The Salmon Festival: Annual Sacramento, California Celebration

The return of the Chinook salmon to the American River is celebrated each year in Sacramento. The annual Salmon Festival is a two-day event held at the Nimbus Hatchery in Rancho Cordova, California. This year's event will be held on Oct. 13 and 14.

This annual event provides a fun, educational and recreational activity for the entire family. The festival is a fund-raising effort that benefits many non-profit organizations. These organizations combine their resources to protect the natural resources of the Sacramento American River Waterways.

The rich and diverse wildlife reflected in and around the Sacramento River basin can be attributed to the protective efforts of the Nimbus Hatchery, American River Parkway Foundation, The River Water Education Center, Save the American River Association, Inc (SARA) and other agencies who sponsor activities like the Salmon Festival.

The American River and its adjoining parkway is considered the "crown jewel" of the Sacramento County Park System. The American River watershed embraces over 1,875 square miles of land. Located within that vast area are three forks of the American River. The river flows out of the mountains into the great Central Valley and on to the Pacific Ocean

Each year the Chinook salmon return to the Sacramento river from the Pacific Ocean. The salmon migrates upstream to their own spawning grounds. In some cases, the salmon migration may continue through the month of December. The migration of the salmon attracts fisherman from all across the country to the Sacramento basin area. The Salmon Festival is the observation of this important natural occurence. Along with the excellent fishing opportunities, this migration brings conservationist efforts tof this region to the forefront .