Chinook salmon were once abundant in the North Yuba River in California’s Sierra Nevada. But since 1941, they’ve been kept out of the chilly, clear waters by the Englebright Dam. Now, for the first time in more than eight decades, the iridescent, blue-green fish are once again swimming in the northern waterway, the California Department of Fish and Wildlife announced in a statement this month. The young spring-run Chinook salmon are part of a pilot project that may one day become a full reintroduction program, with the eventual goal of returning the fish to their historic spawning grounds in California’s mountains.

Other salmon news:

• ABC10 (Sacramento, Calif.): California rice fields fuel salmon migration
• Golden State Salmon Association: News release: New trucking release strategy boosts salmon returns up to 15 times in drought years
• California Fisheries Blog: California salmon fisheries in 2025