California to transport 17m salmon to the sea by truck as drought bites

Low water levels and high temperatures mean juvenile Chinook salmon are being given a helping hand to reach the ocean

Baby Chinook salmon from California's Central Valley typically have a long swim downriver to the ocean to survive into the next stage of life. This year, they are getting a helping hand in the form of a fleet of tanker trucks set to carry almost 17 million of the fish to the sea.

It's all part of a flurry of steps across western US states to keep tens of millions of endangered salmon from suffering in a year of historic drought for the region.