The DFG provides both the fish and the feed to raise the fish, while the CIFFI members provide the pens and volunteers to raise and feed the fish. These trout will be held in the pens until May of 2001, when the temperature is right for release, according to Nasca.

"The size returns of trout here at Lake Berryessa aren't as big as we want, so we are working to improve the fishery by raising these fish in the pens so that the trout may have a better chance at surviving in the lake," said Edwards. Over the past several years, the DFG and CIFFI have also released king salmon into Berryessa, but they haven't fared as well as the trout. "In order for the salmon to survive they have to go below the thermocline during the summer, and we think that there isn't enough oxygen for them to thrive," said George Edwards, DFG associate fishery biologist. "The largest tag return that we've had on a salmon is 21 inches. And we've seen that the trout do much better than the salmon."

CIFFI members spoke of their reason for supporting the "Project Rainbow" pen rearing project. "We want to maintain and enhance the fishery resource in this lake. We're not here to just take, take, take," said Nasca. "Hopefully we will be able to extend this to other lakes eventually." There will be no king salmon released this this year because the DFG is not able to get any suitable for release into the lake. The salmon that were being raised for Berryessa were diseased, so they had to be killed, according to Nasca. On November 27, 1,500 Junction Canyon kamloop rainbows will also be put in the net pens to be raised and released in the spring.