Returning Salmon Spawners
November ushers in the exciting sights of salmon spawning in Carkeek Park. Spawning, the process of depositing eggs and milt in a gravel bed called a redd, is the final stage in the salmon’s remarkable life cycle. From fertilization at Grover’s Creek Salmon Hatchery, being raised in our imprint ponds before being released to spend years at sea, the Chum salmon finally return home to spawn and die. While park visitors can see the salmon jumping up waterfalls and navigating beaver dams as they make their way to spawn, visitors might also see CWCAP volunteers traverse the creeks to gather salmon run data.
Volunteer Salmon Survey
CWCAP volunteers conduct surveys at Carkeek Park to gather data about the health of the salmon run. The surveyors scour the beach and travel up the creeks of Carkeek looking for live salmon and carcasses. Volunteers are careful not to disrupt the salmon run during the study by avoiding salmon redds and staying clear of live salmon traveling upstream. When dead salmon are found volunteers gather data such as length, width, species, sex, and spawning success. As volunteers conduct the survey they also interact with curious park-goers by answering questions, providing educational info, and demonstrating the survey process.