salmon carcass tossing 2016
TRANSCRIPT
Nisqually River Salmon
Nutrient Enhancement
ProgramThe stinky and slimy
salmon carcass tossing thing
Salmon Life Cycle
Listen to this song to label
your diagram!
Historical salmon runsPre 1800’s
• 5000 Chinook• 23,000 Coho• 60,000-100,000 Chum• 115,000 Pink (odd years only)• 6000 Steelhead
720,000 to 1,425,000 lbs/yr!!!!!
marine derived nutrients;
depending on chum run and pink(odd year)
Present Day• Chinook Hatchery – 13,150• Chinook Natural run – 664• Coho combined – 9,078• Wild Winter Chum – 54,315• Wild Pink – 800,000• Winter Wild Steelhead – 1,127
343,000 lbs/yr
• Less than 1/3 of historical run size
• Much more chum than any other fish/less diversity
Historical vs. Current
Chinook and Steelhead
Nisqually Salmon Runs
Goal of Salmon Tossing
• Bring marine derived nutrients upstream
–Winter months
–Low nutrient systems
How does the smolt that enters the estuary compare to
the adult that returns to spawn?
Where do the carcasses come from?
Where do the carcasses come from?
Clear Creek Hatchery!
Salmon Carcass Tossing
Why Toss Salmon Carcasses?
Food for the bugs salmon like to eat!
Why Toss Salmon Carcasses?
Many animals depend on salmon for food
Why Toss Salmon Carcasses?
Nutrition for the forest!
Why Toss Salmon Carcasses?
Wa He Lut Indian School
The Presence of Salmon in these rivers are a cultural and spiritual
tradition.
Why Toss Salmon Carcasses?
They’re an economic keystone as well!
-David Troutt, Yil-me-hu 2015
15 years of Carcass Tossing(1999-2015---no fish tossed in 2008/09)
148.4 tons of rotten salmon tossed
296,800lbs!
About 21,200 lbs this year!
Timing
*above Centralia Dam
What To Wear:
Rain gear and rubber boots are
recommended!
Dress in layers to keep warm.
Bring a plastic bag to store smelly, outer
layers
Change of clothes...?
Western
Beaked
Hazelnut
Indian Plum
Thank you!
Aleks Storvick & Sheila Wilson
Nisqually River Education Project
(360) 438-8715
Interested in learning more or want to view this
presentation again? Grab a parent and visit our website:
nrep.nisquallyriver.org
We have resources just for students!