Immigration of Juvenile Coho Salmon (<i>Oncorhynchus kisutch</i>) into Riverine Ponds

Abstract

Riverine ponds on the Olympic Peninsula provide important winter refuge for juvenile coho salmon (Oncorhynchus kisutch). A total of 9530 juvenile coho migrated into two riverine ponds of the Clearwater River in 1977, principally during fall freshets. Extensive movement by marked fish (as much as 32.6 km downstream) before entering the ponds suggests that a system-wide approach to habitat management is important in maintaining freshwater production potential of large river systems.Key words: juvenile coho, immigration, winter behavior, migration, freshet, pond