Serving the people and conserving the fish, wildlife and plants of California

About Us

The Lodi Fish and Wildlife Office promotes native and self-sustaining ecosystems through leadership in restoration, research, and monitoring of fishes of the Central Valley, California, and supports personal development and professionalism through an environment of mentoring, collegiality, and collaboration. To achieve our objectives, we foster and value strong productive collaborations, internally and with other organizations, peers, stakeholders and the public. Our work is governed by honesty and integrity and incorporates excellence in science, creativity and flexibility.

The Lodi Fish and Wildlife Office's work toward recovery and conservation of species and their habitats includes:

A woman on a boat holds a fish in her hands
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Close up of a Delta smelt
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What We Do

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Our experts manage and conduct multiple fish monitoring programs requiring continuous work to adjust the programs' sampling designs, statistical models and data management, as well as scheduling and logistics for field crews.

Ongoing research at the Lodi office includes developing numerical models, analyzing historical trends and exploring how biotic and abiotic factors impact fishes. These investigations have resulted in publication of many peer-reviewed papers.

We provide technical assistance and training to members of the public, academic researchers, state and federal agencies and other partners. Our expertise informs Endangered Species Act consultations, supports implementation of the Central Valley Project Improvement Act and helps guide water operations.

Our team is a dedicated community partner, committed to working with local organizations to improve environmental conditions, support natural resource-related events and connect with youths in fun, educational activities.

A man on a boat uses a pole to pull in the line of a trawl net
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Projects and Research

The Lodi Fish and Wildlife Office contributes to a wide range of monitoring, restoration and research projects. Our Delta Juvenile Fish Monitoring Program, for example, conducts monitoring of juvenile fishes, participates in multi-agency research activities and contributes to technical and management committees.

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Through the multi-agency San Joaquin River Restoration Program, we work to restore naturally reproducing and self-sustaining fish populations to the San Joaquin River. We also support the Anadromous Fish Restoration Program's goal of at least doubling the natural production of anadromous fish in Central Valley streams, and our experts participate in large-scale, multi-agency, Juvenile Salmonid Survival Studies in the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta.

Lodi statisticians and biologists also have worked with colleagues in the San-Francisco Bay-Delta Fish and Wildlife Office to create a Delta Smelt Life-Cycle Model and a Delta Smelt Individual-Based Model, which assess and predict the effects of water resource-management actions on the Delta smelt population.

Our team synthesizes research and monitoring data to produce high-quality scientific presentations given at local, regional and national scientific conferences. Our findings are also shared through reports, scientific papers, newsletters and blog posts.

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Latest News

A woman in traditional Native American clothing speaks with several people wearing federal- or state-agency shirts and hats
Our Partners
Endangered salmon returned home for first time since 1940s
When scientists proposed moving endangered winter-run Chinook salmon into historical habitat upstream of Shasta Dam this summer, they expected some people would doubt the seemingly new idea could work. But it wasn’t a new idea at all, and it had been proven long ago.
Three men measure a large fish in shallow water near a river's edge
Migratory Species
Tag and follow: Tracking sturgeon in the San Joaquin River
When Austin Demarest and his team started looking for white sturgeon to tag in the San Joaquin River in March, he knew some days would be uneventful — on the boat at dawn for a full day of setting and retrieving empty nets. Other days, however, would put them to the test.
A woman drives a boat wearing a life vest and Fish and Wildlife Service hat
Our People
Lodi women power historic fish monitoring effort
About 15 years ago, at a wetland science conference, Vanessa Tobias presented early results from her Ph.D. research into the leaf-tissue chemistry of wetland grasses. Tobias’ data, displayed on a poster next to her as she took questions in a conference hall, identified markers that could help land...
A creek with a small waterfall
Habitat Restoration
Restoring Dry Creek
In 1943 the Army completed a dam on Camp Beale so its soldiers could fish, swim and jump off the dam’s diving platform. Nearly 80 years later, the Air Force is giving Dry Creek back to the original tenants: its fish.
Two men pilot a motored boat on a river
Endangered Species Act
Wanted: More smelt data
Three years ago, the Service, with the cooperation of other state and federal water agencies, began an early warning monitoring program which provided the Service, and state and federal water managers valuable near real-time information about the location of Delta smelt.
Many small silver fish in a net being released into water
Get Involved
Spring-run Chinook released into San Joaquin River
When almost 90,000 3-inch spring-run Chinook salmon shot into the darkness of the Eastside Bypass of the San Joaquin River the night of March 6, they didn’t get there alone. It took a strong, collaborative effort by numerous state, federal, university and private entities, working for months under...
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Get Involved

A man standing in a river puts his hand in a net, which is in a bucket, while kids stand nearby
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The Lodi Fish and Wildlife Office is a dedicated community partner, committed to working with local organizations to improve environmental conditions, support natural resource-related events and connect with youths through fun and educational activities.

We enjoy hosting and contributing to science festivals, fish festivals, environmental clean-ups and other events. In addition to boats and fish-monitoring technology, our exhibits include hands-on displays and interactive activities that teach about fish life stages and habitats.

We also connect with students through career days, classroom instruction, summer camps and field activities like fish sampling and identification. We provide students a positive experience to spark interest in opportunities to work in natural resources. Learn more on our Outreach and Education page.

Each year, we also welcome interns to the Lodi office to gain experience, and we work with members of the California Conservation Corps and AmeriCorps to provide valuable work experience and foster collaboration through the Watershed Stewards Program.

Location and Contact Information