Monday November 14, 2022
SF Gate —
Wild coho salmon returned to Lagunitas Creek in west Marin County last week following a period of gentle rain, activists with the Salmon Protection And Watershed Network said Friday.
The endangered fish revisit their natal streams when the rains begin in the fall and may be spotted spawning from November to January.
Bright red and 24 inches long, coho salmon come to the creek from the ocean to lay their eggs before dying. The dead become fertilizer for Redwood trees along the creek.
“It’s an incredible spectacle to watch these fish leap waterfalls, hear them splash around as they maneuver up shallow riffles, and witness the hooked-nose males fight for the opportunity to fertilize the female’s eggs in the nest she builds and protects until death,” said Ayano Hayes, watershed biologist for SPAWN.