RIO LINDA, CA (May 5, 2025) – In a major change of plans aimed at rescuing California’s struggling salmon populations, state wildlife officials have done something never tried before: releasing millions of young hatchery-raised Chinook salmon directly into the main stem of the Sacramento River.
This historic release of roughly 3.5 million juvenile fall-run Chinook salmon happened in mid-April near Redding and Butte City. Typically, hatchery fish are released into the rivers where their hatcheries are located, like the Feather or Mokelumne Rivers. This new strategy, using fish from increased production at those hatcheries, marks a significant effort to boost salmon numbers specifically in the main Sacramento River channel.
Why the Change? Salmon Crisis Hits Home
This unprecedented move comes as fall-run Chinook salmon numbers in the main Sacramento River – the historical heart of California’s salmon fishery – are at critically low levels. Poor river conditions during recent droughts made it tough for salmon to spawn naturally and for young fish to survive their journey to the ocean.
The result? Extremely low numbers of adult salmon returning in the last few years. This crisis led federal managers to recommend closing commercial salmon fishing entirely in California for the third year in a row last month, while also severely limiting sport fishing. These closures have deeply impacted fishing families, businesses, and recreational anglers across the state, including potentially many here in the Rio Linda area who rely on or enjoy the Sacramento River system.
“We strongly support the California Department of Fish and Wildlife’s bold decision,” said Scott Artis, head of the Golden State Salmon Association. “With Sacramento fall-run Chinook returns at crisis levels… this innovative move is exactly the kind of action we need.”
Details of the New Strategy
The 3.5 million young salmon released into the main river are just part of a larger effort. Thanks to extra funding, including support from fishing groups, state hatcheries produced an additional 9.7 million salmon this year beyond normal goals. In total, state efforts will release over 28 million fall-run Chinook in 2025.
CDFW timed these Sacramento River releases carefully:
- Higher River Flows: Releases coincided with increased water flows, which help wash the small fish safely downstream towards the Pacific Ocean.
- Safety in Numbers: Releases were coordinated with fish releases from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s Coleman National Fish Hatchery (near Anderson) to overwhelm predators like larger fish and birds with sheer volume.
- Helping Partners: CDFW also gave the Coleman hatchery 10 million salmon eggs to help boost their production after low returns to their facility on Battle Creek.
Hope for the Future
“The naturally spawning Sacramento River salmon populations have been the primary driver of California’s commercial and recreational salmon fisheries for decades,” explained Jay Rowan, CDFW Fisheries Branch Chief. He noted the low returns affected both fishing and the number of spawning adults needed for recovery.
The ultimate goal of releasing fish directly into the main stem is that these young salmon will “imprint” on that specific stretch of river during their migration. When they mature in the ocean and return to freshwater in about three years (around 2028), the hope is they will choose the main Sacramento River to spawn naturally. This could significantly help rebuild the wild population in these crucial spawning areas, potentially leading to better fishing seasons in the future.
This shift represents a major commitment by CDFW to restore this vital part of California’s natural heritage and economy.
