​Endangered Salmon Surface In Marin

MARIN COUNTY, CA — Endangered coho salmon have surfaced in at least two Marin creeks for the first time in more than 10 years.

The salmon have been seen spawning in two Marin creeks; they were spotted for the first time since 2004 in San Geronimo Valley’s Montezuma Creek and in Larsen Creek for the first time since 2006, according to Salmon Protection And Watershed Network (SPAWN) biologists, The San Francisco Chronicle reports.

SPAWN is a project of of Turtle Island Restoration Network.

“Critically endangered Coho salmon are spawning in Marin County now,” the group wrote on its website.

“These large, two feet in length, beautiful red fish return from the ocean to small creeks to spawn each winter. Once numbering in the thousands, only a couple hundred now return. One of the best runs left in California is right in the Bay Area in Marin County.”

The reemergence of the endangered fish in Marin is attributed to a series of rain storms that allowed the coho salmon to hop into culverts to return to their historic habitat, The Chronicle reports.

“This is the first time in a long time we’ve seen them way, way, way up in these tiny streams,” SPAWN Director of Conservation Preston Brown told The Chronicle.

“They swim, leap, wriggle and jump — they’re pretty acrobatic actually. But they need enough water to carry them through.”

Correction: A previous version of this article stated that coho salmon were spotted in Marin for the first time in more than 10 years. The salmon were spotted in two Marin creeks for the first time in more than 10 years.