CDFW News

CDFW Adjusts Salmon Releases to Support Sacramento River Populations

Mon, 05 May 2025 13:26:18 GMT

Media note: Download photos and video of the salmon releases.

In a significant shift of California’s salmon strategy, the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) has begun releasing juvenile fall-run Chinook salmon from CDFW-operated hatcheries into the main stem of the Sacramento River for the first time.

The release of approximately 3.5 million fall-run Chinook salmon smolts into the main stem of the Sacramento River occurred in mid-April near Redding and Butte City. The fish originated from increased production at CDFW’s hatchery operations at the Feather River Fish Hatchery and the Mokelumne River Fish Hatchery. CDFW-operated salmon hatcheries historically have supported populations on their home rivers elsewhere in the Central Valley.

“We strongly support the California Department of Fish and Wildlife’s bold decision to release salmon smolts directly into the main stem of the Sacramento River – a historic first that gives juvenile fish a fighting chance at survival,” said Scott Artis, executive director at Golden State Salmon Association. “With Sacramento fall-run Chinook returns at crisis levels, and fishing families and businesses having been impacted since 2023, this innovative move is exactly the kind of action we need. We applaud the tireless hatchery staff who made this possible and stand with them in the effort to rebuild our salmon runs and revive California’s commercial and recreational fisheries.”

Last month, for the third year in a row, the federal Pacific Fishery Management Council recommended the closure of all commercial salmon fishing in California while also recommending an extremely limited ocean sport fishing season due to continued low abundance of salmon populations.

While fisheries managers are seeing some positive signs for fall-run Chinook salmon in other parts of the Central Valley due in part to increased hatchery production from state-operated hatcheries and better in-river conditions with wetter years, returns to the main stem of the Sacramento River remain at concerningly low levels.

“The naturally spawning Sacramento River salmon populations have been the primary driver of California’s commercial and recreational salmon fisheries for decades,” said Jay Rowan, CDFW Fisheries Branch Chief. “Poor spawning and migration conditions for fall-run Chinook during the past two droughts have resulted in low returning adult numbers the last three years. These low adult returns not only affected fishing seasons but also reduced the number of spawning adults and, consequently, the number of juvenile salmon available to take advantage of the good river conditions to rebound this part of the run. The extra effort by our hatchery staff to maximize production has allowed us to take measures this year to speed up the rebuilding of these critical Sacramento River natural spawning areas. This significant shift in strategy speaks to CDFW’s long-term commitment to boosting these important salmon populations.”

The 3.5 million fish being released into the main stem of the Sacramento River are part of an additional 9.7 million salmon produced in 2025 above normal production goals, funded in partnership with ocean and inland fishing groups. CDFW’s hatchery operations, in coordination with the state Department of Water Resources, East Bay Municipal Utility District, and the federal Bureau of Reclamation, will raise and release more than 28 million fall-run Chinook salmon in total in 2025.

CDFW’s Sacramento River salmon releases are being timed with increases in water flows that have been shown to improve survival in their journey to the Pacific Ocean and also with salmon releases from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s Coleman National Fish Hatchery in Shasta County to overwhelm predators with a massive volume of released fish.

Additionally, CDFW has provided the Coleman National Fish Hatchery with 10 million salmon eggs to help meet its production goals and offset low adult salmon returns to the federal fish hatchery located on Battle Creek about 3 miles east of the Sacramento River in Anderson.

The juvenile salmon released into the Sacramento River are expected to imprint on the main stem during their migration to the ocean, which in three years upon their return to freshwater is expected to increase the number of adults utilizing important natural spawning areas within the main stem.

Video: Watch CDFW at work supporting Sacramento River salmon populations.

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Media Contacts:
Jay Rowan, CDFW Fisheries Branch, (916) 212-3164
Peter Tira, CDFW Communications, (916) 215-3858

Ocean Salmon Sport Fisheries in California Closed for April through Mid-May 2023

Fri, 10 Mar 2023 19:07:04 GMT

Today, on recommendation from California and Oregon agency representatives and industry advisors, the National Marine Fisheries Service took inseason action to cancel ocean salmon fishery openers that were scheduled between Cape Falcon, Ore., and the U.S./Mexico border through May 15.

The sport fishery had been scheduled to open off California in most areas on April 1. The actions were taken to protect Sacramento River fall Chinook, which returned to the Central Valley in 2022 at near-record low numbers, and Klamath River fall Chinook, which had the second lowest abundance forecast since the current assessment method began in 1997.

The Pacific Fishery Management Council (PFMC) has produced three regulatory options (PDF) for the May 16, 2023, through May 15, 2024, time period. None of the three options would authorize commercial or ocean salmon sport fishing off California until April 2024. The alternatives were approved by the PFMC for public review today.

On March 21, 2023, the PFMC will hold a public hearing in Santa Rosa to receive public comment on the three proposed regulatory alternatives. The PFMC will then meet April 1-7 in Foster City to adopt final regulations. More information regarding the PFMC meetings and options can be found on the PFMC website at www.pcouncil.org.

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Media Contact:
Jordan Traverso, CDFW Communications, (916) 212-7352

Endangered California Salmon Returned to Safer Waters After More than A Century

Thu, 05 May 2022 12:13:16 GMT

*** A Joint News Release Issued by the California Department of Fish and Wildlife; the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service; and the Bureau of Reclamation***

State and federal biologists have begun moving threatened spring-run Chinook salmon to Clear Creek in northern California, where colder water temperatures will better support spawning and help their eggs survive the continuing drought.

Teams from the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) are relocating the fish. Together, they will return about 300 adult winter-run Chinook salmon to native habitat above Eagle Canyon Dam on North Fork Battle Creek, about 20 miles east of Cottonwood, in Shasta and Tehama counties for the first time in more than 110 years.

Pacific Gas and Electric (PG&E), which operates hydroelectric facilities on Battle Creek, coordinated operations to make the move possible. It is one of a series of urgent actions to help the native fish survive another year of the lasting drought and high temperatures, thiamine deficiency, predators and other stressors that devastated the population the last two years in the Sacramento River below Shasta and Keswick dams.

Agencies Join Forces

CDFW, USFWS, NOAA Fisheries, Bureau of Reclamation, the California Department of Water Resources and water users are coordinating efforts to save the state and federally protected species. The agencies are working closely with the Winnemem Wintu Tribe, whose culture is intertwined with salmon in the area. Other actions include:

Managing releases of limited water stored in Shasta Reservoir into the Sacramento River, where additional spawning gravel has been placed, to improve the odds that the released water is cool enough to allow some Chinook salmon eggs in the river to survive.
Expanding production of juvenile, winter-run Chinook salmon at Livingston Stone National Fish Hatchery operated by the USFWS at the base of Shasta Dam. Offspring produced at the hatchery in recent years have helped save the species as most of their eggs in the wild have died. Juvenile fish will be released into the river in stages when conditions are more hospitable in the late fall and winter.
Moving adult spring-run Chinook salmon that return up the Sacramento River to the upper reaches of Clear Creek in Shasta County to cooler water and increased chances of egg survival.
Boosting the resilience of transported adult salmon with injections of thiamine (Vitamin B) to counter a deficiency that researchers believe has depressed survival of their offspring in recent years. The deficiency has been tied to shifting ocean conditions and salmon feeding primarily on anchovies compared to a more diverse diet of forage fish, krill and other species.
Tracking the survival and reproduction of the transported fish as part of a science plan to learn from these actions to promote climate resilience of Chinook salmon. Research includes field studies to understand the productivity of historic habitat where winter-run Chinook salmon will be reintroduced.

The transport of adult winter-run Chinook salmon to upper Battle Creek builds on the “jumpstart” reintroduction program that began in 2018 with annual releases of juvenile salmon in lower reaches of the creek. Many of the released fish migrated to the ocean and have returned as adults to spawn, demonstrating that Chinook salmon can reestablish themselves given habitat that remains cool enough for their eggs to survive the summer.

Hydroelectric facilities and natural barriers prevent the adult salmon from reaching the cool, spring-fed waters in the upper portions of North Fork Battle Creek some 3,000 feet above the Sacramento Valley floor. Juvenile offspring of the transported adults that hatch in the creek are expected to be able to swim downstream past Eagle Canyon Dam and reach the Sacramento River.

Returning Above Shasta

State and federal salmon recovery plans also call for returning winter-run Chinook salmon to historical spawning habitat in the McCloud River above Shasta Dam and Reservoir. That requires a means of collecting juvenile salmon that hatch and try to swim downriver toward the ocean and need to safely get past the 600-foot high Shasta Dam. Agencies plan to test a pilot juvenile collection system this fall.

These efforts are part of a comprehensive program in the Sacramento Valley to address all freshwater life cycle stages to benefit all four runs of Chinook salmon in the region. Work will continue this year to advance science through the Sacramento River Science Partnership and to implement projects in the downstream reaches of rivers and creeks to create additional spawning habitat, side channel rearing habitat, fish food and migration barrier removal.

These efforts are also part of a longer term recovery effort underway to address climate change and provide greater resilience for salmon by expanding access to important habitat and landscapes, including reintroduction for spawning and rearing above Shasta Dam and Reservoir, spawning in the upper reaches of Battle Creek, and food sources and safe haven in the bypasses, oxbows and historic floodplain in the lower part of the system.

Comments from Agency Leaders

Charlton H. Bonham, Director of the California Department of Fish and Wildlife
“The historic reintroduction of adult, winter-run Chinook salmon into the North Fork Battle Creek this spring will help secure another generation of this imperiled iconic species. This reintroduction – combined with long term efforts to restore the Battle Creek watershed and establish a second population of winter-run beyond the Sacramento River – means we are helping this species to become more climate resilient and drought resilient for a brighter future.”

Paul Souza, Pacific Southwest Regional Director for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
“This marks the first time in many years that anadromous fish have been in upper Battle Creek. Releasing salmon to this location is critical during this third year of drought because water temperatures are cooler and habitat is more conducive to spawning. This action would not be possible without the support of the Battle Creek Salmon and Steelhead Restoration Project, a collaborative effort between state, federal and private agencies.”

Ernest Conant, Regional Director of the Bureau of Reclamation
“Strong collaboration is key to managing the limited resources we have to work within the Sacramento River Basin this third consecutive drought year. Together, we are taking unprecedented actions to increase salmon productivity during one of the driest years on record.”

Jan Nimick, PG&E Vice President of Power Generation
“PG&E recognizes the current critical situation for adult winter-run salmon this year and are pleased to be working with the agencies to coordinate our project operations where we can to support a successful movement of salmon to colder water to support this urgent action by the agencies.”

Photos and video of the salmon relocation and release into North Fork Battle Creek and Clear Creek are available for download and use at the following FTP link.

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About the California Department of Fish and Wildlife
The mission of the California Department of Fish and Wildlife is to manage California’s diverse fish, wildlife, and plant resources, and the habitats upon which they depend, for their ecological values and for their use and enjoyment by the public. To learn more, visit www.wildlife.ca.gov. Connect with us at Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube.

About the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service works with others to conserve, protect, and enhance fish, wildlife, plants, and their habitats for the continuing benefit of the American people. For more information about our work and the people who make it happen, visit https://www.fws.gov/cno/ or connect with us via Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and Flickr.

About the Bureau of Reclamation
The Bureau of Reclamation is a federal agency under the U.S. Department of the Interior and is the nation's largest wholesale water supplier and second largest producer of hydroelectric power. Its facilities also provide substantial flood control, recreation opportunities, and environmental benefits. Visit www.usbr.govand follow @USBR & @ReclamationCVP on Twitter; Facebook @bureau.of.reclamation; LinkedIn @Bureau of Reclamation; Instagram @bureau_of_reclamation; and YouTube @reclamation.

Media Contacts:
Peter Tira, CDFW, (916) 215-3858
John Heil, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, (916) 414-6636
Mary Lee Knecht, Bureau of Reclamation, (916) 978-5101

Pilot Project to Return Salmon to Their Historical Habitat above Shasta Dam Receives Initial Funding

Thu, 10 Feb 2022 16:34:24 GMT

The California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) today announced that the Department of Water Resources (DWR) will receive $1.5 million in funding for the Juvenile Salmonid Collection System Pilot Project in the McCloud Arm of Shasta reservoir. This project is the first test of a collection system that would be an integral part of reintroducing endangered winter-run Chinook salmon and other runs of salmon to their historical habitat.

“The time for action is now; winter-run Chinook salmon need access to their historical spawning habitat,” said CDFW Director Charlton H. Bonham. “Recent droughts have decimated winter-run Chinook salmon populations in the Sacramento River below Shasta Dam. Climate change is expected to repeat this situation with increasing regularity. With our state, federal and tribal partners, we can help this iconic run of Chinook salmon and increase the flexibility of California’s limited water supplies. We acknowledge and thank DWR for their initiative on this project. It would not have been possible without DWR’s leadership.”

The pilot project is designed to solve what may be the biggest challenge in reintroducing winter-run Chinook salmon to the cold McCloud River. Biologists and engineers need to collect juvenile salmon once they hatch in the river but before they swim into Shasta reservoir, where they are at risk of predators and other threats. The collection system just downstream from where the river enters the reservoir would funnel colder water – and the young fish -- to a collection point. The fish would then be transported around Shasta Dam and released into the Sacramento River to continue their migration to the ocean.

CDFW is leveraging funding from the Wildlife Conservation Board to reduce the impacts of drought on fish and wildlife. The grant awarded to DWR totals $1.5 million for this first year of testing the collection system.

“DWR is thankful for this funding and the ongoing coordination with our partners that will allow this important work to continue,” said DWR Director Karla Nemeth. “Drought and climate change have exacerbated the challenges posed to Californians, as well as our ecosystems and native species. This pilot project is just one of many efforts being implemented to address these challenges head on as we navigate unprecedented dry conditions.”

The collection system consists of a debris boom, guidance net, fish trap and temperature curtain, which will be tested in the McCloud Arm of Shasta reservoir from mid-September to mid-November, after recreational activities wind down for the season. Biologists and engineers from DWR, CDFW and NOAA Fisheries will test the collection system but will not yet release winter-run Chinook salmon into Shasta reservoir yet -- this will occur once the collector is fully tested and its operation is successful.

“We have a window of time to recover California’s most endangered salmon, but that time is running out,” said Barry Thom, Regional Administrator of NOAA Fisheries West Coast Region. “Saving these native fish will take science, ingenuity and lots of collaboration by all of us who want to see winter-run Chinook swim in their original habitat once again.”

In the 1940s, construction of Shasta and Keswick dams blocked winter-run Chinook salmon from reaching their original spawning grounds in the McCloud River. They began spawning instead in the Sacramento River below the dams, where they are exposed to the summer heat. Water managers release water from Shasta reservoir to lower river temperatures to improve survival of the eggs of this single remaining population. Drought and climate change will make that increasingly difficult and ultimately impossible.

This project will further state and federal fisheries recovery plans by laying the foundation for reintroduction of salmon into the McCloud River and advancing a more resilient and sustainably managed water resources system that can better withstand drought conditions. This project furthers the goals of California’s Water Resilience Portfolio and CDFW’s State Wildlife Action Plan, as well as addressing limiting factors specified in state and federal recovery plans.

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Media Contacts:
Jordan Traverso, CDFW Communications, (916) 212-7352
Akiela Moses, DWR Public Affairs Office, (916) 820-7669
Michael Milstein, NOAA Fisheries, (971) 313-1466

The Mission of the Department of Fish and Wildlife is to manage California's diverse fish, wildlife, and plant resources, and the habitats upon which they depend, for their ecological values, and for their use and enjoyment by the public.

The Department of Water Resources’ mission is to sustainably manage the water resources of California, in cooperation with other agencies, to benefit the state’s people and protect, restore, and enhance the natural and human environments. For more information, follow us on Twitter or Facebook and read our news releases and DWR updates.

NOAA Fisheries is responsible for the stewardship of the nation’s ocean resources and their habitat. We provide vital services for the nation, all backed by sound science and an ecosystem-based approach to management.