Baby salmon head out to sea. Then they do something unexpected, new research shows

April 30, 2025
By Lynda V. Mapes
Seattle Times environment reporter

Link to Seattle Times article

Coho salmon smolts are collected in a fish trap as researchers assess local salmon populations in an Olympic Peninsula stream. (Karrie Hanson)
Coho salmon smolts are collected in a fish trap as researchers assess local salmon populations in an Olympic Peninsula stream. (Karrie Hanson)

Who knew that baby salmon were such explorers?

The long-held understanding that baby salmon emerge from the streams where they hatched to head out to sea actually is missing a far more complex story — and a far more interesting one, scientists explain in a new paper.

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Edmonds Hearing Examiner decides on Perrinville Creek saga

The examiner revoked the city’s Determination of Non-Significance, forcing Edmonds to address infrastructure issues on the creek

By by Eliza Aronson
Tuesday, April 1, 2025

Perrinville creek diversion structures
Perrinville creek diversion structures and blockage

Link to Everett Herald article

EDMONDS — The city of Edmonds has work to do on Perrinville Creek.

On Friday, City Hearing Examiner Phil Olbrechts decided city staff must address safety issues about a corroded pipe that connects the last few hundred feet of stream to Puget Sound, and consequently restore fish passage along the lower portion of the creek.

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Guest View – Perrinville pipe under tracks could spell disaster

Posted Saturday, November 23, 2024

By Bill Lider
Lider Engineering

One of the most important duties of City government is to protect the health and safety of its residents.  Besides the obvious police and fire protection, it is the Public Works department’s duty to assure the safety of its residents, too.

While potholes in public roads can be ignored or put off for a long time, or roads can be closed pending repairs, the rail traffic on the Edmonds waterfront cannot. Every day, tens of thousands of gallons of hazardous, toxic, and explosive materials move up and down the Edmonds waterfront.

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‘Give them a chance’: The fight to bring salmon back to Edmonds stream

For years, locals have begged the city to remove fish barriers in Perrinville Creek. A federal grant could help.

by Ta’Leah Van Sistine
Saturday, September 21, 2024 6:30am

https://www.heraldnet.com/news/give-them-a-chance-the-fight-to-bring-salmon-back-to-edmonds-stream/

An overflow diversion structure sits along a section of Perrinville Creek near Talbot Road on Monday in Edmonds. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)

Future stewards lend a hand to baby salmon

My Edmonds News
Posted: May 27, 2024

Last week marked the final releases this year of “baby” coho salmon from Edmonds’ Willow Creek Salmon Hatchery into local streams to help the salmon populations in Puget Sound. On hand to help were community volunteers including future stewards of the environment and even Edmonds Mayor Mike Rosen.

Lucy-and-Theo-Kopp-take-special-care-in-releasing-salmon-into-lower-Shell-Creek
Continue reading “Future stewards lend a hand to baby salmon”

Reader view: Can we stop the demise of Edmonds salmon streams?

By Joe Scordino
Posted: August 26, 2023

Joe Scordino
Joe Scordino

First it was Perrinville Creek and now it is Shell Creek that is losing its natural functions and salmon habitat — this time because of neglect and inaction by city administration in Edmonds’ Yost Park.

In the case of Perrinville Creek, the loss of salmon is due to both inaction to implement a watershed restoration plan (as promised by Mayor Nelson in a press release over two years ago), and an apparent illegal action the city took in January 2021 to totally block salmon access to Perrinville Creek.

Continue reading “Reader view: Can we stop the demise of Edmonds salmon streams?”

Letter to the editor: What’s the status of Perrinville Creek restoration project?

Posted: September 26, 2021

Link to My Edmonds News article

(The following letter was sent to Edmonds Mayor Mike Nelson and is being published here at the author’s request)

Mayor Nelson:

Last March, you put out a press release titled “Mayor Nelson Calls for Perrinville Creek Restoration Project” that acknowledged the stormwater damage to Perrinville Creek and said “Once staff have formulated a better idea of the full effort and cost required to pursue a restoration project, they will present it to City Council for their review and direction, which will also include an opportunity for public input.”

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Mayor proposes Perrinville Creek Restoration Project to address long-term flooding, threats to fish

Posted: March 2, 2021

Link to My Edmonds News article

City crews worked through the night Dec. 21 to keep water flowing. (Photo courtesy City of Edmonds)

Citing heavy rainfall that overwhelmed the lower portion of Perrinville Creek, causing floods in December and January that washed out Talbot Road, damaged private property and threatened critical infrastructure, Edmonds Mayor Mike Nelson on Tuesday called for “immediate creation” of a plan to restore Perrinville Creek.

Continue reading “Mayor proposes Perrinville Creek Restoration Project to address long-term flooding, threats to fish”