Each fall, Chinook salmon return from the Pacific Ocean to the American River to spawn, typically from September through November. Steelhead trout make a similar journey during winter months. Sailor Bar is one of the best locations on the river to watch the Chinook and Steelhead runs.
Historic Runs
The American River once supported massive runs of Chinook salmon. Fish traveled from the Pacific Ocean to spawn in upstream gravel beds.
Spawning Process
Female salmon create shallow nests in the gravel called redds, where they deposit their eggs. Walking on or near redds can destroy an entire generation of fish. Please avoid these areas and help protect this remarkable natural cycle.
Completion of Folsom Dam in 1955
Built in the 1950s for flood control, water storage, and hydropower, the completion of Folsom Dam had a substantial impact on the lower American River and on the Chinook Salmon and Steelhead Trout runs.
The Completion of Folsom Dam Dramatically Changed the River and Salmon/Steelhead Runs
- Folsom dam reduced natural flooding and stabilized river flows but blocked access to historic upstream spawning grounds so the Salmon and Steelhead can only spawn in lower sections of the River (like at Sailor Bar)
- The dam trapped sediment (sand and gravel) upstream that historically replenished the gravel beds used by the Salmon and Steelhead to spawn
- The Nimbus Fish Hatchery (just up river from Sailor Bar) was built to help mitigate the loss of spawning habitat
- Periodically the Water Forum must now conduct periodic restoration projects to replenish the gravel spawning beds at locations like Sailor Bar as water releases from the dam continue to erode the gravel beds that remain in the Lower American river
- Fewer large floods on the lower American River meant less natural reshaping of the river
- Cooler, regulated flows as a result of the dam change ecological patterns
- Loss of some natural floodplain processes
Today, the American River is a place of recovery, resilience, and renewed stewardship — where communities are working to protect and restore the ecological and cultural richness that once defined this landscape.