California Awards $10M+ to Restore Salmon and Steelhead Across the State
California is putting more money behind its promise to bring salmon back.
The California Department of Fish and Wildlife has awarded more than $10 million to 16 projects aimed at restoring, enhancing, and protecting salmon and steelhead habitat across the state. The grants are part of Governor Gavin Newsom’s broader Salmon Strategy for a Hotter, Drier Future, which focuses on rebuilding fish populations as climate pressures intensify.
Funding was distributed through CDFW’s long-running Fisheries Restoration Grant Program, supported by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, and the Inflation Reduction Act. Together, those programs target migration barriers, degraded rivers, and lost rearing habitat throughout California watersheds.
Several Northern California projects stood out. The South Yuba River Citizens League received $1.8 million to restore eight acres of juvenile rearing habitat along the Yuba River, benefiting Chinook salmon and Central Valley steelhead. Trout Unlimited was awarded more than $700,000 to improve habitat complexity along 2.5 miles of Chamberlain Creek on the Mendocino Coast, installing large wood structures to create deeper pools for Coho salmon and steelhead.
Other funded efforts include dam removals, culvert replacements, floodplain reconnections, and hands-on restoration led by California Conservation Corps crews. Several projects will reopen miles of previously inaccessible habitat, while others focus on long-term planning and science-based flow management.
CDFW received 53 proposals requesting nearly $49 million, underscoring strong statewide demand for salmon recovery work. The department is now accepting concept proposals for the 2026 grant cycle, with submissions due March 2, 2026.
For communities, anglers, tribes, and ecosystems across Northern California, the message is clear: salmon restoration isn’t just planning anymore — it’s happening on the ground, right now.
