What kind of fish is the smelt considered?”
Smelts are a family of small fish, Osmeridae, found in the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. They are common in the North American Great Lakes, and in the lakes and seas of the northern part of Europe, and run in large schools along the coastline during their spring migration to their spawning streams. It is one of the few fish that sportsmen are allowed to net, using dip nets, either along the coastline or in the streams. Some sportsmen also ice fish for smelt. Smelt are often fried and eaten whole. Description A favorite of the Mediterranean. Smelts resemble salmon in appearance, but are smaller, usually reaching only around 20 centimetres (7.9 in), although some species can reach as much as 70 centimetres (28 in).[1] Indeed, smelts are a food source for salmon and lake trout. Like salmon, many species are anadromous, living most of their lives in the sea, but travelling into fresh water to breed. However, there are a few exceptions, such as the surf smelt, which spend their entire lives
Over the years, Yolo County residents have taken pride in their restored wetlands. The Yolo Bypass Wildlife Area, for example, lines Interstate 80 between Davis and West Sacramento, its reed beds filled with migrating waterfowl. Now, however, Yolo officials see the restoration of other wetlands as a potential threat – and are taking steps to prevent it. They’re worried that powerful water districts from Southern California, which draw water from the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta, will buy up tracts of Yolo open land and flood them to create habitat for the endangered Delta smelt.
