flourishing ecosystem, even though 95 percent of the creek's water is still diverted for agriculture.

Little Creek, Big Impact

Katherine E Kerlin — March 14, 2018 - 2:43pm

A small sliver of wildness is having a big impact on the birds, fish and wildlife near UC Davis. Birds at Putah Creek have more than doubled since water was restored to the creek in 2000. "The planet needs places like this," said UC Davis ecologist Melanie Truan.