Updates

The Council has been actively engaged in efforts to support the recovery and sustainable management of Klamath River fall Chinook (KRFC), a vital species for the region’s ecosystems, communities, and fisheries. Recent Council activities include the development of a KRFC rebuilding plan in response to an overfished determination in 2018 and the establishment of the ad-hoc Klamath River fall Chinook Workgroup (KRWG) – a collaborative forum that brings together fishery managers, scientists, tribal representatives, and other stakeholders – to develop interim management measures and support the rebuilding of KRFC following removal of Klamath River dams.

For more information and the latest developments, please see the Council’s updates linked below.

Klamath River Fall Chinook Workgroup and Dam Removal

April 2023: The Council received an update on the status of the Klamath Dam Removal Project and discussed potential approaches for coordinating the evaluation of the KRFC conservation objective and management in response to dam removal. The Council requested that the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW), and Council staff collaborate on a briefing paper outlining possible pathways for a coordinated salmon recovery effort following dam removal.

June 2023: The Council reviewed a scoping report detailing potential strategies for updating the KRFC conservation objective and managing the stock in response to conditions resulting from the Klamath dam removals. After considering input from advisory bodies, management entities, and the public, the Council established the ad-hoc KRWG and adopted a draft Terms of Reference (TOR) document. The TOR outlined the workgroup’s purpose, membership, key milestones, and overall timeline.

November 2023: The KRWG delivered their first update to the Council, which included a summary of their first meeting and general timeline for completing the tasks identified.

March 2024: The Council received an update on the Klamath River dam removal project. The KRWG delivered their second report to the Council, presenting a range of options aimed at providing additional protections for KRFC, which continued to meet the criteria for overfished status. The report also addressed the anticipated ecological impacts of the Klamath dam removals on the in-river environment.

Guided by the Workgroup’s report, the Council decided to apply a 20 percent buffer to the maximum exploitation rate allowed for KRFC in 2024. The Council specified that this buffer would apply to the 2024 season only, with future decisions contingent upon evolving conditions and the need for additional buffers or revised harvest control rules.

November 2024: The KRWG provided their third report on potential alternative interim management frameworks for the Council to consider for use in 2025 and beyond.  The Council directed the KRWG to further refine a matrix-based approach that incorporates a variety of environmental metrics. This approach would help determine exploitation rate buffers based on a scoring system derived from specified variables. Additionally, the Council tasked the KRWG with developing a detailed workplan for exploring a sub-basin management strategy.

Klamath River Fall Chinook Rebuilding Plan

June 18, 2018: NMFS notified the Council KRFC is overfished. In response, the Council directed the Salmon Technical Team (STT) and collaborators to develop a rebuilding plan for Council consideration within one year.

April 2019: The Council adopted the Rebuilding Plan as draft for public review.

June 2019: The Council adopted the KRFC Rebuilding Plan.

Council correspondence related to Klamath River fall Chinook and dam removal can be found here.

Future KRWG meetings can be found on our events page.

The Council has taken an active role in managing Sacramento River fall Chinook (SRFC), a key species for West Coast salmon fisheries, for long-term sustainability. In recent years, efforts have focused on reevaluating the SRFC conservation objective and management reference points through a series of coordinated actions, including technical reviews, agency collaboration, and the formation of the ad-hoc Sacramento River fall Chinook Workgroup (SRWG).

The timeline below outlines key milestones in this ongoing process.

Sacramento River Fall Chinook

April 2022: The Council included, among other topics, a review of the SRFC conservation objective as an item for the 2022 Salmon Methodology Review.

November 2022: The Council received reports from advisory bodies on the outcomes of the October Salmon Methodology Review, including on the literature review that evaluated the SRFC conservation objective. The literature review described the basis of the conservation objective, originally developed in the 1980s using data from the 1950s–1980s, and found it difficult to replicate the current objective using historical data.

The Scientific and Statistical Committee (SSC) and Salmon Technical Team (STT) both supported prioritizing the development of a new conservation objective due to ongoing conservation concerns and the importance of SRFC to salmon fisheries south of Cape Falcon. Additional discussions included the potential for new cohort reconstruction models incorporating age structure.

April 2023: The Council requested that the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW), and Council staff collaborate on a scoping report exploring potential pathways to reevaluate SRFC conservation objectives.

June 2023: Following review of the scoping report, the Council established the SRWG. Draft Terms of Reference were adopted, and the SRWG was tasked with:

1. Delivering a summary report by spring 2024 detailing scoping efforts for a revised conservation objective, harvest control rule, and reference point alternatives.
2. Providing updates on recommended next steps, timelines, and processes for evaluating the SRFC conservation framework.

June 2024: The SRWG provided their first report to the Council. The report included an evaluation of the current reference points (F_MSY, S_MSY, MSST), conservation objective, and harvest control rule.  The report also offered preliminary alternatives for future management measures.

September 2024: The Council selected two topics proposed by the SRWG for the 2024 Salmon Methodology Review – Derivation of proxy S_MSY/S_MSP ratio and F_MSY value suitable for use for SRFC and Sacramento River Fall Chinook cohort reconstruction (CR) and comparison to the Sacramento Index (SI). These topics were recognized as foundational to SRWG’s ongoing work.

November 2024:  The SRWG provided their second report to the Council.  The Council provided guidance on how to integrate the outcomes of the 2024 Salmon Methodology Review into future SRFC management.

Sacramento River Fall Chinook Rebuilding Plan

June 18, 2018: NMFS notified the Council SRFC is overfished. In response, the Council directed the STT and collaborators to develop a rebuilding plan for Council consideration within one year.

April 2019: The Council adopted the Rebuilding Plan as draft for public review.

June 2019: The Council adopted the SRFC Rebuilding Plan.

September 2021: NMFS notified the Council SRFC is rebuilt.

Council correspondence related to Sacramento River fall Chinook can be found here.

Future SRWG meetings can be found on our events page.  

Past SRWG meeting materials can be found on the NOAA Fisheries webpage.