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About East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current | View Entire Issue (Oct. 23, 2018)
NORTHWEST East Oregonian Page 2A Tuesday, October 23, 2018 Near record-low returns of spring chinook to South Umpqua real,” Huchko said. Jeff Dose, a retired fish biologist with the Umpqua National Forest, said one year’s return doesn’t neces- sarily mean there’s going to be 28 again next year. “There could be 300 next year,” Dose said. “We don’t know what’s going to hap- pen next year. There may be none next year; we don’t know.” He said the numbers sug- gest that the species may hang on for a while at low numbers. Dose said the accounts that point to thousands of fish once being in the South Umpqua in the early 1900s are estimates based on har- vest records. Spring chinook salmon return to their spawning grounds from the ocean in February and March. As temperatures rise, the fish start looking for pools to stay in during the summer before they spawn in September and October. Unlike their spring coun- terparts, fall chinook start entering the rivers in Sep- tember and spawn shortly after. A study released by the University of California Davis last year was con- firmation of what many already knew — these fish By SAPHARA HARRELL The News-Review ROSEBURG — His- torically, spring chinook have returned to the South Umpqua River by the thou- sands, spending time in deep, cool pools in the summer before spawning in the fall. Greg Huchko, with the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife, said his depart- ment has been doing snorkel counts of the species for the past 40 years. This year they counted 28 fish that had returned to their natal pools — the sec- ond lowest since the depart- ment started recording the numbers. “Obviously it’s been a red flag for us,” Huchko said. Loss of spawning habitat, warming river temperatures, predation and ocean acidifi- cation are all contributing to their decline. Huchko said ODFW would like to see the popu- lation around 600, although the species has been hover- ing around 170 on average. He said if there are suc- cessive years of abys- mally low numbers going into the future, it could be catastrophic. “If that were to perpet- uate, then the likelihood of extinction is there and is Robin Loznak/The News-Review via AP, File In this June 11, 2008, file photo, spring chinook salmon pass through the Winchester Dam fish ladder on the North Umpqua River near Roseburg. are unique. Stan Petrowski, president of Umpqua Watersheds, said the fundamental assumption was that spring and summer chinook were all one spe- cies, but DNA testing proved otherwise. Through a DNA analy- sis, the authors of the study found that early-migrating fish like spring chinook and summer steelhead depend on a single gene that makes them head inland sooner than their fall and winter counter- parts. It also found that the gene evolved once in each species, meaning that if they go extinct, they’re not likely to re-evolve. The findings could have implications for future man- agement of spring chinook, which aren’t currently con- sidered distinct from fall chinook — a species that is doing relatively well in the North Umpqua River with thousands returning each year. Petrowski said Umpqua Watersheds is working with the Forest Service to improve habitat and retain spawning gravel on the South Umpqua. “If you give them half a chance, they respond,” Petrowski said. “We’ve seen that with coho, and we’re sure we can see it with the spring chinook.” While the “springers” may not look different than fall chinook, they have a higher fat content and are high in Omega 3 fatty acids. The fish was an important food source for native tribes, which have gathered on the South Umpqua River for thousands of years. Kelly Coates, a water and environmental resources program manager with the Cow Creek Band of Umpqua Tribe of Indians, said salmon were such a culturally sig- nificant food source for her ancestors that they had a name for them in their native language. “Anytime an animal actu- ally had a name you know it was really important to them,” Coates said. Each year, Coates said the tribe holds a first salmon cer- emony on the South Umpqua River that serves as a coming of age for young men and also honors the fish that feed them. “Part of the significance of the ceremony is to put some good out there in order to have increased returns of fish,” Coates said. Coates is a fish biologist by trade and said her passion for fisheries came from the tribe’s connection to natural resources. “The tribal connection to natural resources was huge for me growing up. I did a lot of hunting and fishing with my parents, and that was a big influence,” Coates said. For her, it’s important to ensure that salmon are part of her future and, also, her children’s future. “It would be really sad and very disheartening if I knew that my daughters were not going to get to see chinook salmon at South Umpqua Falls like I have, or that there were no returning salmon for our salmon cere- mony,” Coates said. Forecast for Pendleton Area TODAY WEDNESDAY THURSDAY FRIDAY SATURDAY Sunshine and patchy clouds Nice with clouds and sun Cloudy Partly sunny with a shower Partly sunny 66° 46° 63° 43° PENDLETON TEMPERATURE FORECAST 65° 48° 65° 48° 65° 45° HERMISTON TEMPERATURE FORECAST 67° 45° 66° 42° 65° 49° 68° 48° OREGON FORECAST 67° 43° ALMANAC Shown is today’s weather. Temperatures are today’s highs and tonight’s lows. PENDLETON through 3 p.m. yest. HIGH LOW TEMP. Seattle Olympia 58/48 67/44 67/36 Longview Kennewick Walla Walla 66/49 Lewiston 60/48 67/44 Astoria 59/47 Pullman Yakima 65/38 58/43 67/47 Portland Hermiston 62/48 The Dalles 67/45 Salem Corvallis 61/40 La Grande Yesterday Normals Records 69/39 PRECIPITATION John Day Eugene Bend 61/45 68/36 71/42 Ontario 70/41 Caldwell Burns 63° 33° 62° 37° 79° (2003) 21° (1984) 24 hours ending 3 p.m. Month to date Normal month to date Year to date Last year to date Normal year to date Albany 61/44 0.00" 1.14" 0.43" 6.29" 7.80" 6.99" WINDS (in mph) 70/40 68/27 0.00" 1.39" 0.72" 7.91" 13.70" 9.66" through 3 p.m. yest. HIGH LOW TEMP. Pendleton 65/39 60/45 24 hours ending 3 p.m. Month to date Normal month to date Year to date Last year to date Normal year to date HERMISTON Enterprise 66/46 66/45 63° 38° 61° 38° 80° (1982) 16° (1911) PRECIPITATION Moses Lake 59/42 Aberdeen 65/43 64/43 Tacoma Yesterday Normals Records Spokane Wenatchee 59/49 Today Medford 68/43 Wed. SE 3-6 NW 4-8 Boardman Pendleton WSW 6-12 W 6-12 SUN AND MOON Klamath Falls 65/32 Forecasts and graphics provided by AccuWeather, Inc. ©2018 Sunrise today Sunset tonight Moonrise today Moonset today Full 7:22 a.m. 5:56 p.m. 5:59 p.m. 6:00 a.m. Last New Fox 12 Oregon via AP This photo provided by Fox 12 Oregon shows a small kitten that was recently found glued to a busy road near Silverton. Kitten glued to busy road, rescued SILVERTON (AP) — An Oregon man says he found a 5-week-old kitten glued to a busy road. KPTV says Chuck Hawley rescued the kitten, which had some sort of glue on its paws, neck and tail. Veterinarian Jenny Bate says it’s clear the glue was intentionally put on the kit- ten’s paws. She was able to remove the glue using mineral oil and the kitten should fully recover. BRIEFLY First NATIONAL EXTREMES Yesterday’s National Extremes: (for the 48 contiguous states) High 91° in Thermal, Calif. Low 9° in Bodie State Park, Calif. Oct 24 Oct 31 Nov 7 Nov 15 NATIONAL WEATHER TODAY Shown are noon positions of weather systems and precipitation. Temperature bands are highs for the day. -10s -0s 0s showers t-storms 10s rain 20s flurries 30s snow 40s ice 50s cold front — Founded Oct. 16, 1875 — 211 S.E. Byers Ave., Pendleton 541-276-2211 333 E. Main St., Hermiston 541-567-6211 Office hours: Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Closed major holidays www.eastoregonian.com To subscribe, call 1-800-522-0255 or go online to www.eastoregonian.com and click on ‘Subscribe’ East Oregonian (USPS 164-980) is published daily except Sunday, Monday and postal holidays, by the EO Media Group, 211 S.E. Byers Ave. Pendleton, OR 97801. Periodicals postage paid at Pendleton, OR. Postmaster: send address changes to East Oregonian, 211 S.E. Byers Ave. Pendleton, OR 97801. Copyright © 2018, EO Media Group 60s 70s 80s 90s 100s warm front stationary front 110s high low New climate change lawsuit filed as youth suit halted Sweet Cakes by Melissa appeals to Supreme Court PORTLAND (AP) — The Animal Legal Defense Fund has filed a lawsuit to compel the federal government to act on climate change as a similar lawsuit filed by young activists was placed on hold. The Oregonian/OregonLive reports the plaintiffs in the suit filed Monday in U.S. District Court in Oregon include scientists, nature enthusiasts and wildlife advocates who say they fear for their safety because of increased severity of wildfires, mud- slides and other threats. They contend they have a fundamen- tal right to be left alone “free from human interference” in the wilderness. They’re asking a federal judge to declare that the U.S. government is violat- ing that right by contributing to a danger- ous concentration of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. The new suit comes days after the U.S. Supreme Court temporarily blocked a high-profile climate change lawsuit that young activists brought against the federal government in Eugene. PORTLAND (AP) — The owners of a shuttered Oregon bakery, who were fined for refusing to make a wedding cake for a lesbian couple, are appealing to the U.S. Supreme Court. The Oregonian/OregonLive reports lawyers for Melissa and Aaron Klein, the former owners of Sweet Cakes by Melissa, filed the petition Monday. They’re asking the high court to over- turn the state’s order to pay $135,000 in emotional damages to the couple they turned away. The Oregon Bureau of Labor and Industries imposed the damages in 2015 after finding the Kleins had violated state anti-discrimination law. The Oregon Court of Appeals upheld the order, and the state Supreme Court declined to hear the case. The high court ruled in favor of a Col- orado baker in a similar case but that decision didn’t address whether a busi- ness can invoke religious objections to refuse service to lesbian and gay people. Subscriber services: For mail delivery, online access, vacation stops or delivery concerns call 1-800-522-0255 ext. 1 SUBSCRIPTION RATES Local home delivery Savings off cover price EZPay $14.50 41 percent 52 weeks $173.67 41 percent 26 weeks $91.86 38 percent 13 weeks $47.77 36 percent *EZ Pay = one-year rate with a monthly credit or debit card/check charge Single copy price: $1 Tuesday through Friday, $1.50 Saturday Circulation Manager: Bonny Tuller, 541-966-0828 Hawley says it’s incredible the kitten wasn’t hit by a car. He saw several vehicles swerve around it before he could rescue it. Hawley tells KPTV he and his wife will adopt the kitten. They have named it Sticky. Marion County Sheriff’s Lt. Chris Baldridge says if Hawley files a crime report, his agency will investigate. The kitten now has a Facebook page, Sticky the Kitty. 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