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Salmon Society Eyeing Adams River

Sep 18, 2017 | 6:27 AM

The Adams River Salmon Society is gearing up for its annual gala fundraiser September 22nd.

It’s being held at the Quaaout Lodge on the Little Shuswap River by the Talking Rock Golf Course.

Blair Acton with the Society says money from the gala is used to keep their Interpretive Cabin open in Roderick Haig-Brown Provincial Park.

She says this isn’t going to be a great year for sockeye in the Adams because this is a pre-dominant year

“It’s the year before the big run. So next year, 2018, is a big run. The last big run was 2024. So the life cycle of the salmon is a four year cycle.”

She says there will be fish, but they will likely be spread out.

“The river’s fairly large and so they can spread out so some of the places on the trails you can’t see the salmon. it doesn’t mean they’re not there. It’s just harder to see.”

This year though may see a strong run of pink salmon.

How many will return is hard to say.

“For example in Scotch Creek this year they had quite a good run this year compared to its brood year in 2013. I’m not exactly sure in numbers, but maybe something like two thousand or something like that.”

The Adams is a tributary of the Fraser River.

The Department of Fisheries and Oceans has estimated a return of 8.7 million pink salmon to the Fraser.

Howe many will make it to the Adams is unclear.

Blair Acton says a lot of things can affect the run.

She says the leak at the Mount Polley Mine could have an affect as well as the forest fires this year.

Photo by Jim Cooperman