More than 10,000 Chinook salmon made the long journey home this year, returning from the Pacific Ocean to spawn in the Mokelumne River—a strong sign of resilience for one of Northern California’s most important salmon rivers. The East Bay Municipal Utility District reports that approximately 10,500 Chinook salmon returned during the 2025 fall run. That number is right in line with the river’s long-term average and marks a successful season for both natural spawning and hatchery operations. Those returns allowed EBMUD, working alongside the California Department of Fish and Wildlife, to meet its goal of collecting and fertilizing 7.5 million salmon eggs at the Mokelumne River Hatchery below Camanche Dam.

Other salmon news:

• Undercurrent News: US proposes opening part of California marine sanctuary to fishing