20,000 tons of gravel placed into Sacramento River to provide spawning habitat for endangered salmon

Sacramento River Settlement Contractors via Maven’s Notebook —

Efforts to provide spawning habitat for endangered winter-run Chinook salmon in the upper reaches of the Sacramento River continue with the Sacramento River Settlement Contractors, California Department of Fish and Wildlife, and the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation placing more than 20,000 tons of gravel downstream of the Keswick Dam in Redding.

“This gravel is critical for all four runs of Chinook salmon that utilize the Sacramento River,” said Matt Johnson, California Department of Fish and Wildlife Environmental Scientist. “Water flows will push the gravel downstream over time, providing spawning habitat in a vital stretch of river these fish depend on. We want to ensure these fish have the greatest chance to reproduce and it is projects like this allow us to increase the odds of success.”

This gravel augmentation project will add to the more than 50,000 tons of rock placed in the upper reaches of the Sacramento River since 2022.

Read more >