By LISA SNELL, CUJ
PENDLETON– The Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife (ODFW) announced evidence heralding the return of salmon to McKay Creek in their #FishPassageFriday social media post Feb. 22.
Recent Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation (CTUIR) surveys counted 72 salmon-cleared egg pits, or redds, along the six miles below the McKay Reservoir Dam – the result of fall chinook and coho spawning. This marks the first time salmon have spawned in McKay Creek since a weir blocking fish passage was installed across the creek in 1995 and fisheries managers are optimistic for the return of summer steelhead this spring.
“We could definitely see a higher number of salmon and steelhead returning to the Umatilla basin in the upcoming years because of this now available habitat in McKay Creek,” said Taylor McCroskey, ODFW Umatilla/Walla Walla district fish biologist. “Again, it’s the first time adult salmon and steelhead will be able to spawn in McKay Creek since the adult barrier went in back in the 1990s.”
The adult weir was installed at the mouth of the creek to keep anadromous species, fish that spend portions of its life cycle in both fresh and salt waters, out of this section due to flows being shut off, in the past, during the winter to store irrigation water in the reservoir. Now that water flows through the lower six miles year-round, fishery co-managers, the CTUIR, the ODFW, and the Bureau of Reclamation initiated an experimental study in July 2023 by removing the left-hand side of the weir to determine the effects before fully removing the barrier. Fish can now pass above the weir and the presence of the redds show that they have.
According to the CTUIR and ODFW, this is part of a larger effort working towards fish passage at McKay Creek Reservoir Dam, which is currently the 11th highest fish passage priority in the state.
“McKay Creek restoration efforts represent a successful collaboration between tribal, state, and federal agencies, resulting in real-world results. Seeing the successful spawning of salmon in a reach that has been blocked for decades is something the entire community should celebrate,” said Jerimiah Bonifer, CTUIR fisheries program manager.
CTUIR Board Member At-Large Corinne Sams, who also chairs the tribe’s Fish and Wildlife Commission, agrees.
“We celebrate, along with our co-managers, the return of our salmon and steelhead in the Umatilla Basin. Opening up blocked areas to returning salmon and steelhead heals our watersheds and our community,” Sams said. “We are committed to protecting, restoring and enhancing our first foods – allowing our tribal membership and our community to once again exercise harvest opportunities in these restored areas.”
The available habitat in McKay Creek is the lower six miles below the McKay Reservoir Dam, which currently blocks fish passage to 108 miles of habitat and represents 26 miles upstream of the dam.
Summer steelhead usually spawn in April and May, and CTUIR will conduct several surveys this spring to confirm their return to the creek.
