A Race Against Shrinking Odds

Every fall, the Central Valley’s fall-run Chinook salmon fight their way in from the Pacific, pushing through the Delta and upriver toward the gravel beds where they were born. But the journey that once defined the region is now a race against shrinking odds. In recent drought-stricken years, monitoring has shown that only a small fraction of eggs survive the season, and just a sliver of those young fish ever make it to adulthood.

To keep the species from collapsing, California’s network of state and federal hatcheries now plays an outsized role. Technicians collect eggs, raise young salmon under tightly controlled conditions, and release millions of smolts each year in an effort to rebuild the run. One of the most active sites is the Mokelumne River Fish Hatchery at the base of Camanche Dam near the town of Clements.

For visitors, these hatcheries offer a clear, sometimes stark look at both the crisis facing wild salmon and the extensive efforts underway to pull the species back from the brink.

Learn more at the video link below.