[6] Lower Expectations For Columbia River Coho

Nearly 400,000 coho are expected to return to the Columbia River this year, according to harvest managers. That's down from last year's run of slightly more than one million fish. The run is mostly hatchery fish and is expected to be made up of about 245,000 early run fish, and 144,000 late run coho.

The Oregon Coast Natural component is expected to add up to about 148,000 coho this year, down from last year's 257,000.

The managers reported that their preseason prediction last year for Columbia coho was within 99 percent of the actual return. In 2008, the run came in about three times higher (471,000) than their preseason estimate.

Since 1970, adult coho returns to the Columbia River have ranged from a low of 74,900 in 1995 to a high of 1,527,900 in 1986.

Ocean conditions have deteriorated over the past year. An annual September survey of juvenile coho off the mouth of the Columbia conducted by NOAA Fisheries researchers found last year's young coho numbers the lowest since 1998 when they began the effort. -B. R.

The following links were mentioned in this story:

Catches of Yearling Chinook in June and Coho in September

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