More than 1,200 adult spring-run Chinook salmon meant to return to the San Joaquin River ended up in the Tuolumne River instead, prompting a five-part rescue operation.
The fish were originally released as part of the San Joaquin River Restoration Program. But cooler, cleaner water and improved habitat conditions on the Tuolumne appeared to draw the fish off course, according to officials from the Turlock Irrigation District (TID).
“Once the pulse flows had ended the plung pool was a little cut off from the main stem of the river,” said Constance Anderson, communications division manager for TID. “So we had to figure out a plan to move them back into cleaner, cooler water.”…