Chinook Salmon of the California Delta

#salmon #fish #californiadelta
Chinook Salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha) are incredible fish that migrate through the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta in four different runs. Here I share some biology of these super-athletes of the California Central Valley, and discuss those four distinct runs.
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Video edited by Grace Haiman

[@MrFatcat1957]

Back in the day, before all the dams and loss of habitat, we had Fall/Winter/Summer/Spring runs of Chinook Salmon, a run of Coho, and a run of Steelhead. Great video, thanks.

[@ABirdingNaturalist]

@@MrFatcat1957 Thanks for checking out my channel! In the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta, we still have those runs and species (but no Coho), just much lower numbers, unfortunately.

[@kirkstewart-vf6hg]

I'm from Del - Norte county born here 62 years ago We had a good run of big fall fish this season. Its so nice to see the salmon behind you trying to get up to spawn I hope the creek raises to let them go up...

[@ABirdingNaturalist]

@@kirkstewart-vf6hg It is so great to hear that you are seeing good salmon numbers! I hope that keeps up!!!

[@reedjacksonmaccom]

I totally learned a bit. Thank you.

[@ABirdingNaturalist]

@@reedjacksonmaccom Absolutely my pleasure! Thanks for checking out my channel and for letting me know what you thought!

[@mikemcavoy7097]

I've heard old timers talk about stories in Folsom before Nimbus was constructed talking about both black and Grizzly bears hanging out below the powerhouse hanging out eating the salmon just like Alaska. That would have been a sight to see.

[@ABirdingNaturalist]

@@mikemcavoy7097 Wow! Talk about epic!!!

[@vinivv]

When I lived in Merced thats in the san Joaquin valley salmon came up the Merced river and into the creeks canals all over I used to go down into Bear creek middle of merced and watch thousands go up river heading toward yosemite where they used to spawn now we have dams but they catch the salmon in Snelling off the merced river and hand spawn them been doing it for many many years that way

[@ABirdingNaturalist]

@vinivv What great memories! Thanks for sharing! It's interesting to hear about the various different hatcheries all doing similar work to keep salmon populations viable.

[@clydecrashcup9202]

i was fishing in the Snelling area in October 2023. There were lots of returning fish at the hatchery and near the kayak launch. I even saw some salmon spawning near the Snelling Road bridge. I wonder why the Stanislaus and Tuolumne rivers don't have salmon hatcheries?

[@ABirdingNaturalist]

@clydecrashcup9202 Cool that you got to see spawning!!! Maybe the runs in the Stanislaus and Tuolumne are smaller and so not as high a priority to build hatcheries on? I'm really not sure, but it's a good question.

[@clydecrashcup9202]

@@ABirdingNaturalist Another possibility is that the Stan and Tuolumne may have more available spawning grounds, both natural and restored. I have seen loads of salmon schooling on the Stan below the Knights Ferry bridge. I'm not as familiar with the upper reaches (below Don Pedro) of the Tuolumne.

[@ABirdingNaturalist]

@clydecrashcup9202 The condition of the rivers is a great point. I'm sure you are right, and that does play a part!

[@evelinamcdowall2936]

Thank you it's very informative. Didn't realize there are 4 runs. We saw some on the Stanislaus River

[@ABirdingNaturalist]

@evelinamcdowall2936 I'm glad you enjoyed the video! Do you get to see the salmon in the Stanislaus very often? How are their numbers doing?

[@lets.gobirding]

Very informative video! I didn't know this about Chinook Salmon, you said it, their last stage of life is pretty epic 😀

[@ABirdingNaturalist]

@@lets.gobirding I want someone who is a good poet to write about the migration, mating, and death of salmon. I would absolutely read that poetry!!!!

[@Wavydavy559]

Subbed!!!!!

[@ABirdingNaturalist]

@@Wavydavy559 Thanks very much!

[@mikemcavoy7097]

That's right below Nimbus Hatchery. Very cool place. I'd like to see the Trout-Steelhead version of this.

[@ABirdingNaturalist]

@@mikemcavoy7097 Exactly the spot! A Steelhead video sounds like a good idea to me! I'm not sure if I can fit it in this year, but next fall, for sure!

[@saikumarganji.i]

@@ABirdingNaturalistcan you share exact location, my kids would love to see it

[@ABirdingNaturalist]

@mikemcavoy7097 Sure thing! The Nimbus Fish Hatchery is at 2001 Nimbus Rd, Gold River, CA 95670. It is a great spot to see the salmon both in the hatchery, itself and in the river just beside it. I hope you enjoy it, and let me know what you find!

[@chefboyarleezy4162]

Where in sacramento are you ?

[@ABirdingNaturalist]

@@chefboyarleezy4162 This is just a few hundred yards downstream of the Nimbus Fish Hatchery on the American River.

[@HangNFish]

Its odd how theres still the fall winter salmon and the winter steelhead that comes in.

[@ABirdingNaturalist]

@@HangNFish Yrah, those two different species travel up the river at overlapping times of year! Pretty fun!

[@mikebartoli4755]

You said that they just swim up various rivers but don't Salmon return to the same river and spawning grounds where they hatched?

[@ABirdingNaturalist]

@mikebartoli4755 Salmon do generally return to the same river that they were hatched in, though there is more exploration and experimentation than people used to think. What I was talking about was that fall-run Chinook (for example) return to many of the rivers that meet in the California Delta as opposed to the winter-run that are only found in the Sacramento River.

[@mikebartoli4755]

@@ABirdingNaturalist okay, thank you for the reply Aaron.. I grew up around the Delta and the coast nearby and have fished for salmon my whole life. I love your channel because I'm also a huge bird guy and do rescues work with Corvids... mainly crows and ravens. Hopefully recreational salmon will open this year, I miss it so much! Keep up the good work!!

[@ABirdingNaturalist]

@mikebartoli4755 Cool meeting someone else who loves the Delta and birds!!! And thanks for your feedback on my channel. I really appreciate it.

[@mikebartoli4755]

@@ABirdingNaturalist You bet, I just subscribed. Do you ever do any ocean fishing or have an interest to? Please Pm me if so. I live in Colfax now but I have a boat in Sausalito.

[@ABirdingNaturalist]

@mikebartoli4755 Wow! That is a really nice offer! In some ways, I would love to do some videos on the biology of ocean fish. Unfortunately, I tend to get a bit seasick on the ocean. The bay is usually just fine for me.

[@ronr.9203]

What tributary is that?

[@ABirdingNaturalist]

@@ronr.9203 This video was taken on the banks of the Lower American River near the Nimbus Fish Hatchery near Sacramento, California.

[@916outdoors2]

From what I know the salmon all spawn around the same time. The main difference between spring run and fall run is that spring run historically would go further up river when the water is high after snowmelt. During the fall water level is lower so they can’t make it as far as the spring run, but they all spawn at the same time during the fall.

[@ABirdingNaturalist]

@916outdoors2 The four runs that move through the Delta that I discuss in this video do spawn at different times of year. According to the California Department of Fish and Wildlife, Fall-run spawn Oct-Dec, Late-fall-run spawn Jan-Apr, Winter-run spawn Apr-Aug, and Spring-run spawn Aug-Oct. So some of those ranges do overlap, but they are definitely spread across many seasons.

[@DanLittleton-s4m]

No Pacifuc salmon spawn more than once / just steelhead do thus / also, Atlantic salmon can spawn multiple times. Atlantic salmon are genetically almost identical to Pacifuc steelhead.

[@ABirdingNaturalist]

@DanLittleton-s4m Good clarification on that it is Atlantic Salmon that can spawn more than once. Thanks for adding that.

[@rongarcia936]

No mention of the detrimental effects of water export especially for agriculture. The decline of salmon populations tracks correspondingly with the amount of water reverted primarily for agriculture. And extended drought negativelu impacts salmon runs, etc .

[@ABirdingNaturalist]

@rongarcia936 Absolutely! Water diversions are a huge problem! Good point.

[@sean4236]

Lol. I was just there if that's the American River.

[@ABirdingNaturalist]

@sean4236 Yes, it is! The American River just downstream of the Nimbus Fish Hatchery. Cool that you were there!!!

[@kirkstewart-vf6hg]

I hate to burst people's bubble but RD Hume the salmon king of oregon on the Rouge river during the late 1800's spawned some spring run chinook in his hatchery on the lower Rouge river then tagged them and let them go back into tide water . They came back to the river again in following years. He spawned them ripe in what he called midwives made of wood boards . Milked out eggs and melt so fish were not harmed. So it is possible if a salmon can get back to salt water it can rejuvenate!

[@ABirdingNaturalist]

@@kirkstewart-vf6hg Interesting. I have not heard that any Chinook survive after spawning. Is there somewhere I could read about this?

[@kirkstewart-vf6hg]

Yes look up Robert Denison Hume salmon king of the pacific north west.. Or RD Hume salmon king of the Rouge river. He had cannery's on the Rouge klamath and smith rivers but mainly the Rouge. Quite the monopolist he was one of the first in oregon to spawn salmon . I would have to dig my books out that I have on him and can do so later to tell you exactly the names of books.

[@ABirdingNaturalist]

@kirkstewart-vf6hg Cool! I'll definitely look him up. Thanks for the info!