Several gravel augmentation sites, floodplain excavation sites, and side channels have been identified as suitable potential spawning and rearing habitat on the American River downstream of Nimbus Dam, including sites at upper Sailor Bar, upper and lower Sunrise, Sacramento Bar and San Juan Rapids, Ancil
Hoffman, Upper River Bend, River Bend, the Howe to Watt reach, and Paradise Beach.
The spawning and rearing habitat restoration program is part of the Central Valley Project Improvement Act (CVPIA) and is tasked to double the natural production of anadromous fish in CVP streams.
The program works toward this goal through a variety of habitat restoration projects that work to increase the spawning, rearing and migration success of anadromous fish.
These projects can be fairly small and simple projects to much more complicated projects spanning multiple years and millions of dollars.