sockeye or kokanee for Lake Okanagan ?

[boxhitch]

More than 200,000 sockeye salmon fry are expected be released into Okanagan Lake by the Okanagan Nation Alliance (ONA) over the next several weeks in its attempt to reintroduce the salmon to the Okanagan.


But the planned fry release will go ahead without the support of the provincial government.


Fisheries staff from the ONA will release some 70,000 fry in three different stream systems on Okanagan Lake: Mission Creek in Kelowna, Trout Creek in Summerland and 6 Mile Creek near Vernon.


According to the provincial government, they feel the necessary scientific work has not yet been done to determine the risk to the distinctive resident kokanee populations in Okanagan Lake...................
http://www.kelownacapnews.com/news/381788731.html

[ruger#1]

I hope they put a fish ladder at OK Falls. Otherwise, They will be just Kokanee.

[boxhitch]

Sockeye and Kokanee not equal but I get your point about being 'landlocked'.
I think the test is to determine if marked fished will even be able to get back to the barrier at the Falls

[ruger#1]

They also have Arctic Charr farm just south of Oliver. Lots of Socks in the river in October. Love watching the trout hit them on the side and eat the eggs that drop out.

[ruger#1]

Sockeye and Kokanee not equal but I get your point about being 'landlocked'.
I think the test is to determine if marked fished will even be able to get back to the barrier at the Falls They were saying some have made it into Skaha. Not sure if it is true. I can not see them making it over the falls from the south end.

[boxhitch]

Some say they have never been up to Okanagan . Would like to see the Gov't science but can't find it ...........?

[REMINGTON JIM]

Some say they have never been up to Okanagan . Would like to see the Gov't science but can't find it ...........?


LOL Gov't Science ? Surely your kidding Billy ! :smile: RJ

[Stone Sheep Steve]

They were saying some have made it into Skaha. Not sure if it is true. I can not see them making it over the falls from the south end.

They are already spawning in the ok river channel in penticton. Back in the peak run a couple years ago they helped a few past the barrier at the south end of okanagan lake and some ended up in various creeks that flow into ok lake

[Jager]

So a "group" can release fish into public waters without govt. support???? Hmmm

[bighornbob]

I always wandered that. If a Kokanee is a landlocked Sockeye and they are able to make it back into said lake and start spawning, do we need the Kokanee??

[Jagermeister]

There never were any sockeye in Okanagan Lake or Skaha for that matter too. They could not get by the falls that gave Okanagan Falls it name. The sockeye would spawn in the river channel below Okanagan Falls and when hatched would hold in Vaseux and Osoyoos Lake before migrating to the chuck. The best spawning area was the downstream portion below Vaseux lake. Okanagan River was not straight as the channel is today but oxbowed around as it meandered its way to Osoyoos Lake. Thanks to the US Corp of Army Engineers, the dams that exist at the outlet of Okanagan, Skaha and Vaseux were their doing. For flood control, funny thing is they never bothered straightening the river south of the border.
I guess the elders forgot to tell the OIB that part of the river history and while we're at it, the Salish word for redfish that the OIB would gather at the outlet of Shingle creek is kikaninee.

[Elk-Aholic]

I hope they put a fish ladder at OK Falls. Otherwise, They will be just Kokanee.

Fish ladder has been built and in place for a couple years now at the falls. Whether the ladder portion is in during the sockeye run, I don't know. But fish have been getting into Skaha long before that ladder was ever in place. Let's say some members were forming a human catapult and helping those sockeye up and over. That being said, fish ladder is also in place from the penticton river channel into Okanagan lake. Was part of that damn system when they installed/manufactured it many years ago. Just never been utilized yet but that will change soon no doubt with ONA.

[Jagermeister]

I remember on day when they closed off McIntyre Dam. It was near the peak of the spawning return. There was a raceway on the east side of the dam that spilled a continuous flow but it was a very low volume. The sockeye were milling about with no was of progressing. There were many spectators present, official and unofficial, Indian and White. DFO (although they were not called that at the time) were present too. All of a sudden, some Indians got into the river and started hand bombing fish to one and other in a chain getting fish over the barrier. Next thing you know, White folks got involved and and wouldn't you know it, DFO tried arresting people. They were getting jostled by Indian and White alike. Pretty hard to arrest someone when you're laying on your back getting trampled. I was eight or nine at the time and my dad told me to stay on the bank with my mother and Mrs. George while the menfolk attended to matters.
I spent many a day on the river between OK Falls and Vaseux Lake as my father operated a dragline straightening the channel. Following years were spent on the river below Oliver and down to Osoyoos Lake. Summers well spent

[boxhitch]

I always wandered that. If a Kokanee is a landlocked Sockeye and they are able to make it back into said lake and start spawning, do we need the Kokanee??One is a local fishery , the other feeds seals in the Columbia

[ruger#1]

I wonder how far up the seals come, I have seen them up to Hope. And the north end of Harrison Lake. I love seeing them floating belly up.

[boxhitch]

Not any higher than the Bonneville dam I think. They do some culling there if the numbers get too high.
from wiki
Historically, pinnipeds (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pinniped) such as sea lions and seals hunted salmon in the Columbia River as far as The Dalles and Celilo Falls (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Celilo_Falls), 200 miles (320 km) from the sea, as remarked upon by people such as George Simpson (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Simpson_%28administrator%29) in 1841

[wideopenthrottle]

I wonder how far up the seals come, I have seen them up to Hope. And the north end of Harrison Lake. I love seeing them floating belly up.

ive seen them in Lillooet river almost at Lillooet lake

[ASPEN]

saw a seal in the thompson just below chase

[bighornbob]

saw a seal in the thompson just below chase


That was probably a river otter.

[bighornbob]

One is a local fishery , the other feeds seals in the Columbia

If the sockeye keep coming back in good numbers it will be local fishery too regardless if seals eat them too.

BHB

[Fisher-Dude]

Seals.


One day, an Inuit hunter shows up at the skidoo dealership, dragging his broken down machine in by a rope.

The mechanic sees him, and goes out into the cold blizzard to help him get the machine inside the shop.

Once inside, the two men huddle around the sled as the mechanic opens the hood and takes a look at the engine.

"Looks like you blew a seal," says the mechanic.

"No," says the Inuit, "That's just frost on my mustache."

[REMINGTON JIM]

Lmffao !: Rj