Mokelumne River Restoration Several rearing
Restoration Stories
Several rearing habitat improvement projects have also taken place on the river. In 2005, two side-channel habitats were constructed and from 2015 through 2019, three floodplain habitats, ranging in size from 1/2 to 1 acre, were constructed. Juvenile salmon and steelhead utilize these habitats in late winter and spring and grow quickly in these highly productive areas. The floodplain habitats are typically designed to insure that inundation begins at flows of approximately 700 – 1,000 cubic feet per second. Prior to project construction, the habitats did not inundate until the flows were much higher. To build these habitats, the excavated materials are screened to appropriate size classes using a transportable gravel sorter. Once sorting is complete, the round river rock (¼ to 5”) is placed in the river to improve spawning habitat for adult Chinook salmon and steelhead. This restoration work is guided by the Lower Mokelumne Partnership and supported by the USFWS Anadromous Fish Restoration Program. © East Bay Municipal Utility District
