- Author: Mariska Obedzinski
With the early rains, UC biologists began detecting adult coho in the Russian in October this year, with an estimated count of 326 passing through the mainstem of the river at Duncans Mills as of December 1 (see Tables 1&2 below for information on release groups). Though it's still early in the season, this year's estimate is already much higher than last year's total of 192 returning adult coho.
Despite the fact that the tributaries became connected to the mainstem in late October, we have only started seeing adults spawn in the tributaries during the last couple of weeks. UC and the Water Agency have now completed three rounds of redd surveys on Coastal Monitoring Program reaches in 26 Russian River tributaries and the majority of the spawning activity was observed last week in the Dry Creek watershed (see map below).
And there is some exciting news on Mill Creek! As a result of a passage barrier remediation project implemented by Trout Unlimited, Prunuske Chatham, Inc, National Ocianic & Atmospheric Administration, California Department of Fish & Wildlife, and Sonoma County Water Agency this past summer, adult coho are now able to access 11 miles of prime spawning and rearing habitat upstream of a former flashboard dam. Learn about the Mill Creek project.
Video links:
Mill Creek Coho Spawning:
Chinook Salmon in Pena Creek:
To learn more, visit Monitoring Salmon and Steelhead in the Russian River.