KLAMATH RIVER DIVISION:
The Klamath River division of the Yurok Tribal Fisheries Program provides technical support to the Yurok Tribe in its efforts to bring about large-scale restoration of Klamath River and its anadromous fish species. We provide this support by participating in technical and policy forums that affect the Klamath River and by conducting research related to water management in the Klamath River Basin. Our recent efforts have focused on the FERC relicensing of the Klamath River Hydroelectric Project and associated negotiations that may result in removal of this project in the near future. We are also involved with reviewing and providing input to the Bureau of Reclamation's flow regulation of the mainstem Klamath River. We continue to monitor the water and fisheries situation on the Shasta and Scott Rivers, although we have not taken on an active research role in those watersheds for some time.
The Yurok Tribe also conducts its own fisheries and ecological research. Our research focuses on the ecology, fish biology, disease dynamics, and restoration of the
mainstem Klamath River. We make extensive use of state-of-the-art biotelemetry in order to determine the migration behavior of fish species important to the Yurok Tribe such as Chinook salmon, coho salmon, green sturgeon, and Pacific lamprey. Current research projects and activities include water temperature monitoring, salmonid use of thermal refuges, invertebrate food availability, adult Chinook migration behavior, green sturgeon biotelemetry, Pacific lamprey migration and spawning pilot study, resident fish disease pathogen load, adult Chinook disease pathogen monitoring, juvenile salmonid disease pathogen incidence, and spawner and redd surveys. Our research team is dedicated to
providing scientific research of the highest quality using cutting edge technology and techniques. Our goal is to conduct, publish, and apply the best avialable science to inform management decisions and restoration activities. For a list of published reports see the "reports and publications" link above.
Our team consists of Senior 
Biologist Michael Belchik, Biologist Josh Strange, Biologist Barry McCovey Jr., Senior Technician Jamie Holt, Technician Rocky Erickson, and Technician Troy Fletcher Jr. Senior Biologist Michael Belchik focuses on management, restoration planning, and policy implementation while Josh Strange leads the research efforts. For more information contact Mike Belchik at 530.625.4130 ex. 1617 mbelchik@snowcrest.net, or Josh Strange at 530.625.4130 ex. 1602.
