Healthy rains bring better fish-viewing opportunities
For the first time in several years, the steelhead trout of Lake Sonoma have a proper environment to come home to after years of drought. “The rains really bring the fish in because that’s what allows them to smell where they were born and brings them back up to spawn,” Friends of Lake Sonoma Executive Director Jane Young said. “It will give us more fish coming up for people to watch.”
Fish watching is just one of the many activities at the 9th annual Steelhead Festival, taking place Saturday, Feb. 11 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Milt Brandt Visitors Center. Admission is free and Young calls it one the largest free family activities in Sonoma County. The festival is “focused on education conservation and endangered and threatened species and how we can accommodate those and help those situations,” Young said.
Steelhead are an ocean-maturing subspecies of rainbow trout. The local population’s habitat was found to be threatened in 2005 and the species itself was listed as threatened on the Endangered Species List in 2006. Unlike many species of fish, they can spawn multiple times in their life and can live to be 11 years old and up to 55 pounds (though such sizes are rare).
The California Fish and Wildlife Department will be conducting tours of the streams and hatcheries, allowing attendees to learn more about how the operation at the Don Clausen fish hatchery works.
In addition, children ages 5-15 will have a chance to fish at a casting pool, and take home a steelhead for dinner. Volunteers will be on hand to help with the cleaning of the catch. There will also be burro rides for kids 3 and up and under 70 pounds.
According to Young, there will also be about 40 different booths from various conservation and non-profit groups. A favorite attraction is always the booth put on by Bird Rescue of Sonoma County, offering people the opportunity learn about local species of birds of prey. “People can get up close and personal with these animals and they really enjoy them,” Young said.
There will also be multiple food vendors and activities like face painting for the kids. Live music will be provided by local Classic Country band HotGrubb. Sponsors Bear Republic Brewing Company and Wine Growers of Dry Creek Valley will also have tents set up selling beer and wine, respectively. “The only thing that really costs anything is the food,” Young said.
The 9th annual Steelhead Festival is hosted by the Friends of Lake Sonoma, U. S. Army Corps of Engineers, the Sonoma County Water Agency and the California Department of Fish & Wildlife. It take place Saturday, Feb. 11 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Admission is free. The festival is located at Milt Brandt Visitors Center at Lake Sonoma, 3288 Skaggs Springs Road, Geyserville. For more information contact Friends of Lake Sonoma, 707-431-4533 or
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