A collaborative project between the University of California, Santa Cruz (UC Santa Cruz), Pie Ranch, and the Amah Mutsun Land Trust is exploring how nutrient-rich water from aquaculture systems can support native plant cultivation.
UC Santa Cruz researchers have been irrigating native plants at Pie Ranch with filtered water – known as “backwash” – from recirculating tanks used to raise rainbow trout. The trial compared three native plant species grown with either aquaculture backwash or plain well water, measuring plant weight, leaf area, water-use efficiency, and soil health.
Lead researcher Anne Kapuscinski, director of UC Santa Cruz’s Coastal Science and Policy Program, sees integrated fish-and-plant systems as a promising climate resilience strategy. “You could grow fish and crops separately,” she noted, “but integrating these systems makes a lot more sense.”
Preliminary findings will help determine how backwash influences soil nutrients and microbial diversity. The study also contributes to ongoing habitat restoration at Pie Ranch, including replanting areas burned in the 2020 CZU Lightning Complex Fire. The Amah Mutsun Land Trust is working to replace invasive eucalyptus – whose flammability worsened the fire – with diverse native species.
“What we’re doing today with our partnerships is restoring the path of being scientists and learning how to care for Mother Earth,” said Valentin Lopez, chairman and president of the Amah Mutsun Land Trust.
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