Dismal returns to South Fork Salmon

Dismal returns to South Fork Salmon

FOR THE LAST TWODECADES, FISHINGFOR SALMON ON THESOUTH FORK OF THESALMON RIVER WAS AFOURTH OF JULYTRADITION FORHUNDREDS OF IDAHOANGLERS.THIS YEARMANAGERS SAY THEYWON'T EVEN GETENOUGH FISH TOACHIEVE HATCHERYGOALS, BUT ASSTEVE LIEBENTHALREPORTS INTONIGHT'S IDAHOBACK ROADS, NATIVEAMERICANS ARETRYING TO HARVESTA SMALL NUMBER OFSOUTH FORKSUMMER CHINOOK.THESE MEMBERS OFTHE SHOSHONE-BANNOCK TRIBE AREPREPARING FOR ATRADITIONAL RITUAL-- FISHING FORSUMMER CHINOOKSALMON IN THESOUTH FORK OF THESALMON RIVER.

BUTWHILE WE WEREWATCHING, THEYFOUND NO FISH INHOLES WHERESALMON USUALLYSWIM IN EARLY JULY.AND THEYREMEMBER WHATTHE RIVER LOOKINGBLACK FROM THEMASSES OF FISHTHAT FILLED IT NOTTOO LONG AGO."THIS WHOLE RIVER:BLACK.

FROM HERE,ALL THE WAYAROUND THE BEND.MAN, THAT'S A ONCEIN A LIFETIME THINGTO SEE."THE RIVER WASCLOSED TO SPORTANGLERS FOR MORETHAN THIRTY YEARS,BUT THAT CHANGEDIN 1997 WHENSALMON RETURNSSTARTED TOREBOUND.

BY 2001 ITSEEMED EVERYONEWAS CATCHINGSALMON HERE,SOMETIMES TWO ORMORE AT A TIME,EVEN YOUNG KIDSLANDING TROPHIES,AND LINING THEBANKS OF THESOUTH FORKBECAME A FOURTHOF JULY TRADITIONFOR MANY.IN 2003, THE TRAPWHERE MANAGERSHOLD HATCHERYFISH BEFORESPAWNING COULDNOT HANDLE THENUMBER OF FISHCOMING IN."THERE WERE TOOMANY.

THERE WASONE DAY IN EARLYJULY OF 2003 I THINKWE LET FOURHUNDRED FISH INTOTHE TRAP, AND WEHAD TO STOPLETTING THEM INTOTHE TRAP.

AND A LOTMORE COULD HAVECOME IN IF WE HADTHE CAPACITY."BUT ON JULY 4THTHIS YEAR?"RIGHT NOW WEHAVE FIVE."FISH AND GAMEPREDICTS THEENTIRE RETURN TOTHE SOUTH FORK IN2020 WILL BE RIGHTAROUND THAT 450THAT FILLED THETRAP IN AROUND AHALF HOUR 17 YEARSAGO.ALL OF IDAHO'SSALMON SPECIESARE RETURNING ATALARMINGLY LOWNUMBERS.MANAGERS SAY THEYCAN'T EXPLAINEXPLAIN IMPACTINGTHIS YEAR'S RUN,BUT THEY SAY OCEANWARMING OFF THEWEST COAST HASBECOME A MAJORPROBLEM."AND IT REALLYCHANGES THE FOODRESOURCES THATARE AVAILABLE TOTHE FISH WHEN THEYFIRST GET TO THEOCEAN."THE FISH THATRETURN TO THISRIVER TOOK A MAJORHIT A FEW YEARSAGO, WHEN THECOMBINATION OFHEAVY RAIN AND AFIRE CHARREDLANDSCAPE LED TOMUD FLOWING INTOTHE TRAP.SALMON RETURNSTO IDAHO WEREONCE AMONG THELARGEST IN THEWORLD, AND FISHADVOCATES BELIEVEREMOVING FOURDAMS FROM THELOWER SNAKE RIVERWOULD GIVE THEM AFIGHTING CHANCE INYEARS WHEN THEYARE UP AGAINST AWARM OCEAN ANDOTHER LETHALCONDITIONS.TRIBAL MEMBERSSADDENED BY THEDWINDLING RETURNSALSO BLAME THEDAMS,"IT'SHEARTBREAKING TOSEE THAT IT'SDISAPPEARING."BUT THEY REMAINHOPEFUL THE RIVERWILL LOOK LIKE IT DIDLESS THAN TWENTYYEARS AGO."THE SALMON RUN INCYCLES, ANDHOPEFULLY THEREWILL BE ANOTHERYEAR WHEN THERIVER WILL BEBLACK AGAIN."UNDER THESTEPHENS TREATYOF 1855, WHICH WASCONFIRMED INFEDERAL COURT, NEZPERCE FISHMANAGERS WILLALLOW TRIBALMEMBERS TOHARVEST TEN ORELEVEN SALMON.THE SHO-BAN TRIBELOST THEIRTRADITIONALSALMON RUNS THATWENT ALL THE WAYINTO NORTHERNNEVADA BEFORE THEHELLS CANYON DAMSCOMPLETELYBLOCKED THOSEMIGRATION ROUTES.THEY ARE FISHINGUNDER THE BRIDGERTREATY OF 1868.

THENEZ PERCE SAY THESHO-BANS HAVE NORIGHTS TO FISH THESOUTH FORK.

WEHAVE REACHED OUTTO SHO-BAN FISHERYMANAGERS INVARIOUS WAYS SINCEMONDAY TO FIND OUTHOW MANY FISHTHEY PLAN TOHARVEST, BUT WEHAVE NOT HEARDBACK.STEVE LIEBENTHAL...IDAHO NEWS SIX