Chinook Headed For Idaho Are Running Late

They're either really late, or numbers are really low - or both. This year's spring Chinook salmon appear to be entering the Columbia River late, and in numbers lower than forecast as well. The upriver spring Chinook run includes Snake River spring and summer Chinook, counted at Bonneville Dam through June 15. The Snake River spring and summer Chinook will be counted at Lower Granite Dam through August 17. As of Sunday, April 30, only two Chinook salmon had reached the Lower Granite Dam, the last dam on the Snake River near Lewiston. The Idaho Fish and Game Commission had planned a telephone conference to make a decision Friday, April 28, on a spring Chinook salmon season in Idaho. Fishery managers need actual dam counts to set spring Chinook seasons and limits. They had expected to have that information by mid-April. But because the run has been very slow to get started, they did not have enough information to recommend a salmon season to the commissioners. Fish and Game fishery staff updated commissioner about the run status, and they expect to update commissioners again at their quarterly meeting in mid-May. By comparison, through April 30 of last year, when the run was late, 327 Chinook had crossed Lower Granite, but enough fish had crossed Bonneville Dam to give fishery managers a sense of the run size. The 10-year average at Lower Granite Dam by this date is 14,775 fish. In 2001 more than 90,000 salmon had passed Lower Granite by this time, according DART, the University of Washington salmon tracking website. In two of the worst years recently, through April 30, 1995, only 21 Chinook had crossed Lower Granite into the Snake Basin, and in 1999, only 31 had made it over Lower Granite Dam, though run timing was not late at Bonneville Dam.. Managers say earlier predictions for salmon numbers this year probably will not be reached. In past years when the numbers have been this low, Idaho has not opened a salmon season. The last time that happened was in 1999, and this year may be shaping up to be worse. But with all the runoff this spring helping Idaho salmon smolts on their way to the ocean, salmon anglers can hope for improved adult salmon numbers by 2008. Chinook Salmon by the Numbers: At Bonneville Dam At Lower Granite By April 30, 2006 7,028 2 By April 30, 2005 31,393 327 By April 30, 2001 309,223 90,019 By April 30, 1999 18,116 31 By April 30, 1995 6,681 21 10-year average by April 30 99,014 14,775 Total in 2005 97,397 32,764 Total in 2001 415,103 185,693 Total in 1999 42,928 6,539 Total in 1995 12,783 1,797 10-year average total 170,486 59,212 (Source: Columbia River DART, School of Aquatic & Fishery Sciences, University of Washington)