As the first baby salmon begin to appear at our Rose Bar restoration project (completed 2024) this fall, they will have even more connected, complex floodplain habitat to grow up on thanks to continued restoration projects by the South Yuba River Citizens League (SYRCL), with special appreciation to our members and donors 

In September of 2026, we finished the initial construction of the Upper Long Bar Habitat Restoration Project. The project is located on private property in Yuba County along the lower Yuba River just over 1 mile below the Highway 20 bridge, and just under 4 miles from the spawning habitat at Rose Bar.  

The Upper Long Bar project was built to improve edge habitat for juvenile Chinook salmon and steelhead by adding new alcoves, instream structures, and increased roughness along the riverbank. These enhancements aim to increase the carrying capacity of the system and support salmon at various life stages. The project is funded by the Wildlife Conservation Board, the Fisheries Restoration Grant Program, and Yuba Water Agency, with project partners including Cramer Fish Sciences, Verdantas Eco Engineering, Silica Resources Inc., Yuba Water Agency, and Anderson Dragline, Inc.  

This project is just the latest salmon restoration project completed by SYRCL in the lower Yuba River as part of our mission to see the return of a healthy salmon population. The Yuba is unique because it does not have a hatchery. That means that the adult salmon that return to the Yuba every year – along with a few of the smarter fish from nearby hatcheries – grew up on the restored floodplains that SYRCL, along with our partners, has been building since the very first project completed in 2012. The Upper Long Bar project is just the latest step in SYRCL’s ambitious goal of restoring the goldfields back into a continuous corridor of high-quality rearing habitat for salmon.  

Jack Roney, SYRCL’s Fisheries Restoration Project Manager, notes that “The day after equipment left the water at Upper Long Bar, we saw young rainbow trout/steelhead using restored habitat. In restoration work, the biggest impacts are often only apparent a few years after wrapping up a project, so seeing an immediate benefit like this is incredibly gratifying. Just behind the fish were beavers! These ecosystem engineers are taking advantage of the new floodplain habitat to harvest willows that otherwise were farther from water than they prefer. In some places, their leftover branches are already sprouting to life — creating more cover and habitat for young trout and salmon. I have also personally observed otters feeding on invasive crayfish, great blue herons fishing, and swarms of dragonflies feeding insects drawn to the new water. As time goes on, I expect this ecosystem will continue to flourish, and new species will gain a foothold where previously there was little but bare gravel.” 

Like all of SYRCL’s work, projects like this take time and energy to plan, fund, and build. That’s why we need members like you. So, from the salmon already exploring the new habitat to the beavers and ducks and other wildlife enjoying a more connected floodplain, thank you for your continued support.

Not yet a SYRCL member? Become one today and help continue this important work.