North Cascades

SALMONIDS
Symbols of the Northwest

NATURAL HISTORY

Imagine wild salmon leaping through the air up a cascading waterfall. This breathtaking sight symbolizes the essence of the Northwest.

The salmon's behavior of returning from the ocean to the tributary of its birth is referred to as anadromous (Greek for "running upward"). The unique qualities of the Skagit River provide precious habitat for all seven of the Pacific salmon species including steelhead and cutthroat trout. Each species has evolved with a different set of strategies for spawning and rearing that help reduce competition and ensure survival. Several species occur in the North Cascades National Park Service Complex.

Following a long journey from the ocean, the salmon return to "spawn," or reproduce, and die. The female digs a nest, a "redd," in the gravel with her tail and lays her eggs. After the male fertilizes the eggs, the female covers the eggs with gravel so they won't wash away with the flow of the river. The fragile eggs need cool, clean, oxygenated water to survive and start the life cycle over again.

FIVE SPECIES OF PACIFIC SALMON

• Chinook salmon , more commonly called "kings" in honor of their great size, typically mature at four years. While one race of Chinook on the Olympic Peninsula had fish that weighed up to 125 pounds, they more often weigh 12 to 40 pounds. Sometimes large Chinook are called "Tyee," which means "chief" in the Chinook Indian language.

• Coho also called "silvers" because of their silver-colored sides, are favored by many anglers. Less abundant than the sockeye, pink, and chum species, the Coho spends its first year in the birth tributary and the next 18 months in the ocean before returning to spawn.

• Chum salmon are often referred to as "dog" salmon because of its large teeth used by males to fight off rivals in its search for a mate. The Skagit River chum run serves as the major food source for bald eagles during the winter.

• Pink salmon nicknamed "humpies" for its pronounced humped back, are the smallest of the Pacific salmon and live only two years. In Washington, they run primarily in odd years, while in Alaska, they run heavily in even years.

• Sockeye salmon are occasionally referred to as "reds," because their bodies turn a brilliant red during spawning, while their heads remain an olive-green. Sockeye salmon are the only salmon species to spend part of its life cycle in inland lakes. Few rivers in Washington State accommodate the special lake-rearing needs of this salmon. However, two small runs of Sockeye go to Baker Lake and the Sauk River via the Skagit River. Kokanee are land-locked sockeye; they never see the ocean.

• Steelhead (sea-run) and resident rainbow trout, sea-run cutthroat and resident cutthroat trout now share the Oncorhynchus genus in the salmon family. They make their home in freshwater and have anadromous forms, spending much of their life out in the ocean. Trout can spawn up to four times before dying, unlike the above salmon species.

Evolution of Salmonid Species

All trout, salmon, and char (bull trout) are salmonids, yet their evolution has puzzled scientists for years. The Pacific ancestral salmon was a freshwater fish, according to current hypothesis, that spread across North America and Asia via river systems. As land and glacial processes changed through the Ice Ages, differences in salmon stock characteristics became more pronounced. As species adapted, less time was spent in freshwater habitats. Cutthroat and steelhead trout are considered the most primitive of the salmonids due to their greater dependence on freshwater. Coho and Chinook have long freshwater residence but vary in their patterns of migration and time in the ocean. More evolved species, such as chum, sockeye, and pink salmon, are more dependent on salt-water habitats.

STATUS OF PACIFIC SALMON

Pink and chum salmon runs are generally in stable condition. Puget Sound Chinook salmon were listed as a threatened species under the Endangered Species Act (ESA) in 1999. Sockeye are naturally less common in Washington State than the other species of Pacific salmon. The Baker River sockeye are the only native"lake-type" sockeye in the Puget Sound and are on the State's critical stock list.

The Skagit River is also home to two species of native char: Dolly Varden and bull trout. The Coastal Puget Sound bull trout, a distinct population segement of this species, was listed during 1999 as threatened under the Endangered Species Act.

The decline of salmon runs stems from a loss of spawning and rearing habitat due to logging, dams, agriculture, over harvesting, poaching, competition, and cross-breeding with genetically inferior hatchery fish.

Efforts to rehabilitate salmon habitat in forest and farming areas are currently being supported by many agencies and individuals. Stream restoration and buffer zone planting are activities that can help. This includes replanting streamsides with trees, stabilizing and revegetating eroding stream banks, and placing logs and stumps in streams to create better rearing habitat. Stream restoration improves the quality of spawning and rearing habitat by returning the stream to a more natural condition.

WHERE YOU CAN SEE SALMON

The best time to see salmon is between August and December. The Skagit River has large numbers of fall-running chum salmon and has gained wide recognition as an excellent place to observe feasting eagles. Salmon sightings are not guaranteed, but here are a few places to look:

• Marblemount fish hatchery: Cross the Skagit River at the bridge in Marblemount from State Route 20. Follow the signs to the fish hatchery, where salmon fry and smolts are raised. In the fall, adult salmon can be observed in the creek leading up to the hatchery.

• Cascade River bridge near Marblemount hatchery: In November chum and coho can be seen in the area below the bridge. Viewing from the bridge will not disturb the fish.

• Baker River Facility (Puget Sound Energy): Steelhead, coho, and sockeye can be seen swimming below you. The salmon are collected from this point, taxied above the Baker Lake dams and released back into the lakes. Turn north from State Route 20 on to Everett Street, east of Concrete. Follow north until East Main Street and turn left. A visitor center at the facility provides information about the dams and fish.

• During the fall, any place where a creek enters the Skagit above Rockport is a potential place to observe salmon. Goodell Creek Campground and the bridges around Newhalem are good locations. Look for carcasses of spawned-out salmon washed up on the stream banks.