Salmon Carcass Distribution Program

Chinook Carcass Distribution
Overview 2001-2005

Coho Carcass Distribution
Overview 2001-2005

2005 Stats

   This program runs annually from late September to Early November. 

   In 2005, Chinook distribution began on Tuesday September 27^th, and ran through October 11^th, for a total of 5 “flinging days”; Coho Distribution started two weeks later on November 1^st, and ran through November 11^th, allowing us to have 4 “flinging days”.   During the 2005 season, 1,652 Chinook salmon (24,768 lbs) and 2,117 Coho salmon (9,541 lbs) were placed in the Green River Watershed.  This amount of salmon carcass we are able to distribute is based on the salmon runs at the Soos Creek Hatchery:  With a total of 8,121 Chinook in this year’s run, the Chinook run at the Soos Creek Hatchery was about average, and the Coho run was slightly above average with a total of 25,677 adult fish. (In 2004, the hatchery had experienced an extraordinarily strong Coho run with over 50,000 returning adult salmon.) 

   A total of 90 volunteers contributed 303 service hours to this project; 15 volunteers (60 hours) helped with the distribution of Chinook salmon and 75 volunteers (243 hours) participated in Coho distribution.

Mid Sound's 2005 Carcass Distribution Program was funded by a

 
King County Rural Community Partnership Grant.

Click Here
to Visit our "Fish Fling" Photo Gallery 2005

Project Background Information

   Over the last century, human actions such as dam construction, intense logging practices, fish harvest and farming have led to a significant decline in the number of adult salmon that reach their natal streams and rivers to spawn. One of the many consequences of this decline has been the overall loss of nutrients in these salmonid ecosystems, resulting in the decline of the watershed's biodiversity and productivity. Scientists have found the presence of marine derived nutrients in the riparian vegetation, aquatic algae and invertebrates of salmonid watersheds. Returning adult salmon transport nutrients such as carbon, nitrogen, and phosphorus, which are important for the health and productivity of the lower trophic levels of stream ecosystems (Cederholm et al, 2000; Stockner and Ashley, 2003) Not only do these nutrients serve as fertilizer for the riparian vegetation, but these plants and salmon carcasses also provide a food source for the invertebrates that juvenile salmon feed on. Due to low production of wild fish, these nutrients are far below what their natural levels should be.

    Nutrient enhancement through the placement of salmon carcasses is a useful management tool to compensate for habitat loss that significantly degraded instream fish habitat, and to compensate for interruption in the nutrient cycle of PNW watersheds that results from the declines in anadromous fish returns (Wilson et al 2003).

    Although studies in this field are still young, there is "overwhelming evidence of the importance of salmon nutrients in maintaining productivity in salmonid ecosystems" (Stockner and Ashley, 2003). While research develops modern methods for the artificial application of fertilizer to streams and rivers on a large scale, the Mid Puget Sound Fisheries Enhancement Group [Mid Sound] operates on a small scale, focusing primarily on raising awareness and involving the community.