Missed this thread after a couple days. Yes, the work has started and the plan is to have it finished by Oct although this deadline is waiverable. To be honest, I've struggled to get the details of this plan. I have tried inumerable phone calls and emails, including to PFBC personnel, and have not been able to get a copy of the project. I've gotten only the run around. Some folks in CVTU whom I have great respect for, and confidence in, have endorsed it. Truth be told, I'm skeptical of what this project will produce. Big Sp has seen so many "improvement" projects over the years, many of them detrimental or otherwise ineffective, that this may just be another. Many fishermen do believe that the area under construction would be better with some greater depth as it's currently very shallow. Thermal issues are not a problem here - it's in the low 50s all summer long. There could stand to be more cover and evidently that is the goal of this project. Currently, wild brookies are thriving in that exact area. Browns are there too although in diminishing numbers since the closing of the hatchery 9 years ago. Recent surveys continue to turn up some wild brown YOY but they're rare now. Wild rainbows are also thriving and their impact on brookies is speculative at this point. Many of us are concerned about the rainbows, although they're beautiful fish and, anywhere else, would be considered world class 'bows. I'm currently working on a research and writing project on Big Sp and know from my research that concern about rainbows is nothing new. Charlie Fox was heckling the PFBC about this over 50 years ago, long before the fish barrier was built in 1977 (and removed in 1994). Personally, as I've stated before, I'd favor the re-construction of such a barrier but no plans, that I'm aware of, include any type of barrier at this point. While the old barrier was up, for a few years at least, PFBC folks did routinely shock and remove browns/bows and relocate them below the barrier however this was abandoned as weed clogging made the barrier ineffective and fish found their way over it.