Lake Sammamish Kokanee Salmon - CJ Kindel

Lake Sammamish Kokanee Salmon

Oncorhynchus nerka

CJ Kindel

The Lake Sammamish Kokanee Salmon, Oncorhynchus nerka, are a threatened population of Sockeye Salmon that live solely in Lake Sammamish. These Kokanee are different than normal salmon in their migration, as they do not leave the Lake Sammamish watershed during their entire life. They spawn in the creeks that lead into the lake, returning to the main body of water in a similar fashion that traditional salmon return to the ocean.

These fish live in Lake Sammamish and its tributaries, in Washington State. The historical spawning creeks of the salmon are labeled and solid dark blue. The population for the lake is now between 300-500 fish, with over 100 fish seen at Elbright Creek in 2013. This is an improvementover the approximately 50 fish population the lake contained in the early 2000s.While the population is bouncing back thanks to the supplementation program, the early seasonal spawning run is nonexistent and believed to be extinct. This leaves only the late spawning run, which only occurs in Laughing Jacobs Creek, Ebright Creek, and Lewis Creek.

The cause of decline in population for Lake Sammamish Kokanee is due mainly to the increase of human development in the area. Many creeks were blocked by the expanding road network of the area, with culverts not designed for the passage of fish. In addition to the decrease of viable spawning area, predation increased as bass populations in the lake soared. The increase in bass is again due to human development, docks around the edge of the lake provide needed shade for the bass. These bass do not pose a threat to adult Kokanee, but the younger smolt and parr are often eaten by the carnivorous bass.
 

The Recovery Plan is already being put into action, with the Issaquah Salmon Hatchery, visible on the map above, supplementing the natural spawn with fish reared from captured Lake Sammamish Kokanee. These supplemental hatches are to run until 2021 with the hope that the population will be strong enough to grow on its own without external support. While this supplementation is happening, both private land owners and the government are working on improving the habitat of both the lake and its creeks. With these changes to the watershed, Washington Fish & Wildlife believe that the population will be strong enough to allow a limited season for the fish. This fishing season should improve public awareness of the fish and provide an example for the value of the population.

A petition to list the Lake Sammamish Kokanee population was made in 2007 when numbers were below 100 fish. The US Fish & Wildlife Service originally determined that the population was not distinct, due to lack of examples to genetically test against other kokanee salmon. The listing is still disputed, but King County and the Washington Department of Fish & Wildlife have developed their own recovery plan without the help of the federal government that is shown above.

Residents of the Lake Sammamish watershed can do a lot to help out the Kokanee population. The Issaquah Salmon Hatchery is always in need of volunteers and funding, with Salmon Days being a fun way to support salmon across the state. Residents with tributaries travelling through their property can contact the Issaquah Salmon Hatchery for information on how to optimize the waterways for salmon, especially if the creek travels through a culvert. Waterfront property owners can also do their part, as light prisms can be placed in docks toallow light into the water below to minimize the docks effect on salmon.

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Works Cited

"Lake Sammamish Kokanee - A Partnership Success Story." Washington Fish and Wildlife           

Office. U.S. Fish and WIldlife Service, 26 June 2013. Web. 12 Nov. 2016.             fws.gov/wafwo/LakeSammamishKokanee.html

“Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants; 12-Month Finding on a Petition To List the      

Lake Sammamish Kokanee Population of Oncorhynchus nerka as an Endangered or Threatened Distinct Population Segment” 76 Federal Register 192 (4 October 2011), pp. 61298-61307. gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/FR-2011-10-04/pdf/2011-25595.pdf

John, David St. "Lake Sammamish Kokanee, King County, Washington." King County, 10 Nov. 2016. Web. 12 Nov. 2016. kingcounty.gov/services/environment/animals-and- plants/salmon-and-trout/kokanee.aspx

"Salmon Days Home." Salmon Days Home. N.p., n.d. Web. 12 Nov. 2016. salmondays.org/

“Preliminary Resylts of Light Transmission under Residential Piers.” N.p., n.d. Web. 2006.             kirklandwa.gov/Assets/Planning/Planning%20PDFs/NOAA%20lightstudy.pdf