For the first time, California salmon reintroduced to their historical habitat as juveniles are returning to their home rivers to spawn demonstrating successful recovery for restored rivers and streams.
More than 25 threatened spring-run Chinook salmon have returned to the San Joaquin River so far this year and on Battle Creek to the north, at least 50 endangered winter-run Chinook salmon reintroduced in 2018 have also returned.
“The return of these fish demonstrates that our collective efforts to restore the river and re-establish Chinook salmon are working,” said Erin Strange, San Joaquin River branch chief in NOAA Fisheries West Coast Region.
As many as 600,000 spring-run Chinook salmon once returned to California’s Central Valley before Friant Dam on the San Joaquin River and other obstacles cut off 90% of their historical habitat. Today, only three wild populations remain, leaving the species threatened with extinction.
The San Joaquin River Restoration Program aims to improve habitat and reintroduce juvenile fish to the river. Biologists have released thousands of juvenile spring-run salmon to the river since 2014 and these are the fish now returning from the ocean as adults.
In addition to the approximately 50 fish that have returned to Battle Creek this year, biologists expect more fish from releases in 2018 and 2019 to return in coming years once they grow and mature in the ocean.
