Once a set of wastewater ponds, a small patch of land along California's Baduwa't (Mad River) has been quietly transforming into a powerhouse of biodiversity. 

Monitoring data suggests the restoration is working better than anyone imagined, according to Mad River Union.

Completed in late 2022, the 9.3-acre project turned outdated percolation ponds into a vibrant floodplain habitat. 

It was spearheaded by California Trout in partnership with the McKinleyville Community Services District, and it was designed by Northern Hydrology and Engineering. 

The restoration was aimed at supporting threatened fish species — especially coho and Chinook salmon, whose populations have plummeted across the Pacific Northwest — and data shows those goals are being met. 

"These monitoring results prove that strategic habitat restoration works," said Mary Burke, CalTrout's North Coast Regional Manager, per Mad River Union. "The Baduwa't restoration project site is providing some of the only refugia habitat for fish to escape from high winter flows in the estuary. We were especially excited to learn that coho salmon have utilized the site every winter since construction."

That's no small feat. Floodplain habitat gives juvenile fish shelter from fast, cold winter flows and offers a rare opportunity to pause, feed, and grow before heading to the ocean. 

Post-project monitoring by Cal Poly Humboldt's Dr. Darren Ward, who began collecting data at the site before construction, confirms that salmon have returned to the site every winter since the restoration. 

But they're doing more than just passing through. They're feeding, growing fast, and preparing for the next leg of their journey to sea.

Growth rates for young salmon in the restored ponds are among the fastest ever recorded in similar projects. Some coho fry are growing 20% longer than those in nearby streams, giving them a better shot at survival. 

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From January 2023 through May 2025, Ward's team documented more than 15,500 individual fish representing 17 different species, including threatened Chinook and coho, steelhead trout, coastal cutthroat trout, and endangered tidewater goby. 

The Baduwa't estuary is now more than a restoration site; it's a working example of how targeted, science-backed interventions can bring damaged ecosystems back to life. 

As climate pressures mount and species face increasing threats, projects like this one show what's possible when communities commit to long-term solutions grounded in local partnerships and ecological expertise.

"It has been an amazing opportunity to follow along with the CalTrout project from the initial planning stages to follow up monitoring after implementation," Ward told Mad River Union. 

"CalTrout's funding for monitoring allowed me to hire a crew of students for field work, providing critical work experience as they start their careers."

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