Chinook salmon are both beloved and a very mysterious fish. In the Sacramento Valley, the northern part of California’s Great Central Valley, it is encouraging and positive that fall-run salmon are returning in larger numbers this year as reported on Christmas by the Sacramento Bee; yet, there is much more we can do to help salmon.

For the past several decades, I have been involved in efforts to improve salmon habitat and have carefully watched the various efforts that have all been intended to improve migratory corridors and habitat for this mysterious fish. To be sure, there have been major efforts to improve salmon in the Sacramento Valley, yet the numbers of salmon have not increased as projected. Why?

To help answer this question, water resources managers in the Sacramento Valley commissioned fisheries biologist Dave Vogel to prepare a scientific report investigating the reasons for the fish population declines and, more importantly, how to improve salmon fisheries in the Sacramento Valley.  The report–Insights into the Problems, Progress and Potential Solutions for Sacramento River Basin Native Anadromous Fish Restoration—captures more than thirty years of Mr. Vogel’s experience as a biologist studying salmon in the Sacramento River system and it fully describes the various runs and life-cycles for salmon as they move through the system.

To build on this scientific understanding, these water resources managers are further refining and developing an action plan for anadromous fisheries. This action plan will help implement both the federal recovery plan and the state conservation strategy for salmon, and it will further develop conservation partnerships to improve migratory corridors and habitat for anadromous fish within the region.