Salmon Return to Agency Creek

These pictures are proof that forest management and fish can co-exist.

The fall of 2009 saw the largest return of Coho Salmon to the upper reaches of Agency Creek in several years. A total of 904 Coho had made it to this point in their journey. Previously, the largest return had been in 2007 when 280 Coho were counted.

The water system is managed by Hampton and the Confederated Tribes of the Grand Ronde. As fish enter the fish ladder at the weir, they are counted and moved upstream by employees of the Confederated Tribes Fish & Wildlife department. The 250 mile journey home begins at the mouth of the Columbia River. From there, they follow the Willamette River to the Yamhill River and finally move into Agency Creek.

On this particular day, the sight was confirmation that reforestation, commitment to riparian practices on our lands, and our ongoing management of the forest environment have been successful. To add perspective to the size of the fish, the channel to the left in the picture is approximately 10 feet across.

David Hampton notes that Forest Management plays a critical part in maintaining the restoration of salmon to the upper waterways in Oregon.

Agency Creek holds some of the company’s first timberlands, acquired by L.M. Hampton to support the Willamina sawmill.