Documentary
Celebrating Mendocino Coho Returns
TL;DR
Trout Unlimited made a short film about the best coho season the Mendocino Coast has recorded. Anna Halligan and Sarah Gallagher were filmed for it on the banks of the South Fork Noyo River in 2025.
Quick Facts
- Made by
- Trout Unlimited
- Year
- 2025
- Length
- 4 minutes
- Filmed on
- South Fork Noyo River, Mendocino Coast
- Where to watch
- YouTube
This film runs four minutes and went up on the Trout Unlimited channel on April 2, 2025.
Its published description says coho returns on California's Mendocino Coast surged to their highest numbers since extensive monitoring began, that the Noyo and Ten Mile rivers exceeded Endangered Species Act recovery targets, and that the Garcia and Big rivers saw record returns. It closes by saying Central California Coast coho still have a long way to go.
Why OGSP Recommends It
One Good Story Project recommends Celebrating Mendocino Coho Returns because it documents a rare and measurable conservation success. Filmed along the South Fork Noyo River, the four-minute film explains how coho salmon returns reached their highest levels since extensive monitoring began. The Noyo and Ten Mile rivers surpassed federal recovery targets, while the Garcia and Big rivers recorded their strongest returns to date.
The film celebrates that progress without suggesting the work is finished. Central California Coast coho still face a difficult recovery, but NOAA Fisheries’ later count of roughly 30,000 returning adults shows what years of habitat restoration can accomplish.
Watch Watch the Trailer Visit Website
Related Resources
Key Takeaways
- Filmed on the South Fork Noyo River, one of the watersheds NOAA funds Trout Unlimited to clear of barriers.
- Anna Halligan of Trout Unlimited and Sarah Gallagher of the California Department of Fish and Wildlife appear in it.
- Published a year before NOAA Fisheries put the season's full count at 30,000 adult coho.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Celebrating Mendocino Coho Returns about?
It is Trout Unlimited's short account of the 2024 to 2025 coho spawning season on the Mendocino Coast, told standing in the water where the fish returned.
Who appears in Celebrating Mendocino Coho Returns?
Anna Halligan, who directs the North Coast Coho Project, and Sarah Gallagher, a senior environmental scientist with California's state wildlife agency.
Which rivers does the Mendocino coho film name?
The Noyo, Ten Mile, Garcia and Big rivers, and it was shot on the South Fork Noyo.
Where can I watch Celebrating Mendocino Coho Returns?
On the Trout Unlimited channel on YouTube. Trout Unlimited also wrote about the same season in its magazine on April 7, 2025, in a piece called Celebrating A Banner Year For Mendocino Coho Salmon.