Juvenile coho salmon found in Mendocino County creek after more than 30-year absence

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Juvenile coho salmon have been documented in a tributary of the Russian River in Mendocino County for the first time since 1991, state officials announced Thursday.

According to the California Department of Fish and Wildlife, Pinoleville Pomo Nation Water Resource Specialist and Yurok tribal member Dakota Perez Gonzalez discovered several young coho salmon in Ackerman Creek north of Ukiah in June.

After the juvenile salmon were discovered in an isolated pool that was drying, the tribe and CDFW partnered on a rescue effort, Perez Gonzalez said. The fish were transported to Warm Springs Fish Hatchery in Geyserville, where they are being raised in CDFW’s brood stock program.

“Once the salmon reach adulthood, their eggs will be artificially spawned at the hatchery to mimic the natural spawning process,” Perez Gonzalez said. “The eggs will hatch and grow to become smolts, and at that stage the hatchery will release them into the Russian River watershed. This is of key importance because it will increase the biodiversity of coho salmon genetics in the Russian River watershed.”

For decades, biologists with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and CDFW believed coho salmon had disappeared from the upper Russian River basin.

Gov. Gavin Newsom called the discovery a sign of progress in California’s efforts to restore threatened salmon populations. CDFW also cited the state’s long-term salmon recovery strategy and recent wet weather conditions.

“California’s salmon strategy is about more than restoring a species — it’s about restoring an entire way of life,” Newsom in a statement. “It’s about honoring tribal sovereignty, protecting the ecosystems that define this state, and doing the hard, generational work to make sure these rivers still run for our kids and grandkids.”

Angela James, vice chairperson of the Pinoleville Pomo Nation, said the tribe has worked for years to protect and restore Ackerman Creek through habitat restoration, water quality monitoring, and the preservation of native species.

“Our tribal citizens currently utilize every cultural resource Ackerman Creek provides for us,” James said. “By actively engaging in habitat restoration, water quality monitoring, and the preservation of native species, we reaffirm our commitment to the health of the creek for future generations.”

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This story was originally published by The Mendocino Voice and distributed through a partnership with The Associated Press.