The Carkeek Watershed Community Action Project (CWCAP) conducts the Salmon Spawning Survey every year.  That’s us out there every Saturday.   CWCAP acquires the Scientific Collection Permit (SCP) to conduct this survey from the Washington Department of Fish & Wildlife (this year’s WDFW permit number is MALMGREN 15-257).

Our primary objective is to determine the relative spawning success of salmonids in Pipers Creek and its tributaries, though Venema Creek is the only tributary we sample.  Though the permit is primarily focused on deceased fish, we count the live ones we see as well.

CWCAP is a very local group of volunteers that also accomplishes the rearing, imprinting and release of nearly 90,000 fish at the Imprint Pond every year (numbers vary) – some of which we are lucky enough to be able to tell park visitors about each fall.  We could not do it, of course, without the Suquamish Tribe’s Grovers Creek Salmon Hatchery, SPU, Parks, the indomitable Carkeek Park Advisory Council (CPAC) and all the volunteers that help this park along to being the special place that it is.

(http://wdfw.wa.gov/fishing/salmon/chum/viewing/pipers_crk.html)