There is a particular moment on the lower Yuba River in late October and early November that stops people mid-sentence. The water is clear, the air is cool, and if you know where to look — and have someone alongside you who does — you will see them: Chinook salmon, some of the largest wild fish in California’s inland waterways, making their way upstream to spawn. The same fish that once filled this river so densely they were the economic and ecological foundation of entire communities. The same fish that have been fighting to return ever since.

On October 25th and November 7th, SYRCL is inviting families, neighbors, and anyone who has ever wanted to understand what is happening on this river to come see it firsthand.

What the Public Salmon Expeditions Are

SYRCL’s Public Salmon Expeditions are guided float trips on the lower Yuba River, led by SYRCL’s education staff in partnership with the river guides at H2O Adventures. Open to ages 4 and up, each expedition runs from 9:00 AM to 2:00 PM and mirrors the structure of SYRCL’s school field programs that bring fourth graders from across Yuba and Nevada Counties onto the river each fall for one of the most immersive science education experiences available to students in this region.

Along the way, participants will learn about the Yuba River ecosystem and the life cycle of Chinook salmon, explore how hydraulic gold mining transformed the river’s landscape and left behind the massive gravel deposits that still shape its channel today, and hear about SYRCL’s ongoing work to restore and protect salmon habitat. The float also passes through Upper Long Bar and Lower Long Bar, two of SYRCL’s major river restoration sites, where participants can see firsthand what habitat enhancement looks like on the water.

Safety instruction and all river gear are provided. All you need to bring is water, a snack or lunch, sun protection, and a willingness to learn something new about the watershed you call home.

Why This Year Matters

The school Salmon Expeditions that inspired this public program faced an extraordinary challenge in 2026. In February, a catastrophic failure of the Yuba Water Agency’s Colgate Powerhouse penstock pipe sent hundreds of thousands of gallons of water and a mudslide down the mountain. With 80 percent of the agency’s revenue tied to that facility, community grant programs were put on hold. The annual funding that sends approximately 1,500 Yuba County fourth graders on their Salmon Expedition each fall was among the programs affected. SYRCL and the Yuba County Educational Foundation have been working together to raise $150,000 to keep the school program on the water this season.

The Public Salmon Expeditions support that broader mission. Every participant who registers helps demonstrate the community-wide value of salmon education and helps sustain the programs that bring the next generation of river stewards to the water.

Why Salmon Matter

Chinook salmon are among the most ecologically significant species in California’s river systems. They are a keystone species; their presence signals a watershed functioning as it should, and their absence reverberates through the entire food web, from the insects in the streambed to the eagles overhead to the forests their carcasses fertilize after spawning. Salmon populations throughout California are in steep decline due to habitat loss, warming water temperatures, and barriers to migration caused by dams and diversions. The Yuba River remains one of the last strongholds for these fish in the Central Valley, and what happens here, through restoration, advocacy, and education, has consequences that reach far beyond this watershed.

Seeing a spawning salmon in the wild is not a passive experience. It changes how people understand what a river is for, and what it takes to keep one healthy. That is precisely why SYRCL has built its education programs around the water’s edge rather than the classroom.

Register Now — Spaces Are Limited

Both the October 25th and November 7th expeditions are open for registration now. Spaces are limited and these trips fill quickly.

For questions, contact SYRCL’s Education Director, Monique Streit, at monique@yubariver.org.