California, federal government, Yuba Water Agency partner up in historic project to reopen North Yuba River to native fish
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Apr 25, 2025

California, federal government, Yuba Water Agency partner up in historic project to reopen North Yuba River to native fish

What you need to know: 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.

MARYSVILLE – 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."

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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.

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