The California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW), in collaboration with the Department of Water Resources (DWR) and fishing groups, is expanding efforts to sustain salmon populations by diversifying hatchery release strategies. As part of this initiative, CDFW has released over a million fall-run Chinook salmon fry into the Feather River, mimicking natural early-life conditions. This brings the total fry releases in the river to 1.8 million, in addition to millions of smolts planned for future releases.
Due to their small size, these fry cannot be tracked with traditional tags, so CDFW is using Parental Based Tagging (PBT), a genetic tracking method, to monitor their survival and effectiveness. Fishing organizations support this adaptive approach, recognizing its potential to enhance population resilience and fishery sustainability.
This effort aligns with California’s broader salmon conservation strategy, which aims to address climate change challenges. Similar pilot studies are also being conducted at the Nimbus Hatchery on the American River. The data collected will help refine hatchery practices and improve long-term salmon survival.