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CDFW demos Cirrus angler-survey platform; pilot shows utility for urban fisheries management
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Summary
The California Department of Fish and Wildlife demonstrated Cirrus, a web-based angler-survey platform launched after a $450,000 IT grant. Presenters showed an interactive 'ready-to-fish' dashboard, pilot signage coverage (300+ signs), pilot metrics and backend data that department staff say help target stocking and accessible-fishing investments.
Farha Bajali, who supervises the inland trout program at the California Department of Fish and Wildlife, demonstrated the agency’s new web-based angler-survey platform, Cirrus, describing it as a tool to expand and modernize inland angler data collection statewide.
"Cirrus is a web based angler survey platform that includes a standard angler survey, the ready-to-fish data dashboard, as well as an internal staff portal," Bajali said, describing a multi-year development effort funded with a $450,000 Department of Technology grant.
Bajali and colleagues walked attendees through the landing page, data-entry flow and an interactive dashboard that allows users to filter by species, water body or geographic area. They showed pilot signage coverage of more than 300 installed signs in the Sacramento and Bay Area regions and said the reporting database includes historic angler-survey box (ASB) data and records for more than 150,000 fish logged across over 235 waters.
Pilot-phase metrics presented included more than 1,000 surveys submitted during the pilot and roughly 2,200 active users in the system. The dashboard reports catch-per-unit-effort, size distributions and location-specific summaries where sufficient data exist.
Presenters said the platform supports managers’ decisions about where to direct stocking and accessibility resources. "A lot of opportunity already exists close to where anglers live, and we need to work on aligning resources to make those opportunities more visible," Bajali said, summarizing an analysis showing anglers travel an average of about 36 miles one way and that nearly 400 potential fishing locations fall within typical travel ranges around Sacramento.
Christine Berkey Mellon and Eliza Topungar of the fisheries branch described web features including translation via Google Translate and optional supplemental questions for programs focused on consumptive use and accessibility. The department said an optional accessibility question had a 35 percent response rate in the pilot, with respondents prioritizing increased stocking at ADA-accessible locations and expanded accessible infrastructure.
In Q&A, presenters said the dashboard currently does not display catch-vs.-release status but that the back-end data include additional fields and that the team can provide targeted summaries. They said a mobile app was considered but leadership opted for a web-based approach; paper slips and QR-linked resources are offered for anglers with no cell reception.
Bajali encouraged partnerships with angler groups and organizations: the department already integrated Kokanee Power’s database and made other on-the-ground outreach efforts to raise awareness of the platform.
