According to a new study, areas of salmon conservation should be expanded to streams that don’t actually contain salmon, but whose waters run into salmon habitat. In other words, the entire watershed should be protected and not just the rivers where there are large salmon runs. This is because the various feeder streams have different characteristics which is necessary to keep options open for the salmon. For example, steeper, faster streams contribute colder water, and slower meandering streams contribute warmer water. Some salmon have adapted to reproduce better in one condition than another. A healthy mix of river inputs not only helps the salmon populations grow, but also helps their predators: gulls, bears, and other animals.