Salmon Fishing Season Begins in Oregon

The salmon fishing season is set to open Saturday morning on the Sandy River.

Anglers will have a choice of five different tackle rules, depending on the section of the river they are fishing.

The rules are: bait and jig, bait and bobber, lure or spinner, fly fishing only, or all methods allowed.

All of the attention on the Sandy River this weekend won't just be from anglers though. Beginning at 6 a.m. Saturday morning, Highway 26 will be closed for nine miles between Troutdale and Wemme due to ODOT crews installing a new guardrail. The closure is scheduled to last until 5 p.m. Sunday.

Wild Salmon Return to Spawn in Alaska

For the first time in more than a decade, wild salmon are returning to spawn in Alaska.

The salmon run began earlier this month in the Kenai River, located in the southern part of the state. The return of these fish is considered a good sign for the future of Alaska's salmon population.

Commercial fisheries catches wild salmon throughout the state every year. However, due to overfishing and habitat loss, wild salmon populations have been declining for many years.

In an effort to help restore these populations, various groups have been working to improve salmon habitat and restrict commercial fishing. The return of wild salmon to spawn in Alaska is evidence that these efforts are starting to pay off.

Spring Chinook Salmon Headed Upriver in Washington

Fishermen, biologists and volunteers are keeping a close eye on the salmon heading upriver to spawn.

Last year, the return of spring chinook salmon to the Columbia River was one of the worst in recent history. This year, however, things are looking much better with higher than expected numbers of fish already making their way upriver.

The run is still happening, so it's too early to say for sure how many fish will ultimately return, but officials are optimistic that things are on the upswing.

"We're encouraged by what we've been seeing so far," said Joe Hymer, a biologist with the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife. " There's still a lot of spawning to go, but we're hopeful this could be a good year for chinook."

Anglers have also been getting into some good catches of chinook as they make their way upriver. So far this season, anglers have caught nearly 58,000 chinook salmon in Washington state waters.

The spring chinook salmon run is an important event for both fishermen and biologists. The fish provide a vital source of sustenance for predators such as orcas and eagles, and they also play an important role in the overall health of the ecosystem.

Spawning season typically lasts from late May through early July.

California's Salmon Population is Rebuilding

In 2012, the California Fish and Game Commission listed Chinook salmon as "threatened" under the California Endangered Species Act. At the time, only 30% of California's salmon population was considered healthy. In response, state and federal agencies developed a recovery plan that focused on improving habitat conditions and restoring stream flows.

Now, six years later, the chinook salmon population is rebounding. According to data from the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW), the abundance of winter-run Chinook salmon has increased by 178% since 2012. And while this is good news, there is still more work to be done.

The main threats to California's salmon population are poor water quality, low stream flows, and habitat loss or degradation. To help address these threats, state and federal agencies have partnered with private landowners and conservation organizations to improve water quality and restore streamflows in key watersheds throughout the state.

One example of this partnership is the Battle Creek Watershed Restoration Initiative (BCWRI), which is a collaborative effort between CDFW, US Bureau of Reclamation (USBR), The Nature Conservancy (TNC), and other agencies and organizations. The BCWRI is working to improve water quality and restore streamflows in Battle Creek, a key tributary of the Sacramento River. As part of this effort, USBR is investing $10 million in water infrastructure upgrades that will help improve water availability for fish and improve water quality in Battle Creek.

This type of collaboration is essential for restoring California's salmon population. With continued partnership and dedication, we can ensure a healthy future for these iconic fish species.

Oregon's Hatchery-Raised Salmon Win Federal Approval

This week, the NOAA Fisheries Service announced that it has approved Oregon's plan to raise hatchery salmon in competition with wild salmon. The state will now be permitted to release up to five million hatchery-raised salmon into Oregon's waterways in order to bolster the population of the endangered fish.

Oregon officials have been working on this plan for years, and they believe that it offers the best chance at saving the wild salmon population. The state already operates a number of hatcheries, and it has been raising millions of salmon each year. But federal officials had been hesitant to approve releasing those fish into the wild, fearing that they would compete with and ultimately harm the naturally spawned salmon.

The new plan involves marking certain hatchery-raised fish with a dye that will make them identifiable as such. This will allow biologists to track their movements and determine how they interact with wild salmon. If it is found that the hatchery fish are harming the wild population, then steps can be taken to mitigate those effects.

Supporters of the plan say that it is a common-sense solution that offers the best chance at saving Oregon's wild salmon. They argue that the state's hatcheries have a proven track record of success, and that there is no other option available that can save the fish from extinction.