CDFW’s Salmon Conservation and Research Facility (SCARF) in Fresno County was completed last year. Utilizing state of the art technology, SCARF maximizes efficiency and productivity to restore a self-sustaining population of Central Valley spring-run Chinook salmon on the San Joaquin River. These Chinook vanished from the San Joaquin River in the 1950s after completion of the Friant Dam drastically reduced river flows and blocked fish from spawning grounds. Since 2012, an interim hatchery has be

The Sacramento–San Joaquin River Delta sits at the heart of California’s water system, where the state’s two largest rivers merge before flowing into San Francisco Bay. This low-lying maze of channels, islands, and wetlands acts as the main transfer point between northern water sources and the farms and cities of central and southern California. Nearly two-thirds of the state’s population depends, directly or indirectly, on water that passes through this delta. Geographically, the delta is extre