Russian River Salmonids Sean White MCRRFC&WCID

Salmonid 101 Taxonomy Life cycle Ecology Run timing Distribution Population status Recovery Efforts Questions

Taxonomy Salmonidae – “Salmonids” – Salmon – Trout – Char – Graylings Soft rays Soft scales Adipose fin – “Marked” Anadromous

Russian River Species Chinook Salmon (FT) – King Salmon Coho Salmon (FE, SE) – Silver Salmon Steelhead (FT) – Rainbow Trout

Lifecycle and Ecology Exceptions – Chinook smolt immediately – Coho adults age 3 – Jacks – Carcasses – Steelhead may not die Anadromous – Sturgeon, striped bass lampreys Catadromous – Mitten crab

Run Timing Home for the Holidays! Chinook: Halloween to Thanksgiving Coho:Thanksgiving to New Years Steelhead:New Years to Easter

Distribution Chinook – Mainstem, West Fork, Dry Creek Coho – Tributaries in the lower river including Willow, Freeze Out, Austin, Dutch Bill, Green Valley and Dry Creek and its Tributaries Steelhead – Everywhere!!!

Population Status Chinook – Adults 1500 to 6000 – Part of Coastal Chinook ESU Coho – Unknown but LOW – Isolated tributary estimates – Part of CCC ESU Steelhead – Unknown but common – Part of CCC DPS

Recovery Efforts Chinook (1999) – No Recovery Plan – No supplementation Coho (1996) – State Recovery Plan – Draft Federal Recovery Plan – Captive Broodstock Program Steelhead (1997) – No Recovery Plan – Hatchery included in DPS

Questions?