excerpt from: Technical Report for Water Quality and Fish and Wildlife Habitat,  
McKenzie Watershed Council, February 1996, pp. 19

"Spring chinook salmon are native to the McKenzie watershed and are the largest common fish in the river.  Historically, spring chinook spawning and rearing areas were distributed along the main stem McKenzie up to Tamolitch Falls, Gate Creek, Horse Creek, Lost Creek, the South Fork McKenzie, Blue River, and the Mohawk.  However, with dams affecting fish passage and temperature, the run has been reduced from historic levels.  Temperature changes have delayed adult fish migration and decreased fry survival. 

There are also concerns with the effects the hatchery fish are having on the native run.  Composition of the spring chinook run has shifted from a wild-production run of the late 1950s to a present run heavily supported by hatchery fish produced at the McKenzie Hatchery.  The ability of the McKenzie River spring chinook population to be self-sustaining is a controversial issue.  High quality habitat in the McKenzie River may provide the only area in the Willamette Basin as a whole where spring chinook are capable of self-sustaining the population."

The Spring Chinook Spawning Areas Map was created using data from Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife.  They have a large selection of maps which can be viewed and printed in the form of PDF files.  

The Oregon Plan for Salmon and Watersheds, For the Sake of the Salmon, and A Snapshot of Salmon in Oregon are all good resources for learning more about salmon issues in Oregon.  And the McKenzie Hatchery provides information on hatcheries and the life cycle of salmon.

last updated 11/22/00
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