The California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) is excited to announce that adult fall-run Chinook salmon have begun occupying and spawning in newly accessible habitat behind the former dam locations on the Klamath River. These are the first observations of anadromous fish returning to California tributaries upstream of the former Iron Gate Dam since 1961.

On Oct. 15, spawning fall-run Chinook salmon were observed in Jenny Creek, a Klamath River tributary 4.3 river miles upstream of the former Iron Gate Dam location, the southernmost barrier of four dams removed from the Klamath River . Additionally, adult fall-run Chinook are starting to return to CDFW’s newly rebuilt Fall Creek Fish Hatchery on Fall Creek, a formerly inaccessible tributary about 7.5 miles upstream of the old Iron Gate Dam.

In addition to returning fall-run Chinook, an adult Pacific lamprey was observed swimming through CDFW’s fish counting station in Jenny Creek on Oct. 1.

These observations come shortly after volitional fish passage was restored Sept. 26 when the last fish barrier on the Klamath River in California was removed and the coffer dam was breached at Iron Gate Dam.

One of the major goals of the Klamath River dam removal project is to reestablish viable, wild, self-sustaining populations of anadromous fish species for conservation, ecological benefits and to enhance Tribal, commercial and recreational fisheries.

These returning adult salmon mark a major step forward toward reaching these goals.

CDFW’s post-dam removal management strategy, as detailed in the recently released Klamath River Anadromous Fishery Reintroduction and Monitoring Plan, is to mostly allow these ocean-going fish species to naturally recolonize the 420 miles of newly accessible habitat as they are now doing.

Over the next few months ongoing monitoring by Tribal, federal, state, and other partners will assess the repopulation of anadromous fish to the mainstem Klamath and additional tributaries above the former dam locations within California and Oregon.   Returns of Klamath River fall-run Chinook will be ongoing and final estimates will be available in January of 2025.

CDFW’s Fall Creek Fish Hatchery also will play a significant role in the repopulation of the Klamath River. The newly constructed, $35 million hatchery is intended to jump-start salmon populations in the upper basin and be a bridge to a restored Klamath River. Annual production goals consist of 3.25 million fall-run Chinook salmon and 75,000 coho salmon.

With the independent return of adult fall-run Chinook salmon to Fall Creek and the Fall Creek Fish Hatchery, CDFW is scheduled to begin spawning salmon at the facility next week.