FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
September 30, 2025
Contact: Scott Artis, Golden State Salmon Association, 925-550-9208, scott@goldenstatesalmon.org
Advocacy group presses East Bay Municipal Utility District to release stronger, better-timed pulse flows to protect salmon runs and the fishing communities that rely on them.
Santa Rosa, CA — The Golden State Salmon Association (GSSA) has formally called on the East Bay Municipal Utility District (EBMUD) to release additional fall pulse flows into the Mokelumne River. In a recent letter to the agency, GSSA emphasized that stronger, more reliable flows are urgently needed to support struggling salmon runs and the communities that depend on them.
Why the Mokelumne Matters
The Mokelumne River is one of California’s most productive tributaries for fall-run Chinook salmon, playing a vital role in sustaining the state’s recreational and commercial salmon fishery. Each fall, adult salmon return from the Pacific Ocean to spawn in the river, but without sufficient flows to guide them, thousands can stray into other tributaries or be lost entirely.
In recent years, low and poorly timed flows have delayed salmon migrations, reduced spawning success, and further stressed populations already at historic lows. With California’s salmon industry experiencing yet another season closure in 2025, GSSA is pressing EBMUD to act.
The Ask: Increased Pulse Flows
Specifically, GSSA urged EBMUD to provide larger and better-timed pulse flows during the fall migration window. These releases are critical for:
- Attracting salmon into the Mokelumne River
- Improving spawning conditions for returning adults
- Enhancing survival rates for the next generation of salmon
By investing in stronger pulse flows now, EBMUD can help secure the long-term health of the salmon fishery and the thousands of jobs and businesses it sustains.
Salmon, Communities, and the Future
The fight for salmon is also a fight for fishing families, coastal communities, and California’s cultural heritage. “Every additional fish that makes it back to the Mokelumne strengthens our fishery, our economy, and our way of life,” said GSSA Executive Director Scott Artis.
GSSA will continue to work with EBMUD, state agencies, and partners to advocate for common-sense water management practices that give salmon and the people who depend on them a fighting chance.