Salmon Tours Provide Amazement Once Again

SYRCL’s annual Salmon Tours program culminated on November 2^nd with an 8 raft flotilla, and amazing conditions for viewing the best salmon spawning season on the lower Yuba River since 2006.   Over the last six weeks, Salmon Tours have provided experiential education to eight school groups totaling more than 250 students, as well as the final tour consisting of SYRCL members and supporters.

Salmon tours give participants direct experience with spawning Chinook salmon and their habitat, including explorations of  benthic macroinvertebrates (BMIs), riparian zones, and river management.  Interpretation includes the history of mining in the area and the incredible Yuba Goldfields. Over the last two years, participants have witnessed the implementation and early success of SYRCL’s Restoration Project at Hammon Bar where 6,100 trees have been planted.

SYRCL has been providing Salmon Tours on the Lower Yuba River since 2001, and credits local

teachers who started the program.  The rafting trips are outfitted by Environmental Traveling Companions (ETC), an organization with special skill in providing safe access to this outdoor experience.

For a second year, SYRCL provided “Salmon Walks” taking school groups on-foot to watch salmon spawn, explore riparian zones, and collect BMIs.  Thanks to the UC Sierra Foothill Research and Extension Center,  this free option of a Salmon Tour provides the same amazing educational opportunity to more schools of our region.

Salmon Tours celebrate wild salmon and discovery of our natural heritage.   Everyone experiences the amazing story of the salmon who live downstream, and our role in recovering them from risk of extinction.

SYRCL thanks Sierra Streams Institute, Yuba River Charter School, Grass Valley Charter School and Scotten School for bringing their classes on the tours this year.  We also thank the many volunteer guides who made these tours possible.

If you missed out, stay tuned for next years’ Salmon Tours Program starting up in the early fall of 2014.