Lower Yuba River Implementation Plan

RBI provided a lead role in development of the Implementation Plan for Lower Yuba River Anadromous Fish Habitat Restoration for the Lower Yuba River Fisheries Technical Working Group, a multi-agency group represented by numerous State and federal agencies, environmental groups, and water districts.  The Implementation Plan, funded by CALFED and the Yuba County Water Agency, was developed to provide a framework for identifying and prioritizing habitat restoration and enhancement actions and studies associated with anadromous fishes of the lower Yuba River for near-term implementation.  RBI's primary roles included working closely with the Technical Working Group members to assist in guiding the process, development of physical and biological conceptual models of the lower Yuba River and its anadromous fish resources, and development of the cornerstone of the Implementation Plan, the Biological Benefits Index.  The Biological Benefits Index provides a quantitative method for the Technical Working Group to rank, compare, and prioritize proposed restoration actions, pilot projects, and studies for near-term and long-term implementation in a manner that is consistent with long-term ecosystem and watershed management goals.