Kitwanga Fence Update to Aug.7th

The Kitwanga River Salmon Enumeration Facility has been in operation since July 11, 2008 under slightly higher than normal water conditions, and total salmon counts to the night of August 7, 2008 are as follows:

Sockeye = 35
Chinook = 243
Pink = 5
Chum = 0
Coho = 0
To date only 35 sockeye have moved through the fence which is still the lowest count to the day ever recorded since accurate enumeration was initiated in 2003. Based on average run timings seen previously approximately 15% (max. = 20% / min. = 9%) of the run has usually moves through the KSEF by August 7 in any given year. If this run timing holds true to average run timings observed for the last 5 years we predict that the sockeye escapement to the Kitwanga for 2008 will be < 250 fish.
Chinook escapement through the KSEF have started to pick-up slightly but are still low with an escapement of only 243 fish. Usually by August 7 our chinook escapements >1,200 fish.
We counted our first pink salmon on August 6, the latest arrival ever recorded for pink salmon at the KSEF since accurate enumeration commenced in 2003.
To date we have not seen any chum or coho salmon. In previous years the first pink salmon was counted between July 22nd (2006) and August 3rd (2007), the first chum between July 28th (2005) and August 21st (2006), and the first coho between August 7th (2005) and September 1st (2006).
Information courtesy of Gitanyow Fisheries Authority, Kitwanga