The end of 2002 and the beginning of 2003 has been a season of extremes for the Mattole Salmon Group (MSG) and Mattole salmon. In November, with the first rains and the reopening of the Mattole River mouth, MSG joyfully released nearly 2500 Chinook salmon that had been rescued from the overheated river in May and June and cared for at our Petrolia fish rearing facility. Optimistic following this release, and expecting an abundant return of salmon, we waited for more rain, and waited, and waited. By the time rain did arrive, many fish had been in the lower Mattole for weeks, awaiting enough flow to allow them to reach their preferred spawning grounds. Unable to wait any longer, many of them spawned downstream from Honeydew, only to have their nests (redds) and eggs washed away by one of the wettest Decembers in memory.
The heavy rains allowed the successful release of approximately 5000 Chinook fry that had been raised in our Arcanum and Solitude rearing facilities. The rains also helped some of the later-arriving spawners reach crucial headwaters spawning grounds. Coho salmon benefited most from this, due to their later arrival in the river and their need to spawn high in the river headwaters where the water is cleanest and will be the coldest throughout the coming summer months.
In December, the Bureau of Land Management donated a large, rotary fish trap to MSG. This valuable and much needed donation will help MSG in its Downstream Migrant Project to determine the makeup and degree of this season?s spawning success. In January, the California State Coastal Conservancy decided to fund a major new restoration effort, the Mattole River and Range Program, a joint proposal from the Mattole Restoration Council, MSG, the Middle Mattole Conservancy, and Sanctuary Forest. The program will fund watershed assessment, planning, data gathering and reports, to be followed by new projects once this first phase is complete. Finally, with the help of Trees Foundation, the McLean Foundation, and the Mead Foundation, the new MSG headquarters shop and office building is nearly finished. This will help us to continue expanding to meet new challenges.
More Updates
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December, 2003 Update
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November, 2002 Update
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August, 2002 Update
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May, 2001 Update
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January, 2001 Update
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