1. Salmon Species Chinook Aka “King” or “Tyee” or “Blackmouth”
Largest of the seven species
Average 4-10 years at sea
Spawn in main stem of rivers

2. Chum Salmon
Aka Dog salmon
2nd largest of the salmon species
2-6 years at sea
Spawn in lower tidal stretches

3. Silver Salmon
Aka Coho
3rd largest of the seven species
2-3 years at sea
Spawn in upper reaches of rivers

4. Pink Salmon
1-2 years at sea
Return to rivers only in odd
numbered years (in Washington)
3-5 lbs

5. Steelhead Salmon
Spring Spawner both a summer run and winter run
Spawn in fast flowing upper reaches

6. Cutthroat trout (salmon)
Coastal fish
Migrates to estuaries and spawns in upper reaches
Smallest of the seven species

7. Sockeye
aka “Blueback” or “Kokanee” or “Red Salmon”
Must spawn in river systems that have lakes
(e.g. Lake Quinault)
5-8 pounds

9. Salmon Lifecycle
Anadromous—salmon are born in fresh water—migrate to
ocean to grow& return to their stream of origin to reproduce.
Semelparity—die after spawning
2. Alevin Stage
Freshwater
Yolk sac contains proteins/carbs/fats
Egg Stage
Freshwater
Gravel
Need O2

10. Emerge from gravel and are active feeders
3. Fry Stage
Emerge from gravel and are active feeders
Parr marks are forms of camouflage
Coho Fry
Chinook Fry
Steelhead Fry

11. 4. Smolt
Salmon spends time as a juvenile in the marine estuary
Preparing it’s body to transition from a freshwater environment to a saltwater environment. This transitioning process is called smoltification. Notice the loss of their parr marks.

12. 5. Ocean Adult
Salmon puts on size depending on 3 factors:
Length of time in the ocean
Genetics
Ocean conditions
6. Returning Adult
Salmon use chemoreceptors to find home stream
All rivers/streams have their own unique chemical signature
based on the geology

13. 7. Salmon Carcasses
Return 95% of ocean nutrients to our
ogliotrophic (nutrient poor) streams
Food for multitudes of scavengers
including young salmon fry

14. 7 Needs
Limiting Factors
Genetic Diversity
Access to Spawning habitat
Cool Clean Water—45-55 F
Food Supply-diet is 50% aquatic/50% terrestrial
Clean Gravel (remember Soil BMPs and Riparian Zones?)
Cover-Large Wooded Debris (LWD), undercut banks, rootwads
Balanced Predator Populations

15. Clean Gravel
Large Woody Debris
Critical salmon habitat for
cover; avoiding
strong currents; finding food;
cool water temps

16. Riparian Zones
Create shade = cooler water = more OXYGEN—thus greater
biodiversity!
Source of LWD
Keep gravel clean by trapping sediments