California Salmon are disappearing. The number of King Salmon (aka the Chinook) returning to the Sacramento watershed was at a near record low low and an 88% drop from the population 5 years ago. Calif. salmon population declines.
Related PostsRegulators are still trying to understand the reasons for the shrinking number of spawners; some scientists believe it could be related to changes in the ocean linked to global warming.
Some fishermen and environmentalists believe the sharp decline is related to increased water exports from the San Joaquin-Sacramento River Delta, which supplies drinking water to millions of people in dry Southern California, as well as irrigation for America's most fertile farming region.
"It's time to reduce pumping of delta waters before we destroy the fish and wildlife species we appreciate so much in California," said Mike Sherwood, an attorney for Earthjustice.
Only about 90,000 returning adult salmon were counted in the Central Valley in 2007, the second lowest number on record, the memo said. The population was at 277,000 in 2006 and 804,000 five years ago.
...
"The magnitude of the low abundance ... is such that the opening of all marine and freshwater fisheries impacting this important salmon stock will be questioned," he said.
It's only the second time in 35 years that the Central Valley has not met the agency's conservation goal of 122,000 to 180,000 returning fish, according to the council, which regulates Pacific Coast fisheries.
More worrisome is that only about 2,000 2-year-old juvenile chinooks — used to predict returns of adult spawners in the coming season — returned to the Central Valley last year, by far the lowest number ever counted. On average, about 40,000 juveniles, or "jacks," return each year.
Salmon that spawn in Central Valley rivers form the backbone of the West Coast's commercial and recreational salmon fishery and are caught by fishermen from Southern California to British Columbia.
"Sacramento fish are really what the fishery depends on," said Chuck Tracy, the council's salmon management officer.
Not long ago, salmon restoration efforts in the Sacramento watershed were being touted as a wildlife management success story. But recent years have seen populations dwindle in many Western rivers, and scientists are trying to understand why.
- Lake Whiskeytown, Redding, California Lake Whiskeytown is located in Shasta Trinity National Forest in Redding, California Phone - (530) 246 1225 (Visitor Center), (530) 242 3400 (Park Headquarters), (530) 246 5154 (Fax) Is boating allowed? Boating is absolutely allowed at Lake Whiskeytown. Boating is just one of numerous popular activities that have been made......
- West Coast Fisheries Set to Experience Major Changes In a movie to save depleted fish stock, managers are voting to implement a quota system for specific bottom dwelling marine species. After years worth of rules that could only be described as lax, and practices which have wastefully led to a complete economic disaster, the managers of fisheries are......
- How to Catch a Largemouth Bass Out of any fish you could ever come across, the largemouth bass will take a good deal of skill and strength to land. This is fun fishing, especially if you are looking for a great competition. If you’re looking for some great tips on how to increase your chances for......
- Steelhead, Russian River, CA, Trophy Catch V1C2 This post is from SFBoater Trophy Catch Jackpot I. Got a trophy catch? Get paid for your fish stories. Russian Steel by Shanan Rosenberg 6:30am, 42 degrees, Swinging a pink-crystal bugger through frog water somewhere near Healdsburg on the Russian River. This 14lbs Buck may look less it's weight in the......
- Starkweather Lake, Central Sierra Nevada, Madera County, California Starkweather Lake is located in: Mammoth Mountain in Madera County, California Phone: (760) 924-5500 Is boating allowed? Boating is definitely allowed when visiting Starkweather Lake, however many guides will advise against boating because there is plenty of fishing that can be enjoyed without. Is there a boat ramp? There is......
- Salmon Run Golf Course, Brookings, OR Salmon Run Golf Course is Located in Brookings, OR Phone: (541) 469-4888 Website: http://www.salmonrun.net/ Course History: This is a truly stunning course where the designers really kept the natural beauty and terrain, making it work for the course instead of plowing everything under. This is one of the most......
