FISHING
Large returns of king salmon to the American River used to be the norm. But persistent drought conditions and perceived mismanagement of water resources could make them all but nonexistent in the future, some worry. (DAN COX/USFWS)
BROTHER, CAN YOU SPARE A DRINK? AS DROUGHT LOOMS AGAIN, WORRIES FOR ‘ANOTHER YEAR OF DECIMATED NATURAL SALMON RUNS’ By Chris Cocoles
C
alifornia’s Central Valley salmon runs have been in jeopardy for quite some time now, and a late February water allocation report from the Bureau of Reclamation wasn’t exactly a ringing endorsement that help is on the way. Essentially, the report stated there would be no water to give, barring miracle rainfall in March, which just hasn’t happened anywhere near enough in the drought-affected state. And as conservationists, environmentalists and the fishing community have stated, farmers seem to be first in line to get California’s allocated water. That could mean doom for already declining Chinook runs that return to the Sacramento
River and its major tributaries. The latest setback only adds to a contentious debate over how to distribute the state’s precious water. “We’re likely looking at another year of decimated natural salmon runs due to water decisions that favor a small group of agricultural landowners over the interests of the rest of California,” Golden State Salmon Association president John McManus said. “The governor’s team needs to take action to avoid this disastrous outcome, not only for the thousands of families whose livelihoods are tied to the salmon industry, but also for all Californians who care about the natural fish and wildlife native to our state.” Save for a deluge in 2019 and what appeared to be a promising snowy December, the state has endured
another extended period of heavy drought, dangerously low levels of Northern California’s most critical reservoirs and low flow on the key rivers that fall-run Chinook spawn in. And the Bureau of Reclamation’s Central Valley Project report released on Feb. 23 painted a bleak picture about the state’s water supply. “We began the 2022 water year with low (Central Valley Project) reservoir storage and some weather whiplash, starting with a record day of Sacramento rainfall in October and snow-packed December storms to a very dry January and February, which are on pace to be the driest on record,” said Ernest Conant, Bureau of Reclamation regional director. “Further, the December storms disproportionately played out this year in the headwaters
calsportsmanmag.com | MARCH 2022 California Sportsman
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