Anglers and biologists got some encouraging news this summer out of the Russian River watershed, where juvenile Coho salmon were discovered in a small tributary north of Ukiah. This was the first sign of natural Coho reproduction in the upper basin in more than 30 years.
The fish were found in June in Ackerman Creek by Dakota Perez Gonzalez, a water resources specialist with the Pinoleville Pomo Nation, while snorkeling the creek. The young Coho, along with steelhead and Chinook salmon, were holding in an isolated pool that had been cut off from flowing water and was expected to dry up as summer progressed.
Recognizing the risk, the Pinoleville Pomo Nation partnered with the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) to move quickly and rescue the fish.
Crews used nets to collect what they could from the shrinking pool, relocating two juvenile Coho, three Chinook, 146 steelhead, and hundreds of other fish. Several Pinoleville Pomo Nation environmental interns assisted during the operation.
The Coho and steelhead were transported to the Warm Springs Fish Hatchery, where they’ll become part of ongoing recovery programs aimed at rebuilding salmon populations in the Russian River system. Other native species were released back into Ackerman Creek closer to its confluence with the Russian River.
Biologists believe the adult Coho that produced these juveniles likely made the long journey inland from the Pacific Ocean in December 2024, swimming more than 90 miles upstream to reach Ackerman Creek. The last confirmed sighting of juvenile Coho in upper Russian River tributaries occurred before 1991.
CDFW says the discovery is another positive sign that long-term restoration efforts are beginning to pay off. The Russian River Coho captive breeding program at Warm Springs has been operating since 2001 and is widely credited with keeping the species from disappearing entirely from the watershed.
Fish rescues like this have become more common during dry years. From 2021 through 2023, CDFW crews carried out more than 50 rescue operations across the state, saving nearly 14,000 juvenile Coho from drying pools and warm water.
The Ackerman Creek find also comes as salmon are turning up in places they haven’t been seen in decades. This year, Coho were spotted on the Sonoma Coast for the first time in roughly 60 years, and Chinook salmon were documented moving into upper Alameda Creek in the Bay Area after new fish passage improvements. And further north, chinook have returned to the Klamath River Basin for the first time in decades.
The return of young Coho to the upper Russian River and other watersheds along the West Coast is a great sign. Years of habitat work and dam removals seem to finally be paying off. Hopefully anglers will have more opportunities as populations improve.
