and different year classes do not interbreed. not do classes year different and predators away from the females. the from away predators impact of their activities on salmon. salmon. on activities their of impact returning pink salmon were born in the same year, year, same the in born were salmon pink returning males’ conspicuous hump diverts the attention of of attention the diverts hump conspicuous males’ landowners about ways to reduce the the reduce to ways about landowners kokanee, spend their entire lives in freshwater lakes. freshwater in lives entire their spend kokanee, Pinks spend a fixed 18 months at sea; thus, all all thus, sea; at months 18 fixed a spend Pinks other name, “humpback.” Some biologists think the the think biologists Some “humpback.” name, other We also advise businesses and private private and businesses advise also We before heading out to sea. Some populations, called called populations, Some sea. to out heading before silvery color of smolts, and migrate directly to sea. sea. to directly migrate and smolts, of color silvery large hump on their backs, earning the species its its species the earning backs, their on hump large propagation of pure wild strains. strains. wild pure of propagation to freshwater lakes, where they spend 1 to 2 years years 2 to 1 spend they where lakes, freshwater to the fry emerge from the gravel they already have the the have already they gravel the from emerge fry the their backs and tail fins. Spawning males develop a a develop males Spawning fins. tail and backs their habitat improvement, and hatchery hatchery and improvement, habitat Sockeye fry, after emerging from the gravel, migrate migrate gravel, the from emerging after fry, Sockeye are typically found in shorter coastal streams. When When streams. coastal shorter in found typically are easily distinguished by the large oval spots on on spots oval large the by distinguished easily through research and monitoring, monitoring, and research through Pink salmon rarely travel far upriver to spawn; they they spawn; to upriver far travel rarely salmon Pink Pinks average 2 to 5 pounds. Sea-run pinks are are pinks Sea-run pounds. 5 to 2 average Pinks is working to preserve wild salmon salmon wild preserve to working is jaws become hooked, and sharp canine teeth appear. teeth canine sharp and hooked, become jaws Service Wildlife and Fish U.S. The compressed, a hump appears behind the head, the the head, the behind appears hump a compressed, Pink green heads. The males’ bodies become laterally laterally become bodies males’ The heads. green non-native stocks is rarely successful. rarely is stocks non-native males and females develop bright red bodies and and bodies red bright develop females and males lost, it will not return; transplanting of of transplanting return; not will it lost, both sea, at years 2 typical a after water fresh are close to oblivion. Once a wild run is is run wild a Once oblivion. to close are few spots, and bright silver sides. When they enter enter they When sides. silver bright and spots, few wild stocks may now be extinct; others others extinct; be now may stocks wild Sea-run sockeye salmon have dark blue backs with with backs blue dark have salmon sockeye Sea-run (Oregon), and an estimated 104 other other 104 estimated an and (Oregon), Sockeye (Idaho), the Wallowa River sockeye sockeye River Wallowa the (Idaho), been lost. The Snake River coho coho River Snake The lost. been already has legacy this of much But legacy. legacy. wild salmon are a precious genetic genetic precious a are salmon wild and so on. Diverse and resilient, these these resilient, and Diverse on. so and chinook, Snake River spring chinook, chinook, spring River Snake chinook, origin): Sacramento River winter winter River Sacramento origin): 4 years is typical. is years 4 run (time of return) and race (river of of (river race and return) of (time run from the gravel. They spend up to 7 years at sea, but but sea, at years 7 to up spend They gravel. the from usually refer to wild salmon by their their by salmon wild to refer usually emerge they after soon sea the to migrate fry Chum their home rivers. Thus, biologists biologists Thus, rivers. home their streams each year. each streams behavior are adapted to conditions in in conditions to adapted are behavior and do not migrate far inland to spawn. to inland far migrate not do and to their native native their to living in streams. in living are many races, whose physiology and and physiology whose races, many are salmon return return salmon chum are fast swimmers, they are not good jumpers, jumpers, good not are they swimmers, fast are chum of age and 8 to 10 pounds. The fry spend over a year year a over spend fry The pounds. 10 to 8 and age of appointed time. Within runs, there there runs, Within time. appointed these endangered endangered these while females have a reddish lateral band. Although Although band. lateral reddish a have females while waters, and return to their home streams at 3 years years 3 at streams home their to return and waters, each returning at its genetically genetically its at returning each few hundred of of hundred few males develop reddish vertical bars on their flanks, flanks, their on bars vertical reddish develop males Most coho spend 18 months at sea, sticking to coastal coastal to sticking sea, at months 18 spend coho Most sockeye, and pink — has several runs, runs, several has — pink and sockeye, (Idaho). Only a a Only (Idaho). Pacific salmon, weighing up to 40 pounds. Spawning Spawning pounds. 40 to up weighing salmon, Pacific salmon — chinook, coho, chum, chum, coho, chinook, — salmon River fall chinook chinook fall River of spawning males often become grotesquely hooked. hooked. grotesquely become often males spawning of canine teeth of spawning males, are the second largest largest second the are males, spawning of teeth canine Each of the 5 species of Pacific Pacific of species 5 the of Each Above: Snake Snake Above: winter run chinook, which is now listed as endangered. as listed now is which chinook, run winter greenish backs. Spawning females are paler. The jaws jaws The paler. are females Spawning backs. greenish Chum, also known as “dog” salmon from the large large the from salmon “dog” as known also Chum, fresh water. The Sacramento River also hosts a unique unique a hosts also River Sacramento The water. fresh sides, spawning males develop bright red sides and and sides red bright develop males spawning sides, Chum smaller tributaries. Their fry spend a year or more in in more or year a spend fry Their tributaries. smaller teeth are white. Although sea-run coho have silver silver have coho sea-run Although white. are teeth earlier, but delay spawning until fall, and spawn in in spawn and fall, until spawning delay but earlier, upper lobe of the tail fin. The gums at the base of the the of base the at gums The fin. tail the of lobe upper 3 to 4 months in fresh water. Spring chinook migrate migrate chinook Spring water. fresh in months 4 to 3 They have small black spots on their backs and the the and backs their on spots black small have They spawning grounds, usually large rivers. The fry spend spend fry The rivers. large usually grounds, spawning can jump falls that most salmon cannot negotiate. negotiate. cannot salmon most that falls jump can Fall chinook spawn soon after arriving at their their at arriving after soon spawn chinook Fall Coho (or silver) salmon are powerfully built, and and built, powerfully are salmon silver) (or Coho Coho not as brightly colored when spawning. when colored brightly as not while spring chinook are smaller, slimmer, and and slimmer, smaller, are chinook spring while are gray. Fall-run chinook are robust and deep-bodied, deep-bodied, and robust are chinook Fall-run gray. are dorsal fin, and tail fin. The gums at the base of the teeth teeth the of base the at gums The fin. tail and fin, dorsal recorded. Chinook have small black spots on the back, back, the on spots black small have Chinook recorded. averaging 18 to 24 pounds with up to 127 pounds pounds 127 to up with pounds 24 to 18 averaging The chinook (or king) salmon is the largest species, species, largest the is salmon king) (or chinook The Chinook Pacific Salmon Pacific on the Brink the on Salmon Journey of the Salmon and the U.S. Fish A Resource U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service Pacific Salmon and Wildlife Service In Decline The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s Salmon fisheries program is one of more than 20 resource agency programs that share responsibility for management of the Pacific of salmon and steelhead trout in the Northwest. We help restore degraded fish habitat, and operate hatcheries to Coast compensate for habitat and fish loss caused by dams and water diversions. In 1996, 66 million salmon and steelhead fry were released from 17 national fish hatcheries in the western states. Hatcheries contribute 900,000 adult salmon annually to sport, commercial, and Tribal fisheries. To ensure the health of hatchery fish, we conduct genetic, disease and What You Can Do nutrition research at four fish health centers and a technology center. ● Speak up for salmon restoration. Request that Through our eight fishery resource agencies provide adequate stream flows and other offices, we monitor salmon habitat protection. Oregon Historical Society #Gi7193 populations and work to restore wild ● Be an informed consumer.