Salmon starting journey up Taylor Creek in South Lake Tahoe

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - The Kokanee salmon are starting their journey up Taylor Creek, though it may be a few more days before the fish fill up the viewing areas along the Rainbow Trail.

A walk out to the Taylor Creek Visitor Center on Monday provided no views of the migrating Kokanee, but two bears were spotted (even though one was far up a tree). Toogee Sielsch, who is on vacation from his job with El Dorado County Vector Control, is spending two weeks at Taylor Creek to assist with the crowds that make the trip to see the salmon run.

The USDA Forest Service Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit (LTBMU) and the Tahoe Regional Planning Agency have been removing specialized mats, called bottom barriers, from 17 acres at Taylor and Tallac creeks and marshes. The mats successfully starved the invasive plants of sunlight, killing them before they could spread into Lake Tahoe.

The Taylor and Tallac Ecosystem Restoration Project is one of the largest aquatic invasive species control projects ever undertaken in the Tahoe Basin and is a priority project of the Environmental Improvement Program. Taylor and Tallac creeks and marshes provide critical habitats for many aquatic and riparian species and are popular recreational areas for locals and visitors. This first phase of the larger restoration project included the removal of existing aquatic invasive species infestations.

Even with the mat removal activity, salmon are making it through, and Toogee said he saw about four dozen above the pond this weekend, ready to head up the rest of the creek. Kokanee will find other creeks, streams, and rivers to navigate up to spawn if need be, and they can spawn until January. During drought years, their journey up Taylor Creek was hampered by low water and too much sand, but they still found other spots to spawn.

If planning a trip to Taylor Creek this October, make sure you don't take food items on the trail, stay on the boardwalk, and watch for bears and other wildlife. Listen to Toogee and the other volunteers and rangers when they give directions as their goal is to keep the public safe, as well as the bears.

The stream profile is open Thursday-Sunday.

Tips from LTBMU for a safe, responsible visit to the Rainbow Trail at Taylor Creek Visitor Center:

- Stay On Trails
- Respect Bears, Keep Your Distance
- Never Feed Bears/Other Wildlife
- No Food on Trails
- Leashed Pets Only
- No Bicycles/Skateboards
- Dispose of Trash Properly
- No Camping/Campfires
- No Fishing in Closed Areas
- Respect Aspen Trees, No Carving
- Park Legally/Safely
- Slow Down, Watch for Wildlife