October’s atmospheric river triggered a rush of breeding Chinook salmon

Post Reply
WB Staff
Posts: 12477
Joined: Thu Jan 26, 2012 10:56 am

October’s atmospheric river triggered a rush of breeding Chinook salmon

Post by WB Staff »

chinook salmon atmospheric river.png
Chinook salmon. (Photo by Mike Weir)

Autumnal rain has sent a surge of Chinook salmon swimming up Bay Area creeks, a sharp reversal in fortune for an iconic species that has struggled after years of drought.

A living link between our mountains and coast, the fish responded to late October’s fierce atmospheric river by rushing up the region’s once-parched rivers, say biologists, frequenting spots where they’ve never been seen.

“It’s remarkable,” said Joe Sullivan, fishery manager with the East Bay Regional Park District. The storm “triggered them to go to the first slug of fresh water they could find,” as they returned from their epic ocean migration to spawn.

FULL STORY at MERCURY NEWS: https://www.mercurynews.com/2021/11/29/ ... ea-rivers/
Post Reply