MIDPOINT IN SALMON RELEASES
By May 31, the Fauntleroy Watershed Council will have enabled 17 Salmon in the Schools releases.
WE HAVE HOME HATCH!
On Feb. 20, volunteers observed the first of our “home hatch” of coho fry from last fall’s spawning.
IT’S A WRAP!
For the second year in a row, volunteer watchers tallied an exceptional number of coho spawners – 254! – in Fauntleroy Creek. This count exceeded last year’s 244 by 10, putting it in the No. 2 position behind 2012’s all-time high of 274. A work party on Oct. 13 cleared the way for …
Ready for Spawners
In anticipation of the start of Salmon Watch 2022 and our annual drumming to call in spawners (both on Oct. 16), volunteers have begun making sure that Fauntleroy Creek stays open for business. Most drift logs on the beach float at high tide but those that are rammed into the sand do not, which is …
Annual Salmon Drumming
Our annual drumming to call in coho spawners to Fauntleroy Creek will be Sunday, Oct. 16, at 4 pm in our parking area. This year’s focus will be on volunteers and will include tributes to two long-time volunteers who recently retired. See the attached poster and please share it with friends and neighbors who might be …
Invasives, beware!
For several years, vegetation near the mouth of Fauntleroy Creek has made entry by coho spawners difficult and sometimes impossible, and English ivy has recently began impeding fish passage in the spawning reach.
It’s a wrap!
1,627 fry must find enough food and protection to survive a year in the creek before heading to saltwater.
SALMON-RELEASE SEASON
The annual salmon release in Fauntleroy Creek is underway!
Exoskeleton count
On March 27, volunteer educator Shannon Ninburg lead fourth graders from Louisa Boren STEM K-8 in the annual stonefly exoskeleton count in lower Fauntleroy Creek. They found the third highest number in the study began in 2000 to gauge food abundance for juvenile coho.
SMOLT-MONITORING UNDER WAY
Starting in mid March, volunteers have been monitoring net traps in upper and lower Fauntleroy Creek twice daily to document how many coho smolts are on their way to saltwater. Lead monitor Dennis Hinton trained several new volunteers to check the traps through mid May, when outmigration typically ends. The smolts leaving now were …