‘A glimmer of hope’: Eel River Recovery Project reports coho salmon in Tenmile Creek watershed

LAYTONVILLE, CA, 9/30/22 — Coho salmon have only been seen once in the Tenmile Creek watershed in the four years since the Eel River Recovery Project (ERRP) began monitoring there; but in mid-September, juvenile coho were observed in upper Cahto Creek, Mill Creek, and lower Little Case Creek, according to a news release Friday. 

“Coho are basically the fishery species that helps indicate what the health of your watershed is,” Anna Halligan, North Coast project manager for Trout Unlimited, told The Voice in 2021. The salmon are protected under the Endangered Species Act and have faced significant challenges in our area due to changing climate conditions and habitat loss; the fish must have water colder than 62.4 F and prefer shaded streams with lots of big wood.