Wednesday July 22, 2026
edhat —
California is beginning construction of a habitat restoration project along the Feather River to improve spawning conditions for Chinook salmon.
The California Department of Water Resources (DWR) announced the construction of a salmonid habitat improvement project between the Table Mountain Bridge and Bedrock Park in Oroville in Northern California’s Butte County.
Crews will be mobilizing heavy equipment and supplies in the week of July 20, with in-water work expected to begin in the week of July 27.
The $2.37 million project is largely funded by a General Fund Local Assistance Grant for Habitat Restoration from the Facilitating Improvement of Systemwide Habitat Program that is supported by Assembly Bill 179 (2022), according to the DWR.
The project will place around 7,900 cubic yards of in-river spawning gravel to enhance the existing spawning habitat sites. This will also improve accessibility to existing side channels by excavating and redistributing accumulated streambed material, according to the DWR.
Migratory fish species including Chinook salmon and steelhead trout depend on the spawning habitats along Feather River’s low-flow channel, the agency noted. Most of the spawning activity occurs in this channel.