Salmon spawn in McKay Creek
By Terry Murry on Tuesday, February 27th, 2024 in Columbia Basin News More Top Stories
PENDLETON – The Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife reports salmon have been documented spawning in McKay Creek for the first time in 30 years. Steelhead will be able to use the habitat to spawn as well this spring.
Staff for the fisheries, ODFW, and the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation found 72 redds (shallow, bowl-like depressions) in the six miles below the McKay Reservoir Dam during a recent survey. ODFW says that means a fish passage project that began last summer is producing near-immediate results.
Fishery managers, working with the Bureau of Reclamation dropped the left-hand side of an adult weir that’s been in place since the 1990s. It was blocking adult salmon and steelhead from passing.
“This is part of a larger effort working towards fish passage at McKay Creek Reservoir Dam, which is currently the 11th highest fish passage priority in the state,” ODFW wrote. “The available habitat in McKay Creek is the lower six miles of habitat, below the McKay Reservoir Dam, which currently blocks fish passage to 108 miles of habitat and represents 26 miles of stream miles upstream of the dam.”
ODFW said the habitat above the dam represents about 25 percent of suitable steelhead spawning and rearing habitat in the Umatilla River Basin. The McKay Creek drainage produces some of the coldest water in the Umatilla Basin, making it ideal spawning/rearing habitat for salmon and steelhead.
“We definitely could see a higher number of salmon and steelhead returning to the Umatilla Basin in the upcoming years because of this now available habitat in McKay Creek,” Umatilla District Fish Biologist Taylor McCroskey said in a prepared release. “Again, it’s the first time adult salmon and steelhead will be able to spawn in McKay Creek since the adult barrier went in back in the 1990s.”
Photo from ODFW
