The Fisheries and Aquatic Habitat Collaborative Effort (FAHCE) aims to improve and maintain habitat for threatened fish in the watersheds of three specific streams — Coyote Creek, Stevens Creek and the Guadalupe River.
A collaborative agreement among the water district, local, state and federal agencies, and environmental advocacy groups, it also guarantees the water district's continued rights to some 61 billion gallons, enough to supply 376,000 families a year. The water rights were challenged by environmental and recreational groups on the grounds that the water district was not providing adequate flow for protection of fisheries.
Preserving fish habitat
The centerpiece of the FAHCE effort is a fisheries management plan that shares local water resources for steelhead trout and Chinook salmon that migrate from San Francisco Bay to spawn in Santa Clara County watersheds. The plan dedicates about 619 million gallons of local runoff water annually for fish habitat.
The 30-year program includes habitat restoration, capital projects and other improvements along Stevens Creek , the Guadalupe River and Coyote Creek for both steelhead trout and fall-run Chinook salmon. The program includes removal of barriers to fish passage.
FAHCE partners include the state Department of Fish and Game , U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, National Marine Fisheries Service, San Francisco ay Regional Water Quality Control Board, Natural Heritage Institute and the City of San José