The salmon bodies also provide nutrients for aquatic insects that nourish the new salmon fry once they hatch. Historically, fall chinook salmon spawned in the mainstem Columbia River from near The Dalles, Oregon, to the Pend Oreille River in Idaho, a distance of nearly 560 miles. Today, however, the 51-mile Hanford Reach is the only significant spawning habitat that remains for the upriver bright race of fall chinook salmon in the mainstem Columbia River. Scientists have conducted aerial surveys of salmon spawning in the Reach since 1948. The increase in recent years reflects an increase, in part, of efforts to supplement wild fish populations with hatchery-raised fish.
Chinook salmon are one of six anadromous salmonid species found in the Pacific Northwest.
Find out what species are migrating by calling or visiting a local dam or by checking your local newspaper's sports page. Create a chart so you can track the number and type of species migrating during the year. You can also check with your state Fish and Wildlife Department to find out the number of salmon caught in every river in the state. Fish printing is a fun and easy way to combine art and science. Fish prints work best with fish with large scales.