Salmon, Back to the Mountains

An article with wonderful news, from Good New Network., and for Part 3 of the Abundance Choice series on California Water policy, https://californiaglobe.com/articles/the-abundance-choice-part-3/

An excerpt from the salmon article.

“The historic reintroduction of Chinook salmon into a California creek this spring will help secure another generation of this iconic species.

“State and federal biologists have been busy moving endangered adult winter-run Chinook salmon to the upper reaches of Battle Creek and 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.

“Together the scientists 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/Tehama counties for the first time in more than 110 years.

“It is one of a series of urgent actions to help the native fish survive another year of the lasting drought, high temperatures, and other stressors.

“Agencies Join Forces

“Various agencies, including CDFW, USFWS, NOAA Fisheries, Bureau of Reclamation, the California Department of Water Resources, and water users are working closely with the Winnemem Wintu Tribe, whose culture is intertwined with salmon in the area.

“Actions to help the salmon population 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.

“Scientists are also 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 died. Juvenile fish will be released into the river in stages when conditions are more hospitable in the late fall and winter.”

For the rest, Chinook Salmon Introduced to Mountain Streams Not Inhabited for 100 Years (goodnewsnetwork.org)