Update: Feather River Salmon Spawning Restoration Project

DWR’s 2017 salmon spawning restoration project in the Feather River led to a successful fall run, with several hundred Chinook salmon spawning in the restored habitat. 

In August, DWR excavated a side channel in the Feather River to restore river flow in a key spawning area. The channel had been completely filled with gravel as a result of winter 2017’s high flow event, blocking the flow of water. DWR also placed 5,000 cubic yards of new spawning gravel into key sections of the river. Salmon need clean gravel to dig their nests, called “redds,” where they lay their eggs.

In response to the increase in salmon, the area has also seen a resurgence of other wildlife such as turkey vultures, gulls, and raccoons.
View our first video on the project on our YouTube channel.