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The Significance of Hatchery Steelhead in the San Lorenzo River
As the 2009-2010 steelhead season progressed on the San Lorenzo River, anecdotal reports came in from fishermen indicating that most of the fish being caught were of hatchery origin, and that there were very few wild fish in the river. Subsequently, when a fish trap was put in place on the fish ladder at the Felton Dam, we found a ratio of better than 10 hatchery fish [from wild parents] to each in-stream produced wild fish. In other words, this year there were more than ten times as many adult spawners in the San Lorenzo River than there would have been without hatchery fish.
Although not a proven fact, it appears that very low summer flows over the past several years have severely limited the in-stream rearing habitat for wild juveniles, thereby contributing to the low number of returning wild adults. It is significant, then, that this year’s returning hatchery adults will provide much more in-stream spawning than that from the wild adults alone. There will be a greatly increased number of juveniles [from our hatchery spawners] available to occupy the increased rearing habitat in the good water flows we’ll have in the San Lorenzo River this year. The presence of these hatchery steelhead in the San Lorenzo River means that spawning numbers will not be the limiting factor for in-stream production. This will greatly speed up the population recovery from the low water years. Our hatchery spawners will have raised juvenile populations to significantly higher levels this first good water year, than if only wild fish were spawning.
Last Updated (Thursday, 08 April 2010 14:59)
Planting Smolts in the San Lorenzo River, March 2010
Monday, 05 April 2010 14:58 | Author: Morrow Whitcomb |
On Tuesday March 30, a crew of volunteers planted approximately 5,250 San Lorenzo River [SLR] steelhead smolts in Paradise Park. These fish made up that portion of the year 2009 SLR production fish that were reared in the hatchery for a full year. The rest had been released earlier in the winter due to concerns over potential floods and mudslides at the hatchery from watershed damage caused by the Lockheed Fire in August. Here the crew prepares to load smolts from Pool #4 into the F-450 planting truck.
Last Updated (Thursday, 08 April 2010 14:31) Mission Statement
Sunday, 21 June 2009 11:05 | Author: Administrator |
The mission of the Monterey Bay Salmon and Trout Project is to restore declining local anadramous fishery resources, i.e., the unique races of silver and steelhead trout native to the local Monterey Bay area and to enhance the Chinook salmon populations in Monterey Bay waters. The Project's first priority is the propagation of native species of silver salmon and steelhead trout based on watershed by watershed management plans. Wild fish are collected by trapping in local small coastal streams and rivers and then operating egg hatching and juvenile fish rearing facilities. Genetically wild fish are reared and released in the same or similar local coastal streams. This helps restore balanced and self-sustaining population levels. Last Updated (Tuesday, 07 July 2009 15:53) |
Background Information
Saturday, 20 June 2009 21:42 | Author: Administrator |
Background Information The Monterey Bay Salmon and Trout Project is a nonprofit environmental organization dedicated to the restoration, conservation, and enhancement of native wild silver (Coho) salmon and steelhead populations and their coastal and marine habitats from San Mateo to the south Monterey Bay area. The Project is also dedicated to the enhancement of the King (Chinook) salmon population in the Monterey Bay waters. The Project is involved with public education and is concerned with the development of habitat restoration projects. The MBS&TP works to achieve improved water quality and flow. Last Updated (Sunday, 06 December 2009 22:59) STEP
Sunday, 21 June 2009 11:20 | Author: Hugh Miller |
For detailed information about STEP, including Current Events information, Bulleting Board reports, Workshop/Seminar details, Egg Distribution and Newsletter reports, click on http://www.salmontrouteducationprogram.com/ Program Description The Salmon and Trout Education Program (STEP) has been developed to provide students with a chance to learn "hands on" about salmon and steelhead and the habitats in which they live. The K-12 program uses a thematic firsthand approach, offering teachers the tools and the ideas for integrating math, science, language, arts, etc. Students learn about salmon and steelhead life cycles, their Last Updated (Sunday, 28 February 2010 11:07) |
habitat requirements and the problems and solutions to preserving these "indicator" species and the watersheds in which they live.Teachers who wish to learn and participate in teaching STEP are offered a two-day workshop, which provides cooperative learning, utilizing actual lessons from the curriculum material. Teachers interact and learn
