The Observer. (La Grande, Or.) 1968-current, September 20, 2019, WEEKEND EDITION, Page 2, Image 2

... continued from front page, REMEMBER
redds were found, the numbers were
…‘•‹†‡”ƒ„Ž› „‡Ž‘™ ƒ˜‡”ƒ‰‡Ǥ —”–Š‡”ǡ ™‡
were getting to completing the survey quite
Žƒ–‡ǡ‡ƒ‹‰–Š‡”‡††•™‘—Ž†„‡Ž‡••˜‹•‹„Ž‡Ǥ
–‡‡ŽŠ‡ƒ† •’ƒ™‹‰ •—”˜‡›• –›’‹…ƒŽŽ› ƒ”‡
†‘‡‹’”‹Žƒ†ƒ›Ǥ
’ƒ™‹‰•—”˜‡›•ƒ”‡‘‡‘ˆ–Š‡™ƒ›•–Šƒ–
ϐ‹•Š‡”› „‹‘Ž‘‰‹•–• ‘‹–‘” –Š‡ ƒ„—†ƒ…‡
of adult steelhead returning to their natal
•–”‡ƒ• –‘ •’ƒ™Ǥ ‹‘Ž‘‰‹•–• …‘†—…–
spawning surveys by walking predetermined
stream reaches where spawning is known or
•—•’‡…–‡†–‘‘……—”ǤŠ‹Ž‡™ƒŽ‹‰–Š‡•–”‡ƒǡ
biologists look for signs of spawning activity
…ƒŽŽ‡†”‡††•Ǥ
–‡‡ŽŠ‡ƒ† •’ƒ™ „› †‡’‘•‹–‹‰ ‡‰‰• ‹
redds on the stream bottom that are dug into
‰”ƒ˜‡Ž• „› –Š‡ ˆ‡ƒŽ‡ǡ –Š‡ ƒŽ‡ ˆ‡”–‹Ž‹œ‹‰
the eggs, and then the female covering the
‡‰‰• ™‹–Š •‡†‹‡–Ǧˆ”‡‡ ‰”ƒ˜‡Ž•Ǥ Š‡ ˆ‡ƒŽ‡ ǣƼɠŘÞض¯sŎĶsǣǼssĶÌs_ʹOŸȖNjǼsǣɴŸ¯ɟÞŘǣǼŸŘōŸNjǼŸŘʺʳ
digs by turning on her side and fanning
the stream bottom with her tail, or what
„‹‘Ž‘‰‹•–• …ƒŽŽ –Š‡ …ƒ—†ƒŽ ϐ‹Ǥ Š‡ ’”‘…‡•• surrounding gravels because they have been ƒ†ˆ”‡‡‘ˆ•‡†‹‡–ƒ†™ƒ•–‡’”‘†—…–•Ǥ
‘ˆ †‹‰‰‹‰ǡ ‡‰‰ †‡’‘•‹–‹‘ǡ ˆ‡”–‹Ž‹œƒ–‹‘ǡ ƒ† cleaned of algae and sediment through the
e counted four redds that day on
covering of the eggs occurs numerous times †‹‰‰‹‰ ’”‘…‡••Ǥ ˜‡” –Š‡ …‘—”•‡ ‘ˆ ƒ ˆ‡™
ƒ ͳǤͷǦ‹Ž‡ •‡…–‹‘ ‘ˆ ‡ƒ˜‡” ”‡‡
until the female has deposited all of her eggs, ™‡‡• ƒ• –Š‡ ƒŽ‰ƒ‡ ”‡…‘Ž‘‹œ‡• –Š‡ ‘˜‡†
just upstream of the City of La
ƒ˜‡”ƒ‰‹‰ ƒ„‘—– ͶǡͲͲͲ ‹ —„‡”Ǥ Šƒ– ‹• ‰”ƒ˜‡Ž• ƒ† •–”‡ƒϐŽ‘™• ϐŽƒ––‡ –Š‡ ”‡††•ǯ ”ƒ†‡ǯ• ‡ƒ˜‡” ‡•‡”˜‘‹”Ǥ Š‡ Ž‘‰Ǧ–‡”
Ž‡ˆ–‹•ƒ’‹–‘–Š‡•–”‡ƒ„‘––‘„‡–™‡‡•‹š –‘’‘‰”ƒ’Š›ǡ –Š‡› „‡…‘‡ Šƒ”†‡” –‘ •‡‡Ǥ Š‡ average in the upper Grande Ronde River
and 12 inches deep, with a pillow of sorted redds typically are found at the tailout of pools, ƒ•‹‹•ƒ’’”‘š‹ƒ–‡Ž›–™‘”‡††•’‡”‹Ž‡ǡ•‘
‰”ƒ˜‡Ž• ‹‡†‹ƒ–‡Ž› †‘™•–”‡ƒǤ ‡††• ™Š‡”‡ ‰”ƒ˜‡Ž• ‘ˆ ƒ’’”‘’”‹ƒ–‡ •‹œ‡ ȋ„‡–™‡‡ ʹǤ͹”‡††•’‡”‹Ž‡‹•’”‡––›‰‘‘†ǡ…‘•‹†‡”‹‰
…ƒ„‡„‡–™‡‡ͳǤͷƒ†ϐ‹˜‡ˆ‡‡–‹†‹ƒ‡–‡”Ǥ –Š‡•‹œ‡‘ˆƒ‰”ƒ’‡ƒ†ƒ„ƒ•‡„ƒŽŽȌƒ”‡’”‡•‡– –Š‡ ˆƒ…–‘”• †‡•…”‹„‡† ƒ„‘˜‡Ǥ ‡˜‡”–Š‡Ž‡••ǡ
‡†‹ƒ–‡Ž›ƒˆ–‡”…‘•–”—…–‹‘ǡ–Š‡‡š…ƒ˜ƒ–‡† ƒ†™ƒ–‡”…ƒ”‡ƒ†‹Ž›ϐŽ‘™–Š”‘—‰Š–Š‡”‡†† ‰‹˜‡ –Š‡ •‹‰‹ϐ‹…ƒ…‡ ‘ˆ –Š‡ •—”˜‡›ǡ ™‡ –‘‘
gravels of the redd can starkly contrast with ’‹ŽŽ‘™–‘‡‡’–Š‡†‡˜‡Ž‘’‹‰‡‰‰•‘š›‰‡ƒ–‡† ‡š–”ƒ …ƒ”‡ –‘ …ƒ”‡ˆ—ŽŽ› ‡šƒ‹‡ ƒ† †‹•…—••
what we saw, wanting to make sure that we
were seeing steelhead redds and not some
anomaly in the stream gravels created by
–Š‡•–”‡ƒϐŽ‘™Ǥ ‘—”–‹‡•ǡ™‡‘„•‡”˜‡†ƒ†
discussed the identifying characteristics of
the prospective steelhead redd and agreed
based on our more than 50 years of combined
‡š’‡”‹‡…‡ –Šƒ– •–‡‡ŽŠ‡ƒ† Šƒ† •’ƒ™‡† ƒ–
–Š‡•‡Ž‘…ƒ–‹‘•Ǥ
W
ĵŸŸĨÞضȖƼǣǼNjsŎǼǣƼɠŘÞضŘ_NjsNjÞضÌEÞǼǼǼÌǼÞǣŘŸɠɚÞĶEĶsǼŸDsɚsNj
NNjssĨǣǼssĶÌs_ʹOŸȖNjǼsǣɴŸ¯ɟÞŘǣǼŸŘōŸNjǼŸŘʺʳ
2
What we witnessed that day – evidence of
steelhead spawning in upper Beaver Creek –
was the result of a long journey not only for
the steelhead, which left their natal stream
ƒ•Œ—˜‡‹Ž‡•–‘ˆ‘”ƒ‰‡‹–Š‡ƒ…‹ϐ‹……‡ƒƒ†
returned as adults to spawn, but also for those
of us involved in the planning, design, and
…‘•–”—…–‹‘‘ˆ–Š‡‡ƒ˜‡”‡•‡”˜‘‹”ϐ‹•Š™ƒ›Ǥ
Continued on page 8, REMEMBER