Archived Press Releases

Gravel is scheduled to be placed into Lower Clear Creek for spawning Chinook Salmon and Central Valley steelhead in June, 2004 by the Western Shasta Resource Conservation District with funding from the State Water Resource Control Board and Bureau of Reclamation.

12,000 tons of spawning gravel will be placed into Lower Clear Creek at four locations southwest of Redding at Placer Road Bridge, Whiskeytown Dam, former Saeltzer Dam site and Clear Creek Road Bridge. Gravel being used for the project will be, washed natural river rock, that is 1 inch to 4 inch diameter in size. This type of gravel provides protection while allowing fresh water to reach the developing eggs.

Gravel placements take place when Gravel is piled along the creek until high winter stream flows wash the gravel into the creek, creating spawning beds for Salmon and steelhead. Since 1996 over 80,000 tons of spawning gravel has been placed in Lower Clear Creek.

Lower Clear Creek has been identified by numerous state and federal studies as an important anadromous fish stream in the Sacramento valley.

The California Department of Fish and Game and US Fish and Wildlife Service studies indicate that 91% of useable Salmon and steelhead spawning habitat has been lost since the construction of Whiskeytown dam. The gravel from these injections are increasing the amount of spawning habitat in areas where historical gold, gravel mining and the effects of Whiskeytown dam have removed or prevented quality spawning beds.

With gravel placements, and recent restoration activities recorded Salmon populations are dramatically increasing. In 2002 over 16,071 fall run Salmon were counted in Lower Clear Creek, the highest recorded number since counts began in 1952.

A long term successful fishery such as Clear Creek is a viable economic resource for Shasta County. Economic impacts of Sacramento River Salmon have been estimated at 545 dollars for every fish caught, according to a 2001 USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service study.

Funding for this gravel placement project has been provided through an Agreement with the State Water Resources control Board pursuant to the Costa-Machado Water Act of 2000 (Proposition 13) for the implementation of California's Nonpoint Source Pollution Control Program, with additional funding provided by the Bureau of Reclamation, Northern California office.