By Todd Manley
The Water Forum is implementing another project in the American River to provide spawning and rearing habitat for Chinook Salmon. Work on the Upper River Bend Phase 1 Project at Ancil Hoffman Park began in August and is expected to be completed by the end of October.
The project will provide almost five acres of spawning habitat for adult salmon and steelhead through the placement of 30,000 cubic yards of gravel in the river. It also includes nearly six acres of rearing habitat for young fish through the creation of a 2,000-foot-long side channel and shaping of 3.7 acres of seasonal channel margin habitat. In addition, large woody tree structures will be placed in the side channel to provide hiding and resting places for juvenile fish and three acres of riparian landscape will be developed.
This project is contributing to the early implementation of Agreements to Support Healthy Rivers and Landscapes. It is also part of A Holistic Approach for Healthy Rivers and Landscapes in the Sacramento Valley and the Sacramento Valley Salmon Recovery Program. These comprehensive efforts to promote salmon recovery in the region are based upon the latest and best salmon recovery science and benefit all four runs of Chinook salmon by constructing habitat and managing flows for each specific freshwater life-cycle stage of the species.
For additional information on the project, click the flyer below.
