HISTORY

1983 and 1986
United Anglers of Casa Grande receives the California State
Golden Bell award for best high school program, the only two-
time winner in the history of this prestigious award.

1984
Students form the United Anglers of Casa Grande High School
and officially adopt Adobe Creek in an effort to see if they could
make a difference in its environmental condition. Massive creek
cleanup begins. Over 30 truckloads of illegally dumped waste are
hauled out of Adobe Creek. (i.e. stoves, refrigerators, tires, old
engines, and car parts.)

 

1985
In an effort to start rebuilding streamside habitat, students begin
planting over 1100 trees each year.

 

1986
Creation of the first fish hatchery.

 

1987
Approximately 2,000 fingerling steelhead are rescued from drying
summer pools in Adobe Creek.

 

1992
Peter Pfendler donates $180,000. for the completion of the new
state-of-the-art UACG Hatchery.

 

2000
Light rain proves good for steelhead as 35 adults return to spawn.

 

2002
Nine steelheads arrive late into April.

 

2003
Our 20th year celebration! Over 60 adult steelhead trout return to
Adobe Creek, the largest return to date.

 

2004
In an effort to educate others about the environment, students
begin a new offshoot: The Junior United Anglers. Students visit
local elementary schools to promote the project. The Junior
Anglers begin with two teachers and sixty 3rd and 5th graders.

 

2011
Founder Tom Furrer Retires after 30 years of restoration work. The
students and UACG organization are thankful for the many years of
service. Dan Hubacker takes over as director of the program.

 

2012
United Anglers begins its thirtieth year of conservation service.

 

2013
With the direction of CDFW, UACG is instructed to no longer trap
and rear Chinook salmon from the Petaluma River.

 

2014
First-year students are permitted to raise Steelhead Trout from the  Russian River.
The first season of the spawner survey was conducted under 4(d ) coverage.
Six Adult Steelhead trout were observed.

 

2015
Reports of Steelhead observed in Lichau Creek.

 

2016
Two Steelhead trout were observed in Lichau Creek during the spawning
season.
Over 17,000 Russian River Steelhead trout are successfully reared
by students and returned to Warm Springs fish hatchery.

 

2017
UACG has a new Scientific Collection Permit issued to evaluate the
presence of Chinook salmon in the Petaluma River.
UACG creates a course called Environmental Conservation and
Restoration (ENCR) which gets approved as a d-lab science by the
UC system.
Over 20,000 Russian River Steelhead trout are successfully reared
by students and returned to Warm Springs hatchery.

 

2018
UACG forms a Technical Advisory Committee (TAC) which
consists of representatives from the Department of Fish and Wildlife,
National Marine Fisheries Services, Trout Unlimited Redwood
Chapter and UACG. This group will play a role in evaluating
hatchery practices at the UACG facility and the recovery of Steelhead
trout in the Petaluma Watershed.
During the summer, tissue samples were collected by UACG with
oversite by NMFS. These samples will allow the TAC to gain a
better understanding of the population for determining recovery
efforts.
Over 150 students enroll in ENCR!

 

2019
Students and teachers from a high school in Grants Pass Colorado
visit UACG’s hatchery with the hopes of building their own facility.
Two Steelhead trout carcasses in Adobe Creek.
Field Studies (United Anglers) becomes an advanced course. ENCR
is a required course to enter Field Studies.
Field Studies (United Anglers) becomes Career Technical
Education (CTE) program. Increasing job readiness skills.

Wildfire danger forced the relocation of the annual fundraiser to an alternate venue. Draft of Rescue Rearing Management Plan (RRMP) created. 

 

2020 - The COVID-19 Pandemic starts, and the entire academic year is 100% remote learning—The First Steelhead tissue sample collected from Lynch Creek.

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2021/2022 - The Rescue Rearing Management Plan (RRMP) was submitted for review to the State and Federal Agencies. The program first: Broodstock Coho held in Facility supporting Captive Programs from the Russian River Watershed.  80,000 Coho Eggs from King Fisher Flat hatchery-reared at UACG to support a captive program found in Santa Cruz. UACG purchased and installed a new "backup" Chiller!

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2023- UACG staff and students continue to document the population decline of Steelhead Trout in the Petaluma Watershed. No young-of-the-year Steelhead were found in the creeks.

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