ambushed by chum
This morning Suzan suggested a walk in Carkeek for exercise. It wasn’t raining (it was actually nice out, I could see the snow-topped Olympics on my morning walk from Lighthouse) so we pointed the Civic north on 3rd Ave NW and arrived in a few minutes. Walking down the trail to the park I enjoyed the sound of our footfalls on the wooden steps and bridge. Approaching Piper’s Creek I stopped to look in the water for signs of wildlife. Nothing…but walking a few yards further there were…people. With dogs.
And by the side of the creek several people staring into the water. Yes, salmon were spawning in the creek this morning. We saw 10 - 12 live ones and several that had already died. (The crows noticed the dead fish too.) A few had tails which had turned bright silver.
Volunteer salmonwatchers were keeping count; their sign said 67 fish had been seen today alone. They were happy to discuss details. We learned that out of a typical 3000 eggs fertilized in the creek, about 300 would hatch; 100 of those fingerlings would grow into young fish; 20 of those fish would make it to the pacific ocean; and 2 of those fish would survive for 3 - 5 years to return to the creek where they were born in order to spawn, and then die.
Most of the salmon are chum, originating from hatchery fish community volunteers brought to the creek. Wild salmon had been extinct in Piper’s Creek for 50 years until the hatchery fish began returning to spawn in 1987. Volunteers initially introduced coho, but they weren’t very good jumpers; chum jump higher and were more successful. ‘Tis wonderous to behold and think on, this ancient fishy saga in the hood reborn.