Fish Creek, Deshka River, Jim Creek salmon counting weirs fully funded

Talking with Alaska Department of Fish and Game (ADF&G) Area Sport Fishery Management Biologist, Sam Ivey, last week I learned that the legislature had provided funding to fully operate salmon counting weirs for 3 significant Mat-Su salmon returns. The full-funding was next approved by Governor Dunleavy. During the previous 3 years, weirs at Deshka River and Fish Creek had been operated for only a portion of the coho salmon return, and the Jim Creek weir project had not been operated at all.

Fish Creek Weir

Staff from the Palmer ADF&G office were busy installing the Fish Creek weir on Monday July 3, and salmon counts may be posted on the ADF&G website by the time this column is published. Running this weir project through the coho salmon run has in the past allowed ADF&G to liberalize, what in regulation is a weekend-only fishery, to provide 7-day per week coho salmon fishing with an increased daily bag limit of 3 coho. Liberalization of this popular sport fishery for coho salmon has only occurred after the department has projected coho salmon returns in excess of the Fish Creek coho salmon escapement goal of 1, 200 - 4, 400 fish. In 2022 the Fish Creek Weir project was pulled on July 29 after more than 58,000 sockeye salmon had passed the weir, but only 36 coho had passed. Having this weir in place for the entire coho return during 2023 will help update the status of the Fish Creek coho salmon population, and provide for more timely inseason fishery management.

Deshka River Weir — currently measuring Chinook (king) Salmon abundance

Although Deshka River has the only coho salmon spawning escapement goal for the massive Susitna River drainage, because of budget cuts, the Deshka Weir project was only run through a portion of the coho salmon season from 2020 - 2022. After only achieving the lower end of the 10, 200 - 24,100 Deshka River coho salmon spawning escapement goal on September 5 in 2019, coho salmon weir counts were terminated before achievement of the goal minimum in 2020, 2021, and 2022. In 2020 - 5,368 coho salmon were counted through August 12. In 2021 - 3,338 coho salmon were counted through August 11, and during 2022 - 3,168 coho salmon were counted through August 8. Early termination of weir counts has resulted in uncertainty if adequate Deshka River coho salmon were allowed upstream to spawn, with an additional loss of inseason fishery management capability. Similar to the Fish Creek weir — fully funding the Deshka River Weir project through the entire coho salmon season will provide a needed update on the status of Deshka River and Susitna drainage coho salmon populations. It also provides for better management in times of measured shortages of coho salmon or sport fishery (and possible personal use fishery) liberalization with measured coho salmon abundance. Note: the two largest historical Deshka River coho salmon weir counts were 62,940 counted through September 8 in 2004 and 59,419 through August 15 in 2006.

Jim Creek Weir

The Jim Creek drainage supports the largest known population of coho salmon in the combined Matanuska / Knik River drainage. It supports the largest fishery for wild salmon in the two rivers, with significant fishable populations of both coho and sockeye salmon. In addition one of the 4 coho salmon escapement goals for all of Upper Cook Inlet is located on the McRoberts Creek fork of this drainage. The McRoberts Creek goal, however, is only a fraction of the drainage coho population, is measured by postseason foot count, and therefore provides little, if any, inseason management capability. The Jim Creek weir project, located lower in the drainage, counts a much earlier, and higher percentage of the drainage coho salmon return. Although ADF&G has not yet formally established a weir-based Jim Creek coho salmon spawning escapement goal, the department’s 7-year history of coho salmon weir counts, in relationship to the much longer history of McRoberts Creek foot counts, has been used to actively sustain the drainage salmon fishery and coho salmon spawning escapement. Jim Creek Weir coho counts have ranged from 6,451 in 1994 to 1,206 fish in 2016. The Jim Creek weir counts should become available by mid-to-late-July for the first time since 2019. This is good news for the most important wild salmon fishery in the Bodenburg Butte area.

When available salmon counts from each of these projects may be found at this location on the ADF&G website: https://www.adfg.alaska.gov/sf/FishCounts/

Thank you to our Valley legislators and Governor Dunleavy for once again getting these Mat-Su salmon management projects running through the entire coho salmon return. Thanks also to the Mat-Su Borough Fish and Wildlife Commission, Matanuska Valley Fish and Game Advisory Committee, Mat-Su Convention and Visitors Bureau (Mat-SuCVB) and others who supported these projects through the legislative process.

Recent and upcoming Items:

Little Susitna King Salmon Fishery Closure —July 6 - 13, 2023. View the Emergency Order

Susitna River Drainage bait & multiple hook opener for select flowing waters

Lower Susitna Personal Use Dip Net (by permit) Schedule for 2023—By regulation fishing dates are Wednesdays and Saturdays from July 10 - 31. Therefore in 2023 the 6 fishery dates will be: July 12, 15, 19, 22, 26, and 29.

Good Luck and Fish On!

Andy Couch posts fishing report updates on his Fishtale River Guides website at: https://www.fish4salmon.com/2023-fishing-reports/june-2023-alaska-fishing-reports/