Drought and flood

Continuity of water flowing downstream in streams and rivers enables salmon to migrate upstream to their spawning grounds. If the flow is cut off such as during a drought salmon may not not be able arrive at their spawning grounds. Conversely, excessive flow from a flood may make it difficult for salmon to migrate upstream to their spawning grounds. Increased frequency of these extreme precipitation events driven by climate change may lead to increased pre-spawning mortality thus reducing salmon productivity.

Dessicated Pink salmon
Dessicated Pink Salmon (Oncorhynchus gorbuscha) line the bed of a dry stream during a drought.
Actinopterygii Alaska Chordata Class Actinopterygii Hartney Creek Humpback Salmon Infraclass Teleostei Neopterygii Oncorhynchus gorbuscha Pacific salmon Phylum Chordata Pink Salmon Salmonidae Salmoniformes Salmoninae South Central Alaska Subclass Neopterygii summer Teleost Teleostei United States Vertebrate chordate drought near Cordova salmon habitat topside
Dessicated Pink salmon
Dessicated Pink Salmon (Oncorhynchus gorbuscha) line the bed of a dry stream during a drought.
Actinopterygii Alaska Chordata Class Actinopterygii Hartney Creek Humpback Salmon Infraclass Teleostei Neopterygii Oncorhynchus gorbuscha Pacific salmon Phylum Chordata Pink Salmon Salmonidae Salmoniformes Salmoninae South Central Alaska Subclass Neopterygii summer Teleost Teleostei United States Vertebrate chordate drought near Cordova salmon habitat topside
Drought-induced pre-spawning mortality
Gloucous-wing Gulls (Larus glaucescens) scavenge Pink Salmon (Oncorhynchus gorbuscha) carcasses resulting from drought-induced pre-spawning mortality. The streambed downstream from here (in background) was dry.
Actinopterygii Alaska Bird Charadriiformes Chordata Class Actinopterygii Class Aves Glaucouswinged Gull Hartney Creek Humpback Salmon Infraclass Teleostei Laridae Larus glaucescens Neopterygii Oncorhynchus gorbuscha Pacific salmon Phylum Chordata Pink Salmon Salmonidae Salmoniformes Salmoninae South Central Alaska Subclass Neopterygii Summer Teleost Teleostei United States Vertebrate chordate near Cordova prespawning mortality salmon habitat topside
Drought-induced pre-spawning mortality
Underwater view of Pink Salmon (Oncorhynchus gorbuscha) psssing a mass of dead conspecifics lying on the stream bottom resulting from a drought-induced pre-spawning mortality.
Actinopterygii Alaska Chordata Class Actinopterygii Hartney Creek Humpback Salmon Infraclass Teleostei Neopterygii Oncorhynchus gorbuscha Pacific salmon Phylum Chordata Pink Salmon Salmonidae Salmoniformes Salmoninae South Central Alaska Subclass Neopterygii summer Teleost Teleostei United States Vertebrate chordate drought near Cordova prespawning mortality underwater
Drought-induced pre-spawning mortality
Above water view of Pink Salmon (Oncorhynchus gorbuscha) psssing a mass of dead conspecifics lying on the stream bottom resulting from a drought-induced pre-spawning mortality.
Actinopterygii Alaska Chordata Class Actinopterygii Hartney Creek Humpback Salmon Infraclass Teleostei Neopterygii Oncorhynchus gorbuscha Pacific salmon Phylum Chordata Pink Salmon Salmonidae Salmoniformes Salmoninae South Central Alaska Subclass Neopterygii summer Teleost Teleostei United States Vertebrate chordate drought near Cordova prespawning mortality salmon habitat topside underwater
Drought-induced pre-spawning mortality
Unable to migrate further upstream due to drought conditions, Pink Salmon (Oncorhynchus gorbuscha) are concentarted into what water is left in this stream while others that have already succmbed lie exposed to air.
Actinopterygii Alaska Chordata Class Actinopterygii Hartney Creek Humpback Salmon Infraclass Teleostei Neopterygii Oncorhynchus gorbuscha Pacific salmon Phylum Chordata Pink Salmon Salmonidae Salmoniformes Salmoninae South Central Alaska Subclass Neopterygii Summer Teleost Teleostei United States Vertebrate chordate near Cordova salmon habitat topside
Drought-induced pre-spawning mortality
Above water view of Pink Salmon (Oncorhynchus gorbuscha) psssing a mass of dead conspecifics lying on the stream bottom resulting from a drought-induced pre-spawning mortality.
Actinopterygii Alaska Chordata Class Actinopterygii Hartney Creek Humpback Salmon Infraclass Teleostei Neopterygii Oncorhynchus gorbuscha Pacific salmon Phylum Chordata Pink Salmon Salmonidae Salmoniformes Salmoninae South Central Alaska Subclass Neopterygii Summer Teleost Teleostei United States Vertebrate chordate drought near Cordova salmon habitat straying topside
Drought-induced pre-spawning mortality
Above water view of Pink Salmon (Oncorhynchus gorbuscha) psssing a mass of dead conspecifics lying on the stream bottom resulting from a drought-induced pre-spawning mortality.
Actinopterygii Alaska Chordata Class Actinopterygii Hartney Creek Humpback Salmon Infraclass Teleostei Neopterygii Oncorhynchus gorbuscha Pacific salmon Phylum Chordata Pink Salmon Salmonidae Salmoniformes Salmoninae South Central Alaska Subclass Neopterygii Summer Teleost Teleostei United States Vertebrate chordate drought near Cordova salmon habitat topside
Drought-induced pre-spawning mortality
Unable to migrate further upstream due to drought conditions, Pink Salmon (Oncorhynchus gorbuscha) are concentarted into what water is left in this stream while others that have already succmbed lie exposed to air.
Actinopterygii Alaska Chordata Class Actinopterygii Cordova Eccles Creek Humpback Salmon Infraclass Teleostei Neopterygii Oncorhynchus gorbuscha Pacific salmon Phylum Chordata Pink Salmon Prince William Sound Salmonidae Salmoniformes Salmoninae South Central Alaska Subclass Neopterygii Summer Teleost Teleostei United States Vertebrate Whiskey Creek chordate drought prespawning mortality salmon habitat topside
High rain-driven flow
Summer rain driven high flow in a glacier-fed stream.
Alaska Power Creek Power Creek road South Central Alaska United States damage flooding glacial melt flow glacial water high flow near Cordova topside washout weather phenomena
Flood infrastructure damage
Driven by excessive summer rain, overflow from a nearby salmon sream resulted in this road washout revealing buried cables.
Alaska Power Creek Power Creek road South Central Alaska United States damage flood flooding high flow infrastructure damage near Cordova road washout topside washout weather phenomena
Flood infrastructure damage
Driven by excessive summer rain, overflow from a nearby salmon sream resulted in this road washout.
Alaska Power Creek Power Creek road South Central Alaska United States damage flood flooding high flow infrastructure damage near Cordova road washout topside washout weather phenomena
High glacial melt flow
The sunny weather that prevais during summer droughts can drive high flow in glacier-fed streams. Thus while some streams were dry, others can have above normal flow.
Alaska Power Creek Power Creek road South Central Alaska United States damage flooding glacial melt flow glacial water high flow near Cordova topside washout weather phenomena
Salmon stream overflow
Stream overflow during an autumnal rain event carried glacial sediments from the stream into adjacent land areas as well as roadways.
Accipitridae Accipitriformes Alaska Autumn Bald Eagle Bird Chordata Class Aves Haliaeetinae Haliaeetus leucocephalus Phylum Chordata Power Creek road South Central Alaska United States Vertebrate chordate flood flooding glacial melt flow glacial water high flow infrastructure damage near Cordova salmon habitat topside weather phenomena
Autumn flood
This glacier-fed stream is over its banks during an October heavy rain event when Coho Salmon (Oncorhynchus kisutch) are attempting to spawn here. The water would otherwise be clear under normal conditions that would have sub-freezing air temperatures at the glacier source.
Actinopterygii Alaska Autumn Chordata Class Actinopterygii Coho Salmon Infraclass Teleostei Neopterygii Oncorhynchus kisutch Pacific salmon Phylum Chordata Power Creek road Salmonidae Salmoniformes Salmoninae Silver Salmon South Central Alaska Subclass Neopterygii Teleost Teleostei United States Vertebrate chordate flood flooding glacial melt flow glacial water high flow near Cordova salmon habitat topside weather phenomena