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Nisqually Salmon Watcher program seeks volunteers

The Nisqually Stream Stewards Program is looking for volunteers to help monitor streams within the Nisqually River watershed during the upcoming salmon spawning season. Volunteers will be trained to identify salmon species so they can count spawning adult salmon twice a week.

Published: Sept. 16, 2012 at 12:05 a.m. PDTUpdated: Sept. 16, 2012 at 2:29 p.m. PDT
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The Nisqually Stream Stewards Program is looking for volunteers to help monitor streams within the Nisqually River watershed during the upcoming salmon spawning season. Volunteers will be trained to identify salmon species so they can count spawning adult salmon twice a week.

In recent years salmon watchers helped rediscover a late run of coho salmon that hadn’t been seen in the Nisqually River for 10 years.

“Salmon watchers are really the eyes and ears of salmon recovery. This is how community involvement in salmon recovery is helping to bring salmon back,” David Troutt, natural resources director for the Nisqually Tribe, said in a news release. “Without these volunteers, there is no way that we could keep a close eye on every stream in the Nisqually River watershed.”

Information collected by salmon watchers helps the tribe’s natural resources staff identify where and when salmon are spawning in area streams and creeks. This information may also help determine where to focus salmon recovery protection and restoration efforts in the future.

The training will be held on Saturday, from 9 a.m.-noon, in the Nisqually Tribe Natural Resources conference room, 12501 Yelm Highway SE, Olympia.

To register for the training or to get directions, contact Don Perry at 360-438-8687, ext. 2143, or perry.don@nisqually-nsn.gov.

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