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Habitat Complexity at Tillas Slough, Smith River Estuary,
Del Norte County, California, with respect to the Endangered Tidewater Goby.
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| TILLAS SLOUGH AT SLACK HIGH TIDE 2006. Photo by Bradford Norman. |
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| 4 FEBRUARY 2006 - TILLAS SLOUGH (Bradford Norman: photographer) |
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| 5 DECEMBER 2005: TILLAS SLOUGH (B.R.Norman photo) |
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| 5 DECEMBER 2005: TILLAS SLOUGH (Norman photo). |
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| 14 JANUARY 2006 (Photographer: Bradford Norman). |
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| 14 JANUARY 2006 (Photographer: Bradford Norman). |
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| 5 MARCH 2006 (Photo by: B.Norman). |
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| 11 MARCH 2006 (Photographer: B. Norman). |
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| 11 MARCH 2006 (Photo By: B. Norman). |
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Southern California Construction Project Monitoring: CARPENTERIA
CREEK. Photos by: Carl Page.
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| CLICK ON IMAGESTO ENLARGE |
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Tidewater Goby Burrow-Nest, Southern California Creek, 2002. Carl Page Photographs. |
Tidewater goby burrow and courting adults. |
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Tidewater goby on burrow nest. |
Tidewater goby with courtship colors. |
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| TILLAS SLOUGH, DEL NORTE CO., CALIF. 5 DEC. 2005; NORTHERNMOST HABITAT FOR TIDEWATER GOBY. |
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| PHOTO BY CARL PAGE: 7 JUNE 2006 - CONFUSION HILL SITE. |
| SMITH RIVER 10 JANUARY 2006- MAPPING & FLOW STUDY |
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PRESENT PROJECTS:
SUMMER 2006: Confusion Hill Biological Monitoring.
Spring 2006:
In May ARS Biologists conducted Fish Stranding Observations & Fish
Sampling at Lake Tolowa Lagoon. These efforts were reported on in the Daily Triplicate, a local newspaper in
Del Norte County, CA,on 25 May 2006. See Below for Scanned Copy.
Continued Salamander Monitoring.
Continued Educational Resource Development.
Continued Cooperation with Local
Herpetology-Related Resources
Carl Page presented a lecture on
Tidewater Goby habitat preferences in the Lake Earl Lagoon System, 30 March 2006, at American Fisheries Society
Meeting, San Luis Obispo, CA.
He presented another Lecture at Pepperdine University on 13 May 2006 on the Efficacy of Block-Nets &
Inclusive Beach Seine Nets Combined for Quantitatively Evaluating Fisheries Resources: a case study from the
Lake Earl Lagoon System, Del Norte County, California.
Bradford Norman presented a lecture on the
Amphibians of Northern California, at the Aleutian Goose Festival, in Crescent City, CA, 2 April 2006.
He presented multiple lectures on the Amphibians of California at Hoppa High School on 28
February 2006.
On 4 June 2006, he presented a Herpetology Program and presentation at the Lake Earl State
Park Center Office, Old Mill Road, Crescent City, CA. About 20 participants viewed a slide show of Del Norte County
amphibians & reptiles & their variation and habitats. A trail hike continued in the field and participants saw 3 species
of garter snakes, many Pacifc Treefrogs, a juvenile newt, 2 California slender salamanders and 3 Northern Alligator Lizards
all within about 2 trail hours.
Winter 2005-2006:
Assessment of Tidewater Goby Habitat At Tillas Slough, the northernmost
locality for the species. A digital photographic record of tidal and climatic factors
affecting the habitat for Tidewater Goby at Tillas Slough, the northernmost known recorded site of existence for the species,
which is restricted to California coastal lagoons and has undergone a 94% reduction in its known habitat in historic times
(1852- 1994).
Smith River Mapping & Flow Dynamics Project. A photographic record of flow dynamics and river levels in conjunction with the steelhead creel surveys from December
2005 through Spring 2006. Includes monitoring with digital photography methods.
Lake Earl System Tidewater Goby Stranding and Breaching Monitoring Project. Through digital photography; an on-going effort to assess fish stranding during and after breaches of the
lagoon system and linking GPS data to stranding sites. We are presently analyzing data from 1996, 1997, 1998, 2003, 2005 and
2006.
Lake Earl Salmonid Habitat Restoration Program. Bradford Norman received approval of a grant request from the Del Norte County Fish & Game Advisory
Council on 5 January 2006, that will assist in funding salmonid habitat restoration in the Lakeview Boat Ramp area with emphasis
on exotic species removal, especially Bullfrog (Rana catesbeiana) and smallmouth bass. This first year will focus
on whether bullfrogs or bass are predating on tidewater goby or native coastal cutthroat trout .
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| MIDDLE FORK SMITH RIVER -FLOW STUDY 4 DECEMBER 2005. |
| Click Image to ENLARGE Details. |
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| DANIELS & PAGE ELECTROFISHING SPANISH CREEK, JUNE 2005. |
Summer 2005:
Spanish Creek Hardhead Minnow (Special Concern Species)
Surveys, Plumas County, CALIFORNIA: Fisheries Surveys, June & July 2005. Electro-shocking and snorkeling
surveys for clearance of a Caltrans Bridge Replacement Project, with IBIS Environmental.
Vandenberg Airforce Base, Tidewater Goby & Unarmored
Threespine Stickleback Surveys, southern California (November 2005) ARS wrote a proposal to conduct genetic studies
on southern California and Unarmored stickleback populations, especially Gasterosteus
aculeatus williamsoni Girard, a Federally Listed subspecies, with SRS Technologies. This year presence surveys
are planned in Barka Slough, San Antonio Creek, on the Base.
Del Norte County Amphibian Distribution Study. 2004-present
(through Fall 2005).
An on-going Compilation of verifiable historical,
field, literature, museum and biologist records, as well as ARS records for salamanders across California's most northwestern
county, Del Norte County, just south of the Oregon Coast border. Records are being collected into a database that will allow
for the publication of the distributions in hardcopy, CD and web formats, with interactive maps, applicable through various
scales. ARS is cooperating with wildlife consultant Alan Barron on this project.
Redwood Park Amphibian Road Mortality Study. Initiated by B. Norman in Fall 2000, during his herpetology surveys for the Crescent City Marsh Restoration Project,
through Humboldt State University Foundation, and tied to Fall 1991 survey data collected by Dana Waters, then of Redwood
Sciences Lab, Arcata; the present study from Fall 2004-Fall 2005, has documented daily kills of upto 116 counted road
mortalities of reptiles and amphibians along a 1.5 mile stretch of road during peak migration periods in conjunction with
heavy automobile traffic and warm, rainy weather at one of Redwood Parks' most-driven roads, Endert's Beach, just north of
Crescent City. Field studies are on-going and data analysis is in progress.
Lake Earl Lagoon System Water Quality and Fish Distribution
Study, Del Norte County, CA: On-going since 1998. See Link Below for details of the
previous dataset.
Greenwood Creek Tailed Frog & Southern seep salamander Surveys, June 2005.
Mendocino County, CA: Specialized amphibian surveys for a Caltrans Bridge Replacement Project, with IBIS Environmental.
Life history study of the Federally Threatened Fort Dick Caddisfly, Del
Norte County, CA: known from a single male adult specimen, the Fort Dick caddisfly is perhaps one the
rarest species of insects in California. The larvae have not been found or identified. We are studying the taxonomy
of Lake Earl specimens to determine the status of this rare & listed-Threatened lake-dwelling species in the genus: Limnephilus.
Previous Projects:
| Click Below to ENLARGE. |
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Click Here for Link to Tidewater Goby - Lake Earl Study Data for 1998-2006.
| CLICK IMAGE TO ENLARGE DETAIL. |
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| LAKE TOLOWA-EARL BREACH SITE DECEMBER 2005. |
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| LAKE TOLOWA - EARL BREACH MONITORING 19 DECMEBER 2005. |
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