Live salmon numbers appear to be dwindling in the park with only 21 fish spotted on Tuesday. This week could be the last chance to see live salmon in Carkeek this year but you’ll likely see (and SMELL!) plenty of carcasses. There remains a possibility the upcoming rains could bring in more spawning salmon but we typically don’t see large influxes this late in the run.
CWCAP was in the local news this week with a story coming out about the beavers and salmon run at Carkeek Park. The story discusses the collaboration between CWCAP, Seattle Parks and the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife to monitor the beaver and salmon situation. This collaboration eventually resulted in a coordinated effort to remove compacted trail material that was preventing additional water channels from forming around the sides of the main beaver dam. The intervention on 11/17 did not impact the beaver dam and appears to have helped the salmon reach further up the stream despite very little rainfall. We’re now spotting roughly 50% of live salmon above the dams which is the highest percentage we’ve seen all season. Check out the article here.
| Survey Date | Live Chum above 310 feet | Total Live Chum | Percentage above 310 feet |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2023-10-28 | 0 | 4 | 0% |
| 2023-10-31 | 0 | 8 | 0% |
| 2023-11-04 | 2 | 11 | 18% |
| 2023-11-07 | 51 | 146 | 35% |
| 2023-11-11 | 25 | 66 | 38% |
| 2023-11-14 | 14 | 135 | 10% |
| 2023-11-18 | 4 | 123 | 3% |
| 2023-11-21 | 25 | 106 | 24% |
| 2023-11-25 | 29 | 59 | 49% |
| 2023-11-28 | 11 | 20 | 55% |
| Yearly Chum Total | Chum Calc Date | Yearly Coho Total | Coho Calc Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| 314 | 2023-11-28 | 30 | 2023-11-25 |
We’re currently sitting at totals of 314 Chum and 30 Coho. This may seem like a low number compared to the last couple years’ historic high numbers. The numbers this year are much more in line with the average return for Carkeek Park and are no reason for alarm.
Note: Locations are approximate and based on where the data recorder is standing. Not all entries will have location set