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Volunteer Training: Spawner Surveys
Seeking Spawner Survey Volunteers!
Training – August 28th, 10am-12pm
Wow! Summer has nearly flown by, and the Salmon Coalition is preparing for its annual Summer Chum spawner surveys on lower Chimacum Creek. Endangered Species Act (ESA) listed Hood Canal Summer Chum salmon were lost from the Chimacum Creek watershed in the late 1980’s after the failure of the Irondale Road culvert released several tons of fine sediment, smothering salmon spawning grounds and wiping out the already-dwindling population from the Creek.
A grassroots reintroduction effort spearheaded by Wild Olympic Salmon and concerned community members using eggs from nearby Salmon Creek was undertaken beginning in the mid-1990’s. Reintroduction was a resounding success, and summer chum salmon in Chimacum Creek have been self-sustaining since 2003.
The Salmon Coalition has been monitoring the population in Chimacum Creek since reintroduction and we’re looking for volunteers to conduct surveys and collect data on these resilient fish. Surveys entail walking a section of the creek, tallying both live and dead fish, and collecting scale samples from deceased fish. Collected data helps the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) assess the health of the Chimacum Creek subpopulation and is also used to inform future management decisions.
This year’s mandatory training will be held on Thursday, August 28th from 10am to 12pm at Finnriver Farm and Cidery in Chimacum. Early forecasts indicate that this is shaping up to be a banner year for the summer chum return and this tends to be one of our most popular volunteer activities, so register soon by clicking the link below. We hope to see you at the training!
Photo courtesy of Charles Espey.