Press release from the Office of the Governor:
California is working with state, local, and federal agencies in a historic project to repopulate the North Yuba River with native fish and help protect the state’s waterways and ecosystems.
Governor Gavin Newsom announced a new historic agreement to help return spring-run Chinook salmon and other native fish species to their historic habitats in the Yuba River was signed today. The collaborative partnership between the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW), Yuba Water Agency, and NOAA Fisheries, will allow salmon, steelhead, lamprey, and sturgeon, some of the oldest fish lineages on the planet, to access miles of habitat in the Lower Yuba River and North Yuba River not accessible for more than 100 years.
“In California, we know that water management isn’t a zero-sum game, and we are happy to see that the federal administration is on board with our strategy to safeguard our precious ecosystems. Today, we stand together with our federal partners to restore our waterways and wildlife, including our native fish.” —Governor Gavin Newsom
The agreement between the state, local, and federal agencies, known as the Yuba River Resilience Initiative (Initiative), was first announced as a framework agreement in May 2023. California is investing $30 million into the initiative, which will help facilitate the construction of the fishway and the water diversion, as well as the ongoing reintroduction program. This investment is part of an initial funding plan that includes $60 million between the partners.
“When state, local, and federal partners come together to support native fish and watersheds, we see powerful results,” said CDFW Director Charlton ‘Chuck’ Bonham. “Together, these actions will help us fight challenges to fish health and repopulation in the Yuba River through creative, science-based solutions. This initiative will also lead to better water supply reliability, as we modernize an old water diversion in a collaborative, comprehensive approach between water users and fisheries agencies. I’m grateful to NOAA and Yuba Water for their dedication to restoring this watershed and helping native fish populations thrive.”
The initiative is based on key action items that will allow these partners to help support and recover native fish populations:
- Construction of a new nature-like fishway – a channel resembling a natural river that salmon, steelhead, sturgeon and lamprey can use to reach more than 10 miles of important spawning habitat. This habitat has been largely inaccessible for more than a century due to the presence of the Daguerre Point Dam, built in 1910.
- Construction of a modernized water diversion at Daguerre Point Dam to supply irrigation water south of the lower Yuba River. This will help protect fish passing the intake. This will preserve critical water deliveries for local agricultural interests.
- A comprehensive reintroduction program that will support recovery efforts of spring-run Chinook salmon and help return them to their original habitat in the North Yuba River above New Bullards Bar Reservoir.
The Daguerre Point Dam, one of two federal dams built on the Yuba River to control harmful debris resulting from Gold Rush mining, allows only for very limited passage for fish. The creation of the fishway and the modernized water diversion will ensure a safe route around the dam, allowing native fish species to access waterways previously blocked.
The Reintroduction Program will focus on the upper Yuba River watershed, supporting repopulation efforts of spring-run Chinook salmon in their ancestral habitats. Adaptive management and monitoring will be a key aspect of the Reintroduction Program, to ensure flexibility and accountability in meeting the needs of native fish and habitats.
Construction of the fishway is anticipated to begin in early 2026.
PRESS RELEASE: NOAA signs agreement to ensure reliable water supply for California agriculture
Press release from NOAA
Today, NOAA announced the Yuba River Resilience Initiative agreement, a joint project with the state of California and the local Yuba Water Agency that fulfills the Presidential Memorandum calling for Putting People Over Fish. The agreement unlocks new, reliable irrigation water sources to strengthen the agricultural economy of California’s Central Valley, while allowing fish to reach new habitat that will benefit local salmon populations as well as sport and commercial fisheries.
“The President is delivering on his commitment to ensuring that the people of California can access the water they critically need,” said Erik Noble, principal deputy assistant secretary of commerce for oceans and atmosphere. “This initiative guarantees California farmers the water they need to irrigate valuable crops, requires no additional federal funding and advances NOAA’s interest in salmon recovery and habitat preservation.”
The State of California, Yuba Water Agency and NOAA developed the Yuba River Resilience Initiative offsite linkto support critical water supply and infrastructure improvements while benefiting native fish. The initiative will preserve existing flow agreements and includes installation of a modernized water diversion that will provide a reliable water supply for more than 40,000 acres of rice, walnuts, prunes and other crops. In addition, Yuba Water and the state have committed to funding a nature-like fishway that will allow salmon and other native fish to swim around Daguerre Point Dam and spawn in higher-quality habitat.
These advances demonstrate U.S. leadership in putting water to work for American prosperity. The agreement will improve the resilience of Yuba County’s $417 million agricultural sector and fish populations without committing more water for fish.
This agreement will provide 184,228 acre feet of irrigation water across 43,104 acres including rice (about 16,000 acres), walnuts (about 4,000 acres) and prunes (about 3,000 acres), resulting in a value of $417 million across Yuba County.
PRESS RELEASE: Yuba Water, partners formalize Yuba River Resilience Initiative to benefit fish and water supplies
Press release from Yuba Water Agency
Yuba Water Agency, the California Department of Fish and Wildlife and NOAA Fisheries have formally signed the Yuba River Resilience Initiative. The landmark agreement, first announced in May 2023, is a comprehensive restoration plan for native fish in the Yuba River watershed that also safeguards water supplies for Yuba County farmers for decades.
“This is one of those rare situations where the fish, the environment and the farmers all win,” said Yuba Water General Manager Willie Whittlesey.
A key element of the agreement is a planned Nature-Like Fishway – a channel resembling a natural river – that salmon, steelhead, green and white sturgeon and Pacific lamprey can use to safely get around the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ Daguerre Point Dam to reach more than 10 miles of healthy spawning habitat in the lower Yuba River.
It also includes a modernized water diversion at the dam that will protect fish while ensuring irrigators continue to have access to surface water needed to maintain South Yuba County’s vibrant agricultural economy.
The partners plan to begin constructing the project in early 2026.
A second component of the Yuba River Resilience Initiative is a reintroduction program to support recovery efforts of spring-run Chinook salmon in the North Yuba River above New Bullards Bar Dam.
That effort is being led by CDFW and the initial implementation, started as a pilot project last year, is already showing early signs of success. More than 500 juvenile spring run chinook salmon have been counted in recent months following the injection of salmon eggs across a 12-mile stretch of gravel riverbed of the North Yuba River just east of Downieville.
“When we come together – local, state and federal government – and focus on how we can work together to find creative solutions that will work for all of us, we can really accomplish great things,” Whittlesey said.
The agreement includes an initial Yuba Water investment of $30 million for construction of the Nature-like Fishway, totaling more than $100 million over time for maintenance, as well as ongoing support of salmon reintroduction efforts. CDFW has also committed $30 million toward the effort.
