For the first time in decades, salmon have been spotted in one California creek. Researchers say that Chinook salmon have appeared for the first time in 70 years in the Alameda Creek.
This comes after officials worked to remove a barrier blocking their migration in the area. California Trout (CalTrout) confirmed that it completed the restructuring of a fish passage to the area. It partnered with Pacific Gas & Electric (PG&E) for the project. This allows salmon and steelhead to reach a spawning site.
Biologists observed two Chinook salmon for the first time at the creek in 70 years. It's a sign that the project has worked. "Based on best available records, this is the first time salmon have volitionally accessed this part of the watershed since the 1950s," the release noted.
Salmon Return
Officials are hopeful this is just the beginning.
"We just wrapped up construction, and the fish are already finding their way home!" said Claire Buchanan, CalTrout's central California regional director. "It's incredibly gratifying to see these incredible species reclaim crucial habitat that they have been locked out of for decades."
"We're so excited to play a part in the historic return of steelhead trout and Chinook salmon to Sunol Valley," stated Kevin Armato, PG&E vice president of gas construction. "Being good stewards of the environment is one of our priorities as a company, and witnessing that stewardship pay dividends in a local ecosystem is incredibly gratifying."
It took more than two decades for the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission to work on waterways in California. This has helped return fish to the area thanks to migration.
"Because of these collective efforts, we are starting to see substantial increases in fish moving upstream and downstream within the watershed," said SFPUC General Manager Dennis Herrera. "This is a proud moment for all of us."
