Our mission is to protect the world’s salmon strongholds.
Recovering Coho on the Oregon Coast
Location: Nehalem coho
Photo Credit: Danita Delimont, Shutterstock
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Support Oregon’s Wild Coho Comeback
Get updates on field research, habitat protection, and how you can help safeguard these threatened species.
Location: Siuslaw River restoration project
Photo Credit: Brady Holden
Our Goal
Bringing Back Wild Coho Populations
About The Recovery
Location: Siletz River, Oregon
Photo Credit: David Herasimtschuk
Natural Infrastructure: Elk River
The Greatest Threats to Wild Coho
What We're Doing Daily
To bring coho back, we focus our work on three key areas of impact.
Creating Roadmaps for Coho Rivers
Our science-driven plans identify the most effective actions to recover coho salmon in key watersheds.
Read the Plans
Uniting Partners on the Ground
We connect local partners with funds and resources to put our salmon recovery plans into action.
Advocating for Oregon Salmon
Wild Salmon Center is a trusted science and policy partner at every level of government.
The Impact at Home
We’re fighting not just for salmon, but for the people who depend on them.
Strong Local Economies
Outdoor recreation and tourism are key to coastal economies. Healthy rivers and wild fish are core attractions.
Clean Drinking Water
Across Oregon’s Coast range, communities rely on clean drinking water from healthy watersheds.
The Promise of Reopened Fisheries
If we sustain recent coho recovery trends, coastal communities may soon see new fishing opportunities.
Coast Coho Project Timeline
Explore the biggest wins and key moments since our work began.
What's Next
We’re aiming for nothing short of full recovery for Oregon Coast coho
This threatened species could become the first salmonid to be delisted from the Endangered Species Act: proving to the world that salmon recovery is possible, sustainable, and scalable.
2025
Coquille and Siletz basins get action plans; more to come
As we expand to new watersheds, local coalitions across Oregon and the broader Pacific Northwest are adopting our strategic action plan model for salmon recovery.
2024
A bright spot for coho recovery gets brighter
Favorable marine conditions and years of habitat recovery continue to drive coho recovery in Oregon, NOAA finds. Our strategic action plans are underway in eight Oregon watersheds and counting.
2022
Federal report links our work with stronger coho returns
A NOAA report finds hopeful signs for some salmon and steelhead populations, with Oregon Coast coho called out as “a bright spot for salmon recovery.”
2019
First Oregon basins get coho recovery action plans
The Elk and Siuslaw watersheds are the first in our series of science-driven game plans to restore coho populations across coastal Oregon. Next up: the Nehalem, Coos Bay, and Upper Rogue.
2017
Coast Coho Partnership launches
Wild Salmon Center and a coalition of local partners launch a bold new concept to recover threatened Oregon Coast coho salmon, watershed by watershed.