Putah Creek is one of Northern California’s true gems—a clear, fast-flowing tailwater that draws fly fishermen from across the region. Designated as a Wild Trout water, this stretch offers excellent catch-and-release fishing for native rainbow trout amid oak-studded hills and rich riparian habitat.
The Waterbird Habitat Project partnered with Yolo County Parks and the Solano California Conservation Corps crew to protect the habitat by removing abandoned fishing gear from the Putah Creek Fishing Access sites along Highway 128 west of Winters.
This was our second collaboration with this outstanding CCC crew. In August we spent a day with them clearing gear from Mather Lake, and their energy, skill, and teamwork made a difference once again.
Together we worked the trees, the shoreline, and the water itself. Using magnets, long poles, rakes, and careful hands, the group pulled tangled monofilament, hooks, and other gear from places where it can entangle waterbirds and other wildlife.
By the end of the day, we had removed two boxes’ worth of tangled fishing line, along with 25 hooks, 19 lead weights, 11 lures, five bobbers, and five connectors. These are exactly the materials that pose a serious risk of entanglement and ingestion to waterbirds and other wildlife.
We delivered three new stewardship signs and line recycling receptacles to Yolo County Parks. Parks staff will install them at key access points so anglers have a clear, easy way to dispose of used line and tackle. Prevention and partnership are at the heart of what we do.
Putah Creek’s fly-fishing community already shows deep respect for the resource. With these new receptacles in place and the visible results of the cleanup, we hope to make it even easier for everyone who loves this water to keep it safe for the birds, fish, and wildlife that call it home.
Huge thanks to Yolo County Parks for the partnership and access, to the Solano CCC crew for their hard work and positive spirit, and to everyone who showed up ready to get in the water. This is what collaboration looks like—agencies, corps members, and volunteers working together so that Putah Creek remains both a premier fishery and healthy habitat.
We look forward to the next time we get to share the water with this awesome crew!
