Mattole Salmon Group 2014-2015 Spawner Survey Update
2014-2015 Mattole Salmon Group spawner surveys have been underway since early November (2014) and are about to conclude for the season. Here is a recent update of this year’s spawner survey observations. This data is preliminary so please view it as such.
As of February 10th, MSG surveyors had observed 80 Chinook redds (salmon nests), 4 coho redds, 72 steelhead redds, and 19 additional redds which were unidentifiable to a species. As of the same date, we have surveyed 15 reaches, which is around 20% of the total sample frame.
We definitely missed some chinook spawning in December due to rains, so these numbers should be taken as a minimum value.
As far as live coho go, MSG surveyors have observed has one confirmed grilse (a salmon that has returned to fresh water after a single winter at sea) male carcass and a female spawning coho in the uppermost mainstem, and another live coho slightly downstream, but also in the upper mainstem.