Oregon

Much of Oregon faces ‘devastating’ salmon fishing ban

Published

2 years ago

March 25, 2023

Much of Oregon faces ‘devastating’ salmon fishing ban

As drought dried up rivers that carry California’s newly hatched Chinook salmon to the ocean, state officers lately resorted to loading up the fish by the thousands and thousands onto vehicles and barges to take them to the Pacific.

The surreal and determined scramble boosted the survival charge of the hatchery-raised fish, however nonetheless it was not sufficient to reverse the declining shares within the face of added challenges. River water temperatures rose with heat climate, and a Trump-era rollback of federal protections for waterways allowed extra water to be diverted to farms. Local weather change, in the meantime, threatens meals sources for the younger Chinook maturing within the Pacific.

Now, ocean salmon fishing season is ready to be prohibited this yr off California and far of Oregon for the second time in 15 years after grownup fall-run Chinook, typically generally known as king salmon, returned to California’s rivers in close to record-low numbers in 2022.

“There can be no wild-caught California salmon to eat until somebody has nonetheless bought some vacuum sealed final yr of their freezer,” mentioned John McManus of the Golden State Salmon Affiliation.

Consultants worry native California salmon, which make up a good portion of the Pacific Northwest’s fishing business, are in a spiral towards extinction. A lot of the salmon caught off Oregon originate in California’s Klamath and Sacramento rivers. After hatching in freshwater, they spend three years on common maturing within the Pacific, the place many are snagged by business fishermen, earlier than migrating again to their spawning grounds, the place circumstances are extra ultimate to present start. After laying eggs, they die.

Already California’s spring-run Chinook are listed as threatened below the Endangered Species Act, whereas winter-run Chinook are endangered together with the Central California Coast coho salmon, which has been off-limits to California business fishers because the Nineteen Nineties.

Samuel Zamudio fillets rockfish whereas working at Costarella Seafoods on Pier 45 in San Francisco, Monday, March 20, 2023. AP Photograph/Godofredo A. Vásquez

The Pacific Fishery Administration Council, the authority chargeable for setting ocean salmon seasons off the Pacific coast, is predicted in early April to formally approve its proposed closure of Chinook fishing alongside the coast from Cape Falcon in northern Oregon to the California-Mexico border.

Leisure fishing is predicted to be allowed in Oregon just for coho salmon throughout the summer season and for Chinook after Sept. 1. Salmon season is predicted to open as traditional north of Cape Falcon, together with within the Columbia River and off Washington’s coast.

Although the closure will deal a blow to the business that helps tens of hundreds of jobs, few are disputing it.

“We need to make certain they’re right here for the long run,” mentioned third-generation fisherman Garin McCarthy, who described catching a Chinook as “magical.”

McCarthy, whose complete revenue final yr got here from salmon fishing off each California and Oregon, has needed to make investments hundreds of {dollars} in tools to fish different species like rockfish, halibut and black cod.

“We’re all scrambling to attempt to make our boats do one thing completely different,” he mentioned. “We’re all salmon trollers. That’s what we do. That’s what we dwell for.”

Glen Spain, govt director of the Pacific Coast Federation of Fishermen’s Associations, mentioned he believes the ban would possibly have to be in place for 2 or three years to deliver again sustainable shares after many fish died in 2020, the beginning of a record-dry interval.

The Chinook already confronted challenges, with dams blocking their historic retreats to the chilly higher reaches of Northern California’s Sacramento River and the Klamath River alongside the California-Oregon border. Many years of improvement have disrupted the pure stream of rivers and polluted waters.

A hand reaches out towards a plate of salmon on top of a bed of other food. — A farm-raised salmon dish at Scoma’s might be seen earlier than being served to a buyer in San Francisco, Monday, March 20, 2023. AP Photograph/Godofredo A. Vásquez

In 2020, the Trump administration ended federal protections for thousands and thousands of waterways, permitting for extra water to be pumped out of the Sacramento River Basin for farming regardless of warnings from biologists that it might hurt salmon runs sooner or later.

Fishers say river water temperatures elevated with the diversions for irrigation, killing extra eggs and hatchlings and stopping the shares from bouncing again amid the drought.

“This one ain’t on us,” mentioned Bob Maharry, 68, a lifelong San Francisco-based fisherman. “This has nothing to do with overfishing. That is poor administration of water.”

The California Division of Fish and Wildlife mentioned the estimated variety of grownup fall Chinook anticipated to return to spawn within the Sacramento River this yr is lower than 170,000, one of many lowest forecasts because the present evaluation technique started in 2008. Fewer than 104,000 fall Chinook are prone to return to the Klamath River, the second lowest estimate since 1997.

In 2021, a decide decided the Trump administration improperly restricted federal protections and restored them to a narrower 1986 customary. The Biden administration is predicted to increase the protections in 2024.

Some are banking on the unusually moist winter to deliver reduction. File rain and snowfall since late final yr have freed two-thirds of California from drought. However an excessive amount of water might additionally flush out eggs and hatchlings.

Alvarenga processes the fish on a table. — Luis Alvarenga, govt chef at Scoma’s, cleans a farm-raised salmon in San Francisco, Monday, March 20, 2023. AP Photograph/Godofredo A. Vásquez

Companies tied to salmon need the federal government to declare the scenario a federal catastrophe so they could obtain help. Because the market shrinks, extra eating places flip to farm-raised salmon, whereas gear suppliers cease stocking the right tools to fish Chinook.

“Not all people goes to make it out of this sort of a closure sadly,” mentioned Andy Giuliano, who owns Fish Emeryville, a bait-and-tackle store and reserving service for 16 constitution boats that supply salmon fishing journeys to vacationers within the San Francisco Bay space. “It’s an actual stress check on the business.”

Eric Schindler, Oregon Division of Fish and Wildlife’s ocean salmon mission chief, mentioned he “was not anticipating it to be this drastic,” assuming the yr would deliver restrictions however not a full closure for many of Oregon.

Jeff Reeves, who has been salmon fishing from the Coos Bay, Oregon, space because the Nineteen Seventies and can also be a member of the Oregon Salmon Fee, mentioned he plans to fish rockfish, black cod and possibly tuna. Later this yr he plans to focus on coho salmon from Oregon, which is doing nicely sufficient to be fished not like the coho in California. But it surely gained’t make up for the lack of the Chinook, that are greater, fattier fish which might be in increased demand.

“It’s devastating,” he mentioned. “The Oregon fleet is already on life assist,” which dropped from a top of about 4,500 boats to about 180 as we speak, he added.

On a stretch of the Klamath River in Northern California, the Yurok tribe has watched for years the decimation of the culturally vital salmon inhabitants. Barry McCovey Jr., director of the tribe’s fisheries division, mentioned the tribe’s Chinook allotment is prone to be very small this yr.

Nonetheless, he’s hopeful the deliberate elimination of 4 dams on the Klamath River will enhance the fish’s future.

“It’s not a silver bullet, however a giant step in proper route,” McCovey mentioned. “There’s nonetheless quite a lot of battles to struggle if we need to have coho and Chinook.”

–Julie Watson and Lisa Baumann/The Related Press

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Oregon

Oregon State MBB Fall To San Francisco 81-70 As Dons Drain 13 3’s

Published

6 hours ago

January 19, 2025

Press Room

Oregon State MBB Fall To San Francisco 81-70 As Dons Drain 13 3’s

On the heels of a milestone victory over Gonzaga on Thursday night, the Oregon State Beavers could not capture the same magic Saturday in San Francisco.

The road issues again reared their ugly head as OSU fell to USF 81-70, dropping the Beavs to 14-6 overall and 4-3 in conference play.

OSU have just one true road win this season, which came against Pacific on January 11. They are 1-4 in that category.

The biggest blows to the Beavers’ efforts came from beyond the arc. San Francisco made 13 of 22 three-point attempts, while OSU made just one on nine attempts. Malik Thomas was the game’s leading scorer with 24 points and four three-point makes.

Michael Rataj led the Beavs in scoring with 18 points, also grabbing six rebounds and two assists. As a team, the Beavs shot 44.4% on the night making 24 of 54 field goal attempts.

Oregon State will have several days off before hosting Pepperdine on Thursday, January 23.

Rataj with 13 points on the night pic.twitter.com/joCchI2YVp
— Oregon State Hoops (@BeaverMBB) January 19, 2025

Oregon

3 things to watch as Iowa women’s basketball looks to stop skid at Oregon

Published

14 hours ago

January 18, 2025

Press Room

3 things to watch as Iowa women’s basketball looks to stop skid at Oregon

IOWA CITY — Following an uncharacteristic run of home struggles, the Big Ten schedule now takes Iowa women’s basketball as far away from Carver-Hawkeye Arena as possible in the league.

The Hawkeyes (12-6, 2-5 Big Ten Conference) are set to begin their first West Coast conference swing, beginning with Sunday’s 4 p.m. game at Oregon (13-5, 4-3) on BTN+. Iowa will then head to Washington next Wednesday for an 8 p.m. showdown. The Hawkeyes are desperately trying to end a four-game losing streak that suddenly has them flirting with the NCAA Tournament bubble.

With that, here are three things to watch ahead of Sunday’s showdown.

Can the Hawkeyes productively channel their desperation?

Everyone inside the program understands the current situation and how it needs to change. But the Hawkeyes can’t let that pressure generate more tight play on the court, an ongoing theme throughout this four-game losing streak.

“We really are just one or two possessions away,” assistant coach Sean Sullivan said Friday. “With a team like this who’s continuing to fight, we just need one win. We just need one to get going because these kids really do believe.

“Everyone knows their role. Everyone is supporting each other, and that’s the best thing you can do at this time during a four-game losing streak. We’re not going down that black hole. We see the light. We’ve just got to get there.”

Until revealed otherwise, expect another tense affair with plenty of late-game opportunities for Iowa to find a better conclusion. The Hawkeyes need to bring this one home.

How does Iowa handle Oregon’s full-court pressure while potentially leaning more on its own press?

Iowa had some trouble in December with pressing teams, most notably Tennessee and Michigan State, that resulted in heavy turnovers and late struggles. On the flipside, the Hawkeyes have implemented their own press, just sporadically, mainly in moments of desperation.

Iowa leaned on more pressure in Thursday’s loss to Nebraska with some success. Could Sunday be a moment to match the Ducks’ energy there?

“Oregon is going to be pretty intense with ball pressure. That’s not what we do, but we’re slowly doing a little bit more of a press,” Sullivan said “First we did a press break of some type of 2-2-1. Now we’re like, ‘OK, let’s change it up a bit. What do our players feel comfortable with?’ (Thursday) night, we had a lot of success. We’re starting to see what they’re good at.

“Now, we’ve just got to have fun with it. Let’s start doing some random things because when you do something consistently, it’s easy to scout. But when you start changing things up, Nebraska didn’t handle our pressure well. And that builds us confidence. So I think for the future, you’ll definitely start to see some more stuff.”

What does Iowa have in store for Ava Heiden in her Oregon homecoming?

Even as far back as media day, Ava Heiden’s excitement for the Oregon trip was apparent. Her hometown of Sherwood, Oregon, sits about 100 miles north of the Ducks’ campus, so expect a strong cheer for Heiden when Iowa takes the floor Sunday.

“Ava is so athletic,” Sullivan said. “She can jump out of the building. She can get rebounds. And that’s what we’ve got to start figuring out. How can we utilize her a little bit more too?

Heiden’s minutes have been up and down this year, more down lately as Hannah Stuelke has shifted back to the “5” position for more consistency. Heiden didn’t play against Nebraska but could certainly see more usage Sunday.

Dargan Southard is a sports trending reporter and covers Iowa athletics for the Des Moines Register and HawkCentral.com. Email him at msouthard@gannett.com or follow him on Twitter at @Dargan_Southard.

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Oregon

Oregon gets more than $30 million from federal government to build overpass wildlife crossing on I-5

Published

22 hours ago

January 18, 2025

Press Room

Oregon gets more than million from federal government to build overpass wildlife crossing on I-5

This undated artist’s rendering from the Oregon Department of Transportation shows the design of an overpass crossing for wildlife spanning above four lanes of traffic on I-5, looking southeast. ODOT is expected to begin construction on the crossing in 2028 in the Cascade-Siskiyou National Monument, less than two miles north of the California border.

Oregon Department of Transportation

The Oregon Department of Transportation recently learned it will receive a $33 million grant from the federal government to build a wildlife crossing overpass on I-5 in Southern Oregon.

It will be the first overcrossing built to reduce wildlife and vehicle collisions along I-5, which spans nearly 1,400 miles from the Washington-Canada border to the California-Mexico border.

ODOT, which is providing nearly $4 million in matching funds for the project, removes about 6,000 deer carcasses struck by motorists each year in Oregon.

Wildlife corridors can not only prevent fatalities but also save motorists thousands of dollars in vehicle repairs – on average, $9,000 for a collision with a deer and $24,000 for elk, according to the agency.

In December 2024, the Oregon Department of Transportation announced it had received a $33 million federal grant to build the first overpass wildlife crossing on I-5. This undated photo shows the proposed location for the overpass which is expected to begin construction in 2028 in Southern Oregon, less than two miles north of the California border.
*Oregon Department of Transportation*

Karen Mager, an associate professor of environmental science, policy, and sustainability at Southern Oregon University in Ashland, has led a team of undergraduate students to set up camera traps and collect more than a million videos and photos of the diverse wildlife that live along the I-5 corridor south of Ashland, in the Cascade-Siskiyou National Monument.

“We have mountain lions, coyotes, bears, bobcats, Pacific fishers. We’re at the northern edge of the ringtail, which is this really cool kind of raccoon relative, and so we have a lot of diversity here,” she said.

The images Mager and her students captured were critical to identifying the future location of the overpass within the Mariposa Preserve of the Cascade-Siskiyou National Monument, less than two miles from the California border.

The crossing will essentially be a wide bridge arching above the north and southbound lanes of the freeway, designed with natural features such as native vegetation and high walls to dampen the roar from traffic passing below while keeping animals safe.

This undated artist's rendering from the Oregon Department of Transportation shows the design of an overpass crossing for wildlife spanning above four lanes of traffic on I-5, looking southwest. ODOT is expected to begin construction on the crossing in 2028 in the Cascade-Siskiyou National Monument, less than two miles north of the California border. — This undated artist’s rendering from the Oregon Department of Transportation shows the design of an overpass crossing for wildlife spanning above four lanes of traffic on I-5, looking southwest. ODOT is expected to begin construction on the crossing in 2028 in the Cascade-Siskiyou National Monument, less than two miles north of the California border.
*Oregon Department of Transportation*

“The bridge itself is actually going to be connected to a couple miles of fencing to the north and to the south that help funnel animals towards the wildlife crossing. …. It’s got these jump outs on it so that if an animal accidentally ends up in the freeway, they can easily jump out to the safe side of the fence, but animals on the safe side of the fence won’t be able to easily get into the highway,” Mager said.

Construction of the wildlife crossing is expected to begin in early 2028.

“The overpass will be kind of an amazing, beautiful ‘Welcome to Oregon’ statement as you drive in from California, and it’s going to have artwork on it,” Mager said.

Karen Mager spoke to “Think Out Loud” host Dave Miller. Click play to listen to the full conversation:

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