Page 20 - Sonoma County Gazette 12-18.indd

Salmon Returning to the Russian River
Are You Rain Ready?
By Zac Reinstein, California Sea Grant Russian River Monitoring Program It’s that time of the year again, where our native salmon and steelhead are
returning to complete their reproductive cycle in the tributaries of the Russian River. With some rain in the forecast, the river will likely open this weekend for recreational fishing. We would like to take some time to help inform the local community on how to have the lowest impact possible.
It starts by taking the time to learn how to distinguish between different species of salmonids, and continues on the water by following local regulations and properly handling fish.
With full grown adult salmon beginning to move back up their natal
rivers and juvenile steelhead making their journey out to the ocean, you are bound to have some excitement on the water. During periods when crucial spawning tributaries are disconnected from the mainstem, these fish are incredibly vulnerable to changes in water temperature, predation, and human influences while they are trapped in the mainstem.
By Forest L. Frasieur, Santa Rosa Water
It’s time to prepare for the rainy season and winter. This time of year, is when we are thinking about raking up leaves, cleaning out rain-gutters, and undertaking some car maintenance like replacing wiper blades and changing the anti-freeze.
But did you know you can also help protect our local creeks,
With heavy rains, anything we spill, drop, throw, or store on the ground can be washed off by storm water and directly enters a creek or river, without treatment, having a toxic effect on fish and wildlife and people. Polluted runoff can come from a variety of sources - oil and grease from pavement; trash and pet waste from our yards or parks; fertilizers and pesticides from lawns or gardens; sediment from construction activities; and improperly stored loose materials like garden mulch or topsoil.
as almost everything else can become a pollutant and it is unlawful to put anything into the storm drains but storm water. Below are some ways that you can be rain ready and help reduce pollution in our waterways. It costs less to prevent pollution and flooding than to clean up the creeks or neighborhoods. Let’s all do our part!
Watch where you walk
in your yard waste container.
• Sweep up your driveways and sidewalks rather than hose them down into
Equally important is to be cautious of where you walk in the river. Salmonids—which include salmon as well as trout— dig redds, or egg nests, in the gravel when they spawn. This protects the eggs and hatchlings from predators and fast-moving water. Redds contain two main features: a pot, or depression in the gravel (usually related to the size of the female), and a tail spill (mound of gravel downstream of the pot where the eggs are buried). Mature fish release the eggs and milt (salmonid sperm) simultaneously and then quickly cover them with gravel. They will stay in the tail spill for up to 70 days as they mature into juvenile fish.
the street gutter. “Sweep Up the Street Gutter” in front of your residence
Although these eggs harden over time, they are very vulnerable to human disturbance, such as a person walking through the creek. Ideal spawning locations often coincide with ‘easy’ places for people to walk. During the early season redds will be more obvious due to the lack of algae on the fresh digging.
• Article: Know your salmon species to avoid catching endangered coho • ID Guide: Identifying Russian River Adult Salmonids
• Turn down your irrigation system run times during the dry fall months and turn your system off once the rains begin. Even during dry periods of the winter months, plants need little or no water.
We have compiled salmon identification guides for anglers and anyone else who is interested to increase their knowledge and confidence. Please visit the links below!
Explore our ID guide and resources to make sure you can identify Russian River salmonids.
• Clean out your pickup truck bed, and secure items hauled in or on top of your vehicle. Random trash left in the back of your pickup can easily blow out onto the street and end up in the creek.
Do you #knowyourcoho? Check us out on social media!
• Fix all car leaks. Oil, antifreeze and other harmful chemicals can drip onto streets, parking lots and driveways and then wash off into creeks. These products should only be disposed of at a household hazardous waste collection facility. For Sonoma County residents, see www.recyclenow. org or call the Sonoma County Eco Desk (707 565-DESK (3375)). For Mendocino residents, see www.mendorecycle.org or call (707) 468-9704 for more information.
• Instagram: RussianRiverSalmon • Twitter: SeaGrantSalmon
RAIN-READY cont’d on page 21
20 - www.sonomacountygazette.com - 12/18
Refresh your
fish ID skills
It is the responsibility
of the angler to accurately identify the fish they
are fighting and release
all salmon and wild steelhead. Besides the regulatory consequences, illegally keeping or harming these protected fish will mean that fewer fish return in the future. Studies have shown that an increase in stress often decreases the likelihood of successful spawning.
communities and environment?
A good rule to remember is “Only rain down the storm drain”
Rain-Ready Solutions
• Dispose of pet waste in a trash container.
• Pick up leaf litter and yard clippings around your home to compost or put
placing the trash and yard waste into the correct bins.
• If you store garden products (soil, mulch, or compost), gas-powered garden
equipment, or chemicals such as pesticides, herbicides, and fertilizer, make sure they are securely covered, and avoid applying chemicals if rain is in the forecast.
• Use a commercial car wash, which recycles water and keeps soapy water out of the storm drain. If you wash your car at home, do it on a lawn and dispose buckets of soapy and rinse water in the sink.