M. Matson & S/V Salish Nomad (@salishnomad.bsky.social)

Looking Back, Moving Forward: Historical Ecology as a Tool for Restoration in the Sacramento Valley and Beyond They say that those who don’t know history are doomed to repeat it. While initially used in the context of politics, this quote holds true, as well, for the restoration of California’s rivers and the recovery of the fish populations that depend on them. After nearly two centuries of dramatic alteration to the landscapes through which California’s rivers run, nearly 2/3 of the state’s 132 native fish populations are in steep decline.( We stand to lose 45% of our remaining native salmon and trout in the next 50 years unless current trends change sufficiently to halt the decline.( If we want things to turn out differently, we must look back at our history and learn. Despite California's diverse landscape and its large number of species and populations, there is a single common recovery goal that applies to all of them: each native fish must be able to recognize the river in which it evolved and the patterns of biological and physical conditions to which it is adapted. This is as true for a cottonwood, a bank swallow, or a giant garter snake as it is for a salmon. All native life is shaped over evolutionary timeframes, by the unique sequences... https://caltrout.org/news/looking-back-moving-forward-historical-ecology-as-a-tool-for-restoration-in-the-sacramento-valley-and-beyond/