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by dendrite9
17 days ago
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I remember in 2018 there were only 18 Kokanee counted spawning from Lake Sammamish. "A striking ebb in the number of Kokanee salmon in Lake Sammamish, just east of Seattle, has officials worried that extinction is around the corner. Five years ago, more than 18,000 of the unique freshwater species of sockeye returned to spawn in Lake Sammamish tributaries. This past year, only 19 were counted. While a number of possible factors are likely to blame for the dramatic drop in the population, King County environmental affairs officer David St. John said warm lake temperatures in the summer from 2014-16 was likely the largest driver. Lake Sammamish kokanee life cycles are measured in roughly three-year cycles. Kokanee migrate from Lake Sammamish to tributary streams where they spawn. The resulting offspring, juveniles known as fry, then move to the main lake where they remain for just under three years before returning to the streams to spawn, continuing the cycle." |
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