Juvenile coho salmon. Photo by Roger Tabor/USFWS.

Dear John,

Did you know redwood trees grow faster when they’re rooted beside salmon-filled streams? When salmon return to redwood waterways to spawn and then die, their bodies help fertilize the towering trees with marine nutrients. In return, redwoods provide cool shade and clean water for young salmon. It’s an ancient and beautiful relationship.

That’s why we’re excited to share some good news: The past two winters have brought strong salmon runs to Northern California. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) recently reported that in the winter of 2023–24, about 15,000 endangered Central California Coast coho salmon returned to spawn in Mendocino County creeks—including League-protected places like Noyo River Redwoods and Big River–Mendocino Old Growth Redwoods. That’s the highest number recorded since NOAA began tracking these runs in 2009.

Coho salmon. Photo by Eiko Jones Photography.

In Marin County’s Lagunitas Creek, which winds through the redwood groves of Samuel P. Taylor State Park, researchers counted 593 coho redds (spawning nests)—double the usual count and the most in 20 years. The creek also saw its largest Chinook salmon run on record.

“I thought they would never come back in my lifetime,” says Jonathan Ambrose, NOAA’s San Joaquin River branch chief. “A lot of people think it's too late—it’s too hard to bring back endangered species. This is a prime example of why it’s not too late or too hard.”

When the salmon are running, people gather to watch them leap up waterfalls and wriggle upstream. Like the redwoods, salmon are ecological ambassadors. They inspire awe and serve as powerful reminders of why protecting redwood ecosystems matters.

We hope this bit of good news brightens your week and we'll see you out on the trail,

Save the Redwoods League

Save the Redwoods League
111 Sutter Street, 11th Floor
San Francisco, CA 94104
United States

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