Wednesday May 20, 2026
Action News Now —
The Yuba Water Agency says they are continuing efforts to bring spring-run Chinook salmon back to their historical habitat in the upper North Yuba River watershed.
On Tuesday, the Yuba Water Board of Directors approved a $500,000 grant to the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) to fund another year of the reintroduction program.
For the past two years, the Yuba Water Agency has partnered with CDFW on a pilot program to restore the salmon population. The program has successfully placed hundreds of thousands of salmon eggs and adult salmon in the North Yuba River.
“For the first time in about a century, spring-run Chinook salmon are swimming in the North Yuba River,” said JoAnna Lessard, Yuba Water’s watershed manager. “Our partners at CDFW have successfully placed hundreds of thousands of salmon eggs, as well as adult salmon to lay their eggs naturally. The juvenile salmon are later captured and placed in the lower Yuba River to continue their migration to the Pacific Ocean and hopefully one day return to the Yuba River as adults.”