Conservationists on the Sonoma Coast are celebrating a significant victory: Endangered Coho salmon have been rediscovered in the East Branch Russian Gulch for the first time in 58 years.
The Press Democrat reports a team from The Wildlands Conservancy at the Jenner Headlands Preserve reported a flash of silver that led to an astonishing find. Biologists confirmed the presence of 239 juvenile Coho salmon in the stream, a watershed previously decimated by historic logging and pollution.
Decades of habitat degradation had nearly eliminated the species from the area. However, recent restoration work by The Wildlands Conservancy—which involved repairing stream channels and reducing sediment—combined with good rainfall, has successfully prepared the habitat for their return.
The sighting provides a much-needed boost of hope, demonstrating that dedicated habitat restoration efforts are working to help these native fish find suitable waters once again.
