Source: SFGate
“An endangered species has returned to its Northern California river habitat for the first time in almost a century, wildlife officials said. Winter-run chinook salmon — one of nine species considered to be most at risk of extinction by NOAA — have been listed under the Endangered Species Act since 1994. But new concerns for the species came to light after California’s historic statewide drought between 2012 and 2016, when the fish all but vanished from the McCloud River, which flows through Siskiyou and Shasta counties. The construction of Shasta Dam above the 77-mile-long waterway had already been causing problems for the species for decades, cutting them off from the mountain streams kept cool by melting snow where they like to spawn. But when the dam lost its own cold water pool during the drought, increasing water temperatures and reduced oxygen rates led to the deaths of 95 to 98% of eggs and recently hatched salmon incubating in their nests.” (07/27/25)
https://www.sfgate.com/bayarea/article/salmon-mccloud-river-dam-northern-california-20788689.php