Sonar technology comes to the Smith River at Fishing the North Coast : Smile, you're on camera Smith River salmon and steelhead - well, sonar to be exact. For the first time in the river's history, sonar cameras are being used to count fish as they make their way up river. This cutting-edge fish counting program was the brainchild of Zack Larson, who enlisted the help of Cal Trout, Ben Taylor, Tom Weseloh, and Jim Walkrogel, along with the Smith River Alliance, to successfully push the project through. The program is funded primarily through a grant from the Fishery Restoration, with additional money coming from the revenue generated by steelhead punchards. The two-year pilot study was approved in 2009 and will run through 2012.
According to Larson, the ultimate goal of the project is to determine a basin-wide estimate of the number of salmon and steelhead returning to the river. "Using this data, we hope to keep the Smith River fishery program strong," Larson said. He was first introduced to sonar technology on the Kenai River in Alaska. "It was exciting to see how the data was used during the season. Whether there were not enough, or a surplus of fish returning, they could react immediately and adjust the regulations accordingly. You just can't do that without real data and that's what we'll have here on the Smith," Larson added.
The cameras are located at the Saxton Boat Launch, which was the logical choice for several reasons. That section of the river doesn't change from year to year and the bottom is fairly even from bank Read More
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