Construction is underway on a three-acre floodplain restoration project along the Sacramento River near Red Bluff
Press Release from the Sacramento River Settlement Contractors
October 29, 2026
Three-acre project to keep fish connected to productive floodplain habitat while reducing number of juvenile salmon becoming stranded each year
A three-acre floodplain along the Sacramento River that has become attractive for native fish to rest and feed is receiving a critical redesign to help reduce the number of juvenile salmon and steelhead trout that end up stranded with no way back to the river once water levels recede.
A coalition of farmers, cities and water districts, known as the Sacramento River Settlement Contractors, has teamed up with local, state and federal agencies to reshape a former boat harbor at the Red Bluff Elks Lodge. The project will allow the area to flood more frequently, which will provide young salmon and steelhead with a place to feed, grow and find refuge. The project will also allow for volitional passage, which means the fish will have the freedom to leave the floodplain when they are ready to continue their downstream migration.
“Our native fish don’t recognize property lines or agency boundaries, so improving their migration takes collaboration across the entire Sacramento River Basin,” said Jeff Sutton, Glenn-Colusa Irrigation District General Manager and a member of the Sacramento River Settlement Contractors. “This project shows what we can accomplish when water users, landowners, scientists, fishermen and agencies work together to give young salmon and steelhead better access to productive habitat and a safer route downstream.”
The site already provides seasonal habitat when Sacramento River flows are high. However, existing grades and dense vegetation can make it difficult for juvenile salmon and steelhead to return to the river as water levels decline, leaving some fish trapped to die unless they can be rescued.
Construction will regrade approximately 5,000 cubic yards of material and lower portions of the site so the floodplain can become connected to the Sacramento River at flows of approximately 10,000 to 12,000 cubic feet per second.
Today, the site generally requires flows of approximately 25,000 cfs before it becomes inundated. That change is expected to give juvenile fish more frequent access to the floodplain during their downstream migration.
The redesigned site will include varying water depths, islands and gradual side slopes to create a diversity of feeding, resting and refuge habitat during flood events. Large, salvaged trees will also be incorporated into the floodplain to provide additional cover and habitat complexity for fish and other wildlife.
The Red Bluff Elks Lodge project is a great opportunity to remediate a known juvenile salmonid stranding site created by landscape changes associated with historic Lake Red Bluff and the Red Bluff Diversion Dam. The reengineered footprint will function as high-value, off-channel rearing habitat over a broad range of winter flow conditions. It’s a win-win,” said Matt Johnson, Senior Environmental Scientist with the California Department of Fish and Wildlife’s Northern Region Inland Fisheries Program.
“The Resource Conservation District of Tehama County’s role is to bring landowners, agencies, and local partners together to restore fish habitat and support healthy watersheds, so it is critical that we continue to find a balance between protecting riparian habitat and meeting the water needs of agricultural producers who feed all of us,” said Jon Barrett, District Manager, Resource Conservation District of Tehama County.“Projects like the Elks Lodge Floodplain Project provide an opportunity to work together toward solutions that support both our fisheries and our agricultural communities.”
From Sacramento to Redding, the Sacramento River Settlement Contractors are investing in habitat restoration projects to help create healthier rivers, landscapes and communities throughout the Basin. The farmers and landowners behind these efforts recognize that strong salmon populations are an important indicator of a healthy watershed. Because agriculture and fisheries depend on the same rivers, water resources and ecosystems, these collaborative projects aim to improve conditions for native fish while supporting the long-term sustainability of the farms and communities that depend on them.
“Red Bluff Elks Lodge #1250 is proud to partner with the Sacramento River Settlement Contractors and our local and federal partners working to restore this important stretch of the Sacramento River,” said Shasta Canty, Lodge Manager, Red Bluff Elks Lodge #1250. “We’re grateful to play a part in protecting the river and its native fish for future generations. It’s a great example of our motto in action: Elks Care, Elks Share.”
Led by the Sacramento River Settlement Contractors, the project is being implemented through partners including the Sacramento Valley Ecological Restoration Foundation (SAVER) and Glenn-Colusa Irrigation District, with funding provided by the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. The project is being completed in partnership with the Red Bluff Elks Lodge #1250, the Pacific States Marine Fisheries Commission, California Department of Fish and Wildlife and the Resource Conservation District of Tehama County.
Construction began on October 19, 2026. Following completion, juvenile salmonids will be monitored to confirm the improvements are providing fish with safe access back to the Sacramento River.
The project is part of the Upper Sacramento River Anadromous Fish Habitat Restoration Program under the Central Valley Project Improvement Act and supports broader federal and state efforts to recover salmon and steelhead throughout the Sacramento Valley watershed, including the National Marine Fisheries Service’s Recovery Plan and California’s Salmon Resiliency Strategy.
The broader project team includes the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation, Sacramento River Settlement Contractors, Sutter Mutual Water Company, Glenn-Colusa Irrigation District, Sacramento Valley Ecological Restoration Foundation, National Marine Fisheries Service, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, California Department of Fish and Wildlife, Pacific States Marine Fisheries Commission, Central Valley Regional Water Quality Control Board and private consulting partners.
ABOUT THE SACRAMENTO RIVER SETTLEMENT CONTRACTORS
The Sacramento River Settlement Contractors (SRSC) is a coalition of irrigation and reclamation districts, mutual water companies, cities, partnerships and landowners connected to the Sacramento River from Redding to Sacramento. SRSC members manage approximately 2.2 million acre-feet of water annually across 450,000 acres to support farms, communities, fish and wildlife throughout the Sacramento Valley. Working with local, state and federal partners, SRSC invests in water-use efficiency, habitat restoration and science-based projects that benefit Chinook salmon, migratory birds and other wildlife while sustaining the farms and communities that depend on reliable water supplies.
For more information, visit sacvalleywater.com.
