Kokanee Power, officially incorporated as the Central California Inland Fisheries Kokanee and Salmon Foundations, is an environmental advocacy group that claims to promote the preservation of freshwater salmon populations within inland California bodies of water. The organization further advocates for monitoring and replenishing the populations of chinook and kokanee salmon within the state in order to support continued recreational fishing. The group works with the California Department of Fish and Wildlife to implement monitoring, surveying, and stocking programs. The group also hosts salmon fishing tournaments and has coordinated with other environmentalist groups in California including the Golden State Salmon Association. ^{1 2 3}

Background

Kokanee Power was formed in 1998 and is incorporated as a nonprofit organization in California under the name Central California Inland Fisheries Kokanee and Salmon Foundations. The organization was modeled after a previous group that was formed after the California Department of Fish and Wildlife cut funding for raising and stocking kokanee salmon in California waters in 1989 called Project Kokanee that provided funding for the continued stocking of kokanee salmon fisheries. ²

Kokanee Power began as an attempt to build on Project Kokanee to improve the kokanee and chinook salmon fisheries to the east of the San Joaquin Valley. ²

In 2005, the group announced that it had signed a contract with the California Department of Fish and Wildlife for CDFW to provide the group with an annual $5,000 donation. ²

Activity

In 2019, Kokanee Power created an inland fishery survey dashboard with data provided by angler submissions with the support of the California Department of Fish and Wildlife and the California Inland Fisheries Foundation. ³

The group claims to have worked with over 1,200 volunteers since 1989 while raising over a half a million dollars toward local initiatives such as improving fish pens and kokanee egg collection. According to its website, the group has also partnered with “the Department of Fish and Wildlife and many organizations to create the foundation to restore and enhance fisheries at many lakes across California.” ⁴

A similar group, Kokanee Power of Oregon, was formed to conduct similar work promoting the kokanee salmon population in Oregon inland waters. ⁵

The organization raises funds ranging from $8,000 to $120,000 annually and employs no staff. Most of the organization’s expenses appear to be derive from annual fishing tournaments, which pay out cash prizes. ^{6 7}

Kokanee Power is listed as a partner organization of the Golden State Salmon Association (GSSA), an environmentalist organization that advocates against the creation of additional reservoirs in California. The GSSA also criticized the first Trump administration’s application of the Endangered Species Act as being a “salmon extinction plan” while advocating for the California State Water Board to stop supporting “[b]aseless voluntary agreements.” ^{8 9}

Leadership

Gary Coe is the founding executive director of Kokanee Power since 1998. Coe previously worked with the U.S. Forest Service as well as the Mt. Shasta Rotary Foundation. ⁴

1. “Our Partners.” Golden State Salmon Association. Accessed January 18, 2025. https://goldenstatesalmon.org/our-partners/
2. “About.” Kokanee Power. Accessed February 16, 2025. https://www.kokaneepower.org/about.php
3. “Inland Fishery Survey Results.” Kokanee Power. Accessed February 16, 2025. https://kokaneepower.org/survey/InlandFisherySurveyResults.html
4. “Gary Coe.” California Outdoors Hall of Fame. Accessed February 16, 2025. https://www.cohof.org/biographies/gary-coe
5. Urness, Zach. “‘A huge blow’: Green Peter Reservoir drawdown means popular kokanee fishing likely dead.” Salem Statesman Journal. October 8, 2024. Accessed February 16, 2025. https://www.statesmanjournal.com/story/news/local/oregon/2024/10/08/green-peter-reservoir-drawdown-kokanee-fishing/75557852007/
6. Return of an Organization Exempt from Income Tax. Central California Inland Fisheries Kokanee and Salmon Foundations 2023. https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/770486825/202412009349200031/full
7. “Central California Inland Fisheries Kokanee and Salmon Foundations.” ProPublica. Accessed February 16, 2025. https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/770486825
8. Russell, Lia. “Gov. Gavin Newsom touts controversial water projects as defense against climate change.” Sacramento Bee. December 10, 2024. Accessed January 18, 2025. https://archive.ph/zo3KK
9. Charter, David. “Is Donald Trump right to blame Gavin Newsom for the LA fires?” The Times. January 10, 2025. https://www.thetimes.com/world/us-world/article/is-donald-trump-right-to-blame-gavin-newsom-for-the-la-fires-lj3gp60v7