Scientists stunned by reappearance of species lost for nearly a century: 'A huge win'

In a surprising turn of events, Chinook salmon have been spotted in California's North Yuba River for the first time in nearly a century, according to SFGate.

The Chinook salmon was once thought to be extinct, so this unexpected sighting marks a significant step forward in efforts to restore salmon populations to their natural habitats in the Sierra County region. While a pleasant surprise, the reappearance of the fish makes sense as this initiative was carefully planned and years in the making.

The sightings come as part of a restoration project led by the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW). In October, salmon eggs were placed along a 12-mile stretch of riverbed to recreate the conditions salmon would typically need to spawn.

By February, young salmon were observed in a trap downstream, signaling the successful hatching of the eggs. With the presence of dams along the river, the young fish are now being transported downstream to continue their journey toward the ocean.

Chinook salmon haven't been seen in the North Yuba River since 1941 when the construction of the Englebright Dam blocked their path. Over the years, dams and rising temperatures have made it increasingly difficult for the salmon to access their historic spawning grounds. This project is part of a larger statewide initiative to restore salmon populations, including the recent removal of a dam on the Klamath River.

The restoration project has wider environmental and economic implications. Salmon are an important part of the ecosystem, supporting biodiversity and water quality. Reintroducing them to the river could help improve these factors.

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"This is habitat that salmon haven't been into for a long time so we have very little data to understand how salmon will respond," said Colin Purdy, fisheries environmental program manager at CDFW, according to SFGate. "By injecting these eggs into multiple locations in the North Yuba River, we're going to be able to look at how long it [takes] for eggs to hatch…[and] when and where do they rear as juvenile salmon in this new habitat. So there are a number of different things that we're going to be able to learn from this."

While there are still challenges to overcome, the return of Chinook salmon to the North Yuba River is an encouraging step forward. It shows that with careful planning and a bit of luck, we can begin to reverse some of the environmental damage that has been done over the years.

"If we can develop this pilot effort into a full reintroduction program, we would be able to more than double the amount of available salmon habitat in the Yuba River watershed. And that's a huge win for spring-run Chinook salmon," Purdy said in a press release.

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