Thursday June 4, 2026
Richmond Standard —
The Contra Costa Fish Migration Celebration on May 30 was described as a big success.
The bi-annual event highlighted the yearly journey of steelhead trout, which swim from San Pablo Bay into Pinole Creek to spawn. It also celebrated the engineering projects that make this journey possible by clearing obstacles along the creek.
This year’s celebration, which occur bi-annually to coincide with the global World Fish Migration Day initiative, was the largest yet, with more family activities, educational exhibits, and tours of the fish passages, according to the Contra Costa Resource Conservation District. Visitors learned about local wildlife, habitat restoration, and how to support the watershed.
The health of Pinole Creek is thanks to several restoration projects, most recently the East Bay Municipal Utility District’s (EBMUD) Tomato Stand Fish Passage Project. The project opened an additional 1.4 miles of the creek, completing the final link to the Pacific Ocean. Now, steelhead can travel nearly seven miles from the bay to the upper Pinole Valley Watershed.