Greetings from the UCD Biotelemetry Lab,

First of all a logistical note: I have added additional people to this notification list, as per requests I received after the first mailing earlier this week. If you know of someone else that should be receiving this message, please either send me their contact information or have them contact me. It's also possible that I may have inadvertently dropped or mangled someone's e-mail address, so please don't hesitate to forward this to others in your division.

On an unrelated logistical note, I would like to thank our crews consisting of -- in no particular order -- Mike Thomas, Eric Chapman, Tommy Agosta and Gabe Singer for their tireless work in the field. Not only have they done initial deployments of the various technology, they have had to troubleshoot various data communication issues between the existing Netronix communication nodes and the cellular network as well as between the comm. node and the attached VEMCO and Teknologic receivers.

Since Monday (2/15) and as of this morning (2/19) at 10:45, we have re-detected one Green Sturgeon and have detected five White Sturgeon on the CFTC Real-time Network of 69KHz VEMCO monitors.

The Green Sturgeon detected was previously identified as moving upstream, last heard 2/14. It has continued on this upstream migration, heard by our detectors 2/16 and 2/18, and now appears to have swam past our furthest upstream real time detector near Colusa. This fish previously left the Sacramento River system in 2011.

The White Sturgeon also appear to be headed upstream. One previously noted as holding position between Hood and the Tower Bridge and last detected over two weeks ago appears to be headed upstream, heard last on 2/16 at the CCF/Business 80 bridge. Another White Sturgeon, previously (also over 2 weeks ago) last seen at Tisdale Weir was seen at Colusa so appears to be continuing upstream. Two fish that were previously identified as being part of the up-and-back group now appear to be resuming an upstream course, including the fish that putatively was detected once previously at Tisdale Weir. That fish was detected Feb 2nd at Knights Landing, but as of 2/17 was as far upstream as Colusa. The other fish that appeared to be headed downstream but is now headed back upstream had been at Colusa 2/11 and Tisdale Weir 2/14, but was heard again at Colusa on 2/16. The last White Sturgeon was previously unreported but has now been heard 2/18 on the Sacramento River near the Feather River.

Additionally, I reiterate that any groups that have tagged fish within the last few years please inform the Biotelemetry Lab which tags belong to you and as much metadata associated with that fish as you are comfortable. Since 2/12 75(!!!!!!!) additional 69KHz transmitters have been detected, 74 of which are in the A69-1601 codespace. The remaining unassigned tag is in the A69-9001 codespace.

The real-time network has also recorded JSATS transmissions on attached Teknologic receivers during the last week. Of these, 26 transmitters have been detected five or more times, although some of these are stationary beacon tags, rather than surgically implanted transmitters.

The next such update will likely be in the AM Tuesday 2/23.

--Matt Pagel

Matthew D. Pagel
Database Manager
Core Array: California Fish Tracking Consortium
Biotelemetry Lab
University of California, Davis