The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service released more than 6.2 million juvenile Chinook salmon from the Coleman Hatchery into the Sacramento River this week, even as the river faces unusual March heat and low water flows. The announcement of the release came during a spell of extreme heat throughout California, prompting urgent calls from conservationists who warn the young fall‑run Chinook could die in the river’s warm, low‑flow conditions before making their way to the ocean, unless the Bureau of Reclamation releases more water from Shasta Dam. 

Other salmon news:

• National Fisherman: Upwelling saved the West Coast in 2025, NOAA reports
• California Trout: Blog: A look back at the 2025 Cal-Neva American Fisheries Society annual meeting