If endangered salmon trying to reach central Idaho
didn’t have enough to worry about, now they need to dodge tires.
Over the Labor Day weekend, drivers of all-terrain vehicles blasted
through two miles of prime spawning grounds for salmon and bull
trout along the upper Salmon River. The marauders tore up gravel
and algae in the stream and damaged streambanks near Galena Summit.
Officials at the nearby Sawtooth Fish Hatchery
fear that two wild female chinooks may have spawned in the
now-damaged stretch. Three years ago, three salmon spawning nests,
called redds, were found in the same area. The two fish were the
only native females that have reached the hatchery this year, along
with 35 other spring/summer chinook, a record low.
“It’s unfortunate that this type of behavior
reflects badly on all ATV users,” said Paul Ries, a ranger for the
Sawtooth National Recreation Area. Ries said they have not caught
the vandals. “Warren Cornwall
This article appeared in the print edition of the magazine with the headline ATVs shred redds.
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