More than $10 million in state and federal funding is heading to salmon and steelhead habitat restoration projects across California, including multiple efforts in Trinity, Mendocino, Humboldt, and Del Norte counties, according to an announcement from the California Department of Fish and Wildlife.
The funding supports 16 projects selected through CDFW’s Fisheries Restoration Grant Program (FRGP), a long-running program aimed at restoring, enhancing, and protecting habitat for anadromous fish species. The grants are part of the state’s broader Salmon Strategy for a Hotter, Drier Future and draw on a mix of state funds and federal support, including the Pacific Coastal Salmon Recovery Fund, the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, and the Inflation Reduction Act.
Humboldt County
One of the larger North Coast awards will support the Upper South Fork Eel River Instream Habitat Improvement Project, led by the Eel River Watershed Improvement Group. The $854,222 grant will fund habitat improvements along 3.5 miles of the South Fork Eel River through the installation of large wood structures and boulders designed to increase channel complexity and improve conditions for salmon and steelhead.
Mendocino County
Several projects will take place in Mendocino County watersheds. Trout Unlimited received $717,463 for the Chamberlain Creek Instream Habitat Enhancement Project in the Big River watershed, where crews will install more than 100 large wood structures to improve pool depth and stream complexity for coho salmon and steelhead.
In addition, the Lower South Fork Cottaneva Instream Habitat Improvement Project, funded at $394,154, will restore habitat complexity along 1.2 miles of South Fork Cottaneva Creek and nearby tributaries through large wood placement.
Trinity County
In Trinity County, the Upper Klamath River Design and Planning Project – Beaver Creek, awarded $739,196 to the Mid Klamath Watershed Council, will focus on restoration planning along seven miles of Beaver Creek. The project aims to reconnect floodplains and improve spawning and rearing habitat for salmonids in the upper Klamath basin.
Del Norte County
The Elk Creek Fish Passage and Sediment Reduction Project, led by the Smith River Alliance, will bring $521,718 to Del Norte County. The project will replace an undersized culvert with a larger, natural-bottom structure to restore fish passage for coho salmon while reducing sediment and improving riparian conditions in the Smith River watershed.
Looking Ahead
CDFW reported receiving 53 grant proposals requesting more than $49 million during the 2025 funding cycle, with projects selected following technical review by state and federal fisheries experts…