Chinook Salmon

Chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha) in the Cedar River Watershed are federally listed as threatened under the Endangered Species Act. Prior to 2003, Chinook were only present below the Landsburg Diversion Dam. Under the HCP, the City constructed fish passage facilities at Landsburg, and Chinook now migrate past the diversion dam into the municipal watershed. Chinook past the dam have been counted since 2003 and several research papers have been published on the recolonization.

Chinook salmon redds are surveyed annually as part of the HCP. This monitoring program is a collaboration between SPU, the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife and the Muckleshoot Indian Tribe. The annual surveys are designed to record Chinook salmon spawning activity in the Cedar River and to manage river flows for the benefit of incubating Chinook salmon embryos. In addition, adult salmon carcass tissue is sampled in order to understand age and proportion of hatchery strays that contribute to the population.

Contact Karl Burton for more information.