Chi Council for the Clear Lake Hitch

02/03/2019

Protecting Clear Lake water quality is an important element to restoring a stable population of hitch

From July 27 to September 18 2018 the Mendocino Complex Fire, the largest in California history, burned more than 450,000 acres in four counties, with the largest portion in northern Lake County. Although no lives were lost and property damage was comparatively minor, habitat loss was immense and the threat of increased sedimentation into Clear Lake is significant. To mitigate these impacts and provide an example of Best Management Practices (BMPs) the Central Valley Regional Water Quality Control Board (Water Board) awarded a $605,000 grant to the Lake County RCD to install and maintain erosion and sediment control (BMPs) in areas identified by the Water Board as being of particularly high priority.

On their January 23 tour of the project site RCD directors saw a lot of trapped sediments and secure control devices, and were also delighted to learn that some of identified priority sites on Middle Creek are recovering well enough on their own to be removed from the original list.

03/16/2017

here's a message from Chi Council chair Peter Windrem on this year's spawning migration:

Last evening, I viewed fish in Bachelor Valley with Randy Krag and Erica Lundquist. In several locations, we observed schools of three species of native fish mixing together in the same pools. The largest were the Sacramento suckers (21"), the next largest were the hitch (13") and the smallest were pikeminnows (3"-8").

The Sacramento suckers are identifiable by their large size, spread out pectoral fins, dark stripe down their sides from nose to tail, light colored tails, tendency to travel and rest along the bottom of the stream singly or in schools of a few fish, with five or six swirling about together when spawning.

The hitch are sleek with fins mostly tucked against their bodies, bluish gray color when seen from above, travel in schools ranging from 3 or 4 to hundreds of fish moving in the same direction. They spawn in shallow water over gravel is ecstatic displays of wriggling and splashing bodies with a spawning female crowded by 3 to 5 males and fish flipping themselves almost completely out of the water along the edge of the stream.

The pikeminnows look like trout. Their bodies are sleek and slim with a faint stripe down their sides; they are active swimmers. As observed in the creeks, they range in size from 3" to 8". Their presence in large numbers is the most startling observation of this season.

It is fascinating to note that the hitch left the lake and entered streams all around the lake almost simultaneously on Saturday night when the moon was nearly full.

What a remarkable year!

03/13/2017

Reports of migrating hitch are coming in fast and furious from all over Lake County, with confirmed sightings in Adobe, Kelsey, Manning, Thompson and Seigler Creeks as well as numerous drainage ditches in Bachelor Valley. Suckers are coming upstream among the hitch, ospreys abundant, and at least one bald eagle seen. Now is the time for observations! Please send reports to [email protected]

05/26/2016

As usual, the Chi Council is taking the summer off. Our next regularly scheduled meeting will be held on Wednesday SEPTEMBER 21, at the Ag Center. In the meantime, if any exciting fish news comes to our attention we will be sure to let you know, and you can check out observations and photos from this year's spawning migration, download minutes, etc at http://lakelive.info/chicouncil

05/07/2016

In addition to the millions of crappie, bass and other gamefish found in Clear Lake, one of this year’s most numerous species is the threadfin shad. Fishermen report seeing huge schools of shad, some stretching more than a mile. The shad also c

04/15/2016

The Chi Council has just received a report of a small school of hitch (estimate between 6 and 12) in a pool in Schindler Creek (CLO) under the highway 20 bridge. If you're in the vicinity please take a look. And wherever you are please take a look at a nearby creek: two widely spaced sightings in two days may indicate that a secondary spawning run is under way.

04/15/2016

04/14/2016

yet another school of hitch, estimated at about 80 fish, has been reported in Kelsey creek not far downstream from the detention structure: since the structure is now open they could continue upstream as far as the Main Street bridge if they so choose. If you're in the neighborhood please take a look and report back to [email protected]

03/24/2016

Dean Rogers from Robinson Rancheria's environmental department returning a stranded hitch to Cole Creek, Monday March 21. Photo by CDFW biologist Ben Ewing

03/18/2016

Substantial numbers of hitch have been seen today spawning in a flooded meadow off Cole Creek at Green Acres near Clark Drive. This behavior has been common in this location in the past (though reported from nowhere else) but has not taken place in recent years, perhaps because there hasn't been enough water to make it possible.

If you're anywhere near there please take a look and report back by sending an email to [email protected]. Some photos would be great too.

This and many other subjects related to this year's spawning season will be discussed at the next Chi Council meeting, 3:30PM Wed March 23, at the Ag Center as usual -- see you there.

03/11/2016

Many people who are following the hitch spawning migration may have come to the gloomy conclusion that the series of storms we are experiencing must be having a severe negative impact on the survival rate of hitch eggs and fry -- but maybe it's not so. Here's a more optimistic view from biologist Rick Macedo:

"Regarding high flows and displaced eggs and fry, I believe that many fertilized eggs and fry could very well survive high storm flow events. Unlike salmon, trout and other fish species that build redds (fish nests) and have prolonged juvenile development periods, hitch eggs and fry could very well move with, and survive in spite of, high stream flow events, even if they end up being washed into Clear Lake. I wouldn’t count them out."

Passing this along on the theory that we all need as much good news as we can get!

03/03/2016

the hitch run continues: here's a photo of a large migrating school (estimated at 1800 fish) moving up Kelsey Creek below the detention dam -- and a photo of a bobcat stalking them! More pictures and observation results to date at the Chi Council website, http://lakelive.info/chicouncil