Reintroduction of Chinook Salmon Under the San Joaquin River Settlement Agreement

The San Joaquin River Settlement Agreement and San Joaquin River Restoration Act specify a number of actions, requirements, and deadlines for restoring the San Joaquin River above the confluence with the Merced River and call for the reintroduction of fall-run and spring-run Chinook salmon.  The process for completing physical projects and restoring flows to the river is taking longer than was envisioned in the Settlement.   Completion of these projects and conveying full restoration flows will ultimately be necessary to meet the Restoration Goal of establishing self-sustaining populations of Chinook salmon and other fish.  Prior to completion of the physical projects and achieving full restoration flows, the Program has initiated a number of fishery actions to continue progress towards establishing salmon populations.  These actions have been designed to test the suitability of the system for salmon populations, inform future management decisions, and expedite the reintroduction process.