SIUSLAW NEWS ❚ WEDNESDAY, APRIL 8, 2015
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New publication aimed at helping Oregon turtles
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NEWS FEED
294 Laurel St. in Historic Old Town Florence
541-997-4886
CLACKAMAS — A com-
prehensive guide focused on
conserving Oregon’s native
turtles and their habitats recent-
ly was released by the Oregon
Department of Fish and
Wildlife.
The guide includes Best
Management Practices (BMPs)
to protect and conserve
Oregon’s two native turtle
species, the western painted
turtle and the western pond tur-
tle. Both turtles are classified
as “critical” on Oregon’s
Sensitive Species list and iden-
tified as priority at-risk species
in the Oregon Conservation
Strategy.
The Strategy is Oregon’s
blueprint for conserving the
state’s fish and wildlife and
their habitats.
Guidance for Conserving
Oregon’s
Native
Turtles
Including Best Management
Practices is intended primarily
for natural resource and land
managers, land use planners
and project managers, but
landowners and the general
public can also benefit from
this resource.
The guide was peer-
reviewed and the BMPs are
practical and cost-effective so
they can be readily used.
The guide can help with
planning projects in or near
permanent or seasonal wet-
lands, ponds and other water
bodies that are within the
ODFW
Good Diet = Healthy Teeth
If your child must snack, choose nutritious
foods such as vegetables,
low-fat yogurt, and low-fat cheese
which are healthier and better for
children’s teeth.
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Florence Community Dental Care
541-997-3423
Dr. Chad Clement
1256 Bay St. Old Town Florence
ATHLETE
from 1C
The program will continue
through July 31 in Astoria,
where the Clatsop County
Fisheries Project manages a
salmon rearing program.
Hazing is designed to dis-
rupt the birds’ feeding patterns
long enough to give wild-
spawned and hatchery fish a
chance to pass through the
estuaries unharmed.
Some of these spring
migrants are listed by the state
or federal government as
OF THE
WEEK
Abby Watkins
Siuslaw
H.S.
Vintage Blue Warehouse
ESTATE SALES - CONSIGNMENT
New half price
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Thursday - Saturday 10-5
Sunday 11-4
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Track & Field
The Viking sophomore
won the long jump at
last week’s Junction
City Invitational with a
personal-best mark of
16’4”.
Watkins also
finished third in the 100
meters and ran one leg
in Siuslaw’s third place
4x100 relay.
Honorable Mention
Carissa Oliver
Siuslaw
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© 2015 by Vicki Whiting, Editor Jeff Schinkel, Graphics Vol. 31, No. 18
Teammate and fellow tenth
grader, Carissa Oliver who
won the discus in Junction
City with a throw of 112’10”,
eclipsing her former best
throw by more than 13-feet.
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Fishing
from 1C
week as the river levels being
to drop. Lake Creek typically
clears up more quickly.
ALSEA RIVER: Steelhead
The winter steelhead fishery
is slowing down for the sea-
son down but fair numbers of
fish can still be found in the
upper river, especially after a
rain event. Native fish tend to
be prevalent this time of year.
Casting lures, bobber and
jig/bait or drifting beads along
the bottom can be effective
techniques.
SILETZ RIVER: Steelhead
Steelhead fishing is slow to
fair. Fish are being caught in
most sections depending on
river conditions. This time of
year tends to produce a good
percent of native fish and/or
post spawn fish. Typical steel-
head tactics apply such as side
drifting, bobber and jig / bait,
or casting spoons or spinners.
WILSON RIVER:
Steelhead, Chinook
Winter steelhead fishing
should be slow to fair. Last
weekend’s rain brought good
numbers of fish into the sys-
tem. Fish will be holding ups
as flows are low. Bank anglers
can find success throughout
the river. Boaters should fish
the lower drifts until more
rains come. Use lighter gear in
the clear water. Spring
Chinook fishing opens April 1,
but few fish will be present
for several weeks.
YAQUINA RIVER:
Steelhead
The winter steelhead fishery
is slow in the Big Elk. The
fishery is typically very slow
for the rest of the season.
Anglers are advised to watch
for private property. Typical
steelhead fishing tactics apply
but the Big Elk is bed rock
dominated and does have a lot
of snags.
UMPQUA RIVER, SOUTH:
Steelhead
Fish have been caught in
the Canyonville area and
hatchery fish have been
reported. The hatchery pro-
gram for winter steelhead is
centered in the South
Umpqua, which offers the best
chance for catching an adi-
pose-fin clipped steelhead for
harvest. Most hatchery fish are
caught from Canyonville
downstream.
All wild fish must be
known range of native turtles.
Actions that involve ground
disturbance, changes in water
levels, riparian habitat restora-
tion, or use of heavy equipment
are just a few examples known
to affect native turtles.
“Our native turtles are in
trouble — habitat loss, poor
water quality, roads that sepa-
rate aquatic habitats from
upland habitats and competi-
tion with invasive species like
red-eared slider turtles are just
a few threats,” said Susan
Barnes, an ODFW wildlife
biologist noted for her work
with native turtles. “We
encourage project planners and
land managers to use the guide
or call ODFW for help when
planning projects in native tur-
tle habitat.”
There is something each per-
son can do to help native tur-
tles, Barnes said.
Whether it’s creating suit-
able turtle nesting habitat,
knowing how to keep turtles
out of an active construction
zone or knowing what to do if
you find a turtle crossing a
road.
“We all have a role in turtle
conservation,” Barnes said.
The guide was produced by
ODFW with significant finan-
cial and design contributions
from the Port of Portland, tech-
nical review by the Oregon
Native Turtle Working Group.
species under some degree of
conservation risk, including
coho salmon, which are feder-
ally Threatened in Oregon
under the Endangered Species
Act.
Cormorant hazing is expect-
ed to benefit both wild-
spawned and hatchery fish.
In a separate but related
project, ODFW staff will col-
lect up to 50 double-crested
cormorants at the mouth of the
Umpqua River.
This is part of an ongoing
study that will assess the diet
of double-crested cormorants
in Oregon estuaries.
Oregon has a permit from
the U.S. Fish and Wildlife
Service that allows for limited
collection of double-crested
cormorants, a protected species
under the federal Migratory
Bird Treaty Act.
ODFW is also actively
researching the potential use of
low-power handheld lasers to
disperse cormorants from feed-
ing and roosting sites.
Laser-based hazing activi-
ties will occur this spring on a
trial basis at several coastal
locations.
released unharmed. Plunking
should be good at places such
as L AWSON B AR , M YRTLE
C REEK and behind Seven
Feathers. The water has been
low making it harder for long
boat drifts, but still suitable
for bank anglers.
season is open for all salmon
except coho salmon, with a
bag limit of two salmon per
day, and a minimum size for
Chinook salmon at 24 inches
or larger.
Fishing for lingcod has
been very good in the Coos
Bay and Bandon areas.
Anglers are catching ling-
cod in shallow and deep water.
Fishing for black rockfish has
been decent.
The all depth rockfish sea-
son has ended. Retention of
cabezon is not allowed until
June 30.
• Salmon
Ocean recreational fishing
is open for Chinook salmon
from Cape Falcon to Humbug
Mt. through April 30. This
season is open for all salmon
except coho salmon, with a
bag limit of two salmon per
day, and minimum sizes for
Chinook salmon at 24 inches
or larger, and steelhead at 20
inches or larger.
Anglers are restricted to no
more than two single-point
barbless hooks when fishing
for salmon and when fishing
for any other species if a
salmon is on board the vessel.
Anglers fishing in ocean
waters adjacent to Tillamook
Bay between Twin Rocks and
Pyramid Rock and within the
15-fathom depth contour are
reminded that only adipose
fin-clipped Chinook salmon
may be retained or on board
while fishing prior to Aug. 1.
• Pacific halibut
The 2015 Pacific halibut
quota is approximately 1 per-
cent greater than 2014.
Therefore, sport halibut sea-
sons are projected to be simi-
lar to 2014. The staff-recom-
mended season dates are on
the OFDW sport halibut web-
page and will be finalized by
the Oregon Fish and Wildlife
Commission on April 24.
• Crab
Ocean crabbing is slow on
the central and south coasts.
Bay and ocean crabbers might
run into red rock crab as well
as Dungeness crab. Red rock
crab is a native species but is
not present in all of Oregon’s
bays.
Good places to try are from
the docks in Tillamook Bay,
Yaquina Bay, and Coos Bay.
Red rock crab are caught just
like Dungeness and have a
daily limit of 24.
COOS COUNTY LAKES
PONDS: Trout
AND
Trophy trout were stocked
last week in Bradley Lake and
Johnson Mill Pond. Legal-size
and trophy trout were also
stocked last week in Empire
Lakes. Legal size trout were
stocked in the past month in
B RADLEY L AKE , S AUNDERS
L AKE , P OWERS P OND ,
M INGUS P ARK P OND , and
J OHNSON M ILL P OND .
Trout are biting on bait
fished near the bottom or lures
like spinners or spoons. There
are several lakes like
T ENMILE , E EL , and
B UTTERFIELD with holdover
rainbow trout from last year’s
stocking.
COOS RIVER BASIN:
Dungeness crab, bay clams,
steelhead, rockfish
Steelhead fishing is open
until April 30 in the Coos
Basin although many anglers
have put away their steelhead
gear for the season. River lev-
els have been low but there
are still a few steelhead
around. There is bank access
on the West Fork Millicoma at
the Millicoma Interpretive
Center and on the East Fork
Millicoma at Nesika Park.
Access to the South Fork
Coos River is through
Weyerhaeuser property and
anglers must have the appro-
priate permit from
Weyerhaeuser.
WINCHESTER BAY:
Bottomfish
Fishing for bottomfish in
the Triangle and South jetty
has been successful. Crabbing
has been slow recently.
PACIFIC OCEAN and
BEACHES: Bottomfish,
Dungeness crab, surf perch
The ocean is open for har-
vest of Dungeness crab.
Anglers continue to catch
surf perch from the beaches
near Bandon and Coos Bay.
The best fishing is usually on
the incoming tide. Sand
shrimp is one of the best baits
to use when fishing for surf
perch.
Recreational ocean salmon
season from Cape Falcon to
Humbug Mt. is now open. The
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