Researchers with California Sea Grant and the Sonoma County Water Agency have seen promising results from this year's summer snorkeling surveys.  The joint snorkeling effort, funded by the US Army Corps of Engineers and the California Department of Fish and Wildlife, was in full swing in July, with biologists conducting surveys in 31 reaches of streams throughout the Russian River Basin.  These surveys are important because they inform researchers how well salmon and steelhead populations are recovering and where successful spawning occurred in the winter.

Wild juvenile coho salmon have been observed in 17 of 33 streams (52%) with approximately 4,000 individuals observed so far.  We hope to observe even more as the surveys continue through August.

Snorkel Video Links:

• Wild coho and steelhead juveniles in Wine Creek
• Wild coho juvenile in Pena Creek
• Wild steelhead juvenile in Mark West Creek

For more information, visit Russian River Coho Salmon Monitoring Program.