The assessment of anadromous salmonid stocks in blue creek on the lower klamath river near klamath, california is a project carried out by the yurok tribe

The Yurok Tribe received a $116,699.87 Project Grant from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Region 8 under the Fish and Aquatic Conservation - Aquatic Invasive Species program (CFDA 15.608), effective October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026. The award funds three integrated anadromous salmonid monitoring and assessment initiatives in the Klamath Basin near Klamath, California. The primary deliverable consists of ongoing spawning ground surveys conducted on weekly and bi-weekly schedules in Blue Creek, the only remaining drainage in the lower Klamath sub-basin supporting significant Chinook salmon runs, with data collection on live fish, redds (spawning nests), and carcasses to support long-term population trend analysis and habitat usage assessment.

The grant also supports two collaborative monitoring efforts: the Klamath Fall Chinook Age Composition Study, a multi-agency and tribal initiative that ages scales from fall Chinook salmon collected across multiple water bodies and fisheries to forecast run abundance and assess cohort relationships with environmental parameters; and the Escapement Enumeration Project (Mainstem Klamath Carcass Survey), a cooperative effort among the Yurok Tribe, Karuk Tribe, and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to enumerate spawning escapement in upper Klamath River reaches. Collectively, these data products generate critical population trend information for the Klamath Basin mega-table, enabling more accurate wild salmonid population assessments, forecasting of future Chinook run sizes, and informed harvest management decisions across the region.

This project consists of spawning ground surveys conducted on a weekly and BI-weekly basis. Data is collected on each live fish, redd and carcass located. This project is a continuation of long-term monitoring and assessment efforts of blue creek anadromous salmonid runs. Blue creek is the only remaining drainage in the lower klamath sub-basin which supports sizable runs of chinook salmon. This data allows for an evaluation of anadromous salmonid population trends within the basin as well as continued assessment and refinement of anadromous salmonid distribution, immigration timing, and habitat usage throughout the blue creek drainage. This trend data is an integral component of the mega-table and provides a more accurate assessment of wild salmonid population numbers throughout the klamath basin, which allows for more accurate predictions of future chinook run sizes and corresponding allowable harvest numbers. The klamath fall chinook age composition study is a collaborative effort carried out by the former klamath river technical team (krtt), an interagency tribal group. This task includes aging scales from fall chinook salmon collected during the spawning season in the klamath river net and sport fisheries, spawning ground surveys from various tributaries throughout the klamath basin, fish that return to iron gate hatchery, and weirs located in the shasta river and bogus creek. The objective of this task is to use the age composition information from the 2025 fall chinook run to predict the abundance from that run, as well as assess the relationship between individual cohorts and environmental parameters. The escapement enumeration project, or mainstem klamath carcass survey is a cooperative effort between the yurok tribe, karuk tribe and USFWS, arcata field office, carried out in the upper-most reaches of the klamath river in california. The yurok tribe samples the upper 18 miles of the klamath river in conjunction with USFWS. The objective of this study is to assess fall chinook escapement in the klamath river from iron gate DAM downstream to indian creek. This is accomplished by directly sampling and collecting data from salmon carcasses. This data allows for an assessment of anadromous salmonid population trends within the basin, providing vital information and more accurate predictions of future chinook run sizes and corresponding allowable harvest numbers.