Overview
Each year, the Water Forum works to create and enhance habitat for native fall-run Chinook salmon and steelhead trout. Both species migrate to the Lower American River as adults to spawn. Fall-run Chinook salmon generally spawn from October through December, while steelhead trout spawning occurs from January through March. In the egg-laying process, females create a “nest” (called a redd) in loose gravel in flowing water, deposit their eggs, and then cover them with more gravel. Once hatched, young fish move to the river’s slower-moving floodplain and side channel areas to find protection from predators and grow before swimming to the Pacific Ocean.
About the Project
The Water Forum’s 2024 Habitat Project will enhance crucial habitat for native fall-run Chinook salmon and steelhead trout at River Bend (in the river near River Band Park in Rancho Cordova and William B. Pond Recreation Area in Carmichael).
Learn about the 2024 Habitat Project at Upper River Bend here.