the "christmas" spawn

Or, as a local biologist referred to it as.

The wild, endangered Coho salmon’s furthest most southern spawning occurs here locally, right down the road - and, right up the creek. I met a young fishery biologist, Catie Clune, yesterday, who walked me through the difficult and arduous task these fish take annually. Through their 23 mile migration, from the Pacific in late October and early November, to the upper reaches of nearby, Lagunitas Creek - where they finally lay their eggs and die - and all, at this same predictive time, every Christmas.


 Early morning, over Lagunitas (Papermill) Creek.

Natural log jams, creating pools and diverging waters, necessary for spawning salmon.

A large female (about 24 inches) creates an ideal nesting area referred to as her "redd".  Her (white) tail fin shows the wear-and-tear from stirring up the loose gravel bottom, prior to laying her eggs.

Another female behind her nesting area, just prior to laying her eggs. Generally, an oval-to-round depression, created by days of periodic laying on her side and the beating of her tail along the bottom.