Hundreds of threatened salmon rescued on Central Valley creek

This article was originally on a blog post platform and may be missing photos, graphics or links. See About archive blog posts.

State Department of Fish and Game crews have rounded up more than 300 stray salmon and returned them to their rightful spawning path, the Chico Enterprise-Record reports.

The migrating spring-run salmon are supposed to swim up Butte Creek Canyon to find cold water in which to spawn in the fall, but got stuck in two pools just west of Highway 99.

Rescue crews on Wednesday used nets to capture the fish, one by one, and drive them to the canyon.

Department of Fish and Game officials said the cold water fish probably would have died in the pools when the water got too warm.

Authorities said they rescued the fish because there are fewer salmon returning to the Central Valley this year.

Along the West Coast this year, a slew of international, U.S. and California officials have carved up strict rules on salmon fishing.

-- Francisco Vara-Orta