Lunch Chat: What Salmon Can Teach Us
Hosted by Peter Drekmeier, TRT Policy Director
October 13th, 12:00 - 1:00
You are invited to join Tuolumne River Trust virtually at this month's lunch chat as Peter Drekmeier shares what you can do to support Salmon friendly water policy in the Bay Area.
The Chinook salmon is considered one of the most important keystone species on the West coast. A keystone species is a plant or animal that other species in an ecosystem largely depend on. So much so that if the keystone species were eliminated, the ecosystem would change drastically and potentially collapse.
Historically, well over 100,000 salmon spawned in the Tuolumne. After last year's count of around 1,000 salmon, we are fighting for science-based solutions to give this keystone species a chance to flourish again.
Salmon populations are on the decline, largely due to the lack of freshwater inflow. The salinity balance of the Bay-Delta has been altered to such a degree that it has impacted the entire food web – from bacteria and algae communities to top predators, such as large birds, bears, and orcas, the Tuolumne’s Chinook Salmon influence the survival of countless species in these fragile ecosystems. By altering our freshwater ecosystems so dramatically, humans have created conditions that favor non-native species that evolved in slow-moving, warm water—such as bass that feed on baby salmon—over native species.
If you're wondering how you can help support environmental protection, advocating is one of the best and most tangible ways of making a difference. When the public speaks, decision-makers listen.
You can register for this chat here: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZUucO6prz8rG9CaTUrtIRzfctMNtsqgAvaN