For the last five years or so, beginning in January and continuing through February and into March, state and federal hatchery managers across the Sacramento Valley have been releasing salmon fry earlier than in years past. To the casual observer, it might look like business as usual. In reality, it marks a shift in how California manages risk for hatchery salmon—and could make a real difference in survival.
Why Timing Matters for Young Salmon
Salmon fry are at their most vulnerable just after release. For decades, hatcheries held young fish until they were large enough to receive a coded wire tag—a tiny piece of stainless steel with an identification number used to track returning adults. That requirement delayed releases until later in the spring.
The problem? By then, large agricultural water diversions are often underway. As flows in the Sacramento Valley rivers drop and pumping ramps up, the rivers become far more dangerous for small salmon trying to migrate downstream. Predation increases. The risk of getting sucked into diversion pumps and irrigation canals rises. Survival odds fall.
DNA Technology Changes the Equation
New DNA-based tracking technology has removed the need to wait. Fry no longer have to reach a minimum size to be tracked, which means they can be released when they’re small, during winter, when conditions are far more favorable.
Winter and early spring flows are typically higher, colder, and faster—exactly what young salmon need. Releasing fry during these high-flow periods helps spread risk, improves downstream passage, and gives fish a better chance to reach the ocean before the most intense water diversions begin in April.
This isn’t just a technical upgrade. It’s a strategic rethink of when and how hatchery salmon should enter the river system.
The Catch: DNA Tracking Isn’t Free
While DNA tracking unlocks earlier releases, it comes with real costs. Specialized labs, trained staff, and long-term data processing are all required for the system to work. Without sustained funding, the technology simply can’t scale.
That’s where Golden State Salmon Association stepped in.
GSSA worked directly with the California Legislature to secure millions of dollars to launch and support this DNA tracking infrastructure. That funding should enable early fry releases at scale—and ensure the data needed to evaluate success will be collected.
Importantly, GSSA was the only salmon organization to push for securing the funding specifically needed to support fry releases enabled by DNA technology. You can read more about this here.
A Smarter Way Forward
Releasing salmon fry earlier doesn’t eliminate all risks. But under some conditions, it shifts the odds back in the fish’s favor—using better science, better timing, and better policy.
As California continues to grapple with water scarcity, climate pressure, and competing demands on rivers, this kind of adaptive thinking will be essential. Sometimes helping salmon survive isn’t about doing more—it’s about doing things earlier, and doing them smarter.
Help Keep Fry Releases Moving Forward
To determine whether early fry releases are working, we’ll need the science, infrastructure, and funding in place. DNA-based tracking gives young salmon a fighting chance before dangerous water diversions begin, but it requires sustained investment and strong advocacy.
Support the work that made this possible.
Stand with the Golden State Salmon Association to protect funding for DNA tracking, hatchery innovation, and smarter salmon management.
Become a member. Make a donation. Speak up for science-based solutions that give salmon a chance to survive.