Alsea River in the news....

[Dragfreedrift]

Alsea River seeing high fish counts

Coho, chinook returns give splash of cheer

By KYLE ODEGARD
Gazette-Times reporter

ALSEA — Got fish? The Alsea River certainly does this year, especially salmon.

Adult wild coho numbers are at their greatest since 1990 in the Alsea, and adult chinook spawners are at the highest ever recorded. Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife began collecting data on chinook in 1952.

While chinook have seen a gradual climb over the last 25 years, coho saw a sharp increase over the last three years, said Bob Buckman, ODFW fish biologist.

The salmon rebound has been attributed to improved habitat, reduced ocean harvest and favorable environmental conditions.

"They have come back very strong in the last couple of years," Buckman said.

The Alsea "has healthy salmon runs, and in general, is an intact coastal river system, capable of producing big runs of wild salmon, as it has done historically," Buckman said.

While the steelhead run is average so far, it's expected to be better than usual throughout February and March because of a wild brood stock. Those fish typically return later, and they're coming back up the Alsea for the first time.

There were about 8,700 wild coho that returned in the Alsea this season, an increase from 6,300 last year, and 2,500 in 2000.

Back in the mid-1990s, there were less than 1,000 wild coho in the Alsea.

"We're real happy. I think we would expect another good run next year," Buckman said.

The coho rebound on the Alsea is indicative of the situation throughout the Oregon coast. This year, there were about 240,000 total Oregon coastal coho, nearly four times as many as just three years ago.

For chinook this year on the Alsea, there were slightly more than 200 fish per mile in the survey area. In 1981, it was less than 50. Chinook, like coho, have been doing better up and down the Oregon Coast, but the Alsea chinook numbers are especially good.

Buckman guessed there could be anywhere from 10,000 to 15,000 chinook spawners on the Alsea this year.

Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife also is in the process of collecting wild steelhead to improve the hatchery brood stock. Anglers interested in helping can get a special permit and equipment to capture and keep alive steelhead for the agency.

"I believe we need about 70 to 80" wild steelhead, Buckman said.

Those interested should call the Alsea Hatchery at 487-7240.

So far, about 2,000 adult wild steelhead have returned to Alsea Hatchery. About 1,000 have been moved downstream.

While chinook and coho are off-limits to anglers in the upper Alsea, fin-clipped steelhead can be caught.

Kyle Odegard covers Philomath and rural Benton County. He can be contacted at kyle.odegard@lee.net or 758-9523.

[Fish_N_Russ]

Grrrreat, now there will be 10 people fishing in my spot instead of just 5 :shocked:

With the high coho returns, wonder when we can see some retention in effect :whazzup:

[ 02-13-2004, 02:27 PM: Message edited by: Fish_N_Russ ]

[stick flicker]

A few years ago I was woried that the Alsea was going downhill , and now look at the improved run size's. Just shows how fish the respond to good ocean conditions, and enhancement effort by ODFW. Hopefully this is the beginnig of a ocean regime shift, and good times for the fish. In these good years we need to focus on rebuilding native stock's, which might require producing less hatchery fish that compete for the same resources. I think of it as a new window of oppurtunity. It would likely increase genetic varibilty at the population level, furthering the chance that next time ocean regime shift's the runs will make it through. What type of ecosystem do we want to promote, and why should we think about this question? Just something to think about.