[env-trinity] Strong run of spring chinook in the Trinity River

[Tom Stokely]

http://www.trinityjournal.com/sports/outdoors/article_9d346caa-69ff-11ed-84a5-87b6fbc3ee0c.html#tncms-source=login
Strong run of spring chinook in the Trinity River

   - Nov 22, 2022
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[image: Chinook salmon]

Chinook salmon.
Thomas Dunklin | Special to The Trinity Journal

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This year, the spring chinook run on the Trinity River appears higher than
it has been in years! Returning chinook at the Junction City weir was the
highest since 1978, and spring chinook redd counts in the mainstem Trinity
River were the highest observed in a decade. Redds are the rocky nests that
salmon make in the riverbed to lay their eggs, and are also one of the main
ways scientists monitor salmon populations in the Trinity River. The redd
surveys are a collaborative annual effort conducted by the U.S. Fish and
Wildlife Service, California Department of Fish and Wildlife, Yurok Tribe,
Hoopa Valley Tribe and Shasta-Trinity National Forest with additional
funding from TRRP. Summer snorkel surveys on tributaries to the Trinity
River also showed higher spring chinook numbers than in recent years. A
total of 129 stream miles were surveyed throughout the month of July, with
171 spring chinook recorded. The snorkel surveys aim to count all spring
chinook and summer steelhead in the main tributaries to the Trinity River,
and are considered an index of the population abundance. The 2022 dives
were coordinated by the TCRCD and Watershed Research & Training Center with
funding from USFS.

There are many possible explanations for the strength of this year’s run,
but ocean conditions are undoubtedly a factor. “The Northwest Pacific warm
water blob persisted for years,” says Kyle DeJuilio, fisheries biologist
for the Yurok Tribe. “Ocean conditions turned around in late 2019 or early
2020, lasting through the present. This year’s strong return of three and
four-year old adults likely advantaged from improved ocean conditions since
that time.”

Spring chinook are born in freshwater streams and migrate to the ocean as
juveniles where they mature into adult fish. Spring chinook typically spend
1-3 years in the ocean before migrating back to the streams. This time in
the ocean is a critical part of the salmon life cycle. Salmon have a much
higher chance of survival if ocean conditions are good and the National
Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration reported that ocean conditions in
2021 were the second best in the last 24 years.

Strong oceanic upwelling, paired with cold water and a high abundance of
northern copepods defined a highly productive year in the Pacific Ocean off
the Northern California coast. Copepods are small energy-rich organisms at
the base of the food web that support species all the way up to the top.

These improved conditions could help explain the higher salmon survival
rates in the ocean, and the higher returns to the river, though there are
many other factors that can contribute to a successful salmon return.

Fishery managers are excited to see evidence of strong returns this year
but temper their enthusiasm about the big picture. Kyle DeJuilio notes,
“The six-year period from 2015-2020 had five of the lowest observed
run-sizes ever recorded. Reversal of that trend is welcome, but abundance
remains low and is still a cause of concern.”

Klamath-Trinity River spring chinook were newly listed as a threatened
species by the state of California in June 2021. This listing allows
agencies to acquire more funding for restoration, and restricts actions
that would threaten the species. Klamath-Trinity River spring chinook have
yet to be listed by the federal government under the Endangered Species Act.

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