Moderate rains kept the river flows high enough that spawners could reach their crucial headwaters spawning beds, yet flows were never so high as to threaten to wash out or bury the salmon eggs. Capturing of downstream migrating chinook fry confirmed the successful spawning. Further, the mouth of the Mattole river, which often traps and dooms large numbers of chinook fry when it closes during the down migration, stayed open until June 17. This allowed the vast majority of migrating young salmon to enter the ocean, offering hope for abundant returns in four years. Coho salmon fry, which spend their first year in cool headwaters streams, have also been seen in large numbers, indicating that they too spawned successfully.
As in 2001, MSG rescued approximately 2400 chinook fry, which were at risk of being trapped when the river mouth closed. These fish are being reared at our Petrolia headquarters, and will be released when fall rains reopen the mouth of the river.
For the second year, MSG has been working with local residents, training them in techniques for collecting baseline data on instream sediment levels. Residents will be able to use these techniques in monitoring the success of habitat restoration projects and in determining where further sediment control projects are needed.
On May 30, thanks to Bureau of Land Management Fisheries Biologist Dave Fuller, Mattole Salmon Group surveyors received training in snorkel survey techniques and field identification of juvenile salmonids. This training, given each year, and open to local residents, sharpens the skills of MSG divers who track salmonid population trends in the Mattole.
And, at long last, MSG will have a new workshop and expanded office. Thanks to the encouragement and assistance of the Trees Foundation, MSG obtained a grant to build a new shop onto its headquarters office building. This addition will allow us to do repairs and fabrication as well as give us badly needed equipment storage, allowing us to expand our office into space currently being used for storage.
More Updates
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December, 2003 Update
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March, 2003 Update
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November, 2002 Update
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May, 2001 Update
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January, 2001 Update
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