Healthy Spawning Eases Fear About Coho Salmon

Fear that Russian River coho salmon were on the verge of extinction has been eased by winter spawning in a tributary that has produced a hardy group of the fish.

Federal regulators have said since 1996 that the Russian River coho could become extinct. Only one stream in the watershed significantly supports the species.

Because coho have a three-year life span, three consecutive years of poor spawning could have signaled the population’s downfall. But in a creek sampling this month, 46 young coho were found, said biologist Michael Fawcett.