A factual error unfortunately crept into Elizabeth Wilson”s excellent article (March 15, Record-Bee) on the plight of the Clear Lake hitch (lavinia exilicauda chi) and Chi Council efforts to arrest and reverse their population decline. Since this misstatement was attributed to me I want to take the first possible opportunity to correct it.
As related, hitch have indeed been observed banging their noses against a streambed obstruction at Rancheria Road on Middle Creek in their attempts to move upstream to spawn, but these events took place several years ago. Subsequently the county Department of Water Resources has constructed a series of rock weirs in the creek specifically for the purpose of alleviating this impediment to migration, and last week ? for the first time since 2005 ? confirmed observations of hitch have been reported in Middle Creek.
Although it is too early to tell for sure, the Chi Council is cautiously optimistic that these streambed improvements will once more allow this endemic fish access to many miles of its historic spawning grounds, and play a significant role in its recovery.
Victoria Brandon
Secretary, Chi Council for the Clear Lake Hitch
