Scientists in mid Oct observed bull trout spawning in the Clackamas River basin for the first time in more than 50 years.
Survey crews tracking bull trout implanted with radio transmitters witnessed the spawning event Tuesday, Oct. 4 2011 in the cool, dark waters of Pinhead Creek, a tributary of the Clackamas River located approximately 35 miles upstream from North Fork Reservoir in the Mt. Hood National Forest.
The female bull trout shown in the video will produce 1,000 to 2,000 eggs and the juveniles should start to emerge in April. It will take sometime for the Bull Trout to reach the age that reproduction is possible, but within 4-6 years the cycle of life will begin.
The river has not seen a bull trout population since the early 1960′s. Although a prolonged return of the Bull Trout is uncertain, seeing the video above is encouraging.
