Are Kokanee salmon missing their annual spawning trek up Taylor Creek?

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - Among one of the rites of Fall is the Kokanee salmon's annual spawning trip up Taylor Creek at Lake Tahoe. This may not be the case in 2022 due to impacts of the current drought.

After the driest three-year stretch on record, rivers, streams, and creeks in the whole state, not just the Lake Tahoe Basin, are experiencing significant low water flows and some have even dried up. In addition, most waterbodies in California including Lake Tahoe, are experiencing increased temperatures due to the changing climate and multiple years of drought, according to USFS-Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit Aquatic Biologist, Sarah Muskopf.

Muskopf said Taylor Creek is currently flowing at 2-3 cubic feet per second (CFS) and would likely be even lower if not for the Fallen Leaf Lake Dam. Under natural conditions, large portions of Taylor Creek would be dry under current drought conditions. In addition, many streams around the Lake Tahoe Basin are currently intermittently dry.

There is currently no route for the Kokanee to get into their normal spawning area of Taylor Creek due to low water levels.

In the past, water has been released from the dam at Fallen Leaf Lake in October when levels are low, allowing increased flow into Taylor Creek and a pathway for the salmon.

The release has resulted in significant bear/visitor encounters as more fish come upstream.

"In response, the Forest Service is working toward managing the creek to mimic more natural conditions," said Muskopf. "This will help establish a more natural streamflow trigger for the Kokanee by delaying spawning activities until later in the fall when we (hopefully) begin receiving much-needed precipitation."

The Kokanee are non-native salmon that are resilient and can successfully spawn as late as February. If water flow in certain creeks and streams is low or non-existent, the fish will seek out other tributaries to spawn in and have even been known to spawn along the shoreline of Lake Tahoe.

"The Kokanee are known to spawn in several streams around the basin, not just Taylor Creek," added Muskopf. "Currently, we are aware of decent spawning activity in the Upper Truckee River. In recent years the salmon have also been detected in Incline and Third creeks on the North Shore."

According to Muskopf, the Forest Service may release a large enough flow to trigger the spawning run near the end of October, but they must honor the terms of its Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Fallen Leaf Lake Homeowner Association. The MOU directs the Forest Service to hold lake levels for recreation use during the summer season while releasing enough water in the fall to create enough space in the lake to reduce the risk of flooding lakeside homes and the marina in the event of an atmospheric river or rain-on-snow event.

California anticipates another year of below-average snow and rain which will be the fourth year in a row for unprecedented drought impacts.

The Taylor Creek Visitor Center is scheduled to close for the season on October 24 and the parking lot will close on November 15.