Community News · Fresno County
San Joaquin River salmon restoration hits milestone as hatchery near Fresno spawns Chinook
The Salmon Conservation and Research Facility, opened May 2025 in Friant along the San Joaquin River near Fresno, produces spring-run Chinook for the San Joaquin River Restoration Program, which seeks to restore a run eliminated by Friant Dam's 1942 completion. The program reached a milestone in summer 2025 with 448 adult salmon returning—the highest since juveniles were reintroduced in 2014—though only 54 returned this year amid drier conditions. Four passage-impediment projects remain, including a $93 million bypass east of Dos Palos underway and a Mendota Pool project needing up to $700 million; full river navigability is estimated by 2035.