NOAA Special Agent Don Tanner is the Winner -SARSAS King Salmon Award for OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENT in returning anadromous fishes to the Auburn Ravine

The SKSA is given to a person whose collaborative efforts have resulted in a significant and distinguished advancement toward the goal of SARSAS, which is to return salmon and steelhead to the entire length of the AR.
NOAA Special Agent Don Tanner, using gracious and collaborative law enforcement methods, was able to work amiably with the eight dam owners on the AR downstream of the City of Lincoln and with their wholehearted assistance open the Auburn Ravine to fish passage from October 15 to April 15 of each year to allow Fall Run Chinook to migrate upstream toward spawning gravels.

For the first time in decades, his efforts resulted in a significant number of salmon reaching Auburn Ravine Park in Lincoln, where their upstream migration was stopped by the NID Lincoln Gauging Station. Seeing Agent Tanner’s success with salmon, Nevada Irrigation District, contributed $250k of their own money toward the $850K cost, and will install a fish ladder on the LGS this Sept./Oct. to allow salmon to reach spawning gravels upstream of Lincoln. NID is currently planning and designing fish passage over their Hemphill Dam, which will allow fish to migrate many miles upstream to the NID Gold Hill Dam, which hopefully will be retrofitted for fish passage in the near future.
Agent Tanner’s achievement is vital to the success of returning salmon and steelhead to the entire length of the AR and he continues to constantly monitor the Ravine and works toward making his agency realize the infinite possibility of the AR as a significant tributary to the Sacramento River for salmon and steelhead spawning, thereby helping to keep the threatened steelhead population robust and the salmon population from extinction.
Agent Tanner’s efforts working with the South Sutter Water District resulted in SSWD securing funds from Family Water Alliance to install a Fish Screen at the opening of the Pleasant Grove Canal “to prevent”, to quote SARSAS Fish Passage Expert Ron Ott, “up to 90 % of anadromous fishes returning to the Pacific Ocean to mature from being entrained and die in agriculture fields”.

Agent Tanner’s achievement is exceptional, unique and distinguished and shows how one person, who accepts his responsibility and works ethically and collaboratively to achieve a goal can succeed to a monumental degree, inspiring another entities and individuals to contribute to the SARSAS goal.

Agent Tanner’s contribution to the SARSAS goal is unparalleled and laudatory in the highest degree. He is the most deserving first recipient of the SARSAS King Salmon Award.

SARSAS Secretary Kathie Harris will present Don Tanner the award for Outstanding Achievement toward Returning Salmon and Steelhead to the Auburn Ravine.