Redding sees novel approach to salmon recovery through installation of 'rockwads' – KRCR

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by Maxwell Tedford
REDDING, Calif. — Large bundles of rock and wood called 'rockwads' are being put into the Sacramento River just north of Turtle Bay to provide a vital area for young fish to hide. Project leaders said they hope the novel approach to salmon recovery will recreate natural hiding areas for native fish.
People’s use of the Sacramento River over the last several decades has left it fairly bare of debris. The installation of the Shasta Dam essentially blocking off the historic debris flow that would come down from the mountains following major storms. That debris that once acted as hiding spots for young salmon and trout to avoid larger predators. This has been one of several factors experts believe to have contributed to California's salmon population declining.

The boat ramp at Turtle Bay will have severely limited hours while the project is underway from April 27 to May 3. Boaters can only use the ramp from sunrise to 9 am and must be off the ramp by that end time. Photo taken at the Turtle Bay Boat Ramp April 28, 2026. (KRCR)

To address the issue, crews are installing man-made structures similar to ones placed near Bonnyview Bridge in 2023.
“We're placing these large boulders in the very deepest part of the river so that juvenile salmon and steelhead can get in behind them and feed and grow faster," explained project head Jeff Souza. "On top of that we have the wood that’s attached to it for escape coverage from predators like trout.“
The project is funded by the Bureau of Reclamation and led by the Sacramento Valley Ecological Restoration Foundation, in partnership with several local agencies, including the city of Redding.
More than two dozen rockwads are being installed north of the Sundial Bridge near Turtle Bay. Officials hope the structures will serve as habitat until fish are large enough to better survive their journey to the Pacific Ocean.
Souza said the effort is experimental.
“We know that large wood is beneficial to salmon," Souza explained. "This is a very experimental project, it’s very novel. So the actual design is novel. It’s the first time anyone has tried this specific thing.“

Following their installation there will be several follow up surveys over the site to quantify how many juvenile fish are actually making use of it to see if any changes could be made in future projects. Photo taken on the Sacramento River in Redding April 28, 2026. (KRCR)

Each rockwad is placed at a preselected location in the deepest part of the river using sonar. The structures will sit about 19 feet below the surface, with at least 5 feet of clearance even during low water levels, minimizing impacts to boaters.
Biologists will monitor the project in the months and years ahead.
“We’ll conduct follow-up sonar surveys to count fish using the structures and compare that to data collected before installation,” said fishery biologist Keith Marine.'
During construction, the Turtle Bay boat ramp will be open from sunrise to 9 a.m. The project is expected to last about one week, ending Sunday, May 3, 2026.
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