Wednesday July 3, 2024
California Department of Water Resources —
Along the North Fork of the Feather River, the Department of Water Resources (DWR) is conducting an innovative reintroduction feasibility study for Central Valley spring-run Chinook salmon that would help boost the salmon population and potentially return the species to its historic habitat.
Historically, spring-run Chinook salmon would have access to spawning and rearing habitat areas located above Lake Almanor. However, numerous dams that were built since the 1920s have cut off Central Valley salmon from accessing that habitat. This, in addition to other factors such as climate change, has contributed to a decline in the salmon population over the past 100 years.
The study tests two methods of salmon egg placement; an egg box method, which is normally used for reintroduction programs, and direct injection into the gravel, which closely mimics what happens in nature. The two methods of egg placement are used so scientists can compare how each method performed in that environment and have more control over how those eggs emerge.