By-Day Creek and Slinkard Creek Beaver Dam Analog and Streambank Repair Project (Notification of Lake or Streambed Alteration, No. EPIMS-MOO-66314-R6)

The California Department of Fish and Wildlife, through its Inland Deserts Region, authorized a streambed alteration agreement under Section 1602 of the Fish and Game Code to California Trout for a habitat restoration project spanning 1.34 miles of By-Day Creek and Slinkard Creek in Mono County. The project aims to enhance aquatic and riparian conditions for the federally threatened Lahontan Cutthroat Trout by stabilizing streambanks, restoring hydrologic connectivity, reestablishing natural geomorphic processes, and increasing habitat complexity. Key activities include installing up to 150 beaver dam analogs, repairing two failed stream-road crossings, removing culverts and rehabilitating gullies, stabilizing streambanks at two locations, and restoring a single meadow crossing. The work is conducted under categorical exemptions from the California Environmental Quality Act, specifically Classes 7, 8, and 33, which authorize small-scale habitat restoration without requiring full environmental review. No formal federal procurement structure, pricing, or contracting clauses apply; the effort is framed as a regulatory authorization rather than a competitive solicitation or cost-based contract. Performance is focused entirely on the project sites within Mono County, with no defined period of performance or financial estimates provided. Oversight is handled by CDFW environmental staff, while implementation is led by California Trout’s Project Manager, Lindsay Britton, with coordination from CDFW Environmental Scientist Dana Scott. The agreement is documented via EPIMS Notification No. EPIMS-MOO-66314-R6, and all actions must align with state environmental standards and approved restoration techniques.