Chum Salmon, Coastal SMU – Oregon Conservation Strategy

Overview

Species Common Name Chum Salmon
Species Scientific Name Oncorhynchus keta
State Listing Status Sensitive
SMU/ESU/DPS/Subspecies Coastal SMU, Pacific Coast ESU

Ecoregions

Coast Range

Oregon’s Coast Range, known for its dramatic scenery, is extremely diverse, with habitats ranging from open sandy dunes to lush forests and from tidepools to headwater streams. It follows the coastline and extends east through coastal forest to the border of the Willamette Valley and Klamath Mountains ecoregions

Nearshore

The Nearshore ecoregion includes a variety of habitats ranging from submerged high-relief rocky reefs to broad expanses of intertidal mudflats in estuaries and hosts a vast array of fish, invertebrates, marine mammals, birds, plants, and micro-organisms. This ecoregion encompasses the area from the outer boundary of Oregon’s Territorial Sea to the supra-tidal zone, and up into the estuaries.

Special needs

Require stream gravel bars with upwelling flow and side channels near tidewaters for spawning. Migrate to ocean soon after emergence. Productive nearshore marine habitat that provides high-quality prey in sufficient quantity for rapid growth at time of ocean entry.

Limiting factors

Alterations of hydrology and watershed function. Fish passage. Marine survival. Loss of estuarine habitat.

Data gaps

Population dynamics. Population genetics. Distribution and abundance in Oregon marine waters.

Conservation actions

Maintain or restore aquatic, estuarine, and riparian habitat. Continue ongoing restoration efforts involving landowners, tribes, and agency partners (NOAA, NMFS, ODFW, OWEB). Manage for sustainable harvest.

Key reference or plan

Coastal Multi-species Conservation and Management Plan