FISHWATCH 2023 MONTHLY REPORT
NOVEMBER 2023
by Edward Kikumoto
COVID19 STATUS – The Big Bend Pool is open to the public this year until further notice to the contrary.
Compliance with CDC guidelines are recommended, especially for those who are unvaccinated and have underlying health concerns.
The FishWatch Caretaker is no longer “social distancing,” so please let me know if you are, so I can make sure not to compromise your health
DISCLAIMER
The views and opinions in this report are strictly my own, and do not reflect the views and opinions of the U.S. Forest Service (USFS), the Oregon Department of Fish & Wildlife (ODFW), or The North Umpqua Foundation (TNUF).
Greetings from the Big Bend Pool,
THE END OF THE FISHWATCH 2023 SEASON
My last full day at the Big Bend Pool was on November 26.
I spent the following 3 days clearing out the Airstream and prepping it for the move.
The weather after Thanksgiving up to November 29 was cold, but sunny and dry – lows into the 20s, and highs in the 30s and 40s.
The Airstream was towed back to its winter home at Steamboat on November 30.
The weather forecast was for an extended period of wet weather beginning on November 30. The resulting high flows will give the steelhead still holding in the Big Bend Pool cover from observation, and provide water volume upstream and in the feeder creeks where they will spawn.
Steelhead on the move.
There were few opportunities to count the steelhead in the Big Bend Pool this month. Overcast skies, and fluctuating water levels made for poor visibility conditions for seeing and counting steelhead.
11.11 – 10 steelhead.
11.12 – 21-22 steelhead.
11.16 – 8 steelhead.
11.18 – 20-22 steelhead.
11.24 – 28-30 steelhead.
11.25 – 35 steelhead.
11.26 – 80 steelhead.
November 26 was my last count of the season. The Canton gage was reading 164 cfs at 14:00, when I made my count. It was a sunny day, and the pool was in full sunlight.
