Salmon Eggs...what happens after spawning?

[Finished Business]

What happens when the water levels in the rivers drop rapidly after the main spawn, and (what I assume) thousands of eggs are left beached?

I know the eggs typically hatch in the spring, but during the winter do the just sit frozen, in dry sand, until the water comes back up? Maybe the answer is a simple one but this is a bit of a mystery to me.

Do the eggs have to remain in the water to prove successful in hatching? or is it possible these beached eggs will survive to hatch as well?

-FB

 

[Mighty Sylvan]

Interesting point FB. I'm no expert, but I'm thinking they become bird and critter bait.

 

[GLG]

I'm no expert but the gravel extract on the Fraser one year d-watered a section of the spawning beds and I recall them saying that it was lethal. Of course the company gave the "me bad" and all was forgiven. Flood control "wink wink" was way more important then our fish.

GLG

 

[Big Green Machine]

Absolutely the eggs need to stay in the water and at the right temperature.

 

[StampriverSam]

I understand the water flow has a lot to do with the safety of the eggs.

 

[Last Chance]

The eggs dry out, they are dead. But, so long as the gravel is moist, and the water not stagnant, they should be fine.

 

[Cuba Libre]

The eggs dry out, they are dead. But, so long as the gravel is moist, and the water not stagnant, they should be fine.

Kevin has it right. In fact there is a salmon incubation system that just mists or floods the eggs on a programmed cycle. The water drains out and the eggs sit in air until the next flood cycle. Its called (suprise!) a moist incubation system. Not sure of they still use it, but Oyster River used to do a lot of eggs this way.

 

[Fish Assassin]

I came across moving gravel one day on the river. Hundreds of birds eating thousands of small fish. These fish were as deep as 3 inches in the sandy gravel with out egg sacks any more. They must have hatched and lived in the moist sands. Rob and myself were unsure if there was anything we could do. As unless the river came up a foot I was sure these guys would die. I tossed a couple of handfulls of them in the river and some of them just laid there others were enjoying life in the big water. We moved on a kept fishing.

 

[Cuba Libre]

Owen, if you get a chance, get hold of this short movie "The Man Who Digs for Fish" http://www.onf-nfb.gc.ca/eng/collection/film/?id=12998

What old Frank was looking for was dimples in the de-watered side channels where he knew fish had spawned. That indicated trapped fry. He then dug a trench from the bar to the creek that emerging fry used to get back into the creek. His efforts saved thousands of fry, mainly chum and coho, and really increased the run size in the creeks

BTW- Forgot to add that eggs held in a moist incubator have to be put into water prior to hatching, or they will die.

 

[Finished Business]

all great information guys. Its a pretty unfortunate situation as I can tell, as the river I am referring is dam controlled. Im sure there is a reason (there always is right?) for why they couldn't dump a few thousand more gallons into the flow to give these guys a chance...make a little more hydro, make some money, save some fish...maybe?

I have a chum spawning creek that runs through my property (tributary of the Alouette River) and this year I saw one of the biggest returns in recent memory. Pretty incredible to see 15lb chum in a creek no wider than a trout rod, by the dozens. I'd love to see more if there was a chance.

Seems to be a few odd scenarios in the life cycle of young fry that you fella's have stated. I am correct in assuming the fry hatch in the spring? how long do the eggs typically incubate before hatching?

Tx, FB

 

[Optimist]

Not really,here in Sooke we have chinook trays hatching ,the hole process is based on atu's ,accumulated thermal units,another words the warmer the water the faster the process to hatching ,chinook are gathered for brood stock first here hence the faster hatching ,coho are later here and depending on water temp conditions it can take until late Nov early Dec to even get eggs same thing goes for steelies ,if conditions aren't right we have to release them ,they will fungis up and die before allowing us to take there eggs.Come spring these little chnook will be 2-4 grams and by early June we will have them up to 15-20 grams and released

 

[GLG]

Check out this link
http://www.metroeastanglers.com/atu.html
GLG