Native salmon will be returned to Metolius

Salmon egg may lead to returnof mighty fish to Metolius river. But there are obstacles -- and dams -- to overcome.

Old-timers remember catching 15-pound Chinook salmon, Oncorhynchus tshawytscha, on the Metolius River. That was 30 or more years ago.

An ambitious plan to reintroduce this native fish is spearheaded by Portland General Electric, the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife and the U.S. Forest Service.

There are no Chinook salmon presently in the Metolius River.

Locations at Heising Creek, Jack Creek, the Metolius River and Spring Creek now have hatchery fish incubator boxes with a total of about 74,000 embryonic Chinook salmon. The eggs came from the Round Butte Fish Hatchery.

Next month, the Chinook fry and smolts will be gently released into grassy areas along the stream. Bull trout will undoubtedly feed on many of the released fish, but hopefully, some will survive. The survivors will remain about one year in the upper Metolius River.

The surviving Chinook smolts will start their migration to the sea during spring 2001. After reaching Lake Billy Chinook, they will be assisted past the dam on their journey to ocean waters.

Upon returning from the sea, the Chinook will be checked to determine whether they are free of disease and parasites before being returned into Metolius waters. The examinations will take place at the Pelton-Round Butte Dam and Hatchery.

In a second study, 4,500 eggs of sockeye salmon, Onco-rhynchus nerka, have been placed in the Spring Creek incubator. The embryos will al-so be released into the Metolius and their progress followed.

Historically, there are records of sockeye migrating up the Metolius River, through Lake Creek and into Suttle Lake. Whether this migration can be reestablished is yet to be determined.