A new NOAA Fisheries study offers rare good news for West Coast salmon and steelhead: most populations protected under the Endangered Species Act (ESA) have increased over the past 25 years, reversing decades of decline.
Scientists examined 28 population groups across five species—from California to Washington—and found that a majority of ESA-listed groups grew in abundance, while none slipped into extinction. Protected populations also rebounded faster than unlisted groups, a sign that conservation efforts are working.
“At the time of the salmon listings, there was a path toward recovery and a path toward extinction,” said lead author Michael Ford. “So far, we have avoided extinction and even succeeded in moving many populations in the right direction, but most are still far from complete recovery.”
Habitat Restoration Pays Off
The upward trend is especially notable given the West Coast’s rapid population growth and increasingly harsh environmental pressures—warming streams, shrinking snowpack, and worsening drought. But the research points to one key factor behind the salmon rebound: habitat improvement driven by local communities, tribes, and landowners…