Chinook count falls in Russian River

http://www1.pressdemocrat.com/article/20081213/NEWS/812130316/1350?Title=Chinook_count_falls_in_Russian_River

I'd say the numbers are likely to be a bit down, but the lack of high-water this year is significant.  I've hiked creeks up here on the Eel this Fall that haven't been high enough for the fish to get in yet.  I've seen plenty of ocean-bright kings in these little spawning creeks in late December in the past, and the late high-water can even delay the runs further.  Chinook have been documented in spawning creeks here as late as February, and those instances likely coincide with stalled high-water in the Fall and early Winter.

I hope we get enough rain in this next week to bring the spawners up to my video camera.   

My best spin on Chinook numbers in the Russian is that number will rise by the hundreds when we get some rain, although I doubt its going to rise into the 2000's.  I have seen Chinook still in the Russian in February so there still is some time.  This year's return is from poor ocean conditions when smolts went out in 2005.