Do not disturb the redds

It is Fall. It is raining. In Washington, that means there are salmon coming up the creeks and rivers to spawn. The spawning female salmon make nests in which to lay eggs. They move their bodies and tails back and forth in the gravel to create a cone shaped hollow. They may create several in…

Grandmother speaks

By Marianne Lincoln Tonight, I am trying to wrap my brain around the event I just witnessed at the Washington State Historical Museum. This was right up there with the night I was at the museum for the Leschi Exoneration Trial. I walked in a little late, because I wasn’t off work in time for…

Chambers Bay Estuary, fish ladder repair and more

Before Chambers Creek becomes Chambers Bay, the water flow is blocked by an outdated dam. Built to provide electricity for a nearby paper plant that closed years ago, the dam is widely considered to be harming the ecosystem of the area. Pierce County Surface Water Management, South Puget Sound Salmon Enhancement Group and three local…

Dead fish conundrum at Spanaway Lake

By Marianne Lincoln Small fish, four to eight inches in length are rolling around, disoriented and flopping over on their backs and dying in Spanaway Lake. Reports have been coming in for a month in online social media. At the recent Chambers Clover Watershed Council meeting, a group of experienced water watchers came together to…