Hundreds of fall-run Chinook salmon are now spawning on the Klamath River and its tributaries both above and below the former sites of the four PacifiCorp dams now that the dam removal has been completed.
Craig Tucker, Natural Resources Consultant for the Karuk Tribe, made a trip to Spencer Creek in Oregon 3 days ago. He reported that he counted over 100 Chinook in Spencer Creek and around the mouth of the creek. “Salmon are coming back to the Upper Klamath Basin!” he said.
The Yurok Tribe reported that “hundreds of salmon” are now spawning in the river and tributaries above the former Iron Gate Dam — and emphasized the key role that salmon provide in the Klamath’s ecosystem:
“Within eyesight of the fish, the Yurok Revegetation Crew is hand sowing millions of native plant seeds along the previously inaccessible upper mainstem Klamath and four tributaries. Hundreds of salmon are spawning in this area for the first time in 60 and 112 years.
“Like all Pacific salmon, these Chinooks will perish after they reproduce and their bodies will provide nutrients for the newly planted vegetation as well as saplings and shrubs established earlier this year. The restoration of the flow of marine nutrients from the ocean to upper basin is one of the many benefits of dam removal.
“In addition to fertilizing plants, salmons’ corporeal remains will provide food for other fish, birds and mammals, including resident trout, bald eagles and black bears. Salmon is one of the most nutritionally dense food sources for native wildlife in the region.
“Spawned out salmon also play a particularly significant role in the restoration of aquatic macroinvertebrate populations in streams and rivers. These mostly water-dwelling insects, such as (non-biting) midges, are a primary food source for baby salmon. Salmon carcasses can increase macroinvertebrate abundance and juvenile salmon biomass.
“Much more work is needed to get to a point where the reservoir reach is producing large numbers of juvenile salmon. It has only been five weeks since the conclusion of deconstruction component of the dam removal project.
“Coinciding with natural seed dispersal, the fall seeding project represents the second phase of a years-long effort to restore 38 miles or river and 2,200 acres of terrestrial habitat between the former dams. The first stage was implemented over a six-week period between February and March of 2024. The Yurok Revegetation Crew, under contract with RES, manually planted 8.7 tons of native plant seed, 76,000 trees and shrubs and 2,500 narrowleaf milkweed (Asclepias fascicularis) starts. In total, the inaugural planting included more than 50 different plant species.
“By spring, much of the former reservoirs were covered in a green, yellow and orange blanket of native grasses and wildflowers, which quickly drew the attention of birds, bees and butterflies.
“The Yurok Fisheries Department’s Senior Riparian Ecologist, Joshua Chenoweth, created unique seed mixes for specific microhabitats extending from the uplands to the river’s edge. Each blend contains 10 to 20 plant species that serve a wide variety of functions, such as nitrogen fixation and soil stabilization.
“The mixtures were also designed to produce an abundance of flowers and seeds for the longest time possible for native insects and birds. Numerous blooms were visible from March to October.
“Next year, the revegetation crew will incorporate another 50 plants species into the project. The Yurok Fisheries Department collected the original seed stock from around the dams. Local nurseries cultivated the initial 1 million seeds into 17 billion seeds.
“The Yurok Fisheries Department is involved in multiple aspects of post-dam removal restoration and monitoring of the newly freed part of the Klamath. On a regular basis, Fisheries staff are surveying macroinvertebrates in the reclaimed river channel. The team has already observed stoneflies, mayflies and midge larvae on the river bottom in the Iron Gate Reservoir footprint.
“The presence of these insects is an indicator of improved water quality. The department and several partners are participating in a California Trout-led effort to monitor fish migrations. Yurok Fisheries and other tribal agencies are developing plans to implement an $18 million restoration project on tributaries above the reservoir boundaries.”
The California Department of Fish and Wildlife has documented a combined total of 5,660 adult Chinook Salmon and 10 adult Coho Salmon returning to the Shasta River, Bogus Creek, Scott River, Jenny Creek and Shovel Creek, all Klamath tributaries, in their Klamath Project Adult Fish Counting Facility In-season Update on November 8.
The Shasta River station reported 4,625 adult Chinook Salmon and 0 adult Coho Salmon through November 3, 2024.
The Bogus Creek station reported 293 adult Chinook Salmon and 0 adult Coho Salmon through October 30, 2024.
The Scott River station reported 413 adult Chinook Salmon and 10 adult Coho Salmon through November 5, 2024.
Jenny Creek Weir reported 245 Chinook Salmon, 0 Coho Salmon as of October 30, 2024.
Shovel Creek Weir reported 84 Chinook Salmon and 0 Coho Salmon as of October 29, 2024.
