Program Spotlights
- Rotary Screw Trap Season Likely to Be Brief
News & Announcements
- March Rainfall Summary
- Earth Day Napa 2022
- Napa RCD's Annual Report Available Online
- Get Ready...May is Garden Month!
- Water Conservation TikTok Challenge
- Save the Date: Community Oak Day
In Case You Missed It
- North Bay Watershed Association Virtual Conference - April 8
- Napa Open Space District's Spring Trails Challenge
- Napa County is Hiring
Upcoming Programs
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Rotary Screw Trap Season Likely to Be Brief |
On March 28, the Napa RCD's Napa River Rotary Screw Trap, located just upstream of Napa, began fishing!
What is a Rotary Screw Trap?
A rotary screw trap is a large metal structure put into a waterway to help count fish that are migrating from freshwater habitats to the ocean. In the Napa River, the Napa RCD operates an 8' trap in the spring to count Chinook salmon and steelhead smolts (young fish heading out to the ocean) that are migrating. We install the trap just upstream of Napa in an effort to collect fish that are coming from most of the Napa River tributaries.
Okay, but what does it do?
This large structure uses the current of the river to turn the wheel, which funnels all fish within its width into a catchment box. Each day the trap is fishing (meaning, whenever there is enough water) Napa RCD staff head out and look at what was caught. They record species, length, weight, clip fins for genetic analysis of the Chinook and the steelhead, and then release the fish. The trap also collects other species, and staff count these as well to understand the numbers of native vs non-native fishes in this part of the Napa River.
Drought conditions = low flows = limited use of Rotary Screw Trap
Over more than ten years, with the exception of last year, we have had sufficient flows in the River to be able to fish with the Trap in March, April, and sometimes even May. However, if you've been paying attention to Paul's monthly rainfall summaries, you will have noticed that this year, we are far below rainfall average for this time of year, and for this water year as a whole. The low-flow conditions of the Napa River the past two years have limited the ability of the Napa RCD staff to do annual fish monitoring with the rotary screw trap. In fact, we were not able to run the trap at all last year. This year, after six days of operation, we have already had to stop fishing. If we do not get more rain, our trapping season will be complete.
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Need some good news?
The good news is that the rotary screw trap has already helped us get a snapshot of the diversity of fish in our river this year!
Here's a quick list of fish and wildlife found so far: Sacramento sucker, Sacramento splittail, Chinook salmon, steelhead trout, sculpin, golden shiner, western pond turtle, bullfrogs, California toads, red slider turtle, California roach, green sunfish, adult Pacific lamprey, larval lampreys, bluegill, fathead minnow, juvenile Pacific lamprey, stickleback, and a few others.
Noteworthy observations so far:
- Chinook salmon have spawned in our River this year!
- Steelhead trout smolts indicated that the River is still providing habitat that allows for spawning and rearing of these threatened fish.
- Staff are seeing mostly native species.
- Out-migrating juvenile Pacific lamprey are a good sign because they need between 5-7 years in our watershed to mature before heading out. That means there was enough water the past few years, even with our drought conditions, to sustain this population!
- The presence of juvenile sculpin and suckers indicate successful spawning by these native species this year.
- The most common species found was the Sacramento sucker.
In more good news, the rotary screw trap is positioned in the river, ready to go if more rain falls.
Stay tuned! We will continue to provide updates through our monthly newsletter and our social media, so be sure to follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok.
*If you want to see a video of the rotary screw trap being put together this year, visit our TikTok here or our Facebook here (you don't need an account with either to view the video). |
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March Rainfall Summary
Paul Blank, Napa RCD Environmental Scientist
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March brought three small storms and five to six days of measurable rainfall to the Napa Valley. Rainfall totals at the County ALERT monitoring stations (napa.onerain.com) were below average for the month, ranging between 0.52 and 1.83 inches, approximately 3.6% of mean annual precipitation. On average, we get 13% of our annual rainfall during the month of March.
So far in Water Year 2021-22 (beginning October 1), we’ve received approximately 74% of our annual rainfall, below the long-term average of 88% for this time of year. Seasonal rainfall totals at the rain gauges range between 19.5 inches (Mt. George) and 37.3 inches (Mt. Veeder).
The end of March marks the end of the winter storm season and therefore we are very likely destined to a third consecutive dry year and continued drought. Historical data from the 100-year Napa State Hospital precipitation record show that we are on track for the driest three-year period on record with a total of only 41 inches of rain since October 2019.
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Earth Day Napa 2022 is Sunday, April 24 |
Earth Day Napa is turning 50 - again - and will feature our regular Community Cleanup from 9-11 AM, along with the return of the family-friendly festival at Oxbow Commons, 11 AM - 4 PM.
This year's cleanup sites include:
- Downtown Napa at Main & Pearl
- South Jefferson Wetlands
- Oxbow District at CIA Copia
- Vintage High School at the Quad
- Kennedy Park
- Westwood Hills Park
- Napa River Trail near NapaSan
- Napa River Trail at Trancas St
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Captained by Troop 7062
- Biking is encouraged due to limited parking at Trancas Crossing Park
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Napa River Trail at Lincoln St
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Captained by Troop 7062
- No Parking at Riverpointe Inn. Biking or walking is encouraged
- Downtown at Napa County Library
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Napa RCD's
Annual Report is
Available Online
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You can now view Napa RCD's 2020-2021 Annual Report Online!
Our annual report shares stories of success from the past year, as well as outlining work we are doing internally to better represent the community members of Napa County.
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Get Ready...
May is Garden Month in Napa County
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Napa RCD is once again partnering with our friends at the City of Napa Water Division and the UC Master Gardeners of Napa County to offer a month of free water-wise landscaping and gardening inspiration for our community.
This year, we will be hosting compost and plant giveaways during two weekends, an open house featuring a variety of climate-smart gardening techniques, and mini workshops focusing on irrigation and soil health!
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Water Conservation Video Contest:
Calling all TikTok Stars!
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This year's Water Conservation Video Contest has taken a turn into the land of TikTok!
As California enters its 3rd year of a historic drought, taking action to conserve water needs to be a priority today and in the future. How can we save water?
Theme 1: Conserve Water, Not Just for Us
- How can we help local wildlife by conserving water?
Theme 2: Be Water-Wise
- What do people need to know about best watering practices for home landscaping?
Students in grades 6-12 in Napa County should apply by creating and posting a 30-second TikTok, and including the hashtag, #ConserveNapaWater. Contestants must make their TikTok public during the following dates so their videos can be judged: May 27 – June 15.
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Save the Date:
Community Oak Day
June 4, 2022 • 9-11am
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Did you join us last fall to plant acorns at Alston Park at our Community Oak Planting Day? Here's your chance to give those seedlings some nurturing before the hot and dry summer months.
More info coming soon, stay tuned!
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North Bay Watershed Association
Annual Conference
April 8, 9am-3pm
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How has climate change impacted water in the North Bay and what can water leaders do about it? The North Bay Watershed Association (NBWA) Conference will convene experts from around the state to uncover the relationships of our varied communities and community members to water and watersheds. The virtual conference will include discussions on programs and infrastructure initiatives underway to adapt to sea level rise, drought, fire, and flood. The conference will tap into issues of water utility services, housing mandates, the state of our workforce and public sector resources, equity, and community engagement strategies.
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Napa Open Space District's
Spring Trail Challenge is Happening Now!
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Get outside to explore new parks and trails while supporting the Napa Open Space District!
Every spring, NOSD hosts the Spring Trails Challenge to help everyone Go Outside and Play and enjoy our parks. It’s the perfect time for exploration here in Napa County with wildflower blooms, green hillsides, and clear days for outstanding views.
Complete 5 trails from the Spring Trails Challenge Guide, photograph yourself and friends on the trail, and be entered to win prizes. Bonus points (and an official event t-shirt) for participants raising funds for NOSD while they complete the challenge.
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Napa County Department of
Planning, Building and Environmental Services is hiring!
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The Napa County Department of Planning, Building and Environmental Services (PBES) is seeking qualified candidates for the position of Planner II – Sustainability.
A Planner II assigned to Sustainability may perform the following duties:
- Plans and facilitates informational workshops for residents, property owners, business owners and managers, municipal staff, real estate professionals, and other stakeholders both online and in person.
- Provides outreach and technical information to the public, contractors, elected officials and staff.
- Develops content for a wide range of communication platforms including reports, social media, websites, videos, business letters, brochures, fliers, and other outreach tools.
- Monitors and evaluates comprehensive outreach activities, including websites, surveys, public education, training, and media activities.
- Assists in the preparation of reports and recommendations on opportunities within the Bay Area Regional Energy Network (BayREN).
- Serves as a representative of the County on boards, committees and community groups.
- Assists with research and preparation of work plans and grant applications including budget estimates and timeframes.
- Assists with the development, implementation, coordination, and evaluation of BayREN, Green Business and sustainability programs/projects.
- Develops relationships with community partners such as community-based organizations, real estate professionals, home contractors, and others to expand opportunities for collaboration.
- Participates in regional committees to develop and execute strategies for implementing the Bay Area Regional Energy Network’s (BayREN) single-family, multi-family, commercial, codes & standards, municipal zero net energy, and green labeling programs.
The application deadline is April 13, 2022.
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Did you know that we have a separate email list for volunteers? |
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Help support Napa RCD - Donate Today!
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Napa County Resource Conservation District | 707-252-4189 | NapaRCD.org
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