Salmon River Project

Dustin W. Everitt

Growing up in rural Michigan, I spent many hours on secluded rivers and streams fishing for trout and salmon. Wanting to know more about fish, their ecology and biology, I sought an education in natural sciences.

I recently completed my Bachelors of Science degree in Fisheries Management in May of 2004. While at Lake Superior State University, I was involved with many fisheries related projects including work with Atlantic salmon at the LSSU Aquatic Research Lab, and grant funded research with hybrid Pacific salmon.

Now working on my masters at SUNY-ESF, my research focuses on adult Chinook salmon ecology in the Salmon River. More specifically, I am interested in Chinook spawning locations, redd habitat characteristics, and carcass abundance on the main stem of the Salmon River.

Large-scale introductions of Chinook salmon into the Salmon River began in the late 1960s.Throughout the 1970s and 80s Chinook stocking continued to create an impressive put and take fishery, however, natural reproduction was limited. In 1996, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commision mandated minimum year-round base flows for the Lighthouse Hill Dam in Altmar, NY, creating more favorable conditions for salmonid reproduction.

Today, the Salmon River is arguably the most heavily fished tributary to Lake Ontario. Each year, 60,000 anglers spend nearly 16 million dollars in the Salmon River valley during pursuit of salmonids (1996 NYSDEC Creel Census). Because of the Salmon Rivers huge economic and recreational importance, it is vital to understand how changes of the base flows have affected Chinook population dynamics and natural reproduction.

Results from this research may be able to assist the NYSDEC in understanding the extent of natural reproduction of Chinooks, as well as provide insight on ways to increase natural recruitment.