State takes bold step to save Sacramento River salmon: millions of young fish released directly into main river
In a major change of plans aimed at rescuing California’s struggling salmon populations, state wildlife officials have done something never tried before: releasing millions of young hatchery-raised Chinook salmon directly into the main stem of the Sacramento River. This historic release of roughly 3.5 million juvenile fall-run Chinook salmon happened in mid-April near Redding and Butte City. Typically, hatchery fish are released into the rivers where their hatcheries are located, like the Feather or Mokelumne Rivers. … This unprecedented move comes as fall-run Chinook salmon numbers in the main Sacramento River – the historical heart of California’s salmon fishery – are at critically low levels.
Other anadromous fish restoration news:
- California Department of Fish and Wildlife: News release: CDFW adjusts salmon releases to support Sacramento River Populations
- FOX40 (Sacramento, Calif.): California releases 3.5 million salmon into Sacramento River amid population crisis
- SFGate: California unplugs local ‘life support’ for imperiled species
