David M. Zeff: Baby salmon need more water and fewer predators

Re “What’s eating the salmon?” (Page 1D, April 24): Yes, predators eat baby salmon. But when there were no water diversions to Big Ag, huge salmon runs co-existed with huge striper populations. Now ag diverts most of the water out of our rivers, enabling the predators. Baby salmon need big, fast, muddy waters to survive. This is the exact opposite of what salmon experience.

Mike Wade fibs that regulation of water diversion hasn’t improved conditions for salmon. In 2008 and 2009, salmon fishing was shut for the first time ever due to no regulation. New regs in 2009 brought the salmon back until four years of drought. The cold water releases from Shasta that Wade refers to are designed to enable salmon egg hatching. Water 56 degrees kills salmon eggs. Wade admits that eliminating bass won’t solve predation. This simply clears space for predators like pike minnow and silversides.

Golden Gate Salmon Association agrees that modifying predator hotspots is a good step. So is restoration of shallow-water habitat. Two years after wet winters there is a significant rise in salmon numbers. Wet winters equals more water equals salmon survival. Diversion creates the slow, clear-water enabling predators. In dry winters, diversions must be reduced to give baby salmon a fighting chance.

This story was originally published April 26, 2016 at 5:30 PM with the headline "David M. Zeff: Baby salmon need more water and fewer predators."