Recent comments from water and wildlife officials that the winter Chinook salmon population could significantly improve from the colder and wetter winter are being downplayed by the South Yuba River Citizens League. With levels at Oroville and Shasta reservoirs at their highest in the last two years, that means higher river releases, with colder water. But SYRCL fish biologist Gary Reedy says that won’t make up for what he says have been inadequate dam releases over the years and widespread habitat destruction…
There are no winter Chinook salmon in the lower Yuba River, below Englebright dam, which are considered “endangered”, or at the highest risk of extinction. But Reedy says there ARE spring-run salmon, which are classified as “threatened”, or the second-highest risk…
Reedy says the lower Yuba’s salmon run in December was among the lowest on record, at around six-thousand, which is only 10-percent of the historical average.
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