Dam removal in Neefus Gulch sparks early coho salmon spawning after 70 years
An 18-foot earthen dam was taken out of Neefus Gulch in 2024, reopening 1,600 feet of stream and allowing endangered coho salmon to spawn above the former barrier, with eight redds recorded by January 2026.
In 2024, Trout Unlimited dismantled an 18-foot earthen dam on Neefus Gulch, a tributary of the North Fork Navarro River, and restored 1,600 feet of stream, reopening roughly 1.3 miles of habitat for endangered Central California Coast coho salmon and steelhead. Within weeks, juvenile steelhead were spotted upstream, and a female coho entered the restored channel in early January 2025, prompting the discovery of 17 redds, four of them above the former dam.
Monitoring through January 2026 recorded eight additional redds in the once-inaccessible reaches, indicating that salmon are quickly reclaiming historic spawning grounds. The effort complements a larger Mendocino Coast restoration program funded by NOAA Fisheries, The Nature Conservancy and other partners, which has driven adult coho returns to over 30,000 in the 2024-2025 season. Scientists caution that despite the surge, coho remain endangered and face ongoing climate and habitat challenges. Future projects aim to remove more barriers and enhance floodplain complexity across nearby watersheds.
