2018-2019 Coho and Steelhead Return Looking Strong

Fishery Biologist Michael Reichmuth marking the location of a redd so that it won't be double-counted.

NPS / Maritte O'gallagher

February 2019 - During the winter months, coho and steelhead return from the ocean to their natal stream to spawn. Park biologists, partners, and volunteers survey these “spawners” to assess their success. In particular, they count live adults, carcasses, and redds (spawning nests that these fish build in the gravel of streams) in park streams.

Survey teams were able to complete some surveys during the shutdown with support from the California Department of Fish and Wildlife and Point Reyes National Seashore Association. Then, when the shutdown ended in late January, park staff quickly mobilized to return to the field. These efforts helped provide a less muddled picture of the coho spawning season. Teams conducted surveys in Redwood Creek, Olema Creek, Cheda Creek, and Pine Gulch Creek. Counts for both coho and steelhead were strong in Redwood and Olema Creeks. In fact, the fisheries crew counted 45 live adult steelhead in Redwood Creek, the highest number of adult steelhead ever recorded there.

This year was also the last year of the Redwood Creek Captive Rearing Project, a multi-organizational collaborative effort to "jumpstart" our local coho population from the brink of extinction. For the fourth consecutive winter, the California Department of Fish and Wildlife led a release of adult coho salmon into Redwood Creek. On December 18th, they released 166 captive-reared fish at five locations within lower Redwood Creek. The released coho were marked with small colored tags to help distinguish them from wild fish during spawner surveys. Sure enough, survey teams identified the majority of the 93 live adult coho they counted on Redwood Creek as hatchery-raised coho.

One caveat on the eventual success rate of this spawning season may be the late winter storms. High flows in the creeks can scour redds, reducing the survival of eggs. Snorkel surveys this summer of juvenile coho and steelhead will help reveal how detrimental these storms have actually been. Contact Michael Reichmuth to learn more.

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