CSPA trial survey results are in; Landslide of concern over pumping and collapse of delta fisheries

March 2, 2009 -- Forty-four of the ninety-eight surveys returned as part of a software trial indicated that excessive pumping and delta fisheries were the major concern of those on the CSPA mailing list. Second to the pumping issue was the collapse of the central valley salmon runs with 29 first place rankings. Many of those responding would have marked multiple topics as the most important if the program allowed.

The two topics were part of a five part selection which included the pumping and salmon issues, pollution, the state of the Department of Fish and Game and the state's trout stocking and management. The survey was sent out at 7:30 in the morning and closed in less than six hours with 101 returns, 98 of them posted in the graph section.

A fairly detailed breakdown of the survey results can be viewed by using the link following this article. Thirty five of those surveyed included remarks. The remarks are hidden in the on-line results but are reproduced below minus the responders identification.

The survey was developed to test an add-on service of CSPA's Email provider, Constant Contact. In addition to Email service including self enrollment and account management, the company offers sophisticated tracking for surveys and polls for a small additional fee. A one-time trial was offered where the first 100 responses to a survey or poll would be tracked for free. The software allows reader response and instant viewing of results if the software is set up to accommodate those features.

In preparing the survey some mistakes were made. The editing on the actual survey pages was poor. The greeting page still contained canned text that should have been replaced. However readers plowed their way through the hazards and answered the questions. Because this was our first survey, the software was unfamiliar. The next survey or poll will be prepared with a better understanding of the program's capabilities and features.

We'll do more surveys, since, at $10 per month, regardless of the number run during the month, the cost is reasonable. One caution, while surveys are fun and sometimes can sometimes provide guidance and focus, they can't solve California's fisheries problems.

Link to the poll results. For a greater analysis, click on "Show details".

http://survey.constantcontact.com/survey/a07e2h25xpwfrsusofz/results

The remarks accompanying the survey returns are as follows:

--Pretty much covers everything EXCEPT the San Joaquin. That's the source of much of the delta pollution.
--If the trout management plan is just dealing with stocking trout, I would rate it number 5.
--Actually, the first three all rate a 5 because they are causes and results of the same systemic issue.
--Some issues are statewide, others regional; scales also vary. Need to group big picture issues, smaller scale issues, and so forth. Statewide policies, like development and implementation of TMDLs, benefit streams throughout the state and a variety of species. Another example, CDFG has many problems but the overriding issues are inadequate staffing and management decisions corrupted by the current system of appointing top three tiers of administrators, i.e. director, deputy directors, program
--The failure of State/Federal governments to adequately staff, and fulfill the duties of, our Fish and Game, Forest Service, and Border Patrol agencies, will haunt us and generations to come in our state and in our country.
--Speed up the removal process of dams on the Klamath, and adjust and or monitor the water delivery to the N Cal. farmers. Stop the dewatering of the Klamath tributaries (Salmon River).
--my actual answers would have been: 5, 5, 5, 4, 1
--Actually they all rate a "5"
--Hard to separate or rank these because they are all interconnected and extremely important. Thanks for your efforts...
--Expansion of water banking/transfers by Agri-business. Trading of water through derivatives (like futures in commodities).
--You are confusing, and need to correct the usage, of the term rank, and rate. The instructions tell us to "Rate" each item from one to five. What you seem to mean, however, is "Rank Order" the issues according to personal importance and to use each numeral exactly one time.
--Don't get me wrong; trout program is important to me, just the lowest priority on this list
--I believe that trout stocking is a high on the list but that a management plan for private native trout rearing operations should be implemented. There are people who are willing to donate or work under a grant to time and equipment for a closed system operations eliminating most of the rearing problems and the effort but are stopped by the DFG.
--Certainly all of these issues are important , butt I feel the state of the salmon fishery and the collapse of the delta fishery stand ou well above other issues.
--Peripheral Canal and 3-Mile Slough Gate proposals
--I would love to see someone take on the pollution to the SF BAY coming from urban runoff and sewer line overflows. This is far worse source of pollution than agriculture yet all the enviros are scared to pursue it because it means that their members would have to be responsible for the pollution they create.
--fish and game will never change, Must stop polluting rivers, Salmon will retune if the rivers are taken care of,,,, Id like to see a increase in trout management but state will fight that,, the pumping south must STOP,,, state is just to stupid to see that?????
--Someone needs to go after the fish & game for misappropriation of all the money we gave them for bringing up salmon and striped bass with delta stamps etc. but instead stealing the money for other than intend uses such as buying vehicles, equipment etc that should and is in other budgets.
--I believe that there could be issues which are equal in importance. Your survey should allow for this.
--The poll does force one to make choices. I'm not sure if I agree with the way I have the questions ranked! They are all important to me, questions 1, 2, and 3 may be related. I am a splitter, not a lumper!
--This is the worst State for hunting and fishing. I've lived here my whole life and can't wait to move out of it. California is run by people that have no clue how to manage anything but their own income.
--Inefficient water use in Central Valley agriculture, in rice and cotton, extending to all crops. None of the water saving techniques I saw in the middle east are in use here. Water is sprayed in the air in the middle of the day here. About 70% of our water goes to this use. Low-tech techniques could save 80% of that. Subsidies and low water prices or free water are the cause for lack of investment in water saving technology. This is the heart of the fishing problem. All else is a band aid.
--The governor's waste and mismanagement of the dept. of waterways money.
--I like this! a chance to show what's important to ME.
--No peripheral canal
--I believe that the first 3 topics are all of equal concern. As they are all related. And if Fish and Game was not a puppet of the Governor they could make decisions in the best interest of the fishery, as opposed to pandering to agribusiness.
--ag and excessive pumping are one in the same, westlands water polluting the san luis drainage . stocking programs are also important, our society has the need for family recreation to keep our kids in contact with nature and to respect it and our natural resources.
--Ecosystem restoration must come first if we are to have clean water for people, fish and farms.
--Good luck with your survey, guys.
--Actually, they ALL should be 5's, each for different reasons and DFG should be TOTALLY reorganized so that preserving and protecting our fishery resources is actually something the Department implements!
--I'd prefer to have a three-way tie for third place, because the state of DFG (weak) is the reason there is excessive Delta pumping and native species and sport fish including salmon are collapsing in the Delta. Fix one, fix all. But beware. DFG will never be as strong as you need to prevent water draw from destroying the Delta.
--The collapse of the delta fisheries is the most immediate, because of ongoing planning efforts (e.g. Delta vision implementation, increased pumping, Peripheral Canal, etc.(, but I think it's time to begin a coordinated effort to bring meaningful reform to the DFG.
--cannot enter same rating for more than one. This should be explained in the intro (or maybe I missed it). There are at least two issues that deserve a "5" rating with me--salmon collapse and current state of DFG.
--Collapse of north coast salmon and steelhead populations is missing. However, I don't consider any one of these issues less important than others to which they're integrally connected. All of these issues should be rated as 5 !!!
--Thanks for the opportunity to be surveyed. However, all of these issues are 5's if I were able to rate them this way. The collapse of the Sac. fishery has been caused by cumulative affects, many which are listed above. They all need to be mitigated in order to save the fishery, and each is as important as the other.

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CSPA trial survey results are in; Landslide of concern over pumping and collapse of delta fisheries