A U.S. Fish and Wildlife employee reintroduces salmon into a Central Valley river.
Aerial view of restored floodplain habitat and agricultural property near Sacramento, California.
Snake River Sockeye Salmon
The Snake River sockeye salmon is an endangered species. NOAA Fisheries’ West Coast Region, along with the Science Centers, work to protect and conserve this species under the Endangered Species Act.
Species Status
ESA Listing Status: Endangered on November 20, 1991 (56 FR 58619) and June 28, 2005 (70 FR 37159); updated April 14, 2014 (79 FR 20802)
ESU Description: This evolutionarily significant unit, or ESU, includes all naturally spawned anadromous and residual sockeye salmon originating from the Snake River basin, and also sockeye salmon from the Redfish Lake Captive Broodstock Program and the Snake River Sockeye Salmon Hatchery Program.
Current Population Trends: Snake River Sockeye Salmon Status Reviews and Five-Year Updates
Critical Habitat: Designated December 28, 1993 (58 FR 68543)
Protective Regulations: Issued under ESA Section 9
Recovery Plan: Recovery Plan for Snake River Sockeye Salmon (2015)
Species Recovery
NOAA Fisheries delineated eight recovery domains, or geographic recovery planning areas, for the ESA-listed salmon and steelhead populations on the West Coast. The Snake River Recovery Sub-domain is one of three sub-domains comprising the Interior Columbia River Recovery Domain (see map of recovery domains). This sub-domain is home to four ESA-listed salmon and steelhead species:
- Snake River sockeye salmon
- Snake River spring/summer Chinook salmon
- Snake River fall Chinook salmon
- Snake River steelhead
NOAA Fisheries West Coast Region manages recovery planning and implementation for this sub-domain through its Interior Columbia Basin Area Office.
Recovery Plan
The Recovery Plan for Snake River Sockeye Salmon was adopted in June 2015. Because of the complexity of the salmonid life cycle, some regional issues that affect ESA-listed Columbia River Basin salmon and steelhead are beyond the scope of any one management plan. NOAA Fisheries developed several modules to address these regional issues and assist in recovery planning. The following modules are incorporated into the Recovery Plan for Snake River Sockeye Salmon as appendices:
- Module for Ocean Environment
- Estuary Module
- Snake River Harvest Module
- 2017 Supplemental Recovery Plan Hydro Module
- 2008 Hydro Module
Partnerships for Recovery
Federal Partners
- Bonneville Power Administration
- Bureau of Land Management
- Bureau of Indian Affairs
- Environmental Protection Agency
- Natural Resources Conservation Service
- U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
- U.S. Bureau of Reclamation
- U.S. Geological Survey
- U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
- U.S. Forest Service
State & Local Partners
- Custer Soil & Water Conservation District
- Grande Ronde Model Watershed
- Idaho Department of Environmental Quality
- Idaho Department of Fish and Game
- Idaho Department of Water Resources
- Idaho Governor’s Office of Species Conservation
- Lemhi Regional Land Trust
- Lemhi Soil & Water Conservation District
- Oregon Governor's Natural Resources Office
- Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife
- The Nature Conservancy
- Washington State Recreation & Conservation Office
- Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife
- Wood River Land Trust
- Northwest Power & Conservation Council
- Southeast Washington Snake River Salmon Recovery Board
- Trout Unlimited
Tribal Partners
- Burns Paiute Tribe
- Columbia River Inter-Tribal Fish Commission
- Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation
- Nez Perce Tribe
- Shoshone-Bannock Tribes
- Shoshone Paiute Tribes
- The Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs
- Upper Snake River Tribes
- Yakama Nation
More Information
- Sockeye Salmon Status Reviews and Five-Year Updates
- Sockeye Salmon Federal Register Notices
- Salmon and Steelhead Federal Register Rules and Notices prior August 2019
- Sockeye Salmon Maps & GIS Data
- Sockeye Salmon Publications
- Hatchery Programs - Columbia Basin
- Learn about what you can do to help endangered and threatened salmon recover
- Related Stories
Contact
If you have questions, would like to learn more about recovery efforts in your watershed, or would like to get involved directly, please contact:
West Coast Region - Interior Columbia Basin Area Office
Chad Fealko
Email: Chad.Fealko@noaa.gov
Phone: 208.756.5105
A U.S. Fish and Wildlife employee reintroduces salmon into a Central Valley river.
Aerial view of restored floodplain habitat and agricultural property near Sacramento, California.
