In this report from the Union Democrat, the salmon runs in a couple California rivers are looking to be improved from last year, and that is very good news.
An excerpt.
“More salmon swam up the Stanislaus and Mokelumne rivers to spawn this fall than during last year's run, though their numbers remain below historic averages.
“The number of salmon making their way up the Tuolumne River, meanwhile, likely fell in 2009, a year after its first gain in nearly a decade.
“Already, almost 1,200 Chinook salmon have journeyed up the Stanislaus River, compared to 923 during last year's fall run, according to preliminary figures from FISHBIO Environmental, a consulting group that monitors the salmon run for the region's irrigation districts.
“It is the first step in a slow rebound for the river's salmon population, which hovered between 3,000 and 8,500 from 1997 to 2005, according to California Department of Fish and Game data.
"It's positive to see that there are increasing numbers of fish," said Erin Strange, fisheries biologist with the National Marine Fisheries Service. "We hope it continues to rise."
