Department of Fish and Game

Fisheries Restoration Grant Program

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Program Overview

The Fisheries Restoration Grant Program (FRGP) was established in 1981 in response to rapidly declining populations of wild salmon and steelhead trout and deteriorating fish habitat in California.

This competitive grant program has invested over $180 million to support projects from sediment reduction to watershed education throughout coastal California.

Contributing partners include the Department of Fish and Game (DFG), federal and local governments; tribes, water districts, fisheries organizations, watershed restoration groups, the California Conservation Corps, AmeriCorps, and private landowners.

Restoring anadromous salmon and steelhead habitat is a commitment this program and partners have embraced and with population of some salmon at critically low levels, there are many opportunities for restoration projects that will directly benefit the salmon and steelhead trout in California.

Image of stream bed and culvert prior to restoration.

A bridge is built to replace a culvert that was impassable to
salmon. Images illustrate before and after project.

Photos provided by Mike Bird

Image of stream with newly constructed culvert.

Specific accomplishments over the last seven years (2000-2006) include:

  • 895 miles of stream have been treated
  • 53 miles of stream bank have been stabilized
  • 122 miles of instream habitat has been restored
  • 661 miles of stream have been opened to fish passage by removing 440 barriers
  • 5,467 acres of riparian habitat have been restored
  • 1,283 miles of road have been treated to reduce sediment in salmonid streams
  • 1,000s of children and adults educated about habitat necessary for anadromous fish to thrive

Learn More . . .