The Community Salmon Investigation for Highline is well underway, and over 30 volunteers have been out every day (except during very windy or rainy conditions) counting fish.
With surveys tallied from Oct. 8 – Nov. 12, they have seen a total of 118 live fish; here are the details:
- 77 live coho
- 22 live chum
- 19 unidentified live fish
- 54 coho carcasses
- 11 coho pre-spawn mortality carcasses (females that did not spawn)
- 4 dead chum
“This dedicated group of volunteers will keep surveying every day until we haven’t seen any live fish for at least 7 days, probably until Christmas day,” Elissa Ostergaard said. “You may see them out there in their orange vests, waders, and walking sticks. If you do, please say hello!”
Elissa added:
Also, the CSI crew has contributed two dead coho to scientific researchers at the University of Washington. They found coho that were in the process of dying from what appeared to be a reaction to polluted water (gaping, fins splayed, at the water’s surface, disoriented), and waited until they died so they could be used in research to study what chemicals are killing our fish. I want to especially thank them for the extra time it took to make those arrangements and “fish-sit.”
If you are looking for a way to contribute to the health of our streams this year, please join me at my next work party at Walker Preserve on December 3, 9:30-noon. Check the Volunteer Calendar for more details: http://www.kingcounty.gov/services/environment/watersheds/central-puget-sound/miller-walker-creeks/volunteer.aspx
Wishing everyone the best,
Elissa Ostergaard
Miller-Walker Basin Steward
King County Water and Land Resources Division
201 S. Jackson St., Suite 600
Seattle, WA 98104
(206) 477-4792
http://www.kingcounty.gov/environment/watersheds/central-puget-sound/miller-walker-creeks.aspx