Category Archives: Fish

Fish, News from Other Watersheds, Salmon, Water, Wildlife

California’s Salmon Strategy: Progress and Promise

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The California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) has released an important progress report on the California Salmon Strategy for a Hotter, Drier Future, outlining the state’s ongoing efforts to restore and protect salmon populations across California’s waterways.

A Critical Time for Salmon

Salmon populations are facing immense challenges due to climate change, drought, habitat loss, and human-made disruptions. Healthy salmon runs are vital not only for California’s ecosystems but also for the fishing industry, recreational economies, and the cultural traditions of Native American tribes. The 2024 Salmon Strategy laid out a bold plan to restore and rebuild salmon populations, and this latest progress report highlights the measurable steps being taken to achieve these goals.

Progress at a Glance

The report provides an update on 71 action items designed to improve salmon migration, enhance spawning and hatchery operations, expand habitat restoration, and secure reliable water flows. Encouragingly:

  • 67% of projects are actively in development
  • 26% of action items have already been completed
  • Only 7% remain in early planning stages

This demonstrates a strong commitment by state agencies, tribal partners, and environmental groups to ensuring salmon populations remain resilient for generations to come.

Key Accomplishments in Salmon Conservation

Several major milestones have been reached over the past year, making significant strides in salmon recovery:

  • Removing Outdated Dams – The removal of the Klamath River dams has restored natural river flow and allowed fall-run Chinook salmon to return to long-lost spawning grounds.
  • Improving Salmon Migration – The Big Notch Project in Yolo County, spearheaded by the Department of Water Resources (DWR), is helping salmon navigate key migratory routes, improving their access to critical habitat.
  • Building Healthy Habitats – The Salmon Habitat Restoration Prioritization Initiative (SHaRP) has received over $30 million in funding for habitat restoration projects, including floodplain improvements, riparian restoration, and spawning habitat enhancements. Projects like Lookout Slough Tidal Habitat Restoration are already adding thousands of acres of beneficial salmon habitat.
  • Ensuring Healthy Water Flows – Scientists are developing new models to establish minimum flow requirements for the Scott and Shasta Rivers, setting a precedent for similar protections across the state.
  • Innovative Salmon Tracking – The implementation of Parental-Based Tagging uses DNA technology to more accurately track and monitor salmon populations, ensuring better management and conservation strategies.

The Road Ahead

“California salmon are vital to our environment, economy, and heritage,” said California Natural Resources Agency Secretary Wade Crowfoot. “While we’ve made significant progress, there is still much work ahead to secure thriving salmon populations.”

The commitment to restoring salmon runs remains stronger than ever. With continued collaboration, investment, and scientific innovation, California is proving that a hotter, drier future does not have to mean a future without salmon.

Get Involved!
Protecting salmon requires community action and advocacy. Whether it’s supporting local restoration projects, engaging in conservation efforts, or staying informed, every effort helps ensure that salmon populations continue to recover and thrive.

Together, we can ensure a future where salmon remain a vital part of California’s waterways.

Download Report >>

Fish, News from Other Watersheds, Salmon, Water, Wildlife

Fish On Rice: Good For Salmon Population

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In the Sacramento Valley, an innovative collaboration between rice farmers and environmental scientists is transforming post-harvest rice fields into vital habitats for juvenile salmon. By intentionally flooding these fields during the off-season, they mimic natural floodplains, fostering the growth of nutrient-rich organisms essential for young salmon.

This approach, exemplified by initiatives like the Nigiri Project, involves submerging harvested rice fields to create a nurturing environment for juvenile salmon. Studies have shown that salmon reared in these managed floodplains exhibit accelerated growth rates compared to those in the river’s main channels.

The success of these projects highlights the potential of integrating agricultural practices with ecological restoration efforts. By leveraging existing farmland infrastructure, stakeholders aim to enhance salmon habitats without significantly disrupting rice production. This symbiotic relationship not only supports the recovery of endangered fish species but also contributes to the overall health of the riverine ecosystem.

As these collaborative efforts continue to evolve, they offer a scalable model for reconciling agricultural land use with wildlife conservation, providing hope for the revitalization of salmon runs in California’s waterways.

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Events, Fish, Wildlife

March 8: Guided Tour Of The Nimbus Fish Hatchery

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Guided Tour of the Nimbus Fish Hatchery, 11 a.m., Nimbus Fish Hatchery Visitor Center, 2001 Nimbus Road, Gold River (95670).

Join CDFW for a free, family-friendly guided tour to explore the Nimbus Fish Hatchery and neighboring American River on the second Saturday of each month!

Learn about the amazing life cycle of salmon and steelhead, walk along the American River and discuss hatchery operations.

Participants may see fish and other wildlife, such as migratory birds, signs of mammal activity and cool insects.

Tours are cancelled in heavy rain and the maximum group size is 25 people (first-come, first-served). The tour is ADA accessible and suitable for all ages.

For more information, call (916) 358-2884 or email molly.shea@wildlife.ca.gov. 

Events, Fish, History, Salmon, Water, Wildlife

It’s a brutal end for these salmon, but it replenishes oceans and feeds families

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Thousands of salmon make the grueling journey from the Pacific Ocean up the American River each fall. The spawning run ends for many with a whack on the head at the Nimbus Fish Hatchery, where salmon eggs are gathered and fertilized.

The salmon would normally die a slow death after spawning. But at Nimbus, they’re quickly dispatched in a process viewed annually by hundreds of children and adults through big glass windows at the hatchery in Gold River.

What becomes of the dead salmon is less well known. While the ending isn’t happy for the adult fish, their offspring repopulate the oceans, and tens of thousands of pounds of salmon fillets feed hungry families in northern and central California during the winter months.

More at SacBee.com >>>

Boating, Fish, Rafting, safety, Salmon, Water, Wildlife

Folsom Lake and Lake Natoma had high E. coli readings

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Environmental advocates are calling on state officials to notify the public about past tests showing high levels of E. coli in Folsom Lake and Lake Natoma, two of the region’s most popular areas for open water swimming and boating.

But officials responsible for recreational use on the lakes say the test results cited are too old, while the agency that conducted the tests says it has no responsibility for public notices.

The Central Valley Regional Water Quality Control Board in December concluded that the amount of E. coli in the lower American River had exceeded the federal threshold for safe recreational use. The test results didn’t become public until The Sacramento Bee reported them in late August.

The findings were based on water samples taken from 2007 to 2014. Some tests showed E. coli concentrations in Lake Natoma were eight times the level considered safe for recreational use by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

A board report earlier this year found elevated E. coli levels in the lower American River in 2015 and 2016, but did not include samples from Lake Natoma and Folsom Lake, where tens of thousands of people swim, boat and fish every year. The board has limited funds for testing and wanted to focus on areas where higher levels had been found in the past, said Adam Laputz, assistant executive officer at the board. The highest concentrations have been near downtown Sacramento.

E. coli can sicken and even kill people who swim in or drink contaminated water. State and county officials have said they’re not aware of anyone getting sick from the bacteria in the American River.
More at SacBee.com >>>
Bike Trail, Events, Fish, News from Other Watersheds, Salmon, Water, Wildlife

Nimbus Hatchery Fish Ladder to Open Oct. 9

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The Nimbus Hatchery Fish Ladder on the American River will open on Monday, Oct. 9 at 10:45 a.m. The ladder is opening unusually early in the season to accommodate the arrival of returning adult fall-run Chinook salmon that hatched in the Coleman National Fish Hatchery (CNFH) in Battle Creek in 2014. Eggs from fall-run Chinook salmon that stray to Nimbus Hatchery will be returned to CNFH to ensure a healthy population of these fish for commercial, recreational and ecological purposes.

“These fish were born at the height of the drought in 2014,” said Jay Rowan, California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) North Central Region Senior Environmental Scientist. “They were trucked to the Delta as fry and released near Rio Vista and the San Pablo Bay as part of a massive effort to improve their chances for survival in a year of poor river conditions.”

Returning now as adults, many of these salmon will stray into the American River and not return to their home waters to spawn. The lack of returning fish will make it extremely difficult for the CNFH to reach their goal of producing 12 million fall-run Chinook salmon this fall to release in the waters below Lake Shasta.

CDFW is partnering with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS), with the support of the Bureau of Reclamation, to collect eggs at Nimbus Fish Hatchery to assist CNFH in meeting its production goals and maintaining a stable salmon population on Battle Creek and the upper Sacramento River.

When the salmon reach Nimbus Hatchery, staff will separate out the fish that have had their adipose fin removed, indicating that they carry a tiny coded wire tag that records their hatchery of origin. Fish identified as being of CNFH origin will be spawned with one another, and their fertilized eggs returned to CNFH. Fish that have not had their adipose fin removed will be spawned and their eggs held until it is determined if they will be needed to meet CNFH production goals.  Fish that are not yet ready to spawn will have a colored tag attached to their dorsal fin and will be returned to the American River, where they will be available to anglers until they either spawn naturally or climb the ladder again and are spawned at the hatchery to meet the Nimbus Fish Hatchery egg collection goals. While anglers are able to catch and keep fish marked with these tags, the tags have no monetary value and do not need to be returned to CDFW.

From >>> cdfgnews.wordpress.com

Bike Trail, Boating, Fish, History, Rafting, safety, Salmon, Water, Wildlife

Lower American River contains unsafe levels of E. coli. Are homeless camps to blame?

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Levels of E. coli bacteria found in the lower American River exceed the federal threshold for safe recreational use, in part due to human waste from homeless camps, state regulators say.

The Central Valley Regional Water Quality Control Board has proposed adding the bacteria to a list of pollutants that make the lower American River a federally designated impaired water body. A state board is expected to sign off on the decision later this year and ask for final approval from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

E. coli can sicken and even kill people who swim in or drink contaminated water. State regulators say they’re not aware of anyone who has been sickened by E. coli in the the lower American River, but nearly a decade of test data indicate the risk of exposure.

“It should give people some discomfort about using the water – it’s not good,” said Ron Stork of Friends of the River.

A report summarizing test results from 2007 to 2014 found average levels of E. coli at three sites that were higher than the EPA standard, “beyond which the water body is not recommended for recreation.” The three sites are in the westernmost section of the American River Parkway, near downtown Sacramento, where the highest concentration of homeless camps are set up.

Seventeen of the 25 test sites had at least one recording in excess of the federal threshold, according to the “Safe-to-Swim Assessment.”

Thousands of people use the lower American River each year, from the boaters who launch at Discovery Park, to the swimmers who enjoy the beach at Sutter’s Landing Regional Park, to the triathletes who participate in Eppie’s Great Race.

“My concern is that it could make me sick,” said Alex McDonald, who was sitting in the water with his wife at Sutter’s Landing last week. “I would like to know more.”

More at SacBee.com >>>

Bike Trail, Boating, Fish, History, Rafting, safety, Water, Wildlife

Supervisors OK effort to clean up American River Parkway’s homeless camps

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Sacramento County supervisors on Wednesday approved a $5 million plan to beef up patrols along the American River Parkway and clean up its homeless encampments.

The 3-2 vote came after dozens of residents packed the supervisors’ chambers to support or denounce the proposal to add park rangers, maintenance staff and sheriff’s employees to the 23-mile “jewel of Sacramento” and adjacent neighborhoods.

Some speakers recounted bad interactions with homeless people. Others expressed compassion for the homeless but said they wanted a clean, safe parkway. Still others denounced the proposal as “criminalizing the homeless.”

Supervisors Phil Serna, Don Nottoli and Patrick Kennedy voted for the measure. Supervisors Susan Peters and Sue Frost voted against it, citing concerns about funding.

Kennedy said the issue is “a tale of two tragedies” – homelessness and the condition of the parkway. “I think (the plan) is a little heavy on the law enforcement side, and I fear it will just move people around,” Kennedy said. “But we have to try something … It’s devastating. We just can’t let (the parkway) continue to deteriorate.”

Aimee Rutledge, head of the Sacramento Valley Conservancy, said the conservancy’s property, Camp Pollock, is at “ground zero” in the lower reaches of the river with a clear view of the degradation of a precious natural resource. “To abandon (the parkway) would be to abandon the best part of Sacramento,” she said.

Last month, supervisors asked staff to find ways to fund additional employees for animal control, waste collection and the Sacramento County Sheriff’s Department Homeless Outreach Team.

Staff members found several sources of funding but not enough to cover the full costs of the program. Staff laid out options costing $3 million, $4 million and $5 million, which had $1.4 million, $2.9 million and $3.8 million funding gaps. Going forward, the funding gaps increase to $1.8 million, $3.2 million and $3.9 million for consecutive budget years, they said.

“Where is the money going to come from?” Peters asked Wednesday.

County Executive Nav Gill said there’s a $3.4 million placeholder in the budget that will come before the board next month and could be used to fund the parkway plan.

Serna launched the parkway debate in June when he requested between $3 million and $5 million to address the impacts of homeless campers.

Other supervisors countered that campers would simply move into the surrounding neighborhoods when rousted. As a compromise, the board asked staff to come up with options to also clean up unincorporated areas of the county adjacent to the parkway.

Karen Humphrey, former mayor of Fresno, told supervisors the plan will “just move the problem around and waste precious resources.” She said she helped create the San Joaquin River Parkway, modeled on Sacramento’s parkway, so she understands its importance. But there isn’t enough capacity to shelter all of the people living in the brush, she said.

Earlier this year, supervisors voted to dedicate $6.2 million to a slew of new homeless initiatives on top of the county’s roughly $40 million in annual spending for homeless services.

The county will build a 75-bed shelter aimed at moving chronically homeless people off the streets. It’s scheduled to open in early 2018, and the county estimates it could serve 300 people annually. The money will also pay for a rehousing program, transitional housing and case workers.

More at SacBee.com >>>

Bike Trail, Fish, safety, Water, Wildlife

Push for more patrols on American River Parkway

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The American River Parkway is Sacramento County’s urban jewel, but in recent years, it’s become tarnished with litter, debris and close encounters with aggressive dogs protecting homeless campers.

“I’ve had pit bulls coming after me,” said Mike Golden, a bicyclist on the American River Parkway. “I’ve had two pitbulls coming out after me, one each side.”

Golden loves biking along the parkway, but told KCRA 3 he’s increasingly concerned about public safety.

“You’ve got a small minority of the population, the homeless — they are really destroying it for the vast majority of the users of the Parkway,” Golden said.

There are hundreds of people living illegally along the American River Parkway.

For Sacramento County Supervisor Phil Serna, the issue is personal after he suffered a health scare during a cleanup of the American River Parkway.

“I was accidentally stuck by a hypodermic needle,” Serna said.

“We continue to see not just hypodermic needles but propane tanks and large trash piles and off-leash dogs that are aggressive,” he said.

The needle incident occurred several years ago, but Serna now wants to allocate $5 million to add up to 10 additional park rangers, increasing the number from roughly 25 to 35.

“There would be several more teams of park rangers working collaboratively with park maintenance staff, community prosecutors, social workers to make sure we’re keeping the parkway clean, safe and make sure the people that need help the most here are going to receive that help.”

The money would be used to help remove people who are camping illegally and causing environmental harm.

Jeremy Donnelson and Mary Weick live in a homeless encampment just 100 yards from the bike trail in Discovery Park. They said they’ve been living behind tarps for four months and have never seen a park ranger.

They’re not happy about the prospect of someone telling them to move.

“I would feel that would be taking away from the homeless, like the government’s been trying to do for a long time and trying to make being homeless illegal,” Weick said.

“Being homeless yeah it’s illegal whatever, but there’s more people becoming homeless because less jobs,” Donnelson added. “But they have to realize that we need a place to go too.”

While some in the homeless community might want permanent low-cost housing, it’s not for everyone.

“I can only handle indoors for so long,” Donnelson said. “I don’t know what it is about indoors. I’m indoors for a while and I start getting antsy. I can’t stand being indoors for too long.”

But for many people who enjoy activities on the parkway, it’s really a matter of safety.

More at KCRA.com >>>