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Sacramento River Winter-run Chinook Salmon

Oncorhynchus tshawytscha

Four distinct runs of Chinook salmon spawn in the Sacramento-San Joaquin River system, named for the season when the majority of the run enters freshwater as adults. Adult winter-run pass under the Golden Gate Bridge from November through May, and pass into the Sacramento River from December through early August. Winter-run Chinook spawn in the upper mainstem Sacramento River from mid-April through August. Fry and smolts emigrate downstream from July through March through the Sacramento River, reaching the Delta from September through June.

Historically, winter-run Chinook spawned in the upper reaches of Sacramento River tributaries, including the McCloud, Pit, and Little Sacramento Rivers. Shasta and Keswick dams now block access to the historic spawning areas. Winter-run Chinook, however, were able to take advantage of cool summer water releases downstream of Keswick Dam. In the 1940’s and 1950’s the population recovered. However, beginning in 1970, the population experienced a dramatic decline, to a low of approximately 200 spawners by the early 1990’s. The run was classified as endangered under the state Endangered Species Act in 1989, and as endangered under the federal Endangered Species Act in 1994.

 

• Central Valley Salmon and Steelhead Monitoring Programs (May 2007, .pdf)
• Restoring Central Valley Streams: A Plan for Action
• Contributions to the Biology of Central Valley Salmonids Fish Bulletin 179

 

Biennial reports to the fish and game commission on winter-run chinook:

• 2002-2003 (.pdf)
• 2000-2001 (.pdf)

 

More Info from Southwest Fisheries Science Center, NOAA Fisheries Service:

• Central Valley Technical Recovery Team Reports