REDDING, Calif. — A new project, under the Market Street bridge in Redding, is providing new spawning habitats for endangered fish populations.
Up to 8,000 tons of gravel is being placed into the Sacramento River, underneath the Market street bridge, to help provide a critical spawning habitat for endangered Chinook salmon and Steelhead trout
The spokesperson for the Sacramento River settlement contractors, Rob McAllister, said the project is vital to the endangered Chinook salmon and Steelhead trout.
“What we are doing, here, is something that is very vital to the life cycle of the salmon. If we want to boost population numbers we need to ensure that we address all of the salmon’s life cycle, not just hitting one point here or there,” McAllister explained. “And the Market Street Gravel Project is the perfect example of creating a safe and accessible spawning habitat for endangered fish like the Chinook salmon and Steelhead trout.”
General Manager of the Anderson-Cottonwood Irrigation District Jered Shipley said the project is being led by a coalition of organizations all working together towards one common goal to help the salmon.
“This project is a collaboration with not only the Sacramento River Settlement Contractors, but the Bureau of Reclamation and other state and federal agencies,” Shipley told KRCR on Tuesday. “So, it’s bringing all of these parties together, looking at it the same way, and really working towards solutions.”
With the project being in their backyard, City of Redding Water Utility Manager Josh Watkins described how the city is involved in the project.
“Specifically, here, the City of Redding provided turbidity sampling that’s measuring how dirty or cloudy the water got during the process.” McAllister continued, “we’re measuring and making sure that we are staying below certain levels for turbidity.”
He also told KRCR they are happy to participate in it to help, not only the fish, but the community as well.
“The Settlement Contractors and the City of Redding Water Utility, we understand that a healthy river and a healthy ecosystem benefits everybody. It, obviously, is going to benefit the fish more, it’s gonna benefit wildlife, and people also. So, we are happy participants in building projects like this.”
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