The free-flowing Klamath River, where the J.C. Boyle dam once stood. Image: Angelina Cook The federal government is formalizing a process to weaken the Endangered Species Act (ESA) in the upper Klamath River basin. The process seeks to prioritize irrigation deliveries in the upper Klamath basin over the protection of threatened and endangered species. In…

The 43rd annual Salmonid Restoration Federation (SRF) conference will take place in Redding from April 28 to May 1, 2026. The conference is a great opportunity to learn about native species of anadromous fish and hands-on and regulatory efforts to increase their populations. CSPA will make several presentations at this year’s conference.  The Salmonid Restoration…

Entrainment of fish into surface water diversions is a major anthropogenic cause of fish kill. Entrainment occurs when diversion works redirect flows from a natural channel into a pipe or canal, and aquatic organisms get directed or sucked into the artificial intake.  While rates of entrainment per diversion may appear insignificant, the cumulative rate of…

Basking in the glow of Thanksgiving, I am grateful for the incredible strides made this year toward recovery of anadromous fisheries in the north state. Heightened returns of adult Chinook spawners to Battle Creek, to the Scott River, and to Klamath tributaries previously blocked by dams confirm that diligent efforts to improve fish passage and…

For decades, stream flows in the Shasta River dropped to a fraction of historical levels every summer, no matter how wet the water year type. Now, a new law, AB 263, which took effect in September 2025, requires that sufficient quantities of water remain instream. This ensures that coho salmon will be less likely to…