Author: ICO

The Winnemem Wintu Tribe has had a busy year in 2023 reintroducing Winter Run Chinook to the Winnemem Waywaket (McCloud River). In May 2023, the Winnemem Wintu signed historic agreements with both the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) to become equal decision making partners in efforts to reintroduce winter run Chinook above Shasta Dam.

These actions are a part of our Tribe’s overall goal to return the Nur (salmon) to the Winnemem Waywaket. The pilot project with NOAA and CDFW includes reintroducing salmon eggs from hatcheries to the river, and our overall goal is to bring back our ancestral Nur who currently live in New Zealand.

We are grateful for the support of everyone who has prayed with us and stood with us over the years to bring the Nur back home. Here are some highlights of our year we would love to share with you, next steps in this monumental work, and ways to stay involved. Continue reading “2023 Wrap Up: Great Steps Forward to Bring the Nur Home” →

Through our partnership with California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), this summer we had 3 separate deliveries of salmon eggs by helicopter to Wayelporhormas. Even more exciting is that this year, the Winnemem Wintu have our own innovative incubation system set up along the banks of the Winnemem Waywaket (McCloud River) in addition to the hatchery setup used last year. Our system was developed in partnership with UC Davis and imitates a natural spawning bed that allows for salmon alevin to swim upright and go out into the waters of our river when they are ready. Currently, we have salmon in various stages of life in each of the tanks, as well as a school of salmon enjoying a shaded pool on the side of the Winnemem Waywaket, waiting for the right time to head downstream.

The Winnemem Wintu signed an historic agreement with the California Department of Fish and Wildlife and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to co-steward McCloud River Salmon Restoration Projects, which include bringing eyed eggs from wild New Zealand salmon to the Winnemem Waywaket (McCloud River), designing a volitional passage for the salmon up to our river, and beginning restoration projects along the watershed.