Tag

smolts

  • Science Conservation Featured steelhead

    Barging increases likelihood of hatchery fish straying into wild steelhead populations

    "To repeat the obvious, that means in 2006 an estimated 42 percent of the spawners in this “wild” population were hatchery fish. Statistical modeling indicated the number of steelhead smolts barged in the Snake River in the previous several years was a strong predictor of PHOS (Percent Hatchery Origin Spawners)."

    There may be no more amazing feat in nature than migrations undertaken by salmon as they complete an epic journey from freshwater to the ocean and back upstream to their birthplace to spawn. In some cases, salmon swim more than 1,000 miles upstream to spawning waters. In this final freshwater phase of their trip, adults follow…