Endangered salmon returned to Northern California, then the money dried up

""It makes me feel betrayed. It makes the tribe feel betrayed. It's like they just gave up," said Gary Mulcahy, government liaison for the tribe."

""The pilot was designed to take urgent action during severe drought conditions while testing key tools and approaches needed for potential long-term reintroduction," said California Department of Fish and Wildlife spokesperson Stephen Gonzalez."

""We are forcing the fish to be in places where they never were historically. When we have all those eggs in one basket, you are one really warm event from losing that cohort of fish," said Carson Jeffres, a senior researcher at the UC Davis Center for Watershed Sciences."

The Winnemem Wintu Tribe's salmon restoration efforts are at risk as the state withdraws support, leading to job losses and diminished hope for reintroduction. The winter-run Chinook salmon, critically endangered, are trapped in warm waters due to damming, which threatens their survival. State officials indicate that funding was temporary and linked to drought responses. Experts warn that the current conditions force the fish into unsuitable habitats, increasing the risk of catastrophic loss during warm events.

Read at Los Angeles Times