La Grange Salmonid Habitat Restoration, Phase 2a
The Wildlife Conservation Board approved $3.65 million to support the next phase of salmon habitat restoration on the Tuolumne River near La Grange. Led by the Yosemite River Alliance in partnership with Stanislaus County, the project will restore nearly a quarter mile of river and reconnect it to its historic floodplain to improve spawning and rearing conditions for fall-run Chinook salmon and steelhead. Crews will create new river and floodplain habitat and revegetate the site with native plants, helping reverse decades of damage from dredge mining. In addition to benefiting fish, the project will improve floodplain function, support groundwater recharge and reduce pollution exposure for nearby disadvantaged communities.
“We are excited to partner with WCB to restore and rebuild critical spawning and rearing habitat in a highly degraded reach of the Tuolumne River. This project will build upon years of salmonid restoration plans and efforts downstream of the La Grange Dam and we look forward to seeing more Chinook salmon and O. mykiss return every year.” – said Julia Stephens, restoration program director of the Yosemite Rivers Alliance…