The California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) this week successfully released approximately 500,000 juvenile salmon into the Klamath River just below Iron Gate Dam.
On Tuesday, April 16, joined by leaders from the Karuk, Yurok, Shasta Indian Nation and Quartz Valley Indian tribes, CDFW released approximately 90,000 year-old coho salmon. This is the first major release of coho salmon, a state and federally listed endangered species, into the Klamath River since dam removal began in earnest last year.
The fish were trucked about 7 miles from CDFW’s new, state-of-the-art Fall Creek Fish Hatchery in Siskiyou County and released following remarks and a Tribal blessing.
“We are all here for the same reason. We are all here to pray for these fish to achieve and see justice for our people in the river,” said Kenneth Brink, Vice Chairman of the Karuk Tribe. “The times we live in today are different. Our children don’t have to see our river die. We are watching our river heal today. It’s a good time.”
“These young fish represent hope,” said Yurok Tribal Council Member Phillip Williams. “The Klamath has been mistreated for over a century, but now the river is healing and so are we. By removing the dam, restoring habitat and growing the hatchery, we are creating a brighter future for future generations.”
Jason Roberts, Inland Fisheries Program Manager for CDFW’s Northern Region, said, “These will be the first fish from the hatchery to return to a free-flowing Klamath River. They will help replenish the newly opened habitat above the dams and provide us with brood stocks for future years of coho releases.”
The following day, April 17, CDFW released more than 400,000 fall-run Chinook salmon fry from the same location below Iron Gate.
The coho and Chinook salmon released this week are expected to return to an undamaged Klamath River within two to four years after life in the Pacific Ocean with access to hundreds of miles of new spawning and rearing habitat as a result of the dam removal.
Roberts said river conditions are ideal for salmon releases this week with water temperatures at 51 degrees, high dissolved oxygen levels and low turbidity.
In the two weeks prior to the release, CDFW further tested river conditions by placing “sentinel” juvenile salmon in enclosures for 48 hours at various locations on the Klamath River. All 200 salmon in the sentinel study survived without showing ill effects from their time in the river.
In late spring, CDFW releases approximately 1.75 million fall-run Chinook salmon smolts into the river. CDFW varies the ages of the fish and comes up with strategies to improve survival. All future salmon runs will occur downstream of Iron Gate until dam removal is complete. The Iron Gate Dam is scheduled to be removed later this year.
