California removed creek barrier; salmon returned for first time since 1950s

A barrier that had blocked migratory fish for decades disappeared in California in 2025, and salmon soon followed the newly opened route. Crews relocated a Pacific Gas & Electric (PG&E) natural-gas pipeline and buried the new section about 20 feet below Alameda Creek near Sunol, then removed the concrete structure that had created an 8-foot drop in the creek. The work reopened more than 20 miles of upstream habitat, and that same week, biologists spotted two Chinook salmon beyond the former barrier, marking the first documented access to this part of the watershed since the 1950s, according to NOAA Fisheries, which reported on the decades-long restoration effort.The barrier that blocked the creekThe pipeline itself was not simply sitting across the creek. It was protected by a concrete erosion-control mat that protruded into the stream channel.