California Department of Fish and Wildlife, Northern Region
Yreka, CA – The California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) has released its latest in-season update on juvenile salmonid outmigration monitoring in the Scott and Shasta Rivers, key tributaries of the Klamath River. The data, collected through rotary screw traps (RSTs) since 2001, track the outmigration of Chinook Salmon, Coho Salmon, and rainbow trout/steelhead (O. mykiss). The preliminary report for Julian Week (JW) 24, ending June 17, 2025, highlights operational challenges and provides season-to-date catch data, though no new catch was recorded for the week due to trap closures.
Shasta River: Operations Halted Due to Environmental Conditions
The Shasta River RST, located 0.2 river kilometers from the Klamath River confluence, ceased operations at the end of JW 24 due to high water temperatures. The trap, which began operating on January 31, 2025, ran for five days a week this season to optimize efficiency amid fewer disruptions from high discharge compared to the Scott River. Over the season, the trap operated for 79 days, capturing significant numbers of juvenile salmonids.
Season-to-date expanded raw catch on the Shasta River includes 129,864 age 0+ Chinook Salmon, 21 age 1+ Chinook Salmon, 177 age 0+ Coho Salmon, 82 age 1+ Coho Salmon, and 1,145 O. mykiss across various age classes. Trap efficiencies ranged from 0% to 14%, with no preliminary population estimates provided for JW 24 due to insufficient data. The CDFW notes that raw catch numbers are not direct indicators of abundance and should not be used to infer population trends.
Scott River: Monitoring Paused for Regulatory Adjustments
The Scott River RST, positioned 7 river kilometers upstream from the Klamath confluence, began operations on February 12, 2025, following installation on January 29 with support from the Karuk Tribe Fisheries Department. Operations paused during JW 24 to await modifications to permitted take numbers, with plans to resume in JW 25. The trap operated for 64 days this season, recording lower catch numbers compared to the Shasta River.
Season-to-date expanded raw catch on the Scott River includes 356 age 0+ Chinook Salmon, 18 age 1+ Chinook Salmon, 41 age 0+ Coho Salmon, 911 age 1+ Coho Salmon, 4 age 2+ Coho Salmon, and 925 O. mykiss across age classes. Trap efficiencies were low, ranging from 0% to 3%, and data were insufficient to produce preliminary population estimates for 2025. The CDFW emphasizes that these figures are preliminary and subject to revision.
Tribal Concerns Highlight Flow Issues
Local tribes are expressing alarm over the Scott River Chinook Salmon populations, citing the monitoring data as evidence of a continued decline toward extinction. In a statement, Falice Pace argues that habitat restoration efforts, while extensive, are not addressing the primary factor limiting salmon recovery: insufficient river flows. They are urging federal and state representatives to prioritize funding for a mainstem Klamath River flow evaluation using existing data to inform management strategies.
Scientific Context and Next Steps
The monitoring program employs methods outlined in Carlson et al. (1998) to estimate abundance through mark-recapture trials, though trap efficiency thresholds often limit the ability to produce reliable population estimates. Historical data from 2002–2024 show variability in outmigration, with gaps in monitoring due to environmental and operational constraints. The CDFW underscores that expanded raw catch data should not be used to draw conclusions about temporal abundance trends without further analysis.
As the 2025 monitoring season progresses, the CDFW plans to resume operations on the Scott River and continue analyzing data to refine abundance estimates. The agency and tribal partners remain focused on understanding the factors affecting salmonid populations in the Klamath Basin, with flow management emerging as a critical area of concern.
For more information on the monitoring program, contact the California Department of Fish and Wildlife or visit their website.
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