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PRESS RELEASE. From the San Mateo County Harbor District on June 6th, 2025.
On Saturday June 7th, 2025, the San Mateo County Harbor Board hosted a Special Board Meeting to highlight one aspect of its work in support of California’s commercial and recreational salmon fishing, witnessing the final 2025 delivery of the 750,000 salmon smolt (baby salmon) scheduled for release at Pillar Point Harbor on the San Mateo County Pacific coast.
Saturday’s smolt release in Pillar Point Harbor, which is supported by the San Mateo County Harbor District, includes over 250,000 salmon smolt from the Mokelumne River Hatchery located in Clements, California. The Hatchery was built in 1963 to offset the loss of fish spawning habitat due to the construction of Camanche Dam by East Bay Municipal Utility District (EBMUD). Under an agreement with the California Department of Fish and Wildlife, the Coastside Fishing Club, a private non-profit, receives approximately 750,000 smolt each year from the Mokelumne River Hatchery. The smolt is released into a acclimation pen to keep them safe from birds and other predators while they assimilate to saltwater. After being tended to by the Fishing Club volunteers, the smolt are released to open ocean.
Over the past 14 years the Coastside Fishing Club has received and released over 8.5 million smolt. The return rates of two and three-year-olds is significantly greater when released on the Coastside than those released in the inland rivers and bays, making Pillar Point Harbor a prime location for the release. With a return rate of 2.97%, that represents over 252,000 returning adult salmon, with a commercial value of more than $50 million.
The Harbor District, since its creation in 1933, has recognized the importance of San Mateo County’s coastside fishing industry to the local economy and has supported it. In March 2021, the Harbor District worked with the Tuolumne River Trust to support the Bay Delta Water Quality Control Plan (BDWQCP) update, and the Harbor Board unanimously adopted a resolution supporting this update. Limited water releases from California dams and the Delta have significantly impacted California’s salmon runs, so the update was intended to increase the water flow to the Bay in support of salmon migration and spawning. (SMCHD Resolution 21-05): https://www.smharbor.com/files/072c88c19/2021_03_17_Item_12_Att_2_Resolution_21-
05_Water_Resource_Control_Board.pdf.)
“We feel a sense of duty in providing the facilities and resources to the Coastside Fishing Club in support of the Pillar Point Harbor Smolt Acclimation Project. Partnerships are important to restore California salmon runs and keep local economies vibrant. The Harbor District is honored to play an important role in this regard and be the nexus between freshwater and saltwater ecosystems” said Commissioner Kathryn Slater-Carter, President of the San Mateo County Harbor District.
About the San Mateo County Harbor District
The Harbor District provides fiscally and environmentally responsible stewardship of its maritime resources, emergency response, and public access for Pillar Point Harbor and Oyster Point Marina.
About the Coastside Fishing Club
The Coastside Fishing Club, a non-profit dedicated to the common goal of improving the fishery, sharing knowledge with the younger generations, and being more conservation minded to help preserve resources for future generations to enjoy. (www.coastsidefishingclub.com).
Coastside Fishing Club (Join or Donate)
Come Meet Your Harbor District Commissioners at Johnson Pier for the 2025 Salmon Smolt Release;
California’s Limited Ocean Recreational Salmon Season Will Open for 3 Days in Summer with 7,000 Harvest Limit and 1 Day in Fall with 7,500 Limit ~ Check for Updates; May 28, 2025
Watch the Coastside Fishing 2024 Chinook Salmon Smolt Pillar Point Harbor Delivery;
Coastside Fishing 2024 Chinook Salmon Smolt Inoculation Project at Mokelumne Hatchery ~ Stay Tuned for Pillar Point Harbor Delivery;
Fish and Game Fines Help Fund Coastside Fishing Foundation’s Chinook Salmon Smolt Net Pen Program ~ Millions Acclimated so Far;
More on the San Mateo County Harbor District on Coastside Buzz
San Mateo County Harbor District Board Meetings ~ 3rd Wednesday @ 10:00am
Watch remotely. Comments and questions by email.
Please note that email correspondence sent to or from members of the Harbor Commission via the District’s website are considered public records and may be subject to disclosure and additional distribution pursuant to the Public Records Act and the Brown Act.
Harbor District Agendas and Remote Meeting Links
Harbor District Pacifica Coast TV Videos
2025 Board of Harbor Commissioners Contact Information:
Please note that email correspondence sent to or from Members of the Harbor Commission via the District’s website are considered public records and may be subject to disclosure and additional distribution pursuant to the Public Records Act and the Brown Act.
To email the entire Harbor Commission, click here.
Kathryn Slater-Carter ~ District 3
Position: Chair
Term: 2023-2027
Email: kslater-carter@smharbor.com
George Domurat ~ District 2
Position: Vice Chair
Term: 2023-2027
Email: gdomurat@smharbor.com
William Zemke ~ District 1
Position: Secretary
Term: 2021 -2025
mail: wzemke@smharbor.com
Tom Mattusch ~ District 4
Position: Treasurer
Term: 2021-2025
Email: tmattusch@smharbor.com
Virginia Chang Kiraly ~ District 5
Position: Commissioner
Term: 2021-2025
Email: vchang-kiraly@smharbor.com
District Office: 504 Avenue Alhambra, Ste. 200, El Granada, CA 94018
Mailing Address: PO Box 1449, El Granada, CA 94018
Phone: (650) 583-4400 Fax: (650) 583-4614
Pillar Point without the harbor.
Shoaling will be dredged soon.
Author: mdrag
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