KRCD along with the Kings River Water Association (KRWA) and the California Department of Fish and Game (CDFG) has been collecting information for several years on the habitat conditions, stream flows, water quality, water temperature, hatchery planting programs and fisheries studies within the lower Kings River and the Pine Flat Reservoir.

The monitoring program’s focus is to assess the status and trends of the fish population and its response to fisheries management actions. Trout, other fish species and aquatic invertebrates, which provide the prey base, are all monitored.

The program’s three objectives are to:

• Evaluate changes in the abundance, distribution, age structure, growth and condition of trout and macroinvertebrates.
• Evaluate the occurrence and severity of episodic events, such as temperature stress.
• Evaluate pre and post conditions associated with enhancement projects.

Some of the monitoring activities include:

• Electrofishing surveys.
• Angler logbooks and surveys.
• Pine Flat Reservoir fish population surveys.
• Stream flow, water surface elevation and water storage data gathering.
• Real-time temperature monitoring.
• Temperature management using pulse flows and the turbine bypass.
• Algal monitoring.
• Spawning gravel placement monitoring.