[env-trinity] Crescent City Triplicate August 1 2009

[Byron Leydecker]

Klamath's fall run of chinook promising 

Crescent City Triplicate-8/1/09

By Kurt Madar 

 

This fall's Klamath River run of chinook salmon is projected to be slightly
better than in recent years, experts say. 

 

Their views reinforce a report released by the Klamath River Technical
Advisory Team in the spring that estimated the number of 2-year-old
Klamath-spawned chinook in the ocean at about 500,000. 

 

California Department of Fish and Game fisheries biologist Sara Borok said
that while not all of these fish would be returning as 3-year-olds, the run
would be slightly higher than average. 

 

"We are predicting 131,000 to 139,000 3-year-olds in the Klamath," Borok
said. "If you consider that the average for the last 29 years was 121,000,
this is a slightly higher run than normal." 

 

Borok said despite early optimism, last year's run ended up being smaller
than average, with less than 100,000 fish. 

 

"We've had a couple of good years of ocean conditions for salmon," Borok
said to explain why the numbers are looking better. 

 

Fish and game senior biologist Larry Hanson cautiously predicted last spring
that the area might be looking at the start of an upswing in salmon
populations. 

 

Based on the current projections, Hanson is still optimistic nearly five
months later. 

 

"For the first time in two years we are going to have a recreational ocean
salmon fishing season," Hanson said. 

 

The limited ocean fishing season runs from Aug. 29 to Sept. 7. 

 

Commercial salmon fishing on the ocean will be closed for another season. 

 

Added to the recreational fishing in the ocean is a large allocation for
in-river sport fishing. Allocation is the number of adult salmon allowed to
be harvested; in the case of sport fishing fishermen are allowed to take
three year old fish. 

 

"We have a record level allocation for this season on the Klamath," Hanson
said. "The in-river sport fishery has been allocated 30,800 fish and the
tribes have been allocated 30,900."

 

 

Byron Leydecker, JcT, Chair

Friends of Trinity River

PO Box 2327

Mill Valley, CA 94942-2327

415 383 4810 

415 519 4810 cell

bwl3 at comcast.net

bleydecker at stanfordalumni.org

www.fotr.org 

 

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