The Mendocino National Forest is a verdant sanctuary home to Clear Lake, the oldest lake in North America. This lake provides the only habitat for the Clear Lake Hitch, a state-listed threatened species of fish that is being considered for additional listing on the U.S. Endangered Species Act. Tribal, local, state and federal governments developed a plan to reverse the dramatic decline in the fish’s population, which included addressing habitat degradation from invasive carp and goldfish species in Clear Lake.
In 2022, WSB, Big Valley, Robinson Rancheria Pomo, the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (DFW) and Lake County began this project after roughly one year of planning. Phase One of the project included development of an initial carp and goldfish abundance estimate, as no baseline data existed and surgical implant of 30 high frequency radio tags in carp and goldfish for tracking purposes. This was the beginning of a multi-year and multi-phase project to reverse the course on the Hitch’s declining population. WSB specifically developed a work plan that involved coordinating field crews for two separate site visits at Clear Lake, each lasting three days. The plan utilized California DFW boats, local guides and tribal staff to locate the tagged carp and goldfish using electrofishing and gill nets. WSB staff were present to lead these efforts and ensure proper data collection. From this data, WSB drafted a report that identified the baseline carp and goldfish population estimates and found them above management thresholds, necessitating next steps.