6th Annual Spring-run Chinook Watershed Symposium

The Salmonid Restoration Federation will host the 6th Annual Spring-run Chinook Symposium at the Indian Creek Lodge on the beautiful Trinity River, August 16-17, 2012. This year’s Chinook Symposium offers two full days of informative presentations and tours addressing issues specific to Springrun Chinook populations.

The Spring-run Chinook Symposium starts the morning of August 16th with an orientation presentation on the salmonid population trends in the Trinity River basin, followed by an overview of the Trinity River geography and Spring-run Chinook population. Participants will then have a choice of two tours: a tour of the South Fork Trinity River watershed, looking at the relationships between Spring-run Chinook, streams, roads, fires, and geology, or a whitewater rafting tour of Upper Trinity River restoration sites and Spring-run holding and rearing habitat. Following dinner, there will be several evening presentations including Josh Strange’s talk on Spring-run Chinook migration, management and restoration; Yurok Tribal perspectives on Spring-run Chinook by Yurok Policy Analyst, Troy Fletcher, and a presentation by Geneticist Carlos Garza regarding the biological issues in NOAA Fisheries Spring-run status determination in the Klamath-Trinity system.

The Symposium wraps up on Friday with two all-day tours. One will visit the Trinity River Hatchery, upriver spawning habitat and look at gravel augmentation and restoration sites. The other will be a repeat of the popular whitewater rafting tour of Upper Trinity restoration sites, and Spring-run Chinook rearing and holding habitat.

The Spring-run Chinook Symposium takes place immediately before and in the same location as the 15th Annual Coho Confab and we encourage participants to attend both events. The Indian Creek Lodge [(530) 623-6294, http://iclodge.net] is a beautiful fishing lodge right on the mainstem of the Trinity. We encourage people to reserve a room at the lodge (not included in the price of the Symposium).

Agenda Poster

Thursday, August 16

8-9 am — Registration and Light Breakfast Buffet

9am — Orientation Presentations:

• Population Trends of Anadromous Salmonids in the Trinity River Basin, Wade Sinnen, California Department of Fish and Game
• Overview of Trinity River Spring-run Chinook and Upper Trinity River Geography, Joshua Strange and Aaron Martin, Yurok Tribal Fisheries Program

10am — Tours Depart

1. South Fork Trinity River Watershed Tour: Spring Chinook's Relationship with Roads, Fires, Geology and Streams, Josh Smith, South Fork Trinity River Watershed Coordinator, and Cynthia Tarwater, Trinity County Resource Conservation District
2. Whitewater Rafting Tour of Upper Trinity River Restoration Sites and Spring-run Chinook Holding and Rearing Habitat, Joshua Strange and Aaron Martin, Yurok Tribal Fisheries Program

6-7 pm — Dinner & Networking

Evening Presentations:

• Perspectives on Spring-run Chinook Salmon Migration, Management and Restoration, Joshua Strange, Fisheries Scientist, Yurok Tribal Fisheries Program
• Yurok Tribal Perspectives on Spring-run Chinook Salmon, Troy Fletcher, Policy Analyst, Yurok Tribe
• Biological Issues in Spring-run Chinook Salmon Status Determination in the Klamath-Trinity Basin, Carlos Garza, PhD, Research Geneticist, Southwest Fisheries Science Center, NOAA Fisheries

Friday, August 17

9am — Tours Depart

1. Tour of Trinity River Hatchery, Upriver Spawning Habitat and Gravel Augmentation and Restoration Projects, Larry Glenn, Hatchery Manager, California Department of Fish & Game and Trinity River Restoration Program
2. Whitewater Rafting Tour of Upper Trinity River Restoration Sites and Spring-run Chinook Holding and Rearing Habitat, Joshua Strange and Aaron Martin, Yurok Tribal Fisheries Program

Registration is closed