Seaside, Astoria, Tillamook, The Wilson, The Trask, The Nestucca, The Nehalem, The Necanicum,
Big Creek, Youngs Bay.........
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All is not gloom and doom in the area of salmonid recovery.
The North Fork Nehalem river is an example of progress, which is in contrast to the opinions and doom and gloom generated so much by the press. Twenty years ago Salmon and Steelhead runs on the North Fork Nehalem were stopped by an electric weir at the hatchery. Wild fish passage for both up and down stream migrants were minimal. Naturally reproduced runs were virtually decimated. Much has changed since then. No longer is the weir used to divert hatchery fish into the hatchery. Wild fish migrate freely. With voluntary improvements in Forest practices by McCraken Logging, Boise Cascade and Longview Fiber, upstream habitat on the North.Fork has produced results. |
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In the past two years a measuring device called the "Screw trap", operated by volunteers under the supervision of The Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife, has measured what appears healthy recovery of naturally spawned runs of salmonid on the upper North Fork. This device located at a falls upstream from the ODFW hatchery, has proven that healthy numbers of naturally produced salmonids are indeed migrating downstream in healthy numbers. |
| The smolts are drawn into a cone like net which empties them into a trap where they are counted and examined
for species and fin clips before release back into the river. By statistical means, the percentage of fish entering the screwtrap to the total downstream migrants is calculated, as a screw trap may only capture a small percentage of the total downstream migration. Thus, an appropriate multiplier must be scientifically established. |
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This year we counted 1.25 million Chinook fry, 40,000 coho smolts, and 20,000 steelhead smolts. The ODFW surveyors have noted positive increases in the upstream tributaries. Redd and adult salmon and steelhead counts are made weekly in this ongoing study. |
| The North Fork Hatchery is rearing two separate strains of winter steelhead rather than a single generic hatchery fish. Although Coho plants have been drastically reduced under federal mandate the past few years, good management in ocean recovery are seemingly showing some positive results. Coho Jack salmon returns in 1998 were up over the previous low year as are wild and hatchery coho returns. |
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There is optimism towards predictions of returns. Even though it appears that the wild Chinook population on the North Fork Nehalem is seemingly increasing at a healthy rate the past few years, sport anglers have been urged to release Chinook hens to further escalate the recovery of this wild run. There is no hatchery contribution to the Fall Chinook runs on the Nehalem system. |
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Serious problems, however,
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It is known, but not fully quantified that seriously high percentages of downstream migrating salmon and steelhead smolts are falling prey to avian predation. Notable increases in populations of cormorants and Caspian terns are being observed preying on downstream migrants in the Nehalem estuary as well as estuaries all up and down the Pacific Coast. It is suspected that avian predation may indeed be one of the major factors relating to apparent salmon declines throughout the area. |
| Recent studies on the Columbia river estuary by O.S.U. biologists, are showing that this problem is indeed serious. This year the biologists are conducting similar studies on Nehalem Bay. These studies are utilizing tracking of radio tags in downstream migrants by radio telemetry. Incomplete data collected to date suggests the avian predation problem on the Nehalem estuary may indeed be serious. A Federal study conducted in 1988 indicated serious predation problems with cormorant carcasses. Seven To seventeen ingested smolts were found in the subjects examined. Oregon may be somewhat behind in control of the blossoming population of these birds as compared to other states across the nation and Canada which have taken some action to control these populations of predators. |
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The Corps of Engineers has taken some action to alleviate the Caspian tern problem on the Columbia estuary this year. When studies are more definitive we hope local agencies will move forward with positive action to control populations of avian predators. |
| Indications of the radio tagged smolt by the O.S.U. scientists have shown that the seals are vast becoming another key factor in predation problems that smolts face on their migration trail. Several of the radio tagged smolts are showing up in the growing seal herd that now populates the Nehalem river |
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Thank you, Jim Erickson and Bill Hedlund!