CDFW News

California Fish and Game Commission Finds CESA Protections Warranted for Southern California and Central Coast Mountain Lion

Fri, 20 Feb 2026 10:43:22 GMT

In Other Regulatory Action, Commission Streamlines Charitable Donation of Sport-Caught Fish

The California Fish and Game Commission (Commission) at its Feb. 11-12 meeting voted to list mountain lion populations in parts of southern California and the central coast as a threatened species under the California Endangered Species Act (CESA).

In a unanimous vote, the Commission determined that listing a distinct population segment of mountain lions in southern California and the central coast is warranted due to threats such as habitat loss, habitat fragmentation and isolation of small populations as a result of expanding human infrastructure, among others. The Commission considered presentations from the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) on its species status review and from the listing petitioner the Center for Biological Diversity, as well as public comment. The Commission will adopt its findings at a future meeting.

“This segment of the mountain lion population is clearly at risk from distinct threats,” said President Eric Sklar. “Habitat loss, habitat fragmentation by roads, freeways and housing, and mortality from vehicle strikes, rodenticides and risks of isolation and inbreeding would lead to the extinction of these mountain lions if we remained on the same trajectory.”

Following the 1974 ban on hunting mountain lions in California, in 1990 voters approved Proposition 117, which designated mountain lion a specially protected mammal in the state and established some exemptions for lethal removal of mountain lions to preserve public safety and to protect private property and livestock. The Commission noted that those statutory provisions remain intact and that this listing is focused specifically on preventing the potential loss of the identified population segment through science-based management and conservation action.

Donation of Sport-Caught Fish

The Commission adopted regulatory amendments related to processing and donating sport-caught fish. Sport fishing license holders who exchange fish for processing will be able to donate their fish to charities directly through fish processors rather than having to deliver the fish themselves as presently allowed. The adopted amendments streamline the donation of sport-caught fish to nonprofit organizations, California Native American tribes, public schools within a California unified school district and California city or county government programs. The changes will provide sport fishing license holders the opportunity to support nonprofit, community, school and tribal initiatives addressing food insecurity, access and distribution.

Commission Elections, Committee Assignments and Meeting Participation

In its first meeting of 2026, Commissioner Eric Sklar was elected Commission president and Commissioner Darius Anderson vice president. The Commission moved to retain Marine Resources, Wildlife Resources and Tribal Committee co-chair assignments — Sklar and Commissioner Samantha Murray will continue to serve on the Marine Resources Committee, Anderson and Commissioner Erica Zavaleta on the Wildlife Resources Committee and Commissioner Jacque Hostler-Carmesin on the Tribal Committee.

Sklar, Zavaleta and Murray were in attendance for both days of the February Commission meeting held in Sacramento; Hostler-Carmesin and Anderson were absent both meeting dates.

The complete agenda for the meeting, along with supporting information, is available on the Commission website. Archived video of past Commission meetings is available online. The next meeting of the Commission is scheduled for April 15-16, 2026, at the California Natural Resources Agency building in Sacramento. Participants are encouraged to attend in person, with options available for Zoom or phone; for more information visit the Commission website.

The Commission authorized public notice of upcoming potential regulation changes related to:

Central Valley and Klamath River Basin sport fishing regulations: A discussion hearing is scheduled for April 15-16 and an adoption hearing for May 6 on proposed amendments related to Central Valley and Klamath River Basin sport fishing regulations.

Media Contacts:
Krysten Kellum, CDFW Communications, (916) 825-7120
Jen Benedet, CDFW Communications, (916) 202-4465

CDFW Announces First Capture and GPS Collar of Sierra Nevada Red Fox in the Southern Sierra Nevada

Mon, 09 Feb 2026 16:05:46 GMT

The California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) has reached a significant goal in conservation science by gaining the ability to study more closely the behavioral patterns of the Sierra Nevada red fox (Vulpes vulpes necator) in the southern Sierra Nevada. The Department’s capacity to closely track the fox’s movements is a critical step toward understanding and protecting one of California’s rarest and most elusive native carnivores.

Due to their rarity, Sierra Nevada red foxes in California are protected as a Threatened Species under the California Endangered Species Act. The population in the Sierra Nevada has additional federal protection, considered an Endangered Species under the federal Endangered Species Act.

The January capture, which occurred near Mammoth Lakes and was conducted by biologists from the CDFW Bishop Field Office, marks the first time the Department has captured, fitted with a GPS-tracking collar and released a Sierra Nevada red fox in the Sierra Nevada.

The foxes in the Sierra Nevada are isolated from their relatives in the Cascade Range, and the movements and behavior of this collared fox will offer scientists a rare opportunity to better understand the ecology and conservation needs of this remote group.

The Sierra Nevada population is estimated to be fewer than 50 individuals. The species is typically extremely wary of humans and inhabits barren, rugged terrain at high elevations. Cautious behavior, remote habitat and low-density populations make them extremely difficult to find and capture, making this a noteworthy event.

“This represents the culmination of 10 years of remote camera and scat surveys to determine the range of the fox in the southern Sierra, and three years of intensive trapping efforts,” said CDFW Environmental Scientist Julia Lawson. “Everyone on the team was thrilled to see our hard work pay off. Our goal is to use what we learn from this collared animal to work toward recovering the population in the long term.”

Location data from the GPS collar and biological samples obtained during the capture of this animal are important management and research tools to help increase CDFW’s understanding of the species, directly support its protection and aid in increasing the efficiency of future capture and survey efforts.

In 2018, a team of scientists led by CDFW Wildlife Biologist Jennifer Carlson attached GPS satellite collars to several Sierra Nevada red foxes in the Lassen Peak region of northern California. That effort helped biologists subsequently locate several dens, leading to a much better understanding of the patterns of reproduction, movement and habitat use in this little-studied species.

Although red foxes are common and widespread throughout North America and Eurasia, the Sierra Nevada red fox is a distinct lineage found only in the high elevation regions of California and Oregon. According to historical accounts, these alpine red foxes have always been exceedingly rare and elusive.

The factors causing the population decline of Sierra Nevada red fox are not fully known, but unregulated hunting and trapping in the early 20th century likely played a major role, and low genetic diversity has continued to weaken the subspecies over time. The population in California’s Sierra Nevada was thought to have disappeared, until an automatic trail camera detected one near Sonora Pass in 2010. Since then, researchers have documented Sierra Nevada red foxes as far south as Cottonwood Pass, west of Lone Pine.

Conservation of the rare Sierra Nevada red fox reflects California’s commitment to biodiversity and the 30x30 Initiative, which seeks to conserve 30% of lands and coastal waters by 2030. Protecting rare species and their habitats strengthens ecosystems, ensuring healthy wildlife populations that support sustainable outdoor activities like hunting, fishing, and wildlife viewing. Science-driven efforts, such as GPS tracking and habitat conservation, help maintain balanced ecosystems where game species and other wildlife can thrive, for the benefit of all Californians.

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Factual Information About Lake Tahoe’s Black Bears

Fri, 30 Jan 2026 13:31:44 GMT

Keep Tahoe Bears Wild!

The Tahoe Interagency Bear Team (TIBT) is a collective of bear experts across federal, state and local agencies who study and understand bears and have devoted much of their professional lives to ensure the health and well-being of the Lake Tahoe Basin’s black bears. TIBT provides proven and scientifically backed information about the real issues and solutions for living and recreating in bear country.

Tahoe bears may at times seem like a unique bear species due to their general lack of fear and boldness around humans (habituation), but these black bears follow the usual biological patterns of black bears across California and Nevada. Whether living in or visiting bear country here at Lake Tahoe or beyond, this information should clarify what human actions are needed to help wild bears survive and thrive.

Secure Crawl Spaces

Web cam photos and videos of bears denning under homes can perpetuate the myth that property owners and residents should allow bears to den under homes and in crawl spaces. It can also encourage unwanted behavior such as laying out hay or other materials for bears. However, most homeowners don’t even know a bear is under or around their home until it has already established a makeshift den.

Bears often damage the insulation, exposing pipes to freezing temperatures or even damaging them in the process. Once a bear gets established, it can be difficult to make it leave. This increases the chances of human-bear conflict and habituated behavior.

Bears under homes need to be addressed by trained agency professionals as bears can be dangerous and unpredictable. If disturbed, mother bears with newborn cubs may abandon the den, orphaning the cubs in the process. For this reason, only a wildlife professional should evaluate the situation and offer advice to homeowners.

It’s important to remember that bears have evolved to comfortably survive winter without human help, so it is essential to board up all crawl spaces around homes to discourage bears from denning underneath. The TIBT video “Securing Your Crawl Space” will show you how to go about this.

Deny Access to Human Food and Trash

Black bears are very resilient and adaptive animals, and, as opportunistic omnivores, they will take advantage of any available food source, including human-provided foods like garbage. Their highly developed sense of smell allows them to find these food sources, even when locked in a vehicle or home, which in turn may lead bears into conflict with people.

It is true that bears need a lot of calories, especially in preparation for winter, but giving them handouts will not set them up to thrive. Repeated exposure to human foods can lead to food-conditioned bears which then view human homes and neighborhoods as reliable sources of food.

When mother bears teach their cubs to access human foods, they not only continue the cycle of human food-conditioning, but the cubs are much more prone to be involved in conflict, including being hit and killed by vehicles.

Consuming human food and garbage is incredibly unhealthy for bears because the high sugar content can increase tooth decay and painful abscesses. Intentionally feeding bears is illegal in both California and Nevada.

As omnivores, a bear’s diet is about 85% plant-based, with the remaining portion coming from consuming insects, small mammals and carrion. Bears should be allowed to fulfill their very important and vital ecological role as seed dispersers, predators and scavengers.

Get ‘BearWise’ to Keep Bears Wild

Black bears are smart. They have learned how to unscrew lids and open sliding glass and vehicle doors. They are also strong. In order to access food, they can peel a car door down from the top or break through a typical home door or window. Even after an incident like the 2021 Caldor Fire, where a huge swath of vegetation was burned in the Sierra Nevada mountains, wildlife biologists saw bears find natural ways to survive like the resilient omnivores that they are.

On rare occasions, the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) and Nevada Department of Wildlife (NDOW) must remove bears that are putting human life and property at risk. No one, including agency biologists who have dedicated their lives and careers to protecting bears, want this outcome. It is only used with great discretion and as a last resort.

Bears are large, strong animals and once they become conditioned to human foods or comfortable around people and human surroundings, they pose a significant threat to human safety. For these reasons it is very important for people to be educated and dedicated to being “BearWise.” Learn how at the BearWise website.

It’s also important to note that except in the case of the immediate protection of human life, the only people who can legally interact with wildlife are designated state agency representatives or law enforcement professionals.

Slow Down for Bears, Wildlife

It can be exciting to see a big, beautiful animal like a black bear in a neighborhood, but it is not where bears belong. Human-developed areas pose many dangers to bears, particularly busy roads with cars, which bears must cross in order to get to the unhealthy human food and garbage in developed areas.

By allowing bears to comfortably live in or pass through neighborhoods, the chances that they will get struck and killed by vehicles increases greatly. If a bear is in your neighborhood, encourage it to move on by scaring it away so that it can lead a safer life away from developed areas and conflict. Slow down for bears and other wildlife in the Tahoe Basin. For more information on bear-vehicle collisions, see the TIBT video “When Bears and Humans Collide”.

The TIBT is dedicated to creating the best environment for bears to thrive and remain wild in an ever-growing, ever-changing environment like the Lake Tahoe Basin. CDFW and NDOW should be the only point of contact for any bear-related incidents or questions. CDFW and NDOW have trained black bear experts who can help navigate any human-bear conflicts.

We encourage the public to visit our website, TahoeBears.org, for accurate, science-based information about bears. To report bear incidents or conflict in the Lake Tahoe Basin, use the following:

In California, contact CDFW at 916-358-2917 or report online using the Wildlife incident Reporting (WIR) System.
Non-emergency bear collisions in California State Parks can be reported to public dispatch at 916- 358-1300.
In Nevada, contact NDOW at 775-688-BEAR (2327).
If the issue is an emergency, call the local sheriff’s department or 911.

Thank you for helping keep Tahoe bears wild and safe!

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Media Contact:
Peter Tira, CDFW Communications, (916) 215-3858

State's Salmon Strategy Moves Forward with $10 Million for Salmon and Steelhead Habitat Restoration Projects, New 2026 Funding Opportunity

Tue, 20 Jan 2026 15:36:24 GMT

As part of Governor Gavin Newsom’s comprehensive strategy to restore and rebuild California’s salmon population, the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) has selected 16 projects to receive funding for the restoration, enhancement and protection of salmon and steelhead (anadromous salmonid) habitat in California watersheds. The total funding for these projects amounts to more than $10 million in grant awards.

Projects were awarded through CDFW’s Fisheries Restoration Grant Program (FRGP). This program was first established in 1981 and since 2000, has included funding from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) Pacific Coastal Salmon Recovery Fund, established by Congress to reverse the declines of Pacific salmon and steelhead throughout California, Oregon, Washington, Idaho and Alaska. These awards also include funds from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and Inflation Reduction Act to help support the recovery, conservation and resilience of Pacific salmon and steelhead.

These projects will conserve and recover California’s salmon, furthering the objectives laid out in the California Salmon Strategy for Hotter, Drier Future (PDF). The actions outlined in the report lay the groundwork for California to restore and rebuild salmon populations, improve salmon habitat and utilize the best available science and management practices to prepare for the future.

“These investments are another step forward to help California salmon,” said Natural Resources Secretary Wade Crowfoot. “The projects we’re funding will improve the health of creeks and rivers across the state, which will help salmon survive through climate change and benefit all who depend on health salmon fisheries. I’m proud of this progress, with much more work ahead.”

Examples of projects awarded under FRGP this year include removing three coastal stream fish passage barriers that will open over 7 miles of previously inaccessible river habitat in direct support of the Salmon Strategy. Additionally, FRGP continues support for popular annual Salmonid Restoration Conferences in 2027 and 2028 to offer technical education workshops and teach habitat restoration techniques to landowners, scientists, students and tribal members to contribute to protection and restoration of the salmon and steelhead population.

Among these 16 projects, the South Yuba River Citizens League was awarded $1,817,011 for the Upper Long Bar Salmonid Rearing Habitat Restoration Project. The project will restore eight acres on the Yuba River to improve juvenile rearing habitat to support diverse life histories, increased growth and survival of spring- and fall-run Chinook salmon and California Central Valley steelhead.

Trout Unlimited was awarded $717,463 for the Chamberlain Creek Instream Habitat Enhancement Project that will increase stream complexity and pool frequency and depth to improve rearing habitat for Coho salmon and steelhead trout. These stream features will be achieved through the installation of 114 large wood structures on the project’s 2.56-mile reach on Chamberlain Creek.

“We are thrilled to be able to partner with the staff at Jackson Demonstration State Forest on this important salmon restoration effort in Chamberlain Creek,” said Trout Unlimited North Coast Coho Project Manager Nicole Herrera. “This project on the Big River watershed will implement a recovery action identified by NOAA and CDFW in the Salmonid Habitat Restoration Priorities Action Plan.”

“These projects are implementing Salmon Strategy actions in real time. From restoring thousands of acres of habitat to improving migration pathways, advancing science-based flow management and using cutting-edge technology, actions taken from the Salmon Strategy work,” said CDFW Acting Director Valerie Termini. “We continue to see salmon and steelhead return to many California rivers and streams where they have not been seen in decades.”

In response to the 2025 FRGP solicitation, CDFW received 53 proposals requesting more than $49 million in funding. The proposals underwent a thorough technical review involving subject matter experts from CDFW and NOAA. For additional information and a complete list of all FRGP-awarded projects, visit FRGP's funded project summaries page.

The FRGP is now accepting concept proposals for the 2026 grant solicitation. Proposals will be accepted no later than March 2, 2026, through the CDFW WebGrants Portal.

CDFW will hold an online public workshop on February 4, 2026, to provide an overview of the solicitation. Workshop attendance is not a requirement for submitting a proposal. Visit the FRGP solicitation page for guidelines and workshop information, or contact FRGP@wildlife.ca.gov with any questions.

Highlighted Project Summaries

Bouverie Dam Removal for Fish Passage
($367,249 to All Hands Ecology)

Bouverie Dam is the final man-made barrier to unimpeded fish passage on Stuart Creek, a major tributary to Sonoma Creek. The dam removal restores access to pristine high quality rearing habitat and cool climate refugia for juvenile salmonids.

Watershed Stewards Program Statewide Monitoring and Enhancement
($731,689 to California Conservation Corps Watershed Stewards Program in partnership with AmeriCorps)

The California Conservation Corps Watershed Stewards Program (WSP) in partnership with AmeriCorps will engage 44 WSP Corpsmembers across California to monitor and enhance anadromous watersheds through fisheries/habitat surveys, riparian restoration, community education/engagement and by providing participants with insight into the environmental science field.

2025 Mainstem Buckeye Creek Instream Enhancement Project
($131,216 to The Conservation Fund)

This project restores salmonid habitat by placing 55 pieces of large wood at 21 structure sites to increase stream complexity, high flow refugia, pool frequency, and rearing habitat for salmonids.

Upper Klamath River Design and Planning Project - Beaver Creek
($739,196 to Mid Klamath Watershed Council)

This project will develop a 100% level fisheries restoration design on 7 miles of Beaver Creek. The project area has approximately 50 acres of low-lying floodplain that is disconnected due to channel constraint. The design would improve conditions for spawning and rearing fish by connecting floodplains and improving habitat structures.

Lower South Fork Cottaneva Instream Habitat Improvement Project
($394,154 to Eel River Watershed Improvement Group)

Goals of this project are to improve habitat complexity with the construction of 38 large wood structures along 1.2 miles of South Fork Cottaneva Creek, Rockport Creek, and an unnamed tributary to Rockport Creek. This will increase pool and flatwater shelter and capture woody debris and sediment.

Cachagua Creek Fish Passage Alternative Plan/Design Project - Quevedo
($184,774 to Trout Unlimited)

This project will provide a design plan to remediate an existing migration barrier in this important tributary to the Carmel River. The current ford is a partial migration barrier for all life stages of steelhead. The removal and replacement with a free span bridge will improve migration conditions in this reach of Cachagua Creek.

Bridge Creek - California Conservation Corps Large Wood Coho Habitat Enhancement Project
($424,247 to California Conservation Corps - Ukiah)

The project will improve salmonid habitat in Bridge Creek through the introduction of large wood features. Large wood features will be constructed by California Conservation Corps hand crews without the use of heavy machinery.

Hydrology to Habitat: Critical Steelhead Restoration Assessments in San Luis Obispo Creek Watershed
($582,511 to Creek Lands Conservation)

The project will collect data and conduct landowner outreach required to identify and advance transformative steelhead habitat restoration projects on San Lois Obispo Creek and its major tributaries, including fish passage improvements, steelhead rearing habitat enhancement, estuary restoration and streamflow enhancement. Data will include barrier assessments, engineering barrier analysis, ecologically critical streamflow monitoring, water quality and steelhead mark and recapture.

2027 and 2028 Salmonid Restoration Conferences
($191,988 to Salmonid Restoration Federation)

The 2027 and 2028 Salmonid Restoration Conferences will offer technical education workshops and teach habitat restoration techniques to practitioners, landowners, agency personnel, scientists, students, tribal members and consultants to contribute to protection and restoration of anadromous salmonids. Each conference includes intensive workshops, field tours, 9-12 concurrent sessions and keynotes to recovery strategies in state and federal salmonid recovery plans.

Upper South Fork Eel River Instream Habitat Improvement Project
($854,222 to Eel River Watershed Improvement Group)

This habitat improvement project will improve ecological complexity along 3.5 miles of the South Fork Eel River by installing 41 large wood structures composed of 166 logs and 202 boulders, which will help create a natural habitat setting.

Arroyo Seco River Fish Passage Project - Sycamore Flats
($1,288,949 to Trout Unlimited, Inc.)

The project will remove an existing concrete vehicle ford which spans the Arroyo Seco River. The completed project will eliminate a priority migration barrier and improve conditions for federally threatened South Central Coast steelhead trout on the Arroyo Seco River in Monterey County.

Lower San Luis Obispo Creek Floodplain Preserve Steelhead Habitat Enhancement Project
($267,872 to The Land Conservancy of San Luis Obispo County)

The project will prepare 100% of engineering designs and submit all necessary permit applications to restore more natural conditions along the lower mainstem of San Luis Obispo Creek on The Land Conservancy's Lower San Luis Obispo Creek Floodplain Preserve Properties. These habitat enhancements will increase the amount and quality of steelhead juvenile rearing habitat, fry rearing habitat and winter refuge habitat to support the steelhead population within the San Luis Obispo Creek watershed.

Green Valley Creek Off-Channel Habitat Enhancement at Sweetwater Nursery
($829,943 to Gold Ridge Resource Conservation District)

The project will connect an existing floodplain pond to Green Valley Creek via an excavated connector channel to allow free access to off-channel winter habitat for juvenile salmonids. The off-channel pond will provide high-quality wetland habitat throughout the majority of winter and spring that will be used by out-migrating salmon to forage and rear. The project will also see habitat improvements as a result of the installation of engineered log jams to drive pool development and provide woody cover.

Elk Creek Fish Passage and Sediment Reduction Project
($521,718 to Smith River Alliance)

The project will restore fish passage and migration access to spawning and rearing Coho salmon by replacing an existing undersized culvert with an 8-foot-diameter culvert with a natural channel bottom. The culvert upgrade is one part of a larger project that will restore fish passage at six barriers in the headwaters of Elk Creek. Riparian plants will be installed in areas impacted by construction and currently lacking riparian cover.

The awarded projects advance the objectives of state and federal fisheries recovery plans that focus on removing barriers to fish migration, restoring riparian habitat, recovering wildfire impacts detrimental to rivers and creating a more resilient and sustainably managed water resources system (e.g., water supply, water quality and habitat) that can better withstand drought conditions. These projects further the goals of the California Water Resilience Portfolio, State Wildlife Action Plan (SWAP) page, California’s Salmon Strategy for a Hotter, Drier Future and fulfillment of CDFW’s mission (PDF).

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Media Contacts:
Matt Wells, Watershed Restoration Grants Branch, (916) 216-7848
Steve Gonzalez, CDFW Communications, (916) 804-1714

Naturally Reproduced Coho Salmon Found in Russian River’s Upper Basin for the First Time in Decades

Thu, 18 Dec 2025 13:15:21 GMT

Discovery in Isolated Pool Prompts Fish Rescue by Pinoleville Pomo Nation and CDFW

In case you missed it:

SACRAMENTO – Governor Gavin Newsom last week celebrated a monumental achievement for California as salmon are making a comeback in Northern California. This summer, several juvenile Coho salmon were spotted in the Russian River’s upper basin — a first in more than 30 years. California has recently marked significant progress in its comprehensive strategy to help these threatened and endangered salmon species recover — all the more critical as protections for endangered species have been rolled back at the federal level.

“California’s salmon strategy is about more than restoring a species — it’s about restoring an entire way of life,” said Newsom. “It’s about honoring tribal sovereignty, protecting the ecosystems that define this state, and doing the hard, generational work to make sure these rivers still run for our kids and grandkids. The return of this species to the Russian River demonstrates a new win in our strategy to preserve a healthy and sustainable future for all.”

The California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) announced that juvenile Coho salmon were spotted in a tributary of the Russian River in Mendocino County by a Pinoleville Pomo Nation water specialist — the first observation confirming natural reproduction of Coho in the Russian River’s upper basin since 1991. Governor Gavin Newsom’s Salmon Strategy for a Hotter, Drier Future, coupled with beneficial wet weather conditions, is supporting California’s struggling salmon populations as they return to historical habitats like the Russian River.

The Coho discovery was a sign of recovery for the endangered species, but it also called for swift action to ensure their survival.

Snorkeling in an isolated pool on Ackerman Creek north of Ukiah in June, Pinoleville Pomo Nation Environmental Protection Agency Water Resources Specialist Dakota Perez Gonzalez discovered young Coho salmon. These fish, as well as juvenile steelhead trout and Chinook salmon, were disconnected from surface water flow and other suitable habitat and likely to perish when the pool eventually dried up.

Strong Regional Partnerships

To help the species continue to thrive, Pinoleville Pomo Nation and CDFW partnered for a rescue effort when it was discovered that these juvenile fish had become stranded in an isolated and drying pool.

“Pinoleville Pomo Nation respects the relationship of traditional ecological knowledge, passed down through generations, while learning about contemporary conservation practices,” said Pinoleville Pomo Nation Vice Chairperson Angela James. “We honor Mother Earth by protecting the sustainability of our natural resources. Our Tribal Citizens currently utilize every cultural resource Ackerman Creek provides for us. By actively engaging in habitat restoration, water quality monitoring and the preservation of native species, we reaffirm our commitment to the health of the Ackerman Creek for future generations.”

The California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) and Pinoleville Pomo Nation staff set out to rescue the Coho and as many other fish as possible from the isolated pool. Teams used nets to collect two Coho, three Chinook, 146 steelhead and hundreds of other native and introduced fish species. Three Pinoleville Pomo Nation environmental interns — T.J. Feliz, Marisol Tlelo and Riley Dizon — provided critical support to the fish rescue.

The adult Coho that spawned these young fish likely migrated in December 2024 from the Pacific Ocean, through more than 90 miles of the Russian River, and into Ackerman Creek. The last confirmed account of juvenile Coho in upper Russian River tributaries was prior to 1991. The 2025 observation of juveniles in Ackerman Creek is the first evidence that adult Coho have successfully reproduced in the Russian River’s upper basin in over 34 years.

This isn’t California’s first salmon rescue operation: during the drought-prone years of 2021-23, CDFW staff engaged in 51 rescue events in 25 waters, saving nearly 14,000 Coho salmon from death in drying pools and warm water. These rescued juvenile fish go on to support healthy adult populations of salmon statewide.

Hatcheries at Work

The Coho were taken to the Warm Springs Fish Hatchery where a Coho captive breeding program has been working to recover endangered Russian River Coho since 2001. The steelhead were also taken to the Warm Springs Fish Hatchery, and other native fish were released into Ackerman Creek near its confluence with the Russian River.

“Coho likely would have disappeared from the Russian River basin by 2004 if not for the Coho captive breeding program,” said Bay Delta Region Inland Fisheries Program Manager Corinne Gray. “While there have been five observed adult Coho that have returned to their natal waters at Coyote Valley Fish Facility below Coyote Dam since 2012, it has been decades since evidence of successful spawning and rearing of Coho has been seen in tributaries in the Russian River’s upper basin.”

In the winter of 2024-25, Coho returned in record numbers to habitat throughout the northern half of the California Central Coast, from the Golden Gate National Recreation Area in Marin County to the Sinkyone Wilderness in Mendocino County. Though there have been successful returns of Coho in the lower Russian River watershed, Coho are not often seen migrating into the upper Russian River watersheds.

CDFW staff actively seek out naturally reproduced Coho juveniles to maximize genetic diversity in the captive breeding program. The Russian River Coho captive breeding program is a multi-agency partnership implemented by the United States Army Corps of Engineers, where these natural origin juvenile Coho are hatchery reared to adulthood and then spawned. This takes a few hundred fish and multiplies them to about 150,000 that are released to local tributaries with the goal of restarting sustaining populations of Coho.

Improved Fish Passage and Habitat Restoration

As the state invests in improved fish passage and habitat restoration, California is starting to see salmon emerge in unexpected and historic watersheds.

This summer, Coho salmon were spotted in the Jenner Headlands Reserve on the Sonoma Coast, their first sighting in the area in roughly 60 years. This area was previously preserved in 2010 thanks in part to funding provided by the California State Coastal Conservancy and the Wildlife Conservation Board. These investments by the state support critically important habitat restoration and preservation opportunities, even years after acquisition.

In November, for the first time since the 1950s, Chinook salmon were documented migrating into the reaches of Alameda Creek in the San Francisco Bay Area. The Chinook were able to swim further up the largest local tributary to the San Francisco Bay as a result of the Sunol Valley Fish Passage Project implemented by CalTrout and PG&E. Developing and updating fish passages is also identified in the state’s Salmon Strategy as a key way to support movement of healthy fish populations.

Additionally, in a key effort to advance the Salmon Strategy, CDFW and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Fisheries have partnered on Salmon Habitat Restoration Priorities (SHaRP), a collaborative commitment to restore important salmon and steelhead habitat. SHaRP helps salmon build resilience, and projects in the impacted zones have seen substantial increases in adult Coho salmon returns which in turn can help repopulate upstream areas like Ackerman Creek.

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Media Contacts:
Krysten Kellum, CDFW Communications, (916) 825-7120
Angela James, Pinoleville Pomo Nation Tribal Council