Arcata Fish and Wildlife Fisheries Program has conducted adult salmonid population surveys on the Klamath and Trinity Rivers since 1993. Our work is in cooperation and coordination with the California Department of Fish and Game, U.S. Forest Service, U.S. Geological Survey, and the Hoopa Valley, Yurok and Karuk Tribes. Information collected will help managers with the Klamath basin fall Chinook salmon run size estimates and predictions for out year run size projections. This information is critical for future Tribal subsistence and commercial and recreational fisheries allocations. Surveys consist of conducting adult carcass mark-recapture estimations and redd counts. Typically, surveys begin in late September and continue through the end of November or mid December.

Klamath Redd Survey:

The Klamath River fall Chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha) redd survey is conducted by the Arcata Fish and Wildlife Service and the Karuk Tribal Fisheries Department. The survey covers a distance of 135.9 river kilometers from Iron Gate Dam to the confluence of Indian Creek in Happy Camp.

Klamath Carcass Survey:

In cooperation with the U.S. Geological Survey and the Yurok Tribal Fisheries Program, Chinook salmon carcass surveys have been conducted on the mainstem Klamath River from Iron Gate Dam to the Shasta River confluence since 2001. The purpose of these surveys is to estimate escapement of fall-run Chinook salmon using carcass mark-recapture methods and to characterize the run in terms of age and sex composition and spawning success.

Trinity River Redd and Carcass Surveys:

The Trinity River carcass and redd survey is a collaborative effort to monitor Chinook salmon reproduction, and includes participants from California Department of Fish and Game, Shasta-Trinity National Forest, Yurok Tribal Fisheries Program, Arcata Fish and Wildlife Office, and many volunteers. Surveys are conducted every fall, covering over 103 rkms downstream of Lewiston Dam to monitor adult Chinook salmon escapement. The surveys are designed to collect information on the temporal and spatial distribution of spawning activity. This information will be used to evaluate changes in spawning distribution due to Trinity River Restoration Program actions. Surveys typically begin in mid September and extend through mid-December.