New Salmon Successes

By Susan Maxwell Skinner

SACRAMENTO REGION, CA (MPG) – Within weeks of a $3.6 million Water Forum project completion in October, giant chinook were spawning in new gravel beds beside Ancil Hoffman Park.

At the peak of the fall American River salmon run, biologists commissioned by the Forum counted more than 100 new redds (nests) in river reaches that have been less than hospitable for spawning for decades. Salmon were digging nurseries when this reporter joined the survey of six augmented acres at Upper River Bend. After salmon, steelhead will use the same breeding habitat. Another species benefitted by the project is Pacific Lamprey, that breed in the same habitat.

“Monitoring is important” explains Kirsten Sellheim, senior scientist for Cramer Fish Sciences. “We bring what we learn into the next project design. In spring, we’ll do more monitoring here to learn how juvenile fish are using side channels that were part of this project.

“River bend is further downstream from most of the Water Forum’s past projects. Close to Nimbus Dam, spawning areas get crowded; this can reduce embryo survival. With the River Bend project, we’re trying to spread out spawning opportunities. It’s likely that greater reproduction success could occur in less crowded areas.”

Continue reading the full article and check out the photos here.