In the past three years, much of the work being done by the Western Shasta RCD is centered around degraded streams that have a high potential to support spawning salmon populations of Chinook salmon and steelhead, if restored to a healthy, functioning state.

Restoration work includes erosion control and vegetation management, fuels management, agreements on the timing of water flows from the dams, assisting local landowners and interested parties in forming watershed groups who then participate in the planning process, injecting spawning gravel in strategic locations, isolating deep gravel pits to eliminate fish stranding, returning a natural channel meander to eliminate braided conditions caused by mining, where water temperature becomes too warm for fish survival and/or water dries up during summer months.

Section 3406(b)(1) of the Central Valley Project Improvement Act directs the Secretary of the Interior to develop and implement a program that makes all reasonable efforts to ensure that, by 2002, natural production of anadromous fish in Central Valley rivers and streams will be sustainable, on a long-term basis, at levels not less than twice the average levels attained during 1967-1991.  The program is called the Anadromous Fish Restoration Program.  The six species identified for restoration under this program are Chinook salmon, steelhead, striped bass, American shad, white sturgeon, and green sturgeon.  For more information about this program, click here - www.delta.dfg.ca.gov/afrp.