Early reports are indicating less than 100 spring run Chinook salmon have returned to Butte Creek this year. The official snorkel count was 51 fish. The count is usually low and will be compared to the carcass count later this year. Here is the CDFW snorkel report. With the remains of last year run assaulted by sediment from a PG&E canal failure, It looks like two years in a row with less than 100 returning adults. Although Butte Creek is known for remarkable recoveries, the current trend is a disaster in light of climate change. We need the agencies to step and help us recover these iconic California Salmon!
Photo collage by Michael Smith, © 2008.