Silent Streams: The Decline of California's Iconic Winter-Run Chinook Salmon

The Sacramento River Winter-Run Chinook Salmon, a keystone species and icon of California's historic ecosystem, has declined rapidly since the 1940s. The Central Valley Salmon shaped California into the giant it is today. Years of massive populations of salmon spawning year over year created nutrient rich soil that was perfect for farming and is part of the reason why California is responsible for 75% of all fruits and nuts in the United States, and is responsible for over 15% of the nation’s total agricultural exports. 

The species is now endangered and on the brink of total extinction. I spoke with Tracy Grimes, a senior environmental scientist with California's Fish and Wildlife Department, to help better understand the decline, why it's happening, and what is being done to prevent it.

She attributes the decline in these populations to the upriver damming of the Sacramento River and a history of mismanagement when it comes to water usage in Central California's massive agriculture industry.

Losing the winter-run Chinook would be devastating to the Central Valley, the breadbasket of California, and further lower the nitrogen content in the soil, reducing the efficacy of farming with it.

The CDFW has undergone multiple projects to rebuild the population, building infrastructure to help the salmon navigate the dams and thrive despite their passage to their spawning grounds being blocked.

The best example of why reporting on this issue matters is what has happened to the Klamath River up north on the California/Oregon border. After years of studies that showed the dams were directly responsible for the disappearance of the salmon and subsequent degradation of the riverbank ecosystem, as well as years of activism from local Indian tribes, the dams were removed in the largest dam removal in US history in 2022. Since then, the salmon have begun to return to the Klamath basin, and the environment has significantly improved. 

With the overarching issue of climate change compounding the issues with an already fragile population, awareness, education, and reform will be key to the salmon's survival.

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