NORTH BONNEVILLE — The first “true” spring chinook was counted this week crossing Bonneville Dam in the Columbia River.
The Washngton Department of Fish and Wildlife reports the 3-foot-long salmon was bright, black-faced and had a clipped adipose fin.
An adult chinook was counted on Feb. 8, but was white-faced, which is indicative of either a fall chinook or a lower Columbia spring chinook which had strayed upstream as far as the dam.
Officials suspect the Feb. 8 chinook most likely was a very late fall fish.
