November CreekSpeak w/ James Newcomb, CA Department of Water Resources: Looking Downstream in the Putah Creek Watershed

James Newcomb serves as Assistant Deputy Director within the Integrated Watershed Management Program at California Department of Water Resources. For the past two years, he has overseen the State’s implementation of near-term restoration projects at Salton Sea and led the development of the Salton Sea Long-Range Plan. In 2011, James led the development of the Yolo Bypass Salmonid Habitat Restoration Implementation Plan, which called for major infrastructure changes within the Yolo Bypass. For the next decade, James worked with several federal and local partners to deliver projects to create improved habitat for Salmon and Sturgeon.

During this CreekSpeak, James will provide an overview of recent and ongoing habitat improvements in the Yolo Bypass. This presentation will 1) highlight the science that informed design of fish passage and floodplain restoration projects 2) provide a status update on project implementation, and 3) describe how these projects might influence positive changes on Putah Creek, particularly related to Salmon.

James moved to the town of Winters as a kid and spent most of his free time tromping around Putah Creek chasing Rainbow Trout. His time on Putah Creek piqued an interest in riverine and creek ecosystems, eventually leading to a career path in habitat restoration. James and his family currently live near Putah Creek. He still enjoys occasionally chasing Rainbow Trout but is not very successful in that regard.

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