Wednesday May 20, 2026
Times Standard —
The following is a press release from Toloa Dee-ni’ Nation:
The Tolowa Dee-ni’ Nation’s Fisheries Division and staff at Rowdy Creek Fish Hatchery released approximately 25,000 juvenile Chinook Salmon into the lower Smith River on Friday, May 15. The release was the culmination of an annual fish enhancement program that started with the seining and spawning of adult Chinook in late fall.
The hatchery aims to release a total of 60,000 Chinook salmon this spring to support subsistence harvest for tribal members and maintain local recreational fishing opportunities for the public.
The process began last October when staff from the Nation’s Natural Resource and Public Works and Facilities departments, with help from the California Department of Fish and Wildlife, collected adult Chinook Salmon from the mainstem Smith River using a beach seine. The salmon were transported in a holding tank by trailer to the hatchery.