Up the Creek

Photograph courtesy of Jim Hale

Local wild salmon just isn’t on the menu these days because of its dwindling numbers. But, did you know you can find our beloved silver-skinned species swimming in Walnut Creek?
 

That’s the creek, not the town. Actually, the fishes’ upstream journey is blocked by a flood control structure in Concord, before they can reach the creek’s namesake city. But, the local salmon—which once thrived in the creek that flows south to north from Dublin to the Bay—have made a bit of a comeback in recent years, with steelhead and chinook occasionally numbering into the thousands during their late fall run.
 

Lafayette resident Jim Hale (pictured), a biologist who has been studying the local fish population for more than 35 years, has an interesting hypothesis as to why these fish are in our neck of the woods. He says that the salmon hatch in the Sacramento River, which ends up being used on thirsty lawns in the Tri-Valley. That water then spills off into Walnut Creek, which eventually empties out into the Bay, where it’s detected by the salmon. The olfactorilly sensitive fish then make a hard turn up the creek, thinking that they’re going home.
 

A good salmon sighting spot is Concord’s Willows Shopping Center parking lot, which sits right next to the creek. But, before you start dreaming of freshly caught salmon steaks on the grill, remember that if you catch one, you have to release it—or face a fine of up to $1,000 and/or one year in jail.