Mainstem Eel River Salmon and Steelhead Monitoring

A great team

Tom, Charlie, Eric and Erik from Trout Unlimited, and Dave from CDFW (taking the photo)

Eel River

Mobile Monitoring

RETUs new mobile fish monitoring station.

Packed up for off-road travel

Solar panels secured to front wall, battery bank housed under wooden bench

Switchboard

Circuitry/panels for the electrical system. Solar to battery, battery to inverter, inverter to Didson camera.

Battery Bank

4 sealed AGM batteries - 127 pounds each!

Beginning the Assembly

Having staged the mobile monitoring station, time to set up.

Inverter

1000 watt inverter transforms DC power to AC - to power the Didson camera, laptop, lights, etc.

Solar Assembly

Two 280 watt rigid all weather solar panels to keep the system fully powered, even in non-deal sunlight conditions.

Solar Panel Installation

Dave from CDFW bolts on the panels

Solar Assembly

The team planned for panels to have less than perfect angle and sunlight, and still generate enough power.

Charlie and Eric from RETU assembling the electrical connections.

Quality control

Charlie from RETU is reviewing load maximums and calculations to ensure system integrity.

Solar Assembly

Two persons required to hoist the panels.

Workflow

Walking through powering on the mobile monitoring station, ensuring the instructions are clear.

Didson Cable

Drilling the hole for the Didson camera cable.

Didson Camera Case

The didson camera is a very expensive item, and gets its own bombproof case

Didson cable

Eyeing the hole for the didson camera cable

Didson cable

A very long cable helps to ensure the mobile monitoring station can remain safely back from the river’s edge.

Didson cable

The cable is now extended and connected.

Didson camera

The Didson Camera produces near video-quality data, performing well in opaque waters.

Didson Camera

Testing the Didson camera for signal by holding it in the water, confirming the mobile monitoring station is receiving video.

Didson video

Dave from CDFW reviewing the live Didson camera data streaming in.

Didson video

The team confirms the video is being received back in the mobile monitoring unit.

Slideshow of the Mobile Monitoring Unit - set-up and testing.

Redwood Empire Trout Unlimited is partnering with CDFW and Golden Gate Trout Unlimited on a critical Salmon and Steelhead monitoring project. Our team is assisting the California Department of Fish and Wildlife with the installation and maintenance of a DIDSON sonar “camera” on the mainstem of the Eel River. The use of sonar to monitor salmon is well suited to the variable flow and water clarity that characterizes the Eel River during the winter, when adult salmon are migrating. Sonar technology allows Chinook salmon, and steelhead to be accurately counted as they pass the camera, and provides valuable data that will aid in recovery efforts on the Eel.

Trout Unlimited is assisting CDFW by providing a power supply trailer that allows the equipment to be used at a remote site and additional funding for labor to help operate the project.

Read the reports:

2018-2019

2019-2020

How you can help:

Donate: Give Today to Support RETU member and volunteer led restoration work
Follow us on Facebook: Keep up on the latest news on the Eel River project and opportunities to help conservation work
Volunteer: Join our volunteer list to learn about opportunities to help watershed restoration
Join: Join as an RETU member to show your support for all the conservation work we do in the Redwood Empire region

For More Information