Our Impact

For more than 12 years, Golden State Salmon Association has been a leading voice for California Salmon, particularly in the Bay-Delta ecosystem, which produces most of the salmon caught in the state. 


$20
Million

$20 million in federal salmon restoration funds steered to better projects due to GSSA intervention

2
Million

For the first time since the 1980’s, 2 million extra Coleman hatchery fry were released and started a DNA tagging program

1,000
Acres

Over 1,000 acres of floodplain in process of restoration due to GSSA intervention to win permits

Recent GSSA Accomplishments 2022

  • GSSA and allies legal efforts succeeded in getting the Biden Administration to withdraw harmful water operation rules for the federal Central Valley Project issued by the Trump Administration. This will reduce harmful water diversions.  
  • CA Dept. of Fish and Wildlife will copy this fry release program in 2023.
  • Radio ads produced and paid for by GSSA have elevated the issue of SF’s hardline stance on sharing water with the environment in the Tuolumne River, the SFPUC’s water source.
  • GSSA and allies remain in court challenging State rules currently allowing unsustainably high levels of Delta water exports.
  • GSSA succeeded in convincing CDFW to truck all hatchery fish in drought conditions of 2021 and 2022.  Survival benefits will be very significant as a result.
  • GSSA succeeded in convincing CDFW to use release sites further west in the Bay for hatchery releases, a move that will double survival compared to prior bay release sites.
  • GSSA played a key role in overcoming federal opposition to increased releases in 2021 and 2022 at Ft. Baker in Sausalito, one of the highest survival spots for trucked fish.
  • Forged a partnership with the US Fish and Wildlife Service to produce and release an additional two million fry from the Coleman Hatchery starting in spring of 2022 and include parent based DNA tagging to assess success. This program will repeat in 2023 and 2024.
  • Completed a three year pilot project trucking Coleman Hatchery salmon (the largest but worst performing hatchery) 75 miles downstream to a safe release site to boost survival Acoustic tags showed huge survival advantage for the trucked fish.
  • Played a key role in getting federal funds reinstated for side channel rearing habitat restoration in the Sacramento Basin. This resulted in miles of additional side channel habitat being restored.
  • Moved the state to finally work on a major hot water problem in the Feather River that’s killing salmon after 14 years of delay. (this could spare 30,000 Feather River hatchery fish from culling and open an additional 15 miles of spawning and rearing habitat).
  • Played a key role in deleting a funding burden on the CA Dept. of Fish and Wildlife by getting the CA Dept. of Water Resources to pick up a bigger, fairer, share of hatchery costs at Feather River Hatchery.
  • Lead a successful effort to protect Sacramento River winter and spring flows by stopping the raising of Shasta Dam.
  • Played a central role in restoring a major Feather River floodplain that will provide prime salmon rearing habitat.
  • Succeeded in getting Sites Reservoir and dam project scaled back after publicizing destruction it would do to salmon.  
  • GSSA continues to insure a voice for salmon in the press and public debate and to educate fishermen.
  • Worked with the Richmond and San Mateo Police Activities Leagues, and the Salesian Boys and Girls Club to host four kids fishing trips with the Roger Thomas grant this season.

2020 – 2021

  • GSSA succeeded in convincing CDFW to truck all of its hatchery fish in drought conditions of spring, 2021.  Survival benefits will be very significant as a result. 
  • GSSA succeeded in convincing CDFW to use release sites further west in the Bay for hatchery releases, offering huge increases in survival over prior bay release sites. 
  • Succeeded in year two of a pilot project trucking Coleman Hatchery salmon (the largest but worst performing hatchery) 75 miles downstream to a safe release site to boost survival. Acoustic tags showed huge survival advantage for trucked fish. 
  • Got the state to fund two new tanker trucks to increase survival of hatchery salmon by varying release site timing and location.  This has proven especially valuable in moving millions of drought-threatened fish in 2021.
  • Played a key role in getting federal funds reinstated for side channel rearing habitat restoration in 2020 in the Sacramento Basin. This resulted in miles of side channel habitat being restored.
  • Helped win approval from federal government for increased releases in 2021 at Ft. Baker in Sausalito, one of the highest survival spots for trucked fish.
  • Got the state to finally start fixing a major hot water problem in the Feather River that’s killing salmon after 14 years of delay. (this could spare 30,000 Feather River hatchery fish from culling and open an additional 15 miles of spawning and rearing habitat)
  • GSSA and allies won a court order to block increased pumping from the Delta and other actions harmful to salmon by federal government in spring of 2020.  
  • Played a key role in deleting a funding burden on the CA Dept of Fish and Wildlife by getting the CA Dept of Water Resources to pick up a bigger share of hatchery costs at Feather River Hatchery. 
  • Lead the successful effort to protect Sacramento River winter flows by stopping the raising of Shasta Dam
  • Played a central role in restoring a major Feather River floodplain that will provide prime salmon rearing habitat
  • Succeeded in getting Sites Reservoir and dam project scaled back after publicizing destruction it would do to salmon.  
  • GSSA action helped steer $20 million in federal salmon restoration funds to projects aimed primarily at habitat restoration for Central Valley salmon runs 
  • GSSA continues to insure a voice for salmon in the press and public debate and to educate fishermen.  
  • With GSSA urging, California sued the federal government to reverse giant boost in Delta water pumping plans, harmful to salmon and other wildlife

2019 – 2020

  • Lead the successful effort to protect Sacramento River winter flows by stopping the raising of Shasta Dam
  • In court now to stop an overly-aggressive federal water diversion and pumping plan in the Central Valley that is killing salmon and other wildlife
  • Got the biggest salmon hatchery in the state to experimentally truck its fish to a release site to double survival of the fish
  • Got the state to fund two new tanker trucks to increase survival of hatchery salmon by varying release site timing and location
  • Convinced the state to agree to nearly double the number of fish released near the ocean, greatly boosting survival
  • Got the state to finally start fixing a major hot water problem in the Feather River that’s killing salmon after 14 years of delay. (this could spare 30,000 Feather River hatchery fish from culling)
  • Played a key role in deleting a funding burden on the CA Dept of Fish and Wildlife by getting the CA Dept of Water Resources to pick up a bigger share of hatchery costs at Feather River Hatchery. 
  • Played a key role in getting federal funding directed to eradicating major predator problems for salmon in the Sacramento Basin.
  • Lead the successful effort to protect Sacramento River winter flows by stopping the raising of Shasta Dam
  • GSSA and allies leading legal challenges to block increased pumping from the Delta and other actions harmful to salmon by federal government. 
  • Launched pilot project trucking Coleman Hatchery salmon (the largest but worst performing hatchery) 75 miles downstream to a safe release site to boost survival
  • Won court case to stop construction of two gigantic Delta diversion intakes and tunnels to siphon off Sacramento River water needed by salmon 
  • Won effort with allies to stop the raise of Shasta Dam, which would rob water needed by salmon and deny Sacramento River much needed, periodic flushing flows
  • Won state support of a major Feather River floodplain restoration, work currently being completed
  • Continued to elevate scientific findings of harm to salmon if the Sites Reservoir and dams are built as originally proposed without salmon protections built in.  
  • GSSA action helped steer $20 million in federal salmon restoration funds to projects aimed primarily at habitat restoration for Central Valley salmon runs 
  • GSSA continues to insure a voice for salmon in the press and public debate and to educate fishermen. 
  • With major GSSA involvement, state legislature passed bill (ultimately vetoed) that called for retention of salmon protections that existed prior to Trump administration
  • With GSSA urging, California refused to go along with federal Delta water pumping plans in the fall that harm Delta aquatic food production
  • Took many kids, women anglers, state agency workers, and conservation NGO staffers salmon fishing this past season to experience for themselves what it’s all about

2017-2018

  • After GGSA urging, State agrees in April 2018 to pulse flow on Feather River to help baby spring run salmon make their way to the ocean
  • Proposal to raise Shasta Dam, robbing more water needed by salmon, stopped in Congress after GGSA action
  • GGSA and others file suit to stop proposal to build two gigantic Delta diversion intakes and tunnels to siphon off Sacramento River water needed by salmon.
  • GGSA mounts public education effort spotlighting harm to salmon if the Sites Reservoir and dams are built as currently proposed in the Sacramento Valley.
  • GGSA gets state legislators to successfully push CA Dept. of Water Resources to drop opposition and support restoration of a key piece of salmon rearing habitat in the Feather River.
  • GGSA action helps steer $20 million in federal salmon restoration funds to projects aimed primarily at habitat restoration for Central Valley salmon runs.
  • GGSA and allies win state approval for new flood control strategy that reduces flood threats while creating more salmon habitat.
  • GGSA part of successful effort blocking increased pumping from the Delta by federal government.
  • GGSA successfully prods State to advance work to open Yolo Bypass, one of the last great places in the Central Valley for salmon rearing.
  • GGSA played key role in winning passage of State Legislature resolution making salmon restoration a high priority for all state agencies.
  • GGSA continues to insure a voice for salmon in the press and public debate.
  • Californians had a 2017 fishing season, in large part thanks to GGSA-inspired extra trucking of hatchery fish at height of 2015 drought.
  • GGSA led the successful effort to get the CA Dept. of Water Resources to pay for tagging Feather River hatchery salmon.