November 19: California Salmon History

Explore California salmon history and discover how restoration, science, and community engagement are helping salmon populations recover. Join us for a lecture at the Tahoe Science Center in Incline Village. Historically, California was a land of abundant natural resources. Indigenous communities from time immemorial lived in reciprocity with the land and water. One of these resources was prolific populations of Chinook salmon. People cared for the salmon, and the salmon provided for Northern California’s peoples. The diversity of rivers and habitats throughout Northern California led to the evolution of 4 distinct runs of Chinook salmon (winter, spring, fall, and late-fall) named for the time of year that they arrived in freshwater to begin their upstream migration toward spawning grounds. This life-history diversity meant that there were adult salmon in the rivers almost every month of the year. The diversity of life histories and habitats resulted in one of the largest salmon populations in the world. Yes, California was once a “salmon society”- meaning a society of people that relied on and valued healthy rivers and the fishes that lived within them, but following the arrival of European settlers, that changed rather quickly. This talk will focus on this history of salmon and people in Northern California, how that changed following European settlement and what we are doing now through science, management and outreach to help salmon populations recover and reconnect communities with their local ecosystems. Dr. Carson Jeffres is a senior researcher and field and lab director at the UC Davis Center for Watershed Sciences. A fish biologist and watershed scientist, he studies how native fish—particularly California salmon—use and benefit from healthy and restored habitats. His research examines how river flows, floodplains, food webs, and other watershed processes influence salmon growth and survival. By taking a whole-ecosystem approach, Jeffres works with scientists, resource managers, landowners, and communities to identify practical strategies for recovering threatened salmon populations and restoring California’s rivers. In-person Event Details Date: Thursday, November 19, 2026 Time: Doors open at 5:30 p.m. Presentation begins at 6:00 p.m. Location: Tahoe Science Center 201 Country Club Dr. Incline Village, NV 89451 ***Parking is free after 5:00 pm. Light snacks provided by Chef Scott Yorkey and a no-host bar is available. Tickets: Tickets purchased in advance are $10 through Eventbrite and free for students with a student ID. Tickets at the door are $15. For more information, call 775-881-7560, ext. 7566, or email [email protected].