Sushihunter
Active Member
SALMON: Sockeye returing to Columbia River
By The Idaho Statesman
Idaho’s most endangered fish, the sockeye salmon, are returning to the Columbia River in surprisingly strong numbers, which could mean the highest return to Idaho in more than 30 years.
The Columbia River sockeye run has already doubled predictions and is on track to be the highest return since the 1950s. Some of those fish will return to Idaho, but how many remains to be seen.
Officials expected a larger-than-average sockeye run, but could not explain the surprise abundance.
“It’s a mystery. This is nothing like what was predicted,” said Brian Gorman, spokesman for federal NOAA Fisheries.
The sockeye count at Bonneville Dam was 157,486 fish through Wednesday, which is already double the preseason projection of 75,600 and on a record pace.
“It’s never been over 100,000 this early in the year,” said Joe Hymer, a Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife biologist.
Last year’s entire run was 26,700 sockeye at Bonneville Dam. The largest recorded dam count of Columbia River sockeye is 235,215 fish in 1953, which is also the only year it topped 200,000 fish.
But modern counts do not reflect the abundance of salmon prior to dams being built on the Columbia and Snake rivers.
The preseason prediction by state and federal biologists was 700 sockeye returning to the Snake River, and that number has not been updated to reflect the larger run.
The bulk of the Columbia River sockeye run returns to Okanogan and Wenatchee lakes in Washington. The original forecast was for 13,700 sockeye destined for the Wenatchee and 61,200 for the Okanogan.
Biologists don’t know if the Snake River component of the run will also be larger than expected.
“We honestly have no idea what’s headed our way until they start crossing the Snake River Dams,” said Mike Peterson, senior research biologist for Idaho Department of Fish and Game’s sockeye program."
Jim's Fishing Charters
www.JimsFishing.com
http://ca.youtube.com/user/Sushihunter250
By The Idaho Statesman
Idaho’s most endangered fish, the sockeye salmon, are returning to the Columbia River in surprisingly strong numbers, which could mean the highest return to Idaho in more than 30 years.
The Columbia River sockeye run has already doubled predictions and is on track to be the highest return since the 1950s. Some of those fish will return to Idaho, but how many remains to be seen.
Officials expected a larger-than-average sockeye run, but could not explain the surprise abundance.
“It’s a mystery. This is nothing like what was predicted,” said Brian Gorman, spokesman for federal NOAA Fisheries.
The sockeye count at Bonneville Dam was 157,486 fish through Wednesday, which is already double the preseason projection of 75,600 and on a record pace.
“It’s never been over 100,000 this early in the year,” said Joe Hymer, a Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife biologist.
Last year’s entire run was 26,700 sockeye at Bonneville Dam. The largest recorded dam count of Columbia River sockeye is 235,215 fish in 1953, which is also the only year it topped 200,000 fish.
But modern counts do not reflect the abundance of salmon prior to dams being built on the Columbia and Snake rivers.
The preseason prediction by state and federal biologists was 700 sockeye returning to the Snake River, and that number has not been updated to reflect the larger run.
The bulk of the Columbia River sockeye run returns to Okanogan and Wenatchee lakes in Washington. The original forecast was for 13,700 sockeye destined for the Wenatchee and 61,200 for the Okanogan.
Biologists don’t know if the Snake River component of the run will also be larger than expected.
“We honestly have no idea what’s headed our way until they start crossing the Snake River Dams,” said Mike Peterson, senior research biologist for Idaho Department of Fish and Game’s sockeye program."
Jim's Fishing Charters
www.JimsFishing.com
http://ca.youtube.com/user/Sushihunter250
